Final Music Video and Ancillary Tasks

Evaluation - Question 1 - "In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?"

This is my evaluation question 1 which answers the question "In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?". This was a group project and it features all of our group talking about the different sections which we needed to cover whilst answering this question.

Evaluation- Question 3 - "What have you learnt from your adueince feedback?"

This is my evaluation question 3 which was a group, joint project and it features all of us answering the question. It meant that we were all featured and could say our bit as a group.

Evaluation - Question 2 - "How effective is the combination of your main products and ancillary texts?"

This is my own personal response to evaluation question 2 which set out to answer the question "how effective is the combination of your main products and ancillary texts?". It features my own views and opinions on the answer to the question. It also features clips of myself talking towards the camera as it makes the evaluation question that little bit more personal.

Filming Log 9

14th of January 2014

For this filming session we filed Andrew using the GoPro. We used this piece of equipment in two ways; 1, Andrew holding it himself and 2, having someone else film it from further back like the other walking shots we carried out.

As we were filming by a main road the shots were very noisy and Andrew found that he was finding it hard to hear the music over the top of the traffic. This meant that the lip syhcning was slightly off which wasn't very easy to pick up on when it came to editing the footage. Also, because of the noise of the traffic it was hard to synch up the music in the footage to the actual music within our track.

The hand-held shots that were filmed by andrew were clear, and less shaky then the previous walking shots that we have filmed. This meant that the footage looked cleaner and more professional to use within our music video in comparison to the original footage that we have within it.

Over all I believe that this filming session was successful as we gained the footage that we set out to film and they were clear, more usable shots. The filming session was also very quick because we had already planned before hand what we needed to get done within the time frame that we had given ourselves to carry out the filming.

Evaluation - Question 4 - "How did you use new Media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?"

This is my own personal Prezi which answers question 4 of the evaluation.

First draft of Cd Cover and Advert

First draft:

These are the first drafts of my Ancillary texts which are made to go along side the Rock music video I have made.  They feature images of the band, the bands name and the name of the album that they are releasing. 

Many changes will be made to these texts for the second draft as we have new images that will be replace the images that you can see here. This is because we feel  that these images are not strong enough to be seen on these types of texts as they reflect more of a rap genre. We have also selected and chosen a new font type that will be used on both texts as we feel this text is not appropriate to our Rock genre. 

However, the logo of our band, places of contact and distribution company logo will stay the same. The song names and the people that are featured within the images will be the same as well as they are the members of the band and therefor cannot be changed. 

Filming Log 8

10/01/14

For this filming session we re-filmed the kicking out scene which involves Andrew and I. We had to re-shoot the parts where I chuck the boxes at him, push him out and then slap him. We shot these in a range of different angles so that we would have a variety to edit from. This would mean that the audience would be introduced to the surrounding and the location that it is being shot in.

For this filming session we used a GoPro which could film in a variety of different camera speeds and definitions. These included 120 fps - WVGA, 30 fps - 1080 and 60 fps -720. This meant that when we went to slow down the footage when in the editing process we could see which selection of footage looked the clearest and the most professional. This is in comparison to when we used the DSLR as when we tried to slow down that footage it went a little bumpy and didn't look as smooth as we would have liked.

This filming session went well as everyone co-operated in order to get all of the filming down quickly and efficiently. The individuals who were being filmed all had the correct costumes which meant that everything got done that needed to be carried out.

Album Cover Photoshoot Test

20th of December 2013

On this day we decided to take some tester photos that we can play around with on photo shop to see what looks best. This is so that we have an idea on what we can do when it comes to making our actual album covers. We can test out ideas and camera angles before so that we have practice in what looks good as a group. As our group was already in their costumes, we felt that it was a perfect opportunity to do a mini photo shoot. Some of the images only include our main band member/singer, Andrew. This is so that we could see what angles work best for him whilst he is in this role. We also experimented with different backgrounds that he could be in front of. We then took images where both Andrew and Kieran were featured so that we could see what kind of angles work best when there is more than one band member in the image. We experimented with lighting and shadows to see what helps reflect the Rock genre more.

Below are some of the images that we took from this day:

Rock Music Poster Editing

 This video shows an extract of the process that one member of our group was going through whilst editing a practice album cover. They were trying to see if some of the ideas that they had for the cover would work and how they could go about improving their ideas. Whilst doing so, he found that the software that was on the tablet was very limited in terms of what he wanted to achieve over all and felt that it wasn't a successful software to use for the final piece. This meant that because he had had the practice on the software before hand, we were able to talk as a group and decide this wasn't the best method for us to use.This then saved time for us as we were able to way out the positive and negatives early on in the process.

Editing Post 3

For this editing session we had to finalise our second draft to our Rock music video. Within this session, we needed to make sure that all the irrelevant shots were deleted and no more clips of Liam were included at all.he clips that we did have of Liam had to be replaced with Lee. We then had to make sure that he did look part of the band and not an outcast.

We had to add in the band shots and make sure that the instruments synced up to the beat of the music whilst they were being played. This bit was hard as Lee had never played the guitar before and Kieran had in return never played the drums. This meant that they did not fully know how to play the instrument and so the syncing was a lot harder. However, because they listened to the rhythm of the song they managed to get as much in time as they could which helped when it came to the editing process. We also had the hard job of doing the quick cut shots between the different instruments when it came to the solo fast part in the music. We wanted them to alternate so that they almost flashed in and off of the screen. This would reflect a live feel to the band like they were playing on a stage for the audience. It would also keep the music video interesting so that the viewer would want to continue watching it.

Editing Post 2

Tuesday 10th December

For this editing session we had a lot to change to make our Rock music video meet all the requirements that were necessary to achieve a more realistic Rock music video. This involved cutting out the footage that we no longer needed or could use. We couldn't use some of this footage as it was either shaky or contained shots of Liam who is no longer in the band. It also contained shots of the wrong costumes and there for would not fit in with continuity. This then left us space to make room for more band shots which were missing in our first draft. This meant that our first draft did not reflect or meet some of the conventions it needed to and therefor this needed to be changed.

As we had recently filmed the new footage with the new band member, we were able to add this footage in and edit it together. Just by adding in this new footage we were getting a much slicker feel to our Rock music video as a whole. The new footage featured much clearer, still shots which contained more angle types that helped build up the atmosphere to the song.

When editing this footage, we made sure to cut to the beat and have all the lipsynching in time to the lyrics. This resulted on a cleaner, more realistic video as because of Andrews clear performance, it almost looked like he was actually performing live. We also made sure that all of the shots flowed well together whilst making sure that they weren't too long so that it no longer fitted with the conventions that we needed to stick too.

Filming Log 6

Sunday 8th December

For this filming session we managed to get all of the park shots done that we needed to film. As Liam had hurt his knee and wasn't able to film, we have introduced Lee as the friend that finds Andrew. We managed to get both of the band members perspectives of the meeting in the various angles that we decided to use.

Whilst we were editing and had made our first draft, we saw that the flashbacks of Andrew and I did not work as well as we as a group would of liked. As a whole, we decided to remove these shots and so when we went on our second filming shoot we decided not to re-film these shots and to just remove them instead. It also did not cut right to the beat of the music and so it did not flow well within the music video.This would then free up a little bit of time to make room for more band shots where we can include more lip syncing from Andrew. It also helps us stick to the stereotypical conventions of a Rock music video that are needed to portray this genre effectively. 

However, we did encounter a difficulty when it came to this filming session. As we didn't have the box for this filming session we have to make a reason why Andrew suddenly does not have his prop. We are now planning to film a shot where Andrew falls over and breaks his box. This will also link well with the idea that he is surrounded by bad luck that's coming from the break up. This will only be a quick shot, but it will explain a lot more about the story of the music video as a whole. 

