The Song

As I have disused in previous posts I have decided to make a music video as a part of my final production. After making this choice I felt that I was important to secure a song choice for the future video. Having a genre in mind helped me when creating my initial production pitch however now I feel that selecting a specific song will benefit me as I will be able to focus my ideas more effectively and build them according to my chosen song. 

When trying to choose a song my group and I wanted to make an appropriate choice that would accompany our ideas well. We decided to have a production meeting and mind map ideas and concepts that our song should be able to match. 

After completing this we all felt that we were on the same page and began sampling a range of songs with a similar vibe, eventually we all came to a consensus and agreed a song title 'Sol' by an independent band called Mausi. 

As well as being very enjoyable to listen to, I feel the song is varied in tempo, upbeat and allows for multiple interpretations which is perfect for my production. 

The link below will send you to a sound cloud page were you will be able to listen to our chosen song.

Mausi - Sol

I am aware that permission must be asked before I am able to use any music as part of my final production and this will be my next area of focus. 

Colbie Caillat - I Do (Recreation Task)

The video below shows the final out come for the short clip recreation task that my group and I were set.

We were very pleased with final outcome and feel that the we executed the task well. On completion we decided to obtain some audience feed to help us identify ways in which we could improve for future products. We found that the initial pan at the start was too long and should have ended still on the subject rather that continuing to move past, this continuous movement gave the audience the impression that another subject of importance was going to enter the frame from the right and when this did not happen it slightly distracted the audience from being fully engaged in the video. 

Another area of construct raised was that our framing could have been better in the scene in which the girl is creating the frowning pattern with the yellow flower petals. When filming every this in the frame is important and the large void of empty space to the left of the action showed to be another distraction. 

The most positive aspects of the final products include the scene in which the camera pans through the yellow flowers. It was noted that the this specific scene created a vibrant contrast in colors and kept our clip visually appeal to those who watched. The mix of angles were also able to maintain attention and keep the audience interested through out. 

I feel that I was able to keep the clip similar to the original as well as including our own ideas and trying out different hings such as the final scene of the green post-it note. From this task my group and I were able to get a good feel for where we would like to take our final production and ideas and techniques that we would like to include in it. 

If i were to carry out this task again I would pay more attention to the smaller details and check shots more frequently as this will help to create a more professional product and I will certainly carry this out in future filming.

Next I will continue final production planning and continue with my product research. 

Recreation Task Storyboard

Before my group and I can begin filming for our recreation task we first need to begin making a plan of what we need to achieve by the end of production. The best way to organize our ideas is through story boarding. Below is the images of our story board for our future product. 

Creating a detailed story board benefits the groups as it able to provide us with some structure whilst we are filming. Having the images whilst on set is a good reference for what we need to complete in order to achieve our desired out come. 

Having visuals are the best way for my group and to check if we are on the right track and they also help us to ensure that we all know what we are aiming for.

When working in a group it can sometimes become unclear if we are all on the same page but story boards allow us to make sure that we all have the same image in mind 







Now that I have completed the planning stages I am now prepared to go ahead with production. Having this structured plan will give the chance to gather the props and actors needed as well as secure an appropriate location to film in. 

Recreation Task

My group and I were set the task to find a clip that related to our brief and recreate it. We decided to choose a clip that inspired us and matched the overall tone of what we intend to create for our final product. After a group discussion we decided that 'I Do' by Colbie Caillat would be the best choice for this task. 

We decided that we would focus on the first minute of this video rather than the whole piece as the beginning demonstrates certain conventions that we would like to include in our final product. I was drawn to the creative and interpretive aspects of this clip such as the inanimate objects resembling human emotions. This feature is effective as is it is able to emphasize and mirror the feel and transmit the overall tone of the music video to the audience. Recreating this clip will help me with my final product as it will give me the opportunity to experiment and try out new techniques which I can use when I begin my own production. This clip is not overly challenging in terms of technical execution however it will allows an element of creative freedom. When recreating this clip my group and I will aim to follow the structure of the music video above as well as try to incorporate our own ideas as.  

Next I will begin planning for the production of this recreation, I will do this by story boarding and confirming ideas with my group. 

Production Time Table

Currently I am in the early stages of production, during this time I will need to complete my product research before I am able to start pre production for my final video. The chart below is designed to help me with my time management and keep me on track for what needs to be completed by when.

From AS I have learned that time management is very important when it comes to production. Being able to refer to this chart will help me to effectively set and meet deadlines, I will aim to stick to the time allocated in order to avoid running out of time further towards the end of production. 

Production Pitch

Now that I have chosen a brief that I feel comfortable with, next I will begin to plan a production pitch. Although I feel that I often work well alone, from my AS production I have learnt I also work well as part of a team as it helps when coming up with ideas and overcoming problems. I also feel team work can help make a production strong as they are often well rounded as they have been views from perspectives other than my own. By acknowledging this I have decided to work together with two other people who have also chosen the same brief as I have. 

Below is my presentation for the pitch of my future product. Having a pitch is a good way for my group and I to begin as it helps when establishing ideas and planning for the desired outcome. 

My production pitch focuses on varies areas including a short synopsis, possible actors, locations and song choices as well as a examples of other music videos that I felt looked good and fitting their chosen tones. 



After delivering the presentation I received some audience feedback. The majority of the audience liked the sound of my overall idea of including freedom and openness however, some comments in relation to the location altered my original thinking. My preferred locations were originally open fields and woodlands however in discussion it was raised that these two locations can potentially give the audience varied feelings. It's important for me to consider this as I would want to avoid giving the audience mixed messages. 

Issues around lightning and colour treatments also came up as with some of the pictures and examples I used had different treatments from each other. From this I feel that I should chooses a more washed out colouring when it comes to post production rather than a bright one and colours that are over exposed. My production date will also be taking place in autumn and winter months so it is important that I am able to adapt my ideas in ways that are able to suit the environment. 

Receiving audience feedback is always helpful and is a useful and important part of any production. From taking in feed back I was able to see potential flaws and simple ways in which I can improve my ideas in the planning stages of production. 

Deciding on Brief

Before I am able to carry out any stages of further production I must first decide on which media brief I am going to use for my A2 course work. It is important that I choose the correct brief for my self and one that I feel that I can execute to the best of my ability. For this particular course work there are 13 briefs to choose from so I felt that it was important for me to run over each one and read all the details before ruling any out for sure. By doing this I was able to easily sort the briefs into two categories, the categories included one group of briefs that I felt were not right for me and one group of briefs that I felt interested and excited about. By narrowing down my choices in a tactful way I was able to make it easier for my self when it came to choosing the one most suited to my abilities.  

Initially I decided that briefs 11, 12 and 13 were not the best option for me to go for. I felt that these briefs were too specific and that this would place a limit on my creativity.

Other briefs such as the promotional package containing a teaser trailer appealed to me as the main task along with the ancillaries provided a certain element of creativity as well as a interesting focus. However when making my decision I felt that a teaser trailer may be hard to pull off in an effective and dynamic way. I also felt that this brief was similar when compared to my AS brief and I wanted the opportunity to try something different. 

After taking each option into consideration I decided that that first option of making a promotional package including a music video would be the brief most suited to myself and my abilities. 

When analyzing the brief I felt this choice would be able to provide me with creative freedom and a wide choice of options. I also felt comfortable with the ancillaries texts of a magazine advert and a website homepage which helped me to conclude that I would be able to complete this task effectively.  

Now that I am happy with my chosen brief I will now work on creating a pitch for my future product.