Using Carol Vernallis' Theories

The theorist Carol Vernallis is most well known for her music video based theory. The four concepts of her works are focused on narrative, editing, camera movement and framing.

Narrative
Vernallis suggests that the video is a visual response the narrative, meaning whatever is happening on screen reflects the lyrics of the song. This is one of the aspects of Vernallis' theory that we based the music video around. The story in the song is of a couple who have broken up and want to get back together, seen in the lyrics 'sometimes I still need you'. The VHS narrative reflects these lyrics, showing how their relationship breaks down over the course of the video.

Editing
Vernallis states that a music video generally breaks the conventions of continuity editing. The editing should reflect that of the music, and should have a style unique to the track. This is noticeable in the NTLS - Heart Skipped a Beat track. The editing of the video is either synced to the beats or lyrics in the song, creating a clear link between the two. The video continuously breaks the 30 degree rule, graphic matches and extreme changes in the pace of editing.

Camera Movement and Framing
Establishing shots are one of the key features of a music video Vernallis states, along with close us shots. The style of framing should be distinctive to the video, and extreme shots or master shots are common. We use a number of shots in our NTLS music video, with the basis of our video being an ELS of the duo.

Studio Session 5 - Footage Review

Looking back at the images and footage, we realised that a lot of it was actually really useful for the final project although the majority of it was basically exactly the same as what we had collected on the previous Friday's shoot. We had hoped for more variety in promo shots, which can be seen in the earphone and close up photos of the band, however the images of the duo together look very similar if not in some cases worse than some of the original photos, as for some reason we had trouble with replicating the lighting setup of the previous shoot. Nevertheless it was a good process and exercise to complete, and the shots that we did get will be of great use to the website and photo gallery, so the shoot wasn't a total disaster.

Studio Session 5 - 28th November

This was our last and shortest session so we made sure that we didn't have to do much on this shoot day. After the shoot the week before, we were able to review the footage and see what needed to be done again which was really useful. After planning which shots we set to reshoot, we then started looking at promotional shots for the website and album cover, as we did not have many of these in the new costume. The shoot only lasted an hour and a half, but by the end we had managed to gain some really nice promo shots and also footage for the video as well. All in all it was a successful day.

Here Seb is taking photos for the black on white studio promo series, which we would later go on to edit and upload to the website's gallery. 

Studio Session 4 - Footage Review

After sitting down and looking back at the footage, the majority of shots were to the standard we had wanted and some even better than we had planned. However, even though we thought we had planned all the shots we still managed to miss a few, such as the the MS of the male artist against the black background. It was also quite annoying, although expected, that the shots we had done intuitively did not follow the continuity of the routine of the artists when singing the song, however this was not too much of an issue as continuity in a music video is not necessarily a convention. Some shots were off centre and others slightly out of focus but overall, with the quantity and variation of takes and shots, and also the fact we had one last shoot to correct anything wrong with our shots, we were confident the issues found with the footage would not compromise our project. Below is a short video showing footage from the day of shooting.

The photos taken on this shoot day whilst we though turned out really stylised and professional, as the lighting seemed to make the artists look really contrasting against the black background. Here are a few examples.

Studio Session 4 - 21st November

This was the longest and largest shoot we had to do, and it was really lucky it was the penultimate of all of our available shoots as we were able to make mistakes and learn from them from all previous ones before to make sure this one went as smoothly as possible. We made sure our costume was complete, we knew exactly which shots to get, how to get them looking the best they could and which shots took longest to do. After organising all of this, we managed to complete and collect all footage and promo shots we had intended for, and a few extra for good measure, making it a really productive shoot overall.

Studio Session 3 - Footage Review

Overall, the group really liked the black shots and so we thought that we would continue with the idea and get a larger collection ready for the edit. On top of this, we managed to get some really nice promotional photos for the website in between setups, which was a bonus. We noticed however that the black background did not extend to the floor however, so we decided to replicate all shots we had organised for the white background but only those above the waist of the artists, as to avoid including the floor in the shot.

Below are some example of some of the footage and photos we managed to take on the day:

Ungraded, the footage was quite dark, but we thought that the accessories the artists were wearing contrasted well with the black background and make the band image alternative and unique which was exactly what we were going for. 

Studio Session 3 - 20th November

After reviewing the studio session footage from the 13th of November, the group came to the decision that the studio shots were very boring collectively, even with the various shot changes we had planned for to entertain the viewer throughout these scenes. As a solution we thought we could switch up the visuals, especially seeing as we had not taking full advantage of the drum beats in the song after looking into music video theory, namely Carol Varnallys'.

We would use the black cyclorama background and then wear an all white costume, and although we could not find a direct reference for the visuals, we predicted the images produced would be similar to Hotchip's video for Ready For The Floor, which uses a lot of contrasting colours to make a visually striking image.

Due to the fact we had no idea how it would look, and we had no direct references to work with it was very much a risk as to what would work and what wouldn't. In hindsight I think what we could have done better was to put together a small test video using images with inverted colours just to give us an insight into what we were working towards. However we shot the footage and reviewed it the next opportunity we had.

Studio Session 2 - Footage Review

After compiling a rough edit, we were able to see how the real studio footage would compare to the VHS footage for the first time. After doing so the problems were not that the contrast between the two, as we really liked the result, but we thought that the studio costumes were too simple and not at all exciting enough to entertain the audience for the studio parts of the video. However we really liked the VHS effect and how the colours contrasted that of the white studio footage. For next shoot, we will look to make the outfits more interesting with various jewelry or headgear.

Studio Session 2 - 13th November

For this studio session, we organised the shoot so that by the end we had all of the shots of the NTLS band performance and could start to put together all the footage to finalise the studio part of our music video. We organised the group so by the time we were all free to film, everything in the studio had been set up and was ready as to make the most of our limited time in the studio. As we begun to film, we realised that we had overestimated the amount of time each shot was going to take, and finished with about an hour and a half to spare. To make use of this time, we thought that we would try and get a few shots we hadn't planned previously for mare variety, and also get some promo shots done along with shots needed for the album cover.

We took over 100 photos and 3 extra camera angles of the performance. The slideshow is a collection of the unedited photos.

Studio Session 1 - Footage Review

After editing the test/choreography footage together with some already captured VHS footage, we managed to get a feel for how the final video would turn out to be. Using the animatic's edit to the beat of the song as a guide, we used a similar edit style for this test.


Seeing as the only studio shot we have is the LS establishing the studio setting, these shots are quite boring as there is no change in pace or variety of framing. However, we will have a wide selection of camera angles to choose from when we eventually do the shoot in costume. Apart from that minor detail I personally feel the image and look of the shot is very similar to what we were trying to achieve, and seeing as this is only the first footage it is a really good indicator of getting the final product to look professional and to a standard we feel comfortable with. I have also grown to like the black lines brought on by the VHS's 4:3 ratio as it gives a better contrast between the HD and VHS shots and adds to the authenticity of the footage.

Studio Session 1 - 5th November

For the first session in the studio, we put together a plan in order to put together a choreography for the music video. This was our main focus in this session, as seen in the previous post regarding choreography, however we also managed to finalise out lighting setup and scene layout during this time also from the previous technical studio lesson.

Because of the restricted time we had in the studio, we decided not to get into our costume and do the performance in the clothes we were wearing that day, which so happened to be dark colours.

Choreography Rehearsals

The choreography for our video was fairly simple to put together as we had already finalised it after finishing the storyboard and animatic. Using the animatic as a guide, we put together a list with the lyrics in bold and the actions in light type, as the movements of Vivian and myself will be to the rhythm of the music.

With one of our study sessions, we managed to practice the choreography which will eventually in the final music video using the above walk through of the actions.

We used the establishing wide shot as the test but in the music video we will make it so the video cuts between mid and close ups in the final edit. The infinity backdrop also turned out well and in full black costume, we should contrast the white really nicely. The choreography looks how we imagined it though, so there are no issues, other than we maybe need to be more intense and not fidget when sitting still. 

Shoot Board

Putting together the shoot schedules for our group was a difficult task in some cases. With the studio shoot schedule it was relatively easy, as we knew exactly what shots we were doing, and the fact that we were just going to shoot every type of framing we intended to use for the video then cut between them made ordering the shoot board really straight forward.

Using the studio time allocated to our group (Group 5's colour is green) we were able to arrange a shoot schedule for the dates we were using the studio for a long period of time. 

 All the shots were the full length of the track to avoid continuity errors when editing. All props and costumes were the same and so nothing changed all shoot, apart from background and the lighting for some scenes but even they weren't dramatic changes.

The main problems were with creating shoot schedules for the London locations using the VHS camera as the group wanted to retain the authentic look of archive footage by not planning the exact shots. Instead, we included shot influences and decided that we would try and get as many angles and types of framing as possible on the day in order to have a wide variety of choice for the edit.

 There was also the issue of renting out and transporting the equipment, along with train and bus times affecting travel times between locations. The most obvious problem is also the unpredictability of the weather.

Call Sheet

[ Click to enlarge image ]

For each shoot we created a call sheet, which was essentially a master page of when everything was needed for the shoot and what time everyone working on it needed to be there for. It contained information such as the equipment, lighting and costumes for each shot being taken that day. This was based off of the shootboard, which we had completed previously, along with all the other information such as costume and props. 

Studio And Location Shot List

The shot list we designed as a general reference for when planning any detailed shoot boards or call sheets. It contained a shot list of both the shots we needed for the studio and the ones we needed to shoot on VHS, along with the shoot dates for both and where the shoots were situated. 

It was basically a guide to the 4 week shoot period that everyone could relate to, although no detailed information was available, such as timings, which were organised later on. It was good to put it all out on paper, seeing as there were quite a few locations for us to shoot in so a rough plan was needed so that we knew exactly what we needed to do and by when. 

Kit List

For the shoot days and also for just general organisation, we compiled a kit list of all the equipment needed to film the music video. The studio kit was easy to use, although we had to be shown how to use it by the technician as it was quite complicated technically. The on-location filming for the VHS footage was done using an actual VHS camera. This piece of equipment was quite old and we had worries that it would break during the time we were shooting, and so we also bought along another canon HD camera to the set as well. The promo shots were pretty much taken with the same equipment used in the studio.

Lighting And Set Design

Inspired by the music videos for Talana's 'Gemini' and AlunaGeroge's 'Just A Touch', during our technical demonstration we tried to replicate some of the lighting from scenes in these videos.

Using the school's studio facilities, the Leap Frog lighting desk and a Canon video recorder, we captured some test footage of our attempts to imitate the lighting layouts.

We went through a few designs, testing whether the subjects looked when best back lit, flooded with light or in a variation of colour combinations. Below are a couple of stills for when we were trying different things.

To give an example of how the footage turned out on camera here is a short video of clips captured during the testing

We decided not to use the coloured lighting for the white backdrop scenes as the infinity effect we were going for was lost because the light weren't bright enough. The black and white scenes however worked really well and so we decided to use them for our backdrops. The only issues with lighting was that Vivian and I had such different skin tones, if we made it too bright I was white washed and if we made it too dark Vivian was too dark although I think our group found a good balance. 

Costume, Hair And Make-up

Studio

Costume
For the studio costumes, we have decided to go with a black and white colour scheme to contrast the black and white studio setups, inspired by the likes of FKA Twigs and AlunaGeorge.

Using their costume as a guideline for how to make plain block colour studio shots look interesting, we designed a quirky and interesting costume that we thought reflected our artist's genre, personality and style. For the male artist, his costume will be a collarless shirt, skinny jeans and Adidas trainers with and necklace for both the black and white setups. For the female artists outfit, she will be wearing a baggy light top, fish net tights, platform shoes and a necklace. Both artist will have face paint across their eyes, either in a solid block line or dots in a pattern (black for the male artist and white for the female artist, to contrast their skin tones). 

 These costumes would be replicated exactly and inverted to white for the white on black scenes

Makeup
As our artists are not really over the top and the song is quite slow paced, we decided that having naturalistic and simple makeup for the artists would be better, also seeing as the costume is unique but not over the top. Luckily one of my friend's parents is a professional make up artist, and so gave me a tutorial as to how to do male makeup for a studio. Also, the makeup artist for the media department's girls shoot came in to tell Vivian how she should alter her makeup for studio lights, although she already had a good knowledge of natural and simplistic makeup. In addition to Vivian's makeup, she will be wearing fake eyelashes, in order for her image to look more interesting.

Hair
For hair, we will be using our own hairstyles altered slightly with gel and hairspray.
                                                                                                                                                                                                       

After shooting in the studio for the first time and reviewing the footage, we decided that the costumes for the artists were way too simplistic for the effect we were going for.

When reevaluating, we ordered some accessories that would make the artist's image more unique and interesting, drawing the audience's attention more.

The final costumes ended up looking like this:

On location
When on location, rather than plan every costume that Louis and Gina wear, we have asked them to wear their normal clothes. The way they dress normally is that of a typical teenager so there are no issues with style, and it's more convenient this way as we don't have rummage through their wardrobes. Here are a few examples of what they have worn on set so far:

Casting

For the casting of roles we were looking for a white male and black female as the band NTLS and a male and female similar to those cast for the NTLS roles. The casting of our video was done with the knowledge that we would have to rely on the person to give up a large amount of their spare time and to be prompt for shoots.

Louis Caldwell

Age: 17

Gender: Male

Height: 6 ft 2"

Role: Boyfriend

Louis was cast as the part of the boyfriend because of he is part of our media group and fits the role really well. He is in a relationship with Gina, the girl cast for the role of the Girlfriend, as we decided that the relationship would look more authentic than actors pretending to be in one.

Gina Corrieri

Age: 18

Gender: Female

Height: 5 ft 6"

Role: Girlfriend

Gina's role as the girlfriend was cast mainly because she is Louis actually girlfriend. She also has experience acting due to studying GCSE drama. Gina is not busy when we are planning to film for the music video and has agreed to the dates we have proposed to film on. 

Vivian Oparah

Age: 17

Gender: Female

Height: 5 ft 8"

Role: NTLS female band member

Vivian is a member of our media group, cast as the role due to her experience with music videos and lip syncing in 'The 1975 - Girls' A2 prelim remake. As she is part of our media group she her availability for shoot days is reliable. 

Joshua Brooks
Age: 17
Gender: Male
Height: 6ft 1"
Role: NTLS male band member

Joshua is an tall, handsome male. He is an astounding actor with prior on screen experience, including his role in 'Quantum', in which he gave an outstanding performance. He is perfect for the role in the band NTLS as he is able to adapt to any part thrown his way. He is a chameleonic actor and a rising British star of 2014.