Planning: Schedule for Filming

Monday 7th:
On the Monday of filming we will be at our Burghley House location, filming the different parts of the performance. We will try and shoot the entire song in different areas of the grounds, so that we have a range of different shots to use when we put the promo together. 


Tuesday 8th:
On the Tuesday of filming we will be at Rutland Water filming a few of the different memories, for example the stone skimming, throwing and kicking leaves and some of the other outdoor memories we had planned to shoot. We will again try and get a range of different angles and shots from these memories so that we have a large amount of material to work with when we put our promo together. 


As well as these two days of filming, we will be doing some extra filming over a few weekends after the main couple of days, due to the weather on the days as well as the actors we can get, as for some of the memories planned we are using some younger actors meaning we have to film on days when they are free. We have also given ourselves this extra time in case there are any shots we have missed, or any we want to add in if we feel some different shots would work better.

Briefing for Actors

Performer: The performer needs to make sure he keeps the acting simple, making it quite calm and not over acting the performance, by doing this the main focus will then be on the song and the memories/ narrative not the performer. He'll need to be able to sync the song and music well to convincingly play the artist, making it seem that he is the one singing and playing the instrument.

Actors: The actors need to connect with the camera , giving it a less set up and more relaxed feel. They need to act so that it appears to be more of a home video style in some of the shots so that the entire promo doesn't look to fake and professionally done. The actors also need to act to the camera itself, as though it is someone they know filming then, this will also help to create memories that people can relate to and that create emotion in the viewer.

Planning: Costume for actors

For the people acting in our promo/ recreating the memories, we want a very casual look, people wearing their own clothes and styles to sow a range of different people and so helping out promo to relate to a range of different peoples memories, making each seem more individual and personal. However we do want the costumes to have a younger style, so that it realtes more to childhood, compared to the up to date fashions.

Using more casul and relaxed clothing will make the memories much easier to relate to, they won't be wearing clothes that appear unaffordable, or unwearable in every day occasions.

Planning: Costume for Performer

Acoustic artists tend to have a very individual style, however still not going overboard with the clothes they were, they keep their style simple- making sure all the focus is on the music being played and the instrument they are playing. Compared to other performers in other genres such as rock and pop, who make statements with the clothing they wear, acoustic artists make statements with their music, and so don't dress themselves up in expensive clothes and accessories/ costumes.  Acoustic artists tend to express themselves through their music not through fashions or other outlets.

For our promo we will be following this style, keeping the costume of the performer very simple and understated, with a simple t-shirt/ jumper and a pair of jeans, so that we make sure the main focus is being kept on the song.

A plain coloured jumper will mean that all of the focus will be on the instrument being held, as this will be the object that stands out in the shot.

A checkered shirt as seen worn by acoustic artists a bit and so it will be helpful to consider when planning the costume as it will follow the usual conventions of an accoustic music promo.

A simple pair of jeans will work well with the rest of the costume for the performers and suits the genre well, as they give a very casual and relaxed feel.

Planning: Locations

One location we are looking into using is Rutland Water, it is a very picturesque and a family based area, and offers a number of different activities and so will work well for the both the filming of memories and performance. Being such a large area, it is quite quiet in most places allowing for a range of different areas to be used when framing and planning our shots. It is also well taken care of meaning that there will be nothing there to ruin the shots e.g. litter. To check is this area would work I went and visited Rutland Water, I took a camera and took some shots of the area so that I could make sure the rest of my group were happy with the location, these initial images turned out well and from these we could get a good idea of the area some some places we could use to film.

Another location we are looking at using is Bourne Woods, we feel that this location will work well in creating some of the memories we want to look at due to its mix of nature, cycle and riding routes and artwork/ sculpture. It is an area that will work well for a variety of shots. It also has a small park which will be useful for filming as visiting parks relate to almost everyone's childhood memories, it is also quite a common area as there are woods all over the country, making it a very relatable location for everyone viewing the video.

As well as these outdoor locations we were also looking at using some more built up locations such as towns and some indoor locations such as homes ect.. we are looking at using these as well as outdoor rural locations so that we can make sure we do get a range of different shots for memories, not just focusing on the more rural locations. In homes we can stage birthday parties and special occasions and smaller more forgotten about memories such as small things that most people do with their families.

Another location we are looking into using for both the performance and the acting side of our promo is Burghley House, we feel this will be a good location to use due to the range of shots that we can get from it as well as the idyllic setting due to the house itself and the upkeep of the gardens, as well as the wildlife within the grounds.

Planning: Shot List

Intro-

Family photographs

Pan/Zoom shot introducing performer (holding guitar) 

Introduction into a memory- giving an idea of the theme of the music promo
(Performance)

Verse 1-

Bike ride

Birthday/ birthday cake

Shot of candles 

Eating ice cream

(Performance)

Verse 2-

Skimming stones

Spinning

Eating Sweets

(Performance)

Verse 3-

Stepping stones/ paddling water

More old photographs

Holding hands

Play ground games

(Performance)

Verse 4-

Fair shots

(Performance)

Building blocks /drawing

(Performance)

Verse 5-

Halloween

Shots of pumpkin

Ghost/ woods

Verse 6-

Focusing on lights ands effects of light giving a 

more relaxed and calming feel

Eyes closing

Day ending 

Balloons

Performer walking away (promo finishes)

Throughout the promo, we will use cross dissolves, jump cuts and fades to join different shots together dependant on the individual shots and what works best. We will also add performance in throughout the promo, not just in between each verse, and we will try to add the narrative into places where the performance breaks.

Planning: Storyboard

Tests and Planning

For these shots we took the opportunity to visit a fair, and we thought this would be quite a prominent childhood memory for most people , I feel that these shots have worked well as they portray the emotions of being in this environment, with the lights, rides and games. We have also taken some images of Halloween related objects (the pumpkin and the bat) to try and portray the idea of childhood memories for certain events throughout the year, I like the shot of the pumpkin, i feel the lighting works really well and it creates a good final effect. For some of the shots effects have been added to the picture, to create an older looking photograph, relating to the theme of memories.

Representation in the Acoustic Genre

In the acoustic genre, artists are expected to be quite natural performers, they are seen to be down to earth, and less materialistic than artists seen from other genres, focusing more on their music than there look. They are also expected to be good singers live, and not to be in any way computer generated, coming across as real and not made for sales purposes.

Representation

"Rock is masculine, pop is feminine... real men aren't pop and women... don't rock" Norma Coates, 1997


This is one of the general themes seen a lot when talking about representation, it looks at the idea that certain genres of music are only suitable to by played by one gender being that male or female. For example in rock/metal music, the artists are generally male performers and so their music promotes ideology of male dominance. The music itself from this genre also reflects of the ideas of representation by reinforcing the idea of masculinity, with the power chords and extreme vocals, the stage performances, the use of guitars and other instruments and the stereotyping of females as a sex object. 


This all came about by music video producers representing girls by 'borrowing' a dated stereotype from the showgirls of silent films and burlesque girls. Due to this, influence has been put of girls in the real world, as from their exposure to this image, they try and match it as they feel that is what is excepted. 


Messages of Representation 

• The objectification of woman and girls 
• Women and girls are disposable and interchangeable 
• Women's own sexuality only exists in relation to men
• Women and girls are passive and acted upon- there to be watched
• Women and girls only have ascribed meaning in relation to men (directly or implied)

Values of Representation 

• Women and girls are 'cheap' and 'easy' 
• Women and girls are their bodies
• Women and girls are powerless 
• Women get rewarded for sexual behaviour 
• Women are commodities on the open market 
• Women who don't fit the stereotype are not women