From Mrs S

I like your original image on the cover. It's effective.

CONSTRUCTION: ANXILIARY TASK 2

Our finished design of our poster for our Digipak

From mrs S

Make sure you upload the stuff you need into the spaces left ASAP. Doing it this way is a very unwise practice.

CONSTRUCTION: ANCILLARY TASK 2

Here are our final 3 posters, we will show these to our focus group to see which one is more popular:
A

B

C


Result:




Poster B wins!

CONSTRUCTION: ANCILLARY TASK 2

Here are some designs for our poster for the Digipak:

CONSTRUCTION: ANCILLARY TASK 2

Here are examples for what information we will write on our poster:


Exclusive!
Release date
Limited Addition Collectable Digipak
Includes No .1 hits "Little Secrets" and "Sparkler"
5 New Studio Recordings
Spectacular live performance
Backstage Never Seen Before Footage

All new collectable digipak from Passion Pit!
Includes the following features:
No. 1 Hits "Little Secrets" and "Puzzle"
Lyrics
New Music Video for "Little Secrets"
Personal message from Band Members
Exclusive Tour Date and Venues Info
5 new songs

CONSTRUCTION: ANCILLARY TASK 2

Also for our second ancillary task we have decided to make a magazine advertisement for the didgpak. This is because we have experience with magazines due to our coursework last year and would find this easy to relate to as we have come across many during our research. Here are some examples of music DVD releases we have found in music magazines:

CONSTRUCTION: ANCILLARY TASK 1

Here is our final cover for our Digipak:

CONSTRUCTION: ANCILLARY TASK 1

The following designs we like:

A

B

C

D


We have sent out a questionnaire to see which of the 4 are most liked by our focus audience (teenagers).


A, B, C or D?

Results

CONSTRUCTION: ANCILLARY TASK 1

These are some designs we have made for our DVD/CD digipak cover.

CONSTRUCTION: ANCILLARY TASK 1

We deliberately looked at CD and DVD covers from the Indie/Electra pop genre because this is the genre of our chosen song and video. However we did look at other genres too. We found the simple title of song and artist really effective. This is because there is not much going on so the main focus is on the artist. The covers for Coldplay, Snow Patrol and White Lies are examples of this as it has just the name of the album or song and then the artist. It gives off the importance of the song, that they don't need any decorative detail to help sell the song. The cartoony decoration on some covers we thought looked really attractive to the eye as it catches attention; people would want to look at it closely in more detail. MGMT's and Death Cab for Cutie's album covers are really colourful and match the genre of each of the bands music. We will have to take into consideration of colours and decorations we use that represent our genre. The way the covers do not have pictures of the band is also very effective, it's almost a secret of what the artists look like - or maybe again pictures don't need to be used to sell the CD/DVD. We will incorporate this idea into our cover, as not having a picture of the band on the front makes it look like the Indie genre.

CONSTRUCTION

Here is the footage of our "secret faces". When we went through the song lyrics we felt that the underlying meaning for the song "Little Secrets" was about people keeping secrets, even if they were good secrets. So to give the song a positive message we decided to have teenagers finally admitting secrets so that they can feel free and not embarressed to share them.
Our secrets are:
Ex-addict
No longer insecure
Taking anger management
No longer a binge drinker

We have now edited our final product; changing speed and effects (fading) have been added and this is our finished music video!

It is the one below:

CONSTRUCTION: ANCILLARY TASK 1

For our first ancillary task we have decided to do a cover for the music videos release as part of a digipak. We have chosen this because out of the other ancillary tasks we had more knowledge in this area and could therefore make this really effective.

Here are some examples of DVD and CD covers we have found and analysed:

CONSTRUCTION

Ending 1st draft.

We have not fully happy with this ending, as it the footage doesn't suggest the ending of the song. The fades, however, that we use between shots and at the very end are very effective and we may use this in the middle of the song where we intend to put the big sparklers scene. We chose to make the sparklers a major scene as the fireworks and stars did not show up, we may take pictures of the sparklers and link them to our anciliary tasks.

