Animatic for Live performance idea

Animatic for dance idea

Animatic for the Kids Idea

Kid Idea

The video starts with no music and the band walks into the performance area, preferably a barn to keep with style of other videos. When the band enters there will be different angled shots, for example close ups, pans, wide angle, low angle shots, focus pulls and so on, these will all be taken of the band picking up instruments and getting set up for playing. There will also be interference noises from amp plug in. It finishes with a wide angle shot of the full band. The barn will be covered in the traditional hay and will be given a rustic look. In the corner of the barn will be larger hay stacks, with pitch forks and shovels and so on. There will be lights (Christmas) hanging along the roof and down the walls. There will be an eerie lighting, that such of Catalonian Love Song. 

Singer will be positioned at the front centre, to the right of him (from the cameras point of view) the bass guitarist, behind him, situated between singer and bass guitarist will be the pianist. To the left of the singer will be the electric guitarist. and the drummer will be at the back on a raised platform (2/3 ft). -At this point the music will begin to play, we believe the best way to record would be for the band to play along with the recording we have of the piece, and then for us to lip dub over the top. But whatever the artists are more comfortable with will suit us. The first shot will be of the drummer, and then it will cut back to the whole band playing the piece. When the piano stabs start it will jump to a shot of the pianists hand stabbing the chords on the piano. Then establishing shots of each instrument, finally finishing on a close up of the singer when the verse starts. 

The performance shots will continue before we see the band leaving the barn from the inside on the word 'small' and then leaving the barn on the outside is a smaller version of the band, when they were in their early teen's, possibly 12/13, wearing identical clothes to that of the band. Then we will introduce loads of different shots of the kids, running around parks, town, everything, having a great time, doing favourite memories of the bands choice of when they were that age. During this there will be cuts back to the band playing in the barn, again using all the different shots as before. During all this the young singer will see a girl of around the same age of which there is immediate chemistry. This will get across the point of the song being that of a memory of a girl when he was younger. 

The next shots will be that of the young sister and girl having memories, holding hands and so on. We also must make evident that the singer has ditched his friends (then band) for this girl. We think that if we differ the lighting and effect of the lighting from the barn, make in bright and turn up the contrast and whiten it to give it that sense that is it a memory or flashback. There will also be constant cuts between them and the band playing. We will then cut to the banjo player on the banjo player, there will be different shots during this, rule of thirds, close up, running up the neck of the banjo and so on. Then around half way through there will be a graphic match between the banjo and a large round circular lolly which the singer has bought for the young girl, obviously there will be a zoom out spin on this shot also. 

After more shots between the band and the memories they have with the kids, we eventually see the young girl be wowed by another man and singer and the girl part, while this is happening, the rest of the band see him getting dumped, and go back to comfort him, they previously hadn't been friends, as he was going out with her. They offer him comfort which he accepts. Then the next shot will the the kids reentering the barn in the same order from the outside, and the current band reentering the barn, bringing it back to current times. It will finish with the band singing out on the same establishing shots used at the start.

Live Production Idea

Wide mid shot as band enters Barn/studio and picks up instruments and gets comfortable. Close up with shallow focus on microphone, Chris walks up to microphone moving into focus takes a breath then the song starts. 

Cuts to mid shot of the guitarist of band members playing instruments together, then back to Chris singing the song , fade to pictures stuck up around barn/studio of the band on tour, having fun and with loved ones.        

Close-up of pianists hands playing fast and vigorously.

Extreme close-up of Chris beginning to sing the song and use of depth-of-field with his lips and microphone head in focus an the background out of focus.

Mid shot of bass player.

Low angle from Chris' feet looking up at him playing acoustic guitar.

Cuts to high angle of drummer playing along. Then close-up of symbol and drummer hitting it.

Close-up/Canted angle showing the length of the guitar and the guitarists hands progressing up the neck.

Back to pictures of band , different from last time.

Shot Panning to the left around the band.

Close up of Chris singing.

(Shots in mid section may vary)

Shot of whole band playing the song ending in a  freeze frame shot of the band, zoom out to see photo on the wall.

Dance Idea

The premise of this video is that it is mostly based on narrative with some live performance from the band. The video begins with no music. A group of people has gathered around a poster being stapled to a notice board. This will be a zooming group shot. Then a tilt shot of the poster showing the announcement for the school dance. At this point we introduce young Chris with a close up. We will then take a medium shot, facing away from the group gathered around the poster. This will focus on a girl walking down the corridor. She will be the love interest of the video. Mid shot, Chris turns to his friends,  younger versions of the band, and tells them that he will take her to the dance. Over the shoulder shot looking towards Chris as he turns around as the girl walks past. Chris waves and his friends laugh. This is when the music starts. 

On the start of the music we see a pan shot of the band in the present. They could be set up in an empty hall or in a recording studio. Cut to close up of piano keys being played on a high angle. Cut back to pan shot. Just before the vocals start cut to a close up of Chris' face, eyes closed. Graphic match to young Chris lying in bed. This will solidify their connection in the minds of the audience. He opens his eyes as lyrics start. Wide shot of young Chris approaching the girl in school. Over the shoulder shot from her perspective. Young Chris is the focus of the shot as he approaches. He gets right up to her, doesn't say anything, hastens away. Same actions for next shot but this time over the shoulder from Young Chris perspective. Cut to two shot of Young Chris and the girl. They are talking. Both laugh. Young Chris puts on a brave face, opens his mouth to ask her to the dance. He is interrupted by a clap on the back. Another guy has come up. There is some tension between him and Young Chris. Puts his arm around the girl and walks away. She looks back, regretfully, apologetically. 

Zoom in on young Chris' face, zoom out to present Chris and the band as 'memories' is sung. Cut back to young Chris on a street out shopping for something to wear to the dance. Camera angle parallel with the wall as he goes into a shop. Jump cut to him being thrown out of the shop. Two or three shots of doors being closed in his face. Wide angle shot of a small shop front. Young Chris walks into the shot. Slows as he approaches the door. Peers into the window before going into the door. Low key lighting as Young Chris moves to the back of the shop. Shot of his face as he smiles. Pan cut to the band playing. Close up on guitar. High angle shot on piano/keyboard. Cut to Young Chris getting ready. He moves to look into a mirror. Over the shoulder shot looking camera remains, present Chris, watches his counterpart leave while not moving himself. 

POV shot as Young Chris approaches the doors to the dance. Doors swing open, cameras moves up and pans around the room, band on stage in the background. Wide shot from behind the band. Young Chris moves to the tables at the side and pours himself a drink. He looks around the room for the girl. He spots her dancing with the guy who ruined his final attempt to ask her. As he is watching they seem to start to argue and the guy throws his arms up and storms off. Young Chris sets his glass down and quickly makes his way over. Jump cut and they are dancing, they lean in, freeze frame, zoom out and the frame is a photograph in a scrapbook. Camera pans up, present Chris is sitting on a sofa with an older version of the girl as the song ends. Fade to black.

storyboard 'kids'

this is the storyboard for our 'kids' idea. it shows which shots we are going to use in order with a short description below.

Multi-cam test

We created a new piece of film to accompany the song whiskey in the jar by thin lizzy. We used the technique of using multi-cam, in which we had to shoot multiple clips of the same song from different angles and then using the multi-cam feature on final cut edit them together. This took a pretty long time relative to other pieces we have done previously. Here is the finished product:


The finished product is extremely well done but the process to get it there was arduous. Due to this fact it may prove unfeasible to do within our time scale for our main piece ,but it could still be used if we wanted. It provides a professional well trimmed look to the piece.

Greenscreen tutorial

This is a tutorial video for compositing with a green screen and gives some excellent tips and help.

Our own green screen

During the past week we have been experimenting with final cut pro techniques including the 'keying' technique which isolates the colour green and replaces it with an alternative image. we made our own green screen by cutting out a piece of cardboard and a piece of green paper the same size and sticking the paper to the cardboard. here are the results: