iMovie...
Is a proprietary video editing software application which allows Mac, iPod Touch 4th generation, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, and iPad 2 users to edit their own home movies The user can edit the video clips, add titles, and add music. Effects include basic color correction and video enhancement tools, and transitions such as fade-in, fade-out, and slides. Using imovie was a step up from my AS foundation use of technology. Even after being involved with an imac specialist who came in to teach us more about imovie, I still felt that I was teaching myself a lot of the techniques along the way.
The opening is very much similar to "The Wombats" opening, with imovie I was able to create my vision of a landscape image, moving sideways to make it look like the camera is moving across the skyline image of Bristol. The typeface "WE PRESENT" is very simple so that the font does not seal away the attention to the background image. From using imovie I was able to play around with different styles for the font to 'enter' the image. I wanted the opening font to be quite dramatic to immediately grab the attention of the viewer. I decided upon using the 'Vertical Drift' effect as it created the dramatic opening without looking over the top!
I wanted to use original music from the band's album. I was lucky enough to be able to choose from a variety of songs, however I wanted the chosen song to have an upbeat pace to match the upbeat, lively persona's of the personalities of the band, conveying a positive image to potential fans and current fans. I chose the band's favorite song, 'Lavine Parine', which is also the album name. I felt that the song choice was also another great way to advertise the band. Good, catchy songs are a good way to promote the band as fans/people can memorise the songs, almost like a band's logo, I have used 'Lavine Parine' on the band's website so that people who watch the video, or look on their website can make a link asking themselves "Where have I heard that song before?"
I wanted the music to play the role of the narrator, for example the music immediately begins once the clip has begun, with a steady beat and guitar solo, almost like an introduction. The music then slows to a stop leaving an unexpected pause, leaving the viewer to think 'what is next to come?' I edited the music perfectly leaving the pause on the word"GOLDBLOOM" so that the audience can have time to acknowledge who the promo video is about. Using a loud drum beat enabled the clip to move onto the next scene, which is a good way of changing the mood and helps add pace and movement towards the next scene. The next scene contrasts from the first with the camera following the band around a house (to keep the casual, homely effect) The original clipping was too slow for a fast pace promo video, so with the ability on imovie I able to change the speed to however fast I wanted the clip to be, this again is a similar feature to 'The Wombat's' video. The 'following camera' is also playing the role of introducing the members of the band for the audience to acknowledge ‘who is who’ before the 'story' begins...
In the opening footage when Drummer ‘Joe’ is first seen, I have used an ‘Elliptical Shot’, this is when a shot can cut time out. For example the camera spots him, then turns to spot another member, then turns back round and joe has disappeared, we then follow his steps and find him in the kitchen, the camera has cut his journey time from the spot where he is noticed to the kitchen.
Imovie enabled me to fit the music into specific scenes that made the band look like they were singing/playing the background music of 'Lavine Parine' live, even though they are actually singing the song in the recording. For example when the camera zooms into James (lead singer) singing the lyrics to the slot of music that I edited in for that specific scene. I wanted the scenes to contrast from one another to add excitement and surprise for the viewer. This meant that I had to spend a long time editing the scenes. Similar to current promo videos I wanted the editing between scenes to be quick to create fast pace and excitement. For example quick changes between the focus zoom of lead singer to band playing live at a gig. I also wanted the audience to acknowledge both sides of the coin when seeing the band playing professionally and the band rehearsing and showing their personalties as individuals. This is also portrayed in the Mise en scene of both scenes. For example the mise en scene in the gig, is more professionally set out with Goldbloom’s logo of the sun hanging as the backdrop, whereas when the boys are rehearsing, the Mise en scene is very messy and releaxed.
Interviewing...
As previously mentioned, I wanted the majority of the promotional video to be based around an interview of the band, as I feel interviewing the band is promoting their album as well as the audience getting to the see the band as individuals. It was a concious decision to not just have music, however I was inspired by ‘Wombat’s promotional video, who also use the balance between a music promo and an interview. Instead of following traditional music promo video conventions, I decided to break them, by merging music and interviewing into one video. As shown in my storyboarding I wanted a black background with white font written the question before the 'interviewer' asks the band, for example in the video the music would play over the question "Who are GoldBloom?" then the music would decrescendo allowing the band to answer the question. When editing I wanted the music to get louder/quieter, it was very difficult to find the balance of actually being able to hear the interview as well as the music playing quietly in the background. From the imac specialist I had learnt a imovie technique called 'Ducking' which reduces the volume of the backing track allowing the voice of the interviewer and band to be heard over the top. I used this technique fluently through the clip.
