Location Release - Joshua Manley 9645 and Kieran Panchal 9652

Drone Usage Regulation - Kieran Panchal 9652

http://www.quadcopters.co.uk/caa-pfaw-guide-30-w.asp

When we film, we plan to use a Drone in order to shoot aerial images. By doing this, we will ensure to  follow the guidelines provided by the Civil Aviation Authority, as follows.


"In order to make sure UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) and manned aircraft are working in separate airspace, there are a number of limitations placed on UAV use. The rules below are subject to change by the CAA so it is worth noting that its best to check on there official website for upto date rules and regulations.

These are the main ones to keep in mind:
• The maximum altitude is 400 feet (120 metres)
• The maximum distance from the operator is 500 metres
• The minimum visibility needs to be 5 km
• UAV must be flown in line of sight of the operator
• UAVs cannot be flown at night without special permission
• Permission must be obtained from the owner of the take-off point
• UAVs cannot be flown within 50 metres of structures, vehicles or people that are not under the control of the person in charge of the aircraft. The rules are different for different weight classes unless a exemption is obtained.

It is perfectly acceptable to fly close to buildings and actors, for example, as long as permission has been obtained and the actors have been briefed about the use of the UAV. It would be highly irresponsible to fly over or near members of the public who are not aware of the purpose of the flight."

Furthermore, the drone has been registered by the owner and the permission of the actor has been obtained through the signing of the talent release document.

Talent Release Document - Joshua Manley 9645 and Kieran Panchal 9652

The completed Talent Release document above certifies that our talent 'Hayden Miller' agrees to all of the conditions of the shoot and is willing to participate as a talent on both December 21st 2015 and December 23rd 2015.

Site Plan - Joshua Manley 9645 and Kieran Panchal 9652

This site plan was significantly insightful during the planning process of the shoot for many reasons. Firstly, it aided us in the planning of the shot composition, as it allowed us to carefully plan the shots to ensure that we would not include anything in the setting that would sabotage the miss-en-scene. For example, we paid special attention to ensuring that we planned our shot compositions so that the entrance to the car park was not in shot for example. In addition to this, this gave us a further insight into planning the logistics of the filming as it helped contextualise the location of each individual scene. This helped us plan the order in which to shoot each scene, as we often shot in accordance to the proximity to our current location.

Test Shoot 2 - Joshua Manley 9645 and Kieran Panchal

We decided that it would be highly advantageous for us to carry out a second test shoot. Due to the level of direction that our first shoot gave us we felt it would be necessary to do this for a second time to give our shoot an even more specific outcome. The purpose of the second shoot differed significantly from that of the first. Whilst Test Shoot 1 allowed us to get a feel for the acting and performance aspect of the video, including some technical elements such as slow motion practice, we considered it necessary to carry out a shoot at our location. By doing this, not only could we practise the exact shot types that we plan to film, but also experiment with colour grading knowing that it would be transferrable into our final piece, given that the weather conditions are similar.

This test shoot was very successful, and gave us the opportunity to understand where to improve our camerawork and other technical skills. Experimentation at this shoot also gave us additional ideas that can be used on the day of our final shoot. The colour grading process that we used on the shots that we took was particularly insightful and gave us a stronger idea of the schemes we will use.

Set Preperation - Joshua Manley 9645 and Kieran Panchal 9652

On December 15th, we revisited the gravel works in order to collect and gather natural materials to be used in our set and to practise the set build - utilising the props that we had now purchased. In addition to this, we carried out extensive general tidying in order to make the main set look more aesthetically pleasing and cinematic. This day-long visit aided us greatly in visualising our product which was being shot the following week, as it gave us more of a feel for how the set would look on the day of filming. Whilst we were here we also carried out some more test shooting which is shown in the blog post above.

Song Adaptation - Kieran Panchal 9652

Due to the original length of Festival being so long (9:24), we decided that it would be advantageous for us to edit the song slightly in order to decrease its duration. The aim of this was to ensure that the audience remain captivated throughout, and we felt that a shorter version of the song would help us to achieve this as this would ensure that the film did not get repetitive and that all of the content would be more absorbing. In order to do this, we decided to take a 2 minute section away from the down-tempo beginning of the song, as this was the part that we considered to be least significant to the plot when considering the product as a whole.

In order to do this, we used software Logic Pro X, and used the automation feature to seamlessly create fades in the audio. The finished piece is significantly shorter at under 7 minutes, whilst the song remains engaging. The screenshot below shows the automation process that was used within the software.

