As previously stated in past blogs, we decided to film our music video at the mall in our city. We filmed this over our Thanksgiving vacation and began to edit about a week before the due date. This time, instead of using Pinnacle Studio as our editing software, we used IMovie. We did this because it was a lot more convenient when it came to time and working at home. First, we dumped our footage using an SD card reader. We dumped the footage to my personal computer because it has IMovie and I bring it with me to school. I’m total, we took around 80 shots! We were definitely a lot more confident going into the editing process for this music video rather than the commercial because we learned from our mistakes. After dumping the footage to a folder on my computer, we went through the clips to see how much our storyboard changed and which scenes could be used. This is where it got slightly challenging.
When we finally started to put the clips together in IMovie, we quickly realized that some of our clips in the beginning feature is lip syncing. At first, we were just putting the clips in order and cutting them to what looked right. However, I remembered we had to add music and make our lips line up with the audio. This process took me way longer than I originally thought it would. It was a little bit stressful having to go back and forth. Although we were challenged by this, which happens to be something we didn’t have to deal with in the commercial project, we eventually got it done and looking great. For now, we are done editing. We’ve added transitions and everything and our video comes to a minute and sixteen seconds. We think it may be cool to add some kind of special lighting like in the original video. For example, neon outlines. We will hopefully add these, however we have to learn how to first.
Lastly, after filming and editing, you can tell that our storyboard changed dramatically. Some of the scenes we had on our original storyboard wouldn’t allow us to film. So instead of completely changing it, I made sure to get shots of the store name to show stores. Also, we decided that in the end we wanted the whole thing to be a dream. So we filmed an extra scene where we wake up at the end of the video. Overall, we were very efficient with our filming, since we did it in about 4 hours. I would definitely do it again because of how much fun it was. Beside from the fact that we had to change our storyboard to different stores, I believe that our video turned out for the better. This makes me even more excited to film and edit the next project. Unlike the commercial project, we followed our set schedule and were able to maintain a steady pace to go by. We were definitely more prepared.
Thursday, December 5, 2019
Monday, December 2, 2019
Filming Blog At The Mall
Over our Thanksgiving break, which spanned from November 27th to December 1st, we finally filmed our music video. We decided to film at around 5 o’clock on the afternoon on November 27th. This was the perfect day for us to film because of two reasons. The first reason is that it was the day before holiday shopping. Due to this, there weren’t as many people and we were able to film a lot easier. Another reason this day was perfect is because it was right before Thanksgiving which meant the holiday decorations were all up at the mall. We definitely took advantage. We filmed at the mall for about 3 hours. We ran into only one problem and it was that we weren’t allowed to set up our tripod by the crosswalk so one of our scenes became a point of view shot instead of a wide shot. The overall filming process was definitely so much fun.
Another issue we ran into was not being able to film in certain stores. We definitely expected it, but we were prepared. We ended up filming store front names and did a lot more outside and in Target. Due to this, our story board has changed a lot. Instead of filming in Hot Topic, Zumiez, and Foot Locker, we made use of some other stores in the mall. This included Target, the outdoor outlet area, and Forever 21. Also, we didn’t do any lip syncing in the food court. In the outdoor outlet area, we utilized the Christmas decorations. This included a huge ornament made of lights that you could walk through that we definitely filmed a scene in. In Target, we also made use of the Christmas area and filmed some fun scenes. Lastly, in Forever 21 we had our own “fashion show” with some jackets.
Besides the scenes that we had to change, a lot of our scenes actually turned out exactly how we wanted with some being even better. For example, the beginning scenes where we are in the living room and getting ready to go to the mall went very smooth. The only thing I would change about these scenes is to possibly film them earlier in the day so the lightning is better. One of our scenes said that went better than expected was our arcade scene. We were able to film a lot more than we thought. We filmed at at least two different games. These scenes included a three shot and a medium close up of my other group members playing basketball. We only faced one more difficulty which was the fact that I was still on crutches during the filming of our video. However, we were able to get a cart and it actually became a very useful tool in our journey to create this music video for AICE Media Studies. Now it’s editing time!
Another issue we ran into was not being able to film in certain stores. We definitely expected it, but we were prepared. We ended up filming store front names and did a lot more outside and in Target. Due to this, our story board has changed a lot. Instead of filming in Hot Topic, Zumiez, and Foot Locker, we made use of some other stores in the mall. This included Target, the outdoor outlet area, and Forever 21. Also, we didn’t do any lip syncing in the food court. In the outdoor outlet area, we utilized the Christmas decorations. This included a huge ornament made of lights that you could walk through that we definitely filmed a scene in. In Target, we also made use of the Christmas area and filmed some fun scenes. Lastly, in Forever 21 we had our own “fashion show” with some jackets.
Besides the scenes that we had to change, a lot of our scenes actually turned out exactly how we wanted with some being even better. For example, the beginning scenes where we are in the living room and getting ready to go to the mall went very smooth. The only thing I would change about these scenes is to possibly film them earlier in the day so the lightning is better. One of our scenes said that went better than expected was our arcade scene. We were able to film a lot more than we thought. We filmed at at least two different games. These scenes included a three shot and a medium close up of my other group members playing basketball. We only faced one more difficulty which was the fact that I was still on crutches during the filming of our video. However, we were able to get a cart and it actually became a very useful tool in our journey to create this music video for AICE Media Studies. Now it’s editing time!
