Album Cover and Advertisement Shoot (Studio)

Album Cover/ Advertisement Pitch

Photography Studio Booking

Today in lesson we booked the photography studio to start the process of creating the album and advert to go with the music video. We specifically booked the studio as it has lighting in which we can manipulate and also a black background.

CD digipack & Adevertisment Proposal Pitch

Research and planning the CD cover and advert

Research & Planning CD and Advert

Research and planning the CD cover and advert

2Pac - Only God Can Judge Me (Final Product)

Music Video Feedback!

 

During today’s lesson my group and I showed our unfinished music video to our class in order to receive feedback on what we could potentially improve. As our video was incomplete we were unable to receive feedback based on all aspects of the music video. Although we still got a lot of constructive feedback on ways to improve our music video and ideas to incorporate in our music video. For example we were told to put more church scenes in to empathise the meaning behind the lyrics. Additionally we were also told to brighten some videos as they were dark and some were unable to see the music video. Overall the majority of our classmates enjoyed the concept of the music video as the narrative was clear and understandable.

Fifth shoot (studio)

As i have mentioned before, our group had a few problems with committing to a day where we were all free to shoot the chorus and the actor. Our actor Tim had other important commitments which meant he had to stay in college, this led us to change the location of most of the chorus, we decided we would use the photography studio instead as we would professional lighting which we desperately needed as our lip syncing couldn't be seen in most of our previous shots without brightening the clip. We used a white background as our actor was wearing all black, this made him stand out and also draws attention to his costume as it connotes mystery.

Fourth Shoot (Leake street)

As we were having problems with shooting our male actor Tim we decided we would use tajay to film some parts of the chorus, this footage will be used during the chorus during a fast rate cutting scene. The graffiti represents street/gang culture which we wanted to include in our video. As a group we wanted to show a variety of location shots that are parallel to the music video and lyrics.

Change of Location

As a group we had decided to change our location of our estate scene.This is primarily because some of our actors felt uncomfortable in broadwater farm .Therefore as a group we had decided to go to a estate which was closer and where are actors felt comfortable to act.

First sequence completed (Team meeting)

Today in lesson me Celia and Tajay started to cut our shots that we were going to use and put them in order, we also started to match up the lip syncing which we found quite tricky at first. After converting, rendering and cutting our videos we started to put them in order, in this time we managed to create the first 1:30seconds of our music video, Which already includes 3/4 locations.

Team Meeting + Editing

In lesson and our own free period my group decided we would create a quick schedule of what we wanted to complete by the end of the week, we decided that we wanted to try and complete our editing by the end of this week, giving us the last week to sit down with a technician and add effects etc to our video and get a final opinion from Vanessa for any touch ups we need to add.

Third shoot (Church scene)

As our character is put into critical conditions, when someone is placed into this position they tend to run to religion and something that has a higher power so that they wouldn't have to feel as if the burdens that life provides is all down and due to them, they would want something of a higher status to figure out their situation and "point" them in the right direction, This helps by taking away some of the responsibility because when someone else has control over our lives and they seem to have better intentions for us than ourselves they would feel as if their burdens are slightly lifted also they would feel as if they have somebody on their side and in this song, when the individual was shot they referenced God as a way of running to someone who will be there when we are in an unstable place. Meaning that the reference is for reassurance so the individual does not feel alone.

Second Shoot (Ferry Lane)

Researching & Planning: Moving Image Work

First Shoot (Hospital scene)

Today as a group we went down to our first aid room to start the filming process, in order for us to make the first aid room look like a hospital Celia bought in a white sheet to cover the bright blue mattress, I also cut holes in a fresh pillow cover to make a hospital gown for Tajay to wear and I used first aid stickers to create stitches on Tajays face.

Team meeting! :)

Today as a group we decided it was time to plan and decide on dates where we are all available to film shots for our music video. We started by contacting our actor (Tim) who will be playing 2Pac, to ask for dates when he would be free to film, from there we fitted his time and dates around all our schedules so that we can make shoot days which are compulsory for our team to attend, so that we can start editing as soon as we get back to college after the holidays. After noting down the times and dates (which we all have copies of) we went straight up to the media office to book the camera for the dates we had picked, as well as dates and camera bookings we also decided that Tajay would be the main actress in the music video as our other actress Fifi is not as reliable and easy to contact as Tajay.

