Treatment

Treatment Outline

We have chosen to use the song 1-800 by Logic feat. Alessia Cara and Khalid and the genre is R&B. Our target audience is teenagers and young adults and our main characters will be two teenage girls played by Becky and Allanah. Since we have decided to produce a narrative style music video, it will be linear as we will start at the beginning of their day and follow it to the evening. It will be an illustrative narrative as there is a obvious link between the lyrics and the visuals. The main themes that will be present in the music video are: friendship, happiness, sadness and nostalgia. We will be using the original song off YouTube which before using we will attempt to contact the artist/s asking for permission to avoid copyright issues. 

Synopsis

Becky and Allanah will be playing our two main characters who are both teenage girls who live very different lives from each other. Becky's character has an unhappy home life, relationships with her parents, isn't getting good grades and has recently lost her closest friend leaving her with no one. In comparison, Allanah's character has happy home life, good relationships with her parents, good grades and a supportive group of friends. The narrative will be presented using a split screen showing a day in their lives and how different they are however, near to the end of the narrative they experience similar problems and these problems are what leads them to cross paths and become friends. A key piece of information concerning the development of the narrative is that both girls were once close friends but this will only be revealed to the audience in the middle/towards the end of the music video. 

Characters

As I mentioned previously, we have two main characters who will be played by Becky and Allanah. Other characters may include Allanah's character's friends who will probably be played by our friends Sara and Tyreke and also family members of the characters so Becky's mum will feature in the opening sequence and Allanah's. Richard dyers star theory apply's to our music video as he states that 'stars are constructed to represent "real people" and "real emotions". This relates to our music video because we made the main character with the intention of making her relatable to the audience through her emotions. 

Location

Our main filming location will be: Allanah's house, Becky's House, school, various roads and a nearby park (possibly Richmond Park). Our main aim is to film the house scenes in the daytime so we have automatic good lighting whereas we will aim to film the scenes in the park in the evening, specifically just before sunset so that it will be clear to the audience that it is towards the end of the day. For the scenes inside the houses, to be specific we will be using the bathroom for the beginning/opening scene and perhaps a bedroom for another scene. 

Visual Elements/Mise-En-Scene/Style Choices

All of our footage will be shot in colour and we aren't 100% sure what we will want the footage to look like in terms of colour - for example, for some scenes we may want the lighting to be a bit darker to reflect the mood. As we are filming the majority of the footage in the day, lighting will not be a problem, filming at sunset might be difficult so we will need to film quickly but mostly importantly experiment beforehand to see if this would work in terms of how the footage will look on camera as we still need it to be good quality. Possible props that will be involved in the music video include: Polaroid pictures, headphones which will overall contribute to the feel of the music video and make it realistic to the audience. In terms of costume, all of our actors and actresses will be wearing casual clothes like t-shirts, trainers and jeans) which will link in with the narrative. We will be using elements of performance, to show our skills and add transitions to the piece. 

Equipment and Resources

In terms of equipment and resources, we will be needing a camcorder from school along with an SD card and the charger for the camera and a tripod. We will also need our costumes which shouldn't be hard to get a hold of as they are basically our everyday clothes anyway so we will already have them. As for our props, we will need a Polaroid camera which we have access to and a pair of headphones which are easy to get as we all have a pair anyway. After getting all of our footage, we will then need Adobe Premier Pro to edit. 

Possible Struggles and how we will overcome them

A possible struggle that we could come across would be lighting in the case of filming at the park at sunset. Since it is the park, we wouldn't be able to use the lighting kit as there would be no sockets available. To overcome this issue, early on in production (as soon as possible) we will do a recce of the location and see what the footage would look like at sunset - based on our findings from doing this recce we can either go along with production assuming that there is no problem or decide to film this scene in the middle of the day so lighting isn't a problem. Another big problem that we could come across would be if the camera ran out of battery whilst we were out in the park because it would be a waste of time to go home and charge it up again - to prevent this issue we will make sure that the camera is fully charged before taking it out of the house.

