Tomorrow, I am meeting Nick (the singer) tomorrow evening to do a lip-syncing test in advance of Saturday. This will involve setting up a camera in my mums studio and filming Nick and I lip-sync to the song. Then I will edit this on iMovie on my Mac and upload it to the blog.
I am sure that lip-syncing will not be a problem as both Nick and I have performed live in the past and had some experience in this field. We also both know the song very well meaning we will not have problems remembering the words etc.
Wednesday, 30 November 2011
Covent Garden For The Narrative On Saturday
As a result of not being able to get a girl to act with Toby, we have decided that we are going to take a different approach to the narrative footage on Saturday.
I thought about what the actual story behind the song could be and had no success in finding an idea. Therefore we are now going to use the street artists/entertainers in Covent Garden to feature in our film.
Here is some images of two street entertainers in Covent Garden. I went there a couple of weeks ago with my family and I counted a minimum of 6 street entertainers there on a Saturday so now it is nearer to Christmas, I am expecting more.
I recall that the entertainers were friendly and diverse and this means that they may be more than happy to feature briefly in the video free of charge and if not, we will donate some money to them.
Our aim is to film the entertainers walking along with people around them so they stand out and therefore connote the song title 'Unorthodox'. I feel this will work well and will look great in the video for the narrative side of the video.
I thought about what the actual story behind the song could be and had no success in finding an idea. Therefore we are now going to use the street artists/entertainers in Covent Garden to feature in our film.
Here is some images of two street entertainers in Covent Garden. I went there a couple of weeks ago with my family and I counted a minimum of 6 street entertainers there on a Saturday so now it is nearer to Christmas, I am expecting more.
I recall that the entertainers were friendly and diverse and this means that they may be more than happy to feature briefly in the video free of charge and if not, we will donate some money to them.
Our aim is to film the entertainers walking along with people around them so they stand out and therefore connote the song title 'Unorthodox'. I feel this will work well and will look great in the video for the narrative side of the video.
BBC Weather Update
So far, the weather forecasts James and I have looked at are showing chances of rain on Saturday. This is a problem; however, we have agreed that we will still shoot the music video as London will still be packed and a great location. We will just have to improvise depending on how bad the weather is on the day but I will check TAF on Friday to get the most accurate forecast.
I thought I would check the BBC Weather for Saturday to see what their predictions are. Here it is.
I thought I would check the BBC Weather for Saturday to see what their predictions are. Here it is.
Tuesday, 29 November 2011
Equipment List For Saturday
There is quite a lot of equipment that James and I are planning on taking to London with us on Saturday.
Here is a list of everything we need to take...
- Two Sony HD Cameras
- 1 Dolly
- 2 Tripods
- My Costumes
- Umbrellas (incase of rain, we will have to improvise but all looks good, weather-wise)
- 4 4GB SD Cards
Here is a list of everything we need to take...
- Two Sony HD Cameras
- 1 Dolly
- 2 Tripods
- My Costumes
- Umbrellas (incase of rain, we will have to improvise but all looks good, weather-wise)
- 4 4GB SD Cards
Actor And Actress For Saturday
After deciding we wanted to film the narrative on Saturday in London, I spoke to my friend Toby Quainton who agreed to come along and be our male actor. I specifically asked quite quirky people who would fit the title of the song perfectly.
Here is a picture of Toby.
I did also ask my friend Leanne Croshaw if she would also be part of the narrative for our video and she said she would happily come along and feature in the video. Unfortunately, she wasn't aware her parents had made other arrangements and therefore can not come anymore.
This means we are currently looking for a quirky girl who can come along Saturday.
Here is a picture of Toby.
I did also ask my friend Leanne Croshaw if she would also be part of the narrative for our video and she said she would happily come along and feature in the video. Unfortunately, she wasn't aware her parents had made other arrangements and therefore can not come anymore.
This means we are currently looking for a quirky girl who can come along Saturday.
Performance & Narrative For Saturday
When we go to London on Saturday, we are going to be taking an actor and an actress who are 'unorthodox'- looking and who are going to stand out from a crowd.
We have a few people in mind but we will confirm the two people we are taking within the next few days.
We are going to film the performance and the narrative all in London and are going to use the city to our advantage and create a short narrative which will feature during the chorus of these two characters doing unorthodox things and going against the ordinary.
Then on Sunday we will film the performance footage from my mums studio.
We have a few people in mind but we will confirm the two people we are taking within the next few days.
We are going to film the performance and the narrative all in London and are going to use the city to our advantage and create a short narrative which will feature during the chorus of these two characters doing unorthodox things and going against the ordinary.
Then on Sunday we will film the performance footage from my mums studio.
Monday, 28 November 2011
Studio Footage
As well as filming in London, James and I are going to be filming Nick and I in my mums photography studio at our house. This will be done using a white backdrop with my microphone, microphone stand, pop shield and headphones and myself and Nick taking it in turns to lip-sync as if we are in a recording studio environment.
An alternative to this was going to be using the local youth centre recording studio; however, it is a fairly old building and would not look great on camera.
Here is a picture I took of the recording studio at the youth centre.
This location is not what we are looking for, therefore we are going to use the studio that my mum has.
We will film in my mums studio the day after London or maybe on the day but we will be very tired and therefore won't look great on camera. As a result filming on the Sunday would be better as we can put on fresh clothes and I think it will all be a lot more aesthetically pleasing.
An alternative to this was going to be using the local youth centre recording studio; however, it is a fairly old building and would not look great on camera.
Here is a picture I took of the recording studio at the youth centre.
This location is not what we are looking for, therefore we are going to use the studio that my mum has.
We will film in my mums studio the day after London or maybe on the day but we will be very tired and therefore won't look great on camera. As a result filming on the Sunday would be better as we can put on fresh clothes and I think it will all be a lot more aesthetically pleasing.
Train Times
It is important for James and I to think about which train to catch to London. As it is now Winter and it gets dark at around 3:30pm/4pm now, we must catch an early train to allow us plenty of time to commute and get all the footage we need in the locations we decide on.
We have decided to catch the 8:10am train to London Liverpool Street which arrives at 9:13 which gives us roughly 6 hours to get everything filmed we need.
Obviously the footage we want some performance footage in my mums photography studio so we will probably film this on a separate day depending on whether we have time when we get back from London. If not then we will most definitely film this footage the following day.
Here is the train timetable for Saturday 3rd December from the National Rail website.
We have decided to catch the 8:10am train to London Liverpool Street which arrives at 9:13 which gives us roughly 6 hours to get everything filmed we need.
Obviously the footage we want some performance footage in my mums photography studio so we will probably film this on a separate day depending on whether we have time when we get back from London. If not then we will most definitely film this footage the following day.
Here is the train timetable for Saturday 3rd December from the National Rail website.
Schedule For Saturdays Shoot In London
James and I are travelling to London on Saturday morning along with Nick (singer) to film our music video. We are aiming to film the performance and narrative for our video from the time we arrive to the time we leave to go home.
Here is a reasonably accurate schedule for Saturday. I have taken into account that London will be packed with people on this particular day due to it being so close to Christmas. However, this is exactly what we want as it makes shots look more interesting and makes us stand out more if we aren't following crowds.
8am- I drive to James' and Nick's house and drive to Audley End Station.
8:10am- Catch the train to London Liverpool Street
9:13am- Arrive at Liverpool Street and catch the London Underground to Oxford Street
9:45am- Film Narrative in Oxford Street and around that area
11:45am- Film Performance shots
1:45pm- Lunch & check footage and see if we need to film anything again or anything more/get some extra footage
3:45pm- Try and persuade the train driver to allow us to film from the cabin for title footage/ head home
Here is a reasonably accurate schedule for Saturday. I have taken into account that London will be packed with people on this particular day due to it being so close to Christmas. However, this is exactly what we want as it makes shots look more interesting and makes us stand out more if we aren't following crowds.
8am- I drive to James' and Nick's house and drive to Audley End Station.
8:10am- Catch the train to London Liverpool Street
9:13am- Arrive at Liverpool Street and catch the London Underground to Oxford Street
9:45am- Film Narrative in Oxford Street and around that area
11:45am- Film Performance shots
1:45pm- Lunch & check footage and see if we need to film anything again or anything more/get some extra footage
3:45pm- Try and persuade the train driver to allow us to film from the cabin for title footage/ head home
Narrative Codes in Music Videos
I will be looking at Barthes Codes in music videos that I have chosen as part of my research. This theory covers five key elements which are; Enigma, Action, Symbolic and Cultural. Enigma and action are the first two codes that allows suspense to be created in the narrative side of the music videos. The first way in which it does this is by creating unanswered questions and the second is by anticipation of an action resolution.
Enigma Code
The enigma code is the code which occurs in the narrative of a text. It essentially means that there is something in the text that has no answer as to why it is in the text or why something happens. For example in 'Whats My Name' by Rihanna and Drake, a man with dread locks holding drum sticks gets air-time for a few seconds at at time throughout the video. There is no answer and his presence is not made clear by the end of the video, therefore this is the enigma code in this particular video.
Action Code
The action code is where the plot events imply further action. In other words, the audience is drawn into a sequence of action and want to know the resolution but the added action draws them away from the curiosity of knowing the resolution and they are drawn into the action in return. Here is an example from the song 'Badman' by Roll Deep. In this music video, we see a group of youths arguing and the action intensifies and one character shows the opposing 'gang' a gun in his waist band. This immediately draws the audience into the action and they no longer want to know the resolution of the arguing between the two gangs.
We then see another example of action code whereby the action then escalates and the suspense from the audience's perspective increases. The boy with the gun then pulls it out and shoots and accidentally hits a young school boy who was on the other side of the road. This is the point where the audience will be shocked and they will no longer be interested in the gun that was shown earlier but now the after-affect of the shooting.
Semic Code
The semic code is essentially where a text shows a sign which describes a character, event or setting in terms of cultural stereotypes. In 'Jungle' by Professor Green and Maverick Sabre, we see a lot of shots that show youth hanging around on street corners. The audience immediately jumps to stereotypes and associates youth in hoodies with trouble. In terms of what we see in this particular shot, the boys are not doing anything wrong but naturally the audience will feel intimidated.
Symbolic Code
The symbolic code in a text is essentially where an object or sign is given to symbolise or connote something. For example, a gun symbolises power, violence etc.
Here is an example of how symbolic code is used in 'A Milli' by Lil Wayne. Here we see Lil Wayne's security guard outside his RV stopping a fan from getting in. This symbolises how famous Lil Wayne is and the power/authority he has.
Cultural Code
The cultural code in a text is a reference to religion or scientific material. For example, if a music video has shots from the 1900's then that is an example of cultural code in that video.
This is an example of cultural code, specifically a reference to a historic event, which is the Vietnam war.
This song is by the rap group, Jedi Mind Tricks and the song is called 'Uncommon Valor'. The whole music video is referencing the Vietnam war with comic book-type images. The lyrics to the song constantly reference the war as well.
Weather Update
As I mentioned, my dad uses TAF to get the weather forcast before he goes flying. I spoke to him last night and TAF only shows the weather accuratly a couple of days in advance.
Therefore, I will go onto TAF on Thursday night and check the weather for Saturday.
Therefore, I will go onto TAF on Thursday night and check the weather for Saturday.
Sunday, 27 November 2011
Storyboard
This is a storyboard James and I have created for filming in London. We decided that we would draw up a rough plan of what shots we need to get and locations etc. This mean't that on the day of filming, we know exactly what we are doing and where.
We aim to film everything included on the storyboard and then have some time to go around London and film more footage and film Nick and I messing around to add to the whole 'fun' theme we are trying to portray to meet our audience needs.
Friday, 25 November 2011
Weather For The Shoot
Taking the weather into account is important for James and I. Due to the fact it is a week until we go and shoot our video, checking the weather now would not be effective as it may change within the next week.
However, my dad is a pilot and he is a member of a website called TAF which gives incredibly accurate weather forcasts. I will go on the website early next week and find out the weather in London for Saturday 3rd December which is the day we go to London and film.
However, my dad is a pilot and he is a member of a website called TAF which gives incredibly accurate weather forcasts. I will go on the website early next week and find out the weather in London for Saturday 3rd December which is the day we go to London and film.
Eminem - Not Afraid Rooftop Inspiration
I am a big fan of Eminem and his song 'Not Afraid' has a very similar rooftop shot to the one I aim to achieve in London. In this video we see Eminem standing on the ledge of a high-rise building in New York at 0.21 seconds. He faces away from the camera but it is the location and surrounding environment that inspired me.
I aim to get a similar background in the rooftop shot I get but obviously I am not going to be standing on the ledge or on such a high building as that of the one in the Eminem video. I will be shooting from the top of Hanover mulit-story carpark but I will be able to get some tall buildings and landmarks in the background.
Here is the Eminem video.
I aim to get a similar background in the rooftop shot I get but obviously I am not going to be standing on the ledge or on such a high building as that of the one in the Eminem video. I will be shooting from the top of Hanover mulit-story carpark but I will be able to get some tall buildings and landmarks in the background.
Here is the Eminem video.
Rizzle Kicks - When I Was A Youngster Inspiration
After the song change, I decided that using Rizzle Kicks' song 'When I was a youngster' as inspiration would be appropriate. This is because the majority of the video is all based around the two artists at various locations having fun. The video is performance based, therefore there is a variety of shots used as the artists lip-sync that portray the happy theme of music they produce. Similarly, this is what our song 'Unorthodox' is like.
Here is the Rizzle Kicks video.
At 0.39 seconds into the video, the two artists are center frame in the park and they are messing around and dancing whilst lip-syncing. I will use this shot as inspiration for my video and will film in the street with myself and the singer messing around while lip-syncing.
There are specific shots in this video which really grabbed mine and James' attention and inspired us to use similar shots. For example, in this shot the artists are seen jumping around in a kids park. This is amusing for the audience to watch and it also puts a smile on the viewers face as it is silly and connotes a theme of happiness.
As well as the actions shown by the artist, the mise-en-scene in the video was simple yet effective, particularly the backdrops.
This shot shows both artists standing in a doorway. A simple backdrop yet effective. The door symbolises a house and therefore both artists standing in the doorway could signify they used to play together at each others houses "when I was a youngster". The hats they are wearing symbolise what they wanted to be when they were older. Although our video does not follow the same idea as this video, we aim to use ideas such as the simple backdrops for performance shots in our video.
Here is the Rizzle Kicks video.
There are specific shots in this video which really grabbed mine and James' attention and inspired us to use similar shots. For example, in this shot the artists are seen jumping around in a kids park. This is amusing for the audience to watch and it also puts a smile on the viewers face as it is silly and connotes a theme of happiness.
As well as the actions shown by the artist, the mise-en-scene in the video was simple yet effective, particularly the backdrops.
This shot shows both artists standing in a doorway. A simple backdrop yet effective. The door symbolises a house and therefore both artists standing in the doorway could signify they used to play together at each others houses "when I was a youngster". The hats they are wearing symbolise what they wanted to be when they were older. Although our video does not follow the same idea as this video, we aim to use ideas such as the simple backdrops for performance shots in our video.
Rooftop Progression
As a result of Health and Safety regulations, we have been unable to secure rooftop access. Therefore we are going to use the top of this multi story car-park. This car park is in Hanover Street near Liverpool Street station and I know how to navigate to it from the station.
Wednesday, 23 November 2011
Tuesday, 22 November 2011
Shot List For Unorthodox
Due to the song change, I decided to change the shot list a little bit as some of the shots were specific to the old song.
