Website Link

Here is our Hearth And Home website in which we have worked on in order to create a relative theme in conjunction with our narrative:

 http://sunnywithachanceofri.wix.com/hearthandhome

Hearth And Home Evaluation

More Than Conquerors - Hearth And Home

Here is our final project:

Filming More Than Conquerors

We arrived at Conway Mill (our location for filming performance of More Than Conquerors) a day before filming them in order to arrange our desired set, which we were more than happy with when we had everything organised and in place. We used old furniture and situated it around the set in order to make it look like a home, and we used different types of lights in order to create special coloured affects  on the set. We were successful in creating quite a dark feel to the set and this worked well in conjunction with the song and narrative.

We again arrived at Conway Mill the next day, well prepared with our filming equipment in order to film More Than Conqueror's performance of Hearth And Home. They were pleased with the work we put into the set, and they did not choose to change anything about it. We were delighted with their reaction and they were more than happy to let us film them. We were very grateful that they gave up the little free time they have in order to be in our filming. 

The band set all their equipment up and we were eventually ready to film, with our shot sheet by our sides, keeping us on track. We played the track of Hearth And Home a number of times in which they played along to, and we filmed each needed shot successfully, using a wide variety of techniques such as handheld, steadicam, panning and using the tripod etc. We were happy with our wide range of shots when we were finished filming and were confident to begin editing. 

We felt we had a very successful day filming performance, and were ecstatic at how cooperative More Than Conquerors were with us. They were a great band to work with and we were thankful and happy to work with them.

All in all, it was a great day!

Sunny With A Chance Of Riot

We decided to make a joint blog in which we could all contribute our work and research to in order to keep our planning organised and accurate. In this blog we posted details of performance, locations, filming schedules etc which would keep us on track during the filming process. The link to our joint blog is:

http://sunnywithachanceofrio-t.blogspot.co.uk

Using Social Networking Sites To Reach Our Target Audience

We felt that our music video and style/genre of More Than Conqueror's would appeal to a wide range of people, however we felt that our peers would appreciate our video the most. We felt that social networking would be the best and easiest strategy to take when communicating to them about our work, and so we created a Facebook page in which we frequently post aspects of our project on in order to engage our audience and get some feedback on their thoughts of our progress. We also created a twitter account in which More Than Conqueror's immediately followed.

Our Facebook page is:

http://www.facebook.com/A2MediaProjectMoreThanConquerors

Our Twitter account is:

https://twitter.com/ForecastTrouble

Shot List

We created a list of all the shots we need to take in the order they should be taken. We will keep a copy of this list during filming to keep us on track of what we need to do.

Shot Summary:
1. Close up shot of guitar being played.