Facebook Page - Kieran Panchal 9652

We created a Facebook page entitled 'Festival - Music Video Production'. The aim of creating this page was to give us a platform to share our ideas and receive feedback from our target audience. Throughout the production process, the page will be updated to share our progress.

The link to the page is: https://www.facebook.com/festivalmusicvideo

Production Log - Joshua Manley 9645 and Kieran Panchal 9652

30/11/15 - All location scouting carried out, using location scouting sheets to organise the information and data regarding the location.

3/12/15 - Completed two digipak mock up designs, using audience feedback to gauge preference and improvements.
9/12/15 - In this lesson we began to create our storyboard which allowed us to begin to gain a better understanding and visualisation on what and when will include things in our music video. Here we stated he intended time duration of the clip as well as the shot type with any camera movement and what the shot is of.

10/12/15 - Completed a Call sheet, allowing us to have a precise structure on shoot days, ensuring maximum organisation and productivity.

13/12/15 - Carried out test shoots of performance with actor, experimenting with shot types, camera movement and slow motion.

14/12/15 - We then edited the clips together to get an idea of what type of colour grading to use as well as what rate of slow motion looks best. We preferred a blue colour scheme to gain a cold gritty mood and we also found that the slow motion in 50 frames per second looked most effective. We also continued with the development of our storyboard.

14/12/15 - We also adapted the soundtrack of our product due to the fact that the original is 9 minutes long. Here we cut out certain repeated sections in Logic Pro X and applied fades in order to make it seamless.

15/12/15 - Visited the location and primed the location by general tidying and preparation. Carried out a second test shoot where we set up the set with our purchased props. We experimented with depth of field and potential shots which we could use in regards to the actor and also different aspects of the camp.

16/12/15 - Created a site plan in order to aid logistics and practicalities of shooting on the day.

17/12/15 - Our talent Hayden Miller signed our talent release document which agrees to all of the conditions of the shoot and is willing to participate as a talent on all of our planned shoot days.

21/12/15 - Carried out shoot one and completed the first half of the narrative based content

23/12/15 - Carried out shoot two to finish the filming of the narrative content.

2/1/16 - Created a range of poster/advertisements for the production.

8/1/16 - Carried out third shoot to begin to filming of the performance aspect of the video.
9/1/16 - Began working on the first edit, using the Premiere Pro software. This was done after reviewing the footage and making decisions on which shots to include in our edit and which shots were less successful.

12/1/16 - Edited a short 'teaser trailer' highlighting some of the stand out moments from the shooting so far. This was distributed via the Facebook page to create some interest and excitement around our production.

Test Shoot 1 - Kieran Panchal

This shoot gave us the opportunity to test the performance aspect of our music video. By filming our drummer - Hayden play Festival, we could visualise exactly how the performance looked on screen. As well as this, we set out to experiment with the types of emotions that the character would possess, and this practice shoot allowed us to carefully craft this until it was in line with the preferences of the director. The other main outcome of this test shoot was to test the camera's ability to shoot slow motion sequences. During this test shoot, we experimented with shooting at different rates of frames shot per second, and found that 60fps gave us the best outcome for a smooth slow motion shot. When editing the test shots, we tested different speed rates also and found that slowing the footage shot at 60fps to a 50% speed gave us the smoothest result.

Whilst editing this, we also experimented roughly with colour to aid our familiarity with the software, however, we understood that this would not be wholly transferrable into our final piece due to the differences in the setting.

Location Release - Joshua Manley 9645

Location Scouting - Kieran Panchal 9652

Talent Release - Joshua Manley 9645

Risk Assessment - Joshua Manley 9645

Call list - Kieran Panchal 9652

Call List

Day 1

6am - Arrive at Kieran's house to pack equipment
6.30am - Leave heading to Carthagena Fisheries, EN10 6TA
7am - Arrive at Carthagena Fisheries Car Park
7.15am - All equipment transported to main location
7.30am - Call Hayden for make up and costume application/simultaneously set up camera equipment to begin shoot at 8.30am
8.30am - Call Hayden's Dog to complete all of his shooting as soon as possible
10.30am - Call Hayden to begin camp scenes
12pm - Call Hayden to begin camp exterior scenes
2pm - Call Hayden to begin drumming scenes

Day 2

7am - Arrive at Carthagena Fisheries Car Park
7.30am - Call Hayden for make up and costume application/simultaneously set up camera equipment to begin shoot at 8.30am
8.30am - Continue with any shooting not yet carried out the previous day/additional shooting
2pm - Call Hayden to continue drumming scenes.

Plans for shooting - Joshua Manley 9645 and Kieran Panchal 9652

Plans For Shooting

Dates: 21/12/15 & 23/12/15

Logistics

• Josh & Crew arrive at Kieran's house for 6am
• Assemble all equipment/props in car and leave for 6.30am for Carthagena Fishery, EN10 6TA for 7am. Main actor to meet at the location, due to the close proximity of it to his house. This is shorter distance would also be more suitable for the transportation of the actor's dog, who is also appearing in the film. (Key is needed to get through the main gate)
• Car parking is available close to the location to allow for the easy transportation of equipment.
• In the case of an emergency we will use the car park as a checkpoint and will assemble here, before making our way to the public footpath past Carthagena Lock.

Costume, Hair and Make-up Requirements

The make up will be applied and carried out by Josh Manley. The make up equipment required is as follows:

• Watercolour paints (for coloration)
• Liquid Latex (for texture)
• Tissue Paper (for texture)
• Mud (for texture/colour)

All of these materials are accessible/ have already been purchased. We will ensure to bring these on the day of the shoot. We will carry out various make up tests prior to the shoot days. We will also ensure to photograph the actor's face excessively on the first day of the shoot after the make up has been applied. This will allow us to ensure that we match the make up on the day of the second shoot to that of the first shoot, in order to maintain continuity throughout the piece.

In terms of costume, this will be minimal, due to the narrative, context of the piece and the underlying messages that we are trying to present. The actor will simply just be wearing underclothes, all of which are already owned by us. He will ensure that he wears these on the day under his casual clothing to ensure ease and simplicity during the costume change.

Properties

We will be including the following in our music video shoot:

• Smoke Bombs
• Compass
• Tent
• Tree Stump
• Bandages
• Socks
• Rocks
• Wood
• Drum Kit
• Sticks
• Cooking Utensils
• Fake Blood
• Fire
• Animal Skins
• Food Containers
• Cigarettes
• Lighter
• Drums
• Bones/Carcasses

Further items needed: 

• Wheel barrow for transportation
• Food and Water Supplies
• Filming Equipment  - 2 Cameras (Canon70D, Canon 600D) - Lenses (Canon 24-105 USM L Lens, Canon 50mm prime Lens, Canon 35-70mm Zoom Lens, Canon 70-300mm Zoom Lens) - Filters (UV, Hexagonal) - 2x Tripods, 1x Camera Slider, 1x Light Reflector

All of the properties above have been purchased or are available to us on the day of the shoot and we will ensure to arrange them all the day before.

Lighting Requirements

Throughout the entirety of the shoot we will be utilising natural light only, as the entirety of the shoot will be in daylight hours. We have purchased a 80cm diameter gold and silver photographic reflector to allow us to harness and disperse this natural light and use it to our advantage where possible.

Shot Types

In our music video, we plan to use a range of shot types including Extreme Close Ups, Close Ups, Mid Shots, Long Shots, Extreme Long Shots, including a variety of camera movements such as tilts, zooms, pans and slides. We will ensure to practise these extensively prior to the shoot to ensure that our technical skills are as good as possible.

Further Location Scouting - Joshua Manley 9645 and Kieran Panchal

After carrying out extensive initial location scoutings, we decided to change our approach with the search.  After contacting various location hire agencies around London, we found that logistically and financially many of these desirable locations were not viable. In response to this, we decided to alter the parameters of our search for our location, and we concluded that it would be more manageable and logical to search more locally, with the intention to find locations with lower costs. After another group meeting that involved thinking of ideas for locations locally, we carried out a location recce at the following locations.

The Gravel Works, Carthegena Fishery, EN10 2TA
Map Co-ordinates: 51.748811, -0.001140

This location was formerly a sand and gravel works, an area where gravel was extracted when the surrounding gravel-pits (now fishing lakes) were originally dug around the 1950s (the image below shows the area when it was an active gravel extraction works). After receiving the go-ahead to visit the location, we carried out a location recce, which allowed us to extensively scout the area and subsequently gauge how suitable it would be as a setting for our music video.

