Making a video

When creating my music video I need to be aware of how to produce it, and the different responsibilities each member of the creative team has. However, in the case I will be taking care of all aspects of production. There are four stages to making a video.

1. The Brief  - This should state the purpose, intention and limitations (budget and time frame) of the video as it will assist the creative team in the production of the video. It should also include details of the target audience and how long the video is going to be. In my case, the brief is to produce a music video and two ancillary texts. The purpose of the video is to assist the track and reinforce the lyrics through visual imagery. The intention is to entertain my target audience and encourage them to listen to the track by showing my own visual representation of the lyrics. My limitations are that I have no budget except my own money, and that I have to produce it and have a final finished product before March 2014.
2. Pre-Production - The preproduction stage is the planning which is the stage I am at now. This involves organising certain elements which will assist me in the production of my music video. These are: the script (which are the lyrics of the track), the scene breakdown, the storyboard, a shot list, casting, locations, equipment hire, catering and transport.
3. Production - This is the length of time when the video is shot. Depending on the scale of the project this could take anything from days up to a year. It is vital that all stages of pre-production are complete before attempting to produce the video as the outcomes of the pre-productions stage will assist the creative team in putting together the video. 
4. Post-Production - This is where all of the elements of production are combined in order to create an offline edit (which is the rough cut) and a final online edit. During this stage the sound technician looks at the sound mix of the final edit and adjusts any sound which is either too quiet or too loud.

When making any video there is always a creative team behind the scenes, each member has different responsibilities which they are in charge of in each of the four stages. 

Director

The director directs the performance of the cast and crew. They are always on location instructing the creative team of what they need to do. They have creative control of the production of the video and always have the final say on the audio and how the film is put together. 

Producer

The producer is in charge of the creative team. They devise shooting schedules and make sure each part of the film is shot on time and on schedule. The producer manages the film's budget and timeline (what needs to be done and when). 

Executive Producer

They assist the producer in managing the timeline and the films budget. They also assist in managing the creative team and they take care of any issues which arise in the making of the film. 

Production Manager

The production manager makes sure that the filming runs smoothly and is in charge of day to day co-ordination of production. They take care of the people involved, gathering and hiring the necessary equipment (such as cameras, tripods etc.), facilities, catering and they are heavily involved in post-production. 

Writer

The writer manages and develops the idea or the concept of the film and writes the script. 

Storyboard Artist

The storyboard artist works with the director and producer to produce a visual representation of the script. They try to draw out a rough image of the film shot by shot, they will also state what type of shot it is and what is going on in that particular scene. The storyboard that they produce assists the director in filming the actual video. 

Camera Operator & Lighting Director

The camera operator uses the cameras and works with the lighting director when shooting the video. They shoot the different scenes and shots which make up the video. The lighting director manages the visual effects and is in charge of a lighting grid or a set of free-standing lights. 

Sound Technician

The sound technician make sure that any dialogue and any other sounds are recorded properly. When creating my own music video I will not need to fulfill this role as the sound is purely the track which is played alongside the visual imagery. However, if I was going to include some dialogue and temporarily stop the music to reinforce the story within the narrative of my music video, I would need to consider doing this. 

Editor

The editor cuts down the footage to a suitable length for the finished product. They will also add any other components, such as any special effects, extra graphics, sound etc. They work alongside the director to create the desired finished video. 

Talent

These are the actors or actresses who are seen in front of the camera. 

Results of my poll so far.

I posted a poll on my blog in order to find out more about my target audience. I attracted people to answer the questions by posting a link to my blog on my Facebook page, as I have a lot of Facebook friends who are within my target audience.

• These are screen shots of the feedback from my poll. The results can now tell me that my target audience are very much into music as 88% of all the people that answered so far said that they listen to music every day. The feedback from my poll also reinforces how I am aiming my music video at the young adolescent age group.
• Another interesting statistic I have gathered from this poll is that 60% of people label themselves an 'average' or a normal stereotype, this tells me that the target audience don't like to define themselves as something in particular and could suggest that they listen to music purely for the music.
• Furthermore, two of the statistics which will help me create the music video in particular, is that 72% of people feel that a story is the most important feature of a music video and 65% feel that mise-en-scene is the most important in the production of a music video. This suggests to me that my target audience do not want a music video which will be plain or boring, they want it to be interesting and visually appealing.

Cast List

Katie Jackson (17 years old):- I chose Katie as she is also a Media student at Wyke College. Therefore, she will have the appropriate technological knowledge to assist me in the production of the music video and to understand the way I wish to film my video. For example, she will have knowledge of different types of shots, camera angles etc. She is also part of my desired target audience for the music video, this will allow the members of the target audience to easily relate to her age and experiences.

Adam Mitchell (19 years old):- I chose Adam to co-star in the music video as he has knowledge of film production and knowledge of using a camera. This means he will be able to guide me in the production of my music video, as I do not have much knowledge of using video cameras and the accompanying necessary equipment. He is also a member of my target audience as he falls into the young adult age group (16-25) and he also listens to the metalcore genre of music regularly/

Audience Research - Focus Group

I asked my focus group six questions.

1. How often do you watch music videos?
2. What do you watch music videos on?
3. Do you like existing music videos? What is it about them you like in particular?
4. What would you like to see in a music video?
5. What do you think the conventions of the rock genre are?
6. What don't you like about music videos?
7. Do you prefer performance based videos or story based videos?

My focus group as a whole tend to watch music videos regularly which tells me that the market for music videos tends to be more for the younger audience. Rather than grown adults, as they don't tend to have much spare time to watch music videos. Whereas, my focus group are students without part time jobs which means they have more time to spare. They tend to watch such music videos on YouTube the most and occasionally music channels such as 4 music and MTV.

A comment which arose in the discussion was that they particularly like music videos which tell a story or that are slightly abstract. It was also stated that they like the fact that they are always improving and break the barriers of existing morals and ideals of music videos. Miley Cyrus was mentioned and commented on for her outrageous music videos, which shows that they are the ones which attract the most attention. 1975's (an indie rock band) music video - Sex was also mentioned for their abstract approach as they used 'crazy' colours to illustrate the effects of drugs.

Overall, my focus group said that they would like to see a music video which is outrageous, original and 'out there'. This tells me that I should do something which breaks the norms and isn't anything like that's been done before. They said that music videos can 'sometimes be boring if you don't know what's going on', 'they can be a bit repetitive' and they are 'not original, just the same'. This suggests that my music video will not fulfill my target audience's needs if it isn't interesting and doesn't show something that they can follow or enjoy. The focus group also commented that they prefer a mixture of both performance based videos and storybased videos. However, due to lack of resources and budget I am not able to include a performance of a band playing the song as it is part of the rock genre. Therefore, I will have to make sure the story is interesting to keep the audience engaged throughout.

Audience Research - continued

I used my online questionnaire to put together a selection of found images from Google to sum up what the members of the target audience I interviewed are interested in. They mainly like to be social by going out to nightclubs, going to the pub or seeing friends, but their interests are also more technology based. For example, watching TV, playing video games and listening to music in particular seems to be a popular activity to do in their free time, which is separate to their jobs or education. From looking at the overall results of my online questionnaire I can gather that going to gigs is also an activity that is very popular, they like to be part of a music scene and often visit local venues regularly to see local bands play. The people who responded to my Facebook status ranged from the age of 17-20, who come from the C1 demographic (which I have highlighted on the demographic table below) as they are all either at university, work part-time or are still in college education.

People who are part of this demographic don't tend to have much spare money, but they do have more knowledge of the internet, social media and technologies such as iTunes and Spotify. Spotify is a free service where you can listen to almost any song. People of this demographic and age group also tend to be heavy users of YouTube where many people watch music videos in their spare time. Therefore this shows that music videos in general are aimed at the younger generation as they use these technologies more so than the older generation.

