PRELIMINARY: Evaluation Question 3

What have you learnt from audience feedback? 

Although we have managed to gain some audience feedback it is not as much as we would have hoped for as Richard still hasn't edited the video. However, the most important thing that we have take from our audience feedback was that people felt engaged with the video even though they hadn't heard or didn't like the song that we had done the video to. 

Initially, we got other class members to give us feedback on the footage that we had available as it was displayed on the main screen in the classroom. The main thing we took from this feedback was that they liked the different shots and angles that we had taken, they specifically liked the shots of the live band because they were up-close and detailed and his helped them engage with the video. They were also fond of the variety of shot in the car park (wide shots, tracking shots and tracking shots), they felt these shots made the video exciting and it wasn't boring at any time. They also said that they liked the techniques we had used whilst filming because it made the video feel more professional and that you could see we had spent a lot of time constructing these shots. 

We then showed our media studies teacher and he said that although he liked the video, there were a few things we could improve on, the main thing that he said was that we should have used different locations elsewhere because we limited ourselves by wanting to stay close to the area, for example he thinks we would have found a good rundown housing area (that we originally wanted) if we had branched out further and sacrificed accessibility. 

We also could have been better with time management on certain projects and aspects of the video as we feel that it became rushed towards the end of the project due to some members of the group not doing their tasks which meant others had to pick them up as well as doing their original tasks. If everyone had pulled their weight we feel that the footage could have been much better.

Also, we originally wanted to have equal shots of live performance and narrative but we have ended up with much more narrative which is something we wish we had realised at the time so we could get more shots of the band. 

Finally, we didn't actually get any good shots of the band from far away and so all the shots we had to use were close-ups of the guitars and all the lip-syncing was done in the narrative rather than the live performance, which wasn't something we had planned.

PRELIMINARY: Evaluation Question 2

How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluating stage?

Construction and research 
It could have been really difficult to construct and research our media product if we didn't have the use of technology. This was because we had to try and find good locations that would fit in well with the idea we had. As a result of that we used the internet to search around for a good location and then we used a online map service to tell us how far away it was from our school so we could see the accessibility of this location, as we needed to make sure that the actors and the members of our group could get there without difficulty. We also used technology while we went to look at the locations because we used phones and a Canon 60D camera to take photos of the locations. We then transferred and downloaded these photos onto Blogger.

Planning
The planning stages of our preliminary task used a lot less technology but we still chose to use a word document to plan our locations out decided who would take on what role within the group. The majority of planning was done by having discussions with our group as we found this the most efficient way to get things done. We also made a group chat on Whatsapp so that we could keep in contact easily throughout the task and be able to communicate quickly and easily if any changes were needed to be made to a location of filming date/time. We also used a reminder system on our phones so that we would get notification to tell us what we should be doing/have done that night, this allowed us to keep on top of our workload without getting too stressed towards the end of the task.

Evaluating
We would normally use quite a lot of technology in the evaluation stage as once the video was edited it would be uploaded to an online streaming site such as YouTube so that people could watch the video online and give us feedback for it. However, because the video is still yet to be edited we have had to show our friends and family little bits of the footage that we have managed to download onto our phone in order to get any evaluation. Kate, a member of our group, used PowerPoint to answer the first of the evaluation questions. Once again, we used our Whatsapp group chat to check how individuals were getting on with their evaluations and so that we could help each other out if anyone got confused on what to put. 

PRELIMINARY: Evaluation Question 1

PRELIMINARY: Update From This Week

All the filming has been completed and Richard, a member of our group, is editing the footage together to create the final music video for the preliminary task.

We also were meant to be making a CD cover for our music video, however Alice, another member of a group, was supposed to be doing this but she no longer goes to Wymondham High Sixth Form and it is unlikely that another member of our group will be able to find the time to do it.

PRELIMINARY: Images Whilst Filming

PRELIMINARY: Final Locations

We decided to use the countryside locations that were in the original location ideas post, however we didn't film in front of any houses as we couldn't find any that we thought fit well into the song and the rest of our footage. However, we did also film in a car park as we felt it added something to the music video.
Below are the final locations that we did use:

PRELIMINARY: Update From Week 3

Everything is coming together well and we have two more days of filming next week and then the video will have to be edited together after that. are struggling with some members of the group not contributing as much as others to the overall work load and it is ultimately slowing the people that do want to get the work done down. I think if everyone was putting in the same amount of effort and carrying out their roles effectively than the preliminary task may have been nearly finished by now. We are determined to meet the deadline but it is dependent on whether the member of the group that is responsible for editing can get this done in time once the filming is complete.

