Creating and Editing a Music Video for Call me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen
Media Preliminary Task Evaluation
For our preliminary task, we had to plan, shoot and edit a music video on Carly Rae Jepsen. We shot the footage as a class, but for variety we split up into groups to edit and compile the video to compare the outcomes. Firstly, we walked around Ludlow to discuss and establish where we were going to shoot each clip, in the end we decided to start at college and slowly move away from campus, to show a journey of a day within the video. We all decided that we would use of a range of shots such as long shots and shots where the performers walk towards the camera, to create diversity and give our music video a more dynamic feel once edited together.
During the filming process, I learnt a lot about camera positioning, for example we learnt that next time we need to use a tripod to keep our shots stable as some of our clips were a bit shaky as they were filmed on a phone rather than a camera and tripod, which my group and I have decided use in our music video which we will create. Furthermore, our music video was only shot from one camera, to develop this we should record the video from several different angles and heights. For example, if we were going to shoot a performance or a narrative music video, we could use go pros to give a personal point of view or a drone in a conceptual music video, to establish a wider field of view.
During the filming process, Joe was the only one who didn’t know the lyrics of the song, so he had to hold the sheet up as he was performing, this made the video seem unprofessional and this became very clear in the editing process as he played a big part in the music video itself. However luckily for us we had access to Premier Pro, which allowed us to edit effectively such as the still of the leaves shown at 2:17 which I felt was a strong aspect of our video as it reflects our skills even though our video was rushed and not planned as successfully as we could of. Another reason why it was unsuccessful was because we had so many performers in each shot, so we faced great difficulty to get it all synced up in time together.
The video was successful due to us being able to edit the video in time with the music, and including a range of editing styles such as slow motion and jump cuts of location in which we shot the video. Also because we shot it in a very small timeframe on a Samsung phone and still managed to piece it together. The design of the cover was successful due to it highlighting a key moment in the music video, and the use of fonts suit the genre of pop, as they're script and bold, to create a balance between the two. Also by ranging the font size it draws your focus towards the title of the song.
I enjoyed operating the camera and felt I became comfortable and experienced using it towards the end. I also enjoyed our creativity as a group, and our ability to look at things differently. For example, funny parts such as Joe flicking his hair in slow motion when it was wet. I also found it difficult operating the camera as it was difficult to keep the camera steady without a tripod as referenced above.
To improve, we could have been more organised by creating a story board of shots as, because without a sheet or an idea visually written and drawn down, we missed out a few shots with repeat lyrics so had to use the same clips over and over again. Since filming the video a lot of us can now drive we would have a lot of cars to film in a different location as I felt Ludlow was quite limited and busy with lots of locals so some of the shots we had to retake due to visitors or travellers walking into the shot without realising.
Overall, I enjoyed the whole process and feel confident for future music video making as I will be able to correct all the things I did wrong last time. I also think our group worked extremely well together and I am happy with the finished product. Finally, with the new group, me, Ben and James, I feel we can make a strong and professional music video, due to our skills in graphic design, photography, filming and editing.