Drafting and planning - track list

For the titles of the song on the album, I have decided to choose a mixture of songs that sound similar and ones that do not, so that the audience are interested as they don't know what to expect. I want 10 songs on my album, including the song I am doing. The track list I have decided on is:

1. Stay High

2. On My Mind

3. Time Out

4. Drunk On Drugs

5. This Time

6. Walk On

7. No Doubt

8. In Love

9. Believe

10. I Blame You

I have decided on this as I think certain songs such as 'believe' and 'this time' may be misleading as they sound different to 'stay high' 'drunk on drugs' 'time out' and the majority of the songs. I think most of the songs sound relating and most you would associate with a break up and a broken heart which is partly what 'stay high' is about. 

Research into similar products - tove-lo album cover and advertisements

Before I started work on my album cover, I decided to look at the artist who has been the main inspiration for my work so far - Tove Lo. I looked at the single cover for the original version of the song I am doing my music video for.

 

This was the first cover I came across. It has the artist with make up down her face as if she has been crying, which suits what happens in the video and the storyline to go with it. The writing is bold and noticeable with the artists name in a slightly different colour to the singles name to establish the difference. I think this cover is effective as its main aspect is the artist and it has a clear link to the video and what the song is about. 

This is the main single cover for this song. I like the way this one is presented as the artists emotions come through as again it looks like she has been crying. It is in black and white which represents the depressing story to the song but the single name is in bright pink writing with a fun font to make it stand out and appeal to the audience. The artist looks similar to how she looks in the music video and her make up is smudged which shows the link between the cover and the music video. 

 

This is Tove Lo's album cover. This is the album that includes the single 'habits' which is the original version of the song I am making my video for. I really like this cover as I think the colour scheme grabs the eye and the picture is edgy, dramatic and powerful. The diamond draws attention to the facial expression which is strong and bold. The artists name is written in the same font as it was on the single cover which shows it's the artists signature font. The font of the name of the album is written in the same font for continuity reasons and to make it look professional and appealing. 

This is another one of Tove-Lo's singles 'Not on drugs'. She uses the same fonts as the ones on the 'habits' single which shows continuity. She continues her edgy style and look and it is also in black and white to be emotive and is powerful at representing the stories behind the songs. 

This is a single cover for a remix version of the song I am doing for the music video. This could be a screenshot from the video as the picture is someone smoking to get high which is what the song is about. This represents part of the story of the song and the colours are fairly neutral and are not bold to keep the tone relaxed. The girl is an attractive young female which is what people said they would expect to see in a trap music video. The song title is written in big writing across the cover but still shows the image and I really like the way this looks. 

Drafting and Planning - write up of music video with timings

0.00-0.06
Camera quickly pans upwards to show the night sky
0.06-0.10
As soon as the song says 'high', smoke is quickly blown across the screen
0.10-0.12
Camera cuts to a group of people smoking outside. One of the men is hugging a girl from behind
0.12-0.19
Cuts to a close up of a girl laughing and looking like she is having fun
0.19-0.21
The scene cuts to a shot of a man walking down a street in the dark on his own
0.21-0.25
The camera turns to show a girl running her hands through her hair, looking distressed
0.25-0.31
The girl quickly pulls out a cigarette, lights it and walks away
0.31-0.34
Immediately cuts to the girl and her friends doing shots in a kitchen surrounded by  bottles of alcohol
0.34-0.37
Cuts to an extreme close up of a girl applying lipstick ready to go out
0.37-0.39
Shows the girl walking out the door
0.39-0.44
Girl walks into a party and meets her friends
0.44-0.47
A girl starts downing a cup of alcohol
0.47-0.50
Girls laughing together
0.50-0.57
A guy hugs one of the girls from behind and kisses the side of her head
0.57-1.23
Quick clips of loads of different party scenes (dancing, drinking, laughing, smoking, smoke tricks, flashing lights)
1.23-1.48
Slow motion party scenes (dancing, drinking, kissing, shots etc)
1.48-1.56
Girl stumbling up the stairs
1.56-2.00
Guy going into a bedroom and shutting the door behind him
2.00-2.05
Girl looking in the mirror and sorting out her make up (looking distressed)
2.05-2.08
Close up of a tear running down a cheek
2.08-2.14
Someone opening a bedroom door, girl sitting up in bed pulls covers over herself and theres a guy sleeping topless next to her with his back turned
2.14-2.17
Smoke trick
2.17-2.20
Different smoke trick. Someone in the shot mouthing the word 'high' in time with the music
2.20-2.27
Girl and boy flirting/kissing
2.27-2.31
Another couple kissing
2.31-2.34
A close up of a girl downing a drink
2.34-2.39
A shot of a girl looking stressed and leaving a room
2.39-2.42
A medium close up of a girl breaking down on the stairs
2.42-2.46
A shot of pills being dropped down a sink
2.46-2.52
A shot of a girl walking down the stairs with her make up smudged and wiping her eyes
2.52-2.55
Girl throws herself forward and messes up her hair
2.55-2.59
A close up of a girl blowing out smoke
2.59-3.06
Shot of a girl stumbling away
3.06-3.14
Girl throwing herself onto a bed and closing her eyes

Storyboard

organisation

Research into similar products - Types of magazine that will advertise my album

Mixmag

I think Mixmag would advertise my product as it 'the worlds biggest dance music and clubbing destination' and the song I have picked would be a good song to play in a club. The target audience for this magazine is young, party people which is my aim. The colours are bright and vibrant which is what I want to include in scenes of my music video. The beat of my song is fast and upbeat.

Link to mixmag website

   

DJ mag

Link to DJ mag website

Drafting and planning - Theme and style of my video

It is important that there is a scheme to the entire video, yet each scene maintains individuality. This needs to be in both the set and the filming techniques and they need to stay within the 'rules' of the music video and follow the conventions. 

The main theme of my video is the negativity of drugs and alcohol and the bad affect they have on people and their emotions and judgement. I feel that this is an important theme and I want to get across the message that people use these things to get over their problems and try to make them forget things they do not want to remember but it does not work in this way.
This will be expressed through the colour scheme, camera angles, mise-en-scene and the actions on screen. The theme will be, whenever drugs are alcohol are used, there will be sadness.
There will be bright lights and dim lights to express the happy and sad time. 

Organisation - Blog improvements

This blog tracker was created before the 28th of November so I have a few blog posts since then.

Organisation - Colour Scheme

The two videos I have came across so far use a colour scheme to express the emotion in the story being told. 

The first video I analysed was 'Tove-lo - Habits.'

Click this link to see the Tove-lo music video analysis

I also discussed the colour scheme of this video in a blog post about colours.

Click this link to see the original potential colour scheme post

I have decided to look into colour schemes in further detail after I analysed the negativity in the 'Ed Sheeran - A team' video and realised how effective the black and white colour scheme was. 

Click this link to see the Ed Sheeran - A Team analysis

The colour schemes in these two videos are very different but still both express the emotions of the main characters in the story. 

In Tove-Lo - Habits, there is a slight purple wash over the video, that becomes more obvious when the video is darker and therefore more emotional. This is effective as purple is linked to depression and is known to be a sign of instability.

Here are some negative connotations of the colour purple: 

I like that the colour wash wasn't so obvious, so it is like it is adding to the effect without the viewer even knowing. I think this is a good way of doing it and I will consider it in my own music video. 

In Ed Sheeran - A Team, the whole video is in black and white which gives a depressing, sad effect to the entire story and meaning, The video is sad and is showing a troubled girl, so the emotions are expressed through colour.

 Black is linked to death which gives a scary vibe and it is also connected to nighttime and threatening situations. This is effective as night time is viewed as dangerous and is thought to be negative, As well as this, black is associated with mourning, evil and destruction and the unknown, which gives an eery effect.

White is usually viewed in a positive light, linking to innocence and purity which is contradictory to the music video as it includes prostitutes and drugs. This could have been done on purpose to show the contrast and draw attention to the negativity.

