Evaluation

Key Questions:

• The reasons behind problems and successes? 

I feel that my music video what reasonably well, I didn't have many problem, a few ups and downs of whether I would actually finish in time and a few that were easily solved but seemed bad at the time. And they did cause problems in timings. I have had slight hiccups that were and were not my fault such as the snow which have had in the last month, and things that I haven't kept on top of as much as I had wanted. I got a bit caught up in the editing, I kept cutting little bits out and swapping parts around and kept watching it over and over again just in case of any bit I hadn't cut out that should have been cut out. while doing this I could have been doing my CD covers and designing a poster. and I also didn't stick to my time-bounded plan well enough which i think effected my performance. I also had problems with filming, as I had to rely on my brother to take me and my niece to my filming destination, which wasn't easy. So I pretty much had to film it all in one afternoon, which took my stress levels up. But I feel that it was filmed well for the amount of time I had given myself to complete the filming. When I came back to put capture my video onto final cut pro, it looked better than I thought. And once I had found the right video to place in from YouTube it looked even better. The way I imagined it, wasn't the way it felt when  was filming, it felt my shot were going to come out not looking very good. but it was fine they came out looking better. The shots that  had chosen to film were simple but effective, this way it was easier to tell my niece where to go and how to look. This also made it easier for me as I had to film her, and had to make sure I had enough room to do this shots. Then I had to create effects that would help my music video look more like a protest film. So I did have a few successes on the way, and I feel as a whole it was a success and I am happy with my music video. The planning was better than the previous music video, so I had learnt  from my mistakes. I had got the planning done before I had to film so I had it all there to know what I was doing. This made it a lot easy to do, once i got there. What also helped was the fact my niece had taken the time to study my storyboard, and practised the shots and she knew how to act and where about' s to stand before I had even asked. this made it so much easier to get it done to almost perfection.

• How cultural, economic, political and social factors influenced your work? 

My video has a few factors that influence it, I have chosen to have political and cultural factors in my video. I have explained this using protests.  I have filmed my own video, of a girl walking around a remote place holding a protest board and looking sad, in the middle of some of my own filmed clips, I have placed YouTube clips as well to create a video that is based around political protests effecting people from different cultures. I have chosen to use this way to make my video as it works nicely and creates an understanding of different cultures and how they go about the same political views that everybody will share and how social factors will affect this. such as in the footage I filmed the girl looks sad a lonely, feeling that the social factor of protests is different to different people. for this girl she doesn't feel its right to protest in riots, but for other this may feel like its the only way. the political factors are obvious it the protests in general, I chose protests from the past and from recently so that you can see that the way we protest hasn't changed. Cultural issues are not seen in the video but I intended it to be as though the political factor will effect all people of all cultures. As this is one of the issues most parts of the world face. Some of the YouTube clips are different and are from different protests so this may seem like a cultural factor.

• How you have addressed issues of diversity? 

Diversity has been addressed in my video by using three different factors that influence my work. One of them being Political. I have addressed this by using clips from YouTube that I have cut to demonstrate different ways of protesting. And I have filmed the other side of protests being that not all people agree with them and not all people will understand why. At the end of my video I present the audience with a rhetorical question. I use a girl holding a plack

• How you have represented social groups and people in your work?  

I have used people to show different social groups, to do this I picked YouTube clips of protests from different countries and for different protests, this shows that different people from different places riot over the same things that will affect them, and the way they riot is similar to those from this country. I am showing this because it proves that it doesn't matter where you come from people can act in the same way. People as a whole will deal with the problems differently, and people view things differently.

• How have you worked during the project? 

I think that I have worked well through this project I have got on with the work and experimented to make my product to a good standard. I have learnt a lot of things that are very new to me. I have learnt firstly how to use the college cameras and then I have learnt how to use final cut pro to edit my video. The things that I have learnt will help me with the things that I do in the rest of my course and hopefully skills that I will keep. I think that i have worked well and kept on top of things despite the problems that occurred. I have completed everything, that I hope is to a good standard, and I am happy with the outcome. I have completed all the things that needed to be done, and were important, such as: The planning, time-bounded plan, mind maps, storyboard, logo ideas, front and back CD covers. This all goes together to create my capture project.

• What external factors affected you work?  

The snow affected my work, as we had days off for it. And I don't have the facilities at home to have done the work at home. Also i had to work around the fact I had to rely on my brother to drive me and my niece to Ding Dong Mine, where I was planning to film, this meant that I only had a day to film. This could have meant that it would have been rushed, but it wasn't. I had my storyboard with me and had planned which shots I should do first, I got the simple ones out of the way. So I had more time to focus on the more difficult ones. my niece made it easy for me, as she had actually practised and worked out what to do and how to look in each shot, so i didn't have to tell her and explain to her as much.

