In order to discuss which digital technologies were used in the creation of our Pop Promo we put together a commentary script to be read alongside the screening of the promo:
1: When shooting our pop promo, we used three cameras, one camera was a Sony PD170 this was used to film close ups of the stop motion effect, as this camera uses a tape there is the ability to pause, which maintained the effect that objects were appearing and disappearing realistically. The other two cameras were Sony NX5s, these cameras are high definition giving a better quality and more professional appearance.The use of three cameras allowed us to be more creative with our shots and shoot a wider range of footage. One camera was used to shoot close ups and the other was place at a high angle filming continuous wide shots, this gave a wide variety of footage and shots to use and made the shoot day process more efficient. The Sony NX5s use SD cards which make the post production process more efficient as shots were already cut in comparison to one continuous tape which needs to be cut which the Sony PD170s provide.
2: In the post production stage final cut pro was used to slow down the stop motion footage. Another software used was called After FX where the split screening effect was used, this involved masking one side of the mise en scene and replacing it with half the mise en scene of another shot. The split screen was used to enable a band member to be placed alongside the stop motion effect on of objects around the room and create the illusion that time was passing. Colouring and grading was also used in After FX to make the colour quality of the promo better and make it appear more professional.
3: In the pre production stage of the pop promo, we used the internet in order to research other songs and music videos using YouTube. Examples of the specific promos looked at were The Kooks promo for the song ‘Shine On’. Our intention was to set the promo in a domestic space and in ‘Shine On’ the Kooks are depicted in a similar setting. The Kooks have the same genre and audience as the Arctic Monkeys so they were a appropriate band to use as an influence. The domestic, relatable image created for the band is similar to that of other bands within the genre. YouTube enables us to watch videos and listen to songs and helped further our research into the genre. YouTube was also useful in providing other examples of stop motion which gave inspiration for the stop motion effect we wished to use. A user had created a purely stop motion film to the track ‘Sleepy Head’ by Passion Pit, this gave us more examples of the use of stop motion in a domestic space. We used Google to research different bands with a similar star image and music genre, The Ordinary Boys, The Libertines and the Arctic Monkeys provided a similar image we wished to portray for our own band. We found out that these bands are focused on their music and their own music influences so we decided that we would place posters of other artists in The Factory’s living space to show that music was also their passion. After this initial research we pitched our idea using PowerPoint for windows and then presented it through an overhead optoma projector on to an activboard.
1: In the post-production stage we used final cut pro on a Mac G5 which enabled us to edit our footage on a timeframe, this allowed us to view all our shots and then cut the most successful to the track as well as editing the stop motion effectively. The editing was rhythmic however there were still aspects of continuity editing as there was some form of narrative within our promo which was the idea that time was passing. The shots were cut to the loudest beats within the track. The shots of the band and singer were also cut in sync to the track. Final cut pro was also used to slow down the stop motion shots using the slow motion tool. The shots cut to the track created rhythm and flow for the promo as well as conforming to the conventions of music video editing.
2: The playback of the track on the shoot day was on a CD and played through a stereo, a 42 inch Samsung monitor, this allowed us to play and pause the track if we needed to shoot a new take. A monitor gives instant feedback on takes and performances to allow us to make instant changes if needed.
3: In the pre production stage we also used the internet to email the manager of the arctic monkeys and to email each other within the group using hyperlinks via Google and youtube, making the process more efficient. We bought the track on CD through Amazon and mp3 through itunes. We then cut the duration of the track using soundforge, this is due to pop promo conventions where a radio edit is often used to maintain audience’s attention and interest. We filmed our storyboards frame by frame using a Sony PD170 and cut it using final cut pro to produce an animatic this helped to indicate which shots were effective or ineffective and what changes needed to be made.
1: Natural sidelights were used to create a naturally lit living space as well as the use of floor lights to create the illusion of a music studio. Individual spotlights were also used to create emphasis on the transition. The lighting rig was also controlled on an iPad app called Lumanair DMZ controller which was used to control the lighting rig, the introduction of the iPad at the end of 2010 gave us the ability to do so and made the lighting process more efficient.
2: To exhibit our pop promo, we uploaded it onto Youtube and facebook. Youtube allowed us to reach a mass audience of all ages and cultures whereas facebook only promoted the promo to our friends therefore particularly to our age group of 16-25 year olds. Reaching a mass audience helped generate audience feedback to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the promo and find out whether the narrative had translated effectively, from the feedback we recovered we found out it had and our promo was particularly popular with our target audience of 16-25 year olds who gave the feedback that they enjoyed the promo regardless of whether they liked the genre of music or not, however many commented that the transition from the bedsit to the studio could have been bigger.
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