production of the shoot

Production of the shoot

Armed with my camera and a bottle of sun

tan lotion i set out to find the right location for the shoot,

around where we were staying there was several places where we could have filmed,

me and Georgia (the person i was on Holiday with) walked around several beaches until we found the one that felt right for the video.

The Beach was located alongside a road of small cafes and bars,

the beach was rather wide and spacious and

offered a vast amount of panoramic vistas.

For a popular Holiday destination it was rather quite, we sat out at the beach , deciding what would be good and what wouldn't. i was looking for my perfect surfing scene this had to included the lighting the mood, the feeling and overall the perfect setting for a pop 'Colorado' music scene.

After the mid day sun had reached its peak, the beach became slightly busier on which included allot of surfers, body boarders and skimmers. (skimmers are guys in shorts skimming on small wooden boards on the waves break) a bit like throwing a pebble which just touches the surface skimming across to the other side.

I found the sunshine was too bright during the day to take photos, i needed the lighting to be slightly dim so that the pictures would not be over exposed, it was particular important to get the lighting correct as when placing the photographs together if the lighting was to bright all major detail would be outputted by the brightness of the sun, and so the photograph would flash with every second, (Not all all what i want.)

So i decided to take the photos around evening time, 6PM to be exact, at this time the sun was lowest but still light enough to shoot on a low ISO. (ISO being added light)- but of course with every time i up the ISO , the picture becomes grainier and so i kept it at its lowest of 100ISO.

The lighting at this time was amazing with hues of orange and yellow, the tones were brilliantly highlighted from the reflection of the waves.

I set the aperture to F6 to F8, this was so everything would be in focus and also with such a low depth of field, i was able to keep the lighting just right. Under exposing over exposed highlights. The shutter speed was set to 1/60 to a second and so fast enough to take photos without a tripod.

I used an SLR (single lens reflex) Nikon D60, with a basic kit lens of 35mm to 55mm lens, particularly although this lens is a basic kit lens it is equipped with a vibration reduction DX setting, reduction the chance of blur without the use of a tripod. Also i placed the camera on AF-C , auto focus continuous.

I started taking photographs at about 6pm and finished at around 9pm, this was due to arranging various settings and scenes, i decided to shoot towards the quieter end of the beach facing the direction of the sun, (as it was rather low it didn't really matter as the lighting was too low to over expose) for some shots i faced away from the sun to effectively capture shadow. Though i found only for some shots did i want to include shadow, as with each shot the shadow would change and so this is not very effective if i am to create a continuous video.

During the shooting i was constantly thinking about the composition and how i wanted the video to turn out, creatively thinking about shots and people, and how they would be effective in the video. Due to the song being called 'Colorado sunshine' i was constantly thinking about how Colorado would be reflected in the video and so i was making the video work for that particular setting, focusing on surfing, the sunshine, the waves, the beach and views.

I had basic planning of what i wanted in the video and lighting etc.

But for most i was going along with the scene, i feel this was effective as i was able to capture a moment, so the video is very much CANDID.

I am really happy i filmed this way as looking through the photos and when i put them together i feel as if i captured a particular time lock. locked into my camera and able to play back and fourth and various speeds.

Taking photos naturally had its advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages included:

• natural setting
• natural lighting
• capturing a moment
• not made up
• capture the Essenes of surfing
• peoples reactions etc

Disadvantages included:

• Unpredictable
• people realising i was filming and possibly wanting to interrupt
• having to wait and get ready for a surfer catching a wave
• a lot of time
• lighting, waiting for the perfect lighting
• 
  

Candid/Natural setting.

I wanted to capture a moment, rather than creating a fake moment i thought why not capture an actual moment?

Of course i wasn't quite able to capture peoples attention for them to ask/question what i was fulfilling. I suppose because i was female i was able to get away with that "Omg pee do with a camera taking pictures of half naked people" stereotype, maybe that's a bit discrimination. I was merly a teenage girl taking "Holiday snaps" well that's what i think it looked like to the dozens of people walking past. Of course this would be different in the 'real world' , but for now i think i am to take advantage of my 'teenage kid image'. it's like trying to persuade the bus driver

Back from the prodution.

Right I'm back and ready to blog.