• How other people might respond to your work? 

When we started this project, and once we had got out ideas, we shared them with everyone else. so I had feedback from the start. And my lecturers have also given me feedback through out. I have been given comments, whether they have been good comments or comments that i should do something different. I think that people will like my video. My video has a meaning to it that will affect a lot of people. The political factor being the biggest, lots of people will feel the same as I do about protests. And will like my video for the fact I am demonstrating this. I think that the two other factors that I have included in my video will also create an understanding that I have been putting forward. I hope that people will understand what I am putting across, and will hopefully like it all the same.

Ding Dong Mine.

Ding Dong mine is in an old mining area in the Lands End granite mass about 2 miles south of the St Just to Penzance road. They look out over Mount's Bay and St Michael's Mount to the south west.  
                   

This is a picture of the mine, that i took on the day that i filmed. Just beside the mine was a mine shaft, that you could see into and stand upon as there was a metal grate on top. There is nothing else to see up on the hills apart from the vast lanscape. You can see right across to St Just and you can even see St Micheals Mount.

Men-an-Tol  the remains of a Portal Chamber SW.

Lanyon Quoit, with Ding Dong mine in the background.

Production - Music video

The start of my production - ideas.
    I am now annotating the lyrics and trying to think of a video that would go well with the lyrics. I thought of a few ideas but i need to go into them in depth to see whether i would be able to fulfill them. One idea was that it would be set in a dust place, deserted and lonely. Also that it was like an old western film. The other idea i had was that it was set in a place that was war torn or had been hit by a disaster such a tsunami or earthquake. A young boy/girl sitting on a step red eyed from crying tears still rolling down his/her cheeks and thinking about the detestation having lost family and friends and in the background seeing ruble and what was once a little town. Or perhaps a protest song from the 60's. I thought about having a few people with boards protesting and chanting, and then them crashing into a room or building and pushing over tables chairs and jumping on the tables chanting. I thought they it should be clear that the chanting but have no sound apart from the song.
    I have been having some problems in thinking of the best way to use these ideas I have a logo sorted and the style. But everything else isn't progressing as much as i hoped. Lots of the things i have thought about doing has ended as i have realized the complications with some ideas.

6th - 7th November.
    This weekend i am going to try and find locations to film and from that i will start to create my storyboard and draft more ideas from that. I have chosen to do my first idea but make it more interesting by adding a character in it to portray the loneliness of the surroundings. I thought about going to one of the old Cornish mines as they are broken down and old. and the landscape around them is all over grown and wild. She/he could be holding a plack-board with a question mark on it dragging it. The music video will progress such as the girl is just slowly walking dragging the board, then it shoots to the riots but they start off peaceful like sitting down chanting. The video will progress with the riot getting worse and more violent and her starting to be more prominent. I was also thinking of using videos off YouTube or somewhere about protests or show protests. As they show powerful images of riots and protest about things that people believe in. I will develop my ideas in more depth to complete them and i will start thinking of ways i can make the images as powerful as the lyrics.

11th November.
    I spoke to my niece yesterday and she said she would be willing to do it. I explained my idea and she understood it enough. So the next stage is to create a storyboard, shot list, treatment and a proposal. And i am planning to get that done during the end pf this week and the next and by next weekend i will be ready to film. I will be going up to Ding Dong Mine to shot my video and i am hoping to shoot some of the landscape as well as my niece with the plack-board. Tonight i am planning to root through my dads shed to find sturdy wood to make the plack-board and then i will but a think permanent marker to draw a question mark on it. Then i will start to storyboard over the weekend and plan my shots accurately to fit the video. then i will start to research famous protests from YouTube that i can fit into or over so of my landscape shots of Ding Dong Mine.

13th - 14th November.
    On the weekend i went to my Uncles and he gave me a broomstick handle and a 2 ft by 2 ft board, for my plack-board, i have yet to stick it all together. I have then created a draft storyboard. But there are a few touch up on it that i need to do.

20th - 21st November.

    I will be filming this weekend and then will be ready to edit in the week. I filmed my music video today, my brother Stuart took Kirra, my niece, and me up to ding dong mine. We were there for about an hour and half. The filming was easy, as Kirra understood what i was asking of her. Before we left i took a few pictures of her with the board for the poster and CD cover. I found that i had enough shots for the whole duration of the track. So a few of the shots won't be used, but i can also cut them down if there too big.

