Practical Skills:
Pre-Production:
Simplicity & Structure:
After finishing the Research and Pitch, a lot of peoples project are seeming to be too ambitious. This is a little exercise that will ensure that my project is as short and simple as it can be whilst having the narrative still make sense.
1. It Starts when...?
The main character pulls up to the location in his car (still unsure about having the car or not). This is just before the song starts and is like a little prologue that prepares for the video.
2. The Hook is...?
The main characters internal struggle, the audience isn't quite sure what's wrong with them.
3. There is conflict between...?
The character and their anxiety. They are torn between wanting to interact with people and hiding away from society.
4. It ends when...?
It ends when the character finally is able to go and talk to someone, and come out of their comfort zone.
5.) We learn that...?
The character does have anxiety and really struggles to interact with other people which they do overcome at the end.
Equipment Booking:
Because there was a high demand for the XA-25 Camera, I decided to get on with the equipment booking form so I have a higher chance of getting it. If I am not successful I will swap it for a DSLR instead. I would really like the former as I want it to be the best quality possible.
Cast/Crew:
This is a small table clearly defining who will be helping to make my music video. As you can see there are only 3 people including myself so it will be easy to manage that amount of people. It will also cause little disturbances to locals/public. Both of the other people have stated that they can do it as long has they have plenty of notice when we will be shooting. I also think that they are quite reliable and will be able to attend shoots and not just cancel 'willy nilly'.
Location Recce's:
For the planning of the music video I need to do a few location recce's to know exactly where I am going to film. Because there are going to be several locations I will only be doing recce's for the couple that are prominent in the video.
Roundway:
The first location recce I have conducted for this project I decided to go to a place on the outskirts of Devizes called Roundway. It is a small village and does feature a hill and one of Wiltshire's famous White Horses. At the top of said hill there is a woods that looks really nice (especially in summer when there are leaves on the trees). There are also some nice views on the hillside. Further down the hill there is a little area at the bottom of a bike track. It is a lot quieter than the top of the hill and could be a backup if it is too busy on shoot day because it is quite popular.
Bishops Cannings:
The second (and most likely last) location recce I went on was to another area past a village outside of Devizes called Bishops Cannings. I have been on multiple bike rides up to this hill and it would fit the theme of my video quite nicely. It is very quiet, with the occasional farmer, which would mean there wouldn't be many distractions whilst filming. The only thing is that it needs to be at least a blue sky on the day and relatively not windy. Warm weather would be a bonus. There are a few sheep sometimes in a field that can block the way to a cool area which I wanted to get to on this location recce but couldn't, It is a small tree that stands alone with nothing but flat fields in each direction, I probably will use it in the film as it perfectly matches what i am going for.
The XA-25:
The camera I have booked out for the shooting of my music video is a Canon XA-25 Camcorder. This is one of the best quality camera's the college has to offer and I did want to take advantage of this as the selling point of my video is the visuals, and visuals won't matter if the camera quality is bad.
Not only is the video quality excellent on this camera but it is also quite compact. This means it will be easy to take to the remote(ish) locations I am looking at. It also has easy to use controls for zooming and focusing in/out of shots. There is also a setting for if you want to do fast/slow motion as well. And to top all that off, the monitor features a 8.77cm (3.5”) OLED touchscreen. I think not being able to use this will be a shame and the video will not look nearly as good with just a regular DSLR. The camera also comes with a mic attached to the side of the XA-25 which I may use for a couple shots and not have to worry about doing another booking for a Zoom audio recorder.
Shooting:
Due to one of my actors not being able to turn up, Production has been slightly delayed. Half the footage needed has already been done and is ready to edit but I do need quite a bit more shots. It should be done the following weekend.
I was also unfortunately not able to get any on set photos for the 1st shoot day as I forgot however I do plan to take some for the 2nd day. They will be located below.
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This is a selection of some of the photos taken on the second shoot day. This is to show how I went about capturing some of the footage and a good visual representation of what it looked like on the day.
