Task Brief
A promotion package for the release of an album, to include a music video (major task), together with an official social media page for the band or artiste(s) and a digipak for the album’s release (minor tasks).
What is Pre-Production?
Information for this section has been acquired through:
https://yamdu.com/en/learn/preproduction/#:~:text=Pre%2Dproduction%20is%20the%20stage,takes%20place%20before%20filming%20begins.&text=During%20pre%2Dproduction%20you%20will,and%20build%20a%20shooting%20schedule.
https://yamdu.com/en/learn/preproduction/#:~:text=Pre%2Dproduction%20is%20the%20stage,takes%20place%20before%20filming%20begins.&text=During%20pre%2Dproduction%20you%20will,and%20build%20a%20shooting%20schedule.
Pre-production (in the case of Film BTEC) is the planning and preparation of plays, films and other forms of theatrical performances, whether onstage, onset or on an animation. In the case of A2 Media, pre-production regards the overall planning of a music video's production. Pre-production (in theory) begins when the song and script (and other pieces regarding preparation) for the music video have been finished, and ends once the preparation and planning are complete and actual content for the music video is being produced. Pre-production can consist of many factors, such as:
- Choosing which locations would be most suitable for music video production e.g. an indoor set, or urban environment.
- Discussing what the overall theme of the music video should be e.g. upbeat, dance, pop etc.
- Discussing what camera shots should be used, whether they should be complex or straight forward.
- Discussing what cameras will be used (such as cameras from the 60s, to give a retro theme).
- Choosing whether the music video should be performance, narrative or concept.
- Choosing whether the music video should feature artists/celebrities or only contain the sole artist.
- Forming a storyboard to base each of the music video's scenes around.
- Planning a calendar for filming and editing days.
- Hiring a filming crew and discussing the overall budget of the music video.
A Recap of what a Music Video is
Music videos are short films (usually lasting around 6.8 minutes according to YouTube) that combines the artist's original song with imagery and play a major part in the music industry to this day. Music videos can be presented in a multitude of ways including live action, animation and also narrative. Music videos are often a series of pictures and scenes that are directly interpreted from the artist's song lyrics, but can also be presented in more thematic ways. There are 3 styles of music videos, this includes: performance, narrative and concept.
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Finance, and its various forms
Various areas of producing a music video (such as filming and recording equipment, filming crew, location scouting, costumes, makeup, etc.) require funding, and if you want the quality of the video to be top-notch, then the cost of funding those areas will cost quite a lot. However not everyone has the money to support these expenses, which is why it's essential to know about the various methods that assist in financing production. Financing can come from a multitude of sources, from sponsors to record labels, however these examples are just some of the various ways to fund a music video's production. Financing for music video production can come from various methods, such as:
PERSONAL FINANCING
This is when the artist (or artists) pays for the production costs with their own savings, such as paychecks from other jobs, or family savings. This method is not usually the most effective form of financing as it puts financial strain on the artist (especially if the money earned from the music video is less than the money spent.) This method should only be approached if the artist has disposable income at their hands and won't be put at risk from the production costs. |
CROWD FUNDING
This is when the artist pays for the production costs by receiving donations (these donations could be small or big, but are most often little) from a large number of people. This method is prominent nowadays as the internet makes crowdfunding much easier, with many apps such as Patreon becoming popular sites for people to receive funding for their work. |
SPONSORS
This is where the artist's production costs are payed for by an outside party/parties (these could be major companies such as Red Bull, who sponsors multiple sports events). This method is effective as it provides a stable source of income for the production costs to be paid with, however the artist will have to promote the sponsor by e.g. product placement, which may partially restrict the artist's creative freedom. |
GRANTS
A grant is essentially a gift given to the artist from a party (only singular rather than also plural) consisting of funds to help pay for the artist's production costs. Grants do not have to be repaid in any way whatsoever (in most circumstances at least), making this method more optional over other financing methods. This is the best method of financing for an artist, however the chances of receiving a grant are slim, so it's better to focus on other strategies. |
Time Management
The production team must keep up with schedules, regardless of whether it's planning, filming or editing. This is to prevent delays in the music video's progress which could lead to more funds being lost, due to increased time spent on part of the production. Sections of production must be divided into separate projects in order for the production team to stick to deadlines easier (e.g. storyboard planning, equipment purchasing, actual filming etc.). When planning the deadlines for each of the projects, producers must consider the production's current budget in order to not overspend on a section of the production. Working backwards is a preferable method when planning the music video's overall production, meaning that the film's release should be decided first, and then scheduling must revolve around sticking to that deadline. It's not mandatory, however it's better to relieve stress by planning breaks in the production, this could be due to holidays coming up or also to give room for final adjustments.