PRELIMINARY: Final Cast And Roles

Final Cast:
Main Singer And Actor: Harry Buxton

• comfortable on camera
• knows the song and will be able to sing it with his band

Guitarist: Richard Bate-Weldon

• good on guitar
• not used as the actor as he wasn't as comfortable being on camera

Guitarist: Aaron Smith

• didn't want a big role but he is good on guitar
• wanted to star in our video

Final Roles:
Me: organising, writing blog posts and helping whilst filming
Kate: filming and editing
Richard: guitarist, editing
Alice: taking pictures and designing album cover

PRELIMINARY: Casting Auditions

Harry:

What makes you want to star in our music video?
"I am a big fan of the smiths before is started to really get into music and I really liked your idea of the music video so I was really excited to get involved and I am now a lot more confident to be on camera because of my gigs I've been doing recently."

Do you think that our idea is original and will the final video look good?
"I like how you've changed the original video into having narrative as well as live performance because it shows you've put thought into your idea and that you really want to show that you've thought about the lyrics and the whole song. I feel that after it has been edited it will look really good and well put together."

How do you feel about the locations we decided on to film our video?
" I think that you've chosen really good locations especially the stage in the hall because, it shows can show the and from loads of different camera angles. Also I think that the run down areas are very good because, again it shows though and time taken over where to film. Also the location on the train track looks really good because it does look like something from a smiths video and I think that its a really good place to film the music video."

Would you change anything about the props, location or the actors in the video?
"I would only change a few things because most of it sounds like it will look really good. But instead of a stage it would look better to film the live performance in a basement or somewhere more rundown because then the music video will be symmetrical with the narrative. I think the locations are fine but more rundown places would be better because some of them aren't that rundown and doesn't really show what the songs meaning."

Richard:

What makes you want to star in our music video?
"I have been a big smiths fan for as long as I can remember and I would really feel like I would fit into the role the best. I feel that I am confident on camera and can sing the song not just lip sync so it doesn't look fake. I am passionate about media and would really like to be involved."

Do you think that our idea is original and will the final video look good?
" I think that the idea is very new and that it will be challenging to get right because, it is hard to get the lip-syncing to look good. But overall the idea is refreshing and will look professional if it is done right."

How do you feel about the locations we to film for the video?
" I think that the locations are good because it fits well with the meaning of the song. I think that filming in a rundown place would be good and because they are hard to find it will show that you've done your research and that you've thought about the best place to do it. I feel that you could film it in a city where it is more rundown because it will really capture the song and show your effort."

Would you change anything abut the props, location or the actors in the video?
" I would change the time of day that you film for example, I think that it would look better at night rather in the daytime/ sunset, because I feel it would be more dramatic. I would also change the location to a city rather than a small town and the countryside."


We didn't audition the other band members because when we filmed they were doing band practise so it was like another normal day working on their music. They don't have any lip syncing roles so we just asked their permission to film them when they were playing their instruments and they agreed. The two other band members said that they liked the idea of being on camera and they liked the idea of our music video. We felt that we only needed to audition for the main role, so we chose between harry and Richard and came to the decision that harry fitted the role better and would look more comfortable on camera and not look awkward or out of place.

PRELIMINARY: Location Ideas

We decided that we wanted to use a wide range of locations for our music video (preliminary task). We have chosen Wymondham High as one of the locations as we want to use the stage to film part of the 'live music' scene.

The other location will be filming the band practice in their normal studio. We felt by using two different locations of the band practising we had changed our version of the video from the original one.

The rest of the locations where we plan to film are all around the town of Wymondham we tried to find a run down area but this was quite difficult so we just chose somewhere that we thought was appropriate. We are also using shots of the countryside and a train track.

