Preliminary exercise 2024 Research and planning

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Preliminary exercise: Research and planning

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



Scars to your beautiful - Alessia Cara 

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.

Nobody Gets Me SZA 


1. Camerawork

The camerawork in "Nobody Gets Me" is quite distinct and adds to the intimate, raw nature of the song.

  • Close-Up Shots: The video prominently uses close-ups of SZA, often holding these shots for extended periods. This creates a sense of intimacy and highlights her vulnerability, as viewers can see her facial expressions clearly, feeling her emotions deeply.
  • Handheld Camera: The camera movements often have a handheld, slightly shaky quality. This style makes the video feel more organic and personal, emphasizing a sense of authenticity, like we are getting an unfiltered glimpse into SZA’s inner world.
  • Wide Shots with Contrast: Some wide shots place SZA against a stark, often isolated background (such as rooftops or expansive city views), underscoring themes of loneliness and isolation. The contrast between her solitary figure and the larger world around her visually amplifies the feeling that "nobody gets her."

2. Editing

The editing choices in "Nobody Gets Me" reflect the song's melancholic tone and introspective nature.

  • Slow Pacing: The edits are deliberately slow and lingering, which allows the audience to sit with each moment, reflecting the song’s emotional weight. The absence of rapid cuts gives a sense of timelessness and contemplation, mirroring the reflective nature of the lyrics.
  • Match Cuts: The transitions are often soft, with match cuts between similar framings of SZA, creating a flow that feels consistent and connected. This lack of dramatic change emphasizes the monotony and inescapability of her feelings.
  • Minimal Cuts: Many shots are sustained for long periods without interruption, which feels almost like a stream of consciousness. This choice highlights the raw, vulnerable state that the lyrics convey, as if there’s nothing to distract from her emotions.

3. Mise-en-Scène

The mise-en-scène — which includes everything in the frame, such as location, costume, props, and lighting — plays a major role in conveying the song’s themes.

  • Costume: SZA is dressed casually, often wearing oversized clothing, which gives her a sense of vulnerability and comfort. This is in contrast to more glamorous styles seen in typical music videos, reflecting a stripped-down, real version of herself, suggesting that this is an honest portrayal of her feelings.
  • Locations: The video features SZA in various locations, including rooftops and urban environments. These settings are often empty or sparsely populated, emphasizing her sense of isolation. The rooftops, in particular, create an impression of being above everything yet detached, as if she's trying to get a perspective on her emotions but remains separate from the world.
  • Lighting: The lighting is predominantly natural, often utilizing overcast skies or the diffuse light of dusk. This subdued lighting reinforces the melancholy mood, creating an atmosphere that feels both intimate and unpolished. There is nothing too harsh or overly artificial, which matches the authenticity of her performance.
  • Props: There are very few props, and the background is often minimalistic, which places all focus on SZA and her expressions. This choice suggests that her internal struggle is more important than any physical surrounding, emphasizing the personal, introspective nature of the song.


Rewrite the stars 


1. Camerawork

The camerawork in "Rewrite the Stars" is dynamic and poetic, designed to reflect the intense emotions and physical movement of the scene.

  • Tracking Shots: The camera follows Zac Efron and Zendaya as they navigate the circus tent, seamlessly moving along with their acrobatic choreography. This helps maintain the fluidity and grace of their performance, making it feel as if we’re moving alongside them through their journey.
  • Sweeping Movements: The camera often moves in wide, sweeping arcs, mimicking the movement of the trapeze and ropes. This creates a sense of flight, giving viewers the sensation of freedom that the characters are yearning for, mirroring their desire to overcome societal constraints.
  • Close-Ups vs. Wide Shots: The use of close-ups emphasizes the emotional connection between the characters, showing their expressions of longing and doubt. Meanwhile, wide shots emphasize the grandeur of their surroundings and the difficulty of overcoming the physical and metaphorical distance between them.

2. Editing

The editing in this scene serves to enhance both the romantic tension and the movement of the characters, emphasizing the interplay between freedom and restriction.

