Deadlines

We are leading up to the deadline of all of our work. Were currently perfectly on track to have finished everything on time. However, I made a timetable for the next few weeks leading up to the deadline. Its hard to all meet together to do work in school because we all do 3 other individual subjects, so I went through our timetables and found all of the frees we have at the same time, and also compared each of our frees to map out when each of us have to come in and what we have to get completed. As you can see I made sure we prioritised getting the video editing done as this is the most time consuming thing of all. Once we met our deadline (which we did) we had to move onto going over the storyboard and shot list to make sure they are perfect, and upload them onto the computer and present them in a way that's visually easy for the examiner to read. Once this dead line was met, we then had to make sure we devoted every piece of time we had to the digi pack and website. However we had already finished the website so there was more time for us to perfect everything and make sure our digipack was as good as can be. The deadline for this was on the Wednesday in the 4th week. I then made the Friday in the 4th week the official deadline to work towards for everything altogether, in particularly for improving pieces of work on our blogs and do some extra work.

I found that by having a deadline time table, it has made it a lot easier for us to focus on one thing, get it done and move on to the next thing to do, rather than trying to do it all at the same time. When we met our deadlines it was an accomplishment, it also gave us a lot of confidence in ourselves that we did have time to do it, and it was all going to run smoothly. Every day we knew what periods we had to go and do media work so we were also very organised and prepared. I would definitely make a timetable like this again because not only does it improve organisation and efficiency, but it also improves teamwork.

Lip syncing Practise of whole song choice

By practising lip syncing to our chosen song 'Heartbeat - Nneaka ft Chase and Status' it helped me by focusing on what points through the song I need to pronounce and exaggerate the most. Looking over the video when it comes to the chorus or the song building up tempo, they are the places in which I should be over exaggerating my words to give more impact.

Throughout the song I tried my best to emphasise the lyrics, so I focused the camera on only my lips. 

I found it hard to synchronise the lyrics when it was faster than the slower pace lyrics. But with practise and repeating them sections over and over hopefully I will be able to match it all correctly.

Even if it causes a lack of syncing then when editing our music video, shots of the actress will be used to cover it up so that the continuity stays the same. 

As I filmed and edited this video on my Mac, it was my first time using the software 'iMovie' to edit it all. So I thought it would be educating to try and experiment on the different coloured effects and transitions, so in the future I could apply this knowledge when editing other things. 

It also made the video a little more interesting than one long clip on the whole song. Furthermore I had a chance on how to edit it correctly in time with the music, as you can see at the beginning of the song my lip syncing is a couple seconds behind. But Sydney and Frankie in my group have great skills and the ability in matching it all precisely. Therefore editing for our final piece will be shared between all of us, to ensure that our music video is matching the criteria needed to get the best grade we can. 

Evaluation From Filming. Setting: Southend on sea

Pictures from Filming. Setting: Southend on Sea

Bad Shots from Practice filimg

We made this video as we feel that it is important to show the other shots that we filmed on our day of practice filming. We have many more shots and footage that is of good use, however we did not use it as others that we did use were better. This video contains only bad shots to show how we either re-filmed them to make them look better or simply disregarded them as they do not look professional nor convincing.

The first shot that we selected as one of the bad shots is this high angled shot . The focus of the shot is our actress; Frankie, who is shown to be vulnerable through the use of the high angled shot. The high of the shot makes Frankie appear to be small and therefore connotations such as victim and loneliness are implied to the audience through this one simple shot. However, in the shot as the subject falls back, her knickers are on show. This is not a good look due to our target audience. Our target audience are teenagers and so it would not be ideal to show this within our video. Although Frankie is not our artist, many people still look up to and idolise people in music videos: as a result of this it is important that we ensure that we do not influence our audience in the wrong way. In addition to this, we all agree that the angle and mise-en-scene of the shot is very good. The messy unfurnished room implies a sense of carelessness which is the idea that you get from the lyrics. The wine bottle relates to the narrative in our song and we like the way that it is subtly placed in the shot without no real focus: it is simply there.

The next shot that we selected was a mid-shot of our artist walking across a subway. Although the stomping and powerful walk of the artist gives off strong impressions, I think that the shot is out of place as it shows the artist Faith to be walking from one wall to another and this does not make sense. We did get a shot of Faith (Karina) walking through the subway in a liable direction and this we used for our final practice filming piece. The continuity of the shot is also low in quality as for this shot we did not use a tripod. The reason as to why we did not use a tripod is simply because we wanted to experiment with both steadicam and handheld camera effects. In this shot I like how the colour of the clothing shown is black. This is because it suggests a sinister vibe and this is what I got from reading the lyrics. I also like the different colours within the brick work on the walls as they are randomly placed showing that nothing is right and how everything is distorted: alike to the lyrics of the song. The leaves on the floor also have this effect.

This shot is one that I both liked and disliked, however there is so much wrong with it that in order for it to be used in our final video it would need to be filmed again. This is due to the unsteady camera as, again, we did not use the tripod as we were experimenting still. I like the positioning of the artist Faith, the costume, the camera angle and the setting of this shot: however the lighting is too low and needs to be higher in order for the overall shot to look more professional. In this shot the subject walks down the stairs. She looks powerful and confident in the way that she walks. When I was experimenting with editing techniques I used a reverse button that played the shot backwards in reverse mode. This looks modern and is quite effective.

This shot was very bad and I do not think we should use. We had the right idea however our execution of the shot did not go to plan. Karina filmed this shot. She held the camera up to the window and filmed as Frankie drove us along to our next destination. We thought that this might look quite cool and that the miserable weather would suit our genre and match the semantic field of sorrow within the lyrics. The car window was dirty and this is obvious in the shot: making it look unprofessional and amateur like. The camera was also very shaky as Karina found it difficult to hold the camera at a steady rate whilst we driving down sharp country lanes.

This shot has similar criticism alike to the other shots. The camera quality was poor and it looks unclear. This was one of the last shots that we filmed and therefore it was fairly dark outside meaning that it was even harder to see Karina in the shot: especially amongst the strong bright lights of the fast travelling cars. However I still think that having filmed this shot earlier on in the day and having had a better camera this shot could have been really effective. The fast cars travelling only centimetres away from our artist makes her appear daring. This makes our artist Faith appear to be tough which is relatable to the subjects that are mentioned within the lyrics.

This shot is of our actress and group member Frankie. I like the shadow of Frankie's hand on the wall as she is holding a drug. The double sighting of this emphasises the fact that she is taking drugs. No one takes drugs for no apparent reason and therefore the audience would get the enigma of 'why is she taking drugs?'. When listening to the song, the audience would make the connection of the shots of the drugs to the heartbroken theme within the lyrics. However, the fact that Frankie is laughing in the picture could confuse the audience. The narrative that we was attempting to put across on film was that the actress is going crazy as she is love sick and this is why she was taking drugs because her relationship went wrong. However I do not think it necessarily worked in this particular shot.

Finally we have the very first attempt of our opening shot. The reason why this one was bad is because of the unsteady camera. The setting for this shot was in an unfurnished room and therefore there was no set flooring and only concrete. Because of this even with the camera panning along on a skateboard the overall look is still shaking. When we film this again for our final filming we will place down a thick plank of wood or material in order to ensure that the skateboard can glide along on a smooth surface. This will make it look more professional.

Feedback from practice filming

We decided to make this video so that we could document the feedback we got from our target audience of our practise filming. 

We made a group watch the practise filming and give us what went well and what we could be improved on.

They have gave a variety of points which as a group we have taken to consideration and we will be applying all the feedback to our final Music video. 

Permission Email to film in the Drama Hall

One of our settings that we have chosen to use is a plain blacked out room in which we can film the artist singing with lasers and flashing lights over her. The drama hall in brentwood county high is the most suitable and accessible place in order for us to carry out our filming. We emailed the head of the drama department to see whether we was allowed use that hall whenever it was avabible, as classes are held most of the time in there. 

Filming Preparation

Weather

In order for our music video to go as planned, the weather is an important factor. First we have to take in to consideration that we have expensive equipment and will be walking around local areas with it in hand. Therefore if it does rain or thunder we need to ensure that the camera, laptop, tripod etc doesn't get ruined or affected. 