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Artist Mise-en-Scene
My artist's style greatly derives from the work of popular artists such as Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Pearl Jam and other famous rock bands, Somber Flipside will mainly have a genre of Alternative Rock. Since the band follows a rock genre, the band will wear clothing that fits with the genre, such as grunge jeans, t-shirts, and sneakers, rather than leather jackets or super bright outfits. Since the band also follows an alternative genre, the band may also wear casual clothing that fits with their audience. The band's music itself will revolve around personal/emotional topics since it follows a genre of Alternative Rock, rather than focusing on money or wealth, as these topics don't appeal to the audience of an Alternative Rock band, not entirely at least.
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Location Mise-en-Scene
Information for this section has been acquired through:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mise-en-sc%C3%A8ne
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mise-en-sc%C3%A8ne
Mise-en-Scene refers to the arrangement of scenery, props, and basically the overall look of the setting in general. In terms of my location, some of the settings that I'm looking for have little to no props or eye-catching colors (in order to keep the viewer's focus on the artist/lead character). This could mean areas such as stages, with artificial lighting to put heightened focus on the subject of interest, as well as controlled environments where I can make sure no props or other aspects are able to distract the viewer's attention. However I am also looking for diversity in my location choices, so this means that part of my video will be set in eye-catching settings to make sure the viewer doesn't find the video repetitive. This could include locations such as beaches or tropical areas that have beautiful scenery. The reason for this large contrast in locations is due to the fact that I plan to base my music video off of a rock song, meaning part of the video has to include some aspect of live performance in order to align with viewer expectations. However I also feel that a music video solely based around live performance would lose the audience's interest, so I'm integrating a partial narrative theme as well to mix things up.
Location Recce
The locations that I have analyzed are:
- My House
- The Oryx Theater (BSM)
- The BSM Filming Studio
- The Ad Dimaniyat Islands
- Shati Beach
Chosen Locations
In terms of locations for my music video's filming, I have developed my main ideas for where I can film. These locations are the Oryx Theater in BSM, the Filming Studio in BSM, and the Ad Dimaniyat Islands (located about 70km west of Muscat, Oman). The Oryx Theater is a useful location for me to use as it contains a stage in which I can use for live performance footage. The Filming Studio is useful as it contains a green screen and other useful equipment to improve the quality of my video. I am also planning to use the Ad Dimaniyat Islands as a location as it gives a feeling of diversity to my used locations, and the water is relatively crystal clear, which allows me to record underwater scenes for my music video (which is actually something that I plan to do when filming the music video).
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Promotional Equipment and Miscellaneous
Information for this section has been acquired through:
https://www.elevatemybrand.com/blog/epk-what-it-means-and-how-to-make-one#:~:text=What%20is%20an%20EPK%3F,or%20for%20a%20news%20conference.
https://www.elevatemybrand.com/blog/epk-what-it-means-and-how-to-make-one#:~:text=What%20is%20an%20EPK%3F,or%20for%20a%20news%20conference.
Many facilities and pieces of equipment will go a long way in assisting the creation of your music video. However in order to make use them effectively, one must first understand and develop their knowledge on the available equipment and facilities to choose from, and also understand the financial costs of purchasing said equipment and facilities. Here are some examples of what there is to pick from:
- The EPK: This is a packaged kit of promotional material containing info regarding the artist such as a brief biography of who they are, what they specialize in and a sample of their music. EPK's are extremely easy to make nowadays due to the development of editable blog websites such as yours truly, meaning that this is a good way to kickstart promoting your music video as well as yourself. This should include a discography, a biography, tour dates, stage plots, press photos, performance videos, positive reviews, contact details. All fit into one page
- Radio Broadcasts: One of the most common ways you hear music and recognize artists is through radio broadcasts. Nearly every person is a consumer of radio broadcasts, regardless of whether it's a retro radio at home or (most commonly) a radio in your car. Through radio, the public hears music on repeat, meaning that artists will gain mass publicity every time their music is broadcasted and further promoting their image.
