Filming - Rough Cut 3/The Final Cut and Development Feedback

Rough cut 3 from Luke Tiplady on Vimeo.

I took research from 3 different members of my audience; one who is a current fan of The Stone Roses but is a teenager, Liam. Another who has been a fan since The Stone Roses' rise to popularity, Neil. And someone who is not a fan of The Stone Roses, Natalie. I felt as if these perspectives will allow me to gain a grasp of how my video is viewed by the audience.
NOTE: Quotes by the audience are paraphrased.

Feedback from Rough Cut 1

Liam

• After watching the first draft Liam said that it had 'a really retro vibe about the editing and music', however he also expressed some criticisms in that the video was obviously incomplete at this point and the editing was 'very choppy at certain points' saying that this effected the video on the whole. Overall, Liam enjoyed the video and said that the superimposition used was 'very 80s and fit in well with the video's narrative'. After watching the alternate cut, Liam stated that the addition of the paint bucket effect 'added to the psychedelic element of the video and relates to the Pollock inspiration'. Though the psychedelic vibe wasn't my initial intention, it is a welcome inclusion in the video given that it relates to the genre.

Neil

• Being the oldest member of my feedback group, Neil has first hand experience of The Stone Roses influence in the Britpop genre. After watching the first cut, Neil expressed his interest in the superimposition feature and how 'it adds a level of nostalgia the video, similar to groups like The Smiths, Charlatans and Mock Turtles'. He also referred to the continued usage of the lemon as a form of symbolism, saying that it is 'instantly recognizable and that it makes him think of the Roses straight away'. Criticisms again included the choppy nature of the editing and 'a need to keep more to the beat Reni's drumming'. After watching the alternate cut, Neil enjoyed the paint bucket feature, saying 'it looks like their old photo shoots'.

Natalie

• After watching the music video, with some vague knowledge of the Roses, she said that she enjoyed the video as it felt 'very natural and ordinary, but effective at the same time'. She particularly enjoyed how the protagonist was 'essentially just like everyone other fan of music, looking up to the band. Initially, she did no understand the references to the lemon but when asked about it after the video, she stated that it was 'a memorable symbol and stuck with her for the duration of the video. She said the outfit was very 'old school' and the use of Pretty Green as a band was 'cool because of its link to the music'.

Feedback from Rough Cut 2

Liam

• After watching the 2nd rough cut after the alternate 1st rough cut, Liam stated that it was a large improvement on the first one with the 'filling of the gaps and some improvements on editing'. Shots in particular Liam highlighted were the use of the 360 shot stating that, 'it acts as sort of a revelation moment, as if he's just thought how important the Roses are to him and that it adds to the narrative and makes more sense'. Additionally, he enjoyed the use of the 'live footage layered over the normal shots, looks like their other videos'.

Neil

• Similar to Liam, Neil stated that this is a big improvement on the first cut through the addition of more shots 'adding to the narrative'. Furthermore, the use of slow motion on some shots 'really add to the nostalgic element of the video as The Stone Roses used it in videos like Fools Gold and I Wanna Be Adored'. Additionally, Neil particularly enjoyed the development of the protagonist's guitar playing through the use of superimposed shots featuring multiple versions of him to suggest progression. The continued use of the paint bucket effect also resonated well with Neil as it kept reminding him 'of all the Pollock work and its revival in the 80s/90s'.

Natalie

• Natalie said that she 'enjoyed this version more than the first one as there was clearly more to it', suggesting that the inclusion of a wider variety of shots resonated well with the audience. Additionally, she noted the 'romanticisation of the music and how the narrative differs from the typical pop video in which the protagonist seeks the love of the woman.' She also suggested that the video 'acts as a good introduction to new fans of the band as the protagonist is put at an age in which music effects you the most, therefore the audience will resonate well with his story'.

Feedback from Rough Cut 3/The Final Cut

Liam

• Liam stated that he enjoyed the final cut of 'The Hardest Thing in the World', saying that 'the video is clearly a callback to the genre and relates very to the 80s era'. Liam particularly pointed out the usage of superimposed guitar-playing over the top of The Stone Roses concert footage. He also said that, 'I could relate the protagonist a lot because of the fact that he is a similar age and aspires to be like the band through playing guitar'.

Neil

• Similar to Liam, Neil enjoyed the use of superimpostion as it 'references the 80s music videos'. Additionally, Neil pointed out that the editing was much tighter than previous editions of the video. Furthermore, Neil said that, ' I enjoyed the subtle references to the band themselves such as the lemon and Pollock imagery, and even the style of dress'. Overall, as a long time fan of the band and the genre, Neil was impressed with the video as he felt as if 'the video could have come straight out of the 80s with the primitive editing techniques used'. Furthermore, he noted that the sense of progression with the superimposed guitar shots.

Natalie

• Again, as with the 'Rough Cut 2', Natalie enjoyed this version more than the previous as she noted that it is 'much smoother' and she also said that she 'enjoys the narrative of the video revolving around a normal person, rather than am ultra famous celebrity'. I feel as if this feedback lines up well with the intention I had for the video in that I wanted it to resonate with the young audience, whilst also serving as a nostalgia trip for the older audience, through the use of a young protagonist wanting to become the band.

My Verdict

• Overall, I am pleased with my feedback on my video as I feel that all my intentions were achieved in that it aimed to tell the story of a teenager wishing to become his favorite band and escape his 'teenage wasteland'. Furthermore, through Neil's feedback, the oldest member of my feedback group, I felt as if his comments on the nostalgia value of the video suggested that I had created an appropriate callback to the genre and the band. Pleased with my video I do, however, would have aimed for some of the editing to have been slightly tighter at parts to give the video a truly professional look.