The Commissioning Process

10 Minute Short- Parasomnia Pre-Production Paperwork

Research for Music Video

For my music video I will be creating visuals for the song 'The Wanderer' By Dion DiMucci.

Song Research

The duration of this song is 2:51 minutes and throughout this time, we follow a single character make his way through life, picking up girls. The genre of the song is a mix between happy and light classical, Folk, Jazz and and Blues, which is a contrast to the adult and somewhat dark nature of the song. Due to the genres, this song is quite fast paced. There are varied paces throughout the song, but the song never really slows down too much. When the lyrics 'I roam around around around' the pace picks up in and the lyrics are said in beat with the music.

The overall meaning of this song is showing how some men treat women. The song goes into detail about moving from one woman to the next without considering their emotions or what damage it can do to a person. In the lyrics, a line says 'I go through life without a care' which suggests this character has no responsibilities and does what he wants, when he wants. It also says 'With my two iron fists'. This line gives good metaphorical imagery of his emotional state- he is cold and hard like metal.

Artist Research


The artist of the song 'The Wanderer' is Dion DiMucci who is an Italian-American singer from New York. The main style of clothing he wears in videos and performances, is from what we can tell from the black and white footage, is a black suit with a white shirt, but no tie. This is noticeable as most other people in the 'The Wanderer' music video are all wearing bow-ties or ties. This is due to the song and video being recorded in the early 60's. This was the main fashion around this period, therefore Dion would have worn this to fit in and impress the audience. A majority of his songs including 'The Wanderer', 'Runaround Sue' and 'Wonder Why' are all shot and performed in front of a live audience. This is unique, as most artists like to how interesting visuals accompanying his songs, but Dion prefers his charm, looks and talent as well as audience appreciation to act as his visuals. 

A lot of Dion's songs are based around women in some way, such as 'A Teenager in Love' and 'The Wanderer'. This could be a way of him releasing relationship stress or revealing personal traits. The tones of these videos are quite upbeat and joyful, until the lyrics are broken down and analysed. Due to his charm and high pace, happy beat music, the audience doesn't really take in the lyrics and just enjoys the happy environment of the crowd.

 

Planning

Synopsis-

My video will follow one nameless character who wakes up in bed next to a girl and decides to leave before she wakes up. We see him walk down the street with a smug smile on his face and a confident stride in his walk. He puts on his dark shades even though its not that sunny. He pulls out his phone and we see that he has texts messages from several different women asking where he is and saying they love him at the lyrics 'Oh well there's Flo on my left and there's Mary on my right And Janie is the girl that I'll be with tonight'. 

As he passes an attractive women he does a little dance with her and spins her around before walking off. We see him pass through different towns as the lyrics say 'Oh well I roam from town to town'. As he is walking through a town, he sees a woman put a drink down and check their bag- our character steals her drink while she isn't looking and continues to walk on as the lyrics say 'I go through life without a care'.

We will have a stop motion shot of a toy car driving around a globe as the lyrics say 'I hop right into that car of mine and ride around the world, Yeah I'm the wanderer, yeah the wanderer'

Some of these parts will be repeated in similar, but not identical locations when the chorus is playing, such as the 'I roam from town to town'.

Styles, Conventions and Techniques of Music Videos

Introduction

In this essay I will be exploring the different styles, conventions and techniques within the industry of music videos, throughout all the genres and eras such as narrative and surrealist videos

In Concert and ‘As Live’ Footage

Concert or a 'live' footage video is where a music video is made up of footage from the artist's concerts and live performances. Bring Me The Horizon done this for their song 'Drown'  in which the whole band is set up on a stage and plays out the song, with the camera and crew being the audience.


Narrative and Interpretive

A narrative music video is one in which there is a story the audience can follow. An example of this type would be Kodoline's 'All I Want' in which a person with facial abnormalities fall in love with a co-worker but is ridiculed for his appearance by other men, but eventually gets the girl. This narrative is told over the course of the 5 minute song.





