Music Video Editing Blog

After finally being able to film our music video, we needed to edit. At first, we didn't know which editing program we were gonna use. My group and I discussed about how we would edit the video and what effects to use in our video. After discussing and coming to our conclusions, we decided to use Pinnacle Studio to put the video together. First, we got the computer in class. We then signed into Freya's user and dumped all of the clips onto the computer. After dumping the clips, we uploaded the videos to Joaquina's Google Drive just in case. We then opened up Pinnacle studio, which took a while to open because the computer was slow and running low on battery.

 Finally, Pinnacle studio opened up, and we started to edit. However, Pinnacle was not working correctly. Pinnacle Studio was laggy and taking too long to import the videos, therefore we decided to use iMovie on Freya's phone. We put the computer back and grabbed Freya's phone. All of the clips were already filmed on Freya's cell phone, so we didn't have to transfer anything. My group and I each took turns putting the video together on iMovie and used a various amount of effects and transitions. We used different types of Mis en Scene, added our music, inserts, and colors. We added a grainy vhs aesthetic to fit the vibe. This was Freya's idea. The effect made the music video look like an old music video. We discussed while we edited the video and gave each other ideas.

Joaquina came up with the best ideas while editing the music video. She helped pick the best transitions. I thought it was best to not use too many transitions and keep it simple. Editing with iMovie was definitely the better choice. It was easier and quicker than Pinnacle Studios. The app launched right away, and it was simple and fun to use. It took us a while to finish editing the video since we had so many ideas. At first, our video was too long and reached up to two minutes. Therefore we had to trim it down and make it requirement. Overall, editing was the most exciting part of the project since we got to execute all of our ideas and see what we created. We were definitely excited to see our final product.

Second Music Video Filming Blog

On Friday, we started filming. We went over to Freya’s apartment after school. Almost everything went like we planned. We already had a few spots planned out to film in. We called ahead of time to ask if we had permission to film. Without permission, we could’ve gotten kicked out. That would’ve led to us having to pick other locations and waste time. We started off by filming in a local cafe. We liked the setting and thought it would fit well with the song. We changed the song to Get Lucky by Daft Punk. We changed it because we wanted a more exiting song with a lighter meaning. This song is pretty much about just having fun and getting lucky with your friends.

        Another setting we used for our commercial is Freya’s neighbourhood. She lives in a very family friendly area. We got some nice shots of the water and playing in a park. We just want the video to give off a free feeling. We want the audience to understand what it’s like to simply let go and have fun, like the actors in the video. We also planned on filming inside of Freya’s room. We got some good shots of us watching a movie and jumping on the bed. Again, that gives off the feeling of teenage freedom and excitement.

        The only issue we came across was that it started raining at around 5 and we had to stop filming. We finished filming on Monday because it was a good day for us to meet again. We visited all the places and even got some good shots at an art show. It was an exciting environment and we were able to get some shots with different lighting. We already have a few ideas as how to edit the scenes. Our friend, Matti, was able to come and be in the video with us. Josh mostly recorded, because he didn’t want to be in the video. We have to start editing today and will hopefully be done by this week. We are hoping to add a grainy, old fashioned filter on it. We will all help with the process.

Filming Blog #1

After all the planning and the storyboarding, we had to plan. We had to plan when we were going to film. Not only that, but also how and the details. We hope to have everything ready by this week. Most groups have already filmed or are filming this week. Because it is thanksgiving break, though, some of us are going away. Because we won’t be home, we won’t be able to film and have to move the date. Since Joe left, it has been easier to coordinate meeting times. Despite that, we still all love in different cities. That makes it difficult to find rides to locations.
        For filming, as mentioned before, we have already picked out location. We are going to so someplace that is convenient for everyone. We chose to utilize fresas apartment. Because it is close to the school and an avenue with many stores, it will be good. Especially for what we have planned, we won’t have to travel very far. For example, in the first few scenes, the actors are located in a kitchen, then a bedroom. Of course, an apartment is ideal for that situation because it’s a realistic living environment for a young couple. It is also small enough to be able to do tracking shots without taking up too much time. That way, we can fit in more plot into the music video.
        Another example of why we are using Freya’s apartment is the next scene after that. It is going to take place at an ice cream shop, with the couple talking. There is an ice cream shop within walking distance that we can film at if we get permission. From there, we will walk to Freya’s neighborhood again and film a scene where they are having a serious conversation on a park bench. That will add to the dramatization of the scene. We will also have Freya’s dog in the scene, as shown in the storyboard. With that, we are hoping it can represent how close the couple actually was. After we finish filming, we will move on to editing. Josh is going to be the main one guiding us and we will be helping him along the way. We are hoping to start this process next Monday.

Story Board Blog Music Video

In the first scene the couple is in the kitchen arguing. In the second scene, the girl is crying while the man is comforting her. In the third scene, it jump cuts to the couple talking on the floor (wide shot). In the fourth scene it jump cuts to the couple eating ice cream and having a good time. In the fifth scene it jump cuts to the couple in a park having a good time with their dog. There will be a pan in this clip to show the setting. In the sixth scene, they get into an argument again. In the seventh scene the boy gets into a car accident. The eighth scene shows him dead. In the ninth scene, the girl finds out about the news. The tenth scene will be the girl crying as she runs back home and the eleventh scene will show her sitting at her window as she continues to cry. Lastly, the twelfth scene will be the girl singing on her bed. 

As for editing, my group and I will use Pinnacle Studio like in the previous project. I will edit the video with the help of Joaquina and Freya. We will use the five stages of film making to be able to put this music video together. Development, pre-production, production, post production and distribution. We will use cross cutting,split screens, cut aways, and inserts. We will also use fade in and fade outs. We will also use jump cuts throughout the entire music video. Editing the music video will definitely be the most challenging part of this project.

As for the music, my group and I discssed which song we should use. We looked for songs on spotify. At first Jeo was in our group and he told us we should use Lost Ones by J. Cole, so that was the plan. The song was about an unmarried young couple that found out a baby was on the way. Jeo then decided to work by himself because it was more efficient for him. We then decided to choose a different song. We went back on spotify and discussed what song was appropriate and had a good meaning. After discussing for a little we came to the conclusion that we wanted to stick with a love song. Therefore we searched for love songs by different artists. We ended up choosing a love song by Lana Del Rey. 

Planning Blog Music Video

For this music video, we started off with a group of four people. It was originally Freya, Josh, Jeo, and me. Jeo texted our group chat and told us that he was not able to work in our group anymore. We asked him why and he apologized and explained to us. He said he had other responsibilities, like being captain of the wrestling team and working at a restaurant. He decided it would be better if he worked by himself because he didn’t want to let us down. We said it was fine and started planning on how to work it without him. Freya and Josh would be the actors and I would direct. I would tell them where to stand and how to act based on the storyboard.
        Location wise, we struggled at first because the three of us live in different cities. Because none of us have cars, transportation is a factor that we have to consider. We decided that we would film in Freya’s apartment. It is close to the school and we can finish in time to catch the activity bus at 5:00pm. We are so grateful that her mom will let us film there and get our work done. We will utilize not even only her apartment, but also her Neighbourhood.
        When Jeo left our group, we decided to change the song since it was originally his idea. We wanted to to something with a melancholy feel to it. We immediately thought of the singer Lana Del Rey. She writes sad lyrics that would be good for storytelling. We chose a song called Dark Paradise because it tells of a love story that ends in tragedy. The male interest in the song dies and she greaves over him. We thought that would be a good thing for the actors to act out.
        Overall, we very excited to start filming. It is a good chance for Freya and Josh to practice acting and for me to get more work with the camera. It will also be a good way for me focus on lighting and angles, which is something we didn’t vary on for the commercial.

Editing the commercial

Last class we finished filming our commercial. We filmed all of our shots after switching cameras over three times due to the battery that kept on dying. We then dumped the scenes onto the computer. We used Amina's login information. Amina and Charli were not here today. I was left with one person to do the editing. When I walked in the class I signed into the computer. I used the same computer that we used to dump our clips. I also signed in with Amina's information to access the videos again. Pinnacle Studios is down today, therefore we cannot edit.

 However, my partner and I started thinking about ideas. We thought about different ideas that we can use to edit. we thought of different songs, openings, transitions, and special effects. We even thought and searched different motifs or ambient sounds to include in the commercial. As for editing we will use non-diegetic sounds, inserts, fade in and outs, and possibly cross cutting.  My partner and I discussed different effects to add into the commercial. I looked up music. I then opened Google. After I opened up google i signed into my gmail. I then opened google drive. 

After opening google drive, I searched for the folder with all of our files. The folder was on the desktop where we left it, named "MEDIA CLIPS". The computer was a little slow so it took me a little while to do what I needed to do. After my google drive loaded up and I had the folder with all of our files, I dragged the folder called "MEDIA CLIPS" with all of our scenes into my google drive. The computer slowly loaded my folder into my drive. Finally, all of the shots loaded into my drive. I still went back into the folder on my drive to check. I made sure that all of the videos were there. I opened each video one by one so I knew it was all there. Lastly, I signed out of my google account and continued to search for editing ideas. When the editing day comes, I will be ready to go.

Storyboard Blog

We will use longshot angle in the first scene and it will turn into a over the shoulder shot as she picks up item off the ground. In the second scene there will be a tilt shot of Amina getting up to see the killer as she screams. In the third shot, there will be a two shot showing the killer and Amina. Then there will be a pan. In the fourth shot the screen will back out and she will wake up from the ground. This scene will have an oblique angle and then a POV angle. The fifth shot will include a pan as she begins to party and it shows all of the people at the party. Lastly, the sixth shot will include another pan in which Amina sees the killer again in the middle of the party. As for editing, there will be jump cuts, fade in and fade outs and different types of transitions. We will do all these effects in Pinnacle Studio.

Editing Blog

Today we learned many things such as how to dump our clips into the computer, film while using a tripod and how to edit our commercial. Ms. Katz first showed us the camera that we will use in order to film our commercial. She then went over the procedures that we need to follow for filming and bringing the camera and sd card back to class. Ms. Katz then put the camera on a tripod. She went over different angles that you can do with the tripod such as tilts and pans. Whenever we need to move the tripod however, we must close it back even if it's just a few feet. She then told us that we can also get attachments for our iPhones that allow us to connect it to the tripod if we want to use our phones. If we want to record with our phones then we must do the same dump process. Ms katz showed us how to dump right after the showed us the camera. The dumping process is the most important.

Dumping is a super important process. For dumping, you must put your sd camera in the computer and make a new folder on your desktop. After you make a new folder and name it, you can start grabbing your clips. Your clips will will be under the DCMI folder. After you open the DCMI folder the you have to find the date. Once I find the date, I open the ACVHD folder and grab my clips and drag into my folder that made. Ms. Katz told us to make sure that our clips were successfully put in our folder because someone can delete your footage. If i'm working with a group then someone must give their login for their computer. Everytime we go on our computer we must go on the same person's login. If not, we won't be able to access the footage.

Lastly, we learned about editing. First we need to open Pinnacle Studios which will be on the desktop of the computer. It might be Pinnacle 17, 18, or 19 but it does not matter because they all have what is required to edit. After you open pinnacle studio, you have to wait before you start clicking stuff. If you don't wait until it's fully loaded, it will crash. After pinnacle has loaded, you will load your footage in AVI 2. In Avi 1, text will be placed, and in AVI 3, will be the sound. Ms. Katz then proceeded to show us how to cut and trim clips as well as add text. She showed us how to edit the texts font and change the color. Lastly, Ms. Katz showed us most importantly how to render / export our movie to the final product.

Planning Blog

My group and I are making a commercial on Fort Lauderdale Highschool's "Fright Night." In the first scene, Amina will be walking through the hallway and she will drop something and go to pick it up. When Amina gets up from picking it up she will see someone in front of her wearing a mask which will frighten her. In the second scene, Amina will scream and completely black out as "Fright Night Premiere" will pop up on the screen. In the third scene, Amina will wake up in the middle of the party confused while everyone else is partying. Scene four will have a jump cut in which Amina is now dancing at the party, followed by scene five where she sees the man again. In scene six, it will be a close up shot of Amina's reaction to seeing the man. The last seen will have the words, "Come Join the Party" with a voice over. I will be filming everything.

As for costumes and props, I will bring in a couple of masks and Amina will bring in the costumes. Amina will also bring knife props, cups and a red riding hood basket which is what she will drop in the first scene. As for scheduling, Thursday the tenth, which is today, we are planning our storyboard and who is going to do what and typing our blog. On Monday the fourteenth, we will finalize the storyboard. The sixteenth and the eighteenth will be us going over everything making sure we are ready for the filming day. On October 21st, we will film, and on the 23rd we will edit and finalize the video using either iMovie or Pinnacle Studio.

We will be filming the commercial in numerous places. First, Amina will be in the hallway which is where she will drop her basket and see the scary man. We will most likely use the hallway in building five. For the party scene, we will most likely use the senior patio. As for backup plans, if it rains, we will use building 5 as well for the party scene.

Introductory

My name is Joshua Le Guillou. I am a sophomore at Fort Lauderdale High school who takes multiple AICE classes, including AICE Media Studies. I like to produce music, exercise and play sports as hobbies. I produce different types of music such as EDM (electronic dance music), hip-hop instrumentals and more using FL Studio 12 on my dell Laptop. I started producing when i was twelve years old when i got my first laptop which was a small HP with barely 10 gb of space on it. I messed around with producing music and then got into making videos. Whenever i was bored I would record funny videos on my Ipod, open Sony Vegas and edit them and sometimes post them to social media platforms such as Vine or YouTube. After years of producing music and making dumb little videos I got somewhat good with producing, putting sound and video together and everything that pretty much has to do with Media. My interest in film slowly grew as I got older, making it one of my ideas as a career, which is why i chose to take this class.

Everyday when I get home from school I hop on my computer and produce music or dj. I practice every single day spending at least two hours a day on my computer. Once in a while i'll even make a funny video just for myself just to practice my editing skills. Not only do I enjoy film or music but I am into fashion as well. I want to have a career in fashion but if that doesn't go as planned then I will fall back on a film career. Watching movies is probably one of my favorite things to do, especially horror movies. I am a horror fanatic. I love old horror films such as Halloween, The Shining and The Omen. Exploring different sub-genres of horror is also something i find interesting; thrillers, gore, slashers, found footage, and psychological. My personal favorite horror movies of this generation will have to be Midsommar and Hereditary from the Genius himself Ari Aster.

So far, I am enjoying this class. I love film and the idea of creating movies so i feel like this class will definitely be for me. For our first project, we had to make a powerpoint on a specific genre with a group. My group and I picked was dance. We talked about the concept of the genre and how these types of films are created. I learned a lot about this genre as i worked with my group and did research. I am ecstatic to learn more in this class.