Editing Blog for Music Video

I filmed all of my footage on my phone. I did this because I liked how easy it was and the quality of the video better than the camera. It was also a lot easier to dump my footage because my computer and phone are synced. I created a folder on my desktop named "Music Video - BTR". I then went into my photos app and moved the videos to the folder. I opened iMovie and dumped my footage. I moved my raw footage into the editing bar and watched it all together to see what to cut. Because of my filming style, my editing process was very simple. I cut up the two separate videos by verses and chorus. By the end of this, I had about 8 or 9 clips. However, there were duplicates so I had to decide which clips I would put in the final video.

I decided that the clip we filmed outside was much better than the one inside. So, I used more of the outside footage in my final video. I added no transitions in the video. I did this because when I watched the other Big Time Rush videos, they did not have any fancy transitions, just cuts. I added a fade in at the beginning to make it more dramatic. I also put the intro music during the fade to make it sound nicer. I am considering a fade out at the end so it can reflect the introduction. I really like how the transitions flow with the video. Because the video is due in 4 days, I can still touch up my video. However, I think for now it is very nice.

Adding the music to the background was also really easy. I had to go on YouTube to find the song. I then had to find an mp3 converter and paste the link into the site. The song downloaded to my computer as an mp3 and I uploaded it to my GarageBand app on my computer. I cut and changed the song so it could fit the timing and lip-syncing in my footage. I then downloaded the music again and imported it to my music video. I detached the audio from the footage and deleted it. I moved the song audio around until I got it to be perfectly in sync with the footage and then watched the video to make sure there were no mess ups. I had to trim a lot of clips for them to blend together between verses and chorus. In the end my video was about 1:14, which is right on time.

Filming Blog for Music Video: Actual Filming

Because I was on vacation for a week, we could not film our music video over the break. We had to wait until the day I got back and filmed all day yesterday. Some issues did come up with trying to get together. There was a lot of traffic, causing some of the actors to be almost 2 hours late. However, we made up for lost time by being efficient. My idea for filming was to film the same clip three times in three locations. However, this did not work because we got rid of the car scene. I wanted to have the actors coming out of the windows and singing. I decided against this because of safety concerns and not wanting to promote unsafe driving habits. So, we ended up filming in two locations: inside and outside.

I dressed the boys in a specific wardrobe as well. I wanted them to have a certain mid-2000s, grungy vibe. I made them wear jeans and v-neck t-shirts. We decided that for the two scenes, wearing shoes would be unnatural, so they wore socks. As for props, we were unable to get any. We wanted to use some pool toys, floats, and water shooters, but could not find the time to get them. We also planned on having a stage scene. This was transformed into the indoors scene where the boys are on the couch. I decided to do this because it would make the video more my own. One really good thing is that despite the setbacks, we are right on schedule.

We began inside, having the boys act natural and laidback. This gave the video an organic feeling, making it more realistic. The boys sat on the couch for the first two verses, and then began jumping around during the chorus. We had to film this a couple times to get the timing and lyrics right, but they learned very fast. We then moved outside. For this, I decided to make the boys start on opposite sides of the pool and cross over into different positions. I did not want to do choreography because I did not know to what extent they could dance. I really enjoyed filming this video because it seemed like the boys were having fun and enjoying themselves. This makes the video so much better because it does not look fabricated. Our filming process during this time was very simple and stress-free. I am very excited to edit and see how the final video turns out.

Filming Blog for Music Video: What Went Wrong?

Unfortunately, we could not film this past week. This is an issue seeing as how our music video is due December 6. I have been out of town since November 22 and will be gone until December 1. This means that we will have to complete all of our filming on that day and possibly after school. I cannot even have my partner film because he is part of the music video and needs me to film. We also do not have our location and actors secured. We have to make sure that everyone is free to film on December  1. We also have to work on securing locations. This may be an issue depending on how many opportunities we have to film. We might have to use only one or two of the locations. This all depends on when the locations are available. Once we get these aspects secured, we can move forward. The next step is to teach the boys the song. In the time that we cannot film, this is when the boys will learn the lyrics to the song. Our music video can only be around 1 minute long, so it should not be hard. Overall, the issue with filming is easily solved.

Our plan right now for filming next week is to get it all done in one day. After writing my storyboard,  I realized that it would be difficult to obtain the stage location. Because of this, we may have to get rid of that part. We still have the car and pool scenes. An issue that may arise with the car idea is safety. We want to make sure that we are promoting safety, meaning that we cannot be driving around recklessly. We may want to just cut down our video to the pool. We can also add an interior shot of a house with the actors hanging out. I hope that by Friday we can have a sure plan. This means secure actors and locations. Considering we only have 5 days to edit, we have to move fast. This means that we have to film in 2 days at most. This leaves us with 3 days to edit and make our video perfect. I am a little worried that we will not have enough time. However, the faster we film, the faster we will finish.

Storyboard Blog for Music Video

Planning Blog for Music Video

Location: The locations we include should promote a fun, safe atmosphere. We are going to be filming an upbeat video and these locations should reflect that. We are going to be filming in 3 different locations. The first will be at a pool/outdoor party. The second will be at a stage if we can get access to one outside of school. This may not be possible. The third location will be in a car/golf cart.

Health and safety: For health reasons, we will make sure that if we have any food or drink in the video, none of the actors are allergic. We will also not promote the use of any substances such as drugs or alcohol. For safety, we will make sure that no one is acting wild around the pool to ensure no one slips or drowns. We will also make sure everyone has permission from their parents to be filmed. It is imperative that everyone wears seatbelts during the scene with the car. We do not want to promote reckless driving or texting while driving.

Props: Our props will consist of many items that align with our locations. Our first location (pool) will have pool toys, floats, water guns, pool chairs, and of course a pool. Our second location (stage) will need speakers, a stage, microphones, chais, lights, and an audience. Our third location (car) will require the car and anything else we can think of at the time. We will also need some makeup for the actors. Since they are boys, they do not need much, just concealer and powder.

Costumes: The typical costumes for a music video like this is going to be early 2000s, preppy, boy clothing. This includes black skinny jeans and a button up or v neck shirt. On top of this is usually a vest, blazer, or leather jacket. Usually they wore black sneakers. Extras can include a matching tie, skinny black belts, and beanies/snapback hats.

Schedule: Our first deadline is November 14 where we have to blog our song choice, genre conventions, and research of our song. Our second blog is due November 20 where we have to talk about our planning for the music video. This includes location list, props, and costumes. Also due is our storyboard. Our third deadline is November 25 where we talk about our filming process. We also have another filming blog due December 2. Our finished music video is due December 6. Our final deadline is December 11, where we turn in our CCR questions.

Research for New Project - Music Video for Til I Forget About You (BTR)

In our last project, the commercial, we used common conventions. These included the typical style for a food and drink commercial. We also researched typical camera angles and movements for a commercial like Dunkin' Donuts. We did not focus on how our product engages with audiences and how we represent groups and issues. For this project, I want to target these aspects more. These are important in making a commercial attractive to viewers considering that the more representation we have, the more people are engaged. Now that my production skills and knowledge of technology have improved, this music video will be more professional-looking than the commercial. The editing process of the commercial helped me get better at working certain editing and production applications. 

The song that I will be doing is Til I Forget About You by the band Big Time Rush. Originally, Big Time Rush was a TV show on Nickelodeon running from 2009 to 2013. The theme song was adapted into a full length song which then appeared on their debut album titled "BTR", which was released in 2010. The band went on to produce two more albums in 2011 and 2013. The song Til I Forget About You is considered a staple in American childhoods for our generation. This song came out when we were all around 7-10 years old, the perfect time for the accompanying show to come out. 

The genre for Til I Forget About You is pop and the band is a typical boy band. The typical costumes for a music video like this is going to be early 2000s, preppy, boy clothing. This includes black skinny jeans, button up or v neck shirts paired with a vest or blazer/leather jacket, a matching tie, and black sneakers. Extras can include skinny belts and beanies or snapback hats. Typical lighting for this video would be bright, white lights and natural lighting. The acting in a music video has to match the mood and setting portrayed. If a song is sad, the actors cannot be happy and vice versa. For this video, the acting has to be very upbeat and happy. The makeup has to be very minimal, considering they are all boys that do not regularly wear heavy makeup. However, in order to make it perfect, the actors mays have to wear some foundation to cover any blemishes and powder to avoid appearing shiny. The props would include microphones for a performing scene, pool toys for an outdoor scene, and a car for a driving scene. The props and setting should reflect an easygoing, fun attitude. The setting will be different for a few scenes. One will be at a pool/outdoor party, another at a "performance," and another in the car. The editing will include a lot of cutaways. My idea is to show the boys at different places (the ones previously stated) while singing the song. I want the transitions to be sharp, meaning very little fade or dissolve effects. There will be quite a few low angle, high angle, and eye level shots depending on the location. A typical camera movement includes a pan, tracking shot, and zoom. I plan on filming with a phone camera as I liked the way those clips turned out in my commercial project. For sound, I'm going to remove all of the sound from filming and add the music from the song. The boys will be lip-syncing. 

Editing Blog Continued for Commercial

A few classes ago, I was able to move all of our film to a drive and dump it onto my computer. I imported all the clips into iMovie. However, I was not able to begin the editing process. The school computers were not working and that made the transfer difficult. Last class, I made the decision to edit solely on my own personal computer. This is better for me because I can work on my own time and not have to worry about other people accidentally deleting my footage. I opened iMovie and watched our raw footage. Our raw footage was way over 30 seconds, about 1.5 minutes. This was not good. I managed to cut down to about 35 seconds during the first run through, and 23 seconds during the second.

Today, I went over the footage and decided on transitions and sounds. I began by putting a fade from black transition before the fist shot. The second scene is supposed to be a jumpsuit, so I did not put any transitions in between, letting it cut sharply. I then added a cross dissolve transition after handing Leo the cup to move smoothly into the next scene where he is writing. To move into the second part of our commercial, the one including me, I added another fade from black transition. I am using the fade transitions to show different places, characters, and times. Throughout my half, I did not use transitions. I may choose to add some later on, but I like how it looks when it cuts sharply. The last clip we have is an insert of the Dunkin Donuts logo. I used one last fade transition, this time a fade from white, and made sure the logo was on screen for enough time. 

Lastly, I added sound. I separated the sound that came with the footage and I deleted it. This left us with silent footage. I added a "school/university" sound for the during of the first half of the commercial where Leo is doing his homework before school, about 11.6 seconds. I then also added a "school bell ringing" sound for 2.4 seconds starting at the transition into the third scene, and ending a couple seconds into the next scene. For the beginning of the second half I added a footsteps sound but slowed it down to show I was running at a slow pace, this was 5.1 seconds. I then added a "heartbeat" sound for 3.6 seconds while catching my breath in scene 5. I added a clap sound when I caught the donut Leo threw me to emphasize the catch. For the scene scene we filmed, I added the same footsteps sound, but sped it up to show the effect of the donut. Lastly, I added a voiceover for the logo insert saying "America Runs on Dunkin'." 

Editing Blog for Commercial

For our commercial, we filmed on two different cameras. We started filming with the camera provided by school. However, this camera died shortly after filming the first half of our commercial. Now our commercial has two different qualities: the phone and the camera. In hindsight, I wish we would have filmed it all on the phone because I like the way it looks on the phone better. This also resulted in half of our commercial being filmed with a handheld movement, meaning it was slightly shaky. I figured we would fix this in the editing process. However, when we arrived to school today we were informed that none of the class computers were working. This has also happened previously with these computers. I was worried that I would not be able to get the files off of the computer to put them on my flash drive, but luckily it worked.

Not being able to edit is a big issue. Due to other extraneous issues, we have already had to move our dates further and are behind the original schedule. I want to make sure we finish our project on time, but because of the computers not working, we have many difficulties. Also, my group member is out sick today, so I had to make sure all the work was completed for the both of us. I hope that next class we can get a lot of work done to compensate for all these issues. Our filming process was really easy, meaning we only have a few shots to put into editing. This will make our lives much easier when we continue editing on Wednesday. Today I was able to go back to our storyboard and go over the editing I wrote on the paper. I changed some things based on what we filmed. However, the basis of the commercial stayed the same. 

Lucky for us, I brought my computer from home to school today. I was able to dump our film from the computer to the flash drive and onto my computer. On my computer I have iMovie. I was unable to begin editing because of how long it took to log onto the school computer and transfer the film. At least now the footage is on a secure flash drive and desktop. Now that I have the film in a reliable place, I can feel more comfortable with the state of our commercial. The complications of the day really stressed me out about the project. Hopefully we can get our commercial to the best it can be in time for the due dates. Editing the commercial should be really easy. Based on what we have, I am really excited to see how our commercial is going to turn out. 

Filming Blog for Commercial

Filming our commercial was a long process. We first had to go through the process of checking out the cameras, SD cards, and tripods. Then, we had to make sure we brought all of our materials with us so we would not have to go back after every scene. The materials we brought with us were a coffee cup, donuts, the camera equipment, and our schoolwork. We decided that we were going to film on the track and the senior patio. We did not create a script because we wanted to tell a story without words. However, we did go over the actions before filming each scene. It was a little difficult to figure out how to set up the camera and film, but we managed to figure it out. Also, our camera died mid-filming, so we had to film the rest with our phones. This made dumping more difficult because we had to get our scenes from two different places.

For our first half of the commercial, we filmed on the senior patio. The idea of this was to have our actor do his homework. The issue presented in the commercial would be that he could not complete his homework because of how tired he was. We expressed this by having his hand slip as he fell asleep and he would stop writing when he did this. In the next scene, we placed the box of donuts strategically next to him and from off camera I handed him a coffee cup. He took the cup and drank from it. Then, he acted energized enough to finish his homework. An issue that we had while filming this was the wind. The papers and the cup kept blowing away so we had to weight them down. Overall, the scene only took about 5 minutes to film and we had to film each scene 3 times at most. This was the scene we filmed second, when our camera died, and we filmed it on the phone.

For our second half, we filmed on the track. I changed into my "running clothes" and we set up the tripod on the field across from the track. This part of the commercial was about a runner needing energy. My job was to run sluggishly past the camera to show I was tired. Then from out of frame, my partner threw me a donut. I caught and ate the donut. Then I was told to run past the camera again but fast this time. The only issue with this part was trying to get the camera to pan. We tried to loosen the handle on the tripod but it did not do too much to help. This one took us about 5 reshoots per scene.

Storyboard Blog for Commercial

Angles & shots:  We're going to use and establishing shot into scene which shows where the shot will be. Then a medium close up to to show the chest up and point out the action of the subject. We will then move into an eye level angle which is straight on to point out the subjects mood. We then will use a low angle to make the actions of the subject pop. We will then use a long shot which will shoot the subject head to toe. We will also be using a high angle to view the actor in the 5th scene as she runs.

Movements: Our first movement will be a zoom towards the subject. We are using a zoom because it is a good way of going from a wider shot to a more detailed shot, conveying more of the story. We are also going to be using a pan shot in the 5th scene. We are doing this so that we can follow the actor without using a tracking shot. 

Editing: We will be using 5 different transitions. The first transition is a fade in to the first scene. Then in the second scene, we will be using a cutaway to view the coffee, cutting back to the actor after. We will also be using a jump-cut to go from scene 2 to 3, showing the time passed between the first sip of coffee to when the actor finishes it and is able to complete his homework faster. We will then use a fade in again to show a different storyline. To go from scene 4 to 5 we will use a zoom to go from the establishing shot of the track to a medium shot of the actor running. Lastly, we will use a dissolve to go into the logo screen, using an insert. We will also be adding a voiceover to say the catchphrase. 

Editing Lesson Blog for Commercial

Today we learned how to set up the cameras. We watched them being carefully taken out of the bags and and learned how to attach them to the tripods. We also found out that we have the ability to film our commercial with our phones. 

We were also shown the procedure for checking out and checking back in the camera. We were instructed to fill in the agreement form. The agreement form is a paper that indicates the individual will be using the video camera and allows the person to know that they are liable to whatever happens to the camera as long as they use it.

Lastly, we learned how to use the editing program. First you look for Pinnacle Studios on the computer. You open a new folder and title it "com" for commercial. We must make sure we use the same computer every time. Look for DCIM. Highlight the videos you want and drag them to the folder. This is called "dumping". Open Pinnacle Studios. Then we import the videos and make sure to let everything load. Click on "desktop" and go to the folder and import ALL videos available. Go to edit. We also learned that anything that is filmed and untouched is called raw footage. Drag down clip and put it in AV track. To detach audio you have to right click then press "detach audio". To save your video you press save, then save as, then title, then you move it to the folder. You only export your project when you're completely done and you want to save it as a MPEG4/MP4. Name the file "Dunkin Donuts". If you want to add sounds or music you have to download them as MP3s. 

Planning Blog for Dunkin' Donuts Commercial

Listed is our planning for our commercial. This includes props, costumes, the schedule, a location list, and our back-up plan.

1. Props: What items we will need 

• From Dunkin Donuts: Food - donuts, sandwiches. Drinks - coffee cups, coffee, other drinks offered. Miscellaneous - Boxes, napkins, bags. 
• From us: Tables, chairs, school supplies, backpacks. 

