SP - Feedback on Sample Footage 3

This week we completed finishing editing our latest sample footage that include a scene that we had filmed at school and some more footage at Robs house (the Muse Nerd) that was included from feedback from our Sample Footage 2. We have now nearly completed a full rough cut on this idea and all we needed to film is a final scene that will go at the end of the video that will convey a suicide attempt. However when we showed our rough cut to our Media class there were quite a few things that they did not really like and didnt think that worked. These included:

1. Our class mates thought that the music video was filmed and edited in such a way that it was more like a film opening like last years brief rather than a music video. 
2. They thought that it was too slow paced and didnt really grab their attention. This is because they said there was some uneccessary footage that was included that we didnt really have to. As a group we made our music video too linear when really for a music video things dont really have to go one thing after another.
3. As i have briefly touched on our primary aduince thought that most of our shots were far too long and needed to be cut down to make it more fast flowing to match with the quick music. They also said that if we did this our scenes would be shorter because just like the shots they were too long. 
4. The school scene didnt go down too well either because people thought it was abit cheesy and didnt suit the purpose of our music video. Our media teacher stressed that we should move away from the Muse Nerd being bullied as it would need good quality acting to pull it off. No-one in Swillob Productions has taken any sort of acting lessons so we arent really capable of making it convincing enough.
5. The general feeling from both the people in our class and our Media teacher is that our footage wasnt interesting enough. They got bored too quickly and wouldnt want to watch it again. The shots needed cutting down as did the scenes and the mise-en-scene was bland and bare.
6. When our Media teacher stopped our music video around 1:30 minutes in we realised that nothing had actually happened. This was a big reality check and we realised that maybe our footage so far needed to be scrapped and we should start again. 

Some feedback that we did recieve that was positive and we could work on and minipulate to create a new idea included:

1. Our class mates liked our time lapse that we incorperated in to our music video but did say that it went on far too long.
2. They also like our montage of Muse posters and thought we could really develop this idea and make more of it.
3. Our media teacher thought that our panning shot of CD cases could also be developed to make our music video more interesting.
4. Someone suggested that our music video replicated a technique called 'a day in the life of' which we didnt really intend to convey but realised it could be an idea to try and adapt because it would make more sense.
5. What we have taken from this feedback is that we can still stick with the vague idea of a Muse Nerd being isolated but we really need to make things more interesting using the feedback stated above.
6. We have decided to scrap all of our footage so far and think of a new idea linking to our original one that will be eye catching and make people want to watch it again. 

SP - Performance Footage

Today we have filmed some performance footage during our Rec and Lesuire periods at school. This gave us 2nd and 3rd period as well as lunchtime to film these shots of the band and upload it on to our MAC at school. We are using the band Ice Cream For Activists and we managed to use three of them to appear in our music video. We went to one of the band members house and filmed in their garage even though this was not our preffered location. We still decided to give it a try and see if the setting did actually work but also what shots did and didnt work.

Unfortunately it didnt really go to plan as when we got their we realised that they hadnt actually learnt the song like they told us they had. However because we had all made the effort to get cameras and tripods we still decided to ahead and try out some shots. In the end we got quite alot of footage that we thought would be ok as a trial run of performance. When we uploaded it and watched it through we realised we had enountered some major problems. Because the band didnt know how to play the song they were out of time and it was quite obvious in some places that they couldnt play it. Another problem was lighting and becasue it was in a garage with no windows there was only light coming in through the door and a few heating lights. The biggest problem we found as a group was that the band we had chosen didnt really looked interested and that was very apparent. At points throughout the footage there were random band members in the background not playing their instruments and just generally messing around so it just didnt look very proffessional.

The action we have taken since this disappointing shoot is to reconsider which band we are going to use for our performance footage. We are researching in to the possibility of using some of our friends who we know for definate can play Bliss by Muse. We are also looking in to our preffered location which is P Hall at Ilkley Grammar School but we still need permission from the teacher who uses it for Drama/Theatre Studies. It is a much better location as it has a black curtain that we could pull around the band setup, it has specific and high quality lighting for Drama/Theatre performance and it is exremely spacious so we can long shots as well as close ups.

