Risk Assessment - Miss Miller

The purpose of having a risk assessment allows for the possible risks to be outlined and discussed within the group. Once we recognise and discuss the possible risks that may occur during the production of our music video, we are able to manage the risks and ensure that there is as low chance as possible for them occurring. By making sure that the risks are low, it makes our production a lot more safe and quicker to film and edit. By creating a risk assessment table, it also helps to highlight the alternative options from filming in a particular setting or at a particular time, etc so if there is a change in filming day, for example, we know to make sure it is not a repeat of the original filming day. It's important to consider the risks before filming as it helps us to prepare for the aspects that need to be put in place in aid of eliminating the risks that may arise.

We followed the risk assessment as best as possible to eliminate any possible risks created during our production process. The risk assessment allowed us to prepare for our filming which made it better for us in terms of risks, as they have happened to shrink and now only are at a minority of risks. The risk of the wires on stage was one that we did find and had to ensure that because the artist was wearing heels, the wires had to be clearly visible in order to prevent the risk of a fall. This was an issue in the scene that we did not consider before, however made us realise how important it is to counter to each person who is in and working on the scene. By following the risk assessment, we found that there were no further possible risks that occurred when we were filming. Therefore, we did not have to work around our filming in order to eliminate the risks because there were no further risks in which we identified. The risk assessment holds an important role as it ensures that the risks are limited for filming and outlines any preparation that needs to be put in place before filming to prevent these risks from occurring. It also meant that we could recognise risks that we may not have thought to be of an issue beforehand and ensured that we were extra careful during the scenes where these particular risks were present. By breaking down each of the risks through detailing the columns that they fell to, it meant that each risk could be thoroughly analysed. For example, the 'impact' column helped us to recognise the most dangerous risk within filming, allowing us to be extra cautious when it came to attempting to prevent the risk from occurring. The 'risk management' and 'backup plan' columns helped us to prepare for a quick and known capability for if the risk became an issue. By preparing for possible outcomes of the risk and planning an instructive reaction, it meant that if the risk were to happen, it would be dealt with in the most efficient way with less impact caused as possible. This is very important to have this preparation in place because it not only limits the risk to people but also the surroundings that could be affected. 

Music Video Inspirations - Miss Miller

It is important to take inspiration from other music videos as it helps for your own video to be successful. This is because it helps to take parts from other videos that would have helped the video previously reached success which could then be reflected in my music video. There are many music videos that I have watched in which I have taken inspiration from due to the effective uses of the aspects within them. There are five videos that have in particular caught my attention and that I believe have inspired me for my video. 

The first is Amy Winehouse's 'Back to Black':

The use of the micro element, editing is used in a particularly effective way. The use of a black and white filter in the editing creates an intended atmosphere and mood for the video. The black in the filter could connote depression and sadness whereas the whiteness of the filter could signify innocence and purity. This represents the artist as being innocent and pure, however, because of the addiction that Amy had, the black could signify her going to a 'dark place' as a result which would diminish the innocence and purity in which she once had. 'Black' also refers to heroine which Amy was openly addicted to and so reinforces this idea of her addiction having a negative effect on her. The video is based around a funeral and so, creating a sombre, dull tone on the video is appropriate as it matches the emotion that is portrayed throughout through the narrative. It also reflects the topic of the song which is personal and dark in the way that she is singing about a situation that she had got herself into that has affected her personally and negatively. The black and white filter can also be seen as representing the past, as older filming are associated with black and white monotone colouring. This is how we are thinking to use it in our video as we want to show part of the artist's past and in a negative way. This contribution of the black and white filter will help to reinforce the emotion portrayed here which is very conventional to the genre of soul, engaging the audience in the genuine emotions of the artist and so this is why I think it will play an effective part in our video. 

The second video in which I have taken inspiration from is 'Boyfriend' by Justin Bieber:

The artist is represented in this music video as being multi-talented and confident with performing. We are thinking of having a performance, as well as narrative style music video and so, by representing the artist in the same way as Justin is, it not only fits with our chosen styles, but puts a spin on relation to being conventional to the soul genre. Most soul artists tend not to be shown in this extraordinary light by playing an instrument, as this is more related to indie genre conventions. Soul artists want to be shown as ordinary in aid of being more relatable to their audience. However, we want to demonstrate passion within our video and to demonstrate our artist's contribution to the industry. By making them appear more talented, it makes them seem more dedicated to music and more passionate for something they love. Emotion can also be retrieved more easily in some cases as, the artist uses expression through playing as well as the complimenting facial expressions that she uses. Justin uses it in his video to show a different side to him -  maybe not only a more talented one, but also more sensitive as he tends to display more emotion when he is playing the guitar in the video. This is what we intend to show in our video as soul artists often expose themselves in reference to emotions and so, by an aspect that emphasises this, it also strengthens how conventional the artist is to the soul genre as it subtly demonstrates 'another side' to the artist. This means that the audience could feel more appreciative to the artist as they are sharing another side to them, with another reason as to why they are so dedicated to the industry and passionate in the music they create. Having them playing an instrument in our music video will also make their material seem more personal as it gives the impression that they have composed the music themselves - not just the lyrics, but also the accompaniment. Audiences praise this as this further illustrates extensive talent. 

Furthermore, my third inspiration is from Sam Smith's video for 'I'm Not The Only One':

The way in which the video follows a narrative and performance style structure is something that has inspired my music video and its style. We are thinking of having a mainly performance style video with incorporating narrative sections within to add interest and support the demands of the audience from my primary research carried out through questionnaires. The most popular styles for a soul genre music video were performance and narrative, and so by using these styles interweaving within my video, it satisfies my audience. This particular video from Sam Smith is more prominently narrative based, however I liked the use of performance in this video as I thought it demonstrated the genre of soul clearly and conventionally. I speak of this in relation to the way in which the artist uses a stage with a typical red curtain background to display this clearly. This is conventional to the soul genre as it demonstrates a genuine performance of  the artist performing to their audience. This helps to display the artist in an emotional and expressive way, which I think would be effective in our music video - especially as the soul artists sing about a personal experience. As well as this, it makes the video seem more professional and connects the artist with the audience more easily as it is as if the audience are watching the artist perform to them - making it more personal and direct. It allows he audience to witness the artist in two ways, one in their natural setting of performing, whilst also being included within a narrative. This is conventional as the content of soul genre artist's material is based around stories and experiences in which they are sharing emotively. By having a narrative within our music video, it will explain the story, whilst the performance scenes will portray the emotions that the artist links with the stories - which makes them a perfect combination of styles for this genre.

I was also inspired by Adele's 'Chasing Pavements':

For the editing of the video, the use of the slow timing of shots was an aspect that seemed very effective, as well as being conventional to the soul genre. I liked the way in which it emphasised Adele's movements throughout this video as it helped connect the audience to the artist in a more effective way. By emphasising and slowing the movements of the artist down, it allows for the intricate detail to be more noticeable. With this in mind, the audience can be more familiar with the artist as this gives them a more detailed view that they would likely not be able to see of them elsewhere, for example, in real life. This also exposes their emotions a lot more because the slow nature of the editing makes the artist's movements more noticeable. Because of the soul genre of the artist in which we are thinking of having, exposing emotions is important as the topics of their material are based around personal experiences and interpretations of the artist. By using slow timing of shots, it helps to also reflect other deeper ideas such as the way in which the artist feels that their life is progressing. Therefore, we can use this editing technique for more than just a literal and obvious effect. The audience also feel more attentive to the scene and what is being portrayed, meaning that they are more likely to absorb the emotion that is being conveyed by the artist in our video. This makes them more likely to be relatable and a better chance of the audience building a relationship with them,

Another inspiration in which I have taken is from Paloma Faith's 'Picking Up The Pieces':

The mise-en-scene used within this video was very much inspiring, especially in reference to the costume, hair and makeup. The artist wears red lipstick in some of the scenes within this video which has many connotations and is conventional to the genre of soul.  For example, the red connotes love and passion which is something that is very appealing in an artist. The audience feel more appreciative for the passion in which they display as it shows dedication for their career and the material in which they produce for the industry. The boldness also reflects the uniqueness of their personality which is typical for a soul artist as they are seen as being different and more 'standing out' in the industry for their difference to any others in the industry. By demonstrating this in their music videos, it helps to reinforce this and makes audience feel more engaged into them and the material in which they produce. They are more appealing also because of this and so, the red lipstick helps to also display a different side to them. The lipstick not only demonstrates the artist in a classic and glamorous light. We will use this element within the makeup of mise-en-scene in our video to demonstrate the love and passion in which our artist will be shown to supply to the industry. This means that they will 

Three artists in which we are considering for our my own production is Adele, Paloma Faith or Duffy. These are successful soul artists that have created songs which could be effective for us to use. I feel that these artists tend to express a lot of emotion that can be interpreted in different ways trough the visuals that can be produced in a music video. I feel that we can use the theories of Goodwin and Dyer to comply with the conventions of a typical music video and also to follow the generic conventions in order to create a successful and effective video. I will share this with my group by discussing what artists I think would be effective and why. I will also check whether other group members have considered the same or similar artists to me and then compromise an artist between us to find out what artist will be most favoured and successful for us to use.

Filming Schedule - Miss Miller

A filming schedule is important to have as it creates deadlines and ideas for when filming needs to be done and when particular shots need to be done. For example, we found that the stage is difficult to make use of because of the fact that it is set in a school and so it is in high demand for events such as assemblies. By having a schedule, it makes us prepare for the iconography, costume, hair, makeup etc in which we need for each shot that needs to be filmed. It also allows us to know who needs to be at particular filming times and who doesn't, as well as checking the availability of these group members to ensure that the shots will definitely get filmed. The time of day also needs to be considered, for example, we want to capture some London shots during the night, and so, with this in mind, it means we need to make sure we capture these shots at the right time to ensure that it is not too light outside but not too dark to the extent where you cannot see much of the scene and for the shots to appear grainy. In addition to these reasons, a filming schedule is important as it allows us to prepare for where we need to be, for example, as we are filming in London, we need to know where in-particular we want to film, for what time and for how long. By having the filming schedule, we are able to plan our journey beforehand to ensure that we don't waste valuable filming time and to ensure that the shots we capture are as close as we intend them to be as possible. If there are various shots in the same setting, we can note this in the filming schedule to ensure that all the shots from this setting are filmed in one day, instead of having to go back and fourth to the same setting and essentially wasting time. The filming schedule also means that we can consider what order to film in due to maybe the importance of the shots or the most easiest to film or which is most easily able to start editing. Therefore, a filming schedule is overall mostly important in order to prepare for filming and creating the most effective shots possible.

The filming schedule was mostly followed by during filming however, some changes and alterations had to be made due to particular unexpected reasons. For example, the hall was obviously used a lot during the school day and so we had to reschedule our filming plan due to the lack of the idealistic availability. We decided to change the filming day in which we did the stage performance shots due to the fact that we wanted as much time in the hall as possible to enable us to get the best shots and as close to what we intended as possible. Having more time allows us to focus more on the shots we would capture and also gave us time to set up the stage for example, removing any items that may have been on there from the previous use of it. This allowed us to ensure that our shots looked more professional and idealistic for the video in which we want to create. We decided to capture additional and altered shots during the stage performance in an attempt to hide any parts of the setting that doesn't need to be in shot and any glimpse that would make it appear unprofessional. This also created more variety as we resulted in retrieving a mix of different types of shot of which we could use for the same scene. Due to weather conditions, the shots in London were postponed, also when complimenting with the fact that it got too dark for filming at the time we wanted. The weather affected how quickly it became dark, so this caused us to make alterations in terms of our arrangements for filming. We had to therefore film these scenes later than intended, however, still managed to capture what we wanted. We did however follow the filming schedule for the music room scenes as we had time to sort out arrangements for it to be available for us to use. The role of a filming schedule is therefore important to an extent as it sets a guideline as to when to film and what needs to be present for filming also. Although, we did not completely follow the schedule, it still gave us a good idea of the shots we need to film and when the best time to film these are. 

Planning Individual Digipak - Miss Georgiou

A digipak has many important properties for their extra information that is included within, as opposed to a general jewel CD. It allows for more of a relationship between the audience and the artist to be created as the audience has more access to material from the artist. Digipak's offer a more exclusive product of the artist's for the audience to access, even making it a possible collector's item. The audience feel special and appreciated as they feel as if the artist has taken into account their feelings and the appreciation in which they feel for exclusive products and material accessible to them. Digipak's also are better in relation to quality as opposed to a jewel CD case as the content within such as the images are of more high definition and the packaging is also more sturdy and sustainable. The jewel CD has flimsy and easily damageable plastic casing which is very much in contrast to the hardware more strong packaging of the Digipak. The artist is more exposed in the Digipak as it contains content such as a personal message from the artist to the purchaser. With this included, it makes the audience/fan feel more directly approached by the reader and adds a personal touch to the product. This creates a better relationship between them as it makes the audience feel more engaged with the artist and as if they are more familiar with them and who they are. It also allows the personality to of the artist to seem through, as well as the appreciation and love in which they feel towards their fans. This is important for the fans to realise because they feel more appreciated and can understand the passion that the artist feels towards them and their career. I have researched other Digipak's such as Duffy's and have recognised different content within that makes it appealing to the audience. This is actually where my inspiration came from, especially due to the fact that Duffy's Digipak complied with the soul genre conventions - one of these being the black and white filter used. I will eventually be creating a Digipak on photoshop for our artist, however, this is my drawn plan. I have considered the different colours, layout, typography, language, etc when designing my Digipak, and have tried to make it as realistic as possible. Planning the Digipak is important because it allows me to visually illustrate my ideas and gives me an opportunity to see what looks appealing and what doesn't. Furthermore, time is saved as my ideas are generally all covered and only minor alterations may be needed when creating the actual Digipak. This gives me more time to work on the quality of the Digipak to ensure that it is how I want it to look. Considering the aspects of the Digipak during the planning will help to ensure that my Digipak is successful and effective as it means that each aspect has been thoroughly thought of, not carelessly rushed or thought of in an unorganised way.

Below is my design for my Digipak:

Certain elements have been used within my Digipak for various reasons, whether that be to comply with genre conventions or to comply with the typical features within a Digipak. For example, the colours I have used within my Digipak are simply and basic. A black and white filter has been applied through the whole six sides of my digipak, however, aspects od red scatter the product in particular sides. I have chosen to use a black and white filter for my Digipak as it was inspired by Duffy's 'Rockferry' Digipak and created a negative, reflective effect which I also wanted to create for my own. Whilst the black symbolises negative, sadness and depression, it is balanced out by the white which connotes innocence and purity. The artist is shown as being a mirror of the white colouring whereas her surrounding and the situations in to which she falls are more associated with the black colouring. More obviously, the black and white filter shows the reflection on the past as most past videos or general situations are set in black and white. This reinforces the personal experiences that the artist sings about as it emphasises the exposure that the artist is allowing for the audience to seek into the artist's past and life. By having elements of red within the Digipak when complimented with the black and white filter, creates interest within. It also emphasises the connotations of the colour red as it is most prominently noticed from its contrast to the black and white displayed. Red connotes love and passion which is reflective of the contents of the songs included within the album. It allows for some insight into the artist's material before the audience proceeds to buy the Digipak. They are able to acknowledge whether they would feel that they would like the style of this artist's work or whether it is something that may not fully satisfy them and their taste in music. Love and passion are very much theme conventions of the soul genre as they are personal to the artist and are expressed in a way that may expose them into a different light than what the audience would originally associate with the artist. The red is used to emphasise certain aspects of the Digipak for example, the first letter of the artist's name. This makes the name more noticeable, eye-catching and different to others in the industry. This specific colouring makes the audience more aware of how the artist is being represented as it makes them seem as if they have experienced a lot of situations that have allowed them to express themselves through music. This further makes them seem creative, but also very emotive which allows them to be more relatable in particular situations. This therefore appeals to the target audience as they feel as if the artist is just like them and reinforces the fact that they are just like a normal person and any audience member. This is also why the artist is aided to be promoted effectively, as the audience feel relatable and empathetic towards Amy as the content of her material may express how other audience members are feeling about the same or a similar situation. 

