TREATMENT FOR INITIAL IDEATASK 13

GROUP: BRANDON, BAILEY, LEA AND DANIELLE

CHILD’S PLAY BY DRAKE

• The phrase ‘Childs Play’ is used to refer to a task that is easily accomplished. In this case, Drake has acknowledged that the girl he has been seeing has been seeing him for his money and status, rather than for his personality. However, Drake still likes having her by his side and spoils her. He boasts this through his riches. Buying his girl a new outfit is a form of ‘Child’s Play’. 

LOCATIONSAs a group we have come up with a variety of locations which will be featured over the course of our ‘Childs Play’ music video, these include:• A shopping centre – Preferably Brent Cross in London• A dark alley way – There is one near Lea’s house• A restaurant or room where food can be served – location on day of

filming• Shops along Oxford Street – including the Disney store• A location with a high status vehicle – Lea’s drive or up in London• A busy area with a scenic background – London bridge, with Big Ben in

shot• The drama room at school – for the use of the bridge as well as the stairs • A dark room – drama room at school• A room with an area of seating – dark class room at school or drama room

ACTORS• The music video will require two main actors, a male who will play the

leading role, and a female to support him as his partner. As well as these, actors will be required to feature in some of the dark scenes which will be filmed at school. Contact has already been made and the actors include:• Our very own Bailey Plaskow – For the role of the leading Actor• Abbie Novack – Providing the role of the partner • Various Students from the Jcoss Sixth Form – Extras to act in the

background of some of the school based scenes.

LIGHTINGBecause of the nature of the R&B genre, we feel it appropriate that the lighting is dark for the bulk of the music video. However, we may also need artificial lighting, such as in the Drama studio, where we have professional resources such as coloured spotlights. This has a stronger impact on the audience because ‘Drake’s’ face will be lit up in a dark surrounding, which makes him the obvious focus point. Luckily, we should be filming from November- December, when the natural light gets dark early which is very useful for us when filming the darker shots.

SHOTS

To achieve the best marks, we will try and use a variety of shot types to make it more interesting. These will include medium shots, high/low angle shots, close ups and extreme close ups. Each shot will be used for a different purpose. For example, the shot at the shopping mall will probably be a medium shot, because the audience will need to be able to see their hands, and the clothes they are picking up, whereas the scene in the alleyway may require more of a close shot when Drake is rapping.

NARRATIVEAs outlined above, there is a narrative behind the song ‘Childs Play’; however we as a group have decided that our take on the hit will be along the lines of a performance based video. References will be made to the lyrics throughout the video, allowing the viewer to understand easily what is going on, as well as the ideas that the artist is trying to get across. The nature of a performance based video requires the use of multiple locations.

PLAN FOR VIDEO

1. Childs play begins with the hook – “I say bounce that sh*t like woah”, which is repeated many times throughout the song. For the opening hook, our group concluded that as the lyrics are suggest a woman being spoiled by her partner, which meant that filming would work best in a shopping centre. We decided to use Brent Cross, London as the location for the hook. There are many designer stores on sight which can be filmed in and walked passed by the actors to portray the main actor spoiling his partner with his riches. Phrases such as “Take you to the mall and get you a new outfit” can be easily matched with these visuals.

PLAN FOR VIDEO CONTINUED• 2. The first verse begins with the songs well known phrase of lyrics “Why you gotta fight with

me at Cheesecake”. The song refers to the Cheesecake factory which Drake adores, and the word “fight” has given our group the idea of the main actor being slammed in the face with cheesecake in slow-motion by the partner – this will take place either in the middle of a restaurant which serves the desert, or in a room which has been decked-out to look like a restaurant. The verse will contain shots from other locations such as the dark alley which will be cut to and from at various points in the verse. The alley scenes will be performance based, and include the main actor isolated in the dark, rapping aggressively at the camera. 

• Other locations in this verse are used for the purpose of narrative, to allow an easy telling of the story. These include the Disney store which will either be used for the purpose of flashbacks to the past (therefore featuring the main actor and the partner), or will just be rapped outside of by the main artist - “go to Disney, they don't need to now all of our business”

• Our very own Lea’s house is another location which will be used for filming in this verse, especially her drive. The line “In my Bugatti, I took the key and tried to hide it So you can’t drive it and put on mileage” refers to an expensive, pretentious sort of vehicle, which we as a group believe can be visualized through Lea’s fathers car.

PLAN FOR VIDEO CONTINUED

3. The song then returns to the hook which is when we believe the video should revert back to performance. This hook will feature the main actor rapping at the camera in a variety of close up and mid shots which will be tracking backwards. The chosen location for this part of the video is London Bridge (at night), with Big Ben illuminated behind the main actor whilst rapping and moving towards the camera at the same time. 

PLAN FOR VIDEO CONTINUED

4. Next is refrain 1, which features the line “Rode that d*ck like a soldier”. For this part of the video we came up with the idea of the main actor sitting in a dark room rapping at the camera, almost breaking the 4th wall.

PLAN FOR VIDEO CONTINUED

5. Our idea for the second verse is that the main actor breaks the 4th wall. This is going to be done by having the main actor addressing the audience aggressively with the lyrics through close ups. To get the main actors feelings out, we decided as a group that this part of the video would have to take place in a dark room. For this, the drama studio is perfect because it has no windows and can be blacked out. There is a bridge which can be walked across in this verse as well as a set of stairs which can be sat on and rapped from. Also, because it is up high it would make it easy to do a high angle shot, which represents power and status, which parallels Drake’s character very well. We also have an idea of the main actor sitting around with friends in a dark room, having a laugh - this would be presented in slo-motion.