Filming Rebecca - Glitter Eyes

Despite originally planning this scene , we have adapted the way in which we will film it. We planned originally to film it in a dark room with extreme lighting, however now more scenes of our video are coming together and we are getting a better understanding of what we want the final video to look like we instantly agreed that this should be filmed against the white backdrop keeping it bright and fresh.

These shots show the model with a symbol of an eye drawn on her hand which is filled with glitter giving reference to the lyric 'glitter on my eyes.'  We drew the eye on her hand using eye liner so that it was easy to remove however it looks a bit too thick and uneven and not clear enough. The glitter was applied using vasaline to stick it to the skin and we feel that this was applied quite evenly, however it would have been better if we used blue glitter as this would have meant that it was the same colour as her eye when she uncovered it. the top of her body being uncovered portrays that provocative and edgy feel that we are keeping throughout the video.

 

In these shots we placed the glitter directly around the models eyes as opposed to her hand as previously. The model was wary about having glitter on her face so we did not apply as much as we would have wanted and due to this have found that it looks a bit sparse on camera, going against the bold and over the top look which we were aiming for. There is also a number of make up issues which we are not happy with in these clips for example the nails of the model should have been red not white, the lipstick is not a bright enough red as well as the ring on her finger being distracting. These are all things we would improve in the future if we choose to continue with this scene. The first video shows a close up of the models glitter covered eyes and zooms out to reveal more of the models face however this would be better if it zoomed out quicker matching the fast pace of the rest of the video. When the model pulls her hands away to reveal her eyes in the second clip we also think this should have been done faster to make it more exciting and surprising.

Overall we are not happy with these shots for a number of reasons including make up , creased backdrop as well as shaky camera due to not being able to use a tripod on this occasion. In addition to this we feel that these clips are too long for our fast paced video and would have to be cut dramatically meaning we wouldn't have enough. It is for this reason that we have decided to change direction with this scene and use a number of models and cut between them quickly using the glitter on the eyes and not the hand.

Reshotting Group New Background

After researching into an alternative background for our group shot ( See Backdrop Research Here) we began shooting the group again , however made some amendments after looking back over our previous two shoots.
We felt that with this new method of lighting we would use three brunettes as it was too bright for a blonde model. We also agreed that the hairflicking scenes was ridiculously better than the moustache and haribos, making them look rubbish, therefore we eliminated these and stuck to more natural, unplanned scenes. We had a lot of fun filming these and this shows making the shots look even better.

We are much happier with the way that this hairflicking scene has worked out in comparison to the previous.

All of the above videos are some of the ones which we captured during this shoot and we are a lot happier with them than previous group shots we have filmed.  The models look as if they are enjoying themselves rather than being forced to do something which does not suit them. All of these clips will be cut quickly into each other rather than being long as they are seen on their own at the moment. This will fit with the fast pace of the video. We have stuck to the colour scheme of the video by using people with dark brown/ black hair and used red lipstick.

The purpose of these shots is to show the inside personalities of the type of people featuring in the video, showing 'all of them' by wearing minimal clothing making them seem as if they are being revealing about their personalities. 

The way we filmed these shots ;

Research Into Different Filming Methods

Dolly Shot 
A dolly is a cart which usually travels along a track. The camera is mounted on the dolly and and records the shot as it moves. 

As shown in this image, the professionals use large piece of equipment to be able to track scenes using a dolly shot, however, we are unable to do this so I have researched methods of how to use a dolly shot when you are on a budget and I found out a useful tip for this method of filming which makes it quick and easy to get the shot you need: 

Tracking Shot

This is considered to be  synonymous with the dolly shot

We could adapt this to the equipment that we have available as we are using our own camera and have a tripod available to us also even though they will not be to this professional standard.

