Actors

I wanted the actors of my film to fit the roles as best as i possibly could with the charcters which i was looking to create in my music video. So i looked at the band which song i am performing 'The Fray' The fray consist's of four male singers. However in the video's of the fray songs the lead singer features heavily whilst other band members just take up a few shots.
Therefore i wanted to find a good lead singer to be part of my band as they will be featuring heavily in my performance parts of the music video. I am currently in the process of recruiting my lead singer and I am looking in the drama and music departments of the school. The reasoning for this being that i believe that these students in our school have a passion for music and will be more willing to perform and enjoy it alot more, all of these being key factors filming to make the video look as good as possible. I didnt want someone on set who looks like they are not giving it their all as i feel it will make the music video look abit lifeless and half hearted.

My main actor in the music video

I have selected my friend Reuben to be the main character in this music video, the reason for this is because Reuben dresses in the way which i was looking for my main actor to dress so he will naturally be wearing the choice of clothes in the video, this being a small factor in what i wanted but i believe the fact that these are his usual choice of clothes can make a small but effective difference as i believe he will be more effective and at home when infront of the camera. He is a good friend of mine and i know he is reliable and is flexible with his time so will be able to film at times which are good for all concerned. He has also performed in some of my fellow media students videos and has been a good actor and has fitted the role which has been requested so i know i cant count on his abilities.

Actors playing smaller roles in the video

The actor which will be playing the person trying to help the troubled teenager will be my mother. Although this may seem like an easy way out i believe this will be to my advantedge, this is because my mother is a professional counseller and is highly regarded in this industry. Therefore, it will be second nature to my mother when talking to people about problems and trying to find them a way out of dark places. This again adds to the factor of my actors being at ease when in front of characters making the music video look more proffesional.

Reasons for using a male and female 

I have decided to use a male and a female actor for the main actors in my narritve part of the music video. Although it comes across pure co-incdence that my main actors are of different sexes this is something i was infact looking to do in the first place. This is because I wanted to show the divide between the two actors, with my mum being a highly qualified counsellor who will be dressed in brighter coloured clothes, whilst my friend ben is a troubled teenager who needs help dressed in darker clothes. I think that the fact they are of oppisite sexes will help to increase the divide which we see in the music video which will help to produce a more emotional music video which is what I am looking to create

Costumes

I wanted the costumes in my music video to transfer the characteristics of the character.
Therefore the person who is in the video will be wearing darker clothes reflecting the dark route which they are taking in life and the decisions in which they are making. I think this will help to make it clearer for the audience to identify the troubled character and will make it more realistic that they are infact troubled as they are wearing clothes which would match this.

 

 

I think something along the lines of the images above could be really effective.



I wanted the person trying to help the teenager to be wearing something brighter and more colourful. This reflecting the hope which this person would be bringing into the life of the teenager. A bright colour would help lighten up some shots and would make this person seem like a good person to the audience as well.

 

 

Something like the jumper above I think would be good, as the blue would also reflect the calming influence which this character would have on the teenager and its also bright which maybe reflect them as a hopeful character and joyful, this would help show the contrast between the characters when in shot together.



 

My idea for my music video

The idea which I have created for my music video is that there will be a teenager who is being bullied at school, simply for being different to the other teenagers. The teenager then turns to drugs to try and feel better about himself. The teenager then finds help in the form of one loyal friend who trys to help them to get their life back on track before something bad happens to them but by the time the friend does this it is too late. I also wanted to include short snapshots of people holding up pieces of paper with associated words on as I think this would be a simple yet very effective form of getting the point across and helping the music video achieve the emotional theme which I was looking to portray throughout.

I thought something like this but with 'darker' words on would be effecting in showing emotion in the video and help to get across the points.

Equipment and Props

The equipment which i will be using will consist of:
A Canon 1100
A Tripod

Props will include:
A piano
A guitar
A microphone
A drum kit
Chairs
Paper

All props are used to enhance the music video and make it look as professional as i possibly can.

Locations: Pre-Prod

When selecting my locations for my media video I wanted to make sure that the locations co-inside with the emotional music video which i was looking to create
One of my locations which i have selected is The Studio, located in the art block at my school. A reason for this is that i know the times of which i can shoot in the studio so it is quite a flexible option, also this will be more convenient for my actors. The studio also looks like a more professional place that i can film with a nice clear background which i feel i could benefit from when filming. I will use this location for location filming and a few snapshots of people holding signs up as i feel the how plain and empty the room is this could really help to portray the how someone is feeling alone which goes along with the narrative to my music video.

I will also be filming some shots around school, this is so i can show one of my actors in their usual day to day environment and i will be able to show how they are different from others.Another advantage of using this location is that it is of course easily accessible and as all my actors will be school mates this will be an easy place to bring all my actors all together with effect.

The final location will be at my home which will be the main part of where the narrative part of the music videos will be filmed. This is because i can use it 24/7 and as well as this i have some good rooms available for use in my house to go with the lyrics of the song. As of course the song is 'how to save a life' my narrative story will involve someone trying to help a troubled person, with my mother being a couseller and working from home i believe her working room will be a good place to film some shots as it will reflect a real life situation, making the music video more realistic. 

