After doing some research into the genre of music video in which I would like to create, we decided to go out and create a small video to practise using the camera, and experimenting with different camera angles, lighting, framing and composition. We did a purely narrative video as our model was not available for filming the day we needed to shoot. We decided to use nature as the subject, as it is very lyrical and very photogenic.
All day it had been raining, and we had travelled up to our other location, but the weather was too
bad to shoot, so we returned home and that’s when the weather started to improve. With water still on the ground, but the sun was starting to peep through, we decided it was perfect weather, and we grabbed our cameras and headed straight down to the woods.
We started with a LA shot looking up through the canopy of the tress, as the sun peered through after a day of rain. We decided to use this as the orange evening sun looked beautiful as it shone through the autumn leaves hanging in the trees. I particularly like the lens glare which was created, as I think it really suits the artistic style of the video. Colours are very important to us, that’s why we are choosing to shoot it in a very rural location, so we can get the colours we desire. We want a very neutral colour scheme, and if needs be, we can enhance this in post production.
We then cut to a CU shot of the grass as the light was shimmering off the water which had been left by the rain, this creates the tranquil effect we were looking to create in our video.
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| Shot with 50mm f1.8 |
We then cut to a CU of a flower which is framed perfectly in the centre which is exaggerated through the selective focusing used. We were able to create this because we used a 50mm f1.8 Lense on my DSLR, and with the manual focus setting allowed us to get the pull focus and selective focusing which I have used throughout the video. This is a particular favourite shot of mine as I love how it moves gently with the wind and in time with the gentle music which is playing over the top.
We then cut to a LA pan around to the left through the long blades of grass, which continue the same atmosphere which was set by the previous grass shot. Throughout the video there is a low level of natural light which adds to the continuity of the overall product. The natural light adds to the MES as it helps create the calm, peaceful atmosphere we were looking for.
We then go on to cut to a hand held shot which gives the POV of walking through the long grass as it tracks slowly forwards. We then use a montage of fixed shots. We decided that the fixed shots and slow pans work well with the gentle music, compared to jerky, fast pans which would suit a more erratic song. We used a series of HA shots, and used selective focusing to really emphasise the detail of the bark on the trees and the beauty of the canopy.
We then cut to a LS of the forest, with a bush in the background. We then used manual focusing to do a pull focus and selectively frame a branch in the foreground. Focusing played a massive role in the production of our short film, as we used depth of field to our advantage as we can select a certain subject and frame it perfectly.
We then continued to montage our footage in time with the music to create a smooth flowing rhythm. Each shot was manually focused with natural light. We occasionally made the subject out of focus to draw attention to it. We used different camera angles such as birds eye view, HA, LA and ES.
At 0:40 seconds we did a HA shot onto the flowing river, we then cut to a CU of the mini waves in the water, as this is a technique we wish to use in our final product. This shot represents the weather and time of year perfectly. Also the merky brown water is perfect, as we want a very neutral colour scheme of greens, white and browns in our final product, A very natural style.
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| Use of Selective focusing. |
The next shot of the leaves is a perfect example of the selective focusing we used. With a CU of a leaf in the foreground, We slowly shift the focus down the branch, until it is focused on the background of the bush. This shot was a great success as the natural light really emphasises the colours, which is an important part of the video. The next shot is a continuation as we the cut to another leaf on the same bush, which had been eaten by an insect, and had water running off it. We framed this in the centre of the shot in a CU of the leaf. We used the manual focus and depth of field to our advantage again, as it really exaggerates the details on the leaves.
After this the music picks up, and we used the droplets landing in the water to increase the tempo of the footage. We used a Bird’s eye view shot so the ripples stand out and spread from the centre in a mesmerizing way. We then cut to a HA CU of the droplet landing in the water, we slowed down this clip ever so slightly to exaggerate the droplet hitting the water. As the Music picks up the pace, we cut to a HA CU looking down a small stream, and then every time the music has an accented beat, we cut to a different shot. We then move to a LA MCU looking up the same stream. And then a HA LS looking down another stream. This montage of streams shows the weather and what it has done to the landscape. It also adds to the continuity as the whole video was shot within 45 minutes, so the weather and the water on the ground doesn’t change throughout. We then finaly cut to a Knee height LS of the main stream which runs through the location. We then cut to a Long pan to the left, which is used as an Establishing shot, as it shows the whole location.
As we made this video, we discovered there were several things we would have to improve. First of all, we didn’t use a tripod. This was due to the bad weather. But for the final product we will use a Tripod for all shots. As this will give us a more stable shot and a more professional feel to it. We will also storyboard the final product. As this was just a practise edit with no actors in them, we didn’t feel the need to plan it down to the last detail, but for the final product, we will plan everything from the movement of the actress, to what is framed within the shot. We would also us more than one camera, as this allows us to catch the action from several angles at the same time. We will also incorporate props into our final piece. We will decide what props are necessary when storyboarding our final video.
The things we are going to take away from this practise edit, as we feel it was successful, is the use of several camera angles. As this creates a dynamic feel to it. We will also film on the same day, to get the same feeling of continuity as we did in a practice video.
