Camera Angle/Movement Highlights

Zoom:

Right at the start of our video, we zoom into the prison. This acts as our establishing shot as we can see the interior of the prison. The zoom also leads the audience into the narrative. The zoom is what takes the viewer deeper into the prison and shows them to the prisoner. The zoom works nicely with the theme of a prison as it makes the hall seem longer than it actually is, this combined with the emptiness of the hall creates a sense of isolation.

High Angle Shot:

This high angle portrays the character as weak and powerless - something that is important as this is his weakest moment if the whole video. The positioning of the camera also gives the impression of a camera, perched high and watching the bear. 

Movement around the singer:

On a few occasions, the camera moves around Sam/with Sam. This is more immersive as it is more interesting to watch than a still tripod shot. By using these shots, it clearly shows sam is the main singer as there are a range of close ups and the camera "orbits" around him. 

Canted Movement:

This type of camera movement is well suited to the Indie Alternative genre. This is because the camera is tilting, as if it is unstable. This somewhat represents the alternative indie genre as it is an unusual shot. It gives the impression that the world is twisting at turning, and can't be steadied. 

Fast Pan:

This pan is very immersive as it can be perceived as someone looking/ turning to watch the fight. This will draw in the audience as it will make them feel as if they are watching the fight happen first hand, and they are turning to see the bear's reaction. 

Shift Focus:

This shot if very interesting, it shifts focus from the bear onto the lion. This gives the impression that the focus is on her, she has been found out and all attention is on her, she is the one in the wrong. The creeping of the camera also gives the impression of someone peering over at the lion, as if they have just seen what is on the phone as is looking over to her to see her reaction. This again immerses the audience as the movement follows a realistic reaction of an overseer if they were watching the argument. 

P.O.V Camera Shake:

This shot is interesting as it puts the viewer in the lions position. This is effective as it enhances the intensity of the scene. The audience would be able to experience the fear the lion is feeling, and would sympathise for her and perhaps change their previous views. 

Falling Camera/Out of focus:
This shot, like the previous picture, puts the audience in the lions position as she fall for the ground. This is effective as it shows the pain she has endured as she is about to hit the ground. This further enhances how the audience feels for her. This should also turn the audience against the bear, viewing him as an abuser.

Editing Our Video:

Editing Examples: A few Of Our Top Editing Picks

Before we even added footage, we had a small lay out (our skeleton) which showed us which shot went where and for how long. This make it extremely easy when editing as we had everything in place and just had to make small tweaks to fit the beat/timing of the video.

This skeleton increased our accuracy when editing on beat. It mean when we filmed each scene, we roughly knew how long we had to film before we had footage that was to long to fit into the selected slot.


Slow Mo:

Right at the start of our video, there are examples of speed manipulation, as well as non-diegetic music that has been added on over the top of the music soundtrack. We had to add slow-mo over these bits of footage because our actor turned too quickly, meaning the timing didn't match the other shots. So, we ended up manipulating the footage by slowing it down and stretching out out slightly. We also added non-diegetic camera sounds in order to bring the prison sequence to life, making it more realistic. As well as the camera sounds, we added the "fade to white" transition with the camera sound. When speeding the "fade to white" effect up, it looks like a flash. This just added to the effect of a camera/ mug shot sequence. 

Reversing Footage:

There are a few examples of our footage being reversed. We decided to do this because it fits our indie/alternative genre. Reverse footage is seen as "alternative" because people expect things to progress forward. However, by reversing footage it implies everything is backwards/alternative. We also added a few speed effects on top of our sped up footage (shown by the rabbit facing the left.) The mise en scene of this whole shot conveys alternative/indie genre. There are bright colours, backwards + speed up footage. This is something that isn't as conventional in other types of genre/isn't expected. 

Overlays/JumpCuts:

Emma and I wanted to create a small montage/jumpcuts of the main character in his cell doing different things - this creates the impression that time is passing, which creates the feeling that the character is going to be in prison for a very long time. We also wanted to prison footage to be more interesting. Since we had a wide shot of the room, we decided to add a overlay of CCTV footage. This is because it creates a sense of being watched and makes the audience feel as if they are watching the prisoner live. With the two of these effects combined, it gives a more realistic and drawn out prison experience. 

