Preliminary Tasks- Evaluation

Preliminary Tasks


(Miley Cyrus- Party in the USA)



(She and Him- In the Sun- Lip Sync Task)



(She and Him -In the Sun- Actual Music Video)



(She and Him- In the Sun-Workshop Day)

Evaluation

1. What do you think you learnt from Monday's workshop?

The workshop day was something that I really enjoyed i learn't so much and got a real in sight into how the media works and different roles while on shoot. I played the main girl in the video whick meant I was pretty much on set all day and in nearly all the shots. We all had to dress up in costume, make up, hair and create the sets I learnt how important the mise-en-scene was in order to create the right atmosphere, mood and create a music video with meaning.

I also saw how imporant each role was when shooting a music video. The director, lighting, choreographer, assistant director all had to work together because without each of them doing their role the video would have fallen apart. It was vital that both the crew and cast worked together and followed instructions and communicated and this is something that I really learn't and can use when making my music video.

Although I didn't get to try as much of the technical side on the day due to the role I had to play I was able to see how important it was. The HD camera enhanced the shots and the lighting emphasised the mise-en-scene. I saw the neccesity of making everything perfect in the shot. Each shot we did we took a couple of takes and we also did run through of each shot this allowed us to re do shots making sure the lighting, character, setting, play back and camera angle was correct allowing us to get he best possible shot. I also saw and learn't how long the process of making a music video is and that you cannot rush the process, it is very time consuming, each person has to work together in a team and work past any issues in order to create a music video and I feel with the help of Jake and the crew our class produced a succesful copy of the music video In the Sun.

2. For you, what was the best bit of the day and why?

I really enjoyed the whole day although at some points its got very tiring and having to do retakes made the day very long. However the best bit of the day for me was shooting the library dance scene. In the morning we shot the corridor scenes and I was really nervous so did not enjoy it as much. However as the day progressed I started to feel more confident and could relax. I enjoyed working with my class and doing the dance together. I think we all got into the video a lot more in the after noon and felt more confortable in our roles. I also had a lot of fun shooting the hoola hoop scene. Although I struggled to hoola hoop (!) I really had a lot of fun and we worked more as a team and had a laugh. Overally the day was so interesting I learn't a lot from it and without all the help from Jake, Jazzy etc it couldnt have been the success that it was.

3. Are you pleased with your edit? Is it how you expected it to look?

I am really pleased with the edit and it wasn't at all how I thought it would look at all. When I first watched all the captured footage I was quite dissapointed at how it was and initially thought that the edit we would do will look nothing like the actual music video of she and him- in the sun. However I have been proven completely wrong am I am so pleased with the final edit and am so happy at how close it is to the real thing. I think all the shots work well, lightning and mise en scene looks really good and overall looks really convincing

I think a huge success was the end part of the music video it looks so good and all the short snapy cuts of the hoops and the guitar playing work really well, I love the crane shot and am so pleased we were able to do that because without it, it would have spoilt the copy of the music video. I think we were able to make all the shots match up in our edit a few shots were shorter or maybe longer then the actual video but we were able to work around that. Although some shots were not exactly the same I think my edit looks really similar and am really happy with the outcome

I think however in some of the shots the lighting didnt match up and this perhaps made the cuts and where we had placed the shots obvious so if we could do it again I would try and resolve it. On a couple of the shots on the production day we did not realise that I should have been singing like the main girl is the video we were copying therefore if we could do it again i would make sure i was lip singing in all the shots and in the right place. I also think sometimes we were all not putting in the right energy or werent all doing the dance right so perhaps this would be something to change but we all tried out best and I don't think its really obvious.

Although we may have had a few continuity errors which became clear when we started editing I don't think any of our mistakes look to obvious and the edited version that we did looks really good. Im so pleased I could be part of it and the edit of it looks really convincing and matches up well to the real thing.

4. Have the lip sync tasks benefitted you in any way?

The lip syncs have really benefitted us, as we did two we could improve on the first and try to make the shots we used more like a music video. The main thing that I learnt from doing the lip sync tasks were what sort of shots we should be using as in music videos they are usually either

• close ups
• mid shots
• long shots

              

 

The way in which the shots are used in music video are for example a close up into a long shot so quite and extreme to give a great contrast. Unlike in film the continuity doesnt need to be seamless and a music video is much more relaxed. When editing the lip sync it allowed me to practise using the real music track and matching that up to what we had lip sync'd. At first i found this difficult as i had to match up the movement of the mouth with the song lyrics however by doing these tasks I gradually got much more confident and can now use these skills for the rest of the project.

I worked in a pair for both tasks and the lip sync's made me learn to be much more efficient when I will shoot my new music video. On the first lip sync we shot all random shots and wasn't sure if we would use them or not. On the second lip sync we gave ourselves a time of one hour to get every shot done and so this made us think about what we really needed and whether we would actually use a particular shot. When we come to shooting our real music video timing will be vital therefore the lip sync tasks has really benifitted me and I really enjoyed doing them

5. How do you think the work you have completed for the preliminary tasks will impact on your real music video project?

I've learn't so many skills from my preliminary tasks and it has reallly given me that in sight and help that I needed to get started on my real music video project. When I was first introduced to the project I felt quite nervous and its completely different to a film or anything we have ever done before. So when  we started the preliminary tasks I put in a lot of effort and I feel now it's really paid off.

To begin with all the preparation we did for the workshop day and on the actual day has given me so much help and confidence that will impact on my real music video project. I now know all about looking at the lyrics of songs, the charcters, the singer, the genres, the band and how this then all impacts hugely on what style and mise en scene we use for the actual music video. So when I come to looking at my music video I know straight away as to what I should be looking at. On the actual day of the workshop i learn't about all the different roles, lighting, techincal side, choreography, acting , mise en scene, shots, re shoots, and working as a team.The whole day benifitted me greatly and I know that i will be using all the skills I watched, was involved in and learn't to create a really good music video for my own project. I really like working as such a big team and I saw how important it was to share roles and all take turns it doing different things which i really want to do when I make me own music video

Both my lip syncs task made me mainly focus on the shots that we will use when making our real music video and the way in which they are then cut in order to make the style similar to all other music videos. The different types of shots that I learn't will really impact on what I do on my real music video shoot. The timing on my lip sync task is also something that will benefit on my real music video because I saw the importance of having a plan and sticking to a time limit

Finally the whole editing process of all 3 tasks have been so useful and i have been able to familiarise myself with all the equipment, the razor tool, the timelines, caputuring footage and being able to use the edit suites again to cut up shots and order them to make a music video. These skills are vital for my music video and ive grown in confidence while doing these preliminary tasks and now know how to upload to youtube which was something i did not know how to do

Overall these preliminary tasks have been so much fun and I have really learn't a lot from them. The workshop day went so well and we really produced a good copy of the she and him music video. I am now really looking forward to next term and being given and little more freedom and choice and creating my own music video!