Some twitter feedback...

Evaluation question 1

Due to an rendering error the print products did not feature in the end of the evaluation when I was talking about it, but as I was saying we follow typical conventions. For the front cover you see we use the title of the album, artist name and parental advisory sticker For the back cover we use the track listings and barcode For the insert you see the people involved on one part of the insert and on the other insert you see a picture of the artist

Evaluation question 3

This was the feedback obtained by the post production focus group

Evaluation question 4

Evaluation question 2

Annotated print work in progress

Finally , the finished video!

The rough cut of our music video

What others said about the rough cut The feedback generally was positive , everyone got the narrative. There was good camera shots including the POV shot. However improvements need to be made on the telephone call and the way it has been edited. Also some shots used without a tripod was unprofessional and shaky, that needs to be sorted out too.

Drafts of the print prodcuts



This is what the print products may look like, this is what our group got so far on photoshop

Recces




Possible locations we explored, the first is Jay's house which is going to be used when he storms out , and the tunnel may be used for recording the artist lip syncing.

We also got the shop which Jay goes to rob and another possible location to film the artist

Risk assessment forms



Location release forms



Talent release forms








The original lyrics of this song


Production schedules and team meetings



Storyboards






Case study three : Tupac


Dear mama is a hip hop track made by the American artist Tupac and was released in 1995 as part of Interscope records. The music video is 4 minutes and 41 seconds long.
Dear mama is a music video by Tupac dedicated to his mother, who was part of the Black Panthers which was a political organization. It shows footage an actor replicating Tupac when he was younger and how he’s (single) mum would struggle yet still try providing for him and his other siblings. It also shows at the beginning her time in jail. The overall music video shows the extents to which his mother goes to take care of him while growing up and that he understands it wasn’t easy.
Themes and motifs include poverty and struggle. These are both highlighted several times within the footage, showing his mum coming home work late and tired, yet trying to feed them with the ‘scraps’ she has.  
The narrative had no lip syncing and the role of the performer was to replicate Tupac and show his life growing up, and what his mum had to go through raising her children as a single parent
Camera angles were used to help portray the message of the music video. The tilt at 1:42 was particularly effective use of the angle as it shows flowers being put down in the gravestone of his father when the passed away. Then tilts down and shows Tupac (when he was younger) in the scene and shows him not crying, because ‘daddy was a stranger’. When Tupac is shown in the video it grabbed my attention and I felt a sense of empathy.
The target audience is anyone of any age; this timeless track is rated at 4 of the greatest hip hop songs of all time according to about.com. It could particularly appeal to households with single mums. The records were sold at shops at times of release and are now available on iTunes.
The ideas which we can adopt for our music video could be the tilt effect. The way the scene is being shown and another character is introduced into the scene and their emotions are shown in contrast to what is happening in the scene, being emphasized. 

Case study two : Eminem


Eminem in collaboration with Mark Bass produced the original sound track to 8 Mile on October 22nd 2002, named ‘Lose yourself’. The album version is five minutes and 26 seconds, in comparison to the clean radio edit which is 4 minutes and 26 seconds.  Eminem is part of Interscope records and has his own label, Shady Records.
The music video directed by Eminem, Paul Rosenberg and Phillip G. Atwell depicts the problems faced by the main character “B-Rabbit” while trying to reach his ambition of being the next big rapper.  It features scenes relating to his daughter whom he does not spend enough time with because of his music, it also shows how crowds mock him. Eventually near the end problems are overcome and the footage shows how life is different as a rapper.
The video is narrative based, as it relates to scenes in the movie 8 mile. However there are performance elements to it as it shows the artist rapping on a stage in front of crowds, and many a times, lip syncing the words, even though these scenes are part of the movie.
Themes and motifs include poverty, parenting, gang culture and showcases that we should all be motivated to live our dreams also that anything is possible if we set our minds to it.
The artist Eminem is represented as the character ‘B-rabbit’ in 8 mile, and mainly focuses on hardships faced as an artist, shadowing Eminem in real life.  The video exemplifies times Eminem got booed off stage and issues with his mother as well as having a lack of time for his daughter once initiating his rap career.
The use of the camera is particularly effective in this video. The camera zooms into the eyes of his daughter and shows footage of the past where Eminem had not had a rap career, playing with his daughter. It brings back the emotional attachment that was seen before Eminem was famous , this makes the audience feel empathy.  The editing at the beginning of the video which shows a montage of clips on location using short fades and several bits of footage caught my interest. The intro comprised of the track just started with no vocals and the mixture with the montage gave the music video a subtle touch to it.
The target audience are any hip hop listeners, possibly teenagers and adults. They are encouraged to buy the record as it is available online for easier accessibility, its offered as a single and as part of an album. It was also sold at shops when released in volume and is still available at some places.
The ideas that can be used from this music video is the transitions and fades used in the beginning of the footage. It could allow the audience to have a feel of the emotions portrayed in the video before being indulged in it fully.

