A shot list is an important and useful part of the planning stage. By creating a shot list, I will know what shots I need when I go to film, allowing me to save time when I'm at my locations. This is important if I hire out a location or equipment for a certain amount of time.
I can also give my actors a copy of the shot list, so they know what they need to be doing in each shot. I will include a range of different columns, which show different information. Here are what I plan to include:
Type of shot- This will remind me what sort of shot I planned when I'm at location. Although I will only put one shot on my Shot List, I will probably take a range when filming to ensure that I have alternatives if it doesn't have the effect I wanted it too when editing.
Actor- This will show me exactly who I need in each shot. However, when looking at my Animatic, my main actor will be in almost all of my shots, so this column might not be that useful.
Location- This will be useful if I am filming at multiple locations, as I can clearly see what shots I need at each location. This will allow me to save time, and not have to repeatedly think about what shots I need.
Description- This column will include one or two sentences on what happens in each shot. This will be useful to me, as I can check what is needed for each shot. It will also be useful for my actor(s) as they know what they need to be doing in each scene.
My Shot List
Shots Key:
ES- Establishing Shot
CU- Close Up
OTS- Over the Shoulder
MS- Mid Shot
Here is my finished Shot List. The shot list will allow me to stay organised when I am filming, and quickly see what shots I need at each location. I also included the timing of when each shot will play to help me when it comes to the Post-Production Stage. However, I may not stick exactly to my shot list if the shots don't have the effect I intended for them to have.
Props are a crucial part of any type of film. They allow the audience to instantly get an idea on a characters personality and interests, and are very important when telling a story. Because my music video includes both Narrative and Performance, I will more than likely have quite a few props. There are multiple things I must consider when choosing the right prop:
Price- Obviously, the prop must be affordable for my use. Because of this, I must carefully consider all of the options and take the price into account
Appearance- The prop must suit the mood of my music video. From my lyric analysis, I found that my chosen song is about the end of a relationship. Therefore, I imagine my chosen props to be darkly coloured.
Ease of transport- The props I use must be able to be transported to my filming locations. If the prop is too big, then I may struggle to get it to where I am filming. I must keep this in mind when choosing props.
Prop 1- Picture of a couple
Because my chosen song is about the end of a relationship, my planned music video includes the main actor looking at a photo of his past relationship, then ripping it up, representing his anger and regret. Therefore, I will need to find a suitable picture to feature in my music video, and find another actor to help take this photo. I plan to just import this photo to my computer, then print it out. This is due to paper being easy to tear and is also very affordable. Additionally, because I want more than one take of each shot to ensure that I do not have to re-film, using paper means that I can print multiple copies of the photo without it being too expensive.
Prop 2- Guitar
The next prop I plan to use is a guitar for the performance parts of my music video. My plan includes the main actor to be playing the guitar, and lip-syncing to the song, shown at 0:49 in my animatic. However, I must consider multiple factors when choosing the guitar. First, it must be suitably coloured for my music video. I plan for the guitar to be either dark red, dark blue or black, as these colours represent the sadness and anger that the singer is experiencing. The guitar must also be affordable, so I decided to research some options.
My first option was a Yamaha guitar. Although the colour of the guitar is suitable, it will cost me over £100 which is way over my budget. I expected this, as a decent guitar isn't cheap.
My second option was a LAG guitar although the guitar is cheaper, it is still much more expensive than I planned to spend. However, the colour of the guitar is exactly what I planned to use.
Having researched into different guitars, I found that it will be way too expensive to buy. Therefore, I am planning to borrow a guitar from a friend. This means that I will not have to spend anywhere near as much money as buying a new guitar.
Prop 3- Drum Kit
I also plan to use a drum kit in my video, to support the performance element of my music video. Because my chosen artist, Biffy Clyro, is a band, I felt that I needed more than one performer in my music video. I plan for the drum kit to be a similar colour to the guitar. It appears first at 58 seconds through my animatic. Although the drum kit may be large, I think that using a car provides a good method of transportation. I then researched the price of a drum kit.
The first drum kit I found was a Tiger Kit. I felt that the colours were suitable for my music video. However, even though it was one of the cheapest kits I found, it is still way over my budget. Also, it is a junior kit, which may make my video look unprofessional and would be uncomfortable for the actor to play.
The next kit I found was a Herald kit. It is a similar colour and would be suitable to use in my music video. However, it is still too expensive and I am not willing to pay that much.
Luckily, I own my own drum kit which I feel is suitable for usage in my music video. It is dark red, which is a suitable colour as it connotes the emotions the singer is experiencing. Although it is large and has multiple, separate drums and cymbals, I feel that a car would still be able to transport it to the location I choose.
