Locations used

Location Shots

Locations used during production

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Radiohead - Background information

Radiohead are a 5-piece alternative rock band from Abingdon, Oxford, consisting of Thom Yorke (Vocals, Guitar, Keyboard), Jonny Greenwood (Guitar, Keyboard, Other instruments), Ed O'Brien (Guitar, Backing Vocals), Colin Greenwood (Bass, Synthesizers) and Phil Selway (Drums, Percussion). The band have released eight albums in their career with albums such as 'The Bends', 'OK Computer', 'Kid A' and 'In Rainbows' reaching high commercial success. Their early work was influenced mainly by British alternative rock and pop music such as 'R.E.M', 'Sonic Youth' and 'Pixies', however later on in their career, from the release of 'Kid A' they became influenced by more of a variety of artists. Examples of these are 'Can', 'Aphex Twin', 'Charles Mingus' and 20th Century classical music. This was shown in the more minimalistic and experimental style, mixing genres such as electronic and orchestral music in the albums from 'Kid A' and onwards. Their album 'Kid A' was released after Thom Yorke had gone through a stage of depression therefore it was a much darker and abstract album.

Costume Ideas

Main Character Dress Code

We have chosen this costume to add to the dark mood of the song, and to contrast with other people when the main character is standing on a street isolated. It is also so that all focus isn't on the clothing of the main character, it is on his actions in the music video

Radiohead - Background information

Radiohead are a 5-piece alternative rock band from Abingdon, Oxford, consisting of Thom Yorke (Vocals, Guitar, Keyboard), Jonny Greenwood (Guitar, Keyboard, Other instruments), Ed O'Brien (Guitar, Backing Vocals), Colin Greenwood (Bass, Synthesizers) and Phil Selway (Drums, Percussion). The band have released eight albums in their career with albums such as 'The Bends', 'OK Computer', 'Kid A' and 'In Rainbows' reaching high commercial success. Their early work was influenced mainly by British alternative rock and pop music such as 'R.E.M', 'Sonic Youth' and 'Pixies', however later on in their career, from the release of 'Kid A' they became influenced by more of a variety of artists. Examples of these are 'Can', 'Aphex Twin', 'Charles Mingus' and 20th Century classical music. This was shown in the more minimalistic and experimental style, mixing genres such as electronic and orchestral music in the albums from 'Kid A' and onwards. Their album 'Kid A' was released after Thom Yorke had gone through a stage of depression therefore it was a much darker and abstract album.

Costume Ideas

Main Character Dress Code

We have chosen this costume to add to the dark mood of the song, and to contrast with other people when the main character is standing on a street isolated. It is also so that all focus isn't on the clothing of the main character, it is on his actions in the music video

Costume Ideas

These are the ideas we have chosen for the type of costume for the victim after the main character dresses her up as a doll.

Research into musical genres

Musical genres influencing Radiohead's 'Kid A'

Electronic music

Electronic music is a type of music making use of electronic musical instruments and technology in it's performance and production, examples of such instruments and technology mainly used in electronic music are the telharmonium, Hammond organ, electric guitar, Theremin, sound synthesizer, and certain softwares on the computer. Electronic music is an expanding style of music in this age, becoming increasingly popular with more and more artists, either in the experimental art music industry and popular music industry such as dance music.

Krautrock

This music genre is created from a mix of psychadelia, moody progressive rock, 20th century classical music along with free jazz of the 60's and 70's. The structure of Krautrock songs often stray from the conventional structure of standard rock music, driving the music to have a more electronic, mechanical structure. The reason the word 'rock' is part of the genre 'Krautrock' is mainly because of the rock energy shown by the music. The reason the music strayed from convention was because in the 1960's and 70's it was after the second world war and music was made for escapism, they rejected this culture to make their own innovative, experimental style.

Jazz

Jazz originated from many different genres coming out of African American communities in the United States, It originated from a mix of African American traditions and popular music traditions. It is characterized by it's use of blue notes, swung rhythms, swung notes, improvisation, polyrhythms, syncopation and call-response. Sub-genres of jazz are Dixieland style from the early 1910's, Big Band, Swing and Be-Bop from the 1930's and 40's. Free jazz and a variety of Latin Jazz fusion, such as Afro-Cuban jazz from the 1950's and 60's. Jazz fusion from the 1970's, acid jazz from the 1980's combining funk and hip-hop. Also Nu-Jazz from the 1990's and onwards.

Experimental Rock

Often also called 'avant-garde rock', this genre of music is a rock-based genre experimenting with the basic forms of the genre such as time-signatures, instrumental tuning, harmony, key signatures, compositional styles, lyrical techniques, conventions of the genre, singing styles, instrumental effects and instruments themselves. For example they may use their own custom-made instruments. The song 'Kid A' uses almost all of these techniques.

Alternative Rock

A broad term used for any rock music without the standard conventions of the genre, such as a loud distorted guitar sound. It is often a term given to an underground rock band when gaining mainstream recognition. The band often doesn't stick to the conventions of rock music, often writing their own independent songs with a D.I.Y. ethos, brought on by punk rock of the 1970's. These alternative rock bands are usually known to be signed to independent record labels also. Examples of successful Alternative rock bands are R.E.M., The Smiths, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, Oasis, The Smashing Pumpkins, The Flaming Lips, Foo Fighters, Green Day, Weezer, The Strokes, The Killers, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Modest Mouse, The White Stripes, Muse and The Black Keys.

