Music Video Production Log
On 20th February our tutor gave us a new assignment, which was that we have to make a music video. It could be an unsigned singer/band or a real famous singer/band but it had to be a song that hasn’t got a music video.
So I worked on the first task which was to write a essay on 'Why Music Videos?' and once that was done I started on part 2 essay ‘Style and Techniques of music videos’.
The next day Tuesday 21st February I finished part 2 essay then I started to do my ideas. I thought of four ideas of which 2 were unsigned artists that I know of and 2 real famous songs that haven't got a music video. During this time I was contacting the two unsigned artists. I wanted to do Gabriella Jones, which was my first idea, but I had a back up plan just in case she wouldn't be able to do it. The back up plan is idea 2 which is Plan B – 'Traded in my Cigarettes', which hasn’t got a music video.
During Thursday and Friday I have been contacting Gabriella by phone. She liked my idea but the problem was that I wanted to film in the college studio but she has school on those days. She is busy with exams and coursework so I decided to do my back up plan which is Plan B music video.
At college the second week we had the assignment on Monday 27th and Tuesday 28th February I worked on the script and storyboards.
On Wednesday to Sunday 4th February I finished doing my storyboards, treatment, treatment budget, call sheet, shot list, health and safety, location recce, location permission and budget.
On Monday 5th March I booked the college studio to do the performance at 1pm to 3pm on Wednesday 7th March.
On Wednesday 7th March at 1pm Chevy and myself went to the studio as Andy has brought the equipment for us that we booked on Monday. He got the light kit; DSR 600D Camera and tripod but he didn’t have the gels to make the lights red. Andy told me on Monday that he has gels for red and we booked them. He told me that he couldn’t find the gels, so we tried art departments to see if they have gels for red but they didn’t had any. So Chevy and I agreed on to use without the gels. We set up the two lights, as it looked cool with normal lights as it looked Noir style and similar to the front cover of the album, which was very effective. We got rid of one light, as it was better as there was a shadow on the side of my face. So we started filming around about 1.30pm and I directed Chevy to step up the two cameras first. This was me standing as the shots were mid-shot and close-ups. We played the song from the computer in the studio, so I could do the lip syncing. The background was black and the light focused on me as I played Strickland Banks, being Plan B. We filmed till the song finishes. Chevy took photos to show me the shot to see if I liked it or not and once the filming for those shots were finished I looked back on the footage to see what it looks like and to see if we should do it again. Then we did a hand-held shot of me standing, still catching the emotions of my movements. After that we did shots of me walking into the light as I am in the darkness and appear into the light. We took three takes to get it right, so I’m standing at the right spot of the light. Then we did shots of me seated on a stool and singing to the song. We took three different shots which were wide-shot, mid-shot and close-up shot. Once that was done and we had finished filming those shots we filmed me seating on the floor to connect to the shots of me seating on the floor in the house. Again we did mid-shot, close-up shot and wide-shot. When we finished filming at 3pm we packed all the equipment and transferred the footage from the DS Cards to Chevy’s Hard Drive, and we left the studio at 3.15pm.
On Friday 9th March Chevy and I went to college at 4pm to get the equipment for the weekend. We booked out the zoom-mic, sound boom, tripod and sound cable. We wanted to book out a DSR Camera so we can film with two cameras get a lot done fast, but they didn’t had any left. We also wanted to book out the light kit but they have been already booked out. Then Chevy asked for the reflector as he thought it will be useful for filming as we could reflect the lights of the sun or the lights in the house. I don’t like this system of booking on the day, I miss when we could book in an advance. At the train station I bought two different newspapers for tomorrow for the pub scene. I went to my friend’s house who has a paintball gun, which looks real and took it off him and said I return it on Saturday.
On Saturday 10th March Chevy came to my house at 11.30am and we had help from a friend Duane to do the sound/Zoom-mic. I told Mike the actor playing as the loan shark to meet at my house at 11.45am. Once we were all together we went to the railway pub when it was open at 12pm. I asked if Mark (the owner) was in but he wasn’t and I talked to one of the waitress and she said it was ok to film in the pub. We went down the bottom of the steps to the corner of the room with the table and we set up the tripod, the camera, and sound as we filmed Mike’s shots first which were over-the-shoulder and we took three takes. I directed Mike by saying not to move his eyes a lot because the character is cold and calm and my character is the nervous one so I can move my eyes around more. I keep checking to Duane if the sound it’s fine, to check if we had to do it again. I look at the photos and went back on the footage to see if we need to do it again and to see I like it. After that we did my shots, which was another over-the-shoulder shot, which we took three takes again. Mike and me were hardly making any mistakes and I felt the way we acted was good. After that we did a wide shot/two shot of us, it was getting a bit busy and noisy in the pub but Duane use the sound boom close to our mouths so you can only hear us. Again it took three takes and it had to follow with the conuinty of me sitting down. Then we did shots of me getting up from the sit which we did a hand-held shot as you see my face with anger as Mike says ‘All that money for a shit album’, then I walk out of the shot, we took three takes. After that we did a shot of my fist to make it look like I’m angry we took two takes but we felt it was too cheesy and wasn’t needed. Then we did the last scene/the conclusion which we did Mike’s shot (over – the – shoulder) and then a hand-held shot of me getting up with the gun, but after that shot we talked about it, saying it might not work because he shows a gun in a public place so there be witnesses so I thought of an idea that it was the same ending but I changed Mike’s lines and the gun scene. So Mike says ‘Is that my money’ – ‘Well?’ and I hide the gun in the newspaper and Loan Shark thinking it might be his money in there till Strickland reveal it as a gun still hidden with the newspaper so the public in the pub won’t see it. So we did many shots, which were over-the – shoulder to Mike and Me, Hand-held shot when I pick up the newspaper with the gun to capture the moments of my hands, eyes, the newspaper and my face. Once that was done we did hand-held shots of me walking into the pub seeing my face and sitting down on the table we took four takes to get right because Chevy was caring the camera and walking backwards and to the steps behind him. That was the first shot of the music video as it is to introduce the character ‘Strickland Banks’. After that we did the same shot hand-held coming into the pub which it was the last scene/the conclusion but this time you don’t see my face, you only see the back of my head and his holding the newspaper as we follow him to the table. We did this because Strickland doesn’t want anyone to see his face so he can’t be identity and to look like he doesn’t won’t his face to be shown because his shamed of something is going to do (Murder/shooting the loan shark) but also in editing we put heavy breathing of Strickland as to show his nervous, scared and having a panic attack but also trying to be calm at the same time. Once that was done then we did shots of me coming out of the pub which were a long shot of me walking out of the shot we took three takes. Steph the actress playing ‘Strickland’s girlfriend’ came at 2.20pm meeting us at the pub. We finished filming the pub at 2.30pm.
