Christmas holiday filming.

Yesterday I did some additional filming. Having a whole two weeks off, I decided to take out a camera to film some more footage, particularly some more footage of me singing to add some more visual variety. I was hoping for some snow to add to the sense of visual variety,  but there has been no sign of it, and still no sign on the weather forecast.  On the brighter side, I have had a look at the footage at home and I am very pleased with it. I think it will finalise the music video well. The next step when we get back from the Christmas holidays, is for me to upload the footage, add it to the rest of the music video and finalise it with some more editing techniques.

New Filming Schedule

I have come up with some more ideas. I am thinking of filming a sequence in a balcony to place in the beginning of the music video, and the end. The shot will consist of me sitting on a balcony reading a book, until a picture of her ex-boyfriend falls out, and triggers her memories. The reason I am planning on filming  the balcony is because it will show her status at this point in her life now that she has escaped the oppressing and saddening relationship. I am also going to film some more shots of me singing as I believe it lacks a good amount of lip-syncing which would be beneficial in highlighting that it is a music video, rather than a short film. The shots will be of me singing in the mirror to imply that she is trying to persuade herself to leave, and arguing with herself about her departure.

Editing.

Unfortunately, due to inset days and other school timetable arrangements, we have not had many media lessons. However, on Friday we had a school progress review day for the younger years, which meant that we were able to come in and do some work. Editing is going great, and I am quite happy with the way things are going. I have tried to add some more effects including the black and white effect, along with the change of opacity.They look really good.

Today we have a media lesson, which we will presumably be spending on more editing. As the deadline is gradually getting nearer, the pressure is on to be completely focused in lessons and try our best to work towards the completion of the music video.

Editing and Lip Syncing

The majority of last lesson was spent on uploading the footage and really getting started with putting the music video together. My overall reaction to the shots was good. I was extremely happy with the establishing shots which I took in Waterloo. I believe the iconography really fits well to establish the setting of the music video clearly. The angles in which I took the shots give a really nice wide view of the area. 

I started adding the clips, also putting in some more cross dissolve effects to add some variety. I also cut the clips according to the beat of the music to make it look really sharp, and more professional rather than being quite disorganised. From my research into music videos a while ago, I identified that the majority of the videos cut the clips according to the beat and I believe this really adds to creating a successful music video. 

A few lessons ago, I learnt and discovered the life of lip syncing. Lip syncing is something which I have always seen, and have been really intrigued to see how it is done, but have never had the chance until this point in time. In the previous lesson we were given a lesson on lip syncing to act as a tool to help us. At first, it seemed completely confusing, but once I gave it a try with my own clips, it was a lot easier than it sounded. I managed to fit my clips to the song accordingly but did come across some difficulties. There were times where I wanted to cut a very small section of the clip out to fit exactly with the song, which was quite difficult as you had to know where to cut it, making sure you did not delete any clip that was actually needed. Although I went through 15 minutes of undo-ing what I have done, I soon got the hang of it, and successfully completed a few clips. 

  

Filming

Tomorrow  I am planning on filming the second part of my music video. This consists of the iconography, such as  the London Eye and Big Ben, and also a few of the shots as the girl approaches the flat. Due to my unreliable actress who was meant to be used previously, I decided that it would be a waste of good footage if I decided to find another girl to replace. Instead, I will be keeping the footage of myself as the protagonist and continuing the shots by directing my friend on how to take the shots etc.

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Second lot of filming done. I am extremely happy to say that the second section of my filming is completed. Fortunately, one of my friends was available, and acquainted me to Waterloo to film some shoes of the London Eye to portray the setting of the music video. I have also taken a few shots of the Thames, and some of me singing. I also included a shot of a bracelet falling, to reflect a sense of the protagonist giving up and moving on. We were in Central London for approximately an hour and a half and managed to get a great amount of footage filmed. I believe this will add to the variation of visuals to stop the music video from getting quite dull and boring. Tomorrow, I will start editing the footage.

Reaction to editing

This lesson, we spent the majority of our time uploading our footage and having a look at it. Overall, I was quite happy with the footage. However, I did notice a few problems, one in particular was my initial idea of using lighting to play a big role in the music video. I wanted the light towards the kitchen to be a lot brighter in contrast to the lighting towards the door (where the boy was standing on the other side). I wanted this to reflect how her life is a lot darker when she is near him. Looking back at the footage the shots near the door were a lot darker and do not show the girls facial expressions. Despite this, it is very clear that she is upset and angry through the use of her body language (her fists knocking against the wall, the movement of her hands, head in her hands).

