The Thinking Men – Elephant Man

Genre – Music Video, cross between early Chicago blues and country rock. On soundcloud they have tagged their taste as Alternative Rock.

Duration – 3:01, the length of the song itself

Target Audience – 20s+ and adults. Audiences of the specific genre, which have similar tastes to Tom Waits and Johnny Cash.

Outline – The band I am working with have a specific style; they have waxed moustaches and wear braces, giving them an old-fashioned country vibe. For this reason I am going to match the location for the music video with their fashion style and therefore set the video predominantly in the country side, but also involving several ‘old looking’ cobbled streets such as the Tombland area in Norwich.

The music video is going to be story based as it tells the story of ‘The Elephant Man’ and the realisation of the public that he isn’t a monster after all, but a human being. For this reason I am casting an actor to play the Elephant Man, and also different actors who have met the Elephant Man along the way.

I have also decided to make this video quite theatrical in the sense to making it similar to films from the silent film era. The entire film will also be in black and white, to enhance the silent film effect.

The music video starts off quite quiet a muffled. About 6 seconds in it becomes much clearer just as the vocals make their first appearance. During the beginning 6 seconds will be the title of the film, in the same style as silent film. I believe that 6 seconds will be long enough for the audience to read the title and the artist. I will use the artists own logo for their band title. I am hoping for it to look similar to this.

The video will then move onto a shot of the Elephant Man sitting on the side of the road holding a ‘Freak Show’ sign. During the video we will meet three different characters; a Clown, a Bearded Lady, and a woman who was changed by the Elephant Man’s story. The video will result in the Elephant Man finally removing his ‘mask’ and leaving where he’s been staying, having changed the lives of the people he has met.

Character Breakdown – The characters include members of my family, and some friends.

The Elephant Man – my Dad The Bearded Lady – my Mum The Woman – my Sister, Sophy

The Clown – my friend, George

Visual Elements -

Lighting: be set in daytime so bright lighting, however the video will be in black and white Camera movement: involve a few tracking shots and panning shots but mainly still shots

from different and interesting angles. Editing: The shot transitions will be quick and jumpy to match the tone of the music. Setting: Will be set in country lanes/tracks/fields. Also cobbled streets similar to those in Elm

Hill. Props: Several different props will be used to encourage the desired mise-en-scene for

example, a directors cue car, juggling balls for the clown, an old suitcase for when the Elephant Man leaves.

Costume: I am aiming to match the bands periodic style with my characters costume. The Elephant Man will be wearing scruffy clothes and a bag over his head, and the clown will be wearing a traditional clown costume with additional make-up. The bearded lady character will be wearing feminine clothes which is the opposite to the masculine beard she’ll be wearing. The woman character will be challenging stereotypes as she’ll be wearing more masculine clothes, with no make-up and unworked hair.

Audio Elements – The soundtrack of course will be the track ‘Elephant Man’. There will be no other music or effects throughout the video.

Rationale – I have chosen to do this video as narrative based. I have done this because the lyrics tell a story which needs to be highlighted and told through the video. I believe I can do this because of the skills I have learnt through previous media projects and my insight into the story. Also I am in contact with the bands manager so my ideas truly represent what they were feeling when they wrote the song.

Primary and Secondary Research – Specific research that backs up my ideas includes public surveys and thorough investigation into the genre. This can be seen in different posts on my blogs. I looked at the fans of The Thinking Men, and then their interests. And also the artist Tom Waites and his audience.

Requirement and Resources –

Cast: As mentioned above. Crew: Myself also the bands manager Lindsay. Props: As mentioned above.