We went back to my house at 2.45pm, Mike got a lift at my house, then we started filming as we filmed a mid-shot of me coming into the house/living room took three takes, then a mid shot of Steph coming from the kitchen into the living room, we took three takes. We did three different Two-shots took a few takes as are talking to one each other and then into an argument. Then we did another two shot of me getting slapped, which I didn’t expect which was better; it feels more realistic we did three tasks of that. After that we did an-over-the – shoulder shot of me singing to Steph as we played the song on the computer. We took two takes, and did half of the song. Then we did over-the-shoulder shot to Steph while I’m singing which took two takes. Then a over-shoulder shot of steph saying she can’t take time anymore and to show by her hands and walks into the kitchen. I directed Steph to make her hands more realistic as the first one was unrealistic and I told her what to say and how to feel at this moment saying she can’t do this anymore, she’s angry but also upset with him. Once that was done we did three-takes of a mid-shot of me shouting towards Steph, saying where she is going. Then we did a hand-held shot of Steph holding her coat and handbag and about to walk out of the living room. We took three takes, as we focus on Steph. Then we did a shot of me hand-held when she is about to walk out on me till I grab her arm and the camera focus on our arms then it moves to our faces staring to each other. Again it took three takes so that we can stare each other longer. Then an over-the-shoulder shot of me singing to Steph at the living door, took two takes. Then we did an-over-the-shoulder of Steph looking at me anger and she nudge’s her arm so I let go and she walks out of the house then I slam the living door close, I took two takes. Then we took a mid shot of me sliding down on the door onto the floor as Chevy tilted the camera down to follow my movements we took three takes. Then two takes of a close-up of me having my back against the door singing. We finished the girlfriend scene and Steph left at 5pm.
We didn’t need to use Duane as the sound was already done for the pub scene so he left at 9.30pm. Chevy and I started filming again upstairs in my mum and dad’s bedroom, as we filmed me staring into the mirror which was an over the shoulder shot and we played most of the song, then a close-up of me staring in the mirror which looks dark, with a shadow on me which looks good. We used one lamplight in the bedroom, which gave an orange light, which looked cool and gave that feeling of him getting tougher, a warm colour, it has cast a cool shadow. Then we did a mid-shot of me at the mirror but it didn’t look right and we decided to throw away that shot. Then we moved on by me lying on the bed which is a mid-shot the camera looking down and we played the song which was one take and we did another of a close-up of me on the bed, took one take. Once that was done I went to Chevy to look back at the footage and the way camera has been set up and I’m leaning my back against the wall seeing my reflection from the mirror, which was an accident and it looked really cool so we filmed one take with the song. Then Chevy thought of an idea of me sitting on the floor having my back against the mirror, which means that I can’t bare to look at myself in the mirror as I despise myself and looks like I’m alone and crying, we took one take played the song. When we finished filming in the bedroom we went downstairs and we saw the record player and we filmed hand-held following the movements of my hand putting the record on and getting my drink by drinking it, took two takes, it’s to show his depression and trying to be calm by listening to music. Then we filmed in the conserver of the dining table and we did three different shots, which were long shot, mid-shot and hand-held for close-up. Those shots are me sitting at the end of the dining table on my own, with a bottle and drinking whisky and singing at the same time. We used one of the lights in the conserver, which was my dad’s model lamplight, which the light colour is blue giving that feel of depression and a cold colour. We finished at 11.30pm.
The next day on Sunday 11th March we filmed near by the Shenstone library on a pavement and we started filming at 1pm. We filmed me walking on the pavement the start of the music video so we filmed a long shot, mid-shot, hand-held in front of me and at the side of me. Then we filmed the wall when I’m losing my breath, as I put my hand on the wall, and lean my back on the wall and singing, as we used my ipod with the song using Chevy’s Speakers. We did shots like mid-shots, close-up shots and hand-held. Once that was done we filmed back at the pub of me coming out of the pub as I felt we rushed it yesterday and wasn’t pleased with the shots. So we filmed it again and took two takes, which were a lot better, as privies Chevy was panning the camera which I wanted the camera to be static of me walking out of the shot. We finished all the filming at 2.30pm and Chevy went back home at 4pm.
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