A PowerPoint presentation detailing potential ideas for a music video based around an existing music track

1. MUSIC VIDEO
ASSIGNMENT 2
David Lee

2. GUIDANCE
This template PowerPoint presentation includes all the
relevant elements you need to cover in your Music Video
Assignment
It is suggested you save this PP in a different name and
share it with your group so you always have a copy – some
sections require you to delete the information on the slide
and replace with your own work
Add more pages to each section where necessary [you
should be doing this!]
Add visuals as you see necessary
This document will be added to as you progress through the
pre-production phase.
Delete this slide when complete

3. TASK 1 Idea Generation and
Research

4. RESEARCH & IDEA
GENERATION
Select a song/track that you like [or don’t like!]
Generate three ideas for music videos employing styles,
techniques and conventions that we have looked at in
previous sessions. Explore how you could interpret the
song differently using different methods
You can add any extra info you think is relevant, images,
mind maps, etc
For quick mind maps you could use bubbl.us to generate
these

5. RESEARCH
Watch a selection of videos to get your ideas started, make
note of a minimum of 5 – add extra slides, screenshot the
video and in bullet point note down info in terms of camera,
editing, art design, performance, etc and how this might
link to your production
Throughout the video, a mysterious humanoid figure,
presumably Nick Cave himself, is shown exclusively through
silhouette, never once turning to face the camera or the
audience, although his voice can be heard throughout,
almost as if it is entrancing the viewer and compelling them
to follow him deep into the woods. This is emphasised by
the fact that the video is set entirely at night in a vast, deep,
near inescapable forest.
In an unusual or, more accurately, unconventional move for
a music video, We No Who U R was recorded in only one
take, which was ultimately accomplished through the use of
a singular tracking shot that follows the faceless figure
through the woods. This type of shot can be somewhat
problematic as the director can easily run out, depending
how many minutes of track they have on their camera. It
We No Who U R
by Nick Cave
and the Bad
Seeds

6. RESEARCH (CONT’D)
Throughout the video of David Bowie’s Ashes to Ashes, bright
colours have been used extensively bearing a seemingly
oversaturated appearance. This seems to have been deliberately so
as to create a photographic effect known as solarisation (also
known as the Sabattier effect), where an image recorded on a
negative print is either slightly or completely reversed in tone,
often causing dark colours within the image to appear lighter and
vice versa.
At the very beginning of the video, a photographic technique is
utilised within less than ten seconds so as to create a seamless
transition between one shot and the next. To this effect, the
dissolve is used causing both images to overlap for a brief period
of time before moving on to the following image completely,
evidenced by the superimposition of David Bowie in a clown
costume against an undisclosed barren, rocky landscape. This
technique is repeated not long after, after the Bowie clown holds
up a frame and a Bowie in apparently normal clothes is seen within.
As the music video itself is already extremely popular amongst
David Bowie fans (including myself), I do not think it would be wise
to attempt to make another music video as there are already plenty
Ashes to Ashes
by David Bowie

7. RESEARCH (CONT’D)
Unlike his other music video, We No Who U R, in which a humanoid
figure could only be seen entirely through silhouette, in this video for
Higgs Boson Blues, Cave can not only be seen clearly but the other
members of his band, the Bad Seeds, are present also. Also unlike the
other video, which is set outside at night in a forest, this video is filmed
in an empty performance room with no audience, allowing the directors
of the video the freedom to utilise various camera angles where
possible.
As Nick Cave nears the end of his performance of the song in the
studio he’s filming at, there is a brief albeit extremely severe lens flare
that occurs as the camera pans around to capture a profile shot of
Cave, subsequently coming into contact with a nearby stagelight and
temporarily obscuring the artist from view. This occurs a second time
as he lifts back as his head while singing the verse ”The monkey has a
gift that he is sending back to you.” This also occurs, albeit a more
subtle fashion, as the viewer sees a profile shot facing left (or right,
depending on viewpoint) of him and at various other points within the
first six minutes.
Additionally, at the beginning of the video, before focusing on the
other band members including Warren, there is a tracking shot that
starts as Nick Cave enters through the door into the studio, continues
through the first few verses as he begins singing into the microphone
and ends with a profile shot facing right (or left of him, once again
reliant on the audience’s viewpoint) as he finishes singing the first few
Higgs Boson
Blues by Nick
Cave and the
Bad Seeds

8. POTENTIAL SONGS
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – We No Who U R
David Bowie – Five Years
Simon and Garfunkel – The Sound of Silence
While Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds’ single We No Who U
R, released as part of their 2013 album Push the Sky
Away, features a music video of a mysterious silhouetted
figure wandering through a dark forest almost
reminiscent of David Lynch’s Twin Peaks, it is the only
song to have such a video attached to it, as David
Bowie’s Five Years and Simon and Garfunkel’s The Sound
of Silence, respectively, are either limited to audio or rely
on concert recordings as music videos.