From doing this, we found that the area had a very run-down, gritty feel to it, and there was a strong sense of abandonment, as it appears that the area has been left untouched since the withdrawal of the gravel extraction machinery many years ago. We felt that this suited the temporal and spacial context of our narrative, as it reinforced the post-apocalyptic theme. In addition to this, the location is logistically workable and as a setting, the abundance of space would give us great versatility and flexibility when making decisions on where to shoot, and with building small sets. This is private land so here, we are guaranteed to remain undisturbed by pedestrians and passers-by. We have successfully secured permission to use this location, free of charge, for as many days as necessary, making this more practical still as it will give us the opportunity to re-shoot/gain further footage if the need to do this should arise.

The images above were carefully crafted in order to provide us with the greatest view of as many aspects of the location possible that were relevant to our plot. We took these photographs as we felt that they would be particularly insightful and assisting in the storyboarding process. The photographs where we are included within the shot are also very useful as they allowed us to get a greater idea of the proportional size of the location.

Epping Forest

Epping Forest is an area of ancient woodland in south-east England, straddling the border between north-east London and Essex. It is a former royal forest, and is managed by the City of London Corporation. It contains areas of woodland, grassland, heath, rivers, bogs and ponds, and most of it is a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

Epping forest provides a lot of potential for our music video. The natural landscape can work very effectively for our product as in the winter it appear much more gritty and bleak which can relate to our narrative being placed in a post apocalyptic world. It has many avenues in which we could explore which could allow us to have a wide range of experimentation in regards to shots. In the winter the leafless tree would work very well in showing a run down deteriorated location. Also we came across many areas of the forest which were suitable to set up the set which would supply a very realistic scene. There were areas where remains of rivers where and also we came across piles of logs which would work very with the layout of our camp style set. However, we are aiming to create a small fire for our music video which would potentially put us and others at risk due to the forest environment. So this is factor we have to contemplate when deciding on a location. Also we discovered that to allow us to film at the location we would have to get a filming licence with City of London which could potentially take away a lot of our budget in which we would prefer to spend on other areas of our production.

Shot List - Joshua Manley 9645 and Kieran Panchal 9652

Main Influences - Joshua Manley 9645

This music video created by Sia and Daniel Askill has inspired our product very much so in relation to costume, makeup and colour grading. We felt that despite the fact that this music video has been created for a different genre of music, the themes and concept can be applied to our own product. Here the makeup and costume are the main influences towards the overall mood of the video. By making the subject look very dirty, un-groomed, gritty and unhygienic the state of the subject can be depicted. Here the intention is to make him to weak and physically as well as mentally ill. This can be related to our product and we can apply the same technique in a similar way. Our character is placed in a post-apocalyptic world so everything will be bleak, dirty and deteriorated. By making our character look filthy through the use of makeup, scruffy beard and hair and dirty costume it will allow us to create and indicate a specific perspective on the character in relation to his deteriorated health and state. This will therefore contribute to the overall bleakness of our product which will be furthered through the colour scheme/grading which we use. We feel that the little contrast and dull greys used in Elastic Heart would also work very effectively with our post-apocalyptic theme. The colours in our product are ver important as they indicate the context and content of the film, We will aim to  make the visuals appear very cold and desaturated whilst experimenting with contrast levels.



The final scene in Whiplash, a 2014 film directed by Damian Chazelle, provided us with great inspiration for our product, despite it being of a different genre to our product. Not only did this influence the decisions that we made in the planning of our narrative, but also those made when planning shot types, mise-en-scene and cinematography. In terms of the plot, we were particularly enticed by the passion and intensity of the music in the piece, and this was something that we were eager to replicate in our own product. In terms of cinematography and editing, we were significantly inspired by the way that short sequences have been created in the most intense parts of the scene using quick-paced editing techniques with cut transitions, increasing the vigour and passion. In particular, Extreme Close Up shots have been utilised to great effect, outlining his facial expressions and the details of the drum kit. We could use this to a similar effect, to show the drummer's passion whilst also showing the worn condition of the drum kit.




The music video for Holocene was another large inspiration for us in terms of the miss-en-scene, and in particular the locations where it was shot. Throughout the piece, there is a continual theme of natural landscapes, which form a very organic and raw aesthetic. We were keen to emulate this in our own product to some extent, however, we plan to modify this convention in order for it to be more fitting with our narrative. Whilst we embrace the idea of using large landscapes in our piece, the picturesque and idyllic feel of them will contrast, as we plan to create a post-apocalyptic and desolate setting rather than an attractive, scenic and vibrant one. The use of long shots and extreme long shots which allow us to contextualise the physical size of the location in proportion to the subject are also an effective element of this piece, which will transfer well into our own product.

Production schedule - Kieran Panchal 9652

Storyboards - Joshua Manley 9645