Planning of my Music Video - Ms Georgiou

I will be explaining different elements that will come together in order for my music video to follow a narrative that makes sense as well as explaining planning ideas that will be used to relate the lyrics in the song to what is going to be shown on screen. For each stanza I will be evaluating and explaining different ideas such as; style and performance, scene, characters, camera shots, length of shots, editing styles, Mise en Scene; lighting and colours, costume, facial expressions, body language, setting, position and iconography. 

First, Second & Third Stanza; 
Boy you waan fi hold me
Put your arms right arounddd me
Mi no se me give u di tightest hole u eva did see in your life

Boy you waan fi just squeeze me
Put di ting right around me
Mi no se me give u di tightest hole u eva did see in your life

Your eye dem dry and u na care
So you can give it anytime and anywhere
Inna de square
So we na care
Mi a yuh woman so mi haffi be there Well you seh you want a girl who will tek u away

The style/performance of these stanzas allow the audience to identify the type of genre the music video is and it also enables the audience to have a clear indication that the artist is talking about being loved and shown affection from the lyrics being sung. The scene will consist of the artist in her bedroom while she is on her computer watching a video of ‘Gyptain’ which is the original version of the song she is singing. This sets a realistic perception and also follows the conventions of a narrative music video as the storyline follows on throughout the music video. 'Shani' is singing about 'Gyptian' in her song and the audience are able to make this link as she is watching his video on YouTube while smiling at the television screen. The artist is the only character shown throughout the whole music video which then allows the video to become performance based as well as narrative based due to the storyline and the making of the video. The original version of the song by ‘Gyptian’ is shown from a point of view shot while 'Shani' is watching his music video on YouTube from her computer. 

This allows the audience to relate to both artists and the relationship they both have. The camera shots in this scene start from a mid shot of the artist laying down on her bed while she is watching ‘Gyptian’ on YouTube, following this a close up is then shown while the artist is singing and then goes back into a mid shot showing the first original view of the artist. To then make it clear that ‘Shani’ is watching ‘Gyptian’ on YouTube a point of view shot is shown displaying what ‘Shani’ can see through her own eyes. This allows the audience to see what she is looking at and how it has influenced her own music.

The length of the shots vary and to keep to the conventions of a music video shots must always change in line with lyrics and to the beat of the song. As a result of this after each line in the lyrics the visuals change to a different shot/location. After the shot of 'Gyptian' is shown from the computer on the TV screen a close up is again then shown of the artist while she is singing to her own song. Following this a panning shot is taken to show the artist getting up from her bed and going to pick up a present she has just seen from 'Gyptian' himself which is a Tiffany necklace. This all links into the narration of the music video. At the start of the video 'Shani' is running up stairs to her room in order to set the scene. 'Shani' and 'Gyptian' are in a relationship and as 'Shani' has studied his music she has fallen in love with him and his music. As 'Shani' then releases her song 'Hold Me', 'Gyptian' and herself get closer which is why he has left an expensive present for her in her room. This allows the audience to create a link between each artist and the come back song of the original version. Following this as 'Shani' opens up the present the YouTube video is still playing were she then looks up from opening the present and smiles at the Television screen to show the audience that 'Gyptian' has bought her a present. 

This follows a narrative based element and becomes clear to the audience in relation to the song and the present referencing the original artist. After this is shown a mid shot of 'Shani' is seen while she is going to sit back down on her bed to open up the present.  


In this scene we thought it would be appropriate for a more relaxed casual look however still fashionable with the ripped leggings and pink converse paired with a white vest top and relaxed denim jacket. The facial expressions and body language of the artist are a reflection of different moods and feelings the artist has when in different situations. The facial expressions and body language show natural reactions and this is portrayed throughout the music video. Finally the setting of this scene allows the music video to be related to very easily due to it being set in a bedroom where people feel more comfortable in expressing themselves.

