Performance Ideas

For Kaylas performance we wanted to have a variety of backgrounds to make the music video interesting and to keep the audience entertained, as our music video is mostly performance. We will have Kayla performing in front of a white and black back drop because we really liked that is portrays sophistication, Kayla will wear different colour dresses to make her stand out. After watching Adele- Rolling in the Deep (screenshot on the right) we decided that we wanted to have a background that would be unusual, we found it intriguing that where Adele is performing in the beginning of the video, later the video goes back to the same location but Adele is not there.

Following this idea we researched many different music videos to find a background that we all liked. We thought about having a projection on the whiteboard in the media room or the hall, of a location. In B.O.B featuring Hayley Williams- Airplanes (left) most performance shots are in front of a projector. We loved that we could create any location using the projector and we in the song there is a lyric 'Let's runaway and don't ever look back', so a different location would suit our music video. We thought about having the picture on the projector as a field and in the end of the video Lewis opens the door so we could then have a cut away shot of Kayla in a field letting a balloon in the shape of a heart go. Which is similar to the picture on the right.

Jess came up with the idea of having the lyrics to Teenage Dream painted on Kayla's body which is similar to America's Next Top Model photo shoot (left). The idea came from when Jess watched this episode of America's Next Top Model, the photograph was for a teen anti-bullying campaign and the models had a negative bully word on there body, and then a positive word that contrasts. We all thought that doing this would make our performance unique, we thought that Kayla would be laying down whilst singing in this performance.

Editing Draft (One)

In Fridays lesson we started editing the footage that we recently filming. We placed all our shots that we want to film in order and we have left black screens with writing indicating what shots we want, as we have yet to film the performance with Kayla. We have had difficulties with the transition as we did not know whether we should make it seem like Lewis is re-living the moment whichwas filmed on Fireworks night or weshould have a cut away shot of Kayla performing (shown on the right). We have not resolved this problem so we have decided to wait until wehave filmed both and see our class opinions.

Below is the footage that we have recently edited.

Album Title Logo

After analysing Lady GaGa- The Fame I became really interested in to the layout of the album cover such as, the close up photograph of the artist, the logo and the composition of the artist name and the album title. Initially, I thought that I would have the logo of a crystal but I have decided against that because I am already using glitter or confetti to represent crystals. So I have thought about portraying love in the album cover, as our artists songs are about love. These are two examples that I found on Google which I really liked and I could imagine using on the spine on the album cover.

Idea for Logo (One)

I can imagine using this image on the spine of the album cover but I do not know where I would include it, on the front of the album cover as it is a close up shot of the artist.

Idea for Logo (Two)

I would really like to use a shot like this in our music video as it portrays the love in the song. On the spine I can imagine the arm being stretched across, with the hand in the shape of a heart in the middle of the spine.

Album Title

Whilst researching for possible album titles, I tried to find quotes from my favourite songs such as Circles by All Time Low,

www.bandnamegenerator.com and www.ratemyband.com/Band-Name-Generator. There were three that I particularly liked. The three were:

-'Recipe for Disaster': (top) As I can imagine the artist being rebellious because of the lyrics to Teenage Dream 'built a fort out of sheets', bearing in mind that our artist is a teenager, the song would be controversial which is supported by the album title. This quote is in one of my favourite song Circles by All Time Low (print screen on top) so I am worried about copyright. I am worried that the album title will be contrasting the genre conventions too much for example, Lady GaGa- The Fame, Katy Perry- Teenage Dream, The Saturdays- Chasing Lights. But after further research I saw that very mainstream female pop singers try to rebel against the pop genre such as Rihanna- Good Girl Gone Bad, Katy Perry- One of the Boys and Madonna- Erotica.

-'Seeking Cosmo': (top) I found this name on a band name generator website, I feel that would suit an album title in the pop genre and the personality shown through our music video. I can imagine this album title on the album cover that I want to create, either confetti raining down in the background and a close up shot of the artist or a close up shot of the artists face with glitter splattered on her face.

