Reflection: 3/29/11

Reflection
What new knowledge was introduced?
Much of the content was a rehash of other people's information as well as what had already been researched. One of the new pieces of information that came to light was the jump shot, which is a cut to a similar scene, usually in background though there will be differences. While editing is fairly basic, the specificity of a name for specific transition shows that there is diversity not yet explored and should be. Another pieces of information was the specific difference between zooming and tracking. In a zooming scenario, the audience should be static while the subject does move. Tracking is vice versa, where it seems to be us moving through the camera while the subject remains static. All this allows us to better analyze footage when need be and apply the different techniques with greater certainty about what we're doing is correct.
Evaluation
How did I interact in class/group today?
Same as last class, I continued to evaluate people's presentation's content and character. Today's were better than last class, and presentations had more depth and analysis than last time. For example, Nicholas' Sung's presentation consisted unnecessary showing of the selected music video, followed by an aspect by aspect presentation that closely followed the music video, represented by screen shots. His content was reasonably good. However, I observed that many people did not use much subject specific terminology, especially in editing and lighting aspects.

Reflection: 3/25/11

Reflection
What knowledge is being reviewed? What new knowledge has been introduced?
Today was involved less than half the class presenting their Music Video presentations regarding a selected representative music video used to explore film-related techniques used to make them. The knowledge reviewed and in some places, introduced, was the camera techniques, editing techniques, colors and lighting of general films and how they are used to create a music video's effects, storyline and message throughout. Much of this knowledge had been taught by Ms.Wong prior and researched by many of us for our own music videos as well as a requirement for the making of our own music videos. Things like medium shots, incident lighting, color meanings, or panning and tilting were crucial in the exploration in music videos and the effects they created were subsequently reviewed. Some new knowledge introduced were, for instance specific meanings of certain colors such as blue or green. For example, when used as lighting in a dark scenario, it makes the scene look immediately ominous, as used in Michael Jackson's thriller. Much of this knowledge helps consolidate our understanding while simultaneously assisting us in the creation of our own music videos, as this knowledge could be used to further enhance our own videos.
Evaluation
How did I interact with my class/group today?
For each presentation, I took jot down some basic feedback and comments about their general presentation and information inclusion. I found that many people lacked sufficient depth in their exploration into their music video. Most people only saw the basics and talked about how they worked in their own music videos, ignoring the requirement to talk about how those aspects affect music videos in general. Also, there was a noticeable lack of multiple aspects in a given group, such as camera techniques. Some were incorrectly identified, and only did one or two when there was, in reality, many more that should and could have been observed and explained. I also noticed that many people's presentation's were short, and the only reason they appeared to be long was because they unnecessarily showed their music video which took up the bulk of their time while it could have been substituted by images or short cuts. All this means that many people were not working hard enough or aren't very observant.
How can I improve my knowledge?
Since most people's knowledge area were, in my view, somewhat inadequate, I should ensure that I know much more. Even though I have already extensively traversed my music video multiple times and examined the internet for sub-specific terminology and meanings, I should consolidate my knowledge further to ensure I retain the maximum amount of information while further improve my knowledge. This can be done my looking over my notes, presentation and further researching into the subject of music videos.

Reflection: 3/21/11

Reflection
What film studies skills are being reviewed and practiced? What new skills were introduced?
We started shooting following the storyboard. Using the storyboard and script, we recorded clips needed for our film. Because Bryce, one of our main actors did not show up, we persisted in filming parts not requiring him. Despite this, we made some progress on the overall recording. Aside from the basic shooting, we also utilized some of the music video characteristics such as shakiness of the camera as a sort of intense amplifier. This introduced a new concept and area in our line of recording. Most clips tend to be stable shots using classic camera movements, however, music videos are more lax and have a somewhat less formal and therefore slightly more random style of recording making a genre of its own. This is one of the new things learned practically in this unit.
Did I solve any problems today? How?
As Bryce was not present, we could not film much of the major areas such as the storyline which required all of the 3 actors. Lacking him, we proceeded to record areas not requiring him such as the singing areas and other non-canon clips not in any immediate need for Bryce. Therefore, an overview would be the problem was a lack of an important member and solution was recording areas that did not require the important member.
Evaluation
How successful was I in achieving my goals today and why? How could I / my group make use of time more effectively?
Even though we didn't get through as much as we would have liked, we did make progress despite the set backs faced today. Therefore, we were moderately successful at achieving the goals set. Progress was slow as some clips required multiple takes to get suitable clips. To make better use of our time, we should have taken more scenes rather than focus on correcting one scene until perfection. This is because we could have gotten good material, and edit out the bad areas. We could have also re-shot after we need be. Another way would be to get most of the easy areas finished first instead of doing relatively new experience clips like the lip syncing which was quite tedious to do.
What did I really enjoy today? Why?
I enjoyed the new experience of recording a music video as it provided a challenge, was a new style of recording, and fun to watch people fail. The challenge was the repetitious attempts to get good shots to accommodate our needs and requirements. Te new style of recording presented the sense of discovery that is particularly effective in learning because it triggers extensive thinking which is reasonably fun. The watching people fail is just funny because the way people screw is often humorous.

