Visuals: Inspirations and Influences

Andy Warhol's colouful artwork has provided us with great inspiration for our work. I love the vibrancy and how the image contrasts the different colours.


















Here is an image that is used to represent the film 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show', which has heavily inspired our music video. This is because we loved how the image instantly draws your attention, and as the image is of lips we realised how it would fit perfectly to have as part of our lip synching scenes. Also both Cleo and I saw how it would be excellent to have the lips as our central focus because of the fact that lips themselves hold a lot of connotations.

Here is a screenshot of our version of the lips from our music video:

Final Storyboard;

This is our final storyboard for which Cleo and I worked on after re-evaluating our initial storyboard. We took into consideration shots which we wished to include that were absent in the initial storyboard. We feel that this will make shooting very clear as we will avoid shooting any footage which is not needed. We planned this story board step by step and in great deal. I now feel ready to start shooting as we have strong ideas set in place.

Existing Music Video Director, Mattias Montero:

Mattias Montero

Mattias Montero is a director of photography, whom has made many short films and commercials as well as music videos. One of his works includes a music video for Bat for Lashes. Most of his concepts are seemingly straightforward, but he has a genius ability to create rhythmic and ornate videos.

Here is the music video for ‘What’s a girl to do’ by Bat for Lashes. Mattias Montero shows how his precise positioning and movement in front of the camera creates a more elegant and haunting atmosphere within the video. Also both the choreography of the riders and the constant backwards movement of the camera created a fantastically eerie and ominous tone. I also appreciate how it goes against most other music video conventions, as it does not include any ambi-editing because it is all taken in one long shot.














I love the lighting used in this video because it captures the absolute beauty and essence of each object in each frame. The motion of the water and the lighting creates a crisp and stunning visual. All together Montero has created a series of spectacular images that are just fascinating to watch.


This music video for ‘I’m good, I’m gone’, by Lykke Li is sensational as you can see how Montero has thought about each little detail for each frame. With some of the frames being completely symmetrical and all the movements are strange and original it creates a weird and ominous tone. The ambi-editing is extremely well done meeting the beats 100%.

Our Music Video; Explanation

Basically, through all our research we have decide to make our music video very abstract. This is because most of the feedback we have received from those within our target audience have said that they much prefer music videos that stand out because they are different. Also many have stated their dislike for the cliche videos that show nude women dancing for the entertainment of "wealthy" men. Many have said that they enjoy watching music videos that are visually interesting and different. Some even said that they like it when a video doesn't really make sense or have a storyline, as they like to re-watch the videos and create a meaning from it for themselves. Therefore Cleo and I have decided that we want our video to be a little bizarre and not make sense, which also goes with our initial idea of making the video seem very atmospheric and dream like. As dreams never really have a beginning, middle or end and hardly ever make sense, but we can create meaning from our dreams by pondering them.

Visual Choices

Media Visuals

We Make Band- "You Came Out"

We looked at this music video as it is by an alternative, which is the same genre as Bat for Lashes, band called We Make Band. We already had the initial idea of using face paints, and by watching this video we saw how effective the use of them could be. They have successfully correlated the changing face paint with the ambi editing, which I think looks really effective, so we are going to incorporate this in some way into our music video.




These are some of the images we thought were very visually impressive. This is because of how the colour contrasts with the paleness of the skin, and creates an eerie atmosphere which is quite surreal. We want to try and create this effect for our music video as we want it to be dreamlike, eerie and atmospheric.

Treatment;

Treatment:

Song Choices:

· The XX ‘Crystallised’

· Bat For Lashes ‘Pearl’s Dream’

When we first received the specification at the beginning of the summer before the end of the school year, me and Cleo were going make a music video for the song ‘Crystallised’ by ‘The XX’. This was our first song choice as there is a definite and consistent beat throughout and we know a group of friends in a band who were willing to help us with ‘band’ scenes.

We then however changed our minds by the time we returned back to school in September, this was because ‘The XX’ had become a very mainstream band and we thought it would be difficult to recreate a video that would be distinctively different to the official one. Due to this we changed the song choice to 'Pearl’s Dream’ by Bat For Lashes. This was because this artist is also part of the Indie genre but is less mainstream. So as a pair, we thought this would be better as we could be as creative as we wanted and as the song is more abstract, we are be able to make a more abstract video. We decided to keep to the same name as the original band as we like it and it also fitted well with the ideas we wanted to achieve. We decided on to keep the title for the song also, as it is also relevant to our theme and would give the audience and indication of what the music or music video would entail. We also wanted to not change the name because we thought it was a good indication that the music video would be about possibly being in a dream like state, or something enchanting as ‘Pearl’ and ‘Dream’ connote such imagery. Furthermore, the incidence of the word ‘Dream’ would allow us to be fairly abstract when filming as dreams can be like rapid changes in thought or trains of thought which outsiders may not fully understand.

