Originate, plan and create a promotional Music Video
Scenario - You are going to make a music video for a client. You will originate, plan and complete a Music Video production.
The Purpose, Styles, conventions and techniques of Music Videos
Task 1:
Choose a music track and if possible use real musicians as your client and a plan a video using their original material
Conduct a thorough analysis of a chosen music track and originate ideas for a music video about:
- Meaning
- Content
- Imagery
- Narrative
- Duration
- Pace
- Style
- Semiotics
Brand the artist by originating ideas about the performers style and image, the style of the video
Develop the creative concepts that you explained in your pitch
Collate all pre-production documentation including:
- Storyboards
- Shooting Scripts
- Role allocation
- Production Schedule
- Location Recces
- Risk assessments
- Permission to film
- Clearances
Task 2:
Final Proposal - Write a final proposal for your product - you should now have a clear idea of what you are going to create. The final proposal must be incorporated in to your blog.
The following elements will make up your proposal:
- Working Title: What is the title, name of your production?
- Channel for Broadcast: What TV channel do you think your production would be best suited to be shown on and why?
- Target Audience: Who do you consider to be the typical target audience for your production project?
- Genre: Type of music video - Think about what genre of music, your video fits into and how that determines how it looks. Is your video going to be Performance based, Artistic/Abstract, Narrative/Story line based or a combination of these?
- Style: Think in terms of unique camera angles, B & W, colour, dissolves, fades and change of speed: Slow/Fast motion, archive footage, graphics, text etc.
Task 3:
Casting - Is anybody going to act/perform in your music video production? What characters will they play and what props will they need (if any)?
Task 4:
Production Schedule - Create a production schedule that will map out:
- When you will film?
- Who will you film?
- What will you film?
- How will you film?
- Which equipment will you need?
Are there any health and safety issues or concerns? Create a RISK assessment
Do you need permission to film at your locations? Do you have evidence of permission to film in your locations?
Analyse the codes and conventions of 2 different types of music videos, by different artists. You will also need to annotate the lyrics for those songs. You should comment on the following, along with any other points you feel are relevant. Channel? Track and Artist?
- Genre of music
- Characteristics - How has it been constructed? Is it a live performance video? Does it have a storyline? Is it artistic/Abstract?
- Style - How is it filmed? Think in terms of Camera Angles, Editing, Special effects, Mise en scene etc.
- How is meaning being conveyed? What is the underlining message behind the video/song etc.?
Johnny Cash - Hurt
"Hurt" is a song first released on Nine Inch Nails' in 1994. However In 2002, "Hurt" was covered by Johnny Cash to critical acclaim and was one of Cash's final hit releases before his death. Undoubtedly one of the most powerful music videos of all time, the Johnny Cash Hurt video serves as a moving and worthy epitaph to the late, great singer. Music industry professionals such as Trent Reznor, Rick Rubin, and Mark Romanek all played crucial roles in bringing about the song and video’s birth.
Riddled with semiotics and religious iconography, the attention to detail in this video with every shot and lyric intentionally portrays a message. It was set out from the start to try to capture the essence of Cash, contrasting the cocky younger singer with the increasingly frail 71 year old man that Cash had become (Cash was already suffering a severe health decline by this time and would die seven months after the video was made).
Lyrics:
" I hurt myself today
To see if I still feel "
At the bottom of everything, extreme emotion is surprisingly void. Instead, a numb calmness takes over. The only way to know if emotion even exists is to hurt, metaphorically or literally, using the ache of a stinging wound to capture an image of your old self again. Ultimately, it is wasted effort. More so, hurting oneself is a sign of depression; we know he is depressed, due to the next line, “the only thing that’s real“ —referring to the pain.
"I focus on the pain
The only thing that's real "
Feeling pain is the only way for Johnny Cash to know that life is “real” at his current state. He tries to translate emotional pain into physical pain. Someone who is too numbed by depression to feel anything at all might injure himself to feel something, even if it’s pain, which is—according to cutters—better than feeling nothing at all.
The lines could also exclusively be about the use of drugs, particularly heroin, or things that produce artificial happiness. It is known that the use of drugs would produce a fake effect of happiness, so the only real feeling he could get is still pain.
"The needle tears a hole
The old familiar sting "
He used to be addicted to heroin, but has since cleaned up. Every time he feels a needle, the sting is similar to his old habit of injecting drugs.
As a metaphor, his old vices and cruelty still give him flashbacks. He can still feel the “needle” of his actions and their results every day, the sting brings back the same pain.
"Try to kill it all away
But I remember everything "
He wants to, and tries, to erase his past, but no matter what he does, he can’t seem to get rid of it.
[Chorus:]"What have I become
My sweetest friend
Everyone I know goes away
In the end "
In the “Hurt” video, we quickly are given a glimpse of Cash’s ex wife Vivian Cash. The marriage was constantly in murky waters as Cash was near the height of his problems with drugs. He reflects on how no matter what he does, everything always ends in the people he cares about most be driven away from him and his destructive tendencies.
"And you could have it all
My empire of dirt "
Johnny owns nothing, his whole “empire” is the equivalent of dirt and rubbish. Still he’s willing to give up all he has to this person to make up for his past.
The money, fame, and power is not important anymore because of his bad decisions.
"I will let you down
I will make you hurt "
He knows he can only do damage to this person he seems to care for, so he is letting them know in advance that he is only going to hurt them.
He feels as though he is worthless, and he hates himself for it; his battle is with himself.
"I wear this crown of thorns
Upon my liar's chair "
Johnny Cash changed this line from the Nine Inch Nails original “I wear this crown of shit” to add a Biblical allusion that casts the speaker as a Christ figure. This Jesus motif really comes through in the powerful Mark Romanek-directed music video.
“Upon my liars chair”, in the context of Cash’s revision, suggests the ways in which the speaker has fallen short of the Christ-like ideal he strives for or outwardly represents.
"Full of broken thoughts
I cannot repair "
The sufferer is filled with thoughts they know, quite consciously, are unhealthy, unreasonable, and which seem to beyond their control."
The narrator has given up on trying to make them all make sense. The lines refer to the mentality that comes with depression:
[…]that quality of depression where you retreat to you bed and just give up on trying to impact the world. You give up your agency, sense of purpose, and feeling of hope and find yourself deep in a hole. Once you are down that deep, it is hard to dig your way out of it—especially if you don’t even try to dig."
"Beneath the stains of time
The feelings disappear"
As time goes on, his feelings pass away. He is losing touch with the passion and pain he once felt, but still sees a dull ache. Similarly, as time goes on, the other person’s feelings have disappeared.
"You are someone else
I am still right here "
Suggesting that the person he is singing about dramatically changed in his vision, Johnny subtly admires who probably is his sweetest friend—he has moved on and apparently made it out that stagant feeling or addiction. Either way the person had moved out of Johnny’s life, while he remains sitting where he has always been: addicted and depressed.
[Chorus:]
What have I become
My sweetest friend
Everyone I know goes away
In the end
And you could have it all
My empire of dirt
I will let you down
I will make you hurt "If I could start again
A million miles away
I would keep myself
I would find a way"
Johnny would go to the greatest lengths to keep himself as opposed to “lose” himself. He lost his identity to the drugs and he learned from his failures and heartaches. He would find a way to keep himself the man that he should be— the man that he used to be. Even after everything he’s been through, if he had to do it all again he would.
That “[he] would find a way” is not a statement of his conscious desire to be that person, but his reflective commentary on his inability to control the impulsive behavior that causes him to hurt the ones he loves and thus himself. He would do it again, not because he wants to, but because his badness would overwhelm him in any context, no matter how far he ran from it.
Initially it appears as if the song, like the Nine inch nails version, is about drugs. The first verse highlights this with lyrics such as "needle tears a hole" and "old familiar sting" making the audience think of very graphic imagery and a past of drug use within the character. However, with the support of the music video, it is apparent to the audience the twist Cash and the producers have put onto the lyrics and by cleverly planning the visual element.
Music Video:
Much of the footage is taken at the “House of Cash” museum in Nashville. The building had served as Cash’s home for thirty years, but was now in a state of advanced dereliction. The setting inspired Romanek to use the house as a metaphor for Cash’s declining health and vitality. Cash agreed to this, demonstrating artistic and personal courage in the process.
Much of the footage showing the younger Cash was found by Romanek in the archive room at the “House of Cash”. Sadly, the building has disappeared completely now, destroyed by fire in 2007.
https://genius.com/Johnny-cash-hurt-lyricsPharcyde - Drop
I chose Pharcyde's 'Drop' for its style and ability to abide stereotypically to the genre with its mise-en-scene and with Raps creative lyrics possessing a wide range of semiotics which could give me inspiration in my own production in terms of diverse editing and how I can integrate lyrical semiotics into visual semiotics unlike Pharcyde. In 1995 at the peak of multi-million rap video craze, The Pharcyde, using an incredibly small budget for the time, created one of the most innovative rap music videos ever mad in their song “drop”. Spike Jonze, at that point an already accomplished music video director having worked with artists such as: Notorious B.I.G, Weezer, The Beastie Boys and Fat Boy Slim etc., directed this based of the idea of the backwards concept from J Dilla’s ingenious production (featuring a looped sample playing backwards) for Drop.
Filmed in Los Angeles the video feature the group performing the song backwards, replayed backwards, which when combined with the chopped, spacey beat gives the video surrealistic quality. To further this effect the group also worked with linguistic experts to recite the entire song backwards.
This video features and hosts several different factors adapted to their music and style in the final outcome. This concerns the pace of the music being very hip-hop stereotypical based however supported with the chop of the music video and the style/Mis-en-scene of the video also hosts very stereotypical hip-hop elements with scrappy outfits and urban environments.
Lyrics:
"Let me freak the funk,
Obsolete is the punk that talk more junk than Sanford sells
I jet propel at a rate that complice their mental state
As I invade their masquerade
They couldn't fade with a clipper blade
10 years in the trade is not enough, you can't cut it
I let you take a swing, and you bunted"
Obsolete is the punk that talk more junk than Sanford sells
I jet propel at a rate that complice their mental state
As I invade their masquerade
They couldn't fade with a clipper blade
10 years in the trade is not enough, you can't cut it
I let you take a swing, and you bunted"
Bootie begins by saying if you talk shit, you don't mean shit. His intrusive nature makes people wary, the same people who cant shave their heads with a clipper blade. These same obsolete people have been in the game for a while, but not long enough as far as Bootie is concerned. He lets people take metaphorical swings at him and yet they bunt (basically they have chances to rip on him and stay conservative in their criticisms, presumably because Bootie is so good at rhyming). Also, when he references Sanford he (presumably) means the Congressman from South Carolina (Mark Sanford), who is a notorious politician and salesman.
"For an easy out, I leave mc's with doubt
Of exceeding, my name is Bottie Brown and I'm proceeding, leading,
They try to follow but they're shallow and hollow
I can see right through them like an empty 40 bottle, of O.E.
They have no key, or no clue"
The best way he knows of out rapping another MC is to just best them...make them doubt their ability to exceed the skill of your verse. Het hen boasts of leading the way while everyone else raps with lyrics as empty as an empty Old English (malt liquor) bottle. They never change, because they never understand the game.
"To the game at all, now they washed up
Hung out to dry
Standing looking stupid, wondering why
(why man?)
It was the fame, that they tried to get
Now they walking around talking about represent
And keep it real, but I got to appeal
Cause they existing in a fantasy when holding the steel"
They (other rappers) don't understand how to cope with a changing (read: evolving) rap game, and so they are stuck on the money, hoes, and guns that initially made hip hop prominent. But Bootie points out most rappers put up a front where they are defined by these things, but really, theyre just professing the fantasy that the consumer wants to hear. This is some brilliant lyrical work from Bootie.
Verse 2: Slim Kid 3
He believes soulless rappers have taken over the game, selling their musical creativity for money, but for Knumbskull, he has found a balance between creativity and riches, and plans to exploit it.
https://genius.com/The-pharcyde-drop-lyrics
https://genius.com/The-pharcyde-drop-lyrics
Final Proposal:
Album Name: A Grand don't come for free
Track Name: Blinded by the Lights
Producer: Mike Skinner
Artist: The Streets
Year/Date: 4 October 2004
Genre: Alternative hip-hop / Electronica
A Grand Don't Come for Free is the second studio album from British garage and hip hop act The Streets. It was released on 17 May 2004 and is listed in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. It is a rap opera which follows the story of its protagonist's relationship with a girl named Simone, alongside the mysterious loss of £1000 from his home (the eponymous "grand"). The album itself reached number one in the UK Album Charts, number eleven in Australia and number eighty-two in the United States.
This shows original music video for our chosen song:
The song was a big hit for the streets and is from the album ‘A Grand Don't Come for Free’, and was produced by the label ‘Vice Records’. It was released in 2004 and hit the high end of the British charts. The Wild Eyes – Breakdown clearly has many meanings behind the lyrics, the main one clearly being drugs and addiction. The Streets – Blinded by the lights clearly has drug usage in the video and the lyrics back this up. The lead singer Mike Skinner is on a night out at what is shown to be a wedding reception, and is clearly under the influence of alcohol and drugs. In the lyrics, the audience hears him say that he is going to the toilets to do drugs, and that he can taste hairspray. Later on, he states his need for water and his feeling of paranoia, which reminds the audience of his drug usage. Camera work also plays a big part in showing and reminding the audience of Skinners intoxication as it is very disorientated and point-of-view like at times. The video was directed by Adam Smith.
The Streets songs usually fit best into the ‘grime/garage’ genre, and Blinded by the Lights is no exception. However, this song is slightly different to what the streets had previously done, as it is more upbeat and could almost fit into a dance music genre as well. The fact that the dance theme is in this song as well, means that it has being incorporated in the music video so that the audience adapt to it well and understand the narrative of the video and the message that that song is telling a lot easier. This is portrayed in the video with a close up the protagonist (Mike Skinner) on a dance floor. Not only is he in this setting, but depth of field is used, meaning that the background is out of focus. This suggests that what the character is seeing is also disorientated and out of focus, this along with the fact that the characters face is shown clearly in a close up allows the audience to make connotations that he is intoxicated. There is low lighting in the room, but flashing lights are being used, showing that he is at a party but also suggesting his state of mind. Most videos of the grime genre have drug and alcohol usage, and young stereotypical teen features, personalities and lifestyles. This is sometimes on the streets or in a party, club bar etc. Grime music can be shown in many different ways, whether it is almost intimidating with low lighting and an eerie feeling, or whether it is with hyperactive party atmosphere. Misé en scene plays a huge part in this, and editing camera work and lighting all back this up. Also fitting into this genre is the slightly violent closing the video, as grime is stereotypically linked to juvenile ‘thuggish’ people, with a lot of reference to drug usage, violence and strong language in the songs. Most videos of the dance music genre have the party element in them. This is sometimes in a night club, or at a house party or living a glamorous lifestyle in limousines and on stage. Dance music is usually shown in a hyperactive way, but can sometimes go other ways when it corresponds with lyrics or characters state of mind instead. Again, misé en scene plays a huge part in this and editing, lighting and camera work increase the effectiveness of the visuals.
In this particular video, alcohol, cigarettes and drugs are almost used to tell the story, and are major props. This is similar to a lot or grime and dance music videos, and are linked with not only these types of music but the people lifestyles that come with them. In this video, these elements are not only shown through images and shots of the substances themselves, but through the use of camera work and editing also. Things like slow motion, speeding up, jump cuts, disorientation and depth of field help in the video, as it shows what the character is seeing, his state of mind, and the effects that the substances have taken on him. In this video it is shown to a huge extent as the particularly intoxicated character is the protagonist and is known to be the main man from the band The Streets.
To start off the video there is only dialogue, with no backing music. It is the protagonist who is speaking and he appears to be on the phone to his girlfriend, this conversation is a very strong opening to the song and music video as it sets the narrative. In the conversation he mentions that he is supposed to be meeting her, this is significant as the audience is shown throughout that he never actually meets her. Throughout the video the character and the song makes reference to what is being shown in the video. This . The lyrics and the visuals are linked well, as he states he 'there’s no reception on the phone' which the audience would have guessed or known to be true as when he is trying to contact his girlfriend he is cut off. Later on, he says 'people keep pushing me' the camera movement and editing back this up, as it is a point of view shot of the protagonist being pushed. He is holding a tablet/pill as he describes what the drug looks like, 'these look well speckled, a bit green and blue' without the visuals from the music video you wouldn't understand what the artist is talking about and the lyrics wouldn’t make as much sense to you. When he talks about the taste of the drugs a close up shot of him taking the pill is shown, and as before, without the visuals the audience would not necessarily know what he is talking about.
You can make tell that the protagonist is very nervous and feels as though he has a conscience, as he states, 'i wish the bouncers would go away' and then there is a shot of children under a table holding a video camera, which could suggest that the bouncers aren't really watching him, its just children and the other people at the party, but he is nervous because he knows he is doing something wrong.
The protagonist then walks to the entrance of the party and the lyrics 'i hate coming to the entrance, just to get bars on my phone' are followed, which can be easily linked with what was said before about him having no reception, this again helps the audience understand what the visuals are supposed to be, as the camera shots are mainly mid- close up shots of the protagonist so you don't really get an establishing shot of his surroundings, but you do get a strong sense of his emotions, the lyrics help with this, making sure that the narrative flow is consistent and strong. 'Where are you and Simone' is said by the protagonist, however he is not shown, instead there are visuals of what the audience can make easy assumptions to be the protagonist's girlfriend in a cloakroom with another man, the audience can make connotations that the characters are having an affair. We also know the man is the protagonists friend, as he receives a text message from him.
The lyrics and visuals also link well with each other when the protagonist is stood at a bar and the lyrics: 'brandy or beer? Waters a good idea. I wish the bar lady would appear, and come serve over here' follow, to show that the protagonist is waiting to be served, even though the audience know that the character is already highly intoxicated. A jump cut to the protagonist walking down the corridor with the camera tracking him, show that he is sweating and looks like he has taken drugs yet the lyrics are 'I'm still not feeling anything, this has got to be a dud' this is to show the characters mental state, and that he is in denial as to how intoxicated he really is. The camera is tracking at a slow pace, so it looks like the character is walking in slow motion, then there is a jump cut to another male character who has been along side the protagonist taking drugs, with a point of view shot, to show what the protagonist is now seeing. The characters seem to be having a conversation however it is unclear, due to the tracking and camera shots used to show the mental state of the two characters, yet they continue to take more drugs. The camera work in this is used to reflect how intoxicated the characters are. The protagonist then enters the bathroom in which his girlfriend is in the next cubicle with his friend, creating dramatic irony 'these toilets are a piss take, Queue's bigger than the door...glad I'm not a girl in this place, they'll be here till dawn' Simone then leaves with the man she was with in the next cubicle, and the protagonist continues to take more drugs, the lyrics are: 'maybe i shouldn't have done the second one, I feel all fidgety and warm' this shows the effect of the drugs and that he is finally feeling it.
