FINAL MAJOR PROJECT: PLanning
RATIONALE
What progress have you made on the course?
Within my time on the course, I believe that I have developed better communication skills to get my ideas across which is essential into the taking within the media industry. This will make you more likely to get employed as well as you will be able to communicate better within a team to further develop better ideas which enhances the workflow in the team. Furthermore, this will give an edge within the industry in order to get your voice heard by people who are higher up. Additionally, I have developed better documentation skills to always keep a track of what I have achieved within a day for a certain project. This can also potentially increase workflow as i can assess my efficiency and plan the day ahead to get things done quicker.
Heading over in the technical department of this course, I believe I have gained more experience in the editing and compositing of videos where I personally use Hitfilm compared to the Adobe video package as a personal preference. However where I believed I have gained more knowledge will be in the sound area of the technical parts of this industry.
Think back to last September: which projects have you enjoyed most? What have been your strengths? What areas do you feel less confident in?
On this course, my favourite project will be the “Autumn Lookbook 2019 // Ieuan & Alex” since that project was a mixture of my favourite parts and strengths within this industry. I acted as well as edited the final outcome. Furthermore, I will take this and do some more Lookbooks with Alex. The strengths that I have will be the editing and filming of the clips like with the Lookbook. The areas I feel that I am less confident in are the subjects to do with the sound area since I am more of an editor who synchronises to sound but making sound myself is the weak point.
What types of job role are you aiming to specialise in?
I am currently not aiming for a role to specialise in since I have no clue what I would like to do in the future. As I do YouTube currently, I like the idea of being the actor, the director and the editor. For example for movies, I would love to be the actor as well as the editor in order to make the film. In conclusion, I want to specialise in the editorial section (more of the compositing section for VFX) but being a successful YouTuber would be amazing as well however that takes a lot of work and time to ever become successful and opportunities at this age are limited due to freedom and money.
How can you use the FMP to help develop a specialist project in preparation for this role?
I can use the FMP to create a short film where I will be the cameraman for shots that do not have me in them as well as editing and compositing the final outcome. Furthermore, I may be able to create another Lookbook where I will however not act but instead film and edit myself.
How can you respond to the theme of 'surfaces' to develop an innovative, original project that shows your creative passion?
I can respond to the theme of “surfaces” to develop an thought where the link for me will be the idea of how the audience will watch on a screen which is a type of surface. This then opens up the whole spectrum to then think of what you can do. For example, I can make a creative B-Roll sequence for the Chichester College’s Hair Salon or a creative Lookbook film like the one in stage 1. Or even an action film could be a good idea however this will take a lot of time and relies on many people to film which in this world is not as good to rely on many since there will always be one or two people who cannot turn up. These take too much time in the period in which we have to shoot our visuals for the final outcome of this FMP.
Therefore I believe that the best ideas and responses I can make for this Final Major Project in relation to “surfaces” will be a Hair Salon promotional video or a Lookbook.
After some feedback from our lecturer Joe, I have been told that my strengths on my coursework are working as a team, camera work and editing however my weaknesses which i need to explore more deeply will be a deeper explanation of processes and techniques that I use as well as a better investigation into conventions and artists’ techniques and how this can influence my own developmental ideas.
Mindmap
moodboard
Initial Ideas
Initial Ideas
After completing a small mindmap and moodboard about the theme “surfaces” and what it means to me, it is clear that I will need to make something that is viewable on a screen (a type of surface) that is also a moving picture; a video. For this we are required to make either a short film, documentary, digital image, journal or an advertising campaign. Dates include the pitch for our idea on the 16/03/2020 with feedback on the 20/04/2020 and then the presentation on the 15/05/2020 with the final deadline to be at 5pm on the 05/06/2020. I will use Hitfilm Pro as my software with the use of a canon G7X Mark ii for my camera. New skills I will need to learn will come later however; here is a mindmap of initial ideas that I can make for the FMP:
Short Action Film - For a short film, in my opinion, I would love to make an action scene or film that grips the user into watching more and more of the film. However the downside to this is how much work we will have to put in with the fighting choreography itself as well as to make an original storyline for this. Additionally, I would get my Airsoft team to act for me however we can barely get everyone to one game of Airsoft therefore I have to rely on many people which is not a good idea.
Music Video - For a music video, I would get my friend Matt (who is on this course) and he makes his own songs which when I listen to them, I can actually visualise a music video with matt singing in it which can be a good idea for his new album about his personal feelings. Therefore I can create a lot of meaning within the videos with influences from the style of lyrical lemonade and his songs.
Visual Advertising - I have been doing this quite recently and as I get better and better at them by putting more effort and working with people to see what they want, I believe that my style of B-Roll can not only be good for the FMP but it can be good for advertising the client in the end too. So the FMP will be a sort of work experience which will be good as it shows what I may be able to do in the future?
Lookbook (Short Film) - After having the Lookbook project being my favourite part of the course so far, I would like to make another Lookbook since it was an amazing experience in the whole process from filming to editing. This can be good for the FMP due to the fact that I can use all my preferred skills to create another video which people like to watch as well.
