Evaluation

Ancillary task print ad

My print ad for my music video looks very simple compared to the digipak. I used the same image that was the album cover and left the background white so as not to distract from the image of the bird. This is also the case for that of Ed Sheeran,while his album cover is orange and 'in your face' the image used for the print advert is a simple black and white photo of himself.
 

Ancillary tasks

I chose the layout for my digipak based on previous Ed Sheeran ep covers, it was my idea to have it rather mismatched but all linked together through the lyrics in the song. The front cover was created by taking a still shot from my video and then editing it it in Photoshop as was the image for the inside right. The other two images were created using Photoshop tools and drawing them on and then using filters and colours. My aim for both the video and ancillary taks was to make them look 'homemade' almost messy.

Below are examples of old Ed Sheeran ep covers, they all look similar in that they are simple and look drawn on.

Little bird A2 Media

This is the final cut of my music video the song is called Little Bird and it is performed by Ed Sheeran. There were many influences when making my media video, obviously the main inspiration was Ed Sheeran but also a band called Daughter and a recent video by Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding.

For my video I wanted a real couple so that there was a natural chemistry on screen and less acting. They are also a lesbian couple which fits in with Ed Sheeran's video for Give me love. Again, I wanted my music video to look home made and so the camera is shaky and the lighting is not always perfect, I personally feel as though it makes the video easier to relate to.

Below are the videos which inspired me to do my own.

Ed Sheeran - Give me love

Calvin Harris ft Ellie Goulding - I need your love

Daughter - Youth

Music video effects

One of the music videos that I wanted to use as inspiration for my own music video was Mama do the hump by Rizzle Kicks. The reason this video caught my attention was because it had a relaxed and personal vibe,it resembles that of a home video. The camera used is not necassarily high definition and there isn't much evidence of a tripod being used. There are a range of shots and dim lighting.

 

 

Another video I have also looked at is youth by Daughter, this video resembles the video for mama do the hump in that it looks very much like a home video and feels very personal.

Storyboard

Above are the scanned images of my storyboard. There are 11 scenes in total that should spread across a 3 minute song. The scenes I included were basic so that it left room for experimentation and exploration.Development would be easy because there were not a lot of strict shots that had to be filmed for the video.

Casting notes

Frankie Fasulo will play one of my main characters. I chose Frankie because I feel she suits the role well, she listens to the artist I am focusing on and so knows the codes and conventions to the genre and what would be expected of the artist’s music video. I will also be using Frankie’s girlfriend (below) as the other main character, after doing my music video research I found that in Ed Sheeran’s video for give me love there are same sex couples used as characters and so there would be nothing that goes against the producer and consumer contract.

 

Orla Newport is also my other main character in the video for the simple reason that there would be a natural chemistry on film between Frankie and Orla; it wouldn’t be awkward to record footage of them because they are in fact a real life couple and so the ‘acting’ element wouldn’t be as much. Orla also listens to Ed Sheeran and therefore she is familiar with the song I’m using and how the typical Ed Sheeran video looks. 

Both actors I have chosen are naturally very enthusiastic and jovial people that have a passion for music and play instruments; Orla plays guitar and Frankie plays piano and guitar. It would be simple for me to give them directions but also film them without them being aware and still be able to use that footage in the video.  

Location Report

Park scene-

The main location for the video will be set in Primrose hill simply because I know there is better scenery; it is a hilly area meaning that when you stand at the top of some of the higher areas you can see the London skyline. Problems with filming in this area are that there is no place to charge the camera if it should run out of battery, the current weather conditions mean that it could snow and effect the scenes I want to film. However we will be setting up a tent for the video so that may solve some of our issues where weather is concerned. This would be a typical location for an Ed Sheeran video, especially if you look at his very early videos that had a low budget. I feel that because the song is quite a summery song the park would be a perfect place to shoot and gives the video an almost vintage feel, especially with the tent and fairy lights I plan to use in the video. Another problem I may find is members of the public getting in the way of filming.

My house-

My own house will be used for an argument scene as there is a large mirror that may add to the scene if you can see what is happening from both angles. The lighting is also good for filming and more importantly space to film. Problems with this may be that we find it hard to find a time when there is no one in the house to film so that there is no distractions for the actors involved. I chose my house for the scene for the reason that I could move around furniture if needs be and decorate the area without asking.






Updated

Due to certain problems we decided to change our location to mainly house scenes, the outside scenes were shot in Hertfordshire down country lanes.

Survey Feedback

 

From this graph you can see that my main target audience would be 15-20 year olds as they are the age group that match my survey,my chosen genre of music suits this age group more.

The data collected shows that it is varied but rap seems to be most popular along with rock and pop. Indie music is one of the most uncommon choices and alternative music was not mentioned at all which suggests that either very few people know what these genres are or they simply do not like them.

All of the people that participated in my survey had heard of Ed Sheeran this meant that everyone had heard at least one song of his and would be able to associate certian things with him. Being a popular artist makes it easier to get feedback as the general public expect certain things from that artist and would know what what works well with the music and what doesn't.

 

From this pie chart you can see that the songs the people like from Ed Sheeran are generally his slower ones. This showed me that maybe my song choice would be a risk because his song Little Bird was not mentioned once and is an upbeat song. It is also a song that is not on the album and therefore people may not recognise it as an Ed Sheeran song straight away.

 

The Other Questions

 

What do you like to do in your spare time?

This question was to see what  sort of interests my target audience had in common this would determine what sort of things might be in my music video in order for it to be relatable. The answers from my target audience included:

.Listening to music

.Socialising

.Watching television

.Reading

.Sleeping

 

Your favourite artist from your preferred genre of music?

This question was again to see if my target audience had specific artists in common but also whether these artists related to Ed Sheeran in any way. Some of the artists included acts such as:

.Children of bodem

.Eminem

.Beyonce

.Joy division

.Jimi Hendrix

.Pink Floyd

.Kendrick Lemar

.Kanye West

.Michael Jackson

.Swedish house mafia

.Rihanna

.Phil Collins

.Kid Cudi

.Blink 182

.Mumford and Sons

From the artists given I can see that my chosen genre of music may be a problem where a general music audience are concerned due to the fact that none of the artists named relate in an obvious way to Ed Sheeran. I may have to continue my music research but aim it specifically at Ed Sheeran fans.

 

What is your understanding of Indie/Alternative music?

This question was left blank by many of my participants or the answer 'I don't know' was given, for those of the people that did know what it was they answered with 'guitars or live music.' I also found that it was not that my participants did not know what Indie music was as they were able to name artists from that genre however defining what that type of music was came as a struggle to many.Whilst creating my music video I will have to include the codes and conventions of an Indie/Alternative music video so that it may become clearer to those watching what this genre of music is like.

My questionnaire

Music Video Survey

Which of the following age groups do you belong to?  (Please circle)

-10            10-15               15-20             20-30               30-40                40-50                             50+

 

What do you like to do in your spare time?

 

 

What is your favourite genre of music?

 

 

Who is your favourite artist from this genre?

 

 

What is your understanding of Indie/Alternative music?

 

 

Have you heard of Ed Sheeran?  (Please circle)

Yes                 No

If yes, what is your opinion on Ed Sheeran?

 

 What is your favourite song from Ed Sheeran?

 

 

What would associate with Ed Sheeran?

Ed Sheeran explaining the meaning behind little bird

Video style ideas

Lewis Watson- Even if
The video is simple black and white and throughout the song Watson can be seen writing the lyrics to the song.the video is edited in time to the song and doodles are drawn by the singer when there is an instrumental.

One night only-Say you don't want it
The video is based on two dogs that then turn into humans and roam the city of new york.Although it is not immediately obvious to the viewer, the actors stay in character and mimick a dogs actions such as licking eachothers faces. It is noot until the end that you see that they are infact dogs and then the concept of the video falls into place.

Coldplay-The scientist
The video for this song by Coldplay was shot in the right order but then reversed,this being the idea meant that Chris Martin (Lead singer of the band) had to learn his own lyrics backwards. The storyline is that of a car crash whereby Chris Martin is the driver and ends up killing his partner because of the crash.

Video mood board

Ed Sheeran-Mood Board

Ed Sheeran-Little Bird lyrics

If we take this bird in
With its broken leg
We could nurse it
She said
Come inside
For a little lie down with me
If you fall asleep
It wouldn’t be the worst thing
But when I wake up
Your make-up is on my shoulder
And tell me, if I lie down
Would you stay now
And let me hold you?

But if I kissed you
Will your mouth read this truth
Darling, how I miss you
Strawberries taste how lips do
And it’s not complete yet
Mustn’t get our feet wet
Cos that leads to regret
Diving in too soon
And I’ll owe it all to you
My little bird
My little bird

If we take a walk out
In the morning dew
We could lay down
So I’m next to you
Come inside
For a little home-made tea
If you fall asleep
Then at least you’re next to me
And if I wake up
You see, it’s late, love
Go back to sleep
I’m covered by nature
And I’m safe now
Underneath this oak tree
With you beside me

But if I kissed you
Will your mouth read this truth?
Darling, how I miss you
Strawberries taste how lips do
And it’s not complete yet
Mustn’t get our feet wet
Cos that leads to regret
Diving in too soon
And I’ll owe it all to you
My little bird
My little bird

And of all these things
I’m sure of
I’m not quite certain
Of your love
And you made me scream
But then I made you cry
When I left that little bird
With its broken leg to die

But if I kissed you
Will your mouth read this truth
Darling, how I miss you
Strawberries taste like lips do
And it’s not complete yet
Mustn’t get our feet wet
Cos that leads to regret
Diving in too soon
And I’ll owe it all to you
My little bird
My little bird
You’re my little bird

Mood board for little bird

 

 

Above are all the images I used to create my physical mood board. I used images that I felt related to the song and gained ideas from watching other music videos. The first image was the finished product of my mood board.

 

 

Ed Sheeran background information

Edward Christopher "Ed" Sheeran (born 17 February 1991) is an English singer songwriter and producer. Raised in Framlingham, England, he began recording in 2005 and moved to London in 2008 to pursue a musical career. In 2009, he played 312 gigs and in early 2011, Sheeran released an independent extended play, No. 5 Collaborations Project which led him to be signed to Asylum / Atlantic Records. Buoyed by the commercial breakthrough success of the singles "The A Team" and "Lego House", his debut album + has been certified quintuple platinum in the United Kingdom. In 2012, he won two BRIT Awards for Best British Male Solo Artist, and British Breakthrough of the Year, while "The A Team" also won the Ivor Novello Award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically.Sheeran was born in Halifax, West Yorkshire to Irish and English parents, before moving to Framlingham, Suffolk; he is a cousin of TV journalist and presenter Gordon Burns.He learned guitar at a very young age, and began writing songs during his time at Thomas Mills High School in Framlingham his early childhood memories, referred to in an interview on the Zane Lowe show, included listening to Van Morrison on his countless trips to London with his parents and going to an intimate gig with Damien Rice in Ireland when he was 11. He also opened for Nizlopi in Norwich in April 2008 after being one of their guitar technicians.Sheeran began recording in 2005, which led to the release of his first EP, The Orange Room EP. Sheeran also released 2 albums, a self-titled one in 2006 and Want Some? in 2007. He moved to London in 2008 to play gigs, starting off in very small venues, playing every day, to as little as five people. In 2008, he auditioned for the ITV series Britannia High.In 2009, Sheeran played 312 gigs. He said that he read an interview with James Morrison that said that Morrison had done 200 gigs in a year, and Sheeran wanted to beat him on this number. Also in 2009, he released another EP, You Need Me, just before going on tour with Just Jack. He also did a few collaborations with Leddra Chapman, including Cee Lo Green's Fuck You. In February 2010 Sheeran posted a video through SB.TV, which led to mainstream rapper Example asking Sheeran to tour with him. Also in February 2010 he released his critically acclaimed Loose Change EP, which featured his later debut single "The A Team".In April 2010, after leaving his old management company, Sheeran bought a ticket to Los Angeles, with no contacts other than one poetry night. He played open mic nights all over the city, before his talent was spotted at The Foxxhole by Jamie Foxx, who was so impressed that he offered Sheeran the use of his recording studio and the run of his Hollywood home for the rest of his stay. Throughout 2010, Sheeran began to be seen by more people over the internet through YouTube and his fan-base grew, with him also getting credit from The Independent newspaper, England football captain Rio Ferdinand and Elton John.Sheeran also self-released two other EPs in 2010; Ed Sheeran: Live at the Bedford and Songs I Wrote With Amy, which is a collection of love songs he wrote in Wales with fellow singer songwriter Amy Wadge.On 8 January 2011, Sheeran released his final independent EP, No. 5 Collaborations Project featuring appearances by grime artists including Wiley, JME, Devlin, Sway and Ghetts.With this EP, Sheeran gained mainstream attention for reaching number 2 in the iTunes chart without any promotion or label, selling over 7,000 copies in its first week. Three months later, Sheeran put on a free show to fans at the Barfly in Camden. Over 1,000 fans turned up to see the show, so Sheeran ended up playing four different shows to make sure everyone saw a gig, including a gig outside on the street after the venue had closed. Later that month, Sheeran was signed to Asylum / Atlantic Records.

