Evaluation of Shoot Day

Before the shoot day we firstly made the dress for the female actress to wear. As we wanted her to fit in exactly with the set so she would seem as if she was submerged within it, we needed to use the same fabric that we were using for the set build. We used one of the satin like material for the base of the dress as it was opaque and we didn’t want her to wear anything that didn’t fit with the set. We cut a small part from the fabric then measured it around her body. We then marked how short we wanted it to be. Rosie then sewed the dress so it looked neater giving it a hem and a string around the top to tighten it. We then took some of the mesh like fabric that we were also using for the set and created a wrap to go around her that was long enough to tie into the set so it looked like she was more a part of it. 

We then took the remainders of the fabric and cut them into strips length ways so that they would be long enough to hang from the bars at the top of the studio and reach the ground.

 We then used Zell to act as if she was the actress and see how the pieces of fabric would work with in the set interacting with the actress, we could then make adjustments to the positioning of the fabrics so that when it came to the shoot day we wouldn’t waste time figuring out how to wrap her in the set. We then tested out the different lighting setting we would need to use for the shoot so that they were ready and we could see what they looked like against the sheets.

I was confident that we were well prepared as we had got all of the set designing finished by the end of the day before. However, it was due to rain on the day of filming which worried me as we could have no control over it and it would eliminate a whole element that we had prepared, but I was trying to plan what we could do instead of the woods scene, and if we would shoot that scene on a different day.

We had to make a decision about if we were going to film in the woods of not, and we decided that we would shoot it on a different day and utilize our full day of time in the studio to create more interesting shots and experiment more with what we had there. We then had to take Esme, our actress to the makeup artist. We all had a very clear image in mind of the different makeup looks we needed as we had discussed them in great detail prior to the shoot day. We all overlooked her makeup being done as we couldn’t do anything with the set until she was ready as all that was left to do was to tie the fabrics to her dress. It allowed us to point out anything that we thought didn’t look great so we all had an opinion towards the makeup. We then had to place Esme in the set and make minor adjustments to her dress by safety pinning it so it was properly fitted. We also realized that it looked quite messy the way we had put in on her so we had to use different pieces of fabric to cover up the messy parts. We then tied her overlaid mesh dress into the set and make sure that she could move around easily. We then did a run through of the choreographing that we wanted her to do even though we had done rehearsals with her already but we needed to use the fabrics and tell her how to interact with them. We did a run though with the track and lighting but this allowed us to get in the set and show her he movements we wanted her to do and how she should move between the sheets.

Esme getting her makeup done.

I think that the studio looked pretty much exactly how we expected it to be and how we sketched the fabrics in our planning. However, the fabrics took up less space within the set than I thought they were going to, but when we looked at the set through the lens of the camera it looked fuller. When we turned on the lighting, it was a lot brighter that I expected even though we had tested it before, but I think that how it was in my head wouldn’t have worked as well with the themes. The lighting made our thoughts on the idea change slightly, as initially we had a pure based theme, however when we were actually on set, it took more of a supernatural look, and an enhanced water feel.

Above is a video of our set before we began filming.

On the day of the shoot, my main role was to be the camera operator as I had had more experience than the other members of my group in that role, as that was my role when filming my thriller for my AS shoot. Zell was the director as she has her enthusiasm, we thought would keep the actress up beat and stop her from losing energy, Zell is also good at communicating ideas into a visual performance. Rosie was the art director as she is good at spotting continuity errors and she has good artistic skills so we trusted her to keep track of things we needed to change or adjust throughout the day. Over the course of the day our roles varied slightly because as the shoot went on we all had more idea with what could look good and new suggestions for different shots and change of choreography. Once I had been the camera operator foe the whole morning, I had a good idea of what worked  through the lens of the camera so it was easy for me to direct Esme to do things that would work especially well behind the camera. I think our teamwork within our production roles made the filming process smooth and we all work very well as we have a variety of strengths and weaknesses that play off each other. The energy between us was hight even towards the end of the shoot, which I think made it easier to think of new creative ideas that came to us on the day, and this high energy stopped the actress from getting tired so she looked like she wasn’t lacking in charisma towards the end.

The main problem we had on the day of the shoot was the weather issue. We initially though to overcome this problem, we would reschedule to shoot the woods scene on another day when the weather conditions were suitable. However, as the day went on, we realized that the lighting on the day of the shoot was different to how we initially thought it would look, the look it began to shape was more of a futuristic and sci-fi. We then thought that the lighting that we had would clash with the lighting in the woods and it just wouldn’t go well together, we thought that it would just look out of place and confuse the direction of the narrative that our shoot was taking. We also thought that we had loads to work with and the set that we created allowed us to explore with so many more shot compositions than we planned. By having the whole afternoon to use the studio which we did not plan to, it gave us so much time to think of new ideas that would fit with the look, so overall this problem actually turned into a benefitting factor for out music video as it changed our idea for the better and made it stronger. By the end of the day we realized we had enough footage to make a good music video combining our original element idea with new ideas that us as a team created, therefore we cancelled the rescheduled shoot for the woods as we thought it would be unnecessary.

