planning review # 3 - CF

well done - a confident pitch and clear ideas on location, performance and camera style. Practice shots helped inform your research. You now need to amend your blog to include posts on the following:

1. locations

2. costume, performance

3. types of shots / movement you will use

4. Audience research

5. initial concept (write a summary)



Your blog still doesn't reflect the progress you are making - which is very promising.

review of pitch

Dan and I presented our pitch to the group orally, without using powerpoint and i think this worked very well. Both of us felt confident in all our ideas about our video so far we felt it would be a better presentation if we spoke to the group, while showing pictures of our boyband, rather than just reading slides out off powerpoint. I thought the feedback was good and we presented our ideas very well. Unlike other groups, we are very clear of our aims, and that is to meet the generic conventions of a boyband music video. It seems other groups might have an advantage over us by using real 'bands' in their videos but they still seemed unsure on their conventions and myself and Dan have really made progress in knowing specifically what we want to do. We both got all our ideas across and showing photos of our band really gave everyone a stong image of how our band will look in our video. We both felt there wasn't much more we could have added to our presentation and were very happy with how it went.

Technical analysis conclusion: Westlife- Home

from analysing this music video i have a better understanding of the key technical detail we will have to include in our music video for it to be a sucessful boyband video.
There is a huge difference between the amount of time different members of the band get on the camera. the lead singer is the only member shown singing up until 1 min 10 secs, then the second singer takes over. the other two members of the band get about 5 seconds each of camera time showing them singing parts of the chorus. the solo singing parts are majoritally close ups of the singer, other than when the narrative story comes in. the band are shown to be in two different locations throughout the whole video, on the runway and in the plane. the other location in the video is the narrative story in the arrivals part of an airport where famalies and couples are re-unighting. when the narrative story is introduced there are cuts from the band to the actors in quick sucession. aswell as close up shots of individual members of the band, there are also different camera shots that show the whole band, often airial shots are used helping show the location they are in. throughout the video there are regular cuts from the band on the runway, then back inside the plane, giving the viewer the feeling that they are going 'home'. the standing formation of the band always seems to be important and their diamond formation is shown with the use of the craine shots. after 2 minutes of the video there were 42 different cuts of shots, showing even as there were only three different locations throughout the whole video the camera angle was always changing and there were fluent consistant cuts between the 3 locations. in almost every shot of the band singing, they are looking directly into the camera, which is common in most boyband videos and we will certainly use this technique in ours along with others i have mentioned above. link to video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdLdOLDgHMA

Technical Analysis Conclusion (No Matter What Boyzone)

From looking at this video i have seen a number of conventions and camera shots that are repeated i will be able to use these when we create our video. The shots in the video are often very short and it is quick to cut to the next shot. Many of the shots when going to and from the band members are fades. During the video the most commonly used shot is the close up shot.This is almost always of the face of the band member singing, it has a slight low angle often and normally a still shot or sometimes it has a slight movement with the head of the band member. The band members do not have equal time in the video, the main members are shown far more than the others. There is often evidence of when the band is moving, it is shot in slow motion. Shots that are not of the band in the video are often not close ups and are fast cut, they tend to have a lot of camera movement which follows whatever the camera is focusing on i.e. when the women is dancing the camera moves with her. We will have to consider all these when making our music video in order to stick to the generic conventions.

ideas for track

location- sandy beach- slow motion shots in black and white
warehouse- group performing dance moves
close up shots will be used to help show emotion, a first person mode of adress will also be used.

blue- breathe easy

Narrative based, band singing, other actors used for the couple. band singing about the loss of a partner reveiling a lot of emotion as it is based at a funeral. they are all dressed in black and there are a lot of shots with all four members walking towards the camera edited in slow motion.
A lot of voyeurism is used with a great use of reflection off the train windows showing characters coming in and out, also reveiling loss and death. The opening lyrics show Duncan looking out the window while he sings, which is often present in love songs.
Roland Barthes 'Grain of voice' is present with Lee Ryan giving the song repeatability.
camera- a lot of close ups on the faces, also a lot of shots of the individual band member walking in slow motion looking directly at the camera. there is also a lot of black and white used which works well as it is snowing and they are all dressed in black.

5ive - When the Lights Go Out

genre characteristics of boy band shown- dance routines, band shown as being good friends and having fun, looking and talking directlt into the camera.

relationship between lyrics and visuals- strong relationship, what they are singing they are acting out. "baby when the lights go out, i'l show you what it's all about." they sing directly looking into the camera.

music and visuals- up beat pop soundtrack links to the boy band dance routines, bright fashing lights and bright clothing.

close ups are regularly used, often with the fish bowl lense. close ups on the individuals faces also helps show emotion through the song.

the women in the video are shown to be looking at '5ive' in a voyeuristic way