Last day of filming!!!

Last day 

Yesterday was a crazy roller coaster. Firstly we came in ready to film in the restaurant, we were told by the manager that we weren't allowed even though we asked for permission from the supervisor and spent the whole day last time trying to get permission. So we were all disappointed and tried to figure out a way to make this day more productive.

Backup plan 

So we decided to film in the bowing scene on that day. So because Mariam spoke to the manager early on we decided to email them, to let them know we want to film today. So we all went upstair and asked the manager if we could film today, she said YES! but you have to wait one hour (which was fine).

Killing time

So to kill time we all sat down in a little bar/ restaurant and started to talk about where we could film instead of the restaurant. Finally we came up with an idea to film in the bar/ restaurant we were sitting in. We got the managers permission so we QUICKLY changed our outfits ready to film their. We spent about 40 minutes filming their and went on our way to film in the bowling alley.

Bowling

We got the best spot in the bowling alley to film in without being bothered by anyone. We started filming our individual scenes first. And for the chorus we decided to film us playing. We looked back at   some of the shots to make sure it perfect. We also had to re-film some scenes which was fine because we had so much time left.

PRODUCTION-Acceptance and joy

Stratford allstar lanes bowling alley

So the group and i agreed that i would ask the bowling alley  in stratford if we were allowed to film a bowling game since it was closer than going to dagenham to do the filming.

When i walked in i was greeted by two women and i asked it if i could speak to the manager. Surprisingly one of them was the manager so i asked her as nicely as possible if we could film a bowling game. I told her that we would pay for the game and we would make sure that we don't film any of the customers here.

She said that we are allowed to film but we just need to email her and tell her where we are from and what exactly we will be filming and that if she could see at the end just what we did. So i emailed them asking them if we could use an end lane and that everything should be fine.

 the reason why it says 'meha' and not 'mariam' is because my email decided not to work so we used my sister's one and luckily she was with us.

So i left with good news and hoped for more good news from the real greek

PRODUCTION-Filming at the Library

So on this day we filmed at Islington Library and we had to be there for 9:30. Only having 1hour to film was a big problem to us.

The reason being was because this was our first day filming and it was very earlyand we hadn't planned out what exactly we were going to do. so we used up a lot of time re-shooting because there were mistakes like: shaky camera, not allowed to film a child or anyone who comes to visit the library without permission. So we had to make sure that we didn't get the child there in out shot but he kept on running around and was quite fascinated by what we were doing so he kept being in our shot.

PRODUCTION-Calling it a 'Rap'

When we were nearing the end of the day, we decided to do the chorus one last time but using a tripod. Then two staff men who work at King's cross came to us just when the last chorus came and told us we weren't allowed to film with a tripod and asked us questions like; what is this for? why? etc...

After we had explained it they allowed us to finish and then call it a 'Rap'.

Then with out wet socks and frozen feet we managed to walk to the toilets and we pretty much collapsed on the floor outside the toilets and to get warm. We were very cold and were pretty much knew that we were going to be ill the next day.

PRODUCTION- At King's cross-filming day

We filmed at King's Cross fountain which is just opposite the University of Arts in London. It was very very cold and everyone had to go into the water without shoes. On that day we had to pack extra clothes and towels and we even had to get an umbrella for the camera in case of any water going on the camera

We initially wanted to use the big speaker but then realized that when we plugged in our phones into the speaker it wasn't loud enough. So we had to sing out loud and help the person when filming a single person shot.

We also came early while the sun was out to have a quick practice of what we would do in the water.
While it was getting dark, Farheen, Amal and Kavita  went to change in one of the toilets in the University for visitors into their costumes, which was all black.

PRODUCTION - Filming at Westfield

Heres a video of me making a complete fool out of myself and 

PRODUCTION-Going through what we've filmed

I went through the videos after the rest of my group went through it. And i made notes on which ones i thought were fine/ okay to use.
As the camera-woman i felt like sharing my opinion with what i have watched so far.

