Editing

Today, 12/4, we finished editing our music video. After a few hours of long work, we finally finished editing. We are very pleased with the overall outcome of the video. Even though we couldn’t use the professional camera that we signed out from the class, all of the clips turned out good, just the way we had planned. I think that the camera on the iphone that we had used to film was better quality than the camera we signed out. We used this camera for the commercial, and i think our music video overall turned out better. There were some complications but the finished product did not show them. The whole process took about 4 weeks of planning, storyboarding, filming and editing. The editing portion did not go exactly as planned, however. We learned to overcome this and complete our video either way.
One of the complications that we faced was with the music. The song that we had planned to put into our music video was Sugar, by Robin Schultz. Because we couldn’t use the camera and we used the iphone to film, it was easier for us to use imovie instead of pinnacle studios. It would have been really difficult for us to transport all of the clips on our phone to the computer for pinnacle studios. With imovie, we were easily able to transport our clips onto the application. Once they were transferred onto imovie, we needed to add sound first. If we added sound after we edited, the clips wouldn’t match up with the words in the song. So once the clips were uploaded, the next step was to import the song into the video. When I clicked the sound button to import the song, it said that the song was DRM protected. This means that we could not import the sound onto the video. The solution that we thought of was to do a voice over of the song playing on someone else’s phone and insert it into the video. This worked out perfectly fine and the sound sounded completely normal.
Another issue that we had faced when editing the video was that I could not figure out how to manage the transformations. I had envisioned the video to have transitions between clips that fade into one another. When I began editing, the only transition that it would allow was to just cut into each new clip. I didn't think that this looked smooth and consistent. I figured out that in order for imovie to allow me to use the dissolve transition, I needed to insert each clip individually. This clearly took much more time that my previous method, but the overall product turned out better. Even though we faced multiple complications, we are pleased by the way that the product turned out. Overall, the editing process was long and tedious, but the finished music video was a product of good quality and planning.

Filming (continued)

This weekend, we finally filmed our music video. We filmed on 11/27, the day before Thanksgiving. The timing worked out perfectly, as it was over break and we were all available. We included our two other friends, Ari and Lucy into the video. Since Ari drives, we were able to successfully film the clips in the car that we had planned out on the storyboard. Overall, we filmed some of the clips that we planned out, but not all of them. For example, we planned on staying for sunset and concluding the video with those clips. However, we did not end up staying for sunset and concluded the video with us closing the doors to the car and waving bye. We were overall pretty successful with the way that all of the clips turned out. If we didn’t like the way something looked, we would film them again and again until we got it the way the wanted to look. In total, we took over 60 different clips to include in our final product.
Overall, everything went pretty smoothly. Every place we planned to go, we went, and filmed the clips that we planned. Only one thing did not go as planned. On Monday, 11/25, we signed out the camera from class, along with the SD card. Our teacher told us to charge the camera multiple times, but we forgot to charge it. When we first got in the car and took out the camera, we realized that we had to charge it but we didn’t. Originally, the camera said that we had 29 minutes left of battery but then it quickly decreased and soon the camera was dead. We then tried to charge the camera in the car, but it wasn’t charging fast enough and it did not work out. We decided to use our phones to film instead of the camera. This worked out in our favor and was overall less stressful than to worry about the camera working properly.
We ended up filming about 75% of the clips that we had planned. For example, we filmed a close up of our friend singing certain lyrics to the song. We filmed multiple of these, and we will cut back to them multiple times throughout the video. We also filmed with donuts from Krispy Kreme, not Dunkin’ donuts like we had planned. We filmed the server at the drive-through window handing us the donuts, us eating them, and a few shots of just the donuts in the box. We also filmed a few shots of us all dancing in the car and being happy, just like the song is talking about. In addition to the clips that we had planned in our storyboard, we added some new clips. One new clip we added to conclude the video was of us waving bye and closing the car door. We felt that this was a good way to end the video, instead of staying for sunset. Overall, we are content with the way all of the individual clips turned out and we will soon put it all together.

