Blog 20 - Evaluation and Feedback

This is a prsentaion of my evaluation and feedback: https://docs.google.com/present/edit?id=0AVixV9FyemaZZGpmdnd3Ml8wY3pqdnA1Zmc&hl=en

Blog 19 - Finished Video

This is our final video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dEf9lmS2ec

Blog 18 - Creative Camera Use

In the creating of our video we had to use a number of different effects and techniques. For example at the very beginning of our video we sped up the sunset by 5000% and then reversed it to create the opening 5 seconds. We also used a number of different camera movements to create different shots. In seconds 12 - 22 we used a panning shot of the forest we were setting the video in. This also worked well as an establishing shot as it set the scene for the rest of the video. Another type of shot we used was a close up. This allowed the audience to see facial expressions very clearly. We found this worked well as part of a powerful beginning:

Another way in which we used a close up was to apply the rule of thirds. This meant the subjects face was in the left third of the shot as this is where the viewers eyes are naturally drawn to. It was also important for us to ensure she was singing in time to the music so that she could be lip synced correctly.

Another type of shot we used was an extreme close up. We used this when filming in the studio for the scene when the boy is building the coffins. We wanted to show the significance of this section and felt it was important to show details such as a nail being hammered in to clearly show the narrative:

We also used this type of shot to focus on the eyes of the male character. This was highlighted as the most important part of his body and therefore showed a relationship between him and the main female character when the shots cut between the two of them. this was to relate to the use of 'MY' in the song title which suggest a relationship.

We used different transition effects between shots such as cross fades and jump cuts. We used cross fades on the parts of the music that were slower such as the long 'you' at the end.

Other camera techniques we used included slowing down footage. This worked well in one of our ending shots when the main character was running across a Field. Slowing it down worked well with the tempo of he music and there was an abstract contrast between the action of her running and the speed at which it was shown.

Blog 14 - Shooting Diaries

For our first day of filming we went to Friston Forest. This was where we had conducted our reccy and had taken the pictures for our storyboard. One of the initial problems we encountered was that only two people out of the six we had asked were able to turn up for filming on that day. this meant we had to re-think some of our group shots and Ciara also stepped in to be filmed at one point. Everyone had remembered to bring all the equipemnt they were meant to with them such as; the camera, tripod, DV tapes and costume etc. When we arrived at Friston Forest we were concerned that it would start to rain. This would have resulted in us having to post-pone the shooting for that day as the equipment would have been damaged by the rain and it would have been unreasonable to ask the cast to lie on the ground when it was wet.


Luckily it didn't rain and we were able to got the shots we had planned for on that day.

For our next session of filming we wanted to capture the indoor shots of a boy building a coffin. This meant we had to book a studio in college that would be appropriate for this. We also had to bring in props including a hammer and some sawdust. During this filming session we developed our skills in being able to use the studio lights in order to create the best shadow effect that we used in our video. We also had the song playing in the background to enable George - who was starring in it, to hammer in time to the music. This session of shooting proved very successful and we captured much more footage than we needed.


For our next session of shooting we went to a forest in Uckfeild. This was a 40 minute journey for myself and the dancer I was taking up there so lots of planning had to be undertaken the night before. For this session we used the same dancers as last time as well as two extras. This meant were were able to create the group dancing shots we were unable to in the first session.

The weather was much better this day so we were able to stay out filming for longer. This gave us time to be creative with different shots and the angles we were using.

These are three examples of different ways we used the camera to create the best shot:

Because we were filiming in a forest we were able to be creative with different shots on set as there was so much we could use in that environment that we had not planned for. For example in the Uckfeild forest we saw two trees leaning apart that created the perfect seat. We though this would work well as a throne for the main character to sit in for the line 'Kings and Queens have all knocked on his door'. This then lead to us having the idea of making a crown out of leaves and twigs.

As the sky was much clearer on this final day of shooting we were able to capture a clear shot of the sun setting. This is our ending shot and our opening shot when reversed to show the sunset and sunrise. The camera and tripod were set up directed towards the sky a we recorded for just over an hour. This then meant we could speed up the sun's movement across the sky.

Blog 17 - Rejected Footage

When looking through and editing our footage we came across this clip. We were unable to use this in our final video because the bags and other belongings of both cast and crew members were in the shot in the background. We chose not to use this as it looked unprofessional and ruined the mise en scene as the whole theme of the video is related to nature and we kept costumes simple to avoid any materialistic theme being represented. This therefore made it very inappropriate to use this shot.

The same issue occurred when reviewing this clip.

Another issue encountered when filming was lighting. The still from the clip below shows a poorly lit shot of her miming to the song. We shot this scene from different angles and as this particular shot had poor lighting it would have contrasted with the better lit shot from a different angle. We resolved this by changing the exposure level on the camera.

