This blog post, written by me (Beatrice), details the preparations we made before filming our music video. This includes the preparation of props and equipment, and setting up a filming schedule that my team and I made to manage and organize the production process.
Pre-production reflection : Since we haven't started the filming process and have mostly been focusing on completing other blogs, we haven't decided on a specific date to film the music video. However, we're aiming to begin filming early next year. Although the exact schedule isn't finalized, this allows us to give the team an early heads-up, increasing the likelihood that everyone will be available and punctual on filming days, which allows the filming process to go smoothly. I think by creating this schedule, it will help to keep us organized as a team, and ensuring smooth communication. By planning together, we can outline each step clearly, keeping everyone informed and on the same page.This preparation will help us avoid disorganization and allow us to stay on track, which makes the filming process much more efficient.
This blog post, (made by Rachelle), details the location scout and risk assessment that my team and I have discussed and deliberated on in order to pick the most suitable locations to film the scenes in our music video.
The space that we can utilize for filming is very big as Bali Farm House’s field is very wide. This means that we can use that space for various filming opportunities such as extreme long shots. Furthermore, this large space is ideal for when we have to shoot scenes that has a lot of movements (e.g. spinning around and running around with friends)
The natural lighting in this place gives a soft and nostalgic feel to it, this matches with the theme of our music video.
Disadvantages of Location:
Bali Farm House is located in Singaraja, which is 2 hours away. This may be inconvenient as we’d be wasting 4 hours in total to go back and forth. Not only this but the petrol needed to go here would also be more costly. Furthermore, transporting the equipment would be a hassle to do especially if we happen to accidentally leave something behind.
There are lots of animals in this place (chickens, alpacas, etc.) so it may be a rather noisy place to film in. Moreover, it may cause distractions to us when filming as some of these animals roam free in the field. This is because they may go in the frame while we shoot, therefore requiring us to reshoot the scene all over again, taking time off our day.
Entrance fee is rather expensive (IDR 175.000 which is about $11, this is considered pretty costly in our country)
Check the weather forecast and pick the best date to go (a sunnier/more dry day)
Bring umbrellas just in case it rains
Medium – Rainy season in Bali typically occurs from October to March. We will probably film our music video around this period, so it’s more likely to rain.
2. Diseases from animals
Some animals in Bali Farm House such as the chickens may potentially carry diseases (e.g. chickens), this can cause sicknesses to the actresses
Try to stay away from the animals, or choose places in the location that is far from them
Wear masks to wear when not filming/during break to reduce the risk of contracting those diseases
Consume vitamin before going there to boost immune system
High – Diseases contracted from animals can be dangerous. However, the chance of actually contracting it is low as long as we take care of our body and immune system.
3. Sun exposure
Excessive exposure to the sun can lead to sunburns, dehydration, or even heat strokes. The entire cast and crew can be affected by this.
Wear hats and apply sunscreen before arriving and make sure to reapply the sunscreen every few sessions to avoid sunburns.
Bring water bottles to the location and if not allowed then buy water from the cafe inside the farm house.
If one of us feels hazy, or even if we don’t, we should make sure to take breaks in between each scene.
Medium – Bali’s climate tends to be very hot most of the time so the chance of getting dehydrated, sunburnt, or getting a heat stroke is rather likely. However, if we follow the right precautions, then we can reduce this risk.
Location
Address:
Sanur Beach
Scene:
Separation scene
Advantages of location:
Easily accessible
The entrance to Sanur Beach is free, therefore we can save costs for this and put the money on props or other things instead.
Just like Bali Farm House, Sanur beach has natural lighting which can give a nostalgic feel to it, matching our music videos theme. Moreover, Sanur would be most suitable since it’s located more closely to most of us compared to most other beaches.
Disadvantages of Location:
Sanur is a very popular beach both among locals and tourists, so it tends to be very crowded most of the time. This means it may be difficult to shoot scenes where the two artists have to be alone.
The air on the beach is very damp. From my own experience, this can really ruin the artists’ hair, which may alter the vibe or the original hairstyle that we gave them.
In some parts of the beach, they will have ceremonies and/or parades at night so this may disrupt our filming since we’re planning on using diegetic sounds of the waves for some of the beach scenes, in which the sounds from the parades and ceremonies may overlay the audio.
Alternatives:
Nyang-nyang beach
Risk Assessment
Risk:
Who is at risk:
How to avoid risk:
High, Medium, Low risk:
1. Rain
The entire cast and crew members may get sick due to the rain (e.g. flue). Moreover, if the rain happens to ruin one of the props then the money used to purchase it will be wasted.
