List of things to do for Filming.

I want to plan the process of this video out down to the very last detail, so I thinking manking a list of everything I need to organize will help me achieve the most authentic and quality video.

Setting for opening scene:
St. Andrews School- Hallways, Bathroom, Window, Parking Lot, Music room.


Actors:
Ellen Smithson, Vicky Sheridan (best friend), Extras.


Mise-en-scene (costume and props):

Costume
School Uniform- long skirt, shirt, knee high socks, dolly shoes or plimpsoles, glasses, tie, and hair in plaits, natural looking make-up.

Casual Clothes- Leather or Jean leggings, band t-shirt or going out top (cleavege), converse or high heels, leather jacket, puffy hair, heavy eye make-up (smokey eyes), aviator sunglasses.

Party Clothes- High waisted skirt or dress, white or black top, thin belt, leather jacket or blazer, high heels.

Props

Car- Silver, KA Ford.

Intsruments- electric guitar, microphone, drums, bass.

I've asked the people invloved in my video as extras to come equiped with the right clothes, and attitudes towards acting. My main character has learnt the words to the song and had studied the various music videos I sent to her, to get a good idea of the image and performance I want to achieve. Hopefully all will go as planned.

Planning for new concept.

Okay so I've given my new concept alot of thought and I've decided that it might be best to change parts of my original idea. Since I have gotten inspiration from Aerosmith's music videos featuring Alicia Silverstone, I had the idea of using intertexuality in my video from the opening scene of the video 'Crazy'.

The opening scene is basically a low angle, tracking shot focusing on Alicia's legs and feet, and gradually tilting upwards to the door shes opening, reavling a girls bathroom sign, which states the location of the scene, and could cause assumptions of what the narrative is going to lead too. It then cuts form shots of Aerosmith performing and Alicia escaping out of a window and running towards a car and being joined by her friend, changing out of their school uniform. Whilst in the car they are singing along to the song thats playing in the background while cutting back and forth to Aerosmith performing still.

This is something I want to try and establish in the opening scene of my video. I really enjoy the freedom and fun loving element of the way Alicia and Liv are just two best friends hanging out having a laugh, and also rebelling which gives it a sort of rock n roll edge. Hopefully this will fit in with my chosen song 'call me'. I am going to make a story board of my new idea tomorrow and upload it, with an animatic.

here are some screen shots from the video:































All of these images, have given me inspiration for costume, different camera angles, locations and props. The way the two girls are captured gives off a lively, fun loving but also sexual appeal, which is something I want to portray in the representation of Ellen because they are all qualitys that she has and make her appealing as an artist. The idea of a school girl, is brilliant because it's something that 16-25 year old females can realte to because it's reliving the memories of being young a rebelious for the young adults, and validating the thrill of being a teenager and causing mischeif for the younger audience. I believe this may also appeal to a wider audience, and broaden my inital target of just females, because the school girl theme attracts young boys/men, as it adds a bit of sex appeal which is something they desire and creates the impression of the type of woman they dream of. The fact that the song is a metal version of the blondie hit 'call me' also changes the audience, because its a heavy and more edgey sound that may not attract certain females because it has rather masculine aspects.

Change of concept.

I have been thinking about my music video and all the research I have done so far, and since I've been having problems filming and getting people to act for me I've decided it might be best to change my inital idea of using the band 'Batteries Not Included'. I still want to link my work from last year into this music video, and I've thought of a brilliant way to do this. Since my main character Natalie Saben, now goes to a different college than me it's really hard to arrange times when we're both free to film, and when we have planned to do so it hasnt worked out.

So after alot of deliberation, ive come up with a new idea. Ellen Smithson, lead guitarist of 'Batteries Not Included' is going to be the new star of my music video Call Me. She's embarking on her solo career as a metal rock chick, with her new single 'Call Me'. All my other planning such as the narrative of the video and image, will stay the same, it's just the main character I am changing. This means I need to plan out my time, and arrange photoshoots and days to film because theres not much time left to get everything finished. However it will be easier to get all my footage now, as I see Ellen everyday and shes willing to be the main star and knows all the words to the song. Hopefully we will get most of the filming finished by this week.



Possible images for album cover and posters:

problems.

I was hoping to get the rest of my fimling done over this weekend, however it didnt go as planned because the people I asked to help out couldnt make it and it resulted in me not being able to get any footage. I think I need to write out a proper plan and make sure that all my friends are prepared, to make this the best it can possibably be, like for example they need to be wearing the appropriate clothes, they need to learn the lyrics to my chosen song, and must be willing to do certain actions I ask. I didnt think it would be this difficult to actually film with the people i've chosen to be in it, but hopefull during this week or next weekend things will go to plan.

I did manage to get a few clips in the resturant nandos, of the band Batteries Not Included, just hanging out, laughing, chatting, being 'lads'. I decided that maybe I should show the different sides to them, because in my AS project they are portrayed as sexy but also have the lad element to them. So maybe during the whole 'party' scene of Natalie being all girly and getting ready for a night out on the town, inbetween in the appropiate timings I can have clips of the band being goofy, and having a laugh, free spirited, like one of the 'lads'. Once I get my animatic finished everything will be alot clearer.

Offical Decision.

I've offically decided to make this music video a collaboration between In This Moment and Batteries Not Included. I want to have it kind of in the style of an Aerosmith Music video where the actual band isnt in the actual story of the video, but theres clips of them playing their instruments. The main focus will be the band memebers from Batteries Not Included, and It's going to tell a story about the lead singer Natalie Saben. For the posters, album cover and website I have decided to make them maybe into images of Batteries Not Included whlist still using In This Moments name, but i'll add Featuring Batteries Not included somwhere. So basically its a collaboration without the song part.

I've already written out my story board, now I just need to take my photos and create an animatic of my whole idea. I'll be doing this over the weekend, because its difficult for me to film during school as my band memebers attend UCA in epsom, and I dont seem them often during the week. Hopefully I'll finish all my filming and get a head start on playing about with the editing and finding out what effects I want to use.

Music Video Trip To London.

Yesterday our class went on a trip to a studio in London, Brink Lane, called Rich Mix. It was a course where we recieved tips and information to help us with making a music video, the first speaker was a man called Pete Fraser who spoke about the history of music videos which ranged from the 30s up until today. It was very interesting to hear about how drastically people and techonology has changed over the years, and I really enojyed the contrast in how different things such as drugs, or life experience can influence songs/music videos. I also gained a better idea of what I need to include in my music video to make it brilliant from the examples he showed us from ex students, which were very amusing and well planned. I think I have benefited from attending this trip and I feel more confident about the final result of my video from the tips I learnt.