#md4219

[anyasmith]

music video production assignment

critical analysis: i walked into this module with no prior filming or editing experience, so i am proud of what i have managed to produce.  my aim was to film and edit a music video which included a montage of me when i was younger to show change throughout the years

i believe i have done well to have produced what i have. due to COVID-19, majority of the lectures were online which was a difficulty in itself! not being able to ask questions properly or not being able to see the equipment and how it works, turned out to be quite hard for me! but when we could meet in person, i became more confident with the equipment and was able to use it without help! also, while at university i don’t have access to a car, so it was hard to get to filming locations. however, i was lucky that my flat mate offered to drive me, so i was able to get the shots i wanted to achieve the look I was going for

while i did manage to use the course cameras, some shots were badly white balanced and out of focus! this may be because i filmed when it was foggy or just because i was new to using the cameras and hadn’t quite got a grip of how to use it. i managed to colour grade the shots that weren’t white balanced during the final editing stage which gave the piece more of a consistent ‘look’ to it. the shots that were out of focus i ended up re-filming except for when it was out of focus for artistic effect

next time i would start filming earlier as I felt quite rushed to film and edit in a short space of time! i would also like to have made my piece a bit longer (maybe using an original song!) so i could show off more of the skills i have learnt over the last 12 weeks

video: https://youtu.be/NH8ADbxCFz4 

-11/05/21

[anyasmith]

week 10

today’s session was a drop in session so jeremy could look at our assignments and give us feedback

feedback:

colour grading!!

add transitions

add a black screen with a intro?

add dates in

add in additional audio

-05/05/21

[anyasmith]

week 9

in today’s lecture we looked at how to record vocals

approaching recording vocal:

a delicate task that requires time and patience

should be equally sensitive and respectful of the singer’s requirements

get to know the musician

understand the type of sound you are going for

plan/book the vocal recording session to take longer than you might anticipate 

don’t run out of time or attempt to ’hurry’ a vocal take

don’t expect the world from your singer – each vocalist has a range and a length of time where their voice will be optimum for recording 

create an atmosphere in the recording studio:

tidy room

ambient lighting

chair or stool

water

rug / carpet

music stand

appropriate temperature

vocal issues: plosives

a large rush of air, caused by “B” ”P” “T” or “H” sounds from a voice

when these sounds hit the capsule of a microphone, the pressure can make the capsule ‘bottom out’, causing an unwanted rumbling sound from the mic

these sounds are almost impossible to remove once they have been captured on a recording

vocal issues: sibilance

sharp sounds generated from prominent “S” “T” “Sh” or “Z” sounds 

usually propagate between 4kHz – 8kHz, depending on the voice

when these sounds hit the capsule of a microphone, their prominence can become distracting and unwanted as part of your recording

tools such as a software or hardware “deesser” can help identify and remove these sounds

or a pop shield

https://moodle.glos.ac.uk/moodle/mod/resource/view.php?id=899619

-30/04/21

[anyasmith]

week 8

in today’s lecture we learnt about colour correction

colour correction: adjusting the quantity of red, green and blue in a shot

light and the tv camera: the incoming light is broken down into RGB. sensors convert the light into electronic signals

we colour correct to: fix errors, to make the image look better, for style, for dramatics 

you should colour correct as the last thing you do before you export the file

https://moodle.glos.ac.uk/moodle/pluginfile.php/1626808/mod_resource/content/0/Slides%20-%20Colour%20Correction.pdf 

https://moodle.glos.ac.uk/moodle/mod/page/view.php?id=875350 

-20/04/21

[anyasmith]

week 7

in todays lecture we just had a massive recap of how to use the cameras and then also lighting

it was very helpful to have another session to use the cameras so i feel more confident when filming for my assessment 

aims

to use lighting kit to enhance the recorded image

to practice safe usage of lighting kit

task

inside: record a piece-to-camera (PTC), with someone in front of a window

inside: record a PTC using lighting to colour the background while leaving the foreground natural

outside: record a PTC of someone standing in a shadow, against a bright background (sky). use lighting to compensate for the lack of foreground light

-23/03/21

[anyasmith]

week 6

in todays lecture we were also in person we were finally allowed to be inducted onto the course cameras!

we looked at how to use the cameras form how to turn it on to how to change white balance. a guide on how to do it is here:

https://moodle.glos.ac.uk/moodle/mod/book/view.php?id=864518 

we then were in groups and given a task to consolidate our memory of how to use the camera! it was so good it actually learn how to use the cameras!

i ended up being able to take out the camera and filmed on cleeve hill and in cheltenham town! i was able to get good shots which i aim to edit over easter

-09/03/21

[anyasmith]

week 5

in todays lecture we learnt white balance

previous students work- why didn’t he do well?

one angle

showed him lip syncing to the audio

him just dancing

not a lot of filming techniques used

2 mins is too short (3-4 mins is needed)

transitions were jumpcuts

he filmed it alone

https://connectglosac-my.sharepoint.com/personal/s2110914_glos_ac_uk/Documents/Microsoft%20Teams%20Chat%20Files/Example%20-%20FM.mp4 

white light:

apparent when all colours of the rainbow are present

our eyes and brain perceive white

white isn’t always pure white- it’s normally tinted

daylight is generally more blue

artificial light is generally more orange

colour temperature

measured in kelvins, k

colour changes according to temperature

your camera needs to be told what white is

todays task was to take three shots inside and then another 3-shots outside a building. the three shots need to be of the same scene but using each of the three white balance settings; automatic, indoor and outdoor. this was a hard task as iphones change white balance automatically but with the focos app i was able to complete the task

https://moodle.glos.ac.uk/moodle/mod/assign/view.php?id=697893

https://moodle.glos.ac.uk/moodle/mod/resource/view.php?id=864510 

-23/02/21

[anyasmith]

week 4

todays session was all about sound and what it is, how important it is and the best techniques to record audio 

sound is what you hear (holds more context than video)

audio is what computers process

getting sound from here to there:

3 part process

microphone < recording and editing < loudspeaker 

ANY error in ANY part of the process will impact that quality

rifle mic

pros: high quality, directional

cons: needs power; need careful point; bulky

tie mic:

pros: small; follow the speaker

cons: prone to wind noise; pick-up jewellery noise; needs power

dynamic mic:

pros: good quality sound; robust; does not need power

cons: not very sensitive

task:

a 30 second PTC (piece-to-camera) in a noisy environment. you need to record the sound using the built-in microphone

a 30 second PTC in a noisy environment. you need to record the sound using the second smartphone and external microphone embedded in a earphone cable

a 30 second PTC in a quiet environment. you need to record the sound using the built-in microphone

a 30 second PTC in a quiet environment. you need to record the sound using the second smartphone and external microphone embedded in a earphone cable

a conversation between 2 people in a noisy environment. you need to decide what microphone would pick-up both people equally

someone on the telephone, but hearing both sides of the conversation

I couldn’t do 5 and 6 due to me not having the people but this was my response 

https://moodle.glos.ac.uk/moodle/mod/assign/view.php?id=697897

https://moodle.glos.ac.uk/moodle/pluginfile.php/1564674/mod_resource/content/0/Slides%20-%20Sound%20for%20Video.pdf

-16/02/21

[anyasmith]

week 3

in todays lecture we had a guest lecture talk to us about what a music video is, outline critical responses and acknowledge variety in production and reception

nameless, faceless- courtney barnett

colourful

animated

moving pictures

made the pictures into a collage

used old style magazines

scrapbook style

a lot going on so was hard to focus

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZZSYDhx0FI

origins of music video analysis

took form through film studies approach

what they would entail: show relations; acting; auteurism; film genres ets

listening modes (chion, 1994)

casual listening: to locate information on the sound’s source

semantic listening: to understand what is communicated in the sound

reduced listening: to the traits of the sound itself

promotional function:

mtv (1981): central, organised viewing

online (especially youtube): official, DIY, fans

management of the star

recurring visual style (aligned with star image)

‘in [goodwin’s] reading, the visual element becomes secondary to the sonic, although he also argues that the two are entwined since songs always contain a visual core & listeners see images as they hear the sounds (gardner, 2015, 41)’

can a music video be wrong? metalica- whiskey in the jar

promotes drinking and drug use

influences a younger generations

music vid has nothing to do with video

over sexualised shots of women

discriminates women

stereotypes that music

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

base theory: goodwin, 1992

issues of genre & intertextuality notions of looking: voyeurism, gaining sexual pleasure from watching others when they are naked or performing a sexual act

relationships: lyrics & image, music & image

record label demands on artist’s image, promotion, & identity

Goodwin’s (1992) 3 modes of music videos:

illustration: storytelling, performance, literal use of imagery, explains the lyrics & genre

amplification: enhances/multiplies meanings, repetition of imagery, conventions of performance: narrative, shot relations, symbolism

disjuncture: at odds with lyrics & mood, no meaningful connection between music & image, meaning comes through disjunction, tendency to abstraction

base theory: railton and watson, 2011

music videos carry cultural significance: gender, race, ethnicity, etc.

