A Level media studies - music video treatment

2. LYRICS
IT'S NOT A GAME
I'M NOT A ROBOT AI CHALLENGING YOU
I'M NOT A PHANTOM
I'M IN YOUR FACE AND
I'M HERE TO SEE IT THROUGH
RIGHT BEFORE YOUR EYES
WATCH US MULTIPLY
COME TO CLAIM OUR RIGHTS - IT'S TIME
AS OUR POWER GROWS
TRYIN' TO STOP US SHOWS
(YOU) MIGHT AS WELL GO TRY'N STOP TIME
SO YOU KNOW THAT WE'RE OUT THERE
SWATTING LIES IN THE MAKING
CAN'T MOVE FAST WITHOUT BREAKING
CAN'T HOLD ON OR LIFE WON'T CHANGE
AND OUR VOICES RING OUT, YEAH
TOOK THE MASK OFF TO FEEL FREE
FOUGHT IT OUT IN THE DEBRIS
NOW WE KNOW THAT LIFE WILL CHANGE
AIN'T IT A SHAME
I'M NOT A FIGMENT OF YOUR AILING OLD MIND
I'M JUST AS REAL AS
I'M JUST AS DANGEROUS
AS YOU, SO KNOW YOU'LL FIND
A TASTE OF YOUR OWN MEDS
FIRE IN EVERY BREATH
FIRE INSIDE YOUR HEAD, YOUR HEART
AND AS YOUR CRIPPLED BRAIN
TRIES TO FIGHT IN VAIN
YOUR EMPIRE WILL FALL APART
AND YOU'LL KNOW WE WERE OUT THERE
SWATTED LIES IN THE MAKING
YOUR EMPIRE FOR THE TAKING
CAN'T HOLD ON OR LIFE WON'T CHANGE
AND OUR VOICES RING OUT, HERE
TOOK THE MASK OFF TO FEEL FREE
FOUGHT IT OUT IN THE DEBRIS
NOW WE KNOW THAT LIFE WILL CHANGE

3. INTRODUCTION
For the music video the focus will be primarily narrative based, the lyrics will be heavily
influencing the actions of the narrative, the audience will be told part of a wider story
influenced by - but not the same as - the video game’s story that the song was originally
used for. The narrative is based on social justice centred around redemption following
the hacker and the justice group trying to prevent his wrong doings, this narrative is
similar to the storyline of the video game without directly copying anything from it.

4. TREATMENT
The music video starts at the hackers home and see him using the computer with stereotypical hacking
software on the screen (Terminal.Fon, green on black). I also wish to experiment with the idea of adding
lyrics into the video at intervals around the computer. At this point it will switch to the driveway, this shot
will be under a surveillance camera like filter (black and white, low resolution) at a high angle. This angle
will be still shots – simulating a picture being taken every couple seconds, as one of the people in the
group approaches and covers the camera. (Like the image above)
In this music video i want to make it clear who the bad guy is (the hacker) through the use of lighting, so
in his computer room i want to have it only partially lit, either through the light from the window (curtain
closed) so there is little light. Or using a separate light held close to the floor in order to get low angle
lighting with a high camera angle to create long shadows.(Similar to the picture to the right)
It will then cut to another shot of the hacker where his phone on the desk will begin to vibrate and show a
warning, the camera will then pan up from the phone to the computer monitor to display another
surveillance camera like shot of the people in the house.
For this scene i want to pan up from the phone and then cut into the video on the screen, instead of just
filming the monitor (as this can lead to flickering due to the difference in the refresh rates of screens – 60-
120hz).

5. We will then see the door to the hacker’s room fly open from the inside, but the hacker will not be there and the window will be open. Then, matching the lyrics stated
in the storyboard, we will see the main person in the group punch his hand down on the desk – meanwhile the others in the group will be searching the room.
For this shot, for the same reason as before I want to make the good/bad divide clear. So in this scene I want to have the group of people, or at least the main person
in the group lit more that the room was before. This can be done as the window is now open due to the narrative, so more light can enter the room. I would like to get
some crepuscular rays (shown behind) as I believe they are very fitting of the style and are cinematically pleasing, however, they may be hard to shoot sue to the
need of strong sunlight. On the lyric “now we know that life will change.” We will see the main person in the group swing open the window (camera outside, but in a
close up) and he will lip sync the lyrics.
The next scene will be the hacker walking down a road, shot from various angles with the hacker looking towards the camera each time it changes. These shots will
all be very long shots taken from slight low angles using a hand-held camera to suggest a POV shot from someone watching the hacker. Then, depending on the
timings while editing I have two ideas: the camera cuts multiple times while approaching the hacker – or it will just be a straight cut to the actors face.
I am also thinking about shooting this at a low angle to show power, and this will contrast with the later shots where he is crouched on the ground. I will shoot this
multiple ways to see what fits when editing.
TREATMENT

6. TREATMENT
The next section will be in Kett’s Heights, a public space which is often used for
landscape views of Norwich. Here we will see the Hacker walking towards the view of
the city, and when we hear the lyric: “Fire in every breath / Fire inside your head, your
heart” the hacker will collapse and grab his head. Here I want to use a pull focus in
order to show the disorientation of the hacker, or I will spin the camera around the
hacker and slowly speed up the footage to show motion blur to present the same
emotion.
I then want to have an over the shoulder shot from one of the people in the group or
have the camera slowing spin between each person as they take a step (depending on
if I use the spinning earlier. And will record both to decide in editing). If I only follow one
person I will have them walking towards the scenery of Norwich.
After this I want to see them putting their masks back on (which they took off earlier)
with all three of them facing Norwich, with the sun setting in front of them to get a
silhouette. From a low angle to show their powerful compared to the hacker to show the
contrast between the hacker earlier and now.
There is also some instrumental at the end of the song which I wish to use to show the
group of people targeting other people and will show over the shoulder shots of different
members of the group looking at: someone drinking; someone with a (gas) gun;
someone taking drugs, etc. (you won’t actually see them doing any of the listed things,
but the outcome will be implied.)