Q2 - Prelim Evaluation: What have you learnt from participating in each of the prelim tasks?

During this prelim we undertook 5 tasks to help us learn and gain skills that we will put to use when making our own music videos.

Task 1: Audition Video

For this task we were required to shoot and edit a performance video of us lip syncing to 'Girls' by The 1975. These were used as our audition videos for roles in the video remake of the song. This is the video I made with Alice:

Performing:

We were required to perform to camera using direct address. This was a fairly new experience as I had performed to camera before but never lip-synced. We used the lip syncing techniques we had been taught such as: actually singing, figuring out how each line is performed and thinking about the sound the singer is making makes the lip sync look more realistic. I also learnt how to study a character, such as the models in the 'Girls' music video, and apply that to myself. For example Tate Ashley (pictured below) lip syncs with a lot of attitude but is soft at the same time.

Tate Ashley

Editing:

Editing the audition video was the first time I had edited by laying a performance bed. Which is where you place each full take onto the timeline and cut between them. This process also taught me how to be selective with which takes I wanted to use. However, I found having all the footage on the timeline was cluttered and it was harder to keep track of takes. I amended this in the final edit by only cutting takes from each scene then deciding between those. I also learnt how to sync up the lip syncing with the track by using the audio from the original and listening to see if they were in sync.

Screenshot of our performance bed

Task 2: Learn and practice your performance

Following our audition videos we attended a performance evening where, led by our performance director and performance coach, we did warm-ups and exercises designed to help us with performance. For example, we were put into pairs and told to recite the lyrics of 'Girls' to each other in order to practice direct eye contact and pronunciation.

Our performance director with Vivien and Abi

Once we had been cast we attended performance rehearsals to help us develop our character. During these rehearsals we did things to help our performances such as playing in different styles. Our characters were models pretending to be a band so we played as the extremes of these character. Firstly we played as a girl band playing a Glastonbury, so we had to be natural and lively, then as supermodels so we had to be confident and posey as if we were in front of a stills camera.

The band during rehearsals

These sessions taught us to be aware of our bodies and our movements as everything is picked up on camera and that eye contact and where you're looking can add depth to a character (as in the video below).

In this clip Raina Hein goes from direct address to looking down away from the camera, connoting her as a confident model

Task 3:  Help to plan and organise your costume

I had to find a black outfit that was similar to Ponytail Guitar Girl's but was more suited to a girl in a rock band. We had costume meetings where we worked with the staff to find the right outfit for our characters. I learned how much time and planning goes into creating a visual style for a character.

Original Outfit

My outfit

Task 4: The Shoot

We shot our remake in the Seward Studio over 12 hours. It was meant to be as close to a professional shoot as we could get so we could see how music videos are made in a studio.

Because I was a performer I learnt what the shoot day is like from an actor's perspective. A lot of waiting around is involved but you need to be paying attention as to when you'll be needed.

Because I was wrapped at 11am I spent the rest of the day helping the crew. I learnt that to be a clapper you need to be constantly focused on what's going on as you need to keep track of takes and scenes.

The main thing that we all learnt was how important sticking to the schedule was, as going over on one scene has a knock on effect on every other scene that day.

Our Camera Op and Director

Our 1st AD and producer keeping us to schedule

Task 5: The Edit

For the edit we were split into pairs and each edited our own version of the 'Girls' remake. It took us about a week to watch, edit and grade all of our footage.

As in Task 1 we had to sync up the lip syncing, but we also had to sync up our actor's actions to those of the models and band members in the girls video. For example, for when Matt Healy rubs his eye we had to find the shot of Kayvon and make the actions happen as simultaneously as possible.

I also learnt how to grade footage shot in a studio using ProcAmp and Three-Way Colour corrector. For example, the shot of Georgie was slightly underexposed so I turned the contrast up and the saturation up to produce a more pleasing image.

Before

After