ALL - Sample Footage 3

SP - Production Schedule

Swillob Production Schedule

WS - Swillob Update

We are well into the coursework now and as a group we feel it will be beneficial to look at what we have and haven't done so far. 


So far we have:

• Formed as a group - Swillob Productions
• Created a group blog, picture and a logo for our group
• Looked at and considered the codes and conventions of music videos
• Decided on a band and a song to use for our video
• Pitched and planned a first, original idea for a video
• Looked at the history of Muse (The band whose song we are using)
• Viewed music videos by our chosen band, Muse
• Made an 'Ultimate Guide' on Muse
• Looked at the original 'Bliss' music video
• Researched the online footprint for our chosen song, for example fan created videos on YouTube
• Researched the meaning of the lyrics for our chosen song
• Looked into the Alternative Rock genre, the genre that our song is from
• Researched important directors in the music video industry and directors who actually go against the expected conventions of music videos
• Set up Facebook and Twitter pages to interact with people online who may be interested in our video
• Created a treatment for our music video
• Altered our idea based on feedback that we have recieved
• Looked into track and artist record labels
• Looked at other music videos and films for inspiration for our video.
• Deconstructed a lyrics sheet to try and give us ideas
• Created a storyboard for our video, as well as an animatic.
• Created Podcasts and Vodcasts discussing where we are on he course, what we plan to do and to explain decisions we have made during production/planning.
• Produced three pieces of sample footage

What we need to and plan to do next:

• Create a digipak for our music video
• Create a magazine Ad for our music video
• Film and edit a final version of our music video

WS - Looking at a Muse Digipak

This week we have started work on the first ancillary task and this is expected to be finished by the end of the week. The first ancillary task is a Digipak that we need to create for our finished product that will accompany it. The first part of this task as with any task we do is to carry out research into similar professional products. We need to look at common codes and conventions of Digipaks in general (we have already done this as a task earlier in the course, this can be seen as a blogpost here), as well as looking at more specifically our own genre and, as the title suggests, a digipak that was created by the band we are working on, Muse. 


From looking at the DigiPak one thing that is immediately apparent is the difference in colour between the front panel and all the other panels which are black and white pictures of the band. The pictures being in black and white changes the mood and feel of the digipak, something that we are considering ourselves due to the mood of our own video. The back panel for this particular product matches the inside in that it is black and white with a picture of the band, as well as including the contents of the disc. Other digipaks that we have looked at tend to have a similar front and back panel with the inside being different. This digipak therefore is going against that common convention, yet is still a successful selling, professional product showing that a product doesn't have to stick to strict "rules" and breaking these can work effectively.

Back Cover for "Resistance" by Muse

So far as a group we have considered using black and white shots for the inside of our digipak as we feel it reflects the mood of our video. This is not a certain idea yet, but it is something we are thinking about. We are also looking at using picture of the protagonist for the inside panels. One idea is to have pictures of different locations that we are using in our video including the protagonist. Again this is just an early idea but a quick decision is required. We also think this could look effective as it would be similar to this digipak, apart from we would be using our protagonist rather than band members.


If you would like to see pictures of each individual part of this digipak, then there is a link below that takes you to a website with a number of pictures on.

"Origin Of Symmetry" front cover

Pictures of "The Resistance" by Muse digipak.


Another Muse product that we have looked at is the artwork for the album "Origin Of Symmetry". This is actually the album which "Bliss", the song we are using is from. We have been looking at this for inspiration from our front cover and the idea came about to use a similar colour scheme for our own front panel. We are currently unsure of what to do for a front cover, though we are quite certain that we want it to be colourful so it is the opposite of the black and white inside. As a group we quite like the idea of a similar colour scheme to this, but a firm idea of what else we want is still needed. Current ideas include more pictures of the protagonist or a made up piece of art.


A further blog post will be added when our ideas develop or our digipak is created.

WS - Sample Footage Review 3

Having already filmed footage for two out of our three main locations, we decided that this week we would film some sample footage for the scenes that are going to take place in school. We did also have in mind though, that if these scenes were successful, we could use them for our main and final production, making this the most serious sample footage we had filmed so far.