Shot List
Narrative
-Shot out of train drivers cabin of train coming out of a dark tunnel/going into it
-Shot of central London in the day, shots of high rise buildings, panning
-Tracking shots of groups of people walking/buildings surrounding
-Aerial shot of both myself and Nick messing around
-Shot of public giving me high fives around the street
-Shots of people shopping and having a good time
-Shots of me buying expensive clothes, close up on money
-Shot of Nick and I doing dance moves simultaneously
Performance
-Close ups of me rapping
-Medium/Long Shots of Nick singing with me by his side
-Both Nick and I on a rooftop or raised area singing/rapping
-Shots of Nick and I in a recording studio
-Shot of me rapping on the tube
-Shot of Nick rapping in the middle of a group of people
-Shot from London Eye of Nick and I rapping/singing
Shot List
Narrative
-Shot out of train drivers cabin of train coming out of a dark tunnel/going into it
-Shot of central London in the day, shots of high rise buildings, panning
-Tracking shots of groups of people walking/buildings surrounding
-Aerial shot of both myself and Nick messing around
-Shot of public giving me high fives around the street
-Shots of people shopping and having a good time
-Shots of me buying expensive clothes, close up on money
-Shot of Nick and I doing dance moves simultaneously
Performance
-Close ups of me rapping
-Medium/Long Shots of Nick singing with me by his side
-Both Nick and I on a rooftop or raised area singing/rapping
-Shots of Nick and I in a recording studio
-Shot of me rapping on the tube
-Shot of Nick rapping in the middle of a group of people
-Shot from London Eye of Nick and I rapping/singing
Levels Entertainment Never Replied
Unfortunately, Levels Entertainment never replied to my email requesting copyright permission for Unorthodox. Obviously this was quite some time ago before we decided to change the song once and then back again.
This means that James and I are going to have to go ahead and use the song anyway as we need to start filming in a couple of weekends time.
Next lesson we aim to begin our storyboarding for the shoot so that we can take it on the day and use the ideas so we do not waste time trying to work out what we are doing.
This means that James and I are going to have to go ahead and use the song anyway as we need to start filming in a couple of weekends time.
Next lesson we aim to begin our storyboarding for the shoot so that we can take it on the day and use the ideas so we do not waste time trying to work out what we are doing.
Nick Stott Taking the Role Of Example
I am going to use my neighbour and good friend Nick Stott in the video. He will be singing the part of Example which is the chorus. He has a great experience with performing live and jumped on the opportunity to feature in our video. He is a confident lad who has the right sort of image for the video and nows how important this is to me as he also wanted to study Media at University and went on and did exactly that.
Here is Nick Stott performing at a gig in Sunderland.
Here is Nick Stott performing at a gig in Sunderland.
Unorthodox Song Lyrics
These are the lyrics to Unorthodox. They are simple and I already know the lines I am required to rap in the song already so lip syncing should not be a problem. We are going to use my neighbour who is a singer for the chorus and singing parts.
[Wretch 32 - Verse 1]
Yea, I got a good heart
I was born on beat that’s a good start
I had a feeling I pushed past
And now I feel like I’m the reason I should last
And I move like my shit don’t sink
But I’m all in a trance no hit no assist
This is all from the heart intro no script
I’m just about writing it down
So now I don’t sleep man I miss those nights
I take planes like trains I don’t miss no flights
I’m the type of guy that will have no life
Just so I can shine like this gold life
And that sounds sad but I’m happy
And the only plans to stay scatty
Yea unorthodox, I made the bar so I call the shots
Yea, I got a good heart
I was born on beat that’s a good start
I had a feeling I pushed past
And now I feel like I’m the reason I should last
And I move like my shit don’t sink
But I’m all in a trance no hit no assist
This is all from the heart intro no script
I’m just about writing it down
So now I don’t sleep man I miss those nights
I take planes like trains I don’t miss no flights
I’m the type of guy that will have no life
Just so I can shine like this gold life
And that sounds sad but I’m happy
And the only plans to stay scatty
Yea unorthodox, I made the bar so I call the shots
[Chorus - Example]
We don’t follow no crowd, they follow us
Don’t follow no sound it follows us
Go sit in hell, look down that wishing well
We don’t follow no crowd, they follow us
Don’t follow no sound it follows us
Go sit in hell, look down that wishing well
Unorthodox, we call our own shots
[Wretch 32 - Verse 2]Yea I got a good vibe
I ain’t trynna be bait with my hook lines
I had a feeling I could fly
Before I hopped on a plane or a new sky
Yea I’m a good guy
And if you heard otherwise it’s a true lie
I’m hype I don’t do shy
I bark up every tree and I do bite
Syke I’m only playing
We all got freedom of speech I’m only saying
I ain’t got time for beef I’m on the way in
So the 8th day of the weeks my own lay in
And that’s sounds said but I’m happy
But the only plans to stay scatty
Yea unorthodox, I made the bar so I take the shots
I ain’t trynna be bait with my hook lines
I had a feeling I could fly
Before I hopped on a plane or a new sky
Yea I’m a good guy
And if you heard otherwise it’s a true lie
I’m hype I don’t do shy
I bark up every tree and I do bite
Syke I’m only playing
We all got freedom of speech I’m only saying
I ain’t got time for beef I’m on the way in
So the 8th day of the weeks my own lay in
And that’s sounds said but I’m happy
But the only plans to stay scatty
Yea unorthodox, I made the bar so I take the shots
[Chorus]
We don’t follow no crowd, they follow us
Don’t follow no sound it follows us
Go sit in hell look down that wishing well
Unorthodox we call our own shots
We don’t follow no crowd, they follow us
Don’t follow no sound it follows us
Go sit in hell look down that wishing well
Unorthodox we call our own shots
No one can hold us down again
No one will touch our crown again
No one can hold us down again
No one will touch our crown again
No one will touch our crown again
No one can hold us down again
No one will touch our crown again
[Chorus x2]
We don’t follow no crowd, they follow us
Don’t follow no sound it follows us
Go sit in hell, look down that wishing well
Unorthodox, we call our own shots
We don’t follow no crowd, they follow us
Don’t follow no sound it follows us
Go sit in hell, look down that wishing well
Unorthodox, we call our own shots
Song Change - For The Last Time
After a lot of discussion about filming the video to the song 'Jungle' by Professor Green and Maverick Sabre, James and I decided we were both not happy with the plan we had in mind. We played around with a few ideas but realised creating a video to this song would be possible but would not benefit us as we do not feel the song is appropriate. It is a very dark and hard song and James and I agreed we are looking for something a lot more up-beat so we can show off our media skills to our full potential.
We are now going to go back on our old choice and use Wretch 32's and Examples song, 'Unorthodox'.
Here is the video for it.
We are now going to go back on our old choice and use Wretch 32's and Examples song, 'Unorthodox'.
Here is the video for it.
Not Afraid- Eminem
This video by Eminem is based around the story of how he gave up taking drugs and moved on. He expresses his feelings and anger towards his past and how he is happy to have moved on.
He says sorry to his fans for how he was. "And to the fans, i'll never let you down again, i'm back"
"Relax, I ain't goin' back to that now". This connotes the fact Eminem knows how his fans feel and how he isn't going back to how he was as it isn't what he or his fans want.
He says sorry to his fans for how he was. "And to the fans, i'll never let you down again, i'm back"
"Relax, I ain't goin' back to that now". This connotes the fact Eminem knows how his fans feel and how he isn't going back to how he was as it isn't what he or his fans want.
Prop Ideas
After some thought on the sorts of props we will need for out music video, I decided that we need to think about the Urban Jungle and what sorts of things occur in the video by Professor Green and Maverick Sabre.
I would consider using cars in one of the background for some shots with their lights on as this will connote the urban environment and youth culture and lifestyle etc. I will also want to use two spotlights that I have at home for night time shots in the city. These will light up a lot of the backdrop we wish to use in the video which can allow us to create a shot that consists of shadow etc. This will add to the intimidating urban feel.
I would consider using cars in one of the background for some shots with their lights on as this will connote the urban environment and youth culture and lifestyle etc. I will also want to use two spotlights that I have at home for night time shots in the city. These will light up a lot of the backdrop we wish to use in the video which can allow us to create a shot that consists of shadow etc. This will add to the intimidating urban feel.
Sunday, 20 November 2011
Possible Costume Ideas For Main Artist
Here is a few ideas for the clothes I may wear on the day of the shoot. All reflect the 'urban' theme of the song and are reasonably trendy and 'hip', which is what we are looking for.
I also will be wanting the singer to be wearing something pretty simple and something that consists of plain colours like this.
This means he will not stand out as much and he will contrast with the darkness and urban theme nicely. I do not want him standing out too much as the song is based around the rapper's life story so the focus should be on him (me).
Here are some of the possible costumes that I could wear on the day of filming...
I also will be wanting the singer to be wearing something pretty simple and something that consists of plain colours like this.
Here are some of the possible costumes that I could wear on the day of filming...
Rooftop Shot
I received a phone call today regarding the use of the rooftop we wanted to use in London. This block of offices is in the Tower Hamlet area in London and my neighbour works in these offices. He has been chasing it up at work but unfortunately the only time they can offer me is a weekday in the morning when the management are available to escort me on the rooftop.
Unfortunately this makes it difficult for James and I as it means we will have to take time off school one morning. This is not going to be difficult as having time off during A2's means missing work and this is not going to be possible for me.
As a result I am going to research into more buildings in the area and possibly some multi-story car-parks around central London as we will not need permission to go onto the top of these.
Unfortunately this makes it difficult for James and I as it means we will have to take time off school one morning. This is not going to be difficult as having time off during A2's means missing work and this is not going to be possible for me.
As a result I am going to research into more buildings in the area and possibly some multi-story car-parks around central London as we will not need permission to go onto the top of these.
Thursday, 17 November 2011
Wednesday, 16 November 2011
Copyright Permission
I emailed the EMI record label the day before we finalised our song choice. I found the contact details on the EMI UK website and since I sent it, there has been no reply by the record label. This is the details I used to contact the record label.
London
Corporate Communications Department
EMI Music
27 Wrights Lane
London
W8 5SW
Tel: +44 (0)20 7795 7000
Due to no reply, we are going to go ahead with using the song as we need to start filming within the next few weeks. My teacher said that I am allowed to go ahead and use the song so this is what James and I will do.
London
Corporate Communications Department
EMI Music
27 Wrights Lane
London
W8 5SW
Tel: +44 (0)20 7795 7000
Due to no reply, we are going to go ahead with using the song as we need to start filming within the next few weeks. My teacher said that I am allowed to go ahead and use the song so this is what James and I will do.
Editing The Strangers Footage
In todays lesson we managed to finish editing the footage we got from filming the Strangers. We were all very happy with the shots we got and as the group leader, I feel that we all worked very well during the editing stage to produce a 30 second video from the footage we got.
I feel we could have possibly got a wider range of shots whilst filming and possibly some more innovative ideas could have been inputted during filming to reflect the music.
I feel we could have possibly got a wider range of shots whilst filming and possibly some more innovative ideas could have been inputted during filming to reflect the music.
Wednesday, 9 November 2011
Poster Inspiration
As part of the A2 course, all students are required to create a 'promo pack' to work alongside the music video we are creating. As a result, I have researched into some posters that I will take ideas from and use as inspiration for when I create my poster for the music video.
I found 'Drake's' Rockefeller Center post very appealing and inspirational.
This poster really appeals to the Drake fans and hip/hop fans in the world. This is the sort of poster I would aim to create. However, I would have the image of me with london in the background, possibly at nightime, or maybe with lots of people behind me. I have many ideas for the poster design but this is something I must discuss with James before going ahead with designing it.