Our music video would begin with abstract shots of artistic and photographic images involving vibrant colours in order to establish a dream-like feel. We would then show rapidly moving shots of the camera cutting to the subject’s lips in numerous different colours and patterns. This would give the idea that a story is about to unfold or be told by the artist due to the closeness and intimacy felt by the mouth/lips. There would also be shots of sparklers to signify the possibility of hazard or something exciting about to commence.

There would then be medium shots of the subject lip-syncing the song and telling her story about the dream and a place that she knows she must go but does not know where yet; ‘There’s a place I must go, It’s not a place I have seen, But I’ll get there in a blue dream’. These lyrics are we will use blue imagery; like big close ups of the subjects lips and flashing blue lights etc. The fact that the lyrics state that ‘It’s not a place I have seen’ is why we will use abstract imagery; the audience are as aware of the events as the artists which will leave them wanting more.

The music Video will continue to develop upon this basis; abstract and artistic shots to correspond with the Indie/Alternative genre, and rapidly changing imagery to match the idea that there is an element of confusion due to the music video being based upon a dream and the idea of the unknown.

We want to use the motif of a bat in our music video in order to demonstrate that this is a ‘Bat for Lashes’ music video. Chloe and I plan to use matches or flammable gel to create an outline of a bat and set it on fire. This will also build tension from images of the sparkers as they will be developing into flames as the video reaches its climax.

We plan to close the music video with the motif of the bat on fire and fading out with the music. We believe that this will leave our audience wanting more as the ending will be left ambiguous just like waking from a dream causes uncertainty and the desire to ask questions about what has just happened.

Our shots will consist of;
• A Close-up of a jar full of colourful objects surrounded by a blanket of angels.
• Another close up at a canted angle of a blue deer surrounded by candles with a tiger-fur back drop

· A zoom in and out of coloured globe.
• A long shot of police cars with blue flashing lights.
• A medium shot of a large cross made from candles.

· A zoom in to candles.

· Different shots of the subjects lips changing colour at an extremely fast rate.
• A close up of a purple bird ornament.

· A Medium shot of colourful toy elephants.
• A long shot of a pink china doll with candles also in the shot.

· A zoom into a multi-coloured chandelier
• A big close-up on the subjects lips painted pink and blue.
• A medium shot of sparklers.
• A medium shot of a colourful ornament.

· A big close-up of the subjects lips changing from a snarl to a smile.

· A cut back to the shot of the subjects lips painted pink and blue.

· A mid shot that cuts away to blue flashing lights
• a cut back to a big close up of the subject lip-syncing; blue and pink lips.

· A medium shot of the subject with face paint on surrounded by candles and red decorative lights.
• a zoom out of the chandelier.


· A Medium shot of the subject with face paint on with a pink background.

· A pan of a bed of roses entwined with sparklers

· Big close up of Subjects lips painted gold and blue.

· Match cut to big close up of subjects lips painted purple and grey.

· Close up of sparklers.

· Big close up of pink lips.

· Long shot of toy dinosaurs lying on zebra background.

· Close up of bed of roses and sparklers; without pan.

· Birds-eye-view shot of bat made from matches being lit with a match.

· Medium shot of purple sparkers.

· Medium shot of green sparklers.

· Low angle close up shot of bat on fire.

· Low angle medium shot of a bedroom with a mirror decorated with necklaces, a cross and flowers.

· Big close up of Magenta and pink lips.

· Zoom in to green dinosaur.

· Close up of fire being blown out.

· High angle shot of the sky.

· Pan of bed of roses and sparkers overlaid with sparklers from earlier shots.

· Medium shot of the subject overlaid with sparklers.

· Birds-eye-view shot of bat on fire.

· Fade out.

Video Diary 2

Weather Forecast For Filming

Document 2


For our filming that needs to be outside, we are going to film on sunday. This is because, according to the forecast, it is going to be dry, plus we are both free to film. So we are going to meet at 5 at my house to shoot the firework scenes in the garden.

Locations;

Prop List and Locations

Prop List:

Face Paints
Fairy Lights
Sparklers
Matches
Candles
Dress
Tiger faux fur
False Eyelashes

Locations:

Chloe's House/ Bedroom
Lancaster Road
Molly's House
Chloe's Garden

Visual Proposal

Visual Proposal 2

Lighting Training

Today we had a lesson about lighting. We learnt of the effects of the Filler lights, Back lights and Key lights. We also learnt that when you use all three together its called '3 Point Lighting'. After we watched a tutorial, the lights were moved back and turned off, because then we had to recreate the lighting. This gave me a good understanding and gain practical skills about creating effective lighting.













Key Light:


This light is placed to one side of object. This can be used effectively as it creates a shadowy effect which can give an atmospheric feel. So we might use this for our music video.

Fill Light:


This light is used to fill the shadows which are created by the key light.










Back Light:


This light is placed behind the subject. If it is the only light then it causes the front of the subject to be very dark and hard to see. This may be used effectively if you want to create an eerie atmosphere.

Initial Storyboard

This is our initial storyboard. Here is a breakdown of each image.

1) Extreme close ups of candles.
2)Close ups of roller skates with sparklers attached.
3)Medium shot of subject (Chloe) singing with a setting of candles and red fairy lights to match her red hair.
4)Extreme close up of subject's lips with face paint on.
5)Cut to subject's lips with different face paint on them.
6)Ambi-editing on lips; lips change colour to beat while subject sings.
7)Really fast editing of lips changing colour; like flashes.
8)Key, Fill and Back-Lights on drummer.
9)Different shots of subjrct holding snake.
10)Close-ups of eyes changing colour.
11)Close-ups of eyes shut and changing colour.
12)Subject blinks to bring the close ups of the eye shots to a close.
13) Bat in flames to end the music video (Playing on the title of the band 'Bat for Lashes).

Target Audience Opinions

Here we got a group of 10 people that fitted our chosen target audience, which is for 15 years+. We asked them for their opinions on music videos, what they like and what they don't like etc. We then created a mood-board of their quotes so Cleo and I have something to refer to when we plan for our music video.

Target Audience

Here we asked some people from our target audience what they liked and disliked in a music video. From the information we received, we decided to do a video that is unusual. This is because they both said they disliked the cliche of relationships being portrayed, and the videos which have women dancing around in revealing clothes.

Lyric Breakdown

Bat for Lashes: Pearl’s Dream (intro lasts for 15 seconds)

There's a place I must go 15-18sec
There's a place I must go 19-22sec
It's not a place I have seen 23-26sec
But I'll get there in a blue dream 27-30sec

Down an ocean road 31-34
Past a sign that says 'good love town' 35-38
Into a darkness where the stars do drown 39-43
Where the starry me needs to be free 43-47

And when the battle was done 1.03-1.06
I was promised my sun 1.07-1.10
But with a thousand nights gone1.11-1.15
To any kingdom I run 1.15-1.18

And when the battle was done 1.18-1.22
I was promised my sun 1.23-1.26
But with a thousand knights gone 1.26-1.30
To any kingdom I run 1.30-1.34

There's a place I must go 1.34-1.37
There's a place I must go 1.38-1.40/1
For my heart is a child 1.42-1.45
That stumbles lonely for the arms of the wild 1.45-1.50


[ From: http://www.metrolyrics.com/pearls-dream-lyrics-bat-for-lashes.html ]

Hear the desert sigh 1.50-1.53
Sing the city's lullaby 1.53-1.56/7
The giant iris of the wide blue sky 1.57-2.01
Showing me the way 2.01-2.04

And when the battle was done 2.06-2.09
I was promised my son 2.10-2.13
But with a thousand knights gone 2.14-2.17
To any kingdom I run 2.18-2.21

And when the battle was done 2.22-2.25
I was promised my son 2.26-2.29
But with a thousand knights gone 2.29-2.33
To any kingdom I run 2.33/4-2.37

You know that it's time to go up, up, up, up, up 2.46-2.52
Had a big machine riding your shoulders 2.53/4-2.58

FADE OUT
You know that it's time to go up, up, up, up, up
Had a big machine riding your shoulders
You know that it's time to go up, up, up, up, up
Had a big machine riding your shoulders

Meeting Two

During this meeting we discussed who to have in our video and where we should film and what props to use. We decided to use me in the video as we wanted someone reliable, and as it is our coursework we knew we could only really rely on ourselves. So we both did a lip synch test and decided that I was better at it. Therefore I am going to be the lip synch in our music video.