Interpretive music videos are where the lyrics of the song match the actions of the video. This is amongst some of the most common styles of music video. The video for the Foster The People's song 'Call it What You Want' does this. In the video, some of the actions that the lyrics portray, happen in the video. This happens when the line 'call it what you want' is said and the actors all pull out megaphones and start to call out.



Surrealist/Absurdist

Surrealist and absurdist music videos are made when the video includes something that's represented in a highly exaggerated and extremely over the top manner. These kinds of videos don't often merge with other forms of music videos as they are often too 'out there' or surreal to be portrayed in a mainstream or conventional way. One of the only other form they do combine well with, is animation. This could be due to the fact that a lot of surreal concepts are manifested through weird, unique animations. An example of this would be Coldplay's song 'Up&Up'. In this video many shots are surreal such as when we see a bunch of people skiing down a pillow as if it was made of snow.



Impressionistic

Impressionistic music videos often ignore the outer, more literal meaning of the lyrics and tend to metaphors and imaginative concepts. This is often more artistic and uses visuals cues to match the emotion of the song. An example of this style of video is the song 'Clint Eastwood' by Gorillaz. This video as it includes visuals that don't really fit the lyrics until you analyse and break them down on a deeper level.



Intertextual

Synergy- Synergy within music videos is when the video itself is like a promotion or advert from what its showing. An example of this would be Will Smith's 'Men in Black' which was promotion for his film 'Men in Black 3'. In this video, he is in character as Jay, from the film and proceeds to dance around sets that are also from the film. The lyrics of the song with synergy videos are often to do with the product its promoting which is evident in 'Men in Black' when he references to events within the film franchise.



Allusion- Allusion is when a music video uses references to people, events or another media. This could be a dramatic or realistic recreation of a event or an actor playing a specific person from any point in history. An example of this is in the song 'Gay Bar' by Electric Six, in which we see a over the top interpretation of Abraham Lincoln.

Pastiche- Pastiche is an when a video imitates the style of another artist, which can be linked with parody. An example of this is in the song 'Men in Black Safety Defenders' which is a song made by Air New Zealand in which they parody and take the style of the song 'Men in Black' by Will Smith.



Homage-  Homage is when an artist pays tribute to another artist they take inspiration from. Often, aspects of the other artist's work will be use it in a music video in order to pay respect to the original work and carry on their legacy, so to speak. Thirty Second's to Mars' song 'The Kill' does this, as it uses specific locations and and themes from the Stanley Kubrick film 'The Shining'.

Animation

Animation in music videos is just when any kind of animation is used throughout. For the most part, videos are only labelled as animation if a large percentage of the it is made up of animation, not just a small part. An example of a fully animated music video is the song 'Feels Like We Only Going Backwards' by Tame Impala. This uses psychedelic imagery that is only achievable through the use of animation, as Tame Impala's style is one of a 'trippy' nature.


Lip-Sync

Lip-syncing is where the person in the video is mouthing along to the lyrics of the song. In a majority of cases, this is the artist mouthing their own lyrics. This style is often used to add a narrative aspect to the video, making any event seem more interesting. An example of this style is in the song 'Sledgehammer' by Peter Gabriel, in which he, the artist, can be seen center stage lip-syncing for the entire video.



Editing

Editing music videos is in someways easier than editing film or TV, as there is no real need for continuity and editors can be as free and creative as they can be, within limits of what the artist wants. The most common type of editing is editing to the beat, which is as simple as it sounds- they edit the visuals to the beat of the song. This allows it to flow consistently with the song and seem more suited to the rhythm. This happens in the song 'Congratulations' by Post Malone, as on each beat towards to beginning, it changes the visuals to a new person and line in the lyrics.

