Pre-shoot to do list - 30/11/13

As tomorrow is our final shoot, we want to make sure everything is going to be done to near perfection. So we made a to-do list to assign tasks to everybody in the group to do between 7.30am and 9am, so that we are ready to go once the shoot starts at 9am.

Already done
- The lighting has been done roughly, and the studio has been set up with the white backdrop and white paper.
- We have sorted the props into three set ups
- We have contacted our stage hands for tomorrow and informed them of timings.

To do tomorrow morning
- Get Mila's hair and make-up ready as soon as possible
- Perfect the lighting
- Sort out the set so that the creases in the backdrop do not appear
- Mark where the props need to go in relation to the camera
- Make the flowers/ grass more stable
- ALSO mark the camera in case it is accidentally moved during the shoot
- If food needs to be bought to cater for the stagehands, make sure it is done quickly and before people start to arrive
- Assign very specific roles to each of the stagehands

Website and Album Art Photography

We are planning to use some similar shots on our website and our album cover, especially as from our research we found that similar artists often used their album cover as the background of their website.

Photo Shoot 1: 26/11/2013

We tried to recreate the iconic picture of grace Kelly sitting in a frame but our frame wasn't big enough.

 

 

We also experimented with other frame shots.

We tried two different outfits but unfortunately the shoes didn't match the second one.

We took pictures with one of the signs from our shoot but we will change the writing on it later, as well as several of the other props from our music video.

Photo Shoot 2: 29/11/2013

We used different outfits once again to make sure that their would be a variety on the album cover which matched with our research.

We took more shots with the frame.

We took several different facial expression shots in case we wanted to put them in different frames and connote her vibrancy and outgoingness.

We also took shots were a teddy bear was used a replacement boyfriend to show her various emotions.

We tried out using several hipster props such as a camera and glasses that would appeal to our target audience.

We experimented with a mirror which didn't really work.

We also shot the other side of our initial idea for the inside cover which gives the view from the other side of the frame.

Finally, we tried a few LSs and MCUs using a stool which we felt helped connote the fifties feel of our artist.



Digipack Mockup

Here is an album cover mockup that we did with some of our initial promo shots, just so that we could see which parts of our album idea did and didn't work;

• Our initial idea to have three circles of Ava's body on our back cover turned out to be difficult to scale, therefore we need to come up with an alternative solution
• Our montage of circles look good, we just need to choose a background
• Our inner cover, where the CD would be placed should have a simplistic image, as it would be covered by the disc
• The lighting on the frame looks a bit unprofessional, therefore we need to reshoot the shot
• We have to consider Ava's outfits and the different facial expressions in each of the circles
• We also have to work on the album name and song names, as well as where the album name and Ava's logo would be placed on the final digipak

Website Inspiration

After browsing through a variety of female artists' website, we have picked a few that we wish to take elements from for Ava's official website. The sites we looked at are also for Indie artists, like Ava, who have playful personalities.

The official websites for Lucy Rose, Kate Nash, The Peach Kings and Ingrid Michaelson

Conventions of the sites we like that we wish to adopt:

• The blog style of the sites - more current, Tumblr-style (which is becoming increasingly popular, especially with Ava's target market, 16 to 24 year old girls)
• The header with the artist name and iconography/a slogan that establishes the artist's' identity
• The use of playful but clear fonts which are used throughout the site for synergy
• A beauty shot of the artist near the top of the page
• A simplistic, cute design - patterns, hearts, pastel colours

Development of the dance

We decided to have backing dancers in the chorus whilst Ava is singing in order to draw attention away from the set changes in the background.

It was decided that Sharlene and Anna would be the backing dancers as they choreographed the dance so would know it well. This was the initial phase when it was decided that some fifties moves and childish moves should be incorporated to promote the retro playfulness of the video:



We initially focused on choreographing for the backing dancers, with the focus being on Ava's performance, but we decided that she should do some simple moves that would easily fit in with her movement throughout the video. In the first chorus Ava holds a bunch of flowers ready to thrust them into the camera at the end, but in the second chorus we decided that she should click so her hands are engaged, in order that the dance look smoother and the performance more professional:



After our test shoot we noticed some problems with our choreography, in particular the ending of the double trustfall, so we adjusted the dance for the second shoot. It was also talked about exchanging Sharlene for Emily so the backing dancers would be a similar height, but we decided that it added to the quirky mish-mash feel of the video:

Reviewing Shoot Footage

On reviewing the footage from our real shoot, we've decided that we will be using our backup shoot. Although we did manage to get a few usable shots, they were not perfect, so we thought that we might as well do another shoot to get the perfect shot.
Here is the feedback we received from the teacher:

• Although Matt often didn't catch the chocolate box, teddy bear and flowers that Anna threw to him, it doesn't look as professional when she just gives the objects to him, so we will have to practice her throwing them and Matt catching them.
• The set hands need to perform, but some of the actions aren't incredibly visible in the shot, so we may have to give them more of a clear routine.
• We need to ensure that the two backing dancers come on at the same time/same angle and same speed, and they need to perform in the same way, rather than one performing more energetically than the other.
• Changing the people who sit behind the boat will mean that we can avoid one of the set hands holding up the boat until the backing dancer can get there (this will make the shot look a little cleaner)
• We still need to do something with the waves (perhaps stapling the netting to cardboard) because they take too long to setup and often move to far up or down the frame rather than staying in the correct position.
• Mila's performance is very professional but there are some gaps and we need to make sure her hair is away from her face

Take 1:

What went wrong...

• Grass slipped down
• Boyfriend missed chocolate box
• Dancers in background of set ups don't jiggle in time
• Serenaders stand awkwardly after giving food
• One set person jiggles while the other one does not
• Mila pushes hair out of face
• Chorus more of a MLS than a MS
• Boat comes on late
• Sam and Sharlene replace each other
• Boat not in middle
• Shark not in middle
• Skirt doesn't come off
• Uneven spread of dance vigourness

How to improve...

Take 2:

What went wrong...

• Balloon fell out of its hiding place
• Window starts off being held the wrong way round
• Serenaders stand awkwardly after giving food
• Ex-wife's bump looks strange
• Some of helpers sing echoes but others don't
• Tables off centre
• People holding Windows stand behind table instead of to the side which looks crowded
• Boyfriend didn't come on until half way through the third set up
• Waves too high up
• Nothing happens in the space between third set up and third chorus and Ava doesn't perform to camera as she is busy walking
• Dancers need to be crazier - their arms hang limp
• Right/wrong side could be moved slower

How to improve...

Take 3:

What went wrong...

• Boyfriend missed catching the chocolate box and flowers

How to improve...

Take 4:

What went wrong...

• Takes ages to get frame into position
• Some of the flowers on the grass are falling off
• One of the helpers holding the grass is in shot - you can see their hat
• One of the cloud holders in more in light than the other
• Its really hard for boyfriend to catch chocolate box
• Balloon stays on stage
• Backing dancers some on at different times
• Flowers not fully shoved into the camera

How to improve...

Take 5:

What went wrong...

• Half of shot without tree in first set up is plain
• Some of the signs are obscured by Ava and boyfriend
• Balloon stays in shot
• Ava and dancers have to move forward during first chorus
• Anna stand to far in front to Sharlene which makes her look even shorter
• Serenaders miss their cue
• Ex wife's cushion/bump is exposed
• Grass isn't in right position

How to improve...

Take 6:

What went wrong...

• Boyfriend misses chocolate box
• Ava goes round to the wrong side of the bench
• Person holding tree looks very depressed - can see her face
• Balloon isn't kept behind tree person's back
• Grass slips down
• On of the grass holders faces is visible

How to improve...

Take 7:

What went wrong...

• Light too blue/dark
• Mila's socks
• When boyfriend stand up goes out of frame

Take 8:

What went wrong...

• Dancers bopping gets out of time with each other
• Serenaders awkward
• Windows at very different heights
• table at side
• Second Quick Change slow
• Boat too far back
• Frame to low

How to improve...

Take 9

What went wrong...

• A balloon randomly rolls across the stage
• Cushion/bump shows
• Serenaders awkward
• Second quick change almost goes wrong
• Boat to the side
• Shark only moves a little bit
• Waves go over boat sometimes
• Mila looks a bit confused in the final chorus
• Sharlene hangs around waiting to ballroom swing
• frame too low
• Boyfriend stands at side of frame instead of behind

How to improve...

• Boat doesn't need to be taken off after third set up - could it just be moved back
• Work out somewhere to put the oar?

Take 10: (Good take number 1)

What went wrong...

• Flowers are limp
• bopping goes out of time
• Anna overacts the giving of the presents

Take 11: (Good take number 2)

What went wrong...

Our Second Shoot

We had our proper shoot on Saturday 23rd, but we had fewer people than our test shoot as some did not turn up despite our reminders and messages yet we still managed to get quite a few successful takes of the one shot.

We managed this by taking Emily from behind the camera and putting her into the video, but still making sure that the camera remained in focus.

Another change from our test shoot was that during the choruses Ava and her back dancers moved forward into a midshot to vary the shot type and to see her emotions in focus. We also perfected and modified the dance, and practised it to perfection before hand. We had to extend the tripod upwards in order to keep Ava in shot when she moved forward though, as well as having to adjust the lighting so she would stay lit whilst moving forwards.

We had problems with the throwing of some of the props in, so solved it temporarily by weighting the chocolate box down so that it would fly better, then by having Anna give the props to the boyfriend.

We added another layer of darker colour netting to the sea in order to make it less transparent and easier to keep in position.

We also added cardboard windows to the café scene as the spotlight hadn't looked aesthetically pleasing, and the scene had been quite bare apart from the table.

Once again we bought snacks and water and Anna baked, as did one of our stagehands, which was useful when we had to set up things.

The grass had been a bit damaged in storage so we had to fix it before our helpers arrived, though one of the middle joins kept coming apart throughout the shoot which held up shooting a little bit.

To Do List 20.11.2013

• Black line around clouds
• Grass Steady - need wood
• Waves? change to cardboard
• Work out lighting/background for set up 2
• Book photo shoot
• Work out timings for next shoot
• See Ctaching Fire
• Work out Chorus choreography
• Practice choreo
• Tell Romo what to do
• Sort out wardrobe malfunctions
• Final Chorus - Dance
• Finalise placement of Ava/backing dancers during each setup

Rough Cut of the Music Video

Here is a rough cut of the He Wasn't There music video using footage from the test shoot. There are a lot of things to work on between the shoots, and we hope to use this edit as a way of working out what needs to be done prior to our next shoot.

Reviewing Test Shoot Footage

After watching back footage from our test shoot, we made the following list of things to work on before our next shoot, which is on November 23rd.

• Repaint the gold frame
• The clouds blend into the white background, so we should outline them with black paper/ card
• The three should be brought further forward in the first set up to give the set more depth - Ava should be even further forward than the backing dancers
• Ava's eyeline needs to be at the camera more often
• We need to find a more practical way to integrate the balloon into the choreography
• The signs need to be bigger and more legible
• We need to see what the boyfriend is giving to Ava before she throws it on a side
• The choreography/ work with the dancers needs to be perfected
• The sign post needs to be closer to the camera and on set for longer - it could be brought on along with the boat.
• We need to organise some choreography for the last chorus so the shot looks less messy and the space is filled
• The set hands need to perform a little more whilst in shot - they also need to move more calmly around the shot so it doesn't look too rushed and messy
• Matt should stand behind the boat holding the ore as it is being brought on so it looks like he is rowing on.
• Two people should crouch behind the boat rather than us putting two chairs there so that it looks more professional - this means the boat could also be taken off at the end so there is more space for the set hands.
• We need to find a way of making sure Ava's quick-change outfits cannot be seen under her first outfit.

Test Shoot - 16/11/13

Here are a few still photos of our test shoot on the 16th of November. We feel that our test shoot went very well for a first shoot. The video looked great aesthetically and although we had a big crew to manage on the day of the shoot, we were well organised and everybody was really cooperative. 

 

Organising Props

To make sure that everything was in its place we planned where we should put all our props, but on the day we developed a system where the left hand side was were the props waiting to come on went, and the right hand side was were our helpers would take off the props to.