Editing

I have began my editing for my rough cut that should be finished for the deadline for Friday 5th December. I have began cutting up my different shots from both parts of my music video, both the performance and narrative side. I am not adding any effects at this point as I feel this isn't needed until I have my feedback from my rough cut, and make my improvements for my final cut. I have screenshot some of the shots I have used during my editing to give some examples of what I am actually doing. Here I have began filling in a template for each part of the typography I am using within my video as a starting point for me to add in my footage and work around those pars. I have also got an example of one of my shots from my narrative and also my performance to give you an indication of what both parts appear like. So far, editing is going good and I am enjoying making my music video. I am learning more aspects of Adobe Premiere Pro (the editing software I am using) as there is always new things I am discovering on it, since I began using it last year.

Drum kit- Finally!

I finally got a hold of a drum kit that was useful for my music video. Thankfully, my friend Ellen, owns a drum kit and volunteered to lend me some parts of it for my project. Mr. Lamb from the music department kindly lent me a bass drum and two small drums and when I pit them together, it looked like a little drum kit set up. It really worked for my video and was so helpful for both people to do that. Here below I have posted an image of the drum kit that is set up at my location.

My opinion on my experience of filming

I have thoroughly enjoyed filming my footage and the planning that I have done prior to filming has helped me greatly and benefitted the quality of the footage I have shot. I have found that my choice of actors were great as it sped up the entire process, allowing me plenty of to begin editing. the main reason for them being so great is that I chose very reliable people that I could trust to help me out and do the best that they could and would put there all into it. All of my actors were very keen on helping me and on the whole concept of what they had to do and this was also brilliant as I gave me confidence in doing a good job of shooting and getting the right footage.


The weather stayed exactly how it said it would be on the forecast and so therefore no serious problems occurred and I was able to forward and begin shooting early that morning. This meant that all of my shots were filmed by lunch time and that one of my actors could go to work and without me worrying for time and if I would get it completed. Everyone was really helpful, especially my boyfriends and my mam, who helped me move the props and got me to my required location for the time I needed and I think that overall the day went really well. As for my narrative, that also went good as my actor was in no rush to be anywhere and we took our time filming. this allowed me to be relaxed and not have to stress out too much and resulted in me filming the footage that I required at a good standard.

Distractions during filming

Bloopers from Charlotte Greaves on Vimeo.

Filming perfomance footage

Change of costume for Josh

This morning we decided to slightly change the costume for Josh, the guitarist. This is for no serious reason, and the cold weather did have some influence in it! Over the top of his original shirt, he is now wearing  a Nike sweatshirt and also the cap that we were contemplating on is now being worn.

Weather

This is the night before I begin filming my performance shots for my music video. As I said earlier this week, I wold keep track of the weather updates for Saturday, especially on the morning. All week it has looked good and I have wished so hard for it to stay that way. Tonight, I have checked it again and it still says it isn't going to rain until the evening which is fantastic. It now shows every hour of the day unlike the beginning of the week where it was a little less reliable being a week before the actual day. It has hammered down raining today so i'm really happy that It wont in the morning and we can get the filming done!

Weather 1 from Charlotte Greaves on Vimeo.

Performance Costume Sheet- Sam

I have chosen a similar outfit for the drummer however he is wearing a hat. I found that walking around my town, a lot of teenage boys wear hats and that it is a fashionable item to have. Also, for where I am filming it will be extremely cold as it is a morning in mid November, the beginning of winter. The checked shirt again is a popular look for teenage boys and so it will be worn by the drummer of the band. A grey shirt will be worn as the colour represents the weather and also connotes the darkness in the relationship as the arguments begins. 

Performance Costume Sheet- Josh

This is the outfit for my guitarist who also features in my narrative in a different outfit, posted on my blog last week. I have chosen for him to wear a grey shirt with colourful text on it. This is to represent the dull parts where the arguments take place but also to connote happiness with the bright colours as the story ends in happiness and them making up. I chose blue jeans as they were different to the other two actors wearing black and it mixed it up a little bit. I haven't decided if he is going to wear a hat yet, maybe a beanie o a five panel cap, not sure yet! But if I do, it will be seen in the rough cut! the brand of shirt he is wearing is a popular brand in high street shops at the moment and lots of boys I know own clothing by this bran 'Obey'.

Performance Costume sheet- Callum

Here are some shot of the outfit that has been chosen for the lead singer to wear. A checked flannel shirt, skateboard shirt and black jeans. This is a typical outfit for a teenage boy. His outfit was inspired by the band 'Five Seconds Of Summer'. The lead singer has very similar style and looks to Callum the actor and is great representation of teenage boy style of this time. Skateboarding is also a hobby of many teenage boys right now so it fits in perfectly with that.

Here is the lead singer of '5 seconds of summer' just to compare style and show how it has inspired me:

As you can see the checked shirts are very similar in style, pattern and colour.