When white and black are mixed together, it creates the colour grey. The colour grey is known to be a dull and boring colour and is never the centre of attention. It can have the same connotations as black if it is a darker shade. It can be thought of as mysterious. Grey is linked to depression as when a person is depressed, it is thought that they see the world 'greyer' than people that are not depressed. 

Both videos are mainly in dark settings, which emphasises the emotion on screen and also brings out more. I will look into what lighting means in these videos. 

Meanings of dark and light 

Darkness is perceived negatively. It brings ideas of depression, fear and destruction. It can be associated with hiding, which brings out fear and gives the idea of isolation. It can also link to evil or lack of righteousness in some religions.

Light is usually seen to be positive. It refers to goodness and righteousness. It is often associated with intellect and realisation. In a light setting a person is usually more at ease and in comfort as it is seen as safer and more relaxing. 

Research into similar products

I wanted to look into and get ideas from videos that don't use lip syncing in them. In all three of these videos, there is minimal lip syncing or no lip syncing which is how I want my video to be. Each video tells the story of the song and is filled with actors playing out the roles of the characters in the stories. I have gained ideas about shooting away from the characters and not focusing on them at all times.

Research into similar products - Music videos portraying the negativity of drugs

This music video is about a girl that is addicted to drugs. It has a powerful message and shows what a negative impact drugs can have on a persons life.

Lyrics:

The first lyrics to strike out were 'Struggling to pay rent. Long nights, strange men'.

This shows that this lifestyle can be rough. 'Struggling to pay rent' could be reference to the amount of money some drugs cost. This could mean that she is spending all of her money trying to pay for her addiction or it could also be interpreted that she turned to drugs to help her cope with her already difficult life, which would not help and clearly just makes the situation worse.

After this I noticed 'But lately her face seems. Slowly sinking, wasting'.

This reference tells the listener about how the drugs are affecting her physically as well as emotionally. You can tell just by looking at her that she is unhappy and you may be able to tell that she is an addict because of the affect drugs have had on her. He says that she is wasting away which shows her depressive lifestyle and that the way she is living is not good for her.

As well as this the song says 'Cos we're just under the upper hand. And go mad for a couple of grams'.

This shows that drug has the upper hand on the girl and has taken over her life, controlling her. She is addicted so she is a changed person that is brainwashed by drugs and the impact they have on her. The song suggests that she started using drugs to help her with her difficult life but they have only made it worse.

The next lyrics that I thought were powerful were 'Or sells love to another man'.

This is telling the listener that she is selling her body to men for sex, which is very low and not a nice lifestyle to lead, but she needs the money. The drug addiction has got the better of her and has taken over her life, making it much more difficult to stay afloat.

These are the lyrics that stood out the most to me in this song and I feel that these portray drugs in a negative light and show the negative affects that the drug lifestyle can have on people.

Camera shots:

The video opens with a shot of a girl crying and looking very distraught.

1. The camera then cuts to a shot of a girl lying dead and it pans upwards to reveal the crying girl again which is effective as it is emotive and shows the drastic impact drugs can have on a person's life and is a very dangerous thing to do. It reveals that drugs impact other people as well as the person taking them.

2. There is then a close up of the dead woman's face, which looks sad and distressed, giving a powerful message to the viewer. This is also emotive as it is very dramatic and gives the viewer a shock as you do not expect something so graphic. The shock is effective as it gets the message across immediately.