2011–present: + and commercial success

On 26 April, Sheeran appeared on the TV music show Later... with Jools Holland – where he performed his debut single "The A Team". Six weeks later, "The A Team" was released as a digital download in the UK. The release served as the lead single from Sheeran's debut studio album, entitled +. "The A Team" entered the UK Singles Chart at number three, selling over 58,000 copies in the first week. It was congratulated on being the best selling debut single and the overall eight best selling single of 2011, shifting 801,000 copies.The lead single also became a top ten hit in Australia, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Norway and the Netherlands. During a headline set in the BBC Introducing tent at Glastonbury Festival 2011, Sheeran announced that "You Need Me, I Don't Need You" would be released on 28 August as the second single from the album. The second single peaked at number four on the UK Singles Chart. "Lego House" was released as the third single, reaching the top ten on Australian, Irish, Scottish, New Zealand Singles Charts, Flemish Ultratop 50 and the Wallonian Ultratip. "Drunk", released on 19 February 2012, became Sheeran's fourth consecutive top ten single in the UK, peaking at number nine.

(TAKEN FROM WIKIPEDIA) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Sheeran 

Codes and conventions of Indie music

Indie music is generally part performance based and predictable as they give their target audience what they expect and what they are used to seeing. A lot of indie music is about live performances e.g: festivals and acoustic sets and is very much about the music itself. When there is a storyline as part of the music video indie music videos can either stick very closely to the lyrics of the song or digress into something far fetched and random that has very little to do with the lyrics. Below are some examples of well known indie music videos.


The Kooks-Shine on

 

 

The Courteeners-No you didn't and no you don't

 

 

Two door cinema club-Something good can work

 

 

Arctic monkeys-Fluorescent adolescent

Video analysis

Ed Sheeran - The A team

First off the whole of the A team by Ed Sheeran is shot in black and white throughout,this gives the video a more 'gritty' feel given what the song is about. the black and white also brings out the features of the main characters face as well, for instance; the dark rings under her eyes are seen better using a black and white filter rather than colour because it exaggerates on the dark colour and has a better effect on  the viewer.

The video starts and two females can be seen,one standing over the other as she lays down. The woman standing up can be seen clutching her face and crying  from a mid shot, the camera then pans down to a birds eye view to show the other female's face. This female is the main character and she appears to be dead with her eyes wide open, she appears to be spaced out; or was and this is then confirmed when the camera begins to blur out on the close up of her face.

The screen goes black and the next image you see is that of the main character waking up on a park bench,this is done using a long shot so that it is made obvious to the viewer that the main character is homeless or at the very least in a bad position. This scene is also shot during the Autumn time as you can see all the leaves from the trees on the floor, you are able to see the trees in the background and the bareness of them adds to the lonely and dark atmosphere of this particular shot.

