The pitch for my A2 music video.

1. C H O S E N T R A C K
JOHN NEWMAN / LOSING SLEEP / POP
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bs5-klTyb9o)

2. C H O S E N T R A C K
JOHN NEWMAN / LOSING SLEEP / POP
REASONS FOR CHOOSING THE TRACK
• Although Newman’s style of music and unique voice could be considered
unconventional to the pop genre by some, his music videos make use a number of
genre conventions throughout, and have served as a source of inspiration to us
throughout our research phase.
• The lyrics of the track could be considered vague, and unlike other pop songs,
don’t necessarily lend themselves to a particular narrative. Therefore, when
finalising our idea for a music video, it’s likely that we’ll have greater creative
freedom to be experimental with the narrative route we take.
• It was felt that our concept for “Losing Sleep” was the most developed, and
therefore the strongest, idea we had for our music video, as we were able to come
up with a number of different ideas concerning shot/setting/mise-en-scene.
• There is a steady drum beat throughout the track, upon which it would be possible
to cut throughout our music video. As a result, we feel it would be relatively easy
to create a pace within the video that matches the tempo of the song itself.

3. C H O S E N T R A C K
JOHN NEWMAN / LOSING SLEEP / POP
REASONS FOR CHOOSING THE GENRE
• When conducting a playlist of potential songs to create a music
video for in the early stages of our research, we realised that the
majority of the songs we had selected belonged to the pop
genre, and therefore we felt this would be the best genre to
work in as it gave us the most options.
• We both predominantly listen to music belonging to the pop
genre, and therefore we’re familiar with the conventions present
in music videos and other forms of promotional material.

4. During the research phase, we took a large amount of inspiration from pop artists we considered not
only to be similar to John Newman, but to the artist we wished to construct within our own music
video, and across our associated ancillary products as well.
I N S P I R A T I O N
BRUNO MARS / GRENADE / POP
After watching the music video for Mars’ ‘Grenade’, we were immediately
inspired by the shock ending to the narrative. Not only did we feel that
incorporating a similar plot point within our own narrative would be fitting with
the initial idea we had thought of when brainstorming, but that it would set our
video apart from others within the genre.
JOHN NEWMAN
Whilst conducting our research, we watched and analysed a number of
Newman’s music videos, including ‘Cheating’ and ‘Losing Sleep’, each of which
provided us with an abundance of inspiration for the performance aspects of
our own video. When watching his videos, it became obvious that he’s a
charismatic, energetic, and passionate performer, and therefore portrays key
performance traits that we wish our artist to portray within our music video.

5. During the research phase, we took a large amount of inspiration from pop artists we
considered not only to be similar to John Newman, but to the artist we wished to construct
within our own music video, and across our associated ancillary products as well.
I N S P I R A T I O N
OLLY MURS / DEAR DARLIN’ / POP
Whilst watching this particular video, we were inspired by the distinctive and
unique way in which narrative flashbacks had been intertwined with performance
sequences during the first half of the video. Although it was acknowledged that it
would be extremely difficult to recreate such an advanced form of editing, we felt
that incorporating flashbacks within our own video would increase the likelihood
of audience members being engaged by the narrative elements. In addition to this,
the simplistic yet effective settings/locations used throughout the video were a
source of inspiration to us when planning our own. Not only would sourcing and
filming in similar locations be relatively straightforward, but it would allow us to
focus on the artist himself, and the meaning of the track.

6. O U R A R T I S T A N D T H E I R
B R A N D I M A G E
Although we have not yet chosen a name, we have decided that our artist will be
a young (late teens/early twenties), white, British male who will be easily
distinguishable by his unique voice and passionate/energetic performance style.
In addition to this, our artist could be described as a metrosexual male; he will be
well-groomed, fashionably dressed, concerned with his appearance, well-
educated, and expressive in terms of his emotions/feelings.

7. • Although our artist will be presented as a “real person”, he will be a constructed, artificial
image designed to appeal to the chosen target audience. As part of this image, his voice will
act as his USP.
• The image constructed for our artist will contain a paradoxical aspect. Although he will
appear as though he is a “real person”, his talent as a musician and performer will separate
him from the everyday individual, and make him stand out. As a result, our artist will be
“both ordinary and extraordinary”.
• The image of our artist will be constructed to appeal to the target audience, and then
conveyed through our music video, digipaks, and magazine adverts. Audience members will
then respond to the portrayed image by buying his album, and becoming long-term fans.
• As a pop artist, it’s likely that our artist will be responsible for inspiring trends amongst
members of the target audience (e.g. in terms of clothing/hair style/etc.), and will therefore
develop cultural significance.
• Our artist’s ‘star image’ will be immediately established not only through his music, but
through his performance within our music video as well. If our artist is to be considered a
‘pop star’ rather than just a ‘pop performer’, this established image will need to remain
consistent over a long period of time.
O U R A R T I S T A N D T H E I R
B R A N D I M A G E
APPLYING DYER’S THEORY TO OUR ARTIST

8. T A R G E T A U D I E N C E
P R O F I L E
GENDER: FEMALE
AGE DEMOGRAPHIC: 16 - 24
SOCIO-ECONOMIC CATEGORY: B, C1, C2, D
CROSS CULTURAL CONSUMER CATEGORY: ASPIRER / MAINSTREAMER
TRIBAL GROUP: MAINSTREAM / ASPIRANT
LIFESTYLE: HIGHER EDUCATION (SIXTH FORM/UNIVERSITY/ETC.), PART-
TIME JOB (HOSPITALITY/RETAIL), ACTIVE SOCIAL LIFE
INTERESTS: HIGH STREET TRENDS, SOCIAL MEDIA,
REALITY/DATING/COMEDY PROGRAMS, POP/INDIE ROCK/INDIE POP MUSIC

