Lily Allen- Hard Out Here

Lily Allen has made a statement. She has made a statement about how much women are victimised on mail websites especially the daily mail. They have a little section on their page where they slate mostly women and comment on their weight, drugs and scandals, very rarely will something nice be said. Lily Allen noticed how horrible it was when they did a chart of her weight over a period of time, showing how much she had gained and also making remarks about her baby that she had lost. Lily felt small, ugly and fat. After having two children she decided to write an open letter to daily mail, in a song 'hard out here'.

Her song is not only stereotyping women of todays society and the social pressure they receive but it is also a message to men for making women feel like this. Lily allen says "around the same time that women started to become successful in the workplace they started to get slated for their looks"by men. Because men were jealous that they were doing good and felt insecure about it.

Lily being lily decided to make a statement in the loudest possible way, she takes direct aim at some of the most controversial topics in recent pop music including Robin Thickes video for Blurred Lines where he has balloons behind him saying "Robyn has a big dick"with women holding them, Lily decided she would have balloons behind her saying "Lily has a baggy pussy" She is showing the way people think today about men and women and how they are different. how women are displayed to be more inferior.

Lily Allen is almost taking the Micky but at the same time proving a very valid feminist point.

Lily was also accused of having a racist video because her background dancers were of a different race to her. headlines in the african american online website suggests "Singer attacks sexism with rascist and sexist video" however this was not the case. Lily defended herself by coming back with a tweet "the video had nothing to do with race. It had been meant to be a lighthearted satirical video that deals with objectification of women within modern pop culture. the message is clear".

Success Criteria of a music video.

How do you measure how successful a music promotion video is? 

1. Word of Mouth; how many people are talking about the music video and how many people are watching it because they have 'heard about it'
2. Number of hits on Youtube; how many people have searched the song and watched it on youtube, displays how many people are looking into it and hearing the song whilst watching the video.
3. Newspaper Articles/TV Reports; what are newspapers saying about the music video is it good or bad? any publicity is good publicity. What are TV Reports saying about it and how many are they getting depends on how popular and successful the music video is. 
4. How many times it is shown on television; if a channel keeps on playing the music video then it must be successful and demanded. 
5. Amount of publicity; if a music video is getting immense amounts of publicity then it is successful! everybody knows about it.
6. Downloads (legal/illegal); if the song is getting lots of downloads and the music video is getting lots of downloads hen it is successful if it is getting hardly any then it is hardly successful.  
7. Charts; where the music video and song is placed in the charts always gives it a success standard, if it is within the top 10 in the charts it is deemed to be fairly successful however if its in the 100's then its not. 
8. CD Sales; cd sales definitely gives an indication of whether the song/music video is popular or not. Not many people buy CD;s anymore due to online downloading so if the sales are high then the video and song have definitely been successful. 

Storyboard Animatic

Case Study 3- Alex Southam

From lawyer to director!?!?

Alex Southam trained as a lawyer but decided that it was boring and he wasnt enjoying it, so he decided that he wanted to work in film. He began making music videos to 'learn the trade'

He was described as "working in a dizzying variety of tyles, entirely self-taught, his inventiveness and creativity have caught the eye" which meant that Agile wanted to sign him up, he joined them in august 2012.

Alex undertook all the tasks himself when making and filming a music video, he did the camera, lighting, editing and photography until he got a director of photography.  He says that he likes the format of music videos "as you can try new techniques and can have real artistic freedom" and is much less keen on commercials. He uses Vimeo to showcase his videos - this is becoming an increasingly important platform as it is considered to have 'higher status' than YouTube.

Alex had a breakthrough when he done the video for Alt J - Tesselate, the budget was of £10,000, it was a 1 day shoot and had a very large cast. he used special effects and after effects to be creative.

However his biggest music video so far has been for Chase & Status - Lost and Not Found. he budget was of £50,000 and was filmed in Los Angeles, he used a steadicam and filmed 36 frames per second and then slowed it down. he says he was influenced by Massive Attacks- Unfinished Sympathy and he went for an early 1990s VHS video look. There is only three shots in the whole video!!

Case Study 2- Emil Nava

Emil Nava started out as just a runner for film production companies, he was working for blink productions and he now freelances for OB Management! 

Emil graduated to assistant director where he started to manage video shoots, this led him on to signed with 'academy' which is one of the biggest music video production companies, he then went on to work for between the eyes but now currently works mainly for pulse. 

Emil mainly creates adverts, they generally have a higher budget but do not allow as much creative freedom. He made he loreal advert 'dare to be different'. 

However he also makes music video's, he has made 24 music videos in one year before, thats 1 almost every 2 weeks! Just like many other new directors in the business he began shooting videos for independent labels at small budgets of £5000 and £10000. But went on to make videos for Jessie J with a £160,000 budget. 

Emils first budget was for the band Kid British- Our House. The busdget was £20,000 and was located in machester, interestingly he knew somebody who lived in manchester and used all of the locals down that road to star in the music video! it took Emil 1 day to film and 3 days to edit with 10 days of pre-production. This demonstrates the amount of time it takes to make a video, 14 days, 2 weeks. 

Emils aim when working for OB Management is to nurture talent, work with production companies, work with record labels and match the right director to the right artists. OB Management work with Pulse Films, Rocket, Agile Films, Friends and Wonda. 

Emils top tips!! 

1. Use extreme close ups on faces wherever possible.
2. Do not shoot the whole of the video in medium shot/long shot. 

Case Study 1 - Jamie Thraves

Jamie Thraves is a Director. He went to university to study media and during his course he had to make short films, he enjoyed making these short films and had already decided that he belonged in the world of media and advertisement!

Jamie entered all his short films/music videos in to lots of small competitions that seemed to be getting more and more known as they kept on winning! He started to enter them in bigger competitions and they were winning fabulous awards. He was good. 

He then used his best short films/Music videos to get a 'foot in the door' with the video production company Factory Films. Because his videos had won awards he was already one step above the rest and went around insisting that all different companies watched his short films/music videos and gave feedback!

The Process in which Jamie would be paid to direct music videos would be after he has received a track from a commissioner which is also sent to other directors, he would have to submit a treatment which is like a preview of what he is going to do and when he is chosen he will get paid, if not he will not be paid.

Jamie began shooting very low budget music videos of around £5000 each however worked his way up. After leaving RCA Jamie got a job at Oil Factory where he made a real breakthrough with his video for Radiohead 'just' This was a £100,000 budget and he shot it in three days. Jamie went on to work with artists such as Blur, The Verve and Coldplay. His video for Coldplay called 'The Scientist' went on to win three awards at the VMA's in 2003 including best direction and breakthrough video! This video was a £200,000 budget and he also shot it in three days.

Andrew Goodwin- Key Conventions

Performance Based, narrative based or Concept Based? 
It is worth considering what type of music video it is and if it is more performance based, narrative based or concept based and analyse how they are portrayed to consider for your own. What is the aim of the music video and is it in correlation to the song?

Relation of Visuals to Song
Illustrate Amplify Disjuncture. The meaning of the song can be completely ignored and the song and the video can be unrelated. Or the music video can be a set of images to illustrate the meaning of lyrics and genre, this is the most common. Or repetition is an option, where the meanings and effects are manipulated and constantly shown through the video and drummed into our vision.

Narrative and Performance
Songs fail to give the audience complete narrative. We only tend to get a taster or a gist of the meaning of what the song is about and then we are left to decide for ourselves and let our imagination run wild.

Goodwin advises that songs should ignore a common narrative because it is important in their role of advertising. Goodwin suggests that music videos should have good coherent repeatability. If the performance in the music video and the narrative work well together then this helps the audience to understand and to want to watch it over and over again without losing interest.




Gangnam Style is a prime example of what Goodwin means. It doesn't have a common narrative of a love story or anything and it is brilliant advertising because there isn't many like it. There is good coherent repeatability which is the dance that the main character continuously acts out, this dance is now associated with the song and whenever somebody sees the dance they will start singing the song vice versa. This can be repeated by people of all ages and is very catchy. Also the audience understand that the dance is gangnan style which is the name of the song. Therefore the song is about the style of dance and actions.

Star Theory- Richard Dyer

Stars As Constructions
Richard Dyers believes that stars and artists are constructed through different types of media and advertising such as in films, in magazines and through music. However he claims that this is not what consumers want, consumers want artists to be individuals and be themselves instead of being groomed. A real artists can use this as their unique selling point.

Industry and Audiences
Richard Dyers believes that record labels construct images and marketing techniques for individuals purely to make themselves more money by targeting certain audiences. So record labels need to create different images for different artists so they they have an artists that appeals to every different type of target audience as they are both niche and whole markets.

Ideology and Culture
Richard Dyers star theory suggests that artists become trendsetters in a sense that audience members will imitate what clothes they are wearing and the different hairstyles that they use. The audience may start to believe that the artist believes culturally or religiously. The internet now means that audiences can access the personal lives of stars much easier and can therefore imitate their whole lives if they wished too.

Character and Personality
Richard Dyers suggests that although some of the artists are purely made to make money they are portrayed as 'real' people to the public and audiences. Stars support the hegemony/ dominant ideology of there generation or time and portray it as 'us'. And many stars are representations of the contradictions and ideas of the music industry.

What is the purpose of a music promo video?

A music video can be made for many purposes including;

• To promote the song. For example if the song isn't very good or catchy then if the video is amazing the song may be more well known and an increase in popularity may occur. 
• Extension of income. So the company may want sales to increase so making a video means they can sell this separately and increase sales or get paid for people and websites to show this video. 
• Synergy. So the music video can drive the song into a style or genre which can be used in films and TV programmes. 

Shot List

Shot List
Scene	Shot Number	Description
Jade trying to learn how to play the guitar. Keep ringing a number with no name. Funda in the studio singing. Row between parents. Funda in background. Funda in the studio. School shot. Jade arguing with teacher. Sliding down a wall after being sent out of the classroom- jade. Rapheals park shot- Jade walking through and Funda following her. Studio Shot of Funda singing again. Cringey Scene of Colby and Ross being a cute couple and Jade envying them. Singing with Guitars in the bandstand. Funda sings to me to make sure i am okay. Number starts to ring Jade. Makes up with parents. Hug between Jade and Funda. Jumping on the bed!!!!!!!!!! WOOOO	1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16.	Close up/ Medium Shot which may zoom out and turn into a long shot. Close up of Phone. Still shot. Wide Shot. Establishing Shot. Panning Shot. Zoom in shot of faces being angry/upset. Still shot. Wide Shot. Establishing Shot. Wide Shot. Conversational Shots. Close up. Long Shot. Maybe Close up of feet. Over the shoulder shot. Establishing shot. Still Shot. Panning Shot. Close ups. Wide Shot. Long shot. Close ups. Wide Shot. Close up of Phone. Panning. Wide Shot. Mid Shot. Over the Shoulder. Mid Shot. handheld. From below.

Production Schedule Location Sheet

Production Schedule Location Visit Sheet Programme Title: Bailey Morgan - Let Go.  Client: Jade & Funda.  Writer: Jade & Funda. Producer: Jade & Funda. Director: Jade & Funda. Date: Jade & Funda.

Rough Sketch/Explanation of location and key points to note Access to location via: Bus.  Name and number of location contact:

Health and Safety Issues to note: ●       Be Careful.

Potential Filming Problems : ●       Dont lose equipment, make sure its packed up and safe when commuting. Ask people to politely stay out of the shot.

Additional Notes:  (map of area/weather forecast etc)

Contingency Plan

Contingency Plan Name: Jade Guest & Funda Osman. Production: Music Video. Bailey Morgan- Let Go.

Potential problems and how to overcome these problems: Not making time for each other - We may not make time to film and we need to make sure that we do, also that all our characters make time to be in the music video.  Being on time when meeting - make sure your on time so that you can get everything done and theres no wasting potential.  Filming - Try to film all on the same day so that it doesn't look stupid in 200 different outfits.  Checking the weather - Making sure theres suitable weather and the weather makes sense within the music video.  Meeting - Make sure we all meet in the same place.

Treatment

Treatment

Group Roles Cinematography: Funda Mise-en-scene: Funda Sound: Jade Editing: Jade

Title: Bailey Morgan- Let Go Tag Line: No Regrets

Synopsis: The Song is based on struggling to deal with the past and letting it affect your current position in life, the way you lie and how happier you are. Our aim is to show everyone a basic storyline of somebody's life coming crashing down because they are struggling to deal with their past but it will all get better on the end.

Key Genre Conventions: Acoustic style with pop.

Risk Assessment

Risk Assessment

Group Members: Jade & Funda                                                                                               Location: Dagenham/Romford. 

Hazard	Person(s) at Risk	Likelihood of Hazard 1 – Extremely Unlikely 5 – Extremely Likely	Severity of Hazard Outcomes 1 – Very Low Risk 5 – Very High Risk	Risk Level (Likelihood + Severity) 2	Measures to Take to Manage Risk	Risk Managed? Y/N
Falling in the lake at the park.	Jade, Colby, Funda, Ross.	1	1	1	Dont go too close to the lake.	Y
Falling of/breaking the bed.	Jade, Funda.	2	2	2	Dont jump to hard. Be careful when on the bed.	Y
Tripping Over.	Everyone.	2	2	2	Watch where your walking at all times.	Y
Falling down the stairs/ Off the bandstand.	Jade, Funda.	2	2	2	Watch where your walking and keep balance.	Y

Contacts

Emergency Service: 999           
Robert Clack School: 02082704222           
Other Contacts: 07446464888           

Costumes and Props

Costumes and Props

Character Name:	Jade
Costume: Young teenager casual wear. Cute and relatable.    We want our main character to wear a stylish cute look. Chequered so she looks more innocent, as if she is mainly from the country. The theme of the song is also very country so we want her to match this. Also looking nice and cute makes her more relateable to our target audience and may even feel sympathetic.	Props: Guitar. We decided to use a guitar as it is something our artists uses to portray herself and her music which is the image we would also like to portray. This prop could be found in the music department or ownership of a friend.
Character Name:	Funda (Bestfriend of Jade)
Costume: Teenager casual wear.	Props: Guitar, Phone, Microphone. We thought it would be good for funda to use a mobile phone as it demonstrates that se is very social and portrays her age. This prop could be found at home.
Character Name:	Mr Johnson (Teacher)
Costume: Teacher = Suit & Tie.    We want this character to dress smart so he looks like an authoritive figure. Also so that when our teenage girl is shouting back at him she is portrayed as more badly behaved, angry and upset.	Props: Classroom & objects/surroundings of a classroom e.g. Pen. We decided to use classroom materials such as paper and pens to demonstrate the location and emphasise the teenagers age. These materials can be found in the classroom we are in most days.

Character Name:	Colby (girl in the park)
Costume:  Happy young in love wintery style cute girlfriend.   We want this character to look admirable. this is so our main character looks like she envys her and wants to be more like her, have what she has got. This will show our character in a more upset way and demonstrate our moral which is not to let everything like this bother you.	Props: Boyfriend, handbag. We decided to use a handbag to show the girly character. This can be found at home. 
Character Name:	Ross (boy in the park)
Costume:  Typical boy, Casual wear.	Props: Girlfriend.
Character Name:	Connor (Dad)
Costume:  Shirt and trousers, jumper.	Props: None.