Reasons for amount of actors chosen

There are a few reasons I have chosen three actors to form my band. As there is normally four people in a band. I chose three actors primarily as I thought when planning my project at the beginning it would be the easiest option. As I had time to reflect on my previous projects from last year, one of the problems I had, was the amount of actors. Having too many actors immediately puts yourself and filming under a lot more pressure than needs be. I thought that if I picked three boys one singer/guitarist, one guitarist and one drummer, that would be sufficient for my band. I chose three people that I am really close with and trust. I felt that this is important as the more you can rely on someone, the better the outcome will be and they will understand what needs to be done in the timeframe and will listen to instructions.


There are many bands out there in the public eye within the same genre that I have chosen with only 3 band members. Bands such as Haim, Daughter, Ash, Keane and Paramore.




Haim-

Daughter--

Ash-

Keane-

Paramore-                                                                                                                                     



Drum kit Update

Today I have spoken to Mr. Lamb from the music department today about possibly borrowing a drum kit. Unfortunately the drum kit in the department cannot be taken out of school and this means that I cannot use it as my filming is taking place in Durham. However he said that he had a bass drum that I could use which is really helpful. He has also told me to meet him after school in Fibonacci on Wednesday and he will have a look to see what he can find that could be of use to me, which is very helpful.  I have spoken to Sam one of my actors as he said he would get in touch with people he knows that own a drum kit and he texted one of his work colleagues today to ask. Even if it is just certain parts of the drum kit that I would be able to use such as the symbols and two oft he drums then I could put that with the bass drum off Mr. Lamb and work with that. he said as soon as she replies he will let me know as to whether I can or not and hopefully this will be sorted as soon as possible. It's been very difficult trying to track one down as very few people I know own a drum kit and the people who do, it would be impossible to get to my location or aren't available on the date of which my filming is scheduled to take place. As soon as I have found anything new out or any further progress has been made in finding one I can use, I will post it on here.

Feedback from actors on costumes for perfomance

Preparing the costume choices for each of my actors is something that can be difficult. I decided that to make my actors feel as comfortable as possible on set by taking their suggestions and feedback on what they would prefer to wear and then I can base my choices on that. I learnt at the media festival that this is very important in order to keep your actors happy and enthusiastic to be involved and perform to the best of their ability. I have texted all of my actors asking them what they would choose to wear. I am aware of the weather at this time of year and how it extremely cold. I have reminded them of this as their decision should really be formed around the weather, for it to be sensible and make sense. I have texted all 3 of my actors for their opinions and will upload screenshots of the conversations as soon as I have received all of the replies. I have a rough idea of what I can picture in my head the band wearing but still, each of them have their own styles and personalities and that is reality. I would like it to become realistic as possible and in order for this to happen, I think that using their own choices combined with mine will ensure this happens.

Checking up on weather forecast

I have decided to checkup on the weather forecast for the day I have planned to film my performance shots and so far it looks good. It isn't forecasted to rain which is lucky for this time of the year and as I am filming early in the morning so hopefully if it does rain, it will in the middle of the day and not in the morning. I will keep checking the website to see if any changes occur and will post on here if there is any changes. Fingers crossed the forecast stays the same!

Call Sheet- Performance

Here are some images I took of my final location choice:

I have chosen this particular location as I think that the scenery is very effective. The part where I want to shoot my band play, looks similar to a stage, giving a performance feel to it. The graffiti on the walls gives it a youth look, and this links to my chosen target audience of young adults. The white background on the set suggests cleanliness of hospital and the pureness of certain drugs effects. linking to the songs name 'Chemicals' however the edginess of the graffiti could link the idea that in then lyrics to the song, there's an alternative approach of references to drugs and this could be a representation. This kind of location has not been featured in any of the videos I have researched but I have been influenced by the blank backgrounds in them. As I did not want to copy this completely, I have took an alternative approach in choosing a different location with aspects of the videos I have researched such as the blank background. 

First day of filming

Today I began to film footage for my narrative side to my video. I filmed in my house and around the streets I lived. Josh and I discussed together what to do and where to position the camera to get the best angles and views for each shot. I have began filming with my own Nikon 1 as I find the image quality much better and much clearer. I filmed most of my shots more than once so that I had a backup ad more of a choice when I start to edit. I found that today's filming went well and working with Josh was helpful and easier than working with a stranger. Tomorrow I am bringing my camera into school, and will view the footage I have taken to see how good it looks and if its worthy of including in my video before I begin filming my performance side next weekend.

Production Schedule- Narrative

Location Scouting

Location Scouting from Charlotte Greaves on Vimeo.

Attending York Aesthetica Short Film Festival

Today me and the rest of our media class, visited York and attended the short film festival. It was an amazing experience to have the opportunity for the second year running to be involved and visit it. I found the whole experience really useful within my own course as we attended a master class called 'the a-z of music video' where the people holding it gave us a lot of information and great tips on how to create a good music video and what the vital essentials are to successfully completing it. This master class told us things such as how to make your actors comfortable on set and how to win their heart in order to allow the video to reach its full potential with enthusiastic actors. We also had the chance to visit York St Johns University and learn more about the media courses available their which was extremely helpful as I have applied for a degree course in media there and it made me a lot more comfortable in the area with my overall knowledge of the uni as a whole as well as the courses they provide. It most definitely boosted my confidence and opinion of it. The entire day was so interesting and really beneficial to me and the rest of the class.

