Location (Mousehold Heath)

Mousehold Heath

In 1144 the body of a boy, William of Norwich, was found on the heath. The story was circulated that his death was the result of ritual murder carried out by Jews and he attained the status of saint and martyr. This was the first medieval example of blood libel against Jews. A number of bones of Jews were found in a well whilst Chapel Field Mall was being built. The remains of 17 victims of anti-Semitism were of men, women and children near the section in the area where Café Rouge is. The carbon dating fits the anti semetic attacks in 1144. The victims were thrown into the well whilst alive!

In 1549 Robert Kett, rebelling against agricultural hardships, led a large group of men who camped for six weeks on the heath before the uprising, known as Kett's Rebellion, was suppressed. Robert Kett's rebellion (an uprising in protest against landowners enclosing common land where farm labourers could graze their few animals). Kett's rebellion has inspired movements against oppression and inequality . Curiously the forced privatisation of state schools and turning them into academies is a form on enclosure. The land and buildings that belonged to the people is now in the hands of charitable institutions and other private enterprises! Kett would be rebelling against this if he were around to day! But his rebellion is famous and his last bastion was Mousehold Heath.

Mousehold was also painted by Norwich artists such as Cotman and Crome. Particularly interesting is their focus on the big East Anglian skies which I could include in my print productions as this location is being used in my music video.

Mousehold Heath was famously painted by a number of the Norwich school artists including John Crome and John Sell Cotman.
In his autobiographical work Lavengro George Borrow records his meetings with gypsies on the heath. The Norwich born novelist, and one time Lord Mayor, R. H. Mottram was another artist who valued the open space of Mousehold Heath. He once described it as "the property of those who have the privilege of Norwich birth".

 Kett was sentenced for treason and for supporting the landless and the poor. He was hung in chains from the walls of Norwich castle and left to die of hunger and cold. His body was left hanging there for many months as a reminder to the people of Norwich of the fate that awaited traitors!

 The Heath thankfully still belongs to the people of Norwich. This location will give our music video an iconic sense of Norwich City.

Painting of Mousehold by Cotman

Painting of Mousehold by Crome

storyboard

This is the storyboard I created to help with my music video. However, as my video uses a montage narrative, I have only included several random images that we could potentially include. I thought it would be a great idea to use close ups of the leading female and leading males face as these are the two actors that the audience need to focus on the most.
 
A point of view shot could be used for a road trip as this puts the audience in the actors perspective and they may be able to identify with them. For example, the target audience would be people age 16-21 and people in this age category may have only just learned to drive or bought their own car.

I thought an image of Jill and Joel on the swings would be effective as this would result in the lyrics matching with the visuals, for instance the title of the track is used in the lyrics: 'Back when we were kids' This is  something many people used to do when they were younger - go to the park and play on the swings or slides. For this image, I think we should try and use a variety of camera shots/angles, for example, long shot, low angle, high angle, medium shot, close up, over the should and decided which camera angle looks the best.

A cafe/bar were the two actors are chilling out together and drinking coffee would be a lovely image to involve. It is also an inter-textual reference to the Tv Drama 'Friends' - they go to a similar place called 'Central Perk'. I think shot reverse shot would work well here, focusing on Joel then Jill as this still uses close ups and is done quite quickly, therefore the action will synchronize with the beat - fast paced. (Goodwin)

As the song is about growing up but wanting to be a kid again. I considered it to be a good idea to involve events that happen as teenagers grow up, such as going to gigs/festivals or concerts. Therefore, if we get the chance to go to a gig, I could film some of it and use it in the music video. For camera shots/angles, I think a panning shot would be very effective because the audience can watch the behavior of a variety of individuals and also close ups would be efficient.

Audience Feedback for Music Video

This questionnaire was filled in by a male student, I am happy with the ratings given. This shows that the male gender can engage with my music video, probably because they can identify with Joel. The only criticisms I received in this feedback is that the narrative became weaker in the middle and it felt like I was editing by effects. I took this on board and during the editing process, I edited the shots in the middle to a fast pacer - I feel this was what the problem was, as the track is quite upbeat, therefore the shots needed to fit with the sound of the track. Additionally, it felt like I was editing by effects as I used the same effect 'cross dissolve' over every shot, I did this to indicate it was a montage; however, as it appeared boring and repetitive I took out some of the effects across each shot or I replaced the cross dissolve with 'dip to black' or 'dip to white' to make the music video more interesting.
 

This feedback was from a female. I am happy that they believed the best part of the production to be the filming/footage as I was the cinematographer during this production and this is is an important part of a production and evidently it is appealing and engaging. From the criticism of this feedback, I did add a fade on the overlap of footage 1 minute in and rendered my music video in order for it to play the whole way through without buffering or the music cutting out. This meant an audience would be able to watch it without any difficulties.

This questionnaire was also completed by a female. This one states that the best part of the production is 'the amount of footage included and the fast pace goes well with the song. I am happy with this feedback as Jill, Joel and I put a lot of time and effort into getting a variety of different shots in different locations, in order to produce an efficient montage. Additionally, I am glad that the fast pace edit goes well with the song as this has met my intentions from when I firs started planning. The criticism I got in this feedback is that I cut some of my footage to early when Jill says 'Sorry', therefore I made this longer so an audience could understand what she said. Also, this feedback suggested that I did not need a transition, but I used a transition to imply the narrative was moving into a different time of the friendship between Jill and Joel. Although, as someone else suggested I was editing by effects, I thought it was unnecessary to have them from shot to shot, so I removed some of them and only used them when I believed them to be the most effective.

