Final video

Music video prototype 3 – Final:

After drafting my music video for the third time, I decided that the third draft of the video was good enough to act as the final video as there have been major adjustments to the video and any further tweaks would be minor and insignificant.

Editing Techniques:

Ken burns – I selected the clip that I wanted to zoom in on and then clicked on the crop section of iMovie. I doubled clicked to change where the camera ends the shot; I changed it so the camera slowly zoomed into the picture of the protagonist and his younger brother. This editing technique is also utilised at the beginning of the music video but instead of zooming in, the camera zooms out from a pull focus revealing the views of a Taylor swift music video. 

Cropping to fill – I cropped out my body during the drumming sequence as it was unnecessary and distracting the audience’s attention away from the main focus, that being the drumming and the drum sticks movement. So I selected the clip, clicked on the crop section and cropped the video so that only the protagonist’s hands can be seen whilst he plays the drums. This ensures that the focus of the shot remains on the music and the motion of the drumsticks.

Audience Feedback:

In response to my audience feedback I have used more close ups via the ken burns editing technique to emphasise the artists emotions, one example would be the bed scene as the camera zooms in when the protagonist is lip-syncing.

I have also reduced the amount of time lip-syncing by implementing more cut aways to old pictures and the bed etc. This also reduces the amount of long clips in the video - which was requested by my target audience to cut down.

I have also gone and re-edited all of the drumming scenes and lip-syncing scenes so that they are all finally in time with the music.

I also made sure that the chorus cuts on beat so that the narrative is conveyed in a quick and concise manner.

Music video Prototype 2

Music Video music video Prototype 2:

After adding improvements that my target audience had requested, I decided to make a second draft of my video, this time showing my target audience a nearly finished version of it. As I have already been given some feedback in terms of what I need to improve on, I have made this draft taking on board all of these improvements. By doing this I will save myself time, as I will be applying the elements and shots that my target audience want to see. By doing this, I know that my video is appealing to my target audience. However I still want to gain further feedback on how to improve meaning more client feedback will be done.

Editing Techniques:

I have used the same editing techniques that I used in the first video draft. These techniques include:

Syncing audio and clips – During the lip-syncing scene:

I played the song out loud whilst recording the scene so I knew the timing for the words. Whilst editing I increase the diegetic sound of the clips so I could hear the singing from the phone playing out loud and the audio track in iMovie. I knew the clip was in sync when the two linked together and played at the same time, however it required adjusting clip lengths to achieve this goal.

Speeding up clips – During the Chorus:

I selected the clip that I wanted to speed up and then clicked on the speed modifier in IMovie. I doubled the speed of the candle clip, making the length of the clip go from 2.1 seconds to one second, thus maintaining the fast pace of the song, which makes sure that the narrative is conveyed quickly and concisely. It also means that the audience wont get bored as easy as the fast pace means that they are constantly supplied with visual in order to stimulate their interest.

Transitions – Fade to white:

I used the fade to white transition to signify that the audience are being travelled back through time into the protagonist’s past when he was happier. I went to the transition section of iMovie, from there I dragged the fade to white transition onto the media platform and positioned it in-between the clip of the picture showing the protagonist and his brother when they were younger and the clip where a close up revealing how happy they were in the past.

Cutting on beat: - During the fast paced base drumbeats:

I zoomed into the iMovie media tray so that the clips became longer so adjusting them slightly became easier. I used the audio track to identify where each drumbeat was and tried to show quick medium shots and close ups of the artist being stressed out from having no money. I was able to identify where these beats were as they occurred where the volume rose dramatically. I then positioned the clips so that they would play on each corresponding beat. I removed any excess by splitting the clip and reducing the length of the clip. Each clip would hit the sharp beat, making 4 quick jump cuts revealing the artist’s emotions.

Audience Feedback:

As requested, I have used more than just a jump cut as a transition. For example there are lots of fades to black and fades to white during the chorus sections and sequences about the past and nature.

I have also added more cut away shots to the video, as requested by my target audience. This helps slow down the pace of the video during the slower parts of the song, it also makes sure that the audience is not overwhelmed with fast paced shots, to the point where the cannot fathom what is going on in the narrative. The slower pace adds dramatic effect to the music video. However, this slower pace has resulted in some clips dragging on, which was a problem that the target audience complained about in the first video draft, so in the third draft I will focus more on cutting down the overly long clips and sequences, so that the audience is constantly supplied with clips and visual stimulation so that I retain their attention. I have mainly used the cut away shots to establish a new location.

I have tried to cut down the length of the clips but it is not a noticeable amount so, this will be addressed in the third video draft.




Sean Smith commented on the video, his feedback was the following “I think you should use more close ups to show the artists expression as it will really emphasise their emotion. It would add more depth to the narrative and make me feel more empathetic towards the character. Also your punch scene is out of time!” – My response to this will be to use more close ups to emphasise the characters emotions as it will add much greater depth to the narrative. I will also make sure that every scene in the video is in time to avoid these embarrassing moments.

Rupert Williamson commented on the video, his feedback was the following, “You need to reduce the amount of time you spent lip syncing, I got pretty bored watching it and it was really cringey. The lip-syncing is out of sync too. It would be a decent video if there were less of you "singing" – My response to this will be to reduce the amount of time I spend lip-syncing by including more cut away shots. I will also make sure that all of the lip-syncing is in time with the video to make it look authentic, as it will improve the overall quality of the music video.

Alexander Tagg commented on the video, his feedback was the following, “I like the video, the visuals are really attractive draw my attention. However, I did notice that the drumming parts of the song don’t sync up with the music, so it’s out of time and makes the video look bad and unprofessional.” – My response to this will be to re-edit the drumming scenes in the video and make sure that they are in time, as this is the second time that they have been out of time. This in turn will make my video look more professional.