Genre analysis: pop rock

On a Google search pop rock is defined as 'A music genre which mixes a catch pop style along side typically guitar based rock songs. There are many varying definitions of the term, ranging from slower and mellower form of rock music to a sub-genre of pop music'' Of course when applying this to my band the fray this definition would not strictly apply, as the fray is a piano led pop rock band. Other conventions of the pop rock music genre include and individualist clothing style with a wide range of color and the music videos for this genre are usually very performance based. Usually songs which come under this genre have more meaningful lyrics and the main message of the song is portrayed through the chorus.
I believe that the main target audience for the pop rock genre would be teenagers, these both male and females.

Analysing a Music Video

I decided to analyse a music video using Andrew Goodwin's theory to get a better understanding of the theory and see how it can be put into work.
I have decided to use Childish Gambino's song 'Bonfire'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qL1B_r9nC9k&list=PLMgfH76iATNSe_vWUUnavP-YIiiWuhu8U

This particular music video is a narrative based video and has a very clever twist towards the end of it when Childish Gambino (The main actor in the video) discovers that he is already dead. The music video is set in a forest and costumes are important in the video as Gambino is shown in the darker colors reflecting to how he is dead at the end of the video.

First of all i wanted to look at the genre characteristics  Although Gambino is wearing a form of camp uniform in the video he still adds his own style to it by wearing his preferred white Adidas trainers and socks. However apart from this the music video is not really typical of a rap video.

Secondly I decided to look at the video relating to the lyrics:
Again i had difficulties to find any real links between the lyrics and the music video apart from the chorus. Which lyrics are 'Its a bonfire, turn the lights out' where the lyrics are relevant to the bonfire which we can see in the music video.

I then looked at the demands of the record label which may have influenced the music video. Childish Gambino's record label is Glassnote Entertainment. As this isn't a very big brand i don't think they really had a massive impact on what Gambino could or couldn't do in this video. As we see at the start where Gambino is vomiting his blood, i believe there weren't really any standards set by the record label as this is not very tasteful to say the least! I believable that the record label wanted to get Gambino in the video as in all other of his videos he plays the main role.

Looking at in-textual references also did not bring up anything to interesting. There are not any links to another other forms of media which i could be able to relate this music video to. However i think that the videos narrative theme is quite interesting, we see no performance in this music video which for a rap artist is a bit unusual. I think Gambino likes to make his videos stand out a bit from the normality of male rap videos consisting of constant use of the male gaze. This video is a bit more friendly to female viewers but is still more aimed at males due to its dangerous nature of people looking vulnerable when the knifes are out and also the first few shots where Gambino vomits his blood.

Ideas

To help me get some ideas flowing i decided to share my song choice with the rest of my class mates to see if they could help me get any ideas flowing. I thought this would be a good idea as it would help me to see what other people think of the song and how they interpret it.

The ideas which my classmates came up with where: 

I imagine it being really dramatic, a guy singing on his own and its really windy on top of a hill or mountain. Emotional singing.  If the whole thing is like that it might get boring, so maybe having a narrative as well would be good. Maybe flashbacks to the relationship he’s singing about. It’s a really emotional song so the lip syncing needs to be really emotional, maybe even crying.

A boy sits waiting in his room for something, unknown to the audience at the time. Flashbacks take us through his life at school, his family and his girlfriend. All seem to be going badly apart from the flashbacks of his girlfriend. In the end the boy sees a figure coming towards the door and thinks it’s his girlfriend but instead it’s someone revealing she has been killed in an accident. The boy has nothing left.

I see a few people who are less fortunate than most, like a homeless person, someone in hospital ill etc. and they need help but no one is helping. The there’s one guy who is depressed etc etc and he someone saves the people who need help with small favors that make a big impact.

The opening a young boy sat in class drawing in his note book picture of him with friends, then everyone goes for lunch and he has no friends. Among st all the loneliness a girl keeps looking over she starts talking to him, gradually there friendships blossoms, second chorus the lighting gets more bright and things are much better you see them on a beach but slowly in 3^rd verse things fall down he tries his best she gives up him, he goes back to the class room does a full circle and writes about love and his loss then he gets really angry starts turning the room upside down. She finds him in the room on his own they sit down and talk. 

Target Audience (Pre-Prod)

Target Audience
With The Fray being a pop rock band i personally that there are many different target audiences that could we could say would be interested in this type of music. However, specifically, the target audience which i believe the fray appeal to the most would be males between the age of 14 and 45. The large age range i have decided is due to the nature of the music, as it is rather easy listening i believe that all males which come under this age range will enjoy this kind of music. Also as The Fray compare themselves to band such as U2 i believe this shows the diversification in their music and how it can be enjoyed by all ages. With U2 being such a successful band they are enjoyed by all age ranges and i believe this is the case with the fray. Another reason for the large age range is that pop rock started up in around 1960, so the first listeners of this music may still follow and support this form of music.

