LO4: Be able to finalise production materials for an original audio-visual promo idea

LO4: Finalise production materials for promotional video idea.  

Bury You Deep First Draft:

Bury You Deep Final:

Shot 1:

How will you improve the edit?

This is the first shot in the sequence of my first draft, I will improve it by editing out the shaky zoom and possibly imbue more colour into the scene with after editing practices, to make it appear more alive and stand out to the audience. However at the same time the drab, saturated appearance of the pool table makes it fit the convention of the music genre better than if it were brighter. Especially due to the bright colours of the green felt and the pool balls it works as a good contrast.

What are you going to add in?

I am going to add a title screen transition similar to that you would find in a professional standard music video, short film, or advertisement. This will include credits for all persons who were involved in the production of my music video including me, Aptbr and Adam Waterworth. I will also add in editing techniques such as speeding up footage, slowing down footage, extending footage and shortening footage

Shot 2:

In this shot I slowed down the footage by adding a slow motion filter. This allowed me to then cut the footage so the viewer cannot tell if the white pots as well, connoting enigma and suspense and raises the intellectual puzzle (Rick Altman 1999 pleasures) Is this the turning point of the game/ of the character? Shortly after this point there is corrupted audio that can be heard quite distinctly by the audience. I edited this out and smoothed out the audio in order make it flow better.

I also played around with making some of the shorter scenes longer by extending the footage (which in turn can slow it down) and making some of the longer scenes shorter (making it faster) creating a different pace at different parts of the music video.. This helps create both a visceral pleasure and an intellectual puzzle as their a connotations of heartbeat like movement in the footage creating connotations of the main protagonist feeling fear or worry at certain points. The intellectual puzzle is will they pull through? Will they succeed? Will they overcome? This works in synergy with the ideal self/partner theory (McLuhan 1972.) As an viewer who perceives a protagonist as an ideal self/partner will root for them through struggle as they want them to succeed.

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Shot 3:

Here is an example of an out of shot/unfocused/blurry scene which was still in the first draft music video that I overlooked and demonstrates how my editing and creation skills have improved as shoddily filmed parts of the music video should have been all but eliminated. As with parts of the music video looking like this it connotes the content as shoddily put together and badly edited and in turn will receive negative feedback and will be less likely to benefit from effects such as Folksonomy (2004), Wikinomics (2006) or Electronic Agora (1991).

Feedback 1:

In relation to the piece of feedback above, about my use of continuous scenes lack of  blending enough scenes, I merged a lot more of the clips of footage to make the music video appear much more varied in its make up. However, I was careful to maintain the pacing of the music video because it already matches the slow tempo of the music therefore they work in synergy with each other. 

Feedback 2:

In response to the piece of feedback above I made sure to synergise the clips of the game of pool with the playing of instruments and the display of the main protagonist so as to make the music video have a much better flow. As before it felt like you were stuck in a single location or single scene for most of the music video but now it goes from each of the points of interest (the game, the instruments, the main protagonist) in a more fluid fashion. 

Feedback 3:

Feedback 1:

In response to the first piece of feedback I added scenes that were sped up and some that were slowed down, I also implemented the use of cross cuts, essentially cutting from one scene to another and back to show a connection. I also used J-cuts which using the same audio distinguish that the scenes are recurring one after the other or at the same time allowing for a better flow. Better audio quality and video quality connotes the music video as professional standard which in turn promotes electronic agora as people new to making videos e.g., budding content creators. Will be more likely to ask for tips or assistance in making something if they perceive content to be of a decent standard/quality.

Feedback 2: 

In response to the second piece of feedback, similar to the previous piece of feedback, I made sure to split up clips from each other and create a better contrast between the game of Pool and the clips of the instruments being played. This, like the feedback states, highlights the main part of the scene better, drawing the viewer's attention more intently. This creates active audience theory because the audience is actively watching it and is more likely to interact with the product if their attention is heightened. This can include liking, commenting or evening reposting the music video on other social media channels. This follows the theory of Folksonomy (Van Der Wal 2004) and promotes electronic agora (Rheingold 1991) as the viewer will talk about the music and the music video with their friends and peers, as questions, suggest theories etc. 

Feedback 3: 

In response to the third piece of feedback, I went through as meticulously as I could, and cropped out/edited out the parts of unfocused or blurry footage that I could find. I also followed their advice and incorporated faster cuts to highlight the cymbals in a greater fashion, which creates a better visceral reaction for the viewer, likes bangs of a bass drum, or shots from a cannon it grips you. Unfortunately due to the wishes of my actor (Adam Waterworth) I wasn't able to film above the torso of the main protagonist. However I justify, that it actually aids my genre of music video because it connotes enigma and creates an intellectual puzzle for the viewer as to guess what they look like and why their identity is hidden from them. It also connotes ideal self theory (McLuhan 1972) because the viewer can perceive themselves as the main protagonist in the music video, particularly if they relate to themes connoted to them. This also helps promote escapism as the viewer can leave their life and experiences behind and become the main protagonist instead. 

LO3: be able to produce production materials for an audio-visual promo idea

 Evidence of Creating Music Video:

 Draft One Feedback from Josh Bailey:

Evidence of editing: 

Draft Two Feedback:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1GJ9n87ckyWnZ3nmshCeus9gHyrkxHCNnSw_BNDROPwk/edit#responses

Evidence of Editing:

Based on the feedback I edited out faulty audio in the vocal section of my music video. I did this through using the razor tool to cut out audio that brought the quality of the sound down. This meant that the vocal audio now sounded more professional and coherent to the listener. 

Based off other feedback there was a serious issue about continuous scenes and lack of merging clips. I resolved this issue by merging more clips together and changing the length of certain clips by modifying to an extent where they didn't feel like they dragged as much. I also received feedback about the pace of the video as some people felt that the video didn't match the same pace/tempo of the music. To correct this I changed the speed and the duration of the clips to match the pace and tone of the music. For example another editing decision I made was slowing a clip down in order to cut at a precise moment before the white ball followed one of the yellow balls into the pocked at the table.

Based off further feedback and constructive criticism there was some footage of the lens fading in and out of focus. I edited this out to make the music video have an overall better quality and resolution. Another editing decision I made was to change the framing and rescale some of the clips so I could add more variety of shots such as close-ups of the drumsticks hitting the drum. 

To add a sense of professionalism into my music video I decided to add in a graphic at the beginning that would introduce the video to the audience. The black background with the white text has the same colour coding as the outfit of my actor (Adam W) and genre of my song/music video.

 

P4: Production materials in line with plan 

I used a DSLR camera in order to film the entirety of my music video. There was a lens already attached to the camera, the lens type is adaptable enough to be used in any situation I could have thought. I also used a tripod attached to the DSLR camera in order to widen the range of angles I could use to film. I began with using the automatic zoom function on the DSLR however due to the variety of lighting in the filming locations it became unfocused I quickly changed to manual zoom and edited out any blurry footage in post-production if some had made the cut. I also had a strap attached to the DSLR camera in order for me to use it without the tripod and also make sure that it doesn't fall when using it. I also used a SD card for the camera in order to save film onto the camera as the digital storage isn't sufficient. Finally I used a camera charger in order to recharger the camera battery when it ran out.

I then used a condenser microphone in order to record all audio for the music part of the music video, except of course for the guitar which was supplied through the copyright free site Freesound.org. The vocals and the drums. Choosing a condenser microphone was a deliberate choice as it is a popular choice for recording music outside of a recording studio setting. This is because of the structure of the microphone allows it to be bolted firmly to basically any surface you desire and it will be unable to move. This was particularly useful when recording the drums because the vibrations created by the kit (especially the bass drum) meant that another microphone couldn't be bolted directly to the kit, however the condenser microphone was able to be bolted to a nearby surface at the perfect distance to record and not be affected.

