Beginning to Edit

Today in lesson we started to edit our clips and put them in order this is going to be a very long a tedious process, we are hoping to finish the first by the end of this week. This way we can get the rough cut done quickly and begin editing out final piece. I already have many editing techniques I wish to use in the video which I will explain in more detail in other posts. We have a total of around 60 clips we we need to priorities and put into order. I believe that this will be the hardest process as there are hours of footage that we recorded and we need to find only 2 minutes. 

Some of the clips we have to put into order 

Beginning to Upload - Editing

Today we have started uploading our footage on to the Mac's so that we can begin editing our production next lesson. We hope to by the end of this week have the clips that we are going to use in our production the deadline for finishing our editing is the 20th of January. This is going to be quite difficult to achieve as me and my partner hope to do a lot of editing, however we are determined to spend many hours making our music video as good as we can. We also have a lot of footage (3 SD cards worth) this has meant that it has taken a lot of our time uploading the footage and not being able to edit.

Summary - Photos from London/Experience

Luckily Nick was enthusiastic when it came to to taking pictures of all the locations and environment, we were able to have a few pictures that show me and Harrison at work and also the environment we filmed our performance in.

I believe that the filming in London was a success and we managed to get all the footage we needed, also after recently completing the studio shoot we now have enough footage to begin editing and constructing our final music video. Overall it was a great experience travelling to London and filming our production I'm pleased with not only the choice of song but also the choice of location.

Studio Shoot Successful

I have just got back after finishing the studio shoot with Harrison. We managed to get some good footage and we both believe that this footage and the footage from London should be enough for us to complete our music video. We mainly focused on getting shots of Nick and Harrison messing around and dancing to the music. I feel getting footage of this will satisfy our target audience well as the song is based around an unorthodox/happy mood and this is clearly conveyed in the footage we just shot.

Here are some photos that Harrison mum took whilst I was filming.

 

Studio Shoot Today

Today we are going to be filming the last part of our music video, by filming the last part of the performance in Harrison's studio, we have already planned out what we need to achieve and in what order. I will update my blog later on what we achieved and whether it was successful or not.

Studio Shoot Tomorrow

Tomorrow I'm going round Harrison's to film the last segment of the music video which is in the studio. This will mainly consists of Harrison and Nick both going through the song and then them playing around. We wanted them to do this to match our unorthodox theme they will also be messing around using a microphone and headphones to connote a studio-type environment. This will involve lip-syncing and then we will have footage of Nick and I dancing and having fun to use as backup footage just to fill in if any of the footage doesn't look as aesthetically pleasing as we want it too.

This should only take around a couple of hours to complete then after we have completed this we are able to being editing our footage and sough it into different categories. I believe that the studio shoot tomorrow will be successful because we have planned everything that needs to be completed by tomorrow, and I also believe that we will be able to complete this on time and to a good standard 

Filming in London

We travelled to London on the 3rd of December to film the performance and some narrative of our music video. It went better than I thought as we filmed a large majority of what we planned to. As soon we arrived at London we started filming the performance shots. We started with Harrison leaving the train and approaching London Liverpool Street Station. We then headed to the locations we wished to film our performnce. In total there were nine different locations that we used in our performance section in London. Although we got a lot of performance footage we were unable to get a lot of narrative footage of the street performers the reason being because some of them weren't communicating with us and others wished to have a large sum of money for it, for example one guy was asking for a sum of £250. Although we only got footage of three street performers I believe that it is still a reasonable amount and we are able to edit it and see what we can produce. I believe that we have got the right footage that we need in order to produce a successful production.

We are now going to begin editing our footage we will be doing this over a very long period, i will keep updating my blog with information on how the editing is going and how far we are away from completing the production.

Planning - Permission from Levels Entertainment

Unfortunately, Levels Entertainment never replied to our email requesting copyright permission for Unorthodox. Obviously this was quite some time ago  and we have now got to the stage were we are going to begin editing soon. 


This means that Harrison and I are going to have to go ahead and use the song anyway as we need to start filming in a couple of weekends time.


Next lesson we aim to begin our storyboarding for the shoot so that we can take it on the day and use the ideas so we do not waste time trying to work out what we are doing.

Planning - Camera and SD Card Situation

As we are going to London it is vital that we plan what we are going to take with us as if we forget any equipment then are production is going to be less successful. The most important equipment that we need to take are SD cards and cameras. As we are going to London we are going to film as much as we can as we would be unable to travel back to London as it would take up to much of our time and we would need to be editing by then.

We are planning on taking two cameras with us to London as we are then equiped and of one camera stops working we have a backup. The main reason why we planned on taking two cameras with us was because we are going to be filming all day in London and the battery for our initial camera may not be able to last that long. So we are going to take another camera with us just incase this happens. However, a problem would be that the quality may be a bit different.