Soul genre conventions have been conformed within my Digipak as the black and white in which I have discussed is conventional to the soul genre, for its meaning for reflecting on the past as well as connoting negative feelings or atmospheres. A further convention is the way in which throughout the images that have been used the artist is not looking directly into the camera at any point. In some images such as the 6th side, the artist's face isn't visible at all within the image. This conventional idea reflects the artist's insecurity and allows their lack of confidence to be illustrated through this visual aspect of the Digipak. This also compliments the inferring of content within some songs for example, the idea of Amy looking away from the camera makes her seem insecure which, when in relation to love, could also further reflect paranoia. From one of the song titles on the album 'Rumour Has It' supports this idea, as it makes the artist seem as if they have heard something that may be untrue, however, their paranoia has convinced them that it is the truth to an extent that they want to express it. Insecurity is a feeling that is widely and commonly experienced and that includes most, if not all, the target audience. Therefore, the artist expresses something that is relatable and makes them again seem normal, like the audience member witnessing these images of Amy. This makes the artist more appealing as it promotes them in an effective, relatable way which results them into being quite inspiring to some audience members. This is from the way that she is represented as being such a normal and relatable person and so, she is made to seem extraordinary from the way that she has reached so much success in her career. The audience instantly feel as if she is someone to look up to, as although she has faced struggles along her journey to where she is, she has still made herself to be a successful and genuine artist in which she is. This therefore, builds a stronger relationship between the artist and the audience as they become more appreciative of the successes of the artist and their work. 

The images used within the Digipak have been designed  and chosen especially in order to create intended effects. For the front cover of the Digipak, I decided for a close up of the artist to be evident due to the fact I have found in research that a close up attracts the audience a lot more easily. In my primary research of carrying out a questionnaire in relation to the content within my music video, the participants favoured the including of close up shots. I thought that I would maintain this idea within my Digipak, as, although it is different to the music video, it is obviously still an aspect of cinematography that attracts the audience to the product. The audience can also familiarise themselves better with the artist as the close up enables the intricate detail to be exposed. This makes the audience feel more connected to the artist as they can also witness their emotions and expressions a lot more clearly and therefore percept the artist in a more accurate and intended way. As well as this, another image in which I have used is an alternative to a simple text of personal message from the artist. Although I have still included a personal message from the artist, I have displayed it in a more creative way in relation to the representation of the artist. I have done this by having the image display the artist holding the message to make it more personal as if they have just written the note directly for the fans. By holding it, it makes the message seem more genuine and raw, creating a more strengthened relationship with the audience. This makes the audience/fans feel more special and noticed by the artist which also is appealing to them as they feel that the artist has considered how they feel and is appreciative of the support in which they display. This personal touch is very conventional to the genre of soul as it is often mirrored within the content of the artist's work. The 6th side shows an image of the artist playing the piano which shows the artist in an extraordinary light. This could be unconventional to the genre of soul as they are usually seen as being ordinary and relatable to any other audience member, where artists playing musical instruments are more conventional to the indie genre rather than soul. However, in some soul music videos, the artist is seen as being talented as it gives them a unique persona and gives them more of an impressive perception for the audience. It also displays them in a way that the audience may not have realised existed for example, they may not have realised that our artist could play piano. This outlines them from other artists in the industry as it illustrates their further talent and dedication to the music industry, strengthening the passion in which they have. Their unique representation promotes them as an individual artist which is conventional to the genre of soul as they are shown as being different and quirky. This makes the artist more successful as well, due to the fact that they give the impression that all of their music is written by themselves which makes them more appealing to an audience. 

The layout/design of the Digipak has fully been considered as the Digipak has 6 sides for the artist to access. The first box shown inn my drawing is of the front cover - this is important for being effective and eye-catching as this is the initial siting that the audience will witness and attract them into buying the Digipak. I chose to use a close up image of the artist for the front cover with the album name in the background of the artist, however allowing it to still be visible. This adds a slight hint of creativity to be reflected onto the artist which is also shown through the material of their work. The second side of the digipak displays the back cover, showing the track list, the third side shows the CD design, the fourth side shows the personal message and the fifth and sixth side shows extra exclusive images. On the front cover of the Digipak, I have chosen to place the artist's name underneath the image to clearly show familiarity and a labelling. It being quite large also attracts the audience to the Digipak as it clearly labels the artist and what they are about. Positioning the artist to the left in the front cover rather than central, promotes the artist in a way that they feel they do not want to be the centre of attention. When in compliment with the fact that the artist is looking away from the camera, this demonstrates insecurity and a seeking to hide into the background. The positioning of the album name behind the artist makes it seem as if the album is exposing the artist as it is making it appear to be pushing the artist more towards the audience. Having the artist seem as if they don't want to be in the limelight makes them seem less arrogant than how some artists can easily come across as. This makes them appeal to the target audience as they come across in a more genuine way, illustrating how fame has not got to them and changed them in a negative way. 

The typography is demonstrated in a way that helps to make the Digipak successful and effective in relation to our artist and the soul genre specifically. The personal message will be shown in a handwritten type of don't which makes the note seem personal and genuinely written from the artist. The way it is also in a letter format makes it more direct to the audience/fans who have the Digipak and makes it seem as if the artist has taken time to dedicate themselves to the fans to show their appreciation. The handwritten font also makes it mirror the way that the artist writes their own songs and illustrates them in a creative light. The simple font of the artist allows for interpretation of the audience and creativity of the artist to be portrayed in different ways. This makes them be promoted in a versatile but classic way, which is very conventional to the soul genre. This also makes them appeal to the target audience as they expect a classic representation from the way the artist is from the soul genre. This is effective because although the artist is shown to be versatile and different, they are also shown as being familiar and relatable. 

The language contained in my Digipak is very simple, which is what also makes it very conventional to the soul genre. This is demonstrated in Duffy's 'Rockferry' Digipak which is an aspect in which I wanted to include in my Digipak, especially as the target audience is a young one. The younger generations tend to be lazy when it comes to reading large content and so, by having simple language it not only allows them for a better understanding but makes them more likely want to read the Digipak because they don't have to read lengthy content. The simplicity also adds to the way in that the audience are able to make their own perception of the artist. This makes it more personal and direct also as the simple language ensure that only the important and main, relevant information is exposed to the audience. This is conventional as the audience feel as if the artist care more for the audience and what they want.

I found this planning useful in relation to taking pictures for my Digipak as well as preparing for the use of Photoshop as it has outlined how I want my Digipak to roughly look. It will now save me time as I will be able to focus on making the Digipak look professional, rather than worrying about what I want included in each side as I have already decided on this. This planning has also allowed me to recognise what aspects are needed where, for example the colouring - black and white filter but to ensure that the red aspects are illustrated within the Digipak. The images in which I need have also been demonstrated to me through the use of this planning as it has given me more of an idea as to how I would like the artist to look and pose in the pictures for my Digipak. As well as this, it enables me to prepare for these pictures to be taken for example, I need to make sure for side number 4 I have the artist holding a blank piece of paper and for side number 6 that I have access to a piano. I have tried to create a relationship between all of my three products in order to demonstrate similarity between them. The link is created through the consistent use of colour reference to a black and white filter, complimented with red aspects including red lipstick. I found that not only does this ensure that the soul genre is featured strongly throughout my products, but also allows the mood and atmosphere of a depressed, insecure and reflective artist representation to be displayed. The audience can recognise this and also recognise other products from the artist as the consistency of the features such as the colour use means that they will begin to make links between what they have seen before. Moreover, this is appealing to the audience as it shows that the artist is not changing their style and are 'sticking to what they know'. We want our artist to be very stereotypical in relation to soul and so by complying with conventions such as this one throughout the products, it helps to reinforce this particular representation in which we intend to show. The way in which the images show the artist looking away rom the camera also demonstrates her in an insecure light. This is portrayed throughout my three products as the images consistently include the artist looking down or not directly at the camera. In the digipak, the artist's face isn't featured at all in one of the images - side number 6. This illustrates her lack of confidence of looking into the camera and so makes the audience feel sympathetic towards the artist but also makes her relatable, which is consistent throughout the products. 

