This week (holidays week 2)

This week I finally got all the footage together for the narrative shots, and I've spent a lot of today putting them together as a rough cut. It's not ideal, because it'll need color correction and balancing, a little bit of stabilisation, and general tweaking in After Effects, but I won't do any of that till I have the better band shots. This rough cut also leaves room for the shots I don't have access too, of a drummer and vocalist, so the song cuts off a bit earlier than it will in the finished product. All in all, as a rough cut with work needed, I'm happy with it, it can be viewed here.

http://rapidshare.com/files/440021368/My_First_Project.m4v

This week (holidays week 1)

This week I've tried 3 times to shoot the narrative footage, but between the weather and cast members, as well as lack of transport, it's fallen through every time. I did however, using different cast to planned, get some band shots. Although these won't be my final ones I'll be using them in a first cut. They're all taken in front of a green screen, and from here I'll dump them in after effects and find a photo of a location to drop them in. I've also spent time this week on the track I'll be using, and seeking permission to use it, which I will evidence below.

This week

During this last week of term I'm spending less time on the main task, purely because I haven't got footage to work with. I'm using my lesson (there's only one, Mr Dowson is away today and it would be the last lesson of our week) to work on evaluation material. I've been looking at exemplar responses, and the idea of multiple media responses, so video interviews, a directors commentary, screenflow, powerpoints etc. I'm gonna aim to put as many of these different things in my final evaluation as is possible.

Ancillary tasks (complete)

I couldn't film last weekend due to weather and no transport for my cast, so I've had to postpone it again tothis weekend. I chose the chase idea because it will be the more effective looking option. I'mnot sure yet whether to go with 2 people in the chase or one person chasing the same person dressed differently, so he's chasing himself.
As for this weeks lessons, I'm doing an uploading run, and starting evaluation material
Starting with ancillary tasks.
The reason I didn't do this last week was there was a technical fault with Blogger which stopped me uploading images.I'll try again now

 

Worked that time. Here they are, the ancillary tasks

This week

Fate is determined to screw me over. School got called off midday on Wednesday, and all of yesterday, which has hampered me, with all my work being in school. On top of that, it's gonna carry on through the weekend, so I'm 50:50 as to whether I'm gonna be able to film anything for the new idea, which is bad in many many ways. On the plus side, I spent Tuesday finishing both ancillaries, so I'll upload those now.

The new idea

I've got two potential ideas to replace the one I've been working from for the whole of the last 3 months. Neither will fit the ancillary tasks as ideally as the original idea, but with the short notice I have, they're my only options.


Option 1: A slower song, with much more of an emotional connection. I'm not 100% on the narrative for it yet, but it would keep with the metal/rock ideas of the album cover, maybe with some of the war connotations, but the narrative will take a long time to come up with, and quite a while to shoot effectively.

Option 2: A faster, heavier song. This would be half and half between band shots and a narrative of some sort of chase scene, possibly between suited and armed men and a normally dressed person, perhaps in similar clothing to a metal music fan. There would be less of a structured narrative here, but it would keep more with the heavy metal ancillary tasks, although dropping the war connotations. I'll be spending this evening deciding, and sorting a storyboard.

EDIT: I have a finished storyboard, but for some unknown reason Blogger refuses to let me upload any images, and so for now I have no way of uploading them, I'll pass them on to Mr Dowson in the hope thta he can do something with them.

And then everything went wrong

As the title might suggest, thing aren't in the best spots right now. I found out today, roughly 10 days before the first draft hand-in, that the footage i have is unusable because it was shot on my iPhone due to camera difficulties. This leaves me in what you might call a difficult position. I can't get locations, actors or some of the props again, so I need a new idea.