     2. Costumes: What we are wearing 

• Normal school clothes - t-shirt, jeans, sandals, school ID
• Running/exercise clothes - tank top, athletic shorts, sneakers, hair up - ponytail, headband

    3. Schedule: What we are doing each day

• October 7: Research codes and conventions for our commercial type - look at past commercials and find patterns, typical food and drink props and locations. 
• October 10: Plan our commercial - figure out logistics and contingencies, schedule actors and secure locations. 
• October 14: Storyboard our commercial - figure out scenes and scripting, draw out scenes 
• October 21: Filming commercial - Go to locations and film commercial
• October 23: Editing commercial - Edit commercial and perfect scenes, transitions, etc

     4. Location list: Where we are filming

• Senior patio
• Track 

     5. Back-up plan: What if it's raining, closed off, actor out sick etc

• Location issues: If it is raining we will move from the senior patio to an empty classroom. We will also have to move from the track to the gym. 
• Actor issues: If an actor is unable to come at the last second, we can double actors or find someone who will volunteer to replace the original actor. 

Research Blog: Commercial Conventions

For our commercial, Leo and I have decided to promote Dunkin' Donuts. We thought that this would be a good topic because we both like their products and their locations will be very generous with giving us props. We want our commercial to properly reflect the products and the services related to the company. In order to do this, we have to find trends and patterns that show up in food and drink commercials. This could be tricks to make the products appear better, how people use advertising to appeal to the public, etc. We watched many commercials from Dunkin' Donuts themselves as well as others like Starbucks or Dutch Bros. This gave us a general understanding of how to structure the commercial, what to show, and what to say.

Common camera angles used for foods are 45 degree angles which show the most desirable side of the food. Another common angle used to demonstrate an appealing look of food is an overhead shot which is taken directly above the food. Straight on shots are commonly used for burgers because they make the food look more heroic and have a bigger impact on viewers. All of these angles allow the viewers to remain engaged with the food and give them the desire to go out and buy it, which is the ultimate goal of food commercials. Common lighting in food commercials are natural sunlight which gives the subject a more natural glow and produce dull shadows. Food commercials also use focused light sources to create sharper shadows and with this light, they can direct it with mirrors and reflectors. Lighting and angles are very critical components in filming a commercial. 

Something else we noticed is that commercials for food and drink don't necessarily use actual food and drink, or they use a modified version of them. For example, spray deodorant is used on fruits and vegetables in order to make them shinier and more appealing to the viewers. The same goes for using engine oil on pancakes to avoid soaking, as well as shoe polish to perfectly color burgers and meats. Most of the products that we see on television are modified in certain ways to appeal to the viewer and, in this case, make them hungry enough to buy the product. 

Artificial steam used to make meal look hot 

Antacids used to imitate carbon dioxide bubbles, making soda look fresher

Plastic ice cubes used so real ice doesn't melt 

Pictures taken from: https://brightside.me/wonder-curiosities/15-incredible-tricks-advertisers-use-to-make-food-look-delicious-296860/

Introduction

My name is Maya. I am 16 years old and live in South Florida. I am in 11th grade at Fort Lauderdale High School. I really like my school. I moved to Fort Lauderdale High as a 10th grader from a Jewish day school in Cooper City. I'm really happy I moved to FLHS because I got to meet lifelong friends and make a lot of memories. I also really like my classes this year. My favorites are Sociology, Theater, English, and Spanish. I really like Sociology and English because they are the classes I am genuinely interested in and good at. I also really like my teachers this year. I'm really excited because this is my junior year. Soon I'll be taking the SAT and ACT and applying to colleges and ready to move out.

I enjoy cooking a lot. I come from many different backgrounds: Greek, Moroccan, Israeli, Irish, English, and American. Because of all the different backgrounds, I was able to learn how to cook within many cultures. This allowed me to expand my horizons and realize that I love food. My dad is from Israel, so he was able to bring Israeli culture into our house. This could be through tradition, food, religion, and more. My family is really important to me. I have two younger brothers: Aitan and Etai. One of them is in 10th grade and the other is in 1st grade. Lucky for me, my family lives close together, so we always get to see each other and hang out.

Something really interesting about me is I love music. I play multiple instruments like ukulele, guitar, and piano. Ever since I was young, I've always loved performing. I was the lead in all my school plays from kindergarten to 9th grade. I taught myself how to play all the instruments I know now. Signing has always been a passion of mine, even if it is not what I want to do career-wise. For a career I want to create and development my own skincare and makeup line. This would mean a lot of schooling in order to become a dermatologist, but it's a small price to pay.