Researh & Planning: Reflection and Change in Plans (uncompleted)

On our return to school, we started looking through the shots. As we anticipated, we did come across shots we disliked or lacked a certain aspect that would complete the shot in terms of quality. we devised a folder containing our good and bad footages that aided us in clearing which clips we would use for the editing aspect.


SCREEN SHOT OF THINGS TO DO LIST


Looking through these shots was useful in the sense of our next move, as we created a new 'to do' list that specified the shots we needed to re-shoot or perhaps inspirations from these shots, of new ideas or camera angles that we can do. The 'to do' list was also useful for specifying shots that were originally mentioned in the  shot list and storyboard, but due to the nature of the shot, we could not shoot them, such as the rose burning.


The background of our studio set out shot was commented on because of it being simple. Due to this we lacked depth of field, by using a brick wall for example would suffice in terms of creating depth of field as it would enhance the music video by providing more focus on the artist, as well as tapping into our aim of creating an abstract music video.

Editing: Bring Out The Big Guns (A.k.a- Apple Motion) (uncompleted)

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....

INSERT VIDEO

 

Editing/ Research & Planning: Slow as a Snail (or so we thought)

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.







Slow Motion effect using Cinema Tools





YouTube Video

Research & Planning: Presenting- Film making research

Click On Me Please :)





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)

Filming: The Aborted Mission of the Drama Studio, Improvisation and The Subway

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.

Filming: The Case of the Sugar Glass

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.

 

Research & Planning: Sugar Glass

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.

How to make sugar glass