Locations

The main area where my video will be based is the Chalfont St Peter epilepsy centre where there is an abandoned area in the back right hand corner of the site which we have claimed over the last year as a riding spot. The area is broken down and contains multiple ledge and obstacles we have made and the area is quite enclosed which suits my style of video This is because a focus can be created and the use of building the obstacles and then riding them adds purpose and will create emotion for the rider from the effort put into building for fun which will be portrayed.

The other location will be my friend toms house, due to it having a nice back gateway where tracking shots of setting up for riding can be taken and the route to get from his to the main location is only round the corner including some alleyways and obstacles on the way which will create an interesting focus and will create exciting and pace to the video.

Props

There are a range of props needed to make the video work the way I want it to, so that certain things like brother hood, effort and lifestyle are portrayed.

To start off with, mine and Toms bikes are necessary due to us riding in the video. Continuity of the video is needed so we both need to use the same bike parts for our bikes throughout the video.

Wooden pallets are also needed for the props of riding on. These also create the idea of building in the video which then creates the 'effort' feel which gives the audience insight into the culture behind riding.

My car is also going to be seen slightly in shot, which means things like its condition need to be considered.

Mobile phone is another prop I will be using and create the idea of direction the video as he has a motive after answering the phone.

Shot List Plan

1. Time laps sky- colour change through the day
2. rewind really fast of whole video in a few seconds.
3. Fade in from black to waking up shot of Tom waking up- extreme close up
4. 1 second trouser shot mid shot, marginalised
5. 1 second jumper put on, mid shot centre shot.
6. walking towards camera 2 seconds, camera close to the door.
7. walk through doorway, back to camera down stairs
8. kettle boils 1 second and clicks.
9. making tea 1 second.
10. drinking tea 2 seconds
11. Grabbing bag, stuffing tools in, 5 seconds close up of hands and bag
12. putting drinks and snacks in bag.
13. long shot from house walking outside to shed.
14. pulls bike out, low angle close up of mid section of bike with Toms hands on frame.
15. mid long shot from shred view, Tom walking with bike next to him.
16. half a second, flip bike over, focusing on handlebars.
17. shot from back of the bike flipped over, Tom sitting by handlebars
18. close up of bag pulling extension kit out, 1 second
19. quick cut to wrench inserting into front peg,
20. extreme closeup on axle, peg, hands and wrench, moving the wrench loosening the wheel.
21. cut to tightening axle cone nuts, close up of stomach area with wheel in-between his legs, low angle
22. half a second back on bike
23. quick cut tightening
24. over the shoulder flipping bike over.
25. shot from the floor picking bag up and tilt up to putting on back
26. close up behind going through side gate carrying bike around.
27. medium to long shot of walking up drive with gear.
28. stops at the top of the drive, close up of hand removing phone from pocket.
29. tracking close up to face where he calls someone.
30. phone back in pocket tracking close up
31. extremely low looking up angle of tom standing with bike with rising sun lens flare.
MUSIC STARTS
32. Tom jumps on bike, camera close to cranks as he sets off.
33. Side view moving away from house
34. tracking tom down ally, bunny hop over bump in ally
35. long shot from side hopping over grass bank
36. leading lines shot from behind, cuts to close up by back wheel during manual
37. medium shot bunny hop over cut out in road.
38. skid round corner
39. hop up wall, 180 half cab off.
40. 360 up curb, wall ride tree.
41. cut forward to entering centre, low angle tracking
42. speed bump bunny hop, slowed down slightly
43. skid across dirt medium shot, slow mo close up of dirt, fast back into medium shot
44. long shot getting on phone
45. I pull up in car
46. close up safe on hands
47. both pull away riding out of shot
48. collecting pallets close up
49. construction scene
50. callas hands slow mo exaggerated
51. hands on grips
52. 180 manual pad, fakie fail off.
53. laughing close up of toms face.
54. slap tap, lands first trick.
55. I get up, bump jump, 360 off
56. hug shot
57. range of shots landing tricks from different angles, about 30 seconds worth.
58. chilling shot sitting down, high angle, laughs and chilling, sun lens flares
59. more riding clips landing and failing tricks
60. wheels rolling while bike on the floor
61. shot through bike me putting bike in car and driving off
62. tom gets up, close up on face putting headphones in
63. long shot of tom riding out of epic centre, cruising off with tire slides.
64. time laps plays in rewind.
65. sky time laps changing colour, then big lens flare to darkness finishes video.

Equiptment

For my video I am going to need a certain set of equipment to suit the style of video I am creating. This is so I am able to capture the shots I want in a professional way.

My Nikon D600 is going to be the camera I film everything from for this video with its aftermarket Nikon 24-120mm lens. I really like this camera for its versatility as it has many features including vignette control which is always really good it Bike films as it creates a focus on the rider who is mostly central in shot and the added shadowing creates depth. I also like this camera due to it being comfortable to hold with its large gripped handle and its live view screen which makes film certain shots easier to view.

I also will be using my Xgrip skate handle which is designed to hold DSLR cameras and then to be able to hold the camera at multiple angles with its large curved handle. This is best used for low angle/ down shots while tracking/moving, as you are able to tilt the camera at multiple angles to creates height and to connote the main rider as powerful or in this case, skilful. 

My camera in the handle.

I will finally be using a tripod which I can get from the school. The tripod keeps the camera steady so that shots are still and can be raised or lowered for different camera angle heights. There will be some shots in the video which show me and tom in shot but are still as opposed to tracking, which will work well for these shot types.

