Filming Blog Part 2

After a week of planning and discussing the music video, my groupmate and I finally filmed our music video. This filming process was more fascinating and  exciting than the last filming process because it was a project where creativity and asethic were the most important components. I really enjoyed this filming process because there were no issues with the camera equipment and the filming went smoothly. The actresses were cooperating and listening to the directions given and there were no tension amongst the group. The following sentences are the events that occurred during this filming process.

According to the planning blog, Hannah and I are planned to film between 11/27/19 to 11/29/19. Although we filmed on Wednesday, November 27,2019, the filming process began on November 26, 2019. In my AICE Media Studies class, one of my roles was organizer. As organizer, my job was to sign out the camera equipment and it properly functioned before the Thanksgiving Break. By ten thirty in the morning, I filled equipment sign out sheet and checked out the camera equipment. Once the camera equipment was signed out, I texted the actresses confirming their attendance and costumes. Throughout the rest of the day, my fellow groupmate Hannah carried the camera equipment because I wouldn't arrive to my house until 7:00 p.m.

On Wednesday, Hannah and our actresses arrived at my house at 9:45 a.m. Before they arrived, I prepared most of the food for the picnic and gathered the props. Once they arrived, one of our actresses was putting on some makeup while Hannah and I were preparing a cooler to transport the food and the props to our filming location. By ten o'clock, we were on the way towards our location until I realized I forgot one of the most important props- honey. I immediately sprinted towards my house, grabbed the honey, and ran back to the group. Once we had everything, we continued on our journey towards the small dog park.

During this filming process, one of my primary roles for this music video was  creative designer. For instance, as Hannah was teaching the point of view actresses how to play the guitar, I began to assembling the set design. I laid out the red and white checkered blanketed and used the camera to find the optimal position of the actresses, props and the camera. After we filmed the second scene of the medium close-up of the actress in the rose dress, I assembled the cheese board and the silverware. I arrganed the cured meats and cheese on a wooden board and filled three- mini bowls with a variety of crackers and chips. I also arranged the fruit platter with strawberries, grapes, and carrotss. Plus, I added the humus, napkins, and cups to properly demonstrate a picnic scene.

The second primary role for this music video was co-directing. As co-director, I was directing the actresses on how they should appear and the emotions they should be displaying. For instance, the scene of the point of view actress putting the flower crown on the other actress' head. Before that scene, I was explaining to the point of view actress she will placing the flower crown upon her head while the other actress will be displaying positive emotions. These emotions will include love, happiness and a little embarrassment. The lyric reads " I came to find my fire fire was fate with you. Heartache would stay with you, fly great escapes with you" helped me illustrate the emotions the subjects should be conveying. Another example I was practicing my directing skills was the tracking shots. During the tracking shots, I was directing the actresses on the actions they should do. For instance, I used the command "walk" to have the subject walk and then use "stop". I also said "grab hand, look at her, and continue to walk".

A minor role I was able to practice was camerawoman. In the previous project, I was an actress because I was one of the most athletic  out of our group. This caused me to miss an opportunity to pratice  my filming skills. For instance, I was allowed to film some of the scenery shots of the purple bush and the opening and ending scenes. As a camerawoman, I sat in awkward and uncomfortable positions to film the extreme close ups of the playing guitar scenes and the honey necklace. These were the roles I had during the filming process.

Filming Blog Part 1

Today in AICE Media Studies I was assigned to blog about the first part of my filming. As you already know- from my schedule- my groupmate and I will be filming on November 27, 2019. There were a few reasons why my groupmate and I decided to not to film today or over last weekend.
The primary reason we couldn't film was because of our actresses. The main actress did not notify her last minute weekend plans until Wednesday of last week. The alternative to this dilemma was to use me as the main actress. However, Hannah and I decided not to use me as an actress because my role/ objective will be co-directing this music video and working behind the scenes. Also, our main actress is a better actor of acting hopeful, loving and optimistic emotions, which are emotions I am not comfortable and naturally can act. Plus, it gave Hannah and I time to gather the props and costumes for our music video.  The second reason Hannah and I decided to film during the Thanksgiving Break was of time management. Even though Hannah and I had excellent time management skills, we felt the Thanksgiving Break will allow us to spent more time on filming the music video. This will help us create an authentic and high-quality music video of a LGBT+ relationship because we are not rushing the process. The final reason we decided not to begin filming was because of our mental health. During the next two days, Hannah and I will be more stress because we have two tests in the upcoming periods and a chemistry exam. To reduce stress, we decide g to film during the break.

On Saturday, Hannah came over to my house to research and compile our detailed prop list. On the planning blog, the props were general ideas. Now Hannah and I have a more detailed list on the props we will be using in the music video. For instance, the pinic food for the pinic scenes. I came up with an idea to include a cheese board because I though the idea will enhance the relationship of the two actresses. Since most picnics do not have a cheese board, I thought it would allow us demonstrate the uniqueness of an LBGT relationship. So we decided to include a cheese board for this music video. On this cheese board, there will be an assortment of cheeses and cured meats along with assortment of fruits: grapes, apples, and bananas. We also compiled the general props of a pinic: a red and white checkered board tablecloth and a brown basket. This will help us create an authentic pinic scene. The props of a guitar, napkins, plates and silverware are things I am going to bring. While the pinic props were simple props, the costumes were the most difficult thing we had to find. Together, Hannah and I went to nearby mall to shop for the flower crown and the actresses' costumes. The most difficult costume we had to compile was the main actress's. Since the fashion season is in transition from fall to winter, it was difficult to find floral white dress. We looked through multiple department stores and found one backup dress. Although the dress was white and had flowers, we felt the costume didn't create meaning. Eventually, we found the costume after Hannah thought of a dress I had previously borrowed earlier in this past year. This dress had three-quarter sleeves with bright, deep roses along the sleeves and the silhouette. It is a short dress but, it capture the "soft girl" look we wanted to project. So, I called our friend and was able to reserved the dress for filming. Hannah and I also had to reserve the yellow cardigan from our other friend since, the sweaters at the store were the wrong color. The other pieces of the costumes were easier to compile because they were universal items most people own.

Although we did not film, I feel more comfortable to film because everything was well thought out and was not last minute. During our filming process, we will film the scenes most than once to shoot a perfect shot. I am so excited to begin filming!

Storyboarding Blog for Music Video

Today in AICE Media Studies, Hannah and I began storyboarding our music video. I am excited to storyboard because I love planning how a film comes together. During this process, it was fun to bounce back off of ideas. Also, I have a deeper admiration to people who storyboard because you have to consider the tiniest of details. During this process, Hannah drew the pictures while typed the details of the scenes. The following paragraphs will be the details of each frame of our music video:



FRAME 1:
In this frame, the sound is going to be the diegetic sound of the guitar but, the non-diegetic sound will be the soundtrack in the background. The first frame will have the subject holding the guitar while singing the song. The shot will be a close-up of the subject playing the guitar. This shot will not display the subject's face. The lighting design will consist of bright stage lights and a medium amount of shadows. The color design is black and white. This frame will last between 2 and 4 seconds as the instrumental of the song is playing. To transition from Frame 1 to Frame 2, there is going to be a fade. This will help us to produce an effective flashback.

FRAME 2:
From Frame 2 to , the shots will be from the point-of-view perspective. In this scene, the camera will be filmed from a high angle of the guitar as the subject is playing the guitar. Then, one of our camera movements will be a tilt from the guitar to our second actress. This will help us communicate to the audience the subtle attraction between the actresses and perform an eye-line shot. From Frame 2 to ,  the lighting design will have little to no shadows and focused on the actresses and the color design will have a yellowish tint to demonstrate the difference between the past and the present. The second actress will be wearing a white dress with red rose design and black flats. She will have no or natural makeup. The shot will be a medium-long shot of the actress sitting on the picnic blanket while the first actresses in playing the guitar.

FRAME 3:
In this frame, we are going to do a pan of the scenery to act as a transition from the second frame to the fourth frame. The pan will be of some purple flower bushes in my neighborhood to symbolize the magical and mysterious love they have.

FRAME 4:
In this scene, the shot will be from a high angle.  The subject will place the flower crown upon the actress' head and the actress will be giving the necklace to the girl. The scene will have the person with the point of view perspective, opening up the gift. This is a medium-close up shot. There is going to be a subtle tilt of the actress looking down at the gift: the honey necklace.


FRAME 5 & 6:
In this scene, the actresses will be engaging in a conversation while they are eating the food. As the actress with the flower crown is eating, she will have a food smear on their upper chin. This scene will be a medium close up.


FRAME 7:
In this scene, the actress with the P.O.V perspective will use her hand to wipe the food off her face. This will be a close up of the actress's face.


FRAME 8 & 9:
In this scene, the actresses will be walking in the neighborhood on their way to the park. During this frame, the actress wearing the rose dress will walk in front of the camera, turn around and then grab the hand of the point of perspective actress. This will be a long shot of the actress and a tracking shot. The actress is sliently blushing but is looking happy.

FRAME 10:
In this scene, the actresses will arrive at the park with a large tree. In this scene, the actresses with the flower crown will be walking towards the tree. Then, a jump cut will occur with the actress in sitting in the tree. While the actress is sitting, the camera will be at a low angle to show the actress' admiration for her love interest. This shot is going to be a wide/ long shot.

FRAME 11:
In this scene, the POV perspective actress will have a tilt of looking up at the sky. This can symbolize the actress is in heaven or a dream because she found someone she loves. This will help  transition into the next scene where the actress is in reality.

FRAME12:
In this scene, the point of view actress is revealed while playing the guitar. She is wearing a yellow cardigan with a white t-shirt, jeans and black sneakers. The lighting design will have more shadows and the color design is black and white. This is supposed to symbolize the gloomy feeling of someone being gone and the cold reality.

FRAME 13:
The last scene will be an extreme close up on the actress' neck to capture the wording of the necklace: honey. Then, there will be a black out of the scene. The color design will be in color but, there is a good amount of shadows.

 

Planning Blog for Music Video

Today in AICE Media Studies class, my groupmate and I are planning music video project. During this class period, we were very productive and were able to established a solid plan for our music video. As I was typing on the computer, Hannah and I were discussing the conventions we will be using in our music video. 

Location:

The primary location for this music video will be the dog park in my neighborhood. Since the park is small and hidden, there are fewer people than usual and we can film without getting other people in the shot. The main reason why we used a park setting is we wanted to capture the innocent love between the subjects. In most films, the location of romantic montage is a park or a meadow. We wanted to replicate it to replicate the love. The second location for the music video is my neighborhood/ street. We are going to use my neighborhood to film a tracking shot and be able to properly perform a jump cut. Also, my neighborhood has a pretty, lavender bush. This will allow us to demonstrate or give subtle symbolism for their love. If all else fails, our backup location will be another be another park. Since the park is a public property, we do not need permission for any of these locations. Also, we do not need permission to film a scene in a tree because it is on my private property.

Health & Safety:

During our filming process we will have safety. For instance, while we film the tracking shots, we will look both ways for vehicles and pedestrians. Since we are planning for our actress to climb a tree in one of the shots, we will have a spotter to catch them if something goes wrong. If the actress has a sprain ankle, my tia will be there because she has expertise in the medical field. The last health and safety procedure we will follow is our hydration and maintaining our blood sugar levels. Since we live in Florida and it is hot, we will bring water and food to hydrate and replenish our nutrients. This will prevent us from fainting or having a heat stroke. 

Props:

In our music video, the most important props will be the Honey necklace and the guitar. Other props we would like to include are a picnic basket, food (perfectibility honey), and picnic basket. Secondary props that will be included are a stool and a microphone. We are going to use the picnic props to illustrate a romantic picnic setting. 

Costumes:

The main subject will be wearing a white dress with red roses on it. She will also be wearing flats or nice sandals. The most important accessory apart of her costume is the flower crown. The flower crown will have white, red, and yellow flowers. The reason why we wanted the flower crown to be these colors is the colors represent love, passion, friendship and innocence. The second subject's costume will be consists of a yellow cardigan, white shirt, jeans, and black sneakers. The yellow cardigan will literally represent honey but, figuratively represent their love. 

Schedule:

On 11/15/19, Hannah and I researched the conventions for a R&B music videos. 

On 11/19/19, Hannah and I planned conventions for our music video project.

On 11/21/19, Hannah and I will be storyboading our music video. 

Between 11/23/19 and 11/24/19, we will be collecting and gathering props and make final arrangements to our schedule.

Between 11/27/19 and 11/30/19, we will be filming the music video project.

Between 12/1/19 and 12/6/19, we will be editing and turning in our music video project. 

Research Convention Blog for Music Video Project

Today in the AICE Media Studies class, I was assigned my next project: a music video. Although the Gatorade commercial project was an interesting process, it was educational. Due to the creative difference in my group, I am so glad the commercial project is finished because I was stressed all the time. I learned from the commercial project the importance of story-boarding and time management. Also, I learned how to film, edit on Pinnacle Studios, and the making of a film. Although my group and I did have a detailed storyboard and possess good time management skills, we were still behind compared to the other groups. I am so excited to begin the music video because I can create a music video for a song I like. For this project, my group consists of Hannah and I. While I was typing the conventions for the blog, Hannah was the researcher. 

The song selection process was difficult because Hannah and I were debating on which songs to use Riptide or Honey. We both "planned" a storyboard to see which video was the easiest or had more creativity. Although both songs are easy to film, we decided to use Honey. The song we are going to film is in the R&B/ Soul category and it is performed by Kehlani. The reason why we chose this song is we wanted to include more representation in our music video. Last year, the GSA at our school hosted its first Open Mic Event. One of our friends tried to plan to perform this song but, unfortunately, due to testing, she could not do it. Since there a very few music videos that focused on LGBT+ and the romance, we wanted to make a music video that is unique and represents the innocence of LGBT+ relationships. 

Conventions for Camera Shots, Angles and Movements:

In most R&B songs, there is a significant amount of wide and tracking shots. In these wide and tracking shots, there were multiple scenes of different landscapes. For instance, one scene would include a meadow of grassland and then transition into someone in a forest. The tracking shots are used to illustrate the subjects moving. There are a variety of other shots. This includes long shots, medium close-ups, and close-ups. In most R&B music videos, there are medium-long shots of the subject working towards the camera. The camera angels in R&B music videos are usually low angle and eye-line angle. While researching the conventions, there were few high angles. The camera movements of R&B music videos consist of a few tilts and tracking shots. 

Conventions for Mis-En-Scene:

In R&B music videos, the subjects are wearing a variety of costumes and utilize a few props. The makeup range from natural to intense makeup. Most of the locations consist of scenery and parties at bars. 

Lighting and Color Design Conventions:

In R&B songs, there is a variety of lighting designs. In some music videos, there were some scenes with tinted lighting or bright lighting but, throughout the music videos, there were very little scenes with predominantly shadows. The lighting is often dark to emphasize the passion and emotions between the subjects.l The color design of R&B music videos also have a variety of colors. For instance, some music videos were black and white while others contained bright and flamboyant colors. In Honey, the color design was tinted yellow and were shades of blues. 

Editing Blog

Today in AICE Media Studies class, my group and I finally finished the editing process. I liked how the transitions and different shots ran smoothly and create an appealing commercial. I am very happy the Gatorade commercial project is over because I can't wait to get started on the Music Video Project. I have to admit it was a very frustrating yet interesting process. Although I did not appreciate it during the actual process, I found the reward to be satisfying. During the editing process, my group and I were assigned two days to edit the entire 30 second commercial. Even though it seems my teacher gave my class too much time, every single second and minute counted.

On November 4th, 2019, my group and I finally began to edit. After a week of delay, my group and I was ready to get straight to work. After my teacher gave out the instructions for the next two class periods, I immediately signed out the laptop and quickly logged onto the laptop. Since it was "new" laptops, it took about 15 minutes for the computer to load because they are considered old and it was the first time I logged onto that specific laptop. The editing process continued to be delayed: Hannah and I had to re-dumped the footage from the UBS drive onto the computer, create a new folder and start from the beginning to edit. As I previously stated, the primary reason for our delay was the computer- this is why schools' priorities should be readjust. Even though I signed in under my account, the commercial didn't save since it was a different computer. Once Hannah and I finished the setting up process, we began to arrange footage into the most logical and efficient way.  As Hannah was controlling the computer, I added input and suggested what take should be shots in the commercial. For instance, I suggested we should use take 1500 because it was the best out of the three takes and it was less shaky.  While we were editing, Pinnacle Studios wasn't cooperating. When Hannah and I first reviewed the raw footage for the beginning of the commercial, the footage looked choppy. However, when we reviewed the raw footage in the file program on PCs, the raw footage ran smoothly. Our editing process continued to be delayed because we would switch from Pinnacle Studios and the file program to select the necessary takes. Also, in Pinnacle Studios my group and I had to wait for the change to be save to prevent the program from crashing and erasing our work. Even though, my group and I had technical difficulties, we were productive and worked efficiently. At the end of the period, Hannah and I were able to piece the baseline of our commercial and began to cut the shots. We also had a plan on the things we needed to still edit: adding sound, cutting shots and adding transitions.

On November 6th, 2019 -also the last day to edit- my group and I went to worked immediately. I grabbed the same computer and I loaded Pinnacle Studios. One of the first things I did today was I cut the unnecessary footage to condense the duration to become shorter. While Hannah I edit, Hailey and Emma were in charged of finding the nondiegetic sound and the soundtrack for the commercial. Since my group and I are making a sport commercial, we needed the music to match the intensity in  a sports commercial. While Hannah and Emma began to increase the speed for some shots,  I helped Hailey dumped the soundtrack from the computer to my flash drive and onto laptop. Once I dumped, I was able to import the soundtrack into Pinnacle Studios. After I imported the music, I began to add the diegetic sound of running. Since my group and I had limited time, we were able to only include the running sounds. Then, I helped Hannah cut some of the shots and  adjust the speed. On this editing day, I worked from bell to bell on this commercial.

Even though I was stressed and frustrated during the whole editing period, it was interesting maniuplating the software to create a film. I hope the future editing processes will be easier.