3. After this, there is an establishing shot to show the change. The video goes back in time to when the woman that died was alive which is also very powerful as it shows her life and how she lived and it is then a realisation that she has died from a drug overdose at a young age. 
4. There is a wide shot from the back of the woman, showing her location. This shows that she has been sleeping in a park and is depressing as you see what kind of lifestyle she lives. 
5. The long shot of the woman standing up shows her clothes and how her appearance is. This is also shocking as she has little clothing on under her coat and is wrapped in a duvet in the middle of a park. Her tights are ripped and tatty and she looks a mess, showing that she is not living well and that she does not lead a nice lifestyle.
6. This wide shot shows her walking in a busy city, with a blanket wrapped around her, looking a state. This shows the negativity of her lifestyle and that she is not in a good place. The shot makes her look small and irrelevant in a big city and she is being completely dismissed by passers by which is upsetting as she obviously needs help.
7. The close up of her face shows her looking very tired and worn down, which is probably a mixture of her unstable home and drug abuse. It is emotive as it shows her looking in need and unhappy and crying. This shows the negativity of drugs as it shows they do not make you feel any better. 
8.  This medium close up shows her looking like she is dreading what is about to come and she doesn't feel happy about doing so but desperately needs the money to support her lifestyle of drugs. This shows negativity as it reveals that most addicts will do anything to feed their addiction. 
9. This close up shows her face to be filled with regret and unhappiness which again shows that this is not how she wants to be living but she has no choice as her drug addiction has power over her and she has to do what she can to get money for it. 
10. This shot shows the drugs at the forefront, implying that they are powerful and in control. She is in the background making her look weak and desperate. 

Colour scheme:

The whole video is in black and white, which brings out the grey tones in everything. Grey is linked to depression and sadness. It is never a glamorous colour and is known as shabby and dull. This colour scheme is effective as it really shows the negativity in everything, and brings out the girls emotions and how the viewer is feeling watching the video. The colour grey is never at the centre of attention, representing the girl as being less important and excluded from society. 

Research into similar products - further research into magazine advertisements and album covers

This is Nelly's 2002 album. This advertisement follows the majority of the conventions for magazine advertisements. The main image is the same one as the image used on the album cover. This makes the album recognisable in shops and gets the viewer familiar with it. The artists name is clear on the advertisement to make sure the reader knows who's album is being advertised but it is not on the album as the person buying it will already know who he is. The same font is used on both for the album name 'Nellyville' which is written clearly and boldly. However, the writing is in a different colour on the advertisement to make it stand out as more information needs to be fitted on to it. The advertisement includes the date the album is released so that the reader knows when the album is available to purchase in shops. The advertisement also offers the information that it includes a popular single that the reader may be familiar with and enjoy listening to. This is a good advertising technique as it may encourage people to listen to his other music if they like this song. The CD cover has a parental advisory sticker to advise people that the album has explicit language and may not be suitable for younger listeners.

This is Wretch 32's 2008 album. Exactly the same image has been used on both the advertisement and the album. The advertisement even has an image of the album cover on it and this helps the audience recognise the album in shops. A clear, bold font has been used for the name of the album and the name of the artist so that the audience know who the advertisement is for and so they can remember the name and recognise it in shops on the shelves. On the advertisement, the date the album is released is very clear so that the reader knows when the product is available to buy and it also has a list of shops that it can be purchased from so that the reader knows where they can get it from. There is also information about the album on the advertisement to attract the readers attention if they see a name they like.  

Research into a potential target audience - In depth audience research

I have already done a questionnaire to help with audience research, but I felt as if I should do more as it was not detailed enough. I wanted to be more precise and link it to my actual music video to see if my ideas were on point and good enough to create what I want. 

I have a friend that is into creating trap music and performs gigs and events so I thought it would be ideal to give me a good detailed response.
His name is Dan Rigby and he is a nineteen year old man that is studying at the Academy of Contemporary Music College in Guildford. He and his friend Dom work together to create trap music and DJ at gigs under the name 'GOV'. They are working on an album which should be finished soon.
I felt that his input would definitely help with my audience research as he knows what trap music fans want. I have explained my ideas to Dan so far and also shown him my blog so that he has a good idea of what I'm thinking of so far. 

The questions and answers are as follows: 

1. I am working on the song 'Stay high' by Keys N Krates, what connotations does the name of the song bring to mind and what would you expect from this based on the name? 
"The song definitely sounds like it should be based around drug use. I'm not sure if it is in a positive or negative way yet but from what I've heard, a negative look into the use of softer drugs and alcohol that are common in the teen world nowadays will be a really good idea. You should use this idea and run with it, I think you could create a good music video from this song"

2. How do you think I can show that this video is portraying alcohol and drug use in a negative way?

"Okay, I feel that this can be done in a really obvious way that basically shows the message as 'drugs are bad, alcohol is bad' or you could do it in a subtle way, which is more like 'they do not help with your problems, like at all' and I think the latter is the best way to go. From what I've heard, you want the story to be about a girl trying to get over a bad break up by using drugs and alcohol and you want it to not work for her. I think that in the video you should show that every time she uses these ways to try and get rid of her emotions, you should show her emotions getting worse by it, which is actually what happens so it's realistic too."

3. Can you think of any similar music videos that I can get inspiration from? Where do you think I should look for inspiration?
I think the ones you've looked at on your blog so far are really good ones to gain ideas from and they will really help you with your own so you are doing well. Focus more on them and maybe look at videos from edgy pop stars like Rihanna to get ideas on style and camera angles and things. It's difficult with trap music as there are not really any trap music videos out there. Although I'd love to create a video for one of my songs one day. Maybe do some research into music videos that portray alcohol and drugs in a bad way and also songs about break ups and anything relating to your video, you can get inspiration from anywhere. 

4. Do you think it will be good to include shocking images in the video or leave it to the imagination?
I think you should use a few shocking images but not really bad shocking. Just show the girl really upset or in a state after throwing up - not necessarily showing her actually throwing her guts up. So that the audience do know what has happened and what affect it has but they don't have to be repulsed or very upset by anything. Showing the girl visibly upset with her make up down her face will have enough of an impact and get the message across, don't over do the shock factor. 

5. What do you think I have to include in my video for it to appeal to my target audience?
I think lots of bright colours throughout and a sick song will get the trap music fans buzzing and interested in what you've got. Advertise it well, use an attention grabbing image on the cover of the album and magazine advertisement, use a really good, exciting font. Use yourself and what you would like to see. I know you like my music and are into trap music yourself so what would appeal to YOU in a video? Don't rule your own opinions out and go with your instincts. People our age want parties, a good song, a good, interesting story behind the video. Go with your ideas, you will do amazingly.

Thank you Dan!
No problem Jenn, you'll do great.

Research and planning - how to make a successful music video

On the NME website, I found an interview with Sasha Nixon, who is the head of music videos and and executive producer at Partizan, where she talks about about music video's and how we consume them. Partizan. Partizan was established in 1991 and is twice listed as the Gunn Report's 'Best production company in the world'. Partizan is one of the world's principal content creators compromising music videos, commercials, documentaries, feature films, animation, digital branded content online and interactive events and installations.

This is part of what it says about music videos on the website.

  I found it interesting to read considering I will be creating my own very soon. In this interview, Sasha Nixon talks about what she feels makes a great music video as well as how the internet has changed music videos and other things on the topic.

Sasha Nixon interview

This gave me inspiration to continue looking into what makes a successful music video.

Huffington post had an article on 'five ways to make a great music video.

Huffington Post article

In this article, it explains that you need a good concept which made me think deeper into the story I want to create for my music video. I really need to get across the point that everything that is shown in the video is in a negative light.
It also says to innovate. Even though my video will be low-budget I still need to work with what I've got and make it the best I can and find locations that stand out.


As well as this, I found another website about how to make a successful music video and this one is focused on beginners. 

How to make a music video for beginners

This focuses on the equipment, camera shots and angles, composition and planning. 

Organisation - Video editing

While searching for tips on how to edit music videos, I came across the site 'about video editing' which has many links on it providing free digital video editing information. As I don't know much about video editing, I think this will be a good research tool for me and I can learn a lot from it. It includes tutorials to help me understand and has a lot of information that I needed to know before I start editing.

Here is a link to the website: about video editing

Research into similar products - analysis of sound in a music video

Research into similar products - Binary oppositions

Binary oppositions are where two opposites are strictly defined and set off against each other.

It is the contrast between two mutually exclusive terms such as on/off up/down.

