Hello group 25. Looks like you have been busy with your filming (do you have any photos of the filming session to add to the blog? it would be good to see what you've been doing). The blog is coming along.
Keep up the good work (and I won't mention the fact that the equipment was 4 hours late...whoops I just did.... ).
On the third day of filming we returned to the Barbican yet again, this time without Jessica as she couldn't make it. We started by filming the shots of me seen below in Final Cut.
After this, we focused on getting shots of Julien. We found a long alleyway and filmed Julien walking down it towards the camera. We also stuck our visual motif on the wall, which would be seen as the camera zooms out.
I decided it would be a good idea to get some handheld tracking shots of Julien walking. Eventually this progressed to him running behind me, while I ran backwards carrying the camera. The footage looked very shaky but it would be useful for the fast-paced parts of the song.
At around 4PM the rain made it impossible for us to carry on filming, so we called it a day. I think we got some very good footage.
On the second day of filming, we returned to the Barbican in the evening and brought the lighting equipment. We started by filming Julien running through a long corridor and other shots of him walking around. We also filmed a few shots of Seb, that we may or may not use in the final video.
After this we found an open roof terrace area which had some good lighting. We filmed some performance shots of me standing on a platform which looked like a stage, and then did a handheld tracking shot of me in the centre of the open area. We finished filming at around 9:30pm.
We took the camera out on the Friday before half term, and started filming on Sunday. On the first day of filming we met at Old Street tube station, as it is easy for all of us to get to.
We started by filming some scenes of Julien as our main character walking around and starting to feel paranoid, and looking over his shoulder. These shots would be used in the verses of the song in the actual video.
Me at the Barbican
From Old Street, we walked to the Barbican. We found a stairwell and decided it looked like a good place to film some performance scenes so we did. We filmed lots of takes in different locations around the barbican until it got dark. We finished around 6pm as we didn't have any lighting equipment.
Today we filmed the final session of the three day date that we were allowed to have with equipments. we started in Barbican and we shot the final performance scenes for Masta B. There was a huge predicament with this day due to the rain which took away most of our filming time. Due to us following the health and safety code we waited patiently for the weather to settle down to reasonable conditions in order to film as well as protect the equipments.
In Barbican Masta B (Ben) wore his final outfit for the music video, we filmed him behind the scenery of buildings which looked very impressive and dynamic on the video camera. Today we filmed in the afternoon before it got dark. We didn't get any photographs of this as the picture camera battery had died out. We spent a the majority of time filming me running around the large estate which seemed to have endless space.
Today was a difficulty as it was the raining and we had to wait to film, this was one of the coldest days to film on, we where literally freezing and was wishing to start running in my scenes as soon as possible. The fact that one of my group member wasn't on set added to more implications for recording. We may have to film when we get back to college as more night scenes are needed for my paranoid character and an conclusion to the video.
Today we focused on mainly night scenes for the video, we started of in Barbican to record. As yesterday revolved more around Masta B camera shots, we started filming scenes of me running around in dark ally ways in the the building. The lighting helped a lot to create a tense atmospheric feel. We shot in open locations, stairs, ally ways, tunnels and walk paths.
I invited two of my friends to assist me and my group with shooting as I believe the more experience on set the better, they helped with filming and where a big contribution. We also filmed scenes of sabastian his character is like a vision I keep seeing, my paranoia is taking control over me as I believe that he's a ghostly figure which is continuously following me as I walk around. I think the shots we took are very good however we might need to take more just for back up on Wednesday. We focused this night mainly on my scenes and kept my outfit consistent to that of Sunday.
We also filmed extra shots of Masta B performance. This time obviously it was at night with a different definition as he rapped on a form of platform which was similar to a stage which was located on the building. In addition he used a different outfit as most artists do in professional videos. We recorded the light build lighting and the scenery was also filmed. I think this has been the most successful day as we spent almost four hours on set and achieved a lot of footage which I believe will be beneficial towards our final piece.
I cant wait for Wednesdays its the final recording/filming day so I hope this is a success like today....
On The first day of filming we started of with shooting at old street, just opposite the "Shoreditch Grind" a cafe shop. We first started with planning out shots we would take whilst sticking to the storyboard that we designed. I came in appropriate attire for my role as a black juvenile who has paranoia running through his mind. Dark blue distinctive outfit, hoody tracksuit and trainers. We started with some panning shots with the camera on the tripod whilst I walked around. Then moved on to various types of camera techniques.We made sure that the motif was visible when we shot this, our motif is a skull with the title "in the air" on it.
When filming in Old street was completed my group moved onto the next scene which was located in an estate in the area of Barbican. This was approximately 5mins away. We then started video shooting Ben aka Masta B (Artist names) scenes, we spent a good 2 hours on doing these shots. Trying different camera techniques, everyone in the group put an idea forward in order to improve the shots. The group worked well today, all of the shots taken today where done during the day and predominately focused on Masta B performance scenes.
This track was used as the soundtrack for the film 'Harry Brown' and features scenes from the film. This video uses a lot of slow motion, which goes with the speed of the music when it is used.
It also features the artist lip syncing while he is acting in scenes and performing in amongst the action. It is set in an urban area, which gives the video a grey/dark colour scheme and fits with the mood of the song. Almost all of the video is set outside.
Devlin - Marching Through The Fog
This video is quite similar to 'End Credits' in the colour scheme and feel of the video, but more edgy and aggressive due to the performance of the artist and lyrics. It also features slow motion in some parts, but also a lot of fast cuts to match the faster parts of the song. The artist uses a lot of movement in his performance
This is the original video of the track we are using:
The original video is entirely narrative and features no performances at all by either of the artists featured in the track. Our video will be roughly 40% performance and 60% narrative. We will film around 6 different base tracks of the artist performing the lyrics
Since starting AS Media last year, my research skills have developed in a number of ways. While researching thriller openings last year, a lot of the work was done in class where we watched and analysed many thriller openings. This year, we did not do much work on analysing music videos in class and had to do this outside of lessons. Almost all of the research I have conducted for the music video has been done using the internet, but the book 'Experiencing Music Video: Aesthetics and Cultural Context' by Carol Vernallis has also been useful.
This year I have been using other sites in addition to Youtube such as Vimeo to look at previous students' work to analyse their music videos and get ideas about what to do, and what not to do. I have still been using Youtube to watch and analyse music videos that I think are technically good, specifically looking at the editing & camera work, because the editing in music videos is very different to the narrative editing that we used last year to create the thriller opening.
This is the lyrics from the artist Professor greens single 'In The air'
The Lyrics give reference to the theme of paranoia.
(Feat. Professor Green & Maverick Sabre)
Chorus
I feel it coming in the air
Save me
Verse1
I never was a worrier
but I'm always on edge now
paranoias a corner that I can't get my head round
my life changed cause' I rap well
I rose where some man fell
and I find it hard to watch this
I move boxes but I never stack shelves
Used to be the filth now my worries have changed
I awake from dreams where I'm running afraid
up against those with nothing to lose and something to gain
just know that all week i aint running from what's coming my way
Chorus
I feel it coming in the air
Save me,
Save me, if I should die before I wake, take me x2
Verse2
I sink into my chair and ink the thoughts that think with my brain
my minds plagued
my train of thought it sticks to my faith
I couldn't fault ya' for thinking that I like pain,
I've been tryin to wash away my sins but I'm stained
With a face everybody knows now
everybody knows me but I don't know how
cars pass me and they slow down
tinted windows roll down
and don't know if they know me as pro g or the old me
some old beef
somebody looking to give me something back they owe me
Chorus3
I feel it coming in the air
Save me, save me if I should die before I wake, take me x2
We Just finished our pitch in front of our peers and I believe it was a success, we gave the identity of our Artist who is named Masta B. The contexts our our video and what we would try and do in order to make it different from that of the original. My group gave the theorist's view 'Andrew Goodwin' and that we would try and adopt them as well as implement in our videos. There was notification of the various locations that we would be shooting at. A reference of health and safety code for both the equipment and us as performers. Also we indicated in which I believe is one of the most important aspects, which is the niche audience in which we would target.
My teacher Dan gave some good feed back comments on what he thought of our pitch, if I'm correct i remember him stating that the only difficulty in our music video would be the amount of shots that we would need to take. As the theme of the music video is paranoia he stated that there would be a lot of shoots needed and camera techniques used to try and enforce that theme in my performance. All in all I cant wait to start filming as the challenge is really exciting.