Storyboards - Miss Miller

The purpose for having a storyboard enables organisation and structure for when it comes to film a production. By creating a storyboard for our music video, we are able to recognise which shots need to be filmed at what times, where and how. The way in which we have planned a storyboard ahead of filming means that it saves time and ensures we only capture shots that will be relevant, flowing and generally make sense when it comes to editing our video. As well as this, it also helps to outline the mise-en-scene featured throughout each shot, giving us time to prepare anything that may need to be accounted for in order to carry out the shots in a way in which we intend. Storyboards also aid to accord timing and allows us to recognise where to adjust shots to make them fit the timing of the song or enables us to acknowledge where particular shots need to take place - matching the lyrics and visuals, for example. Having this organised element as part of planning ensures that every shot is counted for, editing is outlined and mise-en-scene is considered. Not just for filming, when it comes to editing the video the storyboard is purposeful as it demonstrates what scenes need to have particular lighting for example, or effects such as filters. Additionally, it is an opportunity for all group members to combine ideas and have evidence of this, rather than just going off to film whatever a member feels would look effective. It ensures that the video can be planned and filmed as successfully and efficiently as possible as all group members are satisfied with the structure and know to raise an opinion on the choices made.

Primary and secondary research that I have carried out has helped to plan my music video and the storyboard in different ways through different aspects have inspired me. The answers retrieved from the questionnaire that was carried out as part of my primary research were considered when creating our storyboard. When carrying out this particular research, after knowing the genre and artist in which we wanted to make a video for, we wanted to retrieve more information on this basis from our target audience. The results showed how a narrative and performance style music video were favoured, and so by evenly integrating the narrative and performance scenes within the video, as reflected in our storyboard, this enables us to satisfy our target audience. It also more generally allows the styles portrayed in the video to be more evidential and by storyboarding this, it helps to distinguish how we could link both the different style scenes together. As well as this, if emotion needs to be illustrated on a certain lyric maybe a performance style shot could fit in whereas if there is a part of the song that suggests a story, a narrative style shot would fit better here. By taking note of this while storyboarding, it allows us to ensure that a consistent balance of the styles are maintained, as well as keeping the target audience satisfied. Slow timing of shots and filters were very much favoured editing styles of the audience that were questioned during the primary research. Evidently, the storyboard reflects use of slow timing of shots, for example at frame 1 to emphasise the movement and dramatic nature of the artist - also creating a climax to where she appears on stage. As well as this a black and white filter will be applied to particular shots such as the narrative scenes to reflect the past, for example frame 18 and 23. We chose to include these editing styles for effect but also to show consideration for the target audience and what they request to see in a soul genre music video which also enables us to strengthen the conventionality to the soul genre. The stage was the most popular chosen setting for a soul genre music video that was picked by our participants of the questionnaire. This setting is displayed in our storyboard as part of one of the performance style settings, where the artist is literally filmed on stage as if she was performing at a genuine concert. This idea seemed to be appealing to the audience as they feel it gives a more realistic and raw vibe where they feel they can connect with the artist more and easily. Secondary research inspiration was taken from all the soul genre music videos in which we had watched previously before creating the storyboard. For example, in Amy Winehouse's 'Back to Black' the shots changed fairly quickly and frequently, however, the video still managed to maintain a flowing and soulful effect due to the use of editing. In this particular video, the pace is slowed by the slow timing of shots rather than the more contrasting frequent changes of shots. We have ensured to also incorporate the narrative and performance scenes together by interweaving and switching between one another - this was taken from inspiration from Paloma Faith's video for 'Only Love Can Hurt Like This'. We found this most effective when watching this music video as it allowed the audience to follow a narrative but at the same time as retrieving genuine and raw emotion from the artist that matches or contrasts the emotions portrayed by the artist in the performance scenes. In Gabrielle Aplin's 'Power Of Love' the artist plays the piano which demonstrates further talent and an unexpected one for the audience to recognise. Although this artist is not from the soul genre, we were still inspired as we found that it would look really effective in our own video to use as the minimal instrumentation that is used, meant that the artist could really make use of this and portray emotion in a particular way. This also enabled us to create interest within the performance scenes, preventing it from becoming disinteresting. By having two settings, it also shows how the artist can perform and express their emotion anywhere - which makes them seem more talented and appealing. We incorporated these shots throughout the video as we found that this also helped to link the performance scenes throughout. 

My group and I discussed the different ideas in which we had for the storyboard - from the basics of the simple ordering of shots, to the lighting and editing within each one. We managed to create a group storyboard by finalising the ideas in which we developed and inserted them in a particular way that we felt would be successful and flowing for the video. For example, we all favoured using a black and white filter, likewise with our audience, and so we included this editing style within allocated shots within the storyboard for effect. We chose to apply the filter to the scenes that are showing the artist in the past which is when she is with her friends. Lighting was another feature that was discussed within the group. We managed to agree that we would like high-key lighting on the positive scenes (narrative scenes) and low-key on the more negatively emotive scenes (performance scenes). An inspiration was taken from Ella as she suggested that using frequent appearances of close ups, that this would help the artist to express as much emotion as possible. For soul music videos, a lot of emotion needs to be portrayed in order to achieve audience engagement - a very important aspect and intention. Kane suggested that panning shots helped to reflect deeper connotations such as how the artist feels that their life is progressing. The smoothness and wide nature of a panning shot allows much of a setting to be shown which reflects how much the artist has going on in their life as it captures numerous different content material all within one shot. We were inspired by this idea and so have chosen to use panning shots of London and during the performance scenes as we found that this shot would most effectively be used at these parts in our video. As a group, we found the decisions we made quite difficult because we want to make the video as successful as possible, with a full audience understanding of the video and its narrative. By making a risky decision it could loose the audience's understanding and lack the emotion that is intended to be put across to the audience. 

In order to be fair and allow each interpretation of the audience member to be counted, we took it in turns to draw the pictures and label the headings for the storyboard as it allows each of us to visually show the idea that they had. However, the roles were generally allocated in the end to save time and act efficiently. Hannah and Kane drew most of the pictures for the storyboard whereas, myself and Ella wrote most of the labelling and details of the shot below each frame within the storyboard. The pictures are important as they help to visually portray how the shot is going to appear and allows us to match up to the camera when filming. The detail labelling of each shot is also important as it shows how the shots will look, for example what lighting it will have and what actors will be included within the scene. This saves tim when filming and editing because everything is planned and we know how to prepare for capturing each shot that is shown.

The storyboard is shown below:

The benefits overall of having a storyboard generally help to save time when it comes to filming. This way, we can be fully prepared for the shots in which we need to film and will help us to also be successful in them as it gives us a good idea as to what we want to capture. In addition, we are not only able to know the general details of each shot but we can visually see what type of shot in which we want to create. Therefore, when it comes to filming, instead of having to read all the information about the shot, to save time, by visually seeing what the shot generally looks like, we can just capture what we witness on each frame within the storyboard. When filming, the storyboard wasn't followed 100% due to the fact that some shots were difficult to achieve effectively. For example, in the shots of the artist walking out of the telephone box, it was difficult for us to capture a high angle shot due to the surroundings. It could have also put a group member at risk whilst trying to capture it and so this was replaced with a mid shot as we still found that this showed how the artist exited the telephone box. Furthermore, we found that the shopping centre setting was too unprofessional as many members of the public tended to be open to waving in the camera. We cut this setting out but still carried out the hometown Theydon Bois setting shots that are noted in our storyboard. At frame 23, we put in the storyboard that we wanted a long shot of the artist up against the greenery background, however, when it came to filming, we found that this shot wasn't exactly flowing and as effective when placed within the other shots. We decided to just use a panning shot of the artist and then a close up as we found this more effective. Storyboarding our ideas helped filming as it saved time and allowed us to recognise what we needed to get prepared before filming particular shots. For example, we needed to ensure that we had a microphone for iconography for some performance scenes.

Planning Individual Magazine Advert - Miss Georgiou

Magazine adverts are important in relation to promoting and distributing an artist's album as they help to reach out to potential audiences that may not have been initially target ones. Our genre of soul may not attract particular audiences however, by having a magazine advert, it allows different types of audience to get a chance of seeing the advert and perhaps choosing to purchase it. As well as this, it allows the promoting of the album to be carried out successfully because it ensures the label that a definite audience will have seen it and so will attract to it. This is effective as it helps to enable the artist to reach and appeal to different types of audience, which will make them more successful from their growth in popularity. I will be creating a magazine advert to promote the artist, Amy's new album, '18', which will contain the 'new' single 'Hometown Glory'. Planning is important when making a magazine advert as it helps to outline the initial ideas that you feel would look good and appropriate for the type of advert you are creating. For example, the choice of image, colours and typography can all be considered to ensure that the final magazine advert looks effective and professional - as well as being conventional/unconventional to the genre. In this case, I have intended to create a conventional soul genre artist album advert to familiarise the audience with the features that would be included and what they would expect, but also make it interesting so slightly twisting some of the features that will be displayed within. Planning this is important in order to create an effective and successful magazine advert due to the fact that it allows me to see what aspects work and what don't. As well as this, I am able to identify the conventions of the soul genre and how to incorporate these codes and conventions into my advert. 