Reflection: 3/17/11

Reflection
What film studies skills are being reviewed and practiced?
Continuing on from last class, we finished taking the pictures required for the storyboard. The primary skills that were used wasn't specifically the picture taking, but rather the following of the script and the creation of shots based on camera techniques appropriate for the moment identified in said script. For various moments, we used a variety of camera distances and angles that seemed most appropriate for the moment. For example, when shooting the basketball into the hoop, we use a medium shot and low angle so the shooter and the ball entering the hoop would be present while simultaneously making the successful shooter seem more important. The second skill is storyboarding, which we all came back and started after uploading all photos to each other and dividing the script and assigning each person a section. Using the shots, we created a visual representation of what the shot in the actual music is supposed to look like, while specifically identifying key features such as the action, dialogue, camera angles and camera distances for each shot.
Evaluation
How successful was I in achieving my goals today and why? How I / my group make use of time more effectively?
Since we were able to take all the pictures, upload them and start doing the storyboards in a fairly organized fashion, this class's goal was achieved. However, during the picturing time, many of us played with the basketball and tended to go off track and if this didn't happen, we could have finished at least 15 minutes early as opposed to the hour we took to complete everything. We might have even been able to take more pictures. Therefore, the best way to eliminate this is focus on task like professionals. It is obviously near impossible not to be distracted but if we could at least focus a bit more, time could be better spent.

Reflection: 3/11/11

Reflection
What film studies are being reviewed and practiced?
Following the completion of the script, we started to take pictures for the storyboard. While we didn't finish photographing, we did take an excess of pictures needed for the specific parts we were taking pictures of. This time's storyboarding was a bit different. Last time was simply taking basic pictures for our storyboard however this time it involved a more complex capture to suit a specific genre. Music videos tend to be more dynamic then the previous basic home setting that my previous group was working with. This change forced us to take more pictures than needed in order to capture as much of the dynamics and action as possible, and coupled with the new areas like basketball playing and singing, it was harder to capture it. I also found that a great many more different types of shots were required. Unlike last time where there was a basic home setting, there had to be long shots to capture the setting, low angle shots, and high angle shots to put emphasis on the basketball nets, the people and the action, which is definite change to the previous.
Did I solve any problems today? How?
Some of the problems encountered today were the collection of photos with the script and the use of newer and more complex angles to capture the action in the script.Lots of the shots required for the script were different and more complex and therefore had to be improvised a bit. Since we were inexperienced in this area, we took more shots than needed in order to ensure we got everything right. Also, at the beginning when finishing the script, we had to make the film more descriptive so what we did is add more descriptions and accurate representations that fit the gaps thereby making our script complex.
Evaluation
How can I improve my knowledge? How can I improve my skills?
In order to further my knowledge of music videos, I obviously have to continue and expand on my research to do with music videos and further look into different cultures. Also, I could watch a lot more and gather subconscious traits of the music videos. To improve the photography skills for the shots of the storyboard, I should practice and familiarize myself with the different shots.
What did I really enjoy in class today? Why?
I really enjoyed taking the pictures because it allowed us to move forward with our process and it allowed us to experiment with a few new shots an genres.

Reflection: 3/9/11

Reflection
Following the selection of the music video genre and AOI, all that was left to choose the song and start building towards the film. When we initially selected a song, we found it unsuitable for an AOI. We attempted to adapt it to the AOI by finding a meaning that could link it to Health and Social Education which was pointed out to be wrong because the film we are making is designed to promote and explore the AOI. Trying to forcibly alter the meaning of the song so that it will fit the AOI doesn't work like that so we looked out for another song that allowed to us to what the former failed. We started and looked into the script writing for the film as a basic outline of the film would encompass, and from there on the story was created providing us with details that would allow us to progress into the storyboard phase next class. However, this experience was different to the other because unlike creating our own story and lines, we had to adapt the scene to the song which allows us to learn about that form of film while simultaneously learning to adapt to changes rather than always freely doing what we want because things don't work like that.
Evaluation
Within this 80 minute class, we were a bit distracted looking for songs, rapidly discussing but not doing anything really productive in that time. However, in the middle of those enthusiastic discussions, we managed to get somewhere, selecting the song and even starting and finishing the first draft of the script meaning our class was quite successful. We could have worked better by focusing more on the task at hand, and assuming could we may have been able to start the storyboard but the current progress is actually reasonably good because relative to other groups, we worked hard and are now a bit ahead.

