Research & Planning: Risk Assessment and Public insurance

Considering some elements of our music video involved filming potential hazardous scenes such as glass breaking, as a group we decided to carry out a risk assessment on possible dangers that may occur during our filming day. This risk assessment sheet below illustrates all the possible risks on behalf of the safe keeping of ourselves as the film crew and our artist, as well as detailing the hazards we as a crew should be aware of so that we can avoid such outcomes or at least be prepared for a change in situation. The safety of the crew, artist and any public figure is an important thing and it is upon our responsibility to maintain the safety of ourselves and others.

Our second location, the subway tunnel, being a public place that involves the general public making use of the tunnel and could lead to a local authority or anyone in that matter ask for legal documents for the use of this tunnel, as it may be seen as an obstruction to the general public's path. Although, this may seem a less likely occurrence, having been advised by our teacher to take extra precaution, we visited the schools groundwork keeper to retrieve an insurance certificate below. 
 

Research & Planning: Costume and Props

As mentioned before we do plan to use props as acts of symbolism and perhaps interpretation to the lyrics of the song. However a slight addition has been made, we now plan to film our artist smoking on set as part of the music video to express a release in stress or emotional turmoil this song creates.

Costume is relatively simple and refers to the style of the song, which emits a indie vibe, and consists of leggings/ black jeans, a vintage top (something that contrasts the black jeans, a white top), doc marten style boots and a cardigan. We have reached the conclusion that her fair skin and blonde hair would contrast perfectly with this styled outfit and would enable our artist to stand out in a unique way, as well as allow the focus to resolve around other occurring scenes in the video. 

Textual Analysis: Birdy Not About Angels

 ‘Not about Angels’ is a song by English singer-songwriter Birdy, it is one of the theme songs for the movie, The Fault in Our Stars (2014).

This music video begins with an establishing shot of a building, perhaps shot in a moving vehicle. This shot having an effect in which our perception becomes distorted has the potential to involve enigma to this video. The reason being for this specific type of establishing is possibly due to a suggestion of two worlds perhaps colliding, for instance Birdy’s lyric “Cause what about, what about angels?
They will come, they will go, make us special” suggests a collision of a worlds, as they come, they go. The central point in which these two building meet could exemplify the fine line between these two worlds. This associates to the movie, The Fault In Our Stars as this song plays in a particular vulnerable point in the movie, Augustus’s funeral. The fact that this is played at this moment could connote a spiritual meaning, the general concept after a loved one has dies that they are always around you.

This wide shot in what looks like a studio on a high floor has cleverly made use of the descending and ascending blinds which further provide an open gateway to the transitions of a sequence, non-vocal to vocal via a dissolve of background sound and visual. This song refining its emphasis on lost love with the lyrics ‘how unfair is just our love’, suggesting a sad outcome to a love that would no doubt exist in the movie this song was entitled to feature in, allows the background sound and slow dissolve to create an illusion of empathy for the characters and the artist.

The music begins to play- past the general introduction to the song displayed by visuals. The piano keys drift along the ascending camera movement where it stops on the mid-shot of Birdy playing the piano and may be considered as the nearing to the end of the instrumental introduction. As the camera zooms in on Birdy, the vocals kick in. however, an idea is imposed that subverts typical conventions of a music video. She does not sing, up until her reflection is seen through the shiny surface of the piano. The use of reflection in the piano conforms to the idea of spiritual reflection in the mirror, where one can see into their true soul. This can refer to the film, The Fault in Our Stars, when Augustus dies as spiritual references would concur that his soul has been set free.  

The smooth dissolve transition from the previous scene to this one suggests the reminiscing of a past event, something that perhaps contains motifs from the film. The idea of having many stars projected onto Birdy which create a remake of the classic scene of Hazel staring at the stars in the movie can be seen as motifs from the film itself.

