PRODUCTION: Skills Development

IDEAS AND NOTES ON EVALUATION QUESTION 1

PRODUCTION: Target Audience Feedback

When we got a few of our target audience members to talk to us about what they thought of the video, many of them really enjoyed the camera work as well as the editing we had. We interviewed mainly girls as they are our biggest target audience and they would also relate more with what was going on in the video. 

The shots we had were mentioned various times when we spoke to people that had watched our rough cut. One of the shots that was mentioned was the high angle shot that was shot in Camden Town. We thought of this shot as we thought it would portray that she is vulnerable and going through a bad time. 







People also really enjoyed the fact that it did not go straight in to the video, that we had speech at the beginning. I also liked this idea and I think it will help appeal to our target audience as a mobile phone is device that our generation is constantly in contact with. 





The rose idea was actually the thing that most people enjoyed about the video. Our editing really caught people's attention and they thought it made the video very different to many other videos they had seen. This rose is our synergy product so the fact that it appears constantly throughout the video was very relevant. I think the rose is perfect as it is a song that pulls on the heart strings and the fact that our main target audience is girls allows us to use the rose even more as we know girls like flowers and this would appeal to them. 

PRODUCTION - DETAILED Notes And Ideas For Evaluation Question 1 !

Music Video Evaluation!

 

PRODUCTION - Brief Notes On Few Ideas For Evaluation Questions 3 and 4!

Music Video Evaluation Questions 3 & 4 Notes!

PRODUCTION - Progress review of blogging work development

Progress Review!

PRODUCTION - Improvements needed before final deadline

Deadline Day!!

Right now our final film is edited and all we are hearing is positive excellent feedback but we understand we can’t let ourselves be carried away as there is always improvements to be made, even on the most perfect professional video.

In order to do so we conducted an experiment, we played our final video in front of some other media students and asked them for strengths, weaknesses and improvements.

However, we asked them one question about the ending of the video which as a group we already felt awkward about the way it disappears so quickly. We asked how would you change the editing and nearly everyone replied they would make it slower and more eye-catching.

Joel had an idea to use the opening shot of the rose coming to live and reverse it as if the performer ‘Karma’ is putting it back after her journey in the music video. This had us all going and it was very popular when we showed these students our changed ending.

PRODUCTION - Reflection on what goes well and what needs to be re shot

Thoughts...

In reality, our music video was complicated to film and edit however we chose to film in the most simplest form but you must remember this change came about after we had already filmed all of our shots and overlooked all of our base track videos and to be honest the news wasn’t looking good.

After asking our class members how much filming time they used and how many sessions they had we had realised that we would need to go back out with a whole new mentality of keeping it simple due to the fact that our camera work was looking below par.

Having already had our ideas ready it was time to step up and put them into the camera for real and I think we were successful second time round. Now we realise that we have filmed double of what others filmed and in fact this was good news.

PRODUCTION - Skills development (new editing skills)

PRODUCTION - Skills Development for Production, AS to A2 difference!

PRODUCTION: Skills Development - Editing.

My skills with editing have improved immensely this year. In AS I was not very comfortable with using Final Cut Pro and as I had a member in my group who liked editing I took more of a backseat role and focused more on camerawork. However this year I have been lucky enough to be in a group where I was supported and my group members taught me a few things they knew about Final Cut Pro.

Editing Our Basetracks for each location.

More editing!

Waiting for our vlogs to load..

In the A2 year I have improved and learnt skills in the following things on Final Cut Pro:
• cutting to make base tracks
• learning how to cut a jump cut correctly
• adding filters to a video
• adding sound (voice over) to a video

These skills were both helpful to me and my group as I was able to help out with editing a lot more than I did last year, which meant that the role of editing was shared throughout the group.

PRODUCTION: Reflection on Change Of Locations & Camera Work Errors!

I'm glad to say that our group is now at the point where we are coming very near to finishing our video, and despite the fact that I have spoke about bad weather and problems with filming, I thought I'd dedicate a post to how we overcame these problems and also how we could have saved ourselves time before filming.

Our first major issue was not being prepared for filming in the dark. We had major issues with our base track that we wanted to film at Kings Cross Square because we didn't know enough about filming in the dark. When using lighting, in a lot of the shots, it looked almost as if a spot light was on our artist (Carina), and there was very little footage where the light was positioned correctly on Carina. This meant having to return to Kings Cross to film again.

Also, we noticed in particular with our footage from Brick Lane, we only filmed from certain types of angels and there was not enough movement or change in angle which made all the shots look the same and it was very noticeable when we started editing. Luckily we noticed this quite early in the process of making our video and were able to go back out to our locations to vary our shot types. We also decided it would be a good idea to give ourselves as much locations as possible just incase we were stuck for footage to use, so we decided to try to film a base track in Camden which is a very urban location and fits our theme, video and artist.

When we were at a point where all filming was complete we started to spend our time editing. We noticed quite quickly that we had made the right decision to go back out and film as it was paying off, and looked very good on screen, there was just two locations which let our group down, these were Southbank and Kings Cross. Despite the fact that we had gone back out to film and had decent footage we felt as if there was just too much of a contrast from the mellow settings of Kings Cross and Southbank to the urban theme used in Bricklane and Camden, so we decided to just go with having an urban theme running throughout the whole of the video with Bricklane, Houndsditch and our new location Camden!

PRODUCTION: Skills Development

(PRODUCTION) - Evalution Q1 Notes and Ideas

Question 1 Notes and Ideas

(PRODUCTION) - Editing Skills Development

Since AS my editing skills have improved greatly, I found that this year I was able to use many more tools available on final cut pro much more efficiently. Examples of these are Colour Correction tools, and tweaking Audio and Video filters to give the video an original feel. I also found that base track editing had become much easier to do since the summer when me made our practise music videos. This was mostly down to how accurate we could lip sync all the base tracks. I am pleased to say that all the base tracks were lip synced very easily. Also this year I found out there were other ways of doing certain things more time efficiently, for example when adding a edited filters to a clip you could paste it's attributes onto as many clips as you like with a click of the mouse. My editing to the beat also improved and since we had a song with a very strong drum beat, we were able to capitalize on this when editing. It was easy to change the pace of our editing to match the drum beat and I think that will give our music video an edge.

(PRODUCTION) - Improvements for Final Video

As we did not have our video perfected by our rough cut deadline, as a group we still received a lot of positive feedback. Having said that, there were still highlighted areas which we needed to improve on:

1) Voice over at the beginning - We had to make it louder and clearer so it was easier for everyone to hear.

2) Use more Close ups - We had to incorporate more close up into our video to follow conventions more accurately

3) Colour Correction and Filters - We were told a few shots were a little saturated so we should use the colour correction tool to fix this problem.

(PRODUCTION) - Target Audience Feedback!

Target Audience Feedback!

In order to ensure that our video and actual production was in line with some of our target audience aims and i relate to some of the theories we included in our pitch we asked the college students and other media students what they thought was the strengths, weaknesses and improvements for our rough cut of the music video in order to work on them and better our video.

(PRODUCTION) - Inspiration and Skills for Editing

Before we started editing we looked at a range of music video's from the same genre to inspire us and give us ideas so our music video looked professional and also followed the conventions. As we picked an Ellie Goulding song, we thought it would be a good idea to look at how some of her recent videos had been edited, so I analyzed her recent song burn:

As you can see as the pace of the beat got faster the editing of the footage also began to speed up, this was something we needed to adopt as it would be one of our conventions for our genre type. Also when looking at the filter placed on the video, it made the video feel very smooth but bright at the same time. But as our song was similar we thought we may be able to recreate this feeling, but in a more urban way. Thirdly I noticed once all the base tracks had been revealed, on every other beat a different base track would be shown. It was almost like an editing pattern was used.

(PRODUCTION) - Rough Cut Feedback!!

(PRODUCTION) Rough Cut

(PRODUCTION) Editing!!!!

We used base track editing to edit are music video completely. This involves laying out your best filmed base tracks and marking them on the beat. Then you individually cut them on the beat so you are then able to switch between then. This way of editing is effective and very time efficient which is why we tried to use it as much as possible throughout the editing process

(PRODUCTION) Filming Day Review Video 2

(PRODUCTION) Filming Day Review Videos 1

PRODUCTION: Last Minute Filming & Editing Session

In today's media lesson we decided to return to Houndsditch for the first half of our lesson. We filmed a bit more as the weather when we first went to this location the weather wasn't at its best and we are all happy with our final base track.

When we got to the lesson after re filming at Hounds Ditch, we started editing our footage. We were quite confident that our footage was good until we actually opened it up into Final Cut Pro. Our footage was not good enough to edit with as we did not film things from different angles meaning that when it came to editing, we could not match up the shots. We spent roughly 5-6 hours editing non-stop on that day and in the end we all decided that we had to re-film.

We did not have any equipment over the weekend so we came in early on Monday before all of our lessons and we went to film. We changed our locations for many reasons. We decided to get rid of our King's Cross location as not only was our footage very dark but we also noticed that many people were using King's Cross as one of their locations. Instead we went to Camden Town which ended up being even better because it was extremely urban which was what we wanted. The footage we got there looks very good and hopefully it will look even better once we begin editing again. We also went back to brick Lane and we re-filmed a few shots that we did not have before and were necessary to do what we wanted to do.

We are now very happy with our footage and we feel more comfortable. We hope that we can do it more easily now and it will come out AMAZING!

Filming and Editing Update!!

Over the last week or so, media has become very stressful. Unfortunately when we began editing out footage we found that we needed to re-film a good amount to help us get the maximum grade possible, so this is exactly what we did. Originally it was our night footage which we needed to film but our filming location was under maintenance for the next week or so, so we needed to decide whether we take the risk and leave it late to film, or change locations and make the best out of a bad situation. After a group discussion we decided that it was best to scrap filming in kings cross at night because it was not working for us. Instead we chose to film in and around Camden. We also decided to go back to brick lane so we could make our make bass track extremely strong, shooting from different angles and depths was all included. As I don't have a lesson until 1.15 tomorrow I will be coming in at 9am to get this editing done. Group 23 ARE MAKING THAT ROUGH CUT DEADLINE.......

PRODUCTION: Problems with footage

In our media lesson today, we looked over the footage we had and we decided that we needed to re film some things. We are finding that the locations do not fit in together very well, so we are trying to think of somewhere else to film instead of Kings Cross. 

We are going to take out equipment for Monday and we are going to try to film in another location that we will discuss as a group over the weekend. 

Our rough cut is due in on Wednesday where we have to show that we have a rough idea of what our video is going to look like. At the moment, we are not ready for that. We need to find a way to make our locations work together well and hopefully it will begin to look better once we start editing again after having picked a new location to replace kings cross. 

PRODUCTION - Pictures from Southbank (Take 2) !

SAY CHEESE!

PRODUCTION - Pictures from Hounsditch !

PRODUCTION - Sixth day of filming, Brick Lane (Take 2) (13/11/13) brief journal

Wheres the Bins at ?!

So en route to Bricklane on wednesday on the bus we realised we needed to actually clean the place up abit as well as fix up the shots so we had the fig rig but noticed in our footage theres some bin bags in the background... this wasn't a pleasant shot and it needed removing !

LUCK WAS ON OUR SIDE TODAY! when we got there the bin had gone and we were ready to shoot our footage and base track again but remember we had 45 minutes to do so.

One particular shot we needed to re film was the shot of Karma picking up the rose, this was a crucial shot as it simply makes the whole video look amazing. We also used the fig rig in particular shots like filming the stair case shots which were perfected.

PRODUCTION - Fifth day of filming, Southbank (Take 2) (12/11/13) brief journal

CUT !

As we all met up we started to talk and whilst walking towards our previous background at South bank of the skate park we realized that the wall had graffiti over it, also we noticed some sheds being put up for sale beside the river making it very difficult to film there again... Surprisingly this was a relief as we had already arranged for Karma to have an outfit change and this costume had suited our new bench scene much more better whilst still giving off an urban vibe.

So Carina sat on the bench in an stationary position ready to record a full base track and we realised some flaws, we pointed out the fact that the public will constantly be staring into the camera and some may even walk through us. This led us to to extend the tripod to a higher level looking down on Karma thus avoiding the public eye as well as illustrating the Laura Mulvey theory we portrayed in our pitch.

PRODUCTION - Fourth day of filming, Hounsditch (08/11/13) brief journal

Lights, Camera, Action

So coming up to this date, we had already anticipated that all base tracks would need work and that in the time between today, Friday the 8th and next Friday the 13th we would have to return to three of the locations to re-film some of our excellent ideas which have been 'tormented' by factors out of our control such as weather changes and lack of available equipment at the right time.

Meeting up it was looking good, the sun was out and equipment was ready for us to take out and use......................................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................HOWEVER!! things started to change as we all sat down in a local branch of macdonalds and the weather turned on us like an evil force ready to ruin the entire project.

WE AINT 'AVIIN IT!

So we grabbed our equipment and agreed we will do everything in our power to ensure we grab some secure footage to be on the safe side.

Despite all the problems we somehow managed to secure a full recorded base track at Hounsditch, however I must say we had more negatives then positives for example the iconic 'LOVE' statue was dripping with water which had to be managed and maintained for enough time that we could film the base track... Tissue was the solution.

In addition to this we had suffered from constant public disruptions and eye contact, the statue seems to be quite prestigious and actually has an influence on quite alot of people.

In conclusion and summary of the days proceedings as a group we came to a desicion that actually we would be needing to come to all four of our locations to re film not just the three and this was a task more than achievable so we remained confident with the footage we already had and also we were hopefull and positive about the upcoming week.

PRODUCTION: Filming Tomorrow At Kings Cross

We are planning to film the Kings Cross scenes of our music video again tomorrow. We plan on going back because Joel and I looked over our footage in one of the workshops and we noticed that although the camera work was very good, it was a bit too dark for what we wanted and needed. Even though we used a DEDO light, it seemed too artificial and on purpose as the light looked like a direct spot light on the camera.

We plan on going back tomorrow and filming the scenes that we filmed at night time at a more reasonable time. We are hopefully going to meet up at around 3 O'Clock in order to catch dusk so we get an evening feel but it is not too dark to film. We will collect the equipment tomorrow at around 2:45pm and we will begin to make our way down to Kings Cross Station.

I have checked the weather for tomorrow and unfortunately, there is a 50% chance of rain, however we will have umbrellas to cover all of the equipment and we prefer shooting these scenes again as we want to make sure that our video comes out the best as it possibly can.

This is a screenshot of the weather forecast for London tomorrow. We hope it will not rain but if it does, we will be prepared as said above.

PRODUCTION: BRICK LANE.. AGAIN

PRODUCTION: SECOND ROUND OF FILMING AT SOUTHBANK

We went back to Southbank to re-film some of the shots we had filmed before. We found that the weather did not look nice on camera and that many of the shots were out of focus and we were much happier with the shots we were able to film this time around. 


We also changed up the South bank outfit because we thought that it was too sophisticated for our concept: 

'An urban and contemporary feel that captivates the melancholy and somber emotions of the song'.  

PRODUCTION: Filming at Southbank

Today was our second visit to Southbank and I'm glad to say it went much better than our first visit. We were able to film a whole base track of Carina and we also came up with some new cool concepts to include in our video.

 

Our group was also lucky as the weather was on our side today and thankfully it didn't rain! As we feel today went well we have decided that in tomorrow's media lesson we should return to Brick Lane to make some finishing touches to our footage and also stop off at Houndsditch as on our first visit it rained so we'll probably need to film again.

