Our footage firstly had to be digitalised for us to begin editing on Final Cut Pro. To begin our editing process we watched our footage and then made separate bins for specific shots and locations. This way it made it easier and quicker to find shots we liked and fit in with the music. As we had a lot of footage compared to others it took longer for us to find our best shots and was hard to decide on which shots would look the best. We lay down a wide shot of the band in the studio for the first verse and then bladed in other footage of the girls, band members, instruments and bikes. This way the wide shot of the performance would be in sync and would work at any point in the song if we wanted to cut back to the performance. For other sections however, we had a lot of footage of the preparation and the tree performance so we cut a piece in at a time and due to the variety of shots we didn't need to use previous images. There is a stable structure in our video and our shots tend to relate to each other. We begin with a tracking shot from the girls feet cycling to the light that's been powered by the bike. This gives the impression that the video is about energy sufficient powering and helps to make sense of the happenings in the video. This then links into the girls cycling at the side of the performance and the band performing in the middle. The first verse introduces us to the band and as it goes on we have snippets of the preparation of the lanterns and bikes for the tree performance. Not much is revealed at this point to create suspense and to intrigue the audience. We then go into the biking which links into the bike theme and the 'boys and girls' coming together on their way to a festival which is the performance under the tree. During these shot this we still see the preparations however nothing is revealed so it has a greater impact at the end. By the last verse and the instrumental the band and girls finally arrive at the festival which is at night. The girls cycle on the bikes around on the tree this in turn powers the lights for the performance. As you can there's also a relationship between the bikes and the performance and the cycling to the festival and powering the lights for the performance.
We've were influenced by 'Electric Pedals' who design and build human-powered lighting, music, kettle boiling and other interactions, all powered by bicycle generators. Due to global warming and climate change which is becoming a great issue in our society today we thought it would be a great idea for our pop video to promote this and be energy sufficient. We contacted the company and with a lot of work and preparation we enabled this to happen.
We were also influenced by the energy and light hearted atmosphere The Rumble Strips and The Mystery Jets created in their pop videos and with a similar demographic audience we could relate to them. The Rumble Strips music video “Motorcycles” had a great influence on us. They integrated bikes into their pop video and filmed it similarly to us, out the back of a van.
Our rough cut differs from our animate story board but still has the same structure. On the day of filming we found more artistic ways of shooting e.g. through the bike wheel as the band performed and the hand held camera of the night performance. We also gathered a huge variety of shots that we could use which allowed us to be more flexible and creative with the pop video. As well as finding more initiative ways of filming we also thought of more opportunities to film e.g. the preparation, the band playing on the bikes, the bicycles cycling past the camera etc. We found it hard to start of with when beginning to editing as we didn't stick to the storyboard and we had so much footage but by separating all the shots into different 'bins' it made it made it easier and more practical for us to edit. We found some shots we had put onto the story board were unnecessary and boring and few we couldn't do e.g. the bike shot of lots of people coming in separately. Although we made several changes I think the cycling worked well even though we didn’t have them singing. In away it makes it look more realistic and more creative. I also found the hand held camera in the festival performance in the end worked really well and it made it seem like it was a real performance.
Strengths of our rough cut is that theirs such a wide variety of shots we have put in, which creates a more exciting visual experience Most of the cuts also work well together and show the relationship between the bikes and saving energy. The band also worked well together and performed well making the video looking more realistic and exciting to watch. The variety of locations creates a defined structure and storyline for the audience to watch which doesn't get boring. The contrast between all the locations also creates a huge impact on the final performance with the pedal power lighting up the tree and leads up to the climax.
Weakness of our rough cut is that there may be too many shots which can be too much for someone to watch and can make them very confused. The lighting of the performance under the tree varies between each cut making it look not as realistic and smooth. The ending of the song also isn't smooth from the jump of the soundtrack to the clapping which needs to be faded into one another. The cuts at the end of the video where the band is performing outside vary and often are very dark which makes things visually hard to see. The dark shoots give a sense of negativity and seem pointless so lighter shots must be found to replace these.
I believe there is more to do on our pop video. I would like to create sound at the beginning of the pop video and make the sound more smoothly integrated with the soundtrack. I would also like to change some of the festival shots as I believe some of shots are too short and jump a lot which is not attractive visually to watch and can make you very confused. I feel that there needs to be a bigger impact at the end so by putting more wide shots of the tree will create this and also can establish what we've been building up through out the video.
We have no work to do on AfterEffects which enables us to have more time to focus on our video and making it as professional as possible. We will take into account the feedback we received and apply it to our video as well as illuminating the weaknesses in the video.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Friday, December 4, 2009
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Claudia Lee; short film maker
"Its good to know" - Claudia Lee's short film for Channel 4. She filmed some of it as we set up our pop video and pedal power which is shown in this film.
http://www.4docs.org.uk/competition/view/332/pedal+power
http://www.4docs.org.uk/competition/view/332/pedal+power
Friday, November 27, 2009
The Shooting Day
Our shoot day was coming up on the 17th November and we had a lot to cover and prepare before the day arrived. Our main factor in our pop video was pedal-power and Colin who was providing us with the lanterns and bikes for pedal-power to light up the performance externally. We had to choose a tree for this performance of the pedal-power and had to give Colin several measurements for this so we would have enough cable and wire for the bikes and how many bikes we would need to power up 14 lanterns. Before the shoot Colin sent us the lanterns which we then had to structure and paint how we wanted them. We decided we would go for block colours of gold, silver, bronze, yellow, blue, green and red, this way the lanterns would be brighter a make a greater visual scene. We also had to prepare the band and the girls that were needed for the shoot which we had trouble with but by the day everything worked out fine. As our shoot was based around bikes we had to find and transport bikes around each one of our sets which was difficult but well worth it.
We did have a few problems running up to the shoot. We had some great members of the band and the girls but several were unable to do it at the last minute so we had to search for 2 boys for the band. This was hard as they had to have this specific image and look about them but by the time we began shooting we found 2 boys which were perfect for the band which you will see in the video. We also found we didn’t have enough bikes due to our 2 Old Dutch bikes had severe punctures and were dangerous to ride. This meant our biking scene was not as effective as we hoped with lots of girls cycling behind the band members however we found that we wouldn’t have been able to fit the girls into the shot so wasn’t much of a loss.
Our day was very productive starting early morning and going on till dark which was not expected as we thought it would have gone on a lot later. In the morning we filmed in the studio where we filmed the performance element, the girls on the bikes and the blue screen. The members of the cast were efficient and easy to work with which was a great help and we new exactly what was needed to be filmed which made it much easier. We then met Colin at Cornhill where he was going to set up the pedal-power around this beautiful autumnal tree. During the time we filmed him setting it up and attaching the lanterns, the bikes and bulbs together to work as one. Due to the lighting conditions during this time I went over to Ewhurst drive with the cast to film the cycling scene where they are cycling down an old country lane whilst I filmed out a back of a van. After this was done we returned back to Cornhill where the pedal-power machines were finished and was just getting dark which was perfect timing for our shoot with the lanterns. It was scheduled well and then we were able to do this last shoot of the day and it was over a couple of hours shorted than expected.
Whilst we were filming we always had the storyboards out too check we were sticking to them closely but found more exotic and different ways of filming during the day. This filming gave are shots more variation and choice to pick from when we begin to edit. The shots looked more unique and original and slightly artistic which gave the video a bit of an ‘edge’ to it. We were continuously coming up with more imaginative and inventive shots so we are not so restricted when we edit.
During the course of day there was a lot of technology involved. In the studio and filming the bikes we used a JVC camera which enabled up to place it upon a tripod and do handheld. It also enabled us to do white balance and make sure the contrast was right. We used a PD170 camera to film the setting up of the lanterns and pedal-power. We used full studio lighting when filming the performance and then the red head lights for exterior when filming the pedal-power performance to give more light so you can see the full extent of the set up.
I played many production roles during the day. I helped setting up at the beginning which included positioning and dressing the cast, the arrangement of the bikes on set and who was cycling them as well as deciding how powerful the lights were going to be. I also helped checking for continuity making sure everyone was in the same outfits for each shot and that the positioning of band and bicycles were all the same. This is vital as otherwise it can look odd and unrealistic when edited. I also helped filming especially in the cycling along the lane where I was filming outside the back of a van on a JVC camera on a tripod. Here I was able to pan and move the camera across the cyclists enabling the shot to fit everyone in and keep it focused. I also did a few static shots of the bikes and I directed their movements to and from the camera to make it look as affective as possible. I enjoyed filming very much learning how to use how to focus, zoom, pan, white balance and lots of other technological applications on the camera.