Music Video Analysis:

Wild Thoughts - Rihanna, Bryson Tiller and DJ Khaled:

Wild Thoughts is a Hip Hop R&B son that was composed by American musician DJ Khaled, with the lyrics sang by Barbadian singer Rihanna and American singer Bryson Tiller. It was released in June 2017 and was by 'We The Best' and 'Epic Records'. 
Canadian singer PartyNextDoor assisted the artists with writing the song, with the production handled by DJ Khaled. Commercially the track reached number one in the UK charts, marking Khaled's second number one and Rihanna's ninth chart topper. 



Mise - En - Scene:


The video starts off with sowing the audience which record label has released the song, next is introducing on screen who the artists are, and the audience are then introduced to Rihanna and DJ Khaled as they appear on screen as the music starts. 
The audience is presented with low lighting, however this enables the colours in the video to pop and stand out. For example, the lighting around Rihanna and DJ Khaled is dark and has a subtle green colour, however it allows the colours from their clothes to stand out, Rihanna's orange top pops in colour.  

The music video then progresses to a both artists walking together through what looks like the streets and markets of their exotic location, the video then shows a crowd of people dancing. In the shot of the crowd dancing, the undertone of the video is a orange/reddish tone that radiates a warm atmosphere. One aspect that is clever it that the artists themselves have the warm orange ton on them, however the green tone is behind them.


It is clear to the audience that the location of the video is exotic, this is conveyed through different aspects. For example, in the background of the start of the video, you are able to see that there are clothes drying on a washing line, this indicates that the location is hot and possibly traditional due to the fact that in modern day society, most people use technology for everything. Another indication of the location would be the clothes that the artists and extras are dressed in. For example Rihanna is dressed in a cropped orange peasant top, massive gold door knocker hoops, green floral trousers with matching boots, a Versace belt and a head scarf to match the trousers and top. DJ Khaled also wears floral prints as he is dressed in a floral bomber jacket and white trousers. Both artists attire suggest that the location is exotic due to the fact that floral patterns aren't as frequently worn in states such as LA or NYC. As well as costume and props to hint the location, another factor would also be the constant visual references to nature, for example it is shown in the background of each shot.


Camerawork:

The camera work that is included within the video is done very cleverly as the shots that are used are constantly switching between filming the artists from the front and then the side. This is done smoothly, therefore the audience see from both views and perspectives, however this is done smoothly enough that they don't notice it as its only for a few seconds.

The shot that is mainly used throughout the whole duration of the music video is a medium shot, this is so that the director is able to capture what is happening in the shot but also to capture the location. This specific frame also allows the director to include the extras in the back of the video as well as making sure the artists are the main focus of the frame; it also allows the director to show specifically to the audience what they want them to be viewing.


All three artists share the center of the frame. For example at the beginning of the music video, DJ Khaled and Rihanna share the center as they both have vocals at the start and therefore carry on through the rest of the shot. Later on the audience is able to see Bryson Tiller as he has a solo during the song and therefore is unaccompanied when in the frame.


Sound:

In terms of sound, with this specific song, the aim is to listen to the music and allow it to take over your body, almost empower you to dance freely. At the start of the song, there are almost the sound of ocean waves which indicates the location of where the video is set. It then progresses to the sound of a guitar and then the beat of the song slowly comes in. DJ Khaled then announces the production company "We the best music", which is his signature phrase and therefore immediately provokes the audience to know exactly who they're listening to. 

The lyrics of the song are about both artists singing to their lover who is on their mind. This is therefore conveyed to the audience through the lyrics. The mixture of guitar, bass, tambourine, and light drum compliment each other nicely and illustrate an exotic vibe. The electric guitar at the chorus generates a dance atmosphere, which enables the audience to want to dance.  

Both Rihanna and Bryson Tiller have very chilled, subtle tones to their voice which produces a relaxed feel. Towards the end of the song, DJ Khaled announces his name over the song, which then echos- however each time  his name is repeated,it becomes quieter, which then generates a build up for the upcoming chorus. 

Editing:

Through the aspect of editing, the music video is cleverly edited to create the illusion that everything is natural and aesthetic, however each shot has been upgraded. For example, in the very first shot, the colour gradient has been edited so that each colour within the frame and the shot is bright and stands out. At the beginning of the video, there are slow motion shots of the artists to introduce to the viewer who is going to be in the duration of the video. 


Quite a large amount of the shots are slowed down and in slow motion, for example the shots of the crowds of people dancing. There are also shots of Rihanna being slowed down and sped up at the same time, this creates the effect of the shot being blurred. 


The colours are also edited so that they are more dramatic to the eye and therefore memorable for the audience. Each frame and shot is edited so that the colour is dramatic. 

Additional:


At the end of the video, all artists are united and are filmed together to finish the music video. This allows the audience to view the artists and listen to their vocals at the same time. The video fully ends with all three artists facing the camera, with a star night time background. This allows the full focus to be on the artists. 

Music Video Analysis:

Everything you never had ( we had it all)- Breach:

Everything you never had (we had it all) is a song made by British producer Breach, which also features the vocals of Andreya Triana. Everything you never had was released on the 18th of November 2013 and was released under Atlantic records and Warner UK. The music video for the song was released onto Youtube on the 9th of October 2013. 


The music video begins with a dancer  walking into a club that is filled with loud music. As the audience, once the camera first enters the club it is as though you - yourself are following behind her and can hear the bass of the music as she continues to walk through. Once the dancer has fully entered the club, the camera begins to go closer towards the main dancer and character of the video - Jo White. As the camera focuses on Jo you are still able to visibly see the other dancers and extras in the back, however as the lighting changes, the other dancers slowly begin to fade as the camera focuses more on Jo. from the audience perspective it looks as though she is alone in the room, however she makes facial expressions and gestures in other directions as though there are people around her.  The music video focuses on the dance and narrative of the story. In a daydream sequence she imagines herself letting her mind, body and soul go, first by multiplying three times with less clothing each time, then four more times with the skin, skeletons, and organs becoming visible, and finally appearing as an angel with halo as they all dance in sequence at the same time. When the song ends, the woman returns to reality, dancing among the club goers on the dance floor.  The music video may have costed a fair amount, however most likely not as expensive as others due to the fact that there are not many scenes with extras or other dancers (aside from the beginning and end scene). However, the producers would've had to spend money on the special effects, Jo White herself and the costumes. 

Mise- En- Scene:

The video starts off in a dark rooms that has changing coloured lighting. there are not many props shown in the video, as the audience's perspective you are mainly able to see the dancers in the back and Jo White in the centre of the scene. As the camera slowly closes up on Jo's face, you are just able to see her silhouette and vaguely her features.
As the camera finally fully focuses on Jo, the lighting begins to increase and she is shown to be on her own on the dance floor in the perspective of the audience, however from her point of view she is still around the other people in the club.


Jo begins to start dancing and allow the music to take control of her. The audience then see how Jo multiplies into three and each time is undressed one piece of clothing at a time.
Jo then begins to start a dance routine and as her dance progresses she begins to multiply even more. The use of her multiplying may make the audience question why this is happening and what it means.
The motive behind the multiplying is to show the audience how the music is in control and allows Jo to set her mind free and allow the music to connect to her body on the outside and internally as well, which is why her internal body parts are shown to be replicating her dance route and joining in. Her costume in the video demonstrates how she likes to express herself and not care what others think, her hair colour also portrays how she feels free to express herself. The reason for her to be seen as being by herself in the room is to show how she is free to be herself and feels like its just her there and no one else. 