This week

This week was spent on analysing footage, getting some more, and ancillary tasks. I've now basically finished both ancillaries, I just need to add one more photograph to one of them and they're done. Filming is almost done, but I need to re-shoot due to light quality in some shots. I wanted to do that this weekend, but one of my actors is away in the UK, so I couldn't do that. I got some of the band shots, mainly the drumming ones, this week, and I'll get the guitarist ones next weekend when I do the rest of the shooting. This coming week i'll do the uploading run which I've sorely needed to do, and start with the post-production of what footage I have. So hopefully by this time next week I'll have all the uploading done, both ancillaries finished and be some way on the road of post-production, I hope.....

Filming and the next step

I managed to film over the weekend, despite a whole host of issues. Firstly, there was no camera when I went to pick one up. I then got word that there was one i could collect from Mr Dowson, but he wasn't able to meet me until almost dark on Saturday. We tried again to film on Sunday, but got there to realise the camera battery had run out. We ended up having to film the entire thing on my iPhone, which isn't particularly bad quality, but will mean the output format looks odd.

Elsewise, I'm working on photography for my ancillary tasks, I need an image of a rusty metal background texture. I have an idea of where to get the photo from, but can't get up there until the weekend so I'll work around that, doing everything else for the magazine advert until then. The album cover is completely done now, just needing the texture I'll get over the weekend. I'm getting some more footage this week, mostly green screen stuff for band shots, so guitarists and a drummer. It also looks like I may have to re-film a couple of shots due to poor lighting, but that's no big issue. I'll start the editing together of what I have tomorrow.

This week

This week I finalised all of my cast, crew and props for the second attempt at filming, and have been working on my ancillary tasks. I have now finished the album cover and am working on the magazine advert. The After Effects work is also finished and I'll be doing a massive upload run some time next week, because the scanner is finally fixed. FIlming is Saturday and then I can start the editing and everything next week

After Effects tutorials

I spent Fridays lesson, and some more time this weekend, familiarising myself with After Effects, with the overarching end product being an effect I want to use in my finished video. The tutorial which I'm following comes from www.videocopilot.net. I will leave the specific link below. This effect is not identical to the one I want to use, but it is very similar. It should be done by midweek if I have no more software hitches


http://www.videocopilot.net/tutorials/disintegration/

Re-organising filming

I have foudn an alternative location for filming my project, and have arranged another date for shooting the project, next Saturday the 13th November. I have lost a couple of my actors, but may be able to recruit more. For now I am continuing with software training, currently After Effects. I am trying to complete a tutorial from Video Copilot which uses an effect similar to one I want to use for my video. The tutorial is proving very difficult though, and software compatibility and similarity issues are making the job more dificult. I will be getting help from Mr Dowson with this tutorial over coming lessons so that it is complete. Screengrabs and the finished product to follow

Learning about software: Final Cut Pro

As part of the construction and until I can film the video, I will learn some of the software I'll need to use. The first issue will be getting footage off the cameras. The easiest solution for this will be Final Cut Pro, which we will also use for soundtracking. I shot some footage with friends to test both these functions and familiarise myself with then. I didn't finish the project, but i managed to get the sountrack file in, and import all the footage. Screengrabs are shown below.

The issue with shooting

Having just spoken to Mr Dowson I found out I could not get cameras to film my video because Mr Dowson was not in school at the pre-arranged times so I could not get cameras to film with. I'm working on re-scheduling shooting, with actors, props and locations.

Getting footage and photos

This week through half term is the week for shooting the footage and taking pictures for the ancillary tasks. We have also been doing work leading up to now in Final Cut Pro and After Effects to learn some basic skills which I will be demonstrating in the final production and documenting later on.

I had arranged the shooting of the music video for Friday 29th of October, because it was the only date we could get the primary location for. Unfortunately, for currently unknown reasons, I was unable to obtain camera and lighting equipment from Mr Dowson and thus have not been able to do any shhoting for the main task. I have however been able to take several photos for ancillary tasks, which I will put together in the next few weeks

Shooting for the video will have to be rescheduled....

storyboarding and ancillary task drafts

Awaiting scanner availability to upload scanned drawings

These are my drafts and storyboards for all 3 tasks.

Update on planning

Haven't updated the blog since my treatment sheet revision because lessons this week were all about Final Cut Pro and stuff. I've confirmed the locations for shooting as the old pool building and my lounge, for the funeral shots I'm yet to work something out but I'll approach someone this week about the use of a coffin, the graveyard I'll have to talk to Mr Dowson abotu his suggestions.

Actors and props are sorted, I've got as many airsoft rifles as I need, I've got sets of camo gear. Enemy clothing I have loads of pairs of other camoflage trousers and hoodies, and I can source desert scarves from a couple of the actors. Smart clothing the actors can provide and guitars are gonna be provided by the 2 guitarists.

Actors I have myself and a friend of mine as the soldiers, 3 more friends to act as the terrorists, I'll use either my girlfriend or half sister and little sister for the would be wife and child. Me and 3 other friends will be used for the band shots. I'll use all of the aforementioned actors plus a few spare crew members for the funeral scene.

For crew I've got a friend who has a lto of experience with photography as cameraman, who I will show the shots I want beforehand, so it'll be my ideas and his shooting, purely because I'm more suited to the role (he has long hair and a beard). I have another friend, who will also be one of the guitarists, to act as prop manager. The cameraman and propr manager will be helping with the lighting, with me playing a role in the positioning and levels of light needed for various shots.

This week of lessons is storyboarding, so I'll upload those as and when the scanner starts being usable

Treatment sheet-next draft

After spending Fridays leson with Mr Dowson analysing my treatment sheet I need to make a few changes to it, mainly adding shot lengths and timings of the song to it

Music video treatment sheet shot by shot
2 characters in the Land Rover laughing and whistling whistled part	Duration: 10-15 seconds (before song starts)
Black screen, white writing, quote through the snare intro.   Quote is 'War does not determine who is right, only who is left'	Duration: 11 seconds (0:00-0:11)
2/3 characters in camoflage in the back of a blacked out Land Rover, checking weapons during the initial guitar part	Duration: 30 seconds (0:11-0:40) (cutting to and from)
Shot of guitarist playing initial guitar part	Duration: 30 seconds (0:11-0:40) (cutting to and from)
Characters kicking through door  and starting a CQB run of the building as the verse starts	Duration: 5 seconds (0:40-0:45)
Shot from in front of the soldiers, leading to close up showing their stone-faced expressions over the line 'all fear has been aborted'	Duration: 7 seconds (0:45-0:52)
Band shot of whole band playing	Duration: 6 seconds (0:52-0:58)
Shot of one of the soldiers executing or thereatening at gunpoint an enemy combatant, executing him just before the shot cuts	Duration: 11 seconds (0:58-1:09)
Shots of building being clared continued, more action type shots, other enemies shot, through to  the start of the second verse, cutting to and from band shots	Duration: 35 seconds (1:10-1:45) (split to 6x6 second shots)
Shots of would-be family, wife with daughter, during first few lines of second verse, skype call with soldier	Duration: 20 seconds (1:45-2:05)
Band shots of whole band playing and more shots of progressing through the building, shooting a few more targets	Duration: 15 seconds (2:05-2:20)
Characters seem to reach the objective, clear area, laptop set up, radio back to HQ, stop to talk, band playing behind objective	Duration: 30 seconds (2:20-2:50)
One of the main characters gets shot, other character chases then shoots the assailant, more band shots where the injured is visible in front of the band	Duration: 25 seconds (2:50-3:15)       5x5 seconds
Shot of remaining character going back to try and save the injured one, who mouths piano section and dies in his arms at 3:38	Duration: 20 seconds (3:15-3:38)
Remaining character in military best dress knocking on door of injured soldiers family, and her bursting into tears	Duration: 10 seconds (3:40-3:50)
Injured character dies in survivors arms                   [disintegrate effect] over the line 'I'm free'	Duration:  10 seconds (3:50-4:00)
Guitarist playing song on casket as it is lowered during funeral service, cutting to and from shots of wife, daughter, other soldier and others	Duration:  30 seconds (4:00-4:30)
Other character walking away from the funeral, wistling over the whistled part, looking back toward the ceremony	Duration: 20 seconds (4:30-4:50)