Post Production:
Post Production Schedule
To the left is a table showcasing the remaining days left to complete the project. I am still (kind of) on schedule and still have plenty of time to edit my music video. I have also given myself a good few days to do a final evaluation at the end.
The Teaser Trailer:
During the early stages of development I had decided that I wanted to Market my Music video with a short teaser trailer. I had decided to do this as I saw that Noel Gallagher had one for his Ballad of the Mighty I music video. I thought It wasn't very common to see and I really liked the originality of it. The official Teaser released by Noel is located below.
It is only 40 seconds and features mainly BTS footage from filming the music video. For my version I have created an additional sequence that will not be featured in the music video but does give the viewers an idea of what to expect for the final product. I will also use it to give an announcement to the public and a release date. Some screenshots of the process will be logged below and the completed trailer will be found on the Home page.
Editing Progress (Trailer):
Here is a good overview of my trailer in Premiere pro. Considering it is just a short teaser to announce the project, I am really happy with it. It is nice a short. The shot is good quality and the addition of the official font the NGHFB's use really improves the look of it all. Because it was all one shot it didn't take me too long to make. It was exporting it that took the most amount of time. I first exported it but it wouldn't automatically change to a YouTube Short. I couldn't figure out how to fix the problem until the next day where I figured out on the export page the is a drop down menu where you can change the way the film fits the screen. I changed this accordingly and it immediately fixed the issue. It was a bit of a facepalm moment but it is now live on YouTube and soon will be on other social media platforms.
In my timeline, I decided to use the opening of Ballad of the Mighty I to build up to a sort of height of tension and then ease back off by fading that off whilst, simultaneously fading in You Know We Can't Go Back. This creates a nice sense of wanting more from the song and also some suspense. In the timeline you may also be able to see I have included some title cards. One of them you can see below...
The screenshot on the right is basically the main premise of the trailer. It is the 2 characters walking past each other without acknowledgment and then the camera panning up to the sky to reveal what it is. I really like how the video is slightly off balance. It hints at their being something not quite right with the characters. The black and white title card on the right is a section that tells viewers what I am making and when (about) the music video will be released. I think the trailer gives a level of hype for my project and does a good job of giving an idea of what to expect.
Rough Cut:
The Music Video:
After a long 2 week break from the computer, it was time to edit the footage I had collected over the last few weeks. I started at the place where I thought made the most sense, The beginning. I began by stitching the two songs together, which I wanted to be seamless. The 1st one is just the ending of the song that does lead straight onto the main song in the album however for the 1st one I recorded the sound to sound like it was on the radio and then morph into the studio recorded main song. I managed to get the volumes balanced and got it well stitched together using the constant gain audio transition in Premiere pro.
The next stage was add my shots in. For the prologue section, I already knew that I was going to use a couple of short clips with the audio of the sequence playing throughout along with the music. I colour graded the scenes to give it a more summer-y looking feel to it. I made it look warmer and gave it a slight orange tint to give a less grey atmosphere. This made the location look so much nicer. I also balanced out the whites and blacks and upped the saturation slightly.
During the prologue sequence, I also added in multiple title cards to break up the short clips. It gives a nice vibe and hypes up something big that is to come (the music helps with this). They give an old silent film feel which also reflects on the retro style that are usually featured in the official Noel Gallagher music videos. It also gives me a chance to give credit where credit is due.
Above is a screenshot of the timeline where I blende the 2 tracks. As you can see one part is blue and the other green. The blue is the 1st track which I recorded through a microphone with the song playing on a speaker. This was meant to replicate it being on the car radio. The additional blue sections are the other foley sounds I captured for this sequence. Then the green is the audio I acquired from Youtube. I used a constant gain transition to balance the two different tones and sorted the volume out. It was after all that, that it was as seamless as I wanted it to be.
