Evaluation
Sian Thody Fd Photography 1
Having now produced our video for the video production module, I can look back and think about how or more specifically, what I would change, should I make the film again.
Our initial idea of basing our video on the titles for the television show ‘Dexter’, turned out to be out final idea for the production of our video. We all agreed we liked the style of filming of the video and also the editing used. We also liked the plot and story of the video, the simplicity of showing a man getting up, making breakfast and leaving the house. Yet it is visualized, and produced so well that it becomes so effective.
After watching the video, we then actually played it again, stopping the video each time the frame or even the angle of the camera changes, documenting this whilst we watch it. I think doing this was crucial to our video production as it shows how many times the frame changes throughout the short sequence. It would also show us how important the editing would be in our own production, and how simply we could shoot the footage as long as the editing was effective. By dissecting the video so carefully and thoroughly so early on in the project was also beneficial as it showed us just how much we would have to do after the filming of the video. Therefore I am glad we started the filming of our video so early on in the project, so that any problems or creative changes we may come across would be dealt with quickly.
The filming of the cooking sequence was very successful in my opinion. We all individually had a go at filming some shots, which I thought was important. Although we all had fairly loose roles in the production I don’t think any of us wanted a ‘director’ of the video.
I think the only thing I would change about the cooking sequence would be the cup used when we show a tea being made, It would have been much more effective if we’d have used a cafetiere or ground our own coffee beans like on the Dexter video. I also would have zoomed in more on some of the table sequences, like the cake being cut or the blood orange being squeezed. Although we were able to zoom in and edit out the background on final cut express, it would have been much less time consuming if we’d had thought about it when filming.
I feel that being able to choose our own groups this time had a positive effect on the production of the video. We knew each others strengths and weaknesses and what area each person would be best working in. I also think that our concious decision to do everything as a group, such as the filming and the editing of the video had a positive effect. It relly helped with group dynamics and created a fairness in sharing the roles. We didn’t want to feel like one person was either carrying the group or being carried by the group.
I feel my weakness in the group showed when it came to the editing of the video. I have very little experience and confidence in final cut express and as Charlotte and Corinne seemed to know exactly what they were doing, I very much took a back seat during the editing process. We did all however, give our opinions and thoughts on the editing and were all equally pleased with the results.
In my opinion, the sequence which works the best is at the end of the video, where I am walking through the underpass towrds the camera, and give a glance and a laugh towards the audience. During editing we slowed this frame right down and faded it to black. I think this works really well and I especially like the look to the camera, almost triumphantly, like I’ve eaten my meal and now I am completely satisfied!
If we were to make our video again I think I would probably change the lighting in the kitchen to a much more low-key, atmospheric light. Also, personally, I would like to have more editing confidence, I think this is hard when you have someone so talented within the group. I felt my strengths showed the most with the initial organising, showing the group the Dexter video and writing the treatment. However my weakness in editing is something I would like to work on for our next video production.
Overall I am very pleased with our final video and the way we delegated jobs and worked together as a group.
Tuesday, 19 February 2008
Weekly Planner
Jan 9th – week 1
• Watch videos from the first part of project, re-briefed on second part of project.
• Good chance to look back at first video and think about what and how I can change anything for this next part.
• Get ourselves into groups for new project. Dean, Charlotte, Corinne and Myself.
Jan 16th – week2
• In our new groups discuss ideas and possible approaches for new video project.
• Look at ‘Dexter’ titles, perfect starting point for an idea. We all agreed we liked the style of the video, the quick frames and fast editing. We would like to emulate this in our own video.
• After watching the video, we REALLY watched it, detailling every time the frame changes in the video and the second it happens.
• Discuss how we can use these techniques in a video of our own, a storyline, plot or theme.
• Also in our groups divide up jobs for each other:
Dean – Music, brother can do the composing – chosing suitable music for our video
- Filming of the title sequence.
Sian – Starring in the video
- Writing the treatment and the storyboard
Charlotte – Film most of cooking sequence
- Chief editor! Has most confidence in using final cut express.
Corinne – Also helping with the editing.
- Filming the sequences at her house.
Jan 23rd – week 3
• All agree on using food as a theme in our video, because we want to use quite fast paced editing we want a fairly simple plot for the video. A simple routine, such as cooking something to eat and eating it.
• Write treatment for idea and storyboard initial shots and framing ideas.
Jan 30th – week 4
• Start filming of the video. Film, what will eventually be the title sequence, either at the beginning of the video or at the end.
• Capture the tiles from an underpass near college for the title sequence. Want to emphasise the repetition and routine of the tiling on the wall. Have me walking towrds the camera alongside the wall. Quite dark and dingy, similar to Dexter titles. Eye Contact!
Feb 1st – week 4
• Utilize extra editing session in MM2 with Mike Flowers.
Feb 6th – week 5
• Film the rest of our video. Buy food for filming the cooking sequence.
• We decided to use some shots we particularly liked from Dexter, like the egg and ketchup shots with blood connotations and also the squeezing of the blood orange
• Film the entering of the flat and the key turning in the door.
• Consider editing when filming, what will look best faster/slower, what won’t work? The sequence of the food being cooked and the eventual continuity of the video.
Feb 8th – week 5
• Capture some footage to final cut express, play with both the speed and the opacity of the video.
• We manage to edit about a minute of our video today – remember what editing what all about and how time consuming it can be.
• Decided to all be present for the editing even though for some it might just be about giving an opinion, we thought it would be good for group dynamics of we all showed our support for the video.
Feb 12th – week 6
• Complete the editing of our video, add the credits to the end and the name of our film, ‘Breakfast not at Tiffanys’ to the beginning.
• The music can now be chosen for our video, decide as a group what will suit the theme best.
• Burn the video as a quicktime film to a dvd.
• Watch videos from the first part of project, re-briefed on second part of project.
• Good chance to look back at first video and think about what and how I can change anything for this next part.
• Get ourselves into groups for new project. Dean, Charlotte, Corinne and Myself.
Jan 16th – week2
• In our new groups discuss ideas and possible approaches for new video project.
• Look at ‘Dexter’ titles, perfect starting point for an idea. We all agreed we liked the style of the video, the quick frames and fast editing. We would like to emulate this in our own video.
• After watching the video, we REALLY watched it, detailling every time the frame changes in the video and the second it happens.
• Discuss how we can use these techniques in a video of our own, a storyline, plot or theme.
• Also in our groups divide up jobs for each other:
Dean – Music, brother can do the composing – chosing suitable music for our video
- Filming of the title sequence.
Sian – Starring in the video
- Writing the treatment and the storyboard
Charlotte – Film most of cooking sequence
- Chief editor! Has most confidence in using final cut express.
Corinne – Also helping with the editing.
- Filming the sequences at her house.
Jan 23rd – week 3
• All agree on using food as a theme in our video, because we want to use quite fast paced editing we want a fairly simple plot for the video. A simple routine, such as cooking something to eat and eating it.
• Write treatment for idea and storyboard initial shots and framing ideas.
Jan 30th – week 4
• Start filming of the video. Film, what will eventually be the title sequence, either at the beginning of the video or at the end.
• Capture the tiles from an underpass near college for the title sequence. Want to emphasise the repetition and routine of the tiling on the wall. Have me walking towrds the camera alongside the wall. Quite dark and dingy, similar to Dexter titles. Eye Contact!
Feb 1st – week 4
• Utilize extra editing session in MM2 with Mike Flowers.
Feb 6th – week 5
• Film the rest of our video. Buy food for filming the cooking sequence.
• We decided to use some shots we particularly liked from Dexter, like the egg and ketchup shots with blood connotations and also the squeezing of the blood orange
• Film the entering of the flat and the key turning in the door.
• Consider editing when filming, what will look best faster/slower, what won’t work? The sequence of the food being cooked and the eventual continuity of the video.
Feb 8th – week 5
• Capture some footage to final cut express, play with both the speed and the opacity of the video.
• We manage to edit about a minute of our video today – remember what editing what all about and how time consuming it can be.
• Decided to all be present for the editing even though for some it might just be about giving an opinion, we thought it would be good for group dynamics of we all showed our support for the video.
Feb 12th – week 6
• Complete the editing of our video, add the credits to the end and the name of our film, ‘Breakfast not at Tiffanys’ to the beginning.
• The music can now be chosen for our video, decide as a group what will suit the theme best.
• Burn the video as a quicktime film to a dvd.
Jason Tozer, American Psycho
A collaboration between Jason Tozer and Katy Ingram, 'We wanted to create something together exploring our darker sides. This is how it turned out...'
Although photography not video I feel this shoot shows what we originally wanted for our video. Quite a stark, horror feel to it. Whereas where Tozer here has been quite obvious with the blood and bodies we wanted to show more subtlties. Using food as perhaps representing the body and connotations of blood and horror.
Hype Williams
Hype Williams has essentially spawned an entire generation.
Williams signature style, although not exhibited in all videos, involves shots placed in regular widescreen ratio, while another set of shots is placed in the spaces which would normally be left blank in widescreen ratio videos.
Widely known for his 'flashful' style, which he brings to his videos, Hype reinvigorated the music video landscape and set new limits for music videos to take.
Monday, 18 February 2008
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