The SD cards are also going to be quite a large problem as we are going to be filming quite a lot we need to make sure that we have got a lot of footage this means that we need to have a few memory cards so that we are able to film as much as we want. We are planning on taking 3 or 4 so that we have  a lot of footage.

Planning - Lip Syncing

These are the lip syncing test that Harrison and Nick recorded. It was a test to see how well we could fir the music with the video. Also it was a good opportunity for Harrison and Nick to learn their lyrics and get the hang of what they have to perform. After practicing this we now know what we need to do when we come to our filming tomorrow. 

Research - Narrative Codes in Music Videos

The most popular theory about narrative would be Barthes Codes. This theory looks at five different elements of a music video and how each narrative is interwoven with these five codes. These codes are; Enigma, Action, Semantic, Symbolic and Cultural. The first two codes involve ways of creating suspense in narrative, the first by unanswered questions, the second by anticipation of an action's resolution.



Enigma Code

The enigma code refers to plot elements of a story that are not explained. An example of this would be Eminem's I'm Not Afraid. From the establishing shot the audience can tell that the lead singer is perched on top of a skyscraper. Throughout the music video we see performance and narrative, there is an equal amount of performance and narrative in this music video as when it's showing the narrative Eminem is performing throughout. The enigma code of this music video is whether Eminem is going to jump from the top of the building or not. The audience are waiting for this to be resolved at the end of the video, instead of revealing the outcome to the audience straight away the video shows how Eminem got into the position showing narrative. At the end of the music video we see Eminem flying on top of the building resolving the enigma code of if he was going to jump and also how he got himself into that position.



Establishing Shot of Eminems I'm Not Afraid

Action Code

The action code refers to plot events that imply further narrative action. For example, a story character confronts an adversary and the reader wonders what the resolution of this action will be. Suspense is created by action rather than by a reader's wish to have mysteries explained. An example of an action code would be Skream and Example's Shot Yourself in the Foot Again. The reason why this has a action code is because the  relationship in this music video is failing because of the actions that the male in the relationship undertakes. By him ignoring his girlfriend and going out with his mates it creates more narrative as the women is seen leaving the boyfriend after these actions

Semantic Code

A semantic code is a unit of meaning or a sign that express cultural stereotypes. These signs allow the author to describe characters, settings and events. The semic code focuses upon information that the narration provides in order to suggest abstract concepts. An exmaple of this would the music video Jungle by Proffessor Green the culural steriotype within this music video is of young black males. The video connotes ideas of a broken youth and that the young chracters within this music video are seen as intimmidating. By the director of the music video using these chracters it follows the narractive of the song. The mise-en-scene closely abides with this steriotype as they are seen with weapons and also clothing to hide their identity.

Symbolic Code

The symbolic code refers to a structural structure that organizes meanings by way of antitheses, binary oppositions or sexual and psychological conflicts. These oppositions can be expressed through action, character and setting. An exmaple of this would be F**king Perfect by P!nk the symbolic code within this music video is the teddy bear as the protagonist within the music video refers back top the teddy bear to resolve her issues. The reason why this is the symbolic code is becuase it symbolises her identity and is the main focus point within the music video.

Cultural Code

The cultural code is when a text references another text this can be done in may ways some ways would be to make a parody of the text or just simply praise the text and bring nostalgia to the audience. Referencing can be done in two different ways these are horizontal and vertical referencing. An exmaple of a cultural code would be Keri Hiltons Pretty Girl Rock. The reaosn why i have chosen to analyse this text is because it has a huge cultural code within the music video. The lyrics deliver messages of self-love and female empowerment. The music video features Keri Hilson portraying an array of African American female icons of the past, which included Josephine Baker, Dorothy Dandridge, The Andrews Sisters, Diana Ross, Donna Summer, Janet Jackson and TLC.

TLC

Dorothy Dandridge

The Andrews Sisters

Janet Jackson

 Josephine Baker

Diana Ross



Donna Summer

Studio

As we as going to London on the Weekend to begin filming our performance. we decided that we would also shot some of our music video the day after in a studio, renting out or finding a studio to use was going to be a very hard job. But for once luck was on our side and we were able to use Harrison's mum's studio. This was a perfect setting for what we needed as it had a plain white background and also had some equipment that we could use to help us. This will be done using a white backdrop with my microphone, microphone stand, pop shield and headphones and Harrison and Nick taking it in turns to lip-sync as if we they're in a recording studio environment.

If we are unable to use Harrison's studio which is highly unlikely we are able to resort to the youth centre in Saffron Walden. This isn't a great place to film as it's in a compact space and also the background is very dark and dismal.

Picture of the youth centres studio

We will film in my Harrison's studio the day after London or maybe on the day but we will be very tired after spending the whole day in London and will need some rest. As a result filming on the Sunday would be better as we can put on fresh clothes and I think it will all be a lot more aesthetically pleasing and also be refreshed