The Pitch

Today was the day of our pitch to Luke, where each of the class's separate devising groups had to stand up and pitch their two ideas, via the Prezi's they had made previously in the week. This, as we know,  is an absolutely key stage of the process as it is decisions made in this time period that will really make a difference to the project in the long run. This was a slightly nerve racking process as we all knew about Luke's knowledge of the subject, and were keen to hear his feedback.

We managed to film around half of Luke's extended response to our pitch, including the immediate discussion we had with him at the time;

 

 Furthermore, I was able to note down his key points regarding the concepts and create a summary;

'Girls' - The 1975

- Luke immediately understood the star image of an indie rock boy band with attitude.

- Raised the point that stickmen are used to communicate things everywhere in the world (e.g. toilet signs) and you can play on that in the video.

- To continue the theme the band could possible wear stickmen costumes.

- Luke responded well to the idea of possibly carrying the stickmen narrative into filmed footage of real people where the story is continued.

- Suggested that throughout the video the drawings could become more worldly and real before making this step to real footage, in order to give it some gradual development.

- He mentioned that almost everyone plays on a 'love story' in some way, but liked how we have approached it in an original way.

- He went into detail regarding the technical practicalities of creating animation, and how long a process that is.

- He then continued by saying that despite having an understanding of the principles, he is not an animator. Therefore, an animator may have to be sourced in order to help us learn the art.

- He suggested we should also search the internet for digital software that allows you to animate as an alternate solution.

- Showed some concerns that the stickmen may become boring and might need something else to sustain the viewers interest.

'Bang Bang' - Wil.i.Am

- Bought into the image we planned to create for the artist.

- Liked the dancing ideas in combination with authentic costumes.

- Was really interested by the idea of the cartoon clips.

- However, he raised legal issues about relaying other peoples footage. It can be worked around but it means that you have to display the footage you are using in an original way (e.g. Projected onto someone, through a prop television.)

- Furthermore, questioned the video quality of the clips we would be able to find.

- He said that the tracks for both the first and the second concept are fairly well know, which could be a problem.

- Openly said he liked both ideas, but preferred the first as he saw more potential problems in the second.

Having a comprehensive list like this can help us summarise ideas in a very structured way that includes the input of someone with industry experience. Due to Luke stressing that the first of the ideas ('Girls' The 1975) was his favourite, and considering that we as a group largely agreed with the points that he made - we have decided to continue our development with this idea. Without doubt the concept still needs to be developed further and we need a better visual image in our heads of what it will look like. Furthermore, we need to make a conclusive decision on song choice for the video and whether our current proposition is viable. These are decisions that need discussion, creativity and a good group ethic. Most importantly however, is that the pitch gained a positive response meaning we move forward with confidence.

Creating Prezi's Around our Concepts

Today in lesson we divided immediately into our groups to start assembling our two final concepts and then making them ready for display via the presentation tool - Prezi. Prezi is useful for such tasks as this as it allows you to distribute your ideas in a very visual way. With Friday's pitch to Luke looming, we had to consolidate our ideas and research into two separate presentations, both quickly and efficiently. We managed to do this and now feel ready for our pitch, and more importantly for Luke's critique so we can then build from there.

Genre Conventions

After working in our new groups and discovering what ideas we would develop, we set about researching the genre's that those music videos fall under. Just like films and music itself, music videos also have genres each with definable characteristics and conventions, that normally coincide with then style of the song. The genre's for the ideas we will be pitching on Friday are indie rock and the hybrid genre of jazz/synthpop. We divided the group and started to look into to what makes videos for these two genre's of music recognisable, learning what an audience would expect to see shown through various different elements. I created a Powerpoint to display my findings;

Music videos genre conventions powerpoint from hurtwoodhousemedia5

Seperating into Groups and Forming Ideas

Today we were separated into 4-man groups with which we would continue this project with. My group consisted of myself, Edie, Tabby and Liv. I am somewhat outnumbered as the only boy in the group, but this was inevitable as I am also the only boy in the class. Initially we found it difficult to generate and merge our ideas together but with a little push from Phil (teacher) this became easier. We all have different interests and talents meaning we can all bring something different to the table.

