Shooting on Thursday/ Friday

I have booked a camera and tripod for Thursday, Friday and the weekend and depending on the availability of the actors I should be able to get a great deal done. This time will mostly be used to film the introduction of the song, which is a powerful and epic musical start that should have an aggressively edited video to match it. So because of this I will be trying a great deal of different combinations of shots that will hopefully maximise the effectiveness of the introduction.

Props:

1x Plate
1x Glass of water OR orange juice
1x Toast
1x Toothbrush                           NOTE: All easily found in house

Costume:

Robot Costume (Me)
Blue face paint (Declan Berry (DB))
Pyjamas (DB)
Slippers (DB)
Blue Jacket (DB)
Dressing gown (DB)                 NOTE: The production of the Robot costume is still in progress

Equipment:

Camera
Tripod
Phone with song on it
Possibly lighting (For dim yet visible morning light)                                         

Actors

Declan Berry - I worked with Dec previously on my AS thriller production and he was reliable and free when I needed him. He is also a fairly competent actor without any proper acting affiliations which is fortunate and he takes the productions seriously which is probably most important as last year I was stuck with other actors who at times where very awkward to work with. Overall I think that taking Dec as my main character again was a good move and will be unlikely to backfire.

Weather 

All shooting is indoor and so the weather will be inconsequential.

Finally I will have the equipment over the weekend and therefore I think it will be prudent to try and gather the other actors I require for the rest of the film and go through some of the shots with them, possibly creating a draft of the part they will be playing.

Location shots

Introduction

These are images of all the different locations that I will be using in my production and all the reasons for their use. I believe that the best possible locations have been selected for use in my production and that they will lead to a well developed elements of Mise-en-scene in the setting of my music video.

This is a picture of the bedroom I will be using for the initial shots of the music video. This room is good as it is spacious and fairly simple, which makes it easily adaptable to my purposes.

 

This is the staircase that I will be using for the running down the stairs shot. It is a good staircase to use, mainly because it is in my house and therefore easily accessible but also as it shares the bedrooms décor. Additionally it is the right amount of steps which will match up with the number of beats in the bars this shot should cover.

This running track is perfect for the purposes I require it for and is very well positioned as right next to the track I have access to a podium which is stored in a shed. This is important as this podium is very heavy, which means a close proximity to its storage is very useful.

This is the area that will be used for the closing scenes of the music video. The reason that this is effective is that it is fairly run down which will add to the fairly everyday characters of the clowns. As well as this there is a light (Image of it shown below) which will allow better light for the night time shots that will feature in the end of the video when Mr Night arrives.

This is the front door that will feature in the very first shot of the music video. This is a good place to shoot this shot, apart from the basket which will be moved, as it is a fairly interesting and bright style of door which will help develop Mr Blue Sky's character, which is also bright, as this is his house. 

This is the setting of the shot with the clowns dancing. This is a good place to film this shot as it is an open area but also because this shot, which include the road, shows how Mr Blue Sky has accidentally ran into these clowns, which develops the fact that Mr Blue Sky rarely leaves his home, which develops the narrative.

 

This is the setting of a shot with a lyrical and visual match of 'running down the avenue' and the fact that the actor for Mr Blue will run from the alleyway.

Finally this is the setting of the mid point of the shoot which features both the place that I filmed the section with a black curtain background as well as where I filmed the green screen section for my guitar solo. This was the optimum place to film this as the black curtains are stored close by, as well as the green screen and the open area allows for very convenient use of these things.

Final cast list

Lead role (Mr Blue Sky):

Declan B - He was also the lead in my thriller opening last year, lives close and is very reliable. This is important as this character cannot be replaced with other actors like the clowns after shooting has begun.

Clowns:

Ben C - This actor is reliable and very enthusiastic in the project which will no doubt help with his punctuality. He is also close by and easily reachable.

James W - This actor is able to come to the shoot in a car which is very important as it allows us to carry actors and equipment to and fro between locations. Additionally they are very enthusiastic about the robot costume and may be able to help with its finishing touches nearer the shoot.

Adam W  - This actor is very close by to the shoot location and also has a very positive attitude which will help with getting the entire shoot done in time.

James D - This actor wouldn't have been my first choice as it took a lot of coaxing for them to want to take part in the final product, however as a reserve they are still very capable of playing the role.

Robot:

Myself - As the robot costume has been made with my own dimensions in mind as well as the fact that I am the most available actor by far, this makes a lot of sense. Although as visibility in the costume is very minimal and I need to operate the camera this isn't the best course of action. However this may be a good choice for the bedroom scene when the robot needs to throw themselves into a wall as I may be the most willing to do this.

Ben C - This actor is the same height as me as well as a similar build, so when it comes to the final shoot in the outside scene, he may be the best choice for the robot character. Additionally I will need to be dressed in the Mr night costume at this time and a switch in costume like this would waste time.

Mr Night: 

Myself - I think that my cast is fairly large without another additional member, and so this along with the specific costume needed (i.e. my size 11 boots) I decided to play this role myself.

Restrictions of Genre

Does Genre mean artists have to look a certain way?

