Degree project initial ideas

 We were asked in our lecture today to come up with some initial ideas for our degree project as well as some inspiration from existing work. 

My main ideas for the Degree Project module are to make a music video / series of music videos / an extended music video.

I’m conscious of how ambitious I should be against what is a realistic outcome, considering the limitations that Covid has placed on me. For example, how easy would it be for me to access a studio space to film in? How can I involve actors / people to help me film whilst ensuring social distance takes place? These are things I am slightly worried about. 

I was really disappointed with the music video I created in the Independent Project module last year because it pales in comparison to the music video I had originally planned, and I am worried about the same thing happening again due to Covid.

I will, of course, carry out risk assessments to ensure safety during the filming process.

Here are some examples of music videos that have inspired me to pursue this topic for my Degree Project.

Beyoncé: Lemonade is a visual album that features a music video for each 12 songs on the album, with interludes narrated by Beyoncé herself. It is a beautiful film and when I first watched it when it released in 2016, I knew I wanted to create a film like that myself one day. I think creating a video for 12 songs on an album would be far too ambitious to do by myself, I could possibly create a video for 3-5 songs and tell a shorter story, with a film about 15-25 minutes long. 

https://vimeo.com/260674272

Marry the Night by Lady Gaga is one of my favourite songs of all time, and the video for it is spectacularly directed in my opinion. The story features an insecure and mentally ill patient who learns to love the darkest parts of herself to become the star she knew she was born to be. I really like the melodramatic story that plays before the real music video begins, so if I felt that doing a long visual album in the vain of Beyoncé: Lemonade was too much work, I would try and create something like this instead.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cggNqDAtJYU&ab_channel=LadyGagaVEVO

For Hayley Williams recent album Petals For Armor, she created a series of intertwined music videos which all flow into each other and form a singular story. These videos were actually the main inspiration behind my original music video concept last year. I really like the dark and twisted style they embody, with creepy visuals such as the metamorphosis creature in Leave It Alone, and the dancing zentai suits in Cinnamon. There is a really unnerving atmosphere created in these videos which I would love to explore myself.

Simmer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lSj5k2K7w0&ab_channel=HayleyWilliams

Leave It Alone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3WJjuG1yNQ&ab_channel=HayleyWilliams

Cinnamon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4x7jORhJntM&ab_channel=HayleyWilliams

Even though I’m quite keen on creating a music video, here are some other ideas I had.

I would like to pursue a job in the games industry when I graduate, so I’m considering making some kind of game instead. I don’t really want to because I don’t particularly want to be a programmer or designer in the industry, and I just don’t fancy making another game this year. I would rather work in the promotional / marketing side of the industry as opposed to being an actual developer. 

I considered creating a fashion / accessories business and creating a brand from scratch, designing all of the merchandise myself and marketing it through social media, a website, Etsy store etc. This was something I was thinking of doing in my free time anyway so I just thought I’d mention it. Not seriously considering this.