Backup casting video

This is my group and Is backup casting video. This video consists of individuals who we have chosen as our backup performers / band members. We have made sure that these individuals are just as good as our main cast members. We selected these individuals as our backup cast members due to the fact they are able to play their instruments very well, provide good and strong energy which is a key concept and look the role in which they will be playing which further plays a massive part in our performance. 

I edited my group and Is backup casting video and uploaded it to youtube. I had to gather our selected individuals who we wanted as our backup cast and had to record them performing their instruments to our selected song (Where is My Head?). I then placed these clips into iMovie and edited them together.

Backup cast

In case anything happens to our main cast we need to make sure we have a backup cast. These individuals have to be just as good as our main cast as the chances we might have to use them are high as anything could happen before shooting. This is our backup lead singer, guitarist, bass guitarist and drummer. 

Backup Drummer - Fred Deer

We chose Fred as our backup drummer as he is able to play the drums extremely well and bring the same atmosphere and energy which is needed for a band and he matches and adheres to pop rock stereotypes. 

Backup Guitarist - Douglas Wadsworth 

We chose this individual as our backup guitarist as he is further able to play the guitar very well and he also matches our genre stereotypes and physically looks like a band member. 

Backup Bass Guitarist - Tommy Mcclung
As there are not many bass guitarists at school this individual was much more difficult to find. We had to ask multiple of individuals if they could play and we ended up finding around 3-4 boys who could play bass guitar and we auditioned all of them but Tommy was the only one who could not only play very well but also suit the role of a bass guitarist in a pop rock band. 

Backup Lead Singer - Ashton Herny-Reid
We chose Ashton as our backup lead singer as he is very charismatic and he portrays strong characteristics and carries big energy. He is also very confident and this is a key factor when being the lead singer in a band.

Potential Chosen Cast

These are portraits of our potential chosen cast members who we have casted for our music video. In order to select these members we had to cast multiple different individuals for each role in which they will be playing. Once we had selected these individuals we got them to perform the full song, this enabled us to get a feel and sense of how it would be when we actually film it and this also allowed us to see these individuals perform.

George A - Lead Singer 
We chose George as our lead singer out of all the other individuals who auditioned, we did this because George was the only person we auditioned who turned up on time, was excited to film his audition, was invested with our music video idea and wanted to hear more, and as we were filming his audition he had so much energy and you could tell by his facial expressions and persona that he was excited and enjoying himself. You can also tell that this individual has potential of creating a star image, this is key for creating a music video and music campaign.

Felix - Bass Guitar 
We selected Felix as our bass guitarist not only because he can play bass really well but he also looks the part, and he adheres to pop rock genre band conventions. This was extremely important for us while auditioning these individuals for these roles as we had to make sure they could play their instruments well but also look the role and we had to make sure they would work well with other band members and performing. 

George R - Drummer 
As a group we struggled to find a selection of drummers but once we found 3-4 we were happy with who we selected and were confident with our choice. George is able to play the drums very well, and is a good performer which is a key concept for creating a music video and music campaign.

Molly - Guitar 
We have chosen a girl for our guitarist, we decided as a group to subvert to genre conventions and challenge them. This has the ability to attract a wider audience as individuals may be intrigued as to why we chose this girl and how it may affect our music campaign. Molly is an extremely good guitarist and she is also extremely confident when playing and performing, this further attracted us as a group to choose her.

Subverting To Stereotypes

We have selected a female for the role of the guitarist. By using a female we are subverting to genre conventions and a pop rock genre stereotypes. We decided to use a female for this role because she bring the energy and atmosphere better than any of the other individuals who we casted. She is also very talented playing the guitars which further emphasised why we would use her. By subverting to this genre type we are playing with stereotypes and challenging them, this further makes it more interesting and different to any other pop rock genre band, as this is something unusual. Furthermore this will attract a wider audience and attract individuals attention.

Casting video

This is my group and I's casting video. This consists of different credits and potential individuals who will be casted for our music video. We have casted guitarists, bass guitarists, drummers and lead singers. We are looking for people who have the talent which is needed, the energy and the enthusiasm this is our main focus and what will determine who we cast for our music video. 

I decided to take control in editing our casting video for our music video. These are screenshots of me editing the video.

Legal letter of copyright

As a production group we had to write up a legal letter which we would send to the record label which owns our chosen song. Our song is Where Is My Head? by KID DAD, as a group we did research on this band and found information about this band. Once we had gathered the necessary information we then emailed the record company asking for their permission to use this song.

Our legal letter to Long Branch Studios.

Research into similar products and genre

For this presentation I have looked into genre conventions for pop rock bands. I have examined and looked at 4 different bands and looked at their similarities and differences within technical and symbolic conventions, I have also looked at their digipaks and star image. 

Advanced Lighting Workshop

This lighting workshop enabled us to become aware with the different lights used in a studio and the different lights used to film videos. We were introduced to a variety of different lighting techniques and lights and the effects which can be created.

The main lights which are in the studio are called house lights and worker lights.

