I contacted the record company associated with Fightstar in order to gain permission to use "Hide and Seek" as the song for my music video. They responded within a couple of hours stating that I should go ahead with the project, wishing me luck along the way.
Here's what I sent in the email to them:
"Dear Raw Power Management,
I'm wondering whether you can help me with a query regarding 'Search and Destroy Records' - I understand that this was a venture from Raw Power Management when Fightstar recorded their album 'Be Human'. I need to gain permission to use a song that was recorded as a B-Side on their single "The English Way" (Hide and Seek - Imogen Heap) for my A2 Media Studies coursework.
I was wondering whether you could give me any advice on how to go about contacting this label or whether in fact it is the correct thing to do.
I'd appreciate any help you could give me regarding this matter,
Jack Williams - Year 13 Student at The John Roan Sixth Form, London"
Here's their response:
"Hi Jack,
Yes we deal with this – this is fine. Good luck with your project.
This is a song with a lot of emotion in both the lyrics and the music. The song has also a 'bouncing' rhythm which I think would be perfect for a ballet style dance. I have already secured a dancer to choreograph the dance routine and perform in the video.
How I would link this to a potential storyline would be by introducing two characters, one male and one female to sit by a piano, watching the dance as a metaphor for their relationship. So perhaps some semi-dramatic 'falls' from the dancer would be appropriate as this would correllate with the relationship problems that would be shown beforehand.
I would like to start the video with perhaps the couple arguing or just sitting in silence. I would ideally like to film all scenes in the same setting in order to be more efficient. I could even get the whole video shot in one day with the correct planning.
I've decided to change again what I'm going to produce as my main task. It's a complete change in direction as I'm changing the song and shooting in a completely different style.
I've decided to do this because I feel as if my ideas for the previous song had grown stale. I'd really gone off the whole storyline that I created, even though I had shot a few scenes and put them together to form a 30 second video.
I want to now film a music video that still has a storyline of sort, but it will be much more implicit to the viewer. The narrative would have to be deconstructed in order to fully understand what is occurring. It will be a challenge but it is one I am going to relish.
The song I have chosen is "Hide and Seek" - Fightstar. This was originally written by Imogen Heap but was recorded as a B-Side on their single "The English Way".
This music video circulates around Charlie Simpson, the band's lead singer and a female character, of whom he is in a relationship with or has been in the past. This is communicated through the close ups of the two at the start of the video. The fast pace transition between Charlie and the girl's face shows that they are in some way linked to one another. The facial expression of the girl is seductive, whilst Charlie's face is focused and stern as he focuses more on singing the lyrics in the song. This gives the impression that he is disconnected from the girl and perhaps the relationship.
This growing distance between the two is shown through the lack of colour saturation in the video footage. The desaturation shows a lack of spark in the relationship and a lack of passion betweeen the two. This is something I wish to achieve in my own music video, perhaps going even further and filming the whole video in black and white.
The mise-en-scene in this video also displays a dying relationship as the band are all dressed in black or dark grey suits as if they were going to a funeral. The dark room the band are playing in also empahsises this as there is a neat contrast, at one particular point in the video, between the girl's pale white skin and the dark room and the suit Charlie is wearing. (0:43)
The editing is something to be admired. Facial expression is a key part of this music video and it is conveyed through some skillful editing. To cite one time-frame in particular where this is most effective (0:48-1:10) - the girl looks like an innocent young lady; when her facial expression changes we see the effects the relationship has had on her. She suddenly becomes dispondent and
nothing like the innocent young girl we previously saw. The use of black and white footage furthers this change in character.
So far, this is the closest example I have found in relation to what I want to achieve. I won't be able to achieve the professional editing, but I believe I can create something that has the same effect on the audience as this music video, through the use of mise-en-scene and tecnhical elements such as close up shots and editing the music video into black and white.
The video for 'Handwritten' shows how one record can pass through many different pairs of hands, with each person that previously owned the record having their own individual story as to how they got their hands on the record. This is shown throughout the video via elipsis, as we see around fifty years pass in the space of four minutes.
The title of the song is shown implicitly throughout the video with the use of close ups on handwriting and the messages within the writing; this relates to the lyric "... I'm in love with the way you're in love with the night. It travels from heart, to limb, to pen"- as the theorist Andrew Goodwin would state, this is a way of engaging the audience with not only the video, but the song being played.
The shift in time is also shown through the change in mise-en-scene throughout the music video. The video starts in what appears to be the late 50s/early 60s in an American garage, with a musician playing on a Fender Stratocaster that would have been particularly popular at the time. The musician is dressed in typical 1950s/60s wear, with Levi jeans and a denim shirt. The audience in the venue are all dressed similarly too, which highlights how music in the 50s/60s influenced a lot of young people. The audience (watching the music video) would be able to relate this to today's music industry.
The music video uses performance shots to directly associate the band with what is occurring in the main narrative. The lead singer, Brian Fallon, shows a lot of emotion when he is singing along in the video - which draws the two parts of the video together. The mise-en-scene in these scenes furthers this as they are in an old house, but dressed fashionably in today's clothing. This implies that there is a link between the characters in the main narrative and the band itself within the context of the music video.
There is a patriarchal element to the early parts of the music video, whereby the men are dominant in the narrative, i.e. the musician, the boy-come-man who goes to war, the Father who gives the record away and the band itself (all of whom are male) - this however, does change towards the end of the video as the boy who receives the video grows up to be nothing much at all and ends up selling his records to a woman behind a counter in a record-store. This is a comment on how society has changed from the days of the 1950s, whereby a man would buy a girl a pretty dress and take her dancing (as seen in the music video by the audience) to the society today whereby women are very much liberated and can act of their own accord, not necessarily you're typical housewife or prim and proper girlfriend as shown in the music video.
This is a heartwarming video, which has a deep narrative. In my music video for "Hide and Seek" I would love to recreate the emotion generated from this music video.
So this is the second time I have done a post in this fashion. I'm beginning to think about the setting for my music video (again).
I want the video to include shots of central London as this gives the two characters already something in common (their national identity) - the viewer will begin to see the similarities between the two and begin to think about what could happen further down the line.
I also want some shots of the two characters on public transport, perhaps even on the same carriage but still in split screen.
I don't want to change the location of the shot throughout the video as I think it will lose a sense of flow and meaning. It has to convey a sense of real time.
Over the past few days I've been thinking to myself whether I am going in the right direction with my music video. Although I think that the footage I shot in the summer is of good quality, I just don't think I quite like the idea anymore. Not only that, in terms of practicality I have some major issues.
My actor lives in Manchester so the only time I can film with him in the shot is over the Christmas period and let's be honest, we both aren't going to have the time available to shoot a full music video.
No worries though, as I have a plan 'B' that I will set out in brief bullet points...
The video will center around two main characters, one male and one female
They both will be from London and aged around 20/21
Both of the characters will be having bad days and this will be shown in a split screen style
Similarities and contrasts will be shown via split screen
I eventually want the split screen to disappear as they both come closer to each other throughout the day
And, in the end they'd live happily ever after as they are both as misfortunate as one another
In order to achieve this I will have to get someone else to film the bits of the music video that I am in as I feel that I am a good enough actor to convey the emotion necessary in this music video. I will film the parts that do not have me in them.
I aim to get this all filmed by January/early February. I don't have much time at all between now and the editing process but I am 100% certain that I will produce a high quality piece of work.
In order to gather sufficient audience research, I have set up a survey on Survey Monkey.
I'd like to gather as many responses as possible and in order to do this I will have to post the link on several social media websites, including Facebook and Twitter. Hopefully I can get around twenty responses from various age groups.
Andrew Goodwin suggests that most popular music videos contain the same elements. If not all of them, there is at least one of the following features in a popular music video: - Music videos generate 'iconography', e.g. a punk band being shot thrashing their guitars and shouting down microphones whilst dressed in a particular style of clothing - The lyrics in a song are shown through images. These images can either be illustrative, amplifying or contradicting
- The mise-en-scene adds to the representation of the characters, e.g. in the music video 'Jesus of Suburbia' the setting and costume are descriptive of the characters being described in the lyrics of the song
- The tone and atmosphere of the images reflects the tone of the music
- Close ups of the artist are demanded in popular music videos to show them off
- Voyeuristic view of the female body. Also, there are elements of voyeurism across both genders, via the use of windows and mirrors. This can be seen in the "Knights of Cydonia" music video.
- Intertextual references are common. Again,"Knights of Cydonia" has strong links to old Western Films.
