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While waiting for my band to get back to me with times that they are avaliable to film, I have been watching other music videos for inspiration, so I have some ideas of what angles and shots to capture during the actual filming.


I like the shots which show a camera while its filming the lead singer, at 0:29 where the camera pans across the screen and at 0:41 where it focuses on the screen to show the singer performing.





I also like the layout of the band on the set of Nickelback's song Someday, with th lead singer at the front and the rest of the band standing far away from each other (unlike regular band setups), with the empty space filled with extra equipment to reduce that blank appearance. The significance of standing far apart reflects to the narrative of the music video, where a husband dies but then gets reunited with his wife when she dies as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VMFdpdDYYA

I also like the use of lighting in Muse's Starlight music video, where it begins at dawn as the sun is rising over the oil tanker, and then progresses into nighttime as if the song would last all day and the second part had a darker sense of meaning.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pgum6OT_VH8

These are just some examples of music videos I have been watching for inspiration and ideas, and so when I film my actual video performance scenes I might incorporate what I have mentioned here.

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I have now started drawing my detailed storyboard which will be used as a guide for me when I am filming. I have also contacted my unsigned band and asked when they are free during the week so I can film the instrumental part of my music video, which I can then begin to edit on the computer before I film the narrative after Christmas.

E-mail from Tony, lead singer saying he will talk to the band about when they are free.

Target audience and background information on band

My song ‘The Power of Heights’ is a Rock song, because it was created by the unsigned Rock band Lime Shark. I know they are a rock band because of their instruments- two electric guitars, a bass and a drum kit all accompanying two lead vocalists, which form a ‘quartet’ where the music comes in four parts, to give that Rock sound of lyrics, guitar, bass and a drumbeat.

Lime Shark are a Progressive-style rock band, based in South Lincolnshire and consisting of four members: Singer and guitarist Tony Bodimead, vocalist and bass player Paul 'Wizbat' Watson, vocalist and guitar player Jamie Peters and drummer Gary Wise. They have been in existence for over 7 years and have produced one album so far, while also performing gigs across the UK and the world.

The album which this song comes on ‘The Money Clock’ is a classic 1970’s Prog Rock album; since a lot of the songs follow the verse-chorus narrative based structure where they put a lot of depth into telling a story in the lyrics. Possible elements might have been taken from 70’s bands such as Pink Floyd and Genesis. Because of the older style of music, the band’s target age group would be 20-55, mostly older men who would have lived through the Prog Rock era in the 1970’s, or younger adults who have experienced the 1990’s revival of this music style.

Using the uses and gratifications theory, I can also identify the audience- people might listen to this music as entertainment, for those who seek something alternative to increasingly popular Pop and R&B music, or to fill time or escape from their everyday lives. People might also listen for social interaction; those who want to fit in or connect with a certain group, so they listen to the popular genres amongst that group.

The band themselves have also identified an overseas audience-

“The band have performed at various open air festivals as well as theatre and club gigs all around the UK. Lime Shark are also establishing fans in Brazil, Germany, Italy and the USA, where their music and videos are creating a lot of interest.” Thanks to their foreign performances and presence on the internet, more people have become attracted and so the audience is becoming larger more varied.

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At this stage now, we need to begin filming our music videos since the editing stage will take nearly a month, so I need the video clips by january. This week, I will start drawing my storyboard so that I have a clear idea of what shots and camera work I need to film, so the actual filming stage can go quickly and smoothly. I will also figure out the target audience for this song, a necessary addition so I know who the audience are and how to target them.

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Last week, I collected photos from my holidays and trips in the past to use as part of my camera shots and angles work. These are to show the different styles of camera work, which I will feature and mention in my music video, so you can see how I have tried to make as realistic and professional as possible. I will now begin to create a storyboard for the video which will be developed from the rough treatment I made two weeks ago.

Camera Shots Continued

Looking Space- If a character is looking in a certain direction, then there needs to be some space after that in the direction of view so the audience can also visually follow what they are looking at.































Rule of Thirds- If taking a photograph, the image is much more effective if you leave a third of the space blank- so don't frame the photo central.

1/3 of the photograph is taken up by the 'interesting' part, and the rest is left bare so as to add more emphasis on the lizard.

Here, 2/3 of the picture is taken up by the penguins because the photo was taken just to the left of being 'central' on them.

Over the shoulder- used for a conversation between two people- looking over the shoulder so the audience can be part of the conversation.

Camera Shots

Camera shots and angles used by the proper filming industries. These terms are what the BBC call them, but may be called something similar by other corporations. I have used pictures which I have taken in the past (or that friends have taken of me) to display the many camera shots and angles which we will be using in our music videos.

Extreme Long Shot (ELS), also known as establishing shot. This is used to set the scene by displaying the location with a very wide and long shot.

Long Shot (LS), displays a figure's entire body from feet to head, as shown in the photograph below.

Mid Shot (MS) also Medium Shot, shows the figures from their torso upwards. This is the most commonly used camera shot since the feet are rarely important to see.

Close-up Shot (CU), from the shoulders upwards, used to show someone's facial expressions.

Big Close-up (BCU)- a zoomed in shot of a certain body part or area- used to show detail

Low Angle- used to make something look bigger or more powerful because the camera is at a very low level.

High Angle- opposite of low angle, the camera is in a high location to make someone look smaller or weaker.

Birds Eye- an extreme high shot where the camera is looking down on everything- like a surveillance camera shot

Worm's Eye- opposite of Birds eye, the camera is at ground level looking up on something to give it that power/level appearance.