Stedicam

Steadicam is a brand of camera stabilizing mount for motion picture cameras that mechanically isolates it from the operator's movement. It allows a smooth shot, even when moving quickly over an uneven surface. 
We plan to use a steadicam in some of our scenes to give it a smooth and professional look and make it easy for the viewer to watch. If the scene was filmed all rough with the camera moving around jaggedly constantly it would look unprofessional and make it difficult for the viewer to see what action is happening within the scene. 
This is the steadicam we have access to and will be using: 

In the hope to achieve shots such as ;

White Backdrop Research

When researching into ways in which we can light the white backdrop that we will film our models on correctly, I have found it difficult to find a solution that would be effective for the equipment that we have. This is because in industry many lamps , silver umbrellas and tunckson lights with gel diffusers to gain the correct contrast between their backdrop and models ; however we only have two photography lamps and stage lights.
However , I have found that ;

• the model should stand away from the backdrop to separate themselves from it in the footage. 
• to gain maximum contrast the white backdrop should be light as much as possible.
• diffusers should be taken off the faces of lamps to gain stronger light on the backdrop.
• the models should be light from the side and not front the front to avoid making them look flat. 

We have resolved the lighting issue that we have had with the three filming sessions which we have filmed on a white sheet.

When filming with the white sheet as a backdrop the sheet was creased making it look unprofessional we have resolved this through filming on a white wall instead of the background which is also matte and makes the lighting look smoother.

Below are some of the photos and clips that we filmed when experimenting with the backdrop and lighting.

With the diffuses on the light; 

We set the lights side wards to spread light further across the horizontal shot.

We then took the diffuses off the lamps;

Reshooting Group Shot

After the first shoot we found that the white cotton backdrop was very creases and decreases the quality of our shot, therefore I took it home to iron it. This did not get all of the creases out as it has quite clearly been mis treated for a long time and this would take the use of an industrial iron to get out however it did improve it. In addition to this we have also decided to use me in the shot instead of poppy as I am a more similar height to Cally ( blonde model ) meaning that there is not a sudden jult in height as the camera pans along.

Standing the models further away from the backdrop this time which eliminated the shadowing problem that we previously had. This was helped as well by turned one of the lamps sidewards which dispersed light further across the backdrop.

Similarly to the way they did before, these shots pan from left to right focusing on each models face movements with the moustaches. These are really random shots but fit well with out video as it just shows youth having fun. The make up and mise en scene of these shots are better however still not as good as we would have wanted as the creases in the backdrop take clarity away from the whole thing. We like that in terms of what the models are doing in these shots are not perfect adding to the natural look of them.

We also continued with the haribo shot, this time we realised that it was not going to work as the facial expressions of the models had to be very unflattering in order to keep the sweets in their mouths and show them to the camera. We will not use this shot in the video or attempt to refilm it.

In addition the two which we were refilming we decide to try out some more things which were not planned this included taking advantage of all the models long hair and having them flick it up one after another. This was one of the funnest shots as it makes more sense than the haribos and moustaches and we think it appeals more the audience. The only issue which we need to address is the models clothes being seen when they come up however this is easily fixed.

1. We are still not happy with the backdrop and are therefore going to be finding an alternative option as ironing it was not good enough. We also plan on filming more shots like the last hair flick one as these capture the energetic and fun vibe we were aiming for. 

Video Title Research

After looking at a variety of music videos during our first stage research, we found that despite the genre or concept of the video, it gave the video something extra to have a title or title sequence on it. It is important that the type of title that is shown on the video fits with the style / concept of the video as this is one of , if the the first thing that the viewer sees therefore must have continuity to the rest of the video as well as being interesting to keep the viewer engaged. As well as this , the font in which text or image is very important. 

Below is some general research of different styles of recent music videos , and the titles that that they have used.

 Miley Cyrus/ 23 - drawing on the mirror in lipstick is a sign of rebellion and also displays originality , something that we wish to convey in our video , however I do no think that creating a title in this fashion is bold enough to stand out as the title of the video instead of just blending in as another scene. The use of a hash-tag is very modern and also a clever way of promotion for videos in the current state of social media.

 Cheryl/ Call My Name - instead of a still title in this video ,a sequence of different shots such as the one which can be seen in the above image appear on the screen as the artist walks further away from the camera. These consecutive shots spell out a quote, this is an interesting way of  opening a video that has a narrative as it give the audience an overview of the meaning for the video to allow them to understand it.

