Music Video

Evaluation:

After creating the song "Falls In", I had some friends listen to it for feedback, everyone who listened said that they pictured a slow-motion fight between loved ones or fog over an ocean. This gave me the idea to use my song and create this music video. It internally started off as an idea of a couple getting into arguments and breaking up and showing the aftermath of a break up from the males perspective. During the time of gathering ideas, there was news of men committing suicide and going through depression without seeking help or feeling like they could talk to someone as they had to perform their "masculine" traits. This gave me the idea to make my music video into a male suicide and depression awareness music video.

During the filming process, we found it difficult to film shots the way we envisioned due to our budget, small spaces to work with, the weather and the amount of time we had left to film and edit. However, I am pleased with the cinematography overall but feel like we didn't have enough footage or different camera angles of the same scenes to keep the music video interesting with enough cuts as the music video feels more like a short film than an actual music video. I feel as leaving the colour blue in the present day shots and making the flashbacks in full colour helped to both set the mood of the times and how the character feels as well as differentiate between present day and the past. During editing, I also added in a glitch effect to making the video feel distorted as it would be inside the mind of someone with a mental illness such as depression. I also tried to keep the cuts as high as I could with the use of foreshadowing by quickly cutting to scenes seen ahead in the music video whilst the glitch effect happened.

One main challenge we found in a group was editing the footage to fit the entire length of the song (5:24) without using the same footage too many times and without cutting the song down. I managed this by using the same footage where it was appropriate in foreshadowing or flashbacks, I also reversed the entire music video towards the end of the song to rewind the viewer all the way back to the beginning to remind them where it all started as well as an extra "your life flashes before your eyes". At the end of the video whilst the music dies down, I also added in some facts about male suicide I found from "the Samaritans" website about male suicide rates and asked people to seek help if they're fighting the same battle of depression as well as reminding the viewers that "it's ok not to be ok" which I feel is an important ending to the music video reminding the viewers that they don't have to perform masculinity and it's ok to seek help when they need it.

I'm extremely happy with the feedback I've gotten from my music video. Friends and family have said they're amazed by it, people complimenting me on how deep it is, how it's a message that needs to be sent out there, sharing it on Facebook asking people to watch it, comments left on the video on YouTube and Facebook saying that "it hit them in the feels" and "the production is beautiful".                      

Locations

My house, private area, will be able to film without interruptions with good lighting too. Open spaces with big rooms, less chances of injury

Galley Common bridge on the dark track, relatively clear from people, very muddy, chances of injury due to slipping in the mud, rocks sticking out of the mud (could trip), glass, branches, falling from the bridge/high up.

Devils Drop bridge in Bedworth, alternative to the Galley Common Bridge, less clear from people than Galley Common, very muddy, chances of injury due to slipping in the mud, rocks sticking out of the mud (could trip), glass, branches, falling from the bridge/high up.

Meg's house, alternative to my house, private area, will be able to film without interruptions with good lighting too. Open spaces with big rooms, less chances of injury

Contingency Plan

Green Screen:
Use a bed sheet as a blue screen
Only use a close up - makes it easier to look realistic
Find a new way to end the music video - make it more suggestive

Bridge Location:
Two separate locations, one in Galley Common and one in Bedworth/Coventry
Or find a new way to end the music video - make it more suggestive

Weather Conditions:
A little bit of rain/cloudy will help set the mood, lighting doesn't have to be the best as inside we'll use artificial lighting and outside shots will be in black and white

Health and Safety:
Try to be as safe as possible to prevent injuries
if serious injuries do occur, call an ambulance, take them to a safer location and treat the injuries if possible.

Hardware:
Make sure all cameras and lights keep dry and full charged before shooting
Have spare batteries and SD cards ready

Scheduling: 
Have extra days for recording certain scenes just incase people have to go earlier than they're needed for or the shots didn't go to plan

Props:
Don't smoke all of my cigarettes before hand
Make sure we have spare bowls/plates - break them safely, pick up any bits of broken bowls to prevent cuts and scrapes.