Stefan Tagg commented on the video, his feedback was the following, “The video looks cool, but the out of time drumming really undermine the authenticity of it and detracts from the quality of the music video. You should make sure it synchronizes with the music, as it would look much better!” – So once again, my response to this will be to make sure that the drumming scenes in the song are in sync – as it will make the video look authentic and will improve the quality of the video overall.

Adam Greenhill commented on the video, his feedback was the following, “I like the video, the pacing of the visuals and story is great but there are some places in the song that could really benefit from more cut aways as some of the clips are long and take away from the fast pace. An example would be the candle scene during the first chorus.” – My response to this will be to include more cut aways to maintain the fast pace so that the narrative is conveyed quickly and concisely.

Plan For Music Video Shoot Version 2

Location Ideas:

Location 1. School – Corridors – These will be used to film some transition scenes in order to keep the story flowing throughout the video. These settings create an authentic scene as my plot follows the life of a student and how he descends into madness. There is also a scene where Tomi will bully the protagonist - highlighting the protagonists insecurity and showing the first reason why the protagonist is stressed out. Also provides the first insight into the Protagonist's mental illness (MADD - Mixed anxiety-depressive disorder).

Location 2. Students Room – Used again to create authenticity and allow the audience to create a personal link with the artist as he will have a stereotypical messy teenagers room, thereby creating a connection between the target audience and artist’s as they will find the messy room relatable. Also reveals his obsessiveness with mainstream artists - connoting his feelings of wanting to be accepted and to be popular. One of the main locations in the music video - also used during the flashback scene where the protagonist is looking at a picture. Signifies how he basically lives in his room, which is a stereotype of teenagers. His room is a metaphor, it is the protagonist's safe heaven where he can be alone with his thoughts. This is disrupted as mother comes in and shouts at him, forcing him to wake up and work hard so that he can make money. This stresses him out and triggers the beginning of the end. The room is also intentionally in a mess - reflective of the protagonist's state of mind.

Location 3. Drum studio / Music Studio – This location is being considered as it can fit the drum kit within the room whilst having ample room to accommodate the cameras in their different planned locations. The connotation of the room will enhance my video, as the school setting will look more authentic and professional. Moreover, the mise en scene of the equipment in the room will make the scene look more realistic and will also contribute to the authenticity of the sequence.

Location 4. Pond at Potten End – Will be used to show skipping stones scene so the pond is essential to my shoot. It symbolises the past, it is sunny and bright connoting happiness and the purity of nature - provides a welcoming feeling thus empowering the past, presenting it to be something desirable. This also enhances the realism of the past, displayed in my video. The rock smashing into the water signifies the end of this safe heaven and acts as a reality check - It leaves the protagonist no where left to hide from his responsibilities and duties, ultimately resulting in him breaking down at the end of the music video.

Location 5. Media studio – This location is being considered, as it could be a good choice to film the dark scenes in my music video. This is because there is ample room to film whilst also having multiple different lights, so using light to create different meanings will be much easier and simpler to do. Furthermore, different backgrounds are available in the studio so my final sequence in my music video can be created easily. In the end i used this location to film all of the candle scenes as I was able to control lighting effectively. I used different lighting to capture the smoke coming off of an extinguished candle. Also allows me to create desired lighting conditions that I can record the candle in.

Location 6. Gadebridge park and stream - These locations were used to show the past. The park was used when the protagonist couldn't identify where a smell came from that triggered a memory of his childhood. Where as I used the stream to film most of the running water clips. I chose this stream because the water flows quickly so it would look visually pleasing if i manipulated the speed of the clips, moreover the location itself is tranquil and the nature scene's were used to highlight the purity and tranquility of nature, water and self-reflection. The water acts as a symbol of reflection – so the audience have a chance to self-reflect on their life and pure scenery aims to trigger thoughts of the past when they were younger and used to go outside on adventures and explore. Moreover, the natural lighting is bright and sunny, connoting happiness and the purity of nature - provides a welcoming feeling thus empowering the past, presenting it to be something desirable.

Location 7. Side alley by John F Kennedy Catholic School - This location was used to highlight the protagonist's insecurity as he believes that he is being followed but cant quite figure out who is following him. The camera work presents the protagonist to be weak and vulnerable. The connotation is that he is scared and worried shown through the facial expression and body language, further adding to the stress, suspects that it is bullies coming to beat him up as it set during after school. This is the first indication into the protagonist's mental health as he is paranoid and suggesting an unstable mental state. This is the second insight into the protagonist's mental illness (MADD). The first instance is seen during the scene where the protagonist is confronted by the antagonist and is humiliated. The bushes act as places where someone could be hiding - adding to the mystery of who is following the protagonist. The alleyway is isolated - reflective of how the protagonist feels - Alone.

Location 8. Dining room in students house - This is the final location in the music video. The location is intentionally boring and bland to make the audience empathise with the protagonist's bleak outlook on life. The dim lighting also has these connotations. The protagonist will be swamped with books, papers and work - depicting another reason why the protagonist is stressed out (Overworked + pressure to get into uni). This ultimately leads to his mental breakdown. The table allows for nicely framed medium shots that captivate the protagonist's explosive outburst of feelings and emotions.

Prop list:

A match - Connotation - lighting match going from lit to extinguished. Symbolic of the protagonist in the music video, it resembles how he has lost his hopes, dreams and passions in life and just wants to go back to a simplistic way of life (His childhood) in order to escape from his responsibilities and work.