This is all the sections that I have already recorded laid out in a rough cut state. I am missing the verses and solo on the song and am due to be filming the remaining footage at the end of the week. I really like how it is looking at the moment and can really begin to visualise what It will look like when it is done. One thing that i would have done better if I got the chance would be to get more angles of the same shots. This would have given me plenty more leeway with composing the shots (especially the last section).
To the left is a selection of 4 shots that I really like from the parts I have filmed so far. The top left is a pull back reveal shot of the character. I love the way it is framed and the movement of the camera is really smooth. The top right is an extreme close up of the characters face looking afraid of everything/everyone he sees. The bottom left is a "Michael Bay" shot (of which I did a test shoot for). I used another angle to also break it down so the shot wasn't so long and it matched the beat of the song. Finally the bottom right is a slow zoom shot of my other character. Again, I love the framing and colours in the shot.
This is a small screenshot of a clip in my timeline. I used a dip to white transition at the end of the 2nd chorus. This means it will transition in to the guitar solo which will be a lot faster in pace. I like the little effect and may make it look better with after effects later on.
This is one of the more prominant shots of the "third act"of the music video. It is of my Guitar up against a tree and is the symbol that brings both characters together at the end. I have also decided to have it be (canonically) the same guitar that you can see in my "Something In The Way" music video, which I helped create in the last Unit, and that it is the guitar awesome legacy that initially attracts both characters to said guitar. It is a nice little easter egg i wanted to include and adds another layer to the detail of the video. The shots I got of the guitar I like which do use slow zoom ins and outs and give it an almost ominous feel.
This is an example of me using one of the camera techniques I tested earlier on and I feel It works really well at the start of the song. It ramps up the speed and tension of the song.
This Is my completed (extremely) rough cut timeline for Premiere. After all the kafuffle with the delay of shooting and not being able to do anymore editing I have now laid out all the shots on to the timeline. This is not the final product by any means as I will have to colour correct, colour grade, add effects and make the cuts more fancy before I then export the music video.
This version of my music video is a rough cut. I have all the shots laid out in order. There is a little bit of colour grading that has been done but the rest is raw footage. I really like how it is looking especially some of the shots that look spectacular. There is still plenty of work to be done to get it to were I want it to be so I don't want to delve into too much detail at this stage, however I am really happy with what I have so far.
Colour Correction:
The Before and After's above both show my colour correction. The one on the left is a more realistic one with a slight orange tint to make it seem warmer. It looks a lot more vibrant and colourful than the before which seems very pale and grey in comparison. The other on the right shows a more extreme look. This is intentional and I think it makes it look quite surreal and intense (maybe even cinematic). Like the other, it looks a load better than the before which is very grey and soulless.
To do the main colour grading work I downloaded a LUT from a website on the internet that gives a subtle vintage grain that further improves the aesthetic. To apply it, all I did was add an adjustment layer on top of the footage in the timeline and applied the LUT to the adjustment layout. The effect then appears on all the footage underneath the layer.
This next version of the music is at the next stage of development. It has been Colour Graded and refined a bit more. The video as you may notice has also changed slightly. I decided to swap out some clips to improve the visual storytelling. In terms of Colour Grading, I do really like the slight orange tint that the footage has. It gives the video an almost vintage Americana aesthetic which is what I have tried to aim for as some of Noel Gallagher's official videos have the same aesthetic. I have received some feedback with this version and it is mostly positive. It has been said that "there is a lot to like, there are some really nice shots" which is good to hear. Something that has been stated is that there are some sequences that feel out of place or not needed (filler for the want of a better term). One in particular is the sequence where multiple peoples faces are shown. I do like the idea however, quite rightly stated, there needs to either be more of it throughout the video or none at all for it to work. I have decided to remove it as it was only a side idea and wasn't essential. I have also been told that there is too much scenery that doesn't benefit the story of the video like the random sheep in the field. I have also replaced them with shots of the characters and additional footage that hasn't been used yet. Other than that, the video is coming along.