Farheen- I thought that the bowling scene, the restaurant and the library scenes were good to use. But the one i felt was very good to use was the bowling because it looks more realistic and the camera isn't as shaky as before and she's learnt the lyrics better and things were more planned than scenes like the library we were less prepared for filming. Also the restaurant scene was a last minute thing,which meant that we weren't as prepared as we should have been.


Amal- The bowling scene was good with her part of the lyrics it went very well with the setting. However The top lighting wasn't enough which made her look a little darker and it unbalances Farheen's scene in the bowling alley. But after re-filming it, it came out good and we decided to use it.
Not much of the library scene could be used because again it was our first time shooting and it didn't come out as we expected. But there are bits if the library scene that includes Amal which is good.


Kavita- I felt like trying to find scenes where Kavita is singing good and is acting well was a little hard to find because she had a bit of a struggle with learning the lyrics. Especially in the library, we can't use any of the library scene with Kavita singing because her phone was out because she didn't know the lyrics. So that couldn't be used. But then again it was our first shooting scene so it didn't come out good. However, there are scenes where the girls are sitting at a table and they are 'studying' which was very useful and is going to be used. The bowling was better than the library scene but we had problems with hearing the song from the mini speaker because the bowling alley had music of their own and there were a lot of people talking so we couldn't hear the music properly. But what we filmed of Kavita is useable and we will be using it.


Camera-woman(Me)- I felt like my job was to film all on the right angles and high enough so that i don't cut of Amal and Kavita's bits. But the problem was that there were height differences between Amal/ Kavita and Farheen and also i am short so i had to lift the camera above my head which meant that i wouldn't see what i was filming but in the end i did get it filmed and was pleased with myself. I also noticed that when we filmed our first scene in the library the camera was shaky and my hands were hurting so i kept stopping which meant i had to get use to the pain and just get on with it.

Vlog- filming day 2

FILMING DAY2- Water fountain

Water fountain Filming

Today we started filming in kings water fountain. It was different from when we were filming in the library because we never had any time limits so we basically could film as long as we want. which we took full advantage of, we filmed all the scenes we needed and more.

Another difference was that we were prepare. Because we were filming in the water fountain we knew our trousers and socks are going to be soaking wet. So I made sure I had an extra pair of socks, spare trousers and a jumper (just in case). At the end of the day it was all useful and I managed to get home nice and dry.

I also learnt my mistake from filming in the library and properly learnt my lyrics!!!!  

We made our way to the water fountain area very quickly because of the trip we took earlier and we started to practice our dance routine next to the water fountain before we started filming. The only problem we had with the dance routine was the timing, this is because the speaker was too low and we couldn't hear the music very well which made it difficult to dance.

At the end of the day it was freezing cold!!! my feet and hands felt numb. So we finished our filming and went indoors to dry ourselves and change our clothes. We stayed inside for about 15 minutes until we were ready to go out. 

We sat in a little room next to the water fountain area to get warm and change our clothes.

AND CUT - FiLMiNG 3XP3RI3NC3

Day 1 - Filming at Islington Library

I thought i would blog about how filming went before we film again tomorrow. We decided to film on a Wednesday because none of us had college that day and we were able to get our hands on the equipment. 

Timing 

We arrived at the library at 9:30am and we only had the library for 1 hour and because we had to get changed in to our costume and everything we actually started filming around 10:10am. We only had the library for a short while because there was a class activity happening and we don't have permission to film the kids. We could have filmed another day as well as what we done on Wednesday but it would go against continuity editing as there would be something different to how it was last time. 

Actual filming

One of the main problems we found is not knowing the lyrics (not naming any names) so it was hard to mime to a song and create base tracks when the lyrics weren't learnt! Also, we planned briefly what we were actually going to do while filming and to be honest i was directing what to do and when so we were a little bit more organised.

When we recreated the music video in the 3 weeks of A2, me and my group chose a fun song to do therefore we didn't take it too seriously however i think that me and my group now are still in the same mind set of not taking it seriously.

Camera angles

After that 

Because it was still early 

What can can we use?

Targets for next time.........

Location visit- Water Fountain

Location visit- Water Fountain

After filming in the library we decided to visit our second location, which was the water fountain area. We got on 2 busses and had to look for the location as none of us has ever been their before. This trip was very useful because now we know exactly how to get their.

We also decided to actually practice our dance moves in the water fountain. We ended up figuring out a simple routine that we're going to do when we start filming.

We used our time their to plan what outfits we should wear and what time/day would be best to start filming.

PLANNING - Feedback from teachers

For my AS coursework grade i got a B and I'm hoping to get an A for the coursework this year so I've been taking feedback from teachers in to account for blogging and planning. I'm going to blog my targets and feedback to see if i have done them when i check back at a future date.

Dan

When me and my group presented our pitch to our teacher he said that the concept is clear and good and we've given thought to everything. BUT he doesn't agree with our idea of synergy as he doesn't see it as effective as it could be in contrast to the video. The key visual element we plan to use is a black balloon as our groups name is H3LIUM and we plan to have a black balloon in locations. 

Have we as a group acted on his feedback?

To be honest, no we haven't as he recommended we have a pink balloon and we didn't want to be too stereotypical with the color pink as it is usually assigned to girls. We think a black balloon will effective as we wanted it to be simple also the color scheme in most locations is black and white. For example the library we are wearing black and white. 

Louisa

Feedback on my blog about planning and research and a main problem she found was time keeping. I don't blog consistently but when i do blog i blog in bulk and the examiners what to see a journey of  our progress and the final result. Also to use a range of ICT and read the blogging checklist so i don't miss out on blog posts that are necessary for research.

Have i acted on her feedback?

Well i did just receive the feedback today so and I have been through the checklist and i know what i need to do and some i have already started or planned it with my group of they are group blogposts. About the ICT i just created a 'wisemapping' account however its not really suitable for this blog post so I'll use it another time but i'm trying my best to use different ICT apps when i can.

Mary 

As i regularly go to media workshops to work on my blog posts i asked Mary for help and advice on blogs and she recommended i blog everything. Any bit of research i do i should blog about as it all goes into research and planning.

Have i acted on her feedback?

I guess I'm allowed to say I'm working on it......

Filming-library

      We finally started filming!!! 

On Wednesday we filmed our library scene.

The first day of filming was quite successful. We managed to get the misting the shots we needed, however because we booked the library for 1hr it was difficult to get all the shots we needed. 

As a compromise we decided to film the shots we needed in our college library behind a white background.

We learnt a lot during our first day of filming, which would benefit us later on. For example; time management.

We weren't very organised so the next time we start filming we will plan what we are going to do ahead of time.

PLANNING - Production Schedule - Pitch

PLANNING - Library.....CHECK!!!

So today me and Kavita went to the library to ask them for permission to film there. They said we can only come this week and not during the half term as they are busy. So we booked the childrens library to film in on wednesday at 9:30am. They said this would be the best time to film as its their least busiest.

technical skills???

What technical skills I learnt from last year

During my AS year I learnt how to use lots of technical skill such as;

• Camtasia
• Soundtrack pro
• Final cut pro
• Blogger
• Prezi
• Slide share
• Flip camera
• Still camera
• Clip grab
• Vlogging
• Gifs
• Rule of thirds
• Photoshop (CD cover)
• Camera angles
• 
  

Planning-Music video:Inspiration

Taylor Swift- The story of us

In our music video, one of our locations would be set in the library. Taylor swift music video-' The story of us' was set in a library, the use of props, costume and camera angles gives me a great idea of how to conduct our music video.

In her music video she is wearing geek glasses and smart clothing (school uniform). In our music video we would be using the same concept as it makes the music video more effective. Some of the props she uses is quite unusual due to the setting, for example theres drums and guitars in the library.

The use of different camera angles makes the music video more interesting. For example when the camera is at a low angle showing all the books at the table. 

This music video is set in only one location however because of the performance, costume, props, lighting  and camera angles the videos is more effective.

PLANNING - Risk Assessment

PLANNING - Potential performers

PRODUCTION-Stress

These are proof that for when we were looking for the schools which were near our college. We even had to go off one evening to surf the internet to find as many schools and their email addresses and Phone numbers. This stressed us so much but we still tried our very best. 

After calling many schools that were near the college, they said that they don't do these kinds of stuff. So we started to drift away from schools in the same area as our college. Then we decided to call Mariam's primary school and they said we can film there but we need to send an email and wait for the head teacher's approval. We could've done that, however we couldn't because we needed answers on the very same day and sending off an email and waiting for a reply would've taken time that we don't have. 

RESEARCH - Individual homework task - JESSIE J

I made a prezi on Jessie J and how she incorporates synergy in her videos

Reflection on progress

Progress reflection

This post will be a bit ironic because I'm not using any of the technologies that i learnt last year in this blog post to show off what I've learnt however i want this blog post to be well explained. So last year i got a B for coursework which i am pleased with but I'm curios to know what more i could have done to get an A so this year I've already attended several workshops to use the macs as I don't have one at home but an ordinary laptop so it makes it difficult to screen shot and use apps like camtasia and gif to include in my blog posts.

What different ICT have i used?

Prezi - I used prezi for the pitch and to be honest I'm really really pleased of our prezi this year because we were a lot more organised and committed to the prezi and worked on our presentation skills. We even made a short video of us miming the chorus just like we will do in the music video!

Paint- Does paint count? I know its a little bit old school but i enjoyed using it for annotation as it was quick and i can do it at home! And i was happy with the end result because it saved as a picture which made it even easier. But i wasn't really that creative as i could have used Photoshop and have the opportunity to use more tools and had a chance to practice and play around with Photoshop before we make a magazine cover.... but again i don't have Photoshop at home :(

Camtasia - I haven't posted it yet but I used Camtasia to analyse our original video and how ours will be different as it was easy to pick points in the video and criticize or easily list what we would do differently. This time with camtasia i used screen grab to get the video from YouTube which i didnt do last year.

Final Cut Pro - We had to use this to edit our animatic for our pitch. Although our animatic was a short and rough one it motivated me to make a bloopers video using final cut pro as its fun experimenting with lots of clips.

Gif - I always use them.. Its just another way to add pictures to a  blog post to make it a little bit more exciting but my teacher told me that there are different ways to present gifs (slide a different way, fade in/fade out) but i haven't been able to find them,i can only find ones that are in slow or fast motion.

Thats all i can think of for now.....

Marks out of 20??????
Possibly 10 - 12

Three (maybe four, maybe more) things i need to improve on 

1) Maybe add more detail to my blog posts even when i upload a YouTube video or vimeo video.... Its better to add some context or background information rather then just uploading a video.

2) USE MORE TECHNOLOGIES - Just try to find some more that would be easy and quick to use and probably one that i could do at home

3) Make videos .... Using photobooth or my camera but to be more creative and confident and just speak to the camera by myself to reflect on my progress..

4) Easy to say but don't miss deadlines!!!! Blog more and make it a regular thing

PLANNING - The original video analysed

Skills audit: What have i learnt?

Research in the AS year 

As we were a group of three, it was easier to visit locations and sort out costume for our group.

The location was close to the college therefore we only had to visit it once and took some pictures while we were there. We didn't think outside the box and only had two locations and one of the locations were actually inside college/the technician room as it was just the opening of the film. With costume we discussed it briefly however it could have been discussed a whole lot more to make the opening more effective and to link with stereotypes. We did talk about camera angles and editing as we wanted to be clear on how it would be presented to the audience and because we had to create a story board and a rough cut all before the deadline, we really thought about it so it went with the background music and the credits.

What about this year?