My video will be using binary opposites to show the negative side of alcohol and drug use as it will show the good and the bad side contrasted together to give a stronger effect.

The video will begin with everyone in the video happy and having fun but the mood will change further on and will eventually show everyone unhappy and in a distraught, disorientated state after the consumption of alcohol has had an effect. 

This will show alcohol in a negative way as it will show that instead of making you happy like people think it does, it does the opposite. It will also show that it doesn't solve problems or make anything better, only worse. 

Research into similar products - analysis of magazine advertisements

This magazine advert for Jessie J follows most of the typical conventions of a magazine advertisement for an album. It features the name of the artist very clearly and in an eye catching font which stands out from the rest of the page. The name of the album is also on the advertisement in the centre of the page so it shows what it's promoting. The main image is the same as the one on the album cover to make the album recognisable and so readers know what to look out for. This ensures brand identity. Jessie J also has her name written in a recognisable way as it is the way it is always written. The two 'J's connect together and this is instantly recognisable. There is no release date on this advertisement but this may be because it was already released at the time. Although if it followed the conventions, it should say 'available now' or 'in stores now'. This advert has information about the album on it to promote the album and make it more appealing by showing the popular songs on the CD. The record label is featured in the corner so that it does not distract away from the main image. The website is also featured but is written small so that it does not attract too much attention.
Jessie J's advertisement has a black and gold colour scheme which makes her look powerful and strong.

The name of the artist stands out very boldly on this magazine as it is white writing inside a black box. This has a newspaper type style in black white and grey colours with the name of the popular songs in red and in a different font which really makes them stand out. The album cover is not as obvious as on other advertisements but the main image is the same as the album so the audience can recognise it from that. The record label is on the advert but it is very small and does not attract much attention so the focus is mainly on the image of Rihanna. The image and style makes Rihanna look dangerous which gives it a dramatic effect.

The image links to the name of the album which is effective as audiences can recognise this and it makes the cover more memorable. The name of the artist and the album are very clear and bold as they are in white writing on a black background. This will ensure that the readers of the magazine will know what the product is and remember the artist. It has the release date on it to inform readers of when the album is available to purchase. It also shows the types of ways you can buy it such as digitally or on vinyl as well as CD. The record label is small and in the corner so it does not distract any attention from the artist. The image is the same one that is on the CD so it will be recognisable in shops. 

Organisation - response to feedback

A while back, Mr Stevens created this chart to show the class how they are doing and what they need to improve on. I needed to improve on target audience but since then I have added posts on target audience and improved my work.

Research into similar products - Typical conventions of a magazine advertisement

The functions of a magazine advertisement are to promote the artist, and to sell the song so it must be eye catching to draw attention to it and make people want to hear the music. 

A magazine advert must include the artists name so that the readers know who the artist is who the advertisement is promoting. 

It must also include the name of the song/album so that people know what the product is and so they can listen to it and buy it.

 As well as this, it is important that there is an image of the album cover to ensure that people know what the product looks like so that they can recognise it in shops. This will also promote the artist as the cover should be interesting and eye catching. This will make the artist more recognisable to the public.

The release date is important so that the audience know when the product is available in order to buy it.

The record label logo is usually included on the advertisement to show where the music has come from and to promote the record label as well as the artist. This also may encourage people to buy the album if they think it is a good and respectable record label. It will also give an indication to the type of music the album has on it.

Also, the advert should include where the product is available and which shops will be stocking it so that the readers can actually buy it.

  

Drafting and planning - video clip of work in progress

This is a smoke trick that I recorded someone doing. It is like the scene I plan to use at the beginning of my music video where the smoke blows across the screen at the first 'high'. It is only a rough copy and will need to be improved and look more professional for the actual video but it is to practice and give an idea about content.

Target audience - survey results analysis

The majority of people that filled out this survey are aged between 16 and 20 which is the audience I am targeting. However, it has been filled out by people of all ages which gives me a better understanding of what the public think of trap music and music videos. 