The alternate angle used to display Birdy’s reflection would to some degree involve the use of effects and editing due to the reason a clear cut reflection like that cannot be possible. The use of this high angle reflection can be used to associate with the reoccurring mention of the word ‘angels’ and could portray the means of a guardian angel watching over you- or in the case of the music video- Birdy. Some shots coincide with the notes Birdy sings, for instance this shot moves down and around the piano to Birdy, in sync to Birdy’s note on the lyrics ‘give’ and  stops on Birdy as she sings ‘it up’. This creates a flow to the music video and the song, connecting them together in ways other than just visuals.

Close up and extreme close up shots following Goodwin’s theory are used to create printed images of the artist in viewers heads. An attribute used to publicize the artist and making them well known by simply having shots that allow the readers to have a good look that the artist as well as conforming to conventional music videos.

Small references are made to the movie, The Fault in Our Stars with the literal visuals of stars. However the fading out of these stars as Birdy walks across what appears to be a white hallway presents the perception of time being lost as the day transfers from night to day, this is further reinforced by the quicken in pace of her walking against a large window overlooking a city. The colour white again could be seen as symbolising heaven and perhaps purity, referring to the song title.

 

Research & Planning: Location

The subway tunnel idea was something that we all visualised within the first listen to the song. The pace and mood of the song was imaginable in subway tunnel atmosphere, with our artist walking down in the centre. When we visited the tunnel, the lighting in the tunnel was enough to give off that dark and mellow look we wish to achieve.   

Our second location is going to be the drama studio in school. The reason behind this is we found that the lighting and the studio in general prompted an effective location for our character considering her pale skin and blonde hair, which would contrast against the black. The lighting again was another aspect that provided a useful input to our filming, as it looked really good.

Other location shots

Research & Planning: Dr Who? (Cast)

In terms of casting, we have decided on a girl called Kitty. We came across the conclusion that she would be the perfect candidate for this role, mainly because of her unique dress sense, confident personality and visual similarities which resembled the lead singer in London Grammar, also known as Hannah Reid.


We concluded the outfit would demonstrate a vintage vibe which complements the theme of the song and is relatively similar to what Hannah Reid herself would wear. Make up, itself would be relatively simple as it would allow the audience to focus of diverse aspects of the music video, as well as the artist. 

Textual Analysis: Boom Clap Charli XCX

‘Boom Clap’ is a song by British recording artist Charli XCX, released as the first single from the soundtrack album of The Fault In Our Stars (2014) and will also be featured ion XCX’s studio album Sucker which is to be released on the 21 October 2014.

The accompanying music video for ‘Boom Clap’ was directed by Sing J. Lee, it was filmed in Amsterdam and premiered on the 2^nd June 2014. It features a new master of the song with slightly different production, which was released as the main single in the UK.

This video opens with visual that are complemented to the audio sound of XCX shouting ‘BOOM BOOM BOOM CLAP’ before we come across the instrumental of the song. The video opens with an establishing shot of Amsterdam which is accompanied by the first ‘BOOM’, this then follows on with a flash revealing XCX’s name overlaid on the establishing shot which is in sync to the second ‘BOOM’. The final ‘BOOM’ occurs with a close up shot of XCX’s face on the camera (breaking the fourth wall) with aspiring text from overlaying this shot from the film The Fault In Our Stars. The final mid shot has XCX standing in front of the river with her shouting ‘CLAP’. The fact that the ‘BOOM’ has been said three times in this introduction acts as a drum roll with the ‘CLAP’ being the end of a drum roll. It introduces the song in a unique way with the use of visuals that follow the pace of this introduction, efficiently allowing the song and the artist to be introduced.

Through the instrumental at the beginning of the song, the artist has been portrayed in many different shots, enabling viewers to full take in the artist and publicise XCX. Different aspects of the artist enable viewers to see different sides of her, for instance in one shot she is smiling and in the other she is just walking. Also the location, the location is very important in this music video as it takes in consideration the film The Fault in Our Stars. A great chunk of the film was shot in Amsterdam, as the two make a surprise trip. It is considered that majority of the best scenes in the film are in fact in Amsterdam, with the artist visiting those places suggests the artist perhaps telling their story as well as a means of publicising the film.

