| Start Time | End Time | Shot Type | Description | Transitions/ Effects |
| 0s | 5s | Cut-in | Morning alarm | Fade Transition |
| 5s | 7s | Mid | Protagonist Sleeping | Fade Transition |
| 7s | 17s | Mid | Protagonist Waking Up | Fade to black |
| 17s | 21s | Tracking | Walking in park | |
| 21s | 23s | Mid | Walking into bathroom | |
| 23s | 25s | Cut-in | Protagonist Washing face | |
| 25s | 29s | Tracking | Walking in park | |
| 29s | 33s | Over the shoulder | Looking in mirror | |
| 33s | 35s | Over the shoulder | Brushing Teeth | |
| 35s | 37s | Mid | Showering | |
| 37s | 39s | Over the shoulder | Putting on coat | |
| 39s | 45s | Low Angle | Finding photo | |
| 45s | 51s | Cut-in / POV | Looking at photo | Fade Transition / Gaussian Blur |
| 51s | 59s | Point-of-view | Girl running into sea | Sepia effect / Old film grain |
| 59s | 1m 5s | Point-of-view | Girl in sea | Sepia effect / Old film grain |
| 1m 5s | 1m 9s | Point-of-view | Girl posing | Sepia effect / Old film grain |
| 1m 9s | 1m 15s | Point-of-view | Lying on beach | Sepia effect / Old film grain + Fade Transition / Gaussian Blur |
| 1m 15s | 1m 17s | Point-of-view | Drinking Cocktail | Sepia effect / Old film grain |
| 1m 17s | 1m 23s | Point-of- view | Walking on holiday | Sepia effect / Old film grain |
| 1m 23s | 1m 27s | Tracking | Walking in park | Fade Transition / Gaussian Blur |
| 1m 27s | 1m 31s | Mid | Tuning guitar | |
| 1m 31s | 1m 35s | Tracking | Walking in park | |
| 1m 35s | 1m 39s | Mid | Playing guitar | |
| 1m 39s | 1m 51s | Point-of-view | Balancing on tree | Sepia effect / Old film grain + Fade Transition / Gaussian Blur |
| 1m 51s | 1m 57s | Point-of-view | Balancing on trunk | Sepia effect / Old film grain |
| 1m 57s | 2m 1s | Point-of-view | Walking up to river | Sepia effect / Old film grain |
| 2m 1s | 2m 7s | Point-of-view | Sitting on river edge | Sepia effect / Old film grain |
| 2m 7s | 2m 13s | Point-of-view | Taking picture of girl | Sepia effect / Old film grain (Transition to no effects) |
| 2m 13s | 2m 21s | Point-of-view | Walking through park | |
| 2m 21s | 2m 30s | Point-of-view | Walking over bridge | |
| 2m 30s | 2m 35s | Point-of-view | Feeding ducks | |
| 2m 35s | 2m 37s | Point-of-view | Eating ice cream | |
| 2m 37s | 2m 45s | Point-of-view | Looking over bridge | |
| 2m 45s | 2m 54s | Point-of-view | Walking through woods | Fade Transition / Gaussian Blur |
| 2m 54s | 2m 59s | Mid | Putting picture away | Fade Transition / Gaussian Blur |
| 2m 59s | 3m 3s | Point-of-view | Close-up of picture | Fade Transition |
Thursday, 31 May 2018
Music Video - EDL
Friday, 25 May 2018
Music Video - Health & Safety
Regarding health and safety, there were only a few areas of filming which required more attention to safety. The first of which was during the first shoot, on the beach. For this shoot the camera was my priority, I kept the safety strap on at all times, and when not in use I made sure the camera was secure in the camera bag; this was to prevent sand and seawater getting anywhere near the camera and damaging it. During filming, we also had to be aware of the uneven nature of the beach, but also people on the beach itself. We tried to avoid other people as much as possible to avoid invading their space. Another note was to wear suncream and wear appropriate clothing, due to the weather being clear skies and extremely hot.
When filming in Coombe Abbey, we also had to be aware of people walking throughout the park, and kept filming to a minimum in busy areas. Additionally, we filmed near water in some shots, therefore we had to take care to stay away from the waters edge to avoid any trips and falls that could result in us ending up in the water.
The camera was on my person at all times, therefore it was safe and secure and not at risk of being taken. I did use a tripod to film inside my bedroom, but because the room is quite a confined space, we had to be careful when manoeuvring around the equipment to avoid knocking it over and damaging it.
When filming in Coombe Abbey, we also had to be aware of people walking throughout the park, and kept filming to a minimum in busy areas. Additionally, we filmed near water in some shots, therefore we had to take care to stay away from the waters edge to avoid any trips and falls that could result in us ending up in the water.
The camera was on my person at all times, therefore it was safe and secure and not at risk of being taken. I did use a tripod to film inside my bedroom, but because the room is quite a confined space, we had to be careful when manoeuvring around the equipment to avoid knocking it over and damaging it.