Idea development
UAL Formal Proposal
Idea Development
I have a range of different ideas from a short action film to a Lookbook with a music video and a video advertising b-roll short in between too. All of these ideas I believe are viable for the FMP with my favourite being video advertising as it also gives me a range of communication skills to a client as well as it will serve a purpose to advertise a service. However an action short will give me a different set of communication skills and it will serve a purpose to tell a story to an audience or to just simply entertain the audience. Furthermore, a Lookbook will be good to show off new clothes for this year as well as it serves a purpose to inform an audience of new styles to wear. Lastly, a music video is to give a visual to Matt’s songs in order to create meaning and possibly social interaction for the audience.
Here, I can argue about how all four of my ideas attack all the different uses and gratifications within that theory. For me, it is a choice of which one is more accessible for me at this current time. Who knows, maybe I will be able to make more than one of these ideas.
The idea that will benefit the FMP the most since it is a client-based project which is allocated to me can also give further real case scenarios is by taking the video advertisement idea. I have already made something that is similar for the Barbershop at Chichester College. From this basic freelance, they want me back to make another advertisement for the Lee Stafford Hair Salon. This is yet another project which I can make and although it will be semi-directed by me, I will have constant feedback and requirements to push towards in order to make this advertisement appealing to the staff and not only that but to other students as well. Nevertheless, you can learn quite a lot from the client on their perspective of their overall audience and not only this but it ensures that I have additional research into this project which is primary research.
For the video advertisement, the approach of the theme ‘surfaces’ will shine through as I have to capture the styling and texture of flowing hair as well as I could argue that I need to use the different surfaces in order to transition from one scene to another.
The theme and story will be showcasing what the Hair Salon offers to people and likewise my Barbershop edit, it has an element of a story, a linear narrative, where someone goes in with their hair which needs to be tended for. For example, in my Barbershop, you see the model sits down and gets his haircut from start to finish using whatever tools that are needed. In the end we see the finished product which in advertisements is the priority. However we have a before and after mixed into this to give a storyline of the processes used to do the hair.
In this video, I will use processes such as match cutting as well as using variable speeds in order to create my desired effects within the video. I will be using the software Hitfilm Pro to do this. This is an alternative to After Effects and Hitfilm is the only video software that is available to me as well as I do not like the payment system for After Effects or After Effects itself from issues from layout and stability as such.
Furthermore, I have been to the marketing team and spoken with the client at the Hair Salon who gave me the research about how the audience just wants to primarily see the end result which is a requirement which they would want.
This project will allow me to use my strengths because in the media; I love to film and edit all the videos myself given that I prefer to be more practical and hands on. I would rather be an actor and film and edit myself since I do YouTube which is on a pause for the moment. My strengths would be the filming and editing which is what this is primarily focused on. A quick disclaimer, sound is really not my thing and in order to make this a royalty free. I will work with my close friend Jack Thompson from Northbrook who is doing a Music Production UAL course where he can also use this as a way to advertise himself by adding this to his own portfolio. The skills which I would need to learn is to further reconsolidate and learn more in the editing and visual effects department.
I will make it engaging for the specified audience by creating a style of editing which flows really fast and slow which can leave the audience to go back and re watch the video therefore I have effectively made the audience to interact with the advertisement and this will make sure that this advert will stick in their mind for a longer period of time. Also I need to make it for social media which my audience uses for example Instagram. Therefore my limit will be 59 seconds in order to be shown and targeted to my audience on this platform.
It will be similar to other media products as I get this inspiration by YouTuber Daniel Schiffer who makes short promotional sequences for products using this style and movement.
Pitch Presentation
Original Planning
Start - students walking in front of Lee Stafford sign and hairdressing entrance
Shot of gown going round client
Zoom into products (reflect)
Shots of hair being cut
Shots of hair being sectioned and blown dry (follow blown dryer down)
Shot of hairdresser (Taylor) working on the hair
The end result of hair, curling it
Flower wall, client showing off hair (final result) (flower wall 1 frame - Uste nokva photos)
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This was what the plan that I and the Marketing team came up with before the lockdown. Therefore when the time comes to make the actual Hair Salon video again (for the FMP or not) I can use this small little brief to then make the best advertisement for them. For now, however, I am thinking of making a new lookbook for the Spring season where Alex will model again for me. This will be a much better idea for my FMP since I can have a lot more freedom in what times I shoot instead of trying to get it all in one shooting session.
Weekly/daily planner
02/03/2020
This week I aim to start to write my project concept and proposal to narrow down on what I will complete this week. I will also further investigate some future job roles and diversity as well as define my target audience for my decided project. Nevertheless, I need to use research sources and conduct my own research into media products.
Hopefully by the end of the week, I am wanting to have a proposal halfway completed with the research to support my desired project.
09/03/2020
For this week where we are doing distance learning; I am planning to finish off the required proposal as well as start to develop a small pitch to present to my class my idea for the FMP.
16/03/2020
This week I need to finish and pitch my project, as well as start to plan for my shoot.
23/03/2020
This week is lockdown for the UK due to the unfortunate circumstance of COVID-19, I will have to re-evaluate my choice for the Final Major Project.
30/03/2020
For this week, I would like to try to come up with an idea for my FMP. I am thinking for a Lookbook however I will need to research existing Lookbooks for the Spring time and pray that lockdown is finished soon.