Week One-Context
How did you find coming up with an idea that challenged you enough for your FMP?
I started to think about my idea before we had our brief, because it takes me quite a longtime to decide on an idea, I wanted to have a few ideas in my head beforehand. At first my idea was to do a music video, which I've now finally decided that I'm going to do but then a short film would challenge me a lot, as not only do I have to find locations, actors, prop list, and so on, I would also have to create a script and think about the genre, the problem I faced when thinking about doing a short film is that I take so long to think of an idea that I'm confident with and felt that I could develop throughout but if I took long to think of an idea then it will cause problems later on. As I already had my idea for a music video, I decided it will be for the best to stick with my original idea. Hopefully my idea will challenge me with camerawork and editing, as now I've got the narrative and genre (which didn't take too long to figure out as I knew I wanted to do a romance), the editing style is something I've never done before and I feel that I haven't had much confidence with my editing and that I need to show more skills. With a music video, it will allow me to create the same about of documents and information as a short film would, I just prefer creating a shooting script than a regular script, as it has a bit of guidance and allows me to relate the video to the lyrics of the song.
I started to think about my idea before we had our brief, because it takes me quite a longtime to decide on an idea, I wanted to have a few ideas in my head beforehand. At first my idea was to do a music video, which I've now finally decided that I'm going to do but then a short film would challenge me a lot, as not only do I have to find locations, actors, prop list, and so on, I would also have to create a script and think about the genre, the problem I faced when thinking about doing a short film is that I take so long to think of an idea that I'm confident with and felt that I could develop throughout but if I took long to think of an idea then it will cause problems later on. As I already had my idea for a music video, I decided it will be for the best to stick with my original idea. Hopefully my idea will challenge me with camerawork and editing, as now I've got the narrative and genre (which didn't take too long to figure out as I knew I wanted to do a romance), the editing style is something I've never done before and I feel that I haven't had much confidence with my editing and that I need to show more skills. With a music video, it will allow me to create the same about of documents and information as a short film would, I just prefer creating a shooting script than a regular script, as it has a bit of guidance and allows me to relate the video to the lyrics of the song.
How has writing a proposal helped you with finalising your idea?
When writing the proposal, it helped me summarise what I've done throughout the course, with the things I've achieved but also the areas I still need to improve and how I could shown improvement in my FMP, which would include my editing and it helped me figure what editing techniques I want to use for my idea. As I also think I've improved a lot since Unit 3 when I looked more into editing but I felt my editing was quite 'bland' and has given me ideas for my FMP to make it look more exciting.
When writing the project concept, that helped me think about my target audience, what idea I actually want to do and how I will get peer feedback, that helped me finalise my idea. When writing a proposal it helps me put all the things I need to think about all into one, so I have a sort of goal to follow. Now I know that my target audience can vary but my music video idea would be perfect for teenagers to young adults, as it's about a new young romance.
Overall writing the proposal not only helps me think more about my idea and how I could use my peers to help me, but also lets others who visit my website to know where my mind is heading and the goals I have set myself and my music video.
When writing the proposal, it helped me summarise what I've done throughout the course, with the things I've achieved but also the areas I still need to improve and how I could shown improvement in my FMP, which would include my editing and it helped me figure what editing techniques I want to use for my idea. As I also think I've improved a lot since Unit 3 when I looked more into editing but I felt my editing was quite 'bland' and has given me ideas for my FMP to make it look more exciting.
When writing the project concept, that helped me think about my target audience, what idea I actually want to do and how I will get peer feedback, that helped me finalise my idea. When writing a proposal it helps me put all the things I need to think about all into one, so I have a sort of goal to follow. Now I know that my target audience can vary but my music video idea would be perfect for teenagers to young adults, as it's about a new young romance.
Overall writing the proposal not only helps me think more about my idea and how I could use my peers to help me, but also lets others who visit my website to know where my mind is heading and the goals I have set myself and my music video.
How did the feedback help you adapt your idea – what did you change after feedback?
I sent out a survey with descriptions of all my ideas, and asked people to pick their favourite and 'Why do you like this idea?' , a lot of people said they found idea one very interesting or they said they liked the genre, I didn't get much feedback that was advice on what I could change to my production idea but someone did say 'to keep the focus on the couple you could try to separate them from the others by having them wear happy/romantic colours while the friends are slightly more dull' I liked this idea, it didn't change my idea but it will help when thinking about costume ideas for my actors to wear so the audience will understand who are the most important characters.
I sent out a survey with descriptions of all my ideas, and asked people to pick their favourite and 'Why do you like this idea?' , a lot of people said they found idea one very interesting or they said they liked the genre, I didn't get much feedback that was advice on what I could change to my production idea but someone did say 'to keep the focus on the couple you could try to separate them from the others by having them wear happy/romantic colours while the friends are slightly more dull' I liked this idea, it didn't change my idea but it will help when thinking about costume ideas for my actors to wear so the audience will understand who are the most important characters.
Are you on track for the week? If not, how far behind are you?
I am a bit behind because I spent too long thinking about a short film idea but now I've decided to stick to my original ideas, I still need to catch up on looking for competitions to enter for my music video, I need to complete the brief and planning for issues but other than that I've finished my work to the best I can.
I am a bit behind because I spent too long thinking about a short film idea but now I've decided to stick to my original ideas, I still need to catch up on looking for competitions to enter for my music video, I need to complete the brief and planning for issues but other than that I've finished my work to the best I can.
What work do you need to complete outside of lessons to stay on track?
I will spend my free time in between lessons to complete any work, I will also stay behind at the end of the day and finish off work and also complete all the work for the weekend. I've almost completed my brief which I started after college times and will finish work in my own time at home.
I will spend my free time in between lessons to complete any work, I will also stay behind at the end of the day and finish off work and also complete all the work for the weekend. I've almost completed my brief which I started after college times and will finish work in my own time at home.
Week Two-Research
What did you learn from your research?
I learnt a lot about how people used to listen to music and how artist would promote their songs by putting them on TV, where I also researched 'Top Of The Pops' and 'MTV' which gave me a lot of information about how music videos became an important thing not only for fans but for artist to promote themselves. I look at two Grammy award winning music videos, one from the Eighties and the other in 2018 to see the different styles and how music videos have changed through the years. I also sent out a survey to get other people's opinion on music videos and what they think a music video should have, making sure I asked for recommendations so I can see what people like watching and what kind of genre. Overall I learned that music video are great for promoting artist but also give joy to their fans, as its something they can stream while watching their favourites perform or be part of a narrative. And that music videos are similar to short films, they tell a story within a short amount of time, this can include having a narrative or performance.
I learnt a lot about how people used to listen to music and how artist would promote their songs by putting them on TV, where I also researched 'Top Of The Pops' and 'MTV' which gave me a lot of information about how music videos became an important thing not only for fans but for artist to promote themselves. I look at two Grammy award winning music videos, one from the Eighties and the other in 2018 to see the different styles and how music videos have changed through the years. I also sent out a survey to get other people's opinion on music videos and what they think a music video should have, making sure I asked for recommendations so I can see what people like watching and what kind of genre. Overall I learned that music video are great for promoting artist but also give joy to their fans, as its something they can stream while watching their favourites perform or be part of a narrative. And that music videos are similar to short films, they tell a story within a short amount of time, this can include having a narrative or performance.
How has the research for your medium helped you improve your ideas?
It helped me understand that music videos are really important in the music industry. When 'Top of the Pops' was big, artist had to make their way to the studio to record the 'live' broadcast but if the artist were away on tour (for example) they weren't able to go to the studio and would miss out on promoting their songs, so by creating music video and showing it, fans could listen to the songs and the artist didn't have to keep moving around and could continue their tours. This is when MTV is introduced, where artist would create entertaining music videos so their audience could tune in to watch and then buy their music so they're able to 'relive' the experience of watching the video. I also looked at 'Girls on film' by Duran Duran and 'This is America' by Childish Gambino, which are both Grammy winning music videos, both have lots of narrative. 'This is America' has a strong message behind it, while 'Girls on film' is at more of an entertainment aspect. I learnt that even though both had performance in the music video, the narrative was stronger which means that it doesn't matter how long ago one of the music videos were, people still like the same type of theme to a music video.
