Today I had to make the preparations and layout all the clips i needed to that furthur editing would be much much simpler.
I first had to import all the footage onto Final Cut. To do this I used the log and capture method. At first this was a tedious task but after a few trys I managed to get it imported correctly.
M next step was to cut and position the performance footage all in time with the music. This took some time at first but all the angles matched up in the end and this would make getting the clips i needed much simpler
I was initially going to use the Multi-Clip method but I felt that doing it this way would be easier for me as it would give me more control as to what i can do with the clip i.e effects, opacity and transitions
This tool allowed me to zoom into and out of the timeline. It has helped me a lot as we have clips that are very short and require precise cutting.
I needed to add the effect soft focus to all the performance footage so that it looks more professional and it gives that footage a more innocent look. I set the amount to '2' as it was the correct amount for all of the angles
Above is our chosen design for our digipack. I will make necessary changes that would suit the artist's image. We have chosen to make the digipack having a running theme throughout our website and our digipack. The artist image is vintage, creative and abstract. So this would have to be reflected through our digipack. The name of the album is Sunrise which is the name of the music video. The song symbolizes hope and and feminine independence. I decided to use Adobe Photoshop to create the images. I got a template of a digipack that was provided by my teacher. I then imported that template onto Photoshop and then changed the layer blending to 'Multiply' This would allow me to work with the dimensions showing on top.
I first started by using a royalty free picture of an old and eroded paper. I added a gradient on top to make the upper half slightly blue. I then used a brush that was in the shape of a tree. I then selected the appropriate size and applied that on the lower/middle half on the background.
I then changed the layer blending mode to 'Color Burn' To give it a vintage and eroded look. I then applied a lens flare onto the top to show sunlight shining through it.
This was the finished look so far.
I then imported the title 'Sunrise' onto this image. The font of the album title is 'Beyond Sky' which is royalty free and take from dafont.com
I then positioned the title into bottom right corner. The black line that comes out of the tree merges into the album title.
I then imported a picture of Lily that i took in the study room in front of the green screen. I then edited it on Photoshop. I then imported it onto the background. This would let customers exactly who and how the artist looks like.
The vibrant white lines that go around her shows her as creative and abstract. But the photo still retains its vintage look. I then used the 'Curves' editor on Photoshop to change the contrast and brightness with more precision.
I then changed the blending mode to 'Soft Light' to make the background show through a little. This was the first stage to the creation of our digipack.
My initial idea for the back page of the digipack was to draw a tree freehand on photoshop with a Graphic tablet then hang the track names off the tree branches. But then i realised it would not look very good so I decided to bring the black tree silhouette to the right side of the front page.
I started with drawing a rough outline of the tree. Turning this tree into the track list would promote the artist image and show her as creative and abstract and the dark colours along with the old paper gives a vintage theme.
I then changed the layout a little by changing where the picture of the artist and album title goes to make the digipack look less congested.
I then drew the artist name onto the right hand top corner in a smooth freehand font. And made the colour a deep red to make the album a little more feminine.
My next step was to draw long strands of rope to hold the track names. Once that was done I then used the text tool to write the track list. I also used the transform tool to position the names better.
For our website we are going to need a few images of the artist. But all the images must uphold the artist image when have decide to go with. Vintage, Creative and Abstract are the three main aspects we need to meet. We also need to show the artist is a independent and from a bold perspective. Below is one image I have done on Photoshop today. This website could be part of a running gallery or used as one of the pictures on the digipack. The picture on the left is the final outcome.
Firstly i started by using the 'Magic Eraser' to delete the green background behind her. However i had come to realize that even when the lights were placed behind Lily and only onto the green screen some diffused green light still glowed onto her back. However after adjusting the hue and saturation along with decreasing the brightness and increasing the contrast I managed to reduce this.
I then decided to make the top black, I achieved this by using the Lasso tool to select her dress and then decrease the Hue and lightness. I then played around with the brightness and contrast to still show the detail and fold in her dress. This picture to be used for another picture to show her emotionally vulnerable like she is going to be portrayed in the narrative part of the music video.
I then started adjusting the curves of the pictures to make her top look bright to give make her look more bold and strong.
I next created a new layer behind her and then used a soft paint brush to give a defused but vibrant background chowing her as abstract and creative.
Next i selected that layer and then added a lot of Gaussian blur to make it look defused and blurred. I didn't want the colors to be too strong as it would not suit her image.
Next step was to create a new layer and then use a low opacity soft paint brush and do a rough drawing style outline around her and bring out some features to make the image more creative and abstract. I also added a gradient to the black background and used large black soft paint strokes to separate her more from the background.
I then added the album title behind her to make anyone who looks at it know exactly what this picture refers too.