In my opinion, my blog is good. I feel that I have posted sufficient and detailed evidence of the different methods of research and planning I have carried out. I think that I have met deadlines and my work is to a good standard. However, I think that some of my posts can be improved. For example, one of my posts for the Existing Music Video research is weaker than my others.
I also think that the range of digital technologies I have used is wide. For example, I used Prezi to present my pitch for my music video. I have also used GIFS, images and embedded videos to support my research and planning.
My next steps will be to complete the planning of my music video. I intend to keep these posts to the same or better standard than what I have already posted, as this will allow me to get into the higher marks for my blog.
Costumes can have a very influential impact on how the audience receive and react to a music video. They can help portray a characters personality, interests and mood. Because of this, I must plan the costumes I want my actors to wear in my music video very carefully. I have made a criteria on what costume my actors will wear:
It must fit the mood of the song- Because my chosen song, Biblical, is about an ended relationship, I want my actors to wear dark colours. This will also fit with the dark lighting I will feature in my music video.
Relatable to the target audience- The costume must be similar to what my target audience will wear. Biffy Clyro are a rock band, so I will have to further research into what the audience wears.
Must be affordable- Because I have a low budget, the costume must be reasonably cheap. This means that I must consider multiple options on costumes.
I then used Google Images to find some images on what types of clothing Biffy Clyro, my chosen band, tend to wear. I put the images I found into a collage.
Here are the options I am considering:
Costume 1- Denim Jacket
The first costume I considered is a denim jacket. This is because I found denim jackets to be a common piece of clothing when looking at images of Biffy Clyro. Additionally, denim isn't a bright or outstanding colour, which fits the intended mood and message of my music video. I searched different clothing websites to find an average price for a denim jacket.
I found that the average price is around £20-£30. In my opinion, this is a reasonable price, but I want to compare it with my other options before making a decision.
Costume 2- Short Sleeve Shirt
A short sleeve shirt was another popular piece of clothing I found when looking at pictures of Biffy Clyro. This is a good option, as it is likely that my chosen actor will already own one. However, I still decided to research the price range, incase he doesn't.
I think that this is a more affordable option. It may also be more comfortable for the actor to perform in. However, I must be careful of the colour of the shirt, as it must be suitable to portray the meaning of the song in my video. For example, a dark red or black shirt will be effective, as the song is about a break-up in a relationship.
Costume 3- Sleeveless Shirt
Not only were sleeveless shirts popular in Biffy Clyro music videos, but also in the other rock music videos I researched into as well. This makes it a strong option for what costume I choose to feature in my music video. I found some suitable sleeveless shirts online.
I think that these sleeveless shirts are very suitable, as they are dark coloured and popular in my target audience. However, my problem is that my actor may be slightly uncomfortable performing in one, and will weaken his acting.
Whatever option I use, I will pair it with black skinny jeans. This is because they are very popular in rock music fans, and will make my video more appealing and relatable to them. Also, black skinny jeans are sold in almost all mens clothing shops, so I will not have a problem getting them. It is also likely that my chosen actor will already own a pair.
Using footage of a student lip syncing to Adele's Rolling in the Deep, I practised editing and chroma keying using Premiere Pro. Firstly, I imported both the original music video and the footage of Ellie lip syncing into Premiere Pro.
I then placed both the original music video and the soundtrack onto my timeline, and the green screen footage on the layer above. This meant that when I removed the green background, Ellie would be placed over the original music video.
I then used the Eight Point Garbage Matte to crop most of the green screen footage. This helped reduce the amount of different shades of green in the video, meaning that there will be less imperfections in the finished clip. However, I had to be careful that I did not crop out any of Ellie's movements, as it would make parts of her disappear.
I then used the Ultra Key feature to remove the green screen background. The pipette tool allowed me to select the green background, and Premiere Pro then removed any similar colours it could identify. This meant that Ellie now appeared to be in the original music video.
Because the green screen was creased when filming the lip syncing, there appears to be slight mistakes in the edited version. However, if I decide to use green screening in my music video, then I will make sure that the green screen isn't creased and is carefully ironed.
There is a wide range of cameras available to me to use when filming my music video. In my opinion, it is crucial that I choose the right camera to film with, as I want my video to look professional and aesthetically appealing. For example, the camera must be able to film in a high enough frame rate, as the performance parts of my music video will include lots of movement. It must also be able to film in a high enough quality in the darker scenes of my production. Because of this, I tested out some of my options to help me make my choice.
Camera 1- Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ200
My first option was the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ200. I researched the specifiations of the camera, and found a table which can be found here.