Facebook is particularly popular amongst this demographic. Many Facebook users share music videos via YouTube links on their Facebook wall to show their friends a song that they particularly like, this then encourages their friends to listen to the song and watch the accompanying music video. Here is an example of this:

 Overall, people who tend to be fans of the rock genre fall in the age group of 16-25 with a small percentage falling in the age group of 26-35. Furthermore, this audience research will help me in putting together a music video for my chosen track as it shows who I need to aim it at (mainly the younger population) and what sort of features I need to include for it to appeal to them.

Audience Research - Questionnaires

In order to research my target audience I put a Facebook status asking my friends if any of them who were A Day To Remember fans would be willing to answer a few questions regarding what they do in their spare time etc.

 I devised five simple questions which would help me compile an audience profile.

1. How old are you?
2. What do you like to do in your free time? Do you have any hobbies?
3. What other bands do you like apart from A Day To Remember?
4. Do you go to many concerts or gigs? Which was the last one you went to?
5. Is music a big part of you life? If so, why?

From putting the Facebook status, five people responded.

Dan Troupe - 20 years old

Free Time and hobbies: Likes to hang around with friends, play video games and watch films. Likes to watch anime, collect old childhood figures, collect Pokemon cards and play a variety of other card games.

Bands: Yellowcard, Green Day, All Time Low, New Found Glory.

Gigs: Likes to go to the local venues in Hull frequently, in particular O'Rileys and Ringside. The last gig he went to was approximately two weeks previously. The last live popular band he saw was Bowling For Soup approximately a year ago. 'I don't tend to have much money but I would go more if I could.'

'Music is a big part of my life as it provides me with some form of direction if I'm feeling sad, it lifts me up as with anyone else really. I listen to a lot of songs with lyrics that relate to me, so I know the band I listen to has gone through similar problems, so if they've got through said problem, I know I can too.'

Lauren Wilson - 17 years old

Free time and hobbies: Going out and drinking alcohol, listening to music, playing with her pet cat and doing coursework. (She is a full time college student). Enjoys writing music, playing the piano & guitar, drawing and fishing.

Bands: Motionless in White, Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance, Billy Talent, Suicide Silence, Drowning Pool, Bloodhound Gang, One Direction and Miley Cyrus. 

Gigs: Goes to approximately four or five concerts a year, last one she went to was  Motionless in White - September 2013.

'Music is a big part of my life. The lyrics have meaning, the songs are there for you when you're feeling down, the songs make you happy, not to mention band members go through the same issues as you do, so you'll never really feel alone.'

Michael Hill - 19 years old

Free time and hobbies: Spends time with friends, works on his two bands, 'Down To A Deathmatch' which he has been in for a year, and a new one which hasn't been named yet as he has just started it. Likes to listen to music. 

Bands: Parkway Drive, Emmure, While She Sleeps, Architects.

Gigs: 'I go to loads!' The last one he went to was at Lamp (a local venue in Hull) which he played the previous Friday. 

'Yeah music is. Over the past two years of my life I've been in a band trying to kickstart playing shows and a year ago I finally managed to. After that I realised no matter what the job, I wanted to work in music! And music can play such a big part on your mood and day and has always been for me a massive inspiration and method of cheering up since I had a pretty s*** childhood.'

Tom Allhouse - 18 years old

Free time and hobbies: Meets up with friends, reads books and makes picture frames. 

Bands: Asking Alexandria, Deff Leppard and Joan Jett.

Gigs: Been to less than ten. The last was Asking Alexandria - 'it was awesome.'

'Yes and no, I listen to a lot of music but I don't listen to it as intently as other people might do, I just put my earphones in to drown out the world and be alone with my thoughts rather than actually listening to the music.'

Becky Bea - 18 years old

Free time and hobbies: Likes to go out, mainly to the local nightclub in Hull - Spiders. Enjoys watching family guy, playing Candy Crush, going to the pub and walking her dog. 

