What to do for this years csw to improve from last years

Look at other music videos, explore them, see what they're doing right, and wrong. Get a taste of the music video industry and learn from other peoples music videos. Blog as much online research as possible to get a head start.

Make our planning process a lot more detailed, for example our story-boarding. Be creative,imaginative and come up with a good idea for a music video, a good story idea as well as how to create a fantastic performance.

Plan more closely on the lighting,mis-en-scene, props and setting/locations. Make sure to choose a good variety of lighting, props and locations, as well as a good variety of shots. Choose the best possible props and mis-en-scene, which link to the song and action within the music video.

Make sure to complete all tasks set, homework and class work to my full potential, never fall behind.

Be more organize than last year. Plan ahead, book camera's on time, meet up with team on time. I will also make sure all equipment is well looked after and ready to use, and that shooting schedules are definitely going to happen.

For our next project I will make sure that the filming is done on time so that there is more time for editing the music video to perfection.

Test out the editing software,and program-mes as a team so we understand the software and will produce a better video.

make sure to blog, record as I go along, record everything, issues, team work, plans etc. Make sure there is time for both the blogging and the filming/editing.

Organizing the blog, keeping it up to date, tracking your progress - evidence

Don't mess around- take the job very seriously, and make sure to work together as a team.

Use more media for this upcoming evaluation.

Practical session: Lip syncing

In class we had to do a lip sync excercise. We got given a sheet with lyrics on it to a
popular song "Moves like jagger"from Maroon 5 which is well known.
The first thing we did was as a group we set everything up to film a group lip sync.
We set up 3 main lights and all got infront of the lights. We also set up 3 different
camera angles, having a camera in more than one place, all filming at the same time.
This was useful because it allowed us to film using long-shot,medium-shot, and
close-up. So our teacher counted down, and then us as a whole group had to lip
sync as she played the song. Now this was quite challenging because I didn't know
all the words to the song, or the order of them, but luckily we were allowed to look
at the lyrics while lip syncing. We also had to dance while lip syncing, to make it
less boring and more entertaining. This was very fun, but challenging especially
since I was near the front of the camera, and most people were behind me.

The second thing we did was divide into two big groups and then we had to do some on our own.
This time we all had a turn to be on our own as the main singer infront of the camera.
This was tough considering I had to hold in a hand-held way and use my own free
movement while filming as the person sang. We also made sure to keep all 3 other
cameras steady so they wouldn't move. We also used a mac to see the lyrics to the
song as we were lip syncing to it, this really helped because most people in our
group didn't know the lyrics,so therefore they could read them on the screen.

Other successful Music videos

Music Videos I like and why

Although this music video doesn't really make any sense, I find the video very entertaining.
The use of editing and CGI, and also the effects just ultimately complete this music video.
I really like the part where the kid is using some sort of super power/force against the
doctor. I find the music video really catchy because it's random and you don't expect
what's going to come next. Near the end of the music video the camera movement is
done very well, as it is on time with the rhythm of the music.




The video is really slow paced, just like the music. The music
and the video flow really nicely. The theme of the video goes together well.
This music video is really fun. There is a lot of performance in it and flashy lights.
It really catches my eyes.

Analysis of the previous years music videos

At the start of the year the teachers thought it would be really important for us
to watch and talk about the progress from the last years A2 music video's. This
helped us to think about what we should avoid for our upcoming music video,
as well as things we are expected to do to get the higher marks. The standard
of last years music video's, were overall pretty satisfactory,but they all had
their successes and downfalls. We analyzed all of the music video's created
from last year's A2 group, and this really helped me think about what I should
include in my music video that I will be creating this year.

Group 13B6 whos chosen song is named Ike and Tina were very thoughtful when choosing a
suitable song for their music video. There song is entertaining, with a very catchy beat.
They didn't just get the timing right, when editing, but also created a very imaginative
storyline/music video. The ideas in this music video are creative, and go impressively well
with the song and the lyrics. Throughout their video there was a lot of cuts, flashy light,
exciting colourful edits of people dancing and having fun, which catches the viewers
eye. Also, the choice of star was well chosen, and believable, especially considering he
was very confident, energetic and always pulling a interesting facial expression when lip
syncing. The lip sycing to this song is always on time with the song, and we spoke about
how important that is. The music video was also performance/narrative based, with lots
of editing displaying both performance and editing. Which already tells us that when
there is a storyline equally balanced with a performance in a music video, that it can
be incredible to watch!. This music video has really inspired me to choose a song with
catchy beats, and to think creatively to surprise the audience!.

However 13E8's music video seemed to have a very different approach when making their
music video. They chose a much slower and emotional song, and focused more on narrative
and had very little performance shots. But although this song was much slower than the
previous groups one, the editing in this music video is still done well, and is definitely
in rythm with the song. But this music video doesn't attract the audience in the same way
as the Ike and Tina music video does, and we said how we didn't think somebody would
watch this more than once. This music video focused on a more realistic storyline, which
still enables it to grab the audiences attention, though. Although this video got a good
grade, this hasn't really caught my attention as much as the previous one, and I wouldn't
really considering chosing a song with the pace of 13E8's music video. But overall the
editing and narrative fits really well with the song they chose.

In 13E11's music video, there was a lot of off time editing, and a lot of off time lip-syncing.
This let down the music video and took away its chance of being successful. Also, the
singer didn't fit with the actual voice of the song, and the performance was a bit too weak.
Watching this music video made me realize how important it is to choose the right
people to perform in your music video. If the person doesn't look good with the song, or
doesn't look beliavable as an artist, then it's better to choose somebody else.
It made me think that using a confident,good looking, artist, who has had some sort
of experience infront of the camera, or experience in performing arts. This way, we can
develop a more professinal looking music video.

While discussing the different A2 music video's in class, we came across 13E9's music video who
had made a mistake of using clips from a movie in their music video. The first problem with this is
that it didn't really make sense, the clips had nothing to do with the actual music video, and
it all seemed a little too random. The second problem with this is copyright. No other groups
from last year made the same mistake with copyright, it was all their own material/work. But
group 13E9 didn't think about what the examiner might think, or what the actual owner of the
clips would think as well. Obviously when making my music video, I am going to keep into
account that adding other media sources into it, is not worth it, as the whole point of creating
our own music video in the first place, is to show the examiner our skills and what we can do
individually.

In 13B2's music video the star had a guitar at one point, this made her video different and
more unique from the others from last year's A2 music videos. I thought the guitar made
the performance look more interesting, and really think instruments look impressive, if
being played well/properly in a music video. So perhaps when making my music video
I might see if I can find a actor/actress to play an instrument in a confident way.

In most of the music video's, we thought there were good use of shots,camera angles. Each
video had their very own ideas, and techniques, some which worked better than others.
Overall none of them were completely bland, as most of them had a wide range of
locations to shoot at., as well as a variety of shots and shot angles. I feel  that in some
of last years music videos, the locations were too boring and didn't really fit together
with the overall feel of the song. For example in group 13E11's music video, there
was pretty much only one background, or maybe two the whole way through, but
throughout most of the music video it was the same location, which to me
became really repetitive. 13B3 used unique and lots of different locations which
fitted really well with the narrative of their music video.

13B2's star hardly makes any eye contact with the camera, although the shots used are mostly
close-ups of her face but seem to rarely get catch her eyes in the camera, however if she were
to take more notice of the camera that music video would easily get higher marks. From
watching this music video I realized how much difference it makes when a star/actress
doesn't focus on the camera much. The same issue in occurs in 13e9's music video because
the stars don't look at the camera often enough to make it look realistic enough, and it makes me
feel like i'm not watching a real music video. Also in 13E9's music video there are way too
many same location long shots, and the stars don't seem to be getting close enough to the
camera. This was a real let down for some of last years music video, and hopefully for my
music video the actress/actor I choose will be confident enough to make pure eye contact with
the camera.

Some of last years music video were well thought about, as some are very creative, for example
13B3's music video was put together really well, although the song is slow, we want to keep
on watching because there are so many different ideas/creative shots and edits put in there to
keep the audience engaged. For example the ring idea runs throughout it, and we see the
purpose of it at the end which must have been creatively thought through. The piano goes
well with the song, and was also a good idea. So now I will think about using creative ideas
in my music video that keep the audience engaged.

Overall a lot of thought was put into last years work, however the first 3 music videos at the start of the playlist seem more smartly made than the others. 13B5 and 13B6 seemed best in my opinion, and now I really think about it I can see why their groups did better than everybody else. I'm going to conclude that performance and choreography are really important in a music video, as they are hard to get right. Also, the choice of star/song put together was impressive in 13B5 and 13B6's music video's, the stars performed confidently to the camera, made lots of catchy eye contact to address the audience, and both were almost done perfectly. So now I know the important elements in music video, and will take this on board when creating my own!

What to avoid when creating a music video?

In class we watched and discussed what must be avoided in a music video, here are the main things we came up with.

Repetition : Music video's are all about entertainment, which means the audience like surprises. People don't want to see the same thing repeated, they want to be introduced to new things and ideas. Some repetition isn't so bad, but not when there are shots or points constantly being repeated every so often that it suddenly becomes annoying.

Too many effects: The editing in music video can make a big difference. If there is editing all over the place, less parts will stand out. You want the editing to have meaning, to add effect and it's supposed to fix it all together to make it all one amazing piece of work. If there are effects placed anywhere, then the video won't end up syncing into the music.

Bad choice of Song: When creating a music video, it's always good to choose a song with a catchy beat and rhythm. It shouldn't be too slow and boring, or too fast so that it's almost impossible to lip sync to. It's a good idea to choose a song with interesting lyrics and a interesting tune, but at the same time the words are clear, and easy to mimic to.

Bad Performance : A good performance is what makes a music video stand out. If the performance doesn't look good or fit with the music, or if the artist isn't confident enough and is messing about, they wont get as many viewers. The performance should always look like it's meant to be there, meant to be put into the music video, meant to sell the artist/band.

A fully narrative music video: When it comes to a music video, it shouldn't be boring. Save the fully narrative for the film industry, music video has a totally different approach to its audience. You want some independent time for the artist to be able to express their confidence and for them to sell themselves.

Off time lip syncing: A music looks and feels really unprofessional when the singer isn't in time with the singing. When the person doesn't look like he/she is singing, it makes them look really stupid.The lip syncing should always be in time of the music and lyrics, the singer shouldn't look like they're not the original singer of the song. Also, the expression the singer pulls when they're singing is important, but not as important as making the lip syncing on time. If the lip syncing is off time, it pretty much ruins the whole promotion idea, and will only just put the viewer off.

Sticking to the rules : When I was watching the last years A2 music videos, I noticed that not many people took risks and it was all quite on a satisfactory level. Only a few of them came up with creative,unique ideas which allowed them to play about with the rules, they weren't simple and boring and their music video looked as if they planned outside the box. When watching the previous A2 music videos, I thought that some of them didn't have much planning, as well as I thought some of them were afraid to make a mistake so kept it as realistic as possible.

Too many locations: In a music video it is better to avoid too many locations, as it is very easy to get confused, however in film it's more understandable. It's usually not the location you use, it's often how you use it in music video, for example it depends on the performance as well. So locations can be limited in music video, as long as the performance is outstanding. A few locations are fine when it comes to making a music video, because sometimes there needs to be a location for the narrative. But music video creators need to be more confident and shouldn't be afraid to use less locations, and focus on the performance.

Unconvincing  cast : When you're watching a music video the main thing people focus on is the singer/star. If the person in front of the camera doesn't look as pleasing as the music, the audience aren't going to believe they're the one singing. Many people watch music video's and expect the main singer to stand out , also it's better to watch if the singer is charismatic and believable as the character they are playing on screen.

Sticking to the rules, time order editing:
Music video's are made very differently to film. When making a music video the editing is much more important, and there aren't really any rules to it. A good music video will be edited with a lot more shots of the artist/band, and shouldn't be in time order. Even if the music video is fully narrative, there still shouldn't be a exact time order of events happening. Music video's are supposed to engage the audience and be catchy. You're not just telling a story, you're creating a piece of visual artwork that can be seen various times. However, film isn't as spontaneous, it actually needs to be edited in a certain,realistic way. There is no realistic style of editing for a music video, otherwise that would make them boring. The editing needs to be able to involve synaethesia, and sell the song. There can never be too much shots or close-ups of the artists face/body, and in fact it's best to get many performing shots in the editing. Music video shouldn't be a story, it is something the audience wants to be able to remember and want to see more than just once. It is best to avoid continuity editing and to use more fragmented shots. 

 

 

Things to think about when creating a music video

Special effects: In music video special effects can make a music video look ten times better. As long as they're placed in the right place at the right time and are appropriate, they can make a big improvement and help pleasure the audience. When special effects are used in music videos it tends to add more meaning to the music video. It also helps the music video look more mainstream and clever.

synaesthesia: This is matching the music to the visuals. Also it requires all the human senses, ears,mouth,nose,and eyes. It is important to think about human senses and the best way to connect to them when making a music video. It is good to base a music video around synaesthesia.

Matching editing: In music video it is important for the editing to match on time with the music. The editing should have a meaning, and should go with the music rhythm and beats. If the music video isn't well edited, the less professional it looks, and it would only end up looking rushed.

Choreography :  Sometimes, but not always, it's nice to have some sort of dance like performance throughout a music video. You often find the more popular music video's have particular dances, movement, or a sequence of steps/movement. This can help grab the audiences attention if done successfully. People like not knowing what to expect, and also people like watching clever performances and dance routines. 

Interesting studio or location:  When I was evaluating last years music videos, I came across one major issue. Like 13E11's choice of locations didn't seem to go very well with the music, and looked too dull. However, 13B6's group had a variety of locations, but also with different lighting which went along effectively with each parts of the narrative. It is important to choose locations which go along with the story/performance of the music video. 13B6's dance location, with the black background, and the colorful lights went really well, and made it stand out from the others.
It doesn't exactly matter how many locations, just as long as the location you use compliments the rest of the music video. 

Instruments: Sometimes instruments can make a music video's look more professional, they don't exactly have to be used to make a successful music video, though. It depends on the genre of the music video, for example rock video's usually have instruments in the music video, which fits really well with the band, and there rocking performance. But occasionally instruments are just a extra prop to help promote the particular music video, sometimes they're not needed. 

Good performer: Also from watching the last years work, I decided how crucial a good performer is for any type of music video. The performer is always the main person in the music video, therefore the audience aren't going to take their eyes off the performer. This is why, a good performer is so important for a good music video. Without a good performer, no one would want to watch a music video, since the performer will be all they can pretty much stare at throughout the entire music video. 

Clever mis-en-scene: Mis-en-scene is just as crucial as a good performer, without both the less successful a music video is likely to be. You could have a good performer, but they might not be dressed in the best possible clothes, or might not be using the best props for the characters to stand out. It's important to use mis-en-scene that will make the characters/actors/actresses stand out in the music video.

Direct address: When the performer takes no notice of the camera in-front of them, it makes the audience feel slightly left out. If the star isn't focusing on the screen, it makes the audience feel like they're not experienced, and so they will see the music video as unprofessional. From watching last years music videos, and just other music videos in general, it made me realize 
how much better it looks when the performer makes a lot of eye contact at the screen. 

Camerawork.: Camera work is a key element in any media product, like films, music videos etc.
The camera work should be done very carefully. In a music video, there are no rules of where to put the camera, it's all quite spontaneous. It's important to make sure you move the camera about as much as possible, and that you are free with it, only just because this means not following the rules- which is what a music video tends to do.

Reflections on my past coursework

Previous project our film "The Slayer"

Last year's final project, successes, and downfalls, and how to improve for this year.

 

What were our groups successes?

The outcome of our final film: Overall I would like to say that I am pleased with the outcome of the previous coursework. Although it was a tough year, I am very proud with the final film. 
Although creating a good film, and sticking to the codes and conventions of film were tough, I still feel very positive about how it ended. Knowing that my group was one mark away from the top mark for our film, encourages me to do the same this year with the music video!

What to do for A2: Get full marks for the final product again. I hope to make a very good standard,creative music video. I will make sure to be more creative and as serious about the overall outcome for this upcoming project!

Pulling off believable actors/actresses, as well as believable mis-en-scene:

The characters in our film were pretty realistic and achieved their role well. 

Even better, was the mis-en-scene which helped our final coursework piece

last year seem professional. Our planning for clothing,lighting's and location

fitted together really well.  Also our actors and actresses stayed on role and

in focus the whole way through, and took it seriously. This made the film

look like a real one. 

What to do for A2: This year I am hoping to use studio lights, more props

and professional instruments.Although last years was pretty standard, I 

think this year will need a bigger focus on mis-en-scene, the locations and

the singer/singers. The performance and lighting have to step up a level

next year for the music video, as it is a bigger importance, as it makes

all the difference. 

Group Roles: For our coursework last year, within our group were different roles for everyone.
In our group we made sure to take things in turn rather than just stick to the same boring role the
whole way through. We still had our roles though, I was the director in my group which I found challenging but enjoyed it. 

What to do for A2:To be just as fair in a group when deciding what

each person's role is going to be, as sometimes people don't

feel comfortable and change their mind about what they want

to do! also, it would be good for the team members to take 

each role in turns, so that each individual develops a skill in more

than just one area.

Blogging: When creating our group film, we made sure to blog occasionally. 

We didn't just write

about the project, we took interesting photographs/recordings to give evidence of our teamwork and planning.We were sure to always have a camera with us throughout the entire year. We would organize a meeting at lunch very often to make sure our blog was recording every step through our coursework, but of course it wasn't only our group blog, but our own blogs were important too. We made sure to spend equal amount on both blogs, to show teamwork, as well as in-dependency. The good thing about our group is that we didn't just post what was expected, we posted many of our own ideas as well to show how serious we were about our work.The main reason why our blog was a success is because all our interests/film hobbies, likes and dislikes were posted on there too. On our previous coursework blog, we analyzed many similar films to help us through the filming process which really made a difference. 

What to do for A2: Continue blogging as much as I can, every time we have a meeting record it. I know that both the group blog and the individual blog are essential websites for media coursework. I hope to do as well as I did last year for blogging and keeping up to date with the blog from the start.

Planning and going beyond: Development was a great success last year. Although my group created a detailed storyboard, there was still plenty of room outside the box. We allowed ourselves
to develop a simple story idea, and then take it further by being imaginative. We planned what to do, but then we changed our ideas about to make a more interesting secondary one and then used that instead. We didn't just stick to our original storyboard, and narrative, we built that by using the simple storyline and changing it until we thought it was good enough. 

What to do for A2: Rather than just sitting down and planning what we think will work, test and be more free. Create a music video which people will enjoy and want to watch numerous times rather than a boring one. Plan as well as we did last year, but me more test worthy. 
 

Achieving the criteria:Last year my group had no problem with achieving the given criteria. We carefully took our time to get the best possible grade, and we really focused on what was needed.

What to do for A2:To do the same, to really focus on what will get me marks for the upcoming course.

Editing: Last year we left ourselves with a short amount of time to edit our film, so we didn't have enough time to create the sound how we wanted. However, considering we had a short time to edit we did our absolute best in the limited time.Although there wasn't much time to create the perfect sound, we focused all our attention on the shots, editing them into the best possible order, and cutting and trimming out bits we didn't need. Considering me and my group had no experience with the editing software, we seemed to master it pretty epically! 