These were some test shots we took of Lily Budd in front of a projector and behind a white board. We have a scene in our music video that involves this technique so we needed to see what light settings and what colors would show through on her face. we found out that in a dark room we needed bright colours in order to see Lily.
Today I took pictures of the artist (Lily Budd) in the studio behind the green screen. These pictures would be edited and used for the website and digipack. Below are a few photos that we have chosen out of all the ones we took that could be used.
Due to our locations being unavailable we have had to consider utilising the green screen in the studio room. ThIs meant I would have to experiment with lighting and see how much space I had to work with when it comes to photography and filming. Once I had set-up the room I took pictures of Lily in a simple white cardigan and vintage style jeans to match the artist image. I then Imported that image onto Final Cut and then added the 'chroma keyer' effect. I realised that i had to play around with the colour bar and the make sure the edges weren't too feathered but at the same time got rid of all the green. I added effects such as bloom and then experimented with the 'Edges effect'.
After Chroma Keyer was added.
Using RBG Balance to increase the saturation of the green in the picture to make Chroma Keyer work effectively.
Used Bloom to give the image more volume and make give it depth and bring it out of the background.
Edges effect being used to make video more creative and abstract.
After going through our group blog we have come to realize that the blog was currently only at a level 3. We are hoping to get that to Level 4 by the deadline. We can accomplish this by putting in regular group meetings we've had. We must also post up any remaining research and planning tasks. We have finished the research into different bands/artists, music videos and also analyzed another artist and who they use different medias to promote themselves. We must make sure that we manage our time more precisly and keep within all deadlines that have been set. We are nor currently working on the planning aspect and should start to film soon.
I was tasked with remaking a music video by the Ting Tings 'Thats Not My Name'. This assignment would expoe the ingredients that went into the making of a persuasive music video. This exercise would also allow me to learn new techniques when using a camera and also allow me to learn and develop essential skills on Final Cut Pro. We first started by making sure we were familiar with the real music video and what shots they used and what angles they used to film the artist. We realized they used many close-ups for the singer and the extreme close-ups of the drummer to create an intimacy with the audience. We then needed to make sure that the singer knew all the words, in this case it was Lily Budd. When filming we first took an establish shot from a medium range of the entire performance. We then started filming close-ups and also three different angles, one was a low-angle shot, another was a high-angle shot and finally a close-up shot of Lily from the side. Next we needed to film extreme close-up shots of the drummer (I myself was the drummer). We needed to get extreme close-ups of my feet using the bass drum and then a close-up of me using the main drum.This would enhance the effect of the rhythm. Once we filmed the singer and drummer separately we needed to film them together to create a sense of harmony. We used a a medium ranged shot to capture both actors. Once all the filming was done we imported the tapes onto the computer.
Using Final Cut Pro
Once all the clips were uploaded onto Final Cut I had to then cut all the clips into the appropriate sections and then drag those onto separate tracks. I then cut out the audio from each clip and aligned all the clips in-time with the real song. Doing this wold allow me to make cuts easier and more precisely. Once that was done I started to focus on the main part of the song which meant I left the intro and the parts with the drums out, so I could concentrate on the singer. Once those cuts were made I could easily fit the other pars around the singer.
The next step for me was to edit the parts where I wanted the drummer to show. So I chose the most appropriate parts of the song to add him. I made the correct sized cuts with the 'razor' tool and then dragged the clip onto the main track making sure I didn't overlap or leave a blank space in between. The entire time I had to make sure that the main track was in time with the music. Doing this exercise also opened my eyes to a new technique that made making cuts easier. I had to select four different camera angles and then insert them all into a 'Mix Selection' track and then as the song played I could manually select the angle I wanted to use and then those cuts would be applied automatically on my main track. Doing this made the entire process go faster and the cuts allowed to pick the best angle. Once that was done the ext step was to add effects. For this pop video I decided keeping it simple would have the best effect. I used three different video filters; Earthquake, Brightness & Contrast control and motion blur. The first filter I used was the Brightness & Contrast control and this was applied to the entire video. I decreased brightness and increased the contrast to give a 'filmy' look, it also allowed me to make a clearer separation between the actors and the background.
The next filter I used was the Earthquake effect. I used this for the clips that had the drummer preforming to bring the video to life and give a more pop/rock effect. To give the best result I decreased the speed of the shake and also decreased the 'Mix' bar so that it doesn't look too strong. The final filter I used was the 'Motion Blur' filter. I used this in the clip where I felt the singer didn't move much and in doing so it made the singer look like she is moving a little more and also gives a hyper-realistic look to the dance moves. For the best effect I decreased the blur but increased the drag to look hyper-real.
Doing this task allowed me to see what was required when making a performance video. I was able to gain extensive knowledge in using Final Cut Pro and I was also able to understand what more I need to do when it comes to making my final music video. When filming my final music video I would make sure that I film everything exactly in-time with the music. I would also make sure that the playback device I choose to use would go loud enough so that the performers can hear what parts they are playing too. A few prblems I encountered when filming and editing this preformance included not having a fully charged carry battery, so when I film my final video I need to make sure I have spare batteries. Aother major problem we had was the studio itself as it had alot of equipment lyng around and this took alot of our time to clear everything out of the filming frame.
Third Initial Proposal - Butterfly Stone - Weight On My Shoulders
If I were to choose this song as my final proposal, I would consider image, type of video and the concept behind the video. I would want portray would be a 'troubled soul' image with the band projected in dark lighting as the song is a mix of indie/rock. The tone of music is laid back and the lyrics talks about having a burden or a 'weight on your shoulder'. I would want to make the music video a mix between a narrative and performance as i would the main character lip-syncing. The narrative would be about one character not being able to handle pressures in life and having a large burden and turns to alcohol and drugs the point of suicide. The set would be in a hotel room and the set would be filled with empty bottles and few empty pill containers. As the music reaches the climax the character would be ready to jump off the balcony of the hotel room. I would use a lot of close-up shots to make the video more personal and use as little light as possible to give a feeling of loss or depression.
If this were to be me final idea I have to consider the image, type of video and the theme I would want to create. The song is about relationship problems and looking to a new future "Sunrise". The title gives us the impression that someone is moving on. To depict this in the video I would show clips of a couple in a relation having growing conflicts. The conflict will grow as the video progresses. I would also convey the idea of a 'Sunrise' by initially filming the band preforming at night with two large floodlight behind them creating a silhouette but towards the end of the song the band would be filmed as the sun is starting to rise. The video will be largely made up off performance shots but will have a narrative to keep the audience interested. I would want to give the band a post-modern 'emo' look with dark clothes to give them an indie/rock look. I would also portray them as an emotionally troubled group.
First Initial Proposal - The Arrival - Turn the page
If this were to be my final choice, I would firstly have to think about different aspect I would want to convey. The image I want to create of the artist and the type of video (Performance, Narrative or Conceptual). The song is about a character not being able to move on from a past relationship is now questioning himself why. I would have a mix of performance, narrative and subtle conceptual ideas. The introduction could possibly start with a book as it relates directly to the song title, the book would open and the band could start preforming inside the book as if it has come to life. I would also have a side narrative of a male character 'trying' to have relationships with other different girls but not being able to move forward in a relationship. This would be shown for in all the verses and it would symbolize not being able to move on from his past relationship. The could either be the camera zooming out of the book as a page turns. I would want to create a rebellious yet formal image this would show them as ironic or contradictory as they would be wearing formal wear but in a rough and untidy manor.
I am analysing this music video from a known band who already have an image so that I can grow more familiar with techniques used to create a good music video. The genre that AvA come under is Neo-Space rock/ Alternative Rock. They have created a band image that casts them as something out of this world and all video and the style of music they make is on an 'epic' scale. They have a running theme of space, stars and planets in their videos but they also project themselves into a hyper-real and abstract world. Why do they promote this image? Well it's because they want to take their audience somewhere out of this world. They portray their music on a grand and universal scope showing that they are almost unreal or a band that is hyper-real; because of this image the audience expect to see something that takes them to an alternate reality.
Shot Analysis:
- The first shot introduces the topic of the song and sets the theme for the rest of the clip and also gives us an insight of what the song could be about.
- The head-on shot with the members walking towards the camera creates a link with well known shows like Star-trek, Stargate, Men in Black demonstrating intertextuality.
- The band is also often shot from a distance giving the viewer a sense of a grand space.
- The shot of the earth with a bright light behind keeps in time with the music and fades to white at the point of climax.
- The singer is in frnt of a bright light to create a silhouette which makes him look almost angelic.
- A clip of the universe is regularly shown to give perspective and shows the band small compared to a vast space.
- Shots of the singer walking through large and bright landscapes allows the audience to make connection with space and earth.
- As the music slows down and the reverb of the song increases the band also start to move slowly as if floating in space.
- When the singer says 'life's waiting to begin' a pan shot of him in a bright and sunny location is related directly to the lyrics in a conceptual way as the a bright and vast landscape could symbolize life or hope.
- At 3:50 a clip of the universe zooming in could show a change of in the time-line and then that is backed up by the following clips of old wars that bring feelings of violence, despair, and pain.
- As the song starts to end the landscape he is standing in is starting to show the sun starting to set.
- The beginning of the music video shows the singer walking towards us but as the sun starts to set he is now walking away.
- The music video has a linear narrative. The final scene shows an abstract and hyper-real setting different plants in the background.