The picture i took today, of Ding Dong Mine in all its glory in the sun.

I also took a picture of my niece and the plack-board with the view behind. And one of my brother dog, who we took with us.

22nd-26th November.

    I will be editing my footage in this week, and finding YouTube clips to place into it as well. Editing is well under the way now i have put the clips in where I'd like them and how I storyboarded them. I have created my marketing: CD covers, front and back.

29th-3rd December. 
    I will be finishing editing and hopefully looking at the final product. We have been given an extension for next Tuesday at the latest. So I have more time to edit my music video.

13th-17th December.
    It is now the last week before Christmas Holidays and I am finishing off the editing and the evidence to go along with it. I have till the Friday of this week to hand it all in.

5th-7th December.
    This last three days I have finished off my blog, completing my evaluation. And I have also compressed my video, and have burned it to disk, added my front and back covers. And now have a completed video that I can, and am proud of.

Pre- production - music video

   Key Questions.                                                                                              
     
    I have mind mapped some ideas. And i am now thinking of the key questions:

• The reasons behind problems and successes?
• How cultural, economic, political and social factors influenced your work?
• How you have addressed issues of diversity?
• How you have represented social groups and people in your work?
• How have you worked during the project?
• What external factors affected you work?
• How other people might respond to your work?

My artist for the music video.

    I have chosen my artist, Eddie Vedder, he is the lead singer in the band Pearl Jam, who formed in 1990. In 2007, Vedder released his first album as a soundtrack for the film Into the Wild.

    He produced this by using the label J Records. Vedder is a very talented artist, his musical ability uses a wide range of instruments, he uses vocals, guitar, harmonica, ukulele, accordion, drum, bass and the electric sitar. to develop his songs into a masterpiece. Eddie Vedder won a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song 'Guaranteed' in the film Into the Wild. And was nominated for many over awards.

     I have started mind mapping some ideas for certain songs as i haven't yet chosen which one i prefer and one that i have lots of idea that would work for. I have also printed off the lyrics to these songs to help with choosing. Luckily for me, Eddie Vedder likes to write songs about Diversity, social, economic, cultural and political issues. Vedder began incorporating political views in his early years in Pearl Jam.

    Eddie Vedder's lyrics are always written about his life and things he's had to deal with. Eddie Vedder represents himself in his songs as being a loner.

Lyrics for Society, from the film Into the Wild - By Eddie Vedder.

Oh, it's a mystery to me

We have a greed with which we have agreed

And you think you have to want more than you need

Until you have it all you won't be free

Society, you're a crazy breed
Hope you're not lonely without me...

When you want more than you have
You think you need...
And when you think more than you want
Your thoughts begin to bleed
I think I need to find a bigger place
Because when you have more than you think
You need more space

Society, you're a crazy breed
Hope you're not lonely without me...
Society, crazy indeed
Hope you're not lonely without me...

There's those thinking, more-or-less, less is more
But if less is more, how you keeping score?
Means for every point you make, your level drops
Kinda like you're starting from the top
You can't do that...

Society, you're a crazy breed
Hope you're not lonely without me...
Society, crazy indeed
Hope you're not lonely without me...

Society, have mercy on me
Hope you're not angry if I disagree...
Society, crazy indeed
Hope you're not lonely without me...

Key Questions.                                                                                               
     
    I have mind mapped some ideas. And i am now thinking of the key questions:

• The reasons behind problems and successes?
• How cultural, economic, political and social factors influenced your work?
• How you have addressed issues of diversity?
• How you have represented social groups and people in your work?
• How have you worked during the project?
• What external factors affected you work?
• How other people might respond to your work?

More about Eddie Vedder.

Also one other question is that i have to see how the artist is represented.
    These are a few things I've found about him to help with the question:

• Usually uncommunicative in interviews.
• Powerful, baritone voice.
• Often invokes the use of storytelling and sympathy for troubled individuals.
• Songs about personal, social, and political themes.

    Vedder, McCandless’ rejection of society, and his quest to, as they say, find himself, is unquestionably heroic, a transcendent gesture. The lyrics to these songs are themselves sketchy, enigmatic, quietly rousing, windily romantic, redolent of majestic vistas, vast horizons, a landscape of personal liberation.Vedder creates an intensely personal feel that’s perfect for either intimately emotional listening, or casual and relaxing background noise.  Into the Wild gives Eddie Vedder a terrific opportunity to represent the instrumental changes of scenery, using a banjo, mandolin, solo guitar, and a squeezebox. It adds to a rustic vibe, yet one that doesn’t descend into the strumming clichés of guitar-driven scores like this.
   