9. M U S I C V I D E O I D E A S
Narrative
The male protagonist (played by the artist himself) has been unable to sleep all night, disturbed by
thoughts of his recent break-up/the relationship. At 3AM, he attempts to call his ex, and after
being met with voicemail, he begins leaving a message (in the form of the lyrics of the song).
Throughout the video, we see the protagonist becoming increasingly restless, first pacing around
his house, and then heading out into the night. He experiences a number of flashbacks to the
relationship that are initially positive but become darker throughout the video. He eventually
finds himself at the train station where they broke up, and he’s seen standing on the railway
bridge above the tracks. The flashbacks continue (now very negative) until almost the very end,
when the artist is seen climbing on top of the wall of the bridge. At this point, the screen flashes
white, before fading into a shot of his ex-girlfriend listening to the voicemail he has left for her.
Performance
Over the course of our music video, the artist will frequently be seen to lip-sync to the lyrics of the
track itself as if he were recording them as part of the voicemail he has chosen to leave for his ex-
girlfriend. Although direct mode of address is a common convention used within pop music video,
we have decided not to include it in our own video, as the artist is deliberately addressing his ex-
girlfriend, not the audience members themselves. As the track builds, we wish to increase the
passion and emotion expressed by the artist in order to reflect the tempo, and convey the correct
meaning and tones. We believe it will be possible to do so by increasing the amount of movement
displayed by the artist, and drawing attention to key facial expressions. It has been decided that
performance elements will not be present within the flashback sequences that we have chosen to
use in the video, as we feel that this would not be fitting.

10. A P P L I C A T I O N O F T H E O R Y
• Our music video will feature a number of characteristics conventional to the pop
genre to help to communicate meaning to the viewer.
• Within our music video, the structure/tempo/beat of our track will be reflected
visually on-screen, therefore creating thought beats throughout.
• Within our music video, the male protagonist will be played by our artist, and
therefore the authenticity and overall appeal of the video will be increased.
• Our artist will be the star of our music video, ensuring that he will be the primary
subject of the audience’s attention. In addition, a proliferation of “money shots”
will be included within our video to emphasise the appearance and style of our
star, and he will be given the majority of the available screen-time.
• The narrative that runs throughout our music video will be illustrative of the lyrics
of the track itself, and therefore the two will be closely linked.
APPLYING GOODWIN’S THEORY TO OUR VIDEO

11. A P P L I C A T I O N O F T H E O R Y
• In terms of narrative, our video will be a visual response to the track itself,
and what is seen on-screen will clearly reflect the lyrics.
• Due to the ambiguous nature our chosen ending, there will be an absence of
a clear resolution to the narrative at the end of the video.
• Throughout the duration of our music video, certain elements (e.g. camera
shots / mise-en-scene / locations / etc.) will be repeated.
• Within our video, the editing will become ‘foregrounded’ as a result of jump
cuts, stylised editing techniques, and extreme jumps in diegetic time/space.
• When editing our video, we wish to ensure that the editing will match musical
phrases and/or the beat of the track throughout.
• Over the course of our music video, a number of close-up shots, as well as a
selection of establishing shots, will be used.
APPLYING VERNALLIS’ THEORY TO OUR VIDEO

12. L I N K I N G A N C I L L A R Y
P R O D U C T S
When constructing our associated ancillary products, it’s likely that the colour scheme
used for both the digipak and the magazine advert will reflect the colouring evident
within our music video. In addition to this, we plan to conduct small photoshoots
whilst on location to ensure that any imagery used is similar across each of the three
texts produced. Furthermore, when incorporating text within each of our three
products, we will ensure that the chosen font/style is replicated across them all.
In establishing recognisable connections between our music video, digipaks, and
magazine adverts, we feel that we will strengthen both the brand image and brand
identity of our artist, and therefore increase his appeal to his target audience.

13. P O T E N T I A L P R O B L E M S
FILMING CONDITIONS
The repeated reference to 3AM within the lyrics of the track inspired our idea for our
music video, and therefore we will need to film during the late afternoon/evening to
convey the correct time period. It has been recognised that the equipment available to
us may not be entirely suitable for, nor perhaps capable of, filming in the dark. As a
result, we will need to carefully plan how each shot must be lit so that the action
within can be clearly seen, and the quality of the footage doesn’t decrease.
DUAL ROLES
It has been decided that selecting others to act within our music video could become
problematic in terms of organising days where everyone is available to take part in the
filming, and therefore we’ll both be starring in our music video. Although we feel that
this is the best decision, we have acknowledged that when filming shots that require
both of us to appear we’ll have to choose someone who will be available to operate
the camera for us. However, we may be able to film these shots over the course of one
to two days, and therefore it will not be as inconvenient as selecting different actors.

14. P O T E N T I A L P R O B L E M S
TIME
We have acknowledged that filming all the necessary shots for our music video,
often multiple times or from multiple different angles, will be extremely time-
consuming. Furthermore, it’s possible that we’ll have to complete re-shoots if
certain shots don’t fit or aren’t correct. Therefore, we will need to ensure that
we time-manage the allocated filming period carefully, and we’ll most likely have
to arrange days on which to film, as well as back-up days, well in advance.
LOCATIONS
Although we will be carrying out a large portion of our filming within our own
homes, and therefore the permission to do so has already been obtained, there
are numerous shots within our video that will need to be filmed in different
homes (e.g. shots of the artist playing a piano). Before we begin filming, we will
need to request permission to use our desired location, and brainstorm
alternative locations should we be unable to film in our first choice.