yhsaremac-blog

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▲Behind the Scenes Research THE SARTORIALIST 

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▲MV Rave - We Found Love

So, Rihanna's new video is out for 'We Found Love'..it embodies the exact style that I want to be working with!! Like a mishmash of images, magazine cut outs, that don't look perfect or polished, a bit controversial, lustful and hateful at the same time, very different to her usual pop princess videos..LOVE IT! You know the drill..click the photo below to watch the We Found Love video.. 

[All future music video rave posts will be found under the mvrave tag]

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▲SATELLITE GIRL [the video]

My friend Ren got scouted by Plan B's producers while Busking in Bath, a year later and he is now also working with our friend Charlie who co-writes and plays bass and is getting interest from Sony, Island Records, Mercury, Polydor and Universal just to name a few!  I'm working with The Sanctuary Studio to create a press pack for Ren to present to his preferred record labels > Ren came up with a lovely video idea for his best song, Satellite Girl, and we are going to direct it together. A little secret preview can be viewed by clicking the image below. [Password: sanctuary]

THE IDEA: Friends wrapped up warm sitting around a bonfire, table lamps scattered on the grass creating soft light, Ren and Charlie playing and singing, warm atmosphere, starry sky, sending a shower of sky lanterns into the darkness. I think that the combination of the strong lyrics and melody, Ren's presence and the video are a winning combination for this to go viral online and drum up some more interest for the project. The overwhelming themes are creating a beautiful reflective and feel-good atmosphere, I think people will like the fact that it is made by friends and not by a big video production company, hopefully it will make it more endearing. 

The challenge is going to be capturing the release of the lanterns, it's not going to be easy removing all the awkwardness of lighting them and co-ordinating them all going into the air will be tricky; it's going to require some skill and forward planning!

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▲RIDING WAVES [the video]

My good friend Tom Law is a singer songwriter from Cornwall. He's building quite a solid following on Facebook & Twitter and we started talking about music video ideas this morning.  He's a surfer and wrote a song called Riding Waves, a nice breezy acoustic tune about taking to the sea for a surf when you need to escape relationship woes! You can listen to the track by clicking on the mood board below ▼

He's come up with a great concept for the video, something that doesn't even involve a drop of water and is an idea that has never been in a music video before... Introducing... Click the photo below to watch a nice little docu on the birth of Tarp Surfing! ▼

Same subject matter, different approach. In this video they intercut real surfing with tarp surfing, lovely visuals, click below to watch!

Tom originally wanted to go with a 'mickey take' style video, where he would start off by wearing a wetsuit and saying that he was in the tarp surfing championships, but given the lyrical content of the song I feel that there is a huge danger of it coming across in the wrong way (i.e a bit too deliberately cheesy?)  To make this video work, I think that every obvious idea needs to be avoided-i.e actual surfing/having a girl in the video/acting. All lyrical imagery should be ignored and the focus should be having fun with friends in a lazy, almost dreamlike hazy setting. Currently, most of Tom's fans are young girls, so to get respect from guys and older audiences he needs to be careful how he comes across in this video. Ben Howard has an awesome video where him and a couple of friends make a huge waterside down the side of a hill; his videos appeal to all audiences, capture an atmosphere and don't take themselves seriously . I want to take inspiration from this video..click the photo to watch...  

Our main challenge is that it's starting to get cold and the good weather probably won't hold out for much longer, but on the plus side we are all good for people to participate, cameras, location and most importantly, the huge tarp!!!

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▲S T R I P P E D B A C K

In taking all sorts of glitzy opportunities, I feel that I have been compromising my development as a creator and effectively trying to push a square block through a round hole. As I've only been doing media for 1 year it seems foolish to focus all my energy and drive into music media, as I simply haven't played around in any other field! I've also started to resent the fact that my existence was being dictated by my slightly shallow and celeb crazed mindset and my weird ambitions (working on the next season of The X Factor, why!?). Furthermore, a lot of my most coveted filmmakers were artists of some form before they focused on moving image. From now, my development is my priority - finding out what I love doing and working out my own style through experience. I'll be employing a sieve when it comes to future opportunities too, instead of collecting psuedo-famous namesakes!

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▲MOOD BOARDIN'

▲Week Two: MP5004 Advanced Media Production We have been set the task to collate and 'mood board' media that represents our influences, personal style, direction in which we intend to go...this post will be just that; pulling in all sources of media that I can into this online space. Welcome to the melting pot..! NEGATIVES/ANALOG/LIGHT ART/DRUNK PHOTOS/ABANDONED BUILDINGS/COLOUR BLOCKING/ARTISTS WITH PERSONALITY/IRRELEVANT STORY VIDEOS/RECOGNISABLE STYLE/GALAXIES/MYTHOLOGY/SMOKE/MARKER PENS/LEAKING INK/ANIMAL TOUCHES/CAMERA FILM/NEGATIVES/BEDROOM ARIAL VIEWS/INDUSTRIAL TEXTURE/COFFEE/HATS/LIVE/INTRICATE SET DESIGN/BEATNIKS/TRUE STORIES/SUGAR COAT/IMPOSED FAKERY/EMOTIONALLY AWARE/BIRDS OF PREY/PREY IN GENERAL/BRINGING UP FEMALE CREATORS TO THE MALE PERCEIVED LEVEL/COPY AND PASTE/PRODUCT DESIGN/SCRIPTS/DREAM CATCHERS/WEDDINGS/IDENTITY CREATION/COLD/CLASSIC PRINCESSES/SHIPWRECKS/BACKSTAGE/UNMADE BEDS. -Everyone has a DLSR these days. Need to develop a style that employs old analog techniques while keeping it relevant and fresh for today's audience! 1. Toby Lockerbie; The man who create's Rizzle Kicks's videos has a fresh yet vintage vibe that he rolls through all their media. To me, It's an instantly recognisable style and he interprets each song with great care and casual execution. He's lucky that they have such great charisma, but it's also very clear that Lockerbie strives to create something a bit different and he strikes me as a true artist. Watch the video for Prophet by clicking the photo below, love the light art and use of still photography, wish there was a making of video!

Some of my favourite frames from their other videos: Click below to see quite a nice little alternative video to 'Down With The Trumpets'.. This little 'Stereo Typical' album teaser is worth a watch too, click the photo.  

2. The Musician Ben Howard has absolutely stunning music videos that are more like pieces of art and atmosphere to me than just a commercial bits of media. Now, I am probably biased as they are filmed in the deep SW where I am from and they are hugely reminiscent for me, but I just love how they just capture every element and I really can almost taste the salt in the sea breeze when I watch them! They are the perfect illustrations for his beautiful music. Click the video below to watch 'Old Pine' (love the lazy slowed down effect)...  

Astray Films (Mickey Smith, Allan Wilson, Owain Davies) are responsible for all of Ben's videos and have a background in Surf Photography. They created this absolutely breath taking piece around a year ago, entitled 'Dark Side of the Lens'. The perspective and understanding (far away from the common and seemingly shallow music media) that they gained through their experience of filming the sea, is clearly what has shaped their ability to create such rich and wholesome films for Ben. It's quite obvious that they hold such passion and love for their work and it really translates on screen in my eyes. Click the photo below to watch 'The Dark Side of the Lens'.  

This gorgeous blog, filled with photos from Ben's video shoots and lots of extra goodies is well worth a read if you are a fan: http://www.moonlightinthemorningsun.blogspot.com/

3. Emil Nava for Pulse Films

Granted, the reason I included Emil is due to his involvement with Ed Sheeran and for the proposal that I've seen for the 'Lego House' video. But I also love the video for Ed's 'YNMIDNY'..click the photo below to watch!

They could have gone very generalised with this video, with lots of cameras on Ed performing. Instead, they went with a concept that has never been tried before and I think it works brilliantly with the song. [Matthew Morgan was a great casting choice, both of his parents are deaf so he is a true signer, with an extremely piercing look and great sense of rhythm.] Ed certainly represents someone fresh and new in the industry and this video definitely compliments and reflects that and his absence in the video only helps to build the hype that surrounds him. The editing is stunning and I just think that Emil is going to go on and create some really iconic videos that I will want to watch over and over.

4. Diana Manfredi AKA SPAGHETTO.

Click the photo to watch her showreel...

She's another one with her own style that runs through her videos! I like her work as she does a lot of high energy live filming, that just screams out 'cool' to me.  ▲ Woah, that's probably enough inspiration for now! I still maintain that the most important thing is to be yourself and to work in a way that is true to your character and passions..if you fake and pretend to be/do something for the sake of it then you're only fooling yourself! PHOTO MOODBOARD; 'the nocturnals'.  

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▲ MP5001 Behind The Scenes Research Katy Perry - 'Making Of' Firework Music Video This video has a deeper hidden message of positivity that is only clear after watching this 'Making Of' video. It's great how the audience discovers that each child in the video is there for a reason; because they had their own unique 'spark', which compliments the title and theme of the song perfectly. You really do gain an insight into Katy's personality and true intention for the song and video. Although this veers slightly on the cheesy side with it's highly polished finish and glitzy aesthetic, I thought it was worth featuring as it goes hand in hand with the main video and is definitely not just an obligation to the fans (unlike many that I have already sifted through).  

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▲KICKING OFF

▲Week One: MP5001 Employment and Commissioning in the Media Assessments:

Assignment 1: Group Documentary [Behind the scenes 8-10 mins] -Individual research folder -Individual blog  Assignment 2: Media Event -Individual reflective blog  Assignment 3: PDP/CV/Work Placement/Blog

This is my kinda module! I love the planning and concealed aspects of the industry and can't wait to get cracking with the Behind The Scenes Doc. ...Naturally, I'd like to focus on something music related, as this is the direction I hope my future will take, but I don't want to rule out any possibilities or avenues yet! I like the idea of honing in on a very specific/niche aspect of production where I could delve quite deep; something very visual like set/costume/effects, but at the same time want the BTS to have a certain spin on it that would draw everyone's attention - regardless of the subject matter of the featured media.  I will be posting examples of Behind The Scenes mini docs that inspire me. (All Employment and Commissioning in the Media module posts will be accessible through the tag ‘mp5001’)

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▲Week Two: Advanced Sound & Vision  My class photo, loosely inspired by Apple's Steve Jobs in memorial homepage..thought I'd keep it simple!

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▲Week 1: MP5002 Advanced Sound & Vision

I'm going to actively use this opportunity to develop my own personal identity and branding: a) I need to create a short, succinct name that represents what I do and what I am about. It would make sense to use my own name so that when I introduce myself to people they will link this when I add them on social networking sites after. b) Identify my purpose: My focus is in live music camerawork, with the intention of filming for a record label, covering live music events and backstage activity.  c) I want a logo and colour scheme that I can carry over Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo and my showcase website.  d) My own personal image and identity is equally as important. I need to have a recognisable image that people will remember when I contact them after an event on twitter etc, thus encouraging further work through recognition.  BRANDS I LIKE: Supreme

  Stussy

Billionaire Boys Club

The Hundreds

  I like these apparel brands because they are very cleanly designed and have urban connotations, which really appeal to me. Supreme and Stussy are focussed on their typography, whereas BBC and The Hundreds have logos that carry through all their work. I think I want to create a distinctive logo that emulates the core values of the above brands. 

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▲TOUR

I have just returned from being on tour with Ed Sheeran, Rizzle Kicks, Random Impulse and Passenger. On one of the Ed dates I was luckily enough to meet Rupert Grint, who was being filmed for Ed's next video, Lego House. I actually have a treatment proposal for Lego House, created by Pulse Films (You Need Me, I Don't Need You-Ed Sheeran/Who's Laughing Now-Jessie J). It's great to have access to something so exclusive and will be useful to use as a format for my future treatments, it's definitely going to be a great video! Once it's been released for a few weeks I might post the treatment up here. I've had a breakthrough for my next career move. 1) Network as much as possible among little known support acts who are playing with signed credible acts. 2) Offer to film their sets on tour and hopefully wrangle my way into filming the headliner too, as well as backstage footage. 3) After filming, use the names I filmed with to get more gigs with other artists. 4) Build an impressive showreel, even if some of the clips of headliners are minimal, keep it music based. 5) Network with record labels with the intention of going on tour with their artists, creating live + backstage videos!  At one of Ed's gigs I got chatting to a videographer from Warner, who's job it is to do exactly what I described above. With her it was a case of good timing and knowing the right people, I will have to work hard to land a job like this but I have contacts with Island Records and Sony so as long as I put the time in I'm confident I can achieve this objective. It's feels good to have a direction! (All future personal development posts can be found under the tag 'development88')

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▲A.M.P IT UP!

▲Week One: MP5004 Advanced Media Production Assessments: a) Multi-cam Music Video b) Individual Project  c) Showcase Web Page  a) I'm feeling pretty good about the multi-cam video, as I went on this actual shoot for the 2nd year CMP students 2 years ago and have since helped on the 2nd year CM student music video shoots (17 videos over 2 days, phew!) and for my 1st year individual project I did a project involving a multi cam music shoot and edit. So I feel pretty prepared, I know there is still so much to learn though and I really look forward to working with the bands and taking on a producer role. In fact, I made a little behind the scenes on my old camcorder, which has hit a tidy 906 views to date! Have a look :) b) We have to pitch our individual project ideas in December, so I'm starting to pool my ideas and whittle them down to a few key areas that I would like to pursue for this project... ▲Part of me wants to go down the road that will benefit with my other work and my showreel, which points all arrows in the direction of a music video. ▲Part of me also wants to have a go at doing a young vibrant documentary on something music based, or perhaps using this opportunity as a framework..the idea of focusing on an unconventional champion interests me. Whatever I do will have be for a youth audience, not an ounce of fustiness and will need to have something dynamic and fresh about the story for it to interest me enough to carry through with it. Let the brainstorm begin! c) I already have an idea of how I want my showcase web page to turn out...I have used the music videographer 'SPAGHETTO''s webpage as inspiration:

I want a video on the page to link to my vimeo account, with links on the right of the video and my own designed logo and colour scheme. I don't mean I want to copy the exact design of co-ordinating nails and shoes but I definitely want it to have this vibe. Just a case of figuring out web design from scratch then!  (All Advanced Sound & Vision module posts will be accessible through the tag ‘mp5004’)

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Go sign up at Step2TV and follow them on twitter @step2tv - they are always providing great opportunities to get involved in the industry. 

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▲Week 1: MP5002 Advanced Sound & Vision Assessments:  a) Audio: Track laying b) Audio: Creating a soundtrack c) Motion Graphics d) Chromakey e) Advanced Post Production f) Written Report Last year I could barely handle the concept of layering on PhotoShop, now I love it and am enjoying learning more every time I create something new!  Above^^ is my result of the 'Identity and Logo's' exercise; I thought I could use this task to do some visual ideas 'moodboarding' for my website/logo/businesscards.. I love astronomic/galaxy backgrounds with vibrant colours, coat of arms shapes/deer antlers and I want to combine them somehow in my branding. I don't feel like this is the poorest of efforts, but I definitely feel like something is missing, or that the composition is a bit awkward.  Oh well, back to the drawing board! (All Advanced Sound & Vision module posts will be accessible through the tag 'mp5002') ▲m 

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▲ GIMME 5

I wish I had someone to give me some advice before starting university. So here we are; 5 tips from yours truly :D

-You will be offered opportunities outside of the course (music videos etc)..DO THEM! You will learn so much in a low pressure environment, led by a professional director. (These opportunities give you the chance to make connections with the bands as well as YR2+3 CMP students, something I have found extremely beneficial!) -There will be various demonstrations available; lighting etc..They're free, go along..you WILL learn something that will make your work a cut above the rest. -CMP is very focused on TEAM WORK..get to know everyone in your group early on and establish who you work best with.

