Here are our first ideas for the music video. We would like a performance based video with a story being told. We would aso like an element of fairies and a fairytale land.
Here are some of our ideas for the performance part of the video:
Close-up shots of fingers plucking the guitar strings
Mid-shots of Katie playing the guitar, with face and guitar both in shot
Close up shots of katies' face when singing, for example at 37 seconds when you hear the first like lyrics of the song.
Story ideas
Shots of Katie not singing while lyrics are still going on in the background
Packing up the car
Driving
Shots of the countryside e.g view out the car window (point of view shot)
We decided as a group on a 'home video'/solo road trip theme which ties in with the delicate, progressive style and genre of the 'alternative' music. We would create a story based video with elements of performance tied in to create contrast and variation making the video more intersting for viewing; for example like in the Sixpence None The Richer video for 'Kiss Me'.
Setting and Location
As for the settings and locations we have decided on using natural and spacious places which links in with the title of the song 'Daffodils', flowers which tend to grow out in the country side; going to places such as Milton Country Park, our back gardens and using the fields and roads around the village of Hildersham will help tremendously with what we want to achieve. Also because the music gives the impression of moving along, we will also be filming a lot of the road while traveling from one place to the next to amplify and reflect this element within the music.
Props For the props, we will be using objects that can help explain the story and help the audience to better relate to whats happening while also having interesting twists on certain props for example, fairy-lights wrapped around the tree we will be using in a backdrop which will create interest. Other props we intend to use are flowers, a car for the footage of the traveling, an acoustic guitar for the performance side to the video, torches for added light and effect, clocks to immitate time moving and a car cd player to help start the music from the story point of view.
Technical Choices For our video, we will add faded video transactions to create a fairy tale/dream like effect. Also we will use a sepia filter on some clips which adds and amplifies the 'home video' theme and maybe use a 'bad tv' (or similar) effect which will also help. For example in Torchwood-Small worlds, they use a sepia filter to reflect the fact that it's in the past and so the red would show up better. There is also "fairy-cam" -A high angle, point of view shot with blurred edges, which gives a mysterious feel.
TRACK 02- home video style, with a girl driving the car with the window down. - plays guitar, whilst on the road in different locations.
TRACK 09-a church service/wedding ceremony, when the service is over as we meet the climax of the music, everyone bursts out of the church laughing/madness/FUN!
TRACK12- the pictures stutter as the disc is scratched, and its performance based. A story will cut in between shots. to show more of a detailed video.
MAIN IDEA.-Track 02
-solo road trip, early morning(view the clock)-(6am) next shots. the singer travelling through meadows and countryside. with the occasional city/town or village.(another shot at the watch or car clock to show the times through out the day. other shots to include her playing the guitar outside of the car.
Anton Corbijn's signature style became immediatly recognisable - it has a stark, serious and solitary atmosphere, yet, all his subjects seem at ease and intimate with the camera. There are generally men stood by themselves and occasionally in suacidal like/deeply reflective situations but they are amazingly at home there. The videos of 'Heart Shaped Box' by Nirvana, 'Viva la Vida' by Coldplay and 'One' by U2 are all examples of his work and include his visual signature.
Genre Characteristics Sarah Bareilles song Gravity is a pop-ballad and demonstrates certain genre characteristics by moving along to a slower tempo than a usual pop song. This helps to gives atmosphere and meaning to the music and lyrics which is necessary and vital in a stereotyical pop-ballad. The video also incorporates bold colours which attract the eye and make it interesting although these are kept to a minimum as to not contradict the meaning of the song; this is also very stereotypical of this genre.
Lyrics and Visuals
The lyrics tend to link in with the visuals all throughout the song although through a play on words; for example the song is called Gravity and there are lyrics such as "I don't want to fall another moment into your gravity" but in the video there are objects such as aeroplanes, clouds and planets which supposedly defy gravity. Also when she sings "here on the ground" and "one thing that I still know is that your keeping me down" is contradicting as she is actually the furthest away from the "ground" that she has been since the beginning which indicates that she has already succeeded but doesn't realise it yet.
Music and Visuals
There is also a relationship between the slow tempo of the song and the slow pace of the video. The artist imitates the slow pace by walking slowly forward which also has the connotations of progression and development which again immitates the song's own progression and movement. The artist's costume/clothing is not provicative in any way which apart from complying to the genre, appeals to the target audience. Also with the lyrics, music and visuals combined, this gives us a greater impression on what the artist's emotions are supposed to be. The delicate melody balanced with the piano and strings has connotations of her being melancholy and showing her vulnerable side which also helps with the connection to the audience.
Selling the Artist
As for 'selling the artist' there are many ways in which this music video achieves this area. There is a constant tracking shot of the artist which includes two major close-ups: one at the beginning and one at the end. Also there is a lot of central framing which helps up to focus on the artist throughout the music video.
Intertextuality
As far as we are aware, there is no intertextual referencing as she is not connected to or associated with any other musicians, movies or tv media areas.
Voyeurism
Although it is not concidered provocative or 'thrilling', the artiat maintains a nearly constant direct gaze with the camera. This achieves a connection to the audience which draws them in as it gives the impression that they are who the artist is looking at.