Camerawork:

The first camera shot and technique that is used is a Dolly camera movement. This specific camera movement is used so that the director is able to slowly and smoothly close up on Jo and her face specifically.
Once Jo is in the club by herself a medium, wide shot is used to capture her facial expressions and body language. This specific type of shot is the one that is mainly used during the duration of the music video, however at certain points the camera is zoomed out so that the whole of Jo's body is completely in the frame and the audience is able to see her dancing. This frame is also to capture the location in which the music video is being filmed, For example at the beginning of the music video when the extra walks into the night club, the audience is able to tell where the location is due to the lighting, music and amount of people that are there, however the whole of the frame isn't being shown. This frame is also key for when a new version of Jo is joined/ joining.  It is clear that the camera is constantly on a Dolly which allows the cameraman to circle Jo when dancing without the camera jerking- this allows a smooth shot when filming. Any close ups that are filmed are used to capture any shots of Jo lip syncing to the music which allows the audience to feel more of a connection when watching.

Sound:

In terms of sound, one of the main sounds that you are able to hear throughout the music video is the lyrics of the song. The song was written by Andreya Triana (the singer herself), Dee Adam and Ben Collier, and then it was produced by British producer Breach. 'Everything you never had is in the music genre category of Pop/ House music, this is due to the beat and the lyrics of the song.
At the beginning of the song all you are able to hear is the bass of the song as if you were standing outside the room the song was playing in. As the camera enters the club in the video, the bass becomes louder and less muffled. The lyrics of the song begin to start. At the end of the song you are able to hear an abrupt sound effect that signifies the end of the song and that reality has hit Joe.


Editing:

The editing in this video has many basic cuts that have been done to each of the shots. The editing may have become more complex when trying to fit each version of Joe in time to the music and perfectly behind the one in front. There is good use of editing at the beginning of the video and the end when the music becomes quieter and more faint, the lighting is toned down and the bright colours are exaggerated.

Lastly, the editing is key for when each version of Joe is introduced into the next shot. By the end there are eight versions of Joe and each time with one layer missing, this is a clever way to showcase to the audience how the music allows Joe to let go of everything and just be in tact with the music.



Additional:
As Joe is the main character within the entire music video, she is placed at the front. the camera angles also are in her favor as there is one directly in her view with a medium angle to show she is in control and in focus. The use of different versions of herself could apply to audiences who are into events such as raves, festivals and concerts- also people who are able to let go of themselves when they listen to music.










The record labels that participated in the production, release and coming together of the music video were Warner Records and Atlantic. Although Warner is a popular conglomerate, i do not think that it influenced the music video significantly.


Although it is not stated specifically who the target audience is for this music video, i think that it is aimed at young adults who are trying to find themselves and who like to express their personalities. this is due to the way that Joe White is presented in the video and also the message behind it.

Music video analysis:

Butterfly Effect - Travis Scott:

The song 'Butterfly Effect' is by American rapper Travis Scott, however was written by rapper Shane Lindstrom and the production was constructed by Felix Leone and Murda Beatz. Travis Scott originally hinted about him dropping a new music when he was performing in Portsmouth - Virginia in May 4th 2017. Scott said to his audience "Dropping new music in a few days. Bout to go crazy for a few days". Travis Scott then released 'Butterfly Effect' on the 15th of May.




Mise - En - Scene:

The music video starts with Travis Scott lying on a car looking up at the sun. There is then a sequence of colourful flashing images of objects such as Butterflies, Dragonflies, water, the sun, motorbikes, Travis Scott himself and other women who also feature in the music video. Majority of the flashing images all relate to nature and the outdoors.



The video then progresses to short video clips of a motorcycle and car racing  one another, however the colour drastically changes within the same clip. For example in the first clip the colours are shown to be purple and blue whereas in the second, they change to green and turquoise. The next clip is shown of the same car racing ahead in a more orange/tangerine colour, this radiates a warm tone to the music video. Scott's video then has a complete contrasting vibe with bright blue colours and water images. This conveys a more cool tone from the video.