I took everything i needed to create the basic ground force for this music video, i was equipped with my Nikon D60 Camera and various chargers, my simple 35mm lens and a flash gun.

When i arrived on Holiday in the South Of France i saw the beach line, it was perfect and only when i was surfing at 8pm at night, i realised how beautiful this beach was. The sun was setting on the horizon, the sea was still warm, and the wind was quiet it was absolutely undescribable. The next evening i decided to bring my camera down to beach to try out some test shots, to decide angles and pretty much what part of the beach i was to use in my moving images.

I wanted to capture the sun setting on the water, on which would bring warm hues to the video. So in that thought i was to make sure i would be shooting around evening time, this had advantages such as the beach was quieter, there was more surfers capturing an evening wave, the sun was low and so pictures were not to be over-exposed, the lighting was JUST perfect, the temperature was cooler and so it was easier to film without the interruption/distraction of the heat.

Here are some of the images from the shooting.

And Of Too The Coast ...

Sorry Blogger but i am to be away from a computer for about a month, i will how ever be blogging in my blackberry with ideas and thoughts whilst i am away. I will be taking all that i need to make sure my production runs smoothly, making sure i am escorted with everything i need such as my camera (of course) and my charger, plus my mega memory card, 8GB.

i will be writing notes down of the day/evening and any ideas that i need to remember i will write in my blackberry.

This is kind of annoying as i wont be able to blog as i am to be away for about a month and i dont have any access to internet in that time. SO....

i'm leaving this blof for a little while , but just so i can get on with this

STOP MOTION FILMING.

I will update you when i return,

Let the production begin....

Research Into Similar Methods.

what to do , what to do, what to do, what to do, what to do,

so i have decided that i am to create my music video via

the stop motion process. I am curious.

Too look at other music videos created by this progress.

1 = http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_HXUhShhmY

CLICK ON THIS LINK ABOVE AND WATCH,

this is clearly professionally done, and is pretty amazing.

this is another stop motion video that has been cleverly thought of.

2 = http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGoOhZN_PR8

this one is made by a stop motion method though instead of using singular pictures he has used singular videos and placed various videos together to make music out of the stop motion, this is very very very very clever .

3 = http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jF3BKwsgkWE

i saw this stop motion and thought wow.

4= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7o1G2kLkPBI

Cororado Sunshine Ideas/ PLAN production of the shoot.

The wonders of moving image....

I WANT TO FILM ON A BEACH.

I THINK A BEACH WOULD BE THE PERFECT LOCATION FOR

MY CHOSEN SONG

COLORADO SUNSHINE.

This can be possible, as i am going to Newquay for a week and

then South Of France for Two weeks and a half.

Though i am highly unlikely i will be able to film in Newquay beach what with the height of the season, and i don't wish to bring anything technical or expensive to Newquay when i am on Holiday with friends, yes , not a great idea.

So i have decided i am to film On the Coast of France.

I am to include in my music video:

• Shots of evening and surfers like images above, i think this is very symbolic of the songs title.
• running footsteps in the sand
• candid natural panoramic shots of the scene
• sun setting
• surfers catching waves
• calm people walking past on the beach
• shots of people walking into the sun
• running past the sea
• people happliy swimming
• i will cast georgia as the main character, following her and 'the particular moment' particular focusing a close up shot of her running into the sea and looking back at the camera?
• capturing the waves and the tide, movement of the waves to the music, alongside the tempo i think this will create allot of emotion.

PRODUCTION OF THE SHOOT.

stop motion process?

I do not own my own video- camera and so the only chance of taking video footage on my travels is too borrow from someone or get one on loan . This is a problem as

I have been told we are not able to use these school cameras over the summer Holiday's, so i am to think of something, where am i to get hold of a video-camera ?

i suppose i could hire or something? but this tricky as i will not be familar with the software or the product and so if any troubles occur whilst out on my travels where am i to turn to if something goes wrong?

However i do own an SLR Digital camera....?

I have before created a video from just pictures, taking a certain amount of pictures continuously at the same time to create a video flick, like a flicker book, when you sketch a million pictures of a stick man and flick the pages to turn the drawing into life. This type of production is

called

"the stop motion process"

you take so many pictures in how many seconds you wish

and continually press the shutter, you are then left with a hundred or so pictures that when put together create a video. However you have to constantly be thinking about the number of seconds, shutter delay, aperture, shutter speed, F-Stop etc .. this could be tricky but i think the overall effect would be worth while.

