LAUAN603 - Research - Storyboarding/Music production

The Music track

Meeting in person with the musician, James Jarvis for a quick overall chat about ideas and broadly workload, considering the genre and production that will go into this project. We agreed that electronic music would be the best genre for a speedy production on his end, James Jarvis is an orchestral focused musician, but aspires to develop his art in more electronic music production on his laptop.

James Jarvis composers works examples/website

What stood out to him so far, was this 'Stranger Synths' video, with these synthesised tracks and thrilling lyrical and electronic sounding music. I hope we can progress with this concept because I personally really like this genre of music as well. This is because I mostly listen to these tracks as sources for inspiration when I work, the music helps my mind to create ideas and fill the void with concepts.



Disgusting the track via messaging:

James Javis
'The Stranger things ideas yous sent so mostly going for a tone like that with aspects of the chill wave tracks before. The lyrics would be fun for the themes and emotions of the film so that the lyrics can represent that'

The lyrics are describing really abstract things like "made of nothing, you are so alive" So they have no meaning, but also have lots of meaning, kind of thing. Listening to them, the lyrics tend to emphasise on a particular theme or subject.

James Javis
'Ah okay yeah brilliant. I'll get thinking about it and send you some ideas over. I'm gonna message a singer now that i think would be great for this. But yeah i'll just keep listening to the songs you sent and get some ideas down for you today'

Perhaps cut down the long lead up in the intro with a relatively quick into. Most tracks on stranger synths like to get straight to the point, so to speak. Plus I'd appreciate it since I can only fit so much for the video.

James Jarvis
'Yeah not a problem at all mate. Now we've got a set style I can work on. A good structure to fit things in. Is there anything really that's missing that you would like to be added?'


The Lyrics, a few lines are cut making it slightly shorter:

I'm glad you gave me the lyrics so early on, I can base a plot or basic narrative around them now, which is just in time for tomorrow when I storyboard this roughly.

James Jarvis
'Ah brilliant, I'll get a vocal down as soon as I can so you get a better idea, I'll try get a version with lyrics recorded by the end fo the week so you have a better idea of how it all fits together'

This is a screenshot of current project work, from the music producers end, using this instrumental sampling and layering software, Logic Pro X.

Storyboard designing

Talking with a friend who specialises in storyboards, we are planning broadly the execution for storyboarding my animation. We are especially taking into account all the important expressive elements that will make this music video.

Things to consider:


Refine shots


Lighting


Camera movements, framing/transition/positioning


Block out scenes


Timing for music, Pacing/progression

//This Intro consists of mainly stills with minimal character animation, using camera angling and shots to tell the Intro as the Cat experiences it//

Effects:
(glittering light reflecting stylishly off guitar strings, dust grains in the light beams/reflected light, setting a feel of vintage, retro setting, shining light beams to help transition between shots at this point, against dark, dusty, shadowy background).

Final storyboard:

Working with James Jarvis at the recording studio at Leeds University of Music:

Here I visited the recording studio to discuss with the Music Producer James Jarvis, about animating the characters playing the instruments. He offered to provide video reference of him playing some of the notes played when the camera shot is focused on an instrument.

Notes:

The style is like a film compared to a music video, that is how James Jarvis has been envisioning it.


Singer/Key-tar: Chords, Reece Johnstone, a member of James Jarvis' band is the voice recording for the singer. I am still considering if the singer needs to be holding a guitar at all, but I believe the guitar is already an important prop on the stage for the first shots.


Drummer: Electronic drum - Kick, snare, crossing, high heart. (Symbol): Gorillaz for good referencing of animated characters playing instruments.


Synth: Melody


Bass: The Killers - Mark, The Silver, an example of Bass guitar strumming.