This camera allows me to film in 1920 x 1080 pixels, which means that my recorded footage will be high definition. It can also record Motion for up to 100 minutes, which is plenty of time for me to use. It also offers a slow motion feature, which I may decide to use for some parts of the performance element in my music video. I decided to test out the slow motion feature to evaluate it's quality.
Here is the footage I filmed when practising using the Slow-Motion feature on the Panasonic camera. This means that if I want to use some slow-motion shots when creating my music video, then I know how to film it. It also gave me an idea on the quality of the footage filmed on the camera. Clearly, the 200fps VGA footage is much darker and a different resolution than the 100fps footage. I am unsure of the reason for this, as I recorded the different shots one after the other, without changing any settings on the camera. Because of this, I will most likely use the 100fps HD MP4 mode if I decide to use slow-motion in my final product.
Camera 2- Canon EOS 1100D
Another camera available to me is the Canon EOS 1100D. This camera allows me to film in HD, at 25 or 30 Frames per Second. Although the Panasonic camera can film in up to 240 FPS, the Canon will still allow me to capture smooth footage to use in my music video. To get an idea on how the footage filmed by the Canon looked, I searched for some YouTube videos that demonstrated the camera in use.
Although this video only shows still shots, I feel that the Canon's quality is good enough for me to use in my music video. I think that that although the Panasonic films in a higher frame rate, the quality of the Canon is better.
Camera 3- Nikon D3200
The third camera available to me is the Nikon D3200. This camera also allows me to film in Full HD (1080p). This is important, as I want my music video to look as professional as possible. I then searched for a YouTube video of the Nikon in use, to compare the quality to my other options.
In conclusion, I think that the Canon camera offers me the best quality. Although the other cameras record in a higher Frame Rate, I think that 30fps is sufficient for what I want to use. The quality of the Canon's recording is very good, and will allow me to make an aesthetically appealing video,
Choosing the right location is a crucial part of creating any type of media production. If the location is too loud, busy or doesn't have the right lighting, then the production will not have the intended effect on the audience. Because of this, I have to be very sure that my chosen location is the right one. When choosing, I will take these factors into account:
Suitability- If, for example, the location is very light and full of bright colours, then it will not have the intended effect on my target audience, and will not illustrate the meaning of the song. Also, if the location is too busy, then it will be very difficult and awkward to film.
Availability- The location must be available for me to film in. Obviously, if the location is busy, then I won't be able to film there. To overcome this problem, I will be organised when planning my filming schedule.
Distance- The locations must be reasonably close for me to film in, due to travel costs and time issues. If it takes a long while to travel to the location, then I will have less time to film and possibly will have to travel on multiple days. Additionally, if I need to get the right lighting or weather when filming, then travelling a long distance may create problems, as the weather can quickly change.
Location 1 - Harvester Forest
The first possible location I have considered is the Harvester Forest. The reason I have chosen this location is because it is quiet, and hardly any people visit it regularly. This is perfect for the narrative part of my music video, as I require an isolated location to amplify the characters loneliness. My main character will be sitting down in the empty field, looking into the distance and lip-syncing with the song.
The only problem I can imagine with this location is that it is near a main road, shown by the screenshot of Google Maps. This means that there might be unplanned noise. However, because I will edit my chosen song over the video, it means that I can mute the diegetic sound.
I think that this location is suitable, as it is in walking distance so timing won't be a problem. It's also rarely busy, so filming will be easy, with little distractions or interruptions. Additionally, because it isn't owned by anyone, I do not have to contact anyone to organise filming times.
Location 2- Zombie Hut, Corby
My second location is the Zombie Hut in Corby. I plan to use this location for the performance shots in my music video. The band will be performing on stage, playing their instruments and the singer will lip-sync to the song.
I think this location is suitable, as the technology there allows me to control the lighting in the room when I film. This means that I can create a suitable mood that amplifies the singers emotions and portrays the meaning of the song. The stage also creates a great setting, as everyone associates stages with performance and music. From my music video research, I found that stages are a common location in rock music videos.
The only problem is that because the Zombie Hut is a popular location, it may be hard to organise a filming schedule when both the location and my chosen actors are available. Also, because of the performance, I will have to find a way to transport large props like guitar amps and a drum kit.
Location 3- Bedroom
An alternative location for the performance shots of my music video is a bedroom. Although it may not be as convincing as a real stage, it creates a sense of originality and is relatable for small bands who still practise at home. Also, it illustrates the singers emotions, as he is excluding himself from the outside world and is hiding away in his own room.
I think that this location is suitable, as it requires no travelling or transporting props. Also, there will be no issues with availability of the location. The only problem will be controlling the lighting in the bedroom, so I will have to carefully plan what time of day I will film.
