Brand Identity

For our Brand Identity we didn't choose to design a logo as such, but keep the same theme running through our Video, Website and Digi-pak based on our chosen song 'Windowsill'. Our Video, Website and Digi-pak all include a windowsill in them, there is also the coffee cups, with the purple writing and the flower which is included in all three media products. The coffee cups that feature in the video are in front picture and are carried though the Digi-Pak, the same images are used on the Website. For the Digi-pak i created myself, i have still included the windowsill and thecoffee cups. This has kept a brand identity form the song though out both our main products and ancillary texts. Thesame colours are also used, and in the video the CD they have in the car also has the purple writing on it which keeps a common theme throughout and keeps it so they are easily relate together. 

Storyboard

We developed a story board of scenes we wanted to film after brainstorming ideas between the group, coming up with a series of shots which we hoped will create the quality final product we are aiming to achieve.
We took this with us when we went filming, as a guide line to follow of shots we needed.
This storyboard does obviously not cover all the shots we had in the end, as whilst on-set filming we'd come up with new ideas or new ways to do things.

Risk Assesment

Following below is our risk assessment, where we answer the problems that we may have had and how we prepared for them before the shoot.

Assessing the location – The way we went about making sure that our location was available to use was to phone up Starbucks and ask permission to film in advance. This meant that if they denied us access then we could ask another coffee shop. Luckily they agreed and gave us permission and informed us of what their least busy day is. This would hopefully allow us to get the seats that we would prefer to film. We also planned backup seating location however should our ideal seats become occupied and unavailable. On arrival to Starbucks on shooting day, our ideal seats were taken. We decided that we would wait for them to become free. This gave us time to set up our gear, talk to the staff about getting filmed and to discuss shots between group members. An hour and a coffee and half each later the seats were still unavailable. We decided to resort to our backup seating. We ended up finding that the backup seating provided nicer framing, allowing us to use the railings to frame the scenes. It also tied in nicely with the song title and lyrics due to being located directly in front of a window, so obviously including a windowsill.

Actors/Actresses – We had learnt from our mistakes last year and decided to come up with a set of substitutes in the event that one or more actor/actress was unavailable, ill or otherwise preoccupied. We considered many candidates and the main issue that cropped up was getting a real couple, who looked naturally comfortable together and would mind kissing when necessary. There was also another issue that we facing, this being that we needed to find a couple that didn’t look too young. Due to time restrictions the only couple suitable we could find within that notice that fulfilled the previous stated requirements was Connor and his girlfriend Zarina Rogalla.
They stepped into Fran and Ralphs place. A majority of the shots from the rough cut we kept the same just re-filmed with the new actors (I remained as ‘The New Guy’).

Equipment Failure – We are highly reliant on the equipment we are using, mainly the camera. The worst thing that could happen whilst filming would be a camera error of some sort, for example; battery, memory, technical and/or damage. We made sure to take all these possible failures into consideration. One way we made sure that these errors wouldn’t happen was by carrying a battery charger with us at all times and a spare fully charged battery. To deal with the memory issue we carried a box of spare memory cards. This meant that if we ran out of room on one card we could replace it with a fresh card. To cover us in the unlikely event that something was to go wrong with the camera (i.e. accidental damage) we had my Nikon D90 camera with us at every shoot on standby just in case. Although as not high quality as Connors D700 it would still be able to produce high quality video.

 Camera man – We had to take into consideration of all possible errors. We made sure that there would be a secondary camera man at all shoots, whether it was Connor, Cameron or myself. This meant that we could have someone recording behind the scenes, or even someone to talk to about technical issues and camera settings (aperture, shutter speed, ISO, lens choice). This proved to be a very good risk assessment as we had to activate our substitutes for actors and actresses it meant that Connor was unable to film a majority of the narrative. In these cases we used one of our backup camera men to take over.

Weather – We had to take in consideration what the weather might be like on the day of the shoot, as unfortunately the weather can never be definite. We began filming when the weather was a nice, clear day with sun and few clouds. However, whilst filming through the day the weather ook a turn for the worst, as it began to rain. To try and help us avoid being caught off guard we checked the weather schedules, which stated that it was going to be a clear day with the chance of overcast later. We deemed this to be good conditions, as the clouds would add a natural soft box, creating soft light for the shots. However, halfway through shooting when the rain began, this would have ruined our filming, but we took it in our stride and made it work for us. Filming outside when it was nice weather and shooting inside Starbucks when the rain was too heavy. Luckily we filmed most of the present shots in the dry and when it came to the memories we managed to shoot them out in the rain making it look as if it was two different days.

Editing/Shot Ideas

Both of the videos below have a similar use of shot/editing for their narrative. in Rack City it is at 0:04, 0:09 and 0:20; it uses a slow shot of a character, and then has their name appear, letting the audience understand their relevance.

The video below is Cee Lo Green "Fuck You", this video also has titles. These titles are used in a similar way to Rack City however, they also use the these titles indicate different times, in similar zones. This also helps with the camera work/techniques, because the video appears to be very similar to a one take video. It creates this effect by using shots that are moving around the same area. Here are all of the times for the different titles (0:17-0:19, 0:25-0:27, 1:22-1:25, 1:42-1:46, 2:23-2:26, 2:55-2:57, 3:16-3:20, 3:46-3:50)

We have decided that something like this might add some order to the chaos that is our rough cut. this will help our viewers make sense of the characters; their relevance to the song and video. the way that we could do this is by fusing both of the styles, using the monochrome colours and simple text from Rack City and the zoom/rotation/camera angles from Fuck You. one of the ways we could do this is taking a print screen from the shot that we want, trimming/making minor adjustments. then using photoshop to add the effects and text to the image; once edited placing it into after effects, this will allow us to create the pan/zoom.

Filming

  Today we started filming the story sequences for our music video. we want to try and portray a break up from the point of view of the dumpie (person being dumped). we have based this story on the impression the song and lyrics give; matching shots to lyrics. unlike a film there is no chronological order however, we didn't go in guns a blazing; ordering and planing our using a shot list a posed to a storyboard. This let us get a great idea as to which shots we wanted for different stanzas.
Above is an example of one of the shots that we intend to use in our video, in this you see Ralph (our leading character) through a bouquet to the floor. we have taken into consideration use of depth of field, this helps to make the flowers the main focal point. by doing this it lets the views see how important the flowers are to the story, to do this we used a lens with wide aperture. the problem with this is guaranteeing that the flowers were in focus; we used a reasonably low f/stop as to make sure that it is not too restrictive.
The clothing our characters are wearing is very casual, this fits in with the music and the video settings and contents.
We managed to gather a wide range of our shots and have only a few left to record.
We are planning on getting more filming done very soon.

Lyrics to Chosen Track

There was a time when our limit was the sky we were living in our lives it was thrilling and we thrived but it turned out i was not willing to slide i played the villian when you cried tears spilling from your eyes now why i had you feeling that inside and feeling what i find left conclealing it with lies the feeling i find is feeling the pride cause the dont give the right for me to winge and whine cause you're with a guy

But i still got your picture on my windowsill i still hear your voice in the night when i'm sitting still things need to get better you never think it will fed up left cut tell me this isn't real
Cause i still got your picture on my windowsill i still hear your voice in the night when i'm sitting still things need to get better you never think it will fed up left cut tell me this isn't real

Tell me this isn't real Tell me this isn't real Tell me this isn't real.. (echos)

Back in the day when i met and asked your name text your number and you came for a drink call it a datee we sat down had a chat and it was great in the quiet little place i grew acustomed to your face thenn we grew closer in the way awkward silence never came life was our own little game we got caught in up in the play never thought about the pain and i sought've am to blame maybe i ought to ran away