An android phone - Phone displaying the time (3:30 am) connoting that the character is sleep deprived, suggesting that his mental state is unstable.

Two books (Great expectations by Charles dickens and The merchant of Venice by William) - These two books connote that the student is cultured and highly intelligent as these are difficult books to read and understand, thus emphasising the tragedy of his feelings towards life.

Computer - Reveals the student is from a wealthy background as the screen is big and expensive. Also reveals the protagonists obsessiveness with mainstream artists and popularity.

Leaves - Connotes - Nature - purity and innocence, the kick connotes that the person who kicked the leaves is evil as they are destroying the beauty of the natural world.

Drum kit - Symbolic - the protagonists form of escapism to find release from his pressures and responsibilities. + Drumsticks

Candle – Risk of burning myself, will wear protective equipment to minimise risk.

Clock - Used to give the effect of turning back time as the clip will be reversed.

Picture of Myself and Brother - Again, used to initiate a flashback to the past.

Stones to throw in the pond - symbolic – connotation is that the water resembles the protagonists state of mind and the rock represents all of the pent of stress and emotions that have culminated deep within him, thus shattering and destroying his safe heaven. 

Baby pictures of myself - Used to remember the past.

Economics text book + Uni prospectuses - These act as the triggers of the protagonists mental breakdown at the end of the music video.

Wardrobe List:

1. School Uniform - black suit - Funeral outfit - connotation of the hope dying within the protagonist, symbolises the "death" of the protagonist's hopes, dreams and aspirations for the future.

2. Jumper Black t-shirt + Jeans – Stereotypical teenager clothes, again to present him as a relatable character. The connotations of black imply that the protagonist is impure/ tainted - alluding to his mental instability and bleak outlook on life. Dark coloured clothing are associated with my target audience. The aggression shown during the breakdown scene is also a stereotypical attribute of my target audience so this shall appeal to the violent side of my audience.

Casting:

Actor 1.

1. Name - Liam Ash
2. Age - 17
3. Height - 5ft 7
4. Role - Protagonist

Why I picked this person: I decided to be the main character in my music video because I can play the drums. Therefore, I was the optimal choice for the role as I am a musician so there could be performance aspects in my music video of myself playing the drums. Moreover, I already know all of the lyrics to the song, so in that aspect filming can commence much sooner than planned and will be easier during the lip-syncing scenes.
Furthermore, by being the main character I can be more independent whilst filming. So, being the main character provides me with this freedom.




Actress 1.


1. Name - Josephine Ash
2. Age - 56
3. Height - 5ft 4
4. Role - Mother

Why I picked this person: I decided to choose my mum to play the role of the protagonists mother as she fits the role perfectly. Moreover, using my actual mother will create an authentic connection between a mother and a son for the family scenes. Since she fills this role in real life, she will be able to play the role convincingly.






Actor 2.

1. Name - Joseph Smith
2. Age - 15
3. Height - 5ft 9
4. Role - Younger Brother

Why I picked this person: Joseph – I chose him to play the role of my brother because he is my closet relation so it would be convincing for him to play my younger brother. Furthermore, he has the closest resemblance to me so an authentic familial connection can be established on screen. Moreover, I asked some of my target audience members what they thought about my choice. There was unanimous agreement that I made the right choice and said that he was a good choice because he has a genuine interest in acting and wants to pursue a career in acting so this would be a good first stepping stone. Additionally, he will be easily accessible as he is a family member.




Actor 3.

1. Name - Tomi Anifowoshe
2. Age - 18
3. Height - 5ft 10
4. Role - Bully/ minor antagonist

Why I picked this person: I chose Tomi to play a minor antagonist in the video because he is a dominant male and will therefore play the role of a dominant masculine bully who humiliates the protagonist convincingly. 

Make-up:

No make-up was used during the production of the music video.

Final Storyboard

Why it has changed:

The storyboard has changed slightly as it was hard to religiously stick to the previous one whilst editing - so here is the storyboard and connotations of each scene that can be seen in the finished version of the music video.

I have decided to present my storyboard in a written version rather than a visual one as I am not an artistic student so the visuals would be out of proportion and would look misleading.

1^st scene – Lighting match going from lit to extinguished. Symbolic of the protagonist in the music video, it resembles how he has lost his hopes, dreams and passions in life and just wants to go back to a simplistic way of life (His childhood) in order to escape from his responsibilities and work. 0 seconds – 0.4 seconds.

2^nd sequence – Establishing shot from a high angle reveals a phone displaying the time (3:30 am) connoting that the character is sleep deprived, suggesting that his mental state is unstable. Additionally, two books (The Merchant Of Venice by William Shakespeare and Great Expectations by Charles Dickens) these two books connote that the student is cultured and highly intelligent as these are difficult books to read and understand, thus emphasising the tragedy of his feelings towards life. This is followed by a long shot showing a teenager in a hoodie staring at a computer screen. I will intentionally make the computer screen out of focus to create a mystery about what the student is intently watching at such a late time of night. This mystery instantly grabs the audiences attention and the fast pace cutting of clips will retain the audiences attention. An over the should shot reveals that the student is watching a teen pop sensation, however there are obsessive undertones as he is watching her at a extraordinary hour. It then cuts to a close up of the student looking intently at the screen reinforcing the idea of obsessiveness. There are a few cut aways then a cross- dissolve between the mainstream artist and the student’s faces (close up). The connotation of this is that the student wishes that he had the talent, voice and popularity of the star which coincides with the lyrics “I wish I had a better voice to sing some better words.” The layered face of Taylor swift over mine is an intertextual reference to Alfred Hitchcock 1960s Slasher/Thriller ‘Psycho’. It is a reference to the final scene where the mothers face is layered of Norman’s face. The red light connotes a deep anger within the student. Furthermore, the light only shines on half of his face, leaving the other half in darkness connoting that he has a deep dark secret. Moreover, the denotation of his facial expression is that he is angry, reinforcing this idea of repressed and pent up emotions that are dwelling deep inside of him. The only light coming from the screen adds to the authenticity of the time of night. There will be cutting on beat throughout this sequence. 0.5 seconds – 22 seconds.