2. Close up shot of lead singer and microphone.

3. Shot of photograph being ripped and thrown away.

4. Close up shot of lead singer and microphone.

5. Shot of inside home from outside - Convey warmth and bright atmosphere.

6. Close up shot of lead singer and microphone.

7. Throws down ripped up photo and slowly breaks from camera into run. Camera follows at mid height.

8. Running down path - slow motion. (Shot from behind)

9. Foot splashing into puddle - slow motion.

10. Camera follows run (sprinting - slowed down by editing)

11. Mid shot of back up vocals and right guitar.

12. Shot of whole body - face covered. (180 degree rule)

13. Door open with knife wobbling on the step dripping blood.

14. Point Of View shot pushing door aside to reveal hand (showing wedding ring)

15. Person seated at location - fire is the only source of light. (Wide shot)

16. Shot through the fire to distort person - Mid shot.

17. Shot of drummer + see whole drum kit - wide shot.

18. Shot of bass guitarist - Either mid shot/full length.

19. Over the shoulder shot (180 degree rule)

20. Close up of photo - then thrown into fire.

21. Close up of hands and knife covered in blood.

22. Runs away from the fire - wide shot.

23. Left guitar back up vocals - mid shot.

24. Torches/flashlights following him from behind.

25. Flashlights flicker around the character as he runs. (Mid shot)

26. Close up of lead singer and microphone.

27. Character falls over but fades to next flashback.

28. Shot of wife bleeding. (After being stabbed)

29. Tilt up to reveal face as husband in shock of what just happened.

30. Close up of wife’s distraught facial expression - tears.

31. Wife falls over (dead) extending her hand like earlier flashback.

32. Shot of drummer. See full drum kit.

33. Mid shot of right guitarist.

34. Left - shot of bass guitarist. Either mid shot/full shot.

35. Point Of View shot - pushing door aside to reveal a hand. Husband runs out of shot with a knife in hand.

36. Husband runs out of door dropping the knife. Door open with knife wobbling on the step dripping blood.

37. Shot from behind left of character running away from pursuers. Can see torch shine on his back.

38. Shot of character slowing to ledge.

39. Character approaches ledge.

40. Close up - singing in to microphone.

41. Shot of drummer. Whole drum kit in shot.

42. Takes step to ledge, light of torches flickering. Calm demeanour of character.

43. Mid shot of back up vocals.

44. Close up of character - tears running down face.

45. Last flash back - shot from behind. Happier times presented by brighter costume and dusk sun shining.

46. Following the wife as she turns around - Mid shot.

47. Wife runs off as he slows down.

48. Wife beckons him to follow - wide shot makes wife distant.

49. Shot from behind, whole body drops off edge.

50. Close up of guitar being played.

51. Walking off into distance - wide shot to show distance.

More Plans And Ideas For Filming

Performance:

Locations:

• Conway mill
• Catchlight
• Townhouse
• Start together studio
• Blacks path
• Springfield road

Equipment list:

• Camera
• Tripod
• Lights (halogen)
• Clothes and costume
• Props (knife, fake blood, wedding rings, photo)
• Drum kit
• Guitars
• Mic and stand
• Fire
• Bedsheet
• Blu tac/Gaffa tape
• Fog machine
• Amps

Mood:

• Edgy
• Scary
• Serious
• Intense 
• Dark

Techniques/Effects:

• Stop motion
• Time lapse
• Animation
• Chromakey
• Slow/Fast motion
• Extreme close ups
• Angles: Overhead/High/Low/Wide
• Focus: Sharp/Blurred/Bokeh
• Exposure: Under/Over
• Lighting: Projections/Pots/Gels
• Lyrics and other text: Overlaid or made from objects

Plot: Hearth And Home (planning stages)

Plot Synopsis: 
The narrative of the music video is set in the aftermath of a murder in a household. The primary focus of the narrative is the husband who has murdered his wife in their shared home. The narrative is aimed to mirror the songs lyrics in that the main character feels driven from the life he once knew. Throughout the story the character reflects on his past life and the consequences of his actions. These are done in the form of flashbacks. The character throughout feels guilty and regrets what he has done but still wishes to determine his own fate, this is why he runs from whoever pursues him. The fleeing from his actions and from the repercussions drive him to end his own life to rejoin his wife in death. Throughout the narrative of the video, there will be several different shots of the band as they perform in synchronisation with the song. These shots will include multiple close up shots of the band members and also wide shots to include everyone in the frame.

Detailed Plot:

-The story begins in a long narrow path bordered by broken and battered fences, the path is lined with tufts of grass reflecting the wild nature of the area. The sky grows dull with the sun radiating it’s last rays before being extinguished, the clouds weep, drenching the rough gravel creating large puddles dotting around a solitary figure, motionless at the beginning of the path.


-The rain falls on the main character who doesn’t react to it but instead stares at a cherished memory in the form of a photo of the character and his love lost. The scene then changes to a flashback of the characters warm and comfortable home he is now so distant from. As the introduction of the song concludes the hooded and obscured character rips off the section containing him and drops it lifelessly to the rain-soaked ground.


-As the chorus then suddenly begins, the character bursts into a run, striving to escape a mistake unknown to the audience. The camera continues to follow the character, viewing him from the side as to hide his face. Despite his best efforts to escape from what he has done he fails to be rid of the sorrow embedded in him.


-The scene then changes to another memory, distorted and hazed in the characters mind that depicts the scene of the crime shortly after the character, as revealed, has murdered his wife. The door of their home lays a jar but on the step rests a blood soaked knife still shaking as if recently dropped.The camera moves through the doorway to view the horrifying image of the obscured body. Only the lifeless hand is visible from behind a second doorway, the hand is sprayed in blood.

-Away from the flashback the location has now changed to a dark area sheltered at least from the wind. Time has now passed to a point where it is very dark with low visibility, the only source of light and comfort being the fire, providing warmth to the lonely character. The character stays close to the flames to ponder over the remaining strip of photo before throwing it into the fire. he then gets up from the log he was sitting on and runs from the incoming torches hunting him. He sprints with the beams of the flashlights stalking him. Various shots of the pursuit. The character falls over but promptly gets up and continues fleeing.

-Now at current time there is a lengthy pursuit of the husband. The character falls at one point but gets back up to escape his pursuers.

-The shot then cuts to the husband, now out of reach of his pursuers, standing at a ledge overlooking a large drop. Mingled with this is memories of a better time with his wife that mirror how he feel about being separated from his wife. With his love lost and his action catching up with him he falls off the ledge purposely to his death in which he would rejoin his loved one.

Group Prezi

Here is our group Prezi in which we all equally contributed our ideas and research based around More Than Conquerors and our ideas and plans for filming our music video:

Hearth And Home Prezi

Here is a Prezi showing the finalised ideas for our music video for Hearth And Home. This includes our detailed plot, Locations, different techniques/effects we plan to use and the equipment and props we will need:

The Lowly Knights

The Lowly Knights' have been suggested as being of a very high similarity in comparison with More Than Conquerors. From researching them online and coming across some of their songs and videos, I have taken great interest in their work. I really love their style of music and feel they are very original in what they do, and the way in which they do it. 

 I felt that this particular video for The Lowly Knights Song 'You Can Tell A Man By The Way He Moves His Hands' was quite similar to some of More Than Conquerors videos with their use of artwork throughout their videos:

 

Using Final Cut Pro X

Final Cut Pro X was a new video editing software in which I felt I needed to familiarise myself with before I began editing our main music video, and so I looked up a number of Final Cut Pro X tutorials on youtube in order to educate myself the basic editing techniques before I began looking at how I could use different effects and techniques. I found this video very useful in helping me to get started with the software:

 

 I then began looking at other tutorials such as advanced titling, tips and tricks and the multiple effects tutorials. I then came across a green screen/keying tutorial and this inspired me to try the green screen effect and use it on FCPX, our group placed a green screen behind a member of our group and we shot some clips of them doing different things. We also tried to place green paper over our mouths and we were then able to edit a video of another group member's head into the mouth. We also placed green paper over an iPod screen and were able to edit different things on to it, as if the iPod were actually playing the shots which we recorded. Here is the tutorial video:

 

 We then came across an Optical Flow tutorial and were intrigued to try it out also as it is quite an interesting effect. Our group shot a few clips and edited them using this effect:

 

Prezi URL

Here is my Prezi in which I have created in order to share my ideas and influences for our project. I have research a number of artists in which I feel are relevant to our particular genre of music video and are similar to More Than Conquerors. I have also viewed a number of youtube tutorials to help me progress my understanding of how to use Final Cut Pro X in order to enhance the editing process of our  music video:

Media Studies on Prezi

Small Town America

Small Town America is an independent record label based in Derry, Northern Ireland and London, England. They describe themselves as a 'boutique, independent publishing company' that sits alongside their sister record label business. Their aim is to cultivate a self-sustainable business model through which artists can release the best records they can possibly produce. Their artists and writers represent the best in contemporary, left-field, rock, indie pop and folk. 

Their main current bands are Feldberg, Jetplane Landing, LaFaro, More Than Conquerers, Negative Pegasus, Our Krypton Son and Sullivan And gold.

A certain band that caught my eye were 'More Than Conquerors' (www.morethanconquerors.co.uk), initially due to their album artwork, being unusual and quirky, with originality. The artwork forms a big aspect within the production of each band's music, as the album cover alone can represent just who and what they are.  I then became more and more engaged in their music and the band's background and inspirations linked to the music they have produced, and I now class the band as a band I would listen to frequently. The band describe themselves as:

'Dirty, rhythmic guitars under-laden with hard-hitting bass-lines and punchy drums in a catchy way that makes sure the audiences' feet stay nailed to the ground. Amidst all the chaos, the melodic     vocals grip the listeners emotions', with their music genre being hardcore/pop. The band have made themselves known to their audiences via multiple social networking sites, being MySpace, Twitter, Facebook etc. and also own a youtube channel under their name 'morethanconquerorsni, and have a band website morethanconquerors.co.uk. Audiences can listen to their music for free and familiarise themselves with it via the Small Town America website or via their own, and can absorb the band's process through their youtube videos of their ongoing journey and live performances. I have viewed a few if the band's music videos which impressed me first hand, two of my favourite videos are:

When The Well Runs Dry:


A Lion, A Man:



Comparing the two music videos together, it is noticeable that the band has a recurring theme involving the artwork and presentation of the videos. The main one would be the use of lyrical art in sync with the music. I liked this aspect of the music videos as it brought me to learn the lyrics of each song, becoming more familiar with them. I find these aspects within the music videos make them more interesting and original, something different from the typical music videos you would watch with just the band playing on screen the whole time. 
Within the video for 'A Lion, A Man', the video is shot in complete darkness as they use a torch to shine on certain objects or lyrical art. I especially liked how they used art and images to accompany certain lyrics, for example, with one of the lines being 'with his hands', they had the lyrics written in a cut-out shape of a hand. I was especially impressed when i found out this video was shot altogether in one single shot without any editing as the timing is immaculate. I feel that the video has been given a kind of grunge-like edge to it, which is appropriate for the style of the music. The video for 'When The Well Runs Dry', has similarities, although there are multiple contrasts between the two based on editing, lighting, mise en scene, shot types, angles and effects.