Case study one : Nas



Nas – One mic


Nasir Jones (NAS) , signed to Columbia Records, a hip hop rapper from the states released the classic record ‘One Mic’  on April 16th 2002.  He featured the track in his 2001 studio album, Stillmatic.  Where Stillmatic was rated top marks by ‘The Source’ a rare rating for which is only used for classic albums.
The music video is a narrative and starts off with various shots taken in New York at night,  then shows a light being switched on in a flat. Nas appears to be in a plain room isloated, equipped with just a microphone. The focus for viewers is on Nas’ poetic ability to express and encompasses the music video. The next scene shows youths being stopped by police, but then leads to a chase on foot, emphsis switches to a shocked elderly bystander where the tension of the video is personified and in slow motion it shows a heinken bottle smashing in pieces, dropped by the man.  The youths and police are shown running past Nas in dramatic fashion, the verse ends with Nas crying ‘The time is now’ and the scene reverts to Nas again in the room alone with just a microphone .
The video fades to show the next scene, which shows protestors gathered with people living in the area while soldiers of the South African Defence force held batons, looking to silence those who speak out, in the 1976 uprising in Soweta, Eventually violence brakes out with the camera focusing on a clash between the protestors and the soldiers, where the protestors where armed with sticks. Nas is shown rapping in the midst of the violence, and the climax comes to an end where the camera tilts upwards and Nas appears again in the empty room with a microphone, the scene finishes when a girl is shown screaming and the text freedom being shown before Nas is shown angered kicking his chair.  The scene is mixed with  younger people mimicing the lyrics being rapped, and the video concludes at the light being turned off in the flat.
The video is a narrative, highlighting crime, poverty and politics throughout, using footage representing the 1976 Soweta uprising and youths running from police.  ‘One Mic’ epitomises the desire for a simple lifestyle and raises several political concerns. The lyrics embody a dystopian theme, challenging political and social issues typified by negative ‘anti-utopian’ material.  
Nas is represented as a leader, someone who is expressing the problems for which society faces in America to forceful political agendas in Africa. He is centralized and holds the video together being shown in the contrast of dramatic conflicts in the video , and is shown several times in a plain room with just a microphone.
Camera shots and angles help the message of the video be portrayed more effectively. The medium shot demonstrated at 1 minute(s) aided by the slow motion effect particularly caught my interest.  It shows the artist’s back and youths running from the police as well as the worn down buildings and narrow streets, characterizing political issues such as poverty and crime as the main focal point for the first verse.   The tilt at 2 minute(s) 30 second(s) stood out for me without a doubt. As the scene reaches a climax with an outbreak of violence, Nas shouts “The time is now” the camera tilts upwards, furthermore emphasis switches on Nas in the plain room once more and the chorus is repeated in the next scene. The frantic footage and progressively faster rap had me captivated and on the edge of my seat, then the tilt upwards brought the scene to a close and switched the whole tone of the verse, as it reverted back to the subtle chorus where Nas is shown in the room alone with just a microphone.  The intro of the video in particular the way its edited
Mis en scene plays an important role in this video and brings the music video to life.  Firstly, the various locations bring the issues highlighted in the music video to light. The last few clips are significant in my opinion and it shows the lyrics being rapped, mimicked by people around the world of different ages and background. For example, It shows an adult in a prison, a teenager with headphones on lying on a bed besides her sister both rapping in sync with Nas. This shows that the track ‘One Mic’ is universal and a wider demographic of people can relate to the piece.  Lighting technique also induced inspiration for me, when Nas is rapping in a dim lit room alone. Nas is sitting In a dark corner of the room and low key lighting brings the emotion in what he is saying and creates the mood in relation of the song. One more feature of mis en scene stands out for me, which is what Nas is wearing in the second verse, his t-shirt in particular. The second verse is about a political uprising in Africa and Nas is delivering lyrics which tell the people to fight back, like a leader should. He’s t-shirt ironically features a map of Africa and small images of prominent leaders, suggesting that Nas is replicating there flair and ambitions for the country, black people in particular.
The target audience is mainly hip hop listeners, from all ages and backgrounds.  They are encouraged to buy the record in various ways.  The single track is only $0.99 which is about £0.61, available online on iTunes.  There is also the clean version and the explicit version which allows a greater age range to purchase ‘One Mic’.
Many ideas of this music video could be used in our piece, particularly the slow motion effect to emphasise a certain part of our footage and to portray the message to the audience more effectively.