But i still got your picture on my windowsill i still hear your voice in the night when i'm sitting still things need to get better you never think it will fed up left cut tell me this isn't real

Cause i still got your picture on my windowsill i still hear your voice in the night when i'm sitting still things need to get better you never think it will fed up left cut tell me this isn't real
Tell me this isn't real Tell me this isn't real Tell me this isn't real (echos)

winter mornings dont wanna get outta bed water runs down the glass the sky is grey the land is wet the sea is wild the breeze is fresh the air is cold the feelings old the people are depressed the windows condensation is written in the offices people work in to the houses the people living in the buses and classrooms covered in scribblin mirrors in bathrooms steamed up mist riddled in movement and individuallity finger-tips slip on the glass a playful grasp on reality part of the daily loosening grip on sanity portraying crazy mood swings wit and clarity anything to cope with the cold daydreaming waiting for the sun to glow and bring hope wrapped up in jacket scalf rolled round throat fighting the elements till the low feeling goes like the snow

(muffled volume) But i still got your picture on my windowsill i still hear your voice in the night when i'm sitting still things need to get better you never think it will fed up left cut tell me this isn't real

cause i still got your picture on my windowsill i still hear your voice in the night when i'm sitting still things need to get better you never think it will fed up left cut tell me this isn't real (muffled volume)

But i still got your picture on my windowsill i still hear your voice in the night when i'm sitting still things need to get better you never think it will fed up left cut tell me this isn't real

Cause i still got your picture on my windowsill i still hear your voice in the night when i'm sitting still things need to get better you never think it will fed up left cut tell me this isn't real
Tell me this isn't real Tell me this isn't real Tell me this isn't real (echos)

Rough Cut Feedback

This video shows feedback from our rough cut viewing to the class. We are going to take note of what was said and try and implement the improvements ready for our final cut.
One main thing we have decided on from the feedback is to remove the scenes where things are going backwards.
The feedback helped us greatly by recieving other peoples views/opinions on our video, so we could continue to tweak and improve it to make a polished final product.

Rough Cut

This is a short rough cut 'teaser' of our production that Connor has put together with the footage we recorded on the 2nd.



This is a quick edit to see what the footage looked like and how the song fits in the with recorded clips. There is a few errors in it as the be expected with a rough cut, mainly the fact that some of it is out of sync. One the day we recorded without audio as we knew we would be placing the song over the footage anyway we felt that would be better to save space on the memory card and not record sound. However this obviously has turned out to be a problem as when it came to editting it is very hard to judge where the song fits in with the cuts and to sync it correctly. For the rest of the footage we record audio will be turned on to prevent this happening again.

Also, the footage in the 'teaser' is only the artist lip-syncing as this is all the footage we currently have, our final production will be using alot of story line footage so this was more of a test sample.

Equipment - Nikor 50mm 1.4G AF-S Prime Lens

This post is to cover the Equipment, in this case the lens being used. The lens that we decided to use is the Nikon - AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G. This is a prime lens meaning that it has a fixed length at 50mm; it also goes down to aperture f/1.4 which means it has an extremely small depth of field. The depth of field in basic terms is what is in and out of focus for example these tow images bellow show the difference in between f/1.4 and f/2.2; instantly the depth of field of lack of is prominent.


Although it says that the length is 50mm it is actually more like a 75mm length. This is because the camera we will be using is a DX meaning that it has a cropped sensor, apposed to a full frame camera. this means we will have to be aware of the distancing in the shots.

Roles

For our video we wanted to have the artist singing the song, with a narrative running through out it, helping to break up the shots. For this we asked the singer to wear his favourite outfit, we also had some friends to act out the narrative. We felt that this gave it a more professional feel, making it appear as if we have hired actors this also allow us to relieve some of the pressure from the artist (as he had a very busy schedule). Below is the list of talent, hands on set and their rolls.

• Fran - Actress
• Ralph - Actor
• Mixy - Artist/Main Talent
• Liam - Actor/Camera Assistant
• Connor - Director/Camera Man
• Cameron - Camera Assistant/General Helper
• Ralph's Friend - Extra

As for costumes we asked everyone involved with filming to wear "causal" clothes, that wouldn't be too in your face. We also asked Fran and Liam to wear some vibrant colours to help differentiate them (The happy couple) from Ralph (the depressed ex); we feel that this was achieved very well.

The rolls of the Actors and Actress:

• Liam's roll was the "New Guy" a.k.a. the girl’s new boy friend. We attempted to keep his roll to a minimum so that he doesn't seem to be a key roll to the narrative.
• Fran's roll was one of the key rolls to the story, as she was the girlfriend linking all of the characters, we have attempted to show this through many shots of her. To make sure she doesn't steal the limelight, we included Ralph in allot of these.
•  Ralph's roll was the most important of all as he was representing Mixy. This is only a representation and he is not suppose to look like Mixy it is almost as if Mixy is singing about Ralph instead of himself. To make sure that this is apparent to the audience we included many shots of Ralph on his own,

Meeting with Mixy (30th Jan)

Connor and myself have had a meeting with Mixy. the agenda for this was as follows:

AGENDA

Update Meeting
30^th January, 2011

12:00 – 1:00


Meeting called by Connor Page

Attendees:      
­Connor Page
­Liam Oliver
­Mixy

Please bring:  
­Laptop
­iPod
­Blog

5 minutes	Introduction Apologise Welcome to meeting	Connor Page
30 minutes	Discussion Talk about where the project is and what is currently happening, talk about shot ideas and goals for the project.	Connor Page Mixy Liam Oliver
20 minutes	Improvement to be made Mixy can offer any improvement that need to be made to the project: such as changes to backing story, shots or location. Notes to be taken by Liam Oliver	Mixy Liam Oliver
5 minutes	Questions If the client is unsure on any area covered they can air their opinions, worries or quires. Giving feedback on ways the project can be improved. Notes to be taken by Liam Oliver	Connor Page Mixy Liam Oliver

Actions:

· Talk about new ideas

· Answer and questions to the best of ability

· Gather feedback from meeting

· Keep note of any major changes


A copy of this was sent to all Attendees, this explains in detail the subjects that will be brought up in the meeting. we gathered allot of feedback from this meeting, allowing us to make changes to the project where necessary. there were a few Major adjustments to this project:

• Change to Song
• Location
• Story Plot
• Use of Actors

We will be posting these changes in more detail, in following posts.

Location List

Here is a list of different locations that we thought might be quite effective for our shooting. We have also attempted to use street view to get some sample shots.

• Starbucks
• City cathedral
• Guild Hall
• Town square
• Queensgate car park
• Market car park
• Shopping underpass
• Inside an average house

We have discussed filming on Queensgate car park with the managers. They then gave us requirements that we had to fulfil to get permission to film on location they included: risk assessments, at least one weeks notice, emails and notification of when the video is online.

 Guild Hall

Starbucks/Cathedral Entrance

Walkway next to the Cathedral

Town Square

The Cathedral

Shooting equipment information

Below is a list of the new equipment that we will be using for our production, below that there will be more detailed descriptions of what it is and how we will use it.

• Nikon D7000
• 50mm AF-S 1.4G prime lens
• DSLR Rig shoulder Mount
• GGS Perfect Foldable LCD Viewfinder
• Dolly and Track
• HD Video SD card
• Microphone
• LED Lights
• Tripod

Nikon D7000
where to begin with the D7000, this camera is the newest camera to be released by Nikon (other than the D4 however the D4 is a full frame camera, the difference being the D4 has a bigger sensor amongst other things to the D7000), here are some of the specifications of the new camera:

Nikon D7000 Body only

Packing high-end image technologies into a surprisingly portable body, the D7000 marks a new era in creative flexibility. Sturdy enough to travel anywhere and powerful enough to handle any situation, its range of advanced features will satisfy any photographer ready to further their skills.

