Storyboard

Here is the storyboard for our music video project made by me, Chelsea (scenes 15-outro) and my teammate, Audrey (scenes 1-14). 

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Since I already had experience in creating a storyboard during the past (last year's term 1 storyboard project and last term's crime documentary project), I am already familiar with how to construct a storyboard and what to include, although I still refer to my old storyboard to retain my memory. Creating a storyboard gives me a clear vision on what the scenes would look like and easier for me to visualise and draw, as well as for the actors, so they have a vision in mind of what they should perform, even though there is the possibility that our final shooting will require adjustments and may not follow the storyboard exactly. Overall, it was a really fun and quick process for me to conduct in which resulting me in completing faster than I had anticipated. I made sure to include details starting from the camerawork that is used, how long the scene should be and technical elements that could be used in the scene. I also used annotations with a different colour for a more clear explanation on what should happen on screen. Since the song is broken down into 10 parts in total, me and my teammate, Audrey, think that it would be easier to split the jobs into two, where she did the first half and I did the last half. This is an effective way for us to create the storyboard easily with shared and balanced amount of responsibility. 

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Lyric Sheet

Here is the lyric sheet me and my teammates did to discuss our vision and ideas for each part of the song. This post is written by me (Chelsea). 

After finalising our chosen song, our teacher helped us to print our song's lyric sheet, and we began by verballing discussing our thoughts and ideas as a group after each of us had proposed our own ideas and brainstormed which of the concepts we all agreed with. We all agree that, because of the upbeat rhythm of the song, we want our music video to feature both performance (dancing or lip-syncing) and a little bit of narrative elements as well. 

Below is the lyric paper sheet we've discussed during class: 

At the beginning we all have various perspectives and thoughts, which leads to some misunderstandings and uncertainty. Audrey and I imagined the music to be angsty in terms of mood, and the star will radiate the vibes of a stargirl (confident, bold, and unconcerned about what others say), dressed in bold colours like red and black and wearing heavy makeup. Meanwhile, my other teammates, Rara and Kalista, thought the entire music video would feature a sweet, vulnerable, innocent-looking star wearing white or light-colored clothes and light makeup, which contrasted my and my other teammates' ideas. 

This idea clash took a long time to resolve, but we eventually came up with a satisfactory solution. To resolve this, we all went through the song's lyrics and original music video again, searching for the song's meaning (which will be explained further in the song research blogpost), and then we came up with an interesting idea. Given that the song revolves around a one-sided relationship in which the female star is being "played" (taken advantage of or manipulated) by the man, we want to add a twist to our music video. We decided that during the first half of the song, we would represent the star as innocent, fragile, and desperate for love (aligned with Kalista and Rara's idea). The second half of the song reveals that the main star is not as innocent as she appears, and that she is actually the "player" (aligned with Audrey and my idea). We also wanted to incorporate various connotations throughout the music video.

We were unable to annotate all parts of the lyrics on time since gathering thoughts that we all agreed on took up a significant amount of time in class. And, because meeting together face to face to work on this would be ineffective, we decided to change our lyric sheet discussion method by utilising digital media tools, which makes discussion more efficient, rather than one of us bringing the paper home and having to write all of the notes on their own. 

Below is the lyric paper sheet we transferred and gathered our ideas on Google Docs:

View link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dFSjV0uFlihR2kF6A8h03tDQkNpydC-ySWnltlu8I44/edit?usp=sharing

We choose Google Docs to discuss and annotate our song lyrics because it is easier to highlight a part of a lyric and then adding comments to it. It is also more effective because it will not be a burden if the idea needs to be changed (which we have done several times); it is as simple as deleting and commenting on a new one, compared to doing it on paper, where you we must repeatedly erase and write a new one, which can be time consuming. It has also been easy for us to give comments and additional notes for a specific scene, especially if a member was absent while working and can be checked later, so not all members must be present at the same time but still collaborate together.

Selecting a part of the song lyric: 

Adding comments & additional notes: 

Here we also utilised Google Meet to discuss our ideas together via online:

Unfortunately, embedding the Google Doc file to this blogpost does not let viewers to see the comments we've made. Hence, we tried to find another alternative solution for this problem. 

I began searching for whiteboard online applications that we could use and embed, and I came across one called Mural. I had no prior knowledge with this application, but I was able to figure it all out quickly because the user interface made it simple and guided me through the lyric sheet development process. So, I transferred all of the lyrics and annotations we made on the Google Doc, and my teammate Audrey helped me out with this. 

