PLANNING: Storyboard

I drew up a storyboard so that I could get an idea of some of the shots that I would like to get on the day of filming. However it was more useful in allowing me to organise the three different elements of my video, and arrange a chronology that I felt would prevent the video becoming too monotonous. As the dance sequence will be central to my video, and I would like most of the shots to follow on from one another to give the impression of a continuous routine, usually there are two or three dance clips together. However they full routine is interspersed with close up clips of a face, as I aim to get mainly long shots of the dance, and also shadow puppets will be used to keep the attention of the audience on the screen rather than if the video was just a dance routine.

PLANNING: Responding to Current Trends

Trends and fads are forever emerging and are synonymously linked with the frivolity of youth, or younger audiences. The power of younger audiences in swaying or defining current trends is continuously growing, epitomised in the emergence of vampires following the release of the Twilight (2008) saga which was irrevocably fuelled by the books unwaveringly loyal teenage fan base. Since it's release the market for teenage literature and filmography has boomed with promise of the undead. Not only the teen market however, the trend has seeped into the adult market with the release of risque 'True Blood' (2008 - present), 'Daybreakers' (2009), the soon to be released 'Priest' (2011) and the vampire themed music video 'Alive' by Goldfrapp (2010). This is not to say that the Twilight books were in anyway the first of their kind, vampires have always been a myth frequently told, however, it is arguable that had the idea been pitched at an older age group and not such as young and eager audience fully prepared to fall in love with the characters, sport the merchandise and buy into the phenomenon, vampires may not have become so mainstream. This then begs the question of whether institutions are shaping the audiences' opinion or the audience is shaping the institutions'?

Consequently, I feel that my music video should fall in line with current trends and popular culture to a degree, whilst still showing the audience a fresh perspective. Given the hype surrounding the soon to be released 'Black Swan', which exposes the dark side of professional ballet, or as Time Out London put it 'trust Darren Aronofsky to make the dainty, ultra-refined art of classical ballet appear as physically gruelling as cracking rocks with a pick-axe', I have decided to incorporate a choreographed ballet sequence in my music video which will act like a narrative whilst maintaining the conceptual theme of my piece.

I would like the ballet imagery to start very much in the way that ballet has always been portrayed, elegant and graceful, with the video focusing on classic imagery of a ballerina in white performing in a traditional manner. However I want to show a transformation in my piece with the ultimate image being of a ballerina dressed in black, with a severe feathered mask dancing in tune with the climactic rhythm of Jeweller's Hands. In tying in a theme of my piece with a film that is soon to be released, from a sales perspective, it would tap into an already formed audience and would consequently allow for the video and other complements to be targeted at the same fan base. This is a familiar marketing tool for many institutions, who will follow current trends as a means of attracting audiences and help bring in higher streams of revenue. However, just as trends can emerge overnight they can also disappear, usually when the idea had become exhausted and is no longer en vogue. With this in mind, I aim to utilise the rising interest into the 'decadent' world of ballet, whilst at the same time expressing new ideas. This will be very important if my piece is to reflect the song, as ultimately music videos are used as a promotional tool to boost sales and downloads. Therefore, the shots of ballet will be intercut with other imagery, most notably drawing from the theme of hands to not only tie in the title of the song but to draw away from the notion that the video is solely inspired by ballet. In contrast to the previously discussed vampire craze, my video will be targeted at an older audience. Arctic Monkeys have an extensive fan base, however their music tends to appeal most to a generation of students and late teens, due to their complex lyrics and famous reticence when it comes to interviews and promotion. Therefore, I would like my music video to respond to the more sophisticated turn their music has taken, with the 2009 release of the album Humbug.