Beginning of Research for my Final Project (Pre Prod)

Analysis of Genre 
Band Name: The Fray
Background: Formed in Denver, Colorado, USA. The band was formed in 2002 by two schoolmates Isaac Slade and Joe King who then went on to recruit Dave Welsh and Ben Wysocki. The band where successful in the USA but it took them up until 2005 to become worldwide recognized for their music with their hit single 'How To Save A Life; which was a top five single in Australia, Canada, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

The fray's genre comes under 'pop rock' which started in the UK and the USA in the 1960's, this music is typically seen as catchy pop lyrics with a light guitar along side with light drumming and usually one more instrument (this usually being the piano) Other bands that have thought to have come under this category consists of U2. A band which the fray admit to having a huge influence from as they idolize them. 

In regards to my final project i believe it is key that i don't go too close to the pop genre and make sure that i still have a balance of pop and rock as both of these are essential in creating the unique music that The Fray do. 

Researching/Producing Album Covers

After making music videos to fit all different theories of Music videos we had the opportunity to make our own album covers to go along with the group which we had created. As we were in a all male group we thought that the best thing to do would be to aim ourselfs at the largest market which there is for all male groups at the moment, this being the boy band pop genre. To make sure we produced a good album cover i decided to carry out some research into this area of music advertisement and looked at some boy bands album covers. 

I decided to have a look at one directions album cover, as they are the most successful boy band in modern music and are recognized for this world wide.

As we can see from the image above of one directions 'up all night' album cover, the album cover features an image of all members of the band in performance, as the boy bands main target audience is teenage girl I believe that this plays a key part in advertisement as they need to catch the attention of the teenage girls, a CD cover with 5 young men on the front of is sure to do exactly that. With this is mind me and my group tried to reproduce this in our group L R A D. 

Me and the group tried to reproduce the performance factor of the group by acting as if we were in concert, with the use of props such as microphones would make this seem more realistic. We also decided to keep the album cover as basic as possible, i believe that this in the modern market can prove to be very successful, this shown in the below image of the up and coming band's 'Vampire Weekend' latest album cover 'Contra' 

Ideas I have for my Music Video (Pre Production)

Ideas for my video
Having permisson granted to use my chosen song 'How to save a life'  my next task was to decide what type of music video I wanted to produce. I decided to do some research into the type of music which The Fray produce, with such meaningful lyrics in their songs i wanted to be sure that my take on their music portrayed this. I want to find ways of converting the emotion from the song through to my music video. I believe that the location, costumes, props and the way which the actors handle thereselves whilst filming will be a huge factor in making this conversion successful.

Lyrics:
Step one – you say, "We need to talk."
He walks, you say, "Sit down. It's just a talk."
He smiles politely back at you
You stare politely right on through
Some sort of window to your right
As he goes left and you stay right
Between the lines of fear and blame
And you begin to wonder why you came
I think this verse if showing that a friend is trying to help his troubled friend, however the person with issues seems to be completley disinterested in doing the help being offered to him.

Where did I go wrong? I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life
The friend talking about his how he is losing his friend and is feeling guilty as he doesnt know what he can do

Let him know that you know best
'Cause after all you do know best
Try to slip past his defense
Without granting innocence
Lay down a list of what is wrong
The things you've told him all along
Pray to God, he hears you
And I pray to God, he hears you
Try and tell the friend what is going wrong and what he needs to do to put this right and pray that he hears you and changes his ways

And where did I go wrong? I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life
Repeat of earlier verse

As he begins to raise his voice
You lower yours and grant him one last choice
Drive until you lose the road
Or break with the ones you've followed
He will do one of two things
He will admit to everything
Or he'll say he's just not the same
And you'll begin to wonder why you came
Troubled friend starts to get angry, he will either admit to what hes done and change or he will continue to do what hes doing and say he is not the same anymore. Friend begins to wonder why he even tried

Where did I go wrong? I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life
Repeat of earlier verse

Where did I go wrong? I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life
Repeat of earlier verse

How to save a life

How to save a life

Where did I go wrong? I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life
Repeat of earlier verse
Where did I go wrong? I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life
How to save a life
Repeat of earlier verse

How to save a life

Meaning behind the song?
After taking a look at what I could find the lyrics where saying to the listener, I decided to do some research into the song and see if I could find any motive for the band writing this song and if they where relating to something that has personally happened.
I was suprised to find out that it was a personal experience that resulted to this song being produced. The song is about a time that band member Isaac Slade was working at a mentor camp for troubled teenagers. At the camp he built a particularly strong relationship with a teen due to their shared interest and love for music.The teenager was subject to substance abuse, and most forms of 'advice' that he received were more of conditional and commands to avoid resorting to drugs and self-injury or the people in his life would distance themselves from him which was exactly what happened to this particular teen, his best friend completley removed him from his life. From the slade came to the conclusion that the boy simply needed some support from those around him.