Including a merge between Music and interviewing the band, could be the start of the future for promotional videos. As before bands were sticking to traditional videos of the band pormoting themsleves sleves just playing the music, whereas, today's 'NEEDY' audience are wanting more information about the band themseleves for the audience to want to buy their music. This is where the interviewing style allows the audience to find out that NEEDED information that they wanted about the band.
I wanted the interview to be very casual and un-formal to match the persona’s that the band portray. The element of humour is conveyed mostly within the interviews when the band are jokingly interacting with each other, portraying personal jokes, and their fun charcters. Humour is also conveyed through the 'randomness' of subject conversation that is interacted between the female interviewer and the interaction between the band themselves. To link with the casual setting I wanted to include props of wine and bear bottles to convey the laid back, care-free approach that the band pursue. The subject conversation is very much about promoting the bands album, e.g. talking about the meaning of the band, who writes the songs, etc...
To add excitment and interest to the video, I have included editing techniques on moving one scene to the other in different styles. As the video itself has a vintage effect, I wanted to use simple but effective transitions. For example I have included ‘Fade to Black’ and ‘Cross Blur’. The cross blur transition linked well with the name of GoldBLOOM, creating a ‘bloom/blur’ effect. The blur effect also links well with an image of Goldbloom seen on their website, that I have purposely edited to be blurred. When filming the band on the sofa, I cleverly set the Mise en Scene background be a mirror, as I thought it would be a nice effect of zooming into one member talking, still able to see the reactions of the other band members through the mirror.
Mise En Scene...
As mentioned before the 'messy/casual' look of the Mise en scene can determine the Indie Genre of the band. I wanted the video footage of the bedroom to link with the GoldBloom photo shoot so that the audience can create a matched link. I feel that the Mise en scene of a music video can reflect the state of mind or personalities of the artist's/bands. For example The Mise en scene in GoldBlooms promotional video is very casual (on a sofa with bottles of wine/beer) when they are performing at their gig, they have created advertisement through their Mise en scene with a background image of their logo of the sun with "GB" written in master tape. When they are rehearsing in the 'messy' crowded bedroom, which reflects a messy, laid back, carelessness of the bands persona that they convey. The mise en scene at the beginning in a warm, homely kitchen links to 'Mumma Do the Hump' mise en scene, and also creates a REAL, friendliness to the band, for the audience to think "They are just normal people, like us!"
Effects...
As mentioned before I wanted to keep to the 'vintage' theme of a 'yellow' old fashioned tint. I also wanted to use this effect to link with the warm, friendliness connotations of the bands logo of the Golden Sun. To create the effect, with the ability of imovie I was able to create a'film grain' effect shown clearly in the opening of the video with the fainted animated black lines. Luckily enough I did not have to use effects on the footage as the footage itself was naturally like dark and old fashioned looking which is the look I wanted the convey. The footage of my promotional video is very similar to "Mumma do the Humps" theme, setting, footage and coloring. The Black background of the white font that separates the footage by asking the question links to the colour scheme of the Bands website. This conveys a good brand link between the different products promoting the band.
When the band are discussing what bands they are similar to, I decided to use the transition of the ‘Vertical Drift’ text effect with ‘NIRVANA and ‘RADIO HEAD’ against each other to convey that they are a merge of the two.
I have included paralinguistic elements which I was not able to understand let alone include in my foundation production. I didn’t realise until after I had completed the promotional video that the band had naturally created a non verbal way of communication through their music. For example at before the ‘interview’ begins, the band are conveying themselves as individuals as well as musicians without using speech. The video is also set in Bristol, which is a place that my target audience can easily relate to, which is another way of interactional qualities between the band and their audience. I have included a semiotic element not just in the promo video, but in all the products that I have created to promote the band. I have used an image of a ‘Golden Sun’ as a semiotic logo to represent the band, and a logo for the audience to symbolize the band with. The ‘Golden Sun’ is a positive, warming image that can also symbolize the wealth and success of the band through the golden connotation.
The Band...
I wanted the band to portray their REAL individual personalities as well as resembling themselves as a trio band. I noticed that naturally, the lead singer (james) was the dominant speaker out of the three, which matched his performative role of the the lead singer on stage. I noticed that the drummer (joe) was quite timid and quiet and seemed more shy than the other two, which again is a stereotypical image of drummers, set the back of the stage and are normally more shy.
Joe Spurrell(Drummer)
