The target audience for this band are generally people who are fans of american rock music, usually aged 20+. I came to this conclusion as Hard-fi have appeared in such magazines as; NME, Mojo, Kerrang and Rollingstone. These magazines are aimed at these types of people and therefore shows that the band Hard-fi are also aimed at older generation.
These are the lyrics to the song:
And every move that I make
Gets recorded to tape
So somebody up there
Can keep me safe
I'm going out tonight
I've got my hair just right - At this stage the persona in our music video will be getting ready, (doing his hair in the mirror) to show that he is getting ready to go out.
I'm always looking good
For the spotlight
Stick 'em up
Give me the money
A winning smile
Up to the gallery
I'm gonna get my face on the 6 'o' clock news - For this part of the music video, we will shoot a 'news flash' scene to represent that criminal activity is in place.
We're the stars of CCTV
Making movies out on the street
We're the stars of CCTV
Can't you see the camera loves me?
On every corner, every street
Down every underpass you'll see
Somebody's stealing the show
Somebody looking like me
I'll see you out tonight
Just got the pose just right
We're always looking good
For the spotlight
We turn it on
And so we're full of speed - At this part of the video, there will be drug taking to show the persona getting ready to have a night out.
We fill the screen
Can't help but notice me
I'm gonna get my face on the 6 'o' clock news
We're the stars of CCTV
Making movies out on the street
Flashing blue lights, camera, action
Watching my life, main attraction
We're the stars of CCTV
Can't you see the camera loves me?
We're the stars of CCTV
Making movies out on the street
Flashing blue lights, camera, action
Watching my life, main attraction
We're the stars of CCTV
Can't you see the camera loves me?
We also had to create a presentation about our chosen band. Here is the link:
To get a good idea about Hard-fi, we looked at other music videos that the band stared in. The one I came across was called 'Can't get Along without You', This video consists of one member of the band running in chase sequence away from a police officer as a result of getting drunk and then having a fight with another man. Shortly after getting chased by the police officer, the man that was in the fight with him jumps over a wall and takes down the police officer seeking revenge on the band member. There is a low angle shot used here to demonstrate how powerful the man who took down the police officer is. This video starts off with a close up/ low camera shot used to show the band member waking up in a police vehicle, there is also an extreme close up used to show the band members face as he lays on the floor. The editing used in this video allows flash backs to be seen to show how the band member gets in this situation. As the video progresses, there are fast cuts used between how he ended up in the vehicle and him running away (past and present). Half way through the video, a wide shot is used as we see the band member run into an abandoned house where we see another member of the band playing the drums. We only see the drummer for a few seconds as it keeps the fast pace associated with the chase. However, it's still enough time to recognise that he is from the band. Towards the end of the video we see the chase progress towards an abandoned warehouse. After running through the warehouse the band member is picked up by a woman in a car to make a swift get away. For this piece of the video we see a wide/ medium shot to show that the car plays a vital part in this sequence. Although this video contains physical violence, our video will contain similar elements of criminal behaviour such as drug taking. We did this to create a running theme between the original Hard-fi video's and our music video.
Here is the video for 'Cant get Along without you'
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoNdgxPzSfc)
This video is totally different to the previous one (Can't get along without you). The first shot used is a mid shot to show a person laying on the floor with drink in his hand. From this shot, the camera tracks from left to right showing peoples legs until we reach a particular person. This shot could have been achieved by mounting the camera on a cart which travels along tracks. Then the camera pans from the floor to his mid section. The way this is achieved shows this this person is from the band. We then see a wide shot to show what the person is waiting for, which turns out to be a cash machine. Furthermore, an over-the-shoulder shot is used to show the persona looking into the screen on the cash machine, which shows his reflection looking back. This is an unusual shot type to use as it is usually used when two people are talking to each other. At 0:32 the rule of thirds concept is put into play when we see him walking away. The 1/3 of the shot is in the shadow so it helps draw focus to the person rather than the cash machine. The lighting used always helps to keep the eye concentrated on the person. More panning shots are used to go back to the cash machine. This shows that although its an object, it plays a vital role in this video. Once we regain focus on the cash machine, a zoom shot is used as this creates the illusion of being pulled into the machine. After this shot is used, a crossing the line (reverse shot) is created to show what we can see from the other side in respect to the camera. This then shows the other band members who are in the machine, handing out the money as if they work within it. The cinematography used at this point shows the band members wearing mining-type uniforms which represent how dirty and hard work it is in there. The camera then tracks out from the cash machine to the main band member. Here we see how the focal length affects the depth of field in this scene. When the band member walks down the street, everything around him is out of focus (such as the building on the right and members of the public on the left) with creates attention to him and what he is doing.
At 1:26 the main band member is pressed against a glass window. The clip then switches to the one of the band members who is in the machine, who also has his faced pressed up against the steel frame of the elevator. This shot technique shows what both persona's are doing at the same particular moment in time even if they are not in the same location. An establishing shot is used to show the location of where the band members are within the cash machine, which helps to set the scene. Even more tracking shots are used to show the intensity of the work load of each band member. When the camera reaches the main band member, a high angle/close up is used to show his face. After we see this close up, the depth of field changes so he is now longer in focus but the picture which was in the backround, is now the main piece of the shot. This picture could suggest who he is working for.