The footage I used was found online, where it is available to use or free. By using Adobe After Effects, I was able to personalise the camera slightly. I was able to edit the time, and the camera name. 

Filming: Day 6 - Emma's House

We decided to film the ending scene of our video at Emma's house. This is because the lighting is really good, and we were able to create domestic life scenes which also show the deteriorating relationship.

We had no problems with filming as we had the whole day to film, and since we were in a private setting/Emma's house, there were no limits to what we could film. 

Continuity was very easy to control. This is because there were no people/weather/anyother factors that effected positioning.

Filming: Day 5 - Severn Bridge

Servern Bridge Filming: 

We decided we needed a few scenes which showed the breakdown of the relationship between the two characters. So, we decided to have a new change of scenery, and a change of time (night time) so it shows that this is a clear flashback and a new scene. 

Considering we filmed at night, the quality of these shots of not too good. We had a light source (A giant torch) but i created a spot light effect. Some may argue that his is effective as it give importance to the characters, but I believe it creates the effect of isolating them from the environment as it looks like they are surrounded by darkness. I like this idea as the characters don't quite fit in with the everyday life. The stick out and are very different to their surroundings.

It was pretty windy and cold when we went so we rushed filming so we could get home as soon as possible. Luckily my friend, Michael knew the area pretty well so he was able to direct us and get us around the area pretty quickly - this made filming quick and easy, especially since moral was decreasing in the awful weather.

Filming: Day Four - Back in the studio

We once more returned back to the studio to get a few more shots of lip syncing. This is because we didn't get any varied shots the first time we filmed.

In order to get more varied shots, without the hastle of having to do millions of re-takes from different angles, I stood a certain distance away from Sam and filmed him while completely moving the camera. I would move around him, pan down, zoom in/out and other various movements. By doing this, It creates lots of variation and multiple camera angles, shots of different  manoeuvres  and other techniques all in one, which meant Emma and I have more time to film as we didn't have to continually stop, set the camera up and a different angle/ distance and so on.

Filming: Day Three - The Prison

Here is a mini vlog Emma made throughout the day of filming:

Some Additional Pictures:

In order to get access to the prison we had to pay for entry. This was very pricey, especially when the cost of the train tickets were added into the over all cost. However, the prison was an excellent setting and I believe it was worth the cost. We were able to get many good shots, as well as learning a little bit about prison life!

Filming in the cells were a slight problem. The lighting was a bit dull as the only source of light came from a small and dirty window. At one point we tried using the flashlights on our phones to boost the lighting, however, it made the scene look unnatural.

The prison, despite being decommissioned, abandoned and creepy, was actually very aesthetic! There were warnings pained everywhere, a wall were prisoners carved their names and huge walls that were covered in razor wire, ouch!

This has to be one of my favourite shots. I love the way that Sam contrasts the plain white background, and how the writing is placed next to him in the shot. This would be an amazing digipak cover, however, it does not fit with the work I have already done.

Filming: Day Two - Bristol

Filming In Bristol:

Today we headed into Bristol to film the romantic scene between our two characters. Unfortunately the weather was bleak, pretty dull and rainy. This had a few consequences which I will explain later.

Locations:
Firstly we started off by filming in Cabot Circus. Our aim was to get shots of shopping, light hearted fun and some scenic shots. However, within minutes we had to stop filming and leave the premises. This was because the shopping centre has to be careful and be suspicious of photographers as there is belief that anyone could be assessing the shopping centre, picking out weaknesses and planning to attack. The security explained the whole situation and it was completely understandable and perfectly reasonable since we didn't make them aware of our presence beforehand. They checked my camera and assessed the footage just to make sure I wasn't trying to exploit weaknesses in the infrastructure. Luckily they continued to let us film - just as long as it was out of the borders of the shopping centre.



Around Bristol: 

We went to a few places in Bristol - The bridge over the river, the water fountains near @Bristol, and a few of the streets in the area. The weather was awful and this effected both the lighting of the shots, and the moral of the actors + Emma and I. By the end of the day we were desperate to get back home - this caused us to rush filming (as well as having a time limit to get our actor home in time for work) so the footage is not as good as I would have liked.

Filming: Day One - The Studio

Filming Prep: 

To ensure we were more prepared, Emma and I made lists to keep track of the props, costume and equipment, as well as who was in charge of it. This allowed us to share out all of the items without  over loading one person.

