Production Blog: Music Madness

 Today was solely focused on getting the music in order. After all, it’s not a music video without any music. In my group, each person has an assigned role. Eden’s role was to film, my role was to edit, and taking care of music fell to Ashleigh. Regardless, I still try to help out with the other roles whenever I can. For example, though filming is not primarily my job, I still took on the work of filming myself singing and dancing to Ludacris’ part. I filmed a lot of the scenes in portrait mode rather than landscape so I’ll have to redo it but if we don’t have time, there are a few that I actually filmed the correct way that can be used. The issue today was getting the audio to transition smoothly from one part to the next. We didn’t go in order of the original song. Instead, we took audio clips from the beginning, middle, and end, and moved them around to our liking. There was overlapping of sounds and the rhythm from Justin’s signing to immediately Ludacris’ rapping was just not going well at first. It kept coming out choppy sounded and it definitely wasn’t ready to attach to the video clips yet. The biggest issue was a specific part of the song during the “baby whoa” chorus. When placed over another part of the song, it made a muffled licking sound. Even after we isolated it, the muffled sound was still slightly there. We tried re-extracting all the audio, reorganizing the clips, and even doing it on a new project in CapCut. Still, you could hear the sound faintly in the background. Turns out the muffled sound was coming from the original video filmed by Justin Bieber himself. There was no way to get rid of it without getting Justin to remake the whole song. We wasted about an hour trying to figure this out and still continued to work on it after that. Now-hours later, we’re finally finished with the audio. We just need to attach the video clips and audio clips, add the music, and whatever filters or effect is needed. After that, it’ll be over. 

Production Blog: Putting The Pieces Together!

Before we could begin editing, there were some things that needed to change. Since there is a time limit on the video, I can’t use the full song so I chose the sections that I thought would go well. We ended up filming scenes that matched more with the parts of the song that we didn’t choose and so I had to rewatch the video and write down the time stamps of the new parts that we wanted. After this, I went into CapCut and began putting all the scenes together. Then I came across a problem. When you put the audio pieces together, the total time came to one minute and twenty-seven seconds. The time limit was one minute and fifteen seconds so we were twelve seconds over. I texted my group mates to inform them of our problem since we had each already went home. While I waited for them to respond, I decided to film the one scene we were missing. This past was a bit tricky as the lights in my house were mostly yellow and I needed a clear white lighting to film with. I decided to film the next day using natural lighting instead to see if I could get a shot that was more clear. I finally got a response from my group mates who said we could try cutting out some parts of the audio. We tried it and I personally didn’t like how it was going to sound. I was told to wait until the audio was finished and if it did not flow together properly then we could restart. In the meantime, I went back to CapCut to continue on the videos. Some of the scenes needed specifics effects to make them look like flashbacks so I scrolled through the effects on CapCut and found a VHS filter that changed the lighting and made the clips darker and more vintage looking. I tested it out on a couple of clips but ultimately decided to wait until the next day when I would see my group mates in person so that we could add the filters together. If the CapCut filters weren’t to everyone’s liking then we could try Instagram or Snapchat filters or even download another editing app if nothing was really eye catching. This video is a large portion of my grade and so I want it to be perfect. I’m glad that I can still have fun while doing it despite how embarrassing it was to film some of the solo scenes.

Production Blog: A Day On The Playground

As you already know, the song I’ve chosen to go with is ‘Baby’ by Justin Bieber featuring Ludacris. There is a verse in the song that says “At school on the playground but I really wanna see her on the weekend”. It’s only fitting that the video includes at least one scene on a playground, and so I made it happen. I gathered my group and a few other people we got to film with us and found a playground to get some good shots on. At first it was a little awkward as the people we asked to join us was a group mate’s brother and his girlfriend, both of which we hadn’t met before. There was also the matter of people enjoying the park with their kids. It was a public park after all. Eventually, things warmed up and I began to enjoy it. I got shots of us taking turns going down the slide and pushing each other on the swings. Ashleigh and Eden even tried to go on the monkey bars. It’s a lot harder when your feet touch the ground no matter how much you bend them. I even got shots of the couple holding hands and spinning in circles and taking turns spinning each other on the merry-go-round. They were so adorable. Originally, the story was supposed to be a little more sad with the couple breaking up, but we’ve changed it to a more fun, reminiscing, style storyline. I had an idea of mixing in pictures, videos, and  lip syncing, and editing them to be the final project. So far it is a bit messy and just looks like random clips put together but with a bit of editing and the music added, I think it’ll turn out great. We got some shots  in the street, at the docks and in the city. Eden also got sone footage of her at the arcade with her friends. I think we have more than enough footage. The next step is to edit! I’m so sorry excited!!!

Music Video Storyboard

 Scene 1: The first part of this scene starts off with a younger couple going on a date with a few other friends at a bowling alley. It shows all of them hanging out and the younger couple having a good time before they get their tickets.

Scene 2: The next shot shows when they get their tickets and are waiting around.

Scene 3: This next shot would either fade or cut to them playing at the arcade after getting their tickets and he makes shots with her and wins a prize for her. The people in this scene would act super happy and in love.

Scene 4: This next scene would be them playing bowling getting food and drinks and talking. It will show the younger couple being together and having a good time.

Scene 5:This scene would cut to the part where the guy says no Starbucks and a Starbucks cup would be in the frame and then thrown out of it. then it will cut to someone running down the street ( this part would be exaggerated )

Scene 6: Then it cuts to the bowling alley then fades to the next part when Justin Bieber starts singing again.

