Prelim Task: The Evaluation

Group 2 Michael, Frank and Co from Latymermedia on Vimeo.

1. Did you enjoy the workshop day? What were your best bits and why?

Yes it was incredlble. I enjoyed how realistic and exciting the shoot was, it was great working with a professional film crew and being ordered by a legend (Jake Wynne). I  also enjoyed the group dancing sequences and being able to fiddle with the equipment and discover how the lighting works.

It was cool to look at the monitor and seeing exactly what the camera was filming and how amazing the shot quality was. I also enjoyed the fact that i wasn't bored because after 12 hours you'd think it would get boring, but we always had a job to do and many ended up cable bashing. Applying our preparation into reality was great and I couldn't wait to edit the video and look at the footage.

2. What did you learn from participating in the workshop?

One of the first things I realised was the huge time it takes to set up a music video. The staff arrived two hours early to prepare. I also didn't expect such a huge variety of staff involved in production, such as the 'cable basher' and the 'grip'.

It's also important to stay positive throughout the shoot as there are long hours (minimum 12) and it can be very tiring dancing constantly for so long. It is important for the director and assistant director to help motivate the cast as they can become grumpy and less-responsive. Only a small time was spent filming the shoot as it takes a while to set each shoot up, particularly lighting which needs to be perfect. Blue and Orange was used a lot as they reflect the skin tone well and bring the best from each actor. It is therefore good to allow extra time after the schedule as certain set-ups take much longer than expected and can therefore run over and push other scenes back.

3. Are you pleased with the footage and your edit? Is it how you expected it to look?

I am very pleased with the outcome. I found it difficult as I was used to obeying continuity rules, however it looks very professional and is well shot. The only minor problem is the lighting in some shots which is extremely difficult to perfect (using three way color corrector etc..) We also captured a huge variety of shots which focus on different characters, for example I am featured towards the end in the central zone of the crowd dance shot. I think there isn't much more we could've done and the pulse lighting is a feature which I love and adds to the drama/effect.

4. How do you think your workshop experiences will impact on your approach to next term's music video coursework?


One of the first things I learnt was that its important to avoid casting non-media students as main character roles in our actual music video. This is because they do not know what to expect in a shoot and they will not have such an incredible experience to flash-back to. I plan on choosing an up-beat song such as 'Everybody Get Up' which will involve lots of quick cutting an possibly a large cast (which would prove difficult). I also learnt that planning is extremely important as timing needs to be perfectly calculated and shots need to be ordered to achieve minimal set-ups and to be as time-efficient as possible. Re-shoots would be problematic and breaks are also very necessary. Patience is also fairly important as equipment is not always reliable and its important to stick together as a team and stay calm.

Experience was vital in the workshop day and I will ensure that equipment is carefully looked after and any mistakes are nulified. I will ensure that all members of the crew are motivated and happy when we film our coursework and I will also ensure that we stay relaxed and enjoy the shoot as often the best music videos are often shot when there is no pressure.

5ive - Everybody Get Up (Re-edit)

Above is the re-edit of 5ive's video created by Frank and I. We were given shots to cut up and re-assemble to make it as close as possible to the actual video. Illustrated in the top-right corner is Five's actual video and we perfectly replicated it.

I've learnt that music-video ordering takes time, as it's difficult to link shots perfectly. I also realised how many cuts/shot types are used in just 39 seconds. Lip-syncing to the music was also difficult. Cutting to the beat is also very important/effective as it builds up/maintains energy.

I've also realised that you should take much more than you need, because missing shots are common and I realised that there are lots of cutaways in this vdeo, hwich Matt and I did not use (enough) in our prelim.

Music Video Prelim Task

This is our group's prelim lip sync for 'Everybody Get Up - Five'

Evaluation/ What to improve on
I extremely enjoyed the production process and the creativity we were given in which to produce our prelim lip synch. I find the song very exciting/upbeat and 5ive played a role in my childhood (along with Shaggy, Busted and Blue) so I could relate to the song.

I put 100% effort into learning the lyrics and giving a realistic/entertaining unique performance, although the production process (from filming to uploading) took just roughly three hours.

I’ve learnt that I need to practice facial expressions between now and the shoot, as although I show plenty of emotion and an Oscar-winning performance; my face is rather lifeless at times. I also realised that I should work on the ‘one…two…three…four’ part of the dance as it seems kinda robotic; however I could just add more upper-body movements.

Audition
If there was a word-limit I’d fail, but….
….I believe that throughout this year, I have adapted well to the life of Media Studies. I have always completed all media work set with great effort and plan on continuing this trend. I’d like a chance to prove that I can give a good performance, as I have in particular a good sense of rhythm and the talent to quickly remember song lyrics (audio learner). Therefore, I’d like a role in the band. Preferably, a main singing role however Scott/Sean/Ritchie are fine by me (I have completely learnt the words for both Abs' and J's verses). I am almost certainly going to cut my hair between now and the shoot as it’s getting pretty long and this would look better if I were to get a band role. I am also over 6'1'' in height :), which is fairly important as the actor should be reasonably tall, but also look as old as possible. I am willing to spray my hair darker if need be. I believe I have the personality/charisma to be part of a boy band and I’d be willing to make a fool of myself to give a great/realistic performance.