Tuesday 4 December 2007

Step 5 - creating your storyboard (by end of term)

Well done to 13B and 13D for excellent pitches - some very exciting projects ahead. Good luck 13C for Thursday. You now need to finalise your video and storyboard in as much detail as possible. There are templates on the shared area in Y13 Resources / Advanced Production (PDF files), however you can design your own template if you wish. I suggest the following:
  • 6 - 8 shots per A4 sheet (easier to take on shoots than A3)
  • Number each shot
  • Write lyric / time code references as often as possible
  • use arrows to indicate camera movement
  • Clearly demonstrate framing (CU / MS)
  • If using zoom - use square to mark the final camera position
  • draw in pencil to allow for amendments
  • Write location at top of each shot to help you organise later

You will probably shoot more that you storyboard, but this is the key planning document and you cannot begin shooting without it. Make sure that you are discussing the video together as a group - don't just leave to the designated "storyboarder".

This needs to be finished by the end of term so that you can focus on revision at Christmas and be ready first lesson back to upload as an animatic to your blog. (film, capture and cut to your track to get a sense of final piece before shooting).

Thursday 22 November 2007

Step 4 - audience research by 3rd December

Beginning week 26/11, you should carry out audience research to inform your own production. This needs to be meaningful and genuinely provide you with ideas about genre, expectations and audience engagement with music videos. REMEMBER that you should keep the paper copies of any questionnaires / forms as evidence of your research (use group zip folder).

You can take one of two approaches;
1. Quantitative research
Design a questionnaire about your band / genre / concept and hand out to as many of your target audience as possible. This may include open questions, however you should design this with a variety of question styles including semantic differentials and ranking to ensure that you can collate your responses
2. Qualitative research
You could chose to carry out a focus group, by playing the track to a group of your chosen target audience and use pre-prepared questions to guide a discussion.

Methodology
You must be able to assess your methodology, which includes carefully considering the types of questions used, the purpose of your research, demographics of target audience, and how effective your mode of delivery was (in person, hand out with deadline, online, message board)
This must be completed, collated and results posted on blog by Monday 3rd December.

One post per group.

Wednesday 21 November 2007

13C

Some of you are posting entries with a collective name. You need to rename your blog as you as an individual. I won't be able to give you a planning mark otherwise. Dave and Scott you don't have a link posted yet from this page. This will be done on Thursday, then I can have a look at what you have been doing. I expect great things as both of you weren't on the trip yesterday.

Monday 12 November 2007

Step 3 - textual analysis

Discuss in your groups the type of videos that would be useful to analyse. Look for examples from the same genre, others with a similar structure (performance, conceptual, narrative) and perhaps ones with a similar location or visual style.

Observational comments
Over the next few weeks, you should record on your blog all videos that you watch, that inspire you - from other students' work. These 'observational' posts might be a couple of comments or more detailed. Be sure to comment on each others' findings!

2 x textual analysis
Each group member should do 2 more detailed analysis of videos. For this, use Goodwin's framework and reading source 8 to inform your analysis. You should look at form, style, techniques, representation, construction of star image, ideological discourse. Use key terminology and consider postmodernism.

1 x technical analysis
Each group member should complete one shot analysis. This should list each shot (frame, angle, movement), transition and a comment on mise-en-scene. It would be easier to record this in your books and then post an entry on your blog summarising what you have learnt from the analysis.

Key terminology - some suggestions...
amplification, disjuncture, voyeurism, montage editing, repeatability, visualisation, visual motifs...

Sunday 11 November 2007

Step 2 - CHOOSE TRACK / GENRE

You now have a week to finalise the track that you are going to use and submit to CF/KJ for approval. The sooner you do this, the better. That way you can get cracking with relevant product analysis and planning.

Remember - choose something that is appropriate to produce a low budget video for - stadium rock for example might be a bit tricky to do... It doesn't necessarily need to be to all of your tastes either - you'll end up loathing the track after editing anyway!

Thursday 8 November 2007

First step - PLANNING 1

The first entry on your group blog should be about the 'institutional context' of music video and audience 'consumption patterns'. Divide up topics in your group and each contribute a post that shows you understand how your video might be consumed and where.