Working Title: “Le Kingste”
Song title: Dark Night
Duration: 4:19
About the Band:
Le Kingste consists of three brothers: Paul Kingston on guitars, keys, and vocals; Arthur Kingston on bass and vocals; and Caleb Kingston on drums and vocals. Hailing from Tamworth, they currently reside in Sydney.
They have recorded an EP, available by emailing them at le.kingste@gmail.com.
The band’s musical style is a mixture of rock, funk, and pop, particularly on tunes like Two Pills and Dark Night.
Song Lyrics or Manuscript:
Unavailable.
Musical Style of the Video:
Form:
The musical style of the video combines performance and concept.
Tag Line:
Dark is the night, and in a dreamy, glittery landscape, can we ever truly be connected?
Intended Musical/Visual Approach and shooting style:
I chose this song because I instantly liked it, and I could easily find ways to visually represent the energy of the song while still maintaining focus on a performance-based, studio-made music video.
My main visual influence for the video doesn’t actually come from a music video or a band, but from a director I greatly admire, and that is Alfred Hitchcock. One scene in particular inspired me. There is a scene in Psycho when we can hear, but we can’t see, Norman Bates being yelled at by his mother. As the camera gets closer to the source of the sound, it moves up toward the room, as though the camera itself is trying to find a way into the private exchange between Norman and his mother.
Another great example of this is a British television program called Peep Show. The camera work in that series is entirely subjective. When the characters speak to one another, or engage with one another in general, they directly address the camera, and I thought that was really interesting, breaking the Fourth Wall and all that.
I’ve always liked the idea of having the camera take on a human persona, or become an embodiment of the spectator’s frustration at not being able to see everything, and I thought that it would be fun to experiment with this idea in the video.
Essentially, the idea is that the band is playing in a dark night, and that the camera or cameras are constantly searching for the band members. As the camera finds them, or attempts to connect with them, the lights brighten around that particular band member. The cameras are looking for a connection to something, or somebody, and through that primary identification with the camera, someone watching the video can engage with that desire for connection.
To shoot this, I would say that the cameras need to be very fluid, always moving, whether they’re fixed on a tripod or handheld. If they’re on a tripod, there should be lots of panning, and tilting, and zooms. The handheld camera should be trying to weave in and out among the band members, moving up as high as the camera operator’s arm can reach without endangering the camera, and moving very low across the ground, and I think the cameras we’ll be using will be perfect for that constant movement. I’d like the cameras to evoke almost a restless energy.
Much of the setting, and the mood of the video, can be established with lighting. Blue or purple gels, and dark lighting, would give the set a dreamy, night-time atmosphere, and spotlighting, done softly, could be used on the band when the cameras find them. There’s a really beautiful black and white image that accompanies the song on their Myspace page, and featured at the top of this proposal, and that could be used as a background for the shoot, but I think the look and mood of the shoot can be achieved predominantly through the lighting. I’d like to cover the floor and sprinkle glitter on the covering, to give the set a twinkling look, in keeping with the idea of turning the set into a dark night.
Treatment:
There is darkness, but for a faint twinkling. We hear a bass line, and we move toward it. As we move to the sound of the bass, we see a little better. Suddenly, a man playing a bass guitar is visible. Then, we hear another sound: keyboard and drums, and as we pull back from the bass player everything darkens a little, as we search for the source of the new sound.
We search for the drums as they continue. We follow the sound of drums, and find the drummer. When we find the drums, they and the drummer are illuminated.
Then we hear a voice. The drummer falls into darkness as we try to find the source of the vocals. When we find it, the singer is illuminated. This is it! We’ve found what we were looking for in this dark night. We start to move in time with the singer’s voice, almost swaying as though in a trance.
Then out of nowhere, guitars break the spell. We have to find them, they’re unlike anything we’ve heard before. We find them, and we linger again. As the tempo slows for the chorus, we find ourselves becoming mellow, then restless, wandering around the band, taking in the band as a whole.
As the bass begins again, we glide to the sound. We can see the fingers of the bass player as he plays, and we are fascinated. As the singer continues, however, we keep glancing over to him, and back to the bass. But we can’t stay still. Our attention is drawn by the drums, then the bass, then the singer. And as the guitars start again, we can’t decide what we want; the guitar, the bass, or the drums? The lights are almost blinding, as though reflecting our inner turmoil, and our indecision.
As the song mellows out again, reaching the chorus, the lights settle, and we are left to wander again, looking to connect. We settle down in front of the band, almost sitting and looking up at them while they play, like a child listening to a fairy tale, and the place begins to lighten, sensing our inner peace.
