Practice Shots (at location)

Practice Shots from Tom Cornock on Vimeo.

Learning Comment

We took the chance of practising some shots on arrival so we could adjust the camera settings accordingly. The shots in the video are raw and uncut, as we wanted to show that we will improve the shots to a higher quality. For example, in the zooming close-up, we struggled to keep the cameras focus solely on the actors face due to how close we got to the camera. We found a function on the camera (after being informed by our actor) that would manually select an focus and his face. We hope this will improve the shot which will include in the videos as we only need the clip for a very short duration. It was slightly wet when filming so it was even more vital for the lens to remain clear, while keeping the non-waterproof camera dry. In the practice shots, we learnt we needed to constantly check this as it would ruin plenty of shots and cause us to refill. Thankfully, this never occurred apart from one shot which has made sorting the footage much simpler.

An example of our focus issue-

Editing Technique Inspiration (The Blossoms)

As well as the edits that feature on The Chicken connoisseurs video, we have also come across a feature used by Blossoms, especially in their music video for the song Charlemagne. In the video clip above, there is noticeable random camera movement in every shot. We came across this technique and video in a previous planning task and recently thought that we should consider using this feature during the narrative part of our production for multiple reasons. First, it will make the video much more engaging and better to watch because similar shots shots shot in the same room for significant amounts of time will start to bore the audience. Also, this technique appears in an indie music video, by Blossoms, which is similar to the genre of our artist Liam Gallagher. Therefore, this will fit into our production nicely. Finally, this technique is unique and not used by many other artists. This means that we can put our own influence on the feature which could result in something extraordinary. This technique will be considered and has a strong chance of appearing in our music video because of its originality. However, if we choose to obtain it, we will have to film every shot on the performance filming day in this way to make a professional video which could take longer, taking into consideration that we will have to book an allotted time in advance.

Photoshop Practice (For Ancillary Tasks)

In my research, I briefly used photoshop but I feel that I needed to practice and explore the program more so I could have an idea of limitations and photo manipulations I could use. I tried various techniques, including the filter gallery so I could see the effects  which look the most impressive and plausible for a digipak cover/poster.

The images I used were taken by myself from the local area. I chose these specific locations as I thought they had shapes and colours which could be adapted and changed on photoshop. This location stood out due to the graffiti, as I thought I could attempt to change the colours and add effects on the building (using the filter gallery. 

I used the magnetic lasso tool to select areas and change the colours of elements of the image. I also using the gradient tool for some of the strips for a differing effect. On the wooden boards, I used different filters to see how they look on real images. In addition, I sought some images from Google and placed them on the original photo and tried to make them look as realistic as possible. I found that the fill and opacity scales were effective in making images look as immersed as possible. I also played with smart objects, as I pinched the image to give it a fish eye look.

When making a final product, I would never use this many effects and manipulation as it can look over the top, instead I used this document as a chance of testing many.

In my final product I am considering using a blur filter and this gave me a chance to see the outcome. I think that is looks good and I will consider when fully planning my digipak. As I found when taking the image, I need the point of focus to be at the front of the photo, not in the background, as this gives a more realistic and better looking effect.

Another type of image manipulation I have seen it like the above. This fits the dance/electronic genre music more but it was good to see how the images occur and the processes used in Photoshop. This may be a good look fro tone of the inside panels of a digipak, however I need to be careful to keep my branding consistent and relevant to my Indie artist. After completing this, I feel that I could incorporate the type of design if needed in ancillary tasks.

Learning Comment 

Practicing these techniques will be crucial when I make my ancillary tasks. By doing these designs/manipulations, I have clarity of what works well and photoshop and what for avoid. For example, I like the blur effect and think this would look impressive on my products. However, I find that many of the gallery filters such as 'paint strokes' and 'ripple' look very poor and tacky for this type of task. I will be careful and restrict myself from using many filters, as this will also affect the quality of the product. Overall, this task has helped me work more efficiently on photoshop and I will be more confident when these skills are needed

1st Shoot- Filming Diary

26th October (8.30pm-11.30pm)

Today we revisited the location at an earlier time to avoid the rush and public. The weather slightly  wet and we were concerned that footage may be affected but we think we covered the lense and camera as much as possible. When filming, we did not encounter any obvious issues, however I have yet to check the footage which could reveal some issues.

The lighting for the day fitted the mood of the song and what we had previously planned which was a huge advantage of shooting on this day.
If we need to re-shoot, we will try to use similar lighting to this day. We used a variety of equipment, including a Canon 700D, Tripod and stabiliser. Hopefully, I hope this will improve the quality of the video as we considered when each should appropriately  be used.