Like other videos i have created via this method i am to take a serious of photographs quickly and then put them together.

Here is a couple videos i have made via the stop motion process..

This was created last year, when i was a bit bored, i started take photos of random things, just as an experiment, and then inserted crops and anything that i could find around me , it wasn't planned i just made it up as i went along.

I began to notice how some photos almost synced together and made a video, i then tried this out by taking photographs of a duck on which i added music and various other things.

This is the kind of method i am going to use for my music video.

The one above is of low quality this is because i shrinked the video for youtube so that it can be viewed on the internet.,

here i experimented with people trying to capture something creativly insentive to the music, editing the music to the right crop of the pictures if you are to get it correct thus making it flow accordenly.

Colorado Sunshine Lyrics.

COLORADO LYRICS

And if i had something to say to you i'd whisper it softly,

kiss you on your rosey lips and never let you off me.

shiver on your roof and see your face lit by starlight,

hold you through the night and watch that colorado sunrise.

I've got five fingers on each hand for every mistake that i've made

cuz my tongue is tied to tonsles and i need to shit and shave

im a shade to pale for handsome and have habits i can't shake

and if you try to take that from me well i'll never be the same

trainwreck that i am

and i am what i am what i am

a trainwreck, that i am

and i am what i am what i am

a trainwreck

and as long as it's okay with you i think i'll stay right here.

i got no where to go cuz where to go is up to you, dear.

happy as a clam i see the glimmer in your eyes.

hold you through the night and watch that colorado sunrise.

no car and never cared because i got no place to go.

but in a room, (a single wall?) i couldn't pay a plant to grow

you can try and make this pretty,

pick up all my dirty clothes.

and if you never really get me then i guess you'll never know the

trainwreck that i am

and i am what i am what i am

a trainwreck that i am

and i am what i am what i am

a trainwreck

I've got five fingers on each hand for every mistake that iv'e made

cuz my tongue is tied to tonsles and i need to s#!t and shave

i'm a shade to pale for handsome and have habits i can't shake

and if you try to take that from me well i wouldn't be the same

trainwreck that i am

and i am what i am what i am

(colorado sunrise)

a trainwreck that i am

and i am what i am what i am

(colorado sunrise)

trainwreck.

that i am

(if i had something to say to you i'd whisper it softly)

and i am what i am what i am

(kiss you on your rosey lips and never let you off me)

a trainwreck

that i am

(shiver on your roof see your face lit by starlight)

and i am what i am what i am

(hold you through the night and watch that colorado sunrise)

a trainwreck.

Chosen The Song, Lets get on with production.

FINAL DECISION

AFTER much deciding and drawing and

coming up with ideas as you can see from a numerous blog posts

"drawing board"

EVERY POST WITH THE WORDS

"DRAWING BOARD" IN THE TITLE

ARE MERLY JUST COLLECTION OF IDEAS,

RESEARCH AND LOOKING INTO WHAT I ACTUALLY WANT TO CREATE MY MUSIC VIDEO ON.

Anyway one afternoon my ipod was on shuffle and a song which i totally forgot i had came on to my playlist.

Colorado sunshine by 3OH3

this song is very electronic with a fast and a slow tempo that mixes a bit like a Rollercoaster.

The song reminds me of Summer and i thought this song would be a great opportunity to create a music video that highlights the wonders of summer, and as we are about to break up from school to attend the much awaited summer hoildays i thought this song would be great.

I can IMAGINE FILMING ON A BEACH OR AN ENDLESS SEA, and as i am away on hoilday to various places in the next month i thought this would be great.

COLORADO SUNSHINE- in itself a song title that indicates a song about summer, and with Colorado the location indicates Americain Shoreline

with which comes hot weather, nice beaches, surfers- california, basically easy life by the sea.

And when i listen to this song it reminds me of

running past a beach, sunset, running into waves ect ect

SO I HAVE CHOSEN MY SONG AS....

Colorado Sunshine by 3OH3

The others i have mentioned before this post are all ideas and really just a giant blogging brainstorm.