Here is our final ending. The final image relates to our ancillary task (which is where we got our idea from for our dvd cover from). We like this ending a lot as this sparkler shot could become a recogniseable symbol for Passion Pit just like Led Zepplin's recognisable font with their name.

CONSTRUCTION

Middle 1st draft:

Here is our footage for the firework scene - unfortunately the fireworks did not show up on the camera, we will try again however if this does not work a 2nd time we may have to re-consider the whole "staring at the stars on my ceiling" scene.

Here is our 2nd draft of the middle footage. We have included the beginning of the footage as well to see how if it runs smoothly. We really like the sparklers scene, the slow motion of it makes it look arty and "indie" which is the genre of the song, it really matches the change of music at that moment as well. We have put the scenes into a certain order: introduction of characters, hanging out in the day time, goes from day to night, at a party/gathering at night, then driving to the next gathering. We hope the video can portray a feel good vibe for young people watching it and make them want to go out and have lots of fun.

CONSTRUCTION

Problems we have faced so far:

• When filming the “Sparklers” scene, none of our friends would be convinced to mime the words “Higher” to the song so we may have to do that ourselves (Chloe and I).
• Keeping the timings to the same time that we have previously predicted, however the changes we have made are even more affective.
• The fireworks and the stars scene was recording however does not show up on the camera, so the footage was just pitch black, so we may have to rethink what we can do to replace those scenes.

Our Letter to Richard Cohen, who is the Passion Pit Manager, about permission to use their record for our music video.

Dear Mr. Richard Cohen,

We are students at Edgbarrow School (Crowthorne). One of the subjects we are studying is Media Studies and for our coursework this year we have chosen to make a music video, which is why we are contacting you.

We would like your permission to use the song "Little Secrets" from the Passion Pit album Manners, as we really love the song and would be able to make an affective music video using this piece of music.
We could send you the finished copy if you would like to see the final product.

Thank you for your time.

Yours sincerely,

Laura Smith and Chloe Hoptroff

CONSTRUCTION

CONSTRUCTION

Heres our 1st draft of the beginning of our music video.

Heres our 2nd draft of the beginning of our music video

The very beginning of it is blank as we have not finished filming the opening credits nor have we decided how we want the video to start. We may use opening credits which help introduce the song like "Passion Pit - Little Secrets" at the beginning or a voices over it saying "Take 1" with a clapper board to make it look like all one shot, just a camera following the people round for a day and night.

Here is our 3rd draft of the beginning, after considering how we wanted the music video to start we think this is the best way to help it portray a home made look. We decided not to use the clapper board as this would make it more movie style than home made video, we really like the beginning; our inspiration came from Nirvana's video for Seasons in the Sun.

From Mrs S

I'm concerned that you're going to get behind. There's a lot of planning and little else. Don't forget the number of marks for the construction.

CONSTRUCTION

Here is some of the footage we have recorded already. Please note that the scenes are not in order or in time with the song, as we just want to give an idea as to what our video will portray.

PLANNING - MUSIC VIDEO

Timings
Draft 1
0.0 – 0.05 opening credits “Passion Pit films presents Little Secrets” “Starring”
3.21 secs – shots of feet walking
15 secs introduce characters
20 – 51 secs – day time activities with the group, fighting, bundle,
25secs – Singing comes in
45 – 1min – driving scenes, going to party/gathering
1min – knocking at the door of party/gathering
1.02min – 1.14min – house gathering/party scenes
1.12min – secret box
1.21mins – first secret face “binge drinker”
1.31mins – sparkler scenes, slow motion shots
1.40mins – 2.36mins – party gathering scenes
3.51mins – 4mins – end scenes, walking away, sparklers going out