First shoot attempts

Weather Forecast for the day

Location we will use in the video, particularly good in the sun

This photo shows the issues we faced with the general public, this continued further down the location which we also wanted/needed to use




Today we attempted and planned to undertake our first shoot but encountered several issues which has caused us to postpone until a later date. As its half term, the location was very busy and we worried that continuity would be affected if web decided to film, as so many people were out on the pathway which on narrative follows (see photos). Unfortunately, the weather would have been good and the tide was in the perfect position for filming,  however we worried that the sun would make our actor squint constantly and ruin the footage. We arrived at the location at around 11.30 (later than initially planned) and we feel that this was the main reason for the vast amount of people in our way. When we visited the location, we went early in the morning (around 9) so we have decided to aim to a similar time when we film.  This should limit issues faced with continuity as less people will enter and leave the shot unexplained and unwanted.

Location Maps

Performance Location

Narrative Location

Task 25- Filming and Editing Schedules (Video+Ancillary Tasks)

Learning Comment

By making a Calendar ,I have a plan and structure of how to undertake my ancillary and video tasks. I will try to follow this as much as possible as I need to complete in a reasonable time as I will want to shift my focus on exam preparations for Media along with other subjects. This has also shown me that i will need to take time for my digipak and digipak poster and they need to be of a high standard if I want to achieve a top grade. I have set some deadlines which me help me edit, as I want to complete the tasks in reasonable time so if we have any issues, I will have adequate time to respond/ re shoot or edit. We will use a Facebook messenger group chat to help us arrange all aspects of the video, including who is bringing specific items and what costume needs to be worn by our actors.

Task 21- Storyboards and Shot Lists

STORYBOARD

SHOT LIST

Learning Comment

This task has clarified our plans for the video production. The shot list in particular will help us when filming, as it has clear instructions and will guide us through several shoots. In addition, the storyboard illustrates our plans, which will be easier to show to others when we want to explain our plans. This will be useful when directing our actors as they will have a visual aid to support them when performing. From our previous location visit, we have an idea which areas will be used excessively (the bridge location). This has helped us a lot when making this storyboard as we are aware of the proximity of the setting and limitations which may occur.

Editing Technique Inspiration (Chicken Connoisseur)

Viral YouTuber, The Chicken Connoisseur, may lack relevance to my genre or video audience, however he has used several editing techniques which I believe add cinematic flair. As the video shows and image illustrates (from the 0.20s mark) a unique piece of camera movement is used which could be used to cut between narrative or performance- or to extend the length of shots in an instrumental part of my song. The producer of the video has used a puddle reflection and twisted the camera to reveal the character stood up. This is a surreal shot and feel that it would fit in a music video very effectively, separating the video from standard cuts which my become boring for my audience or reduce the quality of the video.

These two clips give the video a premium and professional look. The constant camera movement makes the video more immersing and engaging to audiences. The fact that the camera constantly moves intrigue viewers of what to expect next in the video. The clips above would work particularly well for location swaps and transitions. If I used such techniques, we could incorporate in our crosscutting and illustrate the tempo of the music via the editing of the video. Lastly, the simplicity of each shot means we could think of our own and adapt to our video. As we are filming in an area with many walls, we could use these as framing but also to act as the pivot for transitions like these.

Looking back at our storyboard, I see several parts of the song which would be suitable for these techniques. For example, the song has sections of instrumentals which we found very hard to cover as lip syncing was not needed and we didn't what to over use the narrative. If we used longer shoots with creativity (this could be the camera movement shown) an elongated shot would not be so dull or tiresome for a viewer. This will considerably improve the quality of the video, as it is important for us not to copy/repeats too many sections of the video as this would become very predictable for our audience.

Task 23- Creating An Artist- Branding

IF THE EMBEDDED EMAZE PRESENTATION DOESN'T WORK, SEE IMAGES BELOW

https://www.emaze.com/@AORQLZOFC/branding-task-23

INTERACTIVE LINK ABOVE

Learning Comment

This task made me carefully consider how I need to consider branding carefully so my artist is realistic and has a consistent identity. I am happy with my chosen logo, as I feel it is important for the artists name to be the main focus on the Digipak cover,  particularly as I have created a solo artist. When deciding which logo to select, I considered several factors which would make the logo appropriate for my products. Firstly, it need to suit the genre and my research conventions. Then it needed to be practical and visible. An artist logo is likely to be the largest single feature on my products as it is what immediately  draws audiences to the product and will recognise the logo as branding of this specific artist.

Task 19- Fashion and Props

http://popplet.com/app/#/4296894
If embedded version doesn't work, see link

Learning Comment

This task has helped us to think intensely about the type of clothing we want our actors to wear and what props will feature in the music video. By looking at these aspects in detail, we know what props/clothing we need to source either online or through contacts with plenty of time so that it can be perfect. The contrast in clothing between the performance and narrative side of the music video are crucial because if both characters look similar in terms of clothing and appearance, the video won't make sense. The idea that we are trying to portray is that the narrative protagonist is mentally broken as there are lyrics referring to this in the song. Therefore, if we dress him in clean or smart clothing, this will not suit the action and look strange with the lyrics. Consequently, this task has been important because it has allowed us to think exactly how we want him to look and where these items of clothing will be sourced. As well as clothing, appearance is just as important and this will be dealt with by making sure that our narrative actor's hair is messy and our performance actor is clean shaven and smart.

