1. Did you enjoy the main workshop shoot day? What role(s) did you take and what did you learn? What were your best bits and why?

Me speaking to our director Dom about
the route he took through university and
skills he has acquired.

Acting as Dolly Grip for Jack the
cameraman.

I found the main workshop shoot day very enjoyable. I spoke to people in the various departments about their roles and the routes they each took through school and further education to get to their jobs.

A photo of me cable bashing.

I helped out a lot as a cable-basher, and also took on the roles of dolly grip and runner for various tasks a number of times.

I learnt how to assemble a dolly track and attach and remove the camera to the dolly itself, and how to create a smooth shot using the dolly. I also spent time on the clapperboard, changing the setup and take numbers as and when needed. This helped improve my confidence in time management and working quickly to a schedule.

I feel I learnt surprisingly more than I expected about the performance side of the shoot, participating in the workshop and speaking to both the director and the performance coach Jasmine made me realise how much certain crew members' energy can affect the cast's performance.

This was mainly made clear to me through how involved the director was in showing the cast how he wanted them to act, the role he wanted them to portray.




Though learning about the technical aspects of the shoot was very interesting to me, my favourite part of the day still had to be performing as it was just really enjoyable, and everyone gave it their all. I feel that the performance side of the workshop also helped develop my confidence.

Here is a short video of me performing on the shoot day.

2. What have you learnt from participating in each prelim task 1, 2, 3, and 5?

Task 1: The Audition Video

During task one I learnt a significant amount about music video production. For example, prior to the task I did not know that the singers actually sing when lipsyncing, not just pretending to sing. I also realised that the movements and actions that the band members in the actual music video make correlate to the projected meaning of the song, as well as creating a kind of persona for each character. I also learnt that we needed to take a lot of takes in order to have enough usable footage. I also gained experience in syncing the shots to the music, which was something I wasn't too used to doing.

Task 2: Learn and practise your performance

I learnt that warming up is something very important before performing, to avoid injuries and pains later on. I also learnt that facial expressions needed to be controlled alongside body actions in order to successfully portray our characters. I also noticed the differences in performance between the part I was to play (the drummer), and the other band members. The drummer was seemingly most energetic, and his facial expressions only ever seemed to be either faces of intensity or exhaustion.

The drummer with an intense expression of anger.

Me before (with coloured hair)

Task 3: Help to plan and organize your costume

Me having my hair/makeup done.

Task 3 made me realise how resourceful you sometimes need to be to achieve the desired outcome.

Me after extra items and fake tattoo

I learnt that even though you can dress in the exact clothing as the characters you are trying to portray, sometimes it still takes a little more creativity to create a look that suits the actor and 'feels right'. 

For me that involved adding a bandana, a chain, and a fake tattoo.

Task 5: Editing

During task five I learnt how much longer it took to edit a music video than I expected. I learnt the slightly different approach used in comparison to editing film or other forms of media, with music videos you sync the entire clip and then choose the parts that fit, rather than choosing the parts that fit and then syncing to the audio.

Mario and I editing the music video

I also learnt how to use the 'Luma Corrector' video effect in Premiere Pro, which I used to over-expose footage at certain points, as done in the actual Misery Business video. Grading was also slightly different to what I was used to, as much more colour correction was needed to get the shots looking like the original, (for example, it seemed I needed to add some more blue to the darker areas in most shots to get the right look).

Using the luma corrector we mimicked the original video's flashes.
This involved increasing the brightness and contrast, and at some
 points key-framing the two variables.

3. Are you pleased with the footage and your finished edit? Is it how you expected it to look? What works really well and what would you change?

Our finished edit:


Misery Business Remake - Eddie + Mario from Latymermedia on Vimeo.

Overall I am very pleased with the footage we recorded and my finished edit. I think Mario and I did a great job on our edit as it follows the original music video very well, and for the shots we didn't get we managed to improvise and find other shots which fit in well. The footage itself I was very happy with, although there were some shots we were unable to use, the footage we were able to use was to a very good standard. The energetic interaction between the cast members on the set during the filming really added to the feel of the footage we got.

In total we filmed 23 setups with a few takes for each shot. For most shots the framing seemed to mimic the original music video very well. The hand-held camerawork also turned out looking far better than I had expected, some of the quick pans working really well to keep the fast pace of the shots.

Through use of the Luma Corrector, we managed to give our
footage the same over-exposed look as the original music video,
shown in the bottom right corner.

The finished edit is better than I expected it to look as we graded very well and through experimentation managed to (I think very successfully) mimic the flash and over-exposure effects seen in the original music video.
Most of all I think the effects we managed worked really well, especially where shots are transformed and the colouring changed at the same time.