Changes Draft 2
46secs – 50secs – scenes from day to night

Final Timings
0.00.00 Beginning 'Passion Pit Films Present Little Secrets'
0.00.02 'Starring'
0.00.05 (Beat comes in) Introducing of characters
0.00.20 Friends start mucking about at the park
0.00.26 'Sun poured down into me' Image of the sky and sun
0.00.28 Back to scene of friends having fun
0.00.34 'Trembling fists' Shot of trembling fists
0.00.37 Friends playing again
0.00.43 Friends leaving the park
0.00.50 Friends in the car going to first party
0.01.00 Arriving at the party
0.01.01 Inside the party (House)
0.01.13 'This can be our little secret' (Lyrics)Shot of a box saying 'secrets'
0.01.14 Back to party scenes
0.01.22 ' I feel alive i feel it in me' (Lyrics) First secret face"I'm no longer a binge drinker"
0.01.26 Back to party scenes
0.01.32 Sparkler scene
0.01.40 Dancing at the party (Beat comes back)
0.01.43 At the party clinking all drinks together
0.01.47 Back to party scene
0.02.16 Clinking all drink together again
0.02.35 Leaving first party
0.02.37 Driving to the next party
0.02.40 Second secret face 'Let this be our little secret' (Lyrics) "Ex Addict"
0.02.51 Driving
0.02.54 Arrived at second party
0.03.16 Third secret face. ‘Starring at my scars' (Lyrics)"I'm no longer insecure"
0.03.21 Party scene
0.03.57 Sparkler scene

We have to edit our timings to the footage we could get as the fireworks and "getting dark" scene was unfortunately not showing up on the camera. But these timings, I feel, will be sufficient for showing our story line.

PLANNING - MUSIC VIDEO

Storyboard: Here are some scenes that we have planned to include in our music video. The events relate to lyrics in the song.

PLANNING - MUSIC VIDEO

Here is our letter we wrote to the following people for the acceptance from them to be filmed: Matthew Martin, Mary Davis, David Temple, Jared Adams, Ashley Carter, Rohit Verma, Thomas Quirk and Kirsty Webb.

Edgbarrow School
Grant Road
Crowthorne
Berkshire
RG45 7HZ
24th October 2009

Dear__________,

This is a letter of concerning your permission of being filmed for our music video, Little Secrets by Passion Pit.
Please sign below if you enable us to film and use footage of you for our video.

Thank you very much for co-operation.

Chloe and Laura

PLANNING - MUSIC VIDEO

To help with research, we have been looking at music videos made by previous students ranging from high and low grades to see what looks good and what doesn't. We found particular issues to to consider when making our own, for example: continuity and being able to understand the storyline as well as linking it to lyrics; this is so it's not just music placed on top of a video - there has to be a point.

PLANNING - MUSIC VIDEO

Scenes for our music video

We like the idea of having the scenes shot using a hand held camera. This will gives us a more natural “home video” tone, which would link to the song as it has an independent tone also. We will have to take into consideration of how steady the camera is held as we don’t want it shaky so the audience feel motion sickness!

The video will start off with shots of feet walking, these people will be in the video through out so we have continuity. We will then have these same people hanging out as a group of friends would in various locations like driving in a car, messing about at the local park/field and nights out together. We may include fake alcoholic drinks; these will be filled up with water/coke so they look real in the video. This will look as natural as possible; just like filming is like a video to document what the friends get up to on a road trip for example.

After looking at other music videos, we have come up with the idea that we will have scenes of fireworks and people with sparklers. This will give a feel good vibe, which would relate to the tone of our chosen song.

We have decided to have some singing in the video, when people have the sparklers in their hands, they will sing “higher, higher, higher, higher”. This, we feel, will be really affective if we use a variety of close-ups, mid-shots and long shots whilst singing. This bit of the song is before the climax of the song where the beat comes back.

