Music Video Director Research

Task:

The task for the summer was to create a video essay on a music video director of our choice; and I chose singer Melanie Martinez, who also directs her videos.

I started by researching her background info and how she became famous, as this would be my introduction to the video. I used websites such as Wikipedia to get some basic information, which then I could edit to include in my script. I also used Youtube as a website for research, as interviews with Melanie gave me ideas on what I could say about her.
I wrote down all of this information in note form on a word document, which I then used afterwards to create a script from:

  

Music Video Essay Notes from Amy Bullmore

After this, I then started drafting my script, splitting it into separate sections:

• Background info/Rise to fame
• Style of Videos
• Directing
• Future Plans

Once this was done I then wrote the script fully, so that I had a guideline of what to say when it came to filming. When I did film, I split the script up into different sections for me to say on camera, so each clip I had recorded was a take of one of the multiple sections I had written.
For my setup, I wanted to have a white background; but rather than using a white backdrop I used a green one, as I decided that I could incorporate a white background that looked more solid without any creases in it.

Once the filming was all done I could then focus on putting everything together in premier pro, but first I wanted to make sure that I had ALL of my clips before making a rough cut. The final clips that I needed were clips of Melanie, for example her music videos or interviews with her.

I used the software WM Capture 8 to get these videos and the clips from them that I knew I needed:

I would use the Mark Video tool to select what part of the screen I wanted to record, and also made sure that the audio was being recorded along with the video.

Once this was done, I then inserted all of the clips into premier pro. I sorted through the recorded clips to decide what take I would include in my final piece, and then put them in order with the timeline.
It was after this I then began to insert the Youtube clips, cutting them down to include the exact part I needed to support my point.

Rough cut of the video essay

 As well as Youtube clips, I wanted to include screencaps of articles and websites as evidence to put in my videos, which I also did with my rough cut, with a 'scrolling' effect so that the reader could read along with what I was saying to the camera.

Example screencap used in the video

The next step was then to add the effects, which included video transitions, editing the audio levels and incorporating my white background into my clips.

I started off with the green screen, and used the video effect 'ultra key' before using the eyedropper tool to cancel out the green. As I was new to this technique, I  used each of the tools, understanding what effect they have on my clip, before creating my desired effect.

I got a plain white background online and used this in my video, inserting it behind the clips of me. I also wanted to have myself in the corner of the video so that I could have any Youtube clips to the side of me; and I did this just by changing the position of the clips that featured me in it, moving them slightly to the right.

However, once I had done this, there was a gap in which there was no longer a white background, but part of my backdrop of the room behind me. To solve this, I decide to just add the white.png on top of the clip of me as well as underneath, however this time change the scale and position of it just so that it covered up this gap and not me.

The white.png is shown on top of the clips of me

After this, I inserted the backing track, which were instrumentals of Melanie's songs, as I thought this would be perfect to have this ongoing theme revolving around her.
I also adjusted the audio levels, having the backing track resting at -22.3db so that I could be heard above it. As well as this, I faded the backing track many times when clips of me weren't featured, but the Youtube clips were, as the focus was on the sound of the videos rather than the background music.
Once this was all done I put in the video transition 'dip to white' to sync with the fading of the background music, so that I could have a smooth transition from a clip of me to a clip from Youtube.

Applying the transitions and editing the length of them so that they occur after I've finished speaking.

After this, the video essay was done and ready to be exported; and the finished piece is shown below: