Research of Ancillary Products-C.D Covers

Planning for Music Video

Stop Animation Videos

For my Final product, I will be creating a Music Video using an original piece of music. The genre of the piece will be Indie/ Alternative. The techniques that I would like to involve in this piece is both Stop animation and filming which will be done with a Cam corder. I have decided to use Stop animation in my video as I believe it is a very effective tool, whether used to capture a series of chronological character based events, or the movement of objects. Also I believe that it would appeal to my target audience as it is a device which is not regularly used in music video's.and therefore would be something different to the typical "flesh is best" video recorded style music video. This again relates to the alternative music genre which my music video is based upon.












Above are a few examples of Stop Animation videos from You tube which I found interesting yet also helpful. To create a Stop Animation Video a still's camera is used to take numerous pictures of a certain action. The effect is visible as each photo or scene is created by taking an image of a person or object that has changed ever so slightly in to a different position.However, as I have discovered as a result of attempting to create a stop animation video, the effect of the video is altered dramatically depending on how much you alter the position of objects or people after each shot, meaning that when I barely altered the position of the objects, the result was a fluid almost like it had been filmed. Yet when I changed the position of the object more it was evident that they were taken with a camera. After that these pictures are "put together" in the editing process. Further the pros of using this technique is that you can create things that cannot be done using filming. This is shown in the Video "Lost things" which has an almost Alice in wonderland appeal to it. An example of this is when the main character is "falling" down a "hole" in the carpet. This could not have been filmed without the use of special effects if it was filmed,however as the director of this video has used stop animation, they have been able to fool there audience into believing it is actually a hole the main character is falling down. This use of creating effects that can not be done easily or effectively with filming has also been used in the Video "Her morning elegance" where the character appears to be underwater, These are both examples of a kind of "trick foolery." Also what can also be used in stop animation and is used in the video featuring the artist Ok Go, is that scene changes are in time to the beat of the music. This is a technique that I will be using with my music Video as I believe it is an effective technique to use.

Music Videos- Style Model 1 and 2

Story Board of Style Model

The first scene shows a close-up or rather "cut-in" of the musicians hand and guitar. This is also a useful technique that has been used as in the actually music itself no lyrics or singing has begun yet, therefore the audience are presented with what instrument is used in the introduction of the song. The lighting that is used is very dark on the left hand side and is lighter near the top of the guitar and musicians hand with the use of a light bulb behind the artist, this could have been used to portray the sombre and almost guilty feeling that can be understood in the song.

The second scene shows a Mid-shot of another musician holding a cello. Again, this not only relates to the music in what instrument is being played, yet also the use of shadows has been used yet again to portray the mood and emotion of the music. This may also be seen in the musicians posture as his head is bowed down in an almost guilty way, yet also emits a kind of deep or troubled thought which can be understood by the audience  through the lyrics of the song.The genre of this music which is Indie/Alternative can be understood, if not through the music, by what the Artist is wearing. This is because it is a suit that appears to be vintage and is also not the usual "on trend" appearance that is used by artist's of a pop, or Rn B genre.

The next scene is a repeated shot of the first scene. This may have been used to shown the repetition of a part played by this instrument.

In this scene, a close-up/ cut-in of the musician's arm and guitar is shown. Yet again, the use of shadows has been used again to convey the song's mood. Also from this shot, a rolled up sleeve can be seen. This may portray a kind of  traditionally masculine man rather than a jewellery clad excessively muscular kind of masculinity which is used in genres such as pop and Rn B.  Further more this also indicates the genre of the piece as again it is a more traditional and less "on trend" appearance.

                                                                                                                                                                                                       
In this shot, a zoom out has been used to show a very wide shot of the musicians performing on some sort of stage. The effect of this is that it appears that the band is playing directly to there audience. Fairy lights have been used for lighting and the use of darkness around the artist has been used again. From this shot a more simple and almost serenading appearance is used which again could convey the meaning of the piece.In this shot a cut-in of the musicians hand playing the piano is used to convey again what instrument is being played. The background,where fairy lights can be see, is slightly bury, meaning the musicians hand and instrument is the main element in this this scene.

 For this scene, the use of "crabbing" is used to show the musicians performing on stage. This shot which is also a medium two shot of the artists shown, is of the back of the musicians which therefore portrays again an almost serenading of a person/ audience that cannot be seen.This could mean that that the song is of a personal meaning as the song. Also the use of fairy lights and darkness where the audience would be is used. This again could convey the mood and the personal meaning(an almost wish I had said) of the song.

 In this shot, a close-up of the musician and instrument can be seen. This shows, as it has on numerous occasions, what instrument is being used in a particular part of the song. The use of darkness is used yet again which could have been used to portray the meaning of the music. Also, from this shot it can just about be seen the suit that the artist is wearing. This may represent the Indie/Alternative genre yet again.

In this scene, a medium close-up of one of the musicians is shown. Again from the artists attire it could be understood that the music is of an alternative/Indie genre. Also as the musician can be seen clearly, may also convey that this singer is the main artist in the band, which normally is the case in most bands.

 The next shot shows a medium close-up of the back of the musician that was previously shown, performing in an empty room. This could convey the personal and almost wish I had told you meaning of the song. The use of darkness again is used with some source of light in front of the artist. This could represent an  understanding of emotion or events that as a result was the reason this song came about.

In this shot, a tilt is used to show  the musicians performing. Again an almost serenading atmosphere is evident as a result of the use of fairy lights. Furthermore, it can be seen that the band is performing to an invisible audience which could portray the private meaning of the song. However, as the back of the the musicians are shown, it is almost like the audience is also performing with them.This may have been used to portray the insight we are receiving of the band's personal experiences through the song.

In this shot, a very wide close-up of the band performing is used. However this shot has been used previously, yet much dimmer lighting was used. The use of brighter lights in this shot  may represent the resolvence of certain events that the song was based upon