One day I decided to go up to the
media suite during one of my free periods and work on another way , other than
increasing the frame rate or using the method explained in the previous blog
post, that could be used to slow down the experimental smashing glass
altogether. Again, seeking help from my old friend, I was referred to Twixtor,
a software that could be used with Final Cut Pro. So, when I was researching ways
to use Twixtor and where I could possibly download this software from, as well
as the conscious thought that I could put a virus on the Mac for downloading an
unknown software, I was referred to this site... Who
needs Twixtor when you have Apple Motion I kid you not this is exactly
what the website says, well something among those lines.
This website
involved using Apple Motion in which I had the opportunity to decrease the time
rate to whatever it is I wanted, which therefore in turn made the clip longer
and slower.
This was
useful as I did manage to achieve this slow motion effect, and it was probably
the highlight of my not-so-eventful-day. I went through a lot of problems
trying to achieve this outcome as Apple Motion would close on me, or the clip
that was needed never seemed to come up on the screen, or I forgot to do a step
that was essential. To cut things short, I had to start and restart with the
process of this effect and the final product was this....
We wanted to create a shot that
involved slowing down our smashed glass. This means the impact, glass falling,
the scattering of glass, everything, is going to be as slow as a snail. We
wanted to create an impact so forceful and, well of course slow, that we would
refer back to the forever smashing glass throughout the music video. Although
the smashed glass we had used before was an experimental one, testing the slow
motion effect, we still wanted to see what it looked like despite the not so
good shot. So when it was down to the four
of us sitting in front of the mac, having no clue whatsoever of how we were
going to achieve this effect. We resulted in the aid of my old friend. Google.
Google helped me through a lot and I was 99.9% sure it would help us through
this, and it did. We found a YouTube website
displaying a step by step guide on how to establish the slow motion effect, so
as each step was displayed we mimicked that same step on the Mac. The guide
involved opening the clip in Cinema Tools and increasing the frame rate, to the
maximum, which in our case was 30fps. However (yes there is a however),
the slow motion effect was not as slow as we wanted it to be and the reason for
that was because the frame rate had to be increased, when I suggested this to a
teacher it was discovered that by doing this majority of the shot would be out
of focus and disillusioned.
I remade some sugar glass but
added red food colouring to create the colour red, this colour is mentioned
quite a lot in the song and would be a good contrast against the black and
white. However shooting the smashing glass was a problem and again I resulted
in Google. I came to the conclusion that shooting in a studio like setting for
this particular shot was the best approach towards this and I swerved my
direction towards researching ways to create a studio set out at home. (This is mentioned in the slide
share)
I'd like to say this day went
well, but the level of difficulties we faced dropped from a 'well' to a 'not
well'. However, I was tremendously proud of our intuitive and our
motivation even when things were not looking so bright. So as planned, we visited the
school upon solid grounds of Simren sending Mr Piggot an email regarding our
arrival as well as the permission to use the studio. Yet, little did we know
that the deserted, flying tumbleweed school was in fact a problem for our
filming. Apparently Mr Piggot sent an email on the morning of our arrival,
informing us that supervision of a teacher was required and
unfortunately was not provided, thus resulting in the cancelling of using
the drama studio. We solemnly walked to our
friend’s house to collect the equipment, with the question occupying everyone's
mind, what are we going to do now? I suggested we could go to a
studio we were previously looking at for our filming, but the environment of
the studio- we all agreed upon without hesitation- did not suit the song, nor
our aim. So, Asfah set her cards down, by laying out the idea of using her
bedroom blank wall and we found ourselves walking back to Asfah's home. After lunch, kindly prepared by
Asfah's mother (and oh so delicious), we set to work, improvising as best as we
could. Close-ups, mid-shots, low angle, high angle, everything we though fit,
we did with the majority being master shots. We even went to the extent of
placing raw onion under our Artists eye, in order to achieve the extreme close
up shot of a tear falling, which I am glad to say looked amazing on the camera.
After that, we headed outside to
test the positioning of the camera in preparation for smashing the glass
by smashing ice. After a few trials of that, we removed the training wheels and
the two sugar glass tablets (you could say), were brought out. Our first smash
did not end well as only half of the impact was recorded, the second
smash, however, was in the frame and perhaps the highlight of our exhausting
day. Our next location was The Subway,
now this was a public place, therefore the general public would use this rite
of passage, which funnily enough they did. This was not much of a problem as
having filmed at Boulters Lock for my previous two minute opening you learn to
avoid the weird glances and stares people sometimes throw you, as well as avoid
getting in their way. We followed our shot list and any additional shot ideas
were also filmed, one of which was the glitter, where we had our artist
standing in the middle of the subway (where of course the lighting was key),
our camera set up on the tripod and the four of us out of the
frame with uncapped lids of glitter tubes used to throw at the artist.
Thus, on 4th August 2014, the filming crew and I set out on our journey as a
professional filming team, little did we know the difficulties we had to face. On the day, we set up home base at Asfah's house as it was the
prime factor of creating our sugar glass. Each member of our group was assigned
to bring required items to home base A.K.A Asfah's house, for instance I
was to bring Sugar and glitter (an alternative source due to the
difficulty in finding red powder). Our actress has arrived, well taken care of
and in the appropriate attire, our original plan was to visit the school while
two of us went to collect the camera equipment from a friend who recently
filmed her music video, that is after the sugar glass was made and was in the
process of cooling down. However, trouble was around the corner. We faced great difficulty in finding
the ingredients mentioned in the link, that we were back to square one-
researching simple methods in making sugar glass and this time we included
alternative sources such as using visual guides on YouTube.
Again, we faced
difficulties finding ingredients and equipment that were essential with this
guide and resulted in looking for an approachable, as well as equipment
sufficient method of making sugar glass.
This alongside another YouTube video that Asfah's
mother found, were used as guides to make two sheets of sugar glass. Due
to glucose sugar being difficult to find in local stores, I found a
British equivalent to the substance which we had available, something that
after an hour or so of researching only came to mind.
In terms of finding useful and safe means of smashing glass and having the
ability to film this impact without harming ourselves and causing damage to the
camera, I was advised this technique by a media company called Brainstorm,
editor. During, my weeks’ worth work experience with the company, I stressed
the issue we were currently facing due to the effect we had planned on
achieving with this smashing glass and was instantly recommended on this idea. I immediately asked the editor to send me this link which I later shared
with the rest of my group, and our plan was set in motion to use this method.
Considering some elements of our music video involved
filming potential hazardous scenes such as glass breaking, as a group we
decided to carry out a risk assessment on possible dangers that may occur
during our filming day. This risk assessment sheet below illustrates all the
possible risks on behalf of the safe keeping of ourselves as the film crew and
our artist, as well as detailing the hazards we as a crew should be aware of so
that we can avoid such outcomes or at least be prepared for a change in
situation. The safety of the crew, artist and any public figure is an important
thing and it is upon our responsibility to maintain the safety of ourselves and
others.
Our
second location, the subway tunnel, being a public place that involves the
general public making use of the tunnel and could lead to a local authority or
anyone in that matter ask for legal documents for the use of this tunnel, as it
may be seen as an obstruction to the general public's path. Although, this may
seem a less likely occurrence, having been advised by our teacher to take extra
precaution, we visited the schools groundwork keeper to retrieve an insurance
certificate below.
As mentioned before we do plan to use props as acts of symbolism
and perhaps interpretation to the lyrics of the song. However a slight addition
has been made, we now plan to film our artist smoking on set as part of the
music video to express a release in stress or emotional turmoil this song
creates.
Costume is relatively simple and refers to the style of the
song, which emits a indie vibe, and consists of leggings/ black jeans, a
vintage top (something that contrasts the black jeans, a white top), doc marten
style boots and a cardigan. We have reached the conclusion that her fair skin
and blonde hair would contrast perfectly with this styled outfit and would
enable our artist to stand out in a unique way, as well as allow the focus to
resolve around other occurring scenes in the video.
‘Not about Angels’ is
a song by English singer-songwriter Birdy, it is one of the theme songs for the
movie, The Fault in Our Stars (2014).
This music video begins with an
establishing shot of a building, perhaps shot in a moving vehicle. This shot
having an effect in which our perception becomes distorted has the potential to
involve enigma to this video. The reason being for this specific type of
establishing is possibly due to a suggestion of two worlds perhaps colliding,
for instance Birdy’s lyric “Cause what about, what
about angels?
They will come, they will go, make us special” suggests a collision of a
worlds, as they come, they go. The central point in which these two building
meet could exemplify the fine line between these two worlds. This associates to
the movie, The Fault In Our Stars as
this song plays in a particular vulnerable point in the movie, Augustus’s
funeral. The fact that this is played at this moment could connote a spiritual
meaning, the general concept after a loved one has dies that they are always
around you.
This wide shot in what looks like a studio on a high floor
has cleverly made use of the descending and ascending blinds which further
provide an open gateway to the transitions of a sequence, non-vocal to vocal
via a dissolve of background sound and visual. This song refining its emphasis
on lost love with the lyrics ‘how unfair is just our love’, suggesting a sad
outcome to a love that would no doubt exist in the movie this song was entitled
to feature in, allows the background sound and slow dissolve to create an
illusion of empathy for the characters and the artist.
The music begins to play- past the general introduction to
the song displayed by visuals. The piano keys drift along the ascending camera
movement where it stops on the mid-shot of Birdy playing the piano and may be
considered as the nearing to the end of the instrumental introduction. As the
camera zooms in on Birdy, the vocals kick in. however, an idea is imposed that
subverts typical conventions of a music video. She does not sing, up until her
reflection is seen through the shiny surface of the piano. The use of
reflection in the piano conforms to the idea of spiritual reflection in the
mirror, where one can see into their true soul. This can refer to the film, The Fault in Our Stars, when Augustus
dies as spiritual references would concur that his soul has been set free.
The smooth dissolve transition from the previous scene to
this one suggests the reminiscing of a past event, something that perhaps contains
motifs from the film. The idea of having many stars projected onto Birdy which
create a remake of the classic scene of Hazel staring at the stars in the movie
can be seen as motifs from the film itself.
The alternate angle used to display Birdy’s reflection would
to some degree involve the use of effects and editing due to the reason a clear
cut reflection like that cannot be possible. The use of this high angle reflection
can be used to associate with the reoccurring mention of the word ‘angels’ and
could portray the means of a guardian angel watching over you- or in the case
of the music video- Birdy. Some shots coincide with the notes Birdy sings, for
instance this shot moves down and around the piano to Birdy, in sync to Birdy’s
note on the lyrics ‘give’ and stops on
Birdy as she sings ‘it up’. This creates a flow to the music video and the
song, connecting them together in ways other than just visuals.
Close up and extreme close up shots following Goodwin’s
theory are used to create printed images of the artist in viewers heads. An attribute
used to publicize the artist and making them well known by simply having shots
that allow the readers to have a good look that the artist as well as
conforming to conventional music videos.
Small references are made to the movie, The Fault in Our
Stars with the literal visuals of stars. However the fading out of these stars
as Birdy walks across what appears to be a white hallway presents the
perception of time being lost as the day transfers from night to day, this is
further reinforced by the quicken in pace of her walking against a large window
overlooking a city. The colour white again could be seen as symbolising heaven
and perhaps purity, referring to the song title.