Monday, November 25, 2019
Filming Blog: Music Video
This past weekend, my group and I had the opportunity to film some of our scenes. However, we decided to film this week and this weekend instead for a couple of reasons. For one reason, in our original schedule, we planned on filming on November 26th because our entire group is involved in our school’s band program. There was a field trip this weekend to Orlando and one of our members happened to be going on the band trip so we knew we couldn’t film without her. It was an annual football game called the Florida Classic. The event consists of a battle of the bands and the football match. Another issue we ran into is an injury. While competing in a soccer match, I sprained my ankle severely. I’m now on crutches for a week so we wanted to wait until I was more comfortable on them. This way i could still be in the video just on crutches.
The plan is to film on Wednesday or any other time this weekend. Originally, we were going to film on Tuesday however, my parents weren’t able to pick us up from school. We will still be filming at my house for the living room scene on Wednesday. We will still also be filming in the car on the way to the Sawgrass Mall and at the mall. We had an idea to possibly film just in the car and at the mall on Wednesday so we don’t have to deal with the amount of people shopping for the holidays on the weekend and so we can focus on one thing at a time. However, we think it’s a better idea to try and film in one day so we can have time to edit accordingly. Since I have finished explaining what is happening with our schedule, I would like to go into more depth with the overall music video layout. The music video will start in either my room or living room which is where we will be meeting. In this scene we are listening and speaking about the song. Then, there will be a shift to where we change clothes.
We will then begin filming outside to show us dancing around and lip syncing to the car. Next, we will film in the car where the song will continue and we will continue to dance and sing. After this, we will reach our final destination of the Sawgrass Mills Mall. Here, all of the store scenes will be filmed. We are aiming for it to get somewhat dark while filming so the Christmas decorations at the mall will show. Although I need to run this idea by my partners, I thought maybe the video could go back and forth between daylight and night time. The only issue with this is that the video would no longer make chronological sense. I do believe it would look cool if the videos shots went back and forth though. Overall we are prepared to film and can’t wait for how the video is going to turn out. Hopefully, we can top our commercial project!
The plan is to film on Wednesday or any other time this weekend. Originally, we were going to film on Tuesday however, my parents weren’t able to pick us up from school. We will still be filming at my house for the living room scene on Wednesday. We will still also be filming in the car on the way to the Sawgrass Mall and at the mall. We had an idea to possibly film just in the car and at the mall on Wednesday so we don’t have to deal with the amount of people shopping for the holidays on the weekend and so we can focus on one thing at a time. However, we think it’s a better idea to try and film in one day so we can have time to edit accordingly. Since I have finished explaining what is happening with our schedule, I would like to go into more depth with the overall music video layout. The music video will start in either my room or living room which is where we will be meeting. In this scene we are listening and speaking about the song. Then, there will be a shift to where we change clothes.
We will then begin filming outside to show us dancing around and lip syncing to the car. Next, we will film in the car where the song will continue and we will continue to dance and sing. After this, we will reach our final destination of the Sawgrass Mills Mall. Here, all of the store scenes will be filmed. We are aiming for it to get somewhat dark while filming so the Christmas decorations at the mall will show. Although I need to run this idea by my partners, I thought maybe the video could go back and forth between daylight and night time. The only issue with this is that the video would no longer make chronological sense. I do believe it would look cool if the videos shots went back and forth though. Overall we are prepared to film and can’t wait for how the video is going to turn out. Hopefully, we can top our commercial project!
Thursday, November 21, 2019
Storyboard Blog: Music Video
My group and I decided to designate two class periods to create our storyboard. Our plan fills up almost three pages of a storyboard sheet that has 6 boxes on each. Our music video is expected to be about 1:18 long. The purpose of this blog is to explain what is going on in our storyboard before recording the physical video. The video begins with the four of us sitting in my living room with the song stating faintly in the background. My group member, Jahrvia, and I will begin singing the beginning of the song as the other two have a conversation about it. Then it will switch to a three shot of 3 out of the four girls talking about how good the song is. Then, the song will become louder and the title will appear with us dancing next to the speakers. When the actual first verse begins, the screen will be split in four and show each one of our outfit changes to go to the mall. Next, we will use a tracking shot to show us walking one to get into the car and drive to the Sawgrass Mall.
Then the camera will switch to a POV shot of either the passenger in the front or the passengers in the back of us driving down the street towards the mall. The camera will then cut to a wide shot of us dancing across the crosswalk to go towards the mall entrance. Next, the camera will shoot us from behind walking into the doors of the mall. Then, the camera will cut to us using a shopping cart and singing and dancing to the music as the cart comes towards the camera and then passes. For the rest of the scenes, except for the last one, a store will be featured where we will be shopping for clothes, shoes, etc. These stores include Hot Topic, Zumiez, Foot Locker, the food court, and In The Game. The final scene features us in the outdoor portion of the mall and ends with us jumping from the fountain outside In The Game. The screen will then go black and the song will end.
Then the camera will switch to a POV shot of either the passenger in the front or the passengers in the back of us driving down the street towards the mall. The camera will then cut to a wide shot of us dancing across the crosswalk to go towards the mall entrance. Next, the camera will shoot us from behind walking into the doors of the mall. Then, the camera will cut to us using a shopping cart and singing and dancing to the music as the cart comes towards the camera and then passes. For the rest of the scenes, except for the last one, a store will be featured where we will be shopping for clothes, shoes, etc. These stores include Hot Topic, Zumiez, Foot Locker, the food court, and In The Game. The final scene features us in the outdoor portion of the mall and ends with us jumping from the fountain outside In The Game. The screen will then go black and the song will end.
Planning Blog: Music Video
Today, we began the planning process for our music video. We first started with the location and what will be happening in each location. We decided we wanted the video to start at someone's house then transition to driving and then to the mall. We will be using my living room at the first setting, then drive down Sunrise Boulevard in Sunrise, Florida, and finally end up at Sawgrass Mills Mall to film the remaining time in the music video. The majority of the music video will be spent around the mall and in stores. We even have a scene in the outdoor portion of the shopping mall and in the food court. We also had to take into account what we would do in terms of health and safety when filming. At all times, there will be a responsible parent watching to make sure we don’t danger ourselves. Especially for the car scene since none of us have a license, only permits. We will also all be securely fastened in the car with seatbelts. When we film our scene on the crosswalk at the mall, we will make sure there are no oncoming cars or other traffic as we take our shots. There are also security guards at stations all around if we are in need of assistance.
For props, we plan on using a variety of things. One thing we plan on using are speakers to show that we are listening to the song at the beginning of the video. Another thing we are using as a prop is the car that we are driving to the mall in. We will also be using a variety of other props found at the mall like clothes, shoes, and a shopping cart. We also considered using a "Chucky" doll from the 7- series movie titled "Child's Play" because it was used in the real video. However, we aren't 100% sure about this yet because we want to put our own spin on the video instead of doing the same thing. Next, we decided on costumes. Since most videos in this genre of music usually feature their videos at something like a party, we decided not to go crazy on the costuming. Instead, we will be wearing casual, "trendy" outfits to fit the idea that we are just going to the mall to have fun. The overall feeling of the video is supposed to be fun and relaxed.
As for our schedule, we will be going through the entire film making process from November 18th to December 9th. On November 18th, we began to do our storyboard and on the 20th we completely finished it. On November 22nd, we will continue to go over the plans in regards to filming. On November 26th, we will all meet at my house where we will film the beginning scenes. However, we aren't sure if we will be able to film all on that day so we may do the mall on a separate day. From November 27th to December 4th, we will continue to film if needed. On December 5th, we will begin to edit and make sure the sound of the music matches our lips. December 9th is that day we will turn in the music video and then complete some analysis questions. Overall, this process is going to be tons of fun and I already believe it's going to be even better than making the commercial.
For props, we plan on using a variety of things. One thing we plan on using are speakers to show that we are listening to the song at the beginning of the video. Another thing we are using as a prop is the car that we are driving to the mall in. We will also be using a variety of other props found at the mall like clothes, shoes, and a shopping cart. We also considered using a "Chucky" doll from the 7- series movie titled "Child's Play" because it was used in the real video. However, we aren't 100% sure about this yet because we want to put our own spin on the video instead of doing the same thing. Next, we decided on costumes. Since most videos in this genre of music usually feature their videos at something like a party, we decided not to go crazy on the costuming. Instead, we will be wearing casual, "trendy" outfits to fit the idea that we are just going to the mall to have fun. The overall feeling of the video is supposed to be fun and relaxed.
As for our schedule, we will be going through the entire film making process from November 18th to December 9th. On November 18th, we began to do our storyboard and on the 20th we completely finished it. On November 22nd, we will continue to go over the plans in regards to filming. On November 26th, we will all meet at my house where we will film the beginning scenes. However, we aren't sure if we will be able to film all on that day so we may do the mall on a separate day. From November 27th to December 4th, we will continue to film if needed. On December 5th, we will begin to edit and make sure the sound of the music matches our lips. December 9th is that day we will turn in the music video and then complete some analysis questions. Overall, this process is going to be tons of fun and I already believe it's going to be even better than making the commercial.
Thursday, November 14, 2019
Intro to New Project: Music Video
A few days ago, we finished our commercial project on Happy Meals. That experience has improved my editing, filming, and many other production skills. During that process, we were able to figure out what worked for us and what didn't. For this new project, we plan on using iMovie for editing instead of Pinnacle studio because it was too slow. The most enjoyable part of the entire process was filming. Not only was it fun to interact and actually follow the storyboard in person, but I learned how to set up each camera angle and see the camera movements. In my opinion the least enjoyed stage of the whole process was editing. Our group faced many problems with the computer and editing software we used and this caused us to get behind. For this project, my group and I decided to do a song by a local rapper, Ski Mask the Slump God. He grew up in Broward County, Florida just like us and we wanted to express that.
The song we are doing is called "Catch Me Outside" and was released in 2017. We choose this song not only to show that he's a local artist for us but because he happens to be a favorite for the majority of our group since middle school. This song and the music video are both fun and upbeat which should make the process even more fun. The music video features some really cool editing and colors that make it seem really urban and almost imitates graffiti. It also features a Chucky doll throughout the video which I thought was a fun way to add a frightening feel to the video while still having fun. The shots include many tracking shots and close ups on Ski Mask's face and also pan shots and low angles. I would consider his genre to be rap, however, in modern day a genre called a sound cloud rapper has been created. In this genre the videos are usually at night and at a party. Just like the "Catch Me Outside" video, they are usually filled with cool editing and colors.
1. The costuming consists of casual clothes, usually trending clothes. Since these videos are supposed to just be fun and party like, it would be unusual to wear big, extravagant costumes.
2. The lighting usually features party lights. If not, it is dark and at night with maybe city lights from buildings.
3. Again, the acting in the videos is usually very casual and party-like. It doesn't seem like there is any kind of script.
4. The props in this genre include things like cars, money, jewelry, etc. It's usually to show wealth.
5. The scenery is usually in a city or at a house party or club.
The song we are doing is called "Catch Me Outside" and was released in 2017. We choose this song not only to show that he's a local artist for us but because he happens to be a favorite for the majority of our group since middle school. This song and the music video are both fun and upbeat which should make the process even more fun. The music video features some really cool editing and colors that make it seem really urban and almost imitates graffiti. It also features a Chucky doll throughout the video which I thought was a fun way to add a frightening feel to the video while still having fun. The shots include many tracking shots and close ups on Ski Mask's face and also pan shots and low angles. I would consider his genre to be rap, however, in modern day a genre called a sound cloud rapper has been created. In this genre the videos are usually at night and at a party. Just like the "Catch Me Outside" video, they are usually filled with cool editing and colors.
1. The costuming consists of casual clothes, usually trending clothes. Since these videos are supposed to just be fun and party like, it would be unusual to wear big, extravagant costumes.
2. The lighting usually features party lights. If not, it is dark and at night with maybe city lights from buildings.
3. Again, the acting in the videos is usually very casual and party-like. It doesn't seem like there is any kind of script.
4. The props in this genre include things like cars, money, jewelry, etc. It's usually to show wealth.
5. The scenery is usually in a city or at a house party or club.
Thursday, November 7, 2019
Final Blog: Commercial Project
Today, we started to finish up our editing completely. However, on both days we were scheduled to edit, we ran into two technical difficulties. The first one is that our editing software, Pinnacle Studio, was very slow so it was hard to cut videos according to what was needed. The second problem we faced was that the people who used our assigned computer before us didn’t plug it in after they used it. In those two days of editing, our computer ran out of battery three times. Besides these two issues, the editing process wasn’t too terrible. We did need help when creating different editing styles like a split screen, so that’s not quite done yet. Even though the project may seem pretty much finished, we still have to cut our video down to the 30 second time limit. We also have to add in our sounds. This includes the Barbie theme song and the McDonalds jingle voiceover. We should be completely finished by next class.
There were quite a few things we had to change from our storyboard because the clips we took were too long. For example, the scene where we are walking to the table and talking about what we wanna be when we grow up had to be cut. We chose this clip because it was already repetitive with the previous clip of us walking. We also weren’t able to film an establishing shot of McDonalds because we filmed on school property only. We changed the scene were you see what’s in our happy meal to just two trunk shots of the children on a split screen. Although we had our storyboard planned out and all, we did go off track a little just in case we didn’t have enough footage. However, we definitely filmed more than needed and will probably just cut everything to match the storyboard exactly, except for the changes stated before. Some of the extra footage we recorded would definitely add to the storyline but since it’s just a commercial it’s not necessary. For example, we shot a clip were the two girls show each other what Barbies they received and then go to a bench to play and y’all about them, however this clip was way too lengthy. Another example is of a clip where the girls turn to the camera and say the Barbie motto but we aren’t sure if we wanna keep this clip or not.
Overall, this project was a great first experience at the filming process. It showed how people in the film industry go through the process of creating media. This project was super fun, I definitely enjoyed learning and creating. This makes me super excited for the next projects to come as the year progresses leading up to the final movie project. Since film is the industry I would like to work in in the future, this class and these projects are great ways to increase my knowledge so I am prepared. In future projects, I would like to improve on the editing and try new and more advanced features. Also, I would like to be able to film and dump a lot quicker so that we have time to complete other aspects of the project. Lastly, my final thing I would like to improve on is my blogs. I would like to be able to go into more detail about what I did during each step. In conclusion, this project wasn’t perfect but enjoyable and interesting.
There were quite a few things we had to change from our storyboard because the clips we took were too long. For example, the scene where we are walking to the table and talking about what we wanna be when we grow up had to be cut. We chose this clip because it was already repetitive with the previous clip of us walking. We also weren’t able to film an establishing shot of McDonalds because we filmed on school property only. We changed the scene were you see what’s in our happy meal to just two trunk shots of the children on a split screen. Although we had our storyboard planned out and all, we did go off track a little just in case we didn’t have enough footage. However, we definitely filmed more than needed and will probably just cut everything to match the storyboard exactly, except for the changes stated before. Some of the extra footage we recorded would definitely add to the storyline but since it’s just a commercial it’s not necessary. For example, we shot a clip were the two girls show each other what Barbies they received and then go to a bench to play and y’all about them, however this clip was way too lengthy. Another example is of a clip where the girls turn to the camera and say the Barbie motto but we aren’t sure if we wanna keep this clip or not.
Overall, this project was a great first experience at the filming process. It showed how people in the film industry go through the process of creating media. This project was super fun, I definitely enjoyed learning and creating. This makes me super excited for the next projects to come as the year progresses leading up to the final movie project. Since film is the industry I would like to work in in the future, this class and these projects are great ways to increase my knowledge so I am prepared. In future projects, I would like to improve on the editing and try new and more advanced features. Also, I would like to be able to film and dump a lot quicker so that we have time to complete other aspects of the project. Lastly, my final thing I would like to improve on is my blogs. I would like to be able to go into more detail about what I did during each step. In conclusion, this project wasn’t perfect but enjoyable and interesting.
Monday, October 28, 2019
Editing Our Commercial
Today, we returned back to the filming process for about 30 minutes to finish some extra scenes. We first filmed a trunk shot of us opening our Happy Meal boxes. We also filmed a tracking shot where we walked out of the McDonalds doors to the outdoor seating. We did run into a few problems with props including leaving them in the classroom, but we managed to finish in a good amount of time to be able to come back, dump, and begin writing our blogs. On that note, we made our way back to the class and dumped all of the footage from today into our folder. To do this, we started by using a SD card reader to connect our SD card to the computer. I opened the folder that we had used the previous class to store our footage on so we could keep all of the footage together. Then, I opened the DCIM folder and scrolled until I found our footage from today. Next, I highlighted all of the files and dragged them into our folder. This took a few seconds to fully transfer. Since we were done with filming, we wanted to begin editing so we wouldn't fall behind.
Although we were completely ready and dumped all of our footage, Pinnacle Studio wouldn’t work for the computers in our classroom. Instead of editing we decided to go over and organize our footage in chronological order. We started by pulling out our storyboard to ensure what we were doing was correct. Then, we took the footage today of us walking out of McDonalds and added that as first. Next, we took the footage of us walking to the table and reviewed the audio. We put these shots as second on the list. Then, we put the footage of the waitress taking our order and placed that after us sitting down. Next, we took the scene from today where we look into our Happy Meal boxes and are surprised at what we find. Then, we put the footage of us realizing that the Barbies had the same careers we wanted to be. Lastly we put the scene of us playing with the Barbies.
We also recorded our voice overs today. There is a voice over at the very end of the McDonalds commercial where we sing the "I'm lovin' it" jingle. Also, since the computers are no longer working with Pinnacle Studio we needed to find a new way to store our footage. We put our footage on two different computers by accident so the whole class there was a student working on it. However, we managed to get our footage from today on my Google Drive. We did this simply by opening a new folder in the drive and then highlighting, dragging, and dropping the files. We then waited for the student to finish. When the class period ended, I stayed back to move the files onto my drive. I made sure to add it to the same folder as the other files. I also placed it back in chronological order. Overall, there was plenty of transferring and organizing that went into today's class.
Although we were completely ready and dumped all of our footage, Pinnacle Studio wouldn’t work for the computers in our classroom. Instead of editing we decided to go over and organize our footage in chronological order. We started by pulling out our storyboard to ensure what we were doing was correct. Then, we took the footage today of us walking out of McDonalds and added that as first. Next, we took the footage of us walking to the table and reviewed the audio. We put these shots as second on the list. Then, we put the footage of the waitress taking our order and placed that after us sitting down. Next, we took the scene from today where we look into our Happy Meal boxes and are surprised at what we find. Then, we put the footage of us realizing that the Barbies had the same careers we wanted to be. Lastly we put the scene of us playing with the Barbies.
We also recorded our voice overs today. There is a voice over at the very end of the McDonalds commercial where we sing the "I'm lovin' it" jingle. Also, since the computers are no longer working with Pinnacle Studio we needed to find a new way to store our footage. We put our footage on two different computers by accident so the whole class there was a student working on it. However, we managed to get our footage from today on my Google Drive. We did this simply by opening a new folder in the drive and then highlighting, dragging, and dropping the files. We then waited for the student to finish. When the class period ended, I stayed back to move the files onto my drive. I made sure to add it to the same folder as the other files. I also placed it back in chronological order. Overall, there was plenty of transferring and organizing that went into today's class.
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Filming Blog for McDonald's Commercial
The process of filming our Happy Meal commercial did take a lot of time and effort but we were able to complete the majority of it. In the commercial, I played one if the children that received a Happy Meal. However, I did help with camera angles before the scenes were shot. For example, before the scene where the children walk to the table with their mom, i was able to set the camera to a position where the camera girl would create a tilt shot. We were able to film more than half of our commercial in the time we had between lunches to film on the senior patio. My group member Jahrvia played the other child and was in charge of props and costumes. My group member Anishka was in charge of directing and shooting the majority’s of the commercial. She also played the McDonalds waitress. Lastly, my group member Aaliyah played the mom. She was responsible for props also and the overall scripts and parts of each scene to add more excitement.
We started the process by gathering our materials to start with. This included our camera, tripod, SD card, and pass to be outside. Next, we headed straight to the senior patio area in the school. We had to be aware of the people eating lunch in an hour so we filmed fairly quick. We then put in our SD card and connected the camera to the tripod. We set the tripod up at a wide angle so the audience could see the table we were using for the commercial. We began filming the scene on our storyboard where we finish talking about what we wanna be when we grow up and then sit down at the table. We had to do a couple of these become we were worried about the sound on the videos being too low. Then, we filmed the scene where the waiter comes and asks what we would like to order. We were able to include a close up of the mom character ordering Happy Meals.
The next scene filmed was of the children showing each other their toys. Then they ask the mom to go play and begin a conversation on how their Barbies match the future career they want to have. We managed to incorporate over the shoulder shots to sho the girls talking to each other. The children then turn to the camera, which is now at a wide angle, and say “Barbie, You Can Be Anything” right before it fades to the McDonalds sign and jingle. Once we we’re finished with these scenes, we decided to head back to the classroom and dump our footage. Since we had it written down in our notes, this process only took a couple of minutes. Since we were complete so quick, we went back to review some of the shots taken. As stated before, we were very worried about the audio. However, the audio maintains sound that is perfect for the commercial and for us to put sounds on top of it. The overall filming process was definitely fun, but there’s still plenty of work to be done.
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Storyboard Blog: Our Commercial
For this portion of our commercial project, my group members and I story boarded and completely finalized everything from shots to sound. Our commercial includes sounds like a voiceover and music. The commercial will include a beginning establishing shot of McDonald’s and then cut to a medium close up of the children walking out of McDonald’s to the outdoor seating area. That shot will consist of dialogue between the girls on what they want to be when they grow up. The girls will then be filmed from eye level, getting their orders taken but the waiter. Next, there is going to be a cutaway to the mother, who will be filmed at a close up, who tells the waiter what they want and, featuring an over the shoulder shot, the waiter will respond back. After that, the commercial will transition to a spilt screen and begin fairly playing the Barbie “You Can Be Anything” jingle. While the screen is still split and the music is still playing, the left side will have a point of view shot of one of the girls while the right side is a trunk shot from inside of the Happy Meal box. During this scene, the girls are also talking to each other and saying that they received the matching toy to their future careers stated at the beginning of the commercial. Finally, the camera will zoom out on the family and fade into the McDonald sign along with the “I’m lovin it” jingle and the words “You Can Be Anything”. Overall, our commercial will feature the traditional conventions that a Happy Meal commercial is made up of. The toys, the box, and the theme will be include all through the commercial. The storyboard process for this project was a good way to summarize what my blogs have been explaining. The story boarding process lays out a whole outline on the schedule/process for ur project. The one thing I wish I could include is indoor. However, this commercial will probably give a new perspective on how Happy Meal commercials are shot and edited.
Monday, October 14, 2019
Editing Lesson Blog
The editing process for media is the process of cutting and putting video clips together along with adding special effects such as music, words, and transitions. Editing takes place in the post-production stage of the film making process and is probably one of the most important parts because without editing there would just be a bunch of raw footage. Today, I've learned the entire process of editing from audio to transitions. To start, you must dump your footage taken from the camera to the computer. Then, you're supposed to open a folder on your computer by right clicking. Take the SD card out of your camera and insert it into a SD card reader that attaches to the computer. When the window pops up, there will be a folder titled DCIM and that's where you would find the footage. If the footage doesn't show, go to private then click the AVICHD folder and all of the footage could be found. When you find your footage click stream and you should be able to recover the videos. After all of this, you have to move all of the files to the folder you created. You do this by highlighting and dragging all of the clips together to the folder on the desktop screen.
The next step in the editing process is to import from the computer to the actual program, Pinnacle Studio. When you open the program, you have to switch to edit mode by clicking on the word edit and wait for it to be highlighted. A huge tip is to not try and rush Pinnacle Studio because it can crash easily which can cause progress to be erased. Next, you're going to click import, go to desktop and click the plus sign. If you just click desktop, it's not going to work. When the screen with all of the clips pops up, all of the clips on the desktop will be highlighted so you must uncheck all of them and only select the footage you will be editing. Click the 'Start Import' button and wait until all of the clips show up. The video will be built on the AV2 track not on the AV1 OR AV3. The AV1 track will have titles while the AV3 track will have music/audio.
To start creating your video, drag your first clip to the AV2 track and wait for the yellow bar to disappear. Continue to add your clips and begin cutting. To cut, put the player right over where you want to separate the clips and then erase the part that needs to be cut. For others options like transitions and effects, right click open editor and add as needed. You can also detach audio by right clicking over it and deleting it. For titles hit T and create the title you want. Lastly, next to import, click export and make sure it is saved in mp3.
The next step in the editing process is to import from the computer to the actual program, Pinnacle Studio. When you open the program, you have to switch to edit mode by clicking on the word edit and wait for it to be highlighted. A huge tip is to not try and rush Pinnacle Studio because it can crash easily which can cause progress to be erased. Next, you're going to click import, go to desktop and click the plus sign. If you just click desktop, it's not going to work. When the screen with all of the clips pops up, all of the clips on the desktop will be highlighted so you must uncheck all of them and only select the footage you will be editing. Click the 'Start Import' button and wait until all of the clips show up. The video will be built on the AV2 track not on the AV1 OR AV3. The AV1 track will have titles while the AV3 track will have music/audio.
To start creating your video, drag your first clip to the AV2 track and wait for the yellow bar to disappear. Continue to add your clips and begin cutting. To cut, put the player right over where you want to separate the clips and then erase the part that needs to be cut. For others options like transitions and effects, right click open editor and add as needed. You can also detach audio by right clicking over it and deleting it. For titles hit T and create the title you want. Lastly, next to import, click export and make sure it is saved in mp3.
Thursday, October 10, 2019
Planning Blog For Happy Meal Commercial
As stated in my previous blog, McDonalds has developed new ways to advertise their famous Happy Meals. Our Happy Meal commercial is going to be similar to the new ones in the way it is formatted and features a theme based on the toy given out. The theme this time of year through October 14, 2019 is Barbie and Hot Wheels which are both branches of the company Mattel. In this commercial, we will focus on the "You Can be Anything" aspect of Barbie. Three out of the four of us working on this project will be playing the parts of the children at McDonalds talking and receiving Happy Meals. The other person is going to act like the cashier/worker at McDonalds.
In order to create this commercial at school, we will need to use various Mis en Scene subjects so the audience knows what's going on. As props, we will include the famous red Happy Meal box with the golden smile and arches. Inside of the box, there will be the food boxes, the sides, the drink, and of course the toy. For costuming, the worker will wear all black and the other three of us will be dressed as young children who just came from school, included in our costume will be our school backpacks. As for the schedule, we will first set up around the front of the school to show that the kids are leaving and heading to McDonalds. Then the cameras will follow us for a few seconds and then cut to McDonalds which will be filmed on senior patio to show an outdoor seating area. Next the camera will become a trunk shot and show the faces of the kids when they open their boxes as they take out their toys and reveal what barbie toy they recieved.
In my introductory blog I stated that I do go to Fort Lauderdale High School in South Florida. With South Florida, weather can be unpredictable. If there is a case where it starts to rain, we would move the McDonalds scene to either the media center or the cafeteria if we are allowed. If not we will do the same that we would do with the introduction scene; move it under shelter. Also, If one of our members decides they can't be there, we will learn each others parts and switch roles.
In order to create this commercial at school, we will need to use various Mis en Scene subjects so the audience knows what's going on. As props, we will include the famous red Happy Meal box with the golden smile and arches. Inside of the box, there will be the food boxes, the sides, the drink, and of course the toy. For costuming, the worker will wear all black and the other three of us will be dressed as young children who just came from school, included in our costume will be our school backpacks. As for the schedule, we will first set up around the front of the school to show that the kids are leaving and heading to McDonalds. Then the cameras will follow us for a few seconds and then cut to McDonalds which will be filmed on senior patio to show an outdoor seating area. Next the camera will become a trunk shot and show the faces of the kids when they open their boxes as they take out their toys and reveal what barbie toy they recieved.
In my introductory blog I stated that I do go to Fort Lauderdale High School in South Florida. With South Florida, weather can be unpredictable. If there is a case where it starts to rain, we would move the McDonalds scene to either the media center or the cafeteria if we are allowed. If not we will do the same that we would do with the introduction scene; move it under shelter. Also, If one of our members decides they can't be there, we will learn each others parts and switch roles.
Monday, October 7, 2019
Research Blog: Conventions and Codes
My classmates and I have decided to create a commercial for McDonalds' Happy Meals. Over the years, McDonalds has become more and more creative in they way they include the theme of the toys found in the box into the overall commercial along with creating and including their own app for children to play on. Starting with a Happy Meal commercial from 1979, the Happy Meal franchise has used different families and characters to advocate for the fun size meal for children. Families of different backgrounds and characters of different species and/or occupations have all been included in the 30 seconds of laughing, dancing, and eating. In a Happy meal commercial, you would usually find that there's the signature box that is either all red with the golden arches are it's decorated in the McDonalds characters and/or the theme for that month's toy. The commercials also include a family coming in for lunch and being surprised at what toy they found at the bottom of their box. In more recent years, McDonalds has animated the Happy Meal box itself instead of using the old characters (Ronald McDonald, Hamburglar). Animators have also allowed for McDonalds to us their characters as a way to promote the toys (ex. Shrek).
Another thing that is always in a McDonalds commercial whether it's for Happy Meals or not, they always use the signature jingle and slogan. The slogan states, "I'm lovin it" and usually ends the commercial. "Buh da buh buh buhhhh", is usually what the narrator or characters say right before the ending of the commercial. Some other sounds in Happy Meal commercials usually deal with the toy that is being given out. For example, a recent 2019 McDonalds commercial features the song Hakuna Matata from the 2019 version of Disney's the Lion King. The family in the commercial were also dressed up like characters from the Lion King and recreated the scene in the song where Simba, Timon, and Pumba walk and sing in a straight line. McDonalds Happy Meal commercials also give promotions every once in a while. Whenever there's a new movie or TV show, McDonalds gets the toys for it and then makes sure to tell its viewers to go see the movie. Even if it's for a new toy, McDonalds promotes a different version. Lastly, a personal example would be from the early 2000s when the company Kidz Bop started to become popular. McDonalds used to give out the CDs for kids to listen to at home. I probably have all of them somewhere in my house!
In conclusion, McDonalds has used a lot of the same techniques to get the attention of their audience while still receiving brand deals and lots of success. Even though they have used the same jingle and the same concepts, McDonalds has found a way to give the audience the most interesting commercials. From 1979 to now, McDonalds has created an extremely family- friendly environment to ensure that their restaurants could be a place to spend time with the ones you love while still having fun! As an ode to the old McDonalds, I personally believe it would be fun to bring back the old characters that kids would love but also maybe be a little bit terrified of. However, for this specific project, a techniques like the one used to promote the Lion King may be the smartest way to go because it is relevant to today's generation. With each Happy Meal commercial on Disney channel or Nickelodeon, kids beg their parents to go and McDonalds gains more revenue as a whole. The way these commercials evolve with the time is just a great reason why they're still so popular today. This project is definitely going to be a good way to start off the process towards the final project.
Introductory
Hello, my name is Lauren and I am a sophomore at Fort Lauderdale High School. I was born February 26, 2004, which makes me a pisces, in South Florida. My mother's side of the family is from Germany and my father was born in Haiti. I happen to be a varsity soccer player, a majorette in the band, and a choreographer for the dance team at my school. My favorite color is purple, my favorite show is Stranger Things, and my favorite food/snack are French fries. In the future, I would like to pursue a career in performing arts, whether it's acting or dancing or maybe even both! This AICE Media Studies class could definitely lead me on the path in that industry. I choose to take this course for that reason and because I am very curious on the process of making movies, television, commercials, etc.
I have lived in South Florida my entire life. As a child, I took up baton twirling, ballet. tap, and lyrical dancing with ribbon work. I continued this until I was around 5 which, which is when I began kindergarten. About two years later, I was introduced to the sport of soccer which I immediately took a liking to and became good quick. During my early soccer career, I also took a liking to competitive cheerleading and returned to ballet. I competed for cheer for about three years before I decided to focus on soccer and ballet. When I got to middle school, I came to the conclusion that I wanted to be a well rounded dancer and began taking jazz and lyrical. Now, I play soccer, take technique classes, baton twirl and choreograph for the dance team at my school.
As I stated before, I am very fond of the arts and want to be apart of the overall process when I am older. AICE Media is a great way for me to apply what I have learned in previous AICE courses about writing and analyzing to a subject that I'm actually interested in. I haven't gone into much depth researching for college yet, however, I see NYU as a possible option because of the success among students in the industry. Not only will AICE Media give me an opportunity at an AICE Diploma, but it will also give me intel on what I may need to know for my future. I was an active member of the National Junior Honor Society at my middle school, and maintained a very high GPA. I happen to be a Great Explorations in Math student which means I am taking Pre calculus as a sophomore instead of a senior. Overall, I feel that my grades and programs that I have been apart of lay a strong foundation for my college career. AICE media studies is one of these programs that will help me get far in my preferred job industry.
I have lived in South Florida my entire life. As a child, I took up baton twirling, ballet. tap, and lyrical dancing with ribbon work. I continued this until I was around 5 which, which is when I began kindergarten. About two years later, I was introduced to the sport of soccer which I immediately took a liking to and became good quick. During my early soccer career, I also took a liking to competitive cheerleading and returned to ballet. I competed for cheer for about three years before I decided to focus on soccer and ballet. When I got to middle school, I came to the conclusion that I wanted to be a well rounded dancer and began taking jazz and lyrical. Now, I play soccer, take technique classes, baton twirl and choreograph for the dance team at my school.
As I stated before, I am very fond of the arts and want to be apart of the overall process when I am older. AICE Media is a great way for me to apply what I have learned in previous AICE courses about writing and analyzing to a subject that I'm actually interested in. I haven't gone into much depth researching for college yet, however, I see NYU as a possible option because of the success among students in the industry. Not only will AICE Media give me an opportunity at an AICE Diploma, but it will also give me intel on what I may need to know for my future. I was an active member of the National Junior Honor Society at my middle school, and maintained a very high GPA. I happen to be a Great Explorations in Math student which means I am taking Pre calculus as a sophomore instead of a senior. Overall, I feel that my grades and programs that I have been apart of lay a strong foundation for my college career. AICE media studies is one of these programs that will help me get far in my preferred job industry.
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