The two locations that we had filmed at so far were the protagonist's house and around town in Ilkley. Our third main location is in school, where the protagonist is alone and without friends, and also suffers bullying from some more popular people. This idea came about when we watched the opening to 'Trick Or Treat', which is also set in a school. We also took a couple of more specific ideas from this opening, for example the protagonist waving to someone who they believe to be waving at them, only to find there is someone stood behind them who is the intended target of the first wave.

One of the main issues we had in the lead up to filming was finding an empty locker in a suitable area, which you could access from both sides, such as on a corridor. The location we finally chose here has access from either end and we were also able to find an empty locker, which is pivotal to this scene for us. A further problem here was casting, as we were thinking about this been part of the final product. Obviously Rob would continue to play the protagonist's role but we needed two others to play the people making him feel isolated in this scene. In the end, Sam and I took on the roles as the scene was only short we felt it would work well.

On the day of filming our attitude was to make it as good as possible, as this would enable us to potentially use the footage for our final product. Despite this it was still a bit of an experiment and we tried to capture some shot variation to make sure we had enough footage to make it into a good scene, as well as providing some interesting shots to use. One problem that we encountered during filming was how thin the corridor we were using was. This would normally make shot variation very difficult to achieve, though we think we have managed it through using different angles and interesting framing, for example shooting through an air gap on the locker.

However the main problem we found was after we had finished the filming phase and had begun to edit the footage. There is a part following the protagonist being pushed into the locker where he is stood and then suddenly on the floor. We had not filmed any footage of him falling over and felt that it didn't look right on screen. Although music videos do not have to use continuity editing and are actually known for not doing so, we did not intend to break the rules of editing here and decided to film some additional footage the following day.

Filming the next day was relatively simple as we only had a small amount to film. We needed footage of the protagonist falling to the ground and also standing back up again. This didn't take us too long, but made the footage look far better when edited in.

Our third sample footage was as successful as we could have hoped for here, successful enough we are considering using it for our final piece. Despite the slight hiccup, we now think that the footage is good and we will be hoping to get feedback on it soon. Depending on the feedback and whether people consider it good enough, or if it should be improved will decide whether we use it as part of our final work or not.

RS - Digipak Deconstruction - Jack Johnson - In Between Dreams

• Very large central image of a tree with shadow of man (Jack Johnson) holding his acoustic guitar
• Man is blacked out along with the tree for a continous theme
• Simple yellow background
• Two large stickers highlighting the special edition features on the CD
• Artist Name top right in large black font
• Album name in opposing white colour smaller and below artist

• Similar theme to the front with the yellow background and a tree trunk to the right of the frame in the same colour as the front
• Track list but without the numbers of the track
• Bar Code
• Small print for copyright
• Artist + record label urls
• Record label logo
• Simple design with lots of space in the centre

• Artist image this time you can see who he is
• Guitar is framed infront of him
• His hand covers part of his face
• He wants the audience to focus on the guitar and the music not himself
• Lyrics booklet inside the left panel with leaf theme
• Plastic holder for the CD
• CD has the artist + album name along with record label logo + small print
• Leaf theme similar to the booklet
• Inside panels etc all link together with the leaf theme
• Exterior links together with trees and yellow colour scheme
• Inside has a white coloured layout to it

RS + SP - Digipak Research - Trent Reznor + Atticus Ross - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Front Cover

• Unique see through gloss effect
• Sleeve for main package
• Stickers telling the audience what is on the cd
• Names of the musicians for more publicity. Usually has a band name eg. Nine Inch Nails

 

Back Cover

• You can see the case through the sleeve
• Stuck on using tape (fairly low quality) so that it moves around
• Barcode
• Company names
• Small print like on movie posters

 

Inside

• Same gloss effect like the front
• Artwork related to the film
• Typical for a digipak having concept artwork
• Continuous gray house style used throughout
• Quite a striking image and draws the attention of the audience

 

• Information about who composed the actual soundtrack etc
• Similar theme with the gray house style
• Image related to the film once again

• Continuous background colours
• Plastic holders for the CD
• Numbering of the CD's
• Very faint text on the CD's
• Continuous image on the CD's

