2. The basics for my idea is to create a narrative/ performance video where the actor sings
and plays guitar whilst the camera and audience explore and view a post apocalyptic
world that I will create.
3. My target audience are teenagers and young adults to the age of about 25 of both genders. I have chosen
this as a target audience because I feel that this is the range of people who listen to Ed Sheeran. I aim to
appeal to the audience in the following ways:
• The song I have chosen was very popular and in my opinion is some of Ed’s best work so I feel that the
fact I have chosen to use this song will make it appeal. To add to this the folk/ pop genre is enjoyed by
many people of that age.
• The use of ‘live performance’ (ie the actor playing the guitar) is a very common technique used in videos
aimed for people in that age range. Because of this it will help the video appeal.
• The use of special effects and cgi in order to make the post apocalyptic world come to life is interesting as
it is not done much. My hope is that because of the interesting idea people will find themselves enjoying
the video and being drawn into it even if it does not follow their taste in music.
4. As previously mentioned, I want my music video to be performance and narrative. I want to do this because
the performance style helps the music video fit in with classic video conventions (especially for this
particular genre) whilst also fulfilling Goodwin’s idea that music videos contain lots of close-ups of the
artist.
I have chosen my video to also have a narrative style because it makes the video more interesting as there
is a small story to be followed. Although the narrative wont be strong (it wont show a story from start to
finish) it will show what the world is like after a big war/ apocalypse which allows the audience to create a
stronger narrative in their head. This idea goes against the common style of music video for this genre of
music as common music videos tend to be more light-hearted and colourful. Even though this does not fit
into common characteristics for my chosen genre, it will fulfil Goodwin’s ideas 2, 3 and 7 as there will be a
strong correlation between the visuals, lyrics and sound. It will also make reference to current situations as
it shows what the world may look like after war which is a big topic at the moment.
5. My music video will have a very gritty,
dark, surreal tone due to the fact that it
is showing a post apocalyptic world.
The three main ways I will create this
tone are:
1. Use of colour correction/grading in
order to make the colours look
bleak and washed out
2. Use of slow motion and wide shots
in order to bring attention to the
broken scenery
3. Use of special effects and cgi in
order to create the post apocalyptic
world ie adding meteor strikes in
the sky and creating dust clouds
There is not really a key message or
purpose behind the music video other
than exploring a fantasy of what a post
apocalyptic world could look like.
6. The Beginning:
The beginning of the video will be very slow
paced and will include lots of shot like this in
order to set the scene and show the audience
what the post apocalyptic world will look like.
The majority of these shots will be in slow
motion in order to create an unsettling, surreal
feeling as the film is not at the correct speed.
The Middle:
In the middle I aim make the pace of editing a bit faster whilst including shots of things
actually happening… for example instead of showing just the sky I would show a meteor falling
from the sky. This will keep with the lyrics as it is here that Ed starts to sing “I see fire”. I will
also show my actor performing the song in a few tranquil but gloomy spots during the
instrumentals which will create a repeated element.
The End:
Towards the end of my video I intend to show lots of performance at the same time as the
action shots (meteor falling) in order to show that the song/ video is at its apex. I will use fast
paced editing and the video will no longer be slow motion. The colours will also get darker and
have more contrast in order to fully show the broken world.
7. In my video I would only have one actor. This is
because it makes it easier to co-ordinate
shooting days which is important as I need to
shoot as soon as possible in order to edit the
effects. To add to this, as you can only see one
person throughout the whole video, the feeling
of loneliness and isolation is created which
reinforces the idea that the video is set in a post-
apocalyptic world. The actor I choose will also
play the guitar lines and sing.
My aim is to get an actor with messy hair in order
to create the feeling that he has been outside for
a while which shows the harsh life he would live
in a post apocalyptic world. To add to this, he
would wear clothes similar to the ones in the
photo. This is because they look scruffy but
comfortable which again makes it seem like it is
something you would wear in a post apocalyptic
world.
The guitar the actor has would look old and worn
to make it look like he travels with it through the
wasteland.
8. The idea behind my song links very strongly to the lyrics
as although it does not follow the lyric narrative it still
shows an ‘end to the world’. It is possible that my video
could be set after the scenes spoken about in the lyrics
have taken place in order to create a stronger narrative.
9. Camera:
The majority of my shots throughout the video are going to be
handheld with a strong depth of field in order to create a more
cinematic feel. I will use a gimbal or glidecam in order to make
sure these handheld shots are still stable and not shaky. I have
chosen to do this as the song was created to go over part of a film
and I want to keep with that film style look.
Lighting:
My lighting will be natural (whatever is outside) at around golden
hour in order to make the shots more realistic and interesting. I
will also create artificial lighting in after effects in order to create
the meteors and fire more believable.
Mise en Scene:
As previously mentioned, I have chosen to go with a fairly simple
costume in order to make it look like the character is actually in a
post apocalyptic world. I will edit objects into the frame like burnt
out cars in order to make the scene look more post apocalyptic.
Editing:
My video will start off as slow paced and end up fast paced in
order to make it more exciting and varied. To add to this, the
beginning shots will be slow motion in order to make it feel more
unsettling.
Use of special effects:
I will use a lot of special effects in my video as the majority of my
lighting and mes en scene will be created in post using after
effects. As well as adding objects into the scenes, I will colour
grade the footage in order make it look darker and less habitable
in order build on the idea that it is filmed after an apocalypse.
