22/02/15 editing session

Today I learned how useful it is to coordinate the footage with the bars of the music - my client informed me on this. It was useful to also gain musical knowledge! DJ PLAY expressed how he values our communication as our separate creative backgrounds enable us to use unusual terminology (or nicknames for video clips) in order to refer to editing techniques.

Progress: we are half way through the main hula hoop section of the video, meaning that we are now approaching the end of the video. So far we have been extremely thorough in choice of shots (selecting only the very best) and I am pleased with the progress. We have been working through 8 bars at a time and have had lots of discussion.

Time spent: 2 hours

17/2/15 session

Today I have gone through my work and begun thinking about the final stage of my project. I am also getting in contact with my client to arrange the next edit, which will be for the hoop scene. He expressed particular interest in participating in this section, but has not been able to make it recently due to demanding work calls. I hope to have had the next session done by the end of this week, and I will be playing it by ear.

Total time today: 1.5 hours

13/2/15 editing session

More progress being made: we broke up the bridge scene with flash-forwards of the next scene. This gives the impression that our actor is thinking about what she is going to do. The shots are obscure, sun-drenched and dreamy, keeping the viewers waiting to find out what they are.

Furthermore, we added a few nature shots before the hoop scene so as to act as a reminder that the significant theme is the natural world. Again, it helps to break up the action and focus on the actor.

Lastly, my client agreed that the video is lacking in some places where the nature theme comes in, so I have decided to do another shoot when I can. The things I need to shoot better footage for are:

• Ripples in water, in river
• The sunsetting
• More plants/foliage closer up

Total hours: 2.5 hours

10/2/15 editing session

First, I had been on my way home and found a tree full of birds, so I rushed out with my camera to film them. This is my 5th shoot for the video. I am very glad I obtained this extra footage, as it has been blended into the video nicely; for example the shot where our actor jumps from the gate fades into the shot of the birds.

During editing with my client, we reached the next 'scene' of the music video, where our actor begins to hoop. This means we spent most of our time selecting, ordering and analysing our choice of shots in the 'gate/bridge' scene. This was initially difficult because we were questioning the significance of the bridge and deciding whether or not to keep the gate scene, since it was extended.

We got round these problems by: varying the shots in the gate scene, by reversing, extending, zooming into and rearranging shots (from my rough cut). The bridge scene was kept because its significance arose when connecting the last of the gate footage with a shot of the flying birds I had obtained just a few hours previous to our editing session. This is because her journey over the bridge mirrors the ascent of the birds; myself and client agreed that it symbolises the actors path to freedom (which she finds in hooping).

Time spent: 30 minute shoot + another 2.5 hours editing
Total of 3 hours

Production timetable version 2

This is a timetable of the dates in which I carried out the events for this section of my project.

9th Jan - Planning practice shoot and arranging it 

10th Jan - Researching technical elements of my shoot

13th Jan - Researching and analysing video inspiration

14th Jan - Arranged shoot cancelled due to illness

16th Jan - Preparation for shoot

17th Jan - Shoot cancelled

23rd Jan - Shoot 1 and 2 initial edit

24th Jan - Shoot 3 planning

8th Feb - Shoot 4

10th Feb - Shoot 5

Editing with DJ PLAY

Notes:

• Thinking about how to later edit in foreshadow of hula hooping
• I continued to edit, with DJ PLAY directing/ giving opinions and suggestions
• We have completed one minute of the edit

Time spent today: 2.5 hours editing my blog, making adjustments and comparing to mark scheme

                             30 minutes shoot

                              1.5 hours working on edit with client

Total of 4.5 hours

Saturday session - shoot 4

I went back to production in order to obtain extra sky shots to inject into the video where need be. I think they may be necessary in slow parts where there is not enough footage.

The sunset creates a silhouette against the harsh pink colour to the sky in contrast to the footage taken on the main shoot. Currently, it does not convey the cold mood of the video (even if it was cold when shooting it!), however it can be adapted in continued post-production, colour correction.

Here are stills of each of the main shots I took today.

Time spent on shoot: 30 minutes

Editing with DJ PLAY

In the first half of this evening's session (7-7:30 pm) we continued where we left off from last time. We were having problems with shot length and matching them to the beat. By trial and error we attempted to change the timeline to beats per minute, or bpm, so that we could easily sync visuals to the music. When searching online this was the most helpful source:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3UlPvdv2Wg

The next problem we encountered after changing the scale on the timeline was that the rate of the new timeline did not match the bpm of the track. We then found where to access the 'metronome' tool, which helped us identify the desired bpm. Under file>preferences>properties>ruler we could then change the bpm from the default 120, to 123 (the speed of the track).

In the second half of the session (8-10 pm) we continued our work, focusing on the pacing again. To create more of a flow to the track, I have slowed down shots. My client wants to aim for a dreamy feel about it, and so we have tried to achieve this by the use of disjointed cutting and effects. One of my favourite effects so far has to be 'left mirror', where we see double of the actor. However, we are still debating as to how many effects should be included; I feel if we use them then the first effect will set a precedent for the rest of the video which we will have to maintain.

Time spent: 2.5 hours

Milestone 2

Today I met with my EPQ tutor to discuss my progress. I had positive feedback about this work, and I found out that to print the blog, it's as simple as right clicking, and pressing 'print'. Before I do so, however, I will need to 'show all posts' and unfold drop down lists so that my full blog is on display. In fact, I could simply click on each section of the project under the header so that I can print sections of my work. Decisions...

Time spent today: 30 mins

Editing with DJ PLAY

I arranged a meeting with my client in my studio, so that he can review the rough cut of my work and we can go from there. I decided to work with DJ PLAY in post production for two reasons; firstly, he is very keen to see the transformation of the material, and secondly because, as the client, he acts as the director. I think this is extremely important in the sense that, while I edit, he can make judgements and suggestions which will reflect his view of the video. Afteral, the video is being made to represent his track. I want this to be done as accurately as possible.

How we work

With my external monitor, I click and drag over the window from my editing program onto the larger screen. This is what my client mainly views. I sit at my desk and arrange/adjust footage to our liking. While I have developing skills in editing, DJ PLAY has a history of music producing and mixing, and also some background in video editing. In turn, we are able to communicate in terms of overlapping software terminology.

Progress made today

We have edited almost 1 minute of the music video, and discovered a variety of appropriate techniques and effects.

How my rough cut has changed

The main adaptation of my work so far has been the pacing. My client advised that I extend all of the shots in the opening to double their length, so to match the music. This has been useful in that it has set precedent for the pacing of the whole music video, so to match the feeling of the track. In addition, DJ PLAY has had a say in the ordering of imagery, and the appearance of nature in the structure of the music video. This was useful in developing the video framework.


Time spent: 3 hours