Location Research

Last year for AS my group filmed a opening sequence for a horror movie and we thought it was fitting to shoot our 2 minute clip in a forest. However, this year for A2 Matt and I are producing a music video for our chosen genre, Indie rock song "Firestarter" by Torre Florim.  Being unable to drive restricted us as a group to find suitable places to film our opening sequence and so we could only utilize our local area. Which is why we choose a forest as it was local and related to our genre. This year I want to improve the location of filming to boost my grade to achieve a higher grade then last year. In order for this progress to be accomplished it is crucial that the setting is significant.


Earlier on in the course Matt and I had ideas to film at Beech field, which is local to us. It is a larger open area easily accessible for us both to film. The open land gives the impression of abandonment which matches the original "Firestarter" music video as Torre Florim is sat alone. Therefore, we could capture one of the deeper meanings of the song that we want to accurately portray in our music video. Having a wide landscape is not uncommon in the indie rock genre as The Killers also use a desolate landscape in their music video for "Human". Although Beech field is a good location to film our music video it is also local and I want to look for alternative places that are unconventional.





I have done some research and looked into possible locations in Manchester to shoot our video. I came across an abandoned theater called Hulme Hippodrome just outside the city center. The building opened in 1901 and operated as a music hall entertaining people for 87 years until it closed in 1988.  This theater is a very unconventional setting for a music which is why we we feel it would be a suitable location as it sticks with the convention of indie rock.. The building is somewhere Matt and I can produce a successful music video as we can really explore creative ideas. This includes the idea of isolation as the building is run down giving the impression of abandonment. This is conveyed as the interior has not been looked after and therefore it is beginning to deteriorate, this reinforces abandonment in our music video as the building itself has been neglected. We could also explore different shots as we can use the balconies to present the audience with a variety of angled shots.

Parental Advisory

Parental Advisory is used to warn the audience that the song may contain inappropriate references or profanities. This label was first produced in 1985 by Recording Industry Association of America which was to later adopted the British Phonographic Industry in 2011. The purpose of this label was to warn parents that the content of the music may be unsuitable for younger children.

In the chosen song "Firestarter" there are few lyrics however there is one explicit word. This is unconventional as many indie rock songs tend to use explicit language to reinforce the gravity of the situation. Therefore, it is unusual to only have one profanity in the song however it is beneficial for us as we can target a larger demographic as our music video and song will be appropriate. Matt and I are yet indecisive on whether to use a Parental Advisory label but we may include it at the start of the music video. This means that our younger audience can enjoy our final product. This is the image we will display if we decide to have Parental Advisory:

Focus Group

Here is a sample group of my target audience aged 16-24 year old. It is important to gather this primary information as it gives me and understanding of what the demographic wants. Ideally I would like to interview everyone who listens to indie rock however it is impossible to do this. Therefore, I gathered a small group in which I will have to generalize to the larger population. In the video below is my actual focus group where I conducted my research.

I asked the audience if they likes the ambiguity in my chosen song, Torre Florim "Firestarter", as Torre Florim is sat by a body of water when the main theme of the video is about fire. They like this irony creates an enigma which the audience enjoys. The fact that he is also wearing a suit removes any personality and identification to him therefore, creating a larger mystery. However, in doing this, removing the identity of the character, it restricts the audience from creating a rapport. So we therefore need to create a balance between the unknown and familiarity.

I also asked what do they particularly like in a music video, they responded with something that accurately reflects the meaning of of the lyrics. That the video has to be relevant to the song in some way. An example of this is the word "Fire", in our music video we will have lots of connotations to fire such as the colour red. What the audience sees has to be relevant to the lyrics as they reinforce the meaning however indie rock songs usually have unconventional music videos. Therefore Matt and I will need to strike a balance between the unusual and relevant imagery. Although this could prove challenging we feel diversity is essential in creating a successful indie rock music video.

The focus group were split between having a narrative of a live performance. A live performance would be harder for me and Matt to accomplish as neither of us have instruments that are used in our chosen song, also we do not have a the right amount of people to form a band. Therefore, it would be easier for Matt and I to create a narrative as we would already have the necessary props to produce it. Plus we both have a year in experience when producing a story line so we will use what we learned from last year to ensure we do not make the same mistakes. 

Representation of chosen artist

Here we can see the artist Torre Florim reacting to one million plays on our chosen song "Firestarter". we can see in Torre Florims post that he is extremely thankful that his song has reached the level of popularity that it has. This would suggest that Florim comes across as a down to earth man that loves to preform for his audience and is grateful for the opportunity he has been given. This reputation is very important for the audience to understand because they will enjoy their music more knowing they are genuine. If the band were to be rude and obnoxious then they would repel their fans making it hard for them to be successful.   

In the interview by 3VOOR12 we see Torre Florim, the lead singer of De Staat, to be thankful for his success. Dave Clarke, the interviewer, asks Florim is he happy to be playing at OP Lowlands 2011 in his home country. He responds with of-course, he would be happy to play anywhere even on the smallest stage at the festival or in a different country. This implies that Florim is so passionate for his music it does not matter to him where the band plays he is just thankful that he has the chance to preform. Clarke asks Florim does he search De Staat after a gig, Florim responds with that he does search himself on social media in bed to make him fall asleep happily. This again shows how grateful Florim is of his success.

Target Audience

Class: The majority of the audience that listens to indie rock are of the working class and middle class as they can relate to the lyrics of the artist. This refers to Dyer's Star Theory as the artist and audience have similar issues and so they have a closer connection. This rapport is necessary  to develop as the audience can understand more then if they had no bond. Matt and I will need to establish a strong rapport as quick as possible in our music video so the audience can understand the lyrics more.

Age: Usually the age range of this particular music genre is 16-24 year old as this is a similar age range to the band members. The lyrics often speak of problems that only the younger generation have such as heartbreak, depression and loneliness. Young adults are still trying to establish themselves in the world which can be difficult for some and so music offers them an escape. Therefore, we need the audience to feel drawn to our music video to help them. As the age range of 16-24 is our main demographic we will not rule out any other age groups and so we will take this into account when producing our music video.

Gender: Although there majority of the bands are made up of males there are no specific gender assigned to the indie rock genre. Both genders make up our target audience as we do not want to restrict anyone from enjoying this genre. This therefore is likely to make our music video more successful as it will appeal to males and females. 

Ethnicity: In indie rock there is no particular ethnicity that is more popular then another. Therefore, in our music video we will target all ethnicities which again like gender will increase our target audience making the music video more likely to be successful.        

Psychographics

The likely audience to listen to the indie rock genre are 16-24 year olds as they are of a similar age to the artists. They can connect more and understand the lyrics as they are facing similar issues. This is the demographic we intend to target as we feel it will be appropriate to confine to the conventions however we do not want to restrict anyone from enjoying our music video.

Name: Wade Willson
Age:18
Wade Willson is a white male from the working class who particularly enjoys the indie rock genre. He is studying Physics English maths at A level as he wants to be a secondary school teacher. He enjoys both going to concerts as well as music festivals as they are very indie rock orientated and lets him explore new upcoming artists.

Arctic Monkeys - Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High? Editing and Lighting

A link to Editing and Lighting analysis of "Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?" by the Arctic Monkeys:

https://prezi.com/view/n5n6o7oTyoi75HQvXZE5/