I used different coloured sticky notes to make it easier to differentiate between each part of the song (e.g., purple for verse, yellow for chorus). Aside from this feature, I discovered what makes this application stand out compared to Google Docs. Aside from the vibrant visuals we can use, I can also embed YouTube videos (since we got a loads of inspiration and references from other music videos and movies), so we can easily refer back to the inspiration simply by just watching the embedded video in the same window. 

Below is our final lyric sheet using the application, Mural: 

View link: https://app.mural.co/t/mg255627/m/mg255627/1731420088615/f524415b7280cdafeabd1ec6d8bddcf9ec54d46b?sender=uc8120bfc400191f6550f4331

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Discussion plays an important role in this this lyric sheet since we needed to make sure that everyone was on the same page and agreed on the same idea. Although there have been some issues with our different concepts clashing and contradicting one another, we quickly solved this through an innovative approach by merging both of these ideas into a one whole concept for the music video. I believe that by doing so, we can acknowledge both sides and create innovative and creative solutions. Even though our final concept seems to appears to be a lot of work and quite complex to execute, I believe that it will be a great way to experiment with new things and step outside of our comfort zone (as we always do) to challenge our capabilities. We also encountered challenges, such as the transition from paper to digital and technical issues with embedding. However, as technology advances in the digital era, we can now discuss, annotate, and add notes to lyrics anytime and anywhere. Overall, even though we experienced creative block at times, and some of our lyric parts, particularly the chorus, remain empty, I'm happy that we all contributed and continuously provide inputs and ideas through our active participation, resulting in all lyric parts being filled with all of our ideas.

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Moodboard

Here is the moodboard for our music video project for our chosen song, 'The Weekend' by BIBI, 88rising. 

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I had fun developing this moodboard with my teammates as we can look up different inspirations and references on the internet (Pinterest, Google images, movie or music video references). Since each of us may have different thoughts and ideas, we gathered several images individually before combining them to make the final storyboard in one Canva file using our associated concepts. This will allow us to provide vision and direction on how our music video will look visually, as well as keep the style and aesthetic consistent and on track throughout the whole music video. Overall, our music video theme will revolve around a grungy, party-oriented aesthetic with hints of girlhood and romantic relationships. Our major colour palette will be dark red, black, and white, which will assist us decide on the artist's wardrobe and makeup, the time of day, and the set design. In the beginning, my personal vision was fairly complicated, incorporating red in nearly every setting and costly props. However, I realised that we were unable to maintain that kind of budget, so I put together other images that are more realistic and have less crazy concepts and images that could be shot within our budget. In the end, we all agree with the idea that we all put out. 

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Song Research

Here we will look in detail at our song choice "The Weekend" by BIBI & 88rising released in 2021. 

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Conducting song research is essential since it allows us to obtain a deeper insight of our chosen song. Understanding the meaning behind the lyrics and the song in general can help us come up and brainstorm with initial concepts for our own music videos. As the whole theme of the song is about love and relationships (a toxic one), we wanted to incorporate that as well. Our primary target demographic is teenagers and young adults; therefore, if we follow BIBI's music video concept, it will be too graphic and intimate for our intended audience. So, to make our music video more appealing to our target audience, we developed our own creative narrative concepts and suggested visual ideas. Overall, we had no trouble researching or selecting this song because the moment we heard it, we all enthusiastically agreed to use it due to its compelling beat, lyrics, and rhythm. 

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View link: https://view.genially.com/6735a30f693befb673f3a3c7/horizontal-infographic-diagrams-song-research

(press the icons to view explanation) 

Development: Song Choice

Here is the development of our song choice. This blogpost is written by me (Chelsea). 

View link: https://padlet.com/chelseatirta1/song-choice-hm1llh3f4k6410zg

Since love-themed songs were the most appropriate for our target audience (primarily teenage girls), we all wanted to work on that specific theme. 6 possible songs featuring a female lead singer and primarily Asian background are on our list. The Padlet above explains the song's beat, possible song meaning, themes discussed and reasons for choosing or not choosing it. At the end, we all decided on the song "The Weekend" by BIBI & 88rising, which will be discussed in more detail in this song research blog post.

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Before deciding on one song for our music video, it is important that we have a variety of potential song choices. It was easy for us to list the song options that we all recognise because we were all certain from the beginning that we wanted to make a music video with a love theme. Every song has a certain mood, so by exploring different options, we can find the one that best fits the narrative and vibe we wish to convey in our music video. Surprisingly, we were able to come up with a final decision without any conflicts, which allowed us to develop the ideas further as soon as possible.

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Regulation

Here is a blogpost explaining how our music video project was regulated. This blogpost is written by me (Chelsea) and my teammate (Kalista). 