Scripting

For my video my main actor will be my friend Tom Hutch. He's 16 years old an has been a good friend of mine for many years. I have chosen to video Tom as main actor as his skill level on a bike is high for his age, meaning he will be able to produce certain moves consistently which will be needed for many shots which might have to be filmed multiple times to get the correct angles and lighting. Tom is also the person I ride and film with on a weekly basis meaning I know how he rides and his style and how I can enhance and emphasis his moves through a camera and then show this on film. Tom also knows me very well too and has experience with a camera aswell, which will mean I can be actor two and portray the brotherly relationship through the riding on film. Tom also lives 2 minutes from me which also means we are able to meet and ride often which will be good for the video as it will take many filming sessions to film and get right.

Reflection On My Progress

Since the start of September I have embarked on the second part of my A level in which I have started another blog for my coursework and have started learning the theory side aswell.

In reflection of my coursework, I feel that I have completed my research section almost thorough. I started off analysing my previous years work and my next steps into A2, being critical of the things I did well but also didn't do well so that I could reflect on this and do better as I start my second section of coursework. Taking this onboard I spent time evaluating my thoughts on the briefs given for coursework section two and made a wise decision on which brief suited my skill set and would show these skills off, but also to challenge my thought processes and exterior interest to school. This brought me to the music video brief, which I'm happy I took on. This is because of my general love for music which is a big hobby of mine, and that I am now able to be interested in my brief and to then want to put the time and effort into such a big project. It also means I feel that I can be more creative in my ideas towards sections of the work.

After doing so, I took time to research into different elements of music video and music. I looked in depth at music and music videos throughout time and the different styles of music video and music genres and what they are about giving examples of each and my own thoughts on this. I then analysed 10 music videos of a range of different genres to broaden my knowledge of music video and the codes and conventions of each in which an audience would be able to infer certain themes and feelings from the videos and the different genres.

As an extra thing, I wrote about my personal thoughts and feelings of my favourite videographer 'John Hicks' and explained how this could then have an impact of the style of video I later produce due to him being an influence on my bike hobby outside of school and how I could then bring this to the table when it comes to my thoughts and ideas in my coursework.

After this I analysed 5 digipaks and 5 magazine advertisements as this is a big section of my work because of them being ancillary tasks. I feel I could have analysed a few more, however my outside skills of graphic design and this being the route I would like to go down after this year, I feel I understood after 5 of each how different music genres and styles of artist would then have their adverts and digipaks based off of their music and image in media, whether it being the typography made sharper to fit a harsher genre like metal for a heavy artist like Metallica or the sorts of colours used to connote certain themes and how this would then link to the tone in their music.

Once I had done the analysing of music video, digipak and adverts I evaluated each in detail on my thoughts of what I have discovered and tried to present this understand.

I created my target audience survey and concluded my discovery of my responses and how this would impact my future decisions in my planning section of my coursework.

I finally concluded my research section giving the learning I made throughout this section. I feel that I could I have blogged about theoretical issues relating to my task however this is something I can go back on and improve.

Currently I have started my planning section. I have brainstormed and finalised my ideas and have writing up my shot list. I have gathered and concluded about locations, actors, props etc, yet still need to finish off my storyboard due to me wanting to draw this up almost shot for shot and start making an animatic to test shot lengths etc. My ancillary tasks still need to be started but I feel I can complete this area fairly quickly due to my pre existing understand of graphic design and skills in editing as well.

Final Idea Brainstorm

I have decided to do a narrative style video due to that being the highest result on my audience survey and me enjoying watching this style of video anyway. I have brainstormed a range of ideas which could work with consideration of the facilities I have available to me, the locations around me and other effecting factors.

I thought about different themes and music styles and what would suit the genre of music when brainstorming. Relationships was something that came into my mind due to it suiting most genres of music, there are many aspects of relationship (the good and the bad) which could fit with most genres. I have explored the ideas of action with chase scenes which could be interesting to watch or a dance video with a narrative.

I finally have decided on the idea of a brotherly relationship with the idea of a day in the life of two bike riders enjoying each others company over the course of the day, filming clips etc and having fun. Bringing in the culture of the sport would add depth to the video as it can be considered a way of life when you enjoy what you do as an individual. This idea has been inspired by John Hicks the videographer I studied but also my own background and influences and the boys I ride with as a hobby in my spare time.

Planning Introduction

I am now going to blog and plan my project out so that I have planned all the necessary things I need to do before I start filming. This is also like a check list of things for me to follow to help me stay on track of my project.

-Final ideas brainstorm
-Final justified idea
-Song choice
-Final idea shot list
-Storyboard
-Scripting
-Props
-Locations
-Equipment
-Advertisment plannig
-Advertisemnt final piece
-Digipak planning
-Digipak final piece

Research Conclusion

I am now ready to move on with my project and to start planning my final video however I have learnt a lot from completing my research section which will influence my next steps.

Researching into all of the different styles of music video was a really good start for me to help me understand the approaches different videos have taken to make them what they are and how effective they are in conjunction with the song and the music artist. Choosing between narrative, performance, narrative performance, concept and animation was a choice I have to make which will determine how I create my video. I am currently thinking that narrative or concept will be a creative way for me to make my video as I like to visuals in concept video but the story behind a narrative.

Choosing genres of music will also have an impact on the emotion and actions of the actors within the video. I have researched into music videos of a range of music genres and what they consist of which has given me ideas of themes and links to the music itself as a focus within, helping my realisation of what works well and doesn't.


I have also looked at music advertisements and digipaks for the music and what certain genres of music may include. A rock metal style may include a lot of darkness yet a indie band might include brighter happy themes. Including themes within the digipaks and advertisement which link to the artists/band is key to the effect they have on the audience. The font styles/ typography can also be designed and created aound a theme which is important to the composistion of the digipak/advertisement aswell.

Taking this all into account when I move onto my creating and advertising I am much more knowledgeable on a direction I can now go onto which means I am ready to move on. This is good as I didn't have this competence at the beginning of the project which will hopefully have a good effect on my final product.