Actors, crew and props

I also need to plan for actors to be used in my production, i will need characters for:

• 2 soldiers
• 1 enemy
• 1 spouse
• 1 young child
• A group of people for the funeral

I will also need some crew to help with the shooting process:

• Several camera-people
• 2-3 lighting crew
• Someone to manage props

And for props I will need:

• 2-3 rifles (airsoft)
• 2-3 camoflage shirts and trousers
• 2 pairs of black boots
• 1 set of clothing for enemy (desert camo trousers and a brown shirt probably)
• Smart type clothing
• Casket

Planning type stuff (mainly location)

Treamtent sheet done, so the next stage is the planning of stuff like locations, actors and props
For location, I will need;

• The building the soldiers are clearing
• The family home
• The back of the Land Rover
• The funeral

My ideas for each one are;
Building

• The abandoned pool building at Fort Regent, because it is old, derelict, empty and generally has similar conditions to a building soldiers on duty might have to clear
• The old Jersey Milk building, because it is derelict, abandoned and has similar conditions to a building soldiers might clear
• The abandoned Pontins holiday resort, because it is old, weathered, derelict, vandalised and again, looks liek a building soldiers might be clearing

Family home

• My own home, because as it is inhabited by a family with 3 children it will look similar to a regular family home, to encourage verisimilitude
• My girlfriends home, because it also has a lived in look, but somewhat cosier than my own home, and again would encourage verisimilitude

Back of Land Rover

Not really a lot of location scouting needed here, it has to be the back of a blacked out Land Rover. Luckily, because of my role withing CCF, and in the past with Marine Cadets, I know several people who have blacked out Land Rovers whose permission I can ask to use for the small scene it's needed for

The funeral

This is going to be done in two sections, the first will be the section of the solo played as the coffin sinks into the ground, which i'll use the green screen for. The second will need me to fins a suitable location, probably a quite large graveyeard, to stand actors around, and either photoshop or green screen in the casket and the open grave.

Initial treatment sheet

Music video treatment sheet shot by shot

2 characters in the Land Rover laughing and whistling a rhythm

Black screen, white writing, quote through the snare intro.   Quote is 'War does not determine who is right, only who is left'

2/3 characters in camoflage in the back of a blacked out Land Rover, checking weapons during the initial guitar part

Shot of guitarist playing initial guitar part

Characters kicking through door  and starting a CQB run of the building as the verse starts

Shot from in front of the soldiers, showing their stone-faced expressions over the line 'all fear has been aborted'

Band shot of whole band playing

Shot of one of the soldiers executing or thereatening at gunpoint an enemy combatant

Shots of building being clared continued through to the start of the second verse

Shots of would-be family, wife with daughter, during first few lines of second verse

Band shot of whole band playing

More shots of progressing through the building

One of the main characters gets shot by an enemy, who the other one then shoots

Shot of one character going on a rampage through the rest of the building, far more angry body language

Shot of remaining character going back to try and save the injured one

Remaining character in military best dress knocking on door of injured soldiers family, and her bursting into tears

Injured character dies [ disintegrate effect] over the line 'I'm free'

Guitarist playing song on casket as it is lowered

Other character walking away from the funeral wistling

Planning begins

On Friday we spent the lesson discussing the planning stage of the project, and what we needed to produce as part of it. There's a list of about 10 things we need to mention through this section:

• Construction documentary
• Treatment sheet
• Location planning
• Casting
• Organising props
• Storyboarding
• Animatic storyboard

Yesterday we were told to all start the treatment sheet, and the construction documentary, and that we need to post every day, and then I forgot, so two posts today (hopefully)

Audience research

Do you watch channels which show music videos?