If we were to do this again, I think the only real improvements we could make would be with how we mimicked certain shots. I think this because there were some shots that were actually the wrong way round (due to the original video being flipped), so when we flipped the video in editing, some shots were the wrong way round, even if the "RIOT" text in the background matched the original video. Furthermore, some shots could be planned better, for example the following shot where the camera was being shaken but went too far, showing the studio where it should not have.

4. How do you think your prelim experiences will impact on your approach to next term's music video coursework?

I think the prelim experience has had a significant impact on my approach to next term's music video coursework, in particular I have realised that there are far more variables I will need to take into consideration than I first expected.

Makeup artists.

One particular consideration the prelim work has given me is thinking about cast and crew more. I now know the amount of work that has to be put in to achieve a polished video with good footage, I believe that when approaching next term's music video coursework I may have to get people from outside my group to help with the various cast roles.

1st A.D. - setting up set and organising
the shoot.

The cameraman - framing and recording
the footage.

I also now recognise the importance of planning for the music video. In the prelim work we had multiple documents for lists of shots, timings, who needed to be where and when, and reference images to help both the cameraman frame a shot, and for us to edit. Costume lists and character profile sheets were also very useful especially for the performers, so for next term's music video coursework I'd like to make those sheets for my project too.

Our prelim character profile
and costume/performance
references.

For the actual shoot day next term I know from the prelim work that it will be invaluable to have a strict schedule and timings sheet for the cast and crew to adhere to in order to make sure we start and finish on time whilst still getting the footage we need.

Setup/shot list with
references.

Also I now know to plan the times when we will be able to edit the final video, I've learnt that it's better to give yourself loads of time early on so that you do not have to worry about rushing and being out of time later on during the course of editing, this also allows time for any creative effects to be added, in which case it's especially important to have the extra time as getting the look right can be very time consuming.


A 'behind the scenes' video by Josh Stevenson, one of the runners on the shoot day, gives a great insight into the organisation of space and the progression of the day:

Furthermore, a time-lapse video was shot by Jack Downes, showing off some of the day, especially useful at the beginning as it shows the different cast and crew getting in at their required time, something I will need to take into consideration when planning next term's music video coursework.

THIS BLOG IS NOW CLOSED.

Evaluation Post 1: In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

Our opening sequence uses, develops, and challenged forms and conventions of actual film openings. We initially aimed to challenge several stereotypical conventions of characters, we did conform to most conventions of our chosen genre.

   

  We were mainly inspired by the following films:

• Casino Royale - stylistic look of the film, glamorous characters
• 21 - stylistic look of the film, plus layout of poker game and clothing.
• Taken - similar story-line, flawed male protagonist
• The Usual Suspects - style of titling in the introduction
• Rounders - lighting, style

Casino Royale's glamorous style

Taken, "Mills" doing bad for good reasons

Semi-circle of characters in 21

Opening credits in The Usual Suspects

Rounders lighting

Our plot is as follows: 
Blake, the ex-policeman protagonist, has had his partner, Rachel, kidnapped by a criminal organisation. The film follows his journey to locate Rachel and get her back from the criminals. To achieve this, he seeks information and help from an ex-police colleague, Jen.
The film's opening centres around Blake attempting to get help from Jen at a back-alley poker game.

Form

Our opening, with credits appearing on more abstract shots.

Usual Suspects' abstract opening credits.

We conformed to many of the traditional conventions of film openings. We included opening credits with media institutions such as distributor and production company, as expected of a film opening sequence. Generally, following this is an introduction to setting and the main characters, however sometimes this is flipped. Seeing as our sequence could only be 2 minutes long, we decided to have the main credits on more abstract shots without characters in them, and some overlaid onto the shots of Jen and Blake talking. The Usual Suspects was a very influential example to us that exhibited most of these features. We used music to build up suspense for the shooting at the end of the sequence, for the initial music I composed a short piece, and for the music during the shooting I found some royalty free music from incompetech.com.


Genre

Characters
There was the stereotypical male action protagonist in our film, however he didn't totally conform to the stereotypes in the end as we made changes. We made these changes to his character as we wanted to make him more easy for the audience to sympathise with. We conveyed him as a good person doing bad acts for good reasons, much like Bryan Mills in Taken, rather than characters like John McClane from Die Hard.

Bryan Mills, willing to do anything
for his daughter.

Our character Blake, willing to do anything to save
his fiancee.

Events
The card game is the main event, taking up the majority of the sequence. It allows time for conversation between Blake and Jen to introduce their characters to the audience.
The shooting is an unexpected surprise, but nevertheless typical of action films. It also marks the tone for death early on in the film. This fight at the beginning of the film was mainly inspired by the fight at the beginning of Casino Royale. This fight was inspiring to us as it was exactly what appeared in our heads when trying to picture the action genre.