Schedule for project


Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Week  1
Sign up to Google Blogger and make the appropriate post/s.
Look at existing music videos and select 3 of those which appeal to me
Analyse the first music video chosen, talk about: misenscene, camera etc.
Analyse the second music video chosen, talk about: misenscene, camera etc.
Analyse the third music video chosen, talk about: misenscene, camera etc.
Make changes or add information the existing research notes
Update blog
Week  2
Record the original song, Brainstorm ideas for the treatment with group
Get feedback from the teacher and students about ideas for our treatment
Make changes and start constructing the treatment
Write up the treatment
Finish writing the treatment and receive feedback
Make amendments to the treatment after feedback gained
Update blog
Week  3
Get feedback for our idea and treatment and discuss with group
Get feedback for our idea and treatment and discuss with group 
Write up an evaluation based upon audience feedback




Week  4
Start producing a storyboard
Continue on the storyboard
Continue on the storyboard
Continue on the storyboard and have a team meeting after college
Get release forms, recces, risk assessment forms, and production schedules sorted
Get release forms, recces, risk assessment forms, and production schedules sorted
Get release forms, recces, risk assessment forms, and production schedules sorted
Week 5
Start producing a storyboard
Continue on the storyboard
Continue on the storyboard
Continue on the storyboard and have a team meeting after college
Get release forms, recces, risk assessment forms, and production schedules sorted
Get release forms, recces, risk assessment forms, and production schedules sorted
Get release forms, recces, risk assessment forms, and production schedules sorted
Week 6
Have a team meeting then begin filming
Continue filming
Continue filming
Continue filming
Continue filming
Continue filming
Update blog
Week 7
Have a team meeting then begin filming
Continue filming
Continue filming
Continue filming
Continue filming
Continue filming
Update blog
Week 8
Have a team meeting then begin filming
Continue filming
Continue filming
Continue filming
Continue filming
Continue filming
Update blog
Week 9
Have a team meeting then begin filming
Continue filming
Continue filming
Continue filming
Continue filming
Continue filming

Week 10
See if footage is sufficient if not continue filming
[Contingency]
Assuming that footage is incomplete , continue filming, if it is complete review footage
Learn how to use editing software such as Sony Vegas , Final cut , Adobe After Effects
Learn how to use editing software such as Sony Vegas , Final cut , Adobe After Effects
Call a team meeting on what editing techniques we should use


Week 11
Begin editing
Edit music video
Edit music video
Edit music video
Edit music video
Edit music video with group outside of college

Week 12
Continue editing
Edit music video
Edit music video
Edit music video
Edit music video
Make final adjustments to editing
Update blog
Week 13
Research existing digipaks
Research existing digipaks
Research existing digipaks
Produce a mock-up of advert and cover
Continue producing mock-ups
Continue producing mock-ups

Week 14
Pitch ideas , get feedback, make changes 
Produce digipak
Produce digipak
Produce digipak
Produce digipak
Produce digipak
Produce digipak
Week 15
Produce digipak
Produce digipak
Produce digipak
Produce digipak
Produce digipak
Produce digipak
Produce digipak
Week 16
Evaluation
Evaluation
Evaluation
Evaluation
Evaluation
Evaluation
Evaluation

The updated version of the treatment

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