Filming Log 7

Thursday 12th December

Within this filming session, we introduced lee into the band as the guitarist. This is because of the issues we have had previously which has lead to Liam being unable to film with us. Within these shots, we can see all the band together in their correct costumes. The area was quite cramped which helped portray the Rock genre to the piece. To make sure the mise én scene fitted with the Rock genre, we covered up the sofa with white blankets and different materials. We also made sure that the background was less family orientated by removing the family pictures from the wall.

We managed to get a variety of different camera angles to make sure that we really portrayed the Rock image that we wanted to get across. We got a variety of different camera shots of Lee on the guitar from various angles to show his image in a range of ways. Also we filmed Kieran playing the drums to make sure that we have a variety of shots to cut to the beat. These will be used to sync up the playing of the instruments in time to the music. Some of our most successful shots were when Andrew was looking directly into the camera lip synching. I think these worked well because he is engaging with the audience so you almost feel part of their band. This fits in with the conventions that are needed in a Rock music video.

However, towards the end our camera had filled up all of its memory which meant that we couldn't get a shot done that we would have liked too but was not necessary to our music video. We now know for next time that we should take more than one memory card so that an issue like this does not come up again. This way we can avoid any mis-hap from happening.

Overall I feel that the filming session went well as we managed to get everything done that we needed too.
We all worked well as a group,which helped the process of the filming session. This meant that we managed to set up the background and misé en scene quickly and efficiently. We also managed to get a lot of filming done in the time we had provided for us which is excellent.

Peer Feedback For First Draft

06/12/13

When we got our feedback back, there were a few points that the majority had said. I chosen these so that the group have a clear idea of what needs to be done.

Strengths:

The majority of the feedback said that Andrews performance was very good as he appeared confidence and had distinct characteristics. He was also clear with the lyrics which made the lip synching more realistic. Many people said that the storyline was clear, creative and the costume helped tell the story because it was conventional to the Rock genre.

- Performance + lip synching
- Costume --> Conventional
- Shot angles are good

Weaknesses:

- Not enough cuts between shots
- Some shaky, unframed shots
- More performance shots needed

Average Grade: D
Average Mark: 15
Average Level: 2
Most common mark: 20

A change in our group

We have encountered some issues to do with one of our band members, Liam. Unfortunately he has hurt his knee and so he will not be able to be in our music video anymore. Another reason is that he has had a hair cut as so the continuity will not be right if we still kept him in. This means that we have had to change a band member within our group. This band member will now be replaced with someone called Lee who we fill will fit the role perfectly and is willing to do so for us.

As we have had this change in group, we will need to re-film the footage that Liam was featured in as it would not make sense to still have him in it. This means that we will need to schedule a time where we can all get together and film everything that is necessary for our Rock music video. Due to this change, we will be cutting out the train shots for many reasons. One is the lack of time to re-film this footage and we feel that it did not flow right with the rest of the music video. We will also be cutting out the footage of Andrew and I; the flashbacks, as they took up too much time within the video. This meant that we did not have enough time to show any lipsynching or enough band shots that were needed. We also could not do exactly what we wanted with the flashbacks and together as a group we came up with the decision to cut out these shots.

Editing

Editing:

After each filming session, our group have been editing all the successful pieces of footage together to create the first draft to our Rock music video. The editing has mainly been done by Liam and Andrew so far but Kieran and I will take over soon. We have decided to do it like this as it means that the other group members can be getting on with other things that need to be done at the same time. It makes it so that we are not all doing the same thing at the same time.

In each editing session, we have tried to make sure that each cut is to the beat of the music. This is because it links in with the stereotypical conventions of a music video as a whole. It especially links in with the Rock genre as the majority of shots are fast paced and quickly cut between each other. We still have some long shots within our draft and we need to cut these down as much as possible to fit in completely with the conventions. 

Filming Log 5

 Band shots:

26/11/13

Within this filming session we set out to film all of the band shots that we needed when all of the band were back together. These shots were to be filmed at Andrews house in his front room and were to include all o f the band members.However this did not go to plan as much as we would have liked or hoped. There were many reasons for this misfortune.

