Directors Commentary:

 

Continuing Task 4:

As part of this task we have to write up a script for us to use for our ‘DIRECTORS COMMENTARY'

This involves us talking to the audience about the technologies that we used for our music video production. We needed to include information such as 

1. Creative idea/build
2. Programs
3. Software
4. Equipment
5. Editing

Below is a copy of our script that we used for this video shoot:

“Naïve” Task 4 – Script

Hello I’m Liv

I’m Charlie

I’m Sophia

And I’m Mariella

And this is our music video

Liv: At the very beginning we were interested in creating an indie/rock style music video.

This lead us to looking up similar types of bands to Bombay Bicycle club and The Kooks on YouTube. This is where we gathered the inspiration for our main theme and narrative of the music video. We found the song ‘Naïve’ by The Kooks from one of the videos we stumbled across. 

Charlie: Every stage of production for our music video involved many different  types media technologies. We filmed with a Sony FS100 during the production of our video, which is a professional level camera that creates a crisp, bright image to give a very professional quality to our product. We used Zeiss 18 mm prime lenses for wide shots, 35mm and 50 mm for medium and 85 mm for close-up and extreme close up shots. We shot at full HD quality which is similar professional video. 

Sophia: At the beginning of the video we have a girl standing in a room looking confused to attract our audience from an early stage. This adds to part of our overall narrative which reflects on the lyrics in the song. We then used a variety of shots, such as close ups of all the band members to introduce them and to attract a female audience.

Mariella: In the post-production process we used a software called Final Cut Pro on the Apple Mac system, which we edited our shots on. This is a professional editing facility, which enabled us to create a unique and professional looking video. This professional editing facility is accurate to one twenty-fifths of a second giving us complete control in shaping the finished product. Thus creating a unique and professional looking video.

Liv: We used tools such as label logging to navigate through our footage in a much more organised and efficient way, and the blade tool to manipulate the shots and make them the exact length that we needed. Once we had fine cut the footage, we then used professional software called AFTER AFFECTS in order to make the transitions into the scenes more subtle and easy on the eye, these transitions were when we went through the walls of the rooms. Because we had kept the camera at the same height during the shooting, there was no need to further manipulate the image digitally in order to keep the girl on the same plain.

Charlie: A key aspect to the post production included lip syncing the visual footage to and matching this to the audio music track behind it. Through doing this we create a fluid and coherent media text where the actors actually appear to be performing the song which is essential for the band’s credibility. This was achieved by using a digital clapperboard when shooting.

Sophia: The overall feel of the video is generally quite intense in the narrative but very bright in the performance side. We created this by colour grading the different shots using a program called ‘color’ in the post production process.

Mariella: The idea which we wanted to communicate to the audience through our video is the life and the story of the naïve girl. This has been interpreted differently by members of the audience, which suggests that our product is polesymic. We collected feedback though a variety of online platforms like YouTube, Survey Monkey, online questionnaires and a digitally recorded focus groups. 

Change of website and digipak

After lots of feedback from friends and teachers, we have decided to go back and change and alter our Digipak and Website. We have done this because we didn't think that they as good as they could be. Liv did a redesign of the CD, which focuses on the simplicity of the title and band name. Liv created a mock up of what we wanted for the front cover to be like, keeping it really simple and following a geometric pattern.

 

What we will be doing in our focus group meeting:

• We have 20 minutes to show our video and the artwork. We will then record and video the, discussing what they have seen.

Questions we will ask them:

1. Do you like the video, if so what do you like about it?
2. Would you watch this video, if so where and when?
3. What do you get out of watching it?
4. Do you feel that you relate to the band, if so how/why?
5. Do they represent you in any way?
6. What do this band stand for?
7. What attitudes do they represent?
8. Is there a message, if so what?
9. What do you think could be improved in any of the products?

Do you think they all seem like they are from the same band or are there some differences in the image?

What I need to think about:

• Is there a difference between the male and female response?
•  Think about that it is a limited age group of all the same age, same ethnical and economic background

Comments on our video

In class today we watched a few of our music videos, and we gave three or four comments about each others. For our music video, the comments that we received were that people really liked the flash montage that we put at the end of the video. They also liked the fact that we had a narrative enigma. And the last one was that they loved the story line and it kept them really interested throughout the music video. 

Audience Feedback

Overall, I would say that I am very pleased with the feedback that we have received so far. Everyone seems to really like our music video, and they seem to understand the story line which is what I am most happy about because I wasn’t sure people were going to understand it.

Finished CD Digipack

Here is our finished CD Digipack. I have made it on Photoshop, by re-sizing images and adding text. It was a really fun task because I am trained in Photoshop because of my photography course.