LO2: be able to generate ideas for an original audio-visual promo

My choice of theme for a promotional video is currently narrowed down to three different ideas

1.  A music video of my own creation with help from my friends, family and neighbours. The drums will be done solely by me and the guitar solely by Joe Harley. The vocals will either be both me and Joe or just me. 

1. A promotional video for a Horror short film of my own creation with help from my friends, family and neighbours.

The Brief - My music video will follow the lyrics of a song I have come up with on my own called Bury You Deep. The song is about mental illness specifically focusing on conditions such as depression, anxiety and PTSD. The songs title 'Bury You Deep' is meant to represent the repression of emotions  because people with the conditions often lie to themselves and others about how serious their conditions are and how much it affects them. The song flips at the end to show personal growth of the person and that they come to terms with them. 

Resources - I have made a mind-map of all of the resources and equipment I believe we will need for the shooting of the magazine as well as one for the pre-production of the music video.  

Personnel - 

Callum Byrne (Guitar, Back up drums, backing vocals?)

Joe Harley (Bass) 

Joel Dawson (Drums, Vocals)

This was then changed to me and Aptbr supplying to the music. 

Time Scale -  

12/7/2023

Contingency Plans - 

Get the music written and recorded this can then be edited in school/lesson. Then film during the holidays.    

Legal - 

1. All employees are entitled to at least minimum wage (£10.18)

2. All employees are entitled to at least half an hour break for lunch for every six hours 

3. All employees must be shown to give written consent to be filmed and have their faces on the internet. 

Ethical -

1. Do not plagiarise people 

These lyrics are for my Unit 15 music video, the production of this will begin on this Sunday i.e., Sunday 17th September. Filming is currently delayed video will be filmed throughout the month haphazardly. 

Normal Lyrics/Script:

The red colour - Is main lyrics and therefore main riff, main bass and main drums. 

The blue colour - Represents  the chorus and the mini chorus the solos and different bass and riff and drums. 

At the beginning of the song from 0.00 for at least 5 seconds there is sound of muttering, tuning instruments, sitting down etc. 

From then on there is small 

Release and consent form:

This is a release and consent form for the talent of: Joe Harley. The physical copy of this agreement has been destroyed due to the contract being voided - per Joe's request - of no longer wishing to participate in the production Unit 15 - Music Video titled 'Bury You Deep.' This digital copy is to show the creation of the legal agreement and that it did exist in the initial pre-production stages of the production. 

(Initial) Storyboard:

This initial storyboard was in order to create some original ideas for what the music video would look like how long the scenes should las and the overall length of the music video. It was originally meant to incorporate three members Joel Dawson, Joe Harley and Callum Byrne. However at the start of production this had changed to Joel Dawson and Adam Waterworth. Me being behind the camera and Adam being in front. Due to the short nature of this final change to the production schedule no storyboards with Adam exist this being the most detailed storyboard. 

The introduction was originally going to be shaky on screen similar to a stop-motion style graphic, however I thought that this would make the video seem shoddily put together and look rough. I opted instead to put a intro graphic like that of a film which fits the music video perfectly as the video has connotations of a short film, having a single actor go on a journey through music.

Adam decided he didn't want his face in shot so that he wouldn't be recognised and due to the short notice of the production and that I couldn't find anyone else who would do it I agreed to the condition. unfortunately this means that there a connotations of disassociation, unrelatability and enigma with the audience. However on the other hand it also creates an ideal self (Stanley Cohen 1972) as the audience can picture themselves acting throughout the film.

Due to the fact that it was only Adam and me involved in production and that I can only sing and drum it meant that the variety of instruments I had wanted to originally include I the music video had to be scrapped. However due to the fact that Adam can play Pool I decided instead to create a physical metaphor for the characters life (via the lyrics of the song) as it is about coming to terms with deep-seated psychological issues as the main protagonist isn't talking to a partner or a friend but themselves (either through internal or external dialogue this is up for interpretation.)

The game of pool begins with a bad break (connotations of a bad mental break of the character.) Then there are shots of the instruments to denote the music elements of the music video edited between the game of Pool. The game, for the first half of the music video, has multiple shots of the main protagonist missing shots at the holes this connotes failed attempts at resolving there issues etc. (again allowing for audience interpretation by being vague with connotations.) This ultimately leads to electronic agora and active audience theory as the listeners feel like they themselves are enacting the events shown in the music video. Some may have dealt with similar issues and feel a ideal partner (Stanley Cohen 1972) bond to the faceless character as well. 

The fact that I couldn't include multiple people in the music video actually works in favour of following the connotations and codes and conventions for the music video as it connotes the main protagonist as being alone and isolated from people and being left with nothing but their internal fight of mental health. This is again left up to interpretation whether the isolation is real or not for the main character as some who have dealt with similar issues know that even if they are the centre of attention or the heart of the party they could be the loneliest one there. 

In the second half of the music video the main protagonist begins potting the balls during the game of Pool showing improvement of their mental health or that they are beginning to come to terms with their issues. The music video ends with the final ball known as the 'Black' being potted connoting that their struggle could finally be over. However the final shot is of the Pool balls being emptied connoting that another game may just be about to take place. The connotations are again open for audience interpretation  but could indicate another issue that needs to be resolved or that its a lengthy battle or even that it has switched to someone else's game this time around. 

Mind map:

Initial mind map in order to create original ideas. This included possible filming locations, scouting for talent, and equipment and resources required. The location that was choosing for filming was in Sprotbrough. There was no need to get filming permissions as the property is owned by my family. Personnel was required to be changed multiple times. Originally being Joel Dawson drums and vocals and Joe Harley bass guitar and electric guitar. This changing to Joel Dawson vocals and/or drums, Joe Harley bass guitar and Callum Byrne electric guitar/and or drums. This then changed back to Joel Dawson vocals and drums and Joe Harley bass guitar and electric guitar, due to the unavailability of Callum Byrne. This then changed to Joel Dawson vocals and/or drums and Jack Knowles on guitar and standby on drums. This then made a final change to Joel Dawson vocals and drums, Adam Waterworth acting and the use of copyright free music taken from the creator Aptbr on freesound.org for guitar. 

Mood board:

Moodboard in order to decided what the house style for the music video should be. There is a mixture of dark browns, red, greens and moody blues. This is due to the genre of the music being rock/metal. The codes and conventions of the genre is mostly reds, blacks and greys. It is important for the music video to follow the codes and conventions of the heavy rock and metal genres in order for it to target the audience of the aforesaid genres and create a synergy between what they already listen to and my music video.  

Risk Assessment:

The risks for the risk assessment are important to keep in my mind however were generic in nature in case the filming location was required to be changed. As there was a secondary filming location on hand in case of unforeseen circumstances getting in the way of filming. It was also important for me to include generic safety concerns due to the fact that Callum Byrne, Jack Knowles and Adam Waterworth (first two were past concerns) are unfamiliar with media productions having never done a media course or media production beforehand. To make them aware of basic safety is vital as issues a media student see as a potential risk other 'normal' people may not, which puts me at risk of an accident taking place. 

Production Schedule:

The production schedule was the final pre-production document to be created due to the fact that the final deadline had to be in the start of February/ the end of this week on the 2nd. The only outlier in the dates is that for the bass/electric guitar for the music this is due to the cancellations/changes in personnel that have happened through the production process. Meaning that the guitar I had to use in my final product was sourced from Freesound.org from the user Aptbr. Under the licensing of the website all sound is free to use but must be cited as such. 

Recce Sheet:

Release and Consent Agreement:

Treatment:

Working Title: Bury You Deep

Narrative:

A unnamed protagonist/teenager goes through multiple layers of mental health issues and begins coming to terms with their issues. Without being able to voice in words what it's like it instead is played out like a game of pool, with bad shots, and bad breaks in the beginning to signify their breakdowns and their problems. Then as they come to terms with their issues and start seeking help they gradually become more controllable and the shots get better (more accurate) and their game finishes. 

Genre: Music Video 

Now: Heavy Rock/Metal

Characters/Organisation/People:

Unnamed Protagonist  - Adam Waterworth

Required Crew

Director/Writer/Editor/Drummer/Vocals/Lighting/DOP - Joel Dawson

Guitar - Aptbr

Required Equipment

1x Camera 

1x Studio Microphone

1x Studio Lights

1x Diffuser

1x SD Card

1x Camera Charger

Synopsis:

A unnamed teenager struggles with mental health issues. Being so young they struggle with interpreting these through words and instead portrays it with a game of pool. they eventually seek help and come to terms with their issues. The video is concluded with the game of Pool finishing i.e., the Black being potted. 

Production Schedule 

Suggested Locations

Pebble Ridge -  Family Residence

Contingency:

Working Title: The Depths

Narrative:

A group of friends are out in the woods with his friends when they begin to feel like they're being watched by someone or something. The creature that hunts them does not hunt by the usual means and instead hunts through water. Being able to get into the stream. Then when one of the boys fills their water bottle from the stream they become possessed and chaos ensues. The group of friends is forced to run through the countryside and away from their friend working out that they cannot drink from the streams, but only the bottled water they brought with them that they are slowly running out of. 

Genre: Horror,  Thriller

Characters/Organization/People: 

Dan -  Matt Turner

Aaron - George Batty

Josh - Adam Waterworth

Lucas - Fraser Turner

Required Crew

Director/Writer/DP - Joel Dawson

Required Equipment 

1x Camera

2x Microphone

1x Tripod

1x Shoulder rig

Synopsis:

A group of friends are hunted and one is possessed by a monster that travels through water. It proceeds to chase them. Their objective is to either save their friend or leave him here and escape. 

Production Schedule 

Suggested Locations

Agden Bog 

Agden Reservoir

Peak District National Park, Peak District

M2: Issues and Risks (Legal and Ethical) 

BBFC regulate online music videos. I made both my music video and the actual music void of any mature themes; meaning there is no swearing, no violence, and no explicit material or scenes. I did this in order for it to appeal to the biggest mass audience possible, and a diverse demographic of ages. The genres of the music means that the target audience will be somewhat niche as Heavy Rock/Metal aren't the most popular genres. It was also in my interest for the music video to also follow copyright law due to the fact that I have used someone else's guitar track for my music video. However the guitar was readily/freely available on Freesound.org and the sight specifically states that all sounds on the site are copyright free and can be downloaded from the site with no problem. The Data Protection Act was also an issue I needed to consider however because of the involvement with Adam Waterworth who is under 18. Multiple steps were taken in order to protect his data, firstly Adam wanted his face to be out of shot throughout the video, this was both a legal and ethical issue, data protection act and also personal choice, I agreed to the terms. Secondly the only mention of his actual name in the video is in the credits at the beginning of the video, this is to follow the codes and conventions as well as to give proper credit but following legal and ethical issues I didn't include any pictures of the cast.

Lawful and environmental issues with the location include filming rights and organising a meet up with the cast. The right to film at the location doesn't need to be sought after as all locations shown in the music video are privately owned by myself and my family. Organising a meet up with the cast was over private channels of social media in order to abide by the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act.

My contingency location is my friends secondary residence because this is a privately owned residence and I have asked the property owner beforehand if I am ok to film on the premises no legal documentation was required. E.g., because it was only a secondary location and I created a verbal contract with the property owner no other action was required.

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  What contingency plans will you come up with for these issues? 

  
  

  
  

  I recorded multiple versions of each of the clips of video and saved and created copies of the clips on my music video. I have both a first draft, and final draft saved and unI have a backup song with back up lyrics on standby.