We made several creative decisions in the day which enhanced our production and choice of footage when we edit. In the studio we filmed the band through the wheel of the bike whilst it was being ridden creating an inventive and youthful image of the band. It also combines with the cycling later on in the video. Also in the studio we did more blue screen shots than we planned with each band individually cycling the bike with their instruments. This again gives us more footage but also displays their energy and youthfulness that their demographic audience will be attracted too. During the Documentary we were more creative by filming little snippets of the setting up, reasonably close up so the audience is occasionally unable to distinguish what it is to create suspense and tension which will make them want watch on to see what’s going on. When filming the bike shots as well as moving shots we also thought of doing static shots of the wheels and the bikes to add creativity to the video. The pedal-power scene we decided not to do much on the tripod but do more moving shots by hand held camera. This makes it look more realistic and that its an actual ‘festival.’ As our demographic audience are festival goers this attracts them towards the band.
I was particularly pleased with the pedal-power and how they lit the lanterns effectively which is seen on film. I also was very pleased with the energy from the band in this part as they looked very convincing and genuine that they were a real band performing in the festive atmosphere. It was visually very effective with the lanterns and everything combined together really worked.
I wasn’t particularly pleased with some of the bike shots in the lane as we were planning on having them lip sinking but this was unable to happen. We realised it was much too hard to do and also we were unable to play the music for the cyclist to hear. The video would have benefited at this scene from more girls cycling in the background as it looked random and off just a few girls but we found they wouldn’t have been able to fit in shot well if there was more.
We kept to the base of our initial ideas but during filming as I said we found new ways of shooting and our shots became much more varied and exciting. Unfortunately we were unable to do the lip sink on the bikes so instead of many bike shots we will have more of the performance in the studio. We are also meant to have a huge crowd around the band and bikes in the night shot but this was unable to happen due to various reasons but I believe it looks more effective and you may have not really seen the crowd due to the light. In the studio we were meant to have 6 girls on the bikes instead of 2, however it did work out for the best as the studio would have got too crowded and there would have been too much going on. Due to the variety of shots we gained we didn’t do all the necessary shots that we did in the storyboard e.g. the beginning of the video. We weren’t planning on having a big studio performance but we managed to get some phenomenal footage from it so this can be applied effectively into the storyboard.
Obviously it would have been better if the band could have lip synced so instead I would have just got the lead singer to lip sink with without the band and girls to make it easier for him. I would have also wanted more girls for the cycling bit to form a bigger crowd and atmosphere. Even though the tree we got for the pedal-power performance was good, if we were able to get the crowd I believe it would have looked more effective with a bigger tree to show the scale of the production.
I consider the day to be a huge success. We managed to get an idyllic band that had energy and charisma which appeals to their demographic audience and attracts possible fans. I am looking forward to begin editing and view the artistic and imaginative footage we got that we can work well with to make an original and exclusive pop video that appeal to demographic viewers.
We did have a few problems running up to the shoot. We had some great members of the band and the girls but several were unable to do it at the last minute so we had to search for 2 boys for the band. This was hard as they had to have this specific image and look about them but by the time we began shooting we found 2 boys which were perfect for the band which you will see in the video. We also found we didn’t have enough bikes due to our 2 Old Dutch bikes had severe punctures and were dangerous to ride. This meant our biking scene was not as effective as we hoped with lots of girls cycling behind the band members however we found that we wouldn’t have been able to fit the girls into the shot so wasn’t much of a loss.
Our day was very productive starting early morning and going on till dark which was not expected as we thought it would have gone on a lot later. In the morning we filmed in the studio where we filmed the performance element, the girls on the bikes and the blue screen. The members of the cast were efficient and easy to work with which was a great help and we new exactly what was needed to be filmed which made it much easier. We then met Colin at Cornhill where he was going to set up the pedal-power around this beautiful autumnal tree. During the time we filmed him setting it up and attaching the lanterns, the bikes and bulbs together to work as one. Due to the lighting conditions during this time I went over to Ewhurst drive with the cast to film the cycling scene where they are cycling down an old country lane whilst I filmed out a back of a van. After this was done we returned back to Cornhill where the pedal-power machines were finished and was just getting dark which was perfect timing for our shoot with the lanterns. It was scheduled well and then we were able to do this last shoot of the day and it was over a couple of hours shorted than expected.