Fliming

This past weekend, we did not end up filming. We are planning on filming this Wednesday. This week is Thanksgiving break, so we will film. Since it’s the break, we have multiple days to film which is helpful to make sure we can both be there to film. We also need to make sure that the day is okay with everyone else in the video. Since we are including other people in our video, it is even more difficult to pick the right date that works with everyone. This Wednesday, we will be able to all get together and create the video. We also need to make sure we have a car to film with. Since my friend drives, we have to make sure that we have a car that we can film in. We also have to pick the right time of day to go to the beach. We do not want it to be too crowded, which is not good for filming. We also have to make sure that the roads are not too crowded either, because it will be distracting to the driver. Also, the clips won’t look as good.
Before we film, we need to make sure we are prepared. First, we need to ensure that we have all of the right materials. Yesterday, we got the camera and sd card. We had to first fill out a form to keep a record of who is renting out the cameras and sd cards. We also had the option to rent out a tri pod. I did not think this was necessary because we will be in the car. The tripod will not fit in the car, and we do not want to put it in the sand at the beach either. Because we are filming at the beach, we need to make sure that the sand does not get into the camera. This could mess up our clips and it could also ruin the camera. As we currently have the camera and sad card, we will be filming on Wednesday.
To clarify, some of the details for our video are listen below:
1. Costumes- we will be wearing casual, normal street clothes, as we are filming on the beach.
2. Lighting- we will be using the natural sunlight, since we will be at the beach.
3. Actors- we will be including 2 other people to be able to create our storyboard vision of the video.
4. Safety- we are going to ensure to use our seatbelt when in the car.
All of these factors will enhance the quality of our video, making it the best it can be.

Storyboarding

Today, 11/21/19, we started to storyboard for our music video. After considering many locations and ideas for the video, we finally decided to film on the beach and in the car with all of us dancing, singing and being happy. We chose this idea because we feel as if we could elaborate more on our ideas if we film here. To start off our commercial, we will do a close up of the song on the radio in the car. The beginning of the song is just music with no lyrics, and this is when we will show the scenery in the car with the song playing. We will show all of the actors in the video, as we will be bringing in our friends too. Next, we will show the two people in the front of the car dancing in the car. We will also show the people in the back of the car dancing as well. Following this, we will show one of us singing the song in a close up. Throughout the whole video, we will keep cutting back into the same person singing the words of the song. We will then show the location of where we are filming, the beach. We will drive on the road next to the beach, and film through the window and this will be a pan shot. Once we show that we are at the beach, we will then show us jumping and dancing around to the song in the sand, while singing the lyrics. After this, we will cut back to the close up of one of us singing the lyrics to the song again. We repeat this one more time later in the video. Since the song is called sugar, we are planning on incorporating donuts from Dunkin’ donuts. We are relating this film to the title of the song, especially when it explicitly says the word sugar in the song. We will do a close up of the donuts in the car to show them. We will then show all of us dancing in the car while eating the donuts, showing the box too. We will also show us dancing through the sunroof of the car. For the last time, we will then cut back into the close up of one of us singing the song again. Once we have done this, we will go back to the beach and play volleyball. We will take a wide shot of two of us passing the volleyball back and forth over the net. To conclude the video, we are going to wait until sunset and take a pan of the beach, specifically the waves and the sky. The very last scene of the video will be all of us sitting on the towel at sunset, all singing together. Overall, we intended to create a happy and intriguing music video that will be appealing to the audience. The song is overall a very happy song and we will match the tone in the video. We are planning on filming on 11/27 and if that doesn’t work, we will film on 11/30.

Planning

Today, 11/19, we are planning out our music video. When planning out our music video, we need to consider many things, such as: Location, Health and Safety, Props, Costumes and the schedule that we need to stay consistent with.
1.  Location- For our music video, we will be filming at the beach. Since the song is a happy pop song, we figured that it would be appropriate to film here. The beach is a good place to film because we don’t need to worry about approval or denial. We will also be filming in a car, next to the beach.  However, if this location does not work out, our backup location would be at a park, or at a parking lot in the car. All of these locations would be appropriate to the song, but hopefully we will be able to film at the beach.
2.  Health and Safety- As we are planning to film at the beach, there is not many precautions we can take to be safe. We are not planning to go in the ocean, so we will not need to worry about having a lifeguard for safety precautions. However, when we are in the car, we will need to be wearing seatbelts.
3. Costumes- From all of the research that we did and the other music videos of pop songs, we have seen that most of the clothing that is worn is all casual clothing. It would not make sense to dress up in fancy costumes, at the beach. We are planning to wear casual clothing, like t-shirts and shorts.
4.  Props- When we are at the beach, we will be using certain props like footballs, or volleyballs and more. We will be using these props to be protraying kids having a good time and enjoying life, which is what the song is expressing as well. We will also be using a car, to show us listening to music and having fun in the car.
5. Schedule- The following schedule lists all of our dates that we are planning to film and complete other blogs:
11/19 Plan our music video (location, health and safety, costumes and props.)
11/21 Location List, continue on schedule and storyboard.
11/25 Filming blog, explaining when and how we are filming, and how it went.
12/2 Another filming blog.
12/6 Music video is completed and due.

Research for Music Video

Now, we have finished our commercial. Overall, I believe that our commercial turned out really good, with no complications. I learned so much from these past few weeks. Between the camera and Pinnacle Studios, I learned how to edit, film, storyboard and create a whole film from scratch. Even though we had a back-up plan, thankfully we did not need to use it. Everything went smoothly as planned and it turned out just the way we had envisioned it. Now, we are going to begin working out our music video. Everything I learned from the commercial can be applied to the music video and hopefully turn out just as good as our commercial.
After listening to multiple songs, we decided on Sugar (feat. Francesco Yates) by Robin Schultz. The genre for this song is pop. We debated between other genres like country or rap, but after listening to this song, we decided that pop would be a good idea for a music video. We decided not to do rap because it would be to fast, and country would be too slow. We based this decision off of our idea, to film us participating in different activities on the beach. We figured this song would be appropriate and would give the music video a solid base to build off of. In the actual music video for this song, it shows a man enjoying the song in his car. We will add shots of us listening to this song on the beach and in the car on the road for the beach.
After watching multiple music videos from this genre, we determined that the music video must be outside. The settings mostly all took place in outside venues or cars. The overall conventions varied, depending on certain factors like gender, age, setting and more. For the most part, the actors were wearing casual clothing, appropriate to the setting. As we are filming our video on the beach, we will be wearing casual clothes which includes tank tops and shorts. Most of the videos did not have artificial lighting, as they were already outside in the natural light. We also won’t need artificial lighting because we will be in the natural sunlight at the beach. In other videos, actors were only wearing makeup when not outside or at the beach. Seeing this, we won’t be wearing a lot of makeup because we are supposed to be natural and at the beach. Most music videos entailed acting like singing along, dancing, having fun and more. For our acting, we will sing along to the song, or doing an activity with our friends. Along with all of the mis-en-scene,  there were a variety of camera angles and shots as well. We saw a lot of close-ups and wide shots, when they wanted to show a subject in a setting. We are doing this as well, so we will use many wide shots, medium- close ups, close-ups and pan shots.