9. POTENTIAL
TECHNIQUES
Camera movement – This filming technique can be utilised through various means, depending on
what both the director and artist want the audience to see in the music video that they are making.
This can take the form of a tracking shot (either giving continuous flow to the music video, as seen in
We No Who U R, or serving as the opening as a means to introduce the lead vocalist as seen in Higgs
Boson Blues), a panning shot (which can be seen in the music video of Nick Cave’s Magneto) in a 360-
degree format, where the camera swivels from left to right, following the artist, zoom-ins and zoom-
outs (the former of which are used frequently in the music video to David Bowie’s Space Oddity at a
fast pace, focusing mainly on the artist himself but sometimes on his guitar), tilting, following shots
and finally Depending on the song I intend to use as the basis of my music video, I may incorporate
some of these techniques into it, some of which I may use to provide the lyrics with a literal
visualisation i.e. the verse “In restless dreams, I walked alone”, might feature a tracking shot of either
myself or somebody else walking down a street slowly under a grey sky.
Close-up – A filming technique that is used in which a important person or object is tightly framed
within the shot, paying attention to certain features on the main subject, such as their head or
shoulders, but sacrificing other details pivotal to the wider scene in the process. In addition to the
standard close-up, there are variations which can be used to place emphasis on a dramatic moment
or sometimes for comedic exaggeration. Extreme close-ups are often used for this purpose, often
focusing on someone’s eyes or face. In the music video of Kate Bush’s 1980 single Babooshka, the
camera gradually begins moving towards her in the lead-up to her transformation into the
eponymous character, gradually removing the bass (intended to be symbolic of the role of the
paranoid woman’s husband) from frame until only her face (obscured by a black veil) remains the
focus of attention. How I plan to utilise close-ups will depend on the type of song I plan to use as a
template for my video, for instance, a visualisation of David Bowie’s Five Years might feature an
extreme close-up of either withering trees or litter around an undisclosed area during the verse “The
Earth was really dying,” symbolising that littering is in part contributing to Earth’s climate change
issues and, by extension, killing the planet. Alternatively, were my second option to be used, I could
film a close-up of an electronic sign in lieu of a neon sign that will be used for the verse ”when my
eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light”, as neon lights in the UK and, by extension, York are
particularly hard to come by.

10. POTENTIAL
TECHNIQUES
Establishing shot – A filming technique, often used in films and television series, to
indicate a certain city and, on some occassions, the time of day by showcasing an
important building before cutting to a conversation or lecture taking place inside the
building where the remainder of the scene plays out. These shots are often filmed at an
extreme-long angle and, while filmmakers often prefer to let the audience guess as to
where the scene is taking place, they will sometimes include a brief caption at the
beginning of the scene that reveals the scene’s location. Filmmakers may also use the
establishing shot to capture all of the main characters in one scene, where it would be
impossible to do so otherwise.
Tilting – A filming technique that is used to give the illusion of movement from a camera,
despite having been fixed in a particular position in order to capture the shot the director
desires. A tilting shot can often be used in order to change audience’s perception of a
scene or used to reveal a location by tilting up or down. This is used particularly to great
effect in the Star Wars films in which, following the opening crawl, the camera tilts down
to face an arc forming part of a planet (such as Tatooine, Endor or Coruscant underneath)
or, in some cases, the vast blanket of space with a Star Destroyer moving overhead.
Tracking – Tracking, also known as a dolly shot, is a filming technique that is often
utilised in a scene that requires movement so that the audience can follow what is
happening in a scene, from a group of characters running towards their foe in
preparation for a battle or simply walking towards their destination while having a
conversation, a storytelling technique commonly known as the walk and talk. This
technique is used particularly to great effect in Quentin Tarantino’s 1994 cult film Pulp
Fiction where Vincent (John Travolta) and Jules (Samuel L. Jackson) discuss an incident
centred around Marsellus Wallace’s new wife Mia (Uma Thurman), while walking from the
elevator to the room where their informant and his flatmates are holed up.
Long shot – A long shot, sometimes known as a wide or full shot, is a filming technique
used to capture the breadth of a location and where a character or characters stand in
relation to it. Sometimes, a long shot can be used to establish majesty within the scenery
of the story’s location and sometimes the action taking place within the scene, as is

11. CONVENTIONS YOU
PLAN TO USE
As the song I have chosen to base my music video around,
Simon and Garfunkel’s The Sound of Silence, is a folk rock
ballad, there will be certain conventions of the genre I will
be required to follow to the letter and they are as follows:
In the majority of folk songs, the visual look in those videos
are often muted and subdued, allowing considerably more
darker colours to become more prominent in the backdrop,
such as grey, maroon or black, the first and last examples
being used sometimes to illustrate storm clouds gathering
behind a band or artist. This is often as a result of the
subject matter an artist has written, usually about a break-
up they have experienced and how it has affected them
personally, and how they wish for it to be conveyed in the
video. While The Sound of Silence does not focus on a
broken relationship of any kind, it does, however, focus on
a bleak world the narrator visits in his dreams where people
cannot communicate with one another and thus, as a folk-
rock song, I intend to maintain consistency with this during
filming by putting said colours at the forefront.