What to do for A2:Next year I am going to make sure there is more time focused on the editing process, as this is crucial. I will make sure to save my work more frequently, and to play about with it more. Because next year we don't have to make our own soundtrack, there is no need of improvement in that area, however next year I do need to make sure there is more than enough time for editing the music video.

Sharing ideas and trying out new things:Something I always made sure to do in my previous project, was to constantly experiment with the equipment and software. I wasn't afraid to test something and admit that it didn't look so good, and then make it better. Also, I was always open to sharing my ideas with my group. 

 What to do for A2: Get used to the software and programs we will be using next year to make a music video, and to become more familiar with it.

Confidence in our group and team work:For my previous coursework me and my group were always confident in what we were doing. We all took part as much as we could, and we didn't have any problems with confidence, because we were all pretty confident in what we were doing. Our team weren't afraid to communicate with each other, and were confident to admit they were wrong, and also confident enough to solve problems.

 What to do for A2: Be VERY risky and brave, more than I was for the previous coursework.

Variety of shots: For my last years project we wanted to make it interesting by using as many shots as possible. We didn't just use long-shots, we used more close-up ones too. I think this made our film more watchable. The camera movement was one of our groups strongest areas according to the film we created.

What to do for A2: For this upcoming music video I am going to create, I will be sure to use a even wider variety of shots, and more catchy camera movements!. I wont be afraid to move the camera, and I will be more careful when filming , to film more for the editing process!! the more you film, the more you have to choose from when finalizing! 

What were our weaknesses? 

Forgetting props and remembering things: A common problem that happened a lot during the filming last year was people seemed to forget about the meetings and just made excuses to avoid the work. But it wasn't just that, my group were often forgetting the props to bring, which interrupted with our filming. Even sometimes one of us would be more organized than the other when remembering things, or when making sure to bring everything we need to shoot.

What to do for A2: To avoid forgetting props, for the next project I am going to make a list of everything I need and check I have it all several times before I leave. I will keep a note pad to stay organized.

Sticking to the shooting schedule: Because people didn't stick to the groups original shooting plan the process became slower and just dragged on. The days of shoots kept changing too much and it all became a little too confusing. People didn't turn up and the whole team became let down because of this.

 What to do for A2: Next year I think it would be best to check with my group members to see what day every person is free on, and then make a shooting schedule. It's no good in planning it on a day that nobody is able to show up. This way it will save time, and things will be more organized and there will be more time after for re-shooting.

Meeting up too late:Because our film was a horror, we had to film during night time, but we often met up way too late to get a decent lighting, this made the lighting look a little unclear and the shots harder to see. We would always plan to meet up early, but take too long getting ready and just ending up with completely nothing done. 

 What to do for A2: Next year I am going to make sure I get ready early and leave early so that getting there on time won't be hassle.

Distractions and complaints: During last years coursework we found our group became quite easily distracted and off the subject. There was always a member who complained over something silly which just wasted important time.The actors/actresses often got distracted during the filming which made it look less effective, so that made us have to re-shoot. 

 What to do for A2: For this upcoming project I am going to just get on with the filming,planning and everything rather than complaining about it. I will also put my foot down to make sure the rest of my team are working to their best of efforts at all time.

  

 Forgetting to charge the camera: A major issue from our production from our previous coursework was making sure the equipment was ready to use. We would always forget to charge the camera, so therefore it held us back a lot.

  What to do for A2: Make sure the most reliable person keeps hold of the camera, and that they are able and trustworthy enough to charge the camera everyday, until filming is completely finished!

 

Introduction to myself! ^_^

Hi there and welcome to my blog! I am going to try and be very creative this year! ^_^ this is the website I will be storing my A2 work! Hope you will enjoy ;) I will also be creating my very own music video, a digi-pak, website and magazine!