At the start of the week we were tasked with the challenge of formulating a pitch by Friday in which we would display two ideas that we wish to carry on from this stage. This pitch would be directed to Luke, a man with industry experience in this field and an integral cog in making the videos happen and helping us to achieve them to the the highest standard possible. Considering we all had 3 initial ideas of our own that we created over the summer, this meant we had to crunch down 12 ideas to only 2. This proved to be a mean feat and was quite an exhausting process. A helpful method was to try to merge some of the elements from different videos together not only as a form of compromise, but also to make the videos stronger and with more content as a whole. After agonising over ideas and songs we eventually settled on two as a group and began to make two separate brains storms. We devised one video of the indie-rock genre, and one that falls within the hybrid of jazz/synthpop. The information from these thought showers would then be converted into two separate Prezi's which we would use to visually display our ideas to Luke on Friday.

Using Feedback to Develop Ideas

Having received feedback from the group, it is important not to neglect comments in favour of your own preference. This doesn't mean you should change everything but it is important not to be blinded by your own ideas. For example, Phil believed that it may be difficult to stage and create some of the suicide attempts from IDEA 1 and suggested that they should be replaced with more stylised images instead. However, I know that some actions such as the hanging of an individual can be achieved as I have seen it in some AS thrillers and it has been quite effective, when shot sensitively. Without doubt, some others would be challenging but I personally feel with good planning and resources they could be achievable. 

In reference to IDEA 2, I thought my first step in responding to the comments should be to watch the suggested music video. That was 'Red Morning Light' by Kaiser Chiefs;

I really enjoyed watching this video and found the links between this and my concept interesting. Considering this video was made in 2009, there was clearly better quality cameras at the production companies disposal that the one featured. However, much of the camera work is purposely handheld and with added grain to give a un-produced, hap-hazard in order to give the impression that the band don't care for marketing and revel purely in making music and performing it live, with authentic footage from gigs featured in the video. This very much coincides with image I would want to create for the band and the video has acted as a stimulus and helped generate ideas on how I would create this. 

I really understood and took on the criticism in relation to IDEA 3. I have now realised that the song is not appropriate for this coursework task as it is too identifiable and has become iconic through an international artist, therefore making it inappropriate for it to be remade in a school with teenage actors. The video would consequently lack credibility. I also appreciated Phil's comment about it becoming a 'short film' instead of a legitimate music video. I think this is something to be weary of as videos that become too centred around a deep narrative often detract from the key selling point - the song. At this stage, this is the idea I would feel most comfortable about disregarding but I will wait until teaming up with a group before making any crucial decisions.

Pitching Intial Ideas to Class

Today was our opportunity to pitch our 3 initial music video ideas to the class. We did this directly from the blog posts that we devised during the summer. This was an interesting exercise as at this point we are still working as individuals on this project, but at some point we will join forces with other members of the class to form a group with which we will continue. This means we could potentially being pitched an idea by another classmate that will eventually become our own. It was also very useful from a development perspective as it allowed us to gain useful feedback on the ideas from our peer group and iron-out any issues.

 Picture of me pitching to the class;

I decided I would make a video recording to document my class's immediate response to my ideas. Unfortunately, towards the end of their response my phone unfortunately ran out of memory. However, I was able to quickly scribble down any more comments from then on.

As you can see, the response amongst the group was a mixture of positive comments and constructive criticism. This is good as it gives me a clear direction with the way I can edit my concepts before joining a group. Here are some of the key points raised;

IDEA 1

- Bella believed that the Idea 1 was a really interesting concept that was well suited to the music I had chosen.

- Liv said that Idea 1 reminded her of another video she had see by 'The 1975', which carries a similar self destructive individual theme. She also mentioned how she believed it was rather origional as she couldn't recall seeing anything quite like that before.

- Phil (teahcer) mentioned how he thought the idea for the video might lend itself to more stylized strands as opposed to narrative strands. He thought this as he believed that some of the aspects of the story might be difficult to achieve so I should attempt to find those through imagery. He also described how the self destructive genre of videos are often very appealing to a wide variety of audiences.

IDEA 2

- A few members of the class claimed that this idea was in fact their favorite of the three, including Phil. He said it was common for the genre and recommended a video for me to watch.

- Claudia said that it also wouldn't be overly demanding on a organizational front yet would be quite effective as a finished product in achieving the right image for the band.