Problems

This morning the girl that was meant to be the main character in my production called and said that she will not be able to due to an illness she had overnight. She let me know 2 hours before we were meant to meet. This caused a huge amount of stress for me because no one else I had asked before were willing to be appear in my music video.

Despite this, I gave it another try and contacted 2 of my closest friends, and my cousin. Unfortunately, my friends were busy with celebrating their New Year, and my cousin already had plans for the day, which led me to decide to be in my own video, but direct the boy (who is also acting in the music video) with the shots.

I found this decision to be very time-consuming because it meant that before every shot I had to fully explain what shot I want, and what I want to be getting out of it, however it had to be done/

Filming Schedual, Shot Lists and Safety

My filming is going to take place in the course of 2 days. The first day I have planned is tomorrow, and I will be focusing on taking footage of the indoor shots, for example, the girl walking into the flat, looking at her and her boyfriends picture, a few of the flashbacks of the couple indoors etc). My second day of filming, will be on Friday. On that day, I will be focusing on taking footage of the establishing shots of London, and filming the protagonist singing the song.

Summary of what I need to film for the music video:

1. Girl walking into the flat, along with atmospheric shots for example of any plants which I may be able to use later on in the music video to symbolise her growth. 

2. Shots inside the flat. (Girl looking at the picture of her and her boyfriend. 

3. Flashbacks. The handheld shots of the birthday cake reflecting upon significant moments of her life, thumb wars shots to reflect happiness. 

4. Some shots of me singing in the mirror to reflect that I am trying to convince myself to leave. 

Friday's filming list:
1. Establishing shots of London. For example, the Big Ben and the London Eye. 
2. More atmospheric shots of London, for example the traffic. Some shots of the River Thames (the water may evoke a sense of calmness and a soporific mood. 


In order to help me during the filming process, I have created a shot list to assist me whilst I am filming.  Last year during the filming of our film openings, this is exactly what my group and I did, and I believe that it was beneficial in keeping us organised. This will make it a lot easier for me to know what I am filming, in what location, using how many actors, and how many props. I have also created a column where I can tick whether I have completed the shot.

I have created one for the narrative part of the music video, and the other for the performance based section.
The shot list below is the one for the narrative based section:

Here is the shot list for the performance based section:

Safety

As I am including a shot of the glass breaking, it is vital for me to think about the safety conditions which I need to consider. Here is a list of things that I have reminded myself in doing during the process of filming the glass shots, and during the breaking of the glass.

1. Wear gloves! I have packed a pair of washing up gloves to make sure that the person handling the broken glass does not get cut etc. I have also asked my uncle whether there is a broom to clear up any remaining pieces of glass left on the floor, particularly because it belongs to my uncle, and not thinking carefully about the safety precautions may cause dangerous circumstances for those living in the flat.

2. Break the glass beforehand! I have come to the conclusion that it would be best to break the glass before hand rather than throwing it, resulting in the glass shattering on the floor. This would enable us to have more control over the pieces instead of searching for minute bits of the broken glass. I have decided to break the glass in the sink to reduce the amount of danger that may be caused. 

Balcony

Some of my shots are taken on a balcony. It is vital for me to consider safety issues to prevent anything occuring whilst on the balcony.

I have to make sure that I am  not leaning too close to the edge of the balcony to prevent falling off. I have to make sure that I wear sensible shoes to prevent myself from slipping. I have also notified my family that I am going to film in the balcony just in case anything happens and no one would be aware.

Candles

Candles are another hazard which I need to take into account. I have to make sure that the candle is placed on a steady stand to prevent it from tipping and causing a fire. I have also taken into consideration that I should not leave the candle lit and walk off somewhere. It is important that I am aware of the candle. I have decided that the best way to prevent a fire is to light the candle whenever I need to film and then blow it out whenever it is not needed.

Locations, Cast, Props and Clothing

I have been thinking about locations, and where would be an appropriate location to base my music video in. My initial idea was to set the music video in my home, however, I decided that it would not be a good idea as it is quite a family home, but I am aiming to find a home that is quite feminine and modern. Fortunately, I asked my uncle whether I would be able to use his flat, and he said it would be fine. Although the flat does not belong to a female, I believe it does have some very modern aspects to it, and it could also get away with being a female property. I made a trip to my uncles flat in Hendon to have a look and figure out whether it would be a wise idea, and I believe it is.