Personal Quotes.

•  "I don't need drugs Life is already tragic enough."
• “The love received is the love that is saved.”
• “I know someday you'll have a beautiful life. I know you'll be a sun in somebody else's sky. But why can't it be mine?”
• “It's an art to live with pain...mix the light into grey.”
• “I think celebrities suck.”
• “It's easily the best stuff we've done but also some of the hardest stuff. It's very aggressive, because again, it's kind of a product of what it's like to be an American these days. It's pretty aggressive, especially when you turn it loud.”
• “It's understandable why someone would like their entertainment to provide an escape from modern day worries and the reality of war. We feel this record creates a healthy opportunity to process some of these emotions rather than deny them.”

By some of these quotes you can feel that Eddie is a troubled man, and thinking a lot about different issues in depth and relates to these in his songs.

Ideas - Music video

Music Video Theory.

 Music Theory - Assignment essay.  
We have been given an assignment to write an essay of 1,500 words or more, to explain the purpose of music videos. We have to put together a case study of the research we collect in our classroom sessions.    We have to deal with the following:

•  Promotional. 
•  Extension of income. 
•  Extension of outlets (music channels, direct DVD and CD sales; websites, download).

•  Synergy (Films, TV Programmes)

•  Producer strategies (major labels, independent,artist self produced).

    We were shown 3 music production websites:

•  Black dog (RSA Films).

•  Colonel Blimp.

•  Oil Factory.

   3 music videos

•  1 from major label (major artist)

•  1 from independent (Viral)

•  1 from artist produced (Cheaper)

                                                                                                   
    
Music Theory - Band logos and album art analyse.  
Next we were given the task of looking for band art, being the album covers and the band logos. We had to pick 3 different artist whether they were bands or individual artists. Then we had to looking for a album cover for them and then a logo. I chose The Killers, Jay Z and Paramore as my 3 bands. By looking at these we could have an idea of what the marketing could be for our artist/band. To break down the album covers and logo, was to find out why the band create that image and how the creators came up with the idea and why. So when it comes to our making our own we knew why we wanted to use the certain design and how the image of the album cover and logo should relate to our artist/band.



Explore and Experiment - Skills

Music Video Unit 0 - Skills





Assignment.



      For the skills unit we had to create a music video. We were given 4 pieces of music to choose from and had to pick one and base our music videos around it. For this I paired up with a friend, Gemma Emberson, and we both decided that we should choose the track 'Pack up' by Eliza Doolittle as it was a happy and upbeat song. It made sense to do this one as we had lots of ideas to put forward for it. We had to complete this within two weeks, by the 22nd October. So we started immediately with noting down our ideas in a mind map. We started with what the song makes us think about and then added more ideas on from that.



     We had to choose a simple but effective idea as we didn't have that long to produce it. Firstly we had to listen to the song then analyse the lyrics and see what came to mind and the meaning behind them, also we had to think about what would relate to the lyrics such as: there is a line of the song which talks about the sea, so our first thought was to film it by the sea on the beach.

  

     Our second idea was to create an old family film of the whole family having a picnic or playing team games on the beach. We decided in the end that these weren't the best ideas as we had to rely on the weather and being the month of October this wouldn't be at all sensible.

     So we went back to mind maps and came up with some new ideas. We chose to base it around college as we would be able to film any day and wouldn't have to rely on the weather. We then thought about who could act in are video and we thought about the drama group. We know them quite well and knew they'd be the type of people to help us out and would co-operate with us. So we asked them and they said yes. We gave them a copy of the lyrics, and one of the girls said that she knew the song quite well and wouldn't mind being the lead. So we agreed and said that all you need to do is learn the lyrics, we told them our ideas. Then we asked them to all be wearing dull or not so brightly coloured clothing. And the lead to wear bright and vibrant clothes.

     We started filming on Monday 11th we filmed most of it in the morning and then we edited it in the afternoon. We didn't get all of the shots as we needed the green screen, but most of them were there and we were able to edit them and see our video. We have run out of time now but within the three days we are planning to try and finish using mine and Gemma's photography instead of the green screen and then Thursday 21st we will finish filming. Then Friday 22nd we will edit and complete the project. Hoping to finish the project and to create a good video and to gain the confidence to create a better video for the next music video project.

     For our next project we have a lot of things that we will do differently. Such as the ideas we decide upon we will make sure that they are possible for us to do first, so not just picking something going along with it and then it being a disaster and having alsort of problems trying to accomplish it. Also we will have to be more organised and stick to our plan. This time round we didn't and it became hard to keep up with the work and make our video successful.