Yes      No

If yes, how many hours a week would you say you spend watching them? (hours)

0          1-2      3-4      more than 4

What part of a music video do you enjoy most?

The band        The story        Both equally

What kind of story would you enjoy the most in a music video?

Believeable    Fantasy           Fun     No real story

Do you think music videos are key to understanding the songs they are for?

Yes      No

Do you prefer watching music videos to just listening to the songs?

Yes      No



I asked other students in the sixth form common room during a free period, 20 participants in total, aiming to interview those with varying musical tastes

 65% did not watch music videos

Those who did spent on average an hour or less of a given week watching them


80% said they enjoyed the narrative element of a video the most


The most popular type of narrative was a believeable one, with 60% of those asked choosing the option


Only 30% felt that a video was a key part of understanding what the song is about


90% prefer to watch music videos as opposed to just listening to them

Ancillary task analysis (digipaks)

Along with analysing album covers I also examined digipaks. I chose to do these sections separately because I couldn’t get any images of genre specific digipaks and so used genre specified CD covers and a separate section for digipaks. The digipaks I have looked at are for various genres of music and as such each has different generic conventions as far as colours, images and so on are concerned. But equally they do all have something in common; they use generic conventions of digipaks, which I will analyse below.

The first pack uses the colour scheme of black and red/orange in a fire type combination. The images used through the panels are also of a very similar nature, using what looks like a light bulb and also using fire.  

As you can see each image has a set of specific images and colour schemes, as well as ongoing themes in terms of shapes and fonts used. In each though, these ideas are kept a continuous theme, carried on through inside and outside panels to create a sense of flowing style. For example the ‘Vendetta’ digipak uses the same colour scheme of grey, blue and black through all the panels of the pack. It also keeps the idea of an egg timer consistent, using one on the original album art and one as the body shape for the text on the inside. Also, the frames used around the images have a very similar style.

This pack uses similar consistencies of style, with an ongoing colour scheme of yellows and browns, with photos of the musicians through the pack, on the cover, and through the inside panels. Also, the frames used around the images have a very similar style.

This Metallica digipak is an example of a digipak whose genre is closer to that of my project. It still obeys all the conventions of a digipak, but in an interesting way. While keeping with all the other ideas, such as similar colour schemes of creamy colour, silvery grey and black and images of a graffiti’d flight case (because it’s a live CD) it also creates a sense of flow by using the writing spread from the outside front panel and finishes on an inside one.

So, having looked into digipaks and CD covers of the genre which my product will be a part of in depth I have concluded that:

• The overall product should have a consistent colour scheme
• A consistent image set or set of ideas (skulls are a very popular idea among metal covers)
• A sense of flowing
• A potential concept to flow through the whole design

 

Similar media texts

For my first ancillary task I will be doing the album cover and insert for a new album. The album will be by a made up artist, and will be of the metalcore music genre. For this, I will look at similar media texts in the form of other inserts from metalcore albums.

·        The cover features mainly dimmer colours, which are less striking and sharp

·        The main shape of the cover art is a skull

·        The text used for the artist is large, central and serif but basic

·        The album name is smaller, above the artist and in a more wispy font

·        The cover again features mainly dimmer, darker colours, less striking and sharp

·        Also the main shape again is of a skeletal style, using a sketchier design style

·        The use of a boat and wave style effects have a relation to the album title ‘The Tide And It’s Takers’

·        The artist text is again large, white and in a serif font, but is basic at the same time

·        The album name is kept with the artist name, but is smaller, but this time is in a similar font to the artist name

·        The artwork itself is using dimmer, less sharp, but this time even darker colours

·        The main feature of the artwork is skulls, like the other 2 examples

·        The artist text is again larger, and in a pale colour, but this time in a more sans serif text

