Test Filming and the skills learned to apply to the coursework:
To begin, before I could being filming my video I needed to practice with the cameras so that I knew what I was doing when out filming on location, without the need for guidance.The point of practising with the cameras was to get overall better at filming. I undertook several exercises within my group to help me to gain some skills with the cameras. To practice, we did a practice filming of the music video teenage dirtbag by Wheatus as it was shot in a college so was easy to produce a good project when considering practising camera use. We also experimented with Timelapse filming to give you some creative techniques to utilise in your filming. I found the process of practising with the cameras very rewarding as I was totally new to the filming process and picked up a lot of skills in those practice lessons that I applied to my final video. I learnt skills such as the auto/manual settings, which is basically either letting the camera focus itself or doing it manually. All cameras give you the option of using automatic settings., but this is best suited if you are just taking snapshots or making amateur films. So when undertaking something such as a music video, we were instructed to practise using the manual settings. This gave us personal control over the exposure and focus allowing us to shoot footage exactly as we had planned, this allowed us to have footage of the highest quality. ................................
Alongside the auto/manual settings was setting the white balance. The white balance is set so that when the camera is in different lighting conditions, the camera knows what white is and can be calibrated so that colours are filmed consistently. We filmed both inside and outside during practise shooting, so we had the experience of outside light indoor light when studio based. The white balance is important because not setting the white balance properly will lead to inconsistencies in the colours within your footage. We additionally picked up skills on changing the exposure. If a shot appears to be too dark or too light when you are setting it up, I were shown how to adjust the Shutter Speed and Aperture to let more or less light into the camera.The shutter speed can also be adjusted for different types of shots,such as when filming lots of fast moving action its important to retain a sharp image, setting a high shutter speed of 1000 would lead to good results. If however you want something more creative with perhaps some motion blur, a slow shutter speed of 25 or 12 will give you the required results. To adjust the focus of the camera, we were told to use manual focus, this is because auto focus tends to shift the focal range as you are filming. Manual focus allows you to have exact control over the focal range and will enable you to undertake some advanced shots such as a Pull Focus or Narrow depth of field. ..........................
Techniques and programmes used when producing/editing the video: After picking up all of these skills when filming we were ready to get out onto location and start filming, after producing our storyboards, shooting schedules and shooting scripts of course! We began by selecting a somewhat bold idea to film the entire video from a first person perspective, this meant shooting the video from a point of view shot. We composed the shot in wide screen (16:9) and ensured we had an eye line level throughout the whole video to put the audience in the shoes of the main protagonist. We used a Sony handycam, which is a handheld camera to shoot our video. This came as difficult decision after working so closely with tripods and large cameras during test filming, but we felt we could not replicate our idea without using handheld cameras. Obviously a camera mounted to a tripod is easier to control when executing a dynamic shot such as a Pan or a Zoom because the tripod will alleviate any camera shake and would have enabled us to produce some precise filming. However we feel the handheld approach is just as valid as using a tripod, and our footage has a more realistic quality to it. However when were shooting handheld, we ensured we supported the camera as best as we could and despite it being impossible to not exaggerate the shake, we ensured our video made the handheld wobbly footage look purposeful and not just a result of bad camera control.
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Once we had filmed we used a programme called final cut express,to edit our video and ensure it had smooth cuts between shots and matched the backing track appropriately. When starting the editing we set the project settings to PAL. This is the European editing standard which means we shoot, edit and watch programmes at a frame rate of 24 frames per second. We needed to ensure this was correct as if it was set to NTSC we would have experienced problems when capturing the footage back. The editing we used was non linear, meaning unlike traditional editing with film, we were able to structure our sequence in any way we liked changing the order of the clips at will. This allowed us much more fluidity and flexibility when editing as we were able to build a sequence in stages. If we would have used the larger cameras, we would have needed to log and capture our footage, we were instructed how to do this in the practice filming and it involves connecting the camera to the Mac using a Firewire cable. We would then play the footage back and at the same time, using Timecode, transfer it to the computer. Instead of this process, when we transferred our footage to the macbook pro, we simply connected our cameras memory card, dragged the clips straight onto the desktop and converted them into quicktime videos so they appeared once placed into final cut express.