I found 'Drake's' Rockefeller Center post very appealing and inspirational.
This poster really appeals to the Drake fans and hip/hop fans in the world. This is the sort of poster I would aim to create. However, I would have the image of me with london in the background, possibly at nightime, or maybe with lots of people behind me. I have many ideas for the poster design but this is something I must discuss with James before going ahead with designing it.
CD Cover Inspiration
After researching into some CD covers that appeal to my target audience, I have found one that I would like to use as inspiration for my album cover I am going to create.
It is 'Examples, Playing in the Shadows' album cover. The use of simplistic colours creates a sense of mystery. As well as this, the black and white image symbolises the album name 'shadows' a Example is half enclosed in a shadow on the cover. The album cover appeals to the target audience which is example fans and hip-hop/rap fans as it shows an image of the well-known artists and everyone knows what sort of music he does.
I feel that creating an album cover similar to this would be pretty easy for me due to the fact my mum is a professional photographer so she has a studio at home I could use if needs be. I aim to use this to my advantage and create a professional looking album cover.
It is 'Examples, Playing in the Shadows' album cover. The use of simplistic colours creates a sense of mystery. As well as this, the black and white image symbolises the album name 'shadows' a Example is half enclosed in a shadow on the cover. The album cover appeals to the target audience which is example fans and hip-hop/rap fans as it shows an image of the well-known artists and everyone knows what sort of music he does.
I feel that creating an album cover similar to this would be pretty easy for me due to the fact my mum is a professional photographer so she has a studio at home I could use if needs be. I aim to use this to my advantage and create a professional looking album cover.
Shotlist
I thought it would be a wise idea to create a shotlist so that when James and I travel to London to film our music video, we are both completly knowledgable on what shots we need to capture and when.
I thought it would be a good idea to split the shotlist into two sections. Performance and Narrative. This means that on the day of filming I can take this along with me and know exactly what shots to take and during which part of the song.
Performance
-Close up shots of my facial expressions and me rapping the lyrics
-Shots of my clothes (shoes, chain, brand logos)
-Meduim/Long shot of singer singing chorus (panning & tracking as he walks)
-Rooftop shot of me rapping with singer in the background
-Shot of me rapping with lots of people around me
Narrative
-Shot of me walking through London with singer following
-Shot of me with a baseball bat across my shoulder standing against a car
-Shot of singer getting on a train with me following
-Shot from the front of a train going into a tunnel
-Shot of someone behind bars (panning past)
-Shot of me walking down a street followed by shot of snake travelling in the same direction on the street
-Shot of 'Hackney' sign
-Nightime shot of people hanging around on the street
-Shot of Youths fighting in the street
-Car spinning around
-Shot of two boys mugging someone
I thought it would be a good idea to split the shotlist into two sections. Performance and Narrative. This means that on the day of filming I can take this along with me and know exactly what shots to take and during which part of the song.
Performance
-Close up shots of my facial expressions and me rapping the lyrics
-Shots of my clothes (shoes, chain, brand logos)
-Meduim/Long shot of singer singing chorus (panning & tracking as he walks)
-Rooftop shot of me rapping with singer in the background
-Shot of me rapping with lots of people around me
Narrative
-Shot of me walking through London with singer following
-Shot of me with a baseball bat across my shoulder standing against a car
-Shot of singer getting on a train with me following
-Shot from the front of a train going into a tunnel
-Shot of someone behind bars (panning past)
-Shot of me walking down a street followed by shot of snake travelling in the same direction on the street
-Shot of 'Hackney' sign
-Nightime shot of people hanging around on the street
-Shot of Youths fighting in the street
-Car spinning around
-Shot of two boys mugging someone
'Jungle' Lyrics
I see no point in living life that right,
so I just take what I can find. I see no point in living life that right,
when your out here in this jungle. It's wild round 'ere, you don't wanna spend a night round 'ere.
When your out here in this jungle,
aint nothing nice round 'ere, troubles what you find round 'ere.
When your out here in this jungle, in this jungle.
Your always caught in this struggle, in this jungle .
But you keep asking for trouble, you love?
You love when trouble comes your way, your way, your way.
Verse 1: Welcome to Hackney, a place where I think somebody's been playing Jumanji.
A Manor where man are like animals, an' they'll yam on you like they yam on food.
Cats with claws that'll stab a yout', act bad an' catch a slap or two.
We don't applaud success, all we clap are tools.
London aint cool to cruise through where the hunters pray, Looking lunch today, and your chains looking like fresh fruit to a hungry ape.
They'll eat on you, then laugh about it like Hyenas do, so stick to breezing through, like cheeta's do or be a piece of food.
Chorus: When your out here in this jungle.
It's wild round 'ere, you don't wanna spend a night round 'ere.
When your out here in this jungle, aint nothing nice round 'ere, troubles what you find round 'ere.
When your out here in this jungle, in this jungle.
Your always caught in this struggle, in this jungle .
But you keep asking for trouble, you love?
You love when trouble comes your way, your way, your way.
Verse 2: It's blitz admist the strife here, got kids with sticks and knifes here.
It's hype here, we know no different prick; it's just life here, life the way we know from young the way we're shown.
Stacked trapped in flats where our front doors don't face the road.
God CID spinning round in cars, shifting criminals at large, it's hard, not to think the bits are just a bing without the bars.
