Timeline for our Music Video

A timeline gives a graphical representation of a period of time and the events that take place within it. For music videos a timeline gives an overview of the length and time of the video and the timings for the different shots and elements you wish to shoot. It helps lay out the basic structure of the music video and see where the different elements will fit in. While we constructed our timeline it made us think of how we wanted to reveal each elements; in which order; for how long; when to cut back etc... 

It also made us see if we had enough elements and shots to fill the time for the music video without it being too repetitive and boring. We had to carefully listened to the track so that the timings were precise and the cuts to different elements made sense; for example parts of the song that had a fast beat would require quick cuts compared to slower parts of the song. 

We began designing our timeline on paper in class. This is the process below. (Photo taken by Saskia Tarn)

We went through many drafts such as the ones scene blow because we kept re-arranging the shots and adjusting the timings in order to be more accurate. 

After having written the timeline on paper, I decided to create a digital version, so that it could be displayed more simply and easier to understand. In future, this could be helpful to send to the rest of the crew and media department.

(We will start the song at 0:15 because the intro is too long. It will end at 3:15, so that the length is exactly 3 minutes and it ends with her saying 'Are You That Somebody?'. Since we are cutting the song in order to fit the time limits, we need to make sure that we cut it properly so that it flows smoothly.)

Time (minutes : seconds)	What happens?
·      00.15 - 00.28	Extreme Close up of Man’s Lips. Shots of his eye’s illuminated by the patch of light. Neon sign saying ‘Are You That Somebody’ cuts in-between the shot of the man.
·      00.28 – 00.29	Singer grasps the neon tubes, close up on hand.
·      00.29 – 00.57	She is inside the Neon Cube. This is the first element. Different angles used to keep it interesting. Quick cuts of the silhouette wheel  with no one in it. No light in the room only from the neon tubes.
·      00.57 – 1.04	Silhouette wheel, she is posing inside of it, this is the second element. Performing
·      1.04 – 1.11	It goes to her in the Neon cube, she is  performing in it, the cube is now in a lit room. She is fully visible.
·      1.11 – 1.17	Silhouette wheel she is performing in it and dancing (commercial jazz)
·      1.17 – 1.24	She is in the cube, the room is lit and a fan is blowing her mesh skirt dramatically around the cube.
·      1.24 – 1.30	Singer behind the screen, this is our third element.
·      1.30 – 1.32	Jump cuts of screen. The song says ‘Sleep, Sleep, Sleep’. In the first ‘Sleep’ the singer will be behind the screen; in the second ‘Sleep’ the dancers will be behind the screen and in the third ‘Sleep’ the singer and dancers will be behind the screen.
·      1.32 – 1.39	Silhouette wheel she is performing in it and dancing (commercial jazz),  The dancers are in the wheel too.
·      1.39 – 1.46	Singer in the Neon cube, cut between the dark room and the lit room, her skirt is now blowing at full force.
·      1.46 – 1.52	Back to the screens, with the singer and dancers, posing and dancing behind it.
·      1.52 – 2.07	Close –up of the singer, shoulder up. She sings this part looking at the camera.
·      2.07 – 2.19	Zooms out at 2.07, to reveal her dancers beside her, she continues singing as they all dance a choreographed commercial jazz dance.
·      2.19 – 2.21	It comes back to the man’s lips rapping
·      2.21 – 2.23	Cuts to the singer in the wheel
·      2.23 – 2.26	It comes back to the man’s lips rapping
·      2.26 – 2.33	Singer is in the cube again performing
·      2.33 – 2.36	It comes back to the man’s lips rapping, however the singers lips are also shown besides the rapper. So there are two people now.
·      2.36 – 2.41	Silhouette wheel, she is posing inside of it, this is the second element. Performing
·      2.41 – 2.43	Back to the screens, with the singer and dancers, posing and dancing behind it.
·      2.43 – 2.46	Close up of her singing, this part.
·      2.46 – 2.54	Her dancers beside her, she continues singing as they all dance a choreographed commercial jazz dance.
·      2.54 – 3.09	Recap off all the scenes, a compilation of all the elements. Quick cuts.
·      3.09 – 3.15	Close up of her singing, this part.

In addition, Saskia, my group member, wrote down the timeline on a piece of A3 paper. This allowed us to have both a digital and paper version of our timeline.