Post Production Effects- Effects added in the editing of a music video are added for various reasons, such as transitions, visual enhancers or to a dramatic change to the video. Most effects are added in post production as some are near impossible to re-create during filming. A large majority of music videos contain at least one use of post production effects, such as colour grading or chroma key. An example of a music video that uses effects is 'Seven Nation Army' by The White Stripes in which a constant loop of several different clips is layered together to add a psychedelic look. This footage is also colour graded to get the dark reds and blacks.



Split Screen-  A basic explanation of split screen is that the screen is split into two or more parts that show different footage or visuals. It is used in quite a few music videos, as it allows multiple story or visuals to be shown at one time- this is good to show contrast in narratives or between characters. Blink 182's music video for the song 'Always' uses split screen throughout in order to show 3 different versions of the same events. This adds a unique style to the video and shows the different ways the event could of played out.



Camera Movement

In the world of media, camera movement is the most common form of story telling. It happens in almost all forms of moving media, such as film, TV and music videos. In music videos, camera movement is especially important as it adds to the flow and rhythm of the video compared to the song. Without it, the video can seem slow and boring in comparison to the fast paced and up beat music. Camera movement is when the camera moves in any way, such as up or down, left to right, pans in, pans out and anything in between. Different camera movements can connote different emotions, such as a contrazoom often means someone is surprised or shocked whereas handheld movement is used to put you into the action or scene. A successful music video that uses handheld is Arctic Monkey's song 'R U Mine'. This video shows the artists travelling around with the camera and depicts them vlogging their experience and with this, handheld or the 'found footage' style is formed. This allows the audience to feel like they are there with the band.



Camera Angles and Shot Types

Camera angles and shot types are similar to camera movement in that they can both connote different things to the audience. An example of this is low angles symbolise power whereas high angles symbolise weakness and wide angles are used to show size and vastness. Angles are also used to show emotion, such as close ups on people's faces to show fear or sadness. Without a varied use of camera angles, a video can become repetitive and boring. Videos with a mixture of camera angles and movement are usually the strongest ones, as they are more dynamic and interesting to the audience. A recent example of angles within music videos is Ed Sheeran's music video for the song 'Shape of You'. In this video we see Sheeran training and becoming more fit. Throughout the video, many high angles are used to show his power as he becomes stronger and close ups are used in the scenes with his girlfriend in order to convey the emotions between the two characters.



Mise-En-Scene

Mise-en-scene is the world and set around the characters. This is a huge part of videos as it shows the audience the type of world the characters live and interact with. It can be immersive if an environment is believable enough and can convey many different emotions if done correctly. A good use of mise-en-scene is in the music video for Skrillex's song 'Purple Lamborghini' in which the character's move through a lively night club. This fits the over the top tone of the characters and mood of the song which is loud and in your face.

Single Camera Techniques

This essay will be defining, explaining and giving examples of single and multi camera productions. There are many different types of media that use both techniques to get the job done, but some are easier than others.

A camera is used on all moving picture productions and is the main component in making a piece of media. On genres such as soap operas and sitcoms use a multi-camera set up in order to capture the action from more than one angle at the same time. This provides insurance that the footage will be edited in a fluent way and continuity is kept consistent. The disadvantages of using this kind of set up is that there is an amount of freedom of camera movement and angles at one time, as other cameras or equipment could end up in shot. An example of this would be Eastenders, which is a British soap opera which has always used multi-camera set ups throughout their history.

Single camera productions are also common, but are usually used on films and serials. This is done to ensure that the director has complete freedom of camera operation and the choice of where it can go, without the other equipment being in the shot, but directors often result to multi-cam for action set pieces such as explosions, in order to get multiple angles of the same thing, instead of spending more of the budget on having multiple explosions. As well as this, using a single camera can lower the costs of a production as the budget does not have to be spent on multiple versions of a camera. Despite this, there are some drawbacks with this type of production such as having to move the camera and all other equipment each and every time a different angle is needed as well as continuity being harder to control and keep consistent. This set up is used on films such as 'Marvel's Avengers' and TV shows such as 'Sherlock'.