I asked the question 'how often do you watch music videos?' to get an idea of how often my music video will be played and who will watch it the most often. 

Out of the people surveyed, hip hop music was the favourite music genre, which is the most similar to trap music. This means that my survey will have been filled out by people that like the genre of music I am working with and have an understanding on it. However there is a mixture of genres including pop and rock so there may be a variety of answers. Some people answered trap music for their favourite genre so their answers to the survey will be ideal. 

The majority of people had heard of trap music which is a good thing as they know what they are talking about and this shows me that most of them have seen trap music videos before. 

I found out that sound cloud is the most popular music streaming website and this will help me when it comes to publisising my video. It is followed by spotify, which is the site I use and know a lot about. 

Most people watch music videos on the internet which is good as it is where mine will be. This will make my video more popular. 

The most common answer I got for the question 'what kind of people would you expect to see in a trap music video?' was young and attractive people. This helps a lot as I know what the audience are expecting to see and how I can make my video fit in with the genre. 

Nearly everyone that took the survey said that it was a good idea to represent alcohol in a negative way. This is good as this is what I plan to do in my music video and I am happy with this response. 

I am still coming up with ideas about my album cover so the last question has put some thoughts into my head and is helping me along the lines of planning. 

Organisation - Equipment

Along with fake smoke, cigarettes and alcohol bottles, my music video will contain many more props to make it look realistic and interesting. But before props, I need equipment such as a camera and stand to actually film the video. The equipment I will be using is:

A video camera

A camera is the most important thing needed to film the footage for the video and get the right shots that you need. 

A tripod

This is needed to balance the camera and make the video look professional.This will keep the camera steady and allows you to move the direction and angle of the camera at ease and keep it looking smooth.

Lighting

Parts of my video will be filmed in the dark so it is important to use the correct lighting to make sure that the characters are visible and it is clear what is going on. It is also essential that the video is not too bright as it will distract the viewers away from the action and story. 

Computer software

I will be using computer software to edit the video and add the finishing touches as well as put together scenes. This is important as without this the video would not be very good at all as it would all have to be filmed at once. 

Organisation - Camera angles

While researching camera angles, I came across this short youtube clip that gives simple ways to shoot videos and still make them look effective.

One of the things the lady talks about is the 'dolly' effect where the camera moves on a dolly but she has shown the viewers how to do it without one. She also explains rapid movements and panning and I found inspiration from this and feel that it will really help me when it comes to filming my music video.

Organisation - Props

Fake smoke will be used in my music video so that the atmosphere has a smokey affect but I do not want to fill the room or have large areas. I will make this simply using dry ice and warm water. 

This is how I will make the smoke to film: how to make fake smoke

 

In my music video there will also be people smoking cigarettes (over the age of 18 and smokers) and fake cigarettes (anybody under the age of 18 or a non-smoker).

As well as this, I will mix together drinks and make it look like alcohol so it looks like the characters are drinking and doing shots, as this is the story to the video. Empty alcohol bottles will be scattered around to make it look like a lot of alcohol has been consumed.  

 

Drafting and planning and organisation - Mock CD cover and photo opportunities

For the front cover of my CD case, I will screenshot a part of my music video and use that so that it fits in with the song, colour scheme and theme. This will include either the main character by theimelves or a group of people in one of the locations. If I decide against this I may create a image using colours and designs that fits the colour scheme as this fits in with the genre of trap music.

 I have created a mock using an existent image that fits in with my music video:

Target audience expectations/attractions - fan website

During my research into trap music fans, I came across a website full of mixtapes, videos, interviews and exclusives and it even contains a shop which sells trap music merchandise. It also has pages for similar music genres such as Hip-Hop. I found this useful in helping me find out more about the trap music genre and what the target audience of my music video likes.The shop helped me see the styles trap music fans want to see and what products are out there that could be included.

This website is called Run The Trap and here is the link to check it out - http://runthetrap.com/

Targetting an Audience - Survey

I have created a survey using SurveyMonkey to gain insight into what people expect to see in music videos, especially in the trap music genre as there are not many out there.