Scene 7: Once Justin starts singing it will show one of the actors singing this song pretty extra.  

Scene 8: Then it will fade into them at the arcade again and having a good time 

Scene 9: Then it would fade back to them singing to their significant others 

Scene 10: Then it would go back to them playing bowling or doing a fun activity elsewhere.

Scene 11: Then it will cut to them either at the beach or in the car 

Scene 12: The last scene would kind of be a flashback where he reminisces 

Music Making Magic

 Props

• Starbucks cup
• teddy bear
• flowers
• bowling balls 
• arcade machine
• drinks 

Costumes 

 We would be in 2010 fashion. The music is a peak hit from an iconic era in fashion. They wore layers upon layers. We will be in semi-skinny, mid-rise jeans. The outfits were full of patterns and scarves. We want to stimulate like we are in 2011 with a bit of a modern twist. Our videos timeline will follow a young couple in love, so we want them to be in a matching outfit. 

Schedule

On 11/12/21, the group will research conventions and codes of romance and 2010 music videos.

On 11/16/21, the group will establish the props, costumes, Schedules, location list, and a backup plan.

On 11/19/21, the group will create the storyboard for the 1 minute and 15-second music video.

On 11/22/21 and 11/23/21, the group will film the necessary shots on location for the music video.

On 12/1/21 and 11/7/21, our group will edit the music video and finalize it.

On 11/13/21, Our group will turn in the final product.

On 11/17/21, we will complete the reflection of the music video process.

Location 

The central location will be the bowling alley.  We will film our couple at their central date spot. It fits the convention of the music videos about losing your first love. We will also film in flashback style from the boyfriend's perspective. 

The following prominent location would be an arcade setting. Here we will showcase the actors reuniting for another date. We will also use other locations throughout the school, such as the park, the beach, a Starbucks, the street, and a playground.

Safety Precautions

  Our group intends to uphold the utmost safety precautions. In various locations, we will use the buddy system, so we don't get lost. We may have to film at night, but it will only be in well-light areas. When the actors are bowling, we will make sure we are not in their way or others' way to not cause an accident, and we will make sure we wear proper foot attire when bowling. We will film at a dead end to ensure no cars will be coming up from behind us when we have to film on the street. 

Backup plan

If the weather conditions are poor, we won't film outside and replace that scene. Instead, we would film in the other sites. Some of our other areas are inside or are covered, so we would film there first. If one of the actors cannot come, we could push the date because of our flexible time.

Let's Get Our Groove On!

My group has not yet decided on a song for our music video. We have, however, devised a list of songs that we could do. We also thought about where we would film them, and what the story for the video would be like. One song picked was Time of  Our Lives by Pitbull and Ne-Yo. This song is very upbeat so we thought about filming it in a car driving down the road with the roof down heading to the beach. The song talks about having a good time so we wanted to show us being worry-free and having fun. 

   

• There is no exact costume to wear for a music video. What we wear will depend on the type of music that is featured. For example, if we were to do Time of Our Lives, we would be in casual attire such as t-shirts and shorts or swimsuits for the beach scene. 
• Props also differ based on the type of music and location where the video is filmed. In this case, we would need a car with an open roof or sunroof, maybe a boombox, and beach supplies such as towels, a cooler, sandcastle supplies, etc. 
• Based on the type of song, people in music videos appear either really cheerful, heartbroken, or sad.
• No matter the type of music, it will also get people moving. Whether it be a small head bop, a foot tap, or a shuffle, music videos always prompt some type of movement from the audience.

1. Conventions and Codes in music videos that show a carefree, positive outlook on life include upbeat music, and tracking shots. When the music is upbeat and lively, you can generally find people dancing along to it. The camera usually follows the movement of the people dancing. 

2. You can also find really good editing in music videos. There is always a nice clean switch from one scene to another. Sometimes the videos will even feature flashbacks and you can see scenes fade in and out. 

The Three Musketeers

 I’m still in a group with Ashleigh Miller and Eden Wright. Unfortunately, Isabel just didn’t meet the work standards that I hold myself. I care a lot about my grades and her attitude was just too carefree and easy going for me. That’s a fun personality to have but when it gets to the point where work isn’t getting done because “it’s fine” and “we can just submit anything”, it becomes a problem. I’m still friends with her but I think we’ll do better if we’re not working together on an AICE assignment . Ashleigh is still mostly the same. I realize that she likes to be in charge and tends to designate  herself the “leader”. This sometimes gets us into arguments because I prefer an orderly collaborative relationship where no one is in charge and everyone just picks what they want to do and do it. We usually work out a solution in the end. Eden is great at making sure we work together rather than argue. She always knows exactly what to say to calm us down and get us back on track. We just got out next assignment but we immediately started brainstorming what we would do next. We played our favorite music to each other to try and get an idea of what song we would pick for the music video. Our personalities just go together so well. We know how to let loose and have fun but still get our work done. On our last assignment, some of my group mates had days when they couldn’t make it to school. When this happened, they would let me know ahead of time and reach out during class time so that they wouldn’t miss out in anything. This shows me that they care about the assignment because rather than relaxing since they aren’t physically in the class, they take the time out of their day to ensure they get their part of the work done. I’ve definitely chosen the best group mates in the class. We’re the Three Musketeers!