A2 Media Studies Coursework Options

Lauren Barrett

General Ideas

Potential Artists:• The Script (RCA, Epic)• Bastille (Virgin, EMI)• Kodaline (RCA, B-

Unique)• The 1975 (Dirty Hit)

Song List:Kodaline – After the FallThe Script – Dead Man WalkingThe Script – Exit WoundsBastille – Laura PalmaBastille – Of The NightEd Sheeran – Autumn LeavesEd Sheeran - Sunburn

Genres:Indie Rock, Alternative Rock, Indie Pop

Audience:16 – 28 : 55% Female, 45% Male• College and Uni students, based in and around

London• Music & concert enthusiasts

I want my video to be mostly narrative based because I think this will allow me to be more creative with the storyline. I am likely to use mostly female actors as opposed to male actors, so I won’t get them to sing along to the

lyrics as I am more likely to use a song with male vocalists. However, because of the potential songs I have chosen, they are all from

bands/artists who play instruments, and to make the video more realistic, I may choose to shoot some individual shots of actors playing guitars and

drums and place short clips of them in between the main storyline.

Along with the music video, I want to create a:• Digipak for the song’s release• A magazine advert for the

digipakI will be able to use basic skills I

learnt in the first year for these two products.

Potential Song 1 – Exit Wounds by The Script (Science and Faith, 2010)

Basic Meaning Research

Potential Song 1 – Exit Wounds by The Script (Science and Faith, 2010) “My hands are cold, my body's numbI'm still in shock, what have you done?My head is pounding, my vision's blurredYour mouth is moving, I don't hear a word”

Video starts with a boy telling his girlfriend that they’re breaking up. Video focuses on the girl’s p.o.v throughout entire video.

• Ripped photos• Slamming doors• Shouting and

screaming.

Middle:•The girl tormenting herself, looking through old photos, sad music etc. Bathroom, taking pills, close-ups of the sink; “I've got all the baggage, drink the pills, Yeah, this is living but without the will, I'm backing out, I'm shutting down, You left a hole when you walked out, yeah…” Gets a text from friends asking her out for drinks.

•In a pub with the girls, having a few drinks to get over the guy. Subtle hint of the band playing in the background of the pub -> cameo of the actual band who performs the song. Girl ‘drunk texts’ the guy, stereotypical comments like ‘it’s your loss etc.’

Upon exiting she finds a picture in her purse and throws it in the river.

Potential Locations:• Bedroom• Bathroom• Pub with a pond/lake

i.e. The Moorhen, Harlow.

• Staging area for the ‘band’.

Characters/Actors:• Girlfriend• Boyfriend• Group of best friends• ‘Band’

Mise-en-scene:• Rustic/slightly darker colours, gloomy• Ripped flowers, ripped pictures• Typical girl’s bedroom.• Autumnal weather: rain, falling leaves, warm knitted

clothes• Shot completely in black and white • Fast-paced shots towards the middle – people

mouthing the words, holding up the lyrics etc.

Similar concept as the video for ‘Nothing’ by The Script

Digipak/magazine advert possible images:• “Exit Wounds” carved into someone’s skin• “Exit Wounds” scribbled on the back of a written photograph• Dark/gothic forestry scenery• Someone standing alone

Potential Song 2 – Dark Horse by Katy Perry (Prism, 2013) Themes:The song is described by critics as dark, sexy and magical.The beat in the music gives the song a really fresh, modern sound which is what I would like to reflect in the music video if I chose to do this song.The central theme of the lyrics is about playing with magic, so key elements such as glitter, dark colours etc would play a big role in the video.

Key lyrics:“So you wanna play with magicBoy, you should know whatcha falling forBaby do you dare to do thisCause I’m coming atcha like a dark horse”

The ‘image’ I would aim to create with actresses.

Audience:16 – 28

Mostly females, but due to the stereotype of the pop

music video, and the nature of the song, but elements of the male gaze would also be

present which would also attract a percentage of male attention (this is due to the

female actresses which I would assume I will include in

the video.)

Mise-en-scene:Shoot in full colour but reduce brightness in editing to give it an ‘edge’ Dark clothes, horses, ‘magic’, bubbles, dark makeupActress walking though a field, all slow and mystical…Purples, black, dark grey etc.

Potential Song 2 – Dark Horse by Katy Perry (Prism, 2013)

For Mise-en-scene take inspiration from Selena Gomez’ video for ‘Come and Get It’ – similar clothes and setting style.

Less of a real ‘plot’ in comparison to first idea - bigger percentage of performance-based footage.

Potential Locations:• Studio for

‘performance’ shots• Fields in and around

Harlow - Passmores Field etc.

• Epping Forest, Epping plain

Digipak/advert ideas:Close-ups on my models/actresses – focussing on the lips, the eyes – dark makeupDark forest scenery, dark, dying flowers, ‘witch-like’ appearance and tone

Potential Song 3 – Autumn Leaves by Ed Sheeran (+, 2011)

A much more serious take on a video – a simpler narrative storyline but with slightly more performance concept than the first idea, but slightly less than the second.

Slow-paced shots, like a casual strollWarm colours, typical wintery/autumnal clothing for actors

Actors leaning against tress strumming the guitar.

Warm, friendly tone – appealing to family relationships

More of a sad/mourning song in comparison to the

first idea.

“Do you ever wonder if the stars shine out for you?Float downLike autumn leavesAnd Hush nowClose your eyes before the sleep”

Potential Locations:• Fields, forests – Harlow/Epping

• Popular London attractions• Tube and train stations

• By the Thames• Hyde Park

I want the tone of this video to be quite nostalgic, playing out the story of some best-friend

‘characters’ reliving their friendship. The actors will actually interact with the audience and the camera,

appearing to reach out and actually film the ‘events’ themselves – just like a normal family made home-

video. Use of a warm filter to give the footage an orangey hue.