3. 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
4. Pre-visualisation/Concept 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]
5. Shots/Environment/tone/color/lighting
• Shots/color/lighting- I will be taking a range of shots in a range of different environments. The shots
that I will mainly use will be close ups, extremely long shots, long shots, cinematic shots, low angle,
Dutch angle as well as any others I might add later. I will be doing a range of shots to help change
the tone at different parts of the songs to have a bigger effect on the person watching. Another
thing I will also do to help have this effect is change the color tone and lighting in post if needed, for
example some of my shots will be representing when the singer talks about his past so I will make it
so those shots have a different color to the shots that are representing the present, to do this my
past shots will most likely flicker like a cassette tape as well as having a much darker/pale color to
them whereas the present shots will be just normal shots but with a slightly lighter or darker tone. I
think doing this will also help to get the idea of a story across to the audience watching because
when they see the different color in different shots they will know that it means something else and
that the singer is trying to get something across to the audience.
• Environment/tone- The environment that I will be taking my shots in will be heavily based on the
type of tone and feeling that I am trying to get across to the audience watching my music video. For
example the shots that I will be taking will be round mostly rural areas where there isn’t a large
amount of people because I want the audience to focus on the surrounding environment rather
then the people in the video except if I use a character to help get the singers story across to them.
For example in the song the singer talks about moving on so I might get a cinematic shot of a
character walking away from a group of friends to resemble this, I will also be getting a range of
different shots of traveling to help resemble this as well and to make the music video more
interesting and entertaining to the audience. However I will also try to make all these traveling shots
have a different style to them, for example for one shot I might have a train going through a bridge
from a birds eye view and turn that shot into a transition that leads to another scene but I also
might also have a cinematic shot where the camera is on the dashboard of a car late at night while
they’re traveling to help add to the sad a mysterious sort of tone.
6. Equipment/Key shots
• Equipment- for the creation of my product I will need a SD card (possibly two depending on
how many shots I get, camera battery and camera. I will not be using a tripod or any other
equipment to help steady my camera because I’m trying to get shots that make the audience
feel like they are the character walking/they’re in the character’s perspective, so I want the
shots to have a slight shake to them to resemble this. The main key shots that I will need for
my product will be the traveling shots because these shots will have a range of different styles
and will be the shots that appear the most in my music video because they best suit the
beat/pace of the song. For my product I would also like to add a time-lapse because not only
does it suit the theme and tone of the song but I think it will add a unique quality to my video
that will make my audience more likely to remember it and find it more appealing because of
the professional aspect it gives the video. However I have never attempted to make a time-
lapse before so I will need to make back up shots incase it doesn’t work and think of the
effects it could have on my time management. For example if the time-lapse goes wrong and I
don’t have any other shots that could replace it then I will have wasted time and I will have
less time to complete my product.
7. 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
8. Structural breakdown – 1/3
Section [e.g. verse, chorus,
bridge, etc]
Approx
duration
What happens, visual elements, shots Notes of technical aspects/requirements
Intro 0.00-
0.07
The starting shot will be a cinematic shot
inside a moving car with an effect of a old
cassette tape flicker to give off the idea that
this is a memory and helping to grab the
audiences attention at the start. I will edit the
shot so that the shot is flickering black and
white to help match the theme of the song.
I will need the program premier pro to
change the colour and add the cassette
tape flicker that I want to input. I will
not be using any equipment for this
section though because I want the
audience to feel as if they’re there and
because I want the video to look like it
was just recorded by a normal person
who is taking photos of their life.
Intro part 2
0.07-
0.47
This first part of the song will be mainly shots
that are inside a moving car like the intro
however there wont be the flicker of the old
cassette tape in these shots. However this
section will flick through more shots to stick
to the beat.
I will not be using any equipment for
this section though because I want the
audience to feel as if they’re there and
because I want the video to look like it
was just recorded by a normal person
who is taking photos of their life.
Chorus 0.47-
1.07
For the chorus I will still have the normal
cinematic shots but I want to also mix the
cinematic shots with regular pictures to help
match the video to the songs chorus. The
cinematic shots will be of the environment
but the pictures will be of the character or of
objects that they use in their day to day life
e.g. clothes, car, cup, etc
I will not be using any equipment for
this section though because I want the
audience to feel as if they’re there and
because I want the video to look like it
was just recorded by a normal person
who is taking photos of their life.
9. Structural breakdown – 2/3
Section [e.g. verse, chorus,
bridge, etc]
Approx
duration
What happens, visual elements, shots Notes of technical aspects/requirements
Verse (no lyrics) 1.07-
1.25
This section will be purely cinematic shots
because there is no lyrics meaning that I wont
need any specific shots to match the
lyrics/story that the singer is trying to get
across. For this shot In editing I might add
cinematic bars on the top and bottom of the
screen to make the music more dramatic.
I will not be using any equipment for
this section though because I want the
audience to feel as if they’re there and
because I want the video to look like it
was just recorded by a normal person
who is taking photos of their life.
Verse 1.25-
1.45
For this section I will go back to the cinematic
shots that take place in a moving car and in
editing I will make it switch between both
black and white and just the original colours.
However I might add other shots that come
up for a brief amount of time to make the
video more interesting and to add to the idea
that the singer is fighting with the past and
present.
I will not be using any equipment for
this section though because I want the
audience to feel as if they’re there and
because I want the video to look like it
was just recorded by a normal person
who is taking photos of their life.
Verse 1.45-
2.15
I will not be using any equipment for
this section though because I want the
audience to feel as if they’re there and
because I want the video to look like it
was just recorded by a normal person
who is taking photos of their life.
10. Structural breakdown – 3/3
Section [e.g. verse,
chorus, bridge, etc]
Approx
duration
What happens, visual elements, shots Notes of technical aspects/requirements
chorus 2.15-
2.56
For the chorus I will still have the normal
cinematic shots but I want to also mix
the cinematic shots with regular pictures
to help match the video to the songs
chorus. The cinematic shots will be of
the environment but the pictures will be
of the character or of objects that they
use in their day to day life e.g. clothes,
car, cup, etc. This chorus design will be
very similar to the first chorus however
for this one I might alter the colour to
something brighter rather then the dark
coloured tone that will be throughout
my video.
I will not be using any equipment
for this section though because I
want the audience to feel as if
they’re there and because I want
the video to look like it was just
recorded by a normal person who
is taking photos of their life.
Outro 2.56-
3.16
The outro will be very similar to the intro
in regards to having the old cassette
tape effect so that the song seems like it
loops back on itself
I will not be using any equipment
for this section though because I
want the audience to feel as if
they’re there and because I want
the video to look like it was just
recorded by a normal person who
is taking photos of their life.
11. 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!
12.
13. Shot List
• Your shot list should contain the sequential breakdown of what you
need to shoot for your video – it is both a creative tool for planning
and practical tool for filming
• 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.
16. Production Group Info
• Include names, contact info, and defined roles at difference stages of
production, using a table is suggested
17. 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