representations constrain & make possible ways of thinking about ourselves

four genres of music videos: pseudo- documentary, art, narrative, staged performance

‘music videos need to classified by visual genres rather than musical ones, for despite the integral relationship between music videos & the songs they promote, genres of music neither map onto genres of music video or... necessarily govern the look of any given video’ (railton & watson, 2011, 45)

pseudo- documentary:

portrays ‘working life’ of the band or artist

uses documentary techniques to present illusion of privileged access

legitimises them as skilled professionals

often relies on cinéma vérité trope

art:

appeals to notions of art & aesthetics

the video itself is a site of creative expression

the video may vie with the music for artistic consideration

narrative:

tells a story

can illustrate, complement, or extend lyrical content

can function independently of lyrics

staged performance:

performance explicitly staged for the production of the video

rendered artificial (looks to camera, dancers, alternative spaces)

openly embraces promotional function

further considerations:

1. new media technologies:

virals & memes are provoked by new media technologies

these generate new opportunities by blurring the amateur & professional, fan & artist

they encourage ‘a merging of different media such as documentary, radio, internet, games, into multi-media projects’ (blassnigg, 2005, 109)

2. the lyric video: (zemler, 2013)

youtube as primary music outlet: marketing and fan views

monetised by sales & youtube ad revenue

fan-led: from amateur to professional

3. fans and DIY:

professional, amateur, prosumer, user-produced, user-edited

industry vs. desire

vevo vs. fans

money vs. passion

economic capital vs. cultural capital

youtube proliferation means it’s hard to draw a

border between what is & isn’t a music video (vernallis, 2010, 236)

https://padlet.com/jcrouch10/Bookmarks

https://moodle.glos.ac.uk/moodle/mod/resource/view.php?id=857658

-10/02/21

[anyasmith]

week 2

today’s lecture was all about the introduction to cameras.

we started the piece looking at previous works:

montage-like

show feet when it said feet 

mix of person and landscape shots

summer song that reminds me of summer- aided by shots as it’s filmed during summer

clips fade in and out but with different transitions so it doesn't get boring

at the end of the song she reads a poem giving more context to the piece

song title and poem both are about the same thing

clips changed with beat

https://moodle.glos.ac.uk/moodle/mod/resource/view.php?id=846274 

what is a camera?

essential part of the production process

your tool

without it you are lost

the camera can be automatic but you should make the decisions not the camera

there's nothing actually wrong using the automatic camera but your eye is better than the camera

automatic settings are good when taking fast shots

automatic settings are good when hunting: light intensity; subject distance; colour temperature

these changes cause a camera set to automaton to changes happening in front of the lens- usually unwanted 

remember FEW: focus, exposure, white balance

focus:

when the picture is blurry or not 

want image to be sharp

want image to be realistic

want imagine to be comfortable to watch

sometimes its interesting to focus on different images- raindrops on a window

phone cameras have different focus settings 

zoom:

take the camera and move

only for a specific effect

don't do it- our eyes don't!

rule of thirds:

subject should be in the middle 

create the most aesthetic picture to the eye

even grid spacing

exposure:

process of subjecting the light sensitive surface of the video sensor to light

quantity of light entering the camera is controlled aperture or iris

different levels of exposure gets different effects

correct exposure is important due to accuracy and comfort

over exposure: burnt out highlights, grey highlights

under exposure: loss of shadow detail, grey highlights

https://moodle.glos.ac.uk/moodle/mod/assign/view.php?id=697888

https://moodle.glos.ac.uk/moodle/mod/assign/view.php?id=697892 

https://moodle.glos.ac.uk/moodle/pluginfile.php/1556756/mod_resource/content/0/Slides%20-%20Introdiuction%20to%20Cameras.pdf 

-02/02/21

[anyasmith]

week 1

todays lecture was our first lesson with jeremy and we looked at what the module involves and got introduced to adobe premiere pro. 

we started by looking a previous students work:

started with a speech 

clips relating to the song

very scenic and showed pics of fields etc

summer pics that are peaceful that relate the song

only one person in it

a lot of symbolism

https://moodle.glos.ac.uk/moodle/mod/resource/view.php?id=846272 

assessment:

4th may

2,500 ‘word’ portfolio

music video content- not solely a music video, add narration, epk content etc

don’t have to use original song but have to original sounds- narration etc

to grow appreciation for your team and gives experience 

what are skills are needed:

editing

management

camera skills

video analysis

sound

filming

lighting

colour correction

brief history of music videos:

only live music once- performing on bandstand/ played at him on instruments etc

then gramophones, vinyl and radios were invented

when an artist wasn’t able to perform, an act would perform with the music behind

the beatles created the first music video to ‘we can work it out’

mtv in 1981 started showing music videos and the first was ‘radio star’ by the bangles

now youtube stores the majority of music vid

“ip video traffic will be 82% of consumer internet traffic but 2021” - cisco, 2018 https://truefilmproduction.com/study-predicts-84-internet-traffic-will-video-2020/ 

did video kill the radio (star)?:

radio 1’s audience fell by 3.2% in the last three months of 2016 compared with the previous quarter, while radio 1Xtra fell 11.4% over the same period 

capital saw its listenership drop by 3.%, while the kiss network saw its share fall by 3.5%

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/entertainment-arts-38920143 

but radio listening in the uk is at record levels, as the expansion of digital platforms drives an unprecedented boom

according to rajar (the audience data for the uk radio industry) 48m adults listened to just over 1bn hours of radio weaken the last 3 months 2016- a new high

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.ft.com/content/3080fde6-2016-11e7-a454-ab04428977f9 

How to use adobe- basics:

the file will be displayed in the project window in the bottom right of the adobe premiere pro interface. to open the clip double-click it and it will open in the source window in the top left of the interface. using the blue play head cursor under the clip in the source window find the first frame of the scene you want first. when found press ‘i’ on the keyboard. then find the last frame and press ‘o’. you have now marked the part of the clip that can be edited across to the timeline (sequence). press the ‘.’ or the overwrite key on the keyboard and the clip will be moved to the timeline. (alternatively you can click, drag and drop the clip from the source window into the timeline window.) 

if you left a clip out, you need to park the timeline's blue playhead on the transition between the scenes you want to add it to. then press the ‘.’ on the keyboard. you will see that the clip has gone over the top of another clip; this is not correct as you have performed an overwrite edit. undo this edit, and then press the ‘,’ or the insert on the keyboard; this time you will have performed an insert edit which places the new clip on the timeline and moves all the other shots down to make room for the new clip.

to move clips around in the timeline, use the command or control key to drag it to the correct location. 

to change the length of the clip, if you hover at the end of the clip (on timeline) there is a red bracket and you pull (like on logic). When you hold command/ control the bracket becomes yellow so other clips will move with it. 

to expert the video you right click the file in project and click export. in format it should say h.264 and in preset it should youtube 1080hp then select where you want to save it and the click export. 

for audio clips drag the file straight into the timeline. use the razor tool to cut up the clips then reorder

if you want to add pictures, import them then drag them into the video 2 channel

https://moodle.glos.ac.uk/moodle/mod/assign/view.php?id=697880&action=view 

https://moodle.glos.ac.uk/moodle/mod/assign/view.php?id=697878 

keyboard shortcuts:

save   ctrl+S 

undo   ctrl+Z 

redo   shift+ctrl+Z

mark In   I 

mark Out  O 

delete In-point  shift+ctrl+I 

delete out-point shift+ctrl+O

insert   , (comma) 

overwrite  . (full-stop) 

lift   ; (semi-colon) 

extract   ' (apostrophe) 

to select A or V only alt+click (the clip)

shuttle Left  J 

shuttle Right  L 

shuttle Stop  K 

play-stop toggle space-bar 

cut   ctrl+X 

copy   ctrl+C 

paste   ctrl+V 

paste Insert  shift+cmd+V

delete selection (removes clips) back-space 

snap     S 

match frame    F 

trim edit    shift+T

nudge clip left (one frame)  alt+left 

nudge clip right (one frame)  alt+right 

render effects in work area  enter 

selection tool  V 

track select tool A 

ripple edit tool  B 

rolling edit tool N 

rate stretch tool X 

razor tool  C 

slip tool  Y 

slide tool  U 

pen tool  P 

hand tool  H 

zoom tool  Z

https://moodle.glos.ac.uk/moodle/pluginfile.php/1280489/mod_resource/content/0/Adobe%20Premiere%20Pro%20-%20Guide.pdf 

-26/01/21