RS + SP - Digipak Research - AC/DC - Iron Man 2

Front Cover

• Front with the album artwork accompanied with the artist name and the album title
• Stickers are usually found on the front of the digipak saying "includes "...." in this album!"
• The outside of the digipak can use very bright and inviting colours to make it attractive on the shelve and then use darker colours inside the actual digipak.
• Digipaks are seen as the LP's of this century and can be seen as a collectable like LP's as they are much more interesting than a standard jewel case. 
• The spine of the digipak usually has the artist name, album name

Back Cover

• Back cover typically with the tracklist including time of the songs. The back cover also typically contains:
• Bar Code
• QR code (becoming more common)
• Smallprint with copyright laws written
• Website for the artist
• Twitter/Facebook sites (becoming more common)
• Usually the bands record label logo can be seen

Inside

• Inside the digipak there is sometimes text displaying the names of the composers for each song in smaller print than the song title
• There is sometimes a small handout which contains further artwork, maybe some images of the artist playing live or possibly lyrics
• The actual CD can usually be found in the main part of the digipak in a plastic holder with two panels to each side
• Some digipaks have two cd's within the card case. One for the actual CD and another for behind the scenes or some sort of DVD

RS - Digipak Deconstruction - Rammstein - Made in Germany

• Very simple image of one of the band members face mould
• The image has a very basic white background image 
• The Album name is the only form of text shown on the front of the digipak
• The "R" in the title is the band's logo and is recognisable worldwide which is why they dont need the band name on the front (similar to just NIN on a Nine Inch Nails album)

• Tracklisting for the first cd is all bunched up at the top of the page whilst the second CD which is remixes by other bands takes up most of the page
• Artist logo is towards the bottom (same logo as the front) 
• Bar Code is included
• The image relates to the front of the image with the white theme and the mold of the band members head
• Record Label logo at the bottom
• Artist url
• Small print at the very bottom

• CD is held in with a plastic holder
• Behind the holder is another image of a face mold relating to the exterior
• The right panel contains another band members face mould with the same colour scheme
• The actual CD has the same colour scheme and the same font colour as the exterior

•  Same layout and colour scheme as the other panels
• Plastic holder for the CD with image behind it
• Same font and colour scheme throughout
• Another band members head mould with the same coloured background
• Overall the inside and exterior link together using the same colour scheme and font throughout
• The face mould theme is continuous throughout the whole digipak

RS - Digipak Deconstruction - Santana - Supernatural

• Album name at the very top covering the whole width of the digipak
• Artist name in typical "signature" styled font
• Multiple layers
• Hand drawn album artwork on the front
• Very colourful
• No stickers on the front cover to advertise that it is a special edition/reissue of the original album

• Large image of the artist to the right of the digipak
• Doesnt relate to the front of the digipak
• Text at the top of the back with a bit of explanation behind the CD
• Tracklist divided into two sections
• Original Album is the first
• Bonus tracks is the second and is exclusive for the digipak
• Record label logos
• Small print at the bottom
• Artist/Record urls
• Producers named
• Barcode

• Two panels are inside before you get to the actual interior of the digipak
• The two panels are linked with the blue tint effect on both of the images
• One is of Santana performing and the other is a photo shoot of the artist

 

•  CD's held using plastic holders 
• The artwork behind the holders relates to the digipak artwork on the exterior
• The CD artwork contains a basic blue background for both and artwork relating to the exterior once again
• Artist name + album title are featured as well as record label logos

RS - Digipak Deconstruction - The Beatles - Love

• Album name larger than the artist name and in very bold font
• All of the band members silhouettes are around the album name
• Very bright colours
• Multiple Layers
• Artist name above the album name and not central, slightly to the left
• Stripes/bands in the bottom right and on the left

• No tracklisting at all
• Very large space just with the album artwork continuing the same theme
• Band url the largest font on the back
• Small print for copyright
• DVD logo
• Record Label logo
• Not much at all on the back
• Not very helpful to the audience if they want to see what is featured on the cd

• Theme relates to the exterior
• Silhouettes of the band members again, still linking to the exterior
• Artwork on both panels before you open them up

• Tracklisting for the digipak located inside and on the left panel
• Lyrics sheet inside of the left panel
• Continues with the style and layout again throughout
• CD continues the layout with the silhouettes and the same colours
• Plastic Holder for the CD
• Continuous colour scheme and themes with the silhouettes etc and the circles/bands throughout making a bright but rather boring digipak as it is all the same

RS - Digipak Deconstruction - AC/DC - Back in Black

• Very large sticker on the front, completely different colour to the front cover so the audience notices it first
• AC/DC logo is very large and to the top of the front
• Album name is smaller and the same colour as the digipak background so its harder to see
• Very simple background only one colour and no image at all
• "Remastered" to appeal to the old school fans
• Everything is on the sticker to sell the album again even if the audience has it on vinyl

• Very large image of guitarist Angus Young as he is considered the frontman of the band and very iconic
• Black and white theme throughout
• Lyrics booklet inside (left pannel)
• Shot of the whole band playing live with black and white effect again
• Inside relates to exterior with black and white colours

• Collage of images of the rest of the band with their names on the image.
• CD is the same style as the exterior of the digipak with the same colour scheme
• Contained in a plastic holder

• Tracklisting central
• Barcode at the top (unusual)
• Record label url above the bar code
• Producer under the track listing
• Small print at the very bottom
• Band Url in small font
• Record label logo

RS - Digipak Research - Kiss - Sonic Boom

• Album name is the largest text on the front
• Kiss logo at the top and central in the typical font
• Each band member is featured on the front 
• Stickers highlighting that it is a special edition CD with bonus features to appeal to fans
• Multiple layers are used
• Cartoon type feel to it
• The portrates have been manipulated to have cartoon effects

•  Back replicates the front
• Same layout but with the album name smaller and moved upwards
• Track listings
• Bonus features below 
• Barcode
• Kiss logo featured
• Record Label logo
• DVD logo
• Band + Record label url's
• Small print with the copyright
• Bonus DVD "live in Buenos Aires"
• Produced + Co Produced located in the middle

• Very large images of the band members
• Gives their names + what instrument they play
• Goes with the typical theme of the digipak with the circle design effect

•  CD cover has the same effect as the cover and the album title with the same font
• Plastic holder for the CD

•  Special Edition CD + DVD right at the back of the digipak
• Held in cardboard holders
• Only half covered so you can see they are seperate from the actual album
• Typical Kiss font on them but with altered colours

RS - Muse's Profile in 2011

2011 was a quiet year for Muse as Band. They had finished touring for "The Resistance" and only had 17 live appearances throughout the year. The reason for this was because they were intending to start recording for most of the year and run the recording into 2012 hoping to finish some time at the start of the year. 

They had intended to have a break for most of the year due to touring/recording pretty much non stop since they first started touring in 1999 and wanted to have a more laid back lifestyle they had desired for so long. The fact that they built their own recording studio for The Resistance and were due to record there again with the following album meant that they could have a more laid back style to it and not have to rush it if they were hiring out a studio like the previous albums

NME Awards 2011

The start of the year consisted of a short South American Tour and a few dates in Europe. The awards season began at the start of the year and Muse walked away with a Grammy, an NME Award and an Ivor Novello Award. (See full list of awards here)

Reading Festival 2011

The summer brought the Summer Festivals and the main appearences for Muse throughout the year with 6/17 appearences in August. They started off touring the Festivals in the US and then finishing off the summer and the whole year by headlining Reading & Leeds for the second time and being voted the best performance of the two festivals.

In the Recording Studio

The end of a fairly quiet year saw Muse returning to the studio later than expected in the year and announce that the new album wont land until some time in October 2012 a bit later than expected. Not much information about the album has been released as of yet.

ALL - Storyboards

Here are our storyboards that i have scanned in today that confirm our full idea. We still have the flexibility to change around with some ideas but this is the general order of shots and narrative/performance footage. We have filmed a couple of scenes including the ones in the 'Muse Nerds' living room and bedroom and also played around with some shots at the River Wharfe and the skate park. Performance and school footage are in the pipeline for over the Chrismas period and early in January when we return to school. Our Animatic will be completed soon as we have nearly finished editing it on the MAC using iMovie so that will be up soon.

WS - Casting, Characters, Costumes and Props

Casting
From the outset and our original idea we have had an idea in mind that we would need one male, teenage protagonist that would feature throughout the video. This is still the case and has been throughout every sample footage we have filmed. We have also had other potential characters that have featured in sample footage, though these were not included in the final product due to changes in our idea. We also needed a band to cast for the performance side of the video.