-Networking is vital; get yourself a twitter NOW if you don't already have one. Get yourself out there. -On workshops held by the uni, establish connections with the actors and email them the following day, expressing your gratitude and how much you learnt..& BAM, play your cards right and you will have a good network of talented actors keen to work with you. -If you see someone's work online that you love, send them an email. The best that could happen is that they will be impressed by your creativity/ideas/enthusiasm and give you the chance to work with them/give you good advice. The worst that can happen is that they don't reply..you have nothing to lose!

-Use what/who you have available to you! Be it musicians/actors/artists/dancers or even people with access to good locations..use them for all they are worth! All the above don't come cheap so if you can get them for free then make the most of it!

-CMP is a vocational course. You are building yourself up for when you graduate, do not think of it as a chore. If you are serious about getting into the competitive media industry then you have to immerse yourself in it and LOVE it! You want to learn for yourself, not just because you have to. -Some good advice I was given was to always do your work about something you feel passionate about. If you are blindly crafting a documentary on a mind numbing subject because you feel you have to, then it will never be as good as a music video you love and feel excited by. Sounds obvious, but is an easy trap to fall into. -Do work outside of class; film anything that interests you and get familiar with the kit. I'd say do one small project a month. Even if you don't share it, you will be building your knowledge and skill immensely. 

-Don't do what I did and rush out and buy an expensive DSLR if you have very little filming experience. You have plenty of free equipment at your disposal, make the most of it! Get to grips with it and see what works best for YOU and your working practices, then invest. [MASTER AUDIO AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE...explore all options. The quality of your sound is so important, I am only just learning how to do it!] -Again, speaking from experience, NEVER EVER leave your work to the last minute. I did most of my Sound & Vision assignments the night before they were due - terrible. The worst part of the whole process is compressing your project and then uploading to your portfolio wiki, so convince yourself that your deadline is a day earlier so you have a whole day to figure out the tricky compression settings. -BLOG CONSISTENTLY. Blog writing is a big part of first year, the lecturers love it and it is a great tool for recording your development! Make sure you don't neglect it, doing so will cause you huge problems involving you spending painful hours in the final week trying to remember what happened in the first term.  REMEMBER: Your first year at university is the perfect place to make mistakes, but just always make sure you learn from them!

You can find my first year blog here, if you want to see what I got upto. Any questions? Tweet me @FROSTING__ ▲m 

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Name: Momo Age: 23 University: Bath Spa Year: 2 Course: Creative Media Practice Home: Cornwall This time last year I had little more than a couple of crudely edited promos and a piece of paper confirming my place at BSU. Prior to this I spent 2 miserable years skipping management lectures at Royal Holloway University, with no intention of breaking into the ruthless business world...

My complete turnaround of aspiration was sparked by a 6 hour train journey back home to Cornwall for the holidays, my only company was my Macbook loaded with iMovie and hours of freshly filmed uni antics...from then I just instinctively knew that media was something I needed to be involved in! Fast forward to today, & I have a PR & Videographer internship with a social networking site, filmed at London Fashion Week and am working for meetthedesigner.co.uk, am working in The Sanctuary Studio with the team that recorded and produced Plan B's 'The Defamation of Strickland Banks', have just had a runner trial for the leading London post production house, 'The Farm Group'; where The X Factor and many other prime time TV shows are edited, have been commissioned to produce comedy videos for break.com after they saw something I stuck up on YouTube and am booked to go and film backstage on Ed Sheeran's October tour and with Rizzle Kicks, Random Impulse, Gym Class Heroes and Clement Marfo. I've also been asked if I'd like to help develop a new mini series on SBTV. All of this before even starting my 2nd year at BSU...PHEW! I wanted to create a new medium to document my journey from here on in, so here we are..Welcome to C▲MER▲ SHY!!! (named so due to the fact I a) hate people taking photos of me b) I am actually pretty clueless when it comes to cameras, eek!) ▲m