'Everything in the room is spinning' this is in relation with the visuals of the protagonist being tracked in a circle, meaning the audience and the protagonist are experiencing the same disorientation. Flashing lights are in the background, as their has just been a cross cut from the toilet he was in, to the dance floor he is now on. His face is sweaty, and he is very pale and looks washed and spaced out, showing his mental and physical state. The lyrics then continue to be in relation with the visuals of the protagonist 'tripping out' the camera movement continues to track the protagonist in a circle motion, there is then a cross cut to shots of other people at the party watching the protagonist, and talking about the state he is in, a fight then breaks out once there are no more lyrics and just a beat is playing, that has been continuous throughout the song, which then fades out, and a close up of the protagonist bloody face is shown, from this the audience can tell that the music fading out signifies the end of the night out, and how it has ended badly due to the drugs taken.
There are lots of close-ups of the artist, including tracking and extreme close ups, however he is not portrayed with star image motifs, the audience witness his experiences with drug takings and how they affect him at a wedding reception. The wedding reception does not look particularly expensive, and there are no familiar faces within the audience of other guests in which you can see. You do not think of this artist to be famous or even well known, but more like a working class man, who takes drugs and is involved in fights.
The music video is a mixture of both narrative-based and concept-based, as the instances of shots of drug takings, and fights allow the concept of drugs to be explored, however the fact he has no signal on his phone at the beginning and throughout and he is trying to get hold of his girlfriend, yet she is at the same party, just with another man, creates a narrative flow and allows the audience to understand the purpose of each character.
Lyrics and Meaning:
[Verse 1]
Thats the one, Oi
"How did he not find the baggy, with his hand in my shoe?"
‘He’ here refers to the bouncer, and the ‘baggy’ is a small plastic bag containing drugs.
"Way too close for me"
He doesn’t like how the bouncer was so close to finding his drugs when he searched him
," oh well at least they allowed me through"
He’s uncomfortable with the bouncer being up in his business, but he’s thankful that he got into the club with the drugs.
"Should be a good night in here, rammo in the main room"
Rammo – it is rammed full in the club, packed like sardines if you will
"People keep pushing me though, no reception on the phone"
"And I'm thinking"
[Hook]"Lights are blinding my eyes"
This could really be interpreted as many things: the brightness/vibrance of the club, the drugs obstructing his rationality, the stunning of love…
"They said they'd be here they said, they said in the corner"
The repetition of ‘they said’ emphasizes Skinner’s edginess. His fragmented state of mind reveals the effects of the drugs and the induced paranoia as well.
"And I'm thinking
People pushing by, and walking off into the night"
[Verse 2]"These look well speckly, a bit green and blue"
e pill. sometimes they’re hard, sometimes light or dark solid colors, or sometimes they have little speckles, and sometimes uninformed people use how they look to determine their quality/purity.
"Freeze "
Freeze is the name of the pills he is popping.
"is well cheap though, so I'll take three if I need to"
He can afford to take as much of the drug as he needs
"Right I'm on a plan, I wish the bouncers would go away"
Mike has worked out what drug cocktail he is going to take, and is now just waiting for the bouncers to move off
"Borrow water off this man, here goes nothing OK
And I'm thinking"
Gets a drink from a passerby and swallows down the ecstasy tablets
[Hook]"Lights are blinding my eyes
That's proper rank, that tastes like hairspray
And I'm thinking
People pushing by, and walking off into the night"
He’s telling a story about being high in the club. The ecstasy pills are well speckly (spotted), and they taste like hairspray. Also worth mentioning this classic bit of British slang here: “proper” in its adjectival form as an adverb (i.e. instead of “properly”) and “rank” for horrible or disgusting.
[Verse 3]"I hate coming to the entrance, just to get bars on my phone"
Again the nerves are re-iterated: Mike must leave the club, just to achieve some phone reception
"You have no new messages, so why haven't they phoned?"
He’s been expecting Dan or Simone to call him about meeting them in the club
"Menu, write message, so where are you and Simone?
Send message, Dan's number, where've they gone?
And I'm thinking"
Skinners approach of trying to contact them, feeling anxious.
[Hook]
Lights are blinding my eyes
"Why's the message pending? Where the fuck are ya?"
He can’t get a signal on his phone and his text message won’t send to his friends that he’s having trouble finding. As the night goes on, he gets more and more exasperated which shows in his tone and dialogue.
And I'm thinking
People pushing by, and walking off into the night
[Verse 4]"Hmm, brandy or beer? Water's a good idea"
Yup, mixing drugs and alcohol is a bad idea, this recognised by Mike
"Wish that bar lady'd appear and come serve over here"
it’s taking ages for mike to get served at the bar, just like it does in every club in the UK!
"Where the fuck could they be? Still not over in the corner"
"This night's a tragedy, I keep thinking I saw her
And I'm thinking"
He’s s'posed to be meeting Dan (his mate) and Simone (his girlfriend) in the club but he can’t find them
[Hook]
Lights are blinding my eyes
"No that's not them, that's not them either"
Still can’t find the people he’s looking for
And I'm thinking
People pushing by, and walking off into the night
[Verse 5]
"I'm still not feeling anything, this has got to be a dud"
The E, or whatever Mike has dropped, is a fake (fakes often contain caffeine, to give the drug users a temporary illusion that their mind is being altered)
It's been ages since
I necked it
," and smoked six tabs to the nub"
Tabs = cigarettes in UK slang. Smoking can help you ‘come up’ and feel the effects of pills.
"Belly's not even tingling"
A common feeling when taking ecstasy is for your belly to flip or tingle when you’re ‘coming up’
,I just feel a bit pissed
"No-one looks like mingling, I can't see her or him"
A common effect of taking pills is a feeling of empathy with others, which can lead to people talking to lots of strangers when high. When Mike says no-one looks like mingling, he’s suggesting that no-one in the crowd (including himself) is high enough to break down normal social restraints and let themselves go. Plus, his two mates — Dan and Simone — aren’t even there.
And I'm thinking
[Hook]
Lights are blinding my eyes
"I'm gonna do another I think, Yeah, one more, these are shit
And I'm thinking"
He wants to do more drugs & he’s thinking about his girlfriend. He’s deviating from his “plan” only to take three pills. He doesn’t realize how little time passed b/c he’s bored. He also may be used to alcohol which takes effect faster than pills.
People pushing by, and walking off into the night
[Verse 6]
"These toilets are a piss take, queue's bigger than the door"
“Queue” is another word for line. “Take the piss” is British slang for mocking or making fun of someone/something. The line for the bathroom was bigger than the line to get into the club, and the toilets were a joke.
Gotta get rid of this pill taste,
"what are they chattin' so much for?"
The vague ‘they’ creates a sense of haziness, with Skinner’s apparent detachment from specific details
"Glad I'm not a girl in this place, they'll be here til' dawn"
"Sure my belly's tingling a bit, somethings happening I'm sure"
He’s starting to ‘come up’, the E is kicking in
And I'm thinking
[Hook]
Lights are blinding my eyes
"Maybe I shouldn't have done the second one, I feel all fidgety and warm"
He’s regretting taking a double dose…and realizing that he’s losing it.
People pushing by, and walking off into the night
[Verse 7]
"Whoa, everything in the room is spinning, I think I'm going to fall down"
All the drugs and drink have got to him and the side effects are uncomfortable.
"My heart's beating too quick, I'm fucking tripping out"
The drugs have hit him hard
I wonder whether they got in, turned away no doubt
Who cares, there is a tune coming in,
"that one noise is like"
Finally the pill is having the desired effect, a tune has come on that he likes
I'm thinking
[Hook]
Lights are blinding my eyes
"My eyes are rolling back, I'm rubbing my thighs with my hand"
A common side effect of too much MDMA, the inbility to control one’s eyes and focus. The video for this song has a rather too realistic depiction of this. A fore mentioned fidgetyness, he can’t control himself.
And I'm thinking
People pushing by, and walking off into the night
[Verse 8]
"Yeah yeah they cheer"
He’s referring to himself in the third person. He’s finally spotted Simone and Dan.
"Can they see my hand in the air?
Need to wave 'em over here"
He’s waving his hand in the air to get Simone and Dan’s attention and attract them over.
"Swear Simone's kissing Dan
My head is twisted severe, body's rushing everywhere
They could have texted me when they were near, but I'm fucked and I don't
Care"
Then the sadness comes in for the listener. Mike’s character witnesses what he thinks is Simone and Dan, and tries to get their attention. Soon after he realizes it will be all for naught, he realizes Simone is kissing Dan. However, in his drugged haze doesn’t really care. It’s up for the listener to decide if he was really seeing it or if it was just a drugged mistake.
[Hook]
Lights are blinding my eyes
"What was I thinking about? Ah who cares, I'm mashed"
He’s forgotten that he just saw Simone, his girlfriend, kissing Dan, and it doesn’t seem important because he’s high.