Whilst we were filming we always had the storyboards out too check we were sticking to them closely but found more exotic and different ways of filming during the day. This filming gave are shots more variation and choice to pick from when we begin to edit. The shots looked more unique and original and slightly artistic which gave the video a bit of an ‘edge’ to it. We were continuously coming up with more imaginative and inventive shots so we are not so restricted when we edit.
During the course of day there was a lot of technology involved. In the studio and filming the bikes we used a JVC camera which enabled up to place it upon a tripod and do handheld. It also enabled us to do white balance and make sure the contrast was right. We used a PD170 camera to film the setting up of the lanterns and pedal-power. We used full studio lighting when filming the performance and then the red head lights for exterior when filming the pedal-power performance to give more light so you can see the full extent of the set up.
I played many production roles during the day. I helped setting up at the beginning which included positioning and dressing the cast, the arrangement of the bikes on set and who was cycling them as well as deciding how powerful the lights were going to be. I also helped checking for continuity making sure everyone was in the same outfits for each shot and that the positioning of band and bicycles were all the same. This is vital as otherwise it can look odd and unrealistic when edited. I also helped filming especially in the cycling along the lane where I was filming outside the back of a van on a JVC camera on a tripod. Here I was able to pan and move the camera across the cyclists enabling the shot to fit everyone in and keep it focused. I also did a few static shots of the bikes and I directed their movements to and from the camera to make it look as affective as possible. I enjoyed filming very much learning how to use how to focus, zoom, pan, white balance and lots of other technological applications on the camera.
We made several creative decisions in the day which enhanced our production and choice of footage when we edit. In the studio we filmed the band through the wheel of the bike whilst it was being ridden creating an inventive and youthful image of the band. It also combines with the cycling later on in the video. Also in the studio we did more blue screen shots than we planned with each band individually cycling the bike with their instruments. This again gives us more footage but also displays their energy and youthfulness that their demographic audience will be attracted too. During the Documentary we were more creative by filming little snippets of the setting up, reasonably close up so the audience is occasionally unable to distinguish what it is to create suspense and tension which will make them want watch on to see what’s going on. When filming the bike shots as well as moving shots we also thought of doing static shots of the wheels and the bikes to add creativity to the video. The pedal-power scene we decided not to do much on the tripod but do more moving shots by hand held camera. This makes it look more realistic and that its an actual ‘festival.’ As our demographic audience are festival goers this attracts them towards the band.
I was particularly pleased with the pedal-power and how they lit the lanterns effectively which is seen on film. I also was very pleased with the energy from the band in this part as they looked very convincing and genuine that they were a real band performing in the festive atmosphere. It was visually very effective with the lanterns and everything combined together really worked.
I wasn’t particularly pleased with some of the bike shots in the lane as we were planning on having them lip sinking but this was unable to happen. We realised it was much too hard to do and also we were unable to play the music for the cyclist to hear. The video would have benefited at this scene from more girls cycling in the background as it looked random and off just a few girls but we found they wouldn’t have been able to fit in shot well if there was more.
We kept to the base of our initial ideas but during filming as I said we found new ways of shooting and our shots became much more varied and exciting. Unfortunately we were unable to do the lip sink on the bikes so instead of many bike shots we will have more of the performance in the studio. We are also meant to have a huge crowd around the band and bikes in the night shot but this was unable to happen due to various reasons but I believe it looks more effective and you may have not really seen the crowd due to the light. In the studio we were meant to have 6 girls on the bikes instead of 2, however it did work out for the best as the studio would have got too crowded and there would have been too much going on. Due to the variety of shots we gained we didn’t do all the necessary shots that we did in the storyboard e.g. the beginning of the video. We weren’t planning on having a big studio performance but we managed to get some phenomenal footage from it so this can be applied effectively into the storyboard.
Obviously it would have been better if the band could have lip synced so instead I would have just got the lead singer to lip sink with without the band and girls to make it easier for him. I would have also wanted more girls for the cycling bit to form a bigger crowd and atmosphere. Even though the tree we got for the pedal-power performance was good, if we were able to get the crowd I believe it would have looked more effective with a bigger tree to show the scale of the production.
I consider the day to be a huge success. We managed to get an idyllic band that had energy and charisma which appeals to their demographic audience and attracts possible fans. I am looking forward to begin editing and view the artistic and imaginative footage we got that we can work well with to make an original and exclusive pop video that appeal to demographic viewers.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
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Wednesday, November 4, 2009
The Album Cover
Our band ‘The Coo Coo Club’ is represented to be an environmentally friendly, natural and original band with a care-free and relaxed attitude to life. In order to highlight this to our target audience we have used natural images for example, we took the well-known image of evolution and changed it to the members of our band and relate it to our music video with having the last silhouette hold a bike. This ‘natural’ image is also represented through the leaves that will be in the background of where the CD will lie and also the image of the tree on the back of the CD cover. We are also having an image of the band on the inside cover, on the left hand side in order to promote their image.
The Back / Front Cover
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Here is the image of the leaves that will be presented inside on the right side of the case where the cd is placed on top.
The Back / Front Cover
The image of the evolutionary man that influenced us on our making of the front cover. 
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Here is the image of the leaves that will be presented inside on the right side of the case where the cd is placed on top.
Existing similar record labels
XL Recordings – Cajun Dance Party, Friendly Fires, Jack Penate, Vampire Weekend, Radiohead.
XL Recordings – type; music which appears to be orginal and inventive.
‘Best Independent Label Award’ XL Recordings is set for a more individual, alternative, different look in music, with such big bands as Radiohead.
XL Recordings – type; music which appears to be orginal and inventive.
‘Best Independent Label Award’ XL Recordings is set for a more individual, alternative, different look in music, with such big bands as Radiohead.
Transgressive Records – The subways, mystery jets, the young knives, larrikin love, foals, the rumble strips, johnny flynn.
An independent record label based in London, artists signed to Transgressive tend to be of a more alternative, independent, different style and sound, such bands as foals who are in the indie scene in London.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Advert influences
This is a newspaper article/advert for The maccabees new album.
www.tellyads.com/show_movie.php?filename=TA9440 - Heres an advert for The Friendly Fires new single.
Location of our video - The lanes
These photos show the locations we will be shooting at. The lanes are were we will have the bike shots and where everyone comes together. The tree is where we will have the performance and were the lights on the tree will be powered by pedal power.
Album Cover Ideas
For our album cover we are planning on having a photo of the tree we are using in the video with the latterns lit up with the band standing infront of it performing or just standing. They will be of a similar postion and attitude of these pictures above to represent their care-free and laid back attitude to life. As it is their first single, promotion of them as a band is vital so they can be identified and become more familair to fans and the population. If a photo of them under the tree is unable to be captured we will get a photo of them performing in the studio or just a bicycle leaning against the tree they performed under.
Copyright notice
Wording of copyright notice:
To the copyright holder
We are a group of A Level students working on an A Level project for a qualification in Media Studies. We are writing to request permission to use the following track as part of this project:
Girls and Boys in Love by The Rumble Strips
With your permission the track would be used as the accompaniment to a short form video that is made purely for assessment purposes and will have no commercial usage. The video will be viewed only by members of the school community and the assessor of the examination board.
The artist and the copyright holder will of course be fully recognised in the pre-production and evaluation material that accompanies the project. We can also include a full copyright notice if required both in the planning material and on the video itself.
Yours sincerely
Fiona Winter, Imogen Smith, Laura Little and Lillie Ziegler-Pounds
Hurtwood House School
To the copyright holder
We are a group of A Level students working on an A Level project for a qualification in Media Studies. We are writing to request permission to use the following track as part of this project:
Girls and Boys in Love by The Rumble Strips
With your permission the track would be used as the accompaniment to a short form video that is made purely for assessment purposes and will have no commercial usage. The video will be viewed only by members of the school community and the assessor of the examination board.
The artist and the copyright holder will of course be fully recognised in the pre-production and evaluation material that accompanies the project. We can also include a full copyright notice if required both in the planning material and on the video itself.
Yours sincerely
Fiona Winter, Imogen Smith, Laura Little and Lillie Ziegler-Pounds
Hurtwood House School
Thursday, October 15, 2009
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