Issues With Filming

In my initial storyboard, the idea for the long introduction was to have a long, wide angle shot looking down on a couple sleeping in bed. The idea behind the shot was that it would show a distance between the main character and the rest of her life, were she to be lying awkwardly and with great distance between herself and her partner. However, there were several problems with capturing this shot.

First of all, it was very difficult to get the camera at the correct angle due to the fact that I had to hold it at arms length and so I couldn't see the shot as I took it. This added a lot to the filming time of our first filming session. The second problem I encountered was an issue with camera stability. It was practically impossible to keep the camera steady for long enough, and when I did manage, my actors struggled to stay still long enough themselves. The way I chose to get around this was to take a still from the shot and stitch it together multiple times.

First Rough Cut

After uploading my first completed rough cut of my video to YouTube, I noticed that the audio was very poor quality. Although it took some time to work out what the issue was, I lowered the levels of the audio to remove the crackling. 

Revised filming schedule

My revised production schedule is as follows. These are the designated filming dates, within which I must try and get all of my filming done. I only have one evening with my performer so we must be very productive.

1st December - rough cut

11th December - final cut and ancillary / poster / CD package

14th December - screenings

25th January - final deadline

Dolly Zoom Test

Although it wasn't in my original plan, I thought that a dolly zoom may be very effective within the context as it would present ideas of distortion, and heavily suggests a spinning head or dizziness which could fit in very effectively with the concept of her struggling to keep on top of what's inside her head.

I didn't use a tripod for the test shots which was clearly a mistake, as there is a strong camera shake throughout. I feel as though the deep green background worked well in contrasting my actress' pale complexion and the washed out nature of the shot, all in all I felt as though the shot could have been very effective. 

Test Footage - Outside Concept

Here is some test footage I put very roughly to the music. During the filming of these shots, I decided that it would be more effective to have the entire video filmed in the same location, in order to hint at the concept of her being trapped within her own mind, however I was curious to see if the shots I had taken were effective regardless. 

Filming Dates

Main dates for filming. These are the dates I have set aside to film the bulk of my video, on top of this  there will be two or three evenings of shooting extra clips for the lip sync parts.

Lighting plan

-Two continuous white lights

-One reflector

Light directly in front of actress / model to illuminate face

Light slightly from above or below - depending on mood of shot - in order to illuminate surroundings - creates clinical feel.

Reflector to cast subtle illumination from behind model, provides 'halo' and increases definition, makes subject stand out from background and prevents everything blending into one.

Shot List

After planning my video in a storyboard, it has become clear that due to the fact that I'm keeping the entire video, a lot of the shots are very similar. In order to avoid a sense of repetition and stop it from becoming boring, I have planned a list of shots in order to increase the variety and simultaneously conform to music video conventions.

-Variation of close ups and mid shots of performer.

-All shots follow general rule of getting closer in as the video progresses.

-Film from different perspectives depending on room space.

-Variation of angles, especially with the actress

     -Low angle shot of her throwing pillow over the camera

     -Extreme close up of performer to create a synthetic relationship between the star and the audience, direct eye contact with camera is important

     -Some shots of performer not looking into the lens- makes it feel as though the audience have been let in on their life, creates a synthetic relationship

     -When the actress is swallowing the tablets and drinking, the shots should be at a consistent distance, however angles can alter

     -Equal amount of close up aggressive shots to close up laughing shots 

Copyright

It was very difficult to access contact information for the record label Dirty Hit, and in the end all I could find was a general email address. I sent a brief email explaining what I am doing and requested their permission to use the track.

Risk Assessment

Risks -

Light bulbs get very hot and will be very close to models' faces

Ensure that lights are switched off between filming so as not to over heat. Ensure that the lights are not too close to models' skin.

Wires will need to track across room in order to provide balanced lighting - trip hazard

Tape wires down where necessary, tuck them out of the way, make sure everyone present is aware of them.

Items being thrown could be hazardous 

Extreme caution when throwing items towards the camera specifically as there will be people standing behind it. Make sure that the actress has a safe place to aim.

Glass bottles lying around floor and bare feet

No broken glass, any particularly thin or flimsy bottles should be on the table rather than the floor. No empty cans to be placed on the floor as they can be very sharp.

Consent

Both of my models were over 18 at the time of filming, so there was no need for parental consent, however I requested official consent from both of them before we began filming in order to make sure that there would be no issues later on in the project.

Pitch

Prop List

Cigarette - not to be shown smoking however it would be implied by a puff of vapour and the cigarette butt being extinguished.
Glass bottles or wine glasses - to imply an alcohol issue
Pills- scattered around bedside?
Books, photos, sentimental items - photo frames - to be thrown in anger or distress

Market Research - Survey Results

 All of my respondents were 17 which means that I can't analyse my answers for target audience age/ maturity, as they're all the same age and technically therefore fall into at least one degree of the intended demographic. Furthermore, some of them went on to say that indie rock was among their favourite music genres. These answers were the most interesting to me as they were likely to reflect some of the expectations of the planned audience.

The purpose of this question was to try and fish out some of the things that make music videos tick with my target audience.

The majority of respondents ticked that an abstract style was the best form of video to view, although, only 11 people took part in my survey so this can't be necessarily classed as conclusive.

This question is fairly self explanatory and just hi lights a few things that should possibly be avoided, or at least worked with very carefully. For example, the unnecessary sexualisation of dancers and people with no ends to provide anything for the meaning other than to be attractive.  

This question was interesting, and showed that there was a clear expectation of performance in an indie rock video, but also "reasonably abstract narrative." 

Effects Tester 1

The location of my test shots wasn't ideal, so I played around a bit with filters that would add to the outcome of my edit. I also just wanted to test the quality of the tone altering effects and research which of them may be of use later on in my project.

Lip Sync Test

This is not the song I am using for my music video, however I chose to use it in order to test Alice's ability to really sing into the camera. The test was purely to make sure that my performer would be comfortable in front of the camera. I used the opportunity to briefly play around with the editing techniques, but I'm not completely happy with how that particular element turned out as I didn't have a good enough diversity of shots to work with.

Due to limited time, I only filmed from a few angles, these were the best three and the three I chose to work with. I didn't like the location or the tone of shot at all, and the camera lacked a manual exposure function so her face was often incredibly over-exposed in some of the other shots, I put them in black and white not to simulate the tone of my video itself but to make it come across in a  slightly more sophisticated manner.

Costume List

I've taken inspiration from this Disclosure video where there is a very clear contrast in the differing of the character at the start and at the end of the video. Here, the two shots are very similar, same location, same pro(an)tagonist, but her clothing has changed alongside her manner. There is a clear change from the Goddess-like robe she wears at the beginning of the video and the black, wet look leather and bold red lip she transforms into at the end.
Although I would don't want the performer to entirely change outfit as the song progresses, but her clothes will become visibly more worn down and casual, a sleeve slipping off her shoulder as she sings for example.

List:


Performer:
Casual clothes, leggings, loose t-shirt/shirt, no shoes- socks-  she is meant to look casual, representation of target demographic - meant to appear relatable.


Actress:
Pyjamas or slacks. Made to appear scruffy, under dressed but comfortable to fit the juxtaposition of the emotions she is feeling.

Edit Ideas

Using some general test footage I have scanned through all of the available preset effects and filters, I don't want to overly rely on these but I feel that a few of them in moderation could really add to my video. One answer on my questionnaire actually hi-lighted the overuse of filters and effects which has confirmed my initial thoughts on the subject. 

This particular effect I feel really fits with the genre I'm working in. Indie pop and rock culture both follow similar ideologies to some extent, pursuing the almost trance-like atmospheres linked with the experiences of seeing the band play live and up close. There is a heavy focus on the sound itself and the emotion being put into the music, however there is also emphasis on the feelings and experiences surrounding the effects of the music. Often this involves filming and editing techniques that are not only of retro style but also quite surrealistic. The "BadTV" effect on Final Cut Pro X offers up a really effective style, maybe flashes of something like this over the performance elements would add to the Indie "vibe," as it almost replicates the feel of being in a live crowd in front of strobe lighting.

The existing video for Palma Violets - Step Up For The Cool Cats provides a good example of this style of thinking, and throughout uses a moderately similar technique. Looking at it closely it would appear that this is not post production but instead was just the initial footage re-filmed through a second screen. This is definitely an idea I will test some shots out for and revisit.

Recce - Location Shots 1

I asked a few people that I know very well to provide some preliminary shots of a few locations I was considering for different sections in the video. These first two  photos I'm not too sure about as the room appears very snug and homely, almost too relaxed. Also, while there is room to film in, there is a lot of window space which I would need to be careful about if I chose to film here with regards to the windows' reflections.

Lyric Plan