Final Cut - Split Screens & More Fun.

As you can tell, we have been doing lots of trials recently all in preperation for when we film and edit our real music video. Prior to doing these trials we had no idea how to make split screens so being the kind of people we are we said: challenge accepted! So, this is how we made our beautiful split screens...

Split Screens :)

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Update.

Inspired by 'Honest - The Dirty Goods' we were hoping to record some footage, use a projector to project that footage then re-record.
However...
Projector Idea = BIG NO.
Unless anyone fancies giving us £100 to hire a prjector for 2 hours?
We're both students and the price is completely unfeesable so unfortunately this idea is probably going to have to wait until we're rich and famous.
We still feel our other ideas are strong enough to work with and will focus on them/look at ways around it.

First Draft Rough Trail SSFS :)

Inspired by 'Home - Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes' me and Katherine wanted to try and film clips (as if they were a home video) and then put them together in an interesting way. We did want to try and capture an essence of a romance in these clips which was slightly difficult as the girl I was primarily filming was one of my closest friends and her boyfriend was unable to make it. I feel it worked okay considering the setbacks and also seeing as it's a first rough trial. 

I'm now going to create a survey as I did for the animation trial we did and gain feedback on what people feel works and doesn't work with this video and to see what improvements can be made in any further versions created.

Due to Katherine being quite ill recently I have filmed & edited all of this. This was obviously another slight setback but I'm sure that in the future it will have input from the both of us! :)


UPDATE: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/TLWK9KB


Here's the survey, fill it in if you haven't already please! :)

We edited it a bit :)

We edited the end of our animation slightly. We prefer the ending now as we felt previously the ellipses was too quick and we also faded the text out. We will try and get some feedback on the new end but will probably not create another survey until more drastic changes have been made.


Please comment with any feedback if you're reading this!! :D

Current videos inspiring and influencing us.

This video is by a not very well known British band called 'Dirty Goods'. We're hoping to experiment with using a split screen in our video and also possibly use a projector to project video over a backdrop. We think the effect is really effective and really want to experiment with it, I also like how the swap between colour and black and white. It adds a contrast and ever-changing feel that helps engage the viewer.







The ellement of this video I really like is how they've used the tractor to create the light beams and make it look almost like a professional stage. I'd like to cross this idea with the one above and possibly use a projector in a barn area like the one used in Calvin Harris' video for 'You Used To Hold Me'. I'd like to try interesting and clever ways of using light to make our video stand out and have interesting qualities like the two above which makes it memorable.







As stated before we really like the idea of getting the couple we use to film their own footage over the course of a few days and then use that footage to project onto the backdrop. We may also use the footage they record in the video (without it being projected).







The part of this video in question is from 2:46 onwards. There are loads of short bursts of clips that Adam Young (Owl City) has recorded over the years. I really like the effect of how they look quite dated and are very realistic.







And finally, this is the video that inspired us to have a go at our own animation. It's simple yet effective and it won a competition so they must be doing something right. 

Animation Survey

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2SBK3VV


This is our survey that we are planning on using to obtain feedback on our short animation opening. We will post more on this soon when we get a decent number of responses. 

Tuesday 20th Sept Lesson.

On Tuesday's lesson me & Katherine spent an hour drawing a very brief animation story board (which you can see in the previous posts) and then spent the next hour of the lesson and lunch making a rough animation. Me & Katherine were both quite pleased with the end result considering we had been doubtful. The writing jumping around the screen had been a concern of ours but we decided it was quite a nice effect and it seemed to move in time with the music almost. We liked the koala sleeping too and really love the characters. I know Katherine really likes the idea of animation and so do I, I'm just slightly concerned about how much time it is going to take us and would also like to do some filming and have a narrative to the song. Anyway, here are some more ideas....

MORE IDEAS WE HAVE HAD!

Me & Katherine have put our heads together and have come up with some more ideas for our music video:

We really like the animation idea but as stated above time (and drawing skills) will need to be considered. Shall update on conclusion reached!

I really like the idea of getting whichever couple we use to use a video camera to film things they do together... like get them to go on a walk, out for a meal or whatever they want to do and get them to film parts of it so it seems like it's not filmed professionally. I think I gained this idea and inspiration from Edward Sharpe & The Magnetics Zeroes video for Home (see previous posts for video link and analysis). I really love how natural the clips are and the sense of true happiness in them, it's something the viewer can emotionally connect with.

We're also going to try and plan a narrative revolving around a couple (probably) and try and film some stuff ourselves. 

I'm sure more ideas will develop over time and we'll experiment with effects and concepts as we go along!

Animation Opening Test

Me & Katherine had a go at animating and here if our end result... it took us about 2 hours to create this and since I've had feedback from a few people saying that it's rubbish. Such optimism and encouragement... anyway, here it is... all 18 seconds of it. (and the rest of the song... enjoy!)

SHE WAKES HIM UP HE'S IN A FOGGY HAZE...

This is mine & Katherine's amazing masterpiece :) (well, we did cheat slightly and trace Steven's original drawings... but we did colour them!) it illustrates the first verse(ish) of the song we've chosen :)

I done the top 2 and Katherine done the bottom one (the good one). 

Update

Hello,

Quick update...

