Video Showcase

After our third filming session, we felt happy that we had a substantial amount of professional looking footage. In yesterdays lesson, we uploaded our video into a quicktime movie format, and then showed our footage to our teachers and class members. I found this process exremely helpful, as not only did it help us as pupils to make an informed critique on the work of others, but also provided us with insight into what we could include, and improve in our music video to enusre we acheive the best possible grade that we can.

Shooting #3

Yesterday myself, Yas and Harry met to complete the shooting process for our music video; this time focusing on the areas of our video that needed improving in terms of mis-en-scene, styling, lighting and camera work. Upon analysing the footage in our working version of our music video, edited in final cut express, we acknowledged that we needed to film shots of the artist dancing, and a series of shots where the clothing is changed; while the artist stays in the same position to create a montage of imagery with a post modernistic feel.

We also decided that we would like to further the post modernistic theme of our music video, taking inspiration from the fast-paced editing, sharp cutting and hyperbolic camera movement in Rihanna's S&M video. In our shooting yesterday, we aimed to make a parody through the actions of the artist i.e walking along in tiny steps, struggling with shopping bags whilst wearing sky-scraper high heels.
We also mirrored some stereotypical conventions of music videos such as fans/wind blowing the artists hair backwards, whilst they sing in closeup, looking directly towards the camera.

Our Music Video So Far

Here are some of our favorite shots from our music video so far. We plan to shoot more footage in the week commencing.

Editing Our Footage

Last Monday myself and Yas filmed the newest shot sequences for our music video. The quality of the footage is substantially higher in terms of lighting, costume, angles, timing and general camera work, however due to the lack of tripods some shots are a bit shaky. Myself and harry have manged to order the footage to make a base for our video. I believe that we will definitely have a rough cut of our music video completed by half term.

Incomplete video

This was our first attempt at our music video, it is not fully complete as this is just footage after our first filming session. The reason why we are starting again is because the main character doesn't have the same free time as us, therefore it is hard to set times and date for filming and as you may have noticed in this video she isn't familiar with this song therefore isn't knowledgeable of the lyrics therefore we found most of our time filming the video showing her the words and letting her practice remembering them.


Problems we encountered;

• lighting 
• lyrics
• available time
• organization
• planning 

My feelings about shooting so far

I have been thinking about the productivity of our shooting and have arranged a meeting with the members of my group, Yasmine and Harry, to discuss their theories and feelings about how successful the shooting process was, the productivity of our group so far, and also the quality of the footage we have produced. From the meeting, we have conclusively decided that it would be more efficient if I were to lip sync in the music video footage as the shooting will take place at my house, and I also know the lyrics to the song (this would ensure accuracy in the lip syncing process as we will not have to teach another person the lyrics). This would also increase our groups productivity and organisation skills. Therefore we have agreed to arrange to shoot new footage within the next few days.

Shooting

Last night myself and Harry shot various sequences from our original storyboards. We shared the camera work and music timing tasks, I also did the styling, hair and makeup. We asked our friend from school, Joanne Pride, to be our actress. We have planned to do more shooting in the commencing week.

Shooting Preparation

Finalised Storyboards

Actor's aesthetic

During a meeting between myself and my team we collaboratively allocated tasks to each group member in order to finalise our shooting preparation, and ultimately improve our efficiency, time keeping and overall cooperation as a team.

I drew each frame of the storyboards to convey the overall narrative structure, shot sequences, props and mis-en-scene of our music video. I have also devised a series of images conveying the aesthetic of the actress within our video which portrays the ideology of objectification through vanity, fortune and fame which is so predominant throughout our music video.

The props include champagne bottles and champagne glasses, materials mimicking drugs and cigarettes to convey opposing elements deriving from the current predominant elements of 21st century life, and the life style of admiration seekers, anti-authority rebels and materialist demographics.

We have planned a minimum of 3 shooting days, where we plan to shoot separate segments of the narrative. We will use a series of settings at the same location ranging from a dark and mysterious bedroom representing the glamorous boudoir of the artist, to the backseat of my car to represent a car/limousine to primarily highlight a materialistic lifestyle.