I was listening to the band 3OH!3 and i was really drawn to their song 'Colorado Sunshine' it is just a great song to listen to, its positivity really ambushes your mind, you just want to chill and sit or dance listening to the constant beat and electronic rhythm that is compelled throughout.

The beginning of the song is very calm and reminds me of the seaside, and then after about 20 seconds , a piano is used to open the song quickly, it just makes you want to follow the beat like footsteps. then straightaway an electronic beat is rhythmically added, this fastens up the tempo and makes the song become something more of a frantic trance anthem, soon the band begin to repeatably rap , speeding up with the tempo. This song reminds me of a rollercoster, going up and down and then over and then back up and back down again, the tempo is almost as exact as this thus creating an exciting and over whelming track to listen to.

I could listen to 'Colorado sunshine' in the car, on the move with the Ipod, going for a run, its tempo and fast track rapping gives an ability to be quite a motivational song, and so this is why i think Colorado Sunshine would be a great option to create a music video too.

DRAWING BOARD.

The band "FIGHT STAR" FOR AN IDEA?

I have been thinking of more ideas, brainstorming and thinking of the right song

i want to create a music video for.

I know however if this was for real i would be unable to choose the song for the music video.

As the job would be to create a music video for the song thrown at you. Anyway i thought of some more ideas that i might as well blog for your knowledge.

So i have thinking of ideas, i came up with the idea of using 'floods' by Fight star as a backing song (well the song for the music video). I am to yet consider whether in fact i want to use this song. the beginning of the song uses key sounds from a piano, i thought this somehow resembles the movement of a ballerina, then on the 10Th second the piano switches to a heavy loaded rhythm of beats and guitar. this is pretty good timing as i thought as the ballerina dances away innocently to the piano, a predator or a group of predators like demons or something jumps out on that exact moment the music switches.

The 'demons' or predators could be male or female with masks on. i was thinking like panic at the disco where particularly they have masked people dancing around, i thought this would look quite cool and ironically fit with the ballerina, also if the 'demons' or masked predators were male this would suggest a sexual nature, like men searching for this one woman.

And particularly a 'beauty'. and as the female is seen as a ballerina this could highlight a stereotype of females, girl, good posture 'soft' etc etc . this is just an idea, though i don't quite no what else i could film apart from the beginning bit. though i have done some sketches of possible scenes and shots.

what could be included in this music video?

i rather like this idea.

so

• '... female ballerina, masked males?
• ... where could i film this? well i was thinking of the school corridor, as its long and thin and this would workout well especially looking at it through a camera, also with lots of openings this could well as when the music breaks into a heavy like smashing smash aha the men can jump out like 'animals' out of these doorways and straight onto this woman, like how a tiger would a deer, surround her and circle her. She runs and runs straight through this corridor to get away, past some as they come out this class rooms. this idea also reminds me of scenes in I Am Legend, where the infected people run out of the shadows and after will smith and his dog.

So where could i film this idea?

Our school has four main corridors with classrooms, A floor, B floor, C floor and D floor. i would want to film on D floor as its quite isolated and dark, well darker than the rest

of the corridors. Also if i was filming in this corridor half way through the corridor

there is an opening with two double doors, this reminds me of a hospital corridor,

and so i came up with the that i could use this too an advantage.

With the ballerina pushing the door wide open as the sounds our bombarded with heavy guitar, possibly showing a zoomed in shot of her movements, hand and expression as she pushes this door open, and as she pushes this door open the demons jump out from the shadows.

I really like this idea, though i think i may have it back to the drawing board, as i want to come up with something a bit less so obvious and done and been there kinda of thing.

DRAWING BOARD

Considering ideas and looking at other influences

I STILL AM NOT HAPPY WITH ANY SONG THAT I HAVE BEEN LISTENING TO.

I HAVE BEEN CONSTANTLY ADDING TO MY DRAWING BOARD BUT YET STILL I AM NOT OVERWHELMED WITH AN IDEA TO ACTUALLY GO OUT AND FULLFILL with it, UNTIL I REACH THIS POINT IS THE POINT I FOCUS ON THAT IDEA AND THEN I SUPPOSE MY BLOG WILL FLOW MORE.