I think the most successful part of the shoot was how the actress interacted well with the camera and the way we could move through the fabric on some specific shots. Especially the tracking shots, they allowed us to move around the set so it gave a great dynamic to the set, it made it more mysterious and we all agreed that they turned out a lot better than expected. We also decided to do a scene with changing the lighting to an extreme purple tone to go with the makeup of the second theme, which contrasted from the deep blues. We only thought of filming this scene when we got there and were testing out different lighting techniques. We put Esme under the organza material that was on the floor, to create a different take on the materials and to make the video more personal with the actress, so it made her look like she was the artist more, rather than just an actress.

Below is a video of how we shot the pink lit shots under the organza.

As we changed our idea on the day as we decided not to film in the woods, the male characters role became less obvious to us what we wanted to use him for. We improvised however with different reflective material and him performing but I don’t think those shots fit with our original concept that much even though it fitted with our new theme. The fact that we were improvising to an extent, meant that our planning and original ideas couldn’t really be done. When it came to filming the actor, his dancing was very stiff and looked quite forced, rather than a natural flowy dance, which is what we tried to get him to do. Towards the end of the shoot, he loosened up but this gave us little time to film and experiment with shots. This could have gone better if we got him to practice more behind the camera and we planned a variety of sequences to film with him to get more of a variety of shots to use.

As we had two actors, it wasn’t hard to keep them managed. We asked them and reminded them several times before the shoot to memorise the lyrics which they did, and they were both prompt to set when they were needed. As we were all working together on the set, it allowed us different points to choreograph them as they went to make slight readjustments if we thought it was necessary.

I really enjoyed creating the slow motion tracking shots, as each of them gave such a good effect that fitted with our original idea. The slow motion worked so well with the fabrics being blown by the fans as it created the water sort of theme we were going for. It also gave such a good effect which we will be able to use in the interlude sections of the song, where we wanted to create a slow moving effect that was really flowy. By using the track, it allowed a completely different and dynamic perspective of the set and allowed us to connect well with the actress as she could follow it with her bod and eyes rather than just being static in front of a still camera.

Below is a video of how the track worked and how it moved around the set.

Im really looking forward to how these slow motion shots looked in the edit as we have so much material of these slow motion shots which will look so good with the different sections of the song. I am also excited to cut the different slow motion takes together as I think it will create a really similar effect to what the music sounds like.

Below is a video of one of the slow motion shots being recorded then buffered.

I think that we would have benefitted by brainstorming right at the beginning of the shoot all the possible new ideas we could have come up with by actually seeing the set having been built rather than just in our minds. This would have allowed us to have sufficient shots to work with in the edit even if we didn’t use them, it would be useful to have the possibility. So for a future shoot, I think it would be beneficial to see the conditions of the day and not rely on planning as you cannot predict some events that can completely change your idea, so instead of dwelling on what we wouldn’t be able to do, which we did for a while, we should move straight on the think of it as a positive and create different ideas due to the conditions of the shoot.


Below is a video to show how we shot the beauty shots and the lighting. It also show how the lighting has an effect on her face. 

Makeup Confirmation

We emailed the makeup artist so that she had a clear idea of what she needed to do on the shoot day as we didn't want to waste time discussing with her what we needed her to do. This also allowed her to prepare some suggestions that she thought would benefit the look we were going for. We also sent her a picture of the actors so that she could plan more easily. We then sent images of our inspiration for the makeup looks.

Locations in the Woods

We visited the woods in Peaslake, where we will be shooting, to get an idea of the exact areas of the woods which would be suitable for our ideas for the music video. We did this because we do not want to waste time when we are on location deciding where we will shoot as we need to make the most of the sunlight on the day. 

We wanted an area which will have a lot of trees which are quite compacted so it doesn't look empty. We also needed an area where there are a few trees which are in a sort of circle or area which would look good with the girl standing in the middle, so that they link well with the dress. 

When we get there on the day we will decide between the two sets which we liked the most, because it depends on the conditions of the ground as we don't want it to be too muddy. 

1st choice

We liked this one as there were a clear two trees that we could tie the dress to. There was also a path which we thought that would work well if we did a shot of her behind walking through it with the male character.

Either side of where she would be standing, there were some prickly bushes which we thought would look good with the white smoke moving through.  

2nd Choice

This was our second choice as the woods weren't as compacted behind where she would be standing but, the trees were more in a circle so there would be more trees to tie her to rather than just either side. We also thought that because the trees were quite far away, there would be better lighting. 

Final Design

We all decided that the themes of my album cover were most fitting for our artist. However we need to discuss further the composition and pose of the singers face. The aspect that we want to specifically carry on with is the firefly sort of lighting. We also looked at combining the effects of plankton on the seashore as it shows a natural glow which is the main thematic of our video.

We would combine this with a smokey woods idea to give it a magical vibe. 

Feedback on Album Artwork

Rosie's Design

We liked the idea of using the woods, and we also liked the font she used on the front as it fits in with the genre conventions of indie music. However we didn't like how naturalistic her ideas for the lighting. We want to have more of an edge for the album cover, so maybe with lighting to fit in with the twist of the sound of the artist's voice. I had a similar idea of using woods for our theme. I think we both had similar ideas because we have used mainly natural themes for our music video, and it is the main fitting element that we have relating to the indie music genre.

