30 Cut Chorus

Learning  Comment:
By filming this, I realised that it is actually very hard to keep my camera in focus- I need to use the manual focus more often instead of the ease of using automatic to ensure that my camera is in focus for close up shots. Additionally, because my camera films in 1080p video, it took 4 hours to upload 1 minute of footage, so, I need to either film in lower quality when I make my final video which will be considerably longer or I need to make sure I upload the video over night. From this I really have learned that fast paced cuts really do make a music video better- at the start of the video the cuts are very short compared to the 2nd half of the video where they are longer and less jumpy and I prefer the first half of the video which really reflects how quick cuts make a difference. I do need to plan my videos more before I do them because I found that I was struggling to pick a variation on shots and camera techniques, which resulted in a bland video in relation to the variation that you see. Filming in the sun really enhanced the quality of my video, so I will try to film on days where there is a considerable amount of sun, which may be difficult as I will be filming in autumn and winter, where sunlight is limited. This may mean that I have to invest in special lights for certain shots, especially those that I will be filming when it is quite dark.

Digipak analysis

Learning Comment:
From researching digipak's, I learned lot about them and what makes something a digipak compared to a jewel case which will be vital when I actually come to make a digipak. Most of the digipaks that I have seen are very visually interesting which is definitely something that I want to adopt. In Katy Perry's she has chosen artwork that heavily resembles that of her 'California Girls' video, this is also something that I am keen to try out because they really work in synergy with each other to promote a greater brand identity. I really want my artist's face to feature on the cover because i think it makes it more obvious what is on sale.

Analysis of Music Websites

Learning Comment:
Analysing music websites has improved my knowledge on the codes and conventions of a music website. I now know that including social media links is a vital part of making a website so I will ensure that I will clearly add those in when I make my own website. I am also going to use a lot of colour in my website because i find that the best way to engage an audience because it is very captivating. I also want to link social media sites of the artist so its seems more realistic. It has also given me a good idea on branding and how to make everything link to one particular artist which gives them a unique selling point and persona

Lip Sync Battle

  Learning Comment:
Our lip syncing task was filmed in the same location for each song we sang, this is very different to how we would film a music video because I would change the location so that it was continually engaging to the audience. We also filmed it in a private location where no one could see us, which would be different to filming a music video- I need to think about finding a location where passers by are quite infrequent so that they do not reduce the realism of the shots by looking strangely at those lip syncing or manipulate a background by casting extras to walk past in a private place. Another problem that arises from filming in public is the possibility of the actor feeling embarrassed and this reflecting on their acting and lip-syncing performance. 

Additionally, we found that actually singing along to the song greatly aided our ability to lip sync and actually made the editing of the video a lot easier. This is something that I would urge my actor to adopt because it makes for a more realistic looking video.

When editing the video, I found it very difficult to actually sync the music up with the visuals. However, I did find that using 'Final Cut Pro X' was very good for making the visuals and music work in harmony. Therefore, I will definitely use 'Final Cut Pro X' again when I make my actual music video. It has a lot of filters which would be good for creating mood and atmosphere in my video. My current thoughts are to do a song which has a very tropical vibe and sound to it so I could use a filter that really exaggerates colour to emphasise this theme.

If I could do this again differently I would definitely use more locations and there would be more actions in the scenes to make it more interesting. Additionally, I would ensure that the background is not as dull and boring at this one.

UPDATED COMMENT:
We filmed our lip syncing again but we used different locations to make the video more visually interesting. We also used come quick cuts to add to the fast paced atmosphere of this video which seems to be a convention of many music videos currently.  However, some of the lip syncing it  bit out of sync which I need to improve by practicing my editing, so I will have to film some more practice shots so I can improve on my editing and timings. I could have edited it a bit more interestingly and added some filters and some jump cuts on the beat which would have made it more upbeat and lively. However, I must remember to reflect the genre in the editing, and make sure that a fast paced song has fast editing and a slow paced song has slow editing, so that it works in accordance with the schemas that people have regarding how a video should be.

History of Music Videos

Learning Comment:
Throughout the ages, music videos have changed dramatically. Early music videos, like 'these boots are made for walking' which was released in 1966, feature no plot to them which places emphasis on the actual music itself rather than the showiness of a technical music video. This theme was still prevalent in the late 70's- shown by the song message in a bottle by the police. The video is mainly clips of the band playing in a concert but this differs from earlier music videos because the band is given a persona which is very lighthearted. In 1981, MTV was created and it concerned itself with providing music for the mainstream audience, so, more emphasis was placed on the music video to increase sales of the songs. This change is seen by the music videos of 'Down Under' by Men at Work and 'Africa' by Toto- songs that are mainly or purely narrative.