Music Video Rough Cut

Music video inspirations

"Skins" (TV Drama)

"Skins" is a TV drama shown on E4 in the UK. This represents teenagers as going out all the time, having fun, being rebellious and getting intoxicated. This links with idea of our chosen track 'When We Were Kids' as it is all about growing up too fast and wanting to be a kid again. Therefore, we thought using this type of imagery in our music video would contradict the song very well.

This is a montage of clips from series 3 of  "Skins" which shows lots of young adolescences having fun, being rebellious, but they are also represented as hedonistic - this may be a representational issue in the music video we produce.





"Kids" (1995)

released: 17 May 1996 (UK)
director: Larry Clark
writers: Larry Clark, Harmony Korine and Jim Lewis
stars: Leo Fitzpatrick, Justin Pierce and Chloe Sevigny

This a film which IMDB describes as 'A day in the life of a group of teens as they travel around New York City skating, drinking, smoking, and deflowering virgins.'

This is the official trailer of the film. Similar to "Skins" it portrays teenagers as constantly going out - staying away from home, having a good time with their group of friends, but these teenagers are also represented as hedonistic. This film has also influenced us as our music video is going to be concentrating on a strong friendship between two characters. However, this film focuses on a group of friends.






Friends (TV Series)

Friends is an American television sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman and it aired from 1994-2004. It revolves around a circle of friends who live in Manhattan. The theme tune of the song 'I'll be there for you' immediately indicates that it is about friendship. This could be an inter-textual reference in our music video as our idea focuses on a boy and a girl who are best friends and grew up together, therefore they would always look out for each other. The lyrics of the theme song also mention the responsibilities of growing up, therefore this links with the idea of wanting to be a kid again because there is a lot less to worry about. Additionally, "Friends" shows a group of friends having a laugh with each other and always going out with each other. For instance, they go to a Coffee House called 'Central Perk', therefore we thought it would be a good idea to include the playhouse café in Norwich into our music video as it is a popular place for friends to hang out.

 

This is the coffee house in the show friends - Central Perk

Music video planning

moodboard

Research Ideas

 

This music video 'Stay High' has influenced are ideas for our music video as it gives a realistic interpretation of a young adolesences behaviour in society today, such as going to parties and getting intoxicated which is one of the ideas that we want to include in our montage for our music video -'When We Were Kids'.
Also, this has given us ideas as to what camera angles and movement we may involve. There is a variety of slow motion and fast paced movement in this video, however, as the track we have chosen is very upbeat, the edit of our music video will be at quite a fast pace. This song gives a narrative story based on the girl who is very intoxicated and lost herself in the music; this is something we could try with our own music video and focus it on a particular character.





Another song/music video that has been an influence for us is 'Sigma - Nobody To Love' as it involves very positive imagery and uses a beach as a location. This is a location we could potentially use as it has a summer vibe and the performers illustrate that they are having fun, which is something we want to get across in our own music video. Also, going to the beach is a very common thing that teenagers do in the summer. Similarly, to 'Stay High' the movement used in this video has a range of fast pace movement and slow motion.

Chosen Track Lyrics

When We Were Kids

'Did you ever wanna settle down?
I hit the floor running with a cunning frown
But we’re as gone as dead cassettes
These Silhouettes and cigarettes Seem

To often take a little pain away
if you butter up a pill it’ll hide the taste
but bitter as the bullshit is
you cant disguise your lies like this

and all the silhouettes of the days that passed
are ghosts that circle my head far too fast
it seems my themes to seem subdued
I whine and chime my foul mood

Back when we were kids
with little pens and crayons
we didn’t understand the sadness
madness the world had to lay on
nowadays its all about new changes
take me back to RC cars these bars
aren’t on par with old crazes

I take a little time to catch my breath and
Get my bearings straight and start afresh
While Thoughts creep back behind these eyes
Of how much life can pass me by scream

A little louder at the thought of it
Creating my own drama and calmly knit
This web of lies and sell it to
Anyone who thinks its true

I cant help but assume its Someones fault
not my own if so its only ever by default
pity is its half and half
this sickly city heart to heart

Back when we were kids
with little pens and crayons
we didn’t understand the sadness
madness the world had to lay on
nowadays its all about new changes
take me back to RC cars these bars
aren’t on par with old crazes'

These are the lyrics to "When We Were Kids". The lyrics are clearly about childhood and growing up - this gave us the idea of young people wanting to grow up too fast, therefore there it is a lot of imagery we could include and perhaps edit this into a montage of lots of fun things that teenagers do in modern society. "Skins", a TV Drama has inspired our ideas as it contradicts this song very well.

Other Possibilities

namestɅge: When We Were Kids



This is a track we found through another student in our class who did not wish to use it, therefore we wanted to take the opportunity of potentially using it for our music video. The idea I have for this music video is somebody or people who are trying to grow up and be an adult and settle down, but they're finding it difficult to escape from their childhood/teenage years when they didn't have as many worries.

Possible Tracks

Million Faces



I believe this song would be a good choice as it appeals to a teenage audience because of its pop/rock genre, therefore it could potentially be relatable to many people. This song is quite upbeat and sounds very fun, consequently I could imagine a few scenarios such as a group of friends having a good time and a laugh together, being at a party, being at the beach, camping in a woods or being rebellious - events that would be expected in teenage years. 

Chasing Tigers



These are a local band based in Norwich. Their genre is indie rock which is very popular to this modern day, therefore this would also appeal to a large teenage audience. If we were to use this song for a music video, I can picture it being about a guy wanting to save his relationship with the girl he loves.

Only Shadows



This is another track we could possibly use as the lyrics come across as very meaningful, therefore we could create a purposeful music video in the relation to the song. I can imagine this song being about two people in a relationship or two close friends that mean a lot to each other and want to prove this.

Lauren Standley A2

Hi, this is my new blog for my A2 coursework.