Zell's Design

We liked the idea of the fading fonts. And we also liked the close up on the eyes because we will be using many close ups in our music video and she is the main artist that we are using. I especially like that it was simple and just focused on her eyes as it shows that she is looking to the audience and involving her, rather than her being in her own separate world that the audience is not a part of. However, we thought it was too boxy and didn't really fit in that well with the genre, we thought it looked more like a pop/rap artist idea.

My Design

My group liked the idea that you could see her face in more detail as we could use makeup to show an audience her kind of style. it shows the thematic elements of our video. It is an interesting cover with good colouring which would intrigue an audience and would make it stand out. The idea that was not liked as much and we didn't think would work as well is having the woods, so we thought it would be better if it was less obvious that she is in the woods. It is apparent the genre that the music would be in, as the colours show that it is quite indie but having a slight electronic sound to her voice. 

Design of Our Art Work

My Design

I decided to use the main singers face as it allows us to show to the audience the immediate style of her so they can relate. i gives us an opportunity to show her face so it becomes familiar and show her style. I decided to use the trees in the background but having very dark tones with a slight glow in the background to fit in with the themes of our music video without showing the exact set of the video. I think the darker tones with the slight glow will give the effect of something similar to fireflies which gives the sort of magical theme which we are giving her in the music video. This reiterates the sort of indie genres conventions with a twist by using the colour over the natural theme which is a constant convention of the indie genre.

Research into Popular Album Artwork

Green Day

I think that this is a good album cover because the colours of the font and imagery fits in with the connotations of their music genre.This would appeal to their target audience more because they will have an idea of what to expect from the album, therefore be more likely to buy it. however i feel that by writing presents, it makes them look slightly pretentious, although it does make them seem more established as a band. 

the album cover and the music video connect well together because it shows the actual album cover's imagery in the video. the same colours are used in the costumes of the band members that are used on the album cover. I thought that the sound effects on the voice and music of the band represent the scratchiness of the font on the album cover. the fact that we are shown them filming gives an insight to behind the scenes which reiterates the fact that they are 'presenting' this song. I think that the music video is successful because it shows all the band members which are not shown on the album cover. however some aspects,I thought make the album artwork and the music video disconnected. The music video doesn't show anything that would be connoted from the imagery on the album cover. I also think that the lighting n the warehouse in the music video doesn't reflect the dark colours on the album cover.  

Blur

i think that this is a good album cover as it shows an interesting take on Andy Warhol's pop art, which fits in with the conventions of their genre of music. It shoes a classic style with a twist which reflects the sound of their music. It is pushing Dyer's Star theory that faces are iconic and even through animation they are recognizable.I think hat by having each member in a different colour background,shows individuality among the band. I think that by having a grid formation it makes them seem equal to one another but at the same time not as a unity as there are all separate. 

 However, some aspects of this album cover, I don't think work that well. For example there is no front man, that there would usually be in a pop band, and the hint towards the main singer is just a tilt of a head. This makes all the band member seem equal to one another. There is no name or information on the band, so even if someone was interested in the album cover, they wouldn't know who it was. 

Guns N Roses

I think that the album cover represents the genre and their music well. Firstly because the imagery represents the classical rock genre well. the tattoo art relates to the target audience as that is what they would most likely be interested in. The skulls on the cross may have created controversy, but it fits well with the rebellious image of the band. It also would attract more attention like this. The fact that the band members are represented as skulls gives the impression that they live a rebellious lifestyle. The ribbons suggest that they are putting on a show. All the members iconic styles are shown which suggests that they are well known and a recognizable by their style. 

I think that the music video works well with the album cover as it is a live performance, which is supported by the element of the album cover that they are putting on a show. it also shows the audience,which suggests that they have large popularity and will be recognised by their trade mark hats and headbands. The technical elements of the colours on the stage fit in with the colours of the album cover. 

Production Roles Within Our Group

Art Director - An art director is someone who is responsible for the visual style of the video.
Rosie's strength is the picturing the visual side of our video so we decided that she should be the art director because she will be able to direct and adjust the sets. We have discussed in depth the look that we are going for in the set and we think that Rosie can put all of these ideas into a visual.


Director - A director is a person who supervises the actors and oversees the whole production to guide the other members of the production team so that all ideas are coordinated.
Zell should be the overall director as she is the best in our group at communicating ideas to other people. She also has the most experience in dance so she will be able to direct the choreography well between the characters and then the characters by themselves.


Cameraman - The cameraman is behind the camera for the whole shoot, even though we will take it in turns to film different shots which we think will work that haven't been put on our shot list, and that are come  up with when we are actually on set and have more of a feel of the more artistic shots we want to try, I will be the main camera person. I have more experience with working behind the camera as in my thriller production shoot, I filmed all the shots. I think that being behind the camera, I have more of a opportunity to communicate our set through to our audience. I will also be able to communicate things that I would like to the director and artistic director so they can change them accordingly.

Shot List for Shoot Day