SO I HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT BAT FOR LASHES AND HOW THEY CREATE MUSIC VIDEOS TO FIT PERFECTLY WITH THEIR MUSIC AND THEMES, THE THEME TENDS TO BE VERY FICTIONAL AND FAIRY TALE, THIS IS RATHER APPEALING TO A YOUNG AUIDENCE I THINK, AS PEOPLE THEN REMEMBER THE SONG FOR

THE VIDEO OR THE BAND FOR THE VIDEO,

"OH YES THIS IS BAT FOR LASHES , AS LOOK THE VIDEO IS VERY THEIR SCENE"

THIS HIGLIGHTS HOW IMPORTANT A MUSIC VIDEO IS, THE MUSIC VIDEO IS IN A WAY A CREATIVE ADVERTISEMENT, IF YOU LIKE THE MUSIC VIDEO ARE YOU MORE LIKELY TO BUY THAT SINGLE?

VERY SYMBOLIC OF BAT FOR LASHES.

Here an image of a blurry bat for lashes,

this has been created with a slow shutter speed, i have used this effect before and i rather like how it gives an illusion and a mysterious effect.

Could i possibly do this with video or is it just one shutter speed and so all in focus, i suppose this depends on the type of video camera,

ALSO

I RATHER LIKE

GREEN DAYS NEW VIDEO

'TWENTY ONE GUNS'

the way the video has been put together is brilliant,

i love the DE saturated effect, and the effect of things flying in the air,

with writing on the walls and stuff,

its inspiring, and when watching this video i can see more and more of what i want.

LIKE BAT FOR LASHES, GREEN DAY HAVE MUSIC VIDEOS WHICH IS VERY MUCH THEIR STYLE, ROCKY, GRUNGEY, DIRT, ECT, NOISE ECT. TAKE A LOOK AT BOUVELARD OF BROKEN DREAMS THIS IS VERY SIMILAR TO TWENTY ONE GUNS.

DRAWING BOARD.

Choosing a definitive song is i think the hardest part.

I have once again thought of another idea,

however choosing a different song.

At first my idea was to create a music video using

either

bullet for my valentine 'END OF DAYS' OR ROOM 409

or even using Alexisonfire as a soundtrack.

I was going to use the inspiration from that dazed and confused photograph (the one with the blood and stuff)
and turn the music video into a video capture of an event gripping the school, think i am legend, and the mysteriousness of HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS.

you know where students just casually, mysteriously go missing, i wanted to create the same effect, though with the heavy beats of the song, i would use quick flashes of camera work highlighting the girls, caught by this monster or demon or something totally unknown 'just in the shadows'
in my sketches you can see this, i came up with the idea of adding fog to the scenes to create the illusion of something 'weird' escalating, my music video was i think swaying more towards bullet for my valentine, as the hard hitting beats would be pretty ironic with the story board.
Also i came up with ideas that within each time period particularly before the chorus (where the beats begin to rhythm cynically) i would have the flashes highlight girls draped in blood against a white wall with chains etc, and then this would connect with flashes of girls evacuating the school, and teachers talking, students sobbing, students walking past in the corrider with the lurking unsuspecting demon crawling on the floor , however the students do not notice the demon or the surrounding fog, when editing this i would DE saturate or DE colour the scene to make it a bit more gloomy and horrific.
I have however realised that with such horrific scenes , my music video would have to be shown after a 9pm time period, which is not really ideal if the band are to promote there song successfully.

keeping all this in mind, i began to go back to the 'drawing board' and scrapped some new ideas into thought.

LOOKING AT RESEARCH METHODS.

I have been constantly researching using primary and secondary sources, looking at magazines for influence, websites, other music videos, listening to a ton of tracks, and constantly writing down any quotes that may be influential.

We have for the past few lessons looked at research methods, primary and secondary research, particularly i kinda knew what these meant anyway, as its not really scientific high brain use knowledge, but its good to go over.
primary is basically your own way of researching such as questionnaires etc
and secondary is using a second research such as the Internet or magazines or books or whatever.
EASY
.

I have been researching quite a lot as this is where i get my inspiration from, without looking at other peoples work and other stuff, i don't think you could really know what you want.
also it sways me towards ideas, and enlightens me to techniques, camera shots, editing, and other stuff that i could possibly try out or consider.