I think the feedback from this survey will give me ideas for my music video and help me make it fit the genre 

Click here to take my survey

Research into Similar Products - Trap music magazine

There is a magazine called trapmag that is especially devoted to trap music and is all about new releases, keeping up with the genre and styles of trap music. It can be read online and it gives you the option to share the magazine on Facebook, Twitter, Soundcloud and Instagram so that you can show your friends and give trapmag publicity. It is very detailed and interesting to read and is really up-to-date and in tune with the latest trap music. In the magazine, there are features such as interviews with trap music artists and news about events and gossip. The magazine advertises trap music gigs and would be very good for the trap music fans. I'm glad I found this magazine to help with my research.



 

Research into Similar Products/ Target Audience - Advertisements - Radio

Trap music radio shows are available to listen to over the internet. 

A website called MixCloud posts that Trap Music is one of the most popular tags on there. 

Link to MixCloud

Another radio station is live365 which plays Trapstyle, Trapstep, EDM Trap, Experimental, Chill Trap, 808 Bass, Future Trap and more.

Link to live365

As well as this, playfm is another radio station that plays Trap Music radio shows. It plays these online for free so anybody can listen to them. 

Link to playfm

Research into Similar Products - Conventions of CD covers (back)

Research into Similar Products - Trap music conventions

The stereotypical conventions of trap music:

- the sound is created using a computer. 

- lyrics/rap is added over the top of the generated sound.

- rap has heavier bass lines.

- in rock/techno the bass/drum sound is better and more widespread.

- notes flow very easily.

- writers switch up their styles to prevent it becoming repetitive.

- has dark themes such as observations of street life or harsh surroundings as well as partying, crime, sex and personal feelings.

Organisation - Requesting Permission

I have requested permission to use the video 'Keys N Krates - All the time' for my media project. DIM MAK is the record label for Keys N Krates so I have given them my details and asked for permission to use content. I explained to them why I would like to use it so hopefully they will contact me soon.

Organisation - Potential Colour Schemes

So far, my ideas on a colour scheme are varied. I noticed in 'Tove-Lo - Habits', there was a purple wash over the video which made it seem more depressing and worn out and I liked the effect it had on the video. I plan to do something similar if I can, to make my video look more dingy and signify that it is not a nice lifestyle to lead. 

My video needs to show the negative impact alcohol and drugs can have on your life and how not to deal with your problems the same way as what is in the video. I feel that this can be partially done through colour and that the right scheme will help show this mood. 

Blue

The colour blue makes people think of nature like the sea and sky. It is also a colour associated with heaven and authority. However, it also has connotations of coldness and wetness and is considered to be thought of as 'slow'. 

Different shades have different meanings. 

Dark blue makes people think of trust and dignity, along with intelligence and authority. This has positive connotations and makes things seem important.

Bright blue is thought to be a sign of cleanliness as well as strength, coolness and dependability.

Lighter blue colours have the connotations of peace, serenity, ethereal, spiritual and infinity. 

None of these shades would be appropriate as they are positive and I am representing negative emotions, 

However, on the other hand, blue evolved as a symbol of depression. People say things like 'singing the blues' and 'feeling blue'. 

Blue is a good example of the complexity of colours and how they can be used to convey several different things. 

Red

The colour red has connotations of danger and is the colour of extremes. This would be relevant as it connects to the risky lifestyle shown in the video and the danger of drugs and alcohol.

It is also a colour of passion, love and seduction which could also be used as the song is about her getting over a man she loves by sleeping around.

Also, red districts sell sex and pornography in every European culture so the connotations might spring to mind when the song talks about when she 'can't go home alone again, need someone to numb the pain.

Yellow

Although yellow is usually linked with happiness, optimism, creativity, enlightenment and nature, there is another side to the colour.

The darker side of yellow portrays madness, egoism,  betrayal and cowardice. 

As well as this it is the colour of physical illness and of signs indicating caution all of the world. It is used for caution as it is the colour that the human eye processes first and is the most visible colour of the spectrum.