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The first piece of editing we completed is known as the assembly edit, which is basically a very rough version where we selected the best shots to use from all of our tapes and placed them roughly in order on the final cut timeline. The assembly edit just helped us to see what we filmed and it was our first chance to see how it all sequences out. What followed was our rough draft which is the version where we cut all of the clips together to create a smooth flow and added in the backing track, which we converted from mp3 to an aif file so it could be heard once inside the final cut express programme. The rough draft was where it is necessary to edit the video so it follows the tempo or pace of the music. Then finally comes the final cut of the video which is the very last sequence whereby we added the effects and graphics, in our case this meant adding in the gun shout sound, were we youtube converted an mp3 file, converted it into an aif file and dragged it onto the timeline. We additionally slowed down the frame speed of the final shot to replicate slow falling after the shooting as the video faded to black.
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About the video
The video has been based around a song by the streets called stay positive, which is a song created by the band to help highlight crime, drugs and negativity in modern day society, influencing the teen demographic to stay positive and keep focused on reaching their future. The slow beat and hard hitting lyrics of the song have always captivated me, and it is beat that I have always associated with strong censored topics, after being used in the soundtrack for the film Kidulthood in the scene where one of the main characters commits suicide. Therefore we planned as a group from the start to create a video that incorporates a strong topic and is dramatic throughout. The idea to shoot it from first person perspective came very early on in the planning process after watching the video smack my bitch up by the prodigy when selecting an existing video to evaluate in an earlier blog. The narrative follows a character who wakes up on a seafront with no clear memory about the previous night, the camera is jerky and blurry as he is disorientated through lack of sleep. He sits up looks around and notices someone laying next to him, the song starts as he presses play on his ipod and the video and song kick into life. The idea behind the playing of the ipod was to try and highlight the technique that what was happening in the video was all diegetic sound and to put the viewer in the shoes of the protagonist.
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He then scales the stairs up to the top of the cliffs after sipping on a vodka bottle and drives his car away in a hurry to demonstrate that he is in a rush to get somewhere, this is where we notice he is being followed as the camera takes up another subject position looking towards him. The purpose as to why he is being followed is never fully explained, this is because I wanted the consumer and target audience to construct and become an active audience in trying to consider why he may be being followed and why it was he woke up on the beach. The purpose for our video was to create something that kept asking the audience questions and was a video that just followed a mould and was easily forgettable. The chase proceeds throughout the video, with the main character being followed down to Madeira drive as he retrieves a mysterious package. The video cultimates in the character following the main character and then breaking into the protagonists house and stealing the package. The video is constantly twisting and turning and posing questions to an active audience, such as what is in the package and why the character wants to take it, does it belong to him? or is it something he desperatly wants. After stealing the package the character who is following the protaganist drives the car to the cliffs and opens the package, only to reveal it being a worthless item, a gunshot sounds and the character falls to his knees as the video fades to black and the music softly fades.
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Evaluation of the video:
Overall, as a first attempt I feel the video flows really well and I am overall pleased with how my inital design and idea has come out as a final product. When in the planning process, I was unsure whether or not the idea I had would be too ambititous or whether or not it would come out looking how I percieved it too. When using the handycam, it was very easy to transport and use on location and proved vital in helping us create the effect we wanted to as it simply could not have been done when considering using the large camera. One problem however we did face when using the handycam, was having to constantly hold it in line with our eyes when filming, we attempted to find some kind of strap for it so we still has use of both our hands when filming, but we had to adapt and only had use of one hand when producing the video. Thanks to the overall simplicity of our video, producing and editing it was made very easy for us to do, through the fact we didn't need to capture back and our filming could be easily completed in a day. When looking at the video post-edit, I feel we have really produced something edgy and unique that is something quite different to the normative video seen in the industry. Whereas some groups spent time trying to edit to music and gain the perfect shots, we didn't want something that looked completely perfect, as the idea was that the video took place in real time. The music is seen as diegetic and can be heard through the characters ipod, so having a video that cut perfectly with the music would not have supported our videos ethos and originiality that we were aiming for. Also the shaky shots we feel look purposeful, which obviously they were intended to be, after editing out the shots that looked like bad camerawork, we feel we have ended up with something unique and original that perfectly suits the backing track. Overall we wanted a video that was mysterious and constantly had the consumer thinking, which I think we achieved successfully.