 Which you can see in the photos below:

PRELIMINARY: Final Plot Ideas

At the start of our video the curtains will be drawn back and the music will start playing as the camera gets closer towards the band and the main singer. This will allow the song to be slowly introduced, which is a common thing in modern music videos. We will then switch to some footage of Harry walking through the less well maintained areas of Wymondham, a town local to us. Then we will have more shots of the band from different camera angles, we will also be showing every member of the band. After this we will show Harry walking around houses of an older time period to modern day, in these narrative shots he wont be lip syncing because we feel we have enough of the live music shots in our music video. We will then show some close ups of the band playing their music before cutting to footage of Harry on a train track, this is also where we show him running into the distance of the train track so it isn't just him stood still on the track. It will end with a shot of the band not playing their instruments and the song will slowly fade out.

We are hoping to get footage filmed both on a tripod and hand held shots to add to the effect and to see what looks best. We are hoping that in some of the band shots their instruments will be attached to them (such as around their neck) to demonstrate the idea that we are societies puppets.

PRELIMINARY: Casting Ideas

Main singer/Actor: Harry Buxton

Harry has experience in performing at gigs and has his own band so is comfortable and confident when playing music. As a result of this, it means that he can actually play the song instead of having to pretend to as we know that this wouldn't look as professional as it would probably be out of time. He is also a media student so it would be easy for us to contact him and run him through the ideas we have, as well as this he knows the quality that our work needs to be at and therefore will help us to produce a high level piece of work.

Singer/Actor: Richard Bate-Weldon

We decided to use Richard, from our group, because he has clear vision of what the idea needs to be and therefore will know how to execute it to get the best results. He is comfortable on camera and has band practice and therefore he can play the guitar as well and this will help make our video look more professional. We will have to see how he looks on camera when deciding whether to use him for the narrative storyline as we want to make sure we get the right person for the job.

Guitarist: Aaron Smith

We have an idea to use Aaron as he is in the band with Harry and Richard and therefore would fit well into the group and can play the guitar. Due to the gig practice we felt confident that he won't look uncomfortable on camera either.

PRELIMINARY: Update From This Week

We are spending our time now writing blog posts that we can before filming so that we use all of our time efficiently. Some members of our group haven't contributed to planning the filming and writing blog posts as much as others, however we are hoping that we will still have it done on time so that we can meet all of the deadlines. We have decided our dates for filming and hope to have all appropriate blog posts finished before we start filming.

PRELIMINARY: Shooting Schedule

We are going to be filming this week starting on Thursday the 14tyh July. We are filming this day because it is a day that we are all free and do not have any out of school activities, such as work. We are hoping that the weather when filming will be fairly cloudy, maybe with some rain to demonstrate the depressing feels of society suggested in the song, however the weather forecast is saying that it will be dry for the majority of the week and we can't afford to put off filming for any longer as we may miss the deadline. We have also filmed some of the live performance footage today (on the 12th), however the footage didn't turn out the way we had hoped and therefore on Friday the 15th we are going to be attending a band practice where they have said we can film them playing 'This Charming Man' as they are familiar with the song. However, we will still be using some of the close ups and opening footage we filmed on today as they are of good quality.

PRELIMINARY: Research

The Cure- Friday I'm In Love 

 

 

 

This song has an upbeat tempo which is the same as the charming man and although the two songs have different meanings the tempo brings a strong similarity between the two songs. However, the biggest similarity between the two songs is the way that they are displayed in the video. For example, both videos feature a band playing live music (of the named song). This is an idea that we are keen to include into our own music video to show relation to the original idea, but interpreted in a different way.



 

The Clash - London Calling

 

 

 

The visual ideas represented in this video is very similar to the idea that our group has come up with for our re-make of 'The Charming Man' video and therefore I have chose to include it in this research post. Also, the lyrics of this song portray similar ideas to the lyrics of 'The Charming Man' as it talks about the bad condition of England in the 1970's. This creates correlation between artists at this particular time as they are singing about the same issues. Although this song has a slower tempo than The Smiths song it still has a similar rhythm.

 

 

The Coral- Dreaming Of You

 



Once again in this video they are playing instruments which is similar to our idea and the original video and as a result I chose to use this song as research. Also, the tune and the beat of the song are very similar to 'This Charming Man'. 

  

PRELIMINARY: Plot Ideas

For the idea of including a live performance in our music video, we are planning to use the main stage in our school hall, as we believe that we can make it look professional without giving off the idea that it was filmed in our school hall. It will start with the curtains being drawn back and the band on stage will start playing the song. For the narrative aspect of the song, we will show that main singer of the band walking round a deprived area, taking in his surroundings. We are also planning to demonstrate the singer rebelling against norms of society to show his attitudes towards the way society functions and state that society's norms can affect people negatively. We will also be filming in an area of natural beauty where we can demonstrate the lyrics in the song that material things aren't the only things that are beautiful and that people don't need wealth to witness beauty. We feel that all of these ides will correlate well to the song choice.

