Location shots: Erith Pier

We took a trip to Erith Pier to take some location shots for our music video. We are planning on using the pier along with hall place and the high street. We will base the beginning of our video on the pier along with the dancing segment. 

One of the perks of using the pier is that the location is prominently empty and spans a long distance so will be ideal for wide walking shots. We are also going to use the location when the model looks out to sea as the backdrop is rather industrial which we want to make the video seem real. The concept of the video should be that the location could be anywhere, not specifically London. 

Research into Types of Shot

(Research by Katie) 

Contemporary Dancer Research

We decided to research into the different camera angles, transitions and the effect of this to inform our own choices when shooting our dance scene. We looked particularly closely at the way the camera moved and decided that after researching, we shall film the dancers to appear as though they are moving towards the camera, as used frequently in the research. Additionally, after a moments close up, the camera tended to move into a wide shot so the camera is not intruding into the dance. We will use this when shooting our own sequence. 

(Research by Rosie) 

Outside lighting Research

We researched into lighting our shoot outside. We tried to find alternative solutions for lighting as setting up a three point lighting system would be not only troublesome as shooting outside but would also be expensive. As shooting outside, we decided that we would use natural light and reflectors instead. We have also decided to use side lighting and experiment with lighting angles and elevations in our testing to see how these shots turned out on location. 

(Research and Prezi by Hannah) 

Permission for Hall Place House and Gardens

We received this email from Hall Place House and Gardens granting us permission to use their facilities on any given chosen day providing we notified them in advance. This is now definitely a location for part of our shoot. 

Permission for Hall Place House and Gardens

Rosie emailed Hall Place House and Gardens to ask permission to use their facilities as they are part of the Bexley Heritage Trust and although in a public domain are used for corporate events. We plan only to shoot in the fields and gardens and have explained that in the email. We have also mentioned our intentions and the purpose behind the shoot. We are now waiting for a reply in order to go ahead and shoot.

Testing: Pan shots and use of the Sun

We decided to test some basic filming using two cameras and a tripod to see the effect which this had. We selected a camera used primarily for still shots but has a recording feature along with a video recorder. We anticipated the video recorder would provide a clearer, more professional shot but decided to test this anyway. We used a tripod to try and keep the camera still and provide a fluid motion however this was not particularly successful. The video recorder worked better as we suspected and we could therefore use this when shooting our video, however, the overall effect was not as smooth as we had anticipated and would therefore need to conduct some research in how to make this more effective.
We also shot a small section with the sun forming through the trees as this is an effect we would like to use for the opening section of our video. We did not use the tripod here as felt the slight bumpy movements worked well. We particularly liked the glare on the camera due to the sun and would try to recreate this during the scenery shots when no model is involved. 
We plan to shoot in our chosen location, as we have not done this yet and re try these shoots. 

(Filming by Hannah and Rosie; Video by Rosie) 

Research into Depth of Field

We created a prezi as a group to present our research when looking into the depth of field. We then also placed our own findings in this presentation to show a comparison of the research and our own take on this. We found this research and testing useful, however, this was initially more difficult to achieve than we first anticipated on the Canon camera. We still plan to shoot using shallow focus as we feel this was the easiest to not only achieve but additionally looked the most effective but use this technique less than we had originally planned. 

(Research by Katie; Prezi by Rosie) 

Makeup Testing

Using our initial ideas for make up we decided to have a test for the dancers and lead make up. We decided to go for a dark smoky grey eye and bright red lips for the dancers to correspond with the white dresses of the dancers. This make up will be in colour as the dancers are going to be dancing after the change from black/white to colour so the red will be vibrant. Additionally, red is the colour we are using to connect all the scenarios together so this will play an important role. We decided to go for a blue/silver eye with neutral lips for the lead, this will be shown as shadowing in the black/white part of the video but then show the colour of the make up in the color part of the video. We chose the blue as this is a soft colour, conveying sadness- in this case we want sympathy for those around her to be in fitting with the song. We plan on keeping the lips neutral to make the eye makeup more of an impact and we feel that a block colour would be too harsh. Our testing went well, however, we would plan on tweaking the dancer makeup slightly, adding more shine to the lips which will make them look more noticeable on camera. We also plan on having a larger flick on the eyelid. 

(Pictures by Hannah; Make up by Danielle; Model by Katie; Video by Rosie) 

Mise en scene (Clothing and Make up) Initial Ideas

(Slide Pub by Danielle)

Preparation of Shots

After we decided on the various shots which we would use, we decided to take some initial still shots. We were not using the decided model or in the chosen location but we wished to display the types of shots we hoped to re-create. 

 

We took some over the shoulder shots as we hope to do in our actual video. We angled the first shot so the model was only in a portion of the shot, changing the depth of field to a shallow focus which blurred the model's head, meaning the primary focus was on the scenery. We hope to use this when the model is looking out from the pier philosophically. We also took another shot of the model but this time did not change the depth of field and ensured the model was in a greater portion of this shot as this will be used when the model is walking along the pier. 

We then also took some side shots of the model which would be used when on the pier which shall be used along with the over the shoulder shots. We also hope to use more close ups here as well. You can see the scenery is slightly blurred, something we want to initiate in our video. 

We plan to have some close ups of nature in the opening scene of our music video so took some small shots of flowers, once again changing the depth of field to a shallow focus to blur the background. We also plan to have some close up shots of the model being at one with nature, touching the flowers and wandering through a rose garden towards the end of the video. 



We plan on having a homeless person sitting stationary on the ground while people rush past, much like the Ed Sheeran 'A Team' video. We tried to shoot as an experiment with someone on the floor and people walking past. Obviously this is extremely difficult to achieve when using still shots yet we wanted to gain some insight into the camera angles. We decided to chose to shoot at eyeline level of the 'homeless person' and will use this angle when shooting our actual video as we think this allows the viewer to see the action on their level, rather than the people who are walking perspective. This will also provide a nice, fluid cut when we show a POV shot from the homeless person's perspective rather than a jump from a higher angle to a face on, lower angle. 

Our video idea involves a large amount of walking and we decided to shoot a tracking shot but with still shots to create a basis of what we would actually try and achieve when recording. We plan on having the model walk down the pier, cutting from a front shot of the model as well as a shot of her walking behind. We also want the model to be shown walking through the highstreet, with the camera actually facing the model. We also plan on having a side shot of the model walking down the pavement towards the rose field. We also shot a few images of someone walking past the nature, which in our video we plan on having them slightly brush past. This was not done face on but instead at a slight angle to show the movement of the model.

We took a selection of shots to show our sequence of the model walking off the pavement, through the gate and towards the rose garden. We plan on using a combination of close ups, side shots, face on shots and shots with the camera being behind the model. This will be before the model walks to the field.  

On the final 3 chords of the song we plan on having the camera moving further away from the model, in time with the music. We plan on this being face on shots of the model before fading out to black. We took some still shots of what would be recorded on each beat. We would hope to recreate this in the recording whilst having the model obviously in the chosen location, clothing and acting.  


(Filming by Hannah and Rosie; Modeling by Katie) 

Initial Story Board

We constructed a clip, which plays along to our chosen song, with our ideas for the storyboard, focusing on the change from black and white to colour, the various close up, side, and point of view shots along with some of the settings and interpretations of characters such as the homeless or those in need of help which we hope to re-create. Although these pictures are not completely representative of what we wish to achieve in our own music video, we will be using them as basis and inspiration. 

(Video created by Rosie) 

Designating Roles within a Team

To ensure we all work well within a team we have allocated specific roles to each team member based on their skills and what they can bring to the team.

Roles
Rosie- Director/Editor (Team Leader)
Hannah- Producer/Filmer
Danielle- Mise-en-scene (clothing, make up, colour, textures)
Katie- Researcher/Lighting

As a whole:
Planning
Casting
Timeline
Storyboard
Location

We will support each other within our roles, offering any important suggestions to help the team as a whole. We beleive these are the best roles suited to our own strengths.