XCX sitting on a boat on the river, her eyes are currently closed but when the song comes across its single beat, her eyes shot open. When the next beat comes around the corner, the scene suddenly changes. This suggests that the visuals move in sync to the sounds in this song, as this song is quite heavy with the drum and the beat, the sound gives the video an opportunity to fit in more visuals that involve both the artist and the film, suggesting that this song is about the two people in the film.

Features of this music video involve shots of XCX not singing at all to the lyrics, this is something similar to what we wish to achieve. It allows the video to look more realistic and less Hollywood glam. This is because the time of when this was filmed was quite cold, but the general nature of the music video involves the realistic element, which again can be contributed to the idea that the artist is telling the story of Hazel and Augustus. It also allows viewers to differentiate between the two footages of scenes from the film and shots from the music video.

The bridge of the song is slower in terms of beat compared to the verse and chorus. Therefore, the visuals would have that same effect. For instance, this lights and dissolves of one shot to another creates that slowed down, dream - like aurora. This ties in to the film, The Fault in Our Stars, as this dream- like feeling is what Hazel and Augustus must be feeling as they are in love with each other. This represents the stereotypical idea of everything slowing down at the sight of your crush. 

The music video features clips and visual associations to the film, The Fault in Our Stars. Being the song that features in the film, it is only right some clips feature in the music video. Clips from the film featuring in this music video provides a wide and broad approach in publicising the film, the mere act of XCX being in that exact location (Amsterdam) where the most vital scenes of the film was shot. The song itself expresses on these clips featured in the music video as the words itself ‘Boom’ ‘clap’ elicit a thump sound of the heart, portraying the emotion of love, which is done so by these specific clips chosen for this music video.

Textual Analysis: Kings of Leon Beautiful War (uncompleted)

Beautiful War by the American Rock band, Kings of Leon is from the album Mechanical Bull. The band released the Official Video for 'Beautiful War' on November 22, 2013. The song has been described by the Guardian as "a slow-grower about love and fighting," and a "distant cousin of U2's With or Without You". "Beautiful War" was released as a single exclusively in the United Kingdom on December 9, 2013 and June 16, 2014 respectively.

The ‘Beautiful War’ music video is a story that chronicles two men and a woman who go out for a drink at a country bar and the repercussions of jealousy. There are scenes of dancing, fighting brothers, a long walk of shame for an inmate dressed in a black-and-white cowboy outfit and a mechanical bull. It all adds up to a story, and at the end of the clip, the cliched warden character, claps in approval.

The video opens with a shot of the two characters who are romantically involved with each other. This mid shot of the two characters in the car does not complement with any music and acts as an opening to the video like a prologue in a book.

 A close up shot of the character doing chin ups in a jail room, along with this behaviour we come across an instrumental introduction to the song that begins as soon as the scene changes from the previous scene above. The idea of the man doing some sort of exercise creates awareness to his masculinity and hard set of tone, almost frightening persona. This gives the impression that this man is good in combat and the following events will in fact show this man in combat.

We come across a close up of an image taped on a dusty old looking mirror; the picture involves two men and one woman, one of the men obviously being this man. The man picks up the picture to take a closer look at it. A mirror is a reflection of a person, whether it be their true nature or just a simple reflection. This similar concept can be used for this; the mirror having this picture on it could be a reminder or a reflection of the past. During this scene we come across original aspects of the song such as guitars rifts on top of the on-going tune.

These scenes reflect on the past, they are flashbacks of what had happened before the man is where he is now. In terms of music, we are still on the instrumental opening of this son as it does have a very long introduction. But this gives the video a great opportunity to express the bond these three have. There is also chatter over the music which again can be considered a part of the reflection or vivid flashback.