We want to do the filming in the early morning when we film in the basement room, this is because we are hoping for a beam of light to shine through the window and reflect off of the actors face. Later on in the day we are going to travel down to the subway, and although it is underground the weather still does matter. This is because we want it to be quite dark to make it clear that we filmed at night, however we don't want it to be too dull and gloomy so that it isn't even clear. After research i have noticed that with some cameras that don't have as much MB the pixels don't look as clear when filmed dark at night; and the filming never looks as effective. Therefore this is something we need to be careful of. Understanding that it is end of October/ November, we know that it will be really chilly particularly at night so we have ensured that our artist (Karina) will wear a coat so that she isn't too cold and it doesn't come across on camera when she is singing.

We have arranged to some random bits of filming, just to see how it comes across on the camera. for example we thought it would be a good idea if we held the camera at the wind screen throughout the day to film the journey. We will fasten up this filming just to see what it looks like to potentially put it in parts of the video that don't need narration. The filming will be similar to the video below apart from the settings will obviously a lot different.

Something else we're planning on filming is the artist walking along beside the motor way. We think we should do this at night time because all of the bright lights from the cars will be flashing in the background, it will hopefully look really effective and also bring a bit of mystery by making the audience ask where shes going and why. We need to make sure it doesn't rain or the wind is too strong in order for it to work. 

We have been checking the weather forecast on our I phones regularly to make sure that the weather on days we have chosen to film is how we expect it to be.

Setting

Based upon our pitch, we imagined our music video to be urban and edgy. This is due to the lyrics in the song and the fact that there is a semantic field of negativity and heartache throughout the song. Due to the lyrics we feel that it is vital to portray a sense of anger and despair throughout our video and this is why we have chosen specific settings, such as an empty subway, in order to give these connotations. In order for the music video to be effective, appeal to our target audience and to comply with the conventions of Andrew Goodwin's theory (alike to many existing music products) we need to ensure that the settings we pick have the correct purpose.

Unfurnished Room

As a group we feel that the setting of an unfurnished room would portray the idea of loneliness well to the audience as it would appear empty and unloved on screen. This is the impression that we want to give as it would allow the audience to understand the lyrics even further by using necessary visuals. The song is very moving and deep so it is therefore important to use the correct settings as a part of an effective mise en scene.

Subway

Our next desired setting is an underground subway. Again this gives dark negative connotations of loneliness and would make the audience empathise with the characters seen on screen. Although the image to the right appears to be of low key dark lighting, the subway near my house has continuous lights traveling down the ceiling. I feel that this would be a good setting to use as it would provide us with artificial lighting that will emphasis the quality of the video footage that could possibly be damaged due to the conditions of the weather. The brick wall is edgy but simple meaning that not too much will be distracted from the artists herself.

Brick Lane

Using Brick Lane as one of our settings would add in the effects and events of everyday life: making our video appear more realistic. The first two locations would feature only one person on screen because they are private or empty locations (Karina's house and the subway) whereas Brick Lane is a public location and therefore there would be many other people in the background of our footage. This would make the lyrics become more true as they are about people not caring and people being selfish. Therefore if people are walking by in the background whilst ignoring our artist it shows the meaning of the lyrics.

London South Bank

Based upon our research of the previous three settings, I have noticed that we have a dark look. Although this reflects the tone of our song well, it will not be interesting for the audience. This is why we like the next setting which is located in London South Bank. The urban, dull area has been brought to life with bright and colourful graffiti. The theme of vandalism here will portray the mood of the song well whilst adding colour to our video at the same time.

Field

Alike to the previous setting in London South Bank, a field adds colour to our setting list. It is plain and simple so the main focus would be upon the artist. It would be a good idea to flick back and fourth between the chaotic scenes to some plains scenes in order to give the audience some variety. The setting gives connotations of nature and nature is natural. This is good because the lyrics talk about people forgetting about others and only thinking of themselves.

Practice filming final

Practice Filming Preparation

Practice Filming Preparation

In preparation for our practice filming, we have been discussing how we are going to do our makeup and hair, and what will work the best. I found some makeup tutorial videos on YouTube;

I like this video because it fits our idea of how we want the artists makeup to look. Quite old school/ retro with bold lips to suit her personality. Out of all of the videos this one gives the best guidelines and the out come looks really good.

