Rough Script Evaluation Task 4

Callum and I began writing the script for our Evaluation Task 4 which will be completed next week, it hasn't yet been completed and it is still a rough version of what we wish to eventually execute. 

How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

Throughout the shoot we used various technologies to film our video.  We used an iPad to act as a clapper board, this then enabled us to know when to cut the video in order to keep the visuals in time with the song during the editing stage. We held the iPad in front of the camera lens for four seconds until a beep came on the track that signified the song commencing. After we heard this we took the iPad out of the frame and prepared for the take.

For the filming of the video we used a black magic URSA mini camera which is a semi professional cinematography camera which enabled us to create a more professional and visually intriguing product. We switched between a variety of different lenses throughout the shoot in order to get different framing sizes and the sizes we used were 18mm lenses up to an 85mm lenses, the use of the 18m lens was used to shoot the wide shots of the artist and the dancers and the 50mm lens was used for mid shots to show costume and other symbolic conventions in the video, and the 85mm lens was used to extreme close ups which shows a sharp image of the artist in the foreground and an out of focus background. This ensured that the audience were able to focues entirely on the star image and the unique selling points (USP). We adjusted the shutter speed in the camera in order to portray an agitated and strobe-like effect as it backed up the club theme in order to abide by the genre of the music we were representing. In order to achieve this we incorporated lighting that was programmed prior to the shoot. The lights were an aspect of the mise en scene of the electronic genre we wanted to portray. Thus incorporating technical conventions to make the video a more accurate representation of the artist.

As we were filming, each member of the group would take turns operating the camera the others would watch the TV in the studio that was linked directly to the camera feed. This allowed the observers to make judgements on the framing and ensured that the footage was always appropriate and aesthetically pleasing, this in turn the whole process a lot more efficient in the sense that if a shot wasn’t working we could immediately see this and change it. Occasionally we were able to turn the TV to face Jonty so he was able to see himself as this enabled him to visualise what we wanted him to do, ensuring that he could deliver a realistic DJ performance which according to Keith Negus is a fundamental element that should be incorporated in music videos.

Once the production shoot was finished, we began editing the clips together in an offline edit. The editing process began with naming all the clips and arranging them into an easily accessible order. We did this on Adobe Premier Pro which is an ‘off the shelf’ consumer software which enables people to create semi professional products. We began by attempting to create a rough performance cut of the video to play around with clips and see what worked in certain orders. We agreed that the video had to be edited through the use of a rhythmic editing style which simply means cutting to the beat of the song. We then found that because of the pace of the song due to hidden accents and off beats, we found that the use of the blade tool would be beneficial to use. We utilised the arrow keys on the keyboard to enable a second by second preview of shots, which was crucial as our track was so quick and accented so we needed to make accurate cuts in order to present the energetic aspect of the electronic genre. We were encouraged to focus more on the final edit, which meant paying attention to detail, rather than making a rough cut that would eventually be scrapped and re-made. This advice enabled the process to be a lot less time consuming and enabled us all to focus on the small details in every shot. After we had finished the product we began to do an online edit which consisted of adjusting and correcting until we felt it was fit for purpose. Once the product was green lit, we were able to export it and upload it to YouTube which was used as a tool for us to document and expose our music video, as well as a platform for inspiration in the research and planning stage.