MUSIC VIDEO TIPS

Here is a great article written by OCR big shot Pete Fraser to help you lot with tips for your video project.

http://petesmediablog.blogspot.co.uk/2010/10/music-video-for-level.html


This paragraph especially is interesting:

"First of all, though, I think it is important to determine what a music video actually is; it would be too simple to say well, its a video and it's got music, so it must be a music video, because those criteria could apply to all manner of short films. I would see six key elements which would be there in almost every music video:

The video lasts at least as long as the track (can be longer if you have an intro or outro or both)
The video features the artist/band quite prominently
The video features some element of performance- singing and playing instruments (usually miming) and often dancing or acting too 
The video has some kind of concept along with the track
The video does not feature a complete narrative but the concept may involve fragments of narrative
Different genres of music produce slightly different visual conventions in music videos

These criteria are an important starting point, as often student music videos seem to disregard them, which is a mistake. If you don't show some element of performance by the artist you are entering the realm of a small minority of music videos, which are maybe so strong conceptually that the artist doesn't matter or from very particular sub-genres of dance music. I would beware of this. If you are Chris Cunningham dealing with Aphex twin, it's fine, but at a level it is likely to end up looking like it isn't a music video..."

A2 Coursework Checklist – Music

(There should be a least one blog post about each stage)

1. Choose who you are going to work with and name your production company, design a logo for your production company.                                                                                                                                                                 
2. Create your blog on either www.blogger.com, or www.wordpress.com                              
3. Post a version of your star image research.                                                                                                                                               
4. Post a version of the research you did on Auteur Music Video Directors.                                                                       
5. Choose the track you are going to use (between 3 mins and 4.30mins).  Try and define the genre of your track.  From this genre and come up with a list of identifying traits of the genre – things that usually appear in the videos for the type of song you have picked and therefore that you need to include. Find an interesting way of presenting your findings on the blog                                                                       
6. Posts on the blog, post at least 3 per week of them in regard to your production plans.                            
7. Find out who owns the copyright of the song you have chosen and find either an email address or a postal address for them or their management.  Write a letter seeking permission to use their track.  Put a copy of the permission letter on your blog.                                                                                                                             
8. Pick a music video director or band whose work you admire and investigate their work and influences.  Find a creative way to present this on your blog.                                                                                         
9. Research similar videos to the one you want to create.  Each member of the group should do a full textual analysis of at least 2 videos (cinematography, editing, sound and mise-en-scene).  
10. Pick another video from the genre and choose the 9 key screen shots from it (see www.artofthetitle.com for inspiration).  Annotate the 9 shots describing why they are the key shots and what you can take from them as inspiration.                                                                                                                              
11. Storyboard the first minute of a video of your choice                                                                                                           
12. Create a mood board either physically using glue and scissors, or digitally. Upload it to your blog, write a short entry on why you have used what you have on the board and it conforms to the expectations of your music genre                                                                                                                                                                 
13. Audience research – research why people choose the music they do, whether videos make a difference, what attracts people to videos and what puts them off.  Blog your findings.                                    
14. Go to http://www.uktribes.com and http://www.findyourtribe.co.uk and use them to define your perfect audience member. (Have some fun and find out what tribe you are too).  Create a complete picture of your audience member, from clothes to the food they eat, music they listen too.  You can get a friend to dress up in the appropriate costume and take photos.                                                                       
15. Post about how your video is going to attract your ‘perfect audience member’.                                                     
16. Research the institutions that might produce, and exhibit your videos. (MTV/YouTube/Record labels etc),                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          
17. Define the key elements you must include in your video to conform to the expectations of the genre you have chosen, the audience you have chosen and what is expected of a video.  Make a check list. Look back at ‘Music Video Bingo’ and look at any theorist you can find who may be appropriate. (See Mrs B/Miss M for some help). Find an interesting way to blog your findings.                                   
18. Create a story plan for the video; write a brief synopsis.                                                                                                             
19. Plan 5 sections to your video, to add variety.  Create a storyboard for each section (either drawn or photo-strip).                                                                                                                                                                                                                       
20. Create an animatic of your video, with sound.                                                                                                                             
21. Create a shot list and shooting script.                                                                                                                                               
22. Plan locations and take location shots. Blog your reasons for choosing these locations.  Seek permission if needed.                                                                                                                                                                                                     
23. Cast your video and take casting shots.  Blog your reasons for casting who you have.                                   
24. Plan and collect all props and costumes.                                                                                                                              
25. Shoot your film              Eaaaassssyyyyyyyy !!!                                                                                                                                                                                         ¨