For the actor, we were going for more of a dark, gothic look so I had a look on YouTube and found another tutorial that could help us out when it comes to filming;

I like the eyes in this video because although they have the 'smokey' effect, they look slightly disheveled and careless. This is the look we are going for because we want the actor to look sorrowful and sad. The black under the eyes will make it clear that she has been crying and also that she's very hurt and heartbroken.

 However, I don't think we will use the bright red on the lips for our actor because I think we should keep her dark and mysterious. also we wouldn't want to make her too similar to the artist. So i have found a 'gothic' lip colour that we could use to compliment the dark eyes. Its from Rimmell London, the Kate Moss range. The lipstickis £5.49, its called 'Rossetto' and it is shade number 4. Here is a picture of the lipstick, and what is looks like on;

We have all decided to bring clothes from home so we could choose what looks best and what comes across the best on camera. I have some chunky black boots from river island that fit the criteria for our actors outfit ideally

I have been looking for a baggy, vintage coat to be worn with these boots, preferably an old 'Barbour Wax' style men's coat, I've found one on Ebay that's quite cheap, it looks like this

The reason why I specifically think that this style of coat will look the best is because it has and 'old English' feel to it, which fits in well with our Brick Lane themed shots. Also, a lot of people know that this coat is a male coat, so it could make the audience question who's coat the actor is wearing? and also why she is hiding behind it? The questions will all be answered at the end when the girls broken hearted boyfriend is revealed, and her insecurities become clear.

We are going to do our first bits of practice filming in the subway in Harold Wood, Essex and also in Karina's garage. This is because these will be the most tricky scenes to get right due to the difficulties with lighting. Although, it is very important that they do look how we want them to because they are the most effective scenes. For example the garage scene is the opening and closing scene, and also what we will use to effectively narrate the story to the audience. The subway is also important because we have decided to do a variety of different shots ranging from close ups to long shots to pan shots. Therefore we need to find a different solution if we recognise these settings aren't coming across on camera as well as we'd planned. 

We have borrowed a camera and a tripod from school to bring to our practice filming, although we have already sorted out a professional filming camera to use. This is because we want to be sure that we know what we are doing and we are using the cameras correctly to the best of our ability. If we don't know how to use one; we have backup and can use the other. Another reason why we have 2  cameras is so that we can film using both, and see what one portrays our filming the best when it comes to editing. 

We are filming 2 days in the holidays, this is because we are going to re-shoot anything that goes wrong or we change our mind on.  We are going to travel from one setting to another by car, as I drive, But if worst comes to the worst, or something goes wrong, we have arranged the times of the local bus to ensure we can get to these places without any problems. 

Lyric Analysis

In depth analysis
Overall the main connotations from these lyrics portray anger and a sense of desperation. An example of this would be 'You said you'd be there for me' showing desperation and 'can you see the pain you're causing' showing anger. Within the lyrics there is a semantic field of heartbreak and disappointment from the words 'pain' 'evaded' 'eliminated' 'erased' 'interrogated' 'evil' 'die' 'blood'. Negativity is deeply crafted within the lyrics and therefore we would need to use the mise-en-scene and camera work to portray this within our final video. The lyrics are very strong and our video needs to run parallel with this.

The chorus of the song is highlighted in pink. Repeated throughout is 'can you feel'. The overall song is about getting people to take notice of what is happening around them. This is repeated to emphases this meaning to the audience. In the first verse of the song the lyrics read 'its from my side' reflecting upon how the artist is giving her point of view to the audience.

Final Decision

final pitch by karinasooks on GoAnimate

Treatment

Pitch

Treatment - Target Audience

1. What kind of genre of music do you listen to?
2. What do you look for in a music video?
3. How often do you watch music videos?
4. How old are you?
5. Give an example of what music video you enjoy?
6. Would you get a bad impression if the artist in the music video was taking drugs
7. Do you like effects in a music video?
8. Which name do you prefer, Storm, Imogine, Code-D?