For a specific media product, you must generate thorough and comprehensively detailed pre-production documentation, working independently to professional expectations.
Storyboarding
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Storyboards are graphic representations of what the final product will look like, shot-by-shot. Frequently, a storyboard will consist of several empty boxes for the filmmaker to draw or sketch in, and below it notes on the shot type, angles, duration, etc. This helps the filmmakers lay out the visual narrative for the film and also convey it to the cast and crew effectively.
Habitually, storyboards are drawn on white/black boards, but several prefer the permanence of paper, which can then be copied and distributed among the crew, eg: the music video director, cinematographer, camera person, etc. They also allows filmmakers to see potential problems beforehand, which can often save them a lot of time and money, and it's much better to realize your mistakes before shooting, rather on set on the day of the shoot. These visual scripts can ensure that everyone part of the film is on-board with the creative decisions, lowering the amount of miscommunication on set. Often simple sketches are enough to communicate the story, but more detailed storyboards can be more effective at communicating the story to their audience. However, most filmmakers often deviate from the storyboard in some aspects, as they might be struck by sudden inspiration or financial issues which may force them into following making other creative decisions during any stage of the production process. Hence, storyboards guide the filmmakers during production, but they are not followed exactly throughout and after production. |
Initial Ideas
Idea 1: Runnin' by Naughty Boy ft. Beyoncé
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I chose Runnin’ by Naughty Boy ft. Beyoncé, as a concept/performance music video. The concept revolves around a girl, constantly trying to get to something or something; she is trying to get a certain place or person, this may be represented through the motif of light. She will mostly be subdued in darkness, which may symbolize her current situation, and her perspective of it, representative of depression, or constant average commitments; with her wanting to achieve something more than simple mundane mediocrity in her life. Another, interpretation may suggest that she is suffering from some kind of mental illness such as depression. The music video will show constant close-ups and mid shots of the girl’s feet running towards something, with several close-up and mid shots to show her emotions and expressions, and some long shots to show her isolation and inability to connect with those around her. I chose this idea because a concept music video would allow me the freedom to experiment with several filmmaking techniques, while incorporating a series of camera angles, movement and various editing skills. I plan to film in locations such as the Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar Resort, Jebel Shams, and in Nizwa (a cheap alternative to expensive venues here in the capital, Muscat).
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Idea 2: Clearly by Grace VanderWaal
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I chose to make Clearly by Grace VanderWaal a concept/performance music video revolving around a girl trying to come to terms with her appearance, and her emotional and mental struggles to do so, shown through a series of close-ups and mid-shots. The music video will show the girl putting on make-up, styling her hair and her clothes, and later tearing all her work down to remove all her make-up, unravelling her hairstyle, ruffling her clothes to become more comfortable. Then a larger ensemble of women will join her, with their natural appearances (no makeup: not made up), standing beside her - shown through long shots, and panning mid-shots and close-ups to show their 'true' selves. This may be representative of women subverting western society's beauty standards.
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Idea 3: Youth by Shawn Mendes
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I chose to make this music a concept/performance with low quality footage on a shaky cam to give the impression of news footage. With political press footage and people in less humane conditions. I will combine these with close-ups and mid-shots of the performer (preferably a male actor, seeing as the song was sung by a male artist).
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Final chosen idea:
I chose idea 1 because it appealed to me the most out of the three, and it would have been much easier to film than the others.appealed to me the most out of the three, and it would have been much easier to film than the others.
I chose idea 1 because it appealed to me the most out of the three, and it would have been much easier to film than the others.appealed to me the most out of the three, and it would have been much easier to film than the others.
Analysing Song Lyrics
Storyboard
I drew up a short series of storyboards that first came to mind when I head the song, and these were rough drafts of my final product. The storyboards would help guide me through production, enabling me to film the most essential of shots, alongside others when struck with sudden inspiration.
During production, I was able to constantly refer back to my storyboards in order to make sure that I captured all the compulsory shots needed before filming more impromptu ones. |
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Locations
Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar Resort, Nizwa, Oman:
I chose this location because I've had previous experiences filming at this venue, and I know the location well enough to be able to navigate my cast and crew throughout the filmmaking process. The sunsets and sunrises are breath-taking and beautiful, therefore, my idea of wanting to film a dawn and dusk will be more practical. However, an issue with this location is that it is located very far, and takes several hours to get to, hence, I will have to micro-manage my time throughout this shoot. |
Jebel Shams, Nizwa, Oman:
This location is another that I am familiar with and would like to film at as it incorporates several scenic routes and landscapes that would be quite suitable for my purposes in regards to my music video. Like the previous venue, this one takes a large sum of time to get to, therefore, I shall have to follow a strictly timed schedule when filming. |
Dark Road in Nizwa
This was one of the more flexible locations that I am going to film in, since it does not require me to find a very specific spot to film in, instead I could simply pick a lonely, dark road to set up and film. Nizwa has several rural areas, hence I would be able to film there without any inconveniences or interruptions. This would make the most flexible filming location of the three, allowing me to take the shots I need, alongside any other fillers. |
Filming Studio
This is a location where I will be filming several sequences of Cynthia lip-synching to the song lyrics and her facial expressions. I will use a projector to display visual effects over her face to create the atmosphere of different physical spaces, adding visual and aesthetic variety to my music video. |
Cast & Crew
I chose Cynthia as I have had previous experience working with her, and I knew she had a great amount of ability to perform on stage and in front of a camera. Therefore, Cynthia seemed like an obvious choice, given her experience and my familiarity with her as an actress and singer. I, thus, did not hold any auditions for the role, instead asking her to feature in my music video, to which she obliged.
Cynthia's character goes on a journey of self-discovery, trying to become one with herself, trying to understand and love herself. Hence, her being up in the mountains is symbolic of her trying to escape, even though she is surrounded by tall mountains, unable to get past and see what lies beyond.
I will hire two crew members to help me with the production of my music video to help me manage my usage of the equipment, transportation and any other jobs that come up during production. Since I am the director, I will be managing the camera and cinematography, and because one of my chosen venues is in Jabal Al Akhdar, I will hire one crew member to manage the transportation from British School Muscat to the Anantara Resort, covering a distance of 176.4km. The second crew member will act as the assistant director to make production more smooth and quicker by keeping track of the equipment and scenes shot. I will set aside a large portion of the budget for the car, fuel and the salaries of the crew. However, I will be able to rent out all filming equipment for free from the Media Department at British School Muscat, which will save me a large amount of money. Although for scenes shot in the studio, I will not require any extra crew, so this will also help me with my tight budget. I will hire two crew members to help me with the production of my music video to help me manage my usage of the equipment, transportation and any other jobs that come up during production. Since I am the director, I will be managing the camera and cinematography, and because one of my chosen venues is in Jabal Al Akhdar, I will hire one crew member to manage the transportation from British School Muscat to the Anantara Resort, covering a distance of 176.4km. The second crew member will act as the assistant director to make production more smooth and quicker by keeping track of the equipment and scenes shot. I will set aside a large portion of the budget for the car, fuel and the salaries of the crew. However, I will be able to rent out all filming equipment for free from the Media Department at British School Muscat, which will save me a large amount of money. Although for scenes shot in the studio, I will not require any extra crew, so this will also help me with my tight budget.
Cynthia's character goes on a journey of self-discovery, trying to become one with herself, trying to understand and love herself. Hence, her being up in the mountains is symbolic of her trying to escape, even though she is surrounded by tall mountains, unable to get past and see what lies beyond.
I will hire two crew members to help me with the production of my music video to help me manage my usage of the equipment, transportation and any other jobs that come up during production. Since I am the director, I will be managing the camera and cinematography, and because one of my chosen venues is in Jabal Al Akhdar, I will hire one crew member to manage the transportation from British School Muscat to the Anantara Resort, covering a distance of 176.4km. The second crew member will act as the assistant director to make production more smooth and quicker by keeping track of the equipment and scenes shot. I will set aside a large portion of the budget for the car, fuel and the salaries of the crew. However, I will be able to rent out all filming equipment for free from the Media Department at British School Muscat, which will save me a large amount of money. Although for scenes shot in the studio, I will not require any extra crew, so this will also help me with my tight budget. I will hire two crew members to help me with the production of my music video to help me manage my usage of the equipment, transportation and any other jobs that come up during production. Since I am the director, I will be managing the camera and cinematography, and because one of my chosen venues is in Jabal Al Akhdar, I will hire one crew member to manage the transportation from British School Muscat to the Anantara Resort, covering a distance of 176.4km. The second crew member will act as the assistant director to make production more smooth and quicker by keeping track of the equipment and scenes shot. I will set aside a large portion of the budget for the car, fuel and the salaries of the crew. However, I will be able to rent out all filming equipment for free from the Media Department at British School Muscat, which will save me a large amount of money. Although for scenes shot in the studio, I will not require any extra crew, so this will also help me with my tight budget.
Costume
I wanted my actor to wear a white, angelic dress, in order to denote purity and another side of the protagonist of my music video, in contrast to the black hoodie and leggings (far right), representing the juxtaposed sides of the same character. This would symbolize her journey of self-discovery and overcoming her fears (denoted by her darker side). This costume was easy to source since my talent already had a dress quite similar to my chosen design and with a some quick alterations around the waist and shoulders the dress perfectly suited the actress. The black top and jeans were something that Cynthia already owned and I used my own resources to style her outfits on the day of the shoot. Therefore, I was able to save a lot of the budget as I didn't spend any of it on the costumes. Furthermore, I wanted her to have a more natural and grounded look, so I decided to give her a simple cat-eye-liner and some highlighter to accentuate her features, instead of changing them with more makeup. Due to the simplicity of this makeup look, the actress was able to do it herself, without any additional expenses.
Location Scouting Report & Release Form
Talent Release Form
Contingency Plan
Risk Assessment
Equipment
Budget
I had a very small budget of 55 OMR to cater to all parts of the production of my music video, so I drafted a rough outline of the amount I would likely spend on the aspects of production. However, throughout production I found I spent 30 OMR less than I had anticipated for catering on-set and the talent, since I was able to hire a fellow pupil to star in my music video for free and two others to act as the crew without any costs, which cut down my budget significantly. |