Lighting

Lighting within productions is a big part of what makes the footage look more professional in quality. In single camera productions, lighting has its benefits and drawbacks- one benefit being that you can place lights in more places without having to worry about getting it shot of a second camera. Despite this, a drawback is that it takes a lot more work to get lighting right, as each individual light needs to be moved for near enough every shot. This doesn't happen on multi-camera productions as more lights are used and placed in consideration of the different angles captured on the different cameras.

Audio

Audio in single camera production is similar to lighting, as you have more freedom to put boom poles and microphones in more places than on a multi camera production. With single camera productions, a short space is left between hitting record and saying action- this allows audio to be synced easier in editing. This method also allows the audio to sound more natural and fluent once edited together. A lot of sound effect such as foliage, footsteps and background noise, would be recorded and added in post production. In television shows such as X-Factor or The Chase, lavaliere microphones are used in order to pick up audio from everyone on screen, such as the contestants and host. These mics are often visible, as these types of media are reality, not fiction or scripted. On fictional shows such as The Walking Dead or Doctor Who, boom microphones are used so that the audio equipment isn't seen and therefore immerses the audience in the world. Single camera productions use directional microphones that pick up audio from one specific direction. This form of microphone allows clear and crisp audio to be picked up from each character and edited together later on.

Coverage

When on set of a production, most directors like to get a lot of coverage of a scene. Coverage is the amount of footage you get throughout a shoot. Often this coverage is made up of multiple takes of a scene or different angles of a scene. Getting a lot of coverage allows the editor to have more choice with what to use. Some takes may contain bad lighting, bad performances, mistakes or anything similar. Multi camera productions use more than one camera to increase the amount of coverage they get, whilst decreasing the amount of time they spend getting it, as single camera productions have to rearrange all the equipment to change angles. An example of a multi camera production that does this, is 'The Big Bang Theory', in which they use more than three cameras in order to maximise coverage. Using digital cameras on productions allows the cost to stay relatively low, as SD cards are a fraction of the price of rolls of film.

Editing

Both single and multi camera productions take a long time to edit, as hours of footage has to be sifted through in order to find the best takes to use and piece together in the best way possible. A problem of multi camera productions is the amount of wasted footage there is at the end of the process, as hours of takes and reshoots can be left on the cutting room floor. Despite this, shows that are performed live such as 'F.R.I.E.N.D.S', use multi camera productions to allow quick angle changes at any moment instead of cutting after each close up or wide shot.

Genres

Period Dramas-

Throughout TV, there are countless genres of shows that can use either single or multi camera set ups. For example, period dramas are shows set in a specific time period such as World War II or Medieval Times. They use costumes, locations and dialogue from the time in order to immerse the audience and create a believable mise-en-scene. For the most part, these types of shows are single camera productions as this allows full creative control on the directors part, as they can show minute details and create more personal moments with each character. Downton Abbey is a good example of this, as it is a film based in British history with accurate costumes and realistic locations.


Crime Drama-

Typically, crime dramas follow either detectives or criminals in a cat and mouse style narrative. These shows are usually very narrative driven which means the director and actors must try to convey the most realistic and dramatic story they can. In this genre, a lot of directors use their most skill as they use connotations and hidden meanings to create an undertone for the show. This is again done through single camera as they can have full control of what is seen and hidden. A heavy style is usually added to crime dramas, such as dark lighting to match the gritty tone of the narrative and characters. An example of a crime drama is 'True Detective' which follows two detectives tracking down killers and is a single camera production.




Horror-

This genre is one based on scaring the audience. Some directors use easy methods such as jump scares and scary monsters, but others such as 'Stranger Things' use sound and lighting to create a creepy atmosphere. Jump scares are created by adding sudden burst of something scary and a loud sound effect and rush of music being added to an otherwise slow and seemingly innocent scene, to shock the viewer. This is typically done with a single camera as these types of shows or films have to connect on an emotional level with audience by using close ups and slow movement which a director can only really get from using one camera at a time. 'Stranger Things' uses an 80's theme of horror mixed with paranormal elements to create a very stylised for of horror.