Here are some images I took:

My other locations are in Central London. I am intending on using some establishing shots of Big Ben and the London eye to establish the setting of the music video. I would like to produce shots that look similar to these:

Cast 

Here is a picture of the girl which I intend on using as the protagonist in the music video,  who I believe suits the look that I am aiming for, her modern approach to style depicts the young audience that I am targeting, roughly around the ages of 15- 22. I believe that she would be perfect for the part as she is a part of a drama school in Central London and would be really able to get into the role a broken-hearted young girl, showing a huge amount of emotion in her lip singing. She has also shown great interest in the project that we have been given, and has been curious on my ideas for the project. 

Clothing and Props

Using the website www.polyvore.com, I have created two collages consisting of what clothing I intend on dressing the girl up in, and secondly, showing the props that I intend on using. The first collage I created was the costume collage:

I am aiming to make the actress appeal to the age group that I am targeting (roughly the ages of 15-22). To do this I intend on dressing up the actress in stylish, up-to-date pieces of clothing. In the collage above I have included some clothing items such as a Chanel bag. The reason why I have included this is due to the fact that it is a bag that many girls wish to have. I have also decided to put her hair in quite a scruffy bun, which is quite in fashion at the moment. The blazer highlights her smart, and elegant style, and the one-shoulder top with the scarf  to balance the pieces of clothing out to make it quite casual. 

Here is the collage of the props I intend on using:

1. Birthday Cake - The birthday cake is going to be used in the shots of the flashbacks, to reflect a good and celebratory part of her life, in contrast to the rest of the music video, which is portrayed as quite forlorn. 

2. Candle - I have come up with the idea of using a candle as a symbolism of the girl and boys relationship. The candle being lit reflects that there love and the continuity of their relationship. I intend of including a shot at the end of the music video where the candle is being blown out, to reflect that the girl is moving on. 

3. Glass cup -  Although the cup has no significance, I have planned to include shots of glass being broken. The glass symbolises the girls broken heart, and life. 

4. Framed Photographs - The photos are going to be a motif in the music video. I want to include a number of shots coming back to the photography to reflect the memories and the love they had for each other in the past. 

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Target Audience

I have created a collage of a young woman which is my target audience. I have spoken about aspects of her life, her favourite genre, artists and clubs, her favourite clothing stores and what she spends doing in her spare time. 
 

Ideas

Ideas for my music video:

• My music video is starting off with a number of establishing shots, portraying the setting of the music video which will be London. I intend on including shots of the London Eye and Big Ben, very obvious iconography to instantly inform the setting to the audience.
• It is then going to cut to a shot our protagonist standing on the Embankment bridge. The mid-shot portrays her in deep thought, head in hands, staring at her watch (reflecting that time is passing and that she needs to be somewhere). 
• It then cuts to a number of atmospheric shots of the landscape around her, for example the Thames river etc. I am also intending on filming on quite a cloudy/rainy day, to reflect her inner emotions. I believe it would really set the mood of the music video.
• It then cuts to her taking slow steps off of the bridge, reflecting that she does not want to go where she is intending on going.
• A cut takes place to show our protagonist walking down her street, followed by a high-angle shot of our protagonist walking in car park, going to her flat.
• The music video then cuts to a mid-shot of our protagonist walking into a lift and the doors closing. It is then followed by a close-up of her putting the key in the keyhole and opening the door, pushing the door open and slowly stepping inside (reflecting the fact that she does not want to be there, and it is as if she has no other choice but to go there because it is her home). 
• A cut takes place to show a mid-shot of her dressing table with a picture frame placed flat.
• She approaches it to pick it up and a over-the-shoulder shot takes place. 
• The music video then cuts to a series of flashbacks portraying what happened in her past. It shows a mid-shot of a boy and girls bottom half of body hugging. This leaves the boy and his second partner ambiguous. This allows the audience to build their own opinion of the boy without being influenced by good looks, or other actions.
• It then cuts to a mid-shot of our protagonist showing the bottom of her body only. It then cuts to a close-up of her bag dropping along with a significant bracelet which was on her hand. An extreme close-up takes place showing the bracelet dropping on the ground (Using editing tools, I would like to make this shot slow paced to reflect its significance). 
• It then goes back to realtime, and we are back to the over-the-shoulder shot of the girl holding the picture frame. 
• We then go back to a series of flashbacks, however these differ from the first in a sense that they are good memories rather than bad. These flashbacks portray her birthday. This shot will be shown in a hand-held shot with a date at the bottom to reflect how it is being filmed by the boy. Also a mid-shot of her on the swings laughing, reflecting her happy/jolly mood. 
• We then cut back to real time and a series of long-shots take place which will be overlapped using Final Cut Express. This will reflect the fact that time is passing. The shots consist of the girl sitting on one side of the floor with her her hugging her knees, with her head down, her head in her hands etc. 
• We then cut to a shot of her buying a pregnancy test. I chose to include these shots as they reflect the lyrics "Me and my boy we're leaving". It would be very hard to include a child in the video, not only because my family consists of a number of girls, but also because it would mean that I would have to gain consent by their parents. It would also be a hazardous place for a child to be around due to the candles, the wires, the camera equipment etc.

Metaphors:

I have also been thinking about things that can act as metaphors in my music video. A metaphor is an object etc that is symbolic or representative of another thing. I have thought about a number of metaphors that can be used in my music video. I have decided to use some sort of glass breaking. It would then be followed by a close-up of the bits of glass that have been broken. This can reflect her broken heart, and how her life seems broken apart. 

Storyboard, Digipack and Lyrics and Visuals.

I have completed my storyboard. I am very pleased about my ideas. I am aware that things may change through the process of filming, or things may be added on, but at the moment I am very keen and happy with my ideas.

Lyrics and Visuals

I have also made a Lyrics and Visuals, portraying what sections of the music I want to correspond with a certain shot, and what it reflects:

Planning - Brainstorming Ideas.

Recently, I have spent my time in my Media lesson, to brainstorm a number of ideas for my music video. I have brainstormed a number of things such as appropriate characters, locations, props, any ideas of what my music video may be reflecting, any metaphors that may be useful to use etc.

Here is what my brainstorm looks like:

Gender Representation

Last lesson, my class and I discussed gender representation in music videos. We evaluated two videos. One was "Buttons" by the  The Pussy Cat Dolls, and the other was a previous A2 music video. We deconstructed the video down to the use of body, facial expressions, mise-en-scene, the gaze, and how the camera frames the body.

More Inspiring Videos.

After being set this assignment, I have been constantly keeping up to date with new music videos on MTV Base, VIVA, and Chart Show. Whilst watching Chart Show music channel, I came across the song "This City" by Patrick Stump featuring Lupe Fiasco. 

The most noticeable thing about this video is the amount of editing techniques used in this video. A number of things I identified was the use of black and white,  fast forwarding, and a number of others. The technique that stood out to me the most was the use of black and white. I have never really thought about using this editing technique in the creation of my music video, however, after watching this video it has given me second thoughts. I believe that if I used the black and white tool for shots portraying the past, flashbacks, memories, it would be successful in portraying the change of time. I believe the use of black and white could also reflect a certain mood. Because black is not associated with happiness, it would be a good tool to use. For example, due to my chosen song because about a journey being taken and someone leaving a situation, person etc, the black and white could reflect the dull life of the protagonist in the music video.

Another example of a inspiring music video is "Just in love" by Joe Jonas. 

The video is based around the story of Joe Jonas, who falls in love with a girl from another country. It goes through a timeline of events in their relationship; firstly starting with the very first time they met eachother, then following their night outs, time they spent together etc. This is all shown through a series of extended flashbacks, which is the reason why I was inspired by it. Due to my song, being called "Leaving", it would be a wise idea to base it around someone leaving, whether it is a partner, family member, etc. I also liked the editing techniques they used. It is clear that they changed the colour of the shots from their initial filming. It had a sepia tone to it, maybe portraying the past. 

After watching both of these videos, it inspired me to have a think about the creation of my music videos, and certain aspects of these music videos which I can include in my own, particularly the use of flashbacks, and change of colour. 

About the artist

After receiving a reply from Emerald stating that she gives me permission to use her song, I decided to do some research about Emerald as a music artist.

Upon my research I encountered Emerald's biography on the website Reverbnation, which states that "Emerald Jones: the newest, freshest singer/songwriter from London. Her rich chocolatey voice delivers songs directly from her heart to yours. Having left a UK Girlband in 2011 to persue her own style and identity as a solo artist, Emerald began writing her own debut album. Her eclectic influences are reflected in her diverse tracks, but the unifiying theme is the raw passion and emotion in every word. 