Struggles Of Editing

At the beginning of our class period, we begun the filming for our commercial. Afterwards we were planning on editing the film. First, we dumped all of the material from the SD card and card readers onto the desktop. We created a folder that would store all of our film. We automatically assumed that the editing process would go smoothly and the computers would work perfectly. However, this was not the case. Our overall editing process was very complicated. All of the complications made the process very frustrating and difficult. As all of these complications were out of our control, there was no solution that we could have reached in the moment. None of these complications were those that we could have foreseen either, which makes it difficult to prevent.
From the beginning, we first walked into the class room and returned all of our objects. We used equipment like tripods, camera and an SD card. We returned all of these and proceeded to take the SD card and card reader and insert it into the computer. From the start, the computer would not start up. Once we put in our username and password into the system, the computer would load for a long time. It took about 20 minutes to boot up, which took a lot of the time to load. Once we put all of the film on the computer, we needed to then open pinnacle studios. This is a very big app on the computer, which also did not work in our favor. This was the only application that we could have used to edit on these computers but it would not start up. Every time we began to use it, the system would crash.
The problems continued when we attempted to upload our footage onto pinnacle studios. The computer would provide a message stating that it was loading but it would never load. After approximately 20 minutes, the app would crash and start over. This process made the whole editing process very complicated and difficult for the entire class. We hope to soon get new computers, or edit on the laptops. This will hopefully solve the problem and allow us to finally begin editing for our commercials. After filming, we were really looking forward to editing and finalizing our commercial. Once we get either a new computer or a laptop, we can finally turn in our final product. We are concerned that we will not be able to turn it in on time, or we will be behind on other products necessary for this class. However, we will find a solution.

Filming

On Wednesday, October 23, my group officially filmed our commercial. Just to reiterate, our commercial is for Nike, composed by Me, Julia and Jorge. We used props like Nike clothes, shoes and bags to show the brand being used in sports, in specific for running. We filmed on the track, and we showed Julia and Jorge running and doing athletic activities while wearing Nike. I was behind the camera, filming the shots. I was in charge of using the camera and making sure each shot was filmed correctly. We used most of the ideas from the storyboard, however we thought of some new clips that we could incorporate while we were outside. For example, when we were walking out to the track, we thought of using the bleachers as a prop to showcase Nike shoes in action. This was not on our storyboard, but we will most likely include this in the final commercial. All 3 of us contributed to different aspects of the commercial so that it will all successfully come together how we had it planned at the end.
We started off in the classroom. The first step to filming was to sign out the materials needed from the classroom. We needed a camera, a tripod, the SD card and the card reader, and a pass so that we could film on the track. Once this was all completed, we were able to change into the clothing and shoes necessary to portray Nike on the actors. We had shirts, shorts, bags and shoes that we used as props. Once we got out to the track, we set up the tripod and camera the way that we had been instructed to. Once the camera was on the tripod, we had to insert the SD card into the camera so that the filming process could begin. Working the camera took some getting used to, but after a few shots I was able to successfully use the camera. Some of the filming was difficult to cooperate with the natural light. We made sure to place the camera in a way where the sun was not blocking any actors, or making it difficult to see.
One of the shots we filmed were of Julia and Jorge starting at the starting line and racing to the finish line. The camera was situated on the tripod from a high angle. Once they took off, I moved the camera upwards so that the subjects of the shot were still within the frame of the camera. Another shot that we created was of Julia and Jorge shaking hands, exemplifying good sportsmanship after a race. This was a two-person shot that we created using the tripod attached to the camera. The next shot that we created was of Jorge initially walking out to the track through the railings of the bleachers. Halfway through this clip, we zoomed into his backpack, furthermore the Nike symbol. This was a tracking shot, as I had to follow Jorge when he was walking to ensure that the Nike symbol on his backpack was easily visible to the audience. Once all the filming was done, we went back to class to return all of the materials and sign them back in. We took out the SD card and placed it into the card reader, then into the computer. We dumped all the shots that we took into a folder on the computer, so that next time we will be able to start editing our commercial.

Story Boarding

Today in class, we storyboarded our commercial. Our group is doing a Nike commercial, and it will be about a track race. Our first scene of our commercial is a tracking shot of the two racers walking toward the track. Our next scene is the racers lacing up there shoes. The angle and shot of this scene will be a close-ups shot and a high angle. For our third scene, it will be the racers lining up at the line.  On the fourth scene. It will be a long shot followed by a tracking shot because the racers will actually be running in this scene. I’m the fifth scene, the runner will be running through the line and it will be a long shot/ high angle. On the last scene of the commercial it will be a shot of the racers shaking hands. This will be recorded by a medium shot with a eye leveled angle.

