Early Edit of Promo Video

 

 

This is a very early draft of our music promo, which only lasts for half of the song. We plan to create the complete video on final cut, but we thought that for now we could create a rough cut on iMovie and get some feedback on it. We did this by conducting a poll and asking people to send their opinions and ideas through it. Below is the response from the poll:

 



 

 

 

On the whole I think that the responses were very positive for the early cut. It was good to hear the people thought it 'looks nice','professional'  and 'cool'. Someone also mentioned that Beth's performance really worked, so it was very positive feedback that people think we picked the correct person after the audition process. The fact that someone described the video as professional means that we must have used conventions quite successfully and our editing techniques are working well. It also gives us this idea that the style of the video is professional looking, as in the mise-en-scene, camerawork, performance etc.

 

Someone commented by saying that we should use more colours. We do have a consistent colour- which in a way is good because it strengthens the synergy between our video, magazine advert and digipak- but could be negative as well because it may get boring. Fortunately, the use of paint in our video is the main USP and we have footage of various objects (and the performer) being covered in bright colours of paint. This will bring more colours to the screen and make sure it does not become unchanging.

 

Another piece of feedback was that we could use different locations. This is similar to the previous comment, because we do have a consistent house style, but we have taken more footage to allow us to vary the video as it goes on. We also filmed the singer lying on the ground on top of lots of different materials which will make the video less monotonous. We have considered using more locations, however we would have to ensure that it is relevant to the tone of the song and it is not strange that we are jumping to a brand new location.     

 

People mentioned the video being more exciting, quick and having more cuts. We agree with this, and feel we could aid it by changing the lengths of shots, rather than cutting to the beat so solidly. We plan to have two stop motion sections: one of cracks growing down the performer's arms and another of the dress ripping open down the back. We also feel that once we have completed a full rough cut, it will then be easier to go back and make things more interesting.

 

Magazine Advert Moodboard

Risk Assessment

It is important to thoroughly think through all of the possible risks that may arise during our production. Because of the amount of props and electrical equipment we are using there is likely to be a number of risks. By taking each of them into account we can think of ways to avoid any injuries and have a successful and safe filming process.