3^rd sequence – Opens with a cross-dissolve from my face to a leaf – establishes new location. Medium shot shows foot kicking pile of leaves – connotation – foreboding through the destruction of nature, implies whoever is kicking the leaves is evil. Establishes antagonist. Cuts to close up of the protagonist, connotation of body language shows that he is insecure, jump cuts reflect his mental instability. The camera will track his movement to make the encounter seem more realistic. Tomi then ominously walks around the corner – one of the antagonists is revealed, connotation of him walking implies that he is one of the popular teenagers in school. The clothing reveals that this is set during school (As the two characters are in school uniform.) Tomi is wearing all black connoting that he is evil (stereotype of villains). Moreover, his body language suggests that he is aggressive and is a bully as he picks on the protagonist. A close up reveals the effects of bullying on the protagonist – he cries and is filmed from a high angle – connoting that he is vulnerable and weak which culminates to make the audience feel sympathetic towards him. The camera then cuts to a low angle whilst getting closer to the antagonist – the low angle empowers him giving him the highest status in the scene where he can be seen pointing and laughing at the protagonist. Moreover, his power is highlighted as up until this point the clips had been cutting on beat, however it stops when the camera is at a close up of him laughing to connote that he is powerful enough to break the flow and rhythm and pacing of the song. Additionally the close up provides the audience will a greater insight into Tomi’s emotions, showing that he is laughing at him, connoting that he believes that the protagonist is inferior to him as he laughs at his clothing thus making him feel insecure. This increases the pressure on the protagonist to do well at school so that he can get into university and have a stable job so that he can gain money in order to prevent this humiliation. This is one of the reasons why the protagonist is stressed out and has an unstable mental state. On the other hand the bullying aspect of the video could make the video more personal to some members of the audience as a common theme among my target audience was that they were bullied at least once in their life. So this personal feeling could strengthen the bond between the audience member and the artist. The fade to black reflects the dark theme (bullying) that was just shown in the video. It also signifies the end of that sequence and exploration of that dark theme. 0.22 seconds – 0.33 seconds.

4^th sequence - Close ups of water rippling, panning the camera up a stream then zoom the camera to look into the sun. The slow pacing of the shots coincides with the slower pace of the song. The water acts as a symbol of reflection – so the audience have a chance to self-reflect on their life and pure scenery aims to trigger thoughts of the past when they were younger and used to go outside on adventures and explore. The water also represents cleansing, life and freedom, which relates to the freedom that we had when we were much younger. The slow pacing combined with the natural tranquillity provides the audience members a break from the dark and depressing tones featured in the song. Moreover, the fade to white is reflective of the purity in nature and adds a softer transition, which contrasts nicely to the sharp and fast jump cutting. The camera zooming into the sun from a low angle represents the hope for the future that we felt when we were younger. The camera work goes from looking down at nature to looking up, reflective of how the protagonist has been belittled and is now picking himself back up again. 0.34 seconds – 0.44 seconds.

5^th sequence (Chorus) – A cross-dissolve establishes the next location for the music video. A pull focus panning long shot reveals a drum kit. The slow pan coincides with the slower pace of the song and intensifies the build up to the chorus. This is followed by multiple close ups of the drumsticks that sync with the music. These quick scenes act as a visual stimulus to retain the audience’s attention. A few cut away shots will be included to show off the drum kit and to fill the gap between the beats of the song. A low angle close up will show a clock ticking, the footage will be reversed to give the illusion that the audience is travelling back in time, it also syncs with the lyrics “Wish we could turn back time.” There will be cutting on beat throughout this section so that the narrative is conveyed quickly. Furthermore, the fast pace cutting will make sure that the audience doesn’t get bored as they will be constantly supplied with new visuals to retain their interest. It will then cut to a close up of a candle that is extinguished, the smoke shall be going back into the candle, reinforcing the idea that the audience is travelling back in time to a period where the protagonist’s hopes, dreams and passions were still alive/ still “lit.”  The water and sun have the same connotations of self-reflection and hope as they did in the 4^th sequence. It then cuts to a medium-close up of the protagonist and his brother laughing. The denotation of the scene is that they are happy and having a good time, where as the connotations are that the natural light is significantly brighter in this scene than the scenes set in the present, which highlights the beauty of the past making it feel and look more desirable, whilst also making the past feel more welcoming than the dark and depressing present does. Additionally, the protagonist is wearing light coloured cream clothing, reflecting how he was pure and innocent in the past but now has been corrupted by the responsibilities and pressures of being an adolescent as it has deteriorated his mental state. This is connoted and reflected by the dark coloured clothing that he wears in the present (e.g. black suit and jumper.)  Furthermore, the connotation of them laughing suggests that the past was a time of genuine happiness for the protagonist which most of my target audience will be able to find relatable as no one likes the pressures and responsibilities of growing up and being an adult. This idea of genuine happiness is strengthened as the clip is played during the lyrics “To the good old days” when the artist is singing about how he wishes that he could turn back time to the good old days. Once again the panning long shot of the sun has the same connotations about hope as it did in the 4^th sequence. The sleeping scene links with the lyrics “When our mommas sang us to sleep.” The final candle clip during the chorus doesn’t become relight. The connotation of this is that the student can never relight his passions, hopes and dreams as he is stuck in the present and cannot travel back in time to relive the nostalgia because he has to now accept and deal with his newfound responsibilities and obligations like every other adolescent. It is a tragic reality check that all adolescents have to experience in order to fully grow up and transition into adult life. The fade to black emphasises the depressive undertones of this reality check. 45 seconds – 1.06.

6^th sequence – Close ups of the drumsticks again, once again acting as visual stimulation and highlighting the tragedy of the protagonist’s bleak outlook and feelings towards life as he is clearly a talented and intelligent student. 1.07 – 1.19.

7^th sequence – Water scene, same connotations of self-reflection again. Then cut to a swing-set from a low angle – use a pull focus to make the swings go out of focus to link to the lyrics “How come I’m never able to identify where it’s coming from?” Position audience in same place as the artist, unable to find the smell he’s searching for. The swings also act as a visual trigger for making the audience remember their childhood, (The memory could be when they were playing in a park or on a swing etc) which attempts to make them relate to the video more as it may make the audience feel more connected and invested by making that personal connection. 1.20 – 1.24.

8^th sequence – Open with a close up of an extinguished candle with lots of smoke blowing everywhere – connotation is that the smell that he is looking for is all around him but he cannot locate it. Denotation is that it is aesthetically pleasing. Fade to black transition into a new candle flame growing in size – connotation is that it is symbolic; it represents the feelings inside of him building up. Then cross dissolve to fully light candle and it extinguishes when the lyric “One” is sang. This makes the transition look more dramatic. These clips link with the lyrics “I'd make a candle out of it if I ever found it.” 1.25 – 1.30.

9^th sequence - Opens with an over the shoulder shot showing the protagonist looking at an old picture of him and his brother, the camera will slowly zoom in on the picture. The connotation is that he misses the past. The fade to white transition’s connotation acts as a flashback in time to the past. It then cuts to a close up of the brother and then the protagonist smiling and laughing, denoting that they are having fun, once again connoting that the only time the protagonist was ever genuinely happy was in the past reinforcing the tragedy. The visuals link with the lyrics “It'd be to my brother, 'cause we have the same nose” as it establishes who the protagonist’s brother is. Then cut to a long shot of the brother throwing a stone into a lake – have the rock hitting the water sync with the snare drum beat at 1:36. The stone-throwing scene links to the lyrics “a stone's throw from a creek we used to roam.” The connotation of this stone-throwing scene is that it shows that these brothers were just normal kids, which will make them feel relatable to the target audience. The fade to white signifies the end of the flashback and reveals the protagonist in the present looking at the picture sighing. This will be filmed from a high angle to emphasise his depression and lack of power to turn back time. The depressive undertones of this clip links with the lyrics “it would remind us of when nothing really mattered” highlighting the protagonist feelings of futility towards living. Two pull focus close ups will reveal that the protagonist has very little money in his bank account – thus adding to his stress and pressure to do well. The effects of this stress can be seen as his head falls into his hands (filmed from an over the should shot.) The effects of the pressure can also be seen as four close ups of the protagonist will reveal the stress in his face, he will pull exaggerated expressions to emphasise the stress that he is under. These four close ups will be extremely quick as they will cut on each 4 base drumbeat. The last close up will be a fist hitting a desk, connoting that the pressure is building up inside of him and he is beginning to lose control. 1.31 – 1.42.

10^th sequence – Opens with a new setting – camera recoding from a long shot – tracking the protagonists movements from behind, connotation of this is that it makes the audience feel like someone is following him adding tension to the scene. The protagonist will quickly turn around to see if he is being followed – cuts to an extreme close up of his eyes – denoting that he is looking for someone who he suspects is following him – connotation is that he is scared and worried shown through the facial expression and body language, further adding to the stress, suspects that it is bullies coming to beat him up as it set during after school. Cut to filming in front of the protagonist with the camera filming at a canted angle – connoting the unnerving nature of being followed – positions the audience as if they are the ones following him, positions them as if they are looking at him from hiding in a bush. The protagonist is spooked by this, shown by his action of hiding his face by pulling his hood up and checking behind him to see if anyone is following him. Cut on beat throughout sequence + have checking over left and right shoulder on beat as well as putting hood up on beat. Moreover, the fact that the protagonist puts his hood up and hands in pocket connotes that he doesn’t want to be noticed which suggests that he is insecure. The fade to black signifies the end of the scene and the beginning of the chorus. 1.43 – 1.55.

