One of the first tasks we did as a group, was researching music videos. To do this, we used 'youtube' to find them to help us analyse the footage. We used some of the music videos as inspiration, showing us good techniques and effects that we may have also liked to include. Also, on the music videos, people are able to like or dislike the video, this enlightened us to which music videos were perhaps liked more than others and look into the reasons why, so that we could include essentially what the majority of people 'like' in our music video, to make it successful.
Another preparation task that we needed to decide as a group was the locations of our music video. To help us decide and locate suitable areas to film, we used 'google maps'. This gave us a chance to observe the place without us having to actually go there. We didn't want to waste time visiting a place that we decide we don't like when we get there, when we could have been filming somewhere else.
Throughout the course, we have primarily been using a hand held digital camera to collect all of our shots assisted with a tripod. Due to the quality of the camera, we avoided using certain functions such as zooming in and out, because compared to other music videos which we have analysed it didn't look professional enough.
After we finished filming, we collected all the footage onto a professional editing software called, "Final Cut Pro". With it being complex, it was equally as difficult to get use to the program again and all of its functions, but we had to discover even more effects to include to make the video look professional, and to show that we have put the effort in to make it appear as good as a modern music video. Constructing our music video was a challenge on the program; to search through the various effects to find the ones that we thought suited our music video and our desired concept best. The effects which were included were a light ray effect on the flashes of the memories when the couple were together, demonstrating their happiness together in the past. For the performance shots, we used a negative effect in contrast to the rest of the footage where it was in colour. It was intended to show the different time periods, as though a back flash of him performing.
To enforce the professional look of our music video, we used the studio and its professional equipment to shoot the performance side of the music video including lip syncing. Being in the studio enabled us to use better quality cameras to use close ups of the face, to focus on the mouth of the performer to establish that the lip syncing was in time with the music, as part of the criteria of the course. The high quality lighting in the studio also allowed us to establish the performer more, focusing the light primarily on his face so that he is more defined and recognised, rather than outside where the weather often disrupted the clarity of our shots. We weren't able to distinguish the character's expressions as clearly as we would have liked, which is important in demonstrating our concept and plot.
Adobe Photoshop was another technology that we used in order to create a professional CD cover and poster design to promote our music video and the single. It was initially difficult to get use to all the functions because we were not required to use the program last year. However, this program enabled us to include features associated with a professional CD cover, such as the barcode. Other features we included to influence people to buy the CD were putting logos up of awards, such as an 'MBE" therefore making it look worthy of buying because of all the awards that it looks like it has won. Another tool used was, 'blur'. This enabled us to combine two different images and merge them together. This would not have been possible on an amateur program. Moreover, when editing the original photo that we took, the picture was too large to be saved for the album cover. To fix the issue, we brushed over the guitar, to effectively make it look like the object was never there.
We also dominantly used black and white effects throughout the whole album, to establish the sad lyrics of the song, showing the audience the genre 'soft rock' as appose to a heavy metal example which would be loud and colourful to demonstrate the chaos and loud music. The black and white is also used to indicate the performer's state of mind, showing that he is not seeing things as brightly as he did when he was with his girlfriend. The dull colours should show the buyer that this is a sad song.
When evaluating our music video, we went into the studio for the final time, to record our overall outlook of our progress and discuss not only the challenges that we faced, but the main important techniques that we included that made our music video stand out and look professional. The studio was the best quality technology available so that when recording our voices, it was clear and you could understand the answers that were given from the evaluation.
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