Bands: Sleeping with Sirens, Alexisonfire, Enter Shikari, Four Year Strong and Green Day. 

Gigs: 'I love love love gigs!' The last one she went to was a local gig at a local pub in Brough to support some friends. The last 'known' band was Lower Than Atlantis in October 2012. 'I've either had no money or been working when I wanted to see other bands.'

'Music is a big part of my life, it's always there to cheer me up, as well as bring people together, I love gigs, they always make me feel like I'm part of something big and it helps a lot, not just for me, but a whole load of other people too.'

My Target Audience

I have decided that my target audience will be the young adolescent age group 16-21, and the 22-27 age group. This is because the genres pop-punk and metalcore are particularly popular with a large proportion of teens and young adults. The target audience which I am going to create my music video for will be people who prefer these genres and other genres similar to rock to mainsteam music such as the pop and rap genres. Some artists who are popular with young people who listen to the rock genre are Foo Fighters, All Time Low, Paramore, Green Day or even Bullet For My Valentine. From my prior knowledge and being part of this particular target group myself, I know that technology is very popular amongst the target audience. Many have smartphones, where they have constant access to the internet, they can download apps, listen to music and they are constantly viewing social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Furthermore, I am going to do further audience research to fully establish the interests and needs of my target audience.

Initial Ideas - Music Video

Song: This is the house that doubt built – A Day To Remember

Narrative Summary: Idea 1

•     Female has hit an all time low and isn't happy with life, her parents ignore her, she doesn't have many friends and isn't doing very well at college. She is feeling lonely and depressed and doesn't see the point in living anymore. The video will begin in black and white where she is shouting to her parents and they don’t take any notice of her, she checks her phone to find no new messages, she rips up her work and destroys her room. The video will move into colour when she meets a boy on a park bench who talks to her like he would talk to anyone else. She becomes friends with this boy protagonist and he makes her realise there are things in life she shouldn't take for granted. For example, having a pint at the pub, being confident in her looks, listening to music, going to the beach. Therefore, the video will follow the female and the male taking part in those activities.

Narrative Summary: Idea 2

·    The video will involve mainly performance of the song. I will have the band performing the track on a stage in a room full of people who are singing along to the music. It will include quick cuts from the performance to a shot of the lead singer holding the lyrics up on paper looking directly into the camera. The video will end with the singer setting the last piece of paper on fire and dropping it on the floor. At the beginning of the video it will show the lead singer as a protagonist in a boxing ring facing off against the antagonist which will be the opposite to him. I could show this through the use of costume (one wears black, one wears white). Therefore, the antagonist will symbolise the bad side of him which he is trying to fight off. 

Narrative Summary: Idea 3

•     In the beginning, the video will show the story of a young couple who have been through a lot together. It will show them doing romantic activities such as: going for a meal, the male turning up with flowers and chocolate when the female is ill, sending cliché texts to each other and walks on the beach etc. The female will find out that she is terminally ill. Therefore, it will show the male’s anger since he doesn't want to lose someone so important in his life, so it makes him realise he shouldn't have taken her for granted so much. The video will show the male looking after her and being there for her. Overall, it will end with him walking into a graveyard with a bunch of flowers with a tear running down his face. 

I have decided to expand on my third idea, as I feel that this will be the easiest to create in terms of this being a zero budget film and I lack a lot of the resources which it would require to create the second idea. I feel that my third idea is a simple story which all members of my target audience will be able to follow, this simple idea is similar to that of existing music videos.

Found images storyboard.

I have selected some words from the song which I think are the track's significant ideas. I have searched for the images of the words on Google and produced a visual storyboard. This will aid me in creating my own music video for my selected track. The story within the narrative of my own video will reflect these themes and the connotations of them. For example, the 'wolves' could be the hurdles that get in the way of a person when they are trying to succeed, or the 'force' could be the strength of a relationship or a friendship.