1—4: Descriptions of final assignment
options / criteria
5: Stop motion notes
6: Music video analysis tips
IMPORTANT DATES:
é TUESDAY, MAY 10 –stop motion viewing assignment due (chart & videos on my website)
é THURSDAY, MAY 12 –music video viewing assignment due (chart & videos on my website)
é FRIDAY, MAY 13 – Treatments due!
é TUESDAY, MAY 17 – Objective Final (covering mostly news/design units, but earlier as well)
é WEDNESDAY, MAY 18 – “final” video projects due (stop motion / music vid in-class)
é WEDNESDAY, MAY 23 – non-seniors-- must be finished shooting (or at least have started) for editing
IMPORTANT NOTES:
§ Everybody will edit AT SCHOOL
§ You WILL NOT be in your movie for anything more than a cameo (very small part).
§ You will have 5.5—6.5 days to edit in class – you may come in during free periods if you let me know ahead of time
§ Proper care of cameras will be very important this time
now is your chance to be the next director of Beiber, Miley, or Kanye. You will analyze music videos for their design aspects, and then you will put some of the techniques you discussed to your own use. Think about what types of design, music synchronization, themes, editing, etc. you liked most and try to incorporate them into your own creative video. You are encouraged to use original music, such as a friend’s band, etc., but you may also use popular music as long as your video is relevant to the music (see below).
This project is worth 100 points -- You will be graded on the following criteria:
Design: Try to be creative and think differently here… music video is one of the few areas where being completely different is appreciated! Pay attention to the concepts of videos we’ll study…
o Think simple, but interesting, such as the Depeche Mode video: “Enjoy the Silence”, or the Death Cab For Cutie video for “I’ll Follow You Into the Dark.” Both have recognizable stories.
o Or, think more complex, such as the Go! Team video for “Grip Like a Vice”, (with tons of fast animation / abstract images), hurried pacing.
Þ 25 POINTS
Relevance to the music: just as you determined what you appreciate most in music videos, make sure you either have a good amount of:
o lip-synching
o instrument-synching
o edits that are based on the rhythm (drum beats, loud chords, etc.), or:
o shots that seem to reflect the story or themes presented in the lyrics.
Þ 25 POINTS
Editing: your video should contain most of the following:
o advanced editing techniques
o faster, tighter editing
o stop-motion animation
o a lack of shots that feel out of place or that could have been cut sooner.
o Some experimentation with repetition of clips, variations in clip speeds, graphics, etc.
Þ 25 POINTS
Cinematography: your video should have:
o Good shot composition (use the rule of thirds)
o A conscious use of different lighting techniques.
o a variety of angles.
o Attention to color, contrast, saturation.
Þ 25 POINTS
This assignment is to compose a VIDEO DIARY. That means your thoughts and feelings should be reflected through words AND images in any personal or poetic way you like. You may want to consider the following prompts to get your ideas flowing: explain your theories, describe something weird you noticed, something you regret, why you got angry with someone, ideas on relationships, what it’s like to be you, a day in your life, etc. Use these as a basis for creating a visual diary entry in any style that you like: happy, funny, sad, serious, abstract, poetic, strange, etc. Use the examples we watch as a basis for brainstorming ideas.
The DOCUMENTARY option requires you to look at an issue, an idea, an event, or a person in great depth. Use techniques like stand-ups, voiceovers, b-roll, walk and talks, and most importantly: interviews, to tell your story in a sophisticated and visually interesting way.
Your video should include various techniques such as: voiceover narration, abstract images, on-screen text, a sophisticated use of sound effects and / or music, and clever editing. The final product will be worth 100 points and will be graded on the following criteria:
1. CONCEPT
Demonstrates a strong and creative theme that ties together all images, graphics, and audio. 20 POINTS
2. DESIGN
There is a conscious use of color, contrast, saturation, varied shots, and text. All are used imaginatively and in keeping with the established language of the video. 20 POINTS
3. CINEMATOGRAPHY
Original footage should be shot to support the concept and approach to the project. It is well composed, well lit, and visually interesting to experience. 20 POINTS
4. SOUND (or) INTERVIEWS
Natural sound is clear and understandable; it supports what the viewer is seeing. If a voice-over is used, it is clear and understandable. Sound effects and original sound track is a plus. Interviews are interesting, both visually and intellectually, open-ended questions are used.