Here is a photograph I took of my pass for the festival:

Narrative Costume Sheet- Josh

For the male character in the narrative. I have chosen for him to be wearing blue jeans and a plain black top. This as it represents a trends of what teenagers wear nowadays but also is very plain and simple. He will be wearing a blue coat and a hat when entering the girls house but will take it off and will be left wearing a black shirt and blue jeans.

Here are some images of the actor wearing the chosen outfits.

Narrative Costume Sheet- Charlotte

For the girl in the narrative part of m video, I have chosen her to wear relatively simple clothing. She is wearing a long sleeve grey top and black skinny jeans with rips in. The colours of the clothes may simply connote how the relationship begins to turn dull and the rips in her jeans represent a tear in the relationship. A divide between them. Her hair is just normal and straight and she doesn't have a lot of bright makeup. She also is wearing a dark coat and black vans shoes.

Here are some images of the actress wearing the chosen outfits for filming.

Call Sheet- Narrative

A date for filming- Narrative

The weekend beginning Friday 7th November is when I have scheduled to film my narrative shots for my video over the whole weekend. My boyfriend is coming home from university to be a part of it and help me so It has worked out quite well. I will be filming in my house all around in different rooms such as my bedroom, landing, living room and hallway and staircase. I will be filming around the area of my house on Newton Hall estate and probably in Durham City Centre and the routes to there from my house such as the back roads.  As I am using a relatively large chunk of my narrative footage based on videos I have already taken in the past, it shouldn't be too much trouble or take much time to film and should be pretty straightforward. Filming with only one person is much less hassle than a group!

Narrative- Relationship

For my narrative featuring through my music video. I am using myself and my boyfriend Josh to act out a relationship in certain stages. I thought using us would be helpful and relatively easy as we don't really need to pretend to be in a relationship and we have been to a lot of places and done lots of different things. I have chosen to still carry on with the pattern of very quick paced shots however at the bridge of the song I have decided that I am going to feature a montage of various videos of us from the past messing about and visiting places and hanging around together. This is as it lets me use footage I have already made and lets the process be a little easier when filming both sides to the video. The idea I have for the story line is that is starts off us being in a relationship that is going good. Then throughout the song we begin to argue and at the peak of the song, the girl (me) walks out of the house and leaves in tears. The boy is left in the bedroom upset and not knowing what to do. He lays down on the bed and begins to think back at the good memories between them and this is where a montage of various videos of them begin to play, acting as the images in his head. The montage of videos speeds up gradually suggesting tension is building up and feelings are rushing through his head. The montage ends on a funny, happy video, being a good memory and he gets up and runs out of the house looking for her. The video ends with him finding her and kissing her, implying that they make up and he resolves the badness.

Storyboards

Here is the storyboards I have created for my music video and the individual shots that I a going to film to create it. Over half term I ran out of storyboard templates so I have began but I am yet to finish, once I have gotten more templates from school and will have them finished straight away.

Plan for this week

This week, I am going to edit a final album cover with the name of my band on it. I am also going to continue to find an available and suitable drum kit for my filming date. Also, I will be organizing the final costume for each of my band members and blogging some images of them in their final attire. This is to give an idea of what they will look like when filmed together and if they will look like a band and compliment each other. I will also be finalising my location that I am going forward with.

Change of plan for location scouting

Drum Kit

I have been looking for a drum kit that I would be able to use for my music video. I have asked a few people and I am waiting on replies to whether they will allow me to use their kit or not. I am going to ask the music department this week as we are back at school and see if there is anything they can offer me that would be of any sue and if they are willing for me to use their instrument. Two of my actors Josh Thomas and Sam Bryan, also have some contacts that they have kindly said they will get in touch with and see if there is a possibility that I could borrow of them. Fingers crossed that I will find something of use that is suitable and looks good in my video. I have the guitars that I am using for my video already and I am only needing a drum kit now so as soon as that is sorted, I will have all of my equipment together, to begin filming.

A date for filming- Performance

So far I have set a date for my filming to take place. I have chosen to film my footage the weekend beginning 14th November. I have discussed this with my cast and 2 out of 3 have committed to that date to be available for the entire weekend so that If anything goes wrong or I need to redo or film any extra footage then I have that time frame dedicated to that. The third actor has told me he should most likely be available for this date but is going to have to clarify with me this week due to work commitments. He said that he will most likely be able to film on one of the day of that weekend, which I think will be fine as long as he is available for a whole day. Due to the fact that there is the slightest chance he may be unavailable, I will prepare another backup date and as well attempt to find someone to be an understudy, which I will find this week in preparation.