Casting for our protagonist was actually relatively simple. Rob Shaw, a member of Swillob was willing to play this role of the protagonist and is the owner of quite a lot of Muse products, such as magazines, music and most importantly, clothing. It is of quite vital importance to our video that the protagonist wears the hoodie with 'Muse' on as well as the suit fitting when the protagonist gets dressed in the likeness of the band. As well as this we knew we would have to film on a number of occasions and this has turned out to be around ten times over the process. For this reason we needed somebody who would be available whenever needed and Rob was confident he could accurately portray the character. Obviously he is not a professional actor, but without a budget we were always going to have to find someone who wasn't professional and in the sample footage we filmed originally we felt that Rob portrayed the character well.

As well as casting for our protagonist we needed a band to perform in our performance aspect to the video. This has proved to be extremely tricky throughout filming. There are a few people who play in bands who we know. The tricky thing has been finding an appropriate time for them and for us to film. The current performance footage that we are using is by the band Ice Cream For Activists.

Characters
As touched on in the 'Casting' section of this post, we have always had the idea of a protagonist who is obsessed with Muse. This has been the center for all of our ideas so far with minor details changing and ideas changing about any other characters that we intended to include, until we reached a decision to get rid of any other central characters to signify isolation and loneliness for the 'muse nerd'. Sample footage, for example 'Sample Footage 1', shows that we tested out including other characters who bully the muse nerd about his loneliness and degrade him. However feedback suggested that this didn't work effectively and that we would be better using the idea of isolation rather than bullying. For these reasons we decided that a better option would be to exclude these additional characters. 
As well as a protagonist we obviously needed people in the background in certain shots, for example the time lapse scene in school would really have lacked verisimilitude if there was nobody else about. For this we simply needed people to be acting as they would normally be and so no casting was required, although we did need to ensure that nobody who didn't want to be was caught on camera.

Costumes
The costume aspect has been referred to in the casting section of this post, although it wasn't discussed. 

It was key to our idea that the protagonist can display constant reminders of their affiliation to Muse. This is simple when they are at home for example as you can see posters and magazines around the characters bedroom that show this obsession. When out of the house and in different locations, which is also important for our idea and genre, we needed a link to this obsession. One simple and obvious link is the hoodie that we used. This keeps the link present throughout all locations in the video, but in a realistic way that doesn't look forced onto the screen/frame.

Another important aspect to costume in the video comes when the main character is getting dressed in the image of the muse band while stood in front of a poster. This idea came about as a result of us looking for more links and ways to portray the obsession and we got this idea during a feedback session. Whilst we have received further feedback when we screened the footage people thought it was a good idea but needed to be edited better (ie. faster paced).

Props
There were a number of props that we required for our music video ranging from magazines and digipaks to park swings and an iPod. A large part of our idea was to zoom into magazine covers/digipaks and then cut to a similar setting. This was the main use for these objects in our video, however there were other reasons for including them in different parts of our video. Even though some sort of sic-fi aspect (and therefore not real life/realistic) would appeal to our target audience, we wanted to keep the parts of the narrative with the protagonist realistic. To do this we needed to create a setting that would look appropriate for a person who is obsessed with a band and music. Magazines and CD/Digipak covers were a good way to do this, therefore creating verisimilitude.

Origin of Symmetry cover

Another prop that has had significance in our idea and planning from almost the start has been the iPod. This can be seen in the scenes on the bus. Another potential idea that we are still thinking about is using the iPod as a diegetic opening, though this is not certain yet. As touched upon in the costume section, we needed constant links to the music obsession and so when the character is out the house, this is a realistic way to show this. It also signifies that he is shutting himself off from the outside world and not socialising with other people.

Props that we used around in the outdoor settings were in some cases spur of the moment things and in others planned. For example when filming scenes on the moor side we saw the telephone poles and the wires stretching across a field. This reminded us of the front cover for Origin of Symmetry so we decided to film some shots of this. Examples of planned shoots and props are the scenes in the park with the swing and down by the river when the protagonist is throwing stones.

Whether we planned certain shots or not the props and miss-en-scene is of vital importance to each setting we have used and has been thought out carefully. The same can be said for the framing of shots, which extends to props and the miss-en-scene as they are all linked closely.

