Unit 29 Production Booklet

Unit 29: Music Video Production
Pre-Production Booklet for Music Video
Name: Daniel Crocker
Song
Song title
Life On Mars?
Artist
David Bowie
Genre
Glam Rock
What are the conventions of music videos from this genre?
The conventions of a Rock video are often the inclusion of as-live performance footage, and
if there is a narrative to at least partially feature the lead vocalist lip syncing, at multiple
points.
While rock is typically low-key lighting and dark, nightmarish visuals, glam rock allows for
greater freedom from this, with high-key lighting and bright colours also being much more
likely to be suitable. On top of this, it is typical for extravagant costumes and makeup to be
on the artists, both of bright colours, often in ways that defy the conventions of traditional
gender roles, and give a look of androgyny.
How are you going to meet these conventions in your video?

Style (in-concert and as live footage; animation (stop motion, digital); interpretative; narrative;
impressionist; surrealist; pastiche; parody; referencing; homage)
In my video, in the variety of setting it contains, I will be using both low and high key lighting,
in keeping with the varying conventions of Rock and the sub-genre Glam Rock.
I will be depicting a vague narrative, incorporating a singer lip-syncing into many shots of the
narrative.
The video is intended to be interpretive and surrealist in its strange imagery and narratives.
On top of this, at the end of the video, I will be directly paying homage to, and pastiche-ing,
David Bowies androgynous alter-ego Ziggy Stardust, employing the same style of garish
costume and makeup of 70s glam rock artists, as well as directly referencing the costume
worn in the original promotional video for life on mars?
Locations
I will be using a number of locations in my video that directly reference and relate to the lyrics
of the song, the same way that many rock videos narratives and visuals intentionally parallel
those in the song.
Shot types
In many rock videos, it is normal to have a wide variety of angles and shot types, allowing
constant cutting between them, and cutting between close ups and wide angles, to create
stylisation and a distinct feeling I will be doing this too, to tell my narrative in a way that
feels distinctly like a rock video.
Lyrics
Insert the song lyrics below
It's a god-awful small affair
To the girl with the mousy hair
But her mummy is yelling, "No!"
And her daddy has told her to go
But her friend is nowhere to be seen
Now she walks through her sunken dream
To the seat with the clearest view
And she's hooked to the silver screen
But the film is a saddening bore
For she's lived it ten times or more
She could spit in the eyes of fools
As they ask her to focus on
[Chorus:]
Sailors fighting in the dance hall
Oh man!
Look at those cavemen go
It's the freakiest show
Take a look at the Lawman
Beating up the wrong guy
Oh man! Wonder if he'll ever know

He's in the best selling show
Is there life on Mars?
It's on America's tortured brow
That Mickey Mouse has grown up a cow
Now the workers have struck for fame
'Cause Lennon's on sale again
See the mice in their million hordes
From Ibiza to the Norfolk Broads
Rule Britannia is out of bounds
To my mother, my dog, and clowns
But the film is a saddening bore
'Cause I wrote it ten times or more
It's about to be writ again
As I ask you to focus on
Meaning of the song
Does the song have a meaning? If so, what is it?

The songs lyrics are surrealist and interpretive, intended to confuse and imply different
possible meanings, but for the most part just conjuring different images.
The different possible meanings are further complicated by it seeming to tell multiple stories
at one, if it is telling stories, and therefore it is unclear which lines belong to which of the two
or more narratives.
One of the clearest possible narratives is of a young girl that has had a fall out with her
parents, doesnt have any friends to fall back on, and has found solace in watching films,
however this has made her detached from the real world.
The lyrics also seem to call into question whether art imitates life, or life imitates art, and
whether or not any works of fiction are truly original any more, that they are all copies of each
other.
How will your visuals relate to the song? (Illustrate, Amplify or Disjuncture)
My video will employ and realise many of the different pieces of imagery in the lyrics,
illustrating and amplifying to individual meanings of many lines, and in an overall sense it will
follow the vague narrative of the girl (mentioned above) and use the many different pieces of
surreal imagery to imply further possible messages, as the original lyrics do.
Also, accompanying the lyric before the second chorus Cause I wrote it 10 times or more /
and its about to be writ again I will have the singer smiling demonically, and rewind through
the video, before re-using the same shots to accompany the chorus as it had the first time
round, imply that the singer here is in control of the characters lives and that they might be
stuck in a loop, endlessly repeating the same actions.
Mood board
Create a mood board showing what look your music video will have. Add images
showing ideas of mise-en-scene, characters, costumes and colours that will be
present in the different shots.
Props List
What props / models / furniture etc will you need to make your music video?
Production Name: Life On Mars?

Producer: Dan Crocker
Item
Script page
Description
Character/location
Notes
Bucket of
Page 1
Stereotypical
Cinema, or otherwise
Will be filmed
cinema popcorn
just against a black
in slow motion
bucket full of
background
being dropped
popcorn
popcorn
chairs
both
bandages
both
Standard folding
The sailors, atop the
chairs
stage
Bloodied and torn
Worn by the sailors,

on the stage
Mullet wig
Page 2
Ginger mullet
On the stage, worn
Only for the
wig, similar to the
by the singer
end
Large, red tinted
On the stage, worn
Only for the
lenses.
by the singer
shot
style of hair used

by Ziggy Stardust
John lennon
Page 2
sunglasses
accompanying
the lyric that
references
Lennon
Week
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesda
Thursda
Friday
Saturday Sunday
y
1

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Unit 29: Music Video Production

Pre-Production Booklet for Music Video

Name: Daniel Crocker

What are the conventions of music videos from this genre?

How are you going to meet these conventions in your video?

Oh man! Wonder if he'll ever know

Meaning of the song

Does the song have a meaning? If so, what is it?

Production Name: Life On Mars?

just against a black

The sailors, atop the

Bloodied and torn

Worn by the sailors,

On the stage, worn

Only for the

wig, similar to the

Large, red tinted

On the stage, worn

Only for the

style of hair used

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