Tuesday, 1 March 2016

Editing process

As I began the editing process for my music video, I came across various things which worked well, but also some mistakes which needed to be corrected from the first round of filming. As I filmed the majority of Stefi's solo scenes over 1 day, and the various group shots over different days, this meant that some of these shots did not match up.


For the beginning opening instrumental part of the song, I intended to pause the music whilst she held her hand and then continue it once she began to start dancing. However, this break was too quick which made the gap in the music look strange. As a result of this, I decided to cut from the wide shot to the zoomed medium shot and continue the music to play over this. It meant that I could still use match-action, even though I could not cut the music to fit with it.



A part of my filming which went well was this window shot, although it was shot from one angle for the majority of it, the break in between, shot from the other side of the window allowed for a sharp editing cut to follow with the upbeat and sharp lyric that I matched 'pane'. In terms of the length of the shot, I will consider this after filming my backing dancing scene. I am unsure whether the pan to the right, followed by the next location and the break in the middle is enough to keep the audience interested in the shot and what will come next, therefore, this shot may need to be broken up by a group shot.


The group shots all went to plan in terms of the actors which I chose. As I needed to use an all female cast, choosing an upbeat group of women was important. There was all but one shot that worked, which I have cut out and replaced with a longer shot of Stefi (outside shot). As I have discussed above, I may need to film 2 or 3 more of these type of shots, dependent upon the choice when I go on to edit further.


This shot will follow with a tilt down from the dance routine scene. I have cut this shot so that a group shot proceeds before. This was needed as I filmed the outside shot in one take, and then the tilt in one take, so that for it to fit, where Stefi stands in near enough the same place, the group shot before became ideal.


The shot outside was then followed by a downward tilt to change the locations between outside to dance studio more swiftly. I have matched the pointing of Stefi and the dancers (Louie and JJ) so that once the outside shot hits the sky, the dance studio shot comes down from the sky.


The wind shot had a warm lighting which I liked, but the shot is too long which makes it become boring. I will need to film 1 further group shot to break it up half way through. However, my favourite parts of this shot are the dancing and champagne drinking which are in the middle. In this case, I may use the beginning of the champagne shot for the break, so that the drinking part and kisses to the screen are shown of Stefi.


A further issue with my first set of filming was with one of the group shots. An editing technique which I wish to use is whereby Stefi will start a slow spin, followed by a match-action spin of a group shot, then Stefi finishes her spin after. However, the group shot did not match up with Stefi's spin, so I will re-film the group shot, as I cannot film this Stefi shot again given that most nights it is raining. This will require a further actor, which I could also use to sing a missing line earlier in the song too.  




The main editing technique that I was going to do was similar to that in the 'countdown' music video. This would involve a pan across the room with 8 Stefi's dancing in cannon as this pan moved. However, when it came to filming, I needed to keep the camera completely still and then pan in editing, but I panned the camera on the day, which resulted in Stefi being cut when she did certain movements, as well as the floor not matching up in each shot. Therefore, I am taking this as a practice of the shot, which I will need to repeat. Next time, I will need to keep the camera in the same place and record on a continuous basis, so that when Stefi moves along and she will repeat the dance several times. This will then need to be cropped in size and the shots stacked, before I change the angles of the shots so it appears as if it is panning along the room, rather than doing a circle of the room; like in my practice.



Monday, 22 February 2016

Outside shot

1. (0.56)
    'Baby it's you (walking)
    You're the one I love
    You're the one I need
    You're the only one I see  (cross fingers to camera)
    Come on baby it's you  (jumping)
    You're the one that gives your all
    You're the one I can always call
    When I need you make everything stop  (right hand stop to music)
    Finally you put my love on top'  (tilt up)

2. (1.56)
    'Now everybody asks me why I'm smiling out from ear to ear (they say love hurt)(hold hand to ear)
    But I know (it's gonna take a little work)  (money hands)
    Nothing's perfect, but it's worth it after fighting through my tears  (up til _ spin to right)
    And finally you put me first'

3. (2.55)
    'Cause you're the one that I love'
    'You're the one I always call'

Dance studio shot and rehearsals

FILM WITH A PAN FROM LEFT TO RIGHT
Choreography:

1. (0.10)
  'Bring the beat in' :
 - 2 dancers turned backs, clicking right and left, Stefi stands in centre clicking above head.
 - Hand cuts down forward and stops music, continues it.
 - (super bowl 8.00) step to side and march x3, repeat.



2. (0.38)
 'Now everybody asks me why I'm smiling out from ear to ear (they say love hurt)
 But I know (it's gonna take a little work)
 Nothing's perfect, but it's worth it after fighting through my tears
 And finally you put me first' :
  - (super bowl 8.38) hand flick up and left and right
  - (super bowl 8.54) hands round from head and pop on hips
  - (super bowl 9.39) 2 step and lean, repeat
  - jumping.




3. (1.19)
  'Ooh! Come on baby
 You put my love on top, top, top, top, top
 You put my love on top
 Ooh oooohh! Come on baby
 You put my love on top, top, top, top, top
 My love on top' :
  - point both fingers down as tilt of camera
  - (crazy in love at V fest 0.26) walk/ strut to right then head flick
  - SAME but walk other way
  - (crazy in love V fest 0.58) click fingers up, quickly down and turn to right, spin?
  - (crazy in love V fest 2.16) drop down and arm flick up by right side
  - end with hands on hips.