Reflection: 3/3/11

Reflection
Today, there was not much going on but rather a continuation of the previous lesson as well as the subtle beginning of the next topic following the completion of the warm up film. The goal is to make a music video, thus my new group and I continued to explore the dimensions of what music videos were made up of, namely their camera techniques, angles, video effects, cuts etc. Also, in order to gain a wide variety of culture surrounding various country music video styles, we explored several culture's music videos. It was found that in every single type of culture, there were unique properties that made that country's style unique to another, however, there were always similar elements that made the music videos a unique genre as well. For example, Western music videos tend to flashy and had rapid-transitions between short cuts of film. Japanese ones tended to focus extensively on the band and had longer shots that tend to move around the band in, focusing on them from below. In order to garner accurate representations of a music video, keen observations were made to collect data not only on the uniqueness of each culture, but the classical key concepts of the genre, such as a progressive story that intertwined with the band or singer singing or the singer or band performing the song.
Evaluation
Though we were all working to find information, the group splintered in order to collect information for themselves on their own blog. However, while this method emphasized independence, it allowed all of us to understand deeply about the various aspects of a music video, which could not be simply found listed on the internet. Instead, it had to sampled and noted down from music videos that were watched on YouTube. Despite this splintering, it is vital that we all collect and share this information as we will have to work together later to pool all information together and utilize it in the actual making if the music video.
Outside of the classroom, I have to continue to research the music videos to further increase and deepen the pool of information, as it will be vital and essential for the future. In order to further increase my knowledge, I must also diversify the cultures of music videos in order to collect more unique techniques.

Cultural Music Video Characteristics

Aside form the normal characteristics of a modern music video listed in the previous music video post, each culture or country has its own style of music video, however these music videos tend to emulate their country's own style of ordinary film. Some of the unique characteristics of several different cultural music videos are listed below:

• Western / American Music Videos: Short cuts of film and quick transitions, moving focus (eg. when a clip transitions in, it starts somewhere else, then focuses on the singer.) Western music videos also tend to use extensive video effects such as brightness, saturation and slow motion to make the music videos more dynamic. Also, the camera tends not to be stable in places, but instead shaky in order to create the effect of constant movement and excitement.
  

• Japanese Music Videos: Longer cuts, tends to have still focus on singers, slower moving focus of overall band, tends to focus a medium shot on singer, usually has overall focus on the band itself. Also, Japanese Music Videos puts a lot more focus onto the singers rather than the story itself, as the point of music videos is to advertise the song.

• Chinese Music Videos: Unlike other music videos, the story and the performance of the song is very well immersed together. Though it really isn't an aspect, they also tend to have the subtitles of the song as if it were a karaoke. Besides that, there also tends to be a lot of action in Chinese music videos. Similar to Japanese ones, Chinese music videos put a lot of focus on to the singer. The camera angles and techniques also tend to mimic the action, such that if the song is in a calm phase there the camera will be still, but at a fast paced area, the camera will be shaky and in some places effects such as slow motion will be used to emphasize the action.

Reflection: 3/1/11

Reflection
What new knowledge has been introduced?
Following the completion of the AOI Health and Social Education or "warm up" film, we started to research music videos. In our research, we discovered key features of music videos, and some of the contrasts between music videos of different languages and cultures. All this however can be seen on the blog.
What feedback did I receive today?
Today was the finishing date so at the end, all videos were played back to us. For our video in particular, I evaluated my own video and gathered feedback. It was generally okay, however we were still missing a few parts and forgot to cut out the "action" bit out of one of the clips. Consistency was somewhat of an issue because the beginning change to a new setting was not only obvious to us, but to people if they knew nothing about our school. The lighting was a dim which downgraded the quality of our film. Also, there was a lack of music relative to other films which means that ours didn't have very much of a clear feeling, only a somewhat ambiguous one. The good thing was that the storyline was reasonably intact and there were suitable titles and credits.
Evaluation
What have I learned from the feedback?
I learned that in order to make an adequately good film, one must take into account a lot of features of a film such as lighting and camera angles, which requires a lot more time than the time we were given. Also, during the editing phase, it is not only important to look back at the script to ensure that everything is in place but to also watch the film over before exporting to ensure that everything was fine. Music is also a good element to add as it creates a mood. Even our film could have been enhanced with a bit of mood music.