Jealousy's what the cheddar brings, for the cheddar it's anything goes, low enough to rob newly weds for their wedding rings
Everyday is warring, never give a warning, violence is the only way you settle things, everyday is hating, money that I'm making, jealous 'cause I'm moving on to better things, everyday is fighting, rolling in the night now.
All you do is watch everyone else get far, you say that life is hard.
When your out here in this jungle. It's wild round 'ere, you don't wanna spend a night round 'ere.
When your out here in this jungle, aint nothing nice round 'ere, troubles what you find round 'ere. When your out here in this jungle, in this jungle.
Your always caught in this struggle, in this jungle.
But you keep asking for trouble, you love?
You love when trouble comes your way, your way, your way.
so I just take what I can find. I see no point in living life that right,
when your out here in this jungle. It's wild round 'ere, you don't wanna spend a night round 'ere.
When your out here in this jungle,
aint nothing nice round 'ere, troubles what you find round 'ere.
When your out here in this jungle, in this jungle.
Your always caught in this struggle, in this jungle .
But you keep asking for trouble, you love?
You love when trouble comes your way, your way, your way.
Verse 1: Welcome to Hackney, a place where I think somebody's been playing Jumanji.
A Manor where man are like animals, an' they'll yam on you like they yam on food.
Cats with claws that'll stab a yout', act bad an' catch a slap or two.
We don't applaud success, all we clap are tools.
London aint cool to cruise through where the hunters pray, Looking lunch today, and your chains looking like fresh fruit to a hungry ape.
They'll eat on you, then laugh about it like Hyenas do, so stick to breezing through, like cheeta's do or be a piece of food.
Chorus: When your out here in this jungle.
It's wild round 'ere, you don't wanna spend a night round 'ere.
When your out here in this jungle, aint nothing nice round 'ere, troubles what you find round 'ere.
When your out here in this jungle, in this jungle.
Your always caught in this struggle, in this jungle .
But you keep asking for trouble, you love?
You love when trouble comes your way, your way, your way.
Verse 2: It's blitz admist the strife here, got kids with sticks and knifes here.
It's hype here, we know no different prick; it's just life here, life the way we know from young the way we're shown.
Stacked trapped in flats where our front doors don't face the road.
God CID spinning round in cars, shifting criminals at large, it's hard, not to think the bits are just a bing without the bars.
Jealousy's what the cheddar brings, for the cheddar it's anything goes, low enough to rob newly weds for their wedding rings
Everyday is warring, never give a warning, violence is the only way you settle things, everyday is hating, money that I'm making, jealous 'cause I'm moving on to better things, everyday is fighting, rolling in the night now.
All you do is watch everyone else get far, you say that life is hard.
When your out here in this jungle. It's wild round 'ere, you don't wanna spend a night round 'ere.
When your out here in this jungle, aint nothing nice round 'ere, troubles what you find round 'ere. When your out here in this jungle, in this jungle.
Your always caught in this struggle, in this jungle.
But you keep asking for trouble, you love?
You love when trouble comes your way, your way, your way.
Strangers Pit Gig
Today, a professional band called the Strangers came into school and kindly allowed media students to film them playing songs that we ask them too. Our aim was to create a performance based music video for the band.
A few days ago we began planning for the event and as a group, decided on shots we would use and where the cameras would be located. I was the director/team leader, therefore it was my responsibility to make sure planning was done efficiently and that on the day everyone knew what they were doing.
This is the plan that I created.
We were the first group to film meaning we were under pressure and hadn't seen other groups film so we were setting the groundwork for other groups.
I learn't a lot from today. For starters, I learn't that there is a lot of stress that comes with planning and running something like this, especially when the band do not cooperate as you would like them to do. I also learn't that you have to be flexible when filming and if a problems arises then work around it rather than giving up.
Having the opportunity to film a live band is great practise for the music video James and I will be filming soon. It enables us to see how planning and creating a shotlist before the event is key. This means we both know exactly what we are doing so that we do not need to film again due to mistakes.
In my opinion all went well. We got all the shots we had planned too and my team felt confident tht everything went well. Next lesson we will put the footage onto the Apple Mac's and begin editing what we shot.
Thursday, 3 November 2011
Hilton Hotel Says "No"
Unfortuantly, the Hilton Hotel located near Canary Wharf has said that we are unable to film on the rooftop due to Health and Safety. This is not the end of the world as I am currently waiting to hear back from my dad's friend who is asking for permission for rootop access at his office. If we do not recieve permission for rooftop access on the buliding then we will have to find some other way of getting the shots we need.
Here is the email that the Hilton Hotel sent back to me.
Wednesday, 2 November 2011
Some More Inspiration
I was just on YouTube and I found a video that really tickled my taste buds. The song is called 'The Wickedest' and it is by Manga. I really like the way this narrative works in this video. The song doesn't come in until 1 minute into the video. This is very effective a it draws the audience in and gives them some background knowledge on the artist as we see him and his life. I am going to do produce something similar to this and include a small narrative about the urban jungle and life in London as I think this is very effective and makes the video more appealing to my target audience whom follow Hip-Hop music.
Here is the video.
Here is the video.
Location Permission
I have spent a lot of time today contacting various people I know that may be able to help James and I out with possible locations. I called my dad's friend today who works in the Docklands area of London in a six story building. As I have mentioned in previous posts, I am aiming to shoot a rooftop shot somewhere in London. I want the building that I shoot from to be as high as possible so it is easier to capture the surrounding area.
My dad's friend is going to ask the management team at his office if this would be possible to use the buildings rooftop. Fortunately, I have a back up plan if I can not get permission to use this particular building.
