Filming Locations

We intend to base our music video around the idea of the performers being at 'high-school' and it being a high-school crush. For this reason our main filming location will be our own school. We hope to use corridors, the front entrance and I have had the idea of maybe even a classroom - these locations will hopefully set the scene for our audience.

Our second location is for when Imogen undergoes her make over. My co-director and I discussed this scene and both agreed that it should be set in a girly bedroom. We will ask one of our other cast members, Alicia, if we can use her room to film as it is big, modern and girly. 

Evaluation After Filming The Makeover

After filming Imogen's make over, I came to the conclusion that my co-director and I would work well together to direct and produce our own music video. We listened to each others opinions and ideas and would come to a compromise of both ideas. For example, Chaya wanted Imogen to have a dramtic eye make-up look with a red lip. I, however, wanted simplistic eye make-up and pink/nude lipstick. We compromised and settled for a dramatic eye look with a pink/nude lip.

This reassured me that, when planning and filming, we would work well together and have an equal input of ideas in our final music video.

Imogen's Look After The Makeover

Here is Imogen's look with red lipstick. After applying the red lipstick, we came to a joint decision that we both preferred the pale pink lipstick.

This is Imogen's final look with the pink lipstick:

Imogen's Makeup Experiment

We decided to show document the make up looks we tried out on Imogen we would record using the camera and then speed up the footage to create a 1 minute 43 second long video - with no editing! We also decided to experiment with studio lighting for the first time. We set up one light to the left of the camera and this resulted in the video looking more professional and better quality.

Below is the video:


We did, however, stumble across some bridges that we had to cross. These being:

• Half way through filming the camera memory was too full. This was an issue as we wanted the video to be a continuous recording with out any stops. Luckily, because we sped up the footage, you cannot see when the camera cut off. 
• Imogen's foundation was too pale on camera and under the studio lights, therefore we had to use bronzer to create the illusion that the foundation was a better match to her complexion.
• We realised when editing that a plug socket was in shot. This means we will ensure that notjing like this will be in shot for our final music video.
• Finally, we came to the conclusion that using a white wall as a background appears grey on camera. If we wanted to use a white wall for a background it would be best to use a green screen and edit this white.  

Filming Set Up For Imogen's Makeover

Below is our set up for when we filmed Imogen's make up:

We situated the camera directly opposite Imogen at her eye level, so we then had an eye line match with the viewer and Imogen. To the left, we set up a studio light to make the camera footage look more professional and make the make up more prominent so the camera would pick it up.  And finally, to the right we had a table which had all the make up we were using on. 

The above picture shows me applying Imogen's eye makeup. Due to the position of the camera only our arms/hands were only in shot. However, it proved difficult to apply some make up without getting close to her face so half of mine and Chaya's faces are in the shot.

Make Up Ideas for Imogen

Chaya and I are using a plain face template to draw 8 different make up looks (4 each) to practice tomorrow. This means we will know exactly how we will do Imogen's make up without having to think on the spot. This is the template we will use for our ideas:

Tomorrow's Lesson

In tomorrow's Media Studies lesson, we plan to brainstorm and practice Imogen's final make up look for when she turns into a 'pretty' girl. Chaya (my co-director) and I are going to experiment with make up looks trying out different eyeshadows and lipsticks. To document this and to refer to when filming the actual make over, we will set up a camera on a tripod and record the whole makeover experiment process. When we come to edit the footage we will speed it up to create a short video of all the different make up looks. We will hold the shots when each look is finished.

Imogen's Transformation

For Imogen's makeover, we used the makeover scene from the St Trinian's film as inspiration.



As the girls experiment with different types of looks e.g. geeky, goth, glamorous etc, Alicia and Emma (the other geeks) will experiment using different types of eye make up and lip colours. We want to use similar shots to what they have used in this clips including stop motion mid shot of the other girls applying the make up:

Also we want to position the camera as if it is a POV shot for Imogen - as if the camera is Imogen. This will create the illusion of Emma and Alicia applying make up on the camera. We will use this type of shot for the final look.

