Focus Group - Evaluation of Final Music Video

Final Music Video - 'Stay Awake'

Production Update

This was a shot from our selection of shots that we filmed to break up the shots of me and Roger. We felt that there was too many shots of me and Roger just flicking back and fourth from us too. So we luckily managed to film on a date where there was sun, considering it was the middle of October we really didn't expect it to be hot. I really like the shot as it is a rotating shot where the sun is breaking through gaps in the tree's. It was also good as it was in time with the music and worked really well where we placed the shot. It also looks very magical and relates really well with our inspirational idea of Alice in Wonderland. The idea of nature was also a big part of the video, considering we used the bright lighting a lot as it shows the idea of our main character Alice being on a form of illegal substances. It was also important as we placed Alice's rabbit hole outside and that was where we filmed most of our Alice footage, staring at the light. Our idea was the rabbit hole wasn't actually wonderland like in the films and books, but wonderland would represent her being intoxicated and that is the world that she sees when she is in this state of mind.

Production Update

This was our favourite shot out of the video. In terms of interxtuality and conforming to conventions of a Rap/R&B style music video, we decided to use the term of taking drugs. The main reaeson was the common useage of drug use in these style videos, believing it was essential to use this. More so the idea of intertexuality. We choose to use glitter as a form of drug, as we didn't want to promote the fact of using drugs through our video to the audience. We watched some video's where they had portrayed certain things just by the surroundings and mise-en-scene of the video and they therefore made you know without telling you without it happening. For example 'A Team' by Ed Sheeran was about drugs but is shown very hidden and through lyrics. We started the shot and cut it up, with me creating lines of glitter on a playing card, using another playing card. I then lifted the card up and started lifting it towards my face, but i then took it away and automatically blew it to the camera. We think people get the automatic perception that I was going to sniff it. We choose to put a strobe filter on the shot, and considering the glitter was a variety of gold, silver, green, red and blue, we wanted the glitter to really glisten in the light, and this effect really made the colours enhance and stand out. We also had to watch where we positioned the shot as we had to make sure we knew where the light was shining, and if it caught the glitter or not, so we had to do some practice shots. The idea of this shot stil related back to our formal of idea of using lyrics through the video, portraying the fact that the drugs are 'taking it to far'.

Production Update - Eye close up's

Both of these images are used in the video as eye focus shots. We choose to get shots of both of our eyes as it shows that we saw eye to eye after our relationship had ended. We choose to show them both at different points in the video as it then showed the differentiality between our lives. The idea of the video was to portray the relationship between me and Roger, and how alcohol and drugs constantly got in the way and ruined things. I turnt into this weird addict, and just end up splitting us up. So throughout the video you see how 'Alice'reacts to the drugs and how it connects her with 'Wonderland'.

After we had worked with all our eye close ups, we were able to edit and combine the two characters together through our introduction to the music video and establishing the two leading characters, and their connection - through the lyrics. After playing about and decided how we was going to sync our characters, originally planning to use an action match, we decided to use Final Cut Express. It was a really good chance to practice and improve our editing skills and developed skills that we never had. It enabled us to create shots such as the one shown above where we overlapped the close up of My eye, fading over and into a medium shot of Roger singing directly to the camera and to the audience, including the audience as part of the song, as if Roger is singing to them, and again using that eye focus that really draws the audience in to the video, showing a large connection and bringing entertainment and interest.

Progress Report

- Today we filmed the idea of showing two side's to 'Alice's' character. We decided to contrast between the natural waking up in the morning view, and the shot below which shows 'Alice' visiting 'Wonderland' (Intoxicated). We decided to put this shot with me walking through the house and the normal door, showing how the audience can portray 'Alice' as two different characters, showing how life is just an ongoing party (Which relates to the teenage audience). We added people in the background of the shot, but no one talks or acknowledges her, which is another reason she again feels alone and feels she has to turn to drug's. The idea of this scene was to create a typical convention of a Rap/Pop music video, portraying this lively, party scene atmosphere.

The shot above connects well with the shot we filmed last week. We decided the controversial idea showing the two personality's worked really well. We decided that we needed a more natural shot of Alice, just simply walking through the door. I think this gains alot of mystery as Alice could be walking into anywhere and you wouldn't know. We agreed that if we filmed Alice as if she is leaving the room and coming back inside would be an interesting conclusion to the narrative, having Alice walking simply, either just looking straight towards the camera of too bed, obviously in a mental/stable mind, leaving behind the worries and troubles and of course her alter ego of Alice outside. Relating again back to the lyrics before of 'taking it too far' and leaving Wonderland behind, to agree with the lyrics that Roger is singing, and show the connection.