RS + SP - Podcast Number 6 - Animatic + Performance Footage Update

ALL - Lyrics sheet with Deconstruction

Here is our lyrics sheet which we printed off in our media lesson today. We grouped together and went through the lyrics timings and our storyboards and went through an initial plan of whats going to be on screen at the certain timings within the song.

Lyrics Sheet With Deconstruction

RS - Feedback on our Second Sample Footage

Once we had finished editing our second sample footage for our music video we gave the exported file to our Media Teacher so he could upload it to Youtube. Once it had been uploaded we gathered all the students within the class together around the middle and screened our second sample footage to them. Once the screening had finished we had time to ask them any questions or for them to ask us any questions and this is what we recieved.

• Try not to show the face of the protagonist straight away (to keep narrative enigma)
• Create a CD/DVD print to put onto a blank CD with the name of our track + band on it to show to the audience.
• Try to time to poster "montage" shots with the music
• Instead of having copyrighted material being played on the TV have our performance footage played on it instead.
• Have CU's on the phone so it's easier to read and either speed up the footage or shorten the sequence down a couple of menus to save time
• Having the "Sony" branding in the frame could be seen as a viral advert
• Have the protagnoist using the QR code app on his phone whilst looking at our Digipak we will be making to help promote it.
• Have our magazine advert on one of the pages when the protagonist is reading it
• Make the collage of magazines more subtle not just in a big group on the floor
• Use multi-layering within the video so we can fit more footage into the sequence
• Have photos of the protagonist alone in various locations so it isolates him from everyone even more
• Redo some of the shots with the low-lighting and test on the day to see if lighting is suitable if not then use external light source
• First see the persons face when he puts the magazine down
• Try out with having shots without showing his face at all perhaphs for the entire music video and then get feedback from it all to see if it works!
• Have the protag looking through his wardrobe however the clothes are very unusual and makes him seem more of an outsider to the rest
• Look at Napoleon Dynamite for influence

We also recieved feedback from a past A2 student, Chris Lawrence!

 Here is our second sample footage!

SP - Feedback on our First Sample Footage

Today we finished editing our first peice of sample footage that we filmed at the weekend. We exported it and gave it to our Media Teacher so he could screen it in front of the class. Once they had watched our footage we listened to any feedback our class mates had to give. Our Media Teacher also gave his thoughts on our progress and this is what they all had to say: 

1. The major point that came up frequently was regarding our acting. In our first sample footage our class mate thought that our idea meant that it might be quite difficult to act in. This was highlighted in our footage because people thought that it made our music video look unproffesional. This was not our intention so we had to change our idea slightly which meant there was less acting involved. 
2. What people suggested was that instead of having a particular social group we should have individual people picking on this 'Muse nerd' at different locations. Another thing that we are considering is instead of this particular person being bullied like he was in our first sample footage, he should be isolated from everyone else. He is going to be left out from what everyone else is doing just because he likes Muse so much. 
3. Another location we will be able to use with this changed idea is this 'Muse nerd' is that persons house. We will be able to shoot in the teenagers bedroom and in the living room of the house. We will be able to show how he is becoming isolated from his own family as well as people at school and around town. We will also be able to show this 'Muse nerds' obsession with the band by having shots of posters, magazines, CD's / DVD's, clothing and on a computer with iTunes etc. There is alot more scope with this new idea to really exaggerate how much this teenage adores Muse. 
4. However the good thing about this changed idea is that we can still use all of the locations we were going to with the original idea. We can still film at school as there are a few places we intend to use including in the 6th Form Centre, in an empty coridoor, by the 'Muse nerds' locker and on a lonely table. We can also film in Ilkley town centre by the river and skate park as we have just done in our first sample footage but just slightly change what are going to happen in these locations. 

Once we have a firm idea of what we want to film we will shoot some more sample footage and repeat the feedback process. We will edit, export and upload to YouTube and again use the class to give us some more suggestions on our changes. 

ALL - Podcast Number Five - Inspiration from Film & Music Video

Inspiration from Film & Music Video

Further Influences from Film & Music Videos

ALL - Sample Footage Number Two

ALL - Vodcast Number Two - Location Scouting & Mise en Scene Use