CHARACTER PREPARATION // WIFE

CHARACTER PROFILE

CHARACTER PREPERATION // HUSBAND

CHARACTER PROFILE//PERFORMER

Schedule

SCHEDULE FROM 29^TH SEPTEMBER

DAY	WHAT TO DO
30TH SEPT	·         Meet with actors sort costumes and make up ·         CREATE the projecting footage for performance piece ·         Organise costumes with shots ·         Permission slips from all actors
31st SEPT	·         Go to locations and check all is clear and safe. ·         Take pictures of locations.
10th OCT	·         Make-up artists meeting ·         Practicing make up ·         Footage of cross dresser performance and narrative ·         Start researching ancillary task
12th OCT	·         Poem voice over recording ·         Planning ancillary task  (sketches)
13th OCT	·         Go to London and take shots of Office shots ·         Shots of male character
16th OCT	·         Footage of male character at home – applying makeup secretly
23rd OCT	·         Footage of the couple for flash back shots
25th OCT	·         Shots of piano performance ·         Sort footage and check all is clear  with no mistakes
26th OCT	·         Extra filming
30th OCT	·         Start editing
1st NOV	·         Editing digipack – working on graphics
3RD NOV	·         Editing --------------------------------------------

Performance Shots // Projector Screen

Through out my music video I would like to show some cinematic techniques and ideas. I have come up with an idea that includes using a projector screen. 

I have taken inspiration from a variety photographers whose work includes the the technique of using a screen projector.

TOM ESHCHAR 

ROSANNA WEBSTER

    

MADS PERCH

HOW WILL I USE THIS TECHNIQUE?

 After researching the works of these photographers I have been inspired to use this technique. I will be creating a short silent film. The film will present clips of famous iconic women, such as Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe. The images of iconic women will represent the cross dressers inspiration. This will add emotion and character to the cross dresser, whilst also building a connection with the audience. This way I am including aspects of narrative and emotion whilst including performance shots. 

I will be using iMovie to create the short film. Once I have created the short film, I will then upload the file on to youtube and use the clip when shooting for my music video. I also think that using a projector screen would be a good idea for my digipack and poster, for my ancillary task. 

As you can see I am using iMovie to create the short film. iMovie is a flexible software, which enables me to experiment, with colour, saturation and cropping. 

ICONIC WOMEN // PROJECTOR TEMPLATE

Projection Tests.

Actors Permission Sheet

PERMISSION SLIP

I haven gained legitimate permission from my three main actors to take part in my music video. Here are the permission slips with names and signatures. 

PLANNING SHOTS

Performance from msharrattmedia

Story Board // Visualising narrative

REFLECTING

I have recently come across a music video by a band called the Eurythmitics. The music video to the band's song Beethoven, has given me some ideas and has helped me to visualise my thought process of my music video. 

The music video represents a house wife who is becoming frustrated of her day to day life. In my music video I would like to show the male character in the same state as the house wife. I like the way the music video uses fast paced editing techniques. I have decided that I would like to use this technique in the process of editing my music video. 

Personally I like the quirky style of the music video and the hidden meaning behind it. At the beginning of the music video the housewife is shown performing a monologue, this is smilier to the idea of my music video as I will be using a poem at the beginning got add more context and narrative to my music video. The dramatic monologue also creates an emotional relationship between the character and the audience. 

The video is set in one location, a house. Where most of my video will be set. The location of the video suggests a tense atmosphere due to the enclosed spacial areas. The dark lighting and fast pace editing also creates a tension, suggesting that there is a climax to the end of the music video. 

As the music video progresses, a male character dressed as a woman. The character is shown discretely through out the music video, in corners of rooms and in darker areas in the frame. 

Towards the end of the music video, editing techniques such as shot reverse shot, are used to present the character in more detail. 

The use of dark lighting with a concentrated spot light on the actors face, us something that I would like to replicate in the processes of filming close ups of my main protagonist. I feel that these type of shots would fit well in the opening sequence of my music video. 

When the poem is being performed I would like to use shots like these, to enable the audience to understand the nature of the music video. The music video also portray the character from different angles which I also favour, and have considered when story boarding my ideas. 

As you  can see from the stills that I have captured from the sic video, different angles of the character  are used to present their personality and identity. 

At the beginning of my music video, I picture the cross dresser sitting at a mirror, surrounded by dark lighting with a spot light on their face. I have seen similarities with my ideas to the video that I am analysing. 

In the music video, by the Eurythmics, the housewife is shown placed at a dressing table surrounded by dark lighting and concentrated lighting on her face. The use of dark lighting and spot lights represents a secretive ambience, whilst also building tension with in the audience. There is a sense of climax, which intrigues the audience to feel stay gripped to the narrative of the music video. Following this shot, close up shots of the housewife face are used to present her emotions in what she is about to do. 

The use of overlaying clips is used to create a flow with in the duration of the music video, an editing technique that I will be using. 

The music video then reaches a climax. When the house wife is presented in less mundane clothing. She is shown wearing excessive amounts of make up and glamorous clothing. The character is then shown acting in an extravagant expressive way, as if she is presenting her true identity. I would like to adapt this concept the the climax of my music video. 

After watching and analysing this music video I feel that I am now able to story board my idea as I have a more visualised concept of what my music video is going to look like. 

COSTUME IDEAS // CROSS DRESSER // CHARACTER 1

Costume ideas from msharrattmedia

POEM IDEAS

poems from msharrattmedia

CROSS DRESSING/TRANSGENDER IN MODERN CULTURE

I am focusing the narrative of my video on strange characters with in society. After brainstorming my ideas, I have decided that I would like to focus on cross dressing/transgender behaviour as it is seen, in some cultures as deviant, and 'strange'.

However, the whole concept had become largely popular with in the media due to famous celebrities such as Caitlin Jenner.

Due to the Caitlin Jenner situation, it can be argued that cross dressing and transgenders are now accepted in todays society. The media has been used as an awareness tool to society that cross dressing/transgenders should be accepted. Caitlin Jenner has appeared on TV channels such as E!, including Keeping Up With the Kardashians and her own TV show I am Cait, which focuses specificly on gender transition. Miultiple publications have described her as the most famous openly transgender women in the world, since she came out in 2015.

Recently in the film industry, The Danish Girl is a film which also focuses on a man who dresses as a woman for his wife's paintings, however he finds himself falling involve with his feminine appearance. The film is yet to be screened at cinemas in the UK on January 2016. The popularity of the controversial subject suggests that modern culture is slowly accepting those in society who were perceived as different, or strange for the way they looked and what they believed in. I am going to take inspiration from these stars when creating my music video. I will be analysing the characters body language.

MORE AUDIENCE RESEARCH SOCIAL DEMOGRAPHICS AND DYER'S UTOPIA THEORY.

Created with Padlet

AUDIENCE FINAL ANALYSIS

I have discovered from researching that I have a large target audience. Older generations and younger generations will be interested in my music video. Therefor I must look into involving both sides of my target audience with in my focus groups and audience research. I will be composing focus groups with a mixture of under 18's and over 25's.

Audience feedback from msharrattmedia

PERMISSION EMAIL

TARGET AUDIENCE

Who is my target audience from msharrattmedia

QUESTIONAIRRE

I have created a questionnaire to discover what appeals to my certain target audience. I will be calculating and analysing my findings, as this will help me to produce my final outcome. As my track is an indie song i feel that my target audience will be a niche audience.

MY QUESTIOAIRRE

BREIF - I am currently in the process of creating a music video for my A2 coursework media. I would like to ask my target audience a few questions in order to carry out further research and planning for my music video.

1. How old are you? (Please tick)

• under 18
• 18-25
• 25-35
• 35-45
• 45+

2. What is your gender?

• Male
• Female
• Transgender
• Prefer not to say

3. What typical features/conventions do you expect to see in a rock music video? (e.g Social realism subjects, live performance)

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

4. What are your favourite artists/bands at the moment? Why?

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

5. What type of music videos appeal to you the most? 

• Performance based (artist/band performing whilst lip syncing)
• Narrative based music videos (including a story, usually social realism/contemporary society)
• Perfomance and Narrative (story line including clips of the artists performing)

6. How do you access music videos?

• Smartphone
• Television programmes
• Tablet/Desktop device
• Other

7. How often do you watch music videos?

• Everyday 
• Often 
• Rarely
• Never

8. How important are music videos to you? Do you think that a music video should have a specific meaning or message?

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

MAKING ALTERATIONS

MAKING ALTERATIONS TO MY RECORD LABEL 

I have decided to make alterations to my record label logo. I have used an online software to change the style of my chosen template. 

By changing the style of the font to a more contemporary style adds to the modern image of the logo. 

I have used the softwares tools, and I altered the logos width and size. 

Using the software I have changed the colours of the logo. I have changed the colour scheme to a limit of 2 colours. 

FINAL OUTCOME 

MY CHOSEN LOGO IDEA

FINAL IDEA BRAIN STORM

I have brainstormed and elaborated from my initial idea, and i have now come up with a plot/narrative, whilst considering the types of shots of narrative and performance that I will make.

BRIEF // PEOPLE ARE STRANGE 

The video starts with a cross dress in a dark room with a mirror. The man is slowly putting on make up and turning himself into a separate identity. Close up shots of the cross dresser's face will be used to show his feminine character. Shots of the performer (cross dresser), will be used to incorporate performance shots into the video. 

The cross dresser then enters society, shots of the character putting on sunglasses will portray the character hiding all sense of his male identity as he is presenting himself as a women. People stare at the character and disapprove. The song plays, "women seem wicked when you're unwanted", at this point, members of society are observing the character with distaste and disapproval. Performance shots of the character singing the lyrics to the song will be used through out the video. I will be using a screen projector to shine famous images of actresses through the years such as Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn, to convey the characters admirations and aspirations, throughout the performance shots to create a cinematic feel to the video.
When the cross dresser is shown walking through the street, the video will then focus on a couple of a man and woman. The two look at the cross dresser with disgust. The rest of the duration of the video then focuses on the couple. The cross dresser secretly inspires the man who looks at him with disgust. The couple walk on, close up shots of the male are used to show his doubt in his own identity, conveying his unhappiness in his own skin. The couple are shown at home, when the man is on his own shots of him trying on make up and womens clothing will convey how, the cross dresser's (strangeness) has transferred to himself. The man is shown throughout his normal day to day life as normal and miserable, but when he is alone he finds joy in cross dressing. Therefore he feels strange to society as he hides his joy.
Towards the end of the track plays a piano solo. The man will be shown playing the piano, whilst the cross dresser is shown performing. The shot reverse shot will connote how the two strange people are united. Dark lighting will be used to create a cynical atmosphere, whilst presenting unhappiness. The track's vocals and instrumental turns hysterical towards the end. At this point the cross dresser is performing, whilst the male character is playing the piano hysterically. The music video ends on a split screen of both the male character and the cross dresser, to convey how the two characters are united.
As the track is only 2.20 seconds long I would like to include some narrative with out the track before the video starts. I would like to write a monologue to include at the beginning of the video to set the scene of the story that lies ahead. As Jim Morrison was a poet, by composing a piece of writing this presents my artists poeticness, relating to Jim Morrison himself.

I particularly like this poem by Ruth Walters to open my music video, as it features how being strange is hard to accept.

BEING ODD POEM by Ruth Walters

They all exalt in normal
they do not like the weird, 
they slander anybody
who's slightly out of gear.

They all berate the odd ball
that stands out from the crowd.
You've seen odd balls at parties
hung loose, all odd and proud.

The odd ball talks excitedly
about his odd ball ways
The things that other people fear
or find a trifle strange.

They say that he's not normal, 
they snigger and they grin
but he'd rather be an odd ball
than normal, just like them. 

I feel that using this poem before the track starts will engage the audience. I will be composing a focus group to decide whether or not my audience feel that this is a good idea. 

Improving my logo idea

IMPROVING MY LOGO FOR MSHARRATTRECORDS.

After gaining much feedback from my previous logo I have created a new set of logos from the constructive criticsm that i have gained. I am also going to analyse each logo and say what I do and do not like about each one.

LOGO IDEA NO.2

This logo is very similar to the Sony Music record label, due to the use of colour full paint features. This logo is eye catching and professional. The use of the colours presents that the logo is a mascot for an entertainment company. I like the use of the colours, as i feel they contrast well together. However, the logo does not portray a musical aspect. Although the logo comes across as expressive and bright which may leave connotations of entertainments and arts, it does not express a musical aspect to my target audience. I have kept the name of the music label as "MSharrattRecords", due to the simplicity and appealing appearance. Compared to my initial logo idea the logo shows some alterations and some similarities.

COMPARISONS

As shown my initial logo idea still presents the name of my record label below the image of the record. I have kept the structure the same as audiences will be attracted to the image before the text.

However I have altered the logo so the image is different, and the font of the text is different. I feel that my new logo is far more proffesional that my initial logo idea. The new logo that i have created is contemporary and current, therefor it will come across as more professional and legitimate.

LOGO IDEA NO.3

Here is  another logo idea that i have created, After analysing my other label I decided to create my image so it relates to the genre and them of my company. As my company produces indie rock music videos, i have decided to use an image of a guitar to present my company's genre to my target audience. As you can see the image presents an abstract artwork as it is not a detailed image of a guitar. I feel that this is very effective as it is bold, allowing my audience to make out what the image presents from a far distance. I have used primary colours such as blue and red as they present simplicity. The colours, I feel, make the logo appear efficient. 

COMPARISONS 

 Both logos present images that relate to entertainment and music. My initial logo idea (right), presents a music deck board, whilst my new logo (left), presents an abstract image of a guitar. I eel that my new logo (left) is more appropriate for the genre of my record label. My chosen genre is indie/rock, there for it my new design will fit to my genre. I have changed the font of the text, as I feel that it is easier to read and clearer against the white back ground. My initial logo has a dark back ground, whereas my new improved logo is placed against a white background. This effectively gives a fresh and clean appearance to the company.

LOGO IDEA NO.4

My final logo idea. After creating different logos, i decided to stick with the musical instrument theme. I have combined my two new ideas to create a final idea. I have combined the paint image with an image of a bold simplistic guitar. I have used the colours grey, black and red as they display a more competent impression to the audience. I have contrasted these two colours with a reverse sillouhette if a guitar. I have made the guitar less abstract from my previous logo idea, by doing this I feel that my logo is more appealing, and clear. 

COMPARISONS 

In comparison, my new logo idea connotes a contemporary style. Compared to my initial idea, the new logo appears more fresh and polished. It is far more eye catching, and has an overall cleaner facade. When a logo appears cleaner and polished, audience are more likely to be attracted to the company. My older logo has a dull appearance, with little graphic dimension. 

I will be composing a vote with members of my target audience to decide which logo I will be choosing to represent MsharrattRecords. 

My 3 new logos: