Filming Diary - Cutaways

Filming Diary - Cutaways

After the first day of editing, it became evident that some cutaway shots may be needed in order to fill in unplanned gaps in the narrative with relevant footage. During filming and editing, I captured some miscellaneous but relevant shots which could be used as cutaways. My main source of inspiration was nature: the central theme of my music video. 

1. Bird on an aerial

This shot was taken with the lyrics of the second verse in mind: "birds don't just fly, they fall down and get up". It was later written into the official storyboard because it complemented the narrative well. It is interesting that this shot was not planned, but it fits well with the current surroundings of the cyclist during the narrative: a suburban neighbourhood. 

2. Natural tilt 

The natural tilt is simply a tilt which lifts up towards the sun in the sky, featuring a frame of trees. This easy capture has nature as the main theme, just like the music video, and also features glare from the sun; a creative approach to a cutaway.

3. Diagonal pan 

The diagonal pan is similar to the aforementioned tilt, however the movement is a lot more dynamic and interesting to follow. In my opinion, this diagonal pan is better than the tilt because the camera movement breaks the standard linear movement of the tilt a provides a more exciting, explorative and optimistic tone to the camera shot; all elements which I would like to have feature as key tones and moods in my own music video. 

Filming Diary - Day 3

Filming Diary - Day 3

Planned date: 15th March

For the third day of filming, I plan to film all of the performance sequence of the music video. This will be filmed in the morning, between the hours of 10am-12pm so that a bright morning sunlight can be captured to create an uplifting and optimistic lighting. I will find a variety of natural backgrounds, including trees, bushes and blossoms, and lip-sync the song several times to ensure I have excessive footage to pick and choose from during editing. Using various backgrounds for the performance sequence is a common convention for pop music videos.

Props and Costumes 

• Steadicam must be fully charged - this is essential equipment to ensure that the performance sequence looks professional. It should be transported in its portable protective case.
• Camera (iPhone) must be fully charged and have enough storage for multiple takes of the complete song. 
•  An additional device (phone or iPad) to play the song for accurate lip-sync. 

Evaluation of Day 3

What went well?

The whole song being lip-synced was recorded five times in different locations to ensure high-quality footage could be used for the final video (which may require mix-and-matching shots from the several takes). Thankfully, the weather was better than expected; it was warm and there were no clouds in the sky, meaning the lighting stayed constant in all takes. 

The backgrounds were chosen more specifically upon arrival, since some backgrounds appeared 'more green' than others - the greenery in the background was essential for the continuity of the natural theme throughout the music video. 

I was very pleased with the stability of the video, despite the rough terrain. This was partially helped with the use of the steadicam, but the cameraman/woman had a huge responsibility in this situation as well. Overall the lip-sync was accurate and believable too.

What could have been better?

In some of the takes, the sun was in the eyes of the performer, meaning the face was illuminated excessively and squinting was visible. In my opinion this looks unprofessional in regards to lighting control. Thankfully, the song was shot several times in shaded conditions as well (under a canopy of trees, or simply facing away from the sunlight). 
In hindsight, I wish more 'casual' shots of the performer were filmed, for instance shots which show plain happiness and laughter. This would give the performance sequence a more 'natural', casual and realistic effect, and make the performer seem more realistic as well - solely performance arguably results in connotations of objectifying or dehumanising the performer. 
Overall, I am satisfied with the footage recorded on Day 3; the problems which have appeared could be solved with the use of editing. If not, quick re-shoots would be easy to conduct. 

Rough Cut 1 and Feedback

My Music Video 

Rough Cut 1 and Feedback

It is important to experiment with ideas and concepts for the proposed music video in order to understand how the finished product may look; sometimes planned footage is underwhelming, other times it works perfectly. I decided to start shooting the narratives of the music video first so that I could inspect the quality of the narratives in conjunction with the song and lyrics. Above is the music video's first rough cut. To test the accuracy of my previous planning, I took some initial shots from my storyboard to see how they would translate in real footage and after editing. The rough cut focuses on the narratives within the music video, and therefore contains no performance shots as of yet.

Feedback

• "The story lines were easy to follow. It was clear that one person was training for something, running, and the other person was learning to ride a bike". - Female, 12

• "I could understand the concepts of the narratives but there were no clear motives for why the characters were doing what they were doing, so it all seemed a bit pointless". - Female, 18

• "It was good but I feel that the cuts are really slow and it makes it a bit boring to watch. There seems to be too many black screens for too long".  - Male, 18

• "I want to know what happens during the next half of the song. Its almost like the build-up and ending came already". - Male, 75

• "A performance from an artiste would make it a lot more interesting". - Male, 45

• "The shot at the beginning is a bit blurry but I like the narrative concepts. They seem to link with the song lyrics because both of the characters look like they are trying". - Female, 47

What have I learnt?

After completing my first rough cut and getting feedback I have learnt that the narratives, which are central to my original music video idea, are easy to understand and follow and fit well with the song choice. However, it was also suggested that a motive for character's actions (i.e. learning to ride a bike and training for a marathon) are too ambiguous at the moment. 

The feedback also suggests that although the narratives are well constructed, the editing lets it down because it is too slow and thus boring. Some of the shots could be of better quality in terms of professionalism, and the narrative moves on too quickly. 

What should I do to improve?

Thanks to the good-quality and honest feedback, my plan of action is relevant. I will keep the narrative concepts the same because they proved popular; there will be a character learning to ride a bike and a character who is training to run a marathon. At the start of the music video, however, I will plan for there to be some shots which would give the audience a clue for what motivates the characters (for instance, watching a marathon on TV or attending a marathon in real life and being inspired). 

To increase the pace of the editing, and therefore the excitement of the music video, I know I will need more footage. I will add a performance aspect with an artiste singing the song, and I will film some cutaways for extra footage just in case I need to fill any unplanned gaps. In the meantime, I will plan some re-shoots of the shots that did not look professional (the opening one of the first rough cut). 

Filming Diary - Day 2

Filming Diary - Day 2

Planned Date: 15th October 2017

For the second day of filming, I plan to film the whole running sequence of the narrative. This will take place in Hockley Woods between the hours of 12pm-3pm. These timings have been chosen specifically in order to enhance the verisimilitude of this particular section of the narrative, which should work well alongside the 'bicycle' sequence of the narrative if the times are kept effectively.

Props and Costumes 

• A phone with connected earphones as accessories for the character.
• Suitable footwear - preferably trainers to match the costume design and to ensure the costume is realistic for a runner. 
• The entire costume for the runner, as explained in the props and costume post, should look like suitable sports attire.
• The Steadicam and camera should be fully charged and transported in the protective storage case.
• A bottle of water should be brought to the set, as the actress is required to do more strenuous activities as part of the narrative - health and safety.

Evaluation of Day 2 

What went well?

All of the planned shots were shot as proposed in the storyboard. The sunshine on this particular day was bright, however the issue of over-exposure was solved by changing camera angles slightly or changing location were necessary. Shots with bokeh and lens flare was used as creative techniques which were 'accidentally' possible as a result of the good weather, and a lot of these types of shots were taken to build a bank of shots which could be helpful during editing as cutaways. Although the setting was already previously decided, specific locations for the character's 'training' activities (such as the step-ups and sit-ups) were successfully selected / improvised on the day to match the original concept. 

A shot which I was particularly pleased with, which was not completely planned or expected, was the shot in which the runner stands recovering with her hands behind her head in front of a cloud with a silver lining. This aesthetic, creative and professional-looking background was not storyboarded, however its quality and uniqueness means that the shot has the potential of being the key branding image for the entire product. It is also relevant that this shot was proposed to be used as the feat section of the narrative, towards the end of the song. The silhouetted figure will add a greater sense of achievement and glory. 

What could have been better?

One of the main concerns during shooting was the continuity of the shots. The day chosen appeared to be a popular day for dog walkers and families to go on an outing. Although in a music video the continuity is not as essential as in a production with a linear narrative, the continuity of having nobody else in the background was still important to me. I was also concerned that having extra people in the background, without the ability to toy with the depth of field, would distract the audience from the runner and their achievements: the true focus of the narrative. In relation to Hall's Reception theory, I wanted to ensure that the audience decoded the correct message (and to do this, they would have to full understand the fast-paced narrative).

The only other concern which occurred to me on the day was the worry of losing light. It was planned that this sequence of the music video was to be filmed later than the cyclist sequence (12pm-3pm rather than 10am-1pm), and being in the autumn, naturally days were shorter. Initially, I chose these times so that the times within the narrative would appear to coincide with each other; the cyclist and runner act within a parallel narrative, with their actions happening simultaneously to enhance realism. However, the woods location meant that it appeared to be getting darker earlier than anticipated due to the leaves on the trees. This turned out not to be an issue because I ensured that I worked quicker to get the desired shots to avoid a noticeable change in light. I also tried to control the problem by filming in chronological order. In the future, I will take natural surroundings into consideration more carefully when choosing times and locations for filming. 

Filming Diary - Day 1

Filming Diary - Day 1

Planned Date: 8th October 2017

The first day of filming will be at the field/wood location. It is planned to film the whole bicycle sequence in this location and in one day, between the hours of 10am-1pm. The timings are essential to follow to ensure that daylight can be constant for any necessary reshoots. 

Props and Costume 

• Only one actress is required for the day, and on this occasion it will be Molly. She will be wearing casual clothes as specified in the costume design information, with boot shoes to avoid the hazard of shoelaces. 
• The bike itself if a key prop. A smaller bike should be used if possible in order to further reduce the risk of injury if (and when) the actress falls off.
• The actress should bring a coat to be used as a plotting device in the narrative, and a helmet should also be worn as an important safety element and plotting device. 
• The camera should be brought along fully charged and with substantial memory space in case of re-takes or extra shots. 
• A Steadicam could be used, fully charged, to enhance the quality of the dynamic shots.

Evaluation of Day 1

What went well?

Overall I was happy with what I filmed, because I was able to shoot a variety of shot types including low-angles, pans, close-ups, long shots and tracking. This was essential at ensuring that the range of shots could be experimented with when editing in order to check that the range of shots could be brought together in a way that is not jarring or uncomfortable to the eye. 

The filming session also allowed me to get to know the environment in which I was directing my music video. Most of the more important sequences were shot, so I was able to see roughly how the narrative would look.

What could have been better?

The fact that I was not able to finish filming the sequence was particularly frustrating. The main reason was due to the lighting, which began to change gradually after arrival due to the autumn days being short. The slight changes in the natural lighting was not too noticeable at first, however when comparing videos during editing the differences in the colours of the leaves in the background of the shots were visible, resulting in an unprofessional look. 

Another problem was that the actress did not want to 'fall off' the bicycle, which was part of the script. The risk assessment that was carried out beforehand ensured that the actress would not sustain any injuries from carrying out the 'stunt', however the environment in which she was asked to perform it were not appropriate on the particular day. It is likely that I will have to re-shoot elements of this sequence as a result, however ultimately this will be decided after editing when it can be chosen more accurately what shots need to be re-shot.