Friday 16th March 2012
Locations: Sophiya's Garden, Starbucks, Kingston Riverside, Charlotte's House
1.) Raining Scene - Main Alterations
- Camerawork - In our previous attempt at this scene, we excessively zoomed in and out to create a sense of a distorted world within the music video; however, this unfortunately resulted in an unprofessional appearance. Therefore, we decided to keep the camera stagnant whilst the rain pours down upon him, giving a juxtaposing feel of serenity (minimal movement allows the audience to focus on the star and notice the composition of the shot, revealing a beautiful garden as the backdrop) and pain (Olly's body language e.g. - hands on head emphasise regret and his lips quivering signify that he is about to sing something emotional).
- Mise-èn-scene - Lighting - We had checked the predicted weather forecast prior to filming which revealed that the weather was to be cloudy and dull. Although we created our own rainfall by using the 'shower setting' on a hose, the heavy clouded sky lit our shot with a slight grey-tint, adding to the realism of the diegesis.
- Syncronisation - Due to the mass rainfall, it was difficult for Olly to hear the music being played on my iPod speakers. Therefore, since we were all in such close proximity, we sang the words out loud which helped Olly to annunciate and this means we can synchronise the music with his performance perfectly.
2.) Café Scene - Main Alterations
- Camerawork - Olly was positioned in the centre of the frame in between a couple sitting at opposite ends of a coffee table; the 'rule of thirds' clearly suggests Olly is the focal point of this scene. Also, despite the fact he is further away from the camera than the couple, the depth-of-field ensures he is in sharp focus which identifies him as the 'star'. Furthermore, we managed to capture vital close-up shots of Olly's sorrowful facial reactions, juxtaposing with the happiness and intimacy shared between the couples around him and the warm, cosy atmosphere of the café.
3.) Riverside Scene - New Addition (Performance/Narrative)
In order to add more dynamics to our music video, we used the dolly to track backwards whilst Olly paced slowly towards the camera (on beat with the music) singing directly to the audience. The fact that Olly essentially 'breaks the fourth wall' by acknowledging the audience makes the viewing experience more intimate and personal, as this technique of metafiction deconstructs the boundaries of fictional narrative. As a result, it appears as if Olly is reaching out to his audience for support or alternatively, viewers may feel they can relate and identify with the star's current position in the music video (e.g. experiencing relationship troubles.)
With a continuing focus on movement/dynamism, we filmed a long-shot of Olly leaning and kicking against various pillars that enclosed a walkway by the riverside alongside footage of him throwing his beanie hat on the floor and dropping to his knees. We will edit this sequence into fragmented jump cuts, usually synonymous with music video, so it will effectively represent his remorse and helplessness whilst also highlighting a passing of time.
4.) Piano Scene - re-filmed due to syncronisation issues only.
5.) Charlotte's Photo Scene - New Addition (Narrative)
A key reason for re-filming certain scenes and adding new segments to our music video is to ensure we meet audience expectations (see blog posts on questionnaire and peer evaluation.) After receiving comments from our peers, it became evident that the weak link of our music video was the anticlimactic ending. I, myself, began to question: Why does Charlotte re-unite with Olly in the music video? Previously, we hadn't given the audience any indication to why Charlotte returns and this most likely contributed to the 'boring' ending, as our peers may have thought that we were just following the stereotypical, conventional ending (girl returns to boyfriend) of most music videos made to compliment love songs. Therefore, we felt it was imperative to give the audience a signal that foreshadows Charlotte's eventual return.
We filmed a narrative sequence where Charlotte gently caresses a photo of Olly on her mirror, kisses it and then walks away (front view and side view mid-shot). The mirror reflects Charlotte's sorrowful facial expressions to the audience and hints that she is still deeply in love with Olly. Subsequently, we filmed a close-up of the photo stained with Charlotte's red lipstick print (repeated colour imagery of red symbolic for love - also evident in the 'Balloon Scene') and we plan to use a slow fade-out transition to foreshadow Charlotte's return.
6.) Alternative ending/MV extension - New Addition (Narrative)
To ensure our ending has an emotional impact on the audience and leaves a strong lasting impression, we have decided to add a little extension scene to conclude our music video. After 'Charlotte's Return' fades out (typically signifying the end of a romantic music video), a close-up of the engagement ring is depicted in sharp focus and Olly, beyond the depth-of-field, appears blurry as he walks into the shot yet his hand comes into focus as he picks up the ring whilst the camera slowly tilts up, presenting a close-up of his joyful facial expression. This particular sequence (shot type and camera movement) resonates with a similar scene illustrated in the music video where Olly picks up the ring and the camera tilts up to reveal his despair and regret. We decided to mimic the earlier scene to create a kind of intertexual reference within our own media text and to emphasise a development of narrative (Olly no longer faces any troubles). Moreover, the diegetic sound of Charlotte's voice calling: 'Olly!' is heard and Olly replies: 'I'm coming...' and turns around to exit the room, when the camera cuts to a close-up of Olly placing the ring in his pocket, alluding to the notion that Olly will propose to Charlotte later that night...
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