Proposal

For my A2 Media Studies coursework, I have decided to create a music video for the song ‘Norgaard’ by The Vaccines. I chose this song as it is fast paced and catchy, it also has a fun vibe which will allow me to be creative and use a variety of shots and effects. This will help to keep the audience’s attention and will appeal to my target audience of 15-25 year old males and females, who are individualists or mainstreamers believing themselves to be individualists. As the song is very short at only just over one and a half minutes long, I plan to include and intro before the actual music starts to allow me more screen time to be creative and create tension and expectancy in the audience.

My main idea for my music video is to around 7 people of both genders who will dance and mime to the lyrics, I will quickly change between shots of different people, emphasising the fast pace of the song. I felt this would be more exciting and interesting to watch than simply one person singing, also I found it hard to find one person who was willing to do the whole song alone. I will also feature one main girl who will not sing but the video will be centred around, I want there to be a clear contrast between these parallel narratives thus I will use obvious sharp cuts when changing between them. I may also use a split screen at some points to show the relationship between the two narratives, so it is clear to the audience that they are singing about the girl. I plan to show her getting ready to go out, I will only use close ups and extreme close ups throughout the video such as an extreme close up of her putting on mascara and lipstick and trying on clothes. I will never show her whole face, thus her identity will be unknown to the audience, which will help to create a narrative and make them curious. This will also emphasise to the audience her importance, due to being the centre of the video, all attention is focused upon her. Only at the very last shot in the song will I show the girls full figure in a long shot, which will be the climatic point of the song. She will be portrayed as original and quirky, making her more interesting for the target audience, particularly as they are individualists or mainstreamers believing themselves to be individualists, thus they will value such traits.

At one point in every chorus of the song, the lyrics spell out the model Amanda Norgaard’s (who the song was written about) first name. I plan use direct reference to the lyrics here, showing the letters physically on screen, each time using a different means to do so. For example, in the first chorus I will spell out her name with fridge magnets and use fast cuts to change between the letters. In the last chorus I plan to show those who have participated in my video holding white signs with the letters spelt out on them, again changing quickly between shots. I feel this would be an effective ending when followed by the last shot of the main girl, finally revealing her identity. I am also considering using after effects to put letters on the screen in my intro before the music plays, introducing the song.

I also plan to use a variety of locations, the main girl will be shot in her bedroom to get ready but very little of the room will be shown due to the closeness of the shots. I will also shoot outside in the street, perhaps in Camden Lock and market, as this would be in interesting quirky location with many different features. I am considering slowing down the song when filming, so if my actors stand still and sing I will be able to speed up the shot and it will appear they are in normal time, whilst everything around them will be sped up and going faster. I may also feature a shot of my main girl walking down a busy street, but dressed eccentrically so that she stands out from the crowd, wearing heels and quirky clothes. This will however be shot from the back so her identity will still be hidden, captivating the audiences interest and attention. However, shooting outside could pose a problem for me and my actors, for example if the weather is bad. In addition, I will be shooting in public and thus will have less control over the surroundings and any other people who may wander into the shot.

The Cribs' music video for 'I'm a Realist' could be considered a similar video to what I plan to make, in that it features a girl getting ready to go out and also uses a split screen. The Naked and Famous' 'Young Blood' also has similar features that I would like to incorperate into my video, such as the inspirastional images of young people which appeal to teenagers.