Costume:

We also had Sam wear a white T-shirt, as this is best for viewing colours, and the projector images on. 

Set Up:

 The Set up from our view - We positioned the camera in the centre of the huge white background and angled the lights.

 The set up of the camera/the projector. The camera was placed onto a tripod and was left there at eye level height. The projector was also carefully balanced on the back cabinets, where it was able to shine onto the white screen.

Testing Lights & Filters:

The filters we used:

Coloured Gel filters, borrowed from the school

Filters On Our Model:

Below are the photos we took of our performance model, Sam. We tested all the light filters to see which ones had strong colour and worked well with the camera. Over all, Emma and i preferred the dark reds and oranges, as well as dark blues and purples. 

Filters On The Set:

A Few Examples Of Raw Footage:

             

Shot List For Amusements:

Amusements: 

Shot List For Abandoned Building:

Abandoned Building

Shot List For Street:

STREET

Skeleton Layout For Our Video

Skeleton from Charlotte Bancroft on Vimeo.

We created a simple skeleton of our video, with the correct shot timings just so we could see how it would turn out and it will be easy to put our footage into.

Shot List For Prison:

Prison

Shot List For Performance:

PERFORMANCE

Actors and Actresses:

Character Profiles:

Reasoning for choosing these actors:

• Protagonist: Charlie Woolf
• For the main protagonist we have specifically chosen Charlie because he is confident in front of the camera. Although, his face may not be seen due to the mask, we still feel as though it is important that the actor feels comfortable being films. In addition to this we feel as though because of the mask, body language may need to be exaggerated  to show emotion. This is something Charlie will be able to accomplish to a high standard because of his experience performing in drama plays. 

• Female character: Beth Davies
• For the female character we have chosen Beth Davies. This is because she is comfortable being filmed due to previous experience with modelling for photography students. Although she hasn't had any experience acting, because of the mask she wears and the fact that she isn't the main character we feel as though this may not be as noticeable. As well as being a suitable advocate in terms of her confidence she also provides our video with ethnic diversity which we may be able to link to various media theorists and theories. In addition to this, Charlie and Beth know each other outside of filming meaning that they will give a convincing performance in terms of their relationship.

• Performing artist: Sam Grotzke
• We chose Sam Grotzke mainly because his look fits the alternative genre of our song. He owns lots of clothing which would be suitable for the performing artists costume and is willing to wear it for the role. In addition to this he already knows the song and likes the band meaning he will be able to lip sync the words and sing them confidently and enthusiastically. Sam like Beth has also modelled fro photography students meaning he will also feel confident in front of the camera. Although he is not friends with the other actors we found this an unimportant aspect because Sam will mostly feature in scenes alone. 

• Male robber: Sam Grotzke
• For the theft scene we have picked Sam to perform as the "villain". This is because he knows the other actors meaning that not only will he give a convincing performance, he will also be comfortable and enjoy performing with the other actors. Also, by using the same actor to perform as the artist and villain we are able to link the performance and narrative halves of the video together. It also creates an enigma code for the narrative based half of the video.

Testing out The Projector

In This video I test out my projector and what it looks like on a persons face (a technique we are going to use in our video). This is because the original video inspired us with their projector performance, and we wanted to make our performance more interesting. Before filming, I wanted to learn how to properly use the projector so less time would be wasted by trying to figure it all out.

Considering the projector's age, the quality is very good, however, it is a little pixelly, but this is hard to avoid as it is to do with the technology and how it projects images.

Over all, I believe if done efficiently, our use of the projector during our performance will be brilliant.

Task 21: StoryBoarding

StoryBoard:

What Have I Learnt? 
I have learnt that by having a storyboard, It is easier to film. This is because there is a pre-planned and structured guide. Storyboards also allow me to visualise a image, and then bring it to life when filming. However, it is hard to stick to a storyboard as there are moments of random inspiration and moment where things don't go to plan, or the idea changes.

Task 20: Locations

Locations:

*Joint task, Taken from my partner, Emma's blog - Link to blog

What Have I Learnt?
From this I have learnt that location is important when filming for music videos as it allows a change of scenery, and if done correctly, could also be cinematic. Emma and I have chosen a huge variety of locations as we don't want to focus on one place for too long. However, these locations may change due to access.