PODCAST 8: Production Schedule Update 7

...

...
27/12/17

Hi there! I am heading back to Luxembourg today with my sister and her boyfriend! Since the last podcast I have started posting on social media with posts like "Can someone help me make a Christmas layout?" and "started making my website! nearly done! can i get your opinion on how it looks so far? tell me if you like the colour scheme i got going on". I still have a lot more I need to post on my social media accounts. 

I have decided to do some filming on the 30th and the 31st of December (New Years Eve). On the 30th I will re-film some of the greenscreen footage in the office room of my house. I have decided the costume I will be wearing for this which is a pink long curly wig (with no fringe), purple dark lipstick, pink eyeshadow, clear heart choker, black shoulderless crop top, purple kappa sweatpants and buffalo black trainers. On the 31st of December I plan to film some more footage of the main female protagonist walking through the streets at night and also film the main female protagonist in a club/bar with flashing colourful lights. I am definitely going to try and film the club scene this time because my sister, her boyfriend, my mum and my step dad will be there anyways with me because they want to go out and have a drink on New Years Eve so I have plenty of people to hold and be behind the camera. 

VODCAST 4: Journey Summary

Here is a vodcast I made with a trial student for A Level Media. I made this video to help me figure out what is missing on my blog at this current time and to help this girl trial student understand what A Level Media entails and what kinds of things you have to do in it. I summarise everything that I have done so far and everything I need to still do. I also explain about the music video production process and how I created my latest sample scene. 
...

...

PODCAST 11: Production Schedule Update 10

...

...
16/01/18

Hi! Today I am stating that I have taken images for my digipak last Sunday night, they are images for the front cover of my digipak, also maybe for my lyric booklet and for the rest of the digipak. They are on my blog so check them out!

Also, I rang the strassen Swimming pool 'Les Thermes' in Luxembourg last night and asked whether I could film there, I had to wait quite a while since I rang them at 3:00 then they said can you call back at 5:00, then again to be told ring at 6:00. I spoke to a man twice and he has figured it all out and arranged it with me, allowing me to film there. I offered to come at a quiet time when no one is around, so 9 oclock or something. I initially said I would only need 15 minutes because I didn't want to cause an inconvenience so he said I would be able to start filming at 9:30 then finish at 9:45 when everyone has to leave the pool. I am going to try and ask him when i get there whether I can actually start filming at 9:00 and finish at 9:45. I don't think this will be an issue, especially if there is no one around in the pool at that time. Also, this we arranged, to be on the 19th of January which is Friday. So, I have asked cast member Alex, last night and he said he is fine with that and I have arranged transport to get there and back since it's somewhat far away from my house and I don't know how to get there by bus. 

I have also decided to film on wednesday with alex from 4-8. I would start filming the scenes at my house with Alex at 4, then go and film around auchan with him after. I need to film the scenes between the couple which are intimate and somewhat sexual. We will be wearing different costumes for this than we wore in the earlier footage around auchan and in the fast food place 'quick'. I also want to film Alex on the bench that I sat on when Serge filmed me. I will also film the couple sitting on that bench together. 

I am also going to get some audience feedback for all my cuts and sample scenes so far either today, tomorrow or the day after. I am definitely going to get all this for Friday. 

That's all for this week. Bye!

PODCAST 10: Production Schedule Update 9

...

...
10/01/18

Hi there! I am planning to take photos for my digipak with the sony a58 on Sunday night after school. I also plan to finally finish my first rough cut and get some audience feedback from this rough cut. 

In lesson today for media, we started experimenting with our effect that we want to use on our digipak front cover image on photoshop. My effect was the double exposure effect. I watched lots of tutorial videos on how to create this effect and slightly tested it out. I also checked to see how you achieve the same effect on Final Cut Pro X. After watching these, I have now learned how to do these. 

I still need to ring the Strassen swimming pool as to whether they will give me permission to film there. I want to film underwater footage of myself and Alex (the couple characters) in their swimming pool making out underwater and touching each other. I also want to film myself underwater floating in a dress. 

PODCAST 9: Production Schedule Update 8

...

...
03/01/18

Hi again! It's now 2018! I have done a lot recently in terms of filming and editing. Today I have just edited half a rough cut. I have discovered I have a LOT of footage, more than enough. However, I still have more scenes to film which are: the club scene, more scenes of the couple doing things and the underwater in pool scene. This will not take long to do, I plan to film the rest of this week. After I have filmed all the necessary footage, I will then see if I need to re-film anything. For example, after looking at some of the footage my classmate Richard filmed, I may have to re-film the shot which follows the main female protagonist walking outside around Auchan at night and crossing the zebra crossing, because you can see water splashes on the camera lens which block some of the shot. In terms of digipak and website, I have come up with a final idea for the design concept which is heavily influenced by Tokio Myers' album design for 'Our Generation'. The album cover is of Tokio Myers shirtless, not looking at the camera, standing infront of a redscreen in red lighting/red colour correction. There is also some light blue lighting/colour correction used on his left shoulder and left side of face. After seeing this album cover in the holidays I was really inspired, I think it is very striking, powerful and quirky. Also, the striking colours used here are a convention of electropop (the genre of my artist, Astrid S) so this design will work well for my digipak and overall design for my website. The website will heavily showcase Astrid S' new album meaning the digipak design will be all over the website too. 

PODCAST 7: Production Schedule Update 6

...

...
19/12/17

Hi I'm in England now as you know! Today I plan to film the bath scene with the main protagonist in the bath. I plan to film her face underwater looking upwards at the ceiling, her legs/feet underwater in the bath, her cuddled in a ball all sad in the bath from behind and from the front and her shooting upward forcefully after lying down underwater. I decided that it would be better to film the bath scene here in England rather than at my house in Luxembourg because the bath in this house I am staying in now, I thought, looked more idyllic and right for the vibe I wanted to create in this bath scene which is old fashioned but plain white simplistic with white small square tiles on the wall. Also, it is more convenient for filming since it is a bath stuck to the wall so, there is a really good place to put the camera (in between the two faucets and the place on the sink behind the bath). If I don't manage to get some of the footage right the first time I can always re-film it since I am staying in this specific house until the 27th of December. 

I have also been coming up with ideas of posts for the social media accounts for my artist, Astrid S.

PODCAST 6: Production Schedule Update 5

...

...
To summarise, in this podcast I will be discussing these points:

• 20 minutes ago found really good solution to casting problem - decided to ask my friend who was in my AS production to be in this production too. 
• Had long phone conversation with him 20 minutes ago and he said he can do it. 
• Idea for casting of the female main protagonist - I would act this role as well as the singer role with someone else filming me. 
• Idea that my friend Serge would do the filming for me - I would film the evidence of directing on my iPhone and prepare the call sheets, storyboards and shot lists myself obviously. 
• If Serge isn't available for some shoots, I'd ask my Media classmate, Richard to do the filming instead. 

If you want, you can have a look at the script I made for this podcast below under the read more link:

PODCAST 5: Production Schedule Update 4

...

...
To summarise, in this podcast I will be discussing these points:

• Getting another back-up for the characters of the couple - my sister and her boyfriend.
• The issues around them being the couple characters. 
• In course of making the podcast, got a reply from the other couple I asked, the answer is a no, therefore have to ask one of younger couples in my school. 
• Been updating my blog alongside all this.
• Been doing research into digipaks and their conventions - in process of making separate vodcasts on general and electropop digipak conventions.
• Created some initial ideas for my digipak from images I took in the summer of singer, Astrid S. 

If you want, you can have a look at the script I made for this podcast below under the read more link:

PODCAST 4: Production Schedule Update 3

...

...
To summarise, in this podcast I will be discussing these points:

• Since last podcast, made my vodcast pitch and presented it to class - included location scouting, casting, costumes, make-up, influences, artist/singer information, tech I plan to use, sample scene, performance shoot dates and narrative shoot dates. 
• Was given lots of feedback from class from pitch, so now have lots of things to reflect on and sort out. 
• Need to ask permission to film in the locations on my list - nightclub, kebab shop, train station, cafés and in general public places.
• Need to nail casting ASAP! I still haven't asked anyone if they can be in my music video because I am unsure who is the best fit for the role, is reliable and will be able to do it. 
• I am considering whether it would be easier to just pick someone who has got a female who has a boyfriend because it would be easier to film the flashback couple shots.
• List of potential girls to act the female protagonist role. 
• List of potential couples to act the couple role. 
• I prepare to ask the girl actor to wear a choker so, for younger actors this may be inappropriate, idk. 
• Need to plan in detail the shoots and decide the dates of the shoots - make call sheets and shot lists.
• Re-film performance footage with more flamboyant costumes and with more movement (dancing)
• Get sample footage from each location to weigh up potential barriers to filming and test lighting there. 
• Sample shoot some footage at night with lighting gear I discussed in my pitch vodcast. 

If you want, you can have a look at the script I made for this podcast below under the read more link:

PODCAST 3: Production Schedule Update 2

...

...

To summarise, in this podcast I will be discussing these points:

• Collected all footage mentioned in last podcast but haven't done anything with that footage.
• Done more research into artist, Astrid S. 
• Done more research into electropop and general genre conventions - completed 2 vodcasts for these.
• Done more research into theorists which relate to A2 coursework and exam and thought how I can apply them into my music video.
• Found more examples in GIF forms which will influence my work.
• My idea is slowly becoming more thorough.
• Media school trip planned to greenscreen place where we went last year for AS (year 12) - on this trip I plan to shoot more performance footage. 
• Planned the costume for the singer and shots I want to film.
• Made 2 moodboards, 1 for singer, Astrid S and 1 for main male protagonist. 

If you want, you can have a look at the script I made for this podcast below under the read more link:

PODCAST 2: Production Schedule Update 1

...

...
THE SCRIPT:
Hi, it's me again, Evie, just giving an update on the production process so far since we set up our blogs and I will discuss what I am planning to do for the next few weeks of the summer. As I forgot to mention in the last podcast, I am almost finished with the general and genre music video analyses, the genre music video analyses were in the genre of electropop because I was very sure I was going to pick the artist Sakima. This has changed now, as I said before in the last vodcast because there were other artists I may have chosen instead, these were Jakwob or Astrid S. I decided that I was going to stick with the artist, Astrid S, and her song Bloodstream. I came up with a narrative idea for the music video for this track - this is a boy on a journey of grief, struggling to get through a hard breakup with harsh psychological effects. I was thinking to film the entire music video from the boy's perspective of the breakup since most music videos are from the girl's perspective of a breakup e.g. Tove Lo - Habits. Things may still change but right now that is my narrative idea. In my blog I mention the reasons why I decided not to choose the other artists, Sakima and Jakwob. I also have decided on the casting for the performance footage for the song Astrid S - Bloodstream. I have decided that I want to act the role of the singer, Astrid S, therefore I will be the one lipsyncing in the video. On top of this I decided that I want to film the majority of the performance footage infront of a greenscreen and some outside with a sky background or trees background. Also, this summer from the 31st of July to the 13th of August, I went on a 2 week filmmaking course at the MET Film School located at Ealing Studios. This gave me the opportunity to film some greenscreen performance footage inside Ealing Studios, I filmed this footage on the 11th of August. Since then, I have chosen the rest of the dates of when I will film all this performance footage: these are the 17th of August, the 26th of August and the 27th of August. I have also decided, after looking at many past music video examples, that I am going to film some nature footage to be used as cutaway shots in the video. Since I am staying in a countryside location for the next few weeks of summer, this is very convenient. I plan to film trees, flowers, ponds, plants and forests in a variety of shot types. That is all for this podcast so, see you next time!

PODCAST 1: Introduction

...

...
THE SCRIPT:
Hi there, my name is Evie Gibbons and I will be introducing my A2 Media Studies blog, Lilac City Records. This year we have to make a music video, website and digipak for a music artist. I am still unsure of who I am going to pick, I am stuck between three, a male artist called Sakima, a male DJ called Jakwob and a female electropop singer called Astrid S. I have decided the song I would pick for each of these artists however, for Sakima it would be 'What I Know Now', for Jakwob it would be 'Somebody New' and for Astrid S it would be 'Bloodstream'. I have also already set up a twitter and instagram social media account for the artist; at the moment the social media account name is sakima_music, until I finally decide the artist that I am definitely picking. In this blog you will see my journey of how I got to the final products of a music video, digipak and website, you will see things like music video analyses, website analyses, pre-production and post-production lists, podcasts, vodcasts, research of all kinds, audience feedback, audience analyses etc. I am really looking forward to getting started with the A2 Coursework properly and getting inspired by other media products which will influence my work. I hope you enjoy looking through my blog and seeing all my work for A2 Media Coursework. I also hope that this blog inspires you and provides you with a lot of useful information. Also, I will be posting many podcasts throughout the production process which will be updating where I am, what I plan to do and what I have done so far. So, until the next podcast, thanks, bye!