Editing: New Footage

On Saturday I spent the day shooting new footage, both for the lip-syncing at the start and some flashback sequences to try to solidify the narrative much more for the audience so the message behind the video becomes clearer. I'm really happy with the footage I managed to get and so have now been editing on the editing software I have available, which is iMovie. 
I really wanted to create a contrast between the flashback shots and the rest of the video and so I looked around at the filters and chose the 'romantic' effect.

Also throughout the video I changed the speeds to make it more exciting and interesting to watch...

I've put together a new beginning now with a flashback sequence before the song begins. I'm also going to include a few flashbacks in the video that will contrast with the artist being single now, which I'll talk about when I put up my third rough cut.
I felt like I needed some sound over the flashback sequence and so to begin with I put some wave noises over the top. But then I had the idea to put an old Adele song that was about love to fully show the contrast between the relationship and how the artist is now. I found Adele's cover of The Cure's 'Lovesong' which I thought fitted well it isn't too happy but has a sad undertone which really worked. The only thing I am questioning with my new beginning is whether to go straight from the last shot of the silhouettes fading to black to fade up to the song straight away or to keep in the establishing shot of the beach with the titles. I shall conduct some audience feedback to see what they think before making a decision. 


Here is my new beginning edited together...

1st Rough Cut

This is my first (mostly) full rough cut of my music video. There are a few audio sync issues and I'd like to re-shoot the beginning (first 30 seconds or so), but otherwise I shall make another 'director's commentary' explaining my thoughts and changes that I'd like to make.

End of Video: Rough Cut

I've been working on trying to match the images to the beats of the song which is harder than it looks! The end lot of beats is the longest and this is my rough cut. I'll now work on competing the other 'beat' section of the song and placing them into my overall rough cut of the entire song which will hopefully be completed by the end of the week. 

I'm currently unsure whether the ending where she walks towards the camera is effective or whether I should leave it with her looking out to sea. I shall get some audience feedback to see what I should do. 

Permission Letter

Today I sent off this permission message to XL Recordings, the record company for both Adele and Jamie xx.


"Dear XL Recordings,
I am currently studying A-Level Media Studies at The King's School, Devon and as part of my A2 coursework I need to create and produce a music video.
As a big fan of Jamie xx’s remix of Rolling in the Deep by Adele I have chosen to use this song and am writing to whomever it may concern, to ask permission to do so.
As it is part of my coursework, the song will be used for educational purposes and so it won’t be distributed or marketed for financial gain in anyway.
I hope that you would grant me permission to use this song for my Media Studies coursework and I hope to hear from you soon.
Yours Faithfully,
Sarah Williamson"


As I couldn't find an email address I used this contact portal on their website to submit my letter...

Storyboards #1

Storyboarding

I have started storyboarding the song, so have come up with a lot more ideas and thoughts. My 'big' idea is for each chorus to be set in different locations and then come together at the end to intersperse to make a collective music video. This technique is very common in modern music videos (I will make a post later on this) and thus following some conventions, so may help to improve the quality of my video.

In order to create flow I will make sure costumes are right, lighting and most importantly the colouring of the video (probably towards the blue side) will match for each location so that it is obvious that it is one video. 

Here are my initial thoughts for images in song along with the respective storyboard... (Please excuse my terrible drawing skills!)

BEACH

0:00- 0:18 Begin on beach so nice parallel to ending, different shots sets up locations, throwing stones, close-ups of face, hands, feet, waves, seagulls, pebbles, sun etc, running along beach

0:18- 0:36 beat kicks in so upped pace, but still slow editing - BONFIRE?, in bucket, "fire starting in my heart"

also "bring me out the dark" - shadows/ silhouettes

0:37- 0:45 throwing stones, match falling in slow-mo, holding match on beach

0:46-0:53 lying on pebbles

0:54-1.13 miming to song, dancing on beach, spinning, close-up of lips singing

1:14-1:28 change in beach location to cliff area, looking out to sea still miming and dancing, close-up of making heart with hands

1:29-1:31 stop-motion here? flashes of different images in different locations (close-ups etc)

RIVER 

1:32-1:40 lying in grass reading book "no story to be told", running through grass, various dream-like angles

1:41- 1:49 ripples of water, skimming stones, light through water, possibly splashing in water

1:50-2:23  INTERLUDE #1 This is a very important part of the song, so I haven't sketched anything yet as I need more time to work out what needs doing here. An idea is using stop-motion as I like using this technique and is different and artistic enough to work in a dance music video. Ideally if I had a bigger budget I would love to film underwater in the sea - emphasising the "rolling in the deep" aspect, but budget restrictions mean this may probably won't be possible, however stunning the results would be.