PRELIMINARY: Update From This Week

This week has been a productive start to the process of filming our preliminary task; we have decided the song, finalised the roles each member of the group will do, analysed the lyrics and come up the basic idea for the video (which has been a development on the original idea Richard had). The next job is roach the actors we have in mind to star in the video to see if they are interested in filming it and when they are free so we can decide on a date to film that we are all free.

PRELIMINARY: Format Of The Video

After viewing the original music video and analysing the lyrics we have decided to include live music and a narrative storyline. We feel it is important to have live music as music is often used to correlate to someone's emotions and as the song is about personal experiences we feel this is appropriate. Also, because the song suggests that money isn't needed to be happy we felt that it was important to include people being happy through something that doesn't cost a lot of money and music is something that can bring people together without having material things. However, we also felt that it was important to include a narrative to the video as the original video is all based on a live performance as we didn't want to copy that idea. We are going to include a lot of the narrative footage as we feel this will be the most challenge footage to film and therefore want to challenge ourselves and show off the skills we have used whilst filming.

PRELIMINARY: Lyrics

This Charming Man lyrics:

Punctured bicycle
On a hillside desolate
Will nature make a man of me yet?

When in this charming car
This charming man

Why pamper life's complexity
When the leather runs smooth
On the passenger's seat?

I would go out tonight
But I haven't got a stitch to wear
This man said "it's gruesome
That someone so handsome should care"

Ah ! A jumped-up pantry boy
Who never knew his place
He said "return the ring"
He knows so much about these things
He knows so much about these things

I would go out tonight
But I haven't got a stitch to wear
This man said "it's gruesome
That someone so handsome should care"
La, la-la, la-la, la-la, this charming man
Oh, la-la, la-la, la-la, this charming man

Ah ! A jumped-up pantry boy
Who never knew his place
He said "return the ring"
He knows so much about these things
He knows so much about these things
He knows so much about these things

 

The lyrics have an important relevance to our video as they show the social differences in society. For example, the line 'why pamper life's complexity' demonstrates the idea that there is little need for wealth and that people can live without it. As a result of this, it is important that our video represents these ideas, therefore it means that our actors can't be wearing any fancy clothing and that we have to base our idea around the more important things in life, such as natural beauty of the countryside and things that make individuals happy, for example music. Casting is very important to the video as we need to make it look as though the actor could be the person singing this song otherwise the whole video will look out of place.

PRELIMINARY: Roles

With all our group members present we decided to allocate roles so that everyone was aware what they had to do to contribute effectively for the group. We based these roles around what people were good at and their strengths were from the previous years course. It is important that everyone carries out their roles to their full potential as we want the video to be finished on time and to a high quality, which wont happen if people don't carry out their role effectively.

The roles are:
Kate- filming
Richard- filming and editing
Alice- casting and collecting any props
Me- make sure blog posts are completed and on everyone's blogs

PRELIMINARY: Song Choice

We were given a list of songs and from this list we chose to do This Charming Man by The Smiths. The other song that was our other contender was Sweet Nothing by Calvin Harris. We thought that we could make the video to Sweet Nothing with footage from a party to emphasise the fact that its a club song but still with a meaningful storyline. It was also a song that we were al familiar with however one member of our group had come up with a good/strong idea for the video for This Charming Man which everyone in the group liked and therefore we decided to go with this sing choice as we had already started the planning stage. We didn't feel that any of the other songs were good contenders and therefore disregarded them early on.

PRELIMINARY: Task

In preparation for the A2 course next year we have been given the task of creating an original music video and an accompanying original CD cover for the release of the song, which we will use as our preliminary/ practice task for next years final piece.
For this task we have been put into groups of four people, I am working with:

• Kate Lankester
• Alice Western
• Richard Bate-Weldon.

We have been given the following songs to chose from:

• Calvin Harris and Florence Welch- Sweet Nothing
• The smiths- This Charming Man
• Blink 182- Another Girl Another Planet
• DJ Sammy- The Boys Of Summer
• Sugababes- About You Now
• Sia- Cheap Thrills
• David Bowie- Life On Mars