Editing

      Today, 10/15/19, our class learned about the cameras, tripods and how to edit your film. The cameras we are using are Cannons, with the option to use a tripod to keep your film steadier. We learned a lot about how to use the camera and the specifics of it. The cameras are all touch screen, with the ability to charge. To charge, it is suggested to charge overnight, as it takes a while to charge. To turn on and off, there is no on and off button, so it is required to open and close the screen. To turn on, flip open and to turn off, flip the screen closed. The silver button with a red line is the recording button. To start the take, press once. To stop, press again and the take is completed. It is advised to take multiple takes of each shot to make sure everything is correct, the way it was planned to look. To use the tripod and extend the legs, flip the bottoms open and the legs should be able to pull out. To attract, open the lever and screw onto the bottom of the camera. To make sure the film is not shaky and does not look like a handheld shot, we learned to be sure to tighten the screws. Once it is attached, the lever will crank to drop or rise the camera. It is important that we do not carry the tripod attached to the camera, just in case of any emergencies.
        As for editing, we are using pinnacle studios, which should be installed on every computer already. First, we learned to create a folder that we can import all of our film onto. If we just imported  our film directly onto pinnacle studios, then there is a risk that it might crash and all our film will be lost. Once we create the folder, we put the SD card that is already in the card reader into the port on the computer. This process of taking all of the information from the SD card to the computer is called dumping. Next, we click DCIM, which is where all of the takes should be. If they are not here, they should be under private AVCHD and then stream. Then, we move the clips to the commercial folder that we created earlier. Once this is completed, we then go onto pinnacle studios to begin editing. If there is already a sample film there created by the company itself, we are advised to click file, then new movie and it should be cleared. Next, we click import>desktop+>your folder>check all and then start all the import. All of the raw footage, (the actual takes) should appear on the screen. Track 1 is for text, track 2 is film and track 3 music. We are able to highlight each clip and stage them into the order makes sense for our commercial. Once it turns green it is loaded and ready to edit. If we do not wait until it is green, then it will crash and our information will be lost. We learned to use the play bar  to see our progress, start and stop to watch it, double click to zoom in and double click again to zoom out. When you right click on the take, you are able to speed it up, slow it down, reverse it or for even more, open effects editor. Here, you can change color, transitions and more. To mute the whole film, hit mute for the whole track. To mute a specific clip, detach the audio, click audio and then click delete. For a voice over, film the voice over like a normal clip, import and remove the video. To export and save, click export at the top right next to import, make sure Mpeg 4 is selected, as well as SD best quality. Title the commercial and save. All of these steps should lead to a successful filming and commercial experience.

Planning

For our commercial, our general idea is to use the track and create a Nike themed commercial. We are looking to include Nike materials like clothes and props to show physical activity wearing the brand. We are advertising the brand, so that people will want to buy it and see the “affect” it has on the consumers. The overall goal is to show athletic activity with the help of the brand. We are going to film on the track, and if not on the stairs in the school. We are going to show running, using the track to show the brand Nike in action. All 3 of us will be shown running, and using props like water bottles or sneakers. If this plan does not work, we will film on the stairs and have an overall theme of training using the stairs as our main prop. Next class, we will be creating our story board so then we will finalize our plan, hopefully using the track.

Listed below are more details to go more in depth of our plan:

Props
We will be incorporating Nike water bottles and Nike bags. There’s not many other props to use for our commercial, as we are demonstrating track.
Costumes
All subjects will be dressed in Nike apparel such as: shoes, socks, shirts, shorts and headbands.
Schedule
10/11/19 Plan our commercial
10/15/19 Storyboard for our commercial
10/22/19 Film commercial
10/24/19 Edit commercial
Location
Main location- School’s track
Back-up Location- School’s main stairs
Back-up Plan
Our back-up plan for filming is to record the subject running the school stairs as if they were training. The props costume and schedule shouldn’t change at all. The only difference would be the change of location.

