Thursday 22 October 2015

[Fraser] - Actor Profile




The reason behind our choice of actor is because he has experience within acting due to him staring in many school performances and drama exams. His role in my music video will be playing a nerdier character. I think that we worked well last time so due to him being reliable and a genuine great actor.

Furthermore he is already a student, which fits the part.

Location Scouting - [Military Training Site]


When I created my AS media film I wasn't to concerned about the location and the whole affair was very last minute. However within a music video I will be going to a variety of different locations because music videos are very fast pace and the average amount of locations, which I calculated from my research was four different locations for the performer(s). I will aim to match this average because it allows me to have more options when editing. Furthermore I want to be able to overshoot on set to be able to get around double the amount of shots I need because it means that if I can't get the shot I want or another shot doesn't work I will have some to back up. I always do this because it avoids re-shoots. Re-shoots are really frustrating and must always try and be avoided because they take up valuable time in the shooting schedule and if the scene s only on screen for five seconds in a music video it becomes even more of a burden. The locations that I have looked at are broken down abandoned places, areas in school and military themed locations. The mise en scene in my music video is very important because I have so little time per shot to keep an audience gripped and to withhold a narrative. I will have to do extensive research into location, costume and props to help me construct a gripping visual narrative. 

   
These images are taken at the location that I am looking into filming at, this location is a two hour drive away or an hour train ride. This means that I will have to be really organised because it is unlikely that I could return to reshoot anything once I have left. This is because it is still an active military training site, the site is only open 50 days a year. The reason for that is because they often hold live fire exercises in the abandoned town. The town was abandoned after the second world war, which provides a close link to my idea of conflict and I think this would add depth to my music video. The reason I want
this military link is because the song is called Battelfield.

This is the perfect location for my shoot because I could get everything I want from one location. Problems that come with this location is the accessibility due to the short window we have to shoot and the opening hours of 6pm - 8am.  Furthermore I doubt that this place has running power supplies, which means a whole lot of batteries for lighting and camera equipment. This means that I will have to make sure everything has enough charge before we get there or we can't film anything.  Another option
would be to charge the lights from a car battery if possible. Another problem is the opening hours are for the public, this means that the site will not be exclusive for us. The site is actually open for people to pay their respects, this is my biggest concern because we don't want to be disrespectful towards the visitors and disrupt their visit. This is why I want to get permission to film their before I go because I don't really want to upset the army.

Wednesday 14 October 2015

Product Research - [Glidecam vs Shoulder mount]



I wanted to achieve a sense of floating through music video because it is based in the characters head, I wanted to take the conventions often found in K-pop when they are dancing the camera is often moving towards and away from them, which creates this abstract floating effect. To keep the motion smooth I have to keep my hands away from the body of the camera. Due to my budget being to low to have a crane on a dolly track I have started to research alternatives. The first product I had in mind was the extremely well priced shoulder mount. This multi-purpose mount doesn't do one thing specifically instead a variety of different technical aspects just not to professional level. This is a great option for an amateur film maker because although it's not at professional level you can achieve very similar results for a fraction of the price. The reviews for the product consistently say this is great value for money however is NOT  a professional replacement. Obviously this product will not stand the test of time as well but I think that it will do the job fine.
This could achieve the style I want however I will look another product to compare them .



The glide cam has slightly less positive reviews but more consistent in terms of the range of views. When looking at the glide cam it really only has one function compared to the multifunction mount however the quality of the build is much better, this means that the mount will last much longer. The style that the glide cam provides unlike the multi mount because the way the camera is held is completely different. I would want to buy this because glide cams also require skill and I love the unique shots you get.


Tuesday 13 October 2015

Music Video: Budget List



  • Crowbar/Weapon  £5-15
  • Clothes - For nerd and bully  £10-20
  • Comic book  £0 - £5
  • Music Poster  £0
  • Intercom £0-50
  • Glidecam £80 DONE
  • Microphone  £0
  • Guns £0-30 DONE
  • Mask £10-20 DONE
  • Smoke Machine £20-50 DONE
  • Lights - Battery LED £20-30 DONE
  • Jumper [Dan bull] - £20-30 DONE
MAX - £330
MIN - £165

This list shows the maximum and the minimum the budget for this music video will cost me. The predictions allow to to see what really is taking up my budget therefore allowing me to see what order I should try and get these items. Furthermore it is now clear to me that I can save a large sum of money by either finding props and or making them myself. The only items that I would consider essential to the production of this music video is the 'comic book', mask and jumper. The reason behind my thinking is that these props are present in either most of the scenes or are essential to the narrative. I will be looking into using my skill set on photoshop to create the comic book not just to save money but to give me more control over the images within it. Another item that I may make myself is the smoke machine because this is probably the most expensive item on the list, I have looked into the chemical reaction needed to create the smokey fog I want and may experiment with the effects. Another item that is expensive is the light, the reason for this is because I want an L.E.D. light that's battery powered. The battery is useful because most of the locations I am looking at shooting are exterior and run down therefore they have a lack of power sockets.