Editing Process

For the editing of our music video we decided to use Final Cut Pro as it was available to us and we picked it up quiet easily. The shots were relatively easy to edit and to manipulate if needed.
We chose Final Cut Pro over the like of Adobe Premier Pro CS4 as Final Cut Pro is the now industry standard and we wanted to use the best we could.
We used a lot of fades around the chorus to bring a clear distinction between the narrative and the performance shots. We feel this worked well and allowed us more freedom to change shots around as long as we kept the link the same (the fade).
We used some slow motion when needed as well as speeding scene's up but it was done in an unnoticeable way to allow for the viewer to become immersed in the video.
We left the ending with a straight cut but gunshot to allow a sense of enigma to be creating within the viewer and to send a shiver down their spine.

Editor: Matthew Flynn
Assistant Editor: Matthew Doel

Words: Matthew Flynn

Digipak Response

Marilyn Parlett's opinion on the front cover:
"i really like the blue swirl going round Matthew, it makes him stand out from everything else. The red font is bold and in your face too"







Laura Smart's opinion on the right handside insert:
"i love the positioning of the character and the light shining on his face"









Stephen Roe's opinion on the back cover:
"Although the design and colours are relatively simple i think it works really well. I would use a different font personally though as it isnt identical to the same sort of italics on the front cover"

Interview 2

Broxton Williams

1. What did you understand from the video?
I understood that this guy has got some serious problems in his life and drinking himself silly. It's not right someone drinking that much and maybe this video is a good thing to highlight this issue.

2. Did you feel the concept of alcoholism was portrayed well?
Yeah the concept of alcoholism was portrayed well but maybe a bit too much.
3. Did you understand the link between the lyrics and the mise-en-scene/props?
Yeah I did see the link how he eventually had enough of the drink and decided to grab for the gun to end his misery.

4. Was there any shots that stood out and grabbed your attention?
A shot which grabbed my attention was when it was really close up to him and he moved the bottle and the cross became very clear. I liked that.

5. What could have improved the video?
I think this video could have been improved by using more shots and show more of why this guy is so sad and drunk.

Interview 1

Patricia Alves

1. What did you understand from the video?
I understand from the video that the man is a very troubled individual and I felt sorry for him. As a Christian myself I could relate to cross that he was holding while he was drinking. It made me think while he was looking at the ring and continuing to drink that religion was all he had. I felt the bottle's of alcohol represented the Devil and hell.

2. Did you feel the concept of alcoholism was portrayed well?
I felt the alcoholism was portrayed very well as it was clear he was intoxicated and did not have full control of himself. The alcohol also led to the end scene where he puts the gun in his mouth, a sober person would not do that.

3. Did you understand the link between the lyrics and the mise-en-scene/props?
Yes I did, when I saw the lighting change to blue and Matthew look up I knew it was about heaven without even hearing the lyrics, and of course looking down and the lighting change to red was about hell.

4. Was there any shots that stood out and grabbed your attention?
Probably the best shot was the ending shot, the emotion in his face was so real, he looked so scared. I gave me the chills at the end made me think about what alcohol and being emotionally unstable can really do to you.

5. What could have improved the video?
I feel better lighting in the performance shots would have been better as well so that the performance could be more impacting. Also more settings to allow for a bigger story to be told and maybe more characters. But I liked it, made me think to never resort to alcohol if I have a problem.

Script Development

General Script and shots needed for Losing My Way video:

• Start of video - close up of bottles on table and artist in background on the floor both out of focus.

• Bottles and artist come into focus as artist picks up drink.

• Performance shots run throughout the video until beginning to reach the climax where artist walks away from microphone. Eventually microphone fades to black. Lights go blue and artist appear to pray when reference to heaven in chorus. Lights go red and artist appear to be stressed when reference to hell.

• Shots of artist drinking throughout the music video.

• Close-ups of bottles, picture frame, the ring, and the gun.

