The document discusses conventions found in folk music videos related to nature themes, locations, and lighting techniques. Many folk videos are filmed outdoors featuring forests and oceans. Backlighting and silhouettes are commonly used to highlight figures against natural backdrops. Underwater scenes and transitions between locations are also discussed as conventions with examples provided. Films that effectively use forests and transitions between scenes to set a mood are cited as inspirations.

1. When researching other music videos of the same folk genre, I discovered that nature
was a recurring theme throughout many of the productions; nearly all of the videos
ccffwere filmed predominantly outdoors, or at least had a set piece set outside. Forests were the most popular location, with the
ocean also being frequently featured; this could be due to the fact they represent freedom, being wild and carefree, which are
often referred to in the lyrics of folk music. It is therefore suggestable that these locations are conventions of the folk genre.
(Screenshots Left to Right: Mumford and Sons “Hopeless Wonderer”, Imagine Dragons “I Bet My Life”, Florence & The Machine
“Dog Days Are Over”, First Aid Kit “Silver Lining”, Fleet Foxes “White Winter Hymnal”, Ben Howard “Old Pine”).
Another convention I found was the use of silhouettes and backlighting to create bold
shapes and outlines. For example, in Fleet Foxes “The Shrine/An Argument”, back-
lightinglighting was used to create shadow puppets in the shape of deer and other animals, which added to the natural themes of the folk
genre. The sun is often used to create silhouettes, making the person in shot stand out against the backdrop, creating a dynamic,
memorable shot. (Left to Right: Foster the People “Pumped Up Kicks”, James Bay “Hold Back the River”, Ben Howard “I Forgot
Where We Were”, Fleet Foxes “The Shrine/An Argument”, The Pierces “You’ll Be Mine”, Mumford and Sons “Hopeless Wonderer”).
One of the first ideas we had after hearing the lyrics to “Gather and Run” is the concept of having a character
submerged in water, before re-surfacing in a different location. When we researched other videos which featured set
piecesPieces underwater, we found Walking on Cars’ “Catch Me If You Can”; the lighting is dark and moody, with a single spotlight
illuminating the body and coffin, almost acting like a light from heaven, guiding the body to the surface. We also found the music
video by Imagine Dragons called “I Bet My Life”, which features a boy diving into a dam before being dragged down a pipe and
helloemerging in an empty room. It’s a clever transition that adds to the movement of the track
and creates a memorable set piece. Other music videos we found was Vanilla with “Azure”,
which features a girl submerging herself in water. It creates an interesting shot while also
connoting vulnerability: a very effective shot overall. (Screenshots Left to Right: Walking on
Cars “Catch Me If You Can”, Vanilla “Azure” and Imagine Dragons “I Bet My Life”).

2. Linking to our idea of having our character submerged in water, we did some research
and discovered the video “Rabbit Heart” by Florence and the Machine, where the
singersinger was placed into the water in a coffin. This is an intertextual reference to the painting “Ophelia” by British artist Sir John
Everett Millais, which depicts Ophelia, a character from William Shakespeare's “Hamlet”, singing before she drowns in a river which
she fell into while gathering flowers: a death that has been praised as one of the most poetically written in literature. Florence’s
costume in “Rabbit Heart” clearly references the painting, just like her being cast into the river (singing in her coffin, like Ophelia).
We also began to research different films which may provide inspiration for our music video.
One of the films we found was “Heavenly Creatures”, where a lot of the film was set in forests
to creato create a dark and moody atmosphere; this is a setting that we were hoping to use in our music video. Another film which uses
forests to create a magical, mystical environment is the Lord of Rings trilogy, especially the first film in the series “The fellowship
of the Ring”; beams of light and shadows create a mysterious atmosphere that would be effective in our production. We also did
researchresearch into more independent films, such as “Real Gone”, which features a man emerging
from the ocean, and “U.F.Oh Yeah” which also makes use of the woods to create a
mysterious, chilling atmosphere. All of these films will influence our final production.
(Screenshots Left to Right: Peter Jackson’s “Heavenly Creatures” and “LOTR: The Fellowship
of the Ring”, Seth Worley’s “Real Gone” and Ryan Connelly's “U.F.Oh Yeah”).
One of the initial ideas we had for our music video is to have a series of clever transitions transporting our
character from one location to another. We did some research into other films or music videos which
achieveachieve this. For example, “Hot Fuzz” uses effective transitions – such as Simon’s Pegg’s character walking behind a pillar and
emerging in a stairwell – to keep the slick, fast pace of the film. The film “Anna Karenina” was edited to appear in one continuous
shot, with one scene having her pull back a curtain to reveal her sitting on a train. Finally, the music video “Always Be With You”
by Walking on Cars uses fast cuts to join two similar shots together: a girl falling to her knees and falling forwards on a sofa.
Alongside the drumbeat of the music, this transition between shots is memorable and dynamic to watch.