Monday, 21 May 2018
Task Two: Camera and Lighting Techniques
Lighting Setup:
If filming outside for a documentary, directors may choose to just use the natural light to shoot in. The advantage of this is that you do not require any additional lighting equipment, and therefore save on expenses and setup time; however a disadvantage of this method is that daylight is limited and some shots may require additional equipment during the night. If filming an interview for a documentary indoors, a common technique is the 3-point lighting technique, consisting of: a back light, key light, and fill light. A back light placed behind the interviewee highlights their outline, an advantage of this is that it separates the subject clearly from the background; the key light is the main light source which casts light onto the subject's front; and the fill light is a soft light which takes away any unwanted hard shadows created by the primary light, especially on the face. LED lights are a popular choice for the type of lights due to them being more energy efficient than other types such as tungsten. This basic setup is beneficial as it displays the subject's full facial expressions and emotions, the setup and placement of the lights and their stands is also simple, allowing for more portability. Also, if on the move the lights can be powered by batteries.
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Thursday, 10 May 2018
Task One: Easy Rider (1969) - Textual Analysis
Easy Rider (1969) - Textual Analysis
Easy Rider (1969) is an independent road drama film directed
by Dennis Hopper. This particular scene follows the two protagonists: Wyatt and
Billy, as they undergo an acid trip. Hopper utilises various film editing
techniques in order to emphasise the strong element of 60s counterculture
displayed by the protagonists. The scene
begins with a mid-shot of four people, the clothing worn by the characters in
the mise-en-scene is stereotypical of the 60s counterculture era, evident from
the likes of the American flag adorned leather jacket with tassels and
psychedelic patterned neckerchief worn by the two men. This was done to convey
to the audience the time era in which the film is set, but also to represent
the characters’ free spirit and refusal to conform to the mainstream. The
cinematography in this scene is constructed in a way that makes the audience
feel like they are joining the characters on the acid trip, therefore
highlighting to an extent the effects of LSD. Throughout the scene, Hopper uses
a variety of point-of-view shots from the tripping characters. For example, one shot displaying the sky and
trees is continuously spinning, and is incorporated to disorient the audience
in order to convey the confusion the character is experiencing. A constant and
rhythmic non-diegetic sound is also continuously playing throughout the scene,
creating a feeling of suspense, and may represent the paranoia of the
characters due to the drugs; this is also emphasised by the use of quick-cuts
in the editing, used to again to portray the effects of hard drugs through the
user’s eyes, as it instills a similar type of paranoia throughout the audience
that the character is feeling. Throughout the trip, quick cut-away shots and
fast editing reveals that the scene is taking place in a cemetery, evident from
shots of statues of the virgin Mary and religious crosses. This is to emphasise
the struggle of our troubled protagonists and the dark, twisted reality of
drugs as the two men bring drugs, alcohol and prostitutes into a religious
place. During this montage of clips, some shots are shown as if looking through
a camera lens, evident from the black border and raindrops on the lens; one
example of this is when we see one of the female characters stripping off her
clothing and lying naked over a grave. The effect of this is to portray the
characters as trapped in this state, and the use of this particular type of
shot allows the audience to focus on the subject and also empathise with the characters.
As the characters begin to trip, non-diegetic dialogue of a woman in the
background is reading a prayer, this is accompanied by various quick cuts to a
low angle shot of a building. As the camera pans up a lens flare seems as light
is shining down from above as if it represents the heavens. As this/s happens
the woman recites from the prayer: “ascended into heaven”, which may symbolise
the characters ‘seeing the light’.
Friday, 4 May 2018
Analysing Music Videos
Katy Perry - Thinking of You
Michael Jackson - Billie Jean
Billie Jean is another Pop-style music video, and seems to follow similar genre characteristics, with a large basis on narrative, but mixed with the artist's own style. The lyrics of the song are loosely represented throughout the video, for example, something as simple as when the word 'round' is used in the song, the artist spins during his dance sequence. There is a strong connection between the music and the visuals, in the definitive scene where the paving slabs light up, Jackson stands on the steps in time with the beat of the music. The artist's dancing is also in time with the beat. Michael Jackson also built his brand identity through his videos, this video portrays Jackson as a star, as he is shown turning everything he touches into 'gold'. There are also examples of voyeuristic points of view, one scene that displays the notion of looking is when the camera in the window is taking a shot of the reporter sneaking up behind Jackson, and the polaroid prints out showing just the man and the pole, with Jackson missing.
Alien Ant Farm - Smooth Criminal
This is a cover of a pop song, which has keep the original lyrics, but changed the genre and instruments used. There is reference to the original song and it's artist, as the band does Michael Jackson's signature lean in the early stages of the video, and also at one point the band steps onto the pavement, and the floor below them lights up, like the music video for 'Billie Jean'. It is a mixture in genres between alternative rock and maybe metal. The video itself is a performance and not narrative based, therefore the lyrics do not connect with the video. The tempo is important in this genre of music as it is used to keep rythm within the band, and the video emphasises this by showing the band moving to the beat. One other thing which emphasises the genre is the fact that we see the artists playing the instruments. The artists themselves have built up a reputation of a band who like to cause mayhem, this is shown in the video as they perform to a huge, out of control crowd in the middle of a wrestling ring. This style is also frequented in their other videos, and they create their own image through this, and also elements of humour to show they don't take themselves too seriously.
Music Video Evaluation
For this unit, we were tasked with creating our own music video for a song of our choice. My chosen song was ‘Always’ by the artist: ‘Panama’, as I personally enjoy the song, and the lyrics also connected to my initial idea for the video. As shown on my storyboard, my first idea was to create a narrative style music video, following a boy as he reminisces about his relationship and times with friends; the video would have a non-linear narrative throughout, jumping between past and present, whilst showing the past through a point-of-view shot for our protagonist. Unfortunately, a couple of my friends were unavailable to film due to their college and work schedules, and I was not able to get a decent amount of footage to make this part of the video. In order to accommodate for this, I got more footage revolving around the relationship aspect, and decided to base the video entirely on this theme, as it was simpler to film.
When planning my shoots, I decided to film in three unique locations; this is because I wanted to show three different occasions in the past, to correlate with the three choruses of the song. The first shoot took place on the beach in Lanzarote, as beaches are usually associated with happy memories, and I thought this would be a good location to represent that. With this shoot, I had to be mindful that we were in a busy public location, I kept the equipment out of the path of people to limit the potential of the setup being a safety hazard. I also kept the camera out of the sand at all times to avoid any damage. The second shoot took place at Coombe Abbey; this is because it is an aesthetically pleasing location that provides contrast from the location of the beach. The country park is also easily accessible via car and so was ideal. As this location is also a public place, I kept the equipment out of the way to avoid damage. For my third shoot, I planned to film in an urban setting - most likely Birmingham, again to contrast against the previous two locations. However, on the day I had planned to shoot, the weather was poor, meaning I couldn’t record. To overcome this, I did another shoot in Coombe Abbey to get enough footage, but also slightly changed the course of my narrative to cater to the change. For my fourth shoot, I just filmed in my own house, this was generally a low risk environment, apart from one shot requiring filming around stairs, with which I was careful and aware of my surroundings.
Regarding the production itself, I decided to film the ‘present’ segment of the video from a 3rd person perspective, so the audience is looking at the protagonist from an outside perspective. This was to show clearly who the protagonist of the video was, and who’s point of view the audience will witness in other parts of the video. When filming this, I came across the issue of underexposure, due to the lighting being quite dim indoors, in an effort to keep camera settings the same, I tried to allow more light in by opening windows and doors, this worked to an extent, as it allowed more light into the room, however it resulted in some over-exposed areas in some of the shot. To avoid this in the future I would perhaps use a different lens which allowed for a lower aperture setting. For the ‘past’ segments of the video, I shot using a point-of-view angle throughout. This was a to emphasise the narrative of my music video, and also helped to highlight that the protagonist is looking back over past memories. A disadvantage I came across during filming this is that the camera is quite cumbersome when trying to film from this particular perspective, as it restricts your view, therefore becoming a safety risk. In order to overcome this, I ensured that the path was clear ahead of me to limit the chance of tripping over. Also, some shots came out quite shaky, due to the camera being handheld; in the future, it would be wise to use a GoPro for the P.O.V shots as it would limit the camera shake, but also make the shot seem more realistic.
Before beginning the editing process, I labelled the names of the clips in the folder, so I knew what the clips were of. I also compiled all of my footage into location categories, such as Coombe Abbey, Lanzarote, etc. This helped make the overall editing process more efficient, as I was able access the footage easily, without having to search for each clip.
When editing my video, I tried to cut to the beat of the song to the best of my ability, this is to make the video seem more professional and polished, and also to compliment the music. During the P.O.V instances, I also added overlay effects onto the footage to highlight that it is taking place in the past. I downloaded a film grain overlay from the internet, which added over the footage, and also tried to added a sepia-type filter in addition. I chose to do this so the audience will be able to distinguish between the past and present instances. Furthermore, during the transitions, I added a 'Gaussian Blur' effect, combined with a white colour matte, in order to make the transition seem almost dreamlike. An issue I came across during this process is that the sepia filter diminished the effect of the blur, making it less intense for some reason, despite changing the opacity of the layer.
I decided to alternate between the past and present at the points where the song switches from verse to chorus. This was to give the video a strong feel, as the editing and narrative will compliment the song structure. The song I chose was quite a long track, and I found it difficult to piece together enough footage whilst avoiding a repetitive feel. As a solution, I decided to cut the song shorter, this is because the last minute or so is purely instrumental and quite repetitive, therefore I cut a section out of the middle, and combined the remaining pieces of the song to the exact beat, to make sure that the change isn't noticeable. I cut the song down to an appropriate length for my narrative to come to an end, but also made sure the song lasted around three minutes, a common convention of contemporary songs.
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