R&P 33: Preliminary Task Evaluation

Preliminary Task Evaluation 

How you constructed some key shots and included camera shot, angle and movement(pay close attention to focus and shot distances and use about 3 examples:

The first example is the chandelier shot which we encountered many difficulties when filming. It took us a wile to find a chandelier which could we used until we found one in the school but it still presented problems because the it was so far away from us we had to adjust by zooming in. Whilst this is not a technique we usually endorse it was a necessary compromise. Also the chandelier in the shot was moving which of course we could not to so we instead moved the camera. Whilst it may have appeared shaky it was necessary to authentically replicate the shot.

The next shot we had to create also relied on some advanced skills such as a jump cut and a pan. We managed to identically create the first part of the shot but that being said the transition wasn't a accurate because we was not low enough to get the right angle on Orla which is something we would have to fix in the actual music video if the shot didn't match our storyboard.

Whilst in this shot we did manage to get the pan right we messed up the timings and hence the delay of the shot, all in all I would say that the framing and movement of the shot is perfect, maybe a few tries of the shot in the final product would help to get the timings right.

Mise-en-scene(How important is this? How have you attempted to create this? Use of costumes/props?

Within music videos the mise-en-scene is one of the most integral parts especially according to Andrew Goodwin's music video theory stating that it is created authentication. We made our best attempts to replicate the mise-en-scene however it was not always possible in our short time period as shown below:

For the final video we will be much prepared to ensure that the costumes and props needed are prepared well in advance to filming.

Also other props which were used in the video were unavailable at the time such as the dollar notes which we substituted for pound notes and also waves which we substituted for a bush. Much like the shot above  with more time we will much more prepared to meet the demands of our storyboards.

How it is edited(think about match on action, pace, rhythm)

SHAR

I'd say other than the segment I highlighted above we got our timings really well and the editing ensured that jump cuts and pans were perfectly timed. For the shot above as apposed to panning from the microphone to Orla to make it easier we panned from the microphone to an empty frame and the filmed an empty frame panning on to Orla which created the effect we wanted and was a very effective technique which was learned.

Performance(Is the acting/performance controlled and convincing?)

The acting certainly wasn't very convincing but this was to be expected with Orla and Bertie not having any experience in acting. When it comes to the actual music video the casting will be crucial so that we can chose the right person so has experience in the music video industry and so can therefore make the performance convincing.

How well planned were you? Are there any ways in which you could have been better planned?

I think we were as well prepared as we could have been with the limited time provided. We had the storyboard planned out in the two days we had to prepare however we did not successfully organise bringing props and organising costumes because of the limited time which we will to have to face in the final video. Also we was not prepared in terms of location and so had to walk around the school a lot as apposed to knowing where we were going which of course will be crucial to the final music video shoots.

What have you learnt from doing this task?

-  I have learned that it is very important to cast the right actors so that they are more convincing

-  Also that preparing locations is crucial

-  To get the right timings it may take multiple attempts

-  Developed technique in editing and cinematography

-  You may have to adapt and make sacrifices to get the desired shots (e.g chandelier shots)

Overall, how effective has your contribution to this task been?

My main task was to be director and also help with the editing. Overall I think the director was a crucial role in this take in particular to make sure that the shots matched. However in the main product I would really like to take more control in the editing process because I feel I could add a lot to the editing process.

What has this post taught me?

From this post I have something to come back to when creating my music video. I reflected on the preliminary task and learned valuable lessons on mistakes not to make in the exam. I also gained organisational skills under the pressure of time which will be crucial when working towards deadlines.