People pushing by, and walking off into the night
"Totally fucked, can't hardly fucking stand
This is fucking amazing"
He’s completely out of his tree, can barely stand up and is loving it!
https://genius.com/The-streets-blinded-by-the-lights-lyrics
This shows original music video for our chosen song:
The song was a big hit for the streets and is from the album ‘A Grand Don't Come for Free’, and was produced by the label ‘Vice Records’. It was released in 2004 and hit the high end of the British charts. The Wild Eyes – Breakdown clearly has many meanings behind the lyrics, the main one clearly being drugs and addiction. The Streets – Blinded by the lights clearly has drug usage in the video and the lyrics back this up. The lead singer Mike Skinner is on a night out at what is shown to be a wedding reception, and is clearly under the influence of alcohol and drugs. In the lyrics, the audience hears him say that he is going to the toilets to do drugs, and that he can taste hairspray. Later on, he states his need for water and his feeling of paranoia, which reminds the audience of his drug usage. Camera work also plays a big part in showing and reminding the audience of Skinners intoxication as it is very disorientated and point-of-view like at times. The video was directed by Adam Smith.
The Streets songs usually fit best into the ‘grime/garage’ genre, and Blinded by the Lights is no exception. However, this song is slightly different to what the streets had previously done, as it is more upbeat and could almost fit into a dance music genre as well. The fact that the dance theme is in this song as well, means that it has being incorporated in the music video so that the audience adapt to it well and understand the narrative of the video and the message that that song is telling a lot easier. This is portrayed in the video with a close up the protagonist (Mike Skinner) on a dance floor. Not only is he in this setting, but depth of field is used, meaning that the background is out of focus. This suggests that what the character is seeing is also disorientated and out of focus, this along with the fact that the characters face is shown clearly in a close up allows the audience to make connotations that he is intoxicated. There is low lighting in the room, but flashing lights are being used, showing that he is at a party but also suggesting his state of mind. Most videos of the grime genre have drug and alcohol usage, and young stereotypical teen features, personalities and lifestyles. This is sometimes on the streets or in a party, club bar etc. Grime music can be shown in many different ways, whether it is almost intimidating with low lighting and an eerie feeling, or whether it is with hyperactive party atmosphere. Misé en scene plays a huge part in this, and editing camera work and lighting all back this up. Also fitting into this genre is the slightly violent closing the video, as grime is stereotypically linked to juvenile ‘thuggish’ people, with a lot of reference to drug usage, violence and strong language in the songs. Most videos of the dance music genre have the party element in them. This is sometimes in a night club, or at a house party or living a glamorous lifestyle in limousines and on stage. Dance music is usually shown in a hyperactive way, but can sometimes go other ways when it corresponds with lyrics or characters state of mind instead. Again, misé en scene plays a huge part in this and editing, lighting and camera work increase the effectiveness of the visuals.
In this particular video, alcohol, cigarettes and drugs are almost used to tell the story, and are major props. This is similar to a lot or grime and dance music videos, and are linked with not only these types of music but the people lifestyles that come with them. In this video, these elements are not only shown through images and shots of the substances themselves, but through the use of camera work and editing also. Things like slow motion, speeding up, jump cuts, disorientation and depth of field help in the video, as it shows what the character is seeing, his state of mind, and the effects that the substances have taken on him. In this video it is shown to a huge extent as the particularly intoxicated character is the protagonist and is known to be the main man from the band The Streets.
To start off the video there is only dialogue, with no backing music. It is the protagonist who is speaking and he appears to be on the phone to his girlfriend, this conversation is a very strong opening to the song and music video as it sets the narrative. In the conversation he mentions that he is supposed to be meeting her, this is significant as the audience is shown throughout that he never actually meets her. Throughout the video the character and the song makes reference to what is being shown in the video. This . The lyrics and the visuals are linked well, as he states he 'there’s no reception on the phone' which the audience would have guessed or known to be true as when he is trying to contact his girlfriend he is cut off. Later on, he says 'people keep pushing me' the camera movement and editing back this up, as it is a point of view shot of the protagonist being pushed. He is holding a tablet/pill as he describes what the drug looks like, 'these look well speckled, a bit green and blue' without the visuals from the music video you wouldn't understand what the artist is talking about and the lyrics wouldn’t make as much sense to you. When he talks about the taste of the drugs a close up shot of him taking the pill is shown, and as before, without the visuals the audience would not necessarily know what he is talking about.
You can make tell that the protagonist is very nervous and feels as though he has a conscience, as he states, 'i wish the bouncers would go away' and then there is a shot of children under a table holding a video camera, which could suggest that the bouncers aren't really watching him, its just children and the other people at the party, but he is nervous because he knows he is doing something wrong.
The protagonist then walks to the entrance of the party and the lyrics 'i hate coming to the entrance, just to get bars on my phone' are followed, which can be easily linked with what was said before about him having no reception, this again helps the audience understand what the visuals are supposed to be, as the camera shots are mainly mid- close up shots of the protagonist so you don't really get an establishing shot of his surroundings, but you do get a strong sense of his emotions, the lyrics help with this, making sure that the narrative flow is consistent and strong. 'Where are you and Simone' is said by the protagonist, however he is not shown, instead there are visuals of what the audience can make easy assumptions to be the protagonist's girlfriend in a cloakroom with another man, the audience can make connotations that the characters are having an affair. We also know the man is the protagonists friend, as he receives a text message from him.
The lyrics and visuals also link well with each other when the protagonist is stood at a bar and the lyrics: 'brandy or beer? Waters a good idea. I wish the bar lady would appear, and come serve over here' follow, to show that the protagonist is waiting to be served, even though the audience know that the character is already highly intoxicated. A jump cut to the protagonist walking down the corridor with the camera tracking him, show that he is sweating and looks like he has taken drugs yet the lyrics are 'I'm still not feeling anything, this has got to be a dud' this is to show the characters mental state, and that he is in denial as to how intoxicated he really is. The camera is tracking at a slow pace, so it looks like the character is walking in slow motion, then there is a jump cut to another male character who has been along side the protagonist taking drugs, with a point of view shot, to show what the protagonist is now seeing. The characters seem to be having a conversation however it is unclear, due to the tracking and camera shots used to show the mental state of the two characters, yet they continue to take more drugs. The camera work in this is used to reflect how intoxicated the characters are. The protagonist then enters the bathroom in which his girlfriend is in the next cubicle with his friend, creating dramatic irony 'these toilets are a piss take, Queue's bigger than the door...glad I'm not a girl in this place, they'll be here till dawn' Simone then leaves with the man she was with in the next cubicle, and the protagonist continues to take more drugs, the lyrics are: 'maybe i shouldn't have done the second one, I feel all fidgety and warm' this shows the effect of the drugs and that he is finally feeling it.
'Everything in the room is spinning' this is in relation with the visuals of the protagonist being tracked in a circle, meaning the audience and the protagonist are experiencing the same disorientation. Flashing lights are in the background, as their has just been a cross cut from the toilet he was in, to the dance floor he is now on. His face is sweaty, and he is very pale and looks washed and spaced out, showing his mental and physical state. The lyrics then continue to be in relation with the visuals of the protagonist 'tripping out' the camera movement continues to track the protagonist in a circle motion, there is then a cross cut to shots of other people at the party watching the protagonist, and talking about the state he is in, a fight then breaks out once there are no more lyrics and just a beat is playing, that has been continuous throughout the song, which then fades out, and a close up of the protagonist bloody face is shown, from this the audience can tell that the music fading out signifies the end of the night out, and how it has ended badly due to the drugs taken.
There are lots of close-ups of the artist, including tracking and extreme close ups, however he is not portrayed with star image motifs, the audience witness his experiences with drug takings and how they affect him at a wedding reception. The wedding reception does not look particularly expensive, and there are no familiar faces within the audience of other guests in which you can see. You do not think of this artist to be famous or even well known, but more like a working class man, who takes drugs and is involved in fights.
The music video is a mixture of both narrative-based and concept-based, as the instances of shots of drug takings, and fights allow the concept of drugs to be explored, however the fact he has no signal on his phone at the beginning and throughout and he is trying to get hold of his girlfriend, yet she is at the same party, just with another man, creates a narrative flow and allows the audience to understand the purpose of each character.
Lyrics and Meaning:
[Verse 1]
Thats the one, Oi
"How did he not find the baggy, with his hand in my shoe?"
‘He’ here refers to the bouncer, and the ‘baggy’ is a small plastic bag containing drugs.
"Way too close for me"
He doesn’t like how the bouncer was so close to finding his drugs when he searched him
," oh well at least they allowed me through"
He’s uncomfortable with the bouncer being up in his business, but he’s thankful that he got into the club with the drugs.
"Should be a good night in here, rammo in the main room"
Rammo – it is rammed full in the club, packed like sardines if you will
"People keep pushing me though, no reception on the phone"
This is classic Mike Skinner. Monologuing, to place you well and truly in the protagonist’s perspective. You may notice that this is done very effectively throughout the song. You sharethe pain, confusion and anxiety of Skinner – the last is achieved by his constant references to his mobile phone
Nnote the repetition of this phrase through every the song. Besides in the hook, it is repeated at the end of every verse. Listeners are drawn closer to his train of thoughts. They are also subconsciously reminded that he is still trying to make sense of everything that is taking place, despite the environment he is in.
[Hook]"Lights are blinding my eyes"
This could really be interpreted as many things: the brightness/vibrance of the club, the drugs obstructing his rationality, the stunning of love…
"They said they'd be here they said, they said in the corner"
The repetition of ‘they said’ emphasizes Skinner’s edginess. His fragmented state of mind reveals the effects of the drugs and the induced paranoia as well.
"And I'm thinking
People pushing by, and walking off into the night"
This line is repeated multiple times throughout the track and describes the environment of the club under alcoholic influence. People tend to push others aggressively in order to get to their destination (inside, outside, or somewhere inside the club).
Unfortunately if you are not a knowledgeable club drifter, it can come off as aggressive and lead to a fight.
[Verse 2]"These look well speckly, a bit green and blue"
e pill. sometimes they’re hard, sometimes light or dark solid colors, or sometimes they have little speckles, and sometimes uninformed people use how they look to determine their quality/purity.
"Freeze "
Freeze is the name of the pills he is popping.
"is well cheap though, so I'll take three if I need to"
He can afford to take as much of the drug as he needs
"Right I'm on a plan, I wish the bouncers would go away"
Mike has worked out what drug cocktail he is going to take, and is now just waiting for the bouncers to move off
"Borrow water off this man, here goes nothing OK
And I'm thinking"
Gets a drink from a passerby and swallows down the ecstasy tablets
[Hook]"Lights are blinding my eyes
That's proper rank, that tastes like hairspray
And I'm thinking
People pushing by, and walking off into the night"
He’s telling a story about being high in the club. The ecstasy pills are well speckly (spotted), and they taste like hairspray. Also worth mentioning this classic bit of British slang here: “proper” in its adjectival form as an adverb (i.e. instead of “properly”) and “rank” for horrible or disgusting.
[Verse 3]"I hate coming to the entrance, just to get bars on my phone"
Again the nerves are re-iterated: Mike must leave the club, just to achieve some phone reception
"You have no new messages, so why haven't they phoned?"
He’s been expecting Dan or Simone to call him about meeting them in the club
"Menu, write message, so where are you and Simone?
Send message, Dan's number, where've they gone?
And I'm thinking"
Skinners approach of trying to contact them, feeling anxious.
[Hook]
Lights are blinding my eyes
"Why's the message pending? Where the fuck are ya?"
He can’t get a signal on his phone and his text message won’t send to his friends that he’s having trouble finding. As the night goes on, he gets more and more exasperated which shows in his tone and dialogue.
And I'm thinking
People pushing by, and walking off into the night
[Verse 4]"Hmm, brandy or beer? Water's a good idea"
Yup, mixing drugs and alcohol is a bad idea, this recognised by Mike
"Wish that bar lady'd appear and come serve over here"
it’s taking ages for mike to get served at the bar, just like it does in every club in the UK!
"Where the fuck could they be? Still not over in the corner"
"This night's a tragedy, I keep thinking I saw her
And I'm thinking"
He’s s'posed to be meeting Dan (his mate) and Simone (his girlfriend) in the club but he can’t find them
[Hook]
Lights are blinding my eyes
"No that's not them, that's not them either"
Still can’t find the people he’s looking for
And I'm thinking
People pushing by, and walking off into the night
[Verse 5]
"I'm still not feeling anything, this has got to be a dud"
The E, or whatever Mike has dropped, is a fake (fakes often contain caffeine, to give the drug users a temporary illusion that their mind is being altered)
It's been ages since
I necked it
," and smoked six tabs to the nub"
Tabs = cigarettes in UK slang. Smoking can help you ‘come up’ and feel the effects of pills.
"Belly's not even tingling"
A common feeling when taking ecstasy is for your belly to flip or tingle when you’re ‘coming up’
,I just feel a bit pissed
"No-one looks like mingling, I can't see her or him"
A common effect of taking pills is a feeling of empathy with others, which can lead to people talking to lots of strangers when high. When Mike says no-one looks like mingling, he’s suggesting that no-one in the crowd (including himself) is high enough to break down normal social restraints and let themselves go. Plus, his two mates — Dan and Simone — aren’t even there.
And I'm thinking
[Hook]
Lights are blinding my eyes
"I'm gonna do another I think, Yeah, one more, these are shit
And I'm thinking"
He wants to do more drugs & he’s thinking about his girlfriend. He’s deviating from his “plan” only to take three pills. He doesn’t realize how little time passed b/c he’s bored. He also may be used to alcohol which takes effect faster than pills.
People pushing by, and walking off into the night
[Verse 6]
"These toilets are a piss take, queue's bigger than the door"
“Queue” is another word for line. “Take the piss” is British slang for mocking or making fun of someone/something. The line for the bathroom was bigger than the line to get into the club, and the toilets were a joke.
Gotta get rid of this pill taste,
"what are they chattin' so much for?"
The vague ‘they’ creates a sense of haziness, with Skinner’s apparent detachment from specific details
"Glad I'm not a girl in this place, they'll be here til' dawn"
The queues are so long for the girls toilets, a side effect of taking E’s is feeling like you need to pee but can’t go! Nah, it ain’t happening…
"Sure my belly's tingling a bit, somethings happening I'm sure"
He’s starting to ‘come up’, the E is kicking in
And I'm thinking
[Hook]
Lights are blinding my eyes
"Maybe I shouldn't have done the second one, I feel all fidgety and warm"
He’s regretting taking a double dose…and realizing that he’s losing it.
People pushing by, and walking off into the night
[Verse 7]
"Whoa, everything in the room is spinning, I think I'm going to fall down"
All the drugs and drink have got to him and the side effects are uncomfortable.
"My heart's beating too quick, I'm fucking tripping out"
The drugs have hit him hard
I wonder whether they got in, turned away no doubt
Who cares, there is a tune coming in,
"that one noise is like"
Finally the pill is having the desired effect, a tune has come on that he likes
I'm thinking
[Hook]
Lights are blinding my eyes
"My eyes are rolling back, I'm rubbing my thighs with my hand"
A common side effect of too much MDMA, the inbility to control one’s eyes and focus. The video for this song has a rather too realistic depiction of this. A fore mentioned fidgetyness, he can’t control himself.
And I'm thinking
People pushing by, and walking off into the night
[Verse 8]
"Yeah yeah they cheer"
He’s referring to himself in the third person. He’s finally spotted Simone and Dan.
"Can they see my hand in the air?
Need to wave 'em over here"
He’s waving his hand in the air to get Simone and Dan’s attention and attract them over.
"Swear Simone's kissing Dan
My head is twisted severe, body's rushing everywhere
They could have texted me when they were near, but I'm fucked and I don't
Care"
Then the sadness comes in for the listener. Mike’s character witnesses what he thinks is Simone and Dan, and tries to get their attention. Soon after he realizes it will be all for naught, he realizes Simone is kissing Dan. However, in his drugged haze doesn’t really care. It’s up for the listener to decide if he was really seeing it or if it was just a drugged mistake.
[Hook]
Lights are blinding my eyes
"What was I thinking about? Ah who cares, I'm mashed"
He’s forgotten that he just saw Simone, his girlfriend, kissing Dan, and it doesn’t seem important because he’s high.
People pushing by, and walking off into the night
"Totally fucked, can't hardly fucking stand
This is fucking amazing"
He’s completely out of his tree, can barely stand up and is loving it!
https://genius.com/The-streets-blinded-by-the-lights-lyrics
Casting:
In this case, due to limited access and being a student with the lack of ability to pay the actors, I for the purpose of the portfolio will take on all of the steps used when Casting to a profession level. However, the cast will consist of my friends and family members which will be supported with character studies and why they were chosen for the role.
There are four primary stages in a typical casting process: The Pre-Audition, The First Audition, Callback and Testing.
The Pre-Audition
The whole process begins with the casting directors breaking down scripts and identifying speaking roles and their descriptive profiles. This is then notified to agents and online casting services of the available roles. Agents and actors then submit client resumes, demo reels and pictures (showcase). Casting directors then narrow their selection down based on the actors appearance, training and kills required for the role and then actors who make the first cut are contacted for auditions.
The First Audition
Normally a script or 'sides' are usually provided in advance of a television audition. For feature films you will need to have prepared at least one monologue appropriate to the tone of the film. TV and feature films rely on quiuck video slates to further narrow casting option, despite how preapred you are. It is essential to be prepared because the audition may be no longer than the few seconds that it takes to state your name to a video camer.However what and how you wear your clothes and hair, how you enter the room, your demeanor signing in—all of your choices at even the “smallest” audition are opportunities to make an impression and show what you can do.
Callbacks
There may be more than one case that you are asked to come in after the initial in-person audition, this is known as a callback. In this stage you may or may not work with the same material for the same casting personell or it could be for an entirely new for a different role. These sessions still tend to be very brief, usually lasting a few minutes, these are typically recorded and discussed further upon the casting decision-makers. In television that’s the Casting Director, Showrunner, Creator, Director, other Executive Producers, network and studio executives — though you won’t see most of them in the room just yet. In feature films, it’s the Director, Casting Director, Producer, sometimes the Writer, and the studio or financier, though most of them stay out of the room early-on, too. But just because you don’t see them doesn’t mean they aren’t watching you!
