Preliminary Task: Location

The location that we have chosen to film our preliminary task in are mainly very natural settings such as field and wood like areas, to try to show the idea of isolation and the feeling of being alone; which will illustrate some of the emotions heard within the song.


We have also chosen to film some of the events such as the break up and the scene with the car driving away in slightly more built up areas but still very natural settings to keep with the ideas in the song and the themes from the rest of the video.

Preliminary Task: Storyboard

This is a storyboard showing the shots, shot types and ideas that we will be using to create our preliminary task:

1) The first shot will be a long shot/ establishing shot showing the artist sitting alone, this will also be the shot in which the artist is seen to begin singing.

2) The first shot will then fade into a couple of nature shots, which have come about through the analysis of the lyrics.

3) These shots will then fade back to a mid/ long shot of the artist walking down an isolated area, again showing her being alone, as a way of recreating the ideas in the song of being alone and lost.

4) This shot will be a frame by frame shot showing the heart breaking apart, this shot will also illustrate the lyrics of the song at that moment, as it talks about her heart breaking.

5) We will then have a close up/ reaction shot of the artist to show the emotion experienced and shown through the song and the lyrics.

6) We will then cut this shot to another showing a couple breaking up, showing over the shoulder shots of the arguments and reaction shots; this shot will be in time with the song to illustrate the lyrics at the time.

7) Following this a mid shot of the artist will again be seen; singing the lyrics from the song.

8) This shot will again fader to another showing the artist in a car, an over the shoulder shot will be used to shot the view from the car window, this shot will be timed with the music to amplify and illustrate a theme within the lyrics.

9) A shot will then be shown of the car driving away; this shot will then pan around and end with a nature shot.

10) A cross fade will then be used to layer an extreme close up of the artists face with the nature shot, to end the video. This shot will then fade to black in time with the lyrics softening.

A fade transition will be used a lot throughout this piece to try and keep with the speed and the feel of the song.

Preliminary Task: Mood Board

Analysis: Dido 'Life For Rent' lyrics

Preliminary task: Song choice

The song we have chosen to base our preliminary task on for practice into the planning and making of a music promo is 'Life for Rent by Dido' 


This is the section of the song that we will be using for our preliminary video:

I haven't ever really found a place that I call home
I never stick around quite long enough to make it
I apologize that once again I'm not in love
But it's not as if I mind that your heart ain't exactly breaking


It's just a thought, only a thought


But if my life is for rent and I don't learn to buy
Well I deserve nothing more than I get
Cos nothing I have is truly mine


I've always thought that I would love to live by the sea
To travel the world alone and live more simply
I have no idea what's happened to that dream
Cos there's really nothing left here to stop me


It's just a thought, only a thought

Solo Artists: Preliminary Task

These two female solo artists are a couple that we considered to use for the preliminary task, I like the way that the songs are slow with a lot of emotion and meaning behind them,  I feel that using this style of artist and song would work well for our preliminary task as a number of different ideas can be taken from the song and a lot of different techniques can be tried to attempt recreate the emotions behind the songs.

I also feel that through using this style of song, a number of different promo styles could be tried such as illustration, disjuncture and amplification and using this style of song would work well in practicing lip syncing within the video.

Both of these video are quite simple, the first 'Torn by Natalie Imbruglia' is more of an illustration of the lyrics compared to the second 'Rolling in the Deep by Adele' which is a video showing more disjuncture than illustration as not much of what is seen has anything to do with the lyrics. Both videos however in their own way show the emotion of the artists as they react to the song, which is something I would like to show in our preliminary task. I would also like to talk some ideas from each of these videos, such as the way in which the lyrics are illustrated in 'Torn' but also taking some ideas from Adele's video in the way she has some random images throughout the video.

Music promo analysis

This music promo shows intertextuality through the costume and make up that Robbie is wearing: mimics the band Kiss, and also at the beginning of the video, Robbie looks as though he is going to bite the head off of a dove, which is linked to Ozzy Osbourne biting the head off of a live bird at one of his concerts.

Robbie has taken some very iconic images and made them his own, making this a very effective video.

This video by the 'Foo Fighters'  also shows intertextuality by using ideas and copying parts from the film 'Falling Down', however they still make it their own by adding their own style and a comedy element to the video. 

Music promo analysis

This music promo shows disjuncture, rather than illustrating or taking ideas from the lyrics of the song they have made a completely irrelevant and creative video video which goes again regular conventions of a music promo, but still however following some: such as having the band in the video all the way through and only showing them performing, and still keeping in time with the music and using the music as a base for whatever they do in the video, for example each time the music changes pitch or tempo, or begins a new verse or chorus they will change their positions as and when the music changes. 

Music promo analysis

This music video, called Sharp Dressed Man by ZZ Top, shows an illustration of the lyrics in the narration for the video; rather than showing just the band playing, it gives a story behind it. The shots at the beginning of the video showing the car, the sun and the woman, create a very conventional image of the band, showing a very flashing and expensive lifestyle.

As the song and the lyrics begin the narrative shows exactly what is being sung by the band, however at the same time shows an opposite to the lyrics in the way the man is shown to be unorganised and rushing around; sharp dressed but only in how he looks, he does not follow the conventions of a sharp dressed man in the sense being in control, organised and sharp in his personality.

This music promo is also unconventional in the way that the video is mainly narrative only showing the band singing at the very end rather than all the way through, and even then they are still not the main point of focus in the video, being shown as singers at a club with the focus still being on the character the plot was focused around.

Music promo analysis

This music promo focuses mainly on the band in a live performance compared to a video showing more of a story behind the song, it focuses on the performance of the song, showing it to the audience; as though being at a concert. 
The main shots throughout this promo are mid-extreme close up shots of members of the band and the audience, however during the promo there are a few long shots of the stage and the audience, this helps to create a more realistic and atmospheric feel to the video as though you are actually there. 


This promo isn't very complicated in the way it has been made, it uses fades to cut from shot to shot, and does not use any special effects; this could possibly have been done to try to show the band in a more realistic way helping the viewer the relate to them a lot more easily, this can also be seen in the way that one shot shows a member of the audience singing along to the song; almost giving him a moment of fame, this shot however is a high angle shot, showing that he is still not as important as the member of the band. 


The way this video has been made shows the band as real people rather than showing the artist living a dream lifestyle, they are singing live, shown playing their instruments, rather than using a lot of different effects and track mixing, they have made the promo and the mise-en-scene a very real setting. 

What is a music promo video?

• Purpose- for song? Album? Artist/ band? Record company?

The purpose of a music promo is to give people something to picture when listening to the song, helping to create more of a story behind it, music promos for the album would again help to create a image of the artist and helps to promote the artist and the album as it will be seen by large numbers or people. A music promo for the record company will give them a chance to show any new artists to the public rather than just allowing them to be heard over the radio, it gives people a chance to put a face to a name, it will also help to advertise the record company and anyone else who helped to make it.

• How can a promo create a 'brand image' for a performer?

A music video promo will help to show people some of the personality of the performer, as some of their own thoughts and ideas will be included, it will help people to see who the performer is and create their own opinions of the song and artist.

• Conventions? Camera work? Editing? Sound? Mise-en-scene? Narrative? Representation?

A wide variety of shots are expected in a music promo, shots of instruments are shown to try to show/convince the viewer that the artist is skilled. Music promos are expected to show a lot of energy through editing and mise-en-scene. The shots have to keep with the structure of the song. A lot of shots and cut types depend on the genre however most are just straight cuts to keep with the beat. The only sound heard would just be the song. Close up shots are seen more than others to try to keep more focus on the main artist, a music videos gives the means of being close to the performer.
Music videos tend to tell a story, depending on the genre, however it can be just the artist playing the song, or part narrative being shown with cuts of the artist... it can also be completely acted out, where the band cannot be seen at all.

• Where can music promos be exhibited? 

Music promos will be shown on TV... mainly on music channels that are more suited to that genre of music. They will be repeated over periods of time on different shows and charts to help create publicity for the song. Music promos can also be seen on the Internet through different sites. They can also be downloaded through sites like itunes.