Conversations With Potential Actors

Tajay had simply informed the actors for the music video where we will be filming. Also these photos are to illustrate the fact that we are contacting those who are involved in this production further to this these conversations are proof that we are flexible as we have shoot according to what days are available for both of them meaning we were just discussing schedules and keeping them both updated  so that they understand what exactly is going on. 

Ideas for Hospital Scene!

We were advised to shoot the easiest part of our music video first and as the hospital scene was easiest we decided that this would be first even though this is not how our video begins.  As Tupac says 

"I hear the doctor standing over me [heart monitor: beeping slowly]

screamin I can make it 

Got a body full of bullet holes layin here naked 

Still I, can't breathe, somethings evil in my IV

Cause everytime I breathe, I think they killin me".

For this scene we thought that we would have an all white room (even though in the picture the First Aid room doesn't look all white) or a room that replicates what a hospital would look like so that our actress could lay on the bed looking distraught because she has just been shot. This would then lead to the actress falling back into a comma like seizure and then this is when we would cue the flashbacks of her childhood and her past.  

Location Reece

           

As a team we had to think of somewhere that looks like a hospital in order for us to film our hospital scene, because of ethical reasons and our time frame getting permission from a hospital to film would lead to many complications. We made a decision that the easiest place for us to film was the first aid room in college, we got permission from the first-aiders them self and the sports department, where the first aid room is located. Before filming we though it was best if we went and checked the room first, just so we could prepare our selves for any extra props we may need to bring on the day of filming. as you can see from the pictures above we set up the camera to see if the lighting in the room worked with the camera itself, unfortunately the lighting was directly above the bed which washed out our actor, so as a group we decided we would use small spotlights from home to hold above our actress whilst filming. As well as lighting we also decided we would need to bring a fake hospital gown, white bed sheet and fake medical stitches to put on our actress' face.     

Talent Release Forms!

As a group we created a deadline in which we had to complete by today, which was to get all the actors who were going to be included in the filming of our music video, to sign our release forms, in order for us to give them their lyrics which they need to learn, but also to finalize all filming dates so that it fits around all our actors and producers schedules.

Call Sheets

Risk Assessments

Costume, Props and Make up!

Today in lesson i worked on putting all our ideas together about our vision of 90's fashion and what we could use in our music video. We all decided that bomber jackets, mom jeans and timberland boots were all very popular in the 90's and we all mutually agreed that we wanted to use these items of clothing in our music video. As well as clothing we decided what key props we need to purchase or borrow in order to make our video believable, these props included, a vinyl record player but more importantly a hospital bed to create the hospital/dying scene of our main character. 

Finished Annotations Of The Lyrics

Complete Storyboards :)

Today in lesson we decided as a team how we wanted to piece our story together, step by step. We started off by going through each shot individually and analysing what will briefly happen, including the shots used, as well as how long each shot will be, so that it matches the lyrics of the song. As a team we agreed that having a storyboard to refer to whilst filming will save a lot of time but also prepare us for what props we might need on each video shoot. Whilst finalizing the storyboard we had to make a few adjustments to our story line, which are only minor things that we already discussed on each of blogs. 

Ideas for Hair and Makeup

Checking Out The Locations!

Me, Celia and Tajay though it was a good idea to check out some potential locations for our music video so that we can narrow down what locations we will need and which best suit our chosen song and storyline.

Our first location is of Leake Street tunnel in Waterloo. We believe this location is parallel to our music genre as it is covered in graffiti. The graffiti symbolises an expression of art, it could also symbolise gang signs and culture which corresponds with a hip hop/rap theme. In this location we will have our actor who is playing 2pac, rap to the chorus of the song whilst walk through Leake Street. We will use a low angle panning shot from both side and front view. 
Our second location is of an estate in North London (Broadwater farm). We believe this location is useful as our video is to be set in the 90's where everyone grows up on a block, in london our housing is different and instead of blocks we have estates instead, however this is similar as most gang related crime and rap artists come from estates like the one we are going to film at. In this location we will have Tajay walking through the estates ready to chill with her 'homies', this is where she gets 'snaked' by her so called friends and the drive by happens.

Our third location is at St. Johns Church in Stratford. We believe this location is crucial in our music video as our song is about God and how only God can pass judgement. For this location we will need permission to film at the church, if we do we will shoot the end scene at the location and the fast rate drive by shooting here. 
Our final location is the photography studio in our college, we believe this will be perfect for our hospital scene as we want most of our audience's attention to be focused on Tajay's eyes rather than the location, if we keep the location simple and plain it will make Tajay stand out.