20 POINTS
5. EDITING / STOP MOTION
Editing is tight and technically well done. There are no shots or scenes that are unnecessary in the movie. There is a nice variety of camera angles and shots. The use of still pictures and transitions are in keeping with the language of the movie. There is a stop-motion animation sequence of at least 10 seconds. 20 POINTS
THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND
Þ Though helping each other is encouraged, everyone is responsible for his or her own video.
Þ Just like music videos, take advantage of the freedom you have – almost any theme or idea can be
great if you put enough thought and hard work into it.
Now that are experts with the basics of single camera production writing, storyboarding, shooting, and editing, it is time to put all of these skills to work… again! What you choose as your subject matter or scene is up to you (though, it must be narrative / scripted in some sense; even movies with no dialogue are scripted). Your finished scene(s) should be between 2-5 minutes long when edited. There will be a greater emphasis placed on criteria like DESIGN and AUDIO this time, which is why you will not have any dialogue. Please see grading below:
Grading:
ª CINEMATOGRAPHY
o Emphasis on variety of shots
o Shots are controlled and composed well
o Each shot tells a story
o All shots have a distinct purpose
ª EDITING, including
o L-cutting is used
o No unnecessarily long shots are used
o Cutaways cover up jumpcuts, unless they are used stylistically
o Advanced editing techniques—crosscutting, montage, etc.
ª AUDIO:
o Audio is clear and useful—sound effects and music.
o There are no abrupt switches to bad audio or distracting background noise
o Audio is crossfaded between takes
o Music and sound effects are used effectively and not distractingly
ª DESIGN:
o Conscious attention is paid to lighting, contrast, colors, saturation
o Text, titles, and graphics are used creatively to add to the scene
o STOP MOTION IS USED, adding to the story without distracting viewers
TOTAL: 100 POINTS
Stop-Motion Animation Fun!
1) What is Stop motion animation?
2) Some tips for shooting good stop-motion:
a)
b)
c)
d)
What is an armature?
Music Video Analysis
For the next few days you are going to spend time analyzing various types of music videos. You will need to think deeply and examine directors’ thought processes used in designing unique videos. My hope is that you’ll become more focused on the various ways that you can be creative, yet still relevant to the song, and this will inspire you to be as innovative as possible in designing your own music video. There are several ways that I want you to begin thinking about categorizing music videos. Use the following criteria to analyze the videos I assign you, and decide which you think are most effective and which you’d like to use when designing your own video:
« EDITING
o Pacing – are shots very quickly edited or are shots intentionally long and drawn out? How does this reflect the mood of the song?
o Rhythm—are cuts / edits synched to beats or chords, etc.? Is a pattern being created with edits?
« RELEVANCE to the MUSIC
o Lip-synching—the audio matches the singer’s lips for most of the video; often just a band playing their song start to finish with other shots thrown in.
o Beat-synching – if you know even a decent amount about music you’ll be able to tell when shots are edited to beats: snare drum, cymbals, bass drums, chord changes, etc.
o Literal – do the clips in the video follow what the singing is about? Sometimes video directors and designers do this to a fault. Some of the cheesiest videos are sometimes considered to be those that reflect the lyrics line by line in the video (think: 80’s music!).
o Mood / tone – the overall look and feel of the video reflects the feel of the lyrics. Some obvious examples might be:
§ Happy – might feature bright colors, hazy filters, lots of moving shots / actors
§ Sad – dark colors, low light, slow shots, high angles of people, high contrast
§ Scary – high contrast, low light, flashes, extreme close-ups
§ Mysterious – blurs, flashes, indistinguishable figures, shadows, silhouettes, etc.
§
« CONCEPT / DESIGN
o Abstract concept? – Is the goal of the video to be different and impressionable? (remember, music videos have a lot more freedom to be bizarre, abstract, and nonsensical). For example:
§ A single, complicated shot for the whole song.
§ Shots with highly complex choreography (people moving in interesting ways)
§ Unique uses of technology, projected video, animation, lights, lasers, etc.
§ Reflections, blurs, cheap props, choreography, projected video
o Animation—Is 3-D, stop-motion, or cartoon animation used? Why?
o Cheap aesthetic—Is it “intentionally bad” or cheap looking for some reason? (think: South Park)
« CINEMATOGRAPHY (FILMING)
o What kinds of shots are used? Why are they used? Some examples:
§ Are there lots of wide shots of people to reflect the loneliness of the lyrics?
§ Are there close ups to show what a singer or character is thinking?
§ Are there quick, complex motion shots to reflect the fast rhythm of the song?
o How are light, shadows, colors, reflections, movement used?
§ Is it dark and dreary to reflect sadness and isolation?
§ Is it bright, colorful, oversaturated, high contrast?
o