Review of progress and achievement to date

So far I have formed an idea for a music video, chose a song, practised using props and made arrangements with actors to make sure they will be available to film in the coming weeks.

Initial ideas

My initial ideas were to create a music video to the song 'a horse with no name' with a character who has a human body but a horse head, however I changed the song to '4 Morant' by Doja cat as I wanted to appeal to a younger audience and this song touches a lot of young people more emotionally as it came to popularity on the social media platform Tik Tok during lockdown when a lot of young people felt the loneliest. The main idea of the animal mask represents depression as it links to the shame of carrying depression/ being isolated and how isolation, whether from mental health issues or lack of acceptance can make people feel less than human, like an animal. I want to leave the video reasonably open to interpretation other than the overarching feeling of loneliness as people feel isolated for a variety of reasons, I think the horse mask will help with this also as by having the main character's face covered the audience is able to interpret it as any gender or nationality.

Media type and Media length

I have chosen music video as my media type and I will be aiming for a video approximately 3 minutes long, ending at a rational time for the music to peter off. 

 

The project concept and rationale 

The project concept is a narrative music video about loneliness, otherness and rejection in adolescence. My project aims to make people struggling with loneliness feel understood and give them hope that things will get better because I feel that loneliness is a pressing current issue that needs to be acknowledged more. 

 

Inspiration 

The film "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" was one of my biggest inspirations. The movie's poignant portrayal of the protagonist's isolation and longing for connectionis something I think most people can relate to to some extent as the struggle to fit in in adolescence is something almost all young people struggle with to an extent and through the protagonist's journey, the film encapsulated the raw and sometimes painful experience of feeling like an outsider, which struck a chord in my own life. The way the film artfully captured the protagonist's introspection and vulnerability through a blend of visuals, music, and storytelling left a real impression on me. It inspired me to explore the power of music to evoke a sense of loneliness and the human longing for companionship. Drawing from my personal experiences and the film's profound impact, I want to create a music video that authentically captures the emotional depths of loneliness and sparks empathy and understanding within its viewers in the same way this film did for so many.

 

Marshmello's music video for the song "Happier" was a big source of inspiration for me. The captivating storytelling and visual artistry in "Happier" struck a chord within me and evidently many others as it frequents ‘Try Not to Cry’ challenges on Youtube. I felt that its powerful narrative really showcased the power of simplicity and genuine human connection. The juxtaposition of a heartwarming friendship between a young girl and her loyal dog, despite the dog's ageing and inevitable passing, was really touching and I felt the slow build of the narrative was really powerful. This music video reminded me of the potential of music and visuals to elicit raw emotions and it has inspired me to explore ways to craft my own narrative that will captivate viewers and leave a lasting impact. 

 

What would you judge as a ‘successful’ final project

I would judge my final project as a successful final project by the audience's reaction to my project. I want my music video to create a lonely atmosphere at the beginning of my music video but leave the audience with a sense of hope after watching. In order to see if I was successful I will show my film to friends and family and ask them to fill in a form after watching to assess their reaction to it. 

 

Research 

For my research I will be looking at a range of films and music videos and looking at what techniques they use to create an engaging end result so that I can use these in my own music video. I will be analysing films and music videos specifically that had an emotionally impact on me personally because my video aims to emotionally impact the audience so I want to do a lot of in depth research into how to emotionally touch the audience like certain films and music videos have done for me. I will especially be looking at the use of colour to convey mood as this is something I personally really enjoy the use of in coming of age films like Thirteen and Moonlight. I will also be looking at a wide range of music videos genres and the progression of music videos over time so that I can pay homage to the videos that have come before mine and create a music video that is not stuck in one era, allowing it to be enjoyed by a large range of audiences. 
 

Action research

On top of the skill of operating and filming with a drone, I want to improve my video editing abilities on adobe. I want to learn how to use colour grading as my final chosen song (4 Morant) is a synthy electro pop melody and I want to use a more experimental colour palette to demonstrate this so I will learn how to use the colour tools on premiere pro. I also plan to learn how to make 2D animation for the intro and outro of the song as I want my music video to have a defined beginning and end to the narrative story.

 

Skill plan

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This project has been created by me to play to my strengths but to also explore my weaknesses. I created a skills chart of skills that I particularly want to develop and focus on and other skills that I do not need to put as much effort into because of my familiarity with them already. Some skills that I already feel confident in are my cinematography skills as a whole, with composition, camera angles, colour grading and overall visuals being my strong suit. Although I am already confident in cinematography, I am looking forward to developing my pre-existing skills in this topic, really exploring different lighting techniques and colouring. On top of my skills, I am also exploring a media type that I have not looked at previously, where I am making a music video, whereas previously I have worked more on projects that stem from the film industry such as short films, scripts and film posters. Skills that I am more unsure about/have not explored to my fullest capability definitely falls more into the pre-production side of things, such as storylines and script writing, which when working in groups I often leave to somebody else as my skills do not lie in those areas. However, I am confident in my story idea and I believe that it is interesting enough to create a genuinely good music video that I will be proud of. To develop my script writing skills, I will be focusing on primary research, garnering feedback from my friends who are better at creative writing than I am, ancI will also be watching a lot of tutorials and tips to make sure that my script does not fall flat and characters have purpose. I will also be learning the new skill of animation to create an intro and outro to my music video, I don’t have any past experience of animation but I feel confident that I will be able to learn this skill through youtube tutorials as I learnt all of my current editing skills through that medium. I will also be attempting to learn the new skill of operating a drone to film with as it’s something I’ve had an interest in for a while and I have the money now to buy one so I would really like to learn to use this so I could use some more nuanced shots for the music video.

Problems are what make a project a project - without problems there is no challenge, and without challenge there is no development in skills and talent. Although problems are often hard to predict, it is important to be prepared for anything in case a problem occurs while in production. To make sure these problems do not arise, it is vital that I plan thoroughly through the course of the project and tackle issues that are best done early than left late. A prime example of me doing this is the fact that I have already contacted actors and began my location recce, which is something that I could have procrastinated to do over pre-production, but took into my own hands to make sure that there are no schedule issues, lack of actors and a filming venue before I even make a script. In previous projects that I have worked with actors, I have great confidence in the actors that I will be working with on this film because I have worked with them previously on my film poster project and they were all really helpful and considerate and took my instruction well, also as we have already worked together previously they have a rough idea of the expectations and the process in order to create a piece of media so they will not be confused by what I’m talking about when I ask for certain shots. They also all have free schedules over the weeks of filming and live near to me so there shouldn’t be any issues with transportation or scheduling. 

 

Timetabled action plan 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Pre-production documents needed

I will need signed permission forms by my actors showing that I have their permission for their image to be used in my production. I will also need signed permission forms from any establishments I film inside e.g. restaurants. I will also need to make a call sheet for each shooting day and complete a risk assessment for the general risks of production. 

 

Target Audience

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Primary audience is the decision-making body; they are those people that directly influence the product. The needs, characteristics, consumption habits and preferences should be kept in mind during the production process. My primary target market for my music video will be teenagers and young adults and fans of the song '4 Morant' by Doja Cat. Secondary audiences on the other hand are groups that may exert an influence on the primary audience, such as children, associates, etc. For my music video the secondary audience will include friends and family of a viewer and people belonging from the age group of 30 and above.

For my target audience. I will be aiming to target teenagers and young adults as those are the main fans of the song and artist of the song which I will be using for my video (4 Morant by Doja Cat)  however I also would target subsections of society who are prone to isolation such as people struggling with mental health issues. I plan to do surveys and focus groups to find out more specifically about who to market my music video to.   

To ensure that my music video on loneliness resonates with my target audience of young people, I will take into account their age, influences, gender, and ethnicity, incorporating visual cues that specifically engage them through the narrative and performance. Understanding that young people are often immersed in digital culture and influenced by social media, I will utilise visual elements that mirror their online experiences, such as incorporating text messages and social media to depict the modern landscape of connection and isolation. Furthermore, I will strive for diversity and inclusivity in the video, representing individuals from various genders and ethnicities to ensure that all viewers can find relatability and representation within the narrative. By featuring characters and situations that mirror their own experiences, such as navigating friendship dynamics or coping with the pressures of online comparison, the video will foster a deeper sense of connection and empathy. Through the emotionally driven plot I will engage the audience on an emotional level, making the narrative and characters feel authentic and relatable. By considering the specific influences and experiences of young people and employing visual cues that resonate with them, I aim to create a music video that truly connects with and speaks to their unique perspectives and challenges.

 

Group I’m working with and my role 

I'm working with a group of actors who I worked with on a previous project. I chose this group because I know that we work well together because they are comfortable experimenting with ideas and they're schedules fit well with mine for filming time. 

My role in this group is director, camera operator, storyboard artist, screen writer and editor. I researched these ideas so I could feel more confident about what my role entails. The main responsibility of production lies with the director. A music video director is involved at every stage of the production process, helping and guiding others to do their job. In smaller productions (such as my own) the director also casts the talent for the video and assigns the individual roles. A music video screenwriter is responsible for coming up with a concept that fits the budget of production and when the concept is formed, writing down all that is going to happen in the video into a script. A storyboard artist's role is similar to the screenwriter except that instead of writing the ideas they sketch key moments so that the visual ideas can be shared. The music video's editor is responsible for then assembling the raw footage to assemble it together into one cohesive music video.

 

More on my job role and who inspired me

The main people I took inspiration from were music video directors as they usually make a lot of the decisions for the smaller roles such as camera operators and screen writers and they will work closely with the editor and are given the final cut.

One of my main inspirations for my job was Swedish film director Jonas Akerlund who has worked as a director for many music videos. Akerlund is very popular in the music video world and has worked with The Rolling Stones, Blondie, Madonna and many other famous faces and I really like his style of fast cuts and bright colours which I think is best demonstrated in the music video Telephone where he works with Lady Gaga and rhianna. I want to create an equally engaging emotionally charged video so I aim to take elements of his style and apply them to my music video as I think this use of editing techniques keeps the audience captivated and when combined with the songs on tempo it enhances the music perfectly which is really the main aim of all music videos. 

I also took inspiration from music video director Dave Meyers as his ability to evoke raw emotions through visuals is something I felt would fit well the themes of loneliness they I want to convey. I felt the use of blues, greens and beige that are recurring throughout his videos especially is something I want to emulate in my video to create a similar dark atmosphere. To apply his techniques to my own videos, I will study his use of lighting and colour to create mood and atmosphere so I can use similar techniques to allow me to visually convey the depths of isolation and depression. Furthermore, I will draw inspiration from Meyers' seamless blend of symbolism and metaphor, infusing my narrative with powerful visual cues that immerse viewers in the emotional journey of loneliness. Additionally, I will pay careful attention to his skillful choreography and authentic performances, ensuring that every movement and expression conveys fitting emotions for my characters portrayal of loneliness 

 

Mood board

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My target audience is mostly teens to young adults so I looked at a lot of coming of age films for this mood board. I want blue to be a dominating colour in my music video as it represents sadness so I also looked at films which use this colour i.e. moonlight. I also looked at some night street photography as the lonely atmosphere of the streets at night is something I want to use in my music video. I think an appealing feature to the audience is the relatability element as the protagonist will reflect the modern teen. I think the video is exciting in it's aesthetic features but also in it's unique metaphor for depression which I will work hard to reflect. What makes it different from other music videos is the underlying metaphor in the video. The ending of the video will give helplines and a reassuring message to the viewer.

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Some problems that I may encounter are issues with weather and filming. We are currently entering spring which is known for its unpredictable weather. In order to avoid this affecting my filming I will need to check the weather forecast in advance when filming outdoors and if I'm filming in rain purposefully to create an atmosphere I will need to make sure all appropriate props and equipment are built to survive rain.

Another problem I might encounter is issues with actors not being available to solve this problem. I will need to notify the actors of the time schedule for filming and see what days everyone is available on. I will also need to pick actors that I can rely on to not cancel last minute.

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Why will people watch my video?

In a study by Ahn et al. (2012) participants watched a sad movie and then answered questions about their mood, how realistic they thought the movie was, how involved they felt in the movie, and how much they enjoyed the movie. Results indicate that people enjoy sad movies through two mediators: realism, and involvement. According to the authors, ‘sadness enhances perceived reality and increases a sense of involvement, leading viewers to enjoy the sad film. I will aim to make the viewer feel seen and heard and empathise with the character in the music video.