One of the main lights which are used are called red head lights, these lights are called red head lights because the head of these lights are usually red. When using these lights you have to make sure these lights have a protected cover over them because these lights are prone to blow which is a safety hazard. These lights are also very bright so you have to make sure you have adjusted the white balance and exposure levels on the camera, to ensure you get a clean and sharp shot. 

You can use a specific paper called trace paper which is made from a specific material which will enable the paper to not catch fire and burn from the light. This is placed over the light and enables the light to come across as a much softer and warmer tone. 

This type of lighting is called key lighting.

There is another light which is called fill lighting. This fills the shadows and underexposed elements of the model and of what you are filming.

This light which is placed at the back is called a blonde light but can also be called a black light. This will step the model out of the background.

These three lights complete a 3 point lighting setup.

Beauty lighting is a light which enables you to create a shallow depth of field which allows you to get a sharp focus on the camera.

You can also use a matte box, these block out the dirty light which is visible in shots and comes into frame while shooting. This has an effect of creating a beautiful shot with everything exposed to the correct dimensions and everything in focus.

A different lighting setup would consist of this theatre flat with a plastic gel sheet which has been placed over it. This has the effect of creating shadows and silhouettes but also creates an incredibly soft and warm light, due to the light being broken up.

To change the colour of the lighting setup you can use gels which come in a variety of colours, you place theses over the camera and these create the effect of a different coloured light being used.

These are fluorescent lights, these lights create an LED lighting effect. These lights work better when they are separated and when one light is used as the back light and the other light used as the key light. These lights can also be used in scene and in shot, therefore they are not just used as lights aside the camera.

This light is a photo-flow light. This light creates a warm and soft effect which also picks up a lot of light, this is useful light to use while shooting.

This last light is called a highlight, this is made of bar lights which creates a cold effect. This light also enables you to create an extremely sharp focus which is key for dancing and action shots, this can be created with a low shutter speed.

Advanced Camera Workshop

Shutter Speed and FPS (frames per second)

We will be using a black magic camera to film our music videos. The shutter speed on this camera is measured in degrees. The shutter speed is to do with motion and movement (especially blur). The main degree in which this cameras shutter speed lies is 180 degrees, this allows your image to be in neutral and allows the motion to look realistic and like real life. 75 degrees is much less realistic and this is normally used to film action which is taking place.

By adjusting the shutter speed you get a sense of different motions and movements which are being portrayed. A shutter speed at 360 degrees is much less useful but it can be used to create a dreamy and more romantic effect. Frames per second, is the amount of photographs the camera takes per second to produce media. 25 FPS is the set number for the UK. If you are shooting something in slow motion this number then increases. 

The camera and lenses 

You shoot typically using prime lenses for music videos. Prime lenses are used instead of zoom lenses, they have a fixed focal length. These lenses have much more detail and are much better quality as they are set to a specific job which results in them being ultimately better at shooting and capturing what you want to capture. All the prime lenses have numbers on them, this indicates the millimetres and tells us what millimetres the lens is. Using prime lenses when shooting is much more time consuming but it is worth it and produces much better results and outcomes. Prime lenses do not zoom, they have one focus and one set up, to focus the camera and lens you have to use a tape measure. 

You have the measure the distance from the camera and the individual you want to film, you then place the measuring tape in line with the focus plane which is a circle with a line down it. When you know how far away they are from the camera you then adjust the focus wheel and match how far the subject is.

 

The standard set up for filming a performance is for them to look like this:

To make your shot and music video to look better you need to dismantle the original set up and adjust it so that it looks better on the camera. Depth is extremely important, the depth of field will always make the scene look better and always adds something to make it more interesting.

Directing

Communication and directing is very important for setting up and filming. You must be very precise and strict with what you want from the individuals who you are filming. This will make the filming much easier for you and everyone else you are working with. 

Mood Board - reflects audiences' interests

This mood board is a visual representation of what our target audience are interested in and what they like and be attracted to.

Audience Profiling

Who is our target audience and why?

Our selected target audience is teenage girls between the ages of 16-17, we have selected this age range and gender because they are more likely to be attracted and enjoy the image which we are going to create. 

JICNARS

JICNARS is a method for segmenting target audiences, according to various significant social criteria's such as, gender, class race, and sexuality. This is a necessary element for any label or artist and also for anyone wanting or trying to sell anything. To sell anything you need to be aware and understand your targets needs and wants. Our chosen target audience falls into the category of E, as they are still in education and under 18. 

VALS (psychographic profiling) 

VALS focus on psychographic segmentation, also know as lifestyle profiling. VALS stand for Values, Attitudes and Lifestyle classification system, all of these factors are arranged into a number of distinctive categorises which are used to predict consumption. Combines a psychological profile of the consumer. 

Teenage VALS 

Teenage VALS are VALS which are directed at a younger audience. These will be targeted at our target audience as our audience are female teenagers. 

Feedback from Full Treatment

As a production group, my group and I presented our visual and full treatment to our class and teachers. We received both negative and positive feedback from the members of our class and teachers and this further enabled us to work on our idea and adapt our idea to make it work better. 

We then as a group discussed what we would change with our initial idea and what we could do which would enable us to fit the genre more.

We discovered that we need a different introduction to open the music video, instead of the video opening with one of the band members opening the fridge. Our new idea would be the camera coming in and going towards the band members and filming everyone through different angles and zooming in and out and messing around with camera and placing it on the floor and knocking it over. This handheld performance will be carried by the main performer. 

Our feedback from our set ups was that we need to make sure the basement in which is going to be our main set up is very 90s, and make sure it is visible and clear that this is a 90s vibe and aesthetic. This can be done by posters, signs, furniture and the clothing which the band members will be wearing. 

We also discovered that a lot is going on with this initial idea, it does not seem like a lot is going on but different things keep happening and changing, this will automatically result in a hectic and busy video which may either annoy the viewer or make it too much to focus on the actual music.

The key feedback in which we received was to consider lighting and to make sure we are following key genre conventions within a rock pop genre, to make sure the basement is very 90s themes, the VCR effect to be based on the lead singer, and for casting we need to cast our lead singer who is a very charismatic and someone who has energy and has a big personality in which can be portrayed throughout their acting and performing, the last key feedback which we received was to make sure our video visually matches.

Full treatment presentation 1

My group and I completed a full treatment presentation in order to break down and analysis our music campaign. We worked as a group to complete this full treatment for one of our music campaign ideas. This allowed us to visualise our ideas and see if our idea would work with the concept around the song. 

First group meeting

My production group and I had a meeting with Mike and Luke. From this meeting we decided which song we were going to select. This song was one of the songs which I found online, from the band KID DAD, with the song Where Is Your Head?, released in 2017. We discovered this song would be easy to cast, would create a fun and enjoyable music campaign and music video, and we would be able to create a music video which has not been released, (as this song does not have a music video). From selecting this song we are provided with a sense of reassurance as this song is highly unlikely to become very well known or shoot up the charts any time soon, due to the song having 37,342 views in 5 years. 

Music video advice

Creating a music video for a band is much easier in comparison to a solo artist. 

Bands make money by performing at live shows, and normally music videos of bands are of them performing on stage, this provides the viewer with a brief insight of what their performances may be like live and the atmosphere and persona in which they carry.

A music video is all about the personality, characteristics and how the artist presents and carries themselves throughout the video, this invites and attracts the audience. The audience are then able to either relate to these artists or not, but it provides the viewer with an insight into these artists lives and what type of individual they are. An example of an artist who portrays their personality throughout their music videos is Lady Gaga, and this has resulted in her being very successful and doing very well within the music industry. 

Scary and dangerous music videos sell very easily and extremely quickly as it makes people pay attention as they are unable to take their eyes off it and want to keep watching to see what will happen next. There is an idea around presenting the artist as  a 'bad guy' or 'bad girl' which will further attract a wider audience.

Set ups have to be something which can easily be adjusted, taken down or set up to minimise the amount of time spent and taken from filming the actual music. More set ups will be necessary for shooting a solo artist music video, in comparison to a bands music video which will need one or maximum two sets. There will be more going on in the bands music video in terms of the different camera angles and shots (close-up, mid-shot and wide shot), whereas for a solo artist this is more difficult to complete. Multiple set ups are necessary in order for the music video to stay interesting and the viewer to stay engaged. A set up should provide you with 30 seconds of film, therefore when planning a set up you have to be thinking, will this give me 30 seconds of film?

Early feedback from song choice

We received feedback from our song choices and from this feedback we were able to see key conventions and things which would be expected through the song choice, looks and attitudes which may be portrayed and how easy or hard it would be to cast individuals for the chosen song.

The feedback which I received from DoubleThink, Living Drones was that the this song is easy to identify that it is an artist, instead of a band. The genre is easy to identify that it is a techno electro, and alternative type of genre. For casting, this would be generally easy to cast as all that is needed is a male, who is not too young as the voice throughout the song is quite hidden, which could also be difficult to lip sync to as it is difficult to identify what the words actually are. For the ideas which could be generated around it, there would be a variety of visuals, graphics and colours which are presented but also dark colours and very stylistic lighting. 

The second song which I received feedback from was KID DAD, Apartment. The feedback was that this song is easily identifiable that it is a band which is performing and the genre is a pop/rock genre. For casting this song would be easy to cast but a key factor was that the individuals how would be casted must be able to play their instruments. The things which would be expected to see throughout this music video would be instruments, bright colours, a focus on the lead singer but also based on the genre the whole band together but also individually each band member performing solo. The main target audience for this song would be mainly a dominated female audience. The style presented through this song would be bright colours, trendy clothes, a chill and mellow vibe and nice performance elements. 

The feedback which I received from both these performances were both critical and positive, which allowed me to see both sides of the song choices which I selected therefore enabled me to evaluate and analysis which would work better when making this music campaign.