One of these reasons was that we only had three members of our group present at the filming session and this included only two band members. This is because Liam, our guitarist, had hurt his knee and was having to be on crutches. This meant that he could not be present at the filming session and so in result of this he had to stay behind and edit the rest of the footage that our group had  filmed. As he was not present, we were missing the lead guitarist in our band and so any whole group footage could not be used in our final music video.

Another issue that we encountered was that one of the band members, Kieran, had forgotten to pick up his costume. This was because he was so busy trying to remember every other piece of misé en scene and the pieces to the drum kit that he simply forgot to pick up his own stuff. This meant that he was not in his proper costume for any of the footage that was also filmed meaning that we could yet again not use it in our final product. This is because it would not fit in with the continuity costume wise.

This is low, mid-shot camera angle of Andrew. This is the angle that we filmed one length of music to where Andrew can be seen lip syncing to the lyrics. As you can see, he has all the correct costume on and so the footage can be used. Within this shot he looks directly into the camera so that he is making eye contact with the audience. This makes it so that the audience feel more involved within the piece and so this fits in with the 'live' feel that Rock bands like to portray.









This is a shot of Kieran on the drums. Within this shot, he was practicing hitting the drums in time with the beat of the music.  This was so that when it came to the filming, he knew exactly when and where he should hit the drums so that it fitted with the continuity of the music. It also meant that he could practise being in the roll of a Rock band member and he could practise how he performed on the camera.





However, this filming session helped him get used to the idea of the drums and when to hit them in time with the beat. It also gave him a chance to really let himself go and get into his character a little more than perhaps he would have done at the beginning of our filming sessions. I feel this is because he is getting more used and comfortable to his character and what he would be like as a Rock band member. This also gave the rest of the group a chance to set up the drum kit as none of us had done it before. This included putting all the sheets and pillows down to help set the scene. We firstly encountered a little issue with the drum being set up as we did not know where it could be placed within the room. However, with a lot of discussion and moving the drum kit around, we found a perfect spot that it fitted into nicely.

Even though we encountered a lot of problems within this filming shoot, we did manage to get footage of Andrew lip-syncing to the song. This footage can be used within the music video as he had all the right costume on and the footage was in focus. We managed to film all this footage from a variety of angles so that when it is edited it will cut nicely to the beat of the music.

Filming Log 3

 Park scene:

19/11/13

Below is a Prezi explaining all about our third filming session and any problems that we encountered,

Filming Log 4

Train shots:

22/11/13

For the fourth filming session,we needed to film the scene where Andrew meets his third band member.Within this scene, Andrew and his band member Liam end up missing the train that they needed to get on. However, they then find that their third band member has gotten off of at that stop on the train. This shows that in times of need, his band members are always there for him. The band members then greet each other and we can see Andrew is very happy to of seen Kieran. Liam then hands Kieran Andrew's coat so that they are all holding a piece of Andrew, showing us the bond between the band members.

We didn't manage to film the last shots that we wanted because the camera that we were using unfortunately ran out if battery. However, we did film this part on a mobile phone so that when we go back to film this part again, we know exactly where each individual was standing and what position they were in. This will help with the continuity of our piece. Luckily, we managed to get the footage of the train going past which was necessary for this scene. 

The rest of the shots that we did manage to get in this session were successful and ticked all the boxes which we set out to achieve. We had little interruptions from other passers buy and they did not mind being featured within the filming process. This co-operation from others meant that the footage that we filmed looked as realistic as it would be if you were in this situation. 

After this shot, the camera unfortunately died. This meant that we could not continue to film the footage that we needed to.Luckily, we have made sure to capture this image and keep it somewhere safe so that when we go back to film we have a good idea on the positioning of each band member. This will help a lot with the continuity of the piece.


This is footage where Kieran, Liam and Andrew greet each other when they spot one another.We then see Liam pass Kieran a piece of Andrews belongings so that they all share a piece to represent the close bond between them. We then see them walk towards the camera as they head off out of the train station in sync with each other and the band.  This whole shot is taken from a low angle to show the authority the band has at first. To begin with they start of right at the bottom but as they unite they end up walking in level with the camera.