Tuesday, 21 June 2011
Thursday, 14 April 2011
Blog 4 - The Day
Firsty I helped set up the lighting, as from doing this a week before we all knew how the lighting needed to be. We were happy with the lighting and it was all set up ready to go.
Next I picked up a camera and headed to the Main House were the students would be meet ed and greeted. When at the main house I checked with the crew and makes sure that the introduction video was ok, I also had the intro on a DVD for a back up if we needed it.
9.40 the students arrive, I start to film the introduction and icebreaker games. From watching the introduction I was believed to think that they liked the video. Later I was talking to a student and was talking about someone in the crew and I said "you know the guys kicking the Football" and they knew who I ment when I said that, so I think the video helped introduce us to them.
After the introdcution I went to the green screen room, to give the camrea to the other camrea person (Mandy). During the activty there were problems with the green screen program so I stayed and helped with that.
Next I took the camrea and filmed the Shoot Out. From watching the activty, it was really good to see the students getting involed and enjoying it. I personlly think this was the best activty of the day.
When the big shoot out finshed I gave the camrea back to Mandy who went to film the Big Draw. So I headed up to the editting room, for the remainer of the day my job with the other Editor (Harry) was to edit the big Shoot Out activaty and the Big Draw stop motion all ready to be shown at 01.45pm so we had around 1 hour and half.
The big draw footage was already editted by Harry which saved us alot of time. So we had to edit 3 video (each group for the Big shoot out) we did this by capturing on two computers so that we could both edit and the same time. It worked really well, I think me and harry work well togeher and helped each other out when needed.
We did get the video ready in time so the student got to see what they filmed on the day which was really good.

Blog 3 - Day rehearsal
So today we are going to do a whole run though of day and see how it flows. So then any problems we in counter then we can make sure they wont happen on the day.
So, my job is to make sure the lighting for the green screen is set up right so that the exposure on the camera is right so that Ant (Green Screen Editor) can chromkey the background out. We had the lighting equipment hired out,so we got the light kits out and started to light up the green screen set up.

The first problem we had was that there was not enough light on the green screen from the one lighting kit, so we had to hire a lighting soft box. This light is different to the others and it cover more radius light then the others. So from this I had to make sure this extra light was booked for the day.
After we had the lighting set up on the green screen, I started to set the camera, I put the cameras "Zebras" on, which enables us to see what is is exposed properly as the exposing is very impotent for the green screen to work.
At the end of the day we sat and dicussed the issues we had and highlighted -
We need an extra light
Zebra must be used to make sure the green screen can be keyed out
Keep an extra eye on the lights as they get very hot.
Blog 2, Prep for the event
Today I filmed for our intro video, I borough in my own video camera. Below is a list I made so I know what is needed to be filming for our intro video
Plan for class Video Introduction
James – Skateboard/Filming/Editing
Brad – Creating a Graphic or being a Assistant Director
Chloe – Presenting
Ester – Photographing something
Michael (ME) – Filming/Editing
Ed - Creating a Graphic or being a Assistant Director
Ant – Editing a video
Ross – Writing a review
Lee - Creating a Graphic
Patrick – Photographing
Mandy – Filming or Directing
Tom – Editing a Video or Using a Boom
Kristy – Production work
Edem – Interviewing someone
Harry – Editing a video
Simon – Sports (kicking a football)
Claire – Photographing something or creating a graphic
Kerion – using a Boom mic
Lenoe – Creating a graphic/Photographing
Carlina – Camera
Annie – Presenting/writing
From the list I filmed each member of the class, a lot of my initial ideas changed as on the day alot of new ideas came and a lot of the class help me to think of new idea, also the video needed to be funny so we elaborated from the list above. After I had the filmed the whole class, I editing it together. Edem and Kirsty were not around on the day of filming so I got a photograph of them and used that instead.
From speaking to Chloe (main organizing of the event) she said she wanted the music Dance of the Knights by Sergei Prokofiev (the theme for BBC The Apprentice), as the music goes with the theme of the day.
Above is the final edit to show on the event day, from showing everyone in it they are happy and enjoyed watching it so it should work well on the day.
Wednesday, 30 March 2011
Media Event - Blog one, Intro to our Media Event
Green Screen - Students will be shown how a green screen works. Then they will play a game were the students have to explain to a volunteer student who will be standing in front of the green screen and have to explain what is behind them.
Show Down - This activity, students will have to film scenes from a cowboy film - Two people from the University will play the Cowboy/Cow Girl
Big Draw - Students will learn about stop motion by drawing on a big sheet of paper and then take a photo each time a student added to the paper. So that at the end we can link each photo up and it will create a short animation.
The Day is as follows (Brief overview)
Students arrive at Bath Spa University 9.15
Meeting/Ice Breakers 9.30
Activity 1 - 10.00
Activity 2 - 10.45
Activity 3 - 11.30
(There will be 3 groups who we alternate though the 3 activity's)
12.15 Lunch
1.15-1.45 Talks from Gemma Hunt (BBC Presenter)
1.45-2.00 Work from the day will be shown to the students
2.00-2.30 Talks from Andy Roberts (BBC Cameraman)
2.30 - 2.45 Evaluations
3.00 Students finish for the day
For this event will part of the technical team, the follows roles are what I am responsible for the event.
Before the Event
- Filming the Icebreaker/Intro video
- Editing the Icebreaker/Intro video
- Hire out Equipment for the day
On the Day
Set up lighting for the Green Screen/Chroma Key Activity.
Filming the day - Intro Icebreakers/Activity 1, 2
Editing the footage from the shoot out Activity
On call runner/technician for the day
Monday, 20 December 2010
Give my love to rose.....
A good friend of mine Ben Lean, noticed a good idea for a short film around this song and approched me about working with him on it. Ben has written then first draft of the scrip, which we are going to look over in the comming week. Then after we have the scrip finalist we will start to storyborad and start looking for loactions and actors.
I will keep this blog up to date about the project to show how we are getting on.
Tuesday, 18 May 2010
Thoughts For the Summer.......
From my first year stuying Fd Media Prodution, I have learned alot of useful skills such as - Editing in Final Cut, organisation, camrea operation and pre-production. Over the summer I have a few things in mind to keep up my skills that I have learned this year and to impove them and my confidence.
- Filming and making a Documentary/Featurette for local DJ, 2Dark2Cornish
- Help out friends who have a Wedding Photograpy/Film Bussinsess to film two weddings
- Possable work experience with a media company
- Entering Virgin Media film festival
- Learn the basics behind Motion
- Create a website to show my show reel and photography
I have really enjoyed my first year in fd Media Production, really looking forward to using Motion and learn more about multi-camrea and more exsiting things to learn in the next term.
Wednesday, 12 May 2010
Indvidual Project Finshed - Interview With Cornish Ska Band Rudis Message
I really enjoyed making this product, the post-production stage took a long time. This was because I had to create a narritve with the interview so the piece will flow. Below is how I structured it.
Opening - Start of the Gig
- The band Influences
- How the band started
- Getting gigs
- How the band feel about playing
- Enjoyment of playing a live gig
- Social LIfe Full time jobs
- Feedback about the band
- Plans for the Furture
- End quote to sum up the band, "we a local band doing a local thing"
End of Gig - Last cymbal beat (fade to credits)
This is the feedback the band gave me about my piece when they watched it.
Just watched the interview. Excellent mate, really well done, thank you very much. Thanks Simon
Brilliant.Sorry I missed out guys - gutted now, having seen the results.Special thanks to Michael also - fantastic work.Keep on skankin'.Duncan.
Hi MichaelI have just had a look at the video interview and I got to say that I think it's Brilliant mate... well done. I really hope we can work with you and the guys in the future, you really caught the essence of what we're about. Big respect mate and thanks to you and the crew.Monkeyman
Overall I think the peice of work well to show what the band is about, but if I was to do this agian I would. Use a Boom Mic or a Hand held mic so I could get a better sound of the band as you can in my video you cant hear what the band is saying which is a band thing as the interview is the spine of the work. Also I would of filmed the band in a different location as the night clubs light made the intview look quite dark, I could of used lights to brighten up the interview.
Tuesday, 4 May 2010
Group Project Finshed Piece - The Man Behind The Music
After we got all our footage we was able to edit our project, from our good group planning we had just over a month to edit the footage so we could really think about how the piece will flow. Kirsty was our are main editor it was her job to cut down the interview from 60 minutes to 5-8 minutes. It was me and Ed's job to get the cutaways edited and ready so that Kirsty could put them within the work. We got cutaways from, BBC Last Choir Standing, ACM website and footage that Ed filmed at the ACM. Also it was me and Ed's job to make the dvd menu and sorting out the music for the piece.
Above is our the final peice, the main part of the project is the interview with Mark De Lisser if we were to this again we could of included more cutaways and filmed more of our own footage so the interview would be more varied. I think the use of black and white camrea angles really help the interview look stylist and mirrors what we originally reaseached.
Tuesday, 6 April 2010
Individaul Project - "The Interview and Gig"
- What are the bands influences?
- What made you start a Ska/2 Tone band in Cornwall?
- Why do you think people in Camborne listen to Ska music?
- What is your best memory of the band?
- What have you got planed for the future?
At 4.00pm myself and the two camera men went to the venue to set up ready for the gig. This included closing up the balcony and the island, all with the permission for the Corn Exchange.
The gig started at 9.30pm so we returned to the venue at 8.30pm so I could meet the band and find out when they would be ready to be interviewed. They had a few problems setting up so it took them a little longer to be ready for the interview. Most of the band came for the interview but the keyboard player was running late so I had to do the interview without him.
I set up the interview with two cameras, one static and the other hand held so I could get to different angles. My two mates manned the cameras so I could interview the band. The interview went really well, the band gave some really good answers which I can use to create a narrative within the project. Visually the interview looked ok but the lighting kept changing due to the night club lights. The audio from the interview was not so good, there is alot of background noise from people arriving at the gig however this has created an atmosphere to the piece.
The Next Steps
Film B Roll - Camborne Town
Get Permissions Signed
Log and capture footage
Work out a Narrative with the interview
I am going to look at my footage in post production to see what I have and if for some reason I need a extra cut away shots of Camborne town I can film it again as I am going back to Camborne before the hand in date.
Final thoughts about filming the gig - I really enjoyed filming the gig and getting lots of different angles of the band and a good range of camera shots. This is the first time I have filmed a live music gig and I really enjoyed it. I didn't like not being able to enjoy the music because I was involved with the filming. From the interview I learnt alot about the Ska/2 Tone genre which I would like people to share when they watch my project.