My Audience

In order to research my target audience and learn what they want and expect from a dance music video and website, I created two separate surveys asking about their preferences and opinions on the matter. Firstly, I asked their age (making sure I'm hitting the correct age range), sexuality (as this will be explored in the video) and their race (this too will be explored in the video). I then asked more specific questions to do with the video or website itself.

Music Video Survey
Music Video Survey link: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/V5S2KSR

In conclusion, I found that the majority of the people I asked were aware of what dance music is, but there was a split over what they think should be in a dance music video- the answer mainly revolved around either a club and actual dancing or a full narrative. The participants also expected the pace of the video to be fast, to suit the speed of the music. They also expected neon and strobe lighting, suiting the club theme. In my video, I want to explore the creative side of lighting, using unconventional techniques and colours to achieve the look and feel I want to.


Website Survey

Website Survey Link: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/7FJLZQK

Overall, the participants wanted a simple yet artistic website, with tabs that direct to social media, music, merchandise and tour dates. I will also include a small section for a short biography to give the website more personality, as well as a page for the music video. The pictures I will include on the home page will be pictures of the artist and stills from the video, but also a few landscape pictures to fill in between the two. Regarding how the video and website will be connected, most people opted for a clickable link. Depending on whether I am able to embed a link and the video, I will strive for this. I will prioritise tabs linking to tour dates and social media as that is what people said they use the website primarily for.

Therefore, my audience comprises of male and female 16-25 years old, class AB demographic. The majority know what dance music is and favour normal to fast-paced changes in shots and story line. They prefer strong and colourful lighting (such as neon and strobe lights), fitting in with the current trend in pop and dance music videos. I can infer from this that they would also prefer a more on-trend approach to my cinematography, such as using the rule of thirds as much as possible when I am framing my shots.

Testing- Editing

This task is to test how I will achieve the colour scheme I want to and how my planned editing techniques will look on the footage I have.

Colour Grading Testing

Before

After

Before

After

Effects Testing (Masking/ chroma keying)

Before

After

After this test, I found that the editing technique I want to use will work with what I have recorded and it portrays the symbolism I want it to. I have also found that, if I use footage that was filed during lighter hours and does not look like it is set at night, I am able to make it darker and look like it is nighttime through the editing process.

Testing- Car

This task is to test if I am actually able to film in a moving car, and if I can get the shots I plan to get; this task is also to see how these shots will will look on the camera I have and how shaky the shots will be.

Test of a b-roll shot

Test of a rear view mirror shot

Test of an over the shoulder shot

Overall, I found that I am able to get the shots I want and I now know what angles to film from to get them- I also found that I can add stability by using a pillow to mitigate the impact created by the car's movement on the window; I will use this to get the exterior shots of the car. 

Testing- Handheld

In this task, I will test if I am able to shoot movement shots without a stabiliser or track. I will keep the camera as still as possible and try not to produce footage that is too shaky- I am using handheld shots because I want to portray an unstable feel in the video to fit in with how the drunk protagonist feels. 

After completing this test, I found that, when shooting handheld, the footage can get quite shaky- to combat this, I will use a stabilising software when I am editing my shots. Yet, I think that going handheld for some shots will portray the unstable vibe I am going for.

Testing- Lighting

I will test my lighting in this task- I hope to find the optimal camera settings as well as test to see if my lighting actually works- as I do not have any proper lighting equipment, I have fashioned my lighting out of heavy duty torches, elastic bands and coloured cellophane sheets.

f/4.5, exposure 1/25, ISO 12800

f/4.5, exposure 1/80, ISO 25600

f/4.5, exposure 1/4, ISO 1000

f/4.5, exposure 1/4, ISO 5600

Testing for blue lighting

Testing for pink/purple lighting

After this test, I found that f/4.5, exposure 1/4, ISO 1000 was the best settings to use. Also, the equipment worked really well- as the torches are handheld, they are easy to move and change the colour of if we needed too. Something else I discovered was that I can replicate a passing streetlight by using an orange cellophane sheet and moving the light past the subject's head.

Testing- Location

This shows the testing of one of the locations as part of the woods scene. I am testing this because I want to scope out what kind of shots I am able to do here and if it is safe to do the shots I am planning to do- I am also looking to see if it is easily accessible and not too busy. 

Testing a possible shot

Testing a possible shot

Testing if this alcove is suitable for a shot

Recording the terrain

Testing a possible shot

Recording possible background

Recording possible background

The feature for a possible shot

The trinkets and ribbons on the tree.

Possible sunset shot

Testing backlighting

Documenting of how the sunset looks in the woods- possible establishing shot (pt 1)

(Pt2)

Possible shot

Testing long shot

Testing mid shot

Testing head and shoulder shot

Testing establishing shot

Another possible hallucination scene location

Possible shot (pt 1)

(pt 2)

Test for possible shot

Alternate angle for hallucination shot

Test shot for tree

Test shot

Test for walking shot 

After this test, I know where I will shoot, the angles that I will shoot from and when is the best time to shoot at. There are no light sources around this area, so I will have to provide my own. There is a path that I plan to shoot on, as well as a tree with hanging ribbons and trinkets- this scene will include a hallucination, so I think the creepy vibe of the tree will fit into this. 

Preparatory Task 7- Producers/ Directors research

In this task, I will research different music video directors' style and the ideas they usually explore within their videos. Then I will form a study tool in order to help me grasp the styles and works of different successful producers and directors, and the mainstream trends of dance music videos.



In summary, dance music videos are usually quite 'out there' and are sometimes quite cryptic. The style used isn't always the same, which is what makes them interesting to watch- most of the time, the video is moulded around the song and its lyrics.