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When comparing our video with other videos produced by the streets, it certainly matches the common theme and mise-en scene that the band have aimed for before. The dark background and lonely setting is reflective of videos they have produced such as stay positive, where the main protagonist is shown on his own in every shot with him only being shown in only close-ups and full-shots. We wanted to reflect the streets theme of powerful hard-hitting videos that reflect common misconceptions or issues within society by producing a video that uses the same themes such as loneliness and crime. We opted to keep the video as close to other streets videos as possible without being too similar so that the social demographic and target audience were still provided with a video that is similar to previous videos they have liked by the band. In addition to my video, I also ensured that my digipak and advert were not to diverse and followed the pattern of the video which in this case was mysteriousness. I ensured nothing was given away on my digipak and advert and only showed the main characters feet sitting on a wall, adding to the mysterious theme I created by causing the consumer to question why the character is sitting on the wall and what that is aiming to portray. I feel the package as a whole work well together and are certainly relevant in relation to my video, with an urban video being portrayed in an urban way through the use of graffiti and walls in the digipak and advert.
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Feedback of the Video/ Link to Questionnaire= https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VFjK0F9oCdhF-53Qe_cDykkntYYXOHLOP-JebhBN6kY/edit?hl=en_GB After producing the video, I devised a short questionnaire for my peers and friends, (which can be found on google docs by following the link), who all match the social demographic we were aiming for in relation to our video so the results I receive will be an accurate representation of the target audience I am aiming at. I asked 10 people and I will depict the questionnaire, question by question and consider changes that could be made to the video in relation to the feedback I recieve. In terms of question 1, I asked does the video portray a clear narrative? 8 out of the 10 people questioned agreed then understood what was happening in the video and could follow it easily throughout. However when asking what they thought the story was , I received many different responses as to why the villian may be chasing the protaganist, this for me was a positive sign as I wanted a video that didn't follow any clear story and to involve an active audience who make thier own decisions as to what the videos story is. Question 2 asked on a rating scale how they thought the camerawork was on a scale of poor to excellent. In hindsight, 5 people found the camerawork was excellent and found the video innovative and different. 5 found the camerawork average and provided me with feedback about maybe seeing the protagonist in a full shot at some stage, even for a couple of seconds. Therefore, if I were to produce another video from a point of view perspective, I would at least put in one shot from another angle, just to demonstrate my skills in using other camera shots and differing elements.
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In question 3, I asked whether or not my consumers found the use of props effective, all of them answered yes with comments including that the package was perfectly created and looked very real and they liked the use of the ipod to start the video as they have seen it before in other videos, but they felt it worked really successfully in this particular context. Question 4 asked whether or not they felt the music and backing track was relevant to what was going on in the video? I had a mixed response with this answer as 6 people thought the video was relevant as the beat and tone of the music certainly reflected a dark, gritty theme which i used. However 4 people disagreed and thought the video should of Incorporated more things about drugs and alcohol, after many of the lyrics containing drug related themes. I agreed with these comments and took them on board, however I explained that when producing the video, we didn't want a classic "skins" scenario showing a teenager walking around smoking drugs and partying, as seen in many videos in the modern industry. We went for a more mature theme reflecting a criminal underworld.
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When asked in question 5 whether or not my focus group found the video was long enough, all of them agreed it was a perfect length as it didn't drag on or contain any irrelevant information which was a comment I was pleased with as I didn't want a long video that became boring, as a group we aimed for something to get straight to the point and grip the viewer throughout, which according to the group we managed to achieve. In Question 6, I asked the target audience out of a selection of; more creative camera techniques,use of differing shots, differing locations, an extended narrative or other, what they would improve if given the chance about our video. Suprisingly, all of the participants answered a longer narrative would have been really beneficial for this video. They did think the length was suitable for the video and the story was captivating, however they would have liked to have seen the story continue as they felt there are a lot of questions left unanswered. In the final question, I posed an open question asking them to sum up the video in a couple of words. Many of the responses included "powerful", "gritty", "interesting","unique","great, which were exactly the type of responses I aimed to get from the target audience so I was pleased with the overall response. However some feedback I recieved was, "Brief","difficult to interpret","too simple". These are comments I have certainly taken on board and after reviewing them, feel it may have sufficed to have included extra camera angles and an extended narrative into my video to demonstrate some more of the skills I picked up across the year.
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Conclusion
To conlude my evaluation and my blog as a whole, I feel i have completed a successful music video, digipak and advert that all link together as part of a package. My final comments on my video include that despite being a video that is breaking the mould of mainstream by being mysterious in its narrative and providing an active audience with the choice and imaginiation to become part of the video, the video does lack in certain aspects. I picked up many different techniques to do with camerawork and editing across the year and ended up with a product whereby I didn't have the oppourtunity to showcase my skills and kept things relatively simple. Nontheless I am overall pleased with my products and video, with it being a first attempt at using final cut express and being relatively inexperienced at photoshop. I have enjoyed partaking in the coursework this year and have hopefully gained skills I will be able to transfer into later life. 
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