It helped me understand that music videos are really important in the music industry. When 'Top of the Pops' was big, artist had to make their way to the studio to record the 'live' broadcast but if the artist were away on tour (for example) they weren't able to go to the studio and would miss out on promoting their songs, so by creating music video and showing it, fans could listen to the songs and the artist didn't have to keep moving around and could continue their tours. This is when MTV is introduced, where artist would create entertaining music videos so their audience could tune in to watch and then buy their music so they're able to 'relive' the experience of watching the video. I also looked at 'Girls on film' by Duran Duran and 'This is America' by Childish Gambino, which are both Grammy winning music videos, both have lots of narrative. 'This is America' has a strong message behind it, while 'Girls on film' is at more of an entertainment aspect. I learnt that even though both had performance in the music video, the narrative was stronger which means that it doesn't matter how long ago one of the music videos were, people still like the same type of theme to a music video.
How has the research for your genre helped you improve your ideas?
it's giving me more of an understanding of codes and conventions of music videos and also gives me more information of how a pop music should be like. It's improved my idea by helping me think more about colour and how important it is to create a mood/atmosphere in a music video, that colour is used throughout films, music videos, documentaries, etc, to help the audience understand the mood more, so having a documentary that is in black and white can make someone think it was sad, or mysterious or old footage, the same would go for a music video, especially pop as that is the genre I am sticking too. I also learned a lot more from my book research about the importance of camera angles and that the most used angles are wide, medium and close up but can very depending on how extreme you want your production to look.
it's giving me more of an understanding of codes and conventions of music videos and also gives me more information of how a pop music should be like. It's improved my idea by helping me think more about colour and how important it is to create a mood/atmosphere in a music video, that colour is used throughout films, music videos, documentaries, etc, to help the audience understand the mood more, so having a documentary that is in black and white can make someone think it was sad, or mysterious or old footage, the same would go for a music video, especially pop as that is the genre I am sticking too. I also learned a lot more from my book research about the importance of camera angles and that the most used angles are wide, medium and close up but can very depending on how extreme you want your production to look.
How has researching the conventions of your chosen genre helped you understand what is required from you in order to meet a distinction grade?
The codes and conventions of a music video is to have either narrative or performance, they're the most popular and favourite styles of music videos. You can have both but I find that a performance video is good if you're trying to bring across a message, whilst a narrative is good if you're trying to show a story that is natural or extreme. Because I don't have the actual artist to be in my production, I found having a narrative music video would be a lot better. Researching the codes and conventions always helps me but also gives me an idea of what not only the audience want to see but also examiners, as it's a guide line to follow allowing me to understand what I need in my music video and what people would rather not see. As I've realised lighting and colour are really important to have in any sort of production that is visual as it not only lets the audience know the mood but also the genre (pop, rock, indie, etc) or the time of day or time (old fashioned, sunset, early morning, nightlife).
The codes and conventions of a music video is to have either narrative or performance, they're the most popular and favourite styles of music videos. You can have both but I find that a performance video is good if you're trying to bring across a message, whilst a narrative is good if you're trying to show a story that is natural or extreme. Because I don't have the actual artist to be in my production, I found having a narrative music video would be a lot better. Researching the codes and conventions always helps me but also gives me an idea of what not only the audience want to see but also examiners, as it's a guide line to follow allowing me to understand what I need in my music video and what people would rather not see. As I've realised lighting and colour are really important to have in any sort of production that is visual as it not only lets the audience know the mood but also the genre (pop, rock, indie, etc) or the time of day or time (old fashioned, sunset, early morning, nightlife).
How has including a variety of sources (primary and secondary) helped with your understanding of your medium/genre?
I did a survey for primary research and book/internet research for secondary. Doing a survey lets you understand what people are thinking of when you ask them their preferences of music videos, I also sent it to people of certain age which is my target audience's age (16-25) so I could get their opinion. Overall I found out that everyone had a clear understanding of what they wanted to see in a music video, a few mentioned a performance with the artist throughout (but that was unlikely for me to create) while others thought about the visuals and colours, which then links to my understanding from my secondary research as in the websites I visited and books I read there was a lot about visuals and colours, people want to be entertained, they want to watch something that has a story or has that aesthetics and that is how people have always felt as the same thing occurred when people used to tune into MTV, of course they wanted to see the artist as well but they would wait for that one music video that really caught their eye. The genre I had chosen was Pop, though my music video does have a romance side to it. Overall it was a pop song and for my genre research I looked at websites and also books, I didn't find much on websites except the codes and conventions, which I always find handy and interesting but I wanted to find more information about the small details that you can forget about when filming, so by looking at books I could learn a lot more. I found a book that gave me information on colour, lighting and camera angles. The book was for films but it helped me when thinking about how my music video would look and that shot films and music videos are very similar as they both use lighting and colour to set the atmosphere, and camera angles are just as important. Overall I didn't research a lot into the genre (Pop) but more into the visuals of a music video as I find that very important personally and by looking at my survey, where I also asked if they could recommend music videos they like and watched a few, noticing they're visually perfect and entertaining to watch.
I did a survey for primary research and book/internet research for secondary. Doing a survey lets you understand what people are thinking of when you ask them their preferences of music videos, I also sent it to people of certain age which is my target audience's age (16-25) so I could get their opinion. Overall I found out that everyone had a clear understanding of what they wanted to see in a music video, a few mentioned a performance with the artist throughout (but that was unlikely for me to create) while others thought about the visuals and colours, which then links to my understanding from my secondary research as in the websites I visited and books I read there was a lot about visuals and colours, people want to be entertained, they want to watch something that has a story or has that aesthetics and that is how people have always felt as the same thing occurred when people used to tune into MTV, of course they wanted to see the artist as well but they would wait for that one music video that really caught their eye. The genre I had chosen was Pop, though my music video does have a romance side to it. Overall it was a pop song and for my genre research I looked at websites and also books, I didn't find much on websites except the codes and conventions, which I always find handy and interesting but I wanted to find more information about the small details that you can forget about when filming, so by looking at books I could learn a lot more. I found a book that gave me information on colour, lighting and camera angles. The book was for films but it helped me when thinking about how my music video would look and that shot films and music videos are very similar as they both use lighting and colour to set the atmosphere, and camera angles are just as important. Overall I didn't research a lot into the genre (Pop) but more into the visuals of a music video as I find that very important personally and by looking at my survey, where I also asked if they could recommend music videos they like and watched a few, noticing they're visually perfect and entertaining to watch.
What sources of information did you look at that were different from your proposed project?
I've never looked at books as a source of information in any other project, and I'm not sure why I didn't because I've realised now how helped they can be instead of struggling to find a website with new information that doesn't having information that I've used before. In my last production, I worked in a group and we created a music video. When researching that I mainly looked on websites and got most of my research via them but when I looked for information for this unit I began to struggle on what I could write about that I didn't know much about before, so when going to the library I discovered that looking at books about film and the importance of film was the same for music videos and that it had the same sort of codes and conventions as music videos had. I think in future productions I will look at books and newspapers as another source of information as it gave me a bit more knowledge than looking online.
I've never looked at books as a source of information in any other project, and I'm not sure why I didn't because I've realised now how helped they can be instead of struggling to find a website with new information that doesn't having information that I've used before. In my last production, I worked in a group and we created a music video. When researching that I mainly looked on websites and got most of my research via them but when I looked for information for this unit I began to struggle on what I could write about that I didn't know much about before, so when going to the library I discovered that looking at books about film and the importance of film was the same for music videos and that it had the same sort of codes and conventions as music videos had. I think in future productions I will look at books and newspapers as another source of information as it gave me a bit more knowledge than looking online.
How will this be useful to your planning?
I also looked at other music videos and analysed those, it helped me look at lighting, colours, camera angles, narrative and performance to see what I should do in my production. This helps me have a clearer understanding of how professionals create music videos and what messages the artist want to send across to their fans. All my research is useful to me as now instead of looking more into what a typical music video should be like, I can look more into other's opinion and see how they interpret music videos and have their preferences instead of basic codes and conventions, which does help but I want my music video to be more natural with the acting but fun with the locations, just like how 'Starlight' and 'Love like waves' is like.
I also looked at other music videos and analysed those, it helped me look at lighting, colours, camera angles, narrative and performance to see what I should do in my production. This helps me have a clearer understanding of how professionals create music videos and what messages the artist want to send across to their fans. All my research is useful to me as now instead of looking more into what a typical music video should be like, I can look more into other's opinion and see how they interpret music videos and have their preferences instead of basic codes and conventions, which does help but I want my music video to be more natural with the acting but fun with the locations, just like how 'Starlight' and 'Love like waves' is like.
How has the research for your content/topic helped you improve your ideas?
I didn't looked into Young love when writing my medium and genre because I didn't think it would fit as romance is a genre but it's more content than genre. Researching Young Love helped me know more about what couples around my age are like, as I've only had little experience I wanted to get others opinion and how they felt when they had their childhood love. Their are even names for the certain type of love at that age, 'Puppy love' or 'Honeymoon Stage' meaning that it's a new type of relationship and that it's exciting yet awkward. Having an understanding of what young love is like helped me think more about my characters and what kind of dates they would go on, how they would meet and how they would react in public. Some young love can be so awkward that they don't want to act like a couple in public as it could be quite 'embarrassing' which I do want to add to my idea, to have a few scenes around the beginning to show the couple that they're shy and show little affection, whilst other young love's are very different as the couples are very confident and don't care if people see them together, I also want to use that confidence in my music video but have progress between the couple, starting off awkward and becoming confident with each other.
I didn't looked into Young love when writing my medium and genre because I didn't think it would fit as romance is a genre but it's more content than genre. Researching Young Love helped me know more about what couples around my age are like, as I've only had little experience I wanted to get others opinion and how they felt when they had their childhood love. Their are even names for the certain type of love at that age, 'Puppy love' or 'Honeymoon Stage' meaning that it's a new type of relationship and that it's exciting yet awkward. Having an understanding of what young love is like helped me think more about my characters and what kind of dates they would go on, how they would meet and how they would react in public. Some young love can be so awkward that they don't want to act like a couple in public as it could be quite 'embarrassing' which I do want to add to my idea, to have a few scenes around the beginning to show the couple that they're shy and show little affection, whilst other young love's are very different as the couples are very confident and don't care if people see them together, I also want to use that confidence in my music video but have progress between the couple, starting off awkward and becoming confident with each other.
How has the research into artist/producers helped you improve your ideas?
Looking at other's work always helps me as I can see what they've done and if there is anyway I could add anything else either to my idea or inspiration when editing. I looked at a film producer and music video director, Susan Johnson and Tony Ung. Susan produced one of the most popular films in 2018, 'To all the boys I've loved before' which a young love between a teenage girl and boy at school, this film was full of romantic scenes. She helped me think about what the couple could do in my music video, lots of hugging, holding hands, honestly quite cringe as well but I think that's part of young love. She has produced other films but 'To all the boys I've loved before' is my favourite. Tony Ung was the director for the music video 'Alive' by Yeek, within the video he used lots of effects, which made me really think about what sort of effects I want to add in my music video, especially at the beginning of my song, I want that to look different to the rest of the scenes.
Looking at other's work always helps me as I can see what they've done and if there is anyway I could add anything else either to my idea or inspiration when editing. I looked at a film producer and music video director, Susan Johnson and Tony Ung. Susan produced one of the most popular films in 2018, 'To all the boys I've loved before' which a young love between a teenage girl and boy at school, this film was full of romantic scenes. She helped me think about what the couple could do in my music video, lots of hugging, holding hands, honestly quite cringe as well but I think that's part of young love. She has produced other films but 'To all the boys I've loved before' is my favourite. Tony Ung was the director for the music video 'Alive' by Yeek, within the video he used lots of effects, which made me really think about what sort of effects I want to add in my music video, especially at the beginning of my song, I want that to look different to the rest of the scenes.
What work do you need to complete outside of lessons to stay on track?
I just need to finish writing down my artist inspirations, talking about their other works and complete my video analysis, especially the 'Starlight' music video as I have a lot to say. I will listen and complete everything in my frees and when I am home. I also need to stay on track with my weekly blogs as I forgot easily to complete them.
I just need to finish writing down my artist inspirations, talking about their other works and complete my video analysis, especially the 'Starlight' music video as I have a lot to say. I will listen and complete everything in my frees and when I am home. I also need to stay on track with my weekly blogs as I forgot easily to complete them.
Week Three-Research
What did you learn from your research?
I learnt that everyone has the same sort of idea of how they imagine a music video to be like, as I had created two surveys at the start to see how people would define music videos and asked similar questions in later surveys, everyone still defines them as short films and find that they need visuals, exciting locations and colourful (depending on the genre). I learnt that as part of the recent generation we are obsessed with social media and that we all spend a lot of time on our phones daily and that we prefer watching others experiencing life changing events than actually going out and doing it ourselves. And that we spend lots of money on going out for one day a week and spending the rest on hiding away at home eating in. That it's surprising Facebook is classed as the most used media platform even though from secondary research Instagram was always the favourite.
I learnt that everyone has the same sort of idea of how they imagine a music video to be like, as I had created two surveys at the start to see how people would define music videos and asked similar questions in later surveys, everyone still defines them as short films and find that they need visuals, exciting locations and colourful (depending on the genre). I learnt that as part of the recent generation we are obsessed with social media and that we all spend a lot of time on our phones daily and that we prefer watching others experiencing life changing events than actually going out and doing it ourselves. And that we spend lots of money on going out for one day a week and spending the rest on hiding away at home eating in. That it's surprising Facebook is classed as the most used media platform even though from secondary research Instagram was always the favourite.
How has the research into your target audience helped you improve your ideas?
When looking into my target audience, I felt that I should spend less time on the internet looking for answers on what people of the age 16-25 do as a hobby, when I could send out a survey asking questions to people of those ages to see what the do. I asked their ages and found out that it was mostly 16-17 year olds, which made me think that maybe my target audience is of that age rather than people a lot older, it also helped me think the the Young love between my characters will be the ages of 16-17. I asked what everyone's favourite genre was, the two popular answers I got were Pop and Indie Rock, personally I find the genres quite similar and I also think the song I have chosen is a mixture of the two as it's quite relaxing and chilled but has the same enthusiasm of a Pop music video, it is very summery and fits into the time of year for young love. I asked what platform they preferred to watch music videos on, Youtube was the most popular choice which is a good sign as I wanted to post my music video on there once I had finished. I asked what their favourite social media platform was and Instagram was the strong winner even though in my primary research Facebook was extremely popular, I have come to the conclusion that Instagram is popular with millennials (16-25). the average time people had spent on their social media apps daily was 81 minutes, which is lower than I expected as I know many people of my age spend a extreme amount of time scrolling through social media. I asked my audience what do they like about a music video, a few mentioned the storyline and how they want their attention to be grabbed, which makes me think that I need to have a music video that is visually aesthetic and involves a vary of locations. It's got to have good costumes and involve bright colours, to set the genre of the music video. And my last question was a bit more personal to the audience as I wanted to know what they did in their spare time, a few mentioned listening to music, playing video games, going on walks, watching TV, hanging out with family and friends, this then made me think that maybe I should include this bond between friends or family within my music video, so it's not constantly about the young couple and could also involve other characters.
When looking into my target audience, I felt that I should spend less time on the internet looking for answers on what people of the age 16-25 do as a hobby, when I could send out a survey asking questions to people of those ages to see what the do. I asked their ages and found out that it was mostly 16-17 year olds, which made me think that maybe my target audience is of that age rather than people a lot older, it also helped me think the the Young love between my characters will be the ages of 16-17. I asked what everyone's favourite genre was, the two popular answers I got were Pop and Indie Rock, personally I find the genres quite similar and I also think the song I have chosen is a mixture of the two as it's quite relaxing and chilled but has the same enthusiasm of a Pop music video, it is very summery and fits into the time of year for young love. I asked what platform they preferred to watch music videos on, Youtube was the most popular choice which is a good sign as I wanted to post my music video on there once I had finished. I asked what their favourite social media platform was and Instagram was the strong winner even though in my primary research Facebook was extremely popular, I have come to the conclusion that Instagram is popular with millennials (16-25). the average time people had spent on their social media apps daily was 81 minutes, which is lower than I expected as I know many people of my age spend a extreme amount of time scrolling through social media. I asked my audience what do they like about a music video, a few mentioned the storyline and how they want their attention to be grabbed, which makes me think that I need to have a music video that is visually aesthetic and involves a vary of locations. It's got to have good costumes and involve bright colours, to set the genre of the music video. And my last question was a bit more personal to the audience as I wanted to know what they did in their spare time, a few mentioned listening to music, playing video games, going on walks, watching TV, hanging out with family and friends, this then made me think that maybe I should include this bond between friends or family within my music video, so it's not constantly about the young couple and could also involve other characters.
How has the research into your platform helped you improve your ideas?
It helped me have a bit more of an understanding of which platform is still popular and connects my research from target audience as I can find out a bit more about the popular platforms everyone used. I found out from my primary research that Facebook is still very popular with 2.23 billion visitors, while Instagram only has 1 billion. I decided to find out a bit more about YouTube as that is where I am planning to post my production once I've finished editing, what I found out was that 30 million per day visit the platform, it was also a popular choice in my focus group. Overall it helped me realise where exactly I want to post my production and what social media's I want to promote my music video, I've concluded to YouTube, Instagram and maybe Facebook. MTV was also a favourite to my audience (16-18) as they remember watching it when they were young, MTV has always been a favourite as I even found that out in my medium research.
It helped me have a bit more of an understanding of which platform is still popular and connects my research from target audience as I can find out a bit more about the popular platforms everyone used. I found out from my primary research that Facebook is still very popular with 2.23 billion visitors, while Instagram only has 1 billion. I decided to find out a bit more about YouTube as that is where I am planning to post my production once I've finished editing, what I found out was that 30 million per day visit the platform, it was also a popular choice in my focus group. Overall it helped me realise where exactly I want to post my production and what social media's I want to promote my music video, I've concluded to YouTube, Instagram and maybe Facebook. MTV was also a favourite to my audience (16-18) as they remember watching it when they were young, MTV has always been a favourite as I even found that out in my medium research.
How has researching characters and actors helped you decide who to cast?
I based my casting on my contents, I don't really have 'characters' as I felt I didn't need to make a story line about the characters personally as overall my ideas for my characters are two teenagers in an awkward and sweet young love. When asking questions for my auditions I wanted to know if they understood the meaning of young love and how they think it should be portrayed, I got this idea from my contents as I researched what's it's like to be in a young relationship. I found two actors that i good potential for the main character (the girlfriend) but only found on actor that was willing to play the boyfriend, but I felt that he was extremely sweet when around the girls and was a perfect fit for the role. In my contents research I had found out that people can be quite awkward, that at times it can be cringe and they can be quite cheesy, this is when i decided to film a short example of what I think Young couples do in a relationship, which means being quite clingy, hugging, holding hands, just to see if the couple fitted well together and honestly I think they're perfect for the roles (Tia and Ben).
I based my casting on my contents, I don't really have 'characters' as I felt I didn't need to make a story line about the characters personally as overall my ideas for my characters are two teenagers in an awkward and sweet young love. When asking questions for my auditions I wanted to know if they understood the meaning of young love and how they think it should be portrayed, I got this idea from my contents as I researched what's it's like to be in a young relationship. I found two actors that i good potential for the main character (the girlfriend) but only found on actor that was willing to play the boyfriend, but I felt that he was extremely sweet when around the girls and was a perfect fit for the role. In my contents research I had found out that people can be quite awkward, that at times it can be cringe and they can be quite cheesy, this is when i decided to film a short example of what I think Young couples do in a relationship, which means being quite clingy, hugging, holding hands, just to see if the couple fitted well together and honestly I think they're perfect for the roles (Tia and Ben).
What work do you need to complete outside of lessons to stay on track?
I just need to make my infographics for my survey results (Medium, Target Audience and Platforms) and then just add more to my artist research and also need to upload screenshots from my conversations with my actors to show they have confirmed.
I just need to make my infographics for my survey results (Medium, Target Audience and Platforms) and then just add more to my artist research and also need to upload screenshots from my conversations with my actors to show they have confirmed.
Week Four-Planning
What did you learn from planning this week?
I learnt that I need to do a lot more when creating a planning booklet, as there's a lot to write down with the locations and back-up locations, with the actor profiles and descriptions of back-up actors. But I have learnt that it's good to keep to a schedule so I am able to complete everything needed in a certain time and especially that it's a large amount of writing it's good to stay on top.
I learnt that I need to do a lot more when creating a planning booklet, as there's a lot to write down with the locations and back-up locations, with the actor profiles and descriptions of back-up actors. But I have learnt that it's good to keep to a schedule so I am able to complete everything needed in a certain time and especially that it's a large amount of writing it's good to stay on top.
What issues did you encounter and how did you overcome them?
When figuring out what scenes should be where, I struggled to write the script and draw the storyboards because I didn't really know where I wanted to put the boat and London scenes, and I was also stuck on the instrumental that's at the end of the song. The way I overcame the problem was to write notes down in my notebooks, only short bullet points and then after I read over them to then put them all together to help me figure whereabouts I want those scenes to be.
When figuring out what scenes should be where, I struggled to write the script and draw the storyboards because I didn't really know where I wanted to put the boat and London scenes, and I was also stuck on the instrumental that's at the end of the song. The way I overcame the problem was to write notes down in my notebooks, only short bullet points and then after I read over them to then put them all together to help me figure whereabouts I want those scenes to be.
How did you ensure that your storyboards were completed to a high standard?
I'm not the best artist but I used arrows in my drawings so I know which way I want my characters to face or show them what direction I want the character to go (for example I want the skateboarder to go up the ramp then down) and I also made sure to put down what kind of angle the camera will be in, I didn't forget about Pop music video codes and conventions in which wide, mid and close-up shots are used regularly so I wanted to make sure that I had plenty so it fit the genre. I made sure to do almost every scene so they really exampled what was going to happen in my production, and that whoever seems them somewhat understands what I'm thinking about for my production.
I'm not the best artist but I used arrows in my drawings so I know which way I want my characters to face or show them what direction I want the character to go (for example I want the skateboarder to go up the ramp then down) and I also made sure to put down what kind of angle the camera will be in, I didn't forget about Pop music video codes and conventions in which wide, mid and close-up shots are used regularly so I wanted to make sure that I had plenty so it fit the genre. I made sure to do almost every scene so they really exampled what was going to happen in my production, and that whoever seems them somewhat understands what I'm thinking about for my production.
How has your planning developed/changed during the planning stage?
Before I didn't really think about having a scene on the boat but when first filling out my script I found that I didn't really have many scenes between the couple and I'm worried that I won't have enough footage to fill the whole 3 minutes as I'll only be using a couple of seconds of each. This is when I started asking my peers (in person) if there was anywhere I could film that could be a good place, a few people mentioned going to a cafe/restaurant until someone said hiring a boat, in High Wycombe you're able to hire a small boat for £10, it was the perfect idea to add to my production planning.
Before I didn't really think about having a scene on the boat but when first filling out my script I found that I didn't really have many scenes between the couple and I'm worried that I won't have enough footage to fill the whole 3 minutes as I'll only be using a couple of seconds of each. This is when I started asking my peers (in person) if there was anywhere I could film that could be a good place, a few people mentioned going to a cafe/restaurant until someone said hiring a boat, in High Wycombe you're able to hire a small boat for £10, it was the perfect idea to add to my production planning.
How have you ensured your shooting script is of a high detailed standard?
At first I thought I had completed my script to a good standard as it had everything I was planning on doing and also had dialogue for the instrumental but looking back now I know I can more detail, by adding times I want the scenes to start or the type of camera angle for each scene as that will make my shooting script to a high standard as it'll be very description and will let people exactly know what I'm planning on doing, as you not only have to look at my storyboards but now read through my script for the same information.
At first I thought I had completed my script to a good standard as it had everything I was planning on doing and also had dialogue for the instrumental but looking back now I know I can more detail, by adding times I want the scenes to start or the type of camera angle for each scene as that will make my shooting script to a high standard as it'll be very description and will let people exactly know what I'm planning on doing, as you not only have to look at my storyboards but now read through my script for the same information.
How well have you managed and organised your cast and crew to be in available when you need them?
Because I was available any day of the week and I knew everyone was working on the weekend (including me) so the first thing I did was message my main characters and asked what days they were available and what days they weren't, I even wrote it down on my calendar so I was reminded daily. By knowing when my actors were free, I was able to decide on the days we could go to certain locations, also basing it on the weather for that (I want to go to the beach on a nice warm day). So then I messaged the group chat with all the actors and asked everyone if they were free on the Thursday, and if anyone was working what time do they finish. It was a very easy process as everyone was really helpful and agreed to film on a Thursday in the afternoon, so it wasn't a too early shoot and everyone can do what they needed to do. I also made to write up my consent forms so the next time I saw my actors I could get everyone to sign them.
Because I was available any day of the week and I knew everyone was working on the weekend (including me) so the first thing I did was message my main characters and asked what days they were available and what days they weren't, I even wrote it down on my calendar so I was reminded daily. By knowing when my actors were free, I was able to decide on the days we could go to certain locations, also basing it on the weather for that (I want to go to the beach on a nice warm day). So then I messaged the group chat with all the actors and asked everyone if they were free on the Thursday, and if anyone was working what time do they finish. It was a very easy process as everyone was really helpful and agreed to film on a Thursday in the afternoon, so it wasn't a too early shoot and everyone can do what they needed to do. I also made to write up my consent forms so the next time I saw my actors I could get everyone to sign them.
Are you on track for the week? If not, how far behind are you?
I need to upload the pictures of my storyboards, which shouldn't take too long. I also need i need to re-do my production schedule because I feel as if it's not to a high even standard and could have more information about what I will be doing for the whole week and what I will be doing at home as well as in lessons. I will be completing these in my own time, in either student learning, home or in my breaks at college (including after college hours).
I need to upload the pictures of my storyboards, which shouldn't take too long. I also need i need to re-do my production schedule because I feel as if it's not to a high even standard and could have more information about what I will be doing for the whole week and what I will be doing at home as well as in lessons. I will be completing these in my own time, in either student learning, home or in my breaks at college (including after college hours).
Week Five-Planning
What did you learn from your planning this week?
I learnt that there is a lot needed when writing about actors/characters, as I need to describe the actors themselves and a little about what type of characters they'll be playing. I also needed to fill out a crew list and I realised that the crew list isn't just for people working behind the camera but also the actors themselves. I also needed to make sure I had written down which actors will be using certain props and what days I'll be using them.
I learnt that there is a lot needed when writing about actors/characters, as I need to describe the actors themselves and a little about what type of characters they'll be playing. I also needed to fill out a crew list and I realised that the crew list isn't just for people working behind the camera but also the actors themselves. I also needed to make sure I had written down which actors will be using certain props and what days I'll be using them.
What issues did you encounter and how did you overcome them?
I struggled a lot when filling out the boxes for location recces because I'm doing a music video I didn't really know what I was meant to put for sound or lighting as i'm still not sure if I'm going to need to hire a light or not because I'm filming outside and in the day time so there shouldn't be a need to hire a light. I overcame my problems by looking back at past location recces and thinking about what I had written, especially the last unit where I also did a group music video. I realised that with sound, because I don't have any background sound in my music video I'm not worried about the noise my actors make but I am worried they won't be able to hear me once we get to the actual locations because of noises around (traffic, other people, the water).
I struggled a lot when filling out the boxes for location recces because I'm doing a music video I didn't really know what I was meant to put for sound or lighting as i'm still not sure if I'm going to need to hire a light or not because I'm filming outside and in the day time so there shouldn't be a need to hire a light. I overcame my problems by looking back at past location recces and thinking about what I had written, especially the last unit where I also did a group music video. I realised that with sound, because I don't have any background sound in my music video I'm not worried about the noise my actors make but I am worried they won't be able to hear me once we get to the actual locations because of noises around (traffic, other people, the water).
How did you ensure that your location recces were completed to a high standard?
I made sure to put all the locations I'm going to film at, even if it's for a couple of seconds as I want to insure that I have everything and that it's easy to understand where I'm going. I also made sure to have an address for every location, writing the problems and the solutions, even if the the problem is extremely unlikely I feel it's still good to cover it. I do think I could add more to my locations, maybe talk about health and safety as that is a priority. Though I did also add back-up locations, just in case something happens and we are unable to go to that certain location, I do think I need to write more in the boxes because personally I don't find them descriptive enough.
I made sure to put all the locations I'm going to film at, even if it's for a couple of seconds as I want to insure that I have everything and that it's easy to understand where I'm going. I also made sure to have an address for every location, writing the problems and the solutions, even if the the problem is extremely unlikely I feel it's still good to cover it. I do think I could add more to my locations, maybe talk about health and safety as that is a priority. Though I did also add back-up locations, just in case something happens and we are unable to go to that certain location, I do think I need to write more in the boxes because personally I don't find them descriptive enough.
How did you ensure that your props list and crew list were completed to a high standard?
For my props list, I made sure to get pictures of exactly what I'm going to use and who's going to use it. I also made sure to write specify the time when the prop will be used, I do think I should add the times in the song I will be using the props as it just brings the standard a bit higher as it's more descriptive and once I finish my edit, people will be able to locate the props by looking at the times. For my crew list, I only wrote down their names, their characters and the dates they'll be there because I was more descriptive in my actor profiles, where I also used photos of everyone and highlighted who are the main characters/back-up actors.
For my props list, I made sure to get pictures of exactly what I'm going to use and who's going to use it. I also made sure to write specify the time when the prop will be used, I do think I should add the times in the song I will be using the props as it just brings the standard a bit higher as it's more descriptive and once I finish my edit, people will be able to locate the props by looking at the times. For my crew list, I only wrote down their names, their characters and the dates they'll be there because I was more descriptive in my actor profiles, where I also used photos of everyone and highlighted who are the main characters/back-up actors.
How have you ensured your production schedule includes enough detail?
Like I said before, I noticed my original production schedule was lacking detail, as I only filled boxes with the key dates and didn't put down anything for the rest of the days around. But when I was asking for feedback from my tutors, it was mentioned that I should make a more detailed schedule, as I had already created one for my context page, so with that I updated it and changed the filming dates as I know knew more information about the days around. I also added a small production schedule to my booklet so people know the days I'm filming, who I'm filming with and where I'll be filming. I think it's good to have many production schedules as it lets people know what I'm getting up to daily, as well as having the weekly blogs.
Like I said before, I noticed my original production schedule was lacking detail, as I only filled boxes with the key dates and didn't put down anything for the rest of the days around. But when I was asking for feedback from my tutors, it was mentioned that I should make a more detailed schedule, as I had already created one for my context page, so with that I updated it and changed the filming dates as I know knew more information about the days around. I also added a small production schedule to my booklet so people know the days I'm filming, who I'm filming with and where I'll be filming. I think it's good to have many production schedules as it lets people know what I'm getting up to daily, as well as having the weekly blogs.
How well have you managed and organised your cast and crew to be in available when you need them?
Because I'm filming in April, way before we are actually meant to film, I need to make sure my actors were available. By choosing to film in April, it made me know for sure that my actors would be free as they have exams in May and it's a really busy time for them. I also made two groups, one for my main characters and the other for the whole group, so not everything got complicated and confusing as my main characters knew exactly what they needed to know for the dates they'll be filming and the whole group will know what they'll be doing for the Thursday.
Because I'm filming in April, way before we are actually meant to film, I need to make sure my actors were available. By choosing to film in April, it made me know for sure that my actors would be free as they have exams in May and it's a really busy time for them. I also made two groups, one for my main characters and the other for the whole group, so not everything got complicated and confusing as my main characters knew exactly what they needed to know for the dates they'll be filming and the whole group will know what they'll be doing for the Thursday.
Are you on track for the week? If not, how far behind are you?
I need to complete my back-up locations, because I haven't written enough, I also think I need to add a bit more to my contingency plan as I don't think its descriptive enough. I also need to example what my screenshots of the messages mean and what the plan is for each person and the date they're filming. I will be doing this in my free time either at home or at college (in my breaks or after lessons).
I need to complete my back-up locations, because I haven't written enough, I also think I need to add a bit more to my contingency plan as I don't think its descriptive enough. I also need to example what my screenshots of the messages mean and what the plan is for each person and the date they're filming. I will be doing this in my free time either at home or at college (in my breaks or after lessons).
Week Six-Planning/Week Seven Filming
What did you learn from your planning this week?
I learnt that I need to make sure my actors know everything and that keeping them updated makes it easier, as there are lots of questioning asking about dates when we are filming or what people need to wear so at the moment I am sending out daily reminders to let them what I want them to do, as it's my responsibility to ensure they're prepared. I also learnt that sending out the production schedule and script gives people more confidence on what I need them to do and is extremely useful.
I learnt that I need to make sure my actors know everything and that keeping them updated makes it easier, as there are lots of questioning asking about dates when we are filming or what people need to wear so at the moment I am sending out daily reminders to let them what I want them to do, as it's my responsibility to ensure they're prepared. I also learnt that sending out the production schedule and script gives people more confidence on what I need them to do and is extremely useful.
What issues did you encounter and how did you overcome them?
A problem I encountered was knowing who was going to be in my production for the whole group as people started to get busy and others had to cancel the day because of personal reasons, this added a lot of stress because once Thursday comes I'll have no idea who's going to show up. I overcame this by the group chat I had created, I also made sure I texted everyone individually to see if they would want to be part of my production and once I got replies confirming a yes, I added everyone to the group chat. When someone would tell me that they were unable to make it then I would ask if I could remove them from the group chat so there wasn't any confusion for myself and the others.
A problem I encountered was knowing who was going to be in my production for the whole group as people started to get busy and others had to cancel the day because of personal reasons, this added a lot of stress because once Thursday comes I'll have no idea who's going to show up. I overcame this by the group chat I had created, I also made sure I texted everyone individually to see if they would want to be part of my production and once I got replies confirming a yes, I added everyone to the group chat. When someone would tell me that they were unable to make it then I would ask if I could remove them from the group chat so there wasn't any confusion for myself and the others.
How did you ensure that you are prepared for filming?
I made sure that all my equipment was ready, so the SD cards were cleared for footage and that all the batteries were charged for both cameras. I also constantly reminded my actors the times we'll meet and what they need to wear, I shared my notes on my main characters group chat so my actors knew what I was thinking about, this included any small notes I made in my notebook. I made sure to bring anything for the different type of weather, so an umbrella if it rained and sunscreen if it was hot, keeping my actors save. I made sure I had finished my script and the props list so I knew exactly what I needed to get and what we are going to do when we star filming. I made sure I brought some of the props already and asked others if they had anything I could borrow so I wasn't looking around on the day for the props and could use the whole day to film. I set a meeting time and location so there isn't confusion for the morning.
I made sure that all my equipment was ready, so the SD cards were cleared for footage and that all the batteries were charged for both cameras. I also constantly reminded my actors the times we'll meet and what they need to wear, I shared my notes on my main characters group chat so my actors knew what I was thinking about, this included any small notes I made in my notebook. I made sure to bring anything for the different type of weather, so an umbrella if it rained and sunscreen if it was hot, keeping my actors save. I made sure I had finished my script and the props list so I knew exactly what I needed to get and what we are going to do when we star filming. I made sure I brought some of the props already and asked others if they had anything I could borrow so I wasn't looking around on the day for the props and could use the whole day to film. I set a meeting time and location so there isn't confusion for the morning.
How did you ensure that your equipment lists were completed to a high standard?
I haven't requested to hire out equipment because I already had two camera, I didn't need a tripod as I think it's unlikely I'd be allowed to bring one to some of the public locations ( especially the beach and London). I don't need lighting equipment because every scene is filmed in the open in the day time. I do think I should maybe create a equipment list for my cameras but I didn't think I needed to because I had already added my canon camera onto my props list, but maybe creating an equipment list will let people know what I will be taking around with me.
I haven't requested to hire out equipment because I already had two camera, I didn't need a tripod as I think it's unlikely I'd be allowed to bring one to some of the public locations ( especially the beach and London). I don't need lighting equipment because every scene is filmed in the open in the day time. I do think I should maybe create a equipment list for my cameras but I didn't think I needed to because I had already added my canon camera onto my props list, but maybe creating an equipment list will let people know what I will be taking around with me.
How have you ensured your actors and crew will be available?
Once again, I would ask them on the group chat and asked for all the dates they're available, and all the dates they're not. Writing it down and sending out a rough version of a production schedule so they knew exactly when and where to meet. I don't have much of a crew as it's just me filming and directing but I have asked help from some of my actors so it doesn't get too stressful and that they know everything that will be going on too. I also made sure to call the main actress playing the girlfriend as we discussed what time she needs to be at the train station and when will be going home, she's also away a lot throughout the half term so I made sure to get down all the dates she's away and booked out the dates (that she has free) so no one else can book off those days.
Once again, I would ask them on the group chat and asked for all the dates they're available, and all the dates they're not. Writing it down and sending out a rough version of a production schedule so they knew exactly when and where to meet. I don't have much of a crew as it's just me filming and directing but I have asked help from some of my actors so it doesn't get too stressful and that they know everything that will be going on too. I also made sure to call the main actress playing the girlfriend as we discussed what time she needs to be at the train station and when will be going home, she's also away a lot throughout the half term so I made sure to get down all the dates she's away and booked out the dates (that she has free) so no one else can book off those days.
How well have you been able to organise locations and transport?
So for Brighton, I booked the train tickets (return too) days in advance so we could get straight on the trains and go. Because we have a local train station I knew my actors could either take the bus, walk or got a lift. My main actress and I will be getting the bus together, I told them the times and which platform on our group chat. It's the same for London too. For the skate park, I knew that everyone lived very locally and that there are plenty of available buses or it's walking distance from the main town, no one really asked many questions about transport for the skate park as they all knew exactly how to get there.
So for Brighton, I booked the train tickets (return too) days in advance so we could get straight on the trains and go. Because we have a local train station I knew my actors could either take the bus, walk or got a lift. My main actress and I will be getting the bus together, I told them the times and which platform on our group chat. It's the same for London too. For the skate park, I knew that everyone lived very locally and that there are plenty of available buses or it's walking distance from the main town, no one really asked many questions about transport for the skate park as they all knew exactly how to get there.
Are you on track for the week? If not, how far behind are you?
I am very on track for my filming, everything is prepared and everyone is ready to start shooting. The only things I'm falling behind on is everything that is written, I still have parts missing from other weeks that I still need to complete before it all starts to back up. I've planned to the best I could, everyone now knows what I am expecting, I've contacted all the people with skate boards to make sure to bring them to Thursday's filming.
I am very on track for my filming, everything is prepared and everyone is ready to start shooting. The only things I'm falling behind on is everything that is written, I still have parts missing from other weeks that I still need to complete before it all starts to back up. I've planned to the best I could, everyone now knows what I am expecting, I've contacted all the people with skate boards to make sure to bring them to Thursday's filming.
What work do you need to complete outside of lessons to stay on track?
I will be completing all written tasks I have yet to complete in my own time, either at home or in my frees (after lessons too) so I'm crowded with tons of work near the end.
I will be completing all written tasks I have yet to complete in my own time, either at home or in my frees (after lessons too) so I'm crowded with tons of work near the end.
Week Eight-Filming
What practical work have you done this week - and how helpful was your earlier planning?
I have already filmed London, Brighton and Skate park scenes. Because I was filming in the half term I am now using my weeks to catch up on work I have yet to do. My planning was extremely helpful, especially for Brighton because it was a very long day of filming, with lots of plays on the beach and pier to visit, I have also never been that far for filming a production, so being organised with my production schedule really helps and causes less stress for me and my actors. For the skate park, everyone who was left on the group chat turned up and all in good time, so I got that quickly done and the sun was still up by the time we finished filming.
I have already filmed London, Brighton and Skate park scenes. Because I was filming in the half term I am now using my weeks to catch up on work I have yet to do. My planning was extremely helpful, especially for Brighton because it was a very long day of filming, with lots of plays on the beach and pier to visit, I have also never been that far for filming a production, so being organised with my production schedule really helps and causes less stress for me and my actors. For the skate park, everyone who was left on the group chat turned up and all in good time, so I got that quickly done and the sun was still up by the time we finished filming.
How will this be useful to you as your production process continues?
It is very useful that I filmed a lot earlier because now I have a lot of time to finish any work I haven't. It also gives me piece of mind to know that I have everything recorded already and that I have plenty of time for re-shoots.
It is very useful that I filmed a lot earlier because now I have a lot of time to finish any work I haven't. It also gives me piece of mind to know that I have everything recorded already and that I have plenty of time for re-shoots.
Upload behind the scenes pictures and videos and comment on what they show
This a photo of the bumper carts the actors went on, this scene was very easy to do and very quick. We filmed on the pier in Brighton, I made sure to tell my actors to constantly crash into each other so I can film the together.
|
This is a photo of the pier, as you can see the bumper carts are right in front. When we got to the pier we quickly made a decision on what rides everyone would go on, I had to make sure they went on rides where I was able to see them clearly, so the spinning swings, bumper carts and log ride were all perfect for me to see them and easier to film them.
|
This photo shows the boat, as you can see at the back I have another person this is because to even the boat out we needed four people, it was usual so the actors could sit next to each. She is lying on the floor of the boat, I also made sure to film the top half of my actors so she wasn't spotted.
|
This photo is from the skate park, there quite a few people there already. I tried my best to avoid filming them as I didn't know who they were. We made sure to stick to one side of the park so we could let other people still skate.
|
What issues did you encounter whilst out filming and how did you overcome them?
The first day of filming was in London, at first my actors felt quite embarrassed and it was difficult to try and explain what I wanted to do, even though at the end of the day we had filmed everything perfectly, it was still quite hectic day. I decided that filming in Brighton and High Wycombe shouldn't be like this so I had made sure to keep my actors constantly updated and avoid an problems we had faced in London. In Brighton, when filming the scene where Tia is talking on the phone, she was unable to hear her cue and we were worried that it wasn't in sync enough with the woman's voice, so I moved us to a different location on the beach that was a lot quieter and a benefit I got out of it was the view behind her was a lot better.
The first day of filming was in London, at first my actors felt quite embarrassed and it was difficult to try and explain what I wanted to do, even though at the end of the day we had filmed everything perfectly, it was still quite hectic day. I decided that filming in Brighton and High Wycombe shouldn't be like this so I had made sure to keep my actors constantly updated and avoid an problems we had faced in London. In Brighton, when filming the scene where Tia is talking on the phone, she was unable to hear her cue and we were worried that it wasn't in sync enough with the woman's voice, so I moved us to a different location on the beach that was a lot quieter and a benefit I got out of it was the view behind her was a lot better.
How suitable do you feel your locations were for your filming?
I thought all my locations were good and very suitable but Brighton was my favourite a it really fitted the song well and luckily the sun was out and it was hot, so it really fitted the summery atmosphere the song gives off. Because there were so many fun things to do there, I could really capture my actors's excitement and I got a lot of natural footage of them having fun. The beach was also quite quiet at times, so I could get my actors to be really close and to get into the roles of the couple. The skate park was a nice idea and was very 'cool' as the friend's hang out as I felt it wouldn't be a place where a couple would go on a date, it was very suitable for the group instead.
I thought all my locations were good and very suitable but Brighton was my favourite a it really fitted the song well and luckily the sun was out and it was hot, so it really fitted the summery atmosphere the song gives off. Because there were so many fun things to do there, I could really capture my actors's excitement and I got a lot of natural footage of them having fun. The beach was also quite quiet at times, so I could get my actors to be really close and to get into the roles of the couple. The skate park was a nice idea and was very 'cool' as the friend's hang out as I felt it wouldn't be a place where a couple would go on a date, it was very suitable for the group instead.
How have you made use of the technical skills you have developed so far this year?
I used a lot more camera techniques, I like the idea of the natural zoom of the camera as it looked as if the footage was filmed by someone else and it captured the reactions better. I think I have developed a lot since the start, where I would constantly use a tripod as an easier way of keeping steady but now I am more confidence of just holding my camera, especially since I want all my footage to look a lot natural and having the shaky camera effect. I also used a lot more close-ups and wide shots as I knew this was part of the codes and conventions of the genre but I had already known a lot about the camera angles since the start as that was one of the main focus to introduce use into the course.
I used a lot more camera techniques, I like the idea of the natural zoom of the camera as it looked as if the footage was filmed by someone else and it captured the reactions better. I think I have developed a lot since the start, where I would constantly use a tripod as an easier way of keeping steady but now I am more confidence of just holding my camera, especially since I want all my footage to look a lot natural and having the shaky camera effect. I also used a lot more close-ups and wide shots as I knew this was part of the codes and conventions of the genre but I had already known a lot about the camera angles since the start as that was one of the main focus to introduce use into the course.
Having reviewed your footage, are you happy with what you have captured and does anything need reshooting?
I am very happy with what I have captured, I made sure to record as much as possible so I have plenty of footage for when I edit. I personally don't think I need to reshoot because I have so much footage and have multiple locations, as having loads of locations is very good as gives a variety and I don't have to use the same clips over and over again when editing. I never really put my camera down as i wanted to capture everything, even the natural things that I hadn't planned, and if I did miss anything I would ask my actors to please re-do it as I think it could be really good footage for my production.
I am very happy with what I have captured, I made sure to record as much as possible so I have plenty of footage for when I edit. I personally don't think I need to reshoot because I have so much footage and have multiple locations, as having loads of locations is very good as gives a variety and I don't have to use the same clips over and over again when editing. I never really put my camera down as i wanted to capture everything, even the natural things that I hadn't planned, and if I did miss anything I would ask my actors to please re-do it as I think it could be really good footage for my production.
Are you ready to edit? If not, how far behind are you?
I am very confident that I am ready to edit, I feel I have enough footage to film with and I made sure to get everything done in the days I was filming, even if it took me all night. I have never felt so confident to edit before in any of my past units, so knowing that I am proud with what I have lets me know I am ready. And I'm not far behind with shooting because I filmed a lot earlier on so I was ready to edit for a long time.
I am very confident that I am ready to edit, I feel I have enough footage to film with and I made sure to get everything done in the days I was filming, even if it took me all night. I have never felt so confident to edit before in any of my past units, so knowing that I am proud with what I have lets me know I am ready. And I'm not far behind with shooting because I filmed a lot earlier on so I was ready to edit for a long time.
What work do you need to complete outside of lessons to stay on track?
I just need to once again complete written work, because I have been doing a lot of practical work, I lose focus on the written work I still have left to do and I don't want it to star piling up. I will complete everything in my own time, either at home or in my frees (after lessons too).
I just need to once again complete written work, because I have been doing a lot of practical work, I lose focus on the written work I still have left to do and I don't want it to star piling up. I will complete everything in my own time, either at home or in my frees (after lessons too).
Week Nine-Editing
How did you find the editing process?
I found putting the clips into place very easy, even though I had made a couple of changes, I decided not to put the footage of Charlotte and Sarah playing on the roller-skates as I filmed so much I had to take some of them away. Which I prefer having too much footage than not enough. But overall it's not taking me too long to edit everything and the VHS effect is a very good transition between locations.
I found putting the clips into place very easy, even though I had made a couple of changes, I decided not to put the footage of Charlotte and Sarah playing on the roller-skates as I filmed so much I had to take some of them away. Which I prefer having too much footage than not enough. But overall it's not taking me too long to edit everything and the VHS effect is a very good transition between locations.
What skills did you have to learn/develop during the editing process?
I have never really been confident with my editing as I was never really good at it but I can see that I have improved a lot, so much so that I looked at effects I could add that would make my production look good, I learnt how to do a VHS effect (making it look old fashioned) I've never used an adjustment layer but honestly it is very easier to use and saves you time when editing a large part of footage. I am glad we do some practice tasks because I found some very useful videos which explained what to do and were very easy to follow but it also allowed me to trying some editing effects I've never done before.
I have never really been confident with my editing as I was never really good at it but I can see that I have improved a lot, so much so that I looked at effects I could add that would make my production look good, I learnt how to do a VHS effect (making it look old fashioned) I've never used an adjustment layer but honestly it is very easier to use and saves you time when editing a large part of footage. I am glad we do some practice tasks because I found some very useful videos which explained what to do and were very easy to follow but it also allowed me to trying some editing effects I've never done before.
Upload screenshots of the editing process and explain what they show.
This photo shows the large adjustment layer I put over all my work so I could easily change the colour of all my clips instead of going over each clip individually. I used an orange filter, to make my clips look a lot warmer and fits the summer vibe I'm trying to give off.
This is a photo of my VHS effect, at the bottom is the clip I had chosen, then the adjustment layer where I add the warp effect so I could get the lines on the screen and noise effect to get the glitch effect to make it look fuzzy at times. To really make it look like VHS footage, I added a overlay (which I got from the YouTube video I watched) this created some whites lines to make it look like a glitch, overall making it seem more like an old tape.
|
This is a photo of the cutting to the beat I did, where I wanted to zoom in on a piece of footage each time the beat changes. It's such a simple effect but I think it works really well. all I did was used the cutting tool and cut the parts where the beat changes, then zoomed in a bit each time.
|
What issues did you have to overcome whilst editing? How did you move past them?
I struggled a bit with my VHS effect, as I didn't understand how to use the overlay effect as the adjustment layer wasn't properly working with the overlay, as parts of it was cropped and parts of the clips were seen at the side. I overcame this by removing the adjustment layer and fixing the overlay to the footage and then adding the adjustment layer back on. I also asked for some help from Jermaine as he had added the overlay in his practice task and knew exactly what I needed to do, I found it a lot of help and I was glad I asked for help.
I struggled a bit with my VHS effect, as I didn't understand how to use the overlay effect as the adjustment layer wasn't properly working with the overlay, as parts of it was cropped and parts of the clips were seen at the side. I overcame this by removing the adjustment layer and fixing the overlay to the footage and then adding the adjustment layer back on. I also asked for some help from Jermaine as he had added the overlay in his practice task and knew exactly what I needed to do, I found it a lot of help and I was glad I asked for help.
Have you identified any scenes which need re-shooting? Will you be able to do this?
I did notice that in the scene where Tia and Ben are holding hands on the skate board that you can see my shadow as I am standing in front of the sun. I also noticed that on the boat, you can see part of Elizabeth's hair as she's sat on the floor. I have tried to figure out a way of hiding this errors but found it hard, and I rather not get rid of a significant piece of footage. I cannot reshoot either as my actors are extremely busy with their exams, that's the reason I didn't shoot in May.
I did notice that in the scene where Tia and Ben are holding hands on the skate board that you can see my shadow as I am standing in front of the sun. I also noticed that on the boat, you can see part of Elizabeth's hair as she's sat on the floor. I have tried to figure out a way of hiding this errors but found it hard, and I rather not get rid of a significant piece of footage. I cannot reshoot either as my actors are extremely busy with their exams, that's the reason I didn't shoot in May.
Are you on track this week? If not, how far behind are you?
I still need to catch up on the writing that I have from past pages, I have finished my editing and got feedback from my peers to see if I need any changes but overall I just need to catch up with the writing. This includes little things like finishing off my analyse for actors, target audience and platforms. I will do all this in my own time, either at home or in my frees (after lessons as well).
I still need to catch up on the writing that I have from past pages, I have finished my editing and got feedback from my peers to see if I need any changes but overall I just need to catch up with the writing. This includes little things like finishing off my analyse for actors, target audience and platforms. I will do all this in my own time, either at home or in my frees (after lessons as well).
Week Ten-Final Production
Did you finish your production on time?
I did finish my production on time, I think it was very helpful that I filmed everything weeks before everyone else was meant to so I got more time to go back and finish or change anything. Even though I stayed back in my own time to complete everything (and it was very exhausting) I wanted to produce a good standard of work to show my effort as throughout I've tried really hard. I do notice there could be improvements within my work (research and planning) but I feel from those mistakes I will learn for future productions.
I did finish my production on time, I think it was very helpful that I filmed everything weeks before everyone else was meant to so I got more time to go back and finish or change anything. Even though I stayed back in my own time to complete everything (and it was very exhausting) I wanted to produce a good standard of work to show my effort as throughout I've tried really hard. I do notice there could be improvements within my work (research and planning) but I feel from those mistakes I will learn for future productions.
How did you gain feedback? Was this process effective/valuable?
I sent out surveys and produced a focus group, so I could not only get people to write about things they liked or thought needed improving but also by doing a focus group it helps to get more information as I personally think the best ideas are ones that are thought on the stop. I think for future productions I will do focus groups as it's a better resource of peer feedback as you can discuss in a big group, as people find it hard to express their true thoughts on surveys where they have to write a lot while they can just speak openly in focus groups (within reason). By asking people via email and in person it make the process more effective as reminding people helps give them motivation to actually watch my production. Even though I would of liked more people to have completed my survey ( I should of pushed it more) I got a good amount to work off and learn from.
I sent out surveys and produced a focus group, so I could not only get people to write about things they liked or thought needed improving but also by doing a focus group it helps to get more information as I personally think the best ideas are ones that are thought on the stop. I think for future productions I will do focus groups as it's a better resource of peer feedback as you can discuss in a big group, as people find it hard to express their true thoughts on surveys where they have to write a lot while they can just speak openly in focus groups (within reason). By asking people via email and in person it make the process more effective as reminding people helps give them motivation to actually watch my production. Even though I would of liked more people to have completed my survey ( I should of pushed it more) I got a good amount to work off and learn from.
What have you learned from you feedback?
I learnt that my production is actually enjoyable for my chosen target audience, that I have improved a lot since the start but that I also need to have that confidence to add more effects when editing as it can really make the video even more exciting. I also learnt that just like the codes and convention of the genre said, people enjoy watching video where there are a vary of locations as it makes it more entertaining and when doing my focus group everyone mentioned they liked the locations and felt that they really added to the narrative, as they showed the couple's journey and how they've been together for a long time.
I learnt that my production is actually enjoyable for my chosen target audience, that I have improved a lot since the start but that I also need to have that confidence to add more effects when editing as it can really make the video even more exciting. I also learnt that just like the codes and convention of the genre said, people enjoy watching video where there are a vary of locations as it makes it more entertaining and when doing my focus group everyone mentioned they liked the locations and felt that they really added to the narrative, as they showed the couple's journey and how they've been together for a long time.
How did your work compare to professional productions?
When analysing the other productions, I took ideas that inspired footage that I filmed in my production. I looked at ‘Love like waves’ by Friendly Fires and ‘Starlight’ by Kuwada. My work had similarities that other professional productions had, which were camera angles, the structure of the narrative, the costumes, etc. M work was similar to those productions because of the same camera angles we used, so lots of wide shots and close-ups to get the location and emotion of the actors. |
|
Also the use of props to either continue a scene or for example more about the characters or even to show the aesthetics. In 'Starlight' the radio in her broken down car is the start of the song, beforehand only the narrative is shown without any music. I did the same sort of idea with having an old fashioned phone on the beach with the main actress speaking into it. After that the music would then start but it still related to the narrative. |
Have you completed final evaluation?
I've almost finished, I just want to make sure I have written enough and that I show a lot of photo evidence to show my thoughts and especially when comparing my work to professionals. But I think I've described enough about my production and the reasons I chose that genre and what kind of research methods I used to get my information. I also made sure to not only talk about all the positives that happened within my filming and editing but also talk about the mistakes (like the scene where my shadow is clearly seen) so not only I can show that i noticed where I've made the mistake but it also helps me for my future productions. Even though it has been a very long week of trying to figure out what to write and also having an exam on the Tuesday, I am so close to finishing so I can start getting my Pitch ideas together.
I've almost finished, I just want to make sure I have written enough and that I show a lot of photo evidence to show my thoughts and especially when comparing my work to professionals. But I think I've described enough about my production and the reasons I chose that genre and what kind of research methods I used to get my information. I also made sure to not only talk about all the positives that happened within my filming and editing but also talk about the mistakes (like the scene where my shadow is clearly seen) so not only I can show that i noticed where I've made the mistake but it also helps me for my future productions. Even though it has been a very long week of trying to figure out what to write and also having an exam on the Tuesday, I am so close to finishing so I can start getting my Pitch ideas together.
Are you on track this week? If not how far behind are you?
I am only slightly behind, especially when writing about the good parts of my production, my improvements and comparing to other productions. As I need time to look over and see the differences and write notes so I can really get into my reasons as to why they're similar or different and what I liked or need to improve to my production. This will be done in my own time, either on the weekend or stay after college hours to complete everything.
I am only slightly behind, especially when writing about the good parts of my production, my improvements and comparing to other productions. As I need time to look over and see the differences and write notes so I can really get into my reasons as to why they're similar or different and what I liked or need to improve to my production. This will be done in my own time, either on the weekend or stay after college hours to complete everything.