11^th sequence – Chorus – Opens with a clip of a clock ticking showing the progression of time. Then fade to black which reveals two close ups of old baby pictures of the protagonist – connoting the protagonists longing for the past and nostalgia. These close ups are filmed from a low angle, thus portraying the past to be great and implying that these memories are immensely important to the protagonist as they remind him of a time when he was genuinely happy. The candle becomes relight at the end of this sequence – connoting that his past memories are sparking a new found hope for the future as he goes on to speak about the past in the next sequence. (The rest has the same connotations as the last chorus section – see 5^th sequence) This is followed by multiple close ups of the drumsticks that sync with the music. These quick scenes act as a visual stimulus to retain the audience’s attention. A few cut away shots will be included to show off the drum kit and to fill the gap between the beats of the song. A low angle close up will show a clock ticking, the footage will be reversed to give the illusion that the audience is travelling back in time, it also syncs with the lyrics “Wish we could turn back time.” There will be cutting on beat throughout this section so that the narrative is conveyed quickly. Furthermore, the fast pace cutting will make sure that the audience doesn’t get bored as they will be constantly supplied with new visuals to retain their interest. It will then cut to a close up of a candle that is extinguished, the smoke shall be going back into the candle, reinforcing the idea that the audience is travelling back in time to a period where the protagonist’s hopes, dreams and passions were still alive/ still “lit.”  The water and sun have the same connotations of self-reflection and hope as they did in the 4^th sequence. It then cuts to a medium-close up of the protagonist and his brother laughing. The denotation of the scene is that they are happy and having a good time, where as the connotations are that the natural light is significantly brighter in this scene than the scenes set in the present, which highlights the beauty of the past making it feel and look more desirable, whilst also making the past feel more welcoming than the dark and depressing present does. Additionally, the protagonist is wearing light coloured cream clothing, reflecting how he was pure and innocent in the past but now has been corrupted by the responsibilities and pressures of being an adolescent as it has deteriorated his mental state. This is connoted and reflected by the dark coloured clothing that he wears in the present (e.g. black suit and jumper.)  Furthermore, the connotation of them laughing suggests that the past was a time of genuine happiness for the protagonist which most of my target audience will be able to find relatable as no one likes the pressures and responsibilities of growing up and being an adult. This idea of genuine happiness is strengthened as the clip is played during the lyrics “To the good old days” when the artist is singing about how he wishes that he could turn back time to the good old days. Once again the panning long shot of the sun has the same connotations about hope as it did in the 4^th sequence. The sleeping scene links with the lyrics “When our mommas sang us to sleep.” The final candle clip during the chorus doesn’t become relight. The connotation of this is that the student can never relight his passions, hopes and dreams as he is stuck in the present and cannot travel back in time to relive the nostalgia because he has to now accept and deal with his newfound responsibilities and obligations like every other adolescent. It is a tragic reality check that all adolescents have to experience in order to fully grow up and transition into adult life. The fade to black emphasises the depressive undertones of this reality check. 1.56 – 2.16.

12^th sequence – Opens with the protagonist singing in bed – connotation is that he is dreaming about the past – quickly cuts to a close up of the picture seen previously in the video of the protagonist and the brother. The camera slowly zooms in – pull focus, the pull focus is used to make the clip look dream-like to make the audience feel like they are watching the protagonist dream about his past. It then cuts back to more singing. Then cuts to a long shot pan of the bed- connoting that the bed is the “rocketship” where the protagonist and his brother spent most of their time having fun implying that the two mainly played with their imagination. Then cuts to a close up of the protagonist sleeping – links with the lyrics “Used to dream of outer space”. Filmed from a high angle – connoting the vulnerability and childishness of the dream. This vulnerability is then made clear as he appears to enter a nightmare when thinking about having to make money as he turns over in the bed twice – On each turn it hits the rim shot beat of the snare drum to emphasise the protagonist’s pain and struggle. Cut to eye level medium shot of more singing, then cuts to two close ups of the protagonist singing – emphasising his emotions and feelings. Cut abruptly to the protagonists mother aggressively shouting the lyrics “Wake up you need to make money”  - filmed from a high angle – thus empowering her. This will once again increase the stress that the protagonist is under, furthering the deterioration of his mental state. 2.17 – 2.39

13^th sequence – Chorus - Opens with a clip of a clock ticking showing the progression of time. This is followed by two close ups of water and nature – same connotations of self-reflection and tranquillity as before. Followed by two close ups of the old pictures – same connotations as before. Then a cross-dissolve between nature and the drumming – connotes that the protagonist can no longer find peace in nature and has become completely unstable. Then cut to an extinguished candle – same connotations as before. Then a low angle close up will show a clock ticking, the footage will be reversed to give the illusion that the audience is travelling back in time, it also syncs with the lyrics “Wish we could turn back time.” There will be cutting on beat throughout this section so that the narrative is conveyed quickly. Furthermore, the fast pace cutting will make sure that the audience doesn’t get bored as they will be constantly supplied with new visuals to retain their interest. It will then cut to a close up of a candle that is extinguished, the smoke shall be going back into the candle, reinforcing the idea that the audience is travelling back in time to a period where the protagonist’s hopes, dreams and passions were still alive/ still “lit.”  The water and sun have the same connotations of self-reflection and hope as they did in the 4^th sequence. It then cuts to a medium-close up of the protagonist and his brother laughing. The denotation of the scene is that they are happy and having a good time, where as the connotations are that the natural light is significantly brighter in this scene than the scenes set in the present, which highlights the beauty of the past making it feel and look more desirable, whilst also making the past feel more welcoming than the dark and depressing present does. Additionally, the protagonist is wearing light coloured cream clothing, reflecting how he was pure and innocent in the past but now has been corrupted by the responsibilities and pressures of being an adolescent as it has deteriorated his mental state. This is connoted and reflected by the dark coloured clothing that he wears in the present (e.g. black suit and jumper.)  Furthermore, the connotation of them laughing suggests that the past was a time of genuine happiness for the protagonist which most of my target audience will be able to find relatable as no one likes the pressures and responsibilities of growing up and being an adult. This idea of genuine happiness is strengthened as the clip is played during the lyrics “To the good old days” when the artist is singing about how he wishes that he could turn back time to the good old days. Once again the panning long shot of the sun has the same connotations about hope as it did in the 4^th sequence. The sleeping scene links with the lyrics “When our mommas sang us to sleep.” The final candle clip during the chorus doesn’t become relight. The connotation of this is that the student can never relight his passions, hopes and dreams as he is stuck in the present and cannot travel back in time to relive the nostalgia because he has to now accept and deal with his newfound responsibilities and obligations like every other adolescent. It is a tragic reality check that all adolescents have to experience in order to fully grow up and transition into adult life. The fade to black emphasises the depressive undertones of this reality check. 2.39 – 3.01.

14^th sequence – Opens with a close up of a rock smashing into water – symbolic – connotation is that the water resembles the protagonists state of mind and the rock represents all of the pent of stress and emotions that have culminated deep within him. These emotions and stress have completely deteriorated his mental wellbeing and has aggravated his MADD (Mixed anxiety-depressive disorder) resulting in him having a mental breakdown and panic attack in the next scene. The fade to black – connotations of foreboding – foreboding the panic attack. 3.02 - 3.03.

15^th sequence – Opens with and over the shoulder shot revealing the protagonist studying for his final exams. Cuts to extreme close up of his eyes looking away from his work – connotation – looks sad, feels defeated. Pull focus medium shot revealing that the protagonist is looking at an undergraduate university prospectus – connotation – triggers all of the pent up feelings deep inside of him, initiates the mental breakdown as he becomes overwhelmed. This is backed up as the next scene cuts to another extreme close up of his eyes followed by a close up of a different university prospectus, the connotation is that he feels surrounded and swamped by work and high expectations that he has to uphold. Cut away shows complex diagrams that the protagonist has to learn in order to pass his exams – connotation of the pull focus is that it reflects his mental state beginning to show cracks. Multiple fast paced cutting between the protagonist taking deep breaths in an attempt to calm himself down – cutting on beat each time. The fast paced cutting quickly depicts the effects of the culminated feelings and stress that have been building up inside of him throughout the video – they are all unleashed in this extreme outburst of emotion. The clips of the protagonist screaming will slowly speed up as the cuts become more frequent to show that the effects are getting more intense whilst also intensifying the situation and highlighting how he is breaking down as the clips get more violent as the scene progresses. It also aims to illustrate and highlight the protagonists suffering as the ordeal is exaggerated in order to make people realise that mental illness are a problem in secondary schools and that they needed to be considered and taken seriously. He then loses it and punches the desk, and then he throws all of the work off of the table and breaks down with his head in his hands at the end. Each of these actions will hit the snare drum beat of the song to emphasise the aggression and pain that he is in. The protagonist’s scruffy hair and unclean, unshaven appearance also show the effects of stress on him as he looks fatigued and homeless. Cut to black to end the music video. 3.04 – 3.28.

Video Editing Techniques Used in Video Prototype 1

Reverse:

The Second editing technique that I have used to modify my shoot was the reverse function. The reversed sequence is used during the chorus of the song. I recorded a candle being blown out then reversed the footage to create an aesthetically appealing visual that links with the lyrics of the song and how the artists wishes that he could turn back time. The candle acts as a metaphor for the artist as he is currently exhausted and stressed out from overwork, and is therefore “extinguished”. He wishes to turn back to a time where he still had hopes and dreams, when his passion were “ignited.” By revising the clip of the candle these connotations are created and add a deeper layer of meaning to my music video thereby, strengthening the narrative.

Cross-dissolve:

At the end of the dark room sequence in my video, I used a cross dissolves to join two different clips of my video together. The reason for using these cross dissolves is to improve the video in order to make it flow smoothly as it transitions between the different clips. As I only want certain parts of my video to cross dissolve and fade, I had to highlight and select small sections that I wanted so that when it does dissolve into the next clip, it transitions smoothly, giving the thought provoking effect that I want my audience to see. It highlights the artist’s insecurity as he wants to have the singing ability of a popular mainstream artist. By overlaying the two clips I created a scene connoting the envy of the artist as it shows the artist wanting to be like the mainstream artist.

I used the precision editor to adjust the length of the cross-dissolve by dragging the length of the dissolve across the two clips. This in turn allowed me to sync the clip with the lyrics "I wish I had a voice to sing some better words."


The precision editor was vital in order to get the precise timing with the lyrics of the song. 

Cut away scenes:

I have multiple cut away shots included in my video so that some of my scenes would not drag out as much. I had to go back to my locations and take some relevant cut away scenes that I could add in my video to fit with the settings and narrative. I took small cut away scenes of rivers and playgrounds as they are heavily associated with childhood memories, so the link between the narrative and the song is strengthened. The cut away scenes of the river’s water is used to emphasise self-reflection which is predominantly what it is used for in movies and music videos. The water also slows down the pace of the music video in order to follow the slower parts of the song when the music gets softer and quieter. By adding these scenes, my video becomes more broken down visually and is therefore easier to watch and follow as there are predominantly short clips for most of the video.

Moreover, I also used pull focus shots of the drum kit to fill in time gaps where there were no notes to be played whilst maintaining a fast pace.

Video Prototype 1

Video Prototype 1:

After a week of filming I was able to create the first prototype of my final music video. This video incorporates my response to the feedback from my target audience when they analysed my test shots. (Ends at 1.30.)

Whilst editing this video, I found it was very difficult to religiously stick to the chronological order of my storyboard. Inputting cut away shots, and disregarding shots that didn't fit the theme of my video, meant that I was forced to adapt the storyboard in order to establish a good flow that wouldn’t overcomplicate and obfuscate the linear narrative.

I have used iMovie to edit my music video.

