The document outlines decisions made for an A2 media coursework music video project. It was decided to include both narrative and performance elements in the video, taking inspiration from research of other rap music videos. Eminem's "Space Bound" was chosen for the song due to its dark themes of relationships, violence, and injustice, common in rap music. Next steps include pre-production planning like annotating lyrics, storyboarding scenes, casting, and location scouting. Performance and narrative elements will be broken down separately to aid the production and editing process. No reviews have been made yet on these decisions.

1. Decisions and Revisions as
of 13/11/16
A2 Media Coursework

2. Decision regarding Music Video
 After conducting my audience research and my genre research, I have decided to
use both narrative and performance elements in my music video. I will create a plot
with intervals that feature my character (who will play the rapper) performing the
song. In order to keep the two elements connected and to establish continuity, I
will want the performance elements to take place in the various settings in which
the narrative elements take place. This will ensure that the two elements are not
disjoint and as such, it will not make the music video seem out of place.
 The songs I looked into for my genre research (99 Problems, Alright and Started
from the Bottom) all had a running narrative with performance elements. This
suggests that rap songs often try to connote a story and so in order to keep in line
with my genre, I will do the same.

3. Song Choice
 I have decided to use the song ‘Space Bound’ as inspiration for my music video. The song is
written and performed by Eminem from the Recovery (2010) album; it was released as a
single in 2011.
 Space Bound and the Genre of Rap – How does this song have strong connotations that
defines it as a rap song?
 Though the song is written by arguably one of the greatest rappers of all time, this song still
has folk elements, especially within the melody.
 But what really makes the song have strong connotations with rap is the lyrics and its
implications. Eminem narrates a story of relationships in a very dark tone, almost implying a
loss of love and a fair amount of violence (which shown in the music video)- this creates dark,
mature and explicit themes. And as stated by my Genre Research (especially during my
analysis of Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Alright’ song) dark themes are often portrayed in rap to connote
a sense of injustice, so this is the reason I have chosen Space Bound because it denotes the
injustice of domestic violence and it portrays the hardships of losing love, and its horrific
implications into one’s life. The song is full of deeper meanings that can be analysed, which I
would like to do in my music video for the piece.

4. Next Steps as a result of decisions
 I will commence pre-production on my music video (major task). This will be where I plan my music
video to ensure that my research is reflected within the moving image and to ensure that I establish
conventions of music videos and the rap genre within the task. These are the following tasks I will
do to complete the planning:
 Annotation of Lyrics – to put down my initial narrative ideas for the song.
 Narrative and Performance scene breakdown – this will be a write-up, breaking down each scene of
my music video, split into narrative elements and performance elements.
 Storyboard – this is going to be a drawing of each of my desired frames and will include a description
below them to explain the frame.
 Casting Session – Cast my actors, who will be predominantly my peers in sixth form.
 Costume, Hair and Make-Up – Outline what I want from each of the three components and my
reasons as to why I am featuring them in my music video.
 Location Scouting and Risk Assessments – Choosing the location of my music video and assessing the
hazards of filming there, and methods to overcome and avoid any fatalities on set.

5. Next Steps as a result of decisions
 I will also be planning the technical aspects of the music video, such as camera
shots and editing techniques to scope out the best possible aesthetic to my music
video and in order to further hide conventions of rap within it.
 I plan on creating a shot list (broken down into performance and narrative) and write-up
what editing techniques I wish to use.
 I will be creating a narrative using my genre research and my similar product
research in which I will use the stereotypes and conventions of rap to make a
narrative plot; in an initial review – I will be using explicit themes and dark tones in
order to create my music video, as it is commonly used in the rap genre. (This will
be done through my – annotation of lyrics, narrative and performance scene
breakdowns, and my storyboard).

6. Reasons for Breaking down tasks in terms of
Narrative and Performance elements
 My music video will feature narrative and performance elements, as it was heavily
requested as part of my Audience Research Questionnaire, and thus a want from
my target market.
 I plan on breaking down my narrative and performance elements, so that it would
be easier to shoot, and when I edit, I can look at where it would be best to include
each of the two elements. This will give me a lot of ease and flexibility when
shooting and editing my moving image production.

7. Reviews as a result of recent decisions
 No reviews as of yet.