As well as having Travis Scott himself in the music video there are also many young women that feature in the back, up close to the camera and around Scott. The young women in the video are not wearing as much clothes as Travis Scott. This is to appeal to the male gaze as the clothes they are wearing are rather revealing.



A key image that is constantly featuring throughout the video is the references to nature and butterflies. For example, in the back of the plain white walls there are butterflies stuck on, same whenever there are flashing images majority are either of butterflies or other nature references. This constantly is referring and linking back to the title of the song and to show the audience what's important to Travis Scott.   As the music video moves on, again the audience is shown young women in revealing clothes, however in the video Travis Scott is wearing dark clothes and colours such as black, whereas the girls are wearing brightly coloured clothes such as lilac, pink, green, yellow ect. Travis Scott may have chosen to do this to make him stick out to the audience more.



Camerawork:

The majority of shots used throughout the video are medium wide shots, this is to include a clear picture to the audience of what's going on in the video, but to also not be too zoomed out that it's unclear to the audience what they're meant to be seeing. As well as using a medium wide shot to capture what Is going on in the video, it is also used to include the location that is being used. In this particular music video it is unclear as to where specifically it is being filmed, however it may be to show the location as paradise.
The camera movements that are done, are completed by using a dolly shot to have a smooth transition from one frame to another. This allows Scott's music video to flow more easily and have a smooth transition.



Travis Scott is always in the center of the frames that are shown throughout the video, this is key as he is the musician and therefore should be in the center of the video.  Another clever technique that is used in the video is Travis Scott's use of heights. He has positioned himself so that he is standing taller and higher than anyone else in the video, this discretely portrays Scott in a superior light as opposed to the other actors in the video.
Some of the shots are close up to the actors and also Travis Scott's face, this could be to include a variation of shots.
The lighting throughout the video does vary, however majority of the video is shot using bright lighting.



Sound:

In terms of sound the main aim is to hear the lyrics and understand what they mean. The song starts with the chorus which is Travis Scott talking about drugs and his high lifestyle which he does not want to change, for him it is paradise.  Right before the chorus even starts the audience hears "Murda on the beat so its not nice". Travis Scott says this because the production company is Murda Beatz who is in association and partnership with Shane Lindstorm who actually wrote the lyrics of 'Butterfly Effect'.




There are many sound effects that feature throughout the song. For example at the beginning the audience is able to hear a sequence of different sounds such as a motorbike revving, electricity sparking, a faint scream of an eagle (which is Travis Scott's trademark), water trickling, and a lighter. As the song progresses there is a part in the video when a young girl pushes the camera under the water and the sound correlates to her actions. Also as the butterflies appear on screen, you are able to hear the flutter of their wings which is key to the song and sound. As the song is ending more sound effects are heard.




Editing:

In terms of editing, it is rather complex and detailed as editing is a key concept with this particular music video. The editing in this video is complex due to the bright colours and flashing images that is included within it.

Special effects are clearly demonstrated throughout the video as it allows Travis Scott to express himself and allows the audience to connect and understand his perception on life. Most of the frames in the video are bright and have light tones, this could potentially be to convey to viewers how Scott feels and his mood.



Each frame and shot include some form of quirky and unusual editing which makes the music video stand out and provokes thought as to what is happening and why.

Additional: 

Travis Scott is the main person on camera, mainly due to the fact of it being his song and therefore he is the star. His attire in the video is a black shirt with the buttons undone and black trousers, whereas the women in the video are wearing bright colours and more revealing clothes.

This could potentially be to identify Travis as the main person and also superior to everyone else in the video. The women may be dressed specifically to cater to the male gaze and therefore engage both male and female viewers.


Personally i think that 'Butterfly Effect' has a target audience of young adults who are not only fans of Travis Scott but also who enjoy R&B Rap and who like to express themselves through music.