Introductory Post


Hi, My Name is Louis and I am a 17 year old male studying towards my A Levels at the Latymer School, North London. I study History, English and Media.
My Candidate Number is 0131, and I am part of group 5, alongside Josh Brooks (0110), Vivian Oparah (0621) and Sebastian Hodge (0330).
You can use the labels section on the right hand side of the page to easily navigate my blog, with separate sections for AS, A2, Coursework and Preliminary tasks.
Furthermore there is a link to my school's Media Blog Archive on the right, where you can access all other blogs made at The Latymer School.
Thank you for viewing my blog, I hope you enjoy my work.

Our Music Video


Our Music Video

Our Website

Our Website
Our website

Our Digipak Cover

Our Digipak Cover
Our Digipak Cover

Monday 21 July 2014

Prelim Edit

This is our final edit of our prelim remake of The 1975 - 'Girls 'music video, enjoy :)


Saturday 19 July 2014

1. Personal Achievement

What do you personally want to get out of the whole A2 experience?

I am very interested in the process of filming as part of a professional production. By following the process of coordinating and shooting a music video, and the camera crew's roles, I will be able to see what it is like. Previously in media i have only had the opportunity to participate in amateur productions therefore the professional shoot will be a new and hopefully exciting experience.


Is it a challenge for you or within your comfort zone?

I feel that the experience will not be very challenging for me as my role in the music video is not major, therefore I will be able to focus on the specific scenes in which my character performs in order to replicate him to a high standard. However, the project is very intense, and I must act rapidly and to a high standard in order to ensure its success, which could be quite a challenge, especially on the day of the shoot. 

Have you achieved/ learnt anything so far?

Before we began the prelim, I was unaware of how complex the procedures of producing a music video are. The project has revealed to me how many different roles there are before, during, and post production, and how the whole process must be well thought out in order to successfully fulfill the purpose of selling the song and artist.

Friday 18 July 2014

2. My Role

My Role

I am the guitarist for the car scene. I represent the guitarist Adam Hann, during the scene, he and the band remain out of focus, behind the lead Matt, however, my role requires me to actively present a convincing performance as that of a guitarist within a band- both playing and moving on set.



What does the performance actually consist of?

AS the guitarist during the car crash scene, i perform with the band, out of focus behind the lead singer, until he hangs up his guitar and we come into focus as the dead girl is dragged offstage. My role consists of both pretending to enthusiastically play the guitar whilst also providing a convincing dance and acting to display the guitarist's part-enthusiastic, part-unenthusiastic attitude.




Is this a challenge for you?

I think that performing the sequence will not be too challenging as I have had time to practice and prepare myself for the role as as well as performing alongside other band members in the scene. However, I feel that I may find it quite challenging to perform a realistic and believable performance with the guitar, as I have had no previous experience with handling one, however, by studying the movements of Adam, I feel I will be able to improve on this.

Thursday 17 July 2014

3. My Costume

Describe the specific look you are aiming for



In the video, my character wears an outfit of typical indie band style- predominantly black, with a longer white t shirt beneath his jacket, similar to the outfit shown above. In order to effectively replicate this look, I shall dress in black skinny jeans, a baggy white t-shirt, layered with a plain black hooded jumper and a black collared jacket. In terms of footwear, I shall wear black boots similar to those Adam wears, in particular shin length.

Do you have the items you need? Is there anything you need to borrow/ buy?

I personally own a majority of the items necessary in order to recreate this outfit, however, if necessary I can borrow a larger black hoodie from a male classmate, and as I own dark brown boots, I also may need to borrow a classmate's black boots in order to ensure the recreation is as accurate to the original as possible. As I have more than one pair of black jeans I can provide others with them if necessary, as well as a black t shirt needed for the character of the Bassist.

Thursday 10 July 2014

Evaluation- 1. Did you enjoy the workshop day? What were your best bits and why?

I really enjoyed the workshop day as a whole due to the fact that it provided a realistic, yet fun and friendly insight into the media industry and showed me the various processes involved in a professional video shoot.AS Director, Dom made it clear what he wanted of us over the day, just as he would direct a shoot in his workplace.



The camera setup for the yellow shots



Spending much of the day spectating the shoot and helping move props on and off of set, I was amazed by how the scene within the set is transformed by camera angles and lighting- creating on-screen visuals very similar to the original video, which I did not expect from such a small scale operation.


This shows our video ( the larger one) against the original


My favourite experience of the workshop was when I spent time in the Gallery, watching Nico control the sound and lighting using the control panels and connected computers. I enjoyed learning how to use the controls in order to quickly change sound levels and flick between lighting presets for the specific sets- this was also great preparation for my actual video, when I will be personally controlling the sound and lighting at one point.


The Gallery  and computer setup within the Studio

Using the sound desk I was able to control the lighting setup, both alternating between preset settings and colours and also triggering individual lights and opening and closing the blinds.

An example of the set and lighting for a particular scene
I also really enjoyed being part of the performance in front of the camera, and I really feel that the experience has boosted my confidence onscreen, and I am looking forward to performing properly in my own music video.

Overall, the workshop was an intense, yet highly rewarding and enjoyable experience- by taking an active role, I have had a great experience of what it is like on set during a professional shoot, with the relaxed atmosphere of a friendly, highly skilled team.


Evaluation- 2. What have you learnt from participating in each of the prelim tasks?

Audition:

The audition was the first experience which I have had involving lip syncing, I feel that although the lip syncing in my initial video was weak, the exercises in the workshop in preparation for the actual shoot helped me to improve my lip syncing and confidence in performance. Although I didn't have to lip sync for the shoot, the audition helped me to improve my performance skills and confidence on camera.

Costume:

As this was my first experience of a professional style shoot, I was surprised to learn how much time and effort is involved in coordinating and creating costumes for the cast. I learnt that it is often necessary to have a selection of costumes at the ready, and chose those which provide the most effective image in front of the camera. In order for this to work, it is also down to the cast to bring in any clothing that they have which could be used in the shoot- for us, the costumes were  provided by ourselves, borrowing and buying essential items from other sources in order to effectively replicate the original video.

Me and the bike band performing on set


Rehearsal:

The rehearsal helped me to see how the shoot is structured, with the different cast members for different sets rehearsing together in order to ensure coordination and professional performance on set.The rehearsal in the Seward studio gave me awareness of the space we were performing in and how i should stand in front of the camera- boosting my confidence and quality of performance. 

Shoot:

The shoot helped me reflect on how complex a professional shoot is- with a large team necessary in order to ensure efficiency and the high standard is upheld. Spending time shadowing make up artists, the sound and lighting desk and also the director gave me an insight into the importance of individual roles and what they do.
The set up for the photography scenes

Lighting directors moving equipment into position


Editing:

Although I have previous experience of editing with Premiere Pro, I learnt a multitude of new editing techniques- such as syncing video and audio, and also using brightness changes within frames to give the effect of a camera flash.

This shows how my edit is in sync with the original



This shows how I have created camera flashes similar to those in the original

Evaluation- 3. Are you pleased with the footage and your edit? Is it how you expected it to look?


When first viewing back the video footage, I was genuinely shocked by the high level of quality and how similar the production was to the original video, this meant that the final edited project, with the help of minor colour correction and grading within Premiere Pro, a professional looking remake was created.In the shots which were not possible for us to recreate, the alternatives improvised by the team were just as effective- meaning that the differences were so minor that they became almost unnoticeable. 
Setting up for the yellow scenes




Graded shot and original- less orange and brighter




Considering the low budget of our production, the video and lighting quality was amazing- however there were a few minor differences noticeable in playback- such as the lighting on Kayvon's face was not bright enough, meaning that he came across as too orange, similarly the car crash scene appears noncontinuous without an actual car. However, as the picture below shows, with grading we were able to make Kayvon's colour similar to that of Matt's using grading tools, increasing the similarity.





Using Proc Amp and the 3 way colour corrector to grade shots professionally

However, the use of a bike instead of a car was due to the fact that we could not fit a car inside the studio, therefore taking this into consideration, or edit was almost identical to the original, with the improvised scenes containing the bike creating an entertaining, similar narrative and upholding the professional standard of the video.



Deliberate alternative: Using a bike instead of a car



Evaluation- 4. How do you think your prelim experiences will impact on your approach to next term's music video coursework?


What I have Learnt:

Lip- Syncing:

Performance skills: The experience of performing on a professional set has not only improved my confidence but also made me realise that as everyone is there to perform for the video, there is no need to feel shy or out of place- the friendly atmosphere of the shoot means that performances run smoothly and to a high standard.
The bike scene band performing on set

Sound and Lighting: Spending time in the gallery watching Nico control the sound and lighting using the control desks was really interesting and means that when we shoot our actual video, I will be able to personally edit and control the lighting within the studio in order to make it appropriate for our shoot.

Camera:I was surprised that our shoot was being shot on the canon 5D- a reasonably low priced compact camera, however, now that I have seen the outcome footage, I am certain that the high quality of film is more than good enough for shooting my music video on.Furthermore by shadowing those in charge of the camera, and the director, I was able to understand how particular framing and lighting can be achieved, with the use of various stands and clamps proving flexible, steady footage.

Set organisation/ props:In order for the shoot to run effectively, all props and sets necessary were already pre-planned and ready to place on set- this involved a professional prop checklist in order to ensure that all props would be available and present on the day of the shoot. Similarly, the specific timetable of set changes ensure that on such a tight schedule,all shots are achieved at the same high standard without major overrunning.

Costume:By having all costumes already prepared and labelled according to cast member in the dressing room, costume changes and make up can be applied efficiently, with spare costumes preventing any loss of time of continuity errors in case of damage or loss.

What I am looking forward to for next time:

Creating the concept: After analysing and recreating The 1975- Girls music video, I realised that the lyrics of the song do not necessarily have to be reflected within the video. In the case of this song, the video i ironic and a public statement, therefore when creating my music video, I could incorporate this concept in order to create an entertaining, lighthearted video.

The cast relaxing during a break on workshop day
Performing: Now that I have had real experience of performance in a professional style shoot, I am excited to play a greater role in my own music video, with enough confidence to lip sync and perform effectively in front of the camera.





Filming:Knowing that the %D is easy to operate and handle will mean that I am more confident on the next shoot day and able to pay close attention to framing and lighting to prevent the need for a re shoot. I look forward to using the 4 screens available to both view the set as it is being filmed on a larger screen and also for playback to check for necessary camera angle or lighting adjustments.
My editing of the letters: identical to the original


Editing: The experience gave me confidence in editing a music video sequence, rather than a continuous film opening, and I am looking forward to a music video not only of my original ideas but one which is edited in time with the music and broken down into a multitude of interchanging sets and shots to create an exciting and unique visual experience