- TV Adverts: This is when the artist books breaks in between TV programs to promote their brand, this could include advertising their next tour or just generally promoting their music with a sample of their performance. This is effective as the artist can specifically aim their promotions at their target audience, with e.g. Disney XD being aimed at a younger audience and BBC being aimed at an older audience.
- Promotional Social Media Team: An artist is guaranteed to gain publicity through social media, however it will save the artist's time to have their own personal social media team to take care of the artist's social media status for them. This way the artist can continue focusing on improving their music and other forms of promotion while also having the team promote the artist's image and brand.
Music Video Personnel
Information for this section has been acquired through:
https://www.epikmusicvideos.com/blog/68-music-video-production-roles-and-responsabilities-explained.html
https://www.epikmusicvideos.com/blog/68-music-video-production-roles-and-responsabilities-explained.html
- The Director: This is the leading role in music video production, as well as most (if not all) other forms of film production. The director holds creative freedom over the theatric sections of producing the music video, however this does not necessarily mean that they are working with the musical sections of music video production. The director controls the majority of what is added to and taken away from the music video's production, such as choosing actors, overseeing production schedules. How the director handles producing the music video can be the difference between producing a masterpiece and a smoking disaster.
- The Screenwriter (MOSTLY APPLIES TO NARRATIVE MUSIC VIDEOS, RATHER THAN PERFORMANCE OR CONCEPT MUSIC VIDEOS): The Screenwriter's role is to write up the narrative for the music video, such as designing the dialogue scripts which casted actors will read off.
- The Storyboard Artist: This is an important role as the music video's scenes will be closely based around the storyboard's pictures. The artist may also work with concept art to draw inspiration from and further develop their storyboard. More than one storyboard may be drawn up if the music video's a narrative and focuses solely on storyline/storytelling.
- The Casting Director: The Casting Director manages which actors will be hired for the music video's production, as well as what their exact roles will be. The Casting Director will hold auditions and interviews to choose the perfect actor for each role.
- The Actor: This is every single person that you see regarding the music video, no matter how large or small their presence, any person that is onscreen for the music video is an actor. Actors are most commonly used to help convey the music video's meaning and use their emotion to enforce the theme/themes.
- The Choreographer: They are in charge of the choreography that will be performed by the actors onscreen, showing the actors what actions they should do and how they should perform them.
- The Art Director: This role is important as they are in charge of making sure the exact message that the artist wants to convey to the audience, is conveyed. The Art Director holds control over all promotional campaigns and often also leads other sections of artistic staff.
- The Set Director: This role consists of working with other leading roles around the set such as onset dressers, as well as having some control over the visual theme of the music video as they control what goes on and off the set.
- The Producer: This role is important as they produce (who would've guessed) the music video and aid in financing it.
- The Costume Designer: They are in charge of choosing the clothing that the acting cast wears onscreen.
- The Location Scout: In charge of choosing the locations that will be used for filming the music video, this is critical as the choice of scenery can greatly impact how the theme's are conveyed, with a dark and gloomy street conveying negative themes and a sunny beach promoting positive aspects.
- The Prop Master: They are in charge of choosing the props that will be used onset as well as being in charge of repairing and replacing any damaged props.
- The Cinematographer: Leads the filming crew for the music video production and decides what artistic and technical changes/improvements will be made towards the music video.
- The Location Sound Mixer: They are in charge of all sound related sections of music production, acting as the sound recordist during filming, as well as recording and editing audio. Their role is massive as they also provide ALL the sound and recording equipment for the music video production, evaluating locational sound quality and hiring their personal recording team.
- The Chief Lighting Technician: Their role is practically the director over the lighting crew, the Chief Lighting Technician is in charge of the design as well as the execution of the lighting plan.