Ke$ha/ Crazy Kids- when first seeing this title , the initial impression that I get of this video is that it will be very theatrical. the fact that the font of the text has a clear representation of the style of the video is something that is very appealing however I don't like that the text is on a block colour background , I would prefer it if this text was overlaying the filming.

Little Mix/ DNA- this title has a very close resemblance to the opening of a film therefore implying that the video is going to be a short film with a narrative. Although this does not fit with the concept for our video , I can appreciate that this is a very good shot. The colour red which refers to horror and danger fits with the font that has been selected that also conveys feeling such as those.

Olly Murs/ Dance With Me Tonight - police board

 One Direction/ One Thing - action board

One Direction/ Story Of My Life -   photography development equipment

I have found that one of the most popular methods of displaying a title on videos is to use a prop to have it written on. Despite this being an exciting way of doing it , the prop fits with the story line of the video and has relevance throughout. This makes it unsuitable for an edgy and random video such as ours however I do think that it is a clever method.

Lorde/ Royals - the monochrome colour scheme , dainty text and positing fonts all contribute together to give this title a very mysterious feel. I feel that something like this would fit in with a quirky video like we aim to create however as I previously mentioned I don't like the block colour background and would prefer to have the text layover on the video filming. Although I liked the positioning in the centre of the screen I think that our title should be considerably bigger to add to our superficial edge. 

Iggy Azalea/ Change Your Life - I like both the positioning , font and size of the font used on this video; as well as the fact the text has been layover onto a scene on the video which is a fault I have picked out in many of the other videos which I previously looked at. There is a connection between the colours that can be seen , the white of the text has been picked up from the chair behind it. This allows continuity from the beginning throughout.  

In conclusion , I think that this would be the style of title sequence that would fit the style of our video best. I will carry out specific research now on this style of title sequence.

Specific Research

Tulisa/ Young

Music Channel Titles

MTV

MTV is arguably the most popular music channel on the TV due to its many variations such as base, hits, dance, rocks, classic and live; all of which have the same icon and titles. The above photo shows the title appearing on MTV hits, where we feel our video style would fit the most. The logo is positioned in the top left hand corner as a method of reminding the viewer which channel they are watching.n The banner which states the song title, above the artist appears across the entire width of the screen  at the beginning and end of the song however I don't its necessary at the end of the song and works better just as an introduction. The pin/ purple which has been used for the banner is the same colour as the MTV logo in the corner giving it consistency. The font used is a bold, serif font making it easy to read quickly as it does not stay on the screen that long. By having the banner running along the bottom of the video it does not distract those who know what it is away from the visuals.

BOX

The positioning of the channel logo in this photo is the same as MTV, however the style of introducing the song is quite different. The artist is displayed before the name of the song which can be confusing as this is not the normal way to do it, and not what music channel watchers would expect, as well as that the font of the artists name is dramatically bigger than the song title which I believe should be the other way around. This title scene is bright and real stands out on the screen however is distracting from the visuals that have already started behind it 

Chart Show

This photo comes from CHART SHOW music channel which is slightly less known than the above two channels. This channel as well displays the artists name above the song and makes the artists name bold so that the two are easily distinguishable. There is a range of colours used on this banner which is a bright and colourful way to introduce the song however can be distracting from the video and the colours used could clash with the ones in the video. This can be seen in the photo that the bright coloured banner is the main focus rather than the video which could draw the viewers attention away from potentially important parts of the video. The logo in the top left hand corner of this video is plain white and therefore is not only difficult to read but there is no correlation between the extremely bright banner and plain logo.

Flava

Flava is another music channel which again is not as popular as perhaps MTV and The Box and the title sequences which they use are less bold than the others which I have looked at. The banner for this channel comes in from the right rather than the left which is seen on all of the other channels. This use the same colour white font for the writing on the banner as is used for the logo in the top left hand corner showing continuity between them.  This is effective as it is not too big or bright to distract away from the video itself.