Evaluation Reflections

Having now completed our recorded evaluation, I am pleased with how it went, and it was a lot less daunting than I imagined it would be. It was fresh and exciting using new technologies in evaluating, and it made the whole process a lot easier.

I feel I contributed to the discussion quite well, although I started quite shakily, I found myself getting more into the rhythm of things as time went on. I felt I could have contributed more at the start and possibly gone into more detail on a lot of subjects. I also think it was difficult not to just sit back and at times we would all talk over each other or dominate on certain points.

All in all, its very relieving to have another stage of the project done :)

Final reflections - Production complete

Our Production is complete! We have finished editing and after screening to other media students and working on their advice. I am very pleased with the end result, although there are many changes I would make if we had the time.

On with the evaluation stage!

Shoot Reflections

I felt our test shoot was useful to identify potential problems and issues. We tested the wide set up and got to grips with the new camera, the Sony HD1000E. This was particularly useful as I was going to be the main cameraman for our shoot.

Our main shoot thankfully went without any major problems. We got all the shots we needed and the band performed well and all in all everything went smoothly. Our only drawbacks were some exposure and lighting issues, but hopefully we can sort these out in post-production on Premiere.

Treatment Reflections

Having just finished our treatment and pitch to the class I am pleased with how it went. We recieved mostly positive feedback. We had called our music video performance/concept based on Goodwin and this didn't fully come across in our pitch. We explained that our concept is the performance itself, and is shown as the energetic performance matches with the lyric 'Start Something'.

The main change we made was to replace Nick with Simon as lead vocalist, with Nick moving to guitar. This is especially significant to me, as it means I will have to do the majority of camerawork for the group. This could prove difficult, so I will need to be at the top of my game.

All in all, I'm excited about the start of another phase of the project and I look forward to starting production.

Song Choice Reflections

I am overjoyed with our choice of song! I think it fits the criteria of being part sung/part screamed and I am a fan of the band also. I think its perfect in terms of a strong memorable beat, a progression and variation of the song, and the catchy chorus and bridge.

Can't wait to treatment it :)

My Lip Sync

This is my lip sync to the classic 80's anthem 'Never Gonna Give You Up' by Rick Astley... I chose this song due to its legendary status and because I couldn't really think of anything else!

I found the whole process a real eye opener! It was a great chance to practice some rather extreme camera techniques and become accustomed to performing. Another useful aspect was the turning of the rough footage into a polished final product, utilising various techniques common in music video. Although out of sync (shoddy youtube) the edit was perfectly in sync and this was another area that will prove important in the editing stage. Points for improvement include concentrating on the performance and not background fuss and really nailing those lyrics to help make a perfect sync, as well as resisting the urge to burst out laughing!