Monday Meeting 24/11/2014

In today's lesson we worked on syncing the first minute of the video up to the music. This was accomplished in Imovie.

Here is the first 30 seconds of the video

Filming session feedback

Our first official filming session was completed on the 12th of November.

We only had a one hour time slot due to the drama studio being used by members of staff and other students, so we made sure we were adequately prepared.


To set up the studio, we first cleared the floor to make bringing in the instruments easier. We then loaded up the cargo trolley with the drum kit and hardware. Taking the instruments required multiple trips so we were helped by some other students to move the instruments as quickly as possible.

The layout of the room was inspired by bands such as mallory knox

The drum kit was placed on an elevated stand, with a guitarist either side and a singer in the middle.



We referred back to previous posts when choosing angles - here are a few that are similar.

We were not able to fully film the entire song as we only had one hour to film, and the equipment had to be transported back to their respective departments at the end of the day, which cut into our hour.

Monday Meeting 17/11/2014

In today's meeting we discussed the tasks that were to be completed in the week.

We were able to film a large portion of our song, and will use these clips along with our previous footage (the postcards) to form the basis of our video.

The tasks for this week are as follows:

• Import the footage onto each of our computers
• Download and import the song into our iMovie projects
• experiment with the footage we have individually before meeting again next monday and working as a group to discover which videos look best

Mise-en-scene

In our filming process, the most important thing we need to consider is mise-en-scene

The definition of mise-en-scene is "The arrangement of everything that appears in the framing – actors, lighting, décor, props, costume "

Actors:

We used actors as both extras in the video, and as members of the band. We didn't have a specific look for our actors so we recruited our friends as it was easier to film them. We will ensure the actors are briefed on what is required of them such as turning up on time, wearing the correct costume and acting correctly. 

Lighting: 

For our lighting, we will use the lighting rig in the drama studio. The lighting rig is a professional lighting desk, which means that the lights are customisable and we can adjust the intensity and brightness of the lights. 

Props: 

The Instruments are ready to take up. We will be using a Drum kit, Electric Guitar, Bass Guitar and Microphone with a mic stand. We will also use amplifiers in our shots so that the band look professional. 

Filming preparation

Here are some images from our filming session.

This image shows the typical costume we used in our video. The actor is wearing a T-shirt and jeans. The other actors also wore similar costumes.

This image shows our filming space and the setup we used. We used the rostrum to place the drum kit on, and for the guitarists to sit on.

Here is the finished set up. This image was taken from where we had placed the tripod for the filming. The shot frames the actors well, and means that we can easily edit out things in the background because there are no large distractions.

Health and Safety procedures

We assessed and evaluated the health and safety risks of the equipment and location we were using.

Transporting the instruments:

• The instruments are heavy, so rather than carry them up the stairs and risking injury we decided to use the cargo trolley and the lift. This will allow us to load up the drum kit and transport it in one or two trips.
• We ensured that the studio had adequate fire escapes in the unusual event of a fire breaking out
• We also made sure that there were no tripping hazards, and we will make sure there are no loose wires when we start to film.

Monday Meeting

Leading up to the filming session on Wednesday, we made last minute checks that the filming would go smoothly. 

The actors are ready, knowing what time and where to arrive.

The props are accounted for and only need to be transported.

The lighting desk is set up correctly.

The cameras are booked and ready to use.

This lesson was very brief as Mr Liddell was absent due to an injury. More updates will be posted once the filming is complete.

Draft Storyboard

We drafted a small story board in order to work out what scenes we needed to film. We also wrote a list of people who would be featured in our music video and ticked them off as they agreed to participate.

Filming Schedule - Band Video.

In order to meet deadlines, the group created a filming schedule.

These are the scenes that need filming :

1. The band performing the song both in the studio and outside.
2. The promenade scene.
3. The timelapse of the liverpool skyline

The schedule we created is as follows.

Wednesday 12/11/14:

1.15-3.00pm: Set up the studio in preparation for filming, then film the band.

Location: D2 drama studio. We have ensured that the studio is free to use at this time, and that we will have adequate time to set up our equipment.

Props: Instruments - Drum Kit, Bass Guitar, Electric Guitar, Mic stand and Microphone, Amplifiers.
We have obtained permission to use these instruments, and we will use the cargo trolley to transport them into the studio.

Costume: The band members will bring their costumes to change into before shooting the music video. They know what costumes they will wear as I have briefed them using my previous blog post.

If the shoot goes successfully, the filming should be completed in this time period.


We will focus on this scene first as this is one of the most important scenes in the video. Once this is filmed we will schedule the filming of the other scenes.

Postcard Footage

Here is an example of the footage we shot of the extras using the postcards.

These will be edited into the video, and the shots using the postcards with the lyrics on them will appear at the same time they are sung. 

Irwin Media Logo

We have created a logo for our production company, cementing the company as an established brand.

Story Location

We have decided on some other locations for the section of the music video that doesn't include the band playing their instruments.

These are:

• The New Brighton Promenade overlooking Liverpool

• Central/Vale Park

• Various Areas around the school- e.g sports hall, field. 

We chose to use the New Brighton promenade because of the iconic Liverpool skyline. It is very recognisable and adds a sense of professionalism to the video.

We chose the two parks because of the wide open spaces they provide. It will be possible to film without being disturbed.

Postcards

Here is a selection of the postcards we used in one of the scenes in the video. As you can see, the postcards all feature the colour blue heavily. This, coupled with the lyrics from the song link to the name of the song- dark blue.

Monday Meeting 3/11/2014

In today's meeting we discussed the following:

• organising filming
• costumes
• props
• time frames

1. Organising Filming

In order to film our video, we need the following:

Video Camera: We have a suitable camera to use

Instruments: The group has permission to use the instruments as and when they're needed.

Actors: Our group have picked actors that are suitable for our music video, and have discussed when times when they are available.

Lights: The group is using the professional lighting rig in the Drama Studio.

2. Costumes

Costumes have been decided as evident in my previous blog post. The actors know what to wear on the day of filming.

3. Props

Props have been organised. The post card shots have been filmed already, the only other props used are instruments.

4. Time frames

The group is still discussing what times will be suitable for filming. Some sections will be filmed outside so the weather will need to be adequate. 

Organising our Actors

This particular brief requires our group to be organised - we will be using many extras in our video so we need to organise times when they can all film.

We will use these actors in our video.

The Band

Our Band will consist of me on the drums, Henry on the guitar, Adam on the bass guitar and Will as the singer. We will all need to be free on one day to film the song.

Postcard holders

This group of people will consist of our friends. They will hold up the postcards in our music video.
It will be preferable if they are all free at one time, but this isn't important as they can be taken to film at any time.