2:24-2:27 waves from beach

FOREST 

2:28-2:43 walking through forest, jump-cuts adding pace

2:44 - 2:58 from above lying on ground below tree

2:58- 3:01 one shot held - facing camera miming with trees and sun behind

3:02- 3:19 hand-held camera rolling down hill

3:20-3:29 Focus on shots of drums, slow-motion?

BRING TOGETHER ALL LOCATIONS

3:30-3:46 Horn, spinning, laughing, dancing, miming to song

3:47-4:06 INTERLUDE #2 Dancing - preferably many different people/ ages, sizes etc (need around 8) on the street would give it nice urban edge, dream-like

4:06- 4:15 Flashes of various images (about 20 needed to match beats) used throughout ending on standing silhouetted on beach 

4:15-4:17 Close to white, on beach/sunset

END

Breakdown of song

In order to start storyboarding, I need to break down the song thoroughly, deconstructing the lyrics and sounds to get a better idea of the feel and rhythm of the song. Next I shall look at the images that might work in each part of the song.

Breakdown of Song

0:00- 0:36 Intro

Voice and clapping

Lyrics: There's a fire starting in my heart,

Reaching a fever pitch and it's bringing me out the dark.

Finally, I can see you crystal clear,

Go ahead and sell me out and I'll lay your ship bare,

See how I'll leave with every piece of you,

Don't underestimate the things that I will do.

There's a fire starting in my heart,

Reaching a fever pitch and it's bring me out the dark.

0:37-0:45

Melody added

Lyrics: The scars of your love remind me of us,

They keep me thinking that we almost had it all.

0:46-0:53

Drums

Lyrics: The scars of your love, they leave me breathless,

I can't help feeling.

0:54-1.13 Chorus 

Interchangeable voices

Lyrics: We could have had it all,

You had my heart and soul x2

1:14-1:28 Change in Chorus 

More layers of instruments

Lyrics: We could have had it all,

You had my heart and soul x2

1:29-1:31 End of chorus 

Drums

1:32-1:40 

Voice and clapping

Lyrics: Baby, I have no story to be told,

But I've heard one on you and I'm gonna make your head burn,

1:41- 1:49

Beat kicks in

Lyrics: Think of me in the depths of your despair,

Making a home down there as mine sure won't be shared.

1:50- 2:23 Bridge

Main melody, building up

Lyrics: You're gonna wish you never had met me

Tears are gonna fall, rolling in the deep x3

2:24- 2:27 Symbols

2:28 - 2:43 

Voice and Drums

Lyrics: The scars of your love remind me of us,

They keep me thinking that we almost had it all.

The scars of your love, they leave me breathless,

I can't help feeling.

2:44 - 2:58 Symbols into Chorus

Full layers of instruments

Lyrics: We could have had it all

We could have had it all

2:58- 3:01 Break in chorus

Lyrics: It all, it all, it all... (echoes)

3:02- 3:19 Main Chorus 

Lyrics: We could have had it all

You had my heart... yeah

oh, yeah, my heart, yeah.

3:20-3:29 

Voice and Drums

Lyrics: But you played it, you played it...

You played it to the beat

3:30-3:46 Chorus

Changing voices, symbols, horn

Lyrics: Could have had it all,

You had my heart and soul, yeah x2

3:47- 4:06 Music Outro

Focus on drums, beat & melody

4:06- 4:15 Voice Outro

Voice and Drums, ending with voice

Lyrics: But you played it x7

4:15- 4:17 Voice Outro

Ending with just Voice

Lyrics: You played it to the beat.

END

Chosen Song

I thought I should post the song that I have chosen to use for my music video, as I have been listening to it a lot over the past few days in order to gather some initial thoughts and ideas which I will post soon. Then I will go on to putting together story boards so as to get a clearer picture of what can be achieved vs what I'd ideally like to do.

Rolling in the Deep - Adele (Jamie xx Remix)

As my chosen song is a remix and therefore doesn't have a music video of its own I shall also post the original song to look at how the original artist portrayed their song through their video.

Here is an example of Web 2.0 in terms of someone using original content and manipulating it to fit with the remix version of the song.