Comedy-

Comedy is a genre that focuses on making the audience feel amused and comfortable. This is achieved through light characters, humorous dialogue and funny events. A lot of comedies on TV are Sitcoms, which are multi camera productions, such as 'The Big Bang Theory'. This is because multi camera productions are typically more character based. More than one camera is used at a time in order to ensure quick, comedic delivery of a line and the reaction of the other characters. An example of a single camera comedy is 'House'.













Soap Opera-

Soap operas are character based shows centring around conflict between the characters. They put these characters in dramatic situations in order to create a more intense version of reality. Soap operas are usually shot on sets specifically built for the show, so the set up is designed for multi camera productions as cameras can only shoot from certain angles because of the lack of a fourth wall on the set in a lot of cases. Single cameras are used when real, pre-existing locations are being used, which is rare on soap operas. An example of a multi camera soap opera is Emmerdale which is the longest running British soap opera and has used multi camera production since the beginning.

Formats

Series-

There are multiple types of formats that shows can be released in such as series, serials and single dramas. A series is an episodic show that has no over arching story and each episode is its own inclosed story. This happens with a lot of comedies and animation shows such as 'Family Guy' as they're more focused on the laughs rather than the story line. Sometimes a small amount of the narrative is carried over to a few later episodes, but for the most part each episode is a whole new story with the same characters. Characters can develop throughout the series, but usually past events are not mentioned after the episode ends.

Serial-

Serials are shows that have a story line that is consistent throughout all episodes and seasons, keeping continuity for each character and location. An example of this type of show is AMC's 'Breaking Bad' in which the story and continuity ran for five seasons and followed what each last episode done for the narrative. Soap operas are considered serials, due to the high number of episodes and the consistent narrative and continuity throughout them all. Soap operas have no real protagonist and instead focus on many different characters in each episode, giving some more screen time than others depending on who has the main story line at the time. Soap operas don't typically have an end planned and continue until the creators decide on a definitive ending or the show gets cancelled by executives. An example of a long running soap opera is Eastenders which has run for more than ten years consistently and has kept the same narrative going.

Single Drama-


Single dramas are one time narratives that only last for one episode- similar to a TV movie. These story lines are usually quick and simple to tell, as there is not enough time to go in depth with character and plot.

Conclusion

Single camera productions are a long and somewhat tedious process, but allow the director to have more control over the visual side of the story. The fact that this process takes longer than a multi camera production, means it can cost more too. Despite this, single camera productions often come out with a high quality product as more time and care go into making it which allows the audience to feel more invested in the diegesis once the story is crafted. A more unique style can be added to a single camera production with different angles and movement being used by the director. As well as this, a wider varieties of locations are more accessible with the lower amount of equipment used on single camera productions, so better places can be found to shoot in. Lighting can be controlled more on a single camera production and therefore better suited to each individual shot allowing a consistent style to remain throughout. Despite this, continuity errors are more likely to appear due to the amount of takes and shots that take place for each scene, giving more room for small background changes or costume changes to slip through to editing unnoticed.

Multi camera productions can also take a long time to film and edit, but can often be quicker than the alternative. This is due to the less amount of re shoots and angle changes that come with single camera productions. Continuity errors are often less frequent due to the fast pace of the production of each scene. Broadcasting live is a possibility due to mixing desks allowing shots to be switched on the go instead of editing them in post. In contrast to this, lighting is harder to perfect due to the limitations of where equipment can be placed in fear of getting it in shot. The director of the production has a lot less control of the way a production looks, as angles and moment are limited due to the possibility of the edges of sets or equipment ending up in shot. As well as this, the amount of equipment used on multi camera productions means sets have to be built especially for the show and can limit what real locations they can film on due to space limitations.