As part of our opening sequence we had the main character sitting up from the ground. In this shot she was supposed to look inquisitive as if she was in a completely new environment. in the first take of this however she started laughing which therefore meant we couldn't use it as it would not have matched the music or the narrative of the video.

For another section of our video we had the main character lying in the leaves whilst singing. during this clip she was wearing a crown of leaves and twigs as part of her costume. This was in realtion to the earlier lyric of 'Kings and Queens have all knocked on his door'. During the shot of her lying down the crown slipped and went over her eyes. This distracted the attention away from her singing and also meant that you could not properly see that her eyes were shut. We chose to reject this footage as we felt it was important for the audience to see that her eyes were shut to show the emotion that was in that shot.

In another section of our video we had the main character dancing on a log with two backing dancers behind her on the ground. We deliberately chose to have the main character standing higher than the other two to show the different levels of status, however during our first take she fell off the log. This also resulted in her laughing which meant we couldn't use the shot.

Another shot we decided to cut was a spinning skyward view of tree branches. This shot was filmed by holding the camera and not using the tripod. This therefore made the shot shake at some points and the speed would often change. originally we were going to have this shot after the shot of the main character spinning to create an eyeline match, however due to the poor quality and lack of consistency of speed we chose to reject this shot.

A further idea we rejected was to have the main character ageing throughout the video. This was to show her changing through life and getting closer to death which linked with the coffin theme of the song. We chose to scrap this idea however as we were unable to create shots to show the transition between her being young to very old. This would have meant that the sudden change would have seemed confusing and out of place in the video.

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Blog 16 - Advert

Advertising is one of the key elements in the promotion of an artist or group. An example of an advert from Florence and the Machine is for her album 'Lungs'. Included on the advert is the key information; Name of the band, name of the album, the formats it is available on and the date it is released. The advert is an enlarged version of the album cover. This means that the consumer can immediately visually relate the album to this advert when they see it. This is important as it means that once they have seen the advert, the album in the shop will stand out as they have already seen the picture, immediately drawing their attention to it. The colours used on the advert are natural dark brows and greens, however, the writing stands out immediately as they have used the most contrasting colours possible; white on a black background. This makes sure that the first word you read is 'LUNGS'. This is all in capitols and is quite powerful as a word on its own which encourages you to read more to find out why its is written. The fact that Florence Welsh has a pair of lungs on the outside of her body is also quite eye catching and you can immediately associate this with the album name. Florence Welch is not making eye contact with the camera. This technique is often used in other advertising campaigns to create a connection be yourself and the subject. This technique was not adopted for this advert however as Florence Welch is looking down and turning away. This stance works well for this advert because it creates a shy but endearing quality, contrasting with the boldness of wearing a pair of lungs around her neck and therefore ultimately intriguing the audience. Another band that also incorporates 'Indie' in their hybrid genre are: We are Scientists. The colours used in this particular advert are much brighter than the colours used in Florence and the Machine's advert. This creates a less mysterious quality but instead a more up beat and joyful style. This is also enforced by having a guitar featured as well as having the two members, Kieth Murray and Chris Cain, singing in the advert. Similarly to Florence and the Machine's advert, neither band member is making eye contact with the camera. This has a different effect on the audience however as it shows them to be to emerged in their singing and enjoying it too much to notice that a picture is being taken of them. This illustrates how exciting their music is thus making the single more appealing to the audience.

When creating my advert i chose to incorporate the eye catching qualities seen in the adverts above. This made me choose to have a bright font and feature a medium close up of the person we had playing Florence Welch. The picture used for my advert relates directly to the digipack and music video. This is because the subject is wearing the same costume (including hair an make up) and is in the same location that the video was filmed and the pictures for the digipack were taken. This means that when the consumer see's the advert, they can immediately associate it with the video and the digipack, therefore making it more memorable.

This is one of the flat plans I created for my own advert. I chose to use a black and white effect to help create a more edgy and mysterious effect. This would also make facial features such as her eyes stand out. I also wanted to have the trees as a main part of the advert as they relate to the woodland setting of the video. When experimenting with this design in Photoshop however, the black and white effect did not make the advert eye catching enough. This led me to decide to use colour in my advert.

In this Flat plan I incorporated the tree image with a coffin. I created this with the idea of having all of the images (a tree and a coffin) and texts faded over each other. Similar to using a cross fade on final cut express. I also chose chose to use the same purple used in my digipack. The font used for My Boy Builds coffins is much bolder and therefore contrasts with the italic font that Florence and the Machine is written in, this was to make it stand out the most. I chose not to use this design though because when I tried to create it on photoshop, it looked to confusing and messy to have the pictures overlaying each other.

This was my final flat plan for my advert. To create this flat plan I took the idea of having Florence on it from my first flat plan and the idea of using colour for it from my second flat plan. I liked this design the most because it used a range of techniques to catch the audiences attention, including; eye contact with the subject and bright colours used for the font. I also chose to use the woodland setting again as this relates to both the digipack and the video.

For my finial advert I chose to use purple and white font on my advert as I used these colours in the digipack. I chose these colours because they contrast well against the background and compliment each other. The colour purple is also a connotation of mystery and femininity and I thought this was closely associated with Florence and the machine as well as the song, My Boy Builds Coffins.

I kept the information on my advert minimal as I felt the picture would stand out more if there was minimal text to cover it. It also makes the advert less daunting to read for the target audience.From my target audience research i found out that the audience is mostly female and has a range of ages. I feel that the purple colours used appeal to this target audience as they are associated with femininity. I also chose to use a soft italic font -Vijaya. I feel this also emphasized the femininity of the advert. The subject (Florence) is also wearing a lace top with he hair down, these re again stereotypical female qualities. I also took the genre into consideration when creating the advert. The setting in which both the photo and video were shot associates well with the usual earthy and woodland theme in Florence and the Machine's music videos.

This is the feedback I recieved for my advert:

Blog 12 - Health and Safety

It is important to ensure that when filming on set that are cast and crew members are safe and that no one is being put at risk during shooting. As we chose an outdoor set for most of our filming it was important to inform the cast of the weather conditions and the environment they would be in to make sure that everyone had correct clothing and footwear. We also conducted a 'reccy' prior to shooting as this allowed us to check the environment for any possible dangers that might occur on the day of shooting. We then signed a risk assessment prior to shooting in which we had to outline how we would avoid the following hazards; poor weather conditions, obstacles and obstructions (e.g trailing wires), flammable substances and publicly crowded environments. As the outdoor conditions we chose were not particularly crowded we were able to avoid this risk without affecting our shooting. The only other outdoor risk we would have faced during shooting was poor weather conditions, we therefore agreed to cancel shooting if it started to rain as this would damage the equipment. During our indoor filming we checked and cleared the room of all dangerous obstructions, such as unnecessary chairs and tables, before bringing in our cast member and equipment. We also ensured that all the equipment was set up before bringing our cast in the room. This was because the room wasn't particularly large and it would have been dangerous to have unauthorised people around the equipment when it is unstable and being set up.

Blog 13 - Shooting Schedule

This is the link to our shooting schedule: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Xm5pUVe0R7YMN8kQ6A9aIr0HwVnN2AN1Lg8ivE80OfY/edit?hl=en#

Blog 11 - Story Board and Animatic

When creating our storyboard we chose to combine this with our reccy in Friston Forest. This meant we knew exactly how some of our shots we going to look. Some of the frames are sketched as these were the ones we shot in the studio.



https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B20gzrmLsLdxNjMzYWRlZjItYjA2Ny00MzE0LTk2ZjUtYTlmNDYwZjg4YTg4&hl=en

https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B20gzrmLsLdxZTQ2ZDRlYjItMjBhMC00ODUxLWFkNzEtYTU4M2RhN2U0NGFi&hl=en

https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B20gzrmLsLdxOWUzNDdkNjAtMTE2YS00NGY2LWIzYzAtMTdlNzljZjFmNTA1&hl=en

https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B20gzrmLsLdxMjE3NzRkNGYtZDhiNC00Njg0LTgyMTEtNmNkMDM2NDRjNzU4&hl=en

https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B20gzrmLsLdxMDQ1MzdkY2QtMmM5NS00YjYxLThhZjktMjAxYTEyMjE5ZjMw&hl=en

https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B20gzrmLsLdxYzE2ZDllMmQtYzFkOC00MzhjLWFjYzEtYjM1OGY3ZjQ1Nzcx&hl=en

https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B20gzrmLsLdxMmNjYzBlMjAtOGM1Zi00NTI3LTkyN2UtYTdiZDhmZWFlMzYx&hl=en

https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B20gzrmLsLdxMjdhZTgyNmQtMTYxMi00MTc5LWJhODItNGE1YWVhODcxY2Ni&hl=en

https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B20gzrmLsLdxZmU4YTQ5MTItYjk2Mi00MWI1LWI2N2UtOTFkZjM2NmE2MmU5&hl=en

https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B20gzrmLsLdxNWE2ZDcwODQtZjVlNy00MDc0LTk2YzUtMzBjYzdmMGViOTNk&hl=en

https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B20gzrmLsLdxM2Q1NWM0MzItMzI4Zi00ZDUyLTg0YjEtYmE1ZDhlMzFhODM1&hl=en