─── ⋆⋅ MUSIC VIDEO REGULATION ⋅⋆ ───

There are some rules that we need to follow before creating our music video, which may be interpreted as censorship or regulation. We had been suggested by Cambridge to avoid talking sensitive issues like the use of weapons, dangerous stunts, suicide and drug usage. Vehicle safety concerns were also discouraged. Since we also attend a conservative school, the teacher and the school must provide appropriate content, things like inappropriate language, no explicit music, and violence are refrained. 

As it is not easy to find the Indonesian rating system, me and my teammates decided to use the British rating system, namely BBFC, which is being broken down into 7 categories from the media content that is suitable for all until the one that is suitable only for adults. Based on the rating system, our music video plan (unrequited & complexity of love during youth) and song choice (“The Weekend” by BIBI) is categorised to be suitable for 15 years and over due to several reasons: 

• Use of substance: We have included an implication of alcohol usage (red cup) whilst in fact it is containing water. It is appropriate for our star to act "tipsy" when utilising this prop because she is 18 years old in real life, which is similar to her artist's age. However, since the scene will only last a few seconds, hence the audience is not particularly encouraged or promoted by it. 

• Language: Only one bad word—the "S" word—is used in the song's lyrics, but in order to avoid encouraging strong language, we won't have the artist say the word in our music video. Instead, we will show a different scene without lip-syncing. 

• Theme: As previously stated, the theme of our song and music video centers on complicated romantic relationships and unrequited love, which tend to be more relatable to teenagers who are much older. For this reason, we believe that it is appropriate for those who are at least 15 years old, as those who are younger may not fully comprehend the context, which could lead to misinterpretation and encourage them to engage in negative behavior.

─── ⋆⋅ SONG PERMISSION ⋅⋆ ───

Since we want to use BIBI & 88rising’s song "The Weekend" for our music video, we must ask the record label for permission to use it. Chelsea found the email address to contact 88rising, the record label that BIBI is under, here: https://88rising.com/terms-of-service. This includes the licensing agreement that grants permission to utilise the song. The email address was info@88rising.com. The email request that we sent, which Kalista wrote and delivered, is below: 

Since this is simply just a school project and we are not seeking financial gain, we are not expecting any replies to the email and in fact we end up not receiving any. As long as it's being utilised for the proper purposes, we have chosen to just stick with it. By sending the email request to 88rising (BIBI's record label), we have taken this action to avoid any copyright restrictions and further problems, like the ones on YouTube. 

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Prior to creating our music video, it is crucial to understand, consider, and follow the rules established by Cambridge, the school, and BBFC, all of which may serve the same objective. We made an effort to follow these rules in order to avoid any possible harm or issues that might have an impact on the project as a whole,  in such that it can prevent us from reshooting a scene if it breaks the rules of one of the regulation criteria. We also made sure to follow the regulation in order to avoid breaking school rules and to follow publishing rules online, including YouTube, where they could take harmful content into account and lead them to the deletion of videos. To better recognise our target audience and decide what should and shouldn't be included in our music video, we have established which age rating category our video falls under (in this case, in terms of language, mature topics, and usage of substance). 

As for the song permission, it's important to seek it from the record label in order to receive the proper license and permission, as using copyrighted material without their consent or sending a request could be against the law. It encouraged us to take responsibility for using the song appropriately and professionally, even if we did not get any responses at the end. Therefore, this awareness will allow me to grant permission if I want to use someone's property next time for my future projects.

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Statement of Intent

Here is our proposal or statement of intent for our music video project, which outlines some of the details of our music video plan (target audience, representation, etc). We all (Audrey, Chelsea, Kalista & Rara) worked together in this. 

Document link (in case the document isn't viewable): https://docs.google.com/document/d/1c21fN1DuFrHZqU1QmEMZERauclNXduzIGLdWM1hAzHk/edit?usp=sharing 

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Having ideas written out in detail in this statement of intent from the beginning has really helped me and my group to remain on track and maintain our music video within the genre and intended target audience. Me and my group worked together in completing this statement of intent, due to our collaborative effort we didn't have any problems in finishing it on time. Prior to this, we have already made plans and brainstormed ideas regarding how we want our music video to look like. This further ease us when creating this statement of intent as we already have thoughts in mind and we only needed to come up with an agreed conclusion. Since our main theme revolves around love and relationship, we all agreed that our intended target audience is towards teenagers or young adults who can resonate with this theme. We also hoped to incorporate South-East Asians representation to spread awareness as they are not represented enough in the media.

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