Bazza's Feedback

Barney watched the first rough cut i made the other day, and gave us some feedback. Basically, he said that if it is entirely performance based, we should probably get the narrative filmed so we can do something else in the video. He also said that we shouldn't cut from singer to different angle of singer, which i did accidentally as the different layers were on top of each other, so when i cut a bit out of one, it just showed the one beneath it, and i put the 2 of the singer on top of each other.

I also need to sync it up a bit more, some of the singing is slightly out, which i only noticed after watching the video a few times, and there is a bit of the drummer at the end which is totally out of sync. I also put in a lot of footage of the drummer, and should probably use something else.

When i was first editing this, i really like the quick cuts at the start, but the more i watch it, the less i like it, because it just seems too quick and out of place. I prefer the slower cuts that start about halfway through. I also think it would be easier to use slower cuts because it means i can use the other footage at other points int he video. The music all sort of blurs into itself so there isn't really definitive tunes to try and sync to, which means i can put some bits of footage pretty much anywhere in the video.

Problems

We had decided that we were going to use some footage of the band in their rehearsal, and some of their live gig at the Junction. We had planned on filming some of the show tonight, as we were told they were playing around half 7. However in reality they are apparently not playing until half past 9, and neither me or mike can hang around long enough to get the film and get home, due to relying on public transport to get home.

We also tried to film the narrative but the guy we agreed to be in it, decided not to turn up so we didn't do that. The video is now entirely performance based instead of having a narrative, but we may try and re-record it if we feel necessary.

Target Audience

This is the target audience for our music video.

First Rough Cut

This is the initial rough cut for our music video. I edited this together in about an hour earlier, so it isn't perfect. We have yet to get all the footage for our actual video, but i decided to see what it would look like with just the video from our initial shoot.

Process of making a music video

When making a video, there are several steps to comsider before it is released. Firstly, the video commissioner at a record company asks potential directors or production companies for ideas. Then the directors must pitch their ideas/concepts, based entirely on a simply crief they have been supplied and the track.

The record company then chooses the pitch they like most and allocates a budget. This has decreased massively in the past years, but is still a decent amount. The producer looks after budgeting and arrangements. A percentage of the budget is allocated to this role. The director of photography and art director are bought on board. The art director oversees the planning of the look, scouts for locations and plans shots etc.

The shoot for the music video usually takes place in one very long day. There is then on offline edit, where the editor assembles all the footage over a few days. Record companies and artists may want to watch it and suggest changes. The next step is the online edit, adding special effects and readying the final version. The video is then delivered the the client, and shown on TV etc.

Ad for Music Video

This is an advert i made for the music video we are creating. the date at the end is a rough estimate of when it might be finished.

Model Release Form

This is an image of the model release form that we need signed in order to use people in our music video. i will need each member of the band to sign this before i can use it.

Editing

We started editing today, we captured some test footage, to make sure that the video and audio was working right and stuff. We then cut the various different songs out. We recorded the same song over and over again so i cut the one long video into several shorter ones so we could watch each video with no trouble. When Mike gets here, we will be able to sync the video up to the pre-recorded version of the song, and hope it works.

Filming

Today, me and Mike went filming for our music video. We had arranged with the band to have a practice session, where we could basically get some footage of the band and assorted close ups and whatnot of them as they played the song. We got totally lost on the way to the place, but we found our way there in the end. We got the band to play through the song about 8 times, and recorded it every time. This is so we have plenty of footage to sort through, so there is no chance that we can miss any part of the song. We have also organized to get some footage when they play at the Junction on Friday. Simon has kindly said we can go on stage and get some shots into the crowd, and we are also hoping to get some video footage from in the crowd, looking up at them.

Talk with Ed Lovelace

Ed Lovelace was a Long Road student between 2000 and 2002. This was around the time when iMacs had just come out and the only editing software they had was something called iMovie. They were also using tapes and stuff so editing was an incredibly long and boing process. After finishing at Long Road he went on to study at Bourneouth University. During his time at Uni, he had to do a work placemnt so he became a runner for a few months. This is usually what you are told to do because it is seen as your way into the industry, however he says it is a waste o time because you are just the team guy and nobody is going to give you a chance unless you can prove to them thatyou can make stuff. Don't just sit around and wait for the opportunity to come to you.

He also told us that planning is key to a succesful project, but mood boards and storyboarding not so much. If you have a good idea and plan it well, it should work out well, but if you have a bad idea, no matter how much you storyboard it, you aren't going to get a better product.

After deciding being a runner is a bad idea, Ed went to a music label and started to make really low budget music videos for them. One of these is Gallows video for Abandon Ship. This ideo if quite cleverly done, as it looks like it is all done for the same song, however it was recorded throughout the entire gig, and they just put the footage in where they thought they could get away with it, which is easier in that style of music, as the mike was held very close to the singers mouth and his hand was covering it so you couldn't try to lip sync it ayway. They used 8 cameras, and for such a small venue, did a very good job of not getting ay footage with the other cameras in. He was lucky to get the video done, because a few weeks before the shoot, Gallows got signed to a much bigger label.

Him and a friend then joined Pulse Films, in Soho, and who act as their agent, and find them work to do. They formed their own production company D.A.R.Y.L, and have started to make music videos with a budget of more then £100 (Gallows). They made 2 videos for Cage the Elephant. each with a bidget of around £40K. While deciding what to do for the music video for CtE, they talked with the band, and the frontman basically wanted to go nuts on every video idea they had. They then decided to just have a video where the lead singer was alowed to go nuts. They set it in a mental home and just let him do it. Surprisingly, it worked.

They have recently started to work on their frst feature film entitled Werewolves in America. They basically follow this guy around on tour, who plays in peoples front rooms and then asks for somewhere to crash as he has no money and lives on what he is given.

Storyboard

This is our animatic storyboard.

Storyboard

As our music video is a performance, it also has a narrative. I had to storyboard the person running to get to the gig on time. This was the easiest part to do as I knew exactly what shot types I wanted and it was also easy to draw. Drawing the band's performance was the hardest part. I had to draw each band member from a different angle and since i am not the best drawer in the world, this was very hard to do. I managed to draw most of the shots, but in the end i gave up and instead wrote a shot list.

Props/ Costumes

The prop's needed for the shoot are: a guitar, a microphone, a drumkit and whatever instruments the rest of the band members play. We would also need a poster advertising the band's gig. A watch would also be needed for the narrative side of the video.

In terms of the costumes, the band members will be performing in casual clothes. The person in the narrative would also be wearing casual clothes.

Shot List

These are the different camera angles we are hoping to get whilst filming the band's performances.

1) A mid-shot of the band playing together

2) A mid shot of the band playing from behind

3) A mid shot of the vocalist

4) a close up of the vocalist's face

5) A side on shot of the vocalist

6) A pan around shot of the vocalist

7) A pan around shot of the guitarist

8) A pan around shot of the drummer

9) A mid-shot of the guitarist

10) A close up of the guitar itself

11) A high angle shot of the guitarist

12) A close up of the guitar (only the solo)

13) A mid-shot of the drummer

14) A close-up of the drummer

15) A high angle shot of the drummer

Any crowd shots of their gig at the Junction on the 16th October may also be used.

Shooting

My main problem with our music video is that Mike seems to know what is going on, but apparently won't tell me. He is going to see the band tomorrow to organise when we can use them all and when we can film them so i will upload an actual shooting schedule when i get some times and dates off him.