Here is the video clip for 'Cash Machine':
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ye43mKIcy8&feature=related)
Mise - en- scene:
The mise en scene includes everything within the scene. This includes props, costume / make up, setting and colour. We will have to apply these elements in our music video. I think that our music video will look good if it's shot at night time as it will add to the suspicious vibe of our video. However looking at the previous hard-fi video's, none of them have been shot in darkness so this will add a new twist to the rest of their music video's. Also, we are going to incorporate shots that look like they are being filmed from CCTV cameras into our video as this is a key theme running throughout.
The costumes that will be in our music video will mainly be urban clothing such as hoddies, jeans, plain t-shirt etc. We decided to use urban clothing as it relates to the music and fits well with the stereotyped image of someone who appears to be running away as a result of doing something bad. The setting we are going to use will be a normal urban area as this will again fit with music well. The use of inner city streets is a perfect location for this music video as we will be filming a chase sequence. This will create a dark and tense atmosphere and will represent who the persona in the music video is feeling.
Part of our video will be shot in standard colour, but for the shots that are meant to look from the perspective of a CCTV camera, these parts will be shot in black and white as this will create a realistic feel to the video. The coloured parts of our video will also be used for the flash back parts as this will give a good contrast to the black and white.
The props used in the video will be fake drugs as there is a reference to drugs within the lyrics. ("And so we're full of speed"). We will be using sugar for this prop. We will also be using a car (head-lights) for a particular scene where the persona in the music video falls over in the middle of the road.The location of our music video will be in areas of Lewes as we know this location very well and therefore we will know where certain parts of our music video will look good being shot. Another reason we chose to shoot our video in Lewes was because it was a sub-urban area which suited to vibe of the music well.
Story Board:
Before making the music video, I had to draw up a story board showing what each shot would include and what the shot technique would be. This is a vital part when planning a music video as it allows you to see how the video would look at each step and weather or not each scene would flow together creating a good video.
The main idea of this music video is a chase sequence. The persona in the music video seems very on edge whilst he is trying to run away from something or someone, although it is not clear until the end of the video why he is running.
Following the name of the song "Stars of CCTV" I incorporated scenes which looked as though they are being shot by an actual CCTV camera, as this fits the chase aspect of the video. The persona will be running through streets and back alleys so having scenes which look like shots from CCTV cameras also create a vibe that he is in some sort of trouble.
The opening shot used is one from a CCTV camera's perspective which already gives the impression that its watching someone or that something might happen.
At this stage of the story board, we can see the introduction of flash back scenes as to how the persona in the video got into the situation that he faces. To make sure that everyone knows where the flash back starts and finishes, there will be short sections in the music video where the screen will go black and say "earlier that day" just like you see in TV dramas. Without this feature the video would confuse the viewers and therefore it would not make sense.
The shots used in this section of the story board are a continuation of the flash back sequence in which the persona in the music video is just leaving the building (shot 1) and begins to run from something (shot 4). The introduction of the 'news reader' scene is very unique and lets the viewer know that the persona is causing trouble and being rebellious. It is clear that the persona in the video is the person being talked about in the news reader section because in the top right-hand corner of the shot, we can see him up to know good. The following shot used is a mid-shot of the persona's lower half which lets the viewer know that the chase sequence has begun.
To conclude, this section of the story board shows that the main idea for the music video (chase sequence) has just started and the suspense surrounding this is building up.
In this section we see another flash back which reveals more information as to why the persona is running, and maybe an insight into what from. We see the persona getting ready to go out. We incorporated 'CCTV' camera style shot in shot 5 in this part of the story board to reinforce the fact that this was the main idea behind the music video. It also gives the impression that he is even being watched form inside his own house.
The last shot used in this section of the story board is an important one because it gives the viewer a good indicator about the plot to the whole music video, even though they may have not realized it.
The chase sequence get even more intense at this part of the story board as it is shown at a faster pace. In the second shot there is a close up of the persona's face and there appears to be something not quite right. This shot should correspond the previous shot of the drugs and therefore show that he has taken them. The use of the mid/ low angle shot in shot 4 helps to set the scene and let the viewer know is going on, and where it is happening. Again there is a close up used for the side of the persona's face in shot 6 to again show that the drugs are taking control and that something major is about to happen.
In addition, this part of the story board is supposed to an even better understanding as to what is happening and to what is going on with the persona.
In this final section of the story board, the twist is revealed as we see and understand the events unfold. We see that there is wide shot used to show the persona jumping over the bonnet of a car. Following this shot is a close up of his face showing his facial expressions (thats he's just regained consiousness). The last shot in the story board reveals that the whole chase sequence was just an hallucination due to the drugs the persona had taken.
Animatic Evaluation:
Before making the video, we had to create an animatic to show the shot we would include in the final video and also to show how it could look when finished. An animatic is essentially a series of illustrations or images displayed in a sequence for the purpose of pre-visualizing a motion picture.
My animatic shows what my finished video should look like and also how well the shots work together. This is a cruical stage in the process of developing my music video as I would be a clear a indicator as to how my music video would look when finished.
I think that my animatic and ancillary texts are effective as they both show what the final video should look like and also how storyboard will look once uploaded onto a computer. This allowed me to see what shots flowed well with each other and also what shot techniques would be achievable. The animatic is very important because it showed me how the story board looks in motion and therefore I could get a better understanding and idea about how it could tyrn out. It also gives you a better knowledge about the timing of each shot as you need to make sure it follows the correct lines of the song lyrics and also that it finishes when the song finishes.
A benfit from having an animatic is that it allows me to work out camera positioning, shot list and timing issues that may exist within the current story board.