Research Conventions and Codes

Today, we started discussing our groups and topics of our commercial. We are given a choice between different businesses or companies like Starbucks or Dunkin’ donuts, or a Fort Lauderdale High School commercial. There is also an option to do an anti-vaping campaign. With further discussion between Jorge, Julia and I, we have decided to do a Nike commercial. At first we debated between Nike and Dunkin’ donuts, but we figured if we would film at the track at school, Nike would be much easier. We agreed that Nike would be much easier, and we all have the most ideas for this topic. We have done our research and looked up multiple commercials that have previously been created by Nike. All of which contain ideas that would relate to us and be easy to make. 

In the first Nike commercial that we collectively watched, it started with an ariel view of a soccer stadium. It shows who the main character of the commercial will be about, and where it takes place. Within the first 10 seconds, it shows the concepts of teamwork and fellowship. All of the character are in Nike apparel, in proper costume to fit the setting. As they are in a soccer stadium, they are in their uniforms which we are making sure to include in our commercials. Following, it is portraying the conflicts between the players within the game and action shots or videos of the actual event taking place. The end of the commercial is showing the audience that anything is possible, and that there is a deeper message within each video. The girl being constantly shown through the commercial ends up succeeding, and it is shown when she scores the final goal. 

After watching these commercials we have many ideas as to what we can possibly create for this commercial. Our first idea was to film it outside of school where we can get an interesting location. However, after reading the rules and expectations, we are not allowed to film outside of our school. The place within our school that would make the most sense to film at would be our track, so we decided to have a running/track themed commercial, wearing all nike. Our commercial will show that Nike can assist in reaching our goals, and succeeding in physical activity, specifically running. We will include Nike shirts, shorts, shoes and socks. We are also aiming to include props that are also branded with Nike, such as water bottles. 

Introductory

Hello. I am Danielle from Fort Lauderdale High School. I am 15 years old and I am currently in 10th grade. At my school, I participate in the Cambridge program, where I take various rigorous AICE classes. I must take 7 to receive the diploma, and I am currently taking the last 4 to complete all of my AICE credits. I enjoy school and learning new things, especially in subjects like math and English. The classes that I am taking now are: AICE English Language, AICE Media Studies, AICE European History, AICE Thinking Skills, Culinary Arts 2 Honors, Chemistry Honors and lastly Pre-Calculus Honors. Next year, I hope to take AP classes as well. My plan is to always do well in school, so that I can hopefully get into a good college, like University of Florida.

One of my many interests includes dancing. I have been dancing since I was 5 years old at Astrid Audet Academy of  Ballet and more. I dance every day of the week except for Fridays and Sundays. We do 2 shows a year, our annual recital and the Nutcracker ballet. We also attend one competition in April, which is one of the highlights of my year. I find dance as a source of relief, and a safe place. It is calming every day after school to go to dance, and be in a healthy environment with all of my close friends. It is also a good way to stay healthy and in shape, all year round. A few years ago, I was accepted to the Joffrey summer program in New York City, where I spent 2 weeks. I learned so much and grew tremendously as a dancer, which I hope to continue to do for the next few years, hopefully in college as well.

Some more of my interests include spending time with my friends and family, going to the gym and traveling. I enjoy visiting new places with my family, and experiencing new activities as well. In my free time when I am not at dance, I enjoy going to the gym and working out for fun. I appreciate eating healthy and staying fit through exercise like the gym, or even at dance. I also enjoy spending time with my friends and on the weekends. I am an only child, so my family, including my grandparents are very special to me. On the other hand, one of my dislikes are doing homework, or a lot of school work. I do not dislike many things, however I find homework to be a burden on me. I know that it is crucial for success in school that I must complete all of my work, but I do not enjoy it.