Editing on Final Cut

With our footage now filmed in its entirety, we are able to begin piecing together our music video! Final Cut Express is a professional editing programme and is what I shall be using for the completion of our coursework. By watching online tutorials, I have been able to come to grips with the various tools available from the software to create a realistic music video. Although quite time-consuming and at first complicated, the editing process is proven to be very enjoyable.

Filming @ The Red Lion

We visited the Red Lion in Gravesend as previously planned, for a five hour slot of filming. All members of the band and our own group arrived on time so things were able to run smoothly. However one issue we did encounter was the availability of instruments for the band to mime along to, and instead we had to provide our own. To transport an entire drum kit around was proven a struggle, yet we managed it in the end! Jon, the lead vocalist, had also made arrangements prior and consequently had to leave earlier than everybody else. Although this was originally perceived as a worry to the group, we worked around this by firstly filming individual shots of him, as well as frames of the entire band, then save close ups of the remaining band members for later.


Me, Sarah and James all were given a chance in filming and directing, making sure to work together as a team and share our input. We made sure to shoot everything twice over, as we came to the conclusion that too much footage is far better than not having enough. The band also co-operated with us and followed our instructions when asked, which made the whole day much easier. Once the allocated time slot was up and we had collected over an hour of footage, it was a wrap!

Update on Location

Upon visiting our previous choice in location, Resident Studios, we were unable to record any footage to the quality that we hoped, due to insufficient lighting (although promised when booking) and a lack of time due to delays in travel; as a result of the unpredictable snow and weather conditions at the time. Although we had missed two hours of our planned booking time, we were still instructed to pay full price. We agreed that the filming was below par as a consequence, so rather than travel to the studio for a second time with the cost of another large fee - we believed it would be better appropriate to choose a different location for our music video. Here were some of our plans:

1. An underground car park. There are many of these around that portray an industrial look, and we thought it would bode well with the sounds of the song. However this may not allow us much freedom as there would most likely be restrictions as to what we can do, and may not be allowed permission to perform all together. Finding access to a power source may also be an issue, but it is essential to the making of our music video for lighting and other aspects.

2. A hall in New Eltham. Sarah was aware of a local hall that may be of great use to us, even hiring out the location for practice in filming. We were allowed much opportunity to film whatever it liked, but unfortunately the hall did not set the scene in the way we had intended, as the general mise en scène contradicts the aggressive nature of the song - coming across as too plain and ordinary. There were also many fixtures in the room that were unable to move, again disrupting their look.

3. The Red Lion pub. One possible location we were aware of was this particular pub in Gravesend, which offered a stage where actual bands have performed gigs in the past. We decided this was perfect for our band as it coincides with our bands image and have rented out the hall for a five hour slot, which we hope this time will become a success.

Location

We had decided as a group that a performance would be best suited for the songs music video, as many other indie artists do. However, the quality of the clip will rely heavily on camera movement and angles, so we must be sure to be skilled and experienced with the equipment in hand.

One location we found to hold the shoot was within an actual recording studio in London, called Resident Studios. James had came upon their website when browsing for ideas of where to film, and we believed it would be a suitable place for the band, conveying the sense of professionalism and reality because genuine musicians have performed or recorded here previously. The price was fairly affordable, if we split the price between the three group members. The studio also provides many items of band equipment, therefore we do not have to worry about transporting the instruments ourselves, which could prove difficult.

Below is an example of what is capable, by a band called Nine Dragons.

Thoughts & Ideas

On first thoughts, we believed it would be ideal to incorporate a performance from the band along with a narrative story for the music video, splitting between the two.

Although lyrics to the song are at times fairly ambiguous and difficult to analyse, the subject of "dancing" is evident. The song appears to have quite a basic meaning, about simply losing your inhibitions and having a good time on a night out. However, on second thoughts it could be considered too difficult to incorporate a narrative storyline within a song thats subject doesn't allow much depth or space for creative input, without perhaps not looking right. Rather than using clichéd club scenes or such, we made a play on words with the song title and came up with a concept that people have to own an actual licence to be permitted to dance - involving parties within secret locations and police then discovering the plot. Nevertheless, this could still come across as too cheesy, which could defy the band's rough and ready image.

On the whole, we though it best to concentrate solely on a performance for our music video, which is often common for similar artists in this scene. Below are two videos by British band the Arctic Monkeys, one of the most successful and popular artists within their genre, which both are performances also. We hope to recreate something similar to this effect with our own attempt.

Copyright

WHAT IS COPYRIGHT?
Copyright protects original literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works. It allows an original work to be considered a property that is owned by somebody. The framework for Copyright Law is the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 ('the Act').

WHEN DOES COPYRIGHT BEGIN?
In music, copyright begins automatically once a piece of music is created, and documented or recorded (eg. on video, tape or CD or simply writing down the notation of a score).

HOW LONG DOES COPYRIGHT LAST?
In the UK, copyright generally lasts for a period of 70 years from the end of the calendar year in which the author dies.


Luckily, our finalised song choice is released by an unsigned artist who has happily allowed us permission to use his material, so in this case there will be no problems concerning copyright.

Animatic