Having watched many music videos and analysed a variety of them in depth, I've begun to think about the setting and characters in my own music video. Following on from my initial ideas, I've decided that I'm going to include a variety of interior and exterior shots. The camera will follow around the central character in their every day life, telling the story as it unfolds. The setting will be in and around my local area which is suburban London. However, I think getting some shots around the rest of London will add to the regional identity of the characters, whilst at the same time having a variety of scenes to keep the audience interested. I don't want to make it seem like I have gone out and shoot footage all in one day in my local area. I'll have to travel around a bit in order to make the video look that bit more professional. In terms of performance shots, I'd like to get footage of Joe performing in a local venue. If I can combine the acting and performance together in one (or a collection) of shots then I think that would add another dimension to my video, blurring the line between the actors and performer.
This is another emotive, dramatic and brutal music video with a strong narrative. The music video circles around a young family living in London, struggling to pay the rent on their home. The lead male carries the burden upon his shoulders and that is evident throughout, through his facial expression, body language and the lyrics in the song spoken in first person. There are a group of bailiffs outside the house as well, whose manner and attitude is entirely different. They are made out to be robots who show little emotion in order to make the audience sympathise more with the financially stretched family.
I'd say that this music video would appeal to a wide variety of people, making the target audience rather broad. The family consists of a young boy and a young couple, however I think anybody who has a family or has even encountered financial difficulty at some point in their life could find themselves within the target audience.
The use of interior and exterior shots shows the audience how the family are afraid to leave their home and how eager the bailiffs are to get inside. This is in some ways a paradox, as the family are somewhat afraid to be out in the open and free from their secluding four walls. Whilst the bailiffs are desperate to get inside.
The over-the-shoulder shots used whilst the bailiffs are in the car are also point of view shots. The viewer is made to feel like they are in the back seat of the car with the bailiffs planning their 'attack' on the home. Whilst at the same time, the handheld camera technique used in the interior shots puts us in the family's shoes. The audience is put in a somewhat awkward position as they would now be 'defending' the family and wanting to stop the bailiffs they are so 'close' to. This interaction with the audience is something I would love to use in my music video as it can make the music video more memorable than the song itself.
The mise-en-scene is homely and it is plain to see how settled the family are in their home, particularly the boy's room. The mise-en-scene is deconstructed by the bailiffs and we see the family's world fall apart around them. The long shot used at the end of the video shows this deconstruction and ends the video on a negative, but somewhat optimistic note as the family remain togther.
In my music video, I would definitely like to create some form of relationship between the characters and the audience. However, this may prove difficult as the issues being tackled in this music video are more serious and therefore will have a greater effect on how the audience perceives the characters within the video.
Bowling For Soup - When We Die The narrative of this music video represents a young man who is struggling to form a relationship with his Father. This not only is a powerful narrative but is also relevant to the music and the lyrics. This is something I want to achieve with my music video. I feel as if a music video has a strong and emotive narrative, the audience can relate to it much more. Flashbacks are also used to good effect to show the relationship between the Father and Son. This technique helps the audience to build a relationship with the characters in the video, thus making it a more personal viewing experience. In the beginning of the video, props are used to describe what the video is going to be based around. The alarm clock and in particular the calendar with "Dad's Bday" written on it help the audience to distinguish who the characters are and what their role is. I think this music video would be more appealing to a young male audience as they could relate to the storyline more. There are many young males who have bad relationships with their parent/s and if pulled off, a music video like this could become extremely popular, becoming a cult hit. I'd like to steer clear of alienating my audience though and I would like to make my music video relevant to both genders.
An interesting element of this music video is the 'crossover' between what is reality (at least in the music video) and performance footage. The band are performing in the parents' front room and they are oblivious to this. This also relates back to the narrative as it could be a visual metaphor for the Father and son's relationship. I would like to capture some footage of the artist of the song I'm using performing but fitting it in with the main narrative could prove to be rather difficult and unrealistic.
The secondary setting of this music video is a claustrophobic 'cell' where the lead singer of the band and in relevance to the music video, the son, is trapped. The size of this room is exaggerated by the use of a telephoto lens to make the angle of view narrow. This is effective in creating the feeling of imprisonment as all objects appear to be the same distance apart.