PLANNING - MUSIC VIDEO

Our chosen songs lyrics:

When I came down the sun poured into me
I shook them up, the walls came crumbling
My fists kept trembling with these salty wounds
My stolen gold inside the emperor’s tomb
Now baby wait looks like a lovely face
I built this cardboard neighbourhoods disgrace
Who let it said that you're my favourite sphere
Within the confines of such chemistry

It's the way I see everything I need
It's the way to be

Let this be our little secrets
No one needs to know were feeling
Higher and higher and higher
Higher and higher and higher
But I feel alive and I feel it in me
Up and up I keep on coming
Higher and higher and higher
Higher and higher and higher
Higher...

My face blew up at such a casual sight
This miracle is of ecstatic fright
They’ll rush above me to oblivion
Outlining white sidewalks with halogen
Oh have you ever felt so god damn strong
How come it takes some people so damn long?
He tried to squeeze the lemon juice to rain
The citrus drawing out the seasons stains

Watch the basin drain
As your life lines wane
And you can’t explain
As your friends complain
You’ve caused all this pain
And you proudly shame
Your whole families name

Let this be our little secrets
No one need to know were feeling
Higher and higher and higher
Higher and higher and higher
But I feel alive and I feel it in me
Up and up I keep on coming?
Higher and higher and higher
Higher and higher and higher

Mother I can tell what you've been thinking
Staring at the stars on your ceiling
Thinking once there was a power that you were wielding
And now I've hit the mark
Staring at the dark
And I cannot help but ignore
The people staring at my scars

Let this be our little secret
No one need to know were feeling
Higher and higher and higher
Higher and higher and higher
But I feel alive and I feel it in me
Up and up and keep on coming
Higher and higher and higher
Higher and higher and higher
(Repeat)

From Mrs S

I like what you're doing, however, make sure that your video is a music vid and not just a random vid with music tacked on...

PLANNING - MUSIC VIDEO

The results of our music video idea questionnaire:

We are pleased with the result as we too liked the first idea as well. We think the first idea won because people like a visual aid that keeps them interested when listening to the song, also the evidence in the first questionnaire helps back up our assumption.

PLANNING - MUSIC VIDEO

Ideas for our video come from all kinds of music videos, here are some examples:

• The first 18 seconds of the Nirvana cover of Seasons in the Sun video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kO4BF67pvsc
• The Kooks - She moves in her own way (without the performance based aspect) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6-QM0_Prp0&feature=channel
• The whole of this video is all in narrative with no singing, which is the idea we like best, Arctic Monkeys - Fluorescent Adolescent http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ma9I9VBKPiw
• This video is a perfect example to what we want to produce. Beyonce does not sing to the lyrics, nor do the events in the video relate to the song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpOykqxbh3I

We really like these videos as they can be just random shots that reflect the type of music we are portraying. For example The Kooks song was laid back and there was footage of them on tour and messing about which can be quite interesting to see the band act normal instead of acting like pop stars in the video. The Nirvana one is an effect we would like to create, a home made looking video that is deliberately made to look homemade. the arctic monkeys one it s a great exmple for no singing example. We've decided to have some singing in the video, with a group of people miming the words "higher, higher, higher, higher" when those words come in quite powerfully. There is also some big drum beats that would look good if we had a drum set included in those scenes with someone playing it. We can't wait to see this effect in the final product.

PLANNING - MUSIC VIDEO

Song chosen: Passion Pits - Little Secrets

We have chosen this song because it is an unusual sounding song but we found it really catchy. Also when listening to it we could think of many ideas on how to base a music video on it. It's genre is electro pop/indie music which gives off a fun and enthusiastic vibe.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0takBpMWtM

Ideas for our music video:

1. One idea would make our video narrative based. We like the idea of having no band or artist singing to give it a more life like effect. This will give us advantages of not having to use the same people; we can have a variety of people in our video without affecting the continuity. The narrative will be based on a group of friends doing fun things together. For example, as these holidays are coming up, them out on Halloween, bonfire night with sparklers, hanging out and just generally having fun. Maybe go on a road trip/beach and show a bonfire scene.
2. Another idea we thought of was a performance based video where we would have group of boys miming along to the song and playing instruments used in the song. We would set them in stereotypical indie backgrounds like: in the school hall on the stage rebelling against school, at a disco where the main singer would be singing to the crowd etc.
3. The final idea would be to make our video concept based. We feel this would be a challenge as we would have to learn how to make our video cartoon-ised. It would be totally random with shapes, animals and vibrant colours used through-out. It would not include the band to make the video more mystical.