Then the guitar causes us to jump up, and we zero in on the guitar, as the lights illuminate each band member in turn. Then suddenly, the place darkens and we are lost again. But then we hear it, the bass. The bass player is illuminated, but very softly And a sound, almost like a flourish, reflecting the twinkling, starlit quality of the room, heralds the end of the music, and the room darkens once more.
Budget
Shooting days: 1
Editing days: 2
See attached budget.
Crew Size & Equipment:
Equipment:
Four cameras
Three tripods
Studio lights
Playback facilities
Gels for lighting
Blacks (2)
Props
Crew:
Producer
Production Assistant
Director (2)
First Assistant Director
Four camera operators
Lighting assistant (2)
Art Director
Make-up artist
Playback operator
Editor
Locations:
There is only one location, and this location is the media production studio in the ICT building at the University of Newcastle.
Showing posts with label treatment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label treatment. Show all posts
Friday, December 14, 2007
"Sirens" - Montana Fire
Working Title: Montana Fire
Song: Sirens
Duration: 4:34
About the Band:
According to the band's Myspace page (www.myspace.com/montanafire), Montana Fire’s “songs are sweet enough for the girls, with enough rock for the boys, clever for other musicians, and poppy enough to dance to”. This description of their sound perfectly sums up the band’s ability to span the genres of contemporary music.
Members:
Cameron Bone – vocals/guitar
J.B. – bass/vocals
Tom Arthur – guitar/vocals
Dean Tyler -- drums
Musical Style of the Video:
Form:
The video incorporates both performance and narrative.
Tag Line:
Godzilla as directed by Ed Wood.
Intended Musical/Visual Approach and shooting style:
I chose Sirens because it’s my favourite Montana Fire song. One night when I was watching them play the song the idea came to me, as though in a dream upon waking. I immediately had the image of the band running from the cat, but done using rear projection, so that it's obviously fake.
Montana Fire are serious about music, but the boys are fun and easygoing with a sense of humour, and I felt that though this narrative about a giant cat with eyes that shoot lasers doesn’t have much to do with the meaning of the song, it captures the band’s sense of humour, and fun-loving attitude. Rather than being a video that visually expresses the themes of the song, I think it’s a video that will visually express the personalities within the band.
I was inspired by films like Godzilla, and any parody of those kinds of movies. Though I had forgotten it, not having seen it since my childhood, my major source for inspiration was The Goodies. One episode, "Kitten Kong", featured a giant cat attacking a city. I also think the idea of making something ordinary, like a pet cat, into something monstrous. I am somewhat of a science fiction nerd.
I also love those old B-movies, like Ed Wood films, where the effects are really cheesy and the acting is really bad. I like things that look bad on purpose, as well. When a film or television show, or in this case a music video, uses this visual style or attempts to capture this particular aesthetic (bad-on-purpose), it’s not to rubbish the original filmmakers, it’s to pay a visual tribute to pop culture through the expression of a particular visual style that has influenced you, or contributed to filmmaking in some way.
The idea is that the band is rehearsing for a show. Unbeknownst to them, the city is being terrorised by an insidious monster. This monster is a giant cat. But a giant cat who can shoot lasers from its eyes. The band finishes their rehearsal and venture outside, and are plunged into chaos. The song ends with the band fleeing the cat.
Ideally, the band rehearsal footage will be shot in the studio, along with the last scene, with footage of the cat keyed into the background while the band runs on the spot and pretend to dodge lasers. If this option were not open to us, the rehearsal footage could be shot in my garage, and the footage of the band running could be composited with the footage of the cat in Adobe After Effects.
The footage of the band rehearsing the song would be very traditional, in the vein of a performance-based studio shoot, with traditional shots. That is, a wide shot of the band, with close-ups of each band member, and perhaps some handheld footage. Footage of each band member feeling as though something is wrong would also be required.
The footage of the cat, whose real name is Siegfried (Ziggy to friends and acquaintances), can be shot in the garage, or even in Ziggy’s home. The set will be inspired by the Powerpuff Girls – some cardboard skyscrapers made to a smaller scale than Ziggy, one in the foreground, and one in the background.
According to Ziggy’s owner, Ziggy can be trained to come forward, and encouraged to play with things. I think it’s just as amusing if he does nothing, but having some footage of him playing with toys and hitting things would also be appreciated.
A roadside location may be needed for one particular scene, which involves a man being ‘attacked’ by Ziggy, a woman being toyed with by Ziggy, and the band both scrambling into a car in order to get away and getting out of it and fleeing the scene. For these scenes, we’ll be cutting from the exterior location to the footage of Ziggy. I think that if the locations look different it will add to the cheesy, 1950s B-Movie, Ed Wood-style look that I am aiming for with the video.
Special effects, such as Ziggy’s eye lasers, can be made using Adobe After Effects.
Treatment:
We see a black screen with a special emergency message. It says simply, ‘City Under Threat’. We see people running in terror.
In a small garage/rehearsal space, a band rehearses their swinging tunes, oblivious to the danger outside the walls.
We see the source of the townspeople’s terror. It is a cat. Not just any old cat, but a giant cat!
A man sees this cat and screams in terror. This displeases the giant cat. It unleashes the full extent of its wrath upon the man. We see bright green and purple light in the cat’s eyes. The man is petrified, yet fascinated. The light from the cat’s eyes become lasers – No! The man is now nothing more than a pile of ash.
Back in the rehearsal space, the band continues to play. One of the members senses a disturbance outside, but shrugs it off and continues to play.
Outside, the cat is resting, merely waiting for its next victim.
In the rehearsal space, other members are sensing that all is not right with the world outside, but they continue to play.
The cat appears to be playing with an object. What is this beast from another horizon playing with? It’s a person.
The band finishes their rehearsal. They pack up, and leave the rehearsal space.
They venture outside. They witness the terror of the cat with laser eyes with their own eyes, which do not shoot lasers. They dodge the lasers and head to the nearest car. The cat strikes out at the car, shaking it, but fails to destroy it.
The authorities arrive. The cat quickly destroys the police car, reducing it to rubble. Then the fire truck is reduced to flames, how bitterly ironic. The ambulance is crushed with the cat’s mighty paw.
The band flees the scene. But the cat sees them. The cat follows them. The band runs for their lives, dodging the cat’s laser-beam eyes.
The End…?
Budget:
Shooting days: 2
Editing: 4.
Crew Size and Equipment:
Equipment
Camera (1)
Playback facilities
Lighting kit
Props
Studio lights
Green cyc in studio
Crew:
Producer
Director
Camera operator
Playback operator
Art Direction
Lighting technician
Editor
Locations:
The Media Production Studio at the University of Newcastle
My house
Hunter St Mall, Newcastle.
P.S. :
This is the treatment for a music video I produced for my friend's band. Check them out at www.myspace.com/montanafire. You will not be sorry you did.
Of course, the video looks nothing like this treatment. But I still think it would make for a great video. I think access to resources was our main issue, along with the fact that we didn't have enough time to prepare. I will come back to it one day, so stay tuned...
Oh, and here's the video:
Now, I must stress that this was made for student purposes only, and we have not (and are never likely to) gain profit for it. Please to enjoy.
Song: Sirens
Duration: 4:34
About the Band:
According to the band's Myspace page (www.myspace.com/montanafire), Montana Fire’s “songs are sweet enough for the girls, with enough rock for the boys, clever for other musicians, and poppy enough to dance to”. This description of their sound perfectly sums up the band’s ability to span the genres of contemporary music.
Members:
Cameron Bone – vocals/guitar
J.B. – bass/vocals
Tom Arthur – guitar/vocals
Dean Tyler -- drums
Musical Style of the Video:
Form:
The video incorporates both performance and narrative.
Tag Line:
Godzilla as directed by Ed Wood.
Intended Musical/Visual Approach and shooting style:
I chose Sirens because it’s my favourite Montana Fire song. One night when I was watching them play the song the idea came to me, as though in a dream upon waking. I immediately had the image of the band running from the cat, but done using rear projection, so that it's obviously fake.
Montana Fire are serious about music, but the boys are fun and easygoing with a sense of humour, and I felt that though this narrative about a giant cat with eyes that shoot lasers doesn’t have much to do with the meaning of the song, it captures the band’s sense of humour, and fun-loving attitude. Rather than being a video that visually expresses the themes of the song, I think it’s a video that will visually express the personalities within the band.
I was inspired by films like Godzilla, and any parody of those kinds of movies. Though I had forgotten it, not having seen it since my childhood, my major source for inspiration was The Goodies. One episode, "Kitten Kong", featured a giant cat attacking a city. I also think the idea of making something ordinary, like a pet cat, into something monstrous. I am somewhat of a science fiction nerd.
I also love those old B-movies, like Ed Wood films, where the effects are really cheesy and the acting is really bad. I like things that look bad on purpose, as well. When a film or television show, or in this case a music video, uses this visual style or attempts to capture this particular aesthetic (bad-on-purpose), it’s not to rubbish the original filmmakers, it’s to pay a visual tribute to pop culture through the expression of a particular visual style that has influenced you, or contributed to filmmaking in some way.
The idea is that the band is rehearsing for a show. Unbeknownst to them, the city is being terrorised by an insidious monster. This monster is a giant cat. But a giant cat who can shoot lasers from its eyes. The band finishes their rehearsal and venture outside, and are plunged into chaos. The song ends with the band fleeing the cat.
Ideally, the band rehearsal footage will be shot in the studio, along with the last scene, with footage of the cat keyed into the background while the band runs on the spot and pretend to dodge lasers. If this option were not open to us, the rehearsal footage could be shot in my garage, and the footage of the band running could be composited with the footage of the cat in Adobe After Effects.
The footage of the band rehearsing the song would be very traditional, in the vein of a performance-based studio shoot, with traditional shots. That is, a wide shot of the band, with close-ups of each band member, and perhaps some handheld footage. Footage of each band member feeling as though something is wrong would also be required.
The footage of the cat, whose real name is Siegfried (Ziggy to friends and acquaintances), can be shot in the garage, or even in Ziggy’s home. The set will be inspired by the Powerpuff Girls – some cardboard skyscrapers made to a smaller scale than Ziggy, one in the foreground, and one in the background.
According to Ziggy’s owner, Ziggy can be trained to come forward, and encouraged to play with things. I think it’s just as amusing if he does nothing, but having some footage of him playing with toys and hitting things would also be appreciated.
A roadside location may be needed for one particular scene, which involves a man being ‘attacked’ by Ziggy, a woman being toyed with by Ziggy, and the band both scrambling into a car in order to get away and getting out of it and fleeing the scene. For these scenes, we’ll be cutting from the exterior location to the footage of Ziggy. I think that if the locations look different it will add to the cheesy, 1950s B-Movie, Ed Wood-style look that I am aiming for with the video.
Special effects, such as Ziggy’s eye lasers, can be made using Adobe After Effects.
Treatment:
We see a black screen with a special emergency message. It says simply, ‘City Under Threat’. We see people running in terror.
In a small garage/rehearsal space, a band rehearses their swinging tunes, oblivious to the danger outside the walls.
We see the source of the townspeople’s terror. It is a cat. Not just any old cat, but a giant cat!
A man sees this cat and screams in terror. This displeases the giant cat. It unleashes the full extent of its wrath upon the man. We see bright green and purple light in the cat’s eyes. The man is petrified, yet fascinated. The light from the cat’s eyes become lasers – No! The man is now nothing more than a pile of ash.
Back in the rehearsal space, the band continues to play. One of the members senses a disturbance outside, but shrugs it off and continues to play.
Outside, the cat is resting, merely waiting for its next victim.
In the rehearsal space, other members are sensing that all is not right with the world outside, but they continue to play.
The cat appears to be playing with an object. What is this beast from another horizon playing with? It’s a person.
The band finishes their rehearsal. They pack up, and leave the rehearsal space.
They venture outside. They witness the terror of the cat with laser eyes with their own eyes, which do not shoot lasers. They dodge the lasers and head to the nearest car. The cat strikes out at the car, shaking it, but fails to destroy it.
The authorities arrive. The cat quickly destroys the police car, reducing it to rubble. Then the fire truck is reduced to flames, how bitterly ironic. The ambulance is crushed with the cat’s mighty paw.
The band flees the scene. But the cat sees them. The cat follows them. The band runs for their lives, dodging the cat’s laser-beam eyes.
The End…?
Budget:
Shooting days: 2
Editing: 4.
Crew Size and Equipment:
Equipment
Camera (1)
Playback facilities
Lighting kit
Props
Studio lights
Green cyc in studio
Crew:
Producer
Director
Camera operator
Playback operator
Art Direction
Lighting technician
Editor
Locations:
The Media Production Studio at the University of Newcastle
My house
Hunter St Mall, Newcastle.
P.S. :
This is the treatment for a music video I produced for my friend's band. Check them out at www.myspace.com/montanafire. You will not be sorry you did.
Of course, the video looks nothing like this treatment. But I still think it would make for a great video. I think access to resources was our main issue, along with the fact that we didn't have enough time to prepare. I will come back to it one day, so stay tuned...
Oh, and here's the video:
Now, I must stress that this was made for student purposes only, and we have not (and are never likely to) gain profit for it. Please to enjoy.
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