Fourth, Fifth & Sixth Stanza;

Baby come behind me let me wine pon u

Wid it gooddd

You haffi feel itt

I'll have you comin back for more


Boy you waan fi hold me
Put your arms right arounddd me
 Mi no se me give u di tightest hole u eva did see in your life


Boy you waan fi just squeeze me
Put di ting right around me
Mi no se me give u di tightest grip u eva did see in your lifeI a bike mi a ride like voom voom voom voom

The style and performance in the fourth, fifth and sixth stanza's allow the audience to see how 'Shani' is expressing herself through the lyrics in her song. The style of this scene allows the audience to see that she is talking about herself while singing in the mirror. This means that as 'Shani' sings, 'Baby come behind me let me wine pon u', the audience are able to identify that she is talking about herself from her body language and facial expressions directing it to 'Gyptian'. As well as this it also builds on the narration of 'Shani' falling in love with her idol, 'Gyptian'. This scene is still in the same location in this part of the song, however there is an outfit change into something more sophisticated and sexy to symbolise how she dresses when in a relationship which again follows a stereotypical view of making more of an effort when in a relationship. 

Following this the scene the feel of the music video changes as the beat of the song comes out more, this means the audience will expect to see something new on screen, for example a different location or outfit. This has been followed through as the artist is dancing and singing again to her song but follows a performance based concept in a different location and in a different outfit. This scene allows the audience to relate to the genre of the video and the conventions expected to be seen from a Reggae music video.

In order to sustain the attention of whoever is watching the video it is vital that the camera shots keep changing as well as the editing techniques. The camera shots used throughout this scene are as follows; a long shot of the artist as she is singing and dancing to her reflection in the mirror. Following this a mid shot is shown of the artist as she is singing and dancing again, but this camera shot was taken were the mirror was, by doing this it would allow the audience to see what the mirror is reflecting directly and how the artist is viewing herself. Again to break the video up a close up was then filmed, the audience are able to see the artist from the top of her head to just below her shoulders which allows them to build a relationship with how the artist is expressing herself. After this shot is shown the location then changes again as well as the outfit. By doing this again it follows the generic conventions of a Reggae music video. Following this, a mid shot is shown of the artist in a white one shouldered dress lying down on cream silk sheets. This allows the audience to interact with the song as well as the lyrics and visuals as the artist sings 'Mi no se me give u di tightest hole u eva did see in your life' the body language of 'Shani' expresses the lyrics. This is also were Goodwin's Theory comes in as the lyrics and visuals match. 

Following these shots another mid shot is shown of the artist which makes it clear again what the conventions of a Reggae music video is. There are different editing styles used throughout this scene which again make the video follow certain conventions. A reflection effect was put into place to make the video more professional looking and also a glow effect was put on for the shots where the artist is in a white dress. This overall gives the music video a good feel and allows the audience to create a link with the what the type of artist Shani is. The next shots that follow this are repeated with the same camera shots and editing styles to show a repetitive technique, this is effective as it allows the audience to have a clear indication of the narrative and performance based elements.

The camera shots again change with the lyrics in the song and is again a representation of a good music video as it always makes the audience concentrate on what they are watching. The Mise-en-Scene elements make this music video successful as the different use of props and lighting effects make it look professional. The props used throughout this scene where the silk sheets, rose petals, industrial light and mattress. These elements work well together as they portray a more realistic setting, however still looking professional. The use of lighting a colour has also worked well, my group and I experimented with an industrial light that was shone on the artist while she was performing, we the decided to switch the light on and off which created a flashing effect. We decided to keep this effect and use it for each shot where the artist is wearing the blue dress as it plays along with the codes and conventions well.

Again by the change of shots the location also changes which makes the video again feel more professional. As each location  a different outfit is linked with each shot. By doing this the audience are then able to see where the artist is located from what she is wearing and in what stage the music video is in. Moving on, the facial expressions and body language references how the artist is feeling both lyrically and emotionally.