Yes and no. There isn't necessarily a 'have to' about it, however there are many factors that would lean towards that fact that bands need to look a certain way. Firstly there's respectability. This is important as these artists need to keep up their own reputations, however this varies hugely from for example artists like Lady gaga with meat dresses to Adele with non-edible clothing. Secondly artists need to create a recognizable brand that their audiences can look for and to do this they need to be consistent. So they can go from one extreme to another however this does allow for slight changes. A final big factor is the genre conventions. If fans of the music genre you are apart of cannot recognize your band as a part of the genre, then they may not notice you. Therefore it is important to cater to this. Overall artists don't have to look a certain way, but they risk a lot by not following conventions.

Can artists change their image/ genre or do they risk losing their audience?

This completely depends on audience opinions of the new change, which can be found out prior to changes with research, but certainly with any change there is risk. Aesthetic change is almost always faced with scrutiny from fans of the 'old way' the artist looked. Change usually requires time for an audience to get used to it.

Who depends on genres? The audience or the music industry? How does a genre start?

The audience needs genre to know whether they will like a certain artist or not and the music industry needs genre to target these audience members. Genres start with the introduction of a new style of music, and if it is popular enough people may start identifying with it. This leads to a following and then artists who want to target this following.

Storyboard with the song behind it

I thought that it would be useful to see how the storyboards matched up to the actual song. This was also useful in finding out if I had made any mistakes in filling in the lyrics of the song on each of the bars.

Textual analysis of Fluorescent Adolescent

Storyboards

Plans for my website and CD digipack

I created these storyboards as a plan for the ancillary pieces that I would have to create. They will help make my creation process much faster as well as giving me an idea as to what I need to create. These storyboards also help me as I now know the components that I will likely need to create my ancillaries which means I can begin collecting them now and this will save me a lot of time later on in the production process. Although it is likely that I will deviate from these plans I believe that they are a good basis for the products I will eventually create.

 

YouTube and Vevo

I created this post on the institutions of YouTube and Vevo as I thought that it would be helpful to gain an insight into the companies and websites that would be likely to distribute music videos such as my own in the industry.

Prop list

Wooden sword

It is the second weapon used on Mr. Blue Sky by the clowns. I thought it would be a suitable prop for this purpose as it was a theatrical style prop that wouldn't be out of place in an actual clown act. Also as this is a different character to the one who uses a shovel then the different weapon will help separate the two characters identities, which is important when characters have such similar costume.

Shovel

This is the first weapon to be used on Mr. Blue Sky by the clowns. The reason for this choice of prop is that I wanted a weapon that doesn't suggest that these clowns are sinister or different from any others. The reason for this is that I don't think that an actual weapon such as a knife would be suitable for use in the video, as the tone is too happy. Also I needed a blunt weapon as the clowns are only wanting to knock out and kidnap Mr. Blue Sky, rather than hurt him. So I decided to use a normal everyday household shovel which although is intimidating when brandished, can still match the happy tone of the video.

 

 

Party Blower's

These props will be used in the podium scene. The main reason for the use of these is for the lyrical and visual link of celebration and the party blowers.

Balloons

Not likely to be used, however may be of use in the podium scene to help develop this lyrical and visual link of the word 'celebration'.

 

 

 

 

Medals

The medals are also to be used in the podium scene to enhance this lyrical and visual link of celebration.

 

 

 

Glass of juice

The glass of juice is used in the final house scene to enhance the idea that they are happy that Mr. Blue Sky is with them. This is because an iced drink is a typical drink on a hot day and therefore will show that the clowns are enjoying Mr. Blue Sky's (Aka the sunny day) presence. This also creates a visual and lyrical link of lyrics 'We're so pleased to be with you' and this happiness in relation to Mr. Blue Sky's presence.

 

WWII Book

This prop is for the side table in the bedroom scene next to Mr. Blue Sky. The reason for this is that I thought it would be ironic as, while the video is very violent, Mr. Blue Sky never carries out any violent acts himself and therefore the fact that he is reading a book on WWII is ironic.

 

 

Paddling Pool

The paddling pool is also to be used in the scene with glass of juice, enjoying the sunny blue sky. However the proximity of the clowns to the POV shot of Mr. Blue will mean either the need of more shots to show the clown in the pool or for the clown to sit in the pool. As the weather is still especially cold and this is far worse on the days with the Blue sky's I was sceptical as to whether my actor would want to sit/ stand in a paddling pool. This along with the awkward set up required to use the pool makes me uncertain as to whether it will be used in the end.

Tooth Brush, Toast and Milk

These props are all used in the opening of the video when Mr. Blue Sky is getting ready in the morning. As these are typical objects of a morning I thought that they would be suitable. The use of the stop motion with the draining drink is far more clear when using milk rather than water and is why I used it.

Dressing gown and Slippers

I plan to leave these on the stairs in the final moments of the opening shot as it shows a transition in costume better. (Will be arranged as shown)

Costume

Robot costume creation

Step One: Collect Boxes, Masking tape, Markers and paint

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step Two: Paint boxes with mixed white and Black Paint

 

Step Three: Close up boxes with Masking Tape

( I decided to leave the tape un-painted as it gave the robot a more run down and innocent quality, also the feet my not be used in the video as they are awkward and will be out of shot.)

Step four: Use the markers to draw on a face/ chest which can be seen above.