  • Rhythmic Editing: The cuts are often timed to the beat of the music, which gives the scene a rhythmic flow. During more intense musical crescendos, the pace of the cuts increases, reflecting the heightened emotions between the characters.
  • Continuous Action: There are multiple instances of long takes, where the camera follows the characters’ continuous acrobatic sequences without breaking the action. These uninterrupted movements create a sense of fluidity, adding to the dreamlike quality of the scene.
  • Cross-Cutting: The editing also uses cross-cutting to alternate between the two characters as they move around each other, underscoring the distance that exists between them emotionally and physically, while also highlighting the moments where they come together and connect.

3. Mise-en-Scène

The mise-en-scène plays a significant role in visually representing the characters' relationship and the challenges they face.

  • Setting: The scene takes place inside a circus tent, which provides a highly symbolic environment. The ropes, bars, and expansive heights represent both the freedom and the obstacles that the characters face in pursuing their love. The circus setting emphasizes their unique world — a place of spectacle but also a place with its own rules and limitations.
  • Props (Trapeze Ropes): The ropes are used not just as a functional prop for acrobatics, but as a visual metaphor for the connection and distance between them. The way the characters use the ropes to swing toward and away from each other physically represents their emotional struggle — trying to come closer while forces pull them apart.
  • Lighting: The lighting is warm, often using spotlights to illuminate Zendaya and Efron as they move. This focus creates an almost ethereal glow around them, heightening the romantic atmosphere. The spotlight suggests that they are each other's focus, even in a world that constantly puts them under scrutiny. The lighting also changes to darker, cooler tones at times, symbolizing the tension and societal barriers that threaten their relationship.
  • Costume: Zendaya's character wears a flowing, lavender aerialist costume, which adds to her sense of ethereal grace. Her costume complements her movements, flowing through the air and emphasizing her dreamlike quality. Zac Efron’s costume is more grounded, reflecting his struggle to match her freedom while dealing with societal constraints. Their costumes highlight their different worlds — one soaring and untethered, the other more restrained.

Elastic Heart SIA 



1. Camerawork

The camerawork in "Elastic Heart" plays a key role in emphasizing the intense emotions and physicality of the performance between Shia LaBeouf and Maddie Ziegler.

  • Close-Ups and Medium Shots: The video makes significant use of close-ups and medium shots, especially on the actors’ faces, capturing the rawness of their emotions. These close-ups emphasize the tension and vulnerability in their expressions, allowing viewers to feel their struggle and connection.
  • Dynamic Camera Movement: The camera is often in motion, moving with the characters as they perform their intense choreography. This movement reflects the physical and emotional struggle they are enacting, giving a sense of urgency and fluidity to the scene. The handheld, almost restless quality of the camera matches the chaotic energy of their interaction.
  • Static vs. Moving Shots: There is a balance between static and moving shots. Static shots are used to emphasize moments of pause or emotional beats, while moving shots capture the conflict and action, adding to the feeling of being trapped and trying to escape. When Maddie and Shia attempt to either escape or come closer, the camera follows their movements, drawing the viewer into the scene.

2. Editing

The editing in "Elastic Heart" plays an important role in establishing the rhythm of the video and enhancing the emotional journey of the characters.

  • Pacing and Rhythmic Cuts: The editing is rhythmic and matches the intensity of the song. During moments of increased tension in the choreography, the pace of the cuts quickens, creating a sense of urgency. The cuts are often in sync with the beat of the music, enhancing the overall impact of the choreography.
  • Long Takes: At times, the video uses long takes to capture the full, uninterrupted movement of the dancers, allowing viewers to appreciate the physicality of the performance. These longer takes contribute to the feeling of being entrapped and highlight the performers’ efforts to communicate or escape.
  • Emphasis on Interaction: The editing focuses on the interaction between Shia and Maddie. When they are physically close, the cuts emphasize their relationship—cutting between their facial expressions and body language. When they are separated or in conflict, the editing shifts to highlight their distance, reinforcing their emotional struggle.

3. Mise-en-Scène

The mise-en-scène in "Elastic Heart" is simple yet deeply symbolic, creating a visually compelling setting that enhances the themes of conflict, entrapment, and emotional struggle.