Because so much is now viewed on tape, many actors will not be physically in the room with the producers or casting director, who could be on location filming or living elsewhere, until late in the casting process. Casting guest-stars or co-stars for a television series is less labor-intensive than casting a pilot, which often involves reviewing hundreds of actors within a one- to two-month window. Television projects near final casting will have the Casting Director, Creator, Showrunner, Director (especially if it’s for a pilot), in the room watching what you do. Network or studio casting executives are involved early on, but actors won’t see them in the room until the studio or network test.
For feature film auditions, depending on the role, you may see the Casting Director early on along with the Director and possibly one or more producers or executive producers. For smaller roles you may only see casting subordinates and the First A.D. (Assistant Director). For more involved roles, you may be called back several times or only once and still land the job. The closer they get to booking talent, the more decision-makers may be in the room. And if you get an avail, that means they are interested in booking you for the job, but want to know your schedule. With an avail, you’re one of the finalists!
Testing
The later stages of feature film casting involve working more closely with material, the director, screen partners and sometimes even being put on film. Working with other actors, especially for ensemble productions, help reveal what chemistry is or is not present among a group of performers. Screen tests are typically done late or after a production is cast and involve making hair, make-up, wardrobe, film-stock and lighting decisions. Feature films may use a screen test to decide final actor placement or to make difficult final casting decisions, but most of the time a production won’t spend money on screen testing actors it doesn’t intend to use.
By contrast, a network or studio test is a staple in television casting for major roles and especially for television pilots. For television pilots, the Studio and Network test may be the first time you get to work with the director. However, it is not easy to audition in front of people and still have no audience.
Whether you’re auditioning to one person and a video camera or fifteen decision-makers and their support staff, you can expect little reciprocal engagement from those watching you perform. On the other hand, the Showrunner, Creator, studio or network executives may eat, text, e-mail, take calls or even step out while you audition! That doesn’t mean you aren’t doing good work. This seeming inattention is more likely due to the taxing complexity of keeping any production on track than any deficiency in you. Try to remember that everybody on the other side of the table is interested in and rooting for you. They want you to be good. If you’re good, you’ve solved all their problems!
Whether you’re auditioning for a feature or a television show, the Casting Directors, Directors, EPs, producers, etc., want to see what you can do alone, without encouragement, tweaking or help from them. It’s like getting a base-line of your acting. So if the sides are a two-person scene, expect a dead pan Casting Director to prompt you with flat, unresponsive delivery. The Director may jump in to give you notes or you may get little more than a glance—in either case, you might still get the job! The important thing is to stay focused on your work and make confident choices.
The casting process for a film or television pilot can take days or months. Episodic television runs on a compressed production schedule, so guest roles tend to be cast fairly quickly. Still, episodes can get pushed, rewritten, or shelved. Whether casting a pilot or guest role, the Casting Director, Creator, Director and Showrunner narrow down their favorites and studio and network executives who oversee the show have final say.
In feature films, the Casting Director and EPs may make recommendations but the Director generally finalizes cast, though the financiers can reject those decisions and even pull backing. And keep in mind that television shows change networks, Directors get dropped, financing falls out here, gets picked up there… The casting process isn’t over until the project screens or airs. And even then some filmmakers threaten, and have, re-shot or digitally altered re-releases to remove or add whole scenes, subplots and characters!
Getting cast doesn’t just happen. It’s the result of consistent preparation, patience, and persistence. Whether you book the job or not, auditions are your best chance to become known by Casting Directors. If you’re professional, prepared, and make a good impression, they’ll remember liking you before and will keep you in mind for future roles. Sometimes not booking can still lead to better future opportunities.
Timings:
Before starting on my storyboards I thought it would be a good idea to outline the timings of the lyrics within the song so I could adapt my shot types and length to the music for a more effective outcome.
[Verse 1] ( 0:13 - 0:30)
That's the one, oi
How did he not find the baggy with his hand in my shoe?
Way too close for me, oh well, at least they allowed me through
Should be a good night in here, rammo in the main room
People keep pushing me though, no reception on the phone
[Hook] ( 0:30 - 0:44 )
And I'm thinking
Lights are blinding my eyes
They said they'd be here, they said, they said in the corner
And I'm thinking
People pushing by, then walking off into the night
[Verse 2] ( 0: 45 - 0:58 )
These look well speckly, a bit green and blue
Freeze is well cheap though, so I'll take three if I need to
Right, I'm on a plan, I wish the bouncers would go away
Borrow water off this man, here goes nothing, okay
[Hook] ( 0:58 - 1:13 )
And I'm thinking
Lights are blinding my eyes
Oh, that's proper rank, that tastes like hairspray
And I'm thinking
People pushing by, then walking off into the night
[Verse 3] ( 1:13 - 1:27 )
I hate coming to the entrance just to get bars on my phone
You have no new messages, so why haven't they phoned?
Menu, write message, "So where are you and Simone?"
Send message, Dan's number, "Where have they gone?"
[Hook] ( 1:28 - 1:42 )
And I'm thinking
Lights are blinding my eyes
Why's the message pending? Where the fuck are ya?
And I'm thinking
People pushing by, then walking off into the night
[Verse 4] ( 1:42 - 1:57 )
Hmm, brandy or beer? Water's a good idea
I wish that bar lady'd appear and come serve over here
Where the fuck could they be? Still not over in the corner
This night's a tragedy, I keep thinking I saw her
[Hook] ( 1:57 - 2:11 )
And I'm thinking
Lights are blinding my eyes
No that's not them, that's not them either
And I'm thinking
People pushing by, then walking off into the night
[Verse 5] ( 2:11 - 2:25 )
I'm still not feeling anything, this has got to be a dud
It's been ages since I necked it, I smoked six tabs to the nub
Belly's not even tingling, I just feel a bit pissed
No-one looks like mingling, I can't see her or him
[Hook] ( 2:26 - 2:40 )
And I'm thinking
Lights are blinding my eyes
I'm gonna do another I think, yeah, one more, these are shit
And I'm thinking
People pushing by, then walking off into the night
[Verse 6] ( 2:40 - 2:54 )
These toilets are a piss take, queue's bigger than the door
Gotta get rid of this pill taste, what are they chatting so much for?
Glad I'm not a girl in this place, they'll be here 'til dawn
Sure my belly's tingling a bit, something's happening, I'm sure
[Hook] ( 2:55 - 3:09 )
And I'm thinking
Lights are blinding my eyes
Maybe I shouldn't have done the second one, I feel all fidgety and warm
And I'm thinking
People pushing by, then walking off into the night
[Verse 7] ( 3:09 - 3:24 )
Whoa, everything in the room is spinning, I think I'm gonna fall down
My heart's beating too quick, I'm fucking tripping out
I wonder whether they got in? Turned away, no doubt
Who cares? This is a tune coming in, that one noise is like
[Hook] ( 3:24 - 3:38 )I'm thinking
Lights are blinding my eyes
My eyes are rolling back, I'm rubbing my thighs with my hand
And I'm thinking
People pushing by, then walking off into the night
[Verse 8] ( 3:38 - 3:53 )
Yeah, yeah, they cheer, can they see my hand in the air?
I need to wave 'em over here, I swear Simone's kissing Dan
My head's twisted severe, body is rushing everywhere
They could have texted me when they were near, but I'm fucked and I don't care
[Hook] ( 3:53 - 4:09)
Lights are blinding my eyes
What was I thinking about? Ah, who cares, I'm mashed
People pushing by, and walking off into the night
Totally fucked, can't hardly fucking stand
This is fucking amazing
That's the one, oi
How did he not find the baggy with his hand in my shoe?
Way too close for me, oh well, at least they allowed me through
Should be a good night in here, rammo in the main room
People keep pushing me though, no reception on the phone
[Hook] ( 0:30 - 0:44 )
And I'm thinking
Lights are blinding my eyes
They said they'd be here, they said, they said in the corner
And I'm thinking
People pushing by, then walking off into the night
[Verse 2] ( 0: 45 - 0:58 )
These look well speckly, a bit green and blue
Freeze is well cheap though, so I'll take three if I need to
Right, I'm on a plan, I wish the bouncers would go away
Borrow water off this man, here goes nothing, okay
[Hook] ( 0:58 - 1:13 )
And I'm thinking
Lights are blinding my eyes
Oh, that's proper rank, that tastes like hairspray
And I'm thinking
People pushing by, then walking off into the night
[Verse 3] ( 1:13 - 1:27 )
I hate coming to the entrance just to get bars on my phone
You have no new messages, so why haven't they phoned?
Menu, write message, "So where are you and Simone?"
Send message, Dan's number, "Where have they gone?"
[Hook] ( 1:28 - 1:42 )
And I'm thinking
Lights are blinding my eyes
Why's the message pending? Where the fuck are ya?
And I'm thinking
People pushing by, then walking off into the night
[Verse 4] ( 1:42 - 1:57 )
Hmm, brandy or beer? Water's a good idea
I wish that bar lady'd appear and come serve over here
Where the fuck could they be? Still not over in the corner
This night's a tragedy, I keep thinking I saw her
[Hook] ( 1:57 - 2:11 )
And I'm thinking
Lights are blinding my eyes
No that's not them, that's not them either
And I'm thinking
People pushing by, then walking off into the night
[Verse 5] ( 2:11 - 2:25 )
I'm still not feeling anything, this has got to be a dud
It's been ages since I necked it, I smoked six tabs to the nub
Belly's not even tingling, I just feel a bit pissed
No-one looks like mingling, I can't see her or him
[Hook] ( 2:26 - 2:40 )
And I'm thinking
Lights are blinding my eyes
I'm gonna do another I think, yeah, one more, these are shit
And I'm thinking
People pushing by, then walking off into the night
[Verse 6] ( 2:40 - 2:54 )
These toilets are a piss take, queue's bigger than the door
Gotta get rid of this pill taste, what are they chatting so much for?
