A2 MEDIA STUDIES - GRACE SUITER
The next step was for us to decide on a song which we thought would be the best for us to record and cast. We listened to many different songs on YouTube, including; Ugly Truth, Lovers or Liars, Sinners, Irrelevant and King. They are all excellent songs which we would be able to record a suitable music video for. However, as a group we decided that the song we chose needed to have an upbeat chorus in order for us to use some fast paced cuts, as well as jump cuts and cross cuts which do look better with a fast tempo. We therefore decided that Lovers or Liars was the best fit for our specification because it did have a change of tempo throughout the song, which will allow us to experiment with different editing techniques. It has also got the potential for a good narrative music video to be created due to the lyrics, which suggest a complicated relationship.
Choosing our genre and unsigned artist - 24th September 2015
Katie, Milo and I all like different genres of music and so choosing a genre which would be suitable for us all to take part in was a challenge, but not impossible. Initially we thought that a fast paced song would be good in order to show off our editing skills and include a wide variety of different shots. However we reflected on our preliminary lip synch video which was a constant challenge to ensure that we timed the song efficiently with the recording. Baring this in mind, we then decided that a slower song would be more suitable because it will still allow us to use professional editing techniques, including slow motion, fast paced and slow paced cuts and many more. Using the editing techniques isn't necessarilly the difficult part, the ensuring that it is correctly timed and looks professional is the important part. Following this, we decided to go on YouTube and SoundCloud to discover any unseen, talented artists who we could contact. We looked at different genres including hip/hop, pop and country. None of these genres appealed to Katie, Milo or myself as they all sounded really unprofessional or childish, which is definitely not what we were looking for. We then went onto YouTube and listened to numerous songs which were in charts, including Taylor Swift and Rita Ora. Katie and I then thought we would think of any female artists who were signed but not that well known and we both thought of Lauren Aquilina. Lauren is a British singer songwriter who released a number of EP's during her school studies. Lauren is signed with Island Records and Universal Music Group and is working on her debut album. She has released five singles since 2012 and they have slowly increased in popularity as the years have progressed. Katie, Milo and I then began to listen to singles she had released on YouTube and we all decided that she was the best option for us because she fits the slow paced tempo we wanted, with a slight upbeat chorus which will allow us to use fast paced editing and cross cuts.
The final step was for us to get in contact with Lauren and find out whether she would let us use her song. We had to do this to prevent breaking any copyright laws, which may be in place. Katie, Milo and I composed an E-Mail, which we all contributed to and sent this to Lauren. Thankfully she replied to us within a couple of hours and said that it would be fine for us to use her song 'Lovers or Liars.' This was great news for us because it meant that we had been granted permission for our first choice of song and this meant there was no need to search for another act who we may not have liked the music of as much.
The E-Mail on the left is a screenshot of Lauren's response to Katie's email and it clearly states that she gives permission for us to use her song when filming our music video. The screenshot on the right is the E-Mail, which Katie, Milo and myself sent to Lauren. It clearly states the reason for us contacting her and says that once we have finished our coursework unit, it will be removed from all public forums.