This is the first video I have researched but I can already see it having an influence on the way I am thinking and tackling my practical work.
I now know what I want to shoot, how I want to shoot it and what I want to convey. The lyrics in the song need to be put across in the video; therefore a strong storyline is needed.
The lyrics tell the story of a person being alienated from a friend's life. I think the best way to show ths friendship breaking down would be to film the pair drifting apart with the main character being the friend that has been/is being alienated.
I want to film the music video both indoors and outdoors. The messiness of the house will create the mise-en-scene associated with what I'm trying to achieve and the potentially bad weather outside could again put pathetic falacy into the mix.
A variety of camera shots and techniques need to be used in order to retain the viewers' attention and to prevent the music video from becoming a dull commentary on the song. Performance shots will contribute to my effort of trying to make this music video compelling, yet interesting to watch.
In terms of editing, I want to steer clear of any transition apart from a change of shot. I think transitional effects are tacky and look unprofessional; particularly in contemporary music videos. I would like to include some 'flashback' shots of the past and would ensure that these shots were turned black and white when it came to editing.
The audience I'm aiming the music video at is young people who potentially have experienced the same things that are being conveyed in the music video. In order to achieve that I will have to ensure that the mise-en-scene is appropriate.
Jeans, T Shirts and hooded sweatshirts are the items of clothing I would like the characters in my music video to wear as it can be directly linked to my potential target audience. Whilst I would like the setting to be suburban London as again, suburbia is seen as a place that can hold many memories for teenagers and young people, particularly in London.
I hope the shooting of the music video goes well. It'll be a lengthy process but an extremely rewarding one I'm sure.
I'm going to begin storyboarding for my music video. At the moment, I know that I wish for the video to have a storyline of some sort and for there to be three main characters; with the story revolving around one of those central characters.
I've secured two necessary characters needed and I will be playing the third character. I will also be the director and camera man - I will be filming the scenes with myself in the frame by using a tripod as they will be static scenes.
The story will be about a man in his early twenties who is apartment sharing with his good friend. This relationship becomes disturbed when the latter gets a girlfriend and begins dedicating far too much time to her; leaving the aforementioned apartment in disarray and also the central character feeling rather pushed aside. There will be several other scenes whereby this loneliness and rejection will be portrayed through various other practices.
I will post my storyboard on this blog in the near future!
Isn't it nice to be appreciated? I know it's nice to know you're there. If only you would do the same as me. But it's a shame that you don't care. I feel like a stone inside a shoe. I'm just an irritation you're gonna lose. And when I'm gone you'll blame it all on me Say I've changed but you're oblivious to see.
Who's to say I like it this way? But it seems wrong all work no play I don't wanna do this anymore Pack my bags get on the next train Find some place to start my own game. It's your fault that I'm gone out the door.
Say goodbye to those older days, The incompletion has even left my gaze. There's no reason to watch on after you, Even after all that we've been through.
Who's to say I like it this way, But it seems wrong all work no play I don't wanna do this anymore Maybe someday you will find me Then you'll sing and get behind me On this day I'll open up the door. I want to put these lyrics across in the music video and represent the characters using these lyrics. A story behind the lyrics is already in motion and I will begin storyboarding my ideas in the near future.
The lyrics tell the story of two good friends drifting apart and the one whose thoughts are being told in the form of a song is beginning to get fed up with being treated in a way that makes them feel insignificant. I
In the last chorus, there is a more optimistic view to how the friendship can be put right in the future.
These are all things that will make this music video worth watching as the lyrics themself tell a story.
The song I have chosen to base my music video around is "See Ya" by English singer-songwriter Joe McCorriston. Joe is based in the north of England in Morecambe, Lancashire. I'm in regular contact with him about the music video and he provides me with his own insight on the lyrics and also the songwriting process.
Joe is not a local artist so it might be difficult for me to get performance shots of him. However, when he goes on tour I will hopefully get some footage of him performing in a local venue.
A promotion package for the release of an album, to include a music promo video, together with two of the following three options:
- a website homepage for the band; - a digipak for the album’s release; - a magazine advertisement for the digipak.
I've chosen to produce a music video for my A2 coursework. The song I'll be using is "See Ya" by Joe Mccorriston (See above). My main source of inspiration is the lyrics in the song and everyday occurrences that will relate to those lyrics. I aim to have the music video done by September.
