Preliminary exercise: research and planning

 1) State the song you have chosen for your preliminary exercise.

The abyss - The Weeknd & Lana del rey

2) Choose at least three music videos similar to your concept and watch a clip or more from each. Make bullet-point notes on everything you watch, commenting on camerawork, editing and mise-en-scene.

Camera work

Mise-en-scene

Editing

MV 1: 

.Frequent use of hand-held shots, creates an immersive,chaotic feel

.Occasional slow motion to heighten mood and draw out emotional moments

.Set in luxury apartments and dim, neon-lit party spaces

.Predominantly low-key lighting with coloured highlights, shadows dominate

.Montage sequences to compress the passing of a chaotic night

.Video sometimes blurs or distorts transitions, adding to the disorienting mood

MV 2:

.Foreground and background are often separated using shallow depth of field

.Aerial shots of city (nighttime + neon), juxtaposed with tight close-ups

.Urban landscape visible in background - sense of isolation despite the crowd

.Extras appear bored and apathetic, mirroring themes of emptiness despite wealth

.Slow paced - lingering on moments of excess and contemplation

.Smooth dissolves and fades to black between sequences

.Use of super-imposed shots for a dreamy/nightmarish atmosphere

MV 3: 

.POV elements: sometimes places viewer "inside" chaotic events, adding immediacy

.Shaky handheld shots, sharp whip-pans during running or driving scenes

.Set in empty hotel lobbies and city streets

.Reflections in mirrors and windows, visual motifs of isolation and duality

.Quick rhythmic cuts to match the tempo of the song

.Occasional cross-fades or layering to suggest distorted perception

3) Write a short music video treatment for your extract (this is basically a script for your TikTok music video). You can find an example of a treatment here. If you are making your real coursework then feel free to use the treatment from your summer project.

My music video will capture the haze, emotional detachment and chaos of the actor's mind and feelings, blending themes of loneliness, excess and fleeting connection. The video will use moody, low-key lighting with neon accents, and urban nighttime settings like empty streets to and luxury buildings in order to create an atmosphere of glamour and decay. For camerawork, my music video will include handheld and close-up shots for intimacy, along with slow motion and reflections to explore the conflicted state of the actor in my music video. For editing, my music video will feature rhythmic montages, jump cuts, and blurred transitions to enhance the disoriented mood. The narrative will focus on isolated moments and chaos, reflecting on a conflicted state of mind. The video opens in a dimly lit, intimate bedroom where the main character sits alone, with a soft neon/ candle light reflecting on them, conveying a sense of solitude and introspection. As the song unfolds, we follow the character wandering through quiet, urban/night landscape with rainy streets, flickering neon signs, rooftop views, emphasising vulnerability and emotional reflection. The camera will capture close-up details like blinking eyes, trembling hands, and subtle facial expressions to convey inner turmoil and fragile hope. Atmospheric cutaways of rain,smoke, and reflections enrich the mood and symbolise emotional complexity. The visual style will be minimal and moody, using practical light sources to match the song's haunting, contemplating tone. The video closes with the character finding a moment of quiet acceptance, framed against a softly glowing candle, as the music fades out. 

4) Write a shot list containing EVERY shot you plan to film AND additional shots to create flexibility when editing (in a music video you will find you need FAR more shots than you think, particularly close-ups). These additional shots can be close-ups, alternative angles or something more creative. I advise using a simple table on Microsoft Word/Google Docs to set out your shot list - you can find an example here (this is from narrative filmmaking but the same format can be used for any video project). 

Shot list

5) Plan your mise-en-scene: what iconography are you including to ensure your audience understands the genre and style of your artist? Plan your settings, costume, make-up, props and lighting. 

For mise-en-scene, my music video will include:

.Reflections in mirrors and windows, visual motifs of isolation and duality

.Urban landscape visible in background - sense of isolation despite the crowd

.Extras appear bored and apathetic, mirroring themes of emptiness despite wealth

.Predominantly low-key lighting with coloured highlights, shadows dominate

6) Plan a shooting schedule that will ensure everything is filmed by the deadline. Include when, where, who is required, planned equipment and any other aspects you need to arrange. 

I'll film this week around my local area and my house. I'll be filming out on the street and in my bedroom with my little sister.