The character sits up with a duvet wrapped around her and as she stands up you can see that she is dressed inappropriatley for the weather and time of the day,she is wearing tiny shorts and tights with holes in,all still shot in long shot to gain the full effect. The next shot of her is under the trees,she can be seen wondering through,holding the branches as she passes and looking at them with an expression of wonder,she then looks up to the sky and begins to spin. The shot has changed to a mid shot so that the viewer can focus on her facial expressions more rather than her wardrobe or surroundings. The importance of the mid shot is that the director wants you to see that the character is on some sort of high from using the drugs,the only way he can translate this without showing substance abuse is to show the viewer the character's face and the effects they have on the body eg: wide eyes.

The camera goes from a mid shot to long shot as she walks through the park, once she has reached the top of the hill in the park the camera goes back to a mid shot to show the look of contentment on her face. The next shot is from behind the woman and is low angle,she then stretches out her arms in front of the sun. This part of the video communicates to the viewer what the effects of drugs are,for a woman that has woken up on a park she seems rather content and relaxed. The character also seems to be taking in her natural surroundings and appreciating how beautiful they are which is irony seeing as we already know she has died from an overdose.

In the next sequence you see a range of camera angles and shots including low angle,close up, long shot and mid shot as she walks through the town center. The woman still looks spaced out from the drugs,she is still wearing the same clothes and the day turns to night. At this point in the video you can see that the sky is dark and the character is standing outside a London underground station trying to sell the big issue to passers by. These people all seem to be ignoring her but she smiles politely and seems reserved. This is done in mid shot to show everyone passing her by and ignoring her but also seeing her reaction to these people.

You begin to see the desperation in her eyes as more and more members of the public walk past her without buying the big issue. The camera changes to a long shot,she is sitting on the ledge of a shop window outside and she appears to be slumped as if telling everyone she has given up. At this moment in time you see a male approach her, as it is long shot and eye level with the main character the first you se of the males are his legs.

The male stops to talk to her whilst the camera remains at a long shot and eye level,this allows for other people in the shot to walk in front of the camera which ultimately makes the viewer feel as though they are there watching the scene unfold in person. Up until now everything has been natural lighting but seeing as it has now changed to late evening the lighting from the shops and street lights are now being used. It also makes the main character stand out as she is surrounded by light,possibly a sign of foreshadowing.

As this was the song and music video that made Ed Sheeran mainstream not  many people knew what he looked like and so viewers were unaware that the man that appears in the video and buys the big issue from the female character was infact Ed Sheeran,this then became a trademark of sorts that Ed would make appearances in his videos rather than be the focus point.

The video continues with the female walking past a flower stall,the significance of the flowers is that they are delicate; much like the main character. She seems to have an appreciation for all things nature related in this video.Panning is used to film a sign that says 'improving the angel' this obviously relates to the lyrics of the song 'It's too cold outside for angels to fly' and again,it is obvious that the location of the video was Angel Islington in London.

The blur effect is used again as the character comes into view and as it focuses you can see a close up of her face. The dark circles around her eyes are more apparent now possibly because the effect of the drugs have worn off and her real reality is kicking in. It cuts to a mid shot and the camera is behind her,she is standing still on a traffic island watching cars pass but the cars have been sped up making it feel as though the world is passing her by. The same occurrs again in the shot after however she is now sitting on the floor wrapped in her duvet and a long shot is used. The camera is at eye level and the people walking past have been sped up in the same way the cars were. Although the music is slow these effects work well because the main character is still and it makes the viewer sympathise with her. At this point she is back outside the shop window and you can see the displays of clothes on the manachins behind her. This contrasts with her wealth because she is struggling to make money and she is surrounded by all the things that she cannot afford.

Another close up shot is used when the main character begins to run her fingers through her hair in distress and starts to cry, all things that make the viewer relate and pity the character. The video cuts to her standing in a bathroom mirror wearing a vest with lace on and her hair down,she is playing with her hair and trying to improve her appearance in any way possible which tells the viewer that something is about to happen. A high angled mirror shot is used so you can see what she is wearing as well as her face.

The video is cut again and from a long shot behind the charcter in the dark you can see a car pulling up towards her as she stands outside in a deserted area, you are immediatley aware that this is not someone she knows as she seems to take a deep breath as she walks towards the vehicle. Her coat comes off as she bends down to the man driving the car,the shot now turns to from inside the car looking out at the woman; almost as if the viewer is now in the drivers position and the with woman bent down at the window you can see her cleavage. The woman motions the driver,nods her head and steps into the car. A long shot is used  as the car drives off. When the car drives off a train pulls up behind it the artificial lighting of the train is the only thing keeping the area lit up,it also stresses the point that while life may be hard for the main character, life still goes on and everyone else around her is carrying on with their normal lives unaware of how hard her life may be.

A long shot is used to show the man and woman walking down what appears to be an upmarket hotel,this again is confirmed when a mid shot is used to show them walking into the room. At first the main character appears to be happy or amused,probably because it is the first time she has seen the inside of a high end hotel such as the one in the video.The man's face cannot be seen as he throws his tie around the female's neck,this shows dominance and each of their positions in society. The man is wearing all black and the female wears white to show that the man is the one that is corrupt,he is the villain and the woman is the victim;not only in this scenario but a victim to society in general.

There is a close up and the woman has her arms around the mans torso on the bed,she reaches for his pocket and pulls out a handful of notes and then opens his shirt,the next scenes are close ups of them in bed,the man runs his hand over her legs which are covered in ripped fishnets. When it is over she turns to the man in the bed beside her with a look of disgust,rolls back over and begins to cry finally realising what she has just done. Close ups are used at this point to communicate the female's raw emotion to the viewer.

Another cut shows us the exchange of drugs in a close up shot,the viewer witneses how quick an exchange is and how smooth it is so that no one really ever see's it happening. The main character makes her way to a flat and as she reaches the door she takes out a set of keys and starts to fumble with them trying to find the right key,when she does find it you can see her hand shaking and she looks around before she goes in to make sure no one is looking. A mid shot is used for this because the viewer needs to be able to see the effects the drugs have on her body,the withdrawal symptoms mean that she cannot function properly when she is sober and will do anything to find the money she needs in order to pay for her high.

Close ups are then used to show her preparing the drugs,lighting candles to heat them up and a look of concentration on her face once again stresses her desperation. The close ups continue when you see her smoking the drugs from a pipe and then facing the window as she relaxes from the high,an over the shoulder shot at an angle is used to show her facial expressions but also as she falls back on to the bed the camera does not have to move with her.

The video ends with a close up of her face lying back on the bed and then the shot is cut again to a skyline view of what is to be assumed the area in which she lives,it is the scene of a clear blue sky with the sun shining bright and the tops of houses and chimneys can be seen. On to this view an image of the main female character has been edited in,the very last shot is the main character's vision in the sky turning to face the sun and smiling. This indicates to the viewer that she is now dead but happier than she was when she was living and having seen the video you feel empathy and can understand why.

Overall the video is hard hitting and you can see that a huge budget was not used on it, it is simple and effective because of the message it conveys. There are few music videos that lay out a story that is such a sensitive subject in such a blunt way. For instance, the substance abuse is included in the video and also how she manages to source the money for the drugs. It is a sad but very true narrative that a lot of people can relate to which is what makes this video a successful one. The music video for the song was shot and edited by Ruskin Kyle.

My 3 song choices

Bastille- Sleepsong

Bastille are a very recent band being formed in 2010. The band are from South London and their genre is listed as alternative, the main instruments used in their music are drums and a two player electric keyboard. The band are yet to release an album but have played big festivals such as Reading and Itunes.

The Kooks-Seaside

The band formed in 2004 in Brighton and their genre is indie rock/alternative. The band achieved big success with their first album Inside in inside out and this particular song I have chosen also appears on the album. The kooks are yet another big festival band and draw in large crowds to their sets.

Ed Sheeran -Little Bird

Ed Sheeran is a singer songwriter from the UK and has worked his way to success through playing live sets around London. His debut album + went to number 1 and also got to number 1 in the US. Little bird is from one of his many EP's called 'loose change' although it didn't appear on the album.