·        The album text is smaller, but this time away from the artist name

·        This artwork uses a more bright set of colours, using a variety of blues as well as darker colours

·        The main feature of the artwork is, like the others, a skeletal figure

·        The artist text, like all the others, is large, but in a very serif text, in this case though it is because the artist has a specific font used on all their products

·        The album text is smaller, and also in a serif font, although a less serif one than the artist title, and is again just below the artist title

·        The art itself has a relation to the album title, with the skeletal figure with a scythe being incinuated as the ‘grim reaper’ and the album being titled ‘Follow The Reaper’

·        This artwork uses the same ideas of darker, dimmer colours, although the red is arguably bright in comparison with the other artworks

·        The main subject of the art this time is not of anything skeletal, but still has somewhat dark connotations

·        The artist text is much more arty and stylised, but again this is because the band uses it as their band logo to appear on other products

·        The album text is attached to the artist text, but does still stay close to the artist name and use a less serif text, and is in smaller proportion to the artist name

Ancillary tasks analysis (magazine adverts)

All Time Low-Put Up or Shut Up

·        No album art featured but the cartoon style is used in the album art

·        No advertising of other work by the artist

·        Review quotes used

·        No links to band pages or record company information

This advert is very atypical, in that it has very few of the generic conventions of the album release advert. The album artwork itself is not featured, which may mean people will be less likely to seek it out to buy it. There is no other advertising for the bands work, which might have helped a potential audience member associate the artist with some of their other work. There are also no other advertisements for the band or record company’s Myspace page, which would give consumers a chance to listen to the band before buying the album.

The two conventions which it does follow however, are key ones. Although there is no album artwork featured there is still an element of intertextuality, in that the album it promotes, and an earlier album, use a similar cartoon-like style. This means this advert will appeal more to existing fans than to new ones. The advert also uses quotes from reviews by respected reviewers such as Kerrang and Rock Sound. These reviews are chosen because they positively portray the album, and would make potential consumers more likely to buy it.

Image has not been added due to technical difficulties (no driver for the scanner)

Magazine advert-Mendeed

• Same colour scheme as the album art
• Review quotes
• Record label also advertised
• Reference to other albums
• Reference to the bands myspace
• Release date is prominent
• Large image of the cover art dominates the advert

In general, these things aim to achieve one of two things; further band advertising (other albums) or heavier advertising for the album (review quotes)

Image has not been added due to technical difficulties (no driver for the scanner)

Magazine advert-Losing Sun

• Same colour scheme as the album advert
• Band font used
• Album art not actually used
• Record label advertised
• Simplistic
• Band myspace advertised
• Colour scheme is very consistent
• Single advertised

These conventions, again, are used to either advertise the bands other work, or further promote the album

More main task research

These are the rest of my main task analyses, some are done differently to others purely because they weren't done in the order they're on here, I did all my research and then I've uploaded it all today in one batch

Foo Fighters-My Hero            http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVKDQgT_b-Y

This video, while mostly obeying the generic codes and conventions of the music video, while working somewhat differently to the majority of music videos in that it merges the narrative and the band shots a lot more than any other videos.

Band shots

·        Band are all in crowded spaces, but are creating quite an atmosphere (aside from the narrative) to show they are an energetic band and because it is a convention of the bands videos. This also shows that they aren’t effected by their fame, that they haven’t sold out

·        Band are all dressed in generally normal clothes, they are a rock band as opposed to a metal band, and as such they address their fanbase of more normal people by dressing like them, makes them seem like normal guys as oppose to famous rock stars.