• 16.2 megapixel DX-format CMOS image sensor delivers lifelike images with vivid colours, reduced noise and smooth tonal gradations.
• High ISO (100-6400) light sensitivity - manually expendable up to 25600 using the Hi2 setting. Enables faster shutter speeds for finely detailed images with minimal noise when you shoot fast-moving subjects or take pictures in low light. Features an Auto ISO setting.
• EXPEED 2 image processing engine: optimises the camera's technologies for superior performance and maximum image quality, all while consuming minimal energy.
• Durable design: boasts tough, yet light, magnesium alloy top and rear covers, and environmentally-sealed joints that protect the camera from dust and moisture.
• 100% viewfinder coverage with approx. 0.94x magnification for precise composition.
• Durable shutter unit tested to 150,000 cycles. Delivers precise shutter control and exceptional reliability with a shutter speed of up to 1/8000s, and flash synchronisation at up to 1/250s.
• Twin SD memory card slots: for enhanced shooting flexibility. Use the second card when the first is full, or record stills on one and movies on another. SDXC compatible.
• Razor-sharp 39-point Autofocus system with nine cross-type sensors in the centre. Offers fast and precise autofocus coverage across the frame. Four AF-area modes, including 3D-tracking AF, deliver sharp results, whether your subject is off-centre, moving fast or completely unpredictable.
• 2,016 pixel RGB metering sensor delivers highly accurate metering for exact exposures and provides precise data to the camera's Scene Recognition System, which optimises exposure, autofocus and white balance immediately before the shutter is released for sharply defined images.
• 6fps continuous shooting: capture fast-moving action at six frames per second.
Quick response: boasts a near-instant start-up time and approx. 0.052-second shutter-release time lag.
• D-Movie – full HD (1920 x 1080) movie clips: a dedicated record button lets you capture beautiful high-definition (HD) movie clips instantly. AF-F mode keeps everything in focus while you are shooting and the camera supports use of an external microphone so you can record in quality stereo sound. Simple editing functions let you make edits of your clips in-camera.
• Large 3-inch 920k-dot, high-resolution LCD monitor with reinforced glass makes it easy to view essential camera information, and a pleasure to review and edit your photos and movies.

You can find more information about it on this link, http://www.jessops.com/online.store/products/78159/show.html if you then go onto features, you can see all of the technical aspects offered by the D7000.

here is a video that reviews in a hands on manner,

Spoze - Speaking to No One

  This music video is one that is very similar to our ideas, it uses many techniques that we wish to transfer to our own video. the video a rap (UK grime) video focusing on the same genera as ourselves, using local, low-key artists. The company UpRaw TV, is another small, low budget production company in Peterborough.

The main thing that we have noticed whilst watching this is the framing/camera movements; the camera bounces and drops with the artist, they also use many different camera angles and do lots of switching in time with the beat. I think that by using this in our piece we can create a very similar style however, this video has a faster tempo with a more aggressive feel. due to this i think that the techniques may have to be used in a more controlled way. This may mean doing stuff like holding the shots a little steadier and adding a narrative to break up the singing. 

The video also uses lots of transitions, mainly fades, and think that these help differentiate/add more impact to the fast speedy cuts and transitions. they also have a title sequence right at the beginning, I think that this may be unnecessary for a music video however, I may look into the possibility of this later.

Conventions of Music Videos

Camera Shots: Music videos often tend to make use of many long shots, close up and mid shots. They use to to create emphasis towards the artist, location and emotions. Close ups are also used to show emotions reflected by the lyrics of the song sometimes via the movement of the lips of the artist.

Camera Movement: Movement of the camera(s) is often mainly used to follow and trace the artist and/or band. This movements can include tilts, pans, tracking and crane shots.