I'm now working with Katherine Richards on this project :)

This is an idea we have for the opening verse, we're considering doing an animation. Please excuse my very poor drawing. I have included the lyrics below the image to which the visual fits. Obviously we'll have many more frames for the animation. This is just an early idea to show what we're hoping to do.

TTFN :)

Random post about potential couples for the video.

I haven't updated in a few weeks, been on holiday, turned a year older and yeah it's not important why I haven't posted really. I thought I'd post a picture of the couple I'm hoping to use. I have asked them and they've said yes but I'm not sure how times and stuff would work so I'll figure that out closer to the time (once I have timetables for September and stuff). Steven did ask me if it would be possible to make the guy look a bit dorky, when I told this to Dan (the guy) he advised I used someone else. Such a modest one! ;) So, here is a picture of Jess and Dan...

Being stuck in the middle of nowhere for college could be a problem though because they both go to college in the city centre... I could see if weekends would be possible for filming but I know that Dan works and Jess has about 101 hobbies... ha. So, if I can't use them then I'll use a couple from college most probably.

Lyrics!

I tried for hours and still no way I could find to upload the mp3... so just click on the link I posted on the post 'Potential Bands' (or something like that) and it's on there :)


Anyway, here are the lovely lyrics...


Sunsets for Singles - Gearloose

She wakes him up, he's in a foggy haze

Walrus has brought the gift of ice-cream

Koala ruined it with an embrace

She looks so mad but she still loves him for trying

Koala's guilty now he looks so sad

He was just trying to thank her

But the bonds of hearts are strong and true

They know they'll laugh about it later

Orange light come torch the sky

Burn this day into night

Now we know its just the start

Of another lonely night for you and I

Of all the things I've tried to tell you

Of all the things that I could say

Nothing seems to comfort you

I know that there's another way

But the distance and the money, girl

Right now it's too much to overcome

But the more we wait, the more my heart aches

To hold you close under a setting sun

And watch it go down

Orange light come torch the sky

Burn this day into night

Now we know its just the start

Of another lonely night for you and I

'Cos everybody knows there's no such thing as sunsets for singles.

With the lyrics Steven sent me a link to this photo:

He said that this is a picture he drew that then inspired the first verse of this song. I think it would be good to incorporate the scenario into the video in some way.

It would be cool to do some animation but I don't think I have the drawing skill, or animation skill for that matter, to do that. Hmm, we'll see what happens when September begins.

My current ideas are...

A couple out in a field at dusk, one brings ice cream, ice cream is smushed with hug, awkward for a moment but then 'they know they'll laugh about it later'. 

Then with 'Orange light come torch the sky...' and the rest of the chorus bit maybe them laughing, running around and sitting in this field or wherever as the sun is setting in the background and it's all lovely. 

Now when it comes to the next verse it speaks of distance and money so my immediate thought was that in the little instrumental part prior to the verse starting the female leaving in a car with a 'SOLD' sign outside her house or something. Both are clearly upset about this but the guy struggles to find ways to talk to her and comfort her because he can't be there. So, he goes back to the field at the start and there's a bit where he's nostalgic and memories of her/ghosts keep appearing and fading. He then takes a picture of himself in the field with the sun setting behind him and sends it to her with a message... possibly 'I love you' or 'There's no such thing as sunsets for singles' or 'Wish you were here'. Something nice anyway.

Anyway, these are my current ideas that I'll develop over summer and maybe start planning what couple to use and stuff. I'd quite like to start filming ASAP in September so if I need to re-shoot/do some more developed editing I can. 

FIN.

I apologise in advance for the very excited outburst I am about to have...

HE SAID YES!!!! In my previous post I said how I was holding out hope for a song called Sunset for Singles by Gearloose but how I wasn't very optimistic. Well, here's what happened... (I feel like I'm in an episode of Monk)

I found Gearloose (Steven King) on Tumblr and I saw there was a contact email address so I sent him an email. I done some more research afterwards and found that his songs were also on iTunes but saw that he was signed to a record company and basically gave up all hope. However, today I received an email saying...

"Howdy Hannah.

First of all, thanks for your interest in my song. I'm glad someone out there has heard it and connects with it, thats all anyone who creates stuff can hope for. I consider it an honour that you'd want to collaborate, in a way, by creating a music video for it. You have my full permission to use the song for your assignment. 

Attached is the MP3 of the song.. if you haven't got it off iTunes or wherever already....

I very much look forward to seeing what you come up with :)"

And just to prove I haven't made it up:

So, it may look like I'm taking the easy option of sticking with my first response but I'm fairly confident I shall be using this song, and artist. I shall now try and attach the mp3 if I can.

(Currently can't find a way to, I shall keep trying!)

So, I guess all that is left say is a HUGE thanks to Steven for letting me use his song and that hopefully I'll do a good job. Now to planning!

Potential bands.

I had the sudden urge to start my search for unsigned bands today and have found a few I like. I have written to the majority of them in the hope that they'll reply over the next few weeks. Anyway, here they are... 


Balloon Ride Fantasy

Choir of Cubs

Gearloose (I'm in love with Sunsets For Singles, really holding out hope for that right now but none of his other links are working :S !)