Music Video Evaluation

Before filming could commence, I ensured that I ran a health and safety evaluation of every shoot that was to take place. This including taking into account all the possible dangers or hazards that could cause harm to the crew as well as other people we may come into contact with whilst filming. For example we used a step ladder as a prop for the video, so therefore we ensured that the ladder was perfectly stable on the ground that it was placed on before any member of the crew attempted to use it. We also made sure it was explicitly clear where everyone will be postponed during the shoot. This was done to ensure that no one could come into contact with any of the equipment, such as cameras on tripods which would subsequently result in it being knocked over and broken. On top of this, as we shot in a public place for the majority of this video, it was also made explicitly clear that everyone had to be mindful of their surroundings which would hopefully prevent anyone disturbing members of the public, such as accidentally walking in their way whilst filming.

During the scene in which the model pig was destroyed with a baseball bat, it became clear that the shards that resulted of this had the potential to either damage the equipment and the crew. Mindful of this, I used a telescopic lens which I could use to shoot a close up of the ornament at a far and safe distance.

In order to ensure I obtained more than enough footage than I needed when it came to the editing process, I took at least 5 or six takes of each shot. This also meant that I had more of a variety of different shots to choose from to make the final cut.

However there were issues we came across during the filming process. The main issue, as there were quite a few people involved in the making of this video, was organising a time in which we knew everyone was free. This was made apparent as the shoot stretched on past a week, due to everyones busy scheduals. In order to overcome this issue we scheduled a meeting so that we could all agree on a time that we were all free and available to film. This made the whole process much mire organised and simpler. What also helped was establishing an online group chat which allowed each other to be in close contact.

Another issue we encountered was the ever-changing weather patterns. As the majority of the shoot was outdoors, the weather would have to also be taken into account as it had a tendency to fluctuate during this particular season in which this video was made. If it were to all of a sudden rain, then the camera equipment would have been damaged/destroyed. Therefore we made sure we brought a protective canvas to put over the camera if it were to start raining.

Because we shot the footage in many different locations, inside and outside, it was essential that I brought a variety of lenses to shoot with which would be best adaptable for the surroundings. I brought a lens which allowed for a low aperture when shooting indoors, especially when the lighting was becoming more low key as the day went on.

I realised as the weather changed I had to adjust the settings of the camera so that the image won't be over exposed or under exposed. If the environment changed so that there was more sunlight  would have to lower the aperture, and visa versa.

As the editing process began, I organised different clips in categories of different locations (i.e where each individual clip was shot. This gave me a more vivid view of the structure of the video in which it will be edited as well as a greater scenes of cohesion. I could easily identify which clip belonged to which scene based on the location on which it was shot.

Also during the editing I used  the colour corrector which is available in premiere pro. As the weather tended to change, certain shots were not consistent with the tone of the previous shots.

Therefore this tool was used in order to make the colour tone consistent throughout the entire video which gives it more of a fluid feel. 

In the editing process I used genre specific cuts. When editing a music video, jump cuts are often very common as they are a effective way of portraying events to the audience in the small space of time that we are permitted (the duration of the song). I also cut the footage in time to the beat, which is a technique I learnt when we did the "editing footage to music" exercise. This amplifies certain beats of the song which supplies a greater impact to the audience. 

What I would have done differently is create a shot list which not only displays what shot needs to be done but also where and when it would have been shot. Because I didn't conjure up a shooting schedule, the planning of the shoot was all over the place which led to continuity errors and late work. 

Recommendations: 

-Next time i'm going to storyboard excessively to ensure that no blatant continuity errors are able to occur.

- I am also going to create a shooting schedule where my actors can refer to to ensure that the shoot is tightly planned and everyone knows where they are going to be and where. 

- I am going to plan every scene in advance so that no time is wasted in looking for appropriate locations to shoot.