·        The narrative and band shots look like they are filmed as a single shot, with the cuts only being at the beginning, used to create a strong support for the narrative, to make the band seem more of a soundtrack, making the band less of a focus, instead using them to strengthen the narrative

·        Band play shots in the house used as part of the narrative to blend the two elements more

·        The band are shot playing where the story happens, the singer could be singing to the protagonist as the lyrical themes of the song suggest it

Narrative

·        Most of the video is a single shot, focusing mainly on the protagonist, to show that the song is centred, in terms of narrative and lyrical themes, around him

·        The idea of the narrative is almost explicitly relating to the lyrical theme of the song

·        The use of shots which look hand held add a sense of a rough edge to add to the rock music connotations. The majority of shots are from behind the protagonist, which may be to encourage the viewer to feel in his shoes

·        The use of a single main character through the narrative and his nonchalant attitude toward what he’s done emphasises his status as an ‘ordinary hero’ which links back to the original theme of the video

Lamb of God- Laid to rest         http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOWB6rmSd4I

T                 The music video is emphasizes a lot on the importance of the band themselves and the way they play their instruments together and individually. Once again the video begins with face pace editing to a fast paced intro. The music has a very syncopated rhythm which sounds all over the place if you will, just like
the variety of shots and effects. A very significant effect is the red and yellow saturation used on some of the images and the way the fade in and out, quite like a flame. This effect is also used a lot during the chorus where the lyrics are most vicious.

The band themselves are all wearing black t-shirts, showing their unity and the color itself gives of connotations of metal, darkness and the use of  lighting emphasizes their shadows in the empty seeming abandoned warehouse where they are playing. There is also a narrative which very much relates to the
way the music plays. The double-bass is very consistent and has a running pace to it and using parallel editing, the director emphasizes this by shooting a variety
of hand held shots of a man being chased. The use of cutting itself synchronizes with the music which shows that rather than the video emphasizing the music, the music is emphasizing the video and what it is that’s happening. For example the first few shots of the foot chase at the beginning are completely in time with the beat and help highlight the feelings inhibited by the audience from the music itself. However, the lyrics are not.

In this video the meaning of the lyrics is not related to the narrative until the very end. So in a way it is unconventional as it leaves the fans trying to figure out what the narrative has to do with the song. It’s about getting your own back on somebody that has seemingly purposely made your life worse. This
is shown at the very end of the video with a heroic tracking shot, tracking away from the man being chased holding the hoodie of the man trying to hurt him, showing overcoming those who ‘ruin’ you, which is where the narrative meets the song. There are also many close up shots of the lead singer as his emotions and the way he sings the lyrics are
an important part of understanding the music.A very significant section of the video stresses the way these two factors work together and it is when the break down is introduced and the singer screams. Here the narrative and performance shots come together as the actors run behind the band. This is very important because it clearly introduces the link between the lyrics and the narrative of which the audience have been so keenly waiting on. Suddenly, the narrative takes up more time on the video than the performance.

Iron Maiden-Aces High              http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmWE3QEUYr8

This video, although a lot older than other videos I have analysed, still keeps in with the generic conventions of music videos, and especially videos for metal music. The video uses band shots in parallel with a narrative, without the two intertwining, and I shall analyse each type of shot below

Band shots                               

·        The shots are from a crowd perspective of the band performing live

·        The band all have long hair, and are wearing tight clothing, something considered very ‘metal’ at the time, the equivalent of black clothing in today’s day and age

·        The shots focus equally on the band themselves and their instruments, showing that the element of instrumental skill is an important part

·        The shots are all in colour, contrastingly to the narrative, shows the band are more modern

·        Lighting is bright and flashing, used to make the shots more exciting, contrasting to the darker shots used in more modern metal videos

Narrative shots

·        Archived footage from the Battle of Britain, in keeping with the lyrical themes of the song

·        Introduction clip of Churchill’s speech, war connotations

·        Despite the age of the clips, they are edited to look more exciting

·        Clips are all black and white, to show they are historic, unlike the band shots, this is used to show different time periods

·        Shots are from a pilots point of view, this is to associate with the lyrical themes of the song

·        Shots are mostly British aircraft and forces, and show favour over the Nazi’s, again encouraging a link between the lyrical themes and the shots