Glad I'm not a girl in this place, they'll be here 'til dawn
Sure my belly's tingling a bit, something's happening, I'm sure
[Hook] ( 2:55 - 3:09 )
And I'm thinking
Lights are blinding my eyes
Maybe I shouldn't have done the second one, I feel all fidgety and warm
And I'm thinking
People pushing by, then walking off into the night
[Verse 7] ( 3:09 - 3:24 )
Whoa, everything in the room is spinning, I think I'm gonna fall down
My heart's beating too quick, I'm fucking tripping out
I wonder whether they got in? Turned away, no doubt
Who cares? This is a tune coming in, that one noise is like
[Hook] ( 3:24 - 3:38 )I'm thinking
Lights are blinding my eyes
My eyes are rolling back, I'm rubbing my thighs with my hand
And I'm thinking
People pushing by, then walking off into the night
[Verse 8] ( 3:38 - 3:53 )
Yeah, yeah, they cheer, can they see my hand in the air?
I need to wave 'em over here, I swear Simone's kissing Dan
My head's twisted severe, body is rushing everywhere
They could have texted me when they were near, but I'm fucked and I don't care
[Hook] ( 3:53 - 4:09)
Lights are blinding my eyes
What was I thinking about? Ah, who cares, I'm mashed
People pushing by, and walking off into the night
Totally fucked, can't hardly fucking stand
This is fucking amazing
[Instrumental] ( 4:09 - 4:43 )
Channel for Broadcast:
There are several media platforms in which this music video would be suitable to play on. Starting with television, I am basing it purely on the focus of its broadcast in the UK as I am using a local artist and their past success being almost solely in the UK. A few of the Music Video Networks I believe would be suitable to show this content based on its style and genre are:
- MTV
- 4Music
- NME TV
- Starz TV
- Viva
- The Amp
- Scuzz
- Kerrang! TV
- Channel AKA
Although there are more mediums available I believe these music video networks would be most suitable due to its past reputation of content and already sustain a similar target audience to our own.
Typically if I had to choose one channel for the production to be shown on would be MTV. They already have an audience for the artist, showing their past productions and gaining major success from this. The Streets have been producing music since 2001, before a lot of platform creations or ability to play videos and therfore the only possible way in order to promote their music would be music video networks and due to their success it would be shown on MTV creating credability for the artist, higher popularity and success.
However, due to modern technology there are more available platforms than there use to be, so now instead of solely relying on Music Video Networks as the only media platform to show your music video, the internet now allows us a vast amount of other ways to display and promote your music through your music video.
As of 2005 the most appropriate internet platform would be Youtube. Youtube is a video sharing service that allows users to watch videos posted by other users and upload videos of their own. The service was started as an independent website in 2005 and was acquired by Google in 2006.
Specifically now they are in collaboration with a company called VEVO. The idea of VEVO is to remove duplicate music videos from youtube, have a single high quality official video that shows up on search results thereby attracting higher CPM rates and having control over what does/doesn't show up in these videos.
Vevo offers music videos from Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and EMI. Hosting for Vevo is provided by YouTube, with Google and Vevo sharing the advertising revenue.
This means the artist will take income directly from VEVO from all social media platforms and to avoid copyright and others making money from the work of the artist.
The internet possesses other social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram which can all be used to gain a following and promote your music too. Although, unless under a contract with Facebook you will gain no income from these websites but can be used as a major advantage to gain awareness of the music and work leading people to purchase the album in a local store or even from a wide range of easily accessible digital music download websites and applications such as Itunes.
Target Audience:
Who do you consider to be the typical target audience for your production project?
The Target Audience would not typically stray from its original developed by the artist. Due to its explicit lyrics and behaviour the target audience can not further be ranged but could appeal to a wider audience within itself.
They often appeal to young adults 18-24, swaying towards a male predominance. Their content and lifestyle often relate to that of the actions taken within this age group, More so in rural areas like the origins of the group being Birmingham.
I believe with the newly added style its audience could be appealed to further within the range of young adults 18-24, The streets actually have a similar attempt within another song of theirs - "fit but you know it" with a very creative style of editing:
Target Audience:
Who do you consider to be the typical target audience for your production project?
The Target Audience would not typically stray from its original developed by the artist. Due to its explicit lyrics and behaviour the target audience can not further be ranged but could appeal to a wider audience within itself.
They often appeal to young adults 18-24, swaying towards a male predominance. Their content and lifestyle often relate to that of the actions taken within this age group, More so in rural areas like the origins of the group being Birmingham.
I believe with the newly added style its audience could be appealed to further within the range of young adults 18-24, The streets actually have a similar attempt within another song of theirs - "fit but you know it" with a very creative style of editing:
This video and immersive style helped blow up the track and the artist for that matter becoming their most succesful song to date.
Genre:
Type of music video - Think about what genre of music, your video fits into and how that determines how it looks. Is your video going to be Performance based, Artistic/Abstract, Narrative/Story line based or a combination of these?
Genre: Alternative hip-hop / Electronica
This music genre gives us a more diverse oppurtunity in terms of the style and content of the music video. Although straying to a more narrative based structure within the lyrics, we wanted to recreate it an an Artistic/Abstract way to show our extensive editing abilities.
This however will not affect the performance/showcase of the other factors involved, in terms of camera angles, shots, movement, mise-en-scene etc.
We would like to create a theme with a subtle narrative however not directly addressing the problem allowing the audience to have their own interpretations on the content and purpose.
Genre:
Type of music video - Think about what genre of music, your video fits into and how that determines how it looks. Is your video going to be Performance based, Artistic/Abstract, Narrative/Story line based or a combination of these?
Genre: Alternative hip-hop / Electronica
This music genre gives us a more diverse oppurtunity in terms of the style and content of the music video. Although straying to a more narrative based structure within the lyrics, we wanted to recreate it an an Artistic/Abstract way to show our extensive editing abilities.
This however will not affect the performance/showcase of the other factors involved, in terms of camera angles, shots, movement, mise-en-scene etc.
We would like to create a theme with a subtle narrative however not directly addressing the problem allowing the audience to have their own interpretations on the content and purpose.
Style:
Think in terms of unique camera angles, B & W, colour, dissolves, fades and change of speed: Slow/Fast motion, archive footage, graphics, text etc.
Again, we want to showcase and expand our editing abilities in this music video with a wide range of style all however reflecting the tone of the track itself.
Instead of typically reflecting the original with its structure we wanted to adjust this and show the possibility of the style of music and explore its creative boundaries.
Think in terms of unique camera angles, B & W, colour, dissolves, fades and change of speed: Slow/Fast motion, archive footage, graphics, text etc.
Again, we want to showcase and expand our editing abilities in this music video with a wide range of style all however reflecting the tone of the track itself.
Instead of typically reflecting the original with its structure we wanted to adjust this and show the possibility of the style of music and explore its creative boundaries.
Storyboards:
Shooting Scripts:
Role allocation:
This in our case is solely simple as we will personally take on all of the roles required for the production as working in a pair we do not have access to a full operating crew.
This will not only help us expand upon our skills with each area but allow us to perfectly abide to our idea's without alteration.
Although I am a believer in more minds being better than one for a creative purpose, I want this Portfolio and production to personally reflect our skills, understanding and ability.
This will not only help us expand upon our skills with each area but allow us to perfectly abide to our idea's without alteration.
Although I am a believer in more minds being better than one for a creative purpose, I want this Portfolio and production to personally reflect our skills, understanding and ability.
However usually a professional Music video Production is not a one man job and requires individuals with different skills to come together and work towards a common goal.
The Pre-Production Stage
This is the first phase of the production cycle where planning for different aspects of production takes place. A lot of different people are involved in the processes even in a cheap music video production.
- Planning the story
- Director – The main responsibility of production lies with her/him. A music video director is involved at every stage of the production process, helping and guiding others to do their job.
- Screen Writer – They are responsible for coming up with a concept that fits the budget of production. They will then write down all that is going to happen in the video into a script.
- Storyboard Artist – They sketch key frames of the video from the provided script onto a sheet of paper, so that others in the production team have a better understanding of the flow of the story.
- Casting (Director) – In small productions casting is done by the Director himself, whereas in bigger productions, there are specially appointed Casting Directors to cast the talent that will be used in the video.
- Art Department
- Art Director – Looks after and finalises the visual side of the video.
- Set Director – Looks after and finalises the build of set and placements of objects in line with the script.
- Conceptual Artist – When there is an out of ordinary element in a video, it's look and feel is thought out by the Conceptual Artist. Should those aliens be green or pink? Will they have three eyes or four hands?
- Finance
- Executive Producer – Pays for the entire cost of the video.
- Producer – Purchases everything needed for the shoot, carefully picking the right brands.
Production Stage
This is the action stage of the production cycle where the video is recorded.
- Costumes
- Costume Designer – Considers the storyline and designs different costumes for characters according to their role in the video.
- Costume Maker – Finishes the designs of the Costume Designer into a final product that is ready to use.
- Planning the set
- Location Scout – They locate various settings where the music video can be shot.
- Set Builders/Set Constructors – They construct the set from scratch to shoot the video.
- Prop Master – They supply the various props that are needed for the construction of the set.
- Lightning Designer – They look after the placement of lights for the entire video.
- Direction
- Director – Directs the video, considering all aspects of pre-production.
- Assistant Director – Assists the Director.
- Production Assistant – Cues in the talent and arranges for everyone and everything to be present at the right place and the right time.
- Camera
- Director of Photography – Makes the entire video look cool and authentic to the script.
- Camera Operator – Actually shoots the video.
- Camera Assistants – Assist the Camera Operator.
- Sound
- Production Sound Mixer – Listens to the volume and different sounds on the set to mix and record them as required by the script.
- Boom Operator – Prepares microphone plots for the crew and records the sound by using specific equipment such as 'boom mics'.
- Lighting
- Chief Lighting Technician – They are responsible for taking care of all lighting needs on the set.
- Best Boy/Runner – Manually operates the light when it is needed.
- Grip
- Key Grip – Lays down tracks and other equipment firmly in place to facilitate shooting.
- Best Boy/Runner – Holds the camera or equipment in place when directed.
- Wardrobe
- Wardrobe Supervisor – Looks after specific wardrobe needs for the prominent characters in the video.
- Daily Costume Facilitator – Arranges for costumes that would be used by people in background to easily blend in with the set.
- Props
- Property Master – They are the owners of properties that will be used as props in the set.
- Standby Prop Manager – They arrange for standby props for the set.
- Hair and Make-up
- Make up Artist – Applies make up to people who will be in the video according to their character roles in the script.
- Hair Stylist – Styles the hair of the lead characters.
- Prosthetics Artist – Readies the characters with make-up for special effects.
- Performance
- Talent – May be Actors/Singers/Dancers or someone else who will perform in front of the camera.
- Stunt Performers – Act as body doubles for stunts that may be dangerous to perform for the lead talent.
- Choreographer – Choreographs the entire setting of the set, from entry to exit.
Post-Production Stage
This is the last stage of the production cycle where the final look and feel of the video is shaped.
- Editing
- Editor – Sits down with the Director to cut the final video.
- Assistant Editor – Helps the Editor with the work.
- Visual Effects
- VFX Team – Applies all necessary effects to the video.
Production Schedule:
Location Reccees:
Risk assessments:
Risk assessment for External Locations:
Hazard
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Persons who may be harmed
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Property which may be damaged
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Risk controls already in place
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Further action required to control risk ***
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Getting hit by a car
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Actors or Crew
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Camera, headphones or any of the equipment.
|
No risk controls are currently in place
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Do not work on or near busy roads and any roads near by are clearly identified and the whole crew will be notified.We will not work near busy roads however any roads that are close will be known and we will not have any of the crew close enough to the road that they could cause themselves or others any harm.
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Tripping over curbs or other possible hazards like tree roots or wired equipment.
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Actors or Crew
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Camera, headphones or any other equipment.
|
No risks controls are currently in place
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All potential tripping hazards will be noted before the recording date and then double-checked on the actual date. All of the crew will be aware of the tripping hazards and they will be marked with a light coloured tape so they are clearly visible and will hopefully help prevent the chance of someone tripping. All the wired equipment will be taped down so that it will prevent the chance of tripping. We have a first aider on hand so if anything of this kind does occur, we have a team member who will be able to help in the situation.
|
Damage to body when lifting equipment.
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Actors or Crew
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Camera, headphones or any other equipment
|
No risk controls are currently in place
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When lifting heavy objects the crew will take care and try to avoid any rushing as these could contribute to the crew damaging themselves or the equipment.If something is needed moving and is too heavy then either a vehicle or more than one person will have to contribute to the moving of the object.
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Risk of rain damage to equipment
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Crew and equipment
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Camera, headphones or any other electrical equipment.
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If the weather is bad before filming on the production day then we will either wait for a more convenient time or use plan b.
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We will have some waterproof sheet with us so if it rains we can protect the equipment before it gets wet. The water proof sheet will give us more time to move equipment safely and correctly. We also have a car on hand so we can put the equipment in there when it rains to make sure no serious damage is caused.
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Slipping on wet surfaces.
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Actors and Crew
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Camera, headphones or any other equipment.
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As we are using a puddle of water in one of our scenes we will make sure that the surface under the water is not slippy and will not have any chance to damage the actor or any of the equipment on the set.
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At our location there is a chance there is no puddles if this is the case then we will make a puddle with some water we bring with us and if we will make sure the surface is suitable so the actor or crew wont fall over.
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Getting disturbed by members of the public
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Actors and Crew
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None
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We are filming on a week day and at 11am so due to the time and day there is less chance of us getting interrupted and if we do happen too then will we re-film and shots interrupted.
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If someone does interrupt us when recording we will wait for them to pass and then continue with our recording.
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Risk of falling over when recording
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Actors and crew
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Camera, headphones or any other equipment.
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We will be filming on a flat surface to help prevent the chances of this happening.
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If someone does fall over and is inured we have a first aider in our crew who will be able to help with the situation.
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Permission to film:
Local authority
If you want to film on public land you will need permission from the appropriate local authority or council. They are responsible for public land, public buildings, roads and parking. The UK screen agencies can help you get in touch with the appropriate local authority contact.
Police
You will need the full co-operation of the local police force if you plan to film on a public highway or use special effects, explosives or fire arms (including replicas). You will also need permission to portray uniformed police officers or marked police vehicles on film.
You should inform the local police force in writing of any planned filming within its jurisdiction. The UK screen agencies can help you arrange this process.
Filming on public roads
Before filming on a public road you must contact the local police and the Highways Department of the local authority. Both will need to make sure that your plans are safe and pose no threat to road users. If you plan to stage stunts, a stunt co-ordinator should be involved in any planning discussions.
You will need details of the safety conditions covering any tracking vehicles you hire and also find out what permissions and rights clearances have been granted at the location – for example, are you entitled to film the signage on any commercial premises in the area?
Advice about permission and Rights clearances
If you film an actor inside a store or restaurant, you need written permission to use the location and also to show the chain’s name or trademark.
If you film outside a store or restaurant you do not need permission to show its name or trademark – however, if the location chosen is used to communicate a negative message in your film (for example, a film about ‘poisoned restaurant food’) you may risk legal proceedings.
You do not need to ask passers-by for permission to feature their faces in a film. Under UK law, the copyright of film shot in a public place resides with the filmmaker.
Evidence:
Copyright:
Copyright protects your video and every individual piece of that video. The protection occurs automatically and immediately when the video is fixed in a tangible medium. Once you've created your video, only you, the copyright owner, can give permission to others to copy the video, to distribute copies of the video by sale, rent, lease, or other transfer of ownership, to prepare derivative works based upon the video or its contents, or to perform (i.e., show) the video publicly.
The term of copyright depends on several things, such as when it was created, the creator's date of death, whether it has been published, and the date of first publication. For your works created after January 1, 1978, copyright protection lasts for your life plus an additional 70 years. If the work is anonymous, the term is the shorter of 95 years from publication or 120 years from creation. To determine the duration of copyright protection for a particular work, see chapter 3 of the Copyright Act.
The last thing that you need to worry about while creating a video is copyright infringement and the penalties associated with it. Avoid all of the legal issues by having releases ready to be signed before recording any video, audio or still photos, and by buying, obtaining permission to use, or creating your own pieces to use in the video (images, sound effects, music, etc.). When your video is finished, protect your creation by using a copyright notice and registering your work with the Copyright Office. It is easier to deal with the legal issues prior to video recording than to face the legal issues after you've done all of the work.
Just because you’re producing a video at your school does not mean that the copyrighted music content is for educational purposes. It is ancillary. In following the Fair Use Guidelines, music that is applicable to education would be that which is directly related to your course content. For example, if you are studying classical music and want to use Mozart’s “Sonata in A Major” as an example for your students, then this is considered educational use. Or, if you’re studying the politics of the 60’s, and want to share how rock music reflected the times through poetry, then you may use a portion of the Beatles “Revolution” to educate your students. Both of these examples demonstrate educational and relevant uses of music. (The key word here is “relevant”).
Legally purchased music is for personal and home use.
You may hear an argument from your teachers and students that they did not illegally download the music but purchased the music legally from i-Tunes or some other legal music e-tailer, and, should be able to use in their school-produced video.
Actually, their legal music purchase is for personal and home use, and an entirely new set of rules apply for education, such as those stated in the above paragraphs.
Budget:
Location Fees payable to the Location owner
Below is a fee guideline showing what your property might earn should it be selected to work on a film, tv or photoshoot production:
Feature Film Productions
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From £750 - £5,000+ per 12 hour day
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Television Dramas
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From £500 - £3,000+ per 12 hour day
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Documentary filming
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From £400 - £1000+ per 12 hour day
|
Photoshoots
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From £500 - £1500+ per 10 hour day
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Television Commercials
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From £1000 - £3000+ per 12 hour day
|
Music Videos
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From £500 - £3000+ per 12 hour day
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We needed each of our locations for 2 hours. All together we have filmed for 12 hours. In essence this has cost us £1000.
This one is good. keep up the good work!.. best video production companies in bangalore
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