We will now send out a questionnaire with these 3 suggestions on to see which idea is the most popular.

Some excellent analysis of products her Lora but remember to tie it in with the idea that music videos are promotional tools that are to sell the artist- how do the camera shots/angles reflect this?

Lora, with the produc placement you need to think WHERE music videos appear and the different ways of audiences viewing them, e.g, TV music channels, mobile phones etc...

Product Placement

Since MTV launching the first ever music video channel, music videos are slowly becoming popular and some may say, more important than the song itself. There are lots of channels on the television that are based fully on music videos now - whereas in the past there were only certain shows that would show a couple of music videos in the charts, for example: Top of the Pops.
However not only can people watch music videos on the telly - but on ther internet as well. Websites, to name a few, like, YouTube, Yahoo! Music and VH1.com host music videos that anyone can watch online at any time from the comfort of their own home.
Futhermore people can now download music videos as well as download music. This again enables them to watch the music video on their MP3 player or phone anywhere they want.
These are all great ways of selling music but as I have mentioned before, companies are worrying that songs are loosing there importance to music videos.
For our own music video we would expect it to go on well known music video channels but not mainsteam ones like MTV or TMF. Video channels like E4 music would definately play our song as they play independent and up and coming music just like our song.

REAL MEDIA ARTEFACT 05 - MGMT - Time To Pretend

MGMT – Time To Pretend (2008)
Director – Ray Tintori
Genre – Indie pop rock/New wave

This video has a very colourful and psychedelic style. First of all it starts off with the band and other people on a beach around a fire, which they then start jumping and dancing around, when the music synthesisers kick in, – almost as if they are in a tribe. This does not relate to the lyrics at all. The song is about them talking about a fantasy rock star life; for example the lyrics say “Let's make some music, make some money, find some models for wives” and “You man the island and the cocaine and the elegant cars…this is our decision to live fast and die young” which are all stereotypical ideas of being a rockstar is all about.
The video has been said to be based on a 1970s film “The Holy Mountain” which is a very spiritual film which is represented very well through the music video.
When the drums come into the music at the beginning the drum player/singer of the band is shown playing the drums – which is multiplied by 30 so you see a lot of the same person playing the drums all overlapped with each other. The same man is then shown in the middle of the drummers singing to the lyrics. The video has also come out in 3D so this kind of scene would look really good 3D, as you can imagine the drummers popping out at you.
There are lots of close ups and mid shots of the band either singing, dancing on the beach or playing instruments. This portrays them as a serious band but also has a laid back fun environment, as they are shown to be bohemian and radical.
This video is concept based so is extremely random, and doesn’t relate to the lyrics at all. For example: There are animated backgrounds of, if I had to compare to something, looks like a glow lamp with the bubbles. There are animals like owls and butterflies flying around in front of the animated background. But a really random example would be when the band and other people are running through animated grass with bow and arrows firing at something – we don’t know what at this point. Where as further on in the video you find out that they are shooting at plants with mouths and teeth that are trying to eat MGMT! The singer/drummer of the band then shoots one of them at it explodes into lots of dolphins that pour across the screen – this would be really effective 3D. This example proves how unforeseen and ambiguous the video is.
The clothes they are wearing are again colourful and psychedelic – very hippie costumes. This portrays the vibe of the song as it does sound very “new wave” with lots of different toned synthesisers playing through out.
The video is great for a visual aid as it has lots of different things that you may not see the first time you watch it, but the third or forth time – it’s very novelty. It would get positive results from my focus audience as they all liked music videos to be visual aids.

Here is a link to the official video