Day 1
Our first day of filming went very well. We got all of the shots we felt we wanted from the places we needed to go. This could have been hard as we filmed in a variety of different places across the area. The whole filming session was based on Toby (Main Character) training and running. We filmed a sequence of Toby running through Ward Royal. We tried using a variety of different shots and we were happy with the final outcome. Not all shots made the final cut into the video but had enough easily to fill up the bits we wanted. We also filmed at an underpass that is local to the school. This was to try and show Toby training in a rundown area. This worked well and we got another good sequence with a number of different medium/long range shots of Toby. We basically just follow him jogging through a number of different places. The last place we shot was at the Windsor Great Park. We decided to use this location as it is quite an open area and it is also a public area. It would be realistic for someone who was in the same position as the one we are trying to portray our character as being in, to come and run and train in this public area. The hardest part of filming was the time schedule. We wanted to film at a time where it was getting quite dark. We filmed around 7.30pm as this was the time it started to get dark, it worked well as the continuity of the shots seems to be fine.
Here is an image of one of the shots we took at the Great Park, after some thought we have decided that it is a possibility to be the last shot in our music video.
Editing
I was at home the next morning as I had a spot of illness. But when I had come into school, the other members of my group had edited the shots that we had taken the night before. The sequences looked quite good. The shots went together well, and after some discussion with our teacher. We decided that we were happy with the shot sequences, the Ward Royal sequence and the Underpass sequence. We also decided to use an effect on the Ward Royal sequence, this slowed down the shot. We used this to show Toby doing press-ups and then quickly running off. Using slow motion on the shot emphasises the speed that he runs off in. It also shows a close up of the character. The only thing that we lacked in the first shots we took was a shot variety. All of our shots were medium long shots and we didn't really mix it up with some close ups and shots through objects. We used Final Cut Express to import the footage on an Apple Macbook. After we finished with the sequences, we imported the song that we are using. We were happy with the results, as the shots seemed to be improved just by the inclusion of the song.
Day 2
Initially, we thought our second day of filming went really well. We took Toby and another character playing as Toby's trainer for the film. We took our new actor Tom to the Braywick Gym and filmed a load of shots. We took shots of Toby benching weights, completing pull ups and a series of boxing shots. We tried to incorporate what our teacher had spoken to us, and had shot through objects such as other gym machines. We took most shots in more than one angle so we could try and edit the footage and be able to link them together. This worked with a few things. We had a limited amount of time in the gym as we started filming at 9.30pm and they had to lock up at 10pm. We did however get all the shots we thought we needed, although there was an embarrasing moment for myself as I went to film and took a picture instead, this is an action I may never live down with my group members. We took a couple of shots in mirrors to try and show Toby looking in the mirror and trying to work hard whilst training to become, "The World's Greatest".
This is an image of our main character Toby having a rest after a few shots of him training. This was taken in the Braywick Gym.
I was at home the next morning as I had a spot of illness. But when I had come into school, the other members of my group had edited the shots that we had taken the night before. The sequences looked quite good. The shots went together well, and after some discussion with our teacher. We decided that we were happy with the shot sequences, the Ward Royal sequence and the Underpass sequence. We also decided to use an effect on the Ward Royal sequence, this slowed down the shot. We used this to show Toby doing press-ups and then quickly running off. Using slow motion on the shot emphasises the speed that he runs off in. It also shows a close up of the character. The only thing that we lacked in the first shots we took was a shot variety. All of our shots were medium long shots and we didn't really mix it up with some close ups and shots through objects. We used Final Cut Express to import the footage on an Apple Macbook. After we finished with the sequences, we imported the song that we are using. We were happy with the results, as the shots seemed to be improved just by the inclusion of the song.
Day 2
Initially, we thought our second day of filming went really well. We took Toby and another character playing as Toby's trainer for the film. We took our new actor Tom to the Braywick Gym and filmed a load of shots. We took shots of Toby benching weights, completing pull ups and a series of boxing shots. We tried to incorporate what our teacher had spoken to us, and had shot through objects such as other gym machines. We took most shots in more than one angle so we could try and edit the footage and be able to link them together. This worked with a few things. We had a limited amount of time in the gym as we started filming at 9.30pm and they had to lock up at 10pm. We did however get all the shots we thought we needed, although there was an embarrasing moment for myself as I went to film and took a picture instead, this is an action I may never live down with my group members. We took a couple of shots in mirrors to try and show Toby looking in the mirror and trying to work hard whilst training to become, "The World's Greatest".
This is an image of our main character Toby having a rest after a few shots of him training. This was taken in the Braywick Gym.
EditingEditing the gym parts proved to be harder than first expected. We also found out that some of the shots we used wouldn't be able to go into the Final Cut. We took some shots of Toby training and working on his boxing combinations. This looked good in the first place, but once we imported the footage onto the Mac, you could see that Tom was laughing througout the shot. One of the shots was okay to use but most of them we couldn't use. Another problem was the amount of mirrors within the gym. We didn't realise but in a number of shots. We all were in the shot, as we were reflecting from a mirror. I was in a couple of shots of the facilities that we used. Although a majority of the shots were fine and we put together a sequence of what we could use. The sequence looked quite good and it showed a variety that our teacher asked for. We also got Toby doing a lot of different exercises so we could fill out quite a bit of the song using this.
Day 3
Filming on the third day was quite easy. As we knew exactly what we wanted from the mistakes we made in the week before. Ricky, Toby's brother stepped in as Toby's trainer. So we re-shot all of the shots with Toby doing Boxing combinations. We also got some shots of Toby doing different exercises including press-ups and a few push-ups. We got Toby working on the boxing bag aswell which came out really well. I got a chance to redeem myself from the error I made on the previous filming day where I took a picture and actually filmed quite a lot in this filming session. The filming went really well and we were happy with what we got. To the extent that we are not going to return and film any more of the shots at the gym.
This is an image that we took of Toby working on the pads with his new trainer Ricky. This shot might appear on a poster we are using to promote another part of the video.
Editing
Whilst editing these shots. We had an idea of what we wanted to do. So we didn't have the task of sorting out what was going to go where. First of all we linked all of the boxing shots, first the part on the boxing bag and secondly we linked the combo part with the pads. Once we had cut the shots down and put them together they looked quite professional, we also used the slow down effect in the boxing shots. It gives the sequence some variety and also draws the attention to the boxing, we thought this was a good idea as Toby is working towards a boxing match at the end of our video. The shots of Toby working out in the gym look good, and after a few checks we are happy with everything that we have filmed in the gym. We made good use of the mirrors in the end. Using them in a few shots and we have also filmed Toby doing various exercises with other objects in the way and from a variety of different angles. The video is starting to come together.
Our next filming is going to be sometime this week in the music studio we have at school. We tried to book it for a lesson on Wednesday but unfortunately lessons were being taught in there all day. We were going to film last thursday but our main character couldn't make it as he had to work. We are going to hopefully film our main character Toby miming some words of the song to put in the video. We are also hoping to use the performance studio in school and film a scene where the Spotlight is on Toby and he is celebrating his victory in the Fight at the end of the video.
We have not got the facilities to film a boxing match so we have created a poster using Adobe Photoshop. This is promoting the fight, we had some problems at first, as none of us in the group have used the program before. But we have almost completed what we feel is a decent poster to feature in parts of the video. Promoting and showing the lead up to the fight. We needed an opponent for Toby so we tried some of the bigger/scarier teachers in the school. Due to some poor picture taking on both my part and some poor posing from the teachers we had to ask 4 teachers to do it. But we have come to a final decision on who is going to be in the poster.
We used this as a template for our poster, but of course our poster won't be as professional as the ones used for Mayweather fights. But we are going to use the same kind of idea of showing the two fighters, having the title, date and time, sponsors and maybe a slogan.
Day 4
After finally being able to use the recording studio, we had to make do with having a limited amount of time as it is quite busy. Loads of people use the studio at the school and other groups wanted to use the studio during the week. We were quite happy initially with what we had filmed, as we got a lot of different shots of Toby singing. We used our poster that we created on Adobe Photoshop and put it in the background, this has relevance to further through the music video, as it builds up a fight that we are trying to advertise towards the end of the music video. Although we got a lot of shots, as we were rushed to get them and some of them we really were not happy with. So we had to go back and refilm.