Hazard	Possible Risk	Prevention
Glass	● During the video we plan to smash a couple of wine glasses onto the floor. A possible risk for this is that one of us may cut ourselves during the shoot. If there is shattered glass on the floor, there is a chance that it could cut a child in the week following the shoot because we are filming in a school hall.	● We are going to cover the floor with a large white sheet to avoid getting glass on the actual floor. This means that we can sweep most of the glass up and then pick up the sheet at the end and dispose of the glass safely. We will then vacuum the floor to ensure that all of the glass is gone. We will also makes sure that when filming we have practical shoes on so we do not cut our feet, and we do not touch the glass when tidying it away.
Paint	● Paint is going to be a big feature in our music promo. However one of the risks it will bring is the chance that we could slip on it. There will be quite a lot of it on the floor and it can be easy to lose grip and fall over. ● Another risk it could bring is that it could get in the eyes of the performer. We will be dripping paint down her face so it could fall into her eyes.	● In order to avoid the risk of slipping over, we are going to cover the floor with thick materials so it can easily be disposed of. Sometimes we are just covering objects in paint, so we will film these on sheets and then collect and bin them. We will also have a mop and bucket at the ready to clean the floor if necessary, and towels to dry it so we do not slip.   ● When filming the paint dripping down the performer’s face, we will have towels nearby and a tub of water so we can clean it all off her face to stop it getting in her eyes.
Step Ladder	● In order to achieve some of the higher shots we are planning to have, we must use a step ladder. This brings the risk of the person using the step ladder falling off and injuring themselves.   ● Also, because the step ladder is a fold-out one it is possible that it could collapse when someone is stood on it.	● To prevent anyone falling off the ladder, we will make sure that the person is wearing sturdy shoes so that they have good grip, and are unlikely to slip. Also, someone can be holding the step ladder securely so that it is not unstable.   ● To make sure it does not collapse, we will check that the latch on the ladder is in place so it is secure.
Guitar	● Towards the end of the video, we are hoping to capture a very effective shot of the performer smashing a guitar. This could be quite dangerous because the performer may accidentally get hurt, for example by hitting their foot with the guitar.    ● Another risk that this shot may bring is that the guitar will be shattering, so there will be chunks of wood all over the floor. There is a chance that the performer or a crew member could step on a bit or get a splinter.	● To stop the performer hurting her foot with the guitar we will ensure that she is wearing practical shoes that are thick enough to protect her. We will also make sure that there is enough room for the girl to hit the ground with the guitar and not hit herself. This will require a lot of room and we will make sure we have this before we film the shot.   ● To stop the crew getting a splinter or stepping on some sharp wood, we will all be wearing practical shoes. In addition to this we will gather all of the wood in a sheet and dispose of it. We will then vacuum the ground so that it is clean of any wood.
Slippery flooring	● The flooring of the room we are using is very smooth and would be very easy to slip on. We must try to avoid slipping over and injuring ourselves.	● To avoid this we will all wear practical shoes to give us good grip. We will also mostly be stood on sheets in preparation for the paint, glass and guitar shots. This will make it less likely for us to slip over.
Electrical Equipment	● The first risk that comes with using lots of electrical equipment is that we may trip over one of the wires that are laid across the floor. There will be a great deal of wires and when we are walking around them all day it is quite likely we could get our feet caught.   ● Another risk is that we could spill drinks or any other liquid on the equipment causing an electric shock. We will be drinking throughout the day in the same room as the equipment so it is possible for this to occur.   ● If any parts of the electrical equipment are faulty it could result in an electric shock to a member of the crew. If the equipment is old or worn then it is more likely.	● To stop ourselves from tripping over the wires, we will make sure that they are all gathered to the side of the room. If there are any particularly dangerous areas of wires we can cover them or put tape over them to avoid tangling our feet within them.   ● To avoid any incidents with liquids, we have agreed that all our drinks will be in bottles so that they are safely secured and less likely to spill. Moreover, we will drink in the corner of the hall that is free from wires or electric equipment so the likelihood is reduced.   ● To make sure the electrical equipment is not faulty, we shall check with the owners that they are in good condition. We are using lighting and control box that we have asked to use from the drama department. We will ensure with the technician that they are safe to use and he can check this for us.
Staple gun	● In order to hang up the backdrop of our video, we will need a staple gun as this is a good way of doing it and saving time. If we are using this there will be a risk that we accidentally staple our hands or skin.	● To stop any incidents with the staple gun we will make sure that we only press the lever when the gun is positioned correctly against the wall. Also, when we move about we will have the gun facing down so no one accidentally gets hurt.
Table	● At the end of the video we plan to have a longer shot that shows the performer wrecking the set by tipping over a table. With this action there is a chance that the table lands on the performer’s foot or hits a crew member.	● To avoid this we are going to ensure that there is plenty of space for it to take place. There has to be room so the girl can move away and for it to be unlikely that the table will hit her. The more space the easier this whole process will be. Again, the performer will be wearing tough shoes so that even if the table does hit her foot, she will not be injured.
Photos on fire	● We are planning to film a photograph alight with flames. This will have an obvious hazard that it could burn a crew member, or maybe catch fire onto something else.	● To prevent any potential hazard here, we are going to film this outside away from anyone else. Also we are going to have a bucket of water so that we can put out the fire as soon as the shot is complete. Luckily this will be a shot that does not last long so we will not have to use fire for long at all.

 

Auditions for our music promo

We completed an audition process in order to decide who would be right for the main performer role in our music video. The singer is a young female, so naturally this is the type of person we held auditions for. Five people took part in the auditions, and with each one we took photographs of them with a guitar to see if they had the correct presence and image for the role. We then asked them to mime the chorus of the song for a screen test, meaning we could see how well they come across on camera. We could also see how confident they were for the role. Below is a video that shows the process:



Courtney

Courtney studies Performing Arts at A Level so has good experience with acting. She studies Media at A Level also so she understands the whole production process. However, we chose not to use her for our video because she did not show enough anger in her audition. She is a talented performer but would be more suited to a laid back character, rather than this aggressive performer.