Our shootout

Casino Royale's initial fight scene

Themes
The themes are very conventional of action films, our film is mainly underpinned by key themes of loss and revenge, Blake has lost Rachel and will what revenge if something bad has happened to her. This can be seen in other films including Taken, with Mills taking revenge on those responsible for kidnapping his daughter. Themes of life and death are also introduced through the initial shootout.

Bryan Mills takes revenge on those responsible

Blake has yet to want revenge, his character is still developing
within the beginning of the film.

Mise en scene
The lighting in the sequence was low key and cast shadows over much of the characters' faces, a very neo noir feature.

Narrative structure

Todarov's theory of equilibrium

Todarov's theory of equilibrium is used in most plots for films and books. For example, Se7en begins with a new detective working on cases in an equilibrium, then finding a strange series of murders, (the disruption to the equilibrium), and then he solves them to create the new equilibrium. Our film does not quite follow the theory however, we start with a disruption to the equilibrium, and show a flashback to a time during equilibrium. This was inspired somewhat by The Usual Suspects, which had transitions through time periods, however instead of using titles we made the shot of the ring more dreamy with effects and de-saturation.

Our de-saturated, dreamy flashback shot.

Propp's character theory (example)

Propp's character theory also had an effect on our plot. It affected all our characters as Blake is the hero trying to save Rachel, the princess. He is also in some respects an anti-hero as he does immoral things to help get Rachel back. Jen acts as a helper, helping remove obstacles between him and his goal, and finally the thugs acted as obstacles (antagonists) for Blake. We mainly connoted these characters roles through their actions and appearance.

Jen literally 'removes' the thugs in Blake's
way, she is the helper.

From the thugs more casual clothing and beady-eyed glances,
it is easy for the audience to tell that they are only going to
cause problems for Blake.

We also used Barthe's five codes. Semic code was used as the poker game in the unnatural setting creates an air of danger to the scene. We also used Hermeneutic code to build suspense, for example the shots of the thugs angry glares and the darkness surrounding the table.

The angry glares from the thugs helps to
 build up the suspense in the scene

Being unable to see the area around the poker game
 creates the unnatural setting for the audience.

Style

Our film's style, not quite as dark and

grey as that of Sin City, but certainly 

not as saturated as films such as Casino Royale.

Sin City's style

Although we aimed for the style of a glamorous action film like the James Bond films, we ended up with quite a neo-noir almost crime-thriller film, like Sin City. The low-key lighting generally associated with neo-noir and noir films was illuminated all our shots, and the minimalist design of our set added to this, creating mystery of location.

Evaluation Post 2: How does your media product represent particular social groups?

Throughout our project, our main focus of representation was gender representation. Though we wanted identifiable characters, we wanted to break negative gender stereotypes and provide more developed characters. We conveyed these representations through dialogue, costume, and story.

Though we do include some recognised gender stereotypes, we do differ somewhat from traditional action films.

Blake is the alpha male lead in the film. Although he does conform to some action film male gender stereotypes, he breaks them too. His dialogue presents him as assertive and determined. He states he "will do everything" in his power to find the kidnappers and save his fiancée,Rachel. This clearly demonstrates the determination within his character to the audience, this quality is similar to most action film male protagonists. His assertiveness is conveyed when he calls the criminals "low life thugs", projecting his confidence as well, he has no fear of them.

Blake's "masculine" characteristics were inspired by the male protagonists in films such as the James Bond series, and Die Hard.

Blake in heated discussion with Jen.

Despite wanting Blake a recognisable lead character, we wanted to add depth to his character. We wanted to show the audience that he wasn't just some charismatic perfect male lead who gets all the girls and kills all the baddies. We wanted to make him more real.
We try to connote the fact that he is only doing what he is to save his beloved Rachel, and that he would do anything it takes to do so. In the opening we connote this through his dialogue, ("I will do anything").

Bond with the same determined expression

Blake visibly shaken after the shooting.

However, we wanted to further reduce the stereo-typicality of his character; we wanted to give the audience a view into this developing character having to adapt to change. One of the ways we attempted to do this was to have him look visibly shocked after the shooting.



Jen's character also threw gender stereotypes out of the window. Compared to most action film female leads, she is neither a love interest for the protagonist, nor someone needing to be rescued. The prior is connoted through Blake already having a fiancée, the latter through her strong actions when the criminals raise their weapons to harm her and Blake.





Jen's strong, hardened characteristics were inspired by female leads such as 'Lara Croft' in Tomb Raider (2001), (although she was more sexualised than Jen), and 'Ellen Ripley' from Alien (1979). Ripley in particular was portrayed with the sort of stereotype-breaking features we wanted.

Ellen Ripley in Alien

Lara Croft in Tomb Raider

Despite Jen's character not conforming to common gender stereotypes, in hindsight, Rachel, although not seen in the opening, would be conforming to the gender stereotype of the damsel in distress, having to be saved by Blake.