This year me and my group have given 110% in to research as we want our music video to be good and planned before hand so we don't have to worry when it comes to the editing process after the filming period. We have chosen 6 locations and we have visited half as a group and tried our very best to visit some extra potential locations by ourselves. With costume we have been very strict as we are all girl performers so there's a lot more to think about ie make up, jewelry and we want it all to be similar and simple so we had to do a lot of research around that. 

Research to target audience 

Last year we asked our target audience questions AFTER we made our film, this year we have already asked our target audience what they expect to see in a music video.

PLANNING - Influence from music videos

Three videos that have influenced our final choice - 

1) Jessie J - Whos laughing now

Why? The location 

Its set in a school which is one of our chosen locations as we think the kids in school uniform are significant to the lyrics  however in Jessie Js video all the kids are wearing different costumes although its compulsory to wear uniform in primary school. We like the idea of all the school desks as the distance between all the students would make a good camera angle.

In her video she plays around with stereotypes as all the girls are wearing pink and have props that portray girly things. However the props that we plan to have are school books and geek glasses to show equality and that we're all the same in school under one roof.

2) Girls Aloud - Something new

I like the way they used editing to add a text effect to add the beginning of their lyrics on to their music video. I would also like to do that in our music video when we edit the chorus as i think it adds something to the video and makes it a more direct address to the audience.

3) Little mix - Wings

Another girl group, I wanted the ideas from other videos to be realistic and doable in our own music video therefore i mainly looked at girl groups. The editing of little mix include a split screen with 4 characters which i think is effective as it shows the different looks/hair colors and backgrounds and adds to the video.

PLANNING - Pitch Perfect!!!

PLANNING -Original artist - Sugababes

http://sugababesmusic.com/

PLANNING - Pitch - Synergy

Synergy - When two or more companies work successfully together.

In our music video we plan to include on key visual element that will be in every location in the same distance/angle. What is it??

A black balloon on a string with a weight.

Why? Even though it is a simple prop we plan to have we think it is significant as we want to keep it subtle in our three productions which is the Digipac/Magazine and the actual music video.

Another thing we plan to keep the same is the group name in the same font and color.

H3LIUM

Technical skills from AS

What technical skills have i picked up from AS?

• Final cut pro
• Soundtrack Pro
• Clip grab
• Safari/Omniweb
• Camtasia
• Photobooth
• Blogger
• Flip camera/Still camer/ Filming camera
• Tripod/ wheel
• How to use other media for presentation (slide share, gifs, prezi)
• How to use base tracks and what it is!!
• Technical areas - shot types, different editing skills 
• Rule of thirds
• Cross media convergence, synergy 

Throwback to the music video remake....

                                   Saturday night

PLANNING - What should we wear and when??

In this blog post i'm going to run you through the possible costumes we have planned to wear for each locations although this is just for me as we don't all have the same items however will all be similar.

Costume 1 - Restaurant 

The restaurant scene would involve us dressing smart/formal as we are out on a 'dinner date'. So for this outfit I've got a maroon/purple dress with a formal blazer but to make it more jazzy I added a statement necklace with other gold jewelry. As we are girls, it easy to create different looks with make up and hairstyles so in the picture i have added two different lipsticks so either one of them could be worn. 

Costume 2 - School Girl

This is my favorite costume change as it goes with the location (a school). Its school uniform as that's when everyone is 'all the same' because its school rules. There's is no make up or jewelry in this picture simply because its not allowed. I also added the 'geek glasses' because i think it goes with the school scene. We will obviously wear plain black shoes and have a school bag with this outfit. This is the bag i will have even though its bigger than your overage school bag.

Costume 3 - Library/Casual 

This outfit is the casual outfit as it includes jeans, a jacket and some converse. This is simple as it shows the characters in the video being casual in the library and to show that girls don't always have to make an effort.

PLANNING - Prezi and animatic for us!

Click below to view the prezi

H3LIUM

Spot the difference !

The difference between the original and our music video? 

Compared to the original our music video will come across quite diversely - Here are some things that will be portrayed differently in our music video 

PLANNING - Twitter and Instagram

PLANNING - Vlog location

PRODUCTION-Location visit 1 westfeild