Mise-en-scené: This is the arrangement of performers and props within the video. Mise-en-scené places important on the representation of something.
An example of this being shown is the track 'Mad' by Neyo. This mise-en-scené involves the artist 'Neyo' walking alone down a road, being in an isolated room. This relfects the isolation from his lover. Also, props include dark clothes and hats which represents the down mood of the song. The lighting is also kept very dark, black and white; to again represent the angry and depressed mood.

Editing: Jump cuts tend to be the most used editing technique used in music videos. This allows a sudden change from one scene to another and keeps a fast pace. Transistions such as fade and dissolve however are also very common in music videos as they create a different effect to straight cuts. Each is used depending on what type of action/pace/mood the artist is trying to create.

Lighting: You find many music videos that are black and white to help place emphasis on a particular mood. Other videos make use of artifical lighting to create an enhanced look.

Sound: This tends to mainly just consist of vocals of the song. However sometimes produces can include the sound of the enviroment to help create effect/mood/feeling/etc.

Props: These hold a vital role in aiding to add to the scene and they create significance on particular people and/or objects.

Costume: This matches scenes and relfects the genre or the mood thats trying to be created. Costume is a very important factor within the video because it has an influence over viewers as they might want to dress like the artist as they aspire to be like them (role models).

Colour: Colours are normally used to set the mood of the song by creating an atmosphere within the video. E.g. dark colours would be used to create a down more serious mood and bright colours for a more upbeat, lively enviroment.


These conventions go further when looking at the specifics of certain genres. For example:

Indie/Rock: Tend to be black and white, shots of the artist/band are used regularly throughout the video and close ups/long shots are favoured.

HipHop/Rap: Video locations tends to be a party or club location, achohol/drug references are frequent and branded objects appear often. Luxorious homes and cars are a favouriate. Camera shots tend to focus on long and establishing to show off the 'luxury of their lives'.

Update To Roles

Updates to Roles
Fran has now taken over the roll of the digi-pak designer , Liam and myself are taking joint roles with filming, production and web-site.

Shot research + Dolly track

We have been doing research into potential shots we'd like to replicate within our project. One particular shot that has jumped out to us is one used in the track 'How we Roll'' by Loick Essien. The opening shot is slowly panning around the artist lip-syncing upon a roof-top. This shot continues to appear throughout the video as a solo shot of the artist.
We would like to use this type of shot within our project, as not only does it look good, it alows us to create a fuild scene providing a professional look and allowing us to expand our amount of shot types used.




This video showing the 'behind the scenes' of the previously mentioned track gives a small amount of  insight into how the shot we are interested in was created.
It shows the camera panning round the artist on a dolly track, the use of the dolly creates a smooth, seamless pan. This provides a more professional look and feel to the video and is more effective for entertainment than a standing shot.
We plan create our own dolly track so we are able to do shots like this one within our project, to hopefully create the small effects.

Digipak Photography

Recently, myself and Connor went out to take photographs for our digipak cover. We shot many locations some close to home, and others in town. For this we put a standard digital alarm clock in many locations taking photos and then edited the time 4:00AM onto (This being the name of the song we have chosen.) We decided on the shot for the digipak cover would be one of the first we took. This was located just around the corner from my house so very easy to access if any re-shoots required. The shot has the alarm clock taking up practically all of the foreground with a road bending into a corner blurred out in the background via depth of field.
Map
A = Photograph Location
B = My House
C = School

Premission Email Reply

This was the email that mixy sent us back, confirming that we have his permission to use his name, song etc. We can now carry on with the products and research.

Album Cover Collage

Here is a collage of some album covers Fran has created using photoshop, these images can help us and our group to create a digipak design. The eminem album cover called '3am' could be quite useful because the song we are using is called '4am'. We could use some of the font ideas and play about with colours and texts in order to create what we consider to be the perfect digipak for our chosen song.