(PRODUCTION OF MUSIC VIDEO) - Filming day 4 Houndsditch

Last Friday we went to film our 4th base track at Houndsditch, personally I think filming went relatively well that day. Since it was roughly our 4th day filming our camera work skills was at its optimum and because of this we were able to film good quality footage at a quicker rate. Unfortunately the weather did let us down once again because it started to rain, but as a group we decided we should not abandon filming because we knew weather is only going to get worst as the days go by, so we took a break from filming and sheltered from the rain whilst looking over footage we had previously filmed. Luckily it stopped raining and we were able to continue to film which means we do not have to return to this location as we completed it.

After filming myself and Carina went to media workshop to look over the footage we filmed that day. We found that every shot was in focus and the base tracks we filmed were of a good standard. We were pleased with the work we managed to produce in the circumstances we were given. Here are some pictures below:

(PRODUCTION OF MUSIC VIDEO) - Skills Development

Since AS my planning for production skills have improved which I am very pleased about. I think planning is a very important part of production and it needs to be done in great detail and taken seriously. Personally I think I've been able to accomplish this. This year as a group we have planned everything very precisely; days we were filming, costumes, locations, risk assessments, weather restrictions and even filming permission was all taken into account, which means when we began to film we knew exactly what we were going to do on each day. Comparing this to AS, I think last year me and my group did not plan efficiently and we left a lot of it till the last minute, which is why this year I worked on my time management and organization skills which has made planning a much easier task. Also last year we had a lot less to plan because I was only filming one location and all filming was going to be done during college hours. On the other hand, this year we have been filming outside of college hours which mean we needed to take into account much more elements which was mentioned before. Overall I think my skill have developed greatly.

PRODUCTION: Day 4 of Filming (Houndsditch)

It seems like our group is cursed when it comes to the weather! On Friday we decided to go to Houndsditch to film part of our music video in front of a big 'love' sign we found on our way to Brick Lane.

Filming was going well and we managed to set up and just as Carina started performing it started to rain! We decided to go to the nearest cafe look over some footage and wait to see if the rain would stop. Eventually it did stop and we were able to film for a while but not for long as we had lessons to return to so we pack up and headed back to college.

 

     


Due to the weather we didn't get a massive amount of filming done, but its not all bad news as Houndsditch is not far from one of our other locations in Brick Lane. So when we return to Brick Lane we can stop off at Houndsditch to film for a bit then head off to Brick Lane.

Our next day of filming should be on Monday as we have the day off college and we have booked out all our equipment, there is no rain forecast for Monday so hopefully it will be a successful day of filming!

PRODUCTION: Overview of our footage. 6/11/13

Today was meant to be a day for filming but unfortunately our group was unable to film as it was raining and this would be unsafe for the filming equipment and also not ideal for our music video!

Nevertheless we decided to make the most out of our media lesson and we thought it would be a good idea to look over the footage we had already and to start editing. Firstly we started to look at our footage from Brick Lane, it didn't take long before we found ourself preferring the footage from the first day of filming this was because we felt like the first day's footage looked more professional as we used the figrig to film and on the second day we filmed freehand. The footage that was done by freehand was shaky and looked a bit amateur in parts, so we have started to edit with most of day one's footage.

Our Kings Cross footage is also looking good but we definitely need to re-visit as we don't have enough footage and we need to film more, also we need to tweak our lighting as it is filmed at night and some shots are very dark.

In future we will try and get equipment early as we've started to notice that the figrig is a piece of equipment that is usually hard to get if you don't take it out first.

Overall we're very happy with our footage from Brick Lane especially our first day there and Kings Cross, and also Carina's performance is very strong and is looking great on camera!

SECOND DAY OF FILMING: SOUTHBANK

This is some of the pictures from the seocnd day of filming by the Southbank. Unfortunately alot of our footage is out of focus so we will have to go back and re-film it all.
However, now we have established exactly what we want to film so when we go back we will not waste time in figuring out where we would film.