- The Lighting Technician: Their responsibility is to rig the filming sets and adjust the lighting, the role is relatively simple but nevertheless an important part in maintaining the quality of the music video.
- Prosthetics Artist: In charge of managing and working with other fashion stylists (e.g. hairstylists, costume designers etc.) as well as the director to ensure that the clothing and makeup conveys the correct message of the music video.
- The Editor: The Editor is one of the integral roles in producing a music video, they make sure that the final cut of the movie is the best it can be, and cooperate closely with the director and VFX team in order to make the music video perfect. After the editor is finished editing, no further changes to the music video can be made.
- The VFX Team: They are in charge of creating and adjusting visual effects, such as artificial lighting or colors.
Production Equipment
Information for this section has been acquired through:
https://www.desktop-documentaries.com/video-production-equipment.html
https://www.desktop-documentaries.com/video-production-equipment.html
The only way to even attempt beginning the production of a music video, is to have all the filming and recording equipment that you need. And to have a chance at producing a high quality music video, means that you'll need to acquire high grade equipment, The essential pieces of filming and recording equipment that you'll need for a music video are as follows:
- A Filming Camera
- A Tripod
- A Lighting Kit
- Interchangeable Lenses
- Speakers
- Microphones
- A External Camera Monitor
- A Digital Audio Recorder
- Spare batteries (because you wont want to be caught off guard when one dies)
- Multiple memory cards, to prevent the loss of your work in case one gets corrupted
- Video Editing Software (such as Adobe)
Renting Out Equipment
Renting equipment is a good way to save money when filming and producing your music video, however sometimes it's more cost efficient to buy the equipment you need to save paying regularly to film scenes, as well as having more time to get used to the equipment. The benefits of renting equipment are that it guarantees you have everything you need to film your video, meaning you won't risk the quality of your video by only using what's at hand, it's also way cheaper than actually purchasing filming equipment, meaning the funds you would have spent on filming equipment can be used elsewhere. The cons of renting equipment are that you don't know how the rented equipment's been treated by previous owners, meaning the equipment could be faulty or even break during use, you'll also have to readjust and setup the equipment every time you use and return the equipment, meaning that time will be lost that could be spent on filming or other parts of production.
Equipment that I plan to use:
In terms of filming equipment, I already have a variety of my own personal filming gear that I can use for the production of my music video. This includes a Nikon D500, a GoPro, a DJI gimbal (which is able to record footage using its own built-in camera, and can also be plugged into my phone to record through a smartphone interface), and my iPhone. Any equipment that I need from the school will be for locations inside the school, meaning that I don't have to borrow any equipment for long periods of time. This includes equipment such as spotlights, instruments (for the live performance scenes), and greenscreens.
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Storyboards
Storyboards are important in helping assist the planning of the music video's storyline as well as providing a stable structure towards forming the music video's scenes. A storyboard scene consists of a square containing the concept drawing of a specific scene's setting, a brief description of what happens within that scene, and a statement describing what will be used to film that shot. There are usually (if not always) multiple squares within a storyboard, as each square summarizes each scene, and add up to form the basis of the whole music video's storyline.
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Production Schedules
Production schedules are important as they are an integral part in planning the production of a music video. A production schedule is essentially the basis on which the filming team revolves their entire work around, planning which days will be used for filming, which days will be dedicated to editing and tweaking up the music video, and which days will be set as "holidays", or non-working days. This helps keep the production team within schedule as the deadline for releasing the music video draws nearer.
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Contingency Plans
A Contingency plan is a plan that includes all the foreseeable problems that could be encountered while filming, and contains all of the solutions to these problems to ensure that film production isn't halted or cut short entirely. It's vital for the director to have a contingency plan as it makes the director aware of possible problems and also informs them on how to make film production as efficient as possible.
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Risk AssessmentA risk assessment is similar to a contingency plan, however this focusses entirely on threats to physical safety and introduces solutions to reduce/eliminate the risk of injury as well as labelling who is in threat of physical harm.
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Location Release FormsLocation release forms are legal permits that allow the director and their crew to film within an area. These are important as it:
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