Emma

Emma also takes both Performing Arts and Media so has the necessary skills for performing well in a music video. She also has some knowledge of playing the guitar, so in the parts when we would have to film this it would look convincing. She also has experience in various drama groups so can perform sufficiently. However Emma did not portray the singer in the way we envisioned; she put a lot of meaning into the words she was miming, looking quite upset. We were looking for someone to look aggressive and out of control.



Beth

Beth was the chosen performer after this audition process. She is another drama and media studies student, and she is in our group so it is very convenient that she would understand the type of performance we are looking for. She also plays the guitar so these scenes would be convincing. In her audition, she showed quite a fresh and sassy attitude and was very confident in her performance. This is the type of acting we are looking for so she will be used for the role.



Mia

Mia also studies drama and media and is another member of the group. She has been in performances before and appeared in the thriller video we created last year. However she does not have the experience with guitar that Beth does. She also looks too young for the part which should be someone in the late teens/early twenties. We had to ensure that the look of the performer was correct.



Jess

Jess studies Performing Arts, Media and Music at A level so has good skills and knowledge for the role. She too is in our group so would know what we were looking for. However it took multiple takes to get a good one because she struggled with the miming. We need someone who we can be sure can achieve a good performance for all shots. 



Feedback from audition process

We showed a number of people the clips of our five auditionees to get some feedback from them. We made sure that the people knew the idea for our video and about what type of promo we were trying to achieve. This meant that they would know what person would suit the video. We conducted a ‘Poll Everywhere’ to get feedback from the people on who they thought should be in the video and why.

Most of the people who responded said that they thought Beth would be the most suitable. One of the reasons for why she was chosen was that ‘she gave a confident performance’. This is a response that came up a few times, so obviously many people felt she stood out as a confident performer. This is a very important quality that we wanted for the performer of our video, because they would not hold back or be afraid to put a lot of energy into their performance. It also means that we can be time efficient because we do not have to spend time telling the performer what we want or how they should be putting more into it.

Another thing pointed out was that Beth had a lot of attitude in her audition. We definitely wanted the singer to be portrayed as quite a feisty character, not a pushover. She is angered at her relationship and wants to show it through the song. Beth really captured this feeling and the feedback shows us that it was clear.

A couple of people said that she was very convincing at miming the lyrics. While some of the auditionees may have got slightly out of time or forgotten the words, Beth managed to keep it going and looked very natural doing it. It will be useful to have someone who can keep up with it- not just for production but for editing purposes as well. It also shows that Beth will be committed and work hard because she is enthusiastic to learn the words and do a good job.

The feedback also showed that people thought Beth gave quite an engaging performance. She showed quite a lot of facial expressions and had strong eye contact which would keep the viewers interested. If we had a performer that was not engaging and did not demand the audience’s attention then the video would become a bit meaningless and unprofessional. 

 

 

     

Mise-en-scene

Permissions

We created permission forms to give to those appearing in the video so that we were allowed to use their image. We also produced a location form for the person allowing us to use the primary school, to complete. These would show that we are allow to use the location and the actors involved.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Magazine Sketches

Digipaks

What is a Digipak?

- A digipak is normally made out of card packaging. It differs from a traditional case, or 'jewel case' as this is made from plastic.

- They have gate fold effects so they can be folded into each other

- Digipaks have 4-8 panels, again making them differ from a traditional jewel case. Having more panels means that more information and images can be put on, or so more than one CD can go in.

- They will have more information than a traditional case because there is more space for it to go on.

- It can be a helpful marketing tool, as they are often said to be 'Special edition' , 'Limited edition' or 'Collectors edition'

- There is often additional material/ extra disc/poster/lyrics/booklet

New Filming Schedule

After changes in the times and locations of our filming, we had to recreate the filming schedule so that we could still be organised and know we are on track. This filming schedule was created by taking into account what props will be needed when, and when we wanted to do the shots involving paint so we will not make a big mess early on.