Editing:
With the prologue of the song I have a guy that pulls up to a location and gets out of his car. You didn't see his face and that was it. It didn't really go anywhere after that (other than a brief appearance halfway through the song). After realising this I then wanted to have him be a pivotal part of the storyline and be almost the catalyst for the Main characters to meet and for them to come out of their shells. I decided It could be revealed at the very end that He is actually the owner of this mysterious guitar and that he has come to collect it after it's work is done. This adds a whole new layer to the entire narrative and a massive hook for the audience. Further than that I also have a sequence of shots of this same guy sat at a desk writing the 2 important lyrics of the song for this story. "You just passed me by" and "I'll find you". This suggests that 'The Catalyst' had control of what was happening and was therefore able to bring them together. I really like this change and think it improves the narrative 10-fold.
With the additional clips of 'The Catalyst' at the beginning, There is now less black sections (which is a good thing) so the Title of the song appears on a clip instead of just a black screen. I decided to add it as the character walks out of frame because it not only looks good but it is a 'cut-on-action' which is a editing technique learned from a video on the Context & Research page detailing different cut types. It also hints that this character is the referenced 'Mighty I' (More so that he is played by me).
Something I had done a little earlier on in editing is decide on an aspect ratio. As it was too late to change the ratio of the file I manually added to black box's on both the top and bottom of the shot and adjusted the framing on each shot. It is now in a widescreen format which does make the video very cinematic and makes it look cool and professional as well.
In response to some feedback I had received in a previous version of my music video I overhauled the structure of certain sequences (mainly in the 1st half of the video) First and foremost, I swapped some shots in the Intro and the Solo around. The scenes where the character now interweave with the character writing some of the songs lyrics on the paper. This works so much better as it properly introduces this mysterious character and his intentions. It also makes his appearance more prominent also so people don't forget about him by the end.
The other section that I changed was the intro. Rather than introducing this other character first I felt it would be better to set the scenes with some establishing shots, some scenery, a couple Deer shots and then the title shot (one of my favourites in the video. It is a perfect set up for the video and also allows for the main video to be hyped up and when that drum kicks in you can feel the pace rise. Overall this, slightly drastic, change has benefited the video majorly and now flows more smoothly. I am really happy with the pacing.
With the edit nearing completion and deadline soon approaching I have selected a few of my favourite shots and took screenshots to display here. Also as it is the 19th May tomorrow (as of writing this) I am not going to be able to meet my initial release date. So to announce the delay I will be posting the pictures on Social Media along with the new release date of 26/05/22, a week later than previously hoped however I will definitely be finished in time for this date.
The latest export of my music video is a big improvement from it's predecessor. I have fixed the pacing of the video and it no longer feels all over the place. I also changed the beginning of the video, which is detailed above, because of this I have also had to scrap the audio of the first song being recorded from a speaker and just used the online recording as there is no longer a radio in the sequence for it to replicate (plus the audio of both tracks balances a lot better). This is by far turning out to be my best piece of work from the last year and can't wait to see the final result.
Effects & Mastering:
The screenshots you can see above are of me using masks to make the backgrounds on the characters blurry in the chorus. This is to emulate the fact that they aren't quite there and just out of reach. Almost like a vision. To achieve the effect I added the Gaussian blur to an adjustment layer above the relevant clip. I then used a mask to allow the faces of each character to be clear. The hard part was getting the mask to stay on their faces. I used keyframes to move and resize the masks to where the faces are on the screen. I did not do it frame by frame however I added a keyframe where the camera moves dramatically and it works fine. I did use a big feather as well which I think helps it look fine. The effect has been achieved and pulls of what I was wanting to hint at with it.
At the end of my music video I needed to add a credits sequence including all the people involved and the music used in the project. This is so I can submit the video to a local film festival but it also is good for people that did work on it that want crediting. They are not by any means spectacular credits and are only a couple short flashes at the end of the song. I have not included any extra sound over it as it only goes on for a few more seconds than the film does. An example of one of the credit shots is on the left and is the first one that appears. It uses the same font I have been using in both the video and trailer and really completes the video.
With everything finalized and the music video where I want it to be I can safely say that It is complete. This is the completed timeline of the music video. I am pretty sad that I did not have enough time to use after effects but other than that I am really happy with my edit. I will now be exporting it and getting it ready for release.
Exporting and Release:
This is a screenshot of the export window of my project. As you can see I have selected the H.264 format. This is the format I use for most of my projects as they all go onto YouTube and this is a good format for said website.
The preset I have selected is High Quality 1080p HD which will ensure that the picture quality is as high as it can be with the footage looking as it does. The Aspect ratio is set to 16:9 however the black bars i added make it seem widescreen. With these settings I am happy for it to be uploaded to Youtube.
The last thing I needed to do before uploading to YouTube is make a Thumbnail. This is essentially my Poster but for a Music Video. I haven't done a poster as music videos don't have posters. What I did in photoshop was use the title shot as the base of the thumbnail. I then added a cut out of my face from the video and used the Overlay filter that makes it a yellow silhouette almost like an all powerful entity looking over the world. I then added a second cut out of the girl from the video and used the Darker Colour filter and downed the Opacity to make it seem like she's not really there. I added some extra text at the bottom around the title of the song to finish it off and it is done. This will be used as the promotional image for the Music Video.
The Video has now been schedule to release tomorrow (as of the time writing) which means that it is now all done and ready for screening. The completed video can be found at the bottom of the Home page.
I confirm that the work on this website is entirely my own and does not include any work completed by anyone other than myself, except where clearly stated otherwise, and that sources have been appropriately referenced.
Jack Petrie.
Camera Techniques (Roundway):
The 1st technique I tested was to have the camera move along at a low angle and have the talent walk into frame alongside it. I like how it came out and may use this to show the character walking.
Next I decided to use a technique that a video called "pan up, look up". It supposed to have the talent look up as the camera does to show that they look at something. It was quite difficult to get right but I really like the result.
The 3rd one was a little easier. I wanted to zoom out and have the character lean on to a tree. Out of the 4 that I tested this was probably my least favourite as I couldn't get the zooming out to be either smooth or fast enough.
The 4th and final technique I tested was what has been called the "Michael Bay" shot. It is were the camera moves the opposite direction as the talent is. This creates quite a cinematic shot and if done right could work really well in my video.
Now that I have tested all the stuff that I wanted to test, I am now ready to begin Production! With my schedule laid out I will be going out and capturing all the footage I need, and then some more (for good measure). Below I will be showing some BTS pictures taken during production and talk about how it went.
Test Shoots:
The Beach (Devon):
This is a selection of 6 scenery shots I captured whilst on holiday in Devon. Because it was early development, in terms of my project, I wasn't sure what I was shooting. I used it as a test shoot and may use some of it for my project as it does fit the aesthetic. However if I don't then it may be used for something else entirely later on or just not at all. I did however want to take advantage of being by the coast as I can't access very easily from home.
Shooting Script:
This document to the left is what is known as a Shooting Script. It is essentially a script made for a music video. Because there is no dialogue I have detailed what happens both visually and narratively. It also tells me what is going to happen at each section of the song so it has some context for when I come to editing. This should make directing the shoot a lot smoother and easier to plan.
Production Schedule:
Because I am going to be quite busy over the easter holidays, it is essential that I create a Production Schedule. This will make it clearer to decide what days I am able to shoot on and be able to show the rest of the Cast and Crew what days we will be shooting.
This is a spreadsheet table of my plans for the Easter holiday. The Black is for when I'm not available to do any shooting because of previously arranged things. The 'Tan' colour is for some test shoots early on and the Yellow is all the possible shoot days. I think I have given myself ample time to be able to film over the next couple weeks.