Planning - Using Social Network

For our girl-group - ‘CandiHearts’ - Rather than making a website for our group, - as it'd be too time consuming - I thought it'd be best if we create a networking space using two mainstream social sites: Twitter and Instagram. The reason for picking these sites over the likes of Facebook and MySpace are as stated: Being that Instagram specialises in pictures, we thought it’d be a brilliant tool to track the planning, filming, editing and evaluation (collecting any constructive criticism from anyone watching our video using the ‘Instavideo’ feature) of our music video. We thought Twitter’d be particularly useful to advertise our music video as well as inform to Sixth Form’s Twitter account of our location, progress and so fourth. Both accounts are currently up, running and being regularly updated. 

PLANNING: Original Artist Website/ Internet Presence

The girl band Sugababes does not have an active website.
This is probably due to the fact that they have split a while ago, and at the moment there is no band called 'Sugababes'.
In a Google Search, the website comes up, but it is actually nonexistent, as all you see if you access it is a picture from 'internet information services'.

The news of the band splitting can also be found on Google:

We can also find out that the former group known as the 'Sugababes' have re-branded to be called MKS, which stands for MutyaKeishaSiobhan.

 

There is a website for the new band called 'MKS', where a video for their single 'Flatline' is posted and there is also a link to download this single on iTunes.

I annotated the new MKS website using the web app Scrible to show what kind of information can be found here:

Planning - Production Schedule - TimeToast

We made a production schedule using TimeToast. NOTE: It is being updated regularly to reflect changes in filming during production

PLANNING: How Our Video Will Follow Andrew Goodwin's Theory

Our video will follow what Andrew Goodwin said about music videos.

There will be a lot of focus on the artist image.
The performers will act as both narrators and characters in a story that will not follow a traditional narrative structure.
There will be an 'illustration' relation between our video and the song lyrics - what happens in the video will illustrate the meaning of the lyrics.
The singers will break the fourth wall as they sing to the camera, in order to make the audience feel included. 
We will use different visual effects that will be appropriate to the mood of the song.
Lip-syncing will be an important feature of the video.
The editing will be done in time with the beat of the song.

PLANNING: Industry

Our artist is a girl band called 'The CandiHearts', which appeal to a large audience, mainly made up of young girls.

The song we are using is by the group 'The Sugababes', a band which was signed to major labels such as 'Island Records' and 'Sony Music Entertainment'.

Similarly, our artist would also be signed to a major label like Island Records.
Island Records has a wide variety of artists signed, from Jessie J to Florence and the Machine, and The CandiHearts would be a good addition to their label. 

Our song will be available for internet download only at first, as it is just one single from our album which will be released later. As we release the video on the internet, fans will be directed to where they can buy the song online.

PLANNING: Using Green Screen Technology

We will not be using the green screen technology in our music video.
This is because we believe that it would not fit in with our concept and it will not work well together with our other locations.
We will have our video set in urban environments and in a house, and the green screen technology would not add anything to our concept, so there is no point using it.

PLANNING: Synergy in Our Video

A few key visual elements will link together our music video, digipak and advertisement.

One of these elements is the monochrome colour scheme, with an occasional touch of colour which will contrast with the monochrome theme.

As we will be filming in the city, the locations will allow us to keep this colour scheme throughout our video. However, in the second verse, we will be inside a house, where it will be more colourful and it will give a warm and cozy feel, which again will contrast with the cold, rough look of the outside world - this is why 'it ain't easy' for the three girls in the video - they have to leave their homes and face this rough world.

Another key visual element we will use for our products are the outfits worn by the performers. One of the outfits present in the video will also be featured on the digipak and the advertisement.
For example, if one of the performers will be wearing a red dress in the third verse, she will be featured on the digipak and in the advertisement wearing the same red dress.