4. (2.32)
 'Finally you put my love on top
 Oh! baby
 You put my love on top, top, top, top, top  (fall below 1 by 1)
 You put my love on top
 Oh Oh! Come on baby
 You put my love on top, top, top, top, top   (stand in line and move to right)
 My love on top' :
  - hand on hip and fan with one hand flicking in beat
  - head flick down passionately
  - point, then on 2 top fall 1,2,3 then up 1,2
  - Stefi jumps up to say last love on top
  - (crazy in love at V fest 2.30) lifts and moves to the back.
  - stand in line and move alternate to left and right
  - lean forward and kiss.




5.   (2.55)
    'Baby you're the one that I need'
    'Baby, baby, it's you'
    'When I need you everything stops'  (clapping)

Monday, 8 February 2016

Shooting day

This is the equipment that I used on the day of filming which included: the light, tripod, camera, surrounding camera light and background pop up.
This is the outfit for the window sill scene.

This was the first scene which I filmed beginning 'honey, honey'. As I had 5 windowsills to choose from I tested this shot on two different windows and with/ without the main light. My final/ favourite position was the first window along and with the light.
This is the second scene I shot, which was the wind effect scene, which began 'baby,baby'. Again I completed this shot from various distances and angles, with and without the light. My favourite shot was with the light and the camera tilted as in the photo to the left. The light in this scene gave a glow type effect.
This is the outfit for the wind scene.

This was Fran doing one of the group shots, which consisted of using the screen with a light positioned behind it for added brightness, which needed to hit just behind her head. I then placed the camera in a still position in order for Fran to complete her lyric line.
This scene was completed at the David Lloyd in Chigwell, where I filmed in the yoga room. This scene began with lyrics 'baby it's you' (second time). I made use of the lighting at the bottom of the wall, although this gave problems with focus which I resolved by selecting Stefi on the camera for which was the main point of focus. I completed this shot multiple times, with the camera remaining in the same place with Stefi moving along the room. This will then be merged together, like that in the countdown video.























This is the outfit for the editing scene, with the long black boots which I wanted to use.
















This was the dance routine shot, which was shot in a room which was wide enough for Stefi and dancers to move enough, but it was also plain black. I completed this shot in 5 different takes all filmed on the same day, but any transitions which I had forgotten to do i.e. a pan to the right, had to be added in once I began editing.
This is the outfit I chose for the dance routine shot, although the boys were both only wearing trousers and shirts to look more coordinated. Stefi wore a silver/ white dress.
 This was the outside shot which needed to take place whilst it was dark. The outfit was chosen to fit with the outside theme, but given the weather it was necessary to be able to film the entire shot all in one night. For this shot I used glitter  eye shadow which would show up in the darkness, as well as a bright light to further highlight it.


Thursday, 4 February 2016

Group shots/ Lyrics

As part of my music video I will involve various males and females lip syncing to Beyonce's Love On Top, I will need to allocate which lines will be sang by which people but to do this I will be filming some OR all lines being sung by all actors and the best actors singing each of the lines will be chosen. This will involve those who sing the line the most appropriately or with the best character being chosen for the final video.

The following are lines which need to be filmed:

"They say love hurts" 0.45  (kirsty)
"It's gonna take a little work" 0.47 (megan)
"Fighting through my tears" 0.54  (fran)
"And finally you put me first" 0.57 (lauren)
"You're the one I love" 1.01  (megan)
"You're the one I can always call" 1.12  (fran)
"You put my love on top,top,top,top,top" 1.24 (megan)
"You put my love on top,top,top,top,top" 1.33 (longer) (danielle)
"I can hear the wind whipping past my face" 1.38 (stef)
"Boy your lips taste like" 1.48 (megan)
"Now everybody asks me why I'm smiling out from ear to ear" 2.00 (lucy)
"But I know" 2.04 (lauren)
"After fighting through my tears" 2.12 (transition) (stef)
"And finally you put me first" 2.14 (megan)
"Oh! Baby" 2.41 (lucy)
"Oh oh! Come on baby" 2.48  (fran)
"You put my love on top" 2.44  (kirsty)
"Baby it's.. baby" 2.56.  (Hannah)
"You're the only one I see" 3.03 (stef)
"You're the one that gives your all" 3.09   (lucy)
"You're the one that always calls"  3.10. (Hannah)

= 17 group lines.

Tuesday, 2 February 2016

Transitions

"Bring the beat in" - lengthy introduction whereby Stefi will stop the music whilst dancing with the group before continuing on until beginning of next verse and thus location.

"Melt away" - pan from left to right as Stefi kicks legs the same way, transition into dance studio will need to be from left to right of screen also "now everybody".

"Come on baby it's youuu" - jumping up and down.

"You make everything stop" - stop music and pause camera.

"You put my love on top" - camera tilts up with help of Stefi pointing it up, holding it? and then tilts down at next location of "ooh! Come on baby".

"Again" - Stefi kisses screen getting closer, transitions into wide open space of outside area.

2nd "Nothing's perfect but it's worth it" - spin from Stefi half way through to group shot spinning same way and finishing the spin. Either from front i.e. medium shot or from above, but I will need to consider what floor I will use IF I shoot from above.

"You're the one that gives your all --> everything stops" - clapping for Stefi and group shot.