I have just emailed the Hilton Hotel which is opposite my dad's friend's office and I am aware that it is a lot higher. I have looked on Google Earth and seen the various views from the building and I think it would be perfect for the video and the shot I have in mind.
Here is the email I sent the Hilton Hotel.
Hello,
My name is Harrison Cantel and I am currently studying A2 Media Studies at Saffron Walden County High School in Essex.
I am currently in the process of making a music video for my project and am planning possible locations.
My neighbour works in a building near your hotel and tells me it is one of the highest buildings in that area. I have also been onto Google Earth and had a look at the building and I feel it will be perfect for what I am to achieve.
I am looking to capture a rooftop shot in my music video and was wondering if there was any chance I could come along within the next month and use the rooftop for filming. I will be bringing a small team of four students and we will need no longer than an hour on the roof.
I am aware that this is a big ask but I was wondering if you could email back and let me know if this would be possible.
Thank you very much.
Harrison Cantel
Hopefully, the hotel will email back as soon as possible and this will bring me to the next stage of securing a rooftop location.
My dad's friend is going to ask the management team at his office if this would be possible to use the buildings rooftop. Fortunately, I have a back up plan if I can not get permission to use this particular building.
I have just emailed the Hilton Hotel which is opposite my dad's friend's office and I am aware that it is a lot higher. I have looked on Google Earth and seen the various views from the building and I think it would be perfect for the video and the shot I have in mind.
Here is the email I sent the Hilton Hotel.
Hello,
My name is Harrison Cantel and I am currently studying A2 Media Studies at Saffron Walden County High School in Essex.
I am currently in the process of making a music video for my project and am planning possible locations.
My neighbour works in a building near your hotel and tells me it is one of the highest buildings in that area. I have also been onto Google Earth and had a look at the building and I feel it will be perfect for what I am to achieve.
I am looking to capture a rooftop shot in my music video and was wondering if there was any chance I could come along within the next month and use the rooftop for filming. I will be bringing a small team of four students and we will need no longer than an hour on the roof.
I am aware that this is a big ask but I was wondering if you could email back and let me know if this would be possible.
Thank you very much.
Harrison Cantel
Hopefully, the hotel will email back as soon as possible and this will bring me to the next stage of securing a rooftop location.
Tuesday, 1 November 2011
Mind Blowing Ideas
After finally deciding on a song that we are definitely going to stick to, James and I met after school to discuss and do some further planning for the shoot later this month.
We aim to spend a weekend filming our music video in London and staying the night to save commuting every day. It is yet to be decided which weekend we will use in November to film but we know that we are using my friend to act as the singer in the song and I will be playing the part of Professor Green who raps in the song. This will work quite nicely as both Nick and I know all the words already.
We aim to spend a weekend filming our music video in London and staying the night to save commuting every day. It is yet to be decided which weekend we will use in November to film but we know that we are using my friend to act as the singer in the song and I will be playing the part of Professor Green who raps in the song. This will work quite nicely as both Nick and I know all the words already.
Song Change
After my Media lesson today I was listening to my Ipod and a song came on called 'Jungle' by Professor Green and Maverick Sabre. I came across this song when looking for inspiration for our video to 'Unorthdox' and I took a liking to it.
Here it is.
Here it is.
Copyright Permission
After finalising our song idea, we emailed Levels Entertainment who are a management and record label company. This is the email we sent them requesting copyright permission.
Unfortunately, we sent this the day we decided on using 'Unorthodox' which was 19th October. We have not yet received any email back telling us we have permission to use this song. At this moment in time we are planning on sticking to our guns and using this song.
Furthermore, we hope to receive an email back.
Unfortunately, we sent this the day we decided on using 'Unorthodox' which was 19th October. We have not yet received any email back telling us we have permission to use this song. At this moment in time we are planning on sticking to our guns and using this song.
Furthermore, we hope to receive an email back.
Thoughts On Location
After some thought on the locations we can use for our video, we have decided that London is going to be our primary location for filming. We have a few ideas on the sorts of locations and shots we wish to use in London.
My mums friend works in a skyscraper in the centre of London and I addressed her about what my idea was for filming. I told her that I wanted to film from the top of a building in London and she said she could speak to the site team and security at her place of work and possibly allow us to go on the roof and film.
This is yet to be confirmed but we have a lot of other ideas for locations around London.
We aim to film from trains and tubes. This is a up-to-date tube map of London.
We wish to travel from Liverpool Street to and around the Hackney area. A large selection of shots will be based in Hackney. We will be using this area because the urban scenery allows us to connect with our audience of Hip-Hop/Rap.
We thought that traveling all the way to London just to take a few pictures of possible locations would be an expensive trip. However, in the next few weeks we plan to go up to London for the day and take some pictures as well as get some contacts for locations that may require permission to film in.
My mums friend works in a skyscraper in the centre of London and I addressed her about what my idea was for filming. I told her that I wanted to film from the top of a building in London and she said she could speak to the site team and security at her place of work and possibly allow us to go on the roof and film.
This is yet to be confirmed but we have a lot of other ideas for locations around London.
We aim to film from trains and tubes. This is a up-to-date tube map of London.
We wish to travel from Liverpool Street to and around the Hackney area. A large selection of shots will be based in Hackney. We will be using this area because the urban scenery allows us to connect with our audience of Hip-Hop/Rap.
We thought that traveling all the way to London just to take a few pictures of possible locations would be an expensive trip. However, in the next few weeks we plan to go up to London for the day and take some pictures as well as get some contacts for locations that may require permission to film in.