Task 22- Ancillary Task Planning

Digipak Mock-up/Plan

Potential Design

This design excludes the side panels (as seen and highlighted in the design above). I will keep these consistent to the digipak design (Possibly blurred). The text will feature my artist name (Ryan Tyler) and album name which is yet decided. I think that I may call the album 'blurred' and then manipulate my image using the gaussian blur on photoshop. I may also include the label of the record company chosen (as this is also a conventional element I have found through my research).

Digipak Poster Plan

Website Plan

Learning Comment

This task has helped me decide which ancillary tasks I will choose to design and produce later in the course. After planning all 3, I have decided that a digipak poster and digipak will be the products I create. I found that the detailed plans I made were more achievable and my skills on photoshop would be more suited to these products. When making such products, I will have to refer to the plans and include all the conventional information that I have picked up so far, such as including record labels and social media links. Also, many similarities between the two products will be shown as I need to create a brand and artist style. Lastly, when I film my video, I will start to look for potential locations and areas which will work well for my Digipak items as these plans have given me a clearer idea of what needs to be done

Task 18- Initial Pitch Ideas

The Pitch from Tom Cornock on Vimeo.

Initial Pitch from Tom Cornock

Learning Comment-

This gave us a summary of what we have decided and now understand what we need to do to improve from suggestions in the pitch. It was good to share our idea and see if it seemed realistic, especially as some of the students would be the target demographic for the genre and song. From the feedback, we will now consider how we will cater for certain weather and its possible effect of lighting. We will try to eliminate this issue by practice filming. In addition, our editing we have to clearly distinguish a narrative and performance, meaning we will crosscut as our peers suggested. We are now confident about our idea and have a clearer idea of what next needs to be done. For example, our focus needs to be on the storyboard having gathering enough ideas and thoughts about the location and actors. Also, we will need to start booking the studios and considering when the best time will be to film, which is rather weather dependant.

Task 20- location and Actor planning

Ryan will take the role of Liam Gallagher in our video, which we have carefully considered , as he will have to perform in a unique and original way-not copying stereotypical body language of Liam Gallagher such as hands behind his back.

Joe (Main Actor) performing in our video last year

The Studio website which we will use to book when filming

OpenLive-as described above- another possible way of getting extra footage and adding an extra angle to our cinematography

Learning Comment

This task helped understand why we have chosen certain actors and locations and possible limitations we could face. For example, filming in a public area will always have minor issues if they get in the shot or our preferred filming destination has been taken by other people. However, our reasoning for using the actors we have chosen has reassured me that we can make a good quality video as they have the necessary and basic experience which we expect/need. We understood the importance of choosing people who are committed and will try their best, which can be difficult to find as our actors will receive no personal gain from the video. Having decided these actors and locations, the next step will be to organise a shooting day/days which we are available as well as the location. This will depend on the whether as well as individual availability. 

Task 16- Genre Research

Task 15-Original Music Video-Final Song Choices (Part 1)

Task 15- Liam Gallagher and Warner Bros. Records (Part 3)

Learning comment

This task has helped us realise how big Liam Gallagher is as both an

artist and a person. This could hinder us sightly as it will be easy

for our actor that will be lip syncing to copy or be influenced by

Liam Gallagher's well-known personality as he is a big fan of the

artist. This will have to be strictly looked at during our whole

production as if it looks like the original, it will be noticed by the

audience and possibly reduce our mark as it would lack originality.

However, this task has helped us notice what his stereotypical

personality traits are which means that we can easily identify when

Ryan, our actor, is replicating him in some way. This task has also

made us focus on the background of the artist's label and this was

important because it has given us more of an insight into the record

label allowing us to identify how well established they are with other

big rock and alternative artists signed to the label. There is no

doubt that Liam Gallagher is an extremely popular character in the

music world not only from this research but from other interviews and

songs we have watched before this task. Therefore, we will try to make

this video as professional as possible to do the song and the artist

justice and maintain Liam's popularity.

Task 15-Email to record label (Part 2)

Location Visit

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Learning Comment

CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE/HOVER TO SCROLL

Learning Comment- By visiting our planned location, we have a clearer idea of what is possible when planning our video. Their are a variety of places inside the location which will work well in our video, particularly those that are slightly run down as the song is about a fall from grace. When making our storyboard, we will consider what we have seen on our visit, particularly the size of areas and how popular they seemed to be. The location is also very scenic and does not attract to many people apart from dog walkers, meaning we will be able to fit without constant interruption and can confidently perform/capture the video. The images above are some possible shots and areas which we have targeted for the video, these may be dependant on the lighting'/availability on the day. We believe the location will fit the narrative well, showing a darker side to fit the indie rock genre