Date	Scene	Details	Location	Props/Actors
15/11/2014	Rose	A rose will be in the centre of the shot, the camera will zoom into it.	School hall with curtain background	Rose
15/11/2014	Teddy bear	A teddy bear will be in the centre of the shot, the camera will zoom into it.	School hall with curtain background	Teddy bear
15/11/2014	Love-heart pillow	A love-heart pillow will be in the centre of the shot, the camera will zoom into it.	School hall with curtain background	Love-heart pillow
15/11/2014	Red heart ornament	A red heart ornament will be in the centre of the shot, the camera will zoom into it.	School hall with curtain background	Red heart ornament
15/11/2014	White heart ornament	A white heart ornament will be in the centre of the shot, the camera will zoom into it.	School hall with curtain background	White heart ornament
15/11/2014	Heart balloon	A heart balloon will be in the centre of the shot, the camera will zoom into it.	School hall with curtain background	Heart balloon
15/11/2014	Eyes	A close-up shot of performer eyes, with paint dripping from it so she looks like is crying paint	School hall with curtain background	Female performer and paint
15/11/2014	Lips	The performers lips will be the centre of the shot, as she sings the whole song	School hall with curtain background	Female performer
15/11/2014	Cracking of the skin	Using stop motion, we shall draw cracks onto our performer arms. Starting with one black line, taking a photo and then adding to it until she is covered in cracks	School hall with curtain background	Eye-liner and female performer
15/11/2014	Lyrics on skin	We are going to draw lyrics of the song on our performers arm and she will move to reveal the different lyric	School hall with curtain background	Eye-liner and female performer
15/11/2014	Singing	A mid shot of the female performer singing the song	School hall with curtain background	Female performer
15/11/2014	Performer face paint	A close-up of the performers face singing the song. During this paint will slowly drip onto her face, until at the end of the song she is covered	School hall with curtain background	Female performer and paint
15/11/2014	Ripping of the dress	Using stop motion, we are going to rip the back of the dress of the performer, to reveal cracks going up her back	School hall with curtain background	Eye-liner and female performer
16/11/2014	Photos on fire	Different photos of the female performer with a male being shown and then setting them on fire.	Outside	Photos, matches and photographers background
16/11/2014	Performance	The female performer will sing her song with a guitar in a date-like setting	School hall with curtain background	Female performer, guitar, table, two chairs, candle, rose petals, wine glasses and bottle of wine
16/11/2014	Guitar	Close-up shots of the guitar being played	School hall with curtain background	Guitar and female performer
16/11/2014	Paint Throwing	Paint will be throw at the female performer while she ruins the date like setting	Garage with photographer white background	Female performer, guitar, table, two chairs, candle, rose petals, wine glasses, bottle of wine and paint
15/11/2014	Rose being cover in paint	A rose will slowly have paint dripping on it until it is covered completely in paint.	School hall with curtain background	Rose and paint
15/11/2014	Teddy bear being cover in paint	A teddy bear will slowly have paint dripping on it until it is covered completely in paint.	School hall with curtain background	Teddy bear  and paint
15/11/2014	Love-heart pillow being cover in paint	A love-heart pillow will slowly have paint dripping on it until it is covered completely in paint.	School hall with curtain background	Love-heart pillow and paint
15/11/2014	Red heart ornament being cover in paint	A red heart ornament will slowly have paint dripping on it until it is covered completely in paint.	School hall with curtain background	Red heart ornament and paint
15/11/2014	White heart ornament being cover in paint	A white heart ornament will slowly have paint dripping on it until it is covered completely in paint.	School hall with curtain background	White heart ornament and paint
15/11/2014	Heart balloon being cover in paint	A heart balloon will slowly have paint dripping on it until it is covered completely in paint.	School hall with curtain background	Heart balloon and paint