I’ve been spending some of my free moments listening to our selected track and brainstorming some ideas for the music video. I’m aiming to bring some formalised concepts to class on Monday to share with the team, and I’m hoping they’ll do the same.

We started having some initial discussions in class last week, but from previous experience I have found that I brainstorm better on my own. I prefer to bring some ideas to the table and grow them with group input rather than trying to formulate them from scratch as a group.

(N.B: OK, so this doesn’t hold true in every case. I have one good friend/old work colleague with whom I can bounce ideas around for hours and hours, but I think its a special case because we click really well and have complimentary working styles.)

The abovementioned problem is addressed in this blog post from one of my favourite creativity blogs, Creative Something. It also outlines some good tips on how to think creatively and brainstorm effectively.

For this particular project, I’ve found that I’ve been brainstorming ideas in the following ways:

• Listening to the song a lot: I like to spend time really taking everything in; the melody, the rhythm, the layers of sound, the song’s structure, and of course, the lyrics. I think that how the song feels is just as important to consider as what the song is about.
• Analysing the lyrics: while I don’t intend to propose any ideas that are literal translations of the lyrics, I like to think about what the song is trying to say and what story is being told, and then think about abstract and non-literal ways to portray that message visually.
• Considering the structure of the band: an 8-piece band gives us a lot to think about in terms of how to use the band (if at all) in the MV, and what role/s they might play in it.
• Teasing out the ideas I’ve got: Drawing out themes, thinking about how different concepts could be portrayed visually, considering visual elements such as colour, lighting, mise en scène, etc, and of course, intertextuality! As I mentioned in my music video analysis assignment, I want to use intertextual elements to add layers of additional meaning for the viewer to unpack as they watch.

I’ve already started developing some ideas that I am excited about, and look forward to presenting them to the team on Monday for further discussion. I’m going to try and storyboard them as well so that they can get an idea of what I’m trying to portray visually. Hopefully we’ll be able to develop a solid concept in time for our pitch presentation on Thursday!