• Towards end of video Extreme close up of gun and picture frame.

• POV (Point of view) shot of artist lying on floor – look at picture.

• High angle blurred shot looking at artist.

• Shot scrolling the artist’s body.

• POV look to gun.

• Argument with friends leading to physical contact and eventually artist pushing friends out and shutting the door on them. POV shot of one of the friends.
  

• End of video - Camera following artist’s hand to picking up the gun and putting it in mouth and cutting to black.

This was our general guidelines for our music video, there was some improvisation while we were shooting but these were the key shots we made sure to include in the video.

The settings needed were A studio with a lot of black for a simple performance background and a household situation for the narrative.

The props needed were alcoholic bottles with liquid inside, a ring, a picture with a boy and girl inside, a replica gun, Smart clothes and a tie and waistcoat for performance and smart clothes which have been roughed up minus with no waistcoat and a different tie for the narrative.

Losing my way - script development

Here is an image of my original notes of shots needed for out video of Losing my way:

As you can see there are shots that have ticks indicating when we were filming which ones we were actually using.

Even till when I was into the editing process I still had these notes referring to the original idea. Obviously these notes were not followed word for word but served as a good guideline for filming and for editing.

Similar text analysis - Usher - Burn

Usher – Burn

Unlike most songs this is a combination of R'n'B and Ballad, this is indicated through the musical instruments and beat that is used. The lyrics of Burn are about a break-up, how Usher is in love but isn't happy in the relationship he’s in. Usher proceeds to end it with the female character but almost immediately realises he wants her back. Reading the lyrics it is not clear if the song will fast or slow. In each verse there is and each chorus, there is the word 'Burn'. There is a clear comparison between the song name and the lyrics throughout the song. It is a clever way to make the listener remember the song name even when the song has finished. The song could well be the inner thoughts of Usher.

This music video commences by showing a close up shot of the Usher’s eyes then panning and cutting to the woman’s eyes who he is talking to. For the duration of this component of the song, he is speaking the intro rather than singing it. This shows Usher is talking to the girl from his point of view.This is done to create a link with the lady blinking so it’s clear for the audience to know Usher is talking to her. Medium shots are used of Usher at the start of the music video. When a significant sentence in the song comes up there is a shot that is relevant to the words being spoken. Usher is beginning to carry out a narrative within this music video.

The word Burn, is the main focus of this video and it is seen when there is a close-up shot of his eyes where there is an apparent flame in them. This is further illustrated in many other shots such the long shot where he is standing next to the car and the trees are on fire. This shows how Usher looks back on what his ex girl-friend and him use to do. When he is doing the narrative it always cuts to Usher singing after. A lot of see extreme close-up shots of his mouth are shown throughout the video to highlight the emotions he is feeling. The editing technique of ‘fades’ are used all the way through the music video and these work because the viewers know when their watching the narrative and when they are watching the performance. The video then ends on a panning shot of Usher looking towards the floor in a medium as if the penultimate part of the song highlighting his anguishes suggesting what will he do with his problem.

The use of clothes and props in this video is carried out well as if to highlight emotions and messages within the video. Usher begins the video in a casual black and red jumper in the narrative part of the video where he talks rather than sings. This is to show the relaxed environment he is situated in. He then wears jeans with a white jacket and a white top and this is to show this is no longer the narrative anymore. The love interest in the video appears to be in a bikini which shows deep connotations of sexuality and instantly the audience can assume Usher was intimate with her. Usher is featured in a black jacket and jeans, black being a colour of sorrow so therefore these clothes could indicate he misses her deeply. Usher stays in this outfit throughout the video at this point but adds a cap towards the end. This is done to show he wants to hide his feelings away by putting a cap on to cover it all up.

Usher shows that there is deeper music within R & b and hip hop then the generic media would let you believe. He shows you can bring a story to the forefront rather than a dancer’s behind to grab the viewer’s attention and entice them into a music video.