  • Cage Setting: The video takes place inside a large cage, which serves as a powerful visual metaphor. The cage represents entrapment, whether emotional, psychological, or relational. Both characters are "trapped" in the same confined space, struggling against each other and, at times, trying to escape. The cage’s physical boundaries symbolize the limitations that both characters face, whether self-imposed or coming from each other.
  • Costume: Both Shia LaBeouf and Maddie Ziegler wear skin-toned outfits that are minimal and raw. Maddie wears her now-iconic blonde wig and a nude-colored leotard, giving her a childlike, almost surreal look. Shia wears similar clothing, which connects the two characters visually. The minimal costumes emphasize the physicality of their performances and strip away distractions, allowing viewers to focus on their movements and interactions. The matching color scheme also implies that the two characters are two parts of a whole or different aspects of the same struggle.
  • Lighting: The lighting in the video is natural and soft, giving the space an almost dreamlike quality. There are no harsh spotlights or overly dramatic lighting changes, which creates a raw and vulnerable atmosphere. The neutral tones of the light and the set, combined with the simple costuming, keep the focus on the performers' movements and expressions.
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. 

1. Iconography

The iconography will use relatable and symbolic imagery to emphasize personal stories and social themes:

  • Mirrors: Mirrors represent self-reflection and how we see ourselves, which is central to the message of self-acceptance. These will be used frequently, both in a positive and negative light.
  • Scarred Objects: Props that are slightly damaged but still functional (e.g., a cracked photo frame or a torn piece of clothing) symbolize beauty in imperfection.
  • Symbols of Beauty: Objects like make-up brushes, hair accessories, and magazines are present to emphasize societal standards of beauty. These are sometimes discarded or abandoned in the video as a sign of rejection of these standards.

2. Settings

The settings will be kept simple but effective, focusing on locations that are intimate and meaningful to highlight the personal and universal themes of the video:

  • Empty Room with Natural Lighting: A large, empty room with neutral walls serves as a versatile setting, creating an intimate space where individuals are the focus. The simplicity of the room symbolizes stripping down external influences and letting the person’s story shine.
  • Bathroom with Mirror: A small bathroom with a mirror represents the idea of confronting oneself. This setting will have a more raw and realistic feeling to emphasize personal introspection.
  • City Streets: Urban settings show the diversity of people, representing inclusivity. Shots in bustling streets emphasize that everyone struggles with their own insecurities, regardless of where they are or who they are.

3. Costumes

The costumes for the music video will be chosen to ensure authenticity, relatability, and diversity:

  • Casual and Comfortable Clothing: The clothing will largely be casual—denim, t-shirts, sweatshirts, and simple dresses. This simplicity makes the characters relatable, emphasizing that they are everyday people.
  • Neutral Tones: Alessia Cara herself will be dressed in neutral, comfortable attire, like jeans and a plain shirt. Her look will be understated to allow the focus to remain on her message rather than a glamorous persona.

4. Make-up

Make-up plays a significant role in expressing the song's themes of beauty and authenticity:

  • Bare Faces: Many of the people in the music video will be shown with little to no make-up, highlighting natural beauty. This emphasizes the theme of embracing oneself as they are.

5. Props

Props in the music video will help to tell the individual stories of the people featured:

  • Mirrors: Mirrors will be a key prop to show the struggle with self-image. They will be used symbolically—for example, someone may be shown turning away from a mirror, showing their choice to reject negative self-perception.
  • Magazines: Magazines depicting airbrushed models and unrealistic beauty standards will be seen in the background, symbolising external pressures.

6. Lighting

Lighting is crucial to setting the mood for different parts of the video. The video will primarily use natural and soft lighting to enhance the themes of authenticity and hope:

  • Natural Lighting: Daylight and soft, natural lighting will be used to give an authentic feel, particularly in scenes where people are reflecting on themselves. It represents honesty and openness.or example, in an indoor setting, soft lamps or candles create an inviting and safe space.
  • High Contrast Lighting: In scenes depicting internal struggle or discomfort, a more stark and contrast-heavy lighting will be used to cast dramatic shadows, emphasizing conflict. It will add emotional weight, showing the duality of struggling with and overcoming insecurities.

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