Bring umbrellas and check the weather forecast.
There are lots of places and cafes to seek shade in on the beach, so when the rain starts to drizzle, we can immediately go to a nearby cafe or a stall.
Low – Just like in Bali Farm House, we will probably film our music video around the rainy season period, so it’s more likely to rain. However, since Sanur Beach is located in a lower terrain, it’s less likely to rain.
2. Windy weather and sand
During the evening to night, the weather tends to be very windy on the beach. This may cause the sand to be blown with the air. This sand can then get into our eyes when filming, which can cause infections and other eye problems when not treated properly. The whole crew and cast can be affected by this.
When not filming, it’s better to bring glasses to prevent sand from coming in the eyes
Another way could be to check the weather forecast and go when the weather is less windy.
Low – although this is likely to happen, the damage it can potentially do isn’t fatal. We can easily wash out the grain from the eyes with mineral water.
3. Dark lighting
Most parts of Sanur Beach get really dark at night, especially the areas that don't have many cafes, stalls, or shops near it. This can cause both the crew members and casts to trip on things, slip, or fall as they have difficulties trying to see.
Search for an area where there are bars or cafes that open until late at night so that there are some lighting, this prevents us from shooting in complete darkness.
Low – the risks of filming in a very dark place can be dangerous, despite so, the solution is very simple and easy to do so we can very easily avoid this risk.
Location
Address:
Regents Secondary School (classroom, hallway, etc.)
Since the theme for our music video is graduation and high school friends, shooting scenes in school would be more relatable to audiences that are watching, therefore feeling represented.
The props needed to film are already present (desks, chairs, lockers, etc.) so there’s no need to bring and purchase props. This saves a lot of time as well as effort
This location is an area where we are very familiar with, so we know the layout of classrooms, hallways, and any spots so we can quickly set up and move between scenes. Moreover, we’re also able to identify the best angles, lighting, as well as areas that match with our scene and theme the best, therefore saving the time and effort for scouting.
Disadvantages of Location:
There’s an ongoing construction in our school so the sound from this may disrupt us when filming. Moreover, since our school is located near a main road, the sounds of vehicles can get loud during day time.
If we film during weekends, we may need to ask for permission from the principal in order to use the spaces needed.
The school may not allow us to do any changes to the wall decorations and lighting setups, especially since the classrooms have fixed lighting in which most of the time is fluorescent, so this may not match what we want to convey in some of our scenes. However, this can be fixed with editing later on. Even if we’re allowed to move the desks and chairs around, it will take a lot of time to put it back to its original position.
Alternatives:
One of our houses
Risk Assessment
Risk:
Who is at risk:
How to avoid risk:
High, Medium, Low risk:
1. Equipment damage
A classroom setting can sometimes be cluttered so when filming the crew members may trip and drop the prop or equipment they’re carrying. The people affected by this risk are the crew members responsible for the equipment as well as the equipment themselves.
Make sure to hold the equipment properly and bring it back up just in case it breaks so filming doesn’t have to be delayed for a long period of time.
Take breaks in between just in case crew members aren’t too tired of holding props/equipment (to avoid them accidentally dropping it).
Low – this doesn’t cause any health damage or anything too serious to anyone, but filming equipment such as cameras are costly so crew members may really have to watch out.
2. Tripping and falling hazards
There are many cords and cables lying around, as well as chairs and tables, which may serve as a hazard to both crew members and casts.
Tidy up the setting first before starting to film. (fold cords and cables neatly and put them in a place where people won’t trip on)
Medium – falling and tripping may possibly cause head injuries or other injuries. To prevent this from happening, it’s best to be very careful when stepping around, as well as take some safety precautions (bring ice packs or bandages just in case, or just a first aid kit)
(Due to the tight deadline, we weren't able to visit the place this term. Therefore, all images are taken from google for now)
Pre-production reflection : With mood board in place, we began searching for locations that best match the scenes we envision, aiming to effectively convey the atmosphere we’re going for in our music video. This also gave us a clearer sense of the aesthetic for our music video. However, with the tight deadline, we haven’t had the chance to do in-person location scouting yet. While I suggested some filming locations, I feel I could have contributed more to the search. I did offered to help, however my teammate kindly declined, as she was capable on handling it thoroughly on her own. I think she’s done an excellent job. The location scout will be incredibly useful because it not only highlights potential risks but also provides alternative options if our primary choice becomes unavailable / off-limit for filming. Having these backups means we won’t need to rush for a new location, which will definitely helps us to save a lot of time. Additionally, this process allowed us to consider necessary safety measures, ensuring a smooth filming process and a secