Initial Idea two

Blue Lights - Jorja Smith

My second initial idea that my group and I could consider creating for a music video is ‘Bright Lights’ by a solo artist ‘Jorja Smith’ in 2016. 

Jorja Smith is a highly talented impressive solo artist who is known for her singing and songwriting. Smith, 18 years old is a newcomer from Walsal and is still trying to get her name well known. However, the newly found artist has already reached 983 thousand listens on her soundcloud and has had support tweets from Stormzy, Elf Kid and Skrillex.

Smith started singing at a very young age and from then she realised she wanted to pursue her career in singing. Jorja is a unique and indie individual, therefore when I researched information about her and interesting facts it was difficult to find. This makes it harder for myself to grow a connection with the artist, however I will continue to assume assumptions. Following Negus’ theory, I understand Jorja fell in love with music and singing at a very young age, allowing the audience to consider her as an organic act, however, she stars in all her album covers which makes us think whether she could show signs of being a synthetic act. The 18 year old shares similar vocal tones as Alessia Cara, a well-known solo artist. 

The song Blue Lights is a debut single, which is a successfully written and communicated song, showing thoughtful, emotional, clever and considerate behaviour. The song is about learning the culture of challenging endless boredom and rules, although this subject has been heard and covered lots of times previously; Smith’s own version is different and stands out. Therefore, I want my music video for this song to simple, thoughtful, reasonably slow and very effective to represent the meanings of her song. I chose to consider Bright Lights as a possible initial idea as not many people know it and shows some very unique sounds.

Music Video

My potential ideas I have in mind for my music video are for the video to be performance based, to be visually seen and to follow creative strands throughout. For instance, the video will mainly focus on aspects of lights, darks and shadows, this will allow me to experiment with light and also to use light as a vehicle to represent the narrative being sung. For example, ‘I wanna turn those blue lights into strobe lights.’

My video will be mainly set in the studio and will use the interest of mainly lights. For example, for the first element of my video, I aim to have a unique, attractive looking girl centered in an empty, cold setting. Sets of cracked floorboards and destroyed walls will surround her. The room in which she’ll be positioned in will be a square confined room, making her feel more enclosed and making the song more meaningful and direct. The girl will be singing the lyrics throughout the song, however, she will be acting towards the camera following the performance based style and echoing the emotional, thoughtful and moving vibe throughout.

As I understand, it is crucial to have different elements and aspects happening in a music video, therefore I want to also show another main set. For example, for my second element, I intend to have a male individual dancing in a non-naturalistic way, almost looking unreal by allowing his actions and movements to be heightened. For instance, the video ‘Chandelier’ and ‘Elastic Heart” by artist Sia, in 2014 captures this correctly. 

However, I don’t want my video to follow cliché elements of dancing so therefore I wish for it to be heightened and confusing. For example, I want the dance to be located in a yellow or orange painted room as I feel by using heightened colours; it would also compliment my dancers quirky, confident style. However, I also like the idea of having a plain white wall, as it won’t clash with the dancer. Amongst the walls, I will have a big open cage with lights hanging on it and a plain chair in the set, in which the male dancer will work with by incorporating it into his dance by either climbing, hanging, swinging, throwing and more.

As the song repeatedly returns to its lyrics of ‘blue lights, strobe lights’ etc, I wanted to actually include lights into my video. For instance, having strobe lights flashing and blue lights fading in and out, it will further build the emotional sense of atmosphere and add another creative element to it. By including lights it will also show a shared link and relation between both scenes happening. For instance, lights appearing whilst the girls singing and lights presented during the dance.

To further my idea, I like and appreciate the use of a projector. For example, whilst the girls singing in the studio, I feel sometimes she could feel lost or viewers could find the scene being tiresome or repetitive, so I felt a projection would help. The projection could be of either blue-circled lights or strobe lined lights reflecting on her face or her clothes to add some interesting aspects.

I also feel editing will play a big role in this as I think aspects of the video should be slow down to exaggerate and enhance elements of the dance or her facial performing reactions as the song is fairly steady and slow. However, I feel the editing should be cut together creating quick and sudden changes between the girl singing and the dancer as the lights will give this aesthetically appropriate and will generally link the video successfully together, allowing each element to compliment, blend and balance with one another.  

The costumes used in this music video will be fairly simple, for instance, for the girl in the studio, I wish for her to wear a silver dress and have her hair up in two buns. I also want her to wear dark sparkly lipstick and glitter on her face representing her individual, original era look. However, in juxtaposition to this, I intend for the male to simply wear white shorts and a white top with no shoes. During the video he might remove his top to show his pureness but aggressive defenseless self in the cage.

Quantity	Prop	Scene
1	Microphone	Studio
1	Projector	Studio
1	Cage	Dance
1	Chair	Dance
3	Sets of fairy lights	Dance
1	Smoke machine	Studio/Dance
4	Sets of lights	Studio/Dance

Initial Idea one

Heaven - Amber Run

My primary idea for a music video that my group and I could possibly consider is the effective and successfully created song, ‘Heaven’ established by a smaller band called ‘Amber Run’ in 2013.

Amber Run is a British founded band from Nottingham, including five young and talented males. The band have successfully released one album and also three EP’s during their journey. The highly celebratory label, RCA Records signed the boys, clearly appreciating their love for the genres indie pop, rock and alternative rock. The band are an organic act as their star image isn’t presented on any of their album covers, showing the band are more interested and care more about their music then their image. The band also shows similarity to the successful artists ‘Mumford & Sons’ due to Amber Run’s tilt in direction of folk pop. From completing research into the band, I find it very interesting and important to widen my knowledge of Amber Run and build more of a connection between them and myself.

Music Video 
For my take on the music video, my concept will be a visualised, creative and performance-based. For example, it will be centered around a group of youthful young individuals simply hanging about and aimlessly swinging on swings, hop scotching one foot to the other, jumping over ropes and brainlessly playing bat and ball. This would be located in an open, urban and deserted playground. The light will fall into a haze and will hopefully be developed into a warm setting of ray’s of sunlight on a cold murky morning. 

During this narrative, the boy’s intention is to subjectively hang out with their friends, socially aiming to have fun in a playground. I intend to use various different shots to capture the images I have in mind. For example, I will use extreme long shots or aerial shots to follow and establish the setting and scene. I also wish to use long shots, mid long shots, close ups, extreme close ups, over the shoulder shots and many more during the scene to grasp all the entertaining events happening. I think these shots and scenes would allow for fantastic, effective and great visuals.

The boys will consistently play around with the equipment provided at the playground but some of the boys are carrying rucksacks with colour filled balloons inside the bags. As the boys continue to play, they become more excited and friendly with one another and this leads to the boys getting the coloured balloons out. The young males will start playing with the balloons and then one will throw one of the balloons at the bat and it will burst the colour and excitement. The coloured balloon is almost the climax of the whole playground scene. This will add a sense of colour and engaging visuals will be produced. So therefore, when louder more increased sounds are developed in the song, the movement will echo this and also get bigger and develop, to fit successfully with the music.

As I am aware for a successful, creative, engaging and aesthetically pleasing video I should include three different elements to be video. For instance, the playground and people surrounding it but also for this particular song the idea of a band singing and playing directly to the camera. 

For instance, I will have five individuals taking the roles of each instrument, such as, using guitars, bass, piano and vocals to mime the songs sounds. Essentially as there are lots of various chords and keys used throughout the song, the instruments will act as a vehicle to represent this through close up shots and extreme close up shots of individuals playing.


So therefore, there will be two major sets for the video. For example, the performance space for the band, which will be located in the studio. Lights will play a big role in the studio with the band and I will enhance the use of shadows and appreciate playing around with lighting throughout. For instance, the idea of using chiaroscuro lighting will fit in with this. The set will be very simplistic, including a brick or dirty wall behind them, as I wish to concentrate on the instruments and sounds made from the band. The other major set is the lively, exciting and uplifting playground, which will contrast and cut well with the minimalistic and simple studio band set.

Throughout the music video, I will constantly cut between the band playing and the individuals gathering around in the playground. I will also begin to cut between close ups of fingers on instruments, for instance in between strings of a guitar or a mouth by a microphone. I will cut this with close ups and extreme close up shots of the equipment at the playground, for instance ropes dropping, swings swinging and feet scotching.

The mise-en-scene of the video will be highly concentrated on to achieve the correct and successfully portrayed creative effects I am trying to achieve. For instance, the costumes for the band will be fairly dark and simple, including basic tees and jeans, to fit with the rock genre and style of the band; but, have some alternative twists to their outfit for example, either having very colourful query and unique shoes, rings or glasses. Also, the male individuals at the playground will be wearing basic colours as well so there costumes do not clash with the powerful colours of the balloons being thrown. For instance, they will wear similar clothes to the band but add more colour. I intend to put some glitter on the faces of both the band and the playground young individuals. This will therefore show a link between both individuals in the band and in the playground.

Quantity	Prop	Scene
1	Guitar	Studio
1	Base guitar	Studio
1	Microphone	Studio
1	Keyboard/piano	Studio
3	Backpack	Playground
2	Skipping rope	Playground
5	Colour filled balloons	Playground
2	Bat and ball	Playground

As the song is already filled with many different echoes and masses of elements already, I want the music video to be straightforward and clear to balance the sounds and movement out. Amber Run is also an organic act, following Negus’ theory and therefore the star image of the band is suitably succeeded. Similarly, as the genre of the band is indie pop the individuals uniquely playing in the playground fits this and the rock elements of the band echo these elements perfectly.