-'Eternal Spark': I think this name is glamorous and it could portray Crystal Rox as an artist, as she is new to pop music so she is a spark. It also represents that the artist will be in the pop industry for a long time ('eternal').

After discussing the three different album titles with my friend on facebook she said that she preferred 'Seeking Cosmo' as it sounded unique. I will ask more people which title they prefer and which name appeals to them.

Filming and Finalising Shots

Today we finalised all of the shots that we wanted to film later on in the day, we created a separate storyboard for the shots that we needed to film today. We have decided to re-film some shots as we thought that we did not hide that Lewis is a boy. After school we went to Emilys house to film with Lewis and my friend India came to film as well, to give usthe audience perspective of the different shots and the narrative. Filming last year in ASfor our opening to a film we found that some times we missed the small details in the back ground for example, a modern car parking sign was on the wall which could of ruined the time period piece. So having a friend watching our filming helped a lot as she noticed things that we did not. We have filmed Lewis applying make up, Lewis in womens clothes, Lewis meeting Emily (his girlfriend) and we filmed the transformation between boy and girlat the end of the video. Overall I am very happy with the filming, how well we worked as a group and the co-operation between us and Lewis and I am very thankful that he was willing to film. Tomorrow we are going to upload all of the footage that we filmed tonight.

Album Cover Idea (One)

Album Cover Ideas

In our artists album cover 'Crystal Rox', I want to include a close up shot of her face as she is a new artist and the artist needs to be recognisable to the buyer. I have thought about including an aspect of the artist

s name in to the album cover. However, I thought about including a crystal in the album (the artist could be holding it)

but when after further research I had found out that Lady GaGas album 'The Fame' has a crystal microphone, I want the album cover to be unique so I will not use the crystal. Whilst researching CD covers I came across Ke$has single cover for 'Tik Tok' (left) and I really liked that her glitter eye shadow matches the glitter that she blew in her hand. I have decided to include glitter as it gives a crystal feeling but I will not have our artist blowing the glitter.

The image on the left is a photo shoot from America's Next Top Model, I tried to think how I could include glitter with out copying Ke$ha. I thought about using glitter paint on our artists face. I would put silver, grey or black glitter eye shadow around her eyes and i would apply black lip stick. Although, I am worried that artists emotion and personality will not show through the glitter and dramatic make up and our artist may look too young for such dramatic make up. So I have decided to not use this idea as it could limit our target audience, as it could be controversial.

I love this photograph from America's Next Top Model and I woud like to use this photograph to inspire me for the album cover. I will sprinkle glitter across our artists face but I do not know the colour I will use yet, even though crystals are silver, I do not think silver would stand out due to the lighting so I may use black glitter. I will use a black background for the photo shoot and I will have Michaelas (our artist) hair tied back but I may have some curly strands of her hair down. I love that in the photo shoot the models look innocent but the dramatic make up portrays them as rebellious, which would suit the album cover perfectly.

(Draw album cover idea)

Example of Our Opening

In our storyboard we were going to have seventeen different quick shots of seventeen different romantic gestures with out showing the actors in the video such as, a couple holding hands, hands creating a heart and a wide shot from the side of the couple showing them hugging. The seventeen shots were going to be the same as the seventeen beat opening the song. We then started to experiment with different ideas of our opening such as the seventeen different shots of the couple (original idea), seventeen photographs being placed of the couple or seventeen different shots of the artist introducing her as she is a new artist.

We have decided to change and develop our opening to fit with our new narrative, the new opening is going to have seventeen different photographs of a couple at their wedding. We will use my grandparents wedding album photographs, we chose these photographs as we loved the contrast between the black and white photographs and the red cloth. The cloth that we have decided to put the photographs on is red which has connotations of love and passion, the design on the cloth is hearts which fits well with the wedding photographs.

Below is an example of our opening and how it fits with the opening beats:

(note: these are example photographs, we will not use them in the final)

However, in our music video we will not have the hands, only the photographs which gives the opening an animation element. Also, we will use the wedding album photographs in the opening.