A music video that has influenced my storyboards is ‘Same Love’, by Macklemore.  The use of narrative in the music video strongly informed my storyboards, as I felt it was important to have a strong narrative, which this has with a gay person going through the struggles of homophobia, and finally becoming happy. A strong narrative helps the audience connect with the artist and the song.  The idea of happy families in this music video is something that does appeal to audience and therefore engages the audience. Someone not belonging also helps to engage the audience.

There is also a very strong and clear narrative in the music video of the song ‘STAN’, by EMINEM, of an insane fan of Eminem, who goes crazy and kills his wife and unborn child in order to get revenge on Eminem. Again I took influence from this music video, in particular the narrative. The need to escape is used throughout this video, through lots of characters, and I used this to help inform my own storyboards and furthermore help engage the audience.


In my storyboards, the main character is also looking to escape, as he roams the streets. The idea of escape appeals to the audience, as well as helping to engage them, as they too may want to escape.


Another music video that I used to help inform my music video was the song ‘Mountains’, by Lucy Spraggan. The need and appeal of achievement and success is shown throughout this video, as we see the boy with the guitar, and women with the medal and the man with the briefcase, all of which signify the success they want to achieve in life.


I used this appeal in my storyboards too, as the character in this is also looking for success in life, this is shown in the scene where the character has picked up a flyer, stating on it ‘ACHIEVE your dreams here.

I used the music video for the song ‘Fireflies’, by Owl City to also help influence my decision. This video sees the artist playing the keyboard throughout the entire video, and it is iconography of music videos, as well as being very conventional, of having a band or the artist performing in the video. I decided not to have an artist or band playing in my storyboard


I didn’t like having the idea of having a band or artist performing in my video, as I saw it as being too conventional. However, I did have the character play the guitar, although he wasn't necessarily performing, I want my music video to be as interesting as possible. I also really wanted to focus on the narrative, and I felt it would be difficult to do so if there was a band cutting in-between the scenes.




Another song that really influenced my storyboard and music videos was the song ‘Chasing Cars’, by Snow Patrol. I found the use of close ups throughout the entire video was quite interesting, as the audience are forced to engage with the character. Although close ups are fairly conventional, I still find them very interesting.


I used this video to influence my own by including a variety of shot types, particularly close ups, in my storyboards. With the use of close ups, the audience are forced to identify with the character and furthermore engage with the music video.


The song ‘Wrong Direction’, by Passenger was another song that I use to inform my storyboards. What I found interesting about this video was the way Passenger addresses the audience throughout the video, as he is constantly making eye contact with the camera. I found this to be very unconventional and very innovative, and therefore wanted to used it in my storyboards in someway.


I used this idea of the character addressing the audience in my own music video. The idea of the character addressing the audience is seldom used, and it is a very useful technique in helping to engage the audience, as they are forced to identify with the character, and I used it in my storyboards when the character also addresses the audience, therefore engaging them.


A seventh music video I used to inform my own was ‘27’, again by Passenger, who is subsequently the artist of my chosen song. In this video the lyrics are quite literal with what is happening in the video.

In my storyboards and music video, I am also occasionally literal with the lyrics of the song what is happening in the video. For example, when the lyric 'tobacco stains', the character is smoking.

A final music video I used to inform my decision was ‘last night', by Lucy Spraggan.
In this video we see the artist waking up after a party, and witnessing the aftermath. What is quite interesting and unconventional about this video is the technique of the reverse shot, which gives a sense of it going back in time.

I used this reverse shot in my storyboards, (when the main character meets the interviewer), to add to uniqueness of the video, and furthermore give a sense of repetition, which is one of the main themes I was aiming for in my music video.