A few practice shots

As I haven't completely decided on what parts of my storyboard I will be doing yet. One of my ideas that I am quite keen on it the idea of my couple walking through a forest together in the winter. I decided to go and have a look at the type of location that there is available for me to 
film at and took some photos to see what it was like. 








My idea at the moment is that I will have my couple either walking through the woods together as a date or taking their dog for a walk to show the sort of things that they would do as a typical teenage couple in the winter as the song is a ballad about love so I thought that this would be appropriate given the locations that there are available for me to film at.

In terms of camera shots and edits, i want the edits to be slow and i might use a couple of cross-fades to transition my shots. In the forest scene I'm thinking of doing a pan downwards from the top of the trees to then reveal my couple walking along so it can be used as an establishing shot to show where they are.

The whole idea for this was because the time that I will be filming at will be the autumn/winter seasons. 

History of Music Videos - Timeline

According to http://conversations.nokia.com/2012/11/26/the-amazing-history-of-the-music-video/ 'music videos' (or at least what was then classed as a music video which was actually an illustrated song) actually started over a century ago.


George H. Thomas had an idea to show a collection of images to the audience whilst the selected song was being played which would show a narrative. 'The Little Lost Child' was a song in 1894 by Joseph W. Stern and Edward B. Marks. Thomas had the idea to create an 'Illustrated Song' for them and so he used still pictures which were coloured by hand and shown by projecting them onto a screen at the same time as a live perfomance of the song was being played. this helped to then sell over 2 million copies of the sheet music for the song after the 'illustrated song' had been shown.




Around 30 years later in the 1930's, the Spooney Melodies, which were a series of five animated musical shorts, released trough the Warner Brothers to show the songs of the time. They included: 

• Crying for the Carolines - 1930
• Just a Gigolo - 1931
• Say a Little Prayer for Me - 1931
• When your Lover has Gone - 1931
• For You - 1931

Around the 1950's pop music came
about. It derived from rock n' roll.
Pop music includes many aspects of
other genres such as electric, urban
and rock. Pop music from early on
consisted mainly of ballads for
it's form.

1926-1959 was the period where 'talkies', 'soundies' and 'shorts' began. 'Talkies' were sound videos that consisted of a motion picture with sound that was synchronized to it.
Music videos have also taken inspiration from Hollywood musicals that appeared from 1930-1950. These musicals in the 50's also lead to 'short-form' music videos. 

Television was the main influence that caused the interest in moving pictures/music videos to rise. Thanks to the Top of the Pops and other TV programmes, the interest began to rise even more.
Russell Mulcahy is an Australian film director who created the video for The Buggles 'Video Killed the Radio Star' which then went on to be the first video played on MTV.
Since then, other channels on television have become available to listen to music on and see the videos for the songs for example:

• MTV (which now features more TV shows such as 'Geordie Shore' and 'The Valleys')
• VIVA (also shows more TV shows now such as 'Teen Mom' and 'My Super Sweet 16')
• Scuzz
• JBTV
• MuchMusic
• Kerrang!
• VH1
• Fuse TV
• 4Music

In 1983, Michael Jackson's Thriller was released which cost director John Landis half a million dollars to make it. Not just that, it also was the beginning of African-Americans appearing in and having music videos.

Up until 2005 when YouTube was created, music videos were found aired on the television. in 2010 Lady Gaga's Bad Romance became both the most viewed video on YouTube and also the internet. 

As of 19/09/13, in the most popular videos of all time chart on YouTube shows that Adele has secured 2 places in the top 4 (music) videos with Rolling in the Deep in 1st with 431,613,249 views and Someone Like You in 3rd place with 296,795,552 views.
Thanks to social media however, people are now able to view music videos on their phones either by streaming them live via YouTube or purchasing them on the iTunes store available on Apple products.

First draft of a storyboard

Lyric Storyboard

This is my first draft at my main ideas showing some early ideas for my music video based only on other videos I have watched of the same genre as the song I have chosen and also by listening to the song over and over and creating in my head the story/images that I want to portray to my target audience. 

The theme of the song is love as what Rihanna is singing about is wanting to find love and so i based my idea around the lyrics and will have my singer/actress be the character that goes out looking for love after seeing that everyone else has already found it. 

http://www.marieclaire.com/sex-love/advice/great-winter-date-ideas#slide-3

As the time of year I will be filming in is autumn/winter, I have researched about things that a typical couple could do in the winter with each other such as going on walks in the woods (shown in shot 6) wearing woolly winter clothes and possibly taking a picnic or something. Another idea was to have them spend an evening around a bonfire, roasting marshmallows and stargazing or if I can't find a suitable location for this then roasting marshmallows on the fire at home and watching a film would be my back-up idea.




I have also thought about locations to shoot some of the ideas in my storyboard. The person who I have asked to be my 'girl' in this video has a suitable house to shoot the first shot (waking up 
and looking in the mirror which would include her bedroom and bathroom.) 

http://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/yorkshirewoldsway/site.asp?PageId=33&SiteId=73&c=6 There is also Millington Woods nearby which is easily accessible for me to be able to film in for shot 6 on the storyboard. 


As this is only a first draft of my ideas, some of them could change over the next few days so I haven't researched too deeply on all parts of my storyboard in case I change my mind but I will most likely use the ideas in shots 1, 6, 7 and 8 for my real music video.

3 Music Video Analysis

Formal Conventions

Formal conventions are conventions of ALL music videos. Some of these include the editing matching the beat of the music. Depending on the story/song the editing usually speeds up if the song does or the events in the video become more intense or fast-paced. The mise-en-scene (including props, costume, make-up, location and lighting) all represent the mood/message that the song is trying to show the audience and is made understandable by the music video to help to allow the audience the understand the lyrics. In terms of cinematography, close-ups are almost always used to show emotion of the character. The artists ususally star in their videos and if they are a band there is often a scene in the video of the band playing. 

Conventions of the genre

Conventions of the genre are conventions that appear in every music video which are of the same genre. For example, a typical convention of a pop song video is that it has a linear narrative which relates to the lyrics of the song. The music uses the video as a support to help the audience understand their lyrics. It also acts as another media platform to allow the lyrics to be understood on another level.

In pop songs, one of the most common themes in the videos is a love story as the songs are love songs. This is a very common theme used in pop songs. There are also typical conventions in terms of edits too such as slow motion. Slow motion allows one particular moment to be appreciated for a longer time and allows the viewer to see and dwell on the details that you wouldn't normally be able to if the shot was played at normal speed. In terms of linking to the theme of the song; love, it makes the viewer feel happy emotions and also links to the people in the video who are appreciating their moment.

• Demi Levato - Made in the USA

• Katy Perry - Teenage Dream 

• Calvin Harris - I Need Your Love ft. Ellie Goulding

Annotated lyrics

Research

Rihanna - We All Want Love

One of the reasons why I chose this song was because I have the ideal person to star in my video mainly because she already knows the lyrics. Also, as I have been thinking of ideas to include in the video, the location around where we both live is good for what I have already thought of doing. I wanted to do a happy / upbeat song without it being too full on and so this song was perfect.

• Genre - Dance pop / Indie rock / Pop rock
• Uses guitar and drums
• Emotional but uplifting song 
• About Rihanna wanting a relationship and wanting to settle down with someone

Review of the song:

(http://popdust.com/2011/11/14/rihanna-talk-that-talk-we-all-want-love-new-leak-review/)

• ballad
• lighter tone than her usual dance / hip-hop songs

(http://entertainment.time.com/2011/11/21/music-monday-rihannas-talk-that-talk/)

• offers a glimpse of true romantic optimism
• Rihanna still doesn't trust many people, but at least she's opening herself up again to the possibility
• Rihanna's love is an obsessive sort. it equates to feelings of drunkenness and uncontrollable addiction

Songs of similar genre / videos that I will use to base my video on

• Avril Lavigne - When You're Gone  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0G3_kG5FFfQ
• Kelly Clarkson - Since You've Been Gone  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7UrFYvl5TE
• Demi Levato - Made in the USA  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3zdIHDTbg0
• Katy Perry - Teenage Dream  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41i4uCWST_U
• Calvin Harris ft Ellie Goulding - I Need Your Love  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtKZKl7Bgu0

Song Lyrics - Rihanna 'We All Want Love' timing

Rihanna - We All Want Love (Released September 22, 2011)

(Music to 13 seconds)
(Music to 25 seconds)
(Lyrics start at 25 seconds)

0:25 We all, we all, we all, we all, we all
0:32 We all, we all, we all, we all, we all

0:39 I can pretend that I'm not lonely but
0:43 I'll be, constantly fooling myself
0:46 I can pretend that it don't matter but
0:49 I'll be sitting here lying to myself
0:52 Some say love ain't worth the buck
0:55 But I'll give every dime I have left
0:59 To have what I've only been dreaming about

1:04 Everybody wants something
1:06 Gotta want something
1:07 What are you living for?
1:11 Everybody needs something
1:12 Fighting for something
1:14 I know what you're fighting for
1:16 Cause we all

1:18 We all want someone there to hold
1:21 We just want somebody
1:25 We all wanna be somebody's one and only
1:31 We all wanna be warm when it's cold
1:34 Yeah yeah yeah
1:38 No one wants to be left scared and lonely

1:43 We all, we all, we all, we all, we all
1:47 We all want the same thing
1:49 We all, we all, we all, we all, we all
1:54 We all want the same thing
1:56 We all, we all, we all, we all, we all
2:00 We all want the same thing
2:02 Everybody wants something
2:05 Gotta want something
2:06 Yeah, yeah we all want love

2:10 I'm able to close my eyes
2:12 Yet my heart's not so blind
2:17 I feel so entitled love owes me
2:19 I want what's mine
2:23 And some say love ain't worth the buck
2:25 But I'll give my last dime
2:30 To have what I've only been dreaming about

2:36 Everybody wants something
2:37 Gotta want something
2:39 What are you living for?
2:42 Everybody needs something
2:44 Fighting for something
2:45 I know what you're fighting for
2:47 Cause we all

2:49 We all want someone there to hold
2:52 We just want somebody
2:56 We all wanna be somebody's one and only
3:02 We all wanna be warm when it's cold
3:05 Yeah yeah yeah
3:09 No one wants to be left scared and lonely
3:14 We all, we all, we all, we all, we all

3:19 We all want the same thing
3:20 We all, we all, we all, we all, we all
3:25 We all want the same thing
3:26 We all, we all, we all, we all, we all
3:31 We all want the same thing
3:33 Everybody wants something gotta want something
3:38 Yeah yeah we all want love 3:40

(music for 10 seconds)

3:50 Yeah yeah we all want love 3:55

Finish 3:56