Editing

We have been editing our filming shots since we finished filming; the editing process is going well and we feel that by the end of the week we should be done assuming there are no technical faults.

Like our draft, we are using one laptop to edit on, Harry's MacBook Pro. This enables us to use the programme Premiere Pro. It also means we have one member of the group who knows a lot about the programme and has taught us tips in the process of editing the draft as well as the final version. 

Filming so far:

Unexpectedly the filming of close-ups in the barn was not as good as the draft version; this is due to the lack of resources e.g. tripods and extra cameraman because of an absence of a group member. We hope to recover this by using a different location (possibly still a brick wall background to tone in with the barn performance); if we cannot find a suitable brick wall we may use a hedge or an alternative location.

Our next filming date is Saturday 19th November; this day should be successful if all goes to plan; we have decided to not re-film too much of the Hawaiian shirt dancing in the boat as we have a lot of this, however we may get the band to sing/mime in the boat in these costumes.

Final Filming: Bike Scene At The Barn

Before we went to the forest, we went to Jess' barn to quickly film some shots for a bike sequence we are going to use in the final draft. We were to draw three solid white lines where the tyre of the bike has been, and everytime the tyre moves we had the lines building in thickness. I was in charge of drawing the lines with chalk on the floor, Jess was on the bike and guiding where it would go, and Harry wouldtake pictures each time the lines changed. Unfortunately Joe couldn't make filming because of work commitments.

Final Filming: Forest

Filming in the forest was significantly better than last time because we had all four members this time! As well as this, all crew members were able to make it so we could get on straight away which made it a lot easier. As there wasn't many shots in the forest we knew how they should all look and what each member should be doing and where they should be standing. We also knew where the lighting should be and what part of the song should be playing. Overall this made the filming far more quicker than that of our draft filming in the forest. I am pleased with what were were able to film that night and I'm positive we gained all the shots that we need for our final video.

Final Filming: Barn

Filming in the barn was successful and we feel that the performance shots were a lot more enthusiastic and inventive than the previous ones in the draft; we did one shot where we just played the whole song and let the band do whatever they wanted and sing whatever parts they knew to see how relaxed they were when no pressure was applied to do particular things.

The only down side to filming all day yesterday was that Joe was unable to attend as he had work commitments; this meant we had to juggle his role into our own roles between the three of us however it worked well and we feel as though we have enough footage to cover our performance in the barn.

How I Think Filming and Editing Went

I found the whole filming process very stressful, mainly because of how hard it was to get the perfect shot and get the band to sing with enthusiasm. We had a shot sequence and schedule list that we were supposedly supposed to stick to. This was because with the schedule list certain people couldn't make it on days we'd originally agreed on and with the shot sequence sometimes we found a better order to shoot the shots. However, both of these caused problems because it meant we had to choose another day when we were all free and with the sequences it meant we missed out shots because we didn't stick to the order. I think we had brilliant equipment for the filming, that included Harry and Jess' cameras which were       the band instruments and the huge light sources that could be battery powered. This all helped towards the final draft of our video. When it came to the performance shots, we did struggle to get our lead singer Steve to sing with great enthusiasm and really open his mouth so you could see what he was singing. I think this was down to nerves and hopefully now he's used to it and learnt the song a more he'll do a much better job when we re-film... or so I hope anyway.

I found the editing process just as stressful and I didn't use the software! As it was just the draft and only Harry had experience with the program we were using, which was Premier Pro, we let Harry take charge and edit it. However, during all lessons and frees we had together we would all sit round Harry's Mac as he edited it, saying what shots were to come next, how long they were to last, if we wanted any improvements made to a shot and generally helping him out making his job easier. Jess also went round to help the evening before the deadline which unfortunately Joe and I could not make because of work commitments. The hardest part I observed with editing was trying to get the singing in time with the music. Lip syncing is very difficult.

I am very pleased with the outcome of the video as we as a group as well as the band have put in a lot of time and effort giving up our free time and I really think it paid off. We have leanrnt a lot during filming and editing and will use it when we start to refilm the sections which we aren't pleased with such as: the performance in the barn and the forest of course as we need Lewis.

Filming- Forest

We faced various dilemmas in the run up to filming the shots in the forest. Our first problem was we decided it would be done on a Wednesday, but then a few of the band members said they couldn't make it. So in the lesson on Monday we made a quick decision and decided to do it later that night because that was our only other option. However, we then found out Lewis in the band couldn't make it and neither could Harry, our camera man, because of other commitments he could not get out of. Despite this we had to do it Monday and looked for a replacement for Lewis just for these shots, but we had no luck and Jess our director had to play his role. This meant our roles were changed around slightly. Joe had the role of main camera man and director, and I was in charge of sound, lighting and shot sequencing. Jess tried her best to help out as well in between filming shots. 

After all the dilemmas were sorted we could begin setting up and filming, but not before we rescued Jess after breaking down! This meant we had to start later than planned but it did not affect the filming. We had large battery powered lights provided by Harry which gave us just the right amount of lighting and I had my battery powered speakers and iPod so we had sound. Jess got changed into clothes that we would expect Lewis to wear, that were provided by me (or more my brother). We soon got on with filming as it was cold, dark and quite scary so I think everyone wanted to get done quickly and leave.

Overall I think it was successful despite being 2 members down! Thankfully it was only a draft which means when it comes to the final version we'll make sure everyone is free and stick to the schedule. 

Below are some images that were taken on set:

Filming so far:

I feel that on all of the occasions that we have filmed our draft video, we have worked successfully as a group (including the band members). We have two more scheduled days/evenings of draft filming to take place to finish off some location footage and some shots that we accidentally missed out. Filming is a time consuming part of this course so we have done our best to try not to interrupt the band's study time and working hours. We have found that because we are using two of the same make cameras the quality of the video is very similar which shows continuity in the filming; we are lucky to have a group of four to spread the work of lighting, cameraman, sound technician, and director, equally.

Pictures Of Us Filming In Jess's Barn

Filming - Barn

On Sunday the 9th of October we began filming our first draft of our performance clips. We used our location of the barn in Wykin, Hinckley; it was successful as we began at 1pm and finished around 6pm. We have a lot of footage to go through and edit but we are determined to get the whole video filmed and then to work out as a group where each of the clips fit in to eachother. We had only decided on our roles the day before filming so when we got to out location after driving in convoy from Lutterworth we set-up as quickly as possible to discuss how we would start filming. As my role was director I had to overlook all of the decisions being made by each member of our group; the band helped to set up the drum kit and lighting as the equpiment is extremely heavy and dangerous to handle alone.

Joe's role was lighting technician and as we had three fog lights this was a very important job; partly to make sure of the risks that could be caused by leaving lights in unsafe places near wires or anything that is flammable, but also because one of the lights was permanently on a motion censor setting so every 30 seconds or so it had to be switched back on again.

Meg did an excellent job of being our sound technician and shot list organiser, we only missed one shot out of a large number but we can either alter the location of the missing shot or revisit the barn to film it. It was very difficult to operate the sound successfully as we only had a laptop to play the music through, so whilst filming for Steve to be able to mime correctly we had to be quiet.

Harry, our cameraman, did a really good job of setting up a permanent long shot tripod for our main performance; because Harry and I have the same HD digital video camera we are very lucky in that the shots all look of the same quality, my camera was used for close ups whereas Harry's focused on long and mid shots.
We worked successfully as a team to get all the performance shots for our draft music video done and I think we are well on our way to making great progress with the rest of our locations when we start filming there. We have scheduled our next filming meet-ups and are looking forward to filming more of the disjuncture clips as it means the band can relax more and show their personality to the audience.

The Start Of Our Filming

Yesterday was the first time the band and the group have met up to start filming. We filmed the scene of the music video where the "Carlisle" sign is passed amoungst the members. Harry was filming, with my assistance whilst Meg told us the shots we had to film and I was taking photos of the group working for the possible use of stop motion and to generally show evidence of filming. Unfortunately, Jess was unable to attend this filming session as she had work commitments, but the filming shoot only lasted under 30 minutes, so it was not vital that she should attend.

Here is a shot of the group and band working together:

These are the sort of shots that will be achieved from yesterday's filming:

Role Of Lighting Technician/Panning Cameraman

As a group, we have given ourselves roles when we are filming to improve our efficiency. My role is the lighting technician and the panning cameraman. With this role, I aim to keep the band as well and consistency lit as possible. I also aim for a smooth glide when panning, as opposed to a rough hand shot.
Here is a picture of the lighting I set up for Jess's Barn:

Obviously, this needed moving quite often. Here are some pictures of the band with the lighting I had set up:

Role of Sound Technician And Shot Sequence

As a group we decided on roles that would help get the best results when we start to film. We chose roles that we were most confident in and equaled it out so we all made a similar contribution when on set and filming.  My first role is sound technician. This means I will be in charge of playing the music when filming and letting which band members know what they will be singing and letting them listen to it so they know what the exact words are. My second role is organising what order shots we will be filming. This role means I will be telling the cast and crew when filming what shot we will be filming and what they are to be doing in each shot. After one shot has been filmed and we are all happy with it, I will then let everyone know the next shot that is to be filmed.

Role Of Cameraman

After one day of filming it was clear that as a group we didn't have defined roles, which then made it difficult for one person to make a final decision, This is where we decided to create 'official' roles for us. As i am the one with the main camera we decided to make me the camera person, my main role is to make sure that i capture everything relevant as well as making sure the cameras are charged and have enough memory.

Role of Director

Definition: The person or thing that directs a group of people, can be related to film, tv, or stage productions.

As a group we decided on our roles; Meg took on the part of sound technician and shot list organiser; Harry was the main cameraman; and Joe was the lighting technician and panning camerman. All of our roles are extremely important for our filming section of the project, we all looked over each others shoulders whilst working to get a feel for the different roles.
My position is to set up the band when they are performing or acting, and to have the final say on how to film the clip, when to play the music, when to start filming etc. I will overlook all of the other roles, but at the same time I will ask for their advice before I make any rational decisions as our group works well as a team and we all have similar but sometimes contrasting ideas.