We will show Alicia and Emma's reaction when they've realised they have perfected the look, however, Imogen's look won't  be revealed until she walks into school.

The Boy

The good looking boy that, both Imogen from the Geeks and Maggie the cool girl, fancy and 'fight' to impress him. The boy we are using is called James.

He is also seen as a 'cool' character so we will dress him in jeans, t shirt with a plaid (check) shirt and fashionable trainers.

Character wise, we want him to be very dismissive and judgemental of Imogen when she's a geek and obsess over Maggie - so they're seen as the cool couple.

Just like the 'cool' couple in Black Magic music video by Little Mix (above).

The 'Cool' Girl

Maggie will be playing the popular cool girl. For this we want her to be dressed in fashionable clothing and have pristine make up and hair. This will help her create the sense of her being popular and everyone aspiring to be like her.

In the St Trinian's film, the main character, undergoes a make over and turns into a pretty, popular girl that all the girls want to be friends with. This is the same effect we hope Maggie has on the Geeks. This is how we want Maggie to look similar too:

We want Maggie to wear quite a lot of make up as this seems conventional for a popular girl in films and music videos.

As in most music videos that are set in a school, we will have the girls not wearing a uniform. This is also logistically easier for us as directors as it would be quite difficult and expensive to find a uniform for all 4 characters.

This being said we will dress Maggie in a short-ish skirt, a top and heels. The heels are necessary as one of our shots is of her stepping out of her car, they also show how glamorous she is.

The Geeky Girls

Imogen, Alicia and Emma are our geeky girls and we want to show this through the use of costume, gestures and movements.

We want to dress these girls in geeky, unfashionable clothing so they are in contrast with Maggie (the cool girl). This type of clothing includes; flared jeans, mismatched patterns and/or colours, hats, glasses, slicked back hair etc.

An example is how Little Mix are dressed in their 'Black Magic' music video.

They're all dressed in uncool clothing that doesn't match and 2 of the girls are wearing glasses. We also are going to have our girls clutching folders and books to make them look like nerds.

Similarly, in the 'Girlfriend' video by Avril Lavigne, the protagonist is also dressed in very unfashionable clothing - long skirt, socks, and a pink cardigan and glasses. We aim to dress Imogen similar to this.

Planning Meeting

In today's lesson my co-director and I discussed more of our ideas, including filming locations, filming days, costumes and specific camera shots. This is what we have decided:

• We will film on Monday 26th October at our school - we checked with the school's bursar that the school will be open as it is during half term.
• For the make over scene, the protagonist (Imogen) will ask her geeky friends to help her. We aim to make this scene quite comical and show the girls doing Imogen's make up but not having any idea how to do it resulting in her looking clown like. When they finally get the look right we will use a POV (point of view) shot as if the camera is Imogen. To reveal her dramatic make over we will use a upwards panning shot of her outfit, make up and hair

Digital Media Use

To assist with organising and keeping everyone involved, me and my co-director have created a Whatsapp group chat with our five actors. This allows us to tell them about filming dates, times and any changes we need to make. They can also post in this group if they have any problems and/or queries they wish to discuss with us.

BBC Vizii Music Video Maker

BBC have come up with the idea of allowing young people, like ourselves, to create a music video using words and animations that is original and is unique to the individual.

Here is the tutorial video from the BBC website:



This is a really good programme and it may be very useful for our music video. The only downside to it is that you have to use the songs provided by BBC Introducing, this is an issue if we did decide to use Vizii. However, this can be overcome by simply uploading the video we created onto iMovie or Final Cut Pro and mute the sound from the Vizii video and use the song that is being used for the rest of the video (about the boy).

Ideas For The Intro Of Our Music Video

Here are the lyrics for the intro of the song:

'Something about
Something about the boy
Something about
Something about the boy
Something about
Something about the boy
Just something about the boy'

We have had the idea of using a 9 shot split screen for the introduction of our music video. Each girl from the 'band' will have a line each ('Something about, something about the boy') and will appear in the middle of each row, either side of the girls will  be a block colour such as pink, purple, orange etc. Imogen will be in the middle of the second row as she is the main girl.

At the end of the line they say, the next girl will appear and colours in their own 'box'.

This adds a performance element for the music video which is what we hoped to include. The bright colours and girls appearing whilst dancing and miming the lyrics is very conventional for a pop music video. 

Ideas for Our Music Video

We have brainstormed some ideas and have decided that we want a partly narrative and a partly performance type of video.

The story behind the video is our protagonist (Imogen) being a geeky girl and fantasises about being with the popular boy that everyone fancies, but her friends/band members (Alicia and Emma) try and tell her it'll never work and he won't fall for her. Imogen will then ask for their help to undergo a makeover... she will then become a very attractive girl that everyone fanices. We had the idea of her make over being for prom. 

The fourth girl in the video, Maggie, will be the popular guy (James)'s girlfriend who he then leaves her for Imogen, our protagonist. Maggie will also take the mickey out of Imogen and her geeky-ness.

Our New Song Choice

'About the boy' by Little Mix, we feel is very appropriate for our ideas for the music video. Also, it being by a girlband suits our video idea. We have decided that our protagonist will sing all the solo verses, the other two band members will sing Leigh-Anne and Jade's verse. The chorus will be sung all together and for the bridge all three girls will have a line each to sing.

Here are the lyrics:

[Intro:]
Something about
Something about the boy
Something about
Something about the boy
Something about
Something about the boy
Just something about the boy

[Jesy:]
It's the verse in my head
The words that make me stutter
The swag in my step
The change from gray to color
A guaranteed bet
Oh, I found my lucky number
The feeling that you get
Can't help but make me wonder

[Leigh-Anne/Jade:]
No need to try
He's just right
He's got that something
I can't let nobody tell me no
No I don't mind
Takes me high
I won't stop until the boy is mine

[Chorus:]
He got me good
I've got it bad
He got me feeling like a girl gone mad
Got me running around like I'm a lovefool
Taking me down I can't stop
He got me up
I can't come down
He got me locked and I don't want out
I know he's playing my heart and I ain't got no choice
There's just something about the boy
Something about
Something about the boy
Something about
Something about the boy
Something about
Something about the boy
There's just something about the boy

[Perrie:]
It's the first time we met
The lightening to my thunder
The green light on red
The kiss that pulls me under
It's only for me
If you're the test I got the answer
And I'm all that you need
Now you finally get the chance to

[Jade/Leigh-Anne:]
No need to try
He's just right
He's got that something
I can't let nobody tell me no
No I don't mind
Takes me high
I won't stop until the boy is mine

[Chorus:]
He got me good
I've got it bad
He got me feeling like a girl gone mad
Got me running around like I'm a lovefool
Taking me down I can't stop
He got me up
I can't come down
He got me locked and I don't want out
I know he's playing my heart and I ain't got no choice
There's just something about the boy
Something about
Something about the boy
Something about
Something about the boy
Something about
Something about the boy
There's just something about the boy

[Perrie:]
I know you like to play it slow
But I'm running out of time
It's like I lost my self control
'Cause you are the one
And you know what you've done
My poor heart's come undone
Baby please

[Chorus:]
He got me good
I've got it bad
He got me feeling like a girl gone mad
Got me running around like I'm a lovefool
Taking me down I can't stop
He got me up
I can't come down
He got me locked and I don't want out
I know he's playing my heart and I ain't got no choice
There's just something about the boy
Something about
Something about the boy
Something about
Something about the boy
Something about
Something about the boy
There's just something about the boy

[Outro:]
Something about
Something about the boy
Something about
Something about the boy
Something about
Something about the boy
Just something about the boy

Change of Song Choice

After much deliberation, Chaya and I have decided to change the song for our music video. We changed our song for two main reasons, these being;

• Us wanting to keep our original idea of having our protagonist undergo a makeover, however our original song choice ('Heart Attack' by Demi Lovato) didn't work with our idea, even though the lyrics of the song fitted perfectly.
• To use 3 girls as band members in the video, yet our original song is sung by a solo artist.

Our new song choice is by the girl band Little Mix and is called 'About the Boy'.