A few of the ideas that we discussed and thought of were noted down to ensure that we all included at least one element within our individual magazine advert to demonstrate some familiarity between the adverts and to illustrate the way in which we have worked together. These ideas are portrayed below:

I have decided to include certain elements within my advert in order for it to appeal to the target audience. The individual advert in which I have designed is illustrated below:

The colours used in my individual magazine advert are very significant as they are very much influenced from the research in which I have carried out to ensure success for my video and advert. A black and white filter will be applied to my magazine advert to develop the intended emotion in which I want to create. This lack of bright colouring means that it symbolises the artist's lacking of positivity within their life and within the emotions in which they feel. The song 'Hometown Glory' that is featured on the album reflects on the past and so black and white helps to also display this idea of the past. In addition to this, the black and white filter gives the audience an idea of what to expect from the album in terms of the style and mood of each song included. The audience are more easily connected to this as they are more likely to be able to acknowledge whether they would appreciate and appeal to this type of music. By including this filter on the advert, it also makes it stand out when a reader is reading through a magazine, as it acts as a contrast to the content of the magazine. The magazine would likely be full of resplendent colour, whereas, the advert being shown in such a way that lacks colour makes it more attention-seeking to a reader when flicking through the magazine. However, the black and white is not alone in terms of colour. As part of my research, I found that Adele's magazine advert for her album '21' was also in black and white which created this emotive and depressing effect. I wanted to create the same effect as this did and so, this inspired me to the point where I decided to apply this to my magazine advert in order to create the same effect. As a group, we decided that we would like the idea of having red as a prominent colour, for, its connotations fit within the genre conventions and also the theme displayed throughout the album - love and passion. This is illustrated within 'Hometown Glory' as the artist reflects on the love she has for her hometown and the people she met there - she does this by portraying passion and emotion within the lyrics and the vocal. By also adding in the colour of red to the advert, it allows emphasis on particular aspects such as in the way we will use it for the lipstick that the artist will be wearing and also the 'A' at the start of the artist's name. The audience seeing passion being reflected within the advert will make them feel satisfied and will appreciate how genuine and raw the artist is being represented. Having the 'A', the album name '18' and the 'out now' in red rather than white like the rest of the advert, it ensures that emphasis is attended to these aspects of the advert which show significant importance. I have also included the background as fully black which compliments the black and white filter/theme and also makes the artist appear more prominent within the advert. In another perspective, it also demonstrates how the artist feels that sadness and negativity surrounds them. Considering the opaque nature of the black background, it portrays how intense the emotions that she feels are, and how much is is affecting her. This appeals to the target audience as it makes them feel sympathetic for the artist however, still allows them to appreciate the rawness of their genuine emotion. Having this makes them connect and build a relationship with the artist more easily as they feel that the artist has exposed themselves more for the audience's benefit. The use of these colours also helps promote our artist, Amy, in a way that illustrates the content and atmosphere of her work and how she is, as being emotive and passionate. This is effective because this is a typical representation of a soul artist and so, this is what is intended to be put across to the audience in order for them to recognise whether the album is something they would be interested in. My magazine advert conforms to the conventions of the soul genre through specific aspects that are included. For example, the black and white filter in which I have already discussed. This aids to show how the artist is reflecting on the past, as well as illustrating how negative and sad they feel in reference to the content of their material. In a deeper connotations, the black connoting depression and sadness, you would think would balance out the white nature of the filter that connotes innocence and purity. However, due to the further more prominent uses of black within the advert, it's as though the artist feels that sadness and depression influences the innocence and purity in which she once had, making the audience feel more connected and sympathetic to her. The image used in the advert is also conventional for two reasons - the fact that it is a close up of the artist and also the fact that the artist isn't looking directly into the camera. I have chosen to use a close up of the artist as this is widely used by soul artists to display their fearless attitude in reference to sharing and exposing their emotions. This is mirrored within the music as the content of the songs on the album as well as the single, would be based on personal experience which makes the perception of the songs more personal to the artist. Close ups help to display this emotion effectively because the audience are able to see every expression in which the artist makes - even if this is a still image like this one. It also allows the audience to witness the intricate detail of the artist which familiarises them with them a lot more, giving them a more personal viewing of the artist. I have found in my previous research that a close up is a more effective way within the soul genre to demonstrate emotion in the most convincing way and so this inspired me to use an image of this cinematography style in my advert. Having the close up instead of a long shot or mid shot for example, means that the advert is prevented from just blending in with the magazine. If there was a shot other than a close up, sometimes I think it is possible for it to just blend in with whatever is already in the magazine, so when flicking through, it goes unnoticed because it doesn't catch the attention of the reader. This is obviously not the case with every magazine, however, with most, this tends to be. The fact that the artist is not looking into the camera displays how insecure they are. When someone cannot look at something or chooses not to, it is said to show a lacking of confidence, which links with insecurity. By looking away from the camera, you would also expect a lack of connection between the artist and audience, however, this is not evident here as it helps to portray the nature of the artist. Having them being represented as insecure makes them not only conventional to the soul genre but also makes the audience feel sympathetic to them. Additionally, the audience can also feel empathetic towards them because insecurity is a wide ranging emotion experienced by many people, including target audience members. The target audience of our artist being fairly young (16 - 30 years old) makes insecurity an even more prominent shared emotion as it tends to occur more in younger generations. This makes the artist appear more relatable to the audience and reassures them that they are just a normal person who expresses this particular emotion like any regular audience member could. Therefore, this promotes them in a genuine way as the audience feel like the content of their material is something that they could relate and engage themselves into. This also reassures the audience that fame hasn't got to the artist in a way that manipulates their content, their attitude and their level of relatability. Some artists do change due to the presence of fame within their life which can put audiences off them as it is unappealing from the way the artist is possibly then seen as being more fake and deceiving. The layout and design is overall quite simple, but still manages to appeal to the target audience and also help to promote the artist effectively. I have chosen to place the artist's name underneath their face as it prevents distraction being taken away from the most prominent feature of the advert - the close up image of the artist. It still manages to effectively label the artist and distinctly identify them. By making it central, it reflects the central position of the artist in the image and aids to attract the attention of the audience. Naturally, we tend to focus on the central area of something when looking at something as this is where the importance of something is commonly found. This ensures that the audience will acknowledge this and be familiar with the artist and what they're about. I have placed 'out now' at the bottom of the advert as this is going to be the last thing that the audience reads. This then means that it will be the last thing that lingers on the audience's mind and so, they will feel the urge to go and buy the album as they are constantly being reminded how it is 'out now'. This appeals to the target audience as it acts as a reminder and a good finish to the advert because they manage to retrieve interpretation of the content of the album but when they are told that it is 'out now' it gives them an opportunity to go and buy the album and find out what really is on the album. This design and layout of the artist promotes them as being dominant in the advert and creates them for being quite simplistic in their nature, giving the impression that there is more underlying connotations of their content beneath the initial appearance. This makes them intriguing and appealing as the audience feel the need to go and get the album in order to find out more about the artist. The typography used in the advert is quite simple but classic - which typically conforms to the conventions of the soul genre. The artist's name , 'Amy' is displayed in a simple font which allows room for the audience to interpret the artist in their own way. The simplicity of the font makes the artist seem exposed and genuine, as they don't feel the need to glamorise themselves in order to please certain audiences - conventional of the soul genre. The raw appearance of the font pleases and appeals to the target audience as it is clear, understandable and displays how the artist is quite simple in their manner. As well as this, it infers that there is more to the artist than what is seemed but also that the artist is versatile. 'Out now' displayed in capitals helps to create a lasting effect on the audience and tempts them to go out and buy the album. Likewise with the 'new single 'Hometown Glory' being capitalised it emphasises this which gives the audience more of a push to go and buy the album as it makes it sound more exclusive and personal by making it capitalised as it appears more direct. This overall simplicity of the typography aids to promote the artist in a way that makes them relatable and versatile. It shows how the artist is shown in a fairly neutral manner but beside this, beneath the surface deeper meanings and representations can be found - making her also more engaging and intriguing. The language used in the advert is also simple which helps to mirror particular features and aspects of the album, as well as the artist. I have found that in magazine adverts such as Adele's for '21', simplicity gains more as it allows the audience to interpret the advert in their own personal way. This inspired me to use simple language as I wanted to create the same effect and only include information that would be relevant for the audience to read. The simple nature of the language enables only main and important information to be shown only which appeals to the target audience as they are more likely to stop and read the advert for, they haven't got to spend time reading long parts of elaborated text. This prevents the audience from becoming disinterested and bored, which is something that a magazine advert is not intended to achieve. The main information being outlined is also satisfying for the audience as they don't have to pick out what is important themselves as it is already done for them. The target audience being young means that they are more likely not going to want to read elaborated or extensive text as they quickly will become distracted, feeling the need to leave the advert. As the artist's target audience is a young one, having simple language prevents them from feeling disinterested and maintains engagement within the audience. They are also more likely to pass information onto others with it being simple as it makes the information more memorable which by doing this also helps promote the artist and heir album to further audiences that may not have had the chance to witness the promotion. Simple words included in the advert aid it to appeal to the audience, such as 'new'. Although it is outlining how the new single will be featured on the album, it also portrays how the artist is new and fresh and possibly not like any other in the industry. Promoting them in this way makes them more appealing to the target audience as it makes them seem exclusive and unique, as well as being less repetitive from anything else they've heard or seen. This is conventional to the genre of soul as soul artists tend to have a unique and original nature about them, which makes them distinct and different from other artist's in the industry. Additionally, this makes them more appealing as they bring something new and different to the industry, making them seem unexpected and quirky. The overall simplicity of the language helps to reflect the aspects of the album, giving the audience a glimpse and idea of what is to come of the content. For example, the simplicity is reflected in the short and simple song names such as 'Hometown Glory' which allows elaboration of the artist to occur. In addition to this, it could also be seen as mirroring content such as the minimal instrumentation that is conventionally featured within soul genre songs. This allows the artist's vocal to be the prominent and a more noticeable feature of the material and so this is demonstrated to the audience from the particular style of language that is used within the advert.