Seventh, Eighth & Ninth Stanza: 

Cock up mi bump up a boom boom boom boom
Lift it up n drop it back badoom boom boom boom
No time to play around boy jus get in my room

Me out a control
A real man me want in mi soul
Man mi no u ah di one so no politic on yuh
Di gyal who could hold u down

Mami waan fi hold yuh
Put di ting right arounddd me
Mi no se me give u di tightest hole u eva did see in your life
 
The style and performance of these stanzas allow the audience to identify the type of genre again the music video is set in. It also enables the audience to have an indication that the artist is still singing about ‘Gyptian’ throughout the whole video. To build on this Reggae music most commonly use love, lust and sexual references throughout lyrics and the overall feel of a music video. As a result of this it is successful in meeting these conventions as they are easily identified throughout my music video. The shots throughout these stanzas are as follows; a mid shot of the artist while she is singing, another mid shot of the artist however the camera is lower which means the body of the artist is on show, a bird’s eye view shot of the artist is next showing the artist while she is singing and dancing, following this an extreme close up is then shown allowing the audience to see the facial expressions of the artist, a mid shot is shown again of the artist which is in the same location as the previous shot, this is done so that the video is always moving and so that the audience always have something to focus on, then the audience see a long shot of the artist walking to her car followed by a finishing mid shot.

 
This scene consists of the artist singing and dancing throughout the main part of the scene, towards the end of the scene the narration then comes back showing the artist walking to her car. This setting allows the audience to have an indication of what the artist is feeling while she sings her song about ‘Gyptian’. As a result of this the narrative and performance elements are seen throughout the video as ‘Shani’ then gets in her car to go and meet ‘Gyptian’. The audience do not see ‘Gyptian’ in any part of the video, however this is effective as it leaves consumers wanting to find out where the artist is going. As ‘Shani’ is the only character featured in the video the audience are able to make the link that ‘Gyptian’ and herself have not been in a relationship for very long. This is identified through the facial expressions of the artist being shy and not giving away to much emotion on ‘Gyptian’. As the artist then walks to her car it becomes clear that she is going to meet him and build on their relationship together by getting to know one another.
 
The lengths of the shots vary and to keep to the conventions of a music video, shots must change in time with lyrics and the beat of the song. As a result of this after each line of lyrics the camera shot changes. The reason for the use of different shots allow the audience to constantly see the emotion of the artist through her music. The shot of the artist’s body links in with Goodwin’s Theory as record labels ask for the need for lots of close ups of the artist both her face and body. The reason this is needed is so that ‘Shani’ can be seen as a sex appeal as well as a respected artist. Throughout this scene a narrative based element becomes clear as ‘Shani’ is seen getting into her car, even though the audience do not know that she is going to meet ‘Gyptian’ it makes them wonder where she is going which makes the audience want to find out more. Following this again a performance based element is carried through as the artist herself is taking part in the production of her music video.

The main focus in this scene is the artist and my group and I felt that we should show the performance based side to her which makes her so appealing to a wide audience. Again in order not to distract away from the artist too much the editing effects used are kept minimal and a repeated throughout the same shots. The editing styles used are; a tile effect while the artist is singing and dancing along with this effect a dazzle and glow where also put into place to show a different kind of visual feel to the video. Moreover the next effect used in the mid shot of the artist’s body was again a dazzle and a glow. By keeping the same effects for the same locations the audience are able to identify where the artist is. Following this, again the same method was used for the same location. For the mid shot of the artist my group and I wanted a different type of editing style and while playing around with the different effects we found that just putting a glow effect on the scenes where the artist is lying down on the silk sheets it made a smooth textured effect which portrays the artist’s emotion. This effect was again put into place for the extreme close up allowing the audience to create a link with the location of the video and the artist. To then keep in line with the repetitive format the mid shot of the artist in the blue dress was then repeated to keep in line with the conventions my group and I where following. As a result of this the next shot is the artist walking to her car. The effect used on this shot was a black and white effect. My group and I wanted to emphasis the fact that it was late at night and ‘Shani’ was still going to meet ‘Gyptian’. Then finally the last shot in this scene is again the mid shot of the artist singing and dancing in the blue dress with the same editing effects. While all of these shots where edited only straight cuts were used to allow a flowing narration of the video.

The costumes in this scene are more sophisticated and sexy due to the lyrics in the song picking up referencing love and relationships. My group and I then decided to dress the artist in a blue thigh length dress with black patent shoe boots, this look is sophisticated and elegant however is still young and edgy due to the patent black shoe boots. The next outfit used in this scene is a cream one shouldered dress, this look is very innocent and pure which is what my group and I wanted to portray. The facial expressions and body language of the artist are a reflection of different moods and feelings the artist has when in different situations. The facial expressions and body language show natural reactions and this is portrayed throughout the music video. Finally the setting of this scene allows the music video to be related to very easily due to it being set in the artist’s house which is where people feel more comfortable and relaxed in expressing themselves.

Tenth, Eleventh & Twelfth Stanza:

Boy you waan fi just squeeze me
Put di ting right around me
Mi no se me give u di tightest grip 

u eva did see in your life

I a bike mi a ride like voom voom voom voom
Cock up mi bump up a boom boom boom boom
Lift it up n drop it boy badoom boom boom boom
No time to play around boy jus get to my room

Me out a control
A real man me want in mi soul
Man mi no u ah di one so no politic on yuh 

The one who could hold you downnn

The style and performance in the next stanza's allow the audience to see how 'Shani' is expressing herself through the lyrics in her song. The style of this scene allows the audience to see that she is still talking about ‘Gyptian’ in the lyrics to her song and expressing herself through dancing. This means that as 'Shani' sings, 'No time to play around boy jus get to my room’, the audience are able to tell that ‘Shani’ is singing about him and the relationship they have. As well as this from her body language and facial expressions it allows the audience to see she is directing it to 'Gyptian'. As well as this it also builds on the narration of 'Shani' as she falls in love with her idol, 'Gyptian'. Throughout this scene the location is always changing following the narrative concept as she then gets into her car and drives off to go and meet ‘Gyptian’.  

Following this, the music lyrically also has a repetitive format as some of the lyrics are repeated throughout. In order to keep this going on through the video my group and I thought it would look effective if the camera shots and locations are repeated. As the artist is dancing and singing again to her song it follows a performance based concept as she is constantly putting on a show for her audience. This scene allows the audience to relate to the genre of the video and the conventions expected to be seen from a Reggae music video due to the lighting effects and the use of Mise-en-Scene.

In order to sustain the attention of whoever is watching the video it is vital that the camera shots keep changing as well as the editing techniques. The camera shots used throughout this scene are as follows; a long shot of the artist as she gets into her car, a bird eye view shot of the artist while she is lying down on the bed, a high angle shot as the artist drives away, a close up of the artist as she is driving, an extreme close up of the artist again while she is singing, then a mid shot of the artist, followed by another bird eye view shot of her. By having these effects it allows the audience to see the narrative based elements my group and I wanted to bring out. By doing this again it follows the generic conventions of a Reggae music video that consumers expect to see.


Following these shots another mid shot is shown of the artist which makes it clear again what the conventions of a Reggae music video is. There are different editing styles used throughout this scene which again make the video follow certain conventions. A black and white effect was put into place to make the video more professional looking and also a glow effect was put on for the shots where the artist is in a white dress. This overall gives the music video a good feel and allows the audience to create a link with the type of artist ‘Shani’ is. The next shots that follow this are repeated with the same camera shots and editing styles to show a repetitive technique, this is effective as it allows the audience to have a clear indication of the narrative and performance based elements.

The camera shots again change with the lyrics in the song and is again a representation of a good music video as it always makes the audience concentrate on what they are watching. The Mise-en-Scene elements make this music video successful as the different use of props and lighting effects make it look professional. The props used throughout this scene where the silk sheets, rose petals, industrial light, car and mattress. These elements work well together as they portray a realistic setting, however still looking professional. The use of lighting a colour has also worked well as it sets the tone for the video.

