Your summer project contains compulsory and optional elements; everybody will be researching music videos, investigating their chosen genre, creating a music video concept, writing a first draft Statement of Intent and presenting this to class as an Ignite presentation in September. However, if you wish to also plan and film elements of your production (lockdown allowing) over the summer while you have time and actors available we would support you in this approach as long as you have parental permission and it is safe to do so.
Summer project tasks
Complete the following tasks on a blogpost on your coursework blog called 'Summer Project: coursework planning':
1) Research: music video analysis
You need to write a 200-word close-textual analysis of five (or more!) music videos in your chosen genre. For each music video, focus on a different aspect of media language, and embed each one on your blog:
Music Video 1: Narrative
How is narrative used in the music video and what impact does this have on the audience? Can you apply any narrative theories to the story in the music video?
Music Video 2: Mise-en-scene
What do you notice about the use of mise-en-scene to create meanings for the audience? Use CLAMPS to help you here and think in particular about how mise-en-scene is used to communicate the genre of music.
Music Video 3: Camerawork
Here you are looking for particular camera shots and movement. Remember that movement is a critical convention of most music videos and camerawork can contribute to this.
Music Video 4: Editing
Analyse pace, transitions, the number of shots and juxtaposition. How does the music video create pace and excitement - or does it create a different effect for the audience?
Music Video 5: Conventions
Think back to our Introduction to Music Video and our work on Andrew Goodwin's theory on music video conventions as part of the Ghost Town CSP. How many key conventions of music video can you find in your fifth music video example?
You can find a range of notable music video examples in this blogpost or you are free to select videos of your choice. You may wish to write more about one video than another but as long as you have 1,000+ words of research in total you will be fine.
2) Planning: music video treatment (concept)
In order to produce a successful music video, you will need to write a treatment. This is like a script - it tells the band or artist exactly what will happen in the video and the kind of style or effect the video will have. You'll need choose what song you are going to use at this point - remember, you can use an existing artist's track but it needs to be appropriate for a mainstream audience.
You can find further music video treatment guidance here plus an example of a genuine director's treatment for the brilliant alt-J video Breezeblocks.
3) Statement of Intent
Write the first draft for your genuine 500-word Statement of Intent. This will be submitted to the exam board alongside your media products and is worth 10 marks of the overall 60 marks available.
Guidance is provided by AQA in their NEA Student Booklet but we strongly recommend you also look at our Statement of Intent questions to consider document too (you'll need to log in with your Greenford Google account to read this).
4) Ignite presentation
Prepare a 5-minute, 20-slide presentation using the Ignite format in which you present your coursework project. In effect, this is your statement of intent in presentation format. You must cover:
- Your music video concept: artist, song, genre, narrative/performance/effects etc.
- Media language: how you will use music video conventions, camerawork, editing and mise-en-scene to create meanings for your audience. Remember the key word: connotations.
- Media representations: how you will use or subvert stereotypes in your music video; applications of representation theory.
- Media audiences: your target audience demographics and psychographics; audience pleasures - why they would enjoy your video; audience theory.
- Media industries and digital convergence: the potential record company that would sign and promote your band or artist; how fans could watch the video; other ways you could promote your artist (e.g. the headphone sponsorship in the brief).
Your Ignite presentation will be marked out of 30 on the following criteria (each worth a possible 5 marks):
1) Research (through the presentation AND your blog)
2) Music video concept
3) Language: terminology and theory
4) Representations
5) Audience and Industry
6) Delivery
You can find more information about Ignite presentations - including examples - in this Ignite presentation blogpost here.
Summer project deadline: all tasks above due in first week back in September
Summer project: optional extensions
Pre-production tasks
Some students in previous years expressed an interest in filming their video production over the summer break. This makes a huge amount of sense - far more availability of actors, much more time to schedule filming etc. However, it may simply be impossible with social distancing and potential local lockdowns. If you do want to film over the summer, make sure you complete the following pre-production tasks here:
Music video treatment
This is effectively your script for your music video. There is guidance above on how to write a great music video treatment.
Storyboard
Sketch out a selection of critical shots from your music video, take a photo of the storyboard and upload it to your blogpost. What visual style are you trying to create? Storyboard sheets can be downloaded from here.
Shot list
Write a shot list containing EVERY shot you plan to film for the music video AND additional shots to create flexibility when editing. These additional shots are often close-ups, cutaways, alternative angles or similar. I advise using a simple table on Microsoft Word to set out your shot list - you can find a film example here. It makes sense to organise your shot list by scene or location rather than a huge list of every shot in the music video in chronological order.
Mise-en-scene
What iconography are you including to ensure your audience understands the genre you are working in? Plan your cast, costume, make-up, props, lighting and setting. This can be simply completed using your blog or Microsoft Word - the key aspect is to have planned all the critical details.
Shooting schedule
Plan a shooting schedule for your filming over the summer. Include when, where, who is required and what shots you will complete at each time/location. Again, this can be on Word or Excel or you could simply use your blog. The most important thing is that you've planned it! In the current circumstance, we also recommend including an additional section regarding safety and social distancing.
Non-assessed participants
You will need to provide a written record of all non-assessed participants in your production work (both music video and music magazine). Keep a record of everyone involved - actors, camerawork, sound etc. You will also need a keep a record of any non-original sound and note it on the Candidate Record Form - so this means the song for your music video. Keep these on your blog for easy reference when submitting your work in Year 13.
Production: Filming and photography
Once you have completed your pre-production tasks, you can film or carry out photoshoots as you wish.
Good luck!
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