Preparing to answer the evaluation questions

Preparing to answer the evaluation questions

Question 1 - draft script


Question 2

For this question we wanted to create a more authentic filming environment, and relaxed, professional vibe, and so we discussed with each other beforehand what we thought was good about our ancillary texts and why, and how they were effective in collaboration with our music video. We didn't script this so as to appear more natural when discussing the production.

Question 3



Question 4 - draft ideas

Evaluation Questions

Evaluation Questions

Below are the questions I need to address in my evaluation of 'Home'. I will be explaining and clarifying each question in my own words, plus I will mention which creative method I may use to answer each question.

Q1: In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

•        This question requires me to demonstrate my understanding of the forms and conventions of professional music videos, as well as show that I understand the techniques used in making them, and that I know the appropriate terminology. I will be required to to show this understanding through my work and explain how I used these media forms and conventions/elements in my production, through my blogged production process. I will need to mention research I carried out and what conclusions I made which effected my main task. There are a number of creative methods for answering this question; DVD Director's commentary, an interview with the cast and crew, or a music video review.

Q2: How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?

•         This question requires me to analyse the effect, and the level of impact, my main product has when combined with my two ancillary texts. I will need to show that I have researched both music video DVD covers and music video adverts, as well as a variety of music videos themselves in order to advertise my product appropriately. There are number of creative methods for answering this question, for example Director and Producer interviews, or vox-pops.

Q3: What have you learned from your audience feedback?

•        For this question I need to demonstrate what I have learnt from my audience feedback, (including how it has effected my final product and how it will effect my future productions), how I received this audience feedback, and the significance of having said feedback. Creative methods that I could use to document my findings would be; group discussions (where the audience can question the Directors and Producers) or an interview with the crew.

Q4: How did you use new media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

•        This question requires me to explain what new media technologies I used throughout my whole A2 production process, and why I used them. I will need to give examples of when, how and why I have used media technologies (and explain which media product they are) in the pre-production, production and post-production processes. To do this I could create a Director and Producer's commentary, an interview with the crew, or a series of Director's vlogs.

Ancillary text 2 ideas

Ancillary text 2 ideas

Magazine Advert Ideas 

Ancillary text 1 ideas

Ancillary text 1 ideas

Draft main images for the front cover of the music video DVD.

'Home' DVD Cover Ideas 

Technology used to create the music video

Technology used to create the music video

Cameras used 

School camera: Canon LEGRIA HF R606 with 57X advanced zoom and 32 x optical zoom HD CMOS and with optical image stabilizer

Teo's camera: Nikon d3300 with an 18-55mm lens and then a 55-200mm zoom lens

My camera: Canon Power Shot SX500 1S with 16.0 MEGA PIXELS, and image stabilizer and a Canon zoom lens of 30XIS, and 4.3-129.0mm 1:3.4-5.8

Tripod used

We used the school's 'hama' 'star61' tripod.

Editing software used

School software: MoviePlus, on one of the school DEL computers

Big Boy Studios software: Reaper, on an Apple computer

Editing 'Home'

Editing 'Home', using MoviePlus software


Continuity editing, treatments, effects and superimposition

To keep the editing looking continuous we included shot reverse shots and cutaways from Jess to Teo to show that they are thinking about each other - this is further emphasised by the superimposition of Jess looking into the camera overlayed with the shot of Teo thinking and looking out - he is thinking of Jess; the fact that this shot coincides with the line 'there's a shining in the shadows' emphasises that in Teo's character's darkest moments he thinks of Jess' character.

We wanted to create a believable and heart-warming narrative, and to do this we thought that keeping continuity throughout the piece but also adding in some concept-based themes would make this so. For example, we emphasised the fact that the sunflower symbolises the young couple's love by overlaying it with a shot of them reuniting - this superimposition made the shot bright and warm (due to the yellow of the flower) and enhanced the happiness of this moment. The treatments of the shots when the couple are together are also warm - we increased he temperature and saturation on these shots. The shots where the couple are apart have a slight greyscale treatment to emphasise their longing for each other - as the couple get closer to finding each other we have slightly decreased the greyscale percentage (the lowest was about 10%) and then on the shot where they see each other again we went straight in with a warmer treatment to emphasises this.

Lottie and Fin cloud watching shot - with the 'Home Movie' effect (from finalised YouTube version)

Jess overlayed on the shot of Teo thinking about her (from finalised YouTube version)

Adding a greyscale treatment to this shot

Effects and shot pace (including time lapses and slow motion)

The shots where the couple are children (showing Fin and Lottie) were also sped-up up (to approximately 3 times it's original speed) in comparison to the shots with Jess and Teo, and they had high saturation and temperatures as well as the 'Home Movie' effect on them to emphasise the fact that those shots are past memories that the couple have together. Paradoxically, the second to last and third to last shots of Jess and Teo embracing on the bridge (as well as other shots such as the sinking flower and Jess and Teo walking towards each other on the bridge) are in slow motion to build the and savour the emotion of the moment - for example, when they walk towards each other it is the climax of the music video, we want them to be together and it is building tension for that moment, and when they hug in slow motion and we see Jess laugh it reminds us of a cliche rom-com moment but the sincerity of looks that are exchanged on camera show that this moment, to the couple, is very much real. The final shot is not in slow motion this represents how the shot is their present. Yasmin and I thought a lot about shot pace because we had never really done much with this before - we decided to push ourselves and add in a time lapse - this took a few hours to film but it includes the sun setting over our main river location and so bridges the first half of the music video (the couple as friends when children) and the second part of the video (where they have lost contact - before they reunite) as the dusk symbolises the loss of a friendship (day has gone) but the promise of a new dawn, something new, after the darkness of night (they will reunite and fall in love after separation makes them miserable).

Deciding to give this shot a warmer treatment (to illuminate that the couple have reunited), and leave it at original pace (to bring us back to the present - the previous shot will be in slow motion)

Transitions, cross fades, colour fades

We used a variety of different transitions in our music video, some of them are straight cuts - for example when Jess sees the flower and when she picks it up - these are to show continuity. We also used cross fades to overlap shots and allow the piece to flow together - for example where Fin and Lottie are sitting on a tree and talking we used an extra long cross-fade with a more greyscale shot of the tree (from exactly the same position) without Lottie and Fin on it to show the passing of time and to enhance the fact that the couple have been separated throughout the middle stage of their teenage years. Moreover, near the end of the music video where the couple embrace on the bridge there is a colour fade (white) into some more shots of Lottie and Fin playing together and laughing - these have been sped up more than the initial sped-up shots in order to emphasises that this is a joint flashback - when this montage ends there is another white colour fade that brings us back to the present where we see the couple (who are in there late teens in this part of the video) reunited.

Tree shot of Lottie and Fin fading into the shot of just the tree (from finalised YouTube version)

Sound


Steve White, my guitar teacher, and owner of Big Boy Studios, downloaded the official YouTube version of the Gabrielle Aplin's 'Home' onto his computer (using 'Reaper' software) and then uploaded that to a CD. I then downloaded the single from the CD onto the computer Yasmin and I were using at school and we put the song into a sound track on MoviePlus to allow us to see how long the song was, and to allow us to estimate the length of certain shots we had thought of and play around with where we thought they should go. From there we brainstormed ideas, I made a storyboard, we filmed and then edited our shots, and we created our music video.

YouTube link to Gabrielle Aplin's official 'Home' video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mVbdjec0pA

YouTube link to Gabrielle Aplin's official 'Home' lyric video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPNgq4ZRxKg

YouTube link to mine and Yasmin's music video for Gabrielle Aplin's 'Home': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miD9yrONbMQ