Emerald graduated from the prestigious London Music College, Point Blank, just this year, with her forthcoming songs featuring many collaborations with other talented artists who studied with her. Now ready to take the world by storm, Emerald is playing gigs all across London, entrancing entire venues with her mesmerisingly soulful voice."

Her songs:

Glitter in the Air

Leaving

Too Much Dream

That love song

The song I most enjoyed listening when I first came across her was her song "Leaving". I could really picture creating a strong narrative and performance based video to this. 

Response From Artist

Following my email sent to a number of unsigned artist, I have received a reply by one of them named Emerald Jones. Her song is called "Leaving". I am extremely happy for the permission to use her song. I found her on a website called Reverbnation. Here is a link to her page: 

http://www.reverbnation.com/emeraldjones


Mood Board

We were asked to create a mood board which consisted of our chosen songs lyrics, anchored with a number of images which reflect what the lyrics say, and also what we can include in our video. This task has really got me thinking about what ideas I have for my music video.

My mood board looks like this:

Auteur Theory

"Auteur Theory suggests that a director can use the commercial apparatus of film-making in the same way that a writer uses a pen or a painter uses paint and a paintbrush. It is a medium for the personal artistic expression of the director."

Alfred Hitchcock most-famous films:

Rear Window

The Birds

Physcho 

Vertigo

Alfred Hitchcock is one of the first names who comes to mind when talking about auteur theory.Alfred Hitchcock plays this idea up in most of his movies where he makes sure that he appears on screen in a brief cameo spot. This became a game that viewers would engage in, waiting to find out when he would appear.  

Hitchcock’s story telling techniques were renowned for their intelligent plots, witty dialogue, and the smattering of mystery and murder. The reason for his success, however, was not the genre that he was working in, but rather the skill which he exhibited in the film-making. His best-known screen moments is the terrifying shower scene in Psycho, which consists of 70 camera shots in one minute.

More research

Contacting some artists

Today I emailed two artists whom I found whilst searching 'unsigned' on www.myspace.com. One of them is classed as R&B and soul, and the other is classed as an R&B artist. I am hoping for a positive reply as their music is quite intriguing and something that I would be greatful in working with.

Questions

What music video(s) are most memorable for you or that you are inspired by?

 This song is called 'Ghetto Gospel' by Tupac, a rapper from Los Angeles. This music video was created in 2004 and shows the life of a young black boy living in America, dealing with a number of problems in his area such as drug dealing, gun crime and gangs, which then leads to his death. This music video is narrative based and has always been a memorable video for me since a young age due to the emotion created in it. It really reflects life in certain parts of America in that time and also problems that still exist, making it have a big impact on a number of people.

The second video that is memorable for me is one by an  Persian artist called Kamyr, which I heard whilst listening to an International music channel. It is one of the most interesting videos that I have watched, not because of the things that are going on in the video, but because of the editing. The whole music video is played in reverse. It is obvious a lot of work has been put into the music video. The artist is singing word for word despite the reverse.

The third song is by a British artist named Patrick Okogwu, better known as his stage name Tinie Tempah, who sang Written in the Stars featuring Eric Turner. The video looks into the life a young boy who is coming across a number of obstacles in his life which he is not dealing well with, for example, his mother being a prostitute and the bullying, but is finding as escape with writing music. It is a very inspiring music video as the lyrics seasons come and go, but I will never change, I'm on my way" create a sense of determination and ambition. The strong narrative has gripped me ever since the music video came out, and carries on doing so. 

What genres of music would you be most excited to work with? What would be most challenging?


The genre I would be extremely excited to work with is Soul. I believe that many of songs who have the genre of soul have lyrics which can create an amazing music video. Furthermore, I believe the genre that would be the most challenging to work with is something such as House music. The happy and vibrant mood created by the fast-paced track may be a struggle to reflect in a music video without doing things such as dancing etc. I believe it would not be as much of an effective music video as something such as Soul which the mood of the song can be created by its pace and lyrics.




What have you done in your  question to find an unsigned artist for your music video? (sites, emails, friends of friends etc

I have used a number of sources such as www.myspace.com , searching unsigned artists and a website named http://www.reverbnation.com/, a tool for artists, labels and fans. I have also asked a number of my friends and family members whether they know any unsigned artist that would be happy with me using their song to create a music video. I have emailed a number of artists whom I liked the sound of but unfortunately have had no response.

What barriers have you come up against?


The main barrier that I have come across is the difficulty with finding an unsigned artist who is willing to allow me to use their song. Another barrier I have come across is finding an artist who created a music profile a while ago when they were unsigned, but receive an email saying unfortunately they have been signed and the profile was made a long time ago. The difficulty with searching 'unsigned artists' on websites such as Myspace and Reverbnation is that a number of artists do not check their pages, or created their music page a long time ago. 

Research- Music Video Timeline

A2 Media - Our task

Our task over the summer was to research the history of music videos to widen our knowledge, which we could then use for creating our own music video. This requires us to find an unsigned artist who can give permission to use their song and create a  music video using it.

Our overall task is to:
Find a song and an artist who is unsigned
Brainstorm different styles of music which we would be interested in using
Research the history of music videos
Create a digital storyboard
Plan a location for our music video
Create a shot list to act as a guide and allow us to have an organised structure of the shots we need to take

We have also been told to think about what type of music video we would be intrigued in making, for example, performance, narrative or concept based.

The first thing that I did during the summer was to think about the genres of music in which I enjoy listening to and I concluded that my style in music is very broad. I prefer a number of different genres from soul and reggae, to pop and dance. The second thing that I did was list down all of my favourite singers, and then narrowed it down to 3 of my most preferred in the list, which were Rihanna, Shakira and Jennifer Lopez, mostly known for being in the pop and R&B category of music. Their music is very inspiring. Their dance moves are very ambitious, and have been very inspiring to our generation, as shown on Youtube through recreations of dances etc. Their voice is very distinctive, and unique and I would be greatful to work with an artist similar to these singers. A few examples of songs that I particularly like from these singers are:

7. Looking back at your preliminary task, what do you feel you have learnt in the progression from it to full product?

The intricacies of research, planning, filming and editing

For our preliminary task, the amount of research, planning, filming and editing was very small scaled in comparison to the preparation for our film opening.

For our preliminary task, our task was to learn the concepts, which we were taught in lesson time. For our continuity task, we noted what shots were included and the times in which they changed, and this was done throughout the whole clip to gather precise information. Filming the footage was quite difficult as it meant that we had to replicate the exact shot from the clip but in our own way, and in our own surroundings. Once we filmed our footage, we then edited our shots on iMovie and insert transitions, which had to be anchored by the non-diegetic soundtrack and exactly the precise moment. This was quite difficult was it was managed and soon completed. The intricate planning of our preliminary task, taught us that it was vital to do the same for the planning of our film opening.

The depth of research that had gone into our preliminary task was minute to that of our film opening. We first had to research into a specific given genre, and then focus on the genre that our film opening was based around, looking at the conventions and how we could adapt them into our film. We were required to plan each shot in a story board, informing the person that would read it, how long it would be, who would be in it, what props were included, if there was any diegetic or non-diegetic sound included in the shot,the location where it would be filmed, the camera shot which was going to be used (eg. high-angle shot, mid-shot etc) and what was happening. Prior to our editing, we were able to try out Final Cut Express for the first time, and examine a range of techniques that we thought we might use for our opening.

I believe that I have learnt a huge amount in the process from our preliminary task, to our full product. Other than the obvious skills I gained whilst using Final Cut Express, I also realised that planning is vital for the success of a film opening and organisation is key as strict deadlines have to be met. Research into romantic comedies helped me understand the conventions of a typical romantic comedy and gave me a number of ideas that would be ideal for our genre, for example, the quirky font. I also learnt that sound plays a very important role in creating a certain mood. For example, whilst taking notes on the clip we were set for our preliminary task, tension was created through the music. We adapted this knowledge into our film opening, to excitement and happiness in the dream sequence, and panic and stress in the second half.

Your use of Technology

For our preliminary task, we used the camera, dolly and iMovie for editing the footage, whereas in our film opening task we used filming equipment but Final Cut Express, instead of iMovie for the editing process, which was a lot more advanced. This allowed us to have the opportunity to create a film opening in the best way possible. Using iMovie at the start allowed the class to gain experience of the basic concepts of an editing software, to then use on Final Cut Express. We did come across problems of not knowing how to simply cut, add text etc, but this was overcome by the internet, and later showed us that it is a lot simpler than we thought. I also learn that little things make a big difference. For example, for the beginning of our film, we wanted to add a dream-like effect to make the dream sequence a lot more believable, and easier identified by the audience. However, this was tricky because we were not aware of what every affect looked like. We thought that maybe if we left the dream sequence without any affect, it would still be clear to the audience that it is a dream, but we were wrong. Once we added a soft focus to the clips, it made a big difference.

The importance of organisation, time management and effective teamwork

I learnt some valuable lessons in organisation, time management and teamwork, during the progression of our film opening.

Time management was not a problem we faced in our preliminary task and the locations we needed to film in were very close to us and lesson time was used for this. Although this was completely different in the process for our film opening. Our plan in the beginning of the project was to have the filming process completed as soon as possible, however, obstacles such as exam preparation and different timetables meant that there was not a huge amount of time that our group could gather to complete it. This meant that our plans were prolonged. Issues such as arriving in locations such as Central London proved difficult due to the fact that this took up valuable time, as we moved from destination to destination.

Effective teamwork was also a important in our progression to the film opening. Whenever our group had time to gather at lunchtimes etc, to finish editing or complete the soundtrack this was done. We also worked together in gathering props that would make a difference to our opening and represent our protagonist. For example, some of us were in charge of bringing magazines, cosmetics and many more.

Staying organised was also important. We made timetables of when which member of the group is busy and from there worked out a time where we were all free. We also created a list of what props were needed and who will supply them and other important aspects which influenced the production of our film. Lastly, we realised that staying organised with our blog was important. Without the lack of internet for a few days meant that I lost valuable time to access my blog and update it. As the lesson times were used for the editing process, going home and updating the blog was not an option for me. However, once my internet was fixed, I accessed my blog and had to write down what I have been doing for a period of a week. I realised how much this made a difference because if I was able to access it, I would of saved the stress of doing it later on, and trying to remember the process that we were completing.

Overall, I learnt valuable lessons on how keeping organised, managing time accurately, and working effectively as a team played importance in our progression and made a great difference to our film opening.

The different roles within the creative media industry

Until my experience in the BFI, I did not realise how much work actually went in to the production of the film and the scale of people that were involved in the process. My realisation was further reinforced by our timeline of 'Sliding Doors', which also taught me the amount of different roles there were in the media industry that would contribute to the making of a film, for example, costume designers, music editors etc.

6. What have you learnt about technologies from the process of constructing this product?

The process of creating this film opening has further expanded our knowledge about technologies, such as using Final Cut Express, Garage Band and handling equipment such as Camera's and Dolly's.

Final Cut Express

Previously, we had used Final Cut Express for our animatronics, so we were fairly familiar to the basic concepts of it. However, our knowledge expanded during the process of creating our film opening. Despite this, we faced a number of problems. We were not familiar with the editing techniques of the program and struggled with speeding a shot up. We then decided that the best option was to do some research to find out how we could speed the shot up and found that it was fairly simple but were not able to add the affect if the clip was short. This meant that we had to lengthen the clip which was not an ideal thing to do because it made the film even longer.

We were also unaware of how to make a clip pause. When the title is shown, we wanted to add a pause to show that this is a poignant moment in the film opening where things are going to completely change. However, we had never tried adding this affect and encountered a few problems whilst trying to. We then had to search on the internet how a freeze frame could be added and found that it was simple. It required the playhead to be on any frame which we wanted to 'freeze' and following had to be clicked:

We eventually got the outcome we wanted, and happily learnt how to create a freeze frame.

One other problem, that we came across was dealing with the sound levels. Removing sound from clips was simple, however, we found it difficult to alter the sound level to make it either quieter or louder. With the help of the internet, we learnt how to do so and learnt another valuable technique.

The last problem we faced was deciding what affect would be ideal to portray a dream sequence. As Final Cut Express does not have a preview of the affects on a clip without actually applying it, this meant that a lot of time was consumed by adding an affect, and removing it, and so on.

Furthermore, I learnt some other techniques, such as:

- Editing the length of clips.

- Adding, removing and altering sound.

- How to add layers of sound.

- Applying special affects and speed level of clips.

And a number of others.

Garage Band

The process of creating music for our film opening also played an important role in building our knowledge of creating a film opening. As we could not use music from artists, for example the ones from our research which we thought would be ideal for our opening, we had to create a piece of music of Garage band. With hardly much experience on Garage band, it took us a while to get the hand of things. We decided that playing around with the beats etc, would be the ideal thing to do. After a lengthy process and a tight deadline, we created a soundtrack that fitted the moods of both the dream sequence (excitement and happiness) , and the getting ready routine (panick and emotion).

Film Equipment

Although my group and I had initial experience with filming from previously, we still encountered a few problems whilst filming. In some of our shots in Central London, we found it difficult to maintain a steady and smooth filming process with the dolly due to large crowds trying to make there may through the area. This consumed a lot of time, but we then decided to use handheld shots instead, but this obviously was a little unsteady. Once we started the editing process we realised that the unsteadiness of the shots was not as bad as we thought, and created a sense of atmosphere and excitement in the shots.

Furthermore, in our preliminary task, I learnt that the verisimilitude of our film was vital and that different techniques influenced this. We learnt about techniques such as the 180 degree rule, shot-reverse-shot and match on match action. In our preliminary task, we struggled with continuing the 180 degree rule throughout the whole filming process, but we made sure that this mistake did not occur again in our film opening task. We did this by placing objects on the floor to act as a guide of which side the had to film from.

Other Technology:

The use of internet which enabled us to download new fonts made our film effective for representing our genre, romantic comedies. In the past, I've used the website 'www.dafont.com' numerous times before in order to get away from the traditional fonts we usually come across and be a bit more creative in other pieces of work I have done. In our process of finding the right font from the traditional fonts on the Apple Macs, I remembered the website and immediately decided to test whether adding the font 'Comic Andy' from this website onto the font book, would mean that it would be accessible on Final Cut Express. Thankfully, it was and we believe it really helped us portray the genre, but also be attractive to our target audience.

Some other equipment my group and I used consisted of a tape recorder. This was needed to record our voiceover as our protagonist introduces herself, and we found this was fairly simple. However, speaking loud and clearly into the microphone was vital and this affected how the amount of times we had to re-record it. We also had to overcome the problem of finding a quiet area in the school to record, where we would not be disrupted.

5. How did you attract/address your audience?

We included a number of things in our film opening to attract our target audience, such as the use of recognizable brands and labels. With the recent Blackberry craze, we thought that it would be ideal if we used a blackberry in her dream, as it reflects the lives of mainly teenagers but also adults, who wish they had one. We also included shots of a number of popular brands and shop names which a large proportion of teenagers would shop from. For example, Miss Selfridge, Topshop, River Island, Gap, Mango and many others. Including these brand and shop names, attracts our audience as they can relate to the protagonist, who shares a similar taste in fashion. We used cosmetics such as nail varnish to attract our audience. The use of the stereotypical colour for girls, pink, also catches their attention, as it is feminine and something that our target audience are very likely to wear. We also thought that the use of fashion magazines as a prop will relate to our target audience. For example, my friend that I enjoyed reading magazines and stated that it is unlikely that she goes through a weekend without a new issue to read.

As well as things such as props, and costumes, we also used establishing shots to attract our audience. The shot of the Oxford Street train station sign would cause an immediate reaction to our target audience, as it is a popular shopping location.

Lastly, we addressed our target audience by the use of humour and reality in our opening. The voice over of our protagonist introducing herself, is quite humorous as she insults herself by saying "lame Jane", referring to herself as dull and boring. It can also reflect the lives of many of our target audience.

I showed our film opening to a number of people within the target audience and asked them a number of questions about what appealed to them, and how they felt the film addressed them. Here is one of the feedbacks I received:

"What appeals to you the most in 'Turning Point'?"

"There were so many things that really caught my eye. Firstly, the use of the blackberry was really good, because with the addiction that teenagers have with their blackberry's nowadays, I think it really aims are girls our age. I loved the way you used magazines, as well as the pieces of paper on the bed where Jane wakes up, because I think it really fits the story line. I also loved how you used Oxford Street as the location in Jane's dream rather than just picking any high street because everyone knows Oxford Street as a shopping location. As soon as I saw the shot of Oxford Street train station I knew that shops would appear in the film opening. Lastly, the voice over of Jane talking about her life felt as if she was talking to me, which added to creating a sense of sadness. It is personal and the way she referred to herself as "boring" made me feel bad for her."

"Can you relate to the our protagonist?"

"Definitely. It's every girls dream to be walking down high streets buying as many things that can fit into their wardrobes, and to be girly and fashionable. I can definitely relate to Jane because it is as if she's one of us. It was really easy to connect to her character. I also realised how she wasn't wearing pink nail varnish in her normal life, whereas in the dream she was. I think that really reflects how girly she is in the dream, and how unfeminine she is in her life."