- Edie thought that the idea might be slightly cliche, especially considering the 'One Direction' influence.  

IDEA 3
-  In reference to my final idea, Phil mentioned you should be careful with such a dense narrative as it can almost become like a short film to music as opposed to looking like a music video.
- Some students mentioned they like the concept but weren't sure on the song. Phil reinforced this by saying it's wise to avoid really well known songs for this task, like 'Rolling in the Deep', as audience members are almost expecting to see Adele in the video and when they don't it simply looses an element of seriousness and integrity.
- Lauren said that the faltering relationship concept is something she has often seen in music videos but felt as though this was refreshingly different due to the way the narrative structure is altered.

Target Audience - Research Task

Before getting under way with creating our music videos, we thought we would do some more research into the idea of target audience. Each member of the class chose a music video that they personally admired. Theses were then handed into the teacher and each person remained anonymous as to they're choice. Three off the list were then chosen at random and played to the class. We were all told to take notes regarding our thoughts on the videos and then nominate somebody that we thought had chosen it, giving us some idea about our interpretation of what kind of person the music video is targeted at. At the end of the class the individuals who chose the videos that we had all seen were revealed, and it turned out that large portions of the class had guessed correctly with some even succeeding with all three. Some were able to guess through the fashion choices of the person they suspected showing how key clothing style is in relation to popular music. Also, some people were able to put two and two together based on how mainstream or 'indie' the music was, matching some of the videos with those who appeared to be more likely to listen to alternative music. This only goes to show the relevance of the topic this exercise is based around.

Here is a picture of the rough notes I took in class, followed by a summary of the key points;

'Holding Onto Heaven' - Foxes

-Camera movements are free roaming which helps to create a dizzying, other-worldly effect. This coincides with the voice of the artist which has a similar grandeur and is reminiscent of Florence and the Machine.
-Abstract dancing
-Stylistically interesting. Colour pallet is heavily directed towards pastel colours. The dress code of the artist is very alternative and possibly 'cute'. They're is certainly no example of 'male gaze' featured in the video as the artist is not dressed in a manor to appear sexy.
-Thematically unique with the kaleidoscope effect where we see the scene replicated and upside down within the shot. This possibly has some metaphorical relevance to the artist and her lyrics.
-The video is inviting to the audience. It is not obvious, however. This suggest the song has depth and is mature connoting it may be directed at an older female teen (15-19).




'Crazy in Love' - Beyoncé

-The video is fast paced and high intensity to coincide with the nature and rhythm of the video.
-It creates a fantasy image surrounding the singer and her body. A artist has been created that a person of almost any sexual orientation will be enticed to look at, either in a sense of idolising her or being sexually attracted to her. This acts as a valuable distraction from the fact that the video is extremely thematically dry and lacking in any real plot or substance.
-Important elements include the artists use of dance choreography and its relationship with the camera shots that have been chosen for specific times. Also, the variety of different outfits add interest and induce her persona as an 'icon'.
-Undoubtedly this video sells - both the persona of the artist and actual records. She is marketing not only through her talent but also her physical assets.
-Jay-Z goes some way in attracting a heterosexual male audience to the video while also creating controversy and talking points through the flirtatious and physical relationship seen with him and Beyoncé in the video, at a time when they were not confirmed as a couple. This inevitably creates hype.



'Up in the Air' - Thirty Seconds to Mars

-High concept and heavily stylised video. Reliant on abstract, overt imagery.
-Using a wealth of different elements/themes that add interest in a visual capacity - (Lion, wolf, dancers.)
-The cutting between shots at the beginning of the track is deliberately coinciding with the beat and pulse of the music creating a punchy atmosphere that is in the audiences face.
-Aims to be 'extreme' in various aspects such as set and content of the video. This helps it to connect with the high intensity sound of the song.
-In its tone it could be said to be raunchy and audacious which creates an aura of confidence around the band with the sense that they are being bold and sending a message of some kind. This is strong star image for a band to have as it suggests they are driving the way they want to be seen.
-I feel this video would target quirky teen girls with an interest in alternative music with a slight rock feel.

On reflection, this was a useful exercise honing in on the idea of target audience and further allowed me to watch some more genre's of music video that can potentially fuel my own ideas at a later time.