I have found planning my individual magazine advert useful as it has helped me acknowledge what type of pictures need to be taken in order for the advert to be successful. The image used for the advert is going to be very important due to the fact that it is the most prominent and noticeable feature that will initially be used to capture the audience's attention. It is quite clearly abundant that the image will need to be close up and likely to be of the artist looking away from the camera to help maintain this conventional expression of insecurity. Moreover, having an image where the artist is positioned central ensures that all of the attention is based on her. This planning has also helped me to prepare for the use of photoshop as I can now recognise what looks effective in particular layouts and what font can be used to display the representation of the artist, etc. Not only this but the colour is also prominent so, I will be able to use photoshop in a way to enhance particular colours whilst making others less prominent and essentially faded or duller. I feel that I am more aware of the pictures that I need to take for my advert as it has allowed me to think about how much of the screen needs to be taken up by the artist, how I can add the background in to ensure that the blackness is still achievable to help display the negative emotions in which the artist expresses. It has also made me think about external aspects such as the mise-en-scene of the advert such as the costume where a fur coat is intended to reflect the complexity of the artist's life but also the glamourous and unique nature. Additionally, the makeup, as red is going to be an enhanced colour, it is important for the artist to wear red lipstick in the pictures to create a basis for this idea. Overall, it has highlighted what sort of image I want to include in the advert in order to still comply with the conventions of the soul genre and reflect hidden meanings and connotations that can be retrieved by the audience.

Lyric Analysis - Miss Miller

There are many different purposes of analysing the lyrics of our chosen song. For example, analysing the lyrics allows us to highlight and distinctively identify hidden connotations that can further be elaborated on within our music video. In doing this, we can create an effective music video that still stays relatable to the meaning of the song and therefore, understandable for the audience. Furthermore, it gives the audience an alternative interpretation of the song that they may not have initially associated it as being like which creates interest and engagement. The lyrics also give us a guide into what emotion we should intend to create for the artist to portray, for example, in 'Hometown Glory' there is a strong theme of nostalgia. To reflect this we have chosen to include scenes of the past showing how happy the artist was with her friends. On other parts of the song, such as the second verse, we can literally demonstrate a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals which further strengthens the audience's understanding. By analysing the lyrics it also demonstrates particular planning techniques such as which elements of mise-en-scene need to be used in such a way to emphasise certain lyrics or moments in the song. In addition, it aids our planning in how we are to represent the artist in a particular way. For example, if the lyrics reflect the artist feeling emotional and negative, a way in which to show her weakness could be through the use of a high angle shot as it makes the artist appear small. By analysing the lyrics we are able to outline where these moments are and plan what we can do to achieve this through the different aspects of the video through the micro elements within.

Here are the annotations in which we made for our chosen song 'Hometown Glory' by Adele:

Overall, there are many different hidden meanings and messages of the song we have chosen to make a video for. From inferring the deeper meanings behind the lyrics, it has outlined that the general hidden meaning/message is that the artist values and maybe wants things to go back to how they were when she was back in her hometown. The artist makes great reference to the people she had met there, remarking them for being the 'wonders of her world', which is clearly understood by the audience from the frequent repetition of the line that states this. Adele wrote this song when she was 16, so this would have been a comfort for her and something that could have particularly been close to her heart. We have annotated our lyrics by thinking more 'outside the box' in order to seek deeper alternative meanings that we could emphasise within our music video. As well as looking for hidden meanings and connotations, we also analysed lyrics that could represent the artist in a particular way. This allows us to think about how we could them illustrate this within our video. Additionally, we have also annotated the lyrics looking for possible ways in  some could demonstrate ideas linked to the style or aspects of the video such as mise-en-scene. By looking for this, it aids us to get an idea where we can change shots or change style which makes it easier for us to identify a place in which to switch due to the fact we are using two styles in our video. We have also looked at the lyrics in a way to identify where the target audience can build a relationship with the artist. When looking for these particular parts, we considered how we will emphasise these parts in our video to ensure that the audience feel involved and engaged.

Our annotations will assist us in planning the different elements of our music video as we are able to incorporate visuals that will coordinate appropriately to the lyrics and link to the connotations in which they happen to suggest.

Firstly, the genre codes and conventions can be illustrated within our video easily from the way in which the lyrics will match the visuals within our video. For example, the way in which the lyrics state 'missing out the cracks in the pavement' allows us an opportunity to visually illustrate this in the video. This is a convention of soul genre music videos as often some lyrics have deeper meaning, likewise with this particular one. By showing it in it's literal form, it allows the audience to think about its deeper and underlying meaning as they notice the way it has been emphasised. This also supports Goodwin's theory, as this is one of the aspects that he found to be included in music videos. Linking the lyrics to the visuals also helps to create correct imagery that is intended for the audience to picture and therefore allows strengthening the familiarity of the artist for the audience. Another convention of soul is that the lyrics have deeper, hidden and meanings that are not initial. For example, this is illustrated in the same lyrics of 'missing out the cracks in the pavement' as it represents the artist as being quite weary but also could suggest them reflecting a feeling of paranoia. If you miss out cracks in the pavement it suggests you for being quite a superstitious person as, it is said that it you stand/walk on pavement cracks you will receive bad luck. The fact the artist has stated this means that the audience can recognise that even though the artist is trying their hardest to avoid bad luck, they are still receiving it, relentless of their efforts. In addition, another convention of the soul genre is the song being based on personal experiences. This is reflected within the lyrics through the frequent use of personal pronouns such as 'I' which reinforces the personal feelings in which the artist is expressing. This personal aspect can be developed in our music video by displaying the artist performing to the camera which will make the more personal aspect more prominent to the audience. By having this, the audience will be able to connect better and build relationship between them as they are more understanding of the artist's true, inner and personal feelings. 

Our annotations will also help us plan the cinematography in which will be included within our video. For example, the last time the artist sings 'round my hometown..' we intend to make a large build up in order to reflect the personal meaning of the hometown to the artist and to also mirror it being the final time in which she sings it. This has inspired us to not just create this climatic ending through the expressions of the artist, but also through the cinematography in order to emphasise this lyric. On the word 'round' we would like to mirror this image by using a panning shot of the artist transitioned into a panning shot of London, making it flow and as swift a transition as possible. This will be quite difficult to achieve successfully, however if we do manage to get the angles/levels and speed of both shots included correct, it should look creative and effective. Using a noticeable visual change in order to show this movement makes it more likely for the audience to take notice and appreciate the effect that has been created. It will make the audience feel more engaged as there wouldn't be shots like it previously shown in the video and also because it is a bit different, it creates interest within the video. It could be more on the unconventional side to the soul genre because it may be quite a quick movement in order to ensure timing is achieved on the lyric that we want. Soul genre music videos tend to take a slower-paced approach and so this contrasts with this, though because it is reflecting particular emotion of the artist, it could still be seen as being conventional because often soul genre music videos have aspects that do reflect the emotions of the artist. The movement of the cinematography here could display deeper meanings such as the fact that the artist may feel that her life is just a vicious circle from this movement - this being the way she feels positive then negative, etc. This also creates a relationship with the audience as they feel sympathetic towards the artist as they get the impression that they are trapped in a situation they cannot seek help for or cannot come to terms with. The planning of cinematography is also assisted by our annotations from the way in which we can use mid shots and long shots of the artist and her friends in her 'hometown'. We can include these shots during the parts of the song where 'wonders of my world' is repeated, as this is where the artist is referring to the people she met in her hometown. The way in which this is emphasised, further reinforces the personal meaning that these people have on the artist, and so, by also emphasising this through the visuals in the video, it will help reflect this to the audience. In the shots, by also displaying the artist as being happy and positive with her friends, will help us to demonstrate how her life has changed now - for the worse. Using a cinematography aspect to emphasise this will be more noticed by the audience as it is naturally the first aspect of the shot that they will acknowledge. Using both mid shots and long shots will prevent these parts of the video from becoming boring as it adds interest within. Furthermore, to enhance the contrast in emotions between the artist in the past to now, we can use close ups/extreme close ups in the scenes to really reflect a true and genuine emotion of how the artist is feeling. This full exposure of the artist will allow the audience to witness the intricate detail of their expressions and so will more likely be able to relate to them and connect with them. 

In addition to cinematography, our annotations will also assist us with planning the editing that will be used within our music video. The most prominent editing technique in which we have chosen to use in our music video is a black and white filter, that has been decided due to the lyrics and their hidden meanings. From looking at the overall mood of the song, it reflects positivity when Adele reflects on her hometown which suggests that her past is associated with happier images as opposed to how she is at present. The artist is asked a question in the first verse, "is there anything I can do for you dear? Is there anyone I could call" which suggests that she is visiting somewhere she is not commonly known for being present in, however, she rejects this as she replies thanking them and saying that she is 'not lost just wandering' - displaying that she is familiar with the place. This obviously has a personal connection with the artist as it is evident that she can see how it has changed. It is as if the 'memories are fresh' for her and when she goes back, that's all she remembers, however it has changed so much since she was back there. This change seems to be negative as she seems to reflect positively on the memories and the people associated to these memories, however slightly differently to the present where conflict is very much reflect in the lyrics. For example, 'you get the people and the government, everybody taking different sides' displays tension within the place that she fondly remembers. It reflects how it has changed from the way it was when it was her actual 'hometown'. The black and white filter will emphasise this reflective nature of looking back at past events as this is what black and white colouring is associated with. The monotone nature of the filter also reflects the negative association of how the place is now, giving it more a sense of unfamiliarity even though the artist still feels that the 'memories are fresh' and that nostalgia is still a very strong theme. The lacking of the brighter colours mirrors the lack of positivity within the artist's life and the way they feel about their 'hometown' now. This is what has made having this particular editing technique appropriate for these parts of the song where the artist is performing, not to mention the fact that it is very conventional to the genre of soul. Adele along with many other soul artists such as Amy Winehouse, use black and white filters in their videos to help reflect specific emotions to their audience in order to make it as clear and distinct as possible. This negative atmosphere that is created as a result makes the audience feel sympathetic towards the artist as they feel more understanding in reference to how the artist feels. A further editing technique that we will be using, besides this one, will be fast-paced editing. In the second verse, the lyric remarks 'I like it in the city when the air is so thick and opaque', where 'thick' and 'opaque' are emphasised. This metaphorical idea suggests that the artist likes it when there is a lot going on and when there is depth and complexity to the setting. By using long shots of London that are past-paced edited, it will help to reflect this 'thickness' of the air especially by complying to the 'city' in which Adele refers to. As well as this, using the word 'opaque' reflects quite a solid but plain view that suggests a lacking of detail. The fast-paced nature of this editing technique allows the shots to be seen more in a blur style rather than displaying every intricate detail of what is being captured. This not only reflects this 'thick' and 'opaque' idea, but also interweaves the complexity of the artist's frantic and hectic lifestyle. With this in mind, we are able to connect two ideas into one - the emotions of the artist and the representation of the artist, which allows a better understanding for the audience. By overlapping these shots with others such as the artist shown in her hometown during the chorus, it helps to show the contrast between the two settings. Additionally, the way that we will be using slow timing of shots on the other contrasting shots, it will help to emphasise this change in emotion of the artist that will be displayed in the lyrics, cinematography and the editing as a whole. Fast-paced editing isn't conventional to the soul genre as slow timing of shots is more the preferred style of speed editing. However, due to the fact that it is being used to convey emotions that the artist expresses aids it for being exposing of the artist's feelings to the audience. This is a convention of the soul genre - being open and emotive to the audience and so, could be seen for being conventional when looking at it from this perspective. 

