20. Equipment

I decided to use a tripod for some of my footage. It was a good idea for me to use one because it enabled me to  hold the camera completely still when I'm filming, and also lets me perform a perfect panning shot. This is crucial in my video because I want numerous panning shots throughout.

The program I will use to edit my footage is called Premiere Pro CS5. It is a more professional piece of software as it allows me to cut, change, add transitions etc to my footage. I think this is better than iMovie as when comparing the two programmes, Premiere Pro CS5 is a much more professional and more efficient program.  

The last piece of equipment I used was a camera. This was a Canon HD CMOS recording camera in which I used to capture my footage. This was a clear, quality picture, but the only downside is that there is no flash, so when recording in the dark, a light or torch needs to be used to re-capture the quality picture.

19. Costumes

My first actor will be wearing a classy looking outfit for my video. I decided to make him wear chinos and a dark jumper to add to the sophistication I am trying to portray to my audience. I feel as though the audience will seriously be able to relate to my artist because he is wearing clothes in which many of my viewers wear on a day-to-day basis, making the video up to date and relevant.

My other actor will be wearing the expensive designer nike jacket in order to demonstrate the role he has within the video. Tommy plays the rich, big time money spender in my video and so I felt it appropriate to dress him in clothes that reflect that image. I also made him wear a expensive silver chain and grow out his facial hair because image and portrayal are the two main factors when trying to make a believable music video.

18. Props

I have chosen to use motor bikes in my video. I am selective at when i use them because i only want them to feature when my second artist begins rapping. The motor bikes will be in a cluster down an alleyway, and i will have my second artist rapping in front of the bikes. I feel this is relivant to the rap genre as motor bikes and motor vehicals play a large role in establishing the genre.

In a few of my shots i will use a panning shot of a cluster of £20 notes. This is relevant to my genre, as money is probably one of the most important props within the r'n'b/rap genre.  The lyrics and actions in this song can be interpreted in many different ways, but i want to leave the pro-dominant ideas to the audiences imagination. Obviously the song could be about the artist, and the love he has for one girl in particular, and how he wants to leave the planet with this one girl, but the song could also be about the love of money. The girl he may be talking about is the Queen as she is the major face on a paper note. Giving reason to believe that the song may have subliminal messages regarding the love of money.   

17. Locations

I have chosen to use my cousins house for some of my scenes because the walls are white and it makes the shot look quite sophisticated and classy because there is no disturbance in the background. I think this fits the slow paced r'n'b genre, and also add to the effects of the song narrative as the song is about and artist being in a dream. White is usually the colour associated with dreaming and so i feel that this works well for my mise-en-scene.

I have used a solid brick wall for my artists to perform in front of. I think this relates to the genre because at some points in my video, the song breaks down into a more ghetto/rougher look, and so some form of hoodlem areas are needed to fit all the generic conventions of my music video/genre.

I have chosen to use this garage door as part of my locations as I feel as though the green colour will add something to my video. Most of the video will conist of a white classy background, so by adding a different clear-standing colour will inform the audience that the video wasn't filmed all in one place, and that much thought and understanding has been put into creating this video.

When the song breaks off into the typical rap verse, I have chosen to use an alleyway to portray my rap genre. I think this will look effective because I am going to get people I know, to bring their motorbikes down the alleyway and look like a typical generic rap scene. They will all be standing behind my main actor as he stands in front of the motorbikes and performs.



I have chosen to use this background because it is quite neautral. The stone background looks very effective on camera as it gives the audience the impression that the artist is beforming in the middle of nowhere. I also go back to the idea of the artist being in a dream and so the stoney background adds to this effect.

My final location I decided to use was these green plants grown along a brick wall. I like the image this gives, it is like a forest, somewhere where my character can become 'lost', which ties in with the lyrics of the original song.

16. Casting Actors

Casting Actors

My main actor is James Benney. He is going to be playing 'Jay Sean' in my music video. I chose to use him because he has acted in music videos before with his own social group and was familliar to the way in which the scenes were shot, and what was needed in each shot. People have commented in the past that my actor looks like 'Jay Sean' himself, and so I feel that it was a perfectly suitable and realistic choice in actor.   

My other actor will be playing the featuring artist in my music video. He goes by the name of Tommy Benney and he plays Rick Ross in the song. This challenges the generic conventions of the rap genre because my actor is a white English born male, as opposed to the stereotypical black Afro-American. I understood that this was the case because i was interested to see if the music video once finished, would still look as effective. 

I have clearly stated my actors/cast for my music video I have picked these actors carefully ensuring they will benefit my music video. I've come to a conclusion on what will benefit my music video the best by doing research and looking at other music videos, in which i demonstrated in a previous post. (Music Video Analysis Post).