Synchronising:

I had to synchronize my drumming clips to the beats of the song so that it looked like that I was playing the song on drums. This establishes authenticity and my music talent was a crucial reason behind why I am the main star in the music video. In order to synchronize the clip to the music I initially had to drag it onto the media tray. From there I zoomed in on iMovie, which enlarged the music track so I could see where the snare drums hits were. I was able to identify these hits as they occurred during the parts of the song where the volume increased significantly. So, I then organised the clips into a position where it was close to the snare drum beat. After that all I had to do was cut out any excess part of the clip that I didn’t need by splitting the clip. This was quite a long process to as It needed to be very accurate in order for it to work properly. I plan to use this editing technique in all of the choruses and again later in my video as I have found it useful and effective in conveying my intended connotations.


Reversing:

Another editing technique that I have used to modify my shoot was the reverse function. I selected the clip that I wanted to reverse then clicked the speed modifier and checked the reverse box. This made the clip play in reverse. The reversed sequence is used during the chorus’ of the song. I recorded a candle being blown out then reversed the footage to create an aesthetically appealing visual that links with the lyrics of the song and how the artists wishes that he could turn back time. The candle acts as a metaphor for the artist as he is currently exhausted and stressed out from overwork, and is therefore “extinguished”. He wishes to turn back to a time where he still had hopes and dreams, when his passion was “ignited.” By revising the clip of the candle these connotations are created and add a deeper layer of meaning to my music video thereby, strengthening the narrative. I plan to use this editing technique in all of the choruses and again later in my video as I have found it useful and effective in conveying my intended connotations.

Cutting on beat + Pacing:

I decided to have the opening of the song clips cut on the beat of the music in order to establish a fast pace. This means the narrative will be conveyed quickly and concisely. This in turn means that the audience won’t have to have a long attention span in order to understand the narrative. Moreover, another benefit of cutting on beat is that the audience is supplied with new visuals and therefore do not get bored by watching overly long video clips. By doing this my video retains the audiences attention which is vital if they are to understand the narrative of the video. However, there are parts of the song where it slows down. So to follow this slower pace, I have increased the length of the clips to enhance the self-reflection segments of the video (Where nature becomes prevalent). The audience will be able to relate to wanting to go back in time to when days were easier and the slower pace will create a melancholy tone. The relatability will make the audience feel compassionate towards the artist. The compassion and relatability combine to create a close, personal relationship between the musician and the audience, thereby strengthening the bond between the two. This will help develop a dedicated passionate fanbase for the artist, as they will feel like there is a connection between them. This may help boost revenues received from merchandise. I plan to continue cutting on beat throughout the song to make sure that the narrative is conveyed in a fast pace. To cut the clip on beat I had to identify where the drummer hits the snare drum. I did this by looking at the music track and seeing where the volume became much louder. When I found this point I would split the clip so that it ended when the hit occurred, creating a quick jump cut from one scene to the next.

Fade to white transitions:

I used fade to white transitions during the nature sequence of my music video, as it is a soft transition. This in turn slows the pacing of the music video down allowing ample time for reflection, which was the purpose for the nature cut aways as water is commonly used as a symbol for reflection in modern videography. Moreover, the colour white has connotations of purity and which could be associated with nature, so the two coincide naturally. The purity of the colour white also gives the audience a break from the dark tones and themes explored in the music video. To implement these transitions, I went to the transition section of iMovie and dragged it onto the media tray. I then placed it between the two clips that I wanted to transition between. I plan to use this editing technique again later in my video as I have found it useful and effective in conveying my intended connotations.

Speed up clips:

I decided to speed the drum kit establishing shot up as its purpose was to reveal the location for the next sequence of the music video and to intensify the build up to the chorus. So, this segment had some significance but not enough to last for 10 seconds. I changed the speed of the clip be selecting the clip that I wanted to speed up, then I clicked on the speed modifier and clicked custom speed. I was then able to speed up the clip by whatever per cent I wanted to. The original clip lasted for 10 seconds which is too long as it would cause the audience to lose interest in the narrative and the music video altogether. Moreover, the length of the clip made the pan really slow which didn’t work when applied to the song as the song has a fast pace with a beat that cuts sharply. So, in order to fix these issues, I quadrupled the speed of the clip, reducing the clip’s length to 1.3 seconds, however this was way too quick as the speed made the pan and pull focus look disorientating. Furthermore, the clip was nowhere near the sharp cut which occurs when the drummer hits the snare after the long pause with no drumming. So instead I doubled the speed of the clip increasing its length to 3.2 seconds but once again this was too fast as it had the same disorientating effect. In the end, I set a custom speed, increasing the speed of the clip by 110% making the clip last for 6.1 seconds, which created a nice transition and provided ample time to establish the new location. The length of the clip also fitted well with the slower pace of the song without dragging on. Furthermore, the pull focus and pan were no longer disorientating due to the slower pace of the clip. So I was able to achieve the clip’s intended effect without compromising the object of conveying the narrative in a fast enough pace so that the audience doesn’t lose interest. I plan to use this editing technique again later in my video as I found it useful and effective in conveying my intended connotations.

Audience Feedback:

My target audience liked the video overall, however they did mention some things that I could improve. Some of them liked the pacing of the video and how I consistently cut on beat. However, others thought that I overused it to the point where it became boring and repetitive. To combat this I plan to adjust the video so that it features different transitions like fading to white and cross dissolving to make the video more captivating. However, the song has sharp beats that are repeated throughout the song, meaning that the jump cut will remain as the transition that is used primarily.

Moreover, they also suggested that some of the clips were way too long and tended to drag on a bit, meaning that they began to lose interest. My response to this will be to shorten these clips to increase the pace of the video in order to retain the audience’s attention.

Additionally, my target audience thought that adding in a few cut away shots would benefit the flow of the music video and would aid in the video’s ability to captivate the audience. My response will be to add in some cut away shots to establish new sequence locations and to slow down the pacing of some parts of the song for dramatic effect.