As each location changes a different outfit is linked with each shot. By doing this the audience are then able to see where the artist is located from what she is wearing and in what stage the music video is in. Moving on, the facial expressions and body language references how the artist is feeling both lyrically and emotionally.

Thirteenth, Fourteenth & Fifteenth Stanza:
Hoooold yuh
Put your arms right arounddd me
Mi no se me give u di tightest hole u eva

did see in your life

Boy you waan fi just squeeze me
Put di ting right around me
Mi no se me give u di tightest grip u eva did see in your life

Your eye dem dry and u na care
So you can give it anytime and anywhere
Inna de square
So we na care
Mi a yuh woman so mi haffi be there

The style/performance of these stanzas allow the audience to identify the type of genre the music video is and it also enables the audience to have a clear indication that the artist is talking about being loved and shown affection from the lyrics being sung. The scene will consist of the artist singing and dancing showing her emotions on ‘Gyptian’. This creates the setting my group and I wanting as well as portraying the view of a Reggae music video. It also follows the conventions of a narrative music video as the storyline follows on towards the ending of the music video. 'Shani' is singing about 'Gyptian' in her song and the audience are able to make this link as she is watching his video on YouTube while smiling at the television screen. The artist is the only character shown throughout the whole music video which then allows the video to become performance based as well as narrative based due to the storyline and the making of the video.


This allows the audience to relate to both artists and the relationship they both have. The camera shots in this scene start from an extreme close up of the artist’s face as she is singing, following this  mid shots of the artist are shown in different locations and angles. This allows the audience to see the artist’s body language and facial expressions as she is singing and shows the emotion behind the song.

The length of the shots vary and to keep to the conventions of a music video shots must always change in line with lyrics and to the beat of the song. As a result of this after each line in the lyrics the visuals change to a different shot/location. After the extreme close up of ‘Shani’ is shown mid shots are the displayed allowing the audience to create a link with the narrative storyline as well as the artist’s performing skills. 

Throughout this scene all of the same editing techniques and camera shots are used for the same locations as well as the costumes in order to keep in line with the repetitive format the lyrics offer. This means that the overall video looks more professional and thought out well. 

Sixteenth, Seventeenth & Eighteenth Stanza:

Well you seh you want a girl who will tek u away
Baby come behind me let me wine pon u
Wid it gooddd
You haffi feel itt
I'll have you comin back for more

Boy you waan fi hold me
Put di ting right arounddd me
Mi no se me give u di tightest hole u eva did see in your life

Boy you waan fi just squeeze me
Put di ting right around me
Mi no se me give u di tightest grip u eva did see in your life 

I a bike mi a ride

  
The style and performance in the final stanza's allow the audience to see how 'Shani' is expressing herself through the lyrics in the song for the ending of the song. The camera shots used throughout this scene are as follows; a long shot of the artist taken from behind to show what she is looking at in the mirror, a mid shot is then show of the artist singing and dancing, following this a bird’s eye view shot is shown of the artist as she is lying down on the bed, the next shot is an extreme close up followed by a mid shot and a bird’s eye view shot which then goes back into a mid shot and finishes with a long shot of the artist walking towards the camera. There are different editing styles used throughout this scene which again make the video follow certain conventions. Overall this gives the music video a good feel and allows the audience to create a link with what the type of artist Shani is as well as making it more interesting to look at from an audience’s point of view. The camera shots again change with the lyrics in the song and is again a representation of a good music video as it always makes the audience concentrate on what they are watching. The Mise-en-Scene elements make this music video successful as the different use of props and lighting effects make it look professional. The props used throughout this scene where the silk sheets, rose petals, industrial light and mattress. These elements work well together as they portray a more realistic setting, however still looking professional.

The facial expressions and body language references how the artist is feeling both lyrically and emotionally.

Location:
The locations used throughout my music video were based on group decisions and suggestions. The different locations used throughout our video are as follows;

  

•    Dual Carriageway (A10)
•   Artist’s House
•   River

These locations have worked to our advantage as they are realistic settings which allow the audience watching the music video to relate to each location and the way they make you feel.

In the opening scene of my music video the dual carriageway is shown, the shot shows cars driving past quickly, this shot was taken to set the scene and create an establishing shot. To make this shot more interesting a rewind effect was put into place so that the cars would go from driving forward to driving backwards. As a result of this it looks professional and follows 
the generic codes and conventions of a Reggae music video. The next shot in the music video is of the artist walking alongside a river. As she is walking she is singing and dancing as she comes towards the camera. To make the river look more interesting we placed candles down the edge of the path which created an elegant lighting effect. The reason for having the artist walking down the river path was so that the audience can see her journey in her relationship with ‘Gyptian’. Moreover at the end of my music video the same shot is shown however she walks past the camera, this symbolizes the affection she has for ‘Gyptian’ and that she wants to be with him.

The final location where most of the filming was done was at the artist’s house. The main room used was the bedroom, the reason for this was because it is a place where individuals can go and express themselves. It can also be seen as a comfort zone and a way of expressing your feelings the way you want. As well as this it is also a realistic setting that many consumers can relate to. 

Characters:

In my music video my group and I felt that it was best to use only the artist, the reason for this was because we did not want any other character to take the main focus away from the artist. Another reason why we did this was because we felt that a lot of young girl would be able to relate to the artist which will create a strong link with the audience. The image we tried to give off for the artist was very independent, strong, confident, sexy, likable and with a bit of attitude to make consumers remember her.  

Concept, Narrative & Performance:

As my group and I started to think about what we wanted to gain from our music video we decided that we should follow a performance and narrative based element that would allow our audience to follow the storyline of the music video as well as enjoy the artist’s performance of singing and dancing. In my opinion this has been successful as each element has been followed through. 

Mise-en-Scene:
There are many different elements that fall under this category and as a group we played different roles to make sure everything ran smoothly. While working as a group I found it good due to the fact that personal opinions matter. For example if a member in my group did not like anything done to the video; either an editing technique or a camera shot. There was no awkwardness to voice your own personal opinion. As a result of this I think the Mise-en-Scene characteristic’s have worked well and is one of the strongest elements in our music video. We used a number of props, lighting effects, body language, facial expressions and costume, hair & make-up in order to portray the views we wanted as a group. Overall the different elements work well together in the music video as they follow the conventions of a Reggae music video.

Editing Styles:

Throughout the music video there are a number of editing styles that can be found, through experimenting with different effects we were able as a group to make our own effects by putting one on top of another and finding the best ones that suited each camera shot. The main editing effects found in my music video are; dazzle, glow, fade to black, tile and reflection. These effects have worked well together in my opinion and again follow the conventions of a Reggae music video.

 

Camera Shots and Angles/Length of Shots:

Throughout this element of the planning stage each group member including myself had different opinions and ideas on shots, angles, effects and the length of each shot. As a group we decided what would look best and suit our music video. Some of the shots taken were at different angles so it was hard to get the exact image we wanted, having said that in my opinion our music video has come out very well as it was thought out correctly as well as managed so that each member in my group could voice their opinions.

Organisation of Equipment and Time:
This aspect was planned clearly so that there was no confusion with times and dates etc. We all decided as a group what days would be best to film and edit and we drew out a filming schedule that made sure we did not forget any dates. The equipment that was used enabled us to keep to our schedule as we took equal responsibility in setting up equipment.

In conclusion to this the planning stage of creating our music video was successful due to the procedures we followed to ensure everything went to plan and on time.

In order to be successful in the planning stage different types of equipment had to be used in order to create the actual music video. These different types of equipment are as follows;

·         Tripod

·         Camera

·         Industrial Light

By having these forms of equipment available to use it has allowed my group and I to have a more professional looking music video. As well as this these elements have made it clearer to identify where lighting for example was needed as where it was not.