Shot List - main shots

1. Panning shot of doll's face in dark room - spotlight on face
2. Close up of main character's face
3. Mid-shot of room with lamp in middle
4. Another close up of doll's face
5. Long shot of main character on street - Time-lapse
6. Lower long shot of feet walking past while main character's feet are still
7. Close up of main character's face in room
8. Series of close ups of doll's heads being cut off and put on sticks
9. POV shot in bed in dark room with figure standing in the shot
10. Close up of figure/main character
11. Tracking shot out of car window with time-lapsed scenery moving past
12. Tracking shot of another character walking through an alleyway with figure in the distance
13. Close up of figure/main character at the end of the alleyway
14. Long shot of sky and clouds, time-lapse
15. Mid-shot of candles in a dark room
16. Series of mid-shots and close ups of main character dressing victim up as doll in a chair in the dark room
17. Mid-shot of a light bursting into the dark room
18. Close up of main character
19. High-angle shot of a porcelain doll smashing in slow motion on the floor

Storyboard

Production Treatment

We are a group of four:

• Matt Davies
• Nikki-Leigh Rogers
• Yassin Shahid
• Catherine Ruane

The Music Video

Radiohead- Kid A

Duration: 4 minutes

Audience:

It will not be suitable for small children below 10 years of age, likely to be suitable for ages 18-35; generally of a male gender. This is because Radiohead are more focused on their music than the image they portray, and in general listeners of a younger age are interested in the image behind certain artists. Therefore they are to be appreciated for their musical talent, and this is most likely to occur for listeners over the age of 18. Also Radiohead usually expose themes in their lyrics and music that appeal to a male gender such as politics and philosophy.

Resume

In the video we will not be using any specific narrative, however we will be using certain themes to amplify the tone and mood of the song. Throughout the video we will be using themes of porcelain dolls, time-lapse, shadows and isolation. We will also be illustrating the unnerving lyrics of the song such as "Standing in the shadows at the end of your bed" and "We've got heads on sticks". We will be using themes of death also to add to the sinister and disturbing feel. The reason why we've chosen the theme of porcelain dolls is because of the child-like yet sinister mood of the song at the start, we've chosen to emphasize that feel. Also the time-lapse effect amplifies the isolated feel in the song.

Suggested Elements

We have chosen not to have any performance in this music video because we've decided to focus more on the theme of the song, and representing the lyrics and music with film, rather than recreating the sound of the song through performance and lip-synching for example. The costumes in the video should be dark, to add to the dark tone in the song. To help the song be more creepy, the doll costumes are going to mimic the style of clothing worn in the Victorian era. Every other character starring in our video should be wearing brighter clothing to represent the isolation of the main character. As a special effect we will be using time-lapse along with slow motion in the final part of the video. Both of these are to emphasize the isolation and darkness in the song also. We are not sure about our locations as of now. However our ideas are a dark room somewhere, possible in the green screen room at college, a place in Manchester where we can film the public fluttering past with the time-lapse. A bedroom where we can film someone standing at the end of a bed, and then an alleyway in Manchester where we can film a murder taking place.

Written by Matt Davies, Nikki-Leigh Rogers, Catherine Ruan and Yassin Shahid

Radiohead - Kid A lyrics

I Slipped Away
I Slipped On A Little White Lie
We've Got Heads On Sticks
You've Got Ventriloquists
We've Got Heads On Sticks
You've Got Ventriloquists

Standing In The Shadows At The End Of My Bed
Standing In The Shadows At The End Of My Bed
Standing In The Shadows At The End Of My Bed
Standing In The Shadows At The End Of My Bed

Rats And Children Follow Me Out Of Town
Rats And Children Follow Me Out Of Their Homes
Watch It

Analysis of Lyrics

These lyrics could be open to many interpretations, for example the ‘I slipped away, I slipped on a little white lie’ line could be interpreted as something morally deemed ‘wrong’ you do, represented by the ‘lie’ that you can go out of control with, and it could make you ‘slip away’ and you could throw your life away with it. It could be interpreted as a lie that you tell yourself at first, however it takes you away and becomes part of your life. The theme of the song is supposed to be of life between the age of 5 and 10. One link between the ‘white lie’ idea and the ‘standing in the shadows at the end of your bed’ idea is the idea of Santa Claus.

There is also a politics theme in the lyrics, as with most Radiohead tracks, this could be shown with ‘We’ve got heads on sticks, you’ve got ventriloquists’. This could be plainly connoting the fact that people have different things; it could also be a reference to the music industry, for example with the sort of music they appreciate being like a head on a stick, music with a brain and thoughts, however no image, and the music they aren’t part of, shown with ‘you’, as a ventriloquist. Which is something holding a puppet, referencing the whole business aspect of that side of the music industry, of the artists being the puppets of record labels and big businesses. Also it could be a reference of the action of ‘miming’, something which involves no originality or creativity.

The ‘standing in the shadows at the end of my bed’ could be a reference to a fear, a fear of somebody sinister watching you as you are most vulnerable, when you aren’t completely part of the real world. It relates to childhood, and how we believed in the surreal when younger, and how as we grow older we become more aware that there isn’t anything mysterious about the world.

The ‘Rats and children follow me out of town’ line could be a reference to the Pied Piper, and how people have to follow something to feel like their life is safe, even if they don’t know where the person is going. It could also reference the music industry also, and how people follow artists without really knowing what they might be trying to say in their music. This relates to this song because really what the song is about is a mystery, this is one interpretation, and the music video is just another interpretation through images. The music video is also an interpretation of the music.

(Apologies for the capitalized font throughout)