15. Shooting Schedule

Date: 20/9/13
LOCATION 1
Cousins House
Shot 1 - Mise En Scene: Candle burning (Close Up) - 5 SECONDS
Shot 2 - Jamie and Tommy lip syncing to lyrics (Medium) - 10 SECONDS
Shot 3 - Jamie in the bedroom, laying in bed (Medium) - 14 SECONDS
Shot 4 - Jamie lip syncing to lyrics (Close Up) (From shoulders upward) 15 SECONDS
Shot 5 - Jamie takes coat and walks out (Medium) 12 SECONDS

Date: 23/9/13
LOCATION 2
Brick Wall In Putnoe
Shot 1 - Mise En Scene: Panning shot of Jamie's and Tommy's eyes (Extreme Close Up) - 4 SECONDS
Shot 2 - Jamie and Tommy both lip syncing to lyrics, will be used as intermission when editing (Medium Shot) - 10 SECONDS
Shot 3 - Tommy lip syncing on his own (Medium Shot - Close Up, Zooms In) - 8 SECONDS

Date: 23/9/13
LOCATION 3
University Alleyway (Putnoe)
Shot 1 - Panning shot of bikes (Panning-Medium Shot) - 5 SECONDS
Shot 2 - Tommy lip syncing with boys behind him (Long Shot) - 14 SECONDS
Shot 3 - Tommy walking past camera with boys following (Longshot --> Close Up) - 8 SECONDS
Shot 4 - Tommy lip syncing to the camera (Medium Shot) - 15 SECONDS

Date: 29/9/13
LOCATION 4
Garden
Shot 1 - Jamie lip syncing to lyrics in front of grey stone background (Medium Shot) - 19 SECONDS
Shot 2 - Jamie looking up to the camera lip syncing (High Angle Shot) - 8 SECONDS
Shot 3 - Jamie standing in front of an old green garage door, lip syncing (Medium Shot) 16 SECONDS
Shot 4 - Jamie lip syncing to lyrics in front of green background, crouched down - {plants} (Medium Shot) - 11 SECONDS

14. Storyboard

13. Magazine Advert Planning

This is a plan of my Magazine Advert. I have tried to keep to the generic colours that they would use in my genre. I have however, chosen to use the colour black with orange, as I know they both compliment each other when applied next to each other on the page. I have also included my logo within the advert, making it instantly recognisable and unique to any other magazine adverts.

12. Digipak Planning



11. Similar Videos/Texts

10. Lyrics Planning

(Intro)
Girl - Performance - Candle burning to start off my video. 
Girl - Close up of my actors eyes
----------------------------------------------------------
(Verse)
Come, baby - Performance - Close Up of Jamie's facial silhouette - Lip syncing 
Come and get on my level
Breathe it in with me
Let it get to your head then get to mine
Let it get to your head then get to mine - Performance - Slowly shake camera
I wanna watch you take it in

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Chorus x2)
I'm so high - Narrative - He's happy because he has money
I'm wasted, I don't wanna come down
Let me take you to Mars, girl - Performance - Singing into camera as if he is talking to audience
We'll make love on a star, girl

(Bridge)
I don't wanna talk - Narrative - Head in hands - 'doesn't want to talk'
I don't wanna think
I'm up here waiting for you
I'm so high, high, high - Performance - Points up on every 'high'

(Verse)
You taste so pure, you see something working out, baby
My eyes must be clouded, purple haze - Performance - white background, 'heaven-like'
Reach in time to touch you
With you all night long
You're my fallen angel and I'm here to take you home - Performance - Exaggerated hand gestures, 'wanting to take her home'

(Chorus x2)
I'm so high
I'm wasted, I don't wanna come down - Narrative - Laying in bed, not wanting to move
Let me take you to Mars, girl
We'll make love on a star, girl, so high... - Performance - Arms spread out above head, questioning...

(Verse Rick Ross)
She's such a centrefold, you other chicks just run along - Performance - Boys behind him, Tommy walking towrds camera
She s*** on Christian Louboutins, she won’t put it on - Performance - Shakes head and big hand gesture
No logos on the bag if she got in on the arm - Performance - Points to arm 
All she talk is swag and you know she put it on
On those cold nights fat boy had to keep her warm - Performance - Refers to himself as 'Fat Boy' - Points to himself
Kept a paintbrush, studying The Art of War
Mr. Brainwash love her to my favourite song
I run with cash money but you know my money long - Performance - Arms out like he's flying

(Bridge)
I don't wanna talk
I don't wanna think
I'm up here waiting for you  Narrative - Panning shot of a stack of £20 notes
I'm so high, high, high.

9. Initial Ideas

For this post you will need to tell me the following things

Who are you working with? On my own.
Who is the artist you have chosen to make a song for? Jay Sean ft. Rick Ross
What is the name of the song? Mars
Are you going to have performance and/or narrative in your music video? My video is mainly going to consist of performance. I will drop hints of narrative throughout, but my main focus will be on the performance element.
Give me a general overview of your ideas for the music video you have come up with so far.
Why do you think that this idea is appropriate for the song you have chosen? I am going to have my main actor (myself) playing the role of the artist, expressing how he feels about a girl. The song can have many different interpretations, one being the artist is in a dream and he expresses how he feels. Another interpretation could establish that the artist is on a hallucienating drug and is explaining events in contrast to that.
Does your idea link to the lyrics of your song? The song exaggerates some lyrics and so this makes it relitively easy to re-make my own interpretations of the lyrics as the original song doesn't have a video.
How does your idea fit your genre?

To present this work you can do this a paragraph of text with some images to help you tell your story introduce your song and artist. Make this post as VISUAL as possible.