12. MIND MAP OF IDEAS
[SUMMARY OF IDEAS]

13. SUMMARY
5 opportunities of your ideas
1. Most of the tracks that I have handpicked according to their respective musical genres are not
known to have a promotional music video attached to them, professional or otherwise, thereby
giving me the opportunity to create one for the song(s) myself.
2. Although I will ultimately be able to choose only one song to base my music video around, I
am already starting to map out an idea of how each song could look visually based on their
genre’s respective tones, which I will then use to create rough storyboards as to what will happen
in the video. These sketches, depending on what filming style I intend to utilise, will either take
the form of a stop-motion animation or pure live-action video.
3. Once I am finally ready to begin the production phase of my video, I will be able to decide
which location I want to use in order to capture my visual ideas for the song. Depending on the
type of location I have chosen, however, I may need to examine the weather forecast and
determine whether or not it is appropriate to my needs as well as undertake several risk
assessments to review its safety. However, if I am able to restrict myself to at least one location,
the number of risk assessments I will have to conduct will be minimal at best.
4. Once I have finished filming and begun the post-production phase of the video, namely
editing, I will able to incorporate whatever transitional effects or titles I see fit using Adobe
Premier Pro. In addition to these, I will also have the opportunity to alter the picture based on
how I have envisioned the video from the start. This may range from altering the picture until it is
a sharp and crisp black-and-white, or altering it so that the picture appears grey and grim, but
not to the point that it is on the verge of disappearing, to a bright, exuberant sunlight day
remaining relatively unaltered.
5. Finally, during filming, I will be able to make the decision as to whether or not I want myself to
appear in the video alongside someone else or to simply make a video based around the song
that I have ultimately chosen.

14. SUMMARY
5 restrictions to your ideas
1. This music video project has a fixed deadline that cannot be altered in any shape or
form, which may inevitably to lead to rushed results for the finished product,
regardless of any glowing reviews that the video may receive.
2. As I will only be able to book college equipment, namely a camera and a tripod, for a
period of over three days, I will only have a limited timeframe in which to capture any
footage that may be appropriate to the subject matter of the song, unless there is a
way to have the deadline of camera use extended.
3. If I ultimately decide to follow the direction of appearing in my own music video, it
could prove an extremely difficult and risky feat to accomplish as I would be required
first and foremost to set up the shot according to the specifications I have set forward
in my storyboards as well as ensuring that I am not in the shot when I begin recording.
4. Depending on the location I choose to shoot in, whether in a park or in my own
house, there are number of factors I will need to take into account, namely asking the
landowner’s permission to film there. But perhaps the biggest factors that I will need to
take into account is both lighting and weather, respectively. As the days are becoming
more and more shorter, this means that it will become darker earlier leaving me with a
limited timeframe in which to capture a particular shot before the last light of the sun
disappears altogether. Additionally, if I have decided to film on a particular day and it is
raining when I have specified a day for a shot of grey clouds only (to name an example),
this will ultimately cause a setback in production leaving me with no alternative but to
wait until the weather has cleared.
5. Once the music video has been completed and fully edited, I will be required to show
the finished results to my peers and tutors, a process I am particularly worried about
undertaking owing to my perception that my viewing audience will be instantly
judgmental.

15. FINAL IDEA –
ARTIST/TITLE/INFO
Name of track / name of artist: The Sound of Silence by
Simon and Garfunkel.
Brief biographical background: Paul Simon and Art
Garfunkel are American folk-rock artists who formulated
the two-man musical group named after them in 1953.
While popular with music audiences, they often argued
about the creative direction their two-man band was going
on, eventually leading them to disband permanently at the
beginning of 1970 following the release of their album
Bridge over Troubled Water.
Links to other artists:
Genre info: Folk rock is a combination of both folk and rock
music, which rose to prominence as an art movement in the
1960s, instigated by the likes of Bob Dylan and The Byrds,
and spread across America and the United Kingdom.

16. FINAL IDEA – TRACK
SUMMARY
Summary/analysis of track [consider meaning, content, duration,
pace and style of the song]
Simon and Garfunkel’s classic folk rock song, The Sound of
Silence, is a subdued and reflective ballad, clocking in at 3
minutes and 6 seconds, in which the singer confides to the
audience or to whoever is listening about a dream (or vision) he
had as he slept restlessly one night that “still remains within the
sound of silence.” The phrase that makes up the title of the song
is an oxymoron, as silence is both the absence of sound and its
opposite thereof. However, this has been cleverly done to create
a two-fold meaning within the song: People are unable or, more
accurately, unwilling to talk to each other emotionally even when
the narrator (in his dream) pleads with them to open their hearts
to his words and the narrator, up until the start of the song, has
been unable to confide his dream to anyone except himself,
hence the declaration at the start of the song, “Hello, darkness,
my old friend, I’ve come to talk with you again.” However, there
could also be a third meaning hidden within the song that
pertains to the real world in that, when we switch off from our
normal routines, there are hidden noises that we begin to pay
more attention to such as the droning of electricity or the

17. FINAL IDEA – YOUR IDEA
Your creative concept/video synopsis [describe your interpretation, use
of imagery or narrative, genre conventions, etc]
To put together the music video for Simon and Garfunkel’s classic
single The Sound of Silence, I will rely on primarily an understated
visual look in order to capture and remain consistent with the solemn
tone of song, using only subdued colours such as grey, dark brown,
black etc. to guide me. Rain could also be incorporated into the video,
as Ridley Scott and Christopher Nolan have done in their respective
1982 and 2005 films Blade Runner and Batman Begins.
The music video itself could open on a dark and unoccupied room
followed by more or less similar images both inside and out (although
they will still be considerably lighter) such as rainy streets within or
expanding across the vicinity of School Street, leafless trees against the
backdrop of a grey sky and possibly a faceless individual (myself in a
waterproof coat with my back turned to the camera) walking away from
the house and turning out my collar as I stand underneath the halo of a
streetlamp, giving the lyric a literal meaning in the process.
Overall, I consider The Sound of Silence to be about an individual who
walks with the weight of the world on his or her shoulders, as he
laments the fact that people are not talking to or acknowledging one
another as they once used to do, an analogy that is particularly
appropriate for today’s world as more and more people become
consumed by technology instead of looking at what is directly in front

18. TASK 2 Pre-production
Assessment

19. GUIDANCE:
PRE-PRODUCTION
ASSESSMENT
You need to assess the viability of your production and
investigate what is required to enable you to make your
music video
Much of this task is hypothetical, which means you will
need to investigate standard costings for such a
production and apply these to your planned production
considering which equipment you would need and
resources, etc
Resources to support this are in the Pre-production
assessment folder on Blackboard
Delete the questions on each slide and insert your
responses

20. TITLE OF
PRODUCTION/PRODUCTI
ON OUTLINE
Summary of intended production
I will be making a music video centred around a song I both admire and listen to, in the hopes of creating something
visually abstract as well paying a heartfelt tribute to the works of Simon and Garfunkel, particularly The Sound of Silence.
The Sound of Silence, a folk-rock song written by singer-songwriter duo Simon and Garfunkel, was originally released in
1964 as the main single to their debut album Wednesday Morning AM and re-released in 1965 as a remix with drums and
other instruments being dubbed over the track on their second album, the aptly named Sounds of Silence. This makes the
song unique in that it is the only song by any artist to be retained and re-recorded for another album. Throughout its
duration, the song is played and remains in the key of D minor, providing the listening audience with a mellow and relaxed
tone that almost belies the intensity of the song’s story, in which a lonely man confides to the only friend he has ever
known, the darkness, about a dream he experienced while struggling to sleep, in which he sees a large congregation of
people worshipping a neon light as though it were a god and attempts to wake them from their religious stupor, to no
avail, as they remain unable or, more accurately, unwilling to communicate with one another. This is particularly
appropriate as well as symbolic of the world today, as people (children especially) have begun to dedicate their time in
favour of phones and other electronic devices instead of one another and sharing their experiences, thereby giving a new
and unexpected meaning to the words “Silence like a cancer grows.”
In reciting these words, the message that the singer and writer respectively are trying to convey is that conversation allows
us to blossom and grow, subsequently revealing certain aspects of character that would otherwise have remained hidden,
while remaining silent allows that silence to fester and subsequently leave others alienated in their relationships. Silence,
in turn, also allows people to follow false leaders like Donald Trump and Boris Johnson blindly, almost akin to
brainwashing, effectively surrendering their individuality in service of their leader that they themselves have situated in
power, as can be demonstrated in one of the final verses of the song ”And the people bowed and prayed to the neon god
they made.” This could also be used as an analogy and critique of religion, in which certain people are often know to
follow its strictures without question, subsequently alienating any friends or family they have whenever they preach
forgiveness and accuse them of sin.
In order to create my music video of this classic song, I will require a camera (preferably a Canon model), camera battery,
tripod and a memory card with which any footage I have shot can be stored. Once I have finished filming, I will require the
use of Adobe Premiere Pro with which to edit and formulate the finished product.

21. LOCATIONS
West Bank Park – A secluded area by nature, West Bank Park is known for its covering of trees, woodland walkways and, at the
top of the park itself, bowling greens, making it yet another potentially suitable place in which to carry out filming, especially
in autumn as the leaves are beginning to change colour and fall from the trees in preparation for the winter ahead. However,
as the park closes between 6.00pm-9.00pm at night, the amount of footage I would be able to capture would be entirely
dependent on what time of day I visit it. As the park is open to the public, I should be able to conduct some fascinating shots
of the trees covering the glade provided that nothing untoward is done by either me or anyone else. Although it is located
inland and therefore save from potential flooding like St Nick’s Fields and Acomb Green, the onset of heavy rain could once
again prove troublesome and set production back by several hours. By contrast, light rain would prove particularly useful and
further the production, acting as the ”cold and damp” that the song’s lead character turns his collar to.
St Nick’s Fields – Having worked as both a volunteer and a Wildwatch member with St Nick’s Fields, I feel it would be a
particularly amazing place to film given its history as well as its vast collection of trees, birds, insects and so on. However, in
order to do so, I would need to secure permission from one of the three following people: Jonathan Dent, who runs the
reserve as a whole, Maria, who works as Volunteer Coordinator or Ivana, who works as Outreach Officer for the reserve, often
publishing a new article for the Local Link magazine on the reserve’s behalf. This request should not prove too problematic,
as the reserve has often borne host to various documentary crews on the past plus my experience with and knowledge of that
place should prove beneficial in helping me set up a particular shot. The only obstacle that could potentially stand in my way,
which would be more accidental than deliberate, would be volunteer work being conducted in the area I plan to film in. To
avoid this, I will simply move to a different area of the reserve, possibly the Dragon Stones and capture whatever footage I can
there while simultaneously trying to avoid getting them into the frame accidentally or otherwise.
Acomb Green – While the Acomb Green would be an ideal place to film part of my music video, owing to its vast enclosure of
trees as well as its short distance from home, it can be extremely busy at certain times of day, particularly in the morning and
afternoon when it is occupied by children. While these can easily be worked around, filming at night there is, in no uncertain
terms, impossible as teenagers will often congregate there during the early hours of sunset. To do so would most likely result
in a scenario where they become aggressive and misconstrue your filming as a threat. Additionally, rain could also prove a
potential setback for filming if you have planned to shoot on a particular day only to discover it raining heavily, which would
ultimately render the entire green useless. To ensure that I do not get caught up within its busy day, I will attempt to head out
as early as possible and capture whatever footage I need for a certain aspect of the video.
River Ouse (preferably from land or on a bridge) – As the River Ouse runs through the centre of town and further across to
the outskirts, the chosen area for filming will likely be susceptible to flooding caused by heavy rain. This could potentially
cause damage to any filming equipment being used, if preparation is not carried out carefully. To add insult to injury, you
might find bikers and various citizens crossing your chosen bridge regularly when you expected it to be quiet. To ensure that
this does not happen, I will attempt, although it will not be easy, to pick out a grey day and get filming completed as soon as
possible, if it is forecast to rain on that particular day.

22. EQUIPMENT
The following equipment and resources that I have booked out for the
production of my music video are:
Camera
Tripod
Battery (and Spare)
SD Card
In order to obtain the equipment I required for the production of my music
video, I had to speak directly with Chantelle who helped to direct me to the kit
booking form on Blackboard, which was precariously still attached to the Level
2 course, despite the requirements set down by the Level 3 course. I have
already booked out the necessary equipment I need (as pictured above) with the
intention of filming during half-term w/c 28th October. As college will not
resume until Monday 4th November, the same day the camera equipment is due
to be returned, an extension spanning the full length of the half-term break
ultimately had to be applied.
As kit has already been fully booked out for this week, the equipment that I
require will not be available until approximately the beginning of next week.
Having organised to pick up the equipment on Wednesday 23rd, I will go to the
Media Studies Office immediately after my final lesson of the day and inform
whichever members of staff are present of the reason for my presence.
Here is the
following
equipment that I
have booked for
filming of my musi
video.

23. FACILITIES
I will be editing my music video entirely at York College,
using the Adobe Premier Pro software to accomplish this.
As this is a filming experiment for my current course, I
will be based in a classroom for most of editing and thus
will not require any other facilities for my editing, save
for the quiet area in the library on the first floor, if
necessary.

24. PERSONNEL
CREW
I will primarily be filming my music video as a one-person unit, thereby
freeing me of restrictions that could arise in working with another
person, specifically time, but also limiting the amount of creative
discussions that would take place.
CAST
As my music video will primarily rely on imagery, including but not
limited to trees, buildings and sky to name but a few examples, I will
not be using any external performers, allowing me to film the video
free of worry as to their availability as well as whatever requirements
they may have. However, I may require a performer for one shot in
which we show someone walking across the street. To keep costs
down, I could perform the cameo myself provided it is filmed as an
over-the-shoulder shot (possibly a tracking shot) and my face is
obscured from the camera where at all possible.
Other personnel
Although I have previously stated that I would be working as a one-
person crew, I may employ the help of friends or family to help me
during principal photography as well as any pick-up shots needed,
depending on how far I am into production.

25. PROPS/COSTUME/ETC
Props
Due to the video’s reliance on imagery, similar to the approach used in
Koyaanisqatsi and its subsequent sequels Powaqqatsi and Naqoyqatsi,
no props will be required for the duration of filming unless stated
otherwise.
Costume
During the cameo scene in which I or somebody else appears, the only
costume that will be required is a coat and a pair of gloves (if needed).
The latter will prove particularly useful for warmth as the weather turns
cold in the lead-up to winter. The use of a coat in the scene will
ultimately allow the verse, ”I turned my collar to the cold and damp” to
be acted out as dictated by the rhythm of the song, giving it a visual as
well as literal meaning.
Green Screen
As I will be filming at locations in and around Acomb, I will not require
the use of green screen as my priority is to keep the use of special
effects to a minimum and ensure that anything I have captured is real
and carries a genuine air of subtlety about it. With the main bulk of
Simon and Garfunkel’s works being folk-rock songs, I intend to honour
the genre by staying as grounded in reality as possible.

26. TASK 3.1 Visual Planning

27. PRE-PRODUCTION:
VISUAL PLANNING
This section is concerned with the visual planning of your
music video
You should use this section to develop the sequencing or
your video, establish the relationship between the visuals
and the track itself and create a structure for you to
follow when filming
It is important that you ‘pre-visualise’ the video before
you make it; it will make filming and production a more
streamlined process
The following tasks are part of your visual planning
 Pre-visualisation and concept boards
 Storyboarding
 Shot list

28. PRE-
VISUALISATION/CONCEP
T BOARDS
Tool for exploring the direction and visuals
Provides inspiration and information for the “look & feel”
Presents key moments in your video
A means to sketch/plan ideas
Information on colour/lighting
Defining the “mise-en-scene”
Include as much here as you like, but keep it relevant to the
production, the following slides have been left blank for you
to approach in your own way, add more as you need to
Extension suggestion: edit a short sequence of clips that
have inspired or influenced your video [similar to this:
http://io9.com/5941145/this-directors-video-pitch-for-
hunger-games-might-be-better-than-the-real-movie]

31. RIP-O-MATIC
You should also construct a 15-20second Rip-o-matic
test reel using existing footage to convey the type of
video you want to make

32. STRUCTURAL
BREAKDOWN
Breakdown your track into it basic sections [e.g. intro,
verse, chorus, verse, etc] and apply broad visual ideas to
each section
You can use this as the master template for your
production, then add more shots to each section when
you develop your full visual plan
You should create a slide showing all the sections of the
song, then add a slide for each section with timings,
lyrics, what happens and details on specific shots
You could storyboard and shot list each section as you
go, to break up the process.