Mise-en-scene is a very important aspect to any production - this includes music videos. Our annotations have helped to assist us with planning what to display in terms of the following elements within mise-en-scene: setting and iconography, lighting, positioning of characters, facial expressions and body language and costume, hair and makeup. Firstly, I will discuss how the annotations have aided our planning of the setting and iconography within our video. I have already spoken about the lyric that starts the second verse, 'I like it in the city when..', which also is appropriate to take note about here too. This makes the clearest reference to the setting in terms of the lyrics and so, this gives us a good idea of what setting would evidently be successful to use in our video. Using London is ver appropriate due to the fact this is where Adele is referencing to but also the audience will be familiar with this setting and so it will be more relatable to those audiences. As well as this, by recalling this as her hometown, it shows the audience that the artist isn't afraid to open up about their personal feelings and life in general, which makes her conventional as she is expressing a personal experience and a personal meaning to the audience. However, although the artist can be portrayed conventionally here, the setting of London isn't so conventional. This is because most soul genre music video settings are more isolated and private, usually some having the artist as the only individual within it. Although this setting isn't conventional, in order to display that the artist is famous in the present day, we are also including the setting of a stage where the artist will supposedly be performing. This is conventional as it allows the artist to express emotions in a genuine and realistic way in which the audience can recognise from the natural and rawness of the performance in which they give. This will especially be appropriate during the improvised section before the last chorus as the expression of the artist will closely be followed by the audience as it is as if the lack of lyrics make the artist perform as they feel which makes their performance a lot more true and genuine. To reflect the frequent reference to the 'hometown' we are changing it slightly by not making London our artist, Amy's, hometown but somewhere more isolated and low-key in order to comply more closely with a setting conventional to the soul genre. This is why we are thinking to use Theydon Bois which is a small village that will help also reflect the innocence and lack of complexity of the artist's life before she becomes famous - this is our narrative. The audience will also be able to connect with her and the meaning behind the 'hometown' that the artist frequently makes reference to in the lyrics, as more audience members are likely to be living in a setting such as this one, strengthening the relatable nature of the artist. Another element of mise-en-scene is the lighting included within a production. Our annotations have helped to plan ideas for the lighting, for example, the second line of the chorus states that 'memories are fresh'. Taking the word 'fresh' that is used reflects quite a positive and uplifting image as, if something is 'fresh' it seems to only be used in a positive way when making reference to something. The memories being 'fresh' makes the artist feel as if they had never left the hometown in which they are visiting - this idea is additionally reflected in the first lyric of the song, 'I've been walking in the same way as I did' and this can be quite a comforting thought for some audience members. To expose this idea, during the parts of our video where the artist is with friends shown happily in their hometown, it has assisted us in a way that we can choose to use high-key lighting here. The high-key lighting does not only reflect exposure, but also demonstrates a positive and innocent interpretation as it symbolises goodness and purity. Using this type of high-key lighting will help to create and enhance the positive atmosphere that the artist associates with at this time in her life. High-key lighting isn't necessarily conventional to the genre of soul as the content of most soul songs are more depressing and negative and so low-key lighting tend to emphasise this theme. However, we will be using low-key lighting on the performance style shots to reflect the negative outlook in which the artist has for her life at that time. Having both extremes of lighting makes a clear contrast between the emotions of the artist in the two different times of her life easy to achieve and be successful because the lighting is so contrasting. Therefore, the audience are able to acknowledge this a lot more easily and in a way that makes them feel sympathetic for the audience as they would hope for the artist to maybe reflect on the past negatively but show her as feeling positive in the present day, rather than the other way round. Positioning of characters is the next element of mise-en-scene that has been assisted to planning by the annotations in which we have made. The comments Adele makes within the song are fairly general such as 'I like it in the city'. By making her central in the shots gives her more of a narrator role, where she i overviewing her hometown and making comments about what she sees and how she feels. Being central in shot also makes the audience automatically drawn to her as focus naturally takes place in the centre of the screen. It also reflects the idea of everything revolving around her and this idea that she may feel trapped in these emotions that surround her that she cannot break our of. The repetition of 'round' in the lyrics can also visually be supportive of this from making the artist central in the shots as it ensures that attention is on her and that everything around her is being taken note of and acknowledged by her. This is conventional to the genre of soul because it reflects the build up of emotions that surround the artist which is usually the case with soul genre songs as they have hidden meanings and more emotions that are being expressed than the initial, quite obvious ones that are brought to attention at the beginning. Another element of mise-en-scene is the facial expressions and body language displayed throughout. In the lyrics there is a change in structure at the bridge/middle 8 where two lines are repeated to create a four line section. We are using the cleaner version of the song which will not include the only mild swearing of 'sh*t' within in, however the message without the use of swearing is still clear. The mood changes in the song at this point as the lyrics are more aggressive in a way, and so this needs to be reflected in the artist too. The best way to show this is through the facial expressions as it shows rawness and a genuine, personal emotion when the expressions of the artist are clearly displayed in a way that makes them seem real. This also makes the performance that is delivered more connecting with the audience as the emotions are more accurately portrayed, giving a better quality perception and understanding of the emotions. The last point of mise-en-scene is the costume, hair and makeup. Previously, I have spoken about the 'memories are fresh' lyric in the song, which is also notably appropriate to point out here also. When she is singing this lyric, the video will show the artist in the hometown with her friends when they were younger and before she is famous. By dressing the artist and their friends in casual clothing, this not only reflects their youth and innocent perception but also makes them relatable to the audience as the costume is more likely close/similar to something audience members would wear. This also can be used to mirror a contrast between the appearance of the artist in the present as opposed to back then in the past when she was younger. In the performance style shots of the video, the artist will be seen wearing black with red lipstick as this will help to age the artist and how how she is reflecting on her life. She needs to be displayed as being older and more classic in order to comply with the conventions of the soul genre. For example, wearing black symbolises how negative and sad the artist feels about themselves and their life - further reflecting insecurity which is also conventional of the soul genre. Wearing red lipstick demonstrates her passion for what she is singing about and will also help reinforce the personal meaning that she has for the hometown she is singing about and how the people she has met mean so much to her to the extent that they are the 'wonders' of her world. 

Other than mise-en-scene, the music video style has been helped to plan, due to our annotations of the lyrics. The improvisation near the end, just before the last part of the final chorus reflects the way in which the artist performs how she is feeling and reflects how the talent just occurs naturally to her, with the way in which she doesn't have to think about what she is doing. In a more deeper connotation, it also symbolises the lack of direction that she feels she has for her life and ironically could suggest that she is lost. This is ironic because this contrasts to the first verse where she states that she doesn't need any help when in fact she does. The idea that she sees to restrict the positive emotions from influencing her also is reflected here as it is as if she won't let anyone help her or she won't seek help from others. By singing this part during the performance style parts of the video, it makes the emotions of the artist expressed more accurately and allows them to express it in a true and genuine way that the audience can acknowledge and connect with. The narrative style is more shown in the lyrics that relate to the setting such as 'I like it in the city..' and 'I've been walking in the same way as I did..', as well as 'memories are fresh' and 'round my hometown'. During these lyrics, the artist will be shown portraying happy and positive emotions and acting out scenes with the friends that demonstrate how good the friendship and bond is between them. This also links in to the lyrics, 'the people I've met are the wonders of my world' as it illustrates the value that the artist has for these people that she knows. The relationship between the artist and the audience is retrieved through particular lyrics that are included. For example, 'tutting my heel and strutting my feet' has a hidden connotation that could suggest how the artist has been through struggles along the way to where they are now. This can be relatable to the majority of the audience as they would have likely been through hard times or situations that would have been difficult to deal with likewise with the artist. By having this common ground, it makes the artist more relatable and the lyrics and emotions that they express more appreciated as they are mirrored within particular audience members. It is also satisfying that the artist is represented in a way that makes them seem like a normal person and that they can still have the same emotions as any other normal audience member. This builds the relationship between the artist and the audience because it also makes the artist seem quite idolising, as it shows that a normal person with normal feelings and tough boundaries to break through can achieve what they pursue to achieve. This is conventional to the soul genre as most soul genre artists tend to be illustrated in a relatable way as this is an effective way in achieving a artist/audience relationship. It means that the audience can accept the emotions that the artist displays a lot more easily and that they can also take into account the emotions they express. In addition to this, the lyric that remarks 'I love to see everybody in short skirts, shorts and shades. denotes how the artist is fond of the hotter weather and the Summer time in the city. Though, this lyric connotes that she wants everyone to feel happy being themselves and reflecting who they are and also being proud of it. This can help to reflect a slight concept to the video also as this is the message that is being portrayed here - to be yourself and be proud of it. Likewise with a lyric that shortly follows 'I like it in the city when two worlds collide' which reflects how the artist likes peace and doesn't like the idea of conflict. This is comforting for the audience as it is as though the artist is assuring them the confidence they may need to be themselves. It encourages them to act in way that is true to them and genuinely represents themselves. This is fairly conventional to the genre of soul because they can often give advice and confidence to others but ironically lack it within themselves as they mostly demonstrate a lot of insecurity. The audience feel obliged to reflect the advice back onto artist as it makes them feel empathetic towards them. The lyric 'shows that we are united' also welcomes the audience into being involved with the artist and reflects the message that at the end of the day, we are all the same and we are all able to unite in some way because of this. Because of this, the audience feel satisfied and positive in the way that they feel as if the artist is making a more personal reference to them. Targeting the audience is achieved through the help of the annotations we have made. The overall theme throughout making reference to the artist's hometown makes it more relatable across a wider audience. From young generations to old, they can relate because everyone has a hometown, most of which people are fond of and have attached dear memories to them. The fact that this hometown is in London makes it familiar with most people here meaning that they can relate. Having the song not be based around a conventional love story/breakup means that more younger generations can relate and connect to the artist as they would have more likely felt how the artist expresses here, rather than how they would in a love story/breakup themed song. This wide audience range makes it difficult to satisfy all due to the diversity between the audience members, however, the mix of positivity and negativity reflected through the lyrics means that there is a connection to be made that could satisfy everyone.

We will use our annotations in a way to start storyboarding our music video in detail from the points that have been outlined to use particular ideas. For example, by annotating the lyrics and looking over the annotations in which we have made, it is clear which points in the song change in terms of mood for example (the middle 8) and change in terms of content. The second verse is very prominently going to reflect more narrative scenes whereas the rest of the song will have a more one sided balance of performance scenes in order to reflect what is going on with the lyrics and achieve the emotion that is being intendedly displayed. The annotations have helped us think about the way in which we can also represent the artist and in more unique ways rather than just simply facial expressions. We are now able to note that we can use a black and white filter to represent the reflecting of past and also the negative feelings that the artist has. Fast-paced editing is another example of what can be used to display particular ideas that may not originally been initial, like the hectic lifestyle of the artist. With the storyboard, we can now note specific points in which we want to make a change of setting or lighting for example, which will help compliment the lyrics presently being sung at the time.