Music Video Planning and Research Checklist
- Research/ Examples of music videos: Post examples that you have taken inspiration from and comment on the ideas which you would like to use, eg, 'we noticed in this video and others of this genre there is the convention of an urban street setting, therefore we will aim to choose a similar setting so as to meet the expectations of the target audience for hip hop music'
It could be the props, the transitions, the editing pace, the use of costume - you are researching them to gain some idea of what the audience expect so make sure you use these expectations in your product.
Planning:
1. Song choice and lyrics
2. Rough brainstorm of initial ideas
3. Your idea- your narrative (if you have one)- at this point GET AUDIENCE FEEDBACK
4. Cast list- preferably with photos so you can explain the image you have chosen and how it fits with your song
5. Props and Costume lists- again with pictures
6. Recce photos- locations you have chosen.
7. Storyboard- remember this is twice as long as your film opening and will have at least four times as many cuts because of the pace. You need a detailed guide in order to ensure you film enough to fill the song. (Think back to the Britney swede where the whole class storyboarded only the first 30 sec of the song!)- at this point GET AUDIENCE FEEDBACK
LINK ALL YOUR PLANNING IDEAS BACK TO YOUR RESERACH AND YOUR AUDIENCE FEEDBACK. Show that the decisions you are making are based around how much you know about what that audience want and the expectations from successful music videos.

- Examples of cd covers and magazine adverts. The mag ads are slighty harder to come by online and we may need to buy in some music mags but cd digipack anaylsis should be done by now. Post a few examples of real digipacks- again say what ideas you like, recognise what the creater has done, eg, star construction/ portatying a particular image through codes and signs.

Planning: Then post a sketch of your idea- based on the research you have done. Your research must inform your ideas or it is pointless!!!! The sketch does not have to be wonderful- its the paper draft of your digipack. Maybe even do a few - at this point GET AUDIENCE FEEDBACK
Dont say 'all the cd covers for RnB artists we looked at had the artist looking into camera and in the centre', and then do yours differently!! Remember you are looking for ideas and inspirations as to what the audience is expectingand how insititions sell their product.

GOODLUCK

Next we are ready for the real work- filming, refilming, re-shooting, re-storyboarding due to cast problems/ weather problems/ crew problems and continuity issues, filming again, editing, editing , editing and really creative evaluations. :)

Oh yeah, before you film you need to do a risk assessment. :)