33. SIMON AND
GARFUNKEL’S THE
SOUND OF SILENCE –
SONG SECTIONS
0.00-0.03 – For the first three seconds of the video, only the first chords of a guitar being played can be heard. This is a
commonplace technique for artists to use when opening their tracks, with some musical introductions lasting up to 30 seconds
or over, while others last for only two to three seconds, all of which are entirely dependent on the instrument that is being used
as well as the structure of the tune.
0.04-0.37 – As the guitar continues to play in the background as the only instrument up to this point, the vocals of both Simon
and Garfunkel can be heard as they recite the first part of the song’s first verse, “Hello, darkness, my old friend, I’ve come to
talk with you again.” This lyric alone sets the stage not just for the solemn tone of the song but the impact of the words ”the
sound of silence” as the narrator begins to describe a dream he has experienced to the emptiness and how he has been unable
to confide in anyone what happened in it until now. While the tune remains in the key of D minor, the pitch of the guitar being
played varies from high to low at key parts of the song while Simon and Garfunkel’s voices remain at the same pitch, with only
small changes made by them where needed. As he unveils that the dream that continues to float around his head “still remains
within the sound of silence”, the guitar abruptly stops playing for two to three seconds as a means of allowing Simon and
Garfunkel to catch their breath for a brief period of time before moving on to the next verse.
0.37-0.38 – Simon and Garfunkel begin singing the first part of the second verse during the brief interlude in which no
instruments are played. As they finish reciting the first lyric of the second verse “In restless dreams I walked alone”, the sound of
drums begin to kick in. This element was not present in the original 1964 recording but was added as part of a remix in 1965
instead. Simon and Garfunkel were not consulted on this new recording, as they had broken up as a duo owing to the initial
failure of their first album Wednesday Morning A.M.. The revised recording of the song would later become the title track of
their 1966 album, Sounds of Silence.
0.39-2.53 – Not long after the added drums in the 1965 recording begin playing, the guitar restarts playing with what
potentially sounds to be a bass guitar following extremely close by. Almost instantly, all three of these elements are combined
to create the tune that many have come to associate with The Sound of Silence, often describing it in their reviews as well as
various biography books written about the duo “as the quintessential folk rock release.” From the beginning of the second verse
to the near end of the fifth and final verse onward, each of these three instruments play in conjunction with one another,
gradually picking up speed and urgency especially as the narrator pleads with the large congregation of people staring
hypnotised at a neon light, “Hear my words that I might teach you. Take my arms that I might reach you”, but not before he
fruitlessly attempts to warn them, “Fools, you do not know. Silence like a cancer grows.” As the song finally builds to and
reaches its emotional crescendo, another interlude ensues in which both the drums and bass guitar come to a complete stop,
while the guitar proper stops only temporarily and Simon and Garfunkel, also temporarily, stop to catch their breath once more
before reciting the final part of the last verse.
2.54-3.06 – At the very end of the song following the last refrain in the chrous, there is a final instrumental segment performed
by guitar rounding out the final chords of the song, thereby creating a bookend effect in which the same guitar is both the first
and last instrument to be played in the song. An instrumental ending to a song, as with the beginning, is another common
convention used by artists and can also vary in length due to both song structure and genre as well as the instrument being
used to create the ending segment, ranging from 3 to 4 seconds (as demonstrated from repeated listenings to The Sound of
Silence) to approximately over two minutes.

34. SIMON AND GARFUNKEL’S
THE SOUND OF SILENCE –
SONG SECTIONS: VISUAL
IDEAS
0.00-0.03 – Initial guitar chords playing over an image of a street (possibly School Street) with grey clouds moving overhead,
which could be used in the video to signal the coming approach of rain. Titles may be inserted before the start of the song with a
caption that would roughly read: “The Sound of Silence (Original) by Simon and Garfunkel. Directed by David Lee.”
0.04-0.12 – First verse, Lyrics 1 and 2: “Hello, darkness, my old friend/I’ve come to talk with you again” could potentially feature
an image of a relatively dark, secluded area of West Bank Park which could be filmed near the walkways leading into the woods.
0.13-0.21 – First verse, Lyrics 3 and 4: “Because a vision softly creeping/Left its seeds while I was sleeping”. This part of the
song, depending on how I envision it, could either be a continuation of the same shot being used for the first verse of the song
or a different shot altogether, which could take the form of trees, either evergreen or deciduous, looking directly up to the sky
with their branches stretching out, the walkway leading up to Holgate Windmill or a wide shot of the street beyond.
0.22-0.37 –First verse, Lyrics 5 and 6: “And the vision that was planted in my brain/Still remains within the sound of silence.”
These lyrics of the song could either visually take the form of two shots of a couple of different areas or one of the chosen area I
am filming in. One such shot I could film for either outcome is that of the train tracks, which can be found isolated by an gate
after walking over Holgate Bridge. This could prove tricky to pull off, however, due to the tracks still being operational thereby
making it impossible for me to anticipate when a train will pass by. Fortunately, as the gate often remains closed, there is no
need for me to worry and once I enter the editing phase, I can always mute out the sound of the train’s wheels (if need be) or
alarm as it passes by.
0.38-0.46 – Second verse, Lyrics 1 and 2: “In restless dreams, I walked alone/Narrow streets of cobblestone.” This section could
potentially take the visual form of an unidentified individual (possibly myself) walking across the pathway leading to the bowling
green underneath which are stone steps. While these are not cobblestone, they could easily serve as a suitable substitute as
filming in an area of actual cobblestone, namely The Shambles, would be difficult owing to the busy nature of the area of town
surrounding it.
0.47-0.55 – Second verse, Lyrics 3 and 4 “’Neath the halo of a street lamp/I turned my collar to the cold and damp.” In terms of
imagery, this section could be one of the more trickier parts to pull off, as I may require rain in order to film the section properly.
While it is unlikely I will be unable to find a street lamp in the park, the section could easily be a continuation of the following
shot in which the undisclosed figure walks down the steps and briefly stops to fix the collar of his coat thereby actually turning
his collar to the cold and damp.
0.56-1.10 Second verse, Lyrics 5 and 6 “When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light/That split the night and
touched the sound of silence.” To accomplish this particular section of the video, I will need School Street to be as dark and as
relatively quiet as possible, which could prove potentially tricky given the presence of motorbikes passing by from time to time.
This, however, could easily be muted out and incorporated as part of the video. Alternatively, I could do at least two or three
takes until I have the shot exactly how I envision it, which could wind up being more likely given my perfectionist nature. As neon
lights are hard to come by in the United Kingdom, the street lamps within the area could be utilised as a substitute, with the
camera positioned carefully so that the image is deliberately overexposed, giving the impression that the narrator’s eyes are
being blinded by their glaring flash.

35. SIMON AND GARFUNKEL’S
THE SOUND OF SILENCE –
SONG SECTIONS: VISUAL
IDEAS PART 21.11-1.21 – Third verse, Lyrics 1 and 2 “And in the naked light I saw/Ten thousand people, maybe more” Following directly on from the glaring
stab of the light that pierces the narrator’s eyes, the next shot could potentially be used as a transition to a busy street elsewhere in York or
within the Acomb area. Streets are often busy during morning and afternoon which could give the “ten thousand people, maybe more” section of
the song more resonance.
1.22-1.29 – Third verse, Lyrics 3 and 4 “People talking without speaking/People hearing without listening” This next section of the video could
potentially take the form of people going about their business in Acomb, which could be difficult given how the number of people walking
across the streets often vary from large groups of people to little to no one at all. However, if I am able to do this, one aspect I intend to capture
quite clearly are people walking across the street looking at the phones instead of what is in front of them, thereby giving this section a harsh
yet befitting meaning. Alternatively, I could also capture a wide shot of a street leading down from West Bank Park to Holgate Road.
1.30-1.46 – Third verse, Lyrics 5 and 6 “People writing songs that voices never shared/And no dared disturb the sound of silence” While I do not
have a definitive visual idea for this section of the song at present, I could organise a shoot to West Bank Park one day and capture a shot for the
empty bowling green at the park’s furthest end. While it is possible to capture a shot like that, as with the previous ones, I ultimately cannot
predict how busy and/or empty that particular section of the park will be on the day of shooting. While the video will not match with part of the
section, the bowling green’s emptiness could be used as a means of symbolising the narrator’s statement that “no one dared disturb the sound
of silence.”
1.47-1.55 – Fourth verse, Lyrics 1 and 2 “ “Fools”, said I, “you do not know/Silence like a cancer grows” ” As a nod to the shot that could
possibly open the music video, I intend to capture a shot of dark rain clouds floating overhead, obscuring the sun from view, as if to imply the
rapid spread of silence is also infecting the world, equivalent to a form of infection like cancer, hence the declaration, ”Silence like a cancer
grows.”
1.56-2.03 – Fourth verse, Lyrics 3 and 4 “ “Hear my words that I might teach you/Take my arms that I might reach you” ” As an antithesis to the
dark and foreboding storm clouds in the previous section, a shot of the sun peering out from under the clouds could be captured as if it is
imploring to people, “Do not remain silent and alone. There is yet hope in the dark days that lie ahead.” While the filming location of this shot
has not yet been decided, due to its simple nature, it could be filmed just outside the door to my house, in the small garden area with a door
leading into the alleyway beyond or sunlight peering over the clearing of trees at the entrance to West Bank Park.
2.04-2.20 - Fourth verse, Lyrics 5 and 6 “But my words like silent raindrops fell/And echoed in the wells of silence” This section could visually
take form as a torrent of heavy rain, almost as if the sun’s pleas were ultimately unfounded and the silence won out and the dark storm clouds
have prevailed allowing rain to fall like a silent cancer. Unfortunately, however, heavy rain would ultimately make it tricky to film outside, as I
may not have any assets to protect the camera against such torrents, leaving me unable to perform filming expect from the narrow hallway
leading into the house. Alternatively, if it is forecast to rain lightly, this may prove more advantageous as while rain is never truly silent, light
raindrops are not as loud as heavy raindrops. But regardless of the outcome, either rain forecast could be used for a fitting visual metaphor.
2.21-2.29 – Fifth and final verse, Lyrics 1 and 2 “And the people bowed and prayed/To the neon god they made” Again, while neon lights in the
United Kingdom are extremely hard to come by and thus will not be featured in the video, one of two churches that are located in Acomb could
be used to create a visual metaphor for the lyric “And the people bowed and prayed”, to showcase that the people in the narrator’s vision are
worshipping the neon sign with religious fanaticism. The first is the Church of Latter-Day Saints, located near West Bank Park. The second is the
Quaker building located near the Acomb Green, which could either be appropriate or contradictory given that Quakers are often silent in their
worship, only truly moving to speak if the spirit moves as if burdened with an unbearable secret. A definitive decision will be made as soon as

36. SIMON AND GARFUNKEL’S
THE SOUND OF SILENCE –
SONG SECTIONS: VISUAL
IDEAS PART 32.30-2.38 – Fifth and final verse, Lyrics 3 and 4 “And the sign flashed out its
warning/In the words that it was forming” In order to visually capture this section
of the song, I could do an additional bit of filming in West Bank Park and capture
a warning sign which was previously attached to a tree but has since become part
of it instead, with bark growing around it. This could be used in lieu of a neon
sign to show that while its words are obscured, the sign still makes clear “its
warning in the words that it was forming.”
2.39-2.57 – Fifth and final verse, Lyrics 5 and 6 “And the sign said, “The words of
the prophets are written on the subway walls/And tenement halls and whispered
in the sounds of silence”” In this visual section of the song, I had originally
planned to capture one or two shots of graffiti but that will ultimately prove
impossible on two fronts: I am filming in a village area and will also be faced with
a myriad of time constraints, unless I were to do pick-up filming in a different
area of York. However, since Acomb itself is rife with litter across the areas
making up the village, including the outskirts, this could be used to visualise the
lyrics by showing that not only are people not paying attention to one another,
they are not paying attention to the planet or the impact the litter they are leaving
behind is having, for that matter.
2.55-3.06 (occurs simultaneously with the utterance of the last lyrics and a few
seconds after) – Final guitar chords being played either with a bookend effect
through the utilisation of the same shot with grey clouds floating overhead (in the
event that time constraints force this eventuality) or the sun shining brightly in
the sky, with the rain clouds having finally cleared, as a directly ironic contrast to
the intensity and urgency of the lyrics as well as the song in general. Regardless
of the outcome, when I am editing the video, I plan to use a fade transition in
synchronisation with the guitar chords being played as the song reaches its end.
Credits could also be used to reveal who has made the film, if I do not wish to do
this at the beginning.

37. STORYBOARDING
Your storyboard should bring your idea to life
Provide an idea of the sequencing of you video
Provides a basis for production
Suggested online storyboard creators are:
 https://www.storyboardthat.com
 http://www.pixton.com [very complicated]
 http://www.storyjumper.com [allows you to insert your own images]
Alternatively, hand draw or photograph your storyboard and
scan or copy to insert it onto your slides
There are lots of tips collected together on Blackboard!

38. SHOT LIST
Your shot list should contain the sequential breakdown
of what you need to shoot for your video
It should work in partnership with your storyboard
It will be your working document when you film
It should contain the shot number, scene number, shot
description, framing and action you will see
It should also have information on performers in the
scene and other props, etc
Shot list template is on Blackboard in the pre-production
folder.

39. TASK 3.2 Organisational
Planning

40. PRODUCTION GROUP
INFO
Include names, contact info, and defined roles at
difference stages of production, using a table is
suggested

41. LOCATION INFORMATION
Information and images of your location[s] for filming
You should have address details, clearance/premissions
for filming, recce photos and floorplans [including
camera, equipment and cast/crew layouts]
Where possible, have a plan B fallback location option
Assess each location for any issues and suggest
solutions

42. LOCATIONS

43. RISK ASSESSMENT
Risk Assess each separate filming location using the
table in the camera H&S PP on Bb as a staring point
Completing a generic filming assessment would be a
start, then you can add specialist/site specific risks as
you progress your production
Remember, a Risk Assessment is an ongoing document,
you should evaluate if anything changes in production
and when you put control measures in place
You should add the table to each call sheet for each
location

44. RISK ASSESSMENT

45. CONTINGENCY
PLANNING
Things go wrong
Your contingency plan is there to give you a backup or to
minimise the effect on production
You should consider the following areas: Technical,
Location, Personnel and Organisational areas [about 5
potential issues for each]
Use the form in pre-production folder on Blackboard

46. CONTINGENCY PLAN

47. PRODUCTION
SCHEDULE
Provide an outline of what you will do on which days
during production
You should broadly plan to the following structure:
- 2 weeks pre-production
- 1 week filming [plan for up to 2 days]
- 2 weeks editing [essentially 2 days for every day you
filmed]

48. SCHEDULE

49. CLEARANCE AND
PERMISSIONS
Any place you film and anyone you use in the filming of
your video must have a completed form
Blank forms are on Blackboard for you to complete and
insert here

50. PERMISSIONS FORMS

51. TASK 4.1 Production
Record/Log

52. PRODUCTION
RECORD/LOG
Keep track your filming and production work with the
camera here
You could add stills of your work with annotations
You should include any specific details about how your
filming went and what you did on set to enable you to
complete the work
You should include Call Sheets and relevant production
documents here

53. CALL SHEETS
This links with your schedule
Complete a call sheet for each production activity
Forms are on Blackboard
Insert into Powerpoint here