Screening of 'Lights' Pop Promotion: Audience Feedback

The importance of screening our pop promotion to a sample audience is crucial for the success of our task. Without the knowledge of what are potential audience think of our production, we're left blind to some key factors we may need to change and with a set of fresh eyes viewing our piece, we can get an honest, unbiased opinion.

Kira and myself have held several screenings of our pop promotion in various stages. We've held them in college, in public places we both frequent and shown the video to friends, family and those who fit our target audience criteria. Overall, the response has been resoundingly positive.

From this research, we've found that people really enjoy our idea. We've had numerous comments telling us that our video displays an 80's edge which works really well with the music both lyrically and melodically. When asked, people also confirmed that our pop promo fits the codes and conventions of a pop video; "It reminds me of Little Boots - it really fits electronic sound of the music but also comes across as quite soft and innocent" we were told. This made us really happy as that quote really summed up what we were attempting to achieve with this. Some other feedback included that the way we took 'Lights' literally was a nice, subtle touch as it fitted in well with the lyrics and mood of the song; especially when the out of focus shots were featured (which were favoured by lot of the audience). Overall, the audience agreed that the music video showcased the band really well and the pace, mood and tone of the video fitted in nicely with the music.

We received some really helpful criticism during a few of the screenings which was what we were looking for. Someone commented on the fact that I was introduced into the video much too late, which, when was pointed out seemed completely obvious. Feedback such as that, from fresh eyes, is absolutely vital. We were also told that some more 'out of focus' shots (which the audience loved) could be introduced sooner in the video- and some more shots of the band posing.

Though the sample audience said the pace of the video suited the music, two people commented that more cuts in the chorus (especially when 'calling' is repeated three times) would make the video look more energetic which was excellent feedback that really helped shape our product.

Some technical feedback (mainly from our media class) included some affirmations about the cinematography used, especially in the narrative. They really liked the framing of shots - especially in the scene featuring the bridge. The editing was also commented on favourably. People really liked how we layered shots of the camera taking pictures over Kira and also how we layered the bokeh lights over shots of the band. We were told the editing looked quite professional which shocked us a bit (in a good way!) and that the overall style of our video really just 'spoke' the song.

After our screenings of the pop promo, we took all information on board and considered the constructive criticism of our sample audiences. We ended up slightly tweaking quite a number of parts that were commented on such as the introduction of myself at the start, more out of focus shots and posing. We included more close-ups of the band and made the pace slightly faster too which helped the tone of the video tremendously. I'm thankful to everyone we screened the video to and really grateful for their comments; I can't stress enough how important this task was so were able to tailor our video to our target audiences needs.

Post by Ben Halliday

List of Props, Costumes & Locations

This is my studio outfit a Topshop flowing lace cream top and black skirt. With a Metropark USA gunmetal angular necklace and red ring. The accessories are the only thing not following the colour scheme, just to give it a small quirky difference.

Ben is wearing an All-Saints blazer and a 'French Kissing' t-shirt. With Topman jeans and All-Saints bracelets. Once again minimal accesories just to give the outfit a pop whilst adding sophistication and simplicity.

The outside costumes were much different to the inside shoot. Ben and I both have different styled hair and the outfits are a lot more relaxed. As this part was the narrative we decided to make it more 'street wise' when it came to the outfits, things that anyone could wear down the street, for relatability. It's more casual but with a classy edge. Bens faux studded leather jacket and Allsaints scarf and t-shirt from LONG. Myself with a Topshop coat/blazer and skirt and blouse from ASOS.

We had minimal amount of props not many were needed for our narrative. The camera is a very important aspect of our video. It represents being followed and judged from the outside world. At one point it is faded into the studio shot to show the relation of the character being watched.

The box also has important relevance of the video. After being chased through the forest, the box I find represents purity and enlightenment in a sense. Finding a place you can feel safe in and un-judged. Which relates to the lyrics; 'Shining when I'm alone'.

These are a few shots of the outside location that we filmed at. It has a very warm autumn like feel to it. We tried to go as deep into the trees as we could making it a seem more frightening for me when I'm being chased . But doing it during the day also gives the portrayal of every day life; Wanting to escape the day to day struggles.

Group post by Kira Knight

Detailed Synopsis

As an extension of my initial synopsis for the 'Lights' pop promotion, here is an extended, more detailed and definitive version.

Our ideas have changed quite a bit since the first stab at a synopsis which is a good thing because I feel like everything's been thought out more realistically and the stylistics involved seem much more captivating than they previously were. Our ideas now are also much more within reach and thought through much more logically and work well.

The pop promotion will begin with the infamous out of focus lights panning around layered over footage of Kira and myself which gives an instant visual of the band and automatically builds a star image. Following this, Kira's verse kicks in shortly after the musical intro so naturally, the focus will begin on her in the studio with a range of shots edited in continuity. We will layer the out of focus lights on top of parts of this footage as well as shots of Kira posing to the camera to break her verse up slightly before transitioning into the narrative.

We will begin the narrative through the 'viewfinder' effect we filmed during the Christchurch park shots where we put the SLR camera's viewfinder against the lens of the DV Camera. Hard cuts of Kira walking will work with the pace of the song before the narrative really opens up into the story. The effect of the SLR camera will enforce the feeling of scrutiny and being watched and judged which is why we're going to move onto Kira running now, being followed by a panning shot before cutting to myself snapping pictures of her. This will fade back into the studio where the chorus approaches.

In the chorus, I'm then introduced to the piece in the studio using the same range of shots used in Kira's verse - a lot of different angles and shot types using continuity to merge them. During the chorus, the chase scene over the bridge will be featured, using hard cuts to the beat and lyrics of 'calling calling calling me home' which will add some pace to song and define the mood and tone.

In my verse, the cuts quicken slightly now in the studio shots and we're going to make much more use of the out of focus shots and layering - this is where the editing gets really interesting. Kira will also be seen in my verse, posing to the camera a few times as the bokeh lights layer over her face.

In the last chorus a breakdown of the song, we are reintroduced to the narrative, showing Kira getting increasingly distressed and hinting at the fact that I'm the one taking photographs of her in an enigmatic manner. The range of angles here strengthen the image that Kira's being watched and observed carefully before she runs and finds the box. While this is happening the pace will increase further using hard cuts that coincide with the beat but also follow continuity to the audience aren't left confused.

In the final chorus, the pace remains quite fast and we make use of the really energetic studio footage, featuring shots of just Kira and just myself but also shots where we're seen together. The out of focus lights and shots of us dancing completely out of focus can be seen here as we make our dramatic entry into the instrumental outro, finishing with Kira and myself posing to the camera. The piece will finish will the panning out of focus lights before the 'viewfinder' type shot returns from earlier. I can be seen making my way up the camera and peering in rather mysteriously (the lights from the studio can still be seen at this point) before I walk out of shot and everything fades to black.

This sounds rather confusing but the finished product, which we're shortly to start work on soon will illustrate everything I've just mentioned and will speak for itself; this is just final detailed description for Kira and I so we know which direction we're taking the video in. If it ends up looking like it does in my head (if that makes any sense) then I'll be absolutely ecstatic.

Updated Final Album Artwork and Promotional Material Idea

Please click images to expand

After critically looking at my ideas for the promotional material ideas I produced (which can be seen earlier in the blog), I wasn't happy with a few things so I decided to amend them to give us a better visual representation of what the final product could look like. I'm much happier with these and think something resembling the above would be really effective as they reflect what GLITTERKNIGHT is in terms of look and feel, is concordant with the music video and has the album cover and print ad are easily recognisable brand-wise to the consumer.

Firstly, and most visibily, I've changed the colour of my blazer. In my opinion, the grey against Kira's white white dress looked dull and and pulled the rest of the artwork down, making it look a bit dull. Now, the contrast between our outfits not only differentiates us but also makes the promotional material a bit bolder and brings out the colours in the background and text. Now, the colour scheme seems more thematic and is in line with the rest of the costumes we've used in the pop promo. It's just more visually appealing to the consumer now.

Secondly, the text on both, but most notably the magazine ad, is completely different. I felt as though the logos for 'GLITTERKNIGHT' and 'LIGHTS' looked very grainy; the colours and typography were just off. It didn't look very professional and wasn't visually appealing, nor did it represent the look and feel of the band very well. Now, the typography is plainer, but easily readable and the glow and wash of gold gives an accurately cohesive branding of the band. I've also added more information to the magazine ad. Now, a release date is featured and so is the record label logo. The fact that these were missing on the original ideas is a mystery; I don't know why I wouldn't include them on an advertisement for album! My mistake..!

Finally, the positioning of Kira and myself has changed on the album cover to the left hand side instead of the center of the cover. The angle that the photograph was taken and the position I was standing in at the time made the side look very flat and awkward. For some reason, Kira's hand look extremely large on that side too so these are against the side now. I think it looks so much better and more visually appealing to the consumer which is essentially the purpose of album covers and print ads- they need to work together and attract an audience.

I've also been playing around with colour in general with this final idea, intensifying some aspects and toning down others. Overall though, I'm extremely happy with this and think it would be in our interests to strongly consider a lot of aspects of this idea for our final finished promotional material.

If you want to view my original artwork and my comments on them (some of which still apply to the above ideas) then click here.

Post by Ben Halliday

Artwork revised by Kira Knight & Ben Halliday.

Final Treatment for 'Lights' Part 1: Music Video

Since writing my initial treatment, our ideas have changed slightly. Here is an update.

Mise-en-scene:

The mise-en-scene for our music video has to be really powerful in order to express the desired look and feel of not only 'Lights' but also the band GLITTERKNIGHT. This 'look and feel' of our pop promo will be quite natural but with a contemporarily edgy twist, utilising technology, meticulous thematics and clever lighting to achieve what we've envisioned and refined.

First of all, costume is absolutely key to building

a star image and defining the look and feel of the band. In a previous blog post, I have detailed the costume we're using for the pop promotion with an annotated Polyvore Set. That blog post can be found here. Make-up will be used appropriately; powder for hot studio lights etc. though this will be extended, as mentioned in the costumes post, to Kira's pop of red on the lips and smokey eyes.

The lighting, illustrated below, will include out of focus bokeh style lighting. Aesthetically, this is a really effective technique to build the mystical quality we're looking to achieve with this video but also, it illustrates the song's title; 'Lights'. This lighting effect is the key focus to our pop promo and will be used throughout our promotional package for the album cover and advertisment.

Additionally, the lighting in the studio is also extremely important. Ultilising three-point lighting, we'll achieve a well balanced level of light on the band with just enough shadow to add dimension to the subject without looking harsh. The backlight will ensure that we're pulled out from the bokeh lights in the background and will ensure that things look slightly more three-dimensional whilst adding a sizable flare into the camera lens which I think, visually, will be a really interesting addition.

The props we need for our production are minimal. An old small, vintage looking box is needed for the narrative shoot that light will burst from upon opening (the light source is my iPhone 4's LED flash). Also, an SLR camera will be featured in the video, representing the fear and scrutiny reflected in the lyrics. A massive amount of fairy lights are also required for the studio shots in order to create the main focus of our piece; the bokeh lighting.

The studio at college is the perfect set for our external shots. Setting this up to accommodate our needs will require us to set up the lighting (mentioned above) and cameras. Luckily, we have access to a lot of useful features here including an intricate lighting rig, copious amounts of space and mounted cameras. When everything is in place, we're hoping for a dimly lit, golden tinted set which is full of various types of light beaming into the lens of the camera. If done correctly, this mystical feel we're hoping to create will set the tone of our pop promotion and will be perfect for our overall look and feel. Similarly, the second location is within reach and gorgeously suitable for our production. Christchurch park in Ipswich has forested areas, a quant bridge and a dark tunnel which will all be put to use during the narrative. The latter will be crucial to executing the shot featuring the 'light box' that I've mentioned earlier.

Cinematography:

Through research, we've had to really stop and think about our approach to cinematography when shooting our pop promotion. As we're showcasing the band and constructing the star image, a lot of shots (particularly close ups) are going to be needed and to ensure seamless continuity we'll be using at least two cameras for every take. This will not only save us time but will guarantee that we have enough footage when it comes to editing. The diversity of shot-types and angles is very important to us as this is what's going to make the video interesting to our audience. Camera movements will also ensure this but will also add much more depth to the continuity; for example, cutting from a panning long shot to a fixed close up of the same action.

As we're out-ruled green-screening the background, depth of focus is also going to be

something we really need to grasp for the studio shots in order to make sure the lights in the background are out of focus with the band crystal clear. We will position the cameras accordingly whilst adjusting the aperture and depth of focus accordingly, letting just enough light into the lens to create the effect we need to follow our theme.

Editing:

Editing techniques for our pop promotion will seem simplistic but it will be far more than I've been used to in the past. I aim to colour correct every shot to gain the golden, mystical feel we need (especially in the narrative shots), I will also add various effects such as a glow to some shots to make certain aspects, such as the lights, really stand out. The out of focus fairy lights will also be layered on top of other shots to build a really nice visual style to the video.

The pace of our piece will coincide with the pace of the music and lyrics; we will cut according to this in order to create the right tone and pace of our music video. As I touched on earlier too, we will use continuity editing to ensure that there is clear order to the video; a range of shots will be placed together accordingly though to shake this technique up a bit for interesting viewing.

Lyrics will also be synced up in the piece, with lip-synching matching the music perfectly to create a diegetic effect.

Sound

The sound for our pop promo will obviously centre around the song 'Lights'. We will edit the piece accordingly to reflect the lyrics, pace and tone of the song and all lip-syncing will be synchronized effectively, giving a diegetic effect to the obviously non-diegetic music.

Post by Ben Halliday

Test: Strobe Lights in Box

The video you can see above demonstrates the box we used in the narrative of our pop promotion. Underneath the box, is a small hole that I managed to make, allowing light to pass through into the box.

When we thought of the idea to have a 'box of light', no-one knew how that was possible. Even with editing techniques I didn't know how to go about that in Final Cut Pro. We played with the idea of digging a hole in the ground on location and maybe putting a torch in it covered by a bottomless box but our idea wasn't looking hopeful and we started to give up on it which we were really disappointed with.

After we'd forgotten the idea, thinking it was impossible, I thought about an App I used to have on my phone which made the screen flash as if it were a strobe light so I looked it up on the iPhone App Store and there was one which used the LED camera flash on the back of my phone called Flashlight for iPhone 4 which looked as if it would create the perfect amount of light and effect we were looking for and was small enough to hold under the box without looking too obvious. So I tested it out at home (which you can see above) and it worked! I think the fact that when the box is closed you can't see any light is really effective. I'm so relieved we managed to find a way to make our idea work as I think it adds something different to the video, gives it a mystical feel and looks extremely effective!

Video and post by Ben Halliday.

Test: Green Screen

Originally, when Kira and myself we manifesting the video for 'Lights', we wanted to express our ideas in the form of a massive production with green-screens, perfect lighting and gorgeous bokeh style lights behind us. When reality hit and we realised that we could film a smaller scale version of what was in our minds with budget in mind, we started thinking about using green-screens cleverly to produce something close to our vision.

We set out to the studio and set everything up; lighting, the backdrop etc and positioned our model (George) in frame and started to film a short amount of test footage. It looked brilliant on camera and we were sure that green-screening the background for our video was the way forward- that was, until the edit. The green-screen it's-self didn't register very well on the camera and upon uploading the footage looked more like a 'lime-screen' with uneven lighting.

After applying the chroma key, there was a large amount of green pixelated fuzz around George. Adding other effects such as an additional chroma key and a colour smoother, the results improved drastically but we realised that the subject looked far too detached from the background and although realism wasn't the goal, the overall result looked very fake.

Since, we have decided that green-screens, although a glamourous idea, are not to be used during our pop-promo and we're going to shoot using tactful depth of focus in order to create the gorgeous out of focus lights effect whilst keeping the subject (the band) in crystal clear focus. Hopefully, this will result in a much more put together, realistic effect that has a very warm, intimate effect for viewers.

Above, you can see the before-edit and after-edit of the green-screen material. I think our second idea, though involving more work, will work and look a lot better which, overall, is the important thing.

Post by: Ben Halliday

Video by: Ben Halliday