Video Planning: Storyboard

Shot 1

The first shot of our video will have the band performing as a whole in a long shot, before moving onto individual closeups of each member of the band. It will last 15 seconds. This changed from our original idea because we shortened it by 3 seconds as we didn't want to show the band for too long at the start of the video as the viewer may get bored.

Shot 2

The second shot will start by tracking the female as she walks towards the grave in a long shot, before cutting to her falling to her knees as a medium close up to show how upset she is. This will last 18 seconds. We extended this part by the 3 seconds we took from the introduction.

Shot 3

This shot will show the male and female meeting in a bar. It will have a closeup as they catch each other's eye, then a long shot so we can see them both and their interactions. This will last for 15 seconds. This is the same as our original idea

Shot 4

This will cut back to the band performing, similar to the opening. This will last for 10 seconds. The length of this part was extended slightly from our idea to try and include more shots of the band rather than just narrative.


Shot 5

We then track the couple up a path as they walk into a park having a laugh together. It will be a long shot so we can see both of the characters before continuing into the next shot. This will last for 4 seconds. We changed the location of this shot to walking up a path to a park rather than walking down a busy street and also shortened it so we could have a longer shot of the band, as this location will continue into the next verse.

Shot 6

Following on from shot 5, it will show the couple having fun in the park in a variety of closeups, long shots and medium shots. It will then change to the man proposing to the woman in the same location. This whole shot will last 22 seconds. We expanded on the idea of the man proposing to the woman in this shot by showing them having more good times before this happened as it may have been a rather big jump in the narrative.

Shot 7

It will then return to the female grieving in the graveyard with a closeup, focusing on her face but also catching part of the gravestone in the shot. This will last 5 seconds. This is the same as our original plan

Shot 8

Next we see the couple moving into their first home together mainly through long shots, but also showing close ups of the two and what they're carrying. This lasts for 10 seconds. This is also the same as our original plan, but we decided to extend the shot into the following guitar solo as the verse was not long enough to get enough content in, but the following guitar sequence was able to be shortened as it was quite long.

Shot 9

We then go back to the band performing as the guitar solo starts, but mainly show closeups of the guitar. This is for 16 seconds. This is the same as original idea, but has been shortened by 5 seconds so we could extend the previous shot.

Shot 10

It will then return to the female crying at the graveside at different angles. This will last for 8 seconds. We split the verse this was in into three sections (whole verse is 18 seconds) so we could continue the narrative in a steady manner. The idea is as we planned.

Shot 11

An argument then starts between the couple in their home in a medium close up. The boy then leaves the room. These shots will take 15 seconds. This shot then uses the remaining 10 seconds of the verse mentioned above, aswell as going into the following gutiar solo by 5 seconds as again, it was rather long. The idea is the same as our original plan.

Shot 12

As the next guitar solo starts, it returns to the band performing in a long shot, before panning to a closeup of the guitar. This will last for 16 seconds. Again, the idea is the same as we had planned but the shot has been shortened to only 16 seconds rather than 21 seconds so more narrative could be used.

Shot 13

In these shots, it starts with the couple arguing again before the female pushes the man down the stairs in a medium shot. We then see a closeup of the female's face followed by a high angled point of view long shot down the stairs, looking at the male lying there. This takes 14 seconds. This sequence is the same as we had planned.

Shot 14

We then see the band performing again, in the same manner as the instances before. This will last 17 seconds. This is also the same as we planned.

Shot 15

The final shot will return to the graveyard and the female takes the ring off and places it on the gravestone in an over-shoulder medium close up. Following this, she places some flowers on the grave in a medium shot before walking away in a long shot. This whole shot will take 25 seconds. This sequence is also the same as we had originally planned.

Maybe shot 16

When the female is walking away from the grave, we will have shots of both the woman walking away, but also the band members following the same path as she was and have the two fade in and out of each other as the song ends

Video Planning: Expanding our idea

Before we could start storyboarding our ideas, we had to listen to the full lyrics of the song and expand our ideas to fit around them with the appropriate timings.

Introduction 18 seconds
Opening of song The band will be performing as a whole

First verse 15 seconds
You sit there in your heartache This whole verse will show the girl crying at the graveside of her dead husband
Waiting on some beautiful boy to save you from your old ways
You play forgiveness
Watch it now ... here he comes!

Second verse 15 seconds
He doesn't look a thing like Jesus This whole verse will show the couple meeting at the bar in a pub through a number of different shots and angles
But he talks like a gentleman
Like you imagined when you were young

Third verse 14 seconds
Can we climb this mountain These three lines will show the band performing as a whole
I don't know
Higher now than ever before
I know we can make it if we take it slow These three lines will show the couple walking down a busy street in a world of their own
Let's take it easy
Easy now, watch it go

Third verse 22 seconds
We're burning down the highway skyline This whole verse will show the man proposing to the female
On the back of a hurricane that started turning
When you were young Man proposing
When you were young

Fourth verse 10 seconds
And sometimes you close your eyes This line will return to the girl grieving
and see the place where you used to live These two lines will show the couple moving into their first home together
When you were young

Guitar solo 21 seconds This section will return to the band performing, but focus mainly on the guitar

Fifth verse 18 seconds
They say the devil's water, it ain't so sweet These two lines will return to the girl crying beside her husband's grave from different angles
You don't have to drink right now
But you can dip your feet The couple begin to argue
Every once in a little while The man leaves the room in a temper

Guitar solo 21 seconds This section will return to the band performing, but focus mainly on the guitar

Sixth verse 14 seconds
You sit there in your heartache The two will continue to argue
Waiting on some beautiful boy to The female pushes the male down the stairs
To save you from your old ways
You pray forgiveness The camera will cut to the female's face to show her reaction
Watch it now here he comes Cut to boy laying at the bottom of the stairs

Seventh verse 17 seconds
He doesn't look a thing like Jesus This whole verse will be showing the band performing as a whole
But he talks like a gentleman
Like you imagined when you were young
(He talks like a gentlemen, like you imagined when)
When you were young

Eighth verse (final) 25 seconds
I said he doesn't look a thing like Jesus Shows the female taking off her ring at the graveside
He doesn't look a thing like Jesus Places the ring on the grave, places flowers on grave
But more than you'll ever know Walks away from grave

We then built on this plan again to create our storyboard which would be used whilst filming, as seen in the next post.

Video Research: Existing Videos

When you were young video
The official video for the song we chose to create a new video for tells the story of a Mexican woman around the age of 20. It begins with her arriving at a large white cross in the desert, followed by her mourning below it until her supposed husband appears and comforts her. We then see her praying at a church, she then leaves the church and meets up with her husband. She then arrives home to find her husband sleeping with another woman, having seen this she then runs out crying - with her husband close behind her.

It then flashes back to their wedding day as she continues to run. We then see the woman washing herself briefly before it cuts to her entering a bar. This scene is before the two have been wed so we see her sitting at the same table as her future husband and the woman he later cheats on her with. As they introduce themselves to each other, the other woman leaves. The band are playing in the bar, as the main girl looks over to Brandon Flowers (singer) he sings the main verse before turning away as the song ends. The last shot returns to the cross from the start with both the woman and her husband there. An alternate version of the video contains the woman jumping off a cliff, rather than reconciling with her husband.
How we'll use this in our video;
From looking at this video, we're going to keep the focus around the relationship between two characters as it deteriorates. We'll also be using the idea of flashbacks to relate to good times that they've had after an initial bad start.


Read my mind video
The video for this song isn't largely related to the song and finds the band in Tokyo simply having a good time undertaking activities associated with the freedom of youth. Some of these activities include riding a variety of bicycles through Tokyo, playing games in an arcade. Elsewhere they were seen playing with leaves in a park with Japanese school children and also starred a Japanese children's TV character. Throughout these scenes showing good times, it turns to shots of Brandon Flowers singing at a traffic interchange in the middle of the city, ending with the band in a hotel.
How we'll use this in our video;
Again, we'll be taking the idea of showing good times and put them into our own video. Along with this, we'll also be showing clips of the band at various intervals throughout our video.

Human video
Similarly to the 'When you were young video', we see the band perform in another desert location with the name of the band in large light up letters behind them. The video simply shows the band performing in this area with a variety of animals appearing throughout, from tigers to large birds. Portraits which were drawn for the band are also used in the video as they are held over the members' faces at points. The final shot contains the whole band watching the sun set in the desert, of which then went on to be the album's cover.
How we'll use this in our video;
Like from the other videos, we'll be intertwining clips of the band performing through the whole video at various points.

Research Results: Audience

Having sent the questionnaire around, I then had to collect the results together and decided that using pie charts to show the information would be the clearest format to be able to make comparisons between the options available within the questionnaire.

The first question was to determine the questionee's gender so I would be able to get a wider range of results from both males and females to give me an overall set of results with no gender bias.

The next was to find out the age of the questionees

Following this I wanted to see what the most popular genre(s) of music were to see if the song we had chosen would suit the audience.

From this question it was clear that most of the people interviewed have regular involvement with music.

It was also clear from this question that most of the people interviewed listen to music at home via the computer/cd etc.

The results for this question were nearly split evenly between listening on their own and listening both on their own and in groups, but none listened solely in a group.

Clearly from this question, it was clear that most people find out about new music from the internet, with word of mouth information and the TV being second by a long shot.

Again, it is clear that most people have some form of involvement with music videos, as only a minority rarely/never watch them, whilst most of the questionees do at regular times.

This question also has a clear answer, most people like to see some form of narrative within a music video rather than just seeing the band perform, though that was also a large contribution to the results.

It's clear again that most people would like to see the members of the band featured in the video rather than actors. Also with this they prefer to have various locations seen throughout the video with instruments being played by the band at points.

Research Planning: Audience

To find out about who we would be aiming our products at, we first had to create a questionnaire.

What gender are you?
Male
Female

What age range do you fit in?
0-10
11-15
16-20
20-30
30-40
41+

What is your favourite genre of music
Indie
Rock
Pop
Punk
Rap
RnB
Dance
Other

How often do you listen to music?
Every day
Regularly
Often
Rarely
Never

Where do you listen to music most?
At home (computer/cd etc)
At home (TV, radio)
Out and about (iPod, MP3)
Friend/Family’s home
Other

Do you listen to music mostly on your own, or mostly in groups
Yes, on my own (at home, iPod etc)
No, in groups of people (parties, gigs etc)
A bit of both!

Do you share your music taste(s) with people around you?
Yes, all the time
Sometimes
Rarely/Never

How do you find out about new music?
TV
Internet
Word of mouth
Magazines
Other

Who is your favourite band and why?
____________________

Do you watch the music videos that accompany music?
Yes, all the time (on TV, internet etc)
Sometimes
Rarely/Never

What elements of music videos makes you like them most?
Narrative reflecting lyrics
Random narrative
The band performing
A combination of both
Other

Which of these do you like to see in videos (select 2)
Band Members
Actors
Various locations
One main location
Instruments being played

Video Planning: First ideas

Our idea is similar to that of the original video for When You Were Young as it will revolve around a relationship going downwards and flashing back to various points in their life. It will begin with the female in the relationship crying at a graveside after her partner has died. Following this will be a number of flashbacks to good times in their life such as when they first met. Mixed into this will be shots of the band performing the song and it will also return to the woman at the graveside a few times. We will also show shots of when her partner actually died to give a better understanding of the video and to make it link back to the start. At the end of the video, we will go back to the woman crying and then finish with the band performing again.

Band Research

The Killers are a band formed in 2002 in Nevada, of which grew to fame from playing at small venues in Los Vegas, often performing in drag clubs. They were later signed by UK indie label Lizard King, as their popularity continued to grow they were then signed by the US label Island Def Jam.

The band is a four-piece, consisting of;
Brandon Flowers (vocals)
Dave Keuning (guitar)
Mark Stoermer (bass guitar)
Ronnie Vannucci Jr. (drums)

They have produced four albums;
Hot Fuss (2004) - Sold over 7.5 million units, reached #1 in the UK charts
Sams Town (2006) - Sold over 6 million units, reached #1 in the UK charts
Sawdust (2007) - Sold over 1 million units, reached #7 in the UK charts
Day and Age (2008) - Sold over 2.6 million units, and again reached #1 in the UK charts

On top of the successes of their albums, they have also managed to earn a number of top ten singles in the charts, 3 of which have reached number 1 around the world but none in the UK. The band have gone on to win 17 out of 71 awards they have been nominated for, including MTV awards, NME awards, The Grammys and BRIT awards.


They are an Indie band, of which the genre appeared in the 1980s in the US and UK. The term is often used to describe the means of production and distribution of independent underground music. Musicians classified as indie rock are typically signed to independent record labels, rather than major labels, although there are many examples of indie musicians switching to major labels mid-career.

Song Choice

To decide what song we would use for our entire project, we first sat down as a group and discussed what genres of music we each liked, of which revealed most of us like a bit of anything, but one member took a preference to 'indie' music. However, due to the varied music taste amongst most members, we all agreed this would be a good genre to use. We then began to think of bands within this genre and soon settled on The Killers, after listening to a few songs on our iPods we decided that When you were young was the best choice!

The lyrics for this song are shown below;
You sit there in your heartache
Waiting on some beautiful boy to
To save you from your old ways
You play forgiveness
Watch it now
Here he comes

He doesnt look a thing like Jesus
But he talks like a gentleman
Like you imagined
When you were young

Can we climb this mountain
I dont know
Higher now than ever before
I know we can make it if we take it slow
Let's take it easy
Easy now
Watch it go

We're burning down the highway skyline
On the back of a hurricane
That started turning
When you were young
When you were young

And sometimes you close your eyes
And see the place where you used to live
When you were young

They say the devil's water
It ain't so sweet
You dont have to drink right now
But you can dip your feet
Every once in a little while

You sit there in your heartache
Waiting on some beautiful boy to
To save you from your old ways
You play forgiveness
Watch it now
Here he comes

He doesnt look a thing like Jesus
But he talks like a gentleman
Like you imagined
When you were young
(talks like a gentleman)
(like you imagined)
When you were young

I said he doesnt look a thing like Jesus
He doesnt look a thing like Jesus
But more than you'll ever know

Introduction

For our A2 Media Coursework we were put into groups of 4 asked to make a music video and media pack to accompany this. The two were to coincide with each other, the video being the main focus but also linking into the media pack which would consist of a digipack and a magazine advert for the cd.

The video was to last a minimum of 3 minutes and the accompanying items had no fixed specifications, though we wanted to find out about the conventions of these so we had a better understanding of them and in turn our products would have been of a better quality!