Finished Music Video.

This is our finished music video.
It was put together and edited on iMovie.
During the editing process we moved/changed certain scenes around and cut out scenes to get the video just the way we wanted it. The video is 2:19 minutes long, and has been filmed in a sort of bumpy, rough way, as we decided not to use a tripod and filmed on a hand held camera, we believe this gives the video more of an edgy look, which fits in with the style of music and gives it a vintage feel. When filming scenes that required the camera moving, we chose to either zoom in or walk with the characters holding the camera, as we did not have the funds to purchase a tracking dolly.
During editing we changed the brightness and contrast levels to allow certain colours within the scenes to stand out more vividly than others, this allowed us to keep the same theme throughout our Video, Digipak and Advert.
Over the introduction, the video starts off with our male main character, the boy, throwing a photograph of a girl into the fire, the camera then gets close to the picture that is burning, we feel that this is an interesting part of the video as it creates a sense of wonder and makes the audience think 'why is he burning that photograph?'. In our opinion, as the writers of the script, we believe he is burning the photograph as if to forget about the girl in question, as it is a sense of closure. After the boy burns the first photograph, the camera cuts to a short 4 second clip of the girl from the photograph getting out of bed at the start of the day, the transition at the end of this clip is called 'page curl' as it looks like the clip is being curled back from the top right corner.
This scene is repeated twice with a different photograph of another girl, again the camera zooms in showing him burning the photograph, the camera then cuts to that same girl putting her make up on, this is the second stage of getting ready in the morning, the 'page curl' transmission was used to end this clip too.
The camera then cuts back to the boy staring at the last photograph and smiling, this shows him moving on as he has found someone he likes the look of, the camera then shows that same girl pouring herself a cup of tea out of a teapot (as she is in the 3rd stage of getting ready in the morning), this is a direct link to the band name. As the girl is being film during this, the camera is at a cantered angle, a cantered angle shows that there's something different about this shot and draws the audience in.
When the lyrics start, the boy is sitting on a bench in a park in Tynemouth, as the singer sings 'Just let it pass you by' the girl walks past the boy, this is a direct link to the lyrics and starts off the video.
On the whole, this video does give the feeling that boy is a bit of a stalker, which we have noticed, but we want the audience to feel that he is persevering with his quest to find love.
When the lyrics change to 'Each and every day' the scene is meant to be of a different day from the introduction, making a slight link. The boy walks up the stairs of Collingwood's Monument where the scene was shot, the camera zooms in on the girls face as she smiles at the boy, the camera switches to him smiling back, the camera then cuts to an over the shoulder shot as the girl stands up and walks away, the camera then cuts to a close up shot of the boy's sad face, which makes the audience feel empathy for the boy.
The next scene is of the girl walking out of a shop, and the boy is leaning against the nearby wall playing guitar, she smiles as she walks past him, but doesn't stop to talk to him, so he just watches her walk past. This type of scene is starting to create a bit of suspense as the audience may be wondering what's going on and if they are going to get together.
The next scene start off with the boy sitting on his own, on a wall playing guitar, this shows loneliness and again creates empathy that hopefully the audience can relate too. The girl walks past him again, this time without noticing him, she acts as if he isn't there, and again, he just watches her walk past.
The video then rapidly cuts to the girl taking down a bed sheet in her garden, the boy is standing behind the bed sheet, this is an example of good camera work however, as over the shoulder shots have been used which makes the scene interesting, professional and personal as it is a point of view shot almost, the audience can actually feel that they are there. Instead of talking to the boy, the girl just smiles and walks towards the house, thus leaving the boy sad and deflated as he is trying so hard to win her over.
The next scene starts with the boy standing on the metro platform, looking both ways to see if the metro is coming, the camera the cuts to the girl who looks shocked and slightly pleased to see him, so she stands up, the camera then cuts to the metro going past and as it disappears, he's not on the platform anymore, the girl then sits back down looking sad, she has realised that she does like the boy, but is thinking it may be too late, she's ignored his efforts for so long, so she sits back down on the bench.
The next scene is where the girl has invited her friends over, to cheer her up, she opens the door to them as the arrive, and the next part was mainly free hand and unscripted, we wanted to create a 'girls night in' effect and wanted it to be as if the girls in the video were filming it themselves, making it more candid and natural.
The camera then slowly cuts to the girl on the phone, ordering a pizza with a menu in her hand, there is a guitar in the shot, fitting in with the theme and the genre of music, also creating a reoccurring brand.
After the girl orders the pizza, the camera cuts to an outdoors, shot of the boy ringing the doorbell, it is an over the shoulder shot that is slightly tilted upwards, as if the audience are looking up to him. The girl then answers the door, and as she sees the boy she smiles, the camera quickly cuts to him smiling back then handing her the pizza and stepping through the door. The girl takes the pizza off him and smiles, the camera then cuts to a side view of both the boy and the girl looking intently at each other, the girl then kisses the boy on the cheek and the video ends, leaving the audience to make up their own minds as to what happens next.


Audience Feedback:

Viewer 1:
Positive: The video has a very good story line throughout, it is easy to follow and is entertaining. There is a clever use of different locations throughout the video which makes it interesting and shows good organisation skills and planning. Also, there is a good interaction between actors.
Negative: end of the video isn't as captivating as the first 80%, as it moves to hastily.

Viewer 2:

My favourite bit is the bit with the guitar. The only flaw is when there are quick chord progressions while Martin is quite clearly not playing it, despite being in full shot. That's by the washing line, when the camera's behind him.

It's decent: there's a storyline that makes enough sense (the one with Martin and Katie) and then Becky and Sarah keep turning up for next to no reason, which actually fits a music video completely. (Actually, I'm sure the entire thing makes sense to someone, but, as a regular audience type of guy, I didn't get it. I guess he's split up with someone, hence the burning photos?)
Anyway, I'm not even talking just recent music videos where there's a storyline and then just randomness. Take ABBA's stuff. They'd have a nice storyline, (Agnetha walking around her empty house in One of Us, for example) peppered with the rest of the band turning up to sing a line or two. After all, there's no way you could've had Katie walking past Martin playing guitar for the entire thing, unless the song was The Police's I'll Be Watching You, but that's a completely different message.

In terms of shots and technical stuff like that (so, shooting...), I find it's generally easy to follow. The panning at Collingwood is brilliant, but to pick a place that's not quite so easy to make sense of for a non-Geordie is in the Metro Station, where there's no shot to establish where the bench is in relation to the metro, and, incidentally, Martin. That said, anyone with half a brain would work it out, so it's not that big a deal.
 I liked it, overall, and that's despite really not liking that song, so well done!
Regards.