2nd Shoot Day

  

Today was the filming of the dance and stock motion elements. I have taken pictures to document the process of the day.

Today was the filming of the dance and stock motion elements.
First thing we had to give the dancers their costumes and do their hair and makeup. Then we could bring them onto the ready built and furnished set.
Obviously, we started off by shooting a wide of the dance and then went in closer on the action, by changing the lens of the Sony F.
For the stock motion element, we kept the Canon 5D camera in the same position in order to create the effect of the lion appearing.

I felt that overall we had a successful day. However, at the beginning of the process we lacked communication skills between the group and we often forgot to make it clear that we were 'standing by' and ready to 'roll the camera'. But once we were reminded of the importance of the commands, we became more focused as a group.

Performance Cut Feedback

 After the first shoot with the band, using 'Premier Pro' editing software, we cut a performance cut for our music video. After this was completed, Luke gave the group some feedback of what we can work on and what he liked. 

What he liked:

- The camera work was very well executed and was complimented through the editing 

-The tracking shots added a great texture to the piece

Criticisms:

-There was often random shots where the audience could only see the wallpaper during the tracking shots, showing that we need to cut more regularly between shots
-As it is a performance ased video we need to include more shots of the singer- this is what management would be interested in
-Finally, he said that we should cut into the start of the track a bit later, as it starts off as a bit dead

As a group we have taken this feedback very positively and will help us become more confident when editing the dance element/

Music Video Shoot

Lion The Weak ALbum Artwork

These are the bands existing album artworks. They all have a similar style as they are all black and white and follow this nature theme, showing their organic and their alternative style. We will probably follow a similar style to their existing artworks. I like the idea of using the lions face to be a motif in their artworks.

Day before the shoot

Calum and I got together to brief what are the aims and intentions for our first shoot day. Having obviously developed from this aspect we thought about all the different shots we wanted to take and we decided to include a tracking shot of the band to create more movement in the upbeat track. Additionally, we thought about using slow motion, however I feel that this would be a more interesting effect for the narrative or the graffiti narrative. 

Digipaks

As we develop the star image of the band, Lion The Weak, we are going to create a Digipak for the album 'Nights Out'. There are lots of conventions and styles of a Digipak, which we have been researching in class.

Definition: The CD DigiPak is a modern, stylish alternative to a CD Jewel Case. CD Digipaks are a custom printed card packaging that can hold one or more CDs which are held in place with plastic trays.

What is a CD Digipak? Class discussion...

-They’re a traditional format, which we can buy online

-We can download album  artwork when buying the track/s online

-Digipaks typically consist of a gatefold (book-style)

-Conventions are a widely recognised way of doing something

-The spine becomes the index point

-There is a front cover, back cover, a CD page and an inside cover

A Jewel Case

A Digipak

Layout of a Digipak

Here are some of the typical conventions of a DigiPak:

• A maximum of 2 fonts
• An image that represents the album
• Bold, clear and easy to read font for both the album name and artist name. 
• Recurring visual style
• A tracklist on the back of the album
• The name of the album on the spine
• Production notes on the bottom of the rear of the album, including copyright issues
• A barcode

 Local Natives
The Local Natives are a similar style of band to Lion The Weak. For their album artwork they decided to follow an urban style cover. It is a black and white cover with splashes of colour from their exploding heads. This is a really eye catching and busy album artwork and it also gives the opportunity to introduce the band to their artists. I can tell that this is a very alternative band because of their outfit choices.

Alt-J

Again Alt-J have a similar style but are a lot more famous than Lion the Weak and Local Natives.  This is their most famous artwork cover. This is an interesting cover because of the different colours and textures.

Costumes for Dancers

Developing from the 1920's Beth and I are looking at potential costumes for Liv and Harry the dancers.
Dresses:

We have spoken to Harry about his costume and he has appropriate trousers and a shirt for the shoot, so we would like him to bring those in.
In searching for the dress, Beth and I searched online and found the bottom two dresses of the collage. We went to Loz for some advice about our choices and she told us she has the same material and shape dress but in turquoise. Beth and I liked the sound of this dress and asked her to bring it in. 

The Roaring Twenties

I have been thinking about the image of the band and how we can link it to the our new 1920's props we have. I have been researching dancers over the era and I think it would be really exciting to take a Charleston spin on the dance routine but then make it modern by using modern costumes with a 'swing' feel and when editing experiment with slow motion and rewind.

 

I really like this collaboration of 1920s dancing, it has given me some good inspiration for changing the image of the music video.

Risk Assesment

 

Guidance Video  - I referred to this YouTube video to make sure that I did not forget to include any important details.

Call Sheet

On behalf of the team I have put together a call sheet, which I will send to the band members and the rest of the group. As this will be the first time the band have been to Hurtwood, I have included a map of around the school to make their journey easier, and in case if anything goes wrong, they have plenty of numbers to contact.

Email from the band

Earlier on in the month I sent out an email asking the band for permission to use their song, 'Wasted Words'.  From the email above we have been granted permission, and we have been given the all clear on the new date for the shoot. This is a very good email and deserves to be blogged.

Meeting with TA

Before half term the team met up with the set designer, Tracey Ann, to confirm our set in the TV Studio. Today we had a look at some of the props that she got for us.

Although I feel that we have completely lost our idea of a contemporary 80s set and furniture, I do like the props that are available.

Here are the props:

Shoot Date Change

Due to the unavailability of the band on our original shoot day, we have had to change the date to

Saturday 15th November. 

We have already emailed our dancers, letting them know the updated plans and we are awaiting to hear back from the band, to confirm that they are available for this date. I have also spoken to Doug, head of Performing Arts at Hurtwood, to make sure that everyone involved with this music video, will not need to miss rehearsals, and we have been given the all clear.

If the 15th does end up being our date, this means that we need to make sure we have all our props by the end of the week. Additionally, we will have to organise to stay late on the Friday to build our set after the previous shoot does their get out. Today my group is feeling the pressure.

Getting ready for the Shoot Day

On the day there will be a number of roles that the group will all need to play...

• Director- directs shot selection and look
• Sound Engineer- playback
• Producer- will think about health and safety, that we are following the schedule, that everyone is happy as the shoot unfolds
• Art and Set Designer- to give direction in terms of set, costume and makeup
• Cinematographer- changes lenses, framing angles, choosing shot selections

We will probably collaborate as we will be working together to get the final piece. Although on the day it will be a creative process, we still need to make sure that everyone understands their role, to keep the day organised and efficient. We are looking at taking 100-150 shots on the day apparently, so it is important we keep on top of everything.