Music Video Inspiration: Analysing Sweater Weather by The Neighbourhood.

When researching artist similar to the genre of our artist, I came across this music video for 'Sweater Weather' by the Neighbourhood.

The video begins with an establishing shot that demonstrates the relationship between the set/location and characters and show the whole view. 

The fact that the scene is spacious emphasises the close relationship between the members gathered in the centre. The black and white effect gives a retro feel for this music video. Also the darkness connotes the indie rock genre of this band.

The pace of each frame cuts away quickly and follows the tempo of the song. This increases the audiences excitement and keeps interest with the video. The POV shot from the back of the car engages the audience by making them feel as though they are on the car journey with the band. 

The 'love interest' is shown less often and is seen as less important than the band. This suggests that he does not keep her as his main priority, instead she is used as a way for him to escape, which links in with the lyrics of the song.

The recognisable logos of the band are superimposed over images from the video, this is a nod to the fans and also it further strengthens the branding of the band, furthermore the fact that the video is shot all in black and white is a recognisable convention of the band, as all of their videos and promotional images are shot in black and white.

The video ends with the same establishing song from the beginning, which confirms the end of the song and ties the video together nicely.

Testing the talent: Part two.

 Today we screen tested Raphi so we could get an idea about how she performs on film.

We filmed her on our phones and we all agreed that she was a good fit for the video, she was confident and comfortable in front of the camera.

These are some of the photos that we took today, her style and attitude is great for the video.

This was a relief as if her performance isn't up to a good standard in the video, it can be the difference between our video looking professional or amateur.

We doubled checked with Raphi to make sure that she if definitely available on our filming dates - she confirmed which was also very relieving news which assures us that things will go smoothly on the day.

Testing the Talent.

Today we did a test shoot with our actor Jem, who will be the protagonist in our music video. We wanted to see how he looked in a photoshoot situation and we were really happy with the results - we thought he could really fit with today's music market and he suited the song.

We also took this opportunity to speak with him about our plans for the video and we wanted to also hear his ideas. We need to make sure that he will be happy with the video as that is the most important thing as it is his brand that we are representing, furthermore he needs to look comfortable and relaxed as it will really show through in the video.

He seemed happy with the concept so far and also made some suggestions that we really took on board.

Styling Moodboards.

These are some styling mood boards that I made for both the male and female characters in our video. I want the style to be cool, casual and modern. We discussed style options and we didn't want anything that was too cliché or typical 'boyband' style. I looked at current street style and catwalk trends from this season to make sure everything on the mood boards was cool and current.

Jem:


Raphi:

Location Moodboards.

'Oceans' lyrics analysis.

Casting the female lead.

We also need a 'love interest' in our music video. This role is important because this is who the song is meant to be about. The girl needs to fit the vibe of the video - she needs to be cool and pretty in order to appeal to our target audience. She also needs to have some acting experience and have the ability to look comfortable and confident in front of the camera.

Here are the potential candidates:

Raphi Phelps:


Raphi is a student from North London. She has appeared in a short film previously so she has acting experience, I also know her very well so I can testify that she is confident and I believe that she could be very good in this role.

We all agreed that we liked her personal style, and we think she could bring some of that cool style into our music video.

We checked our potential filming dates against her own schedule and found out that she is definitely available.


Leah Milligan:

Leah is a Model from Kettering. She has experience in both editorial and film work. I know her through my agency and have worked with her before so I know she is confident in front of the camera.

We think she has a cool look, however we think that we prefer Raphi's personal style. Also, Raphi looks more like an 'Girl next door' which is the kinda look we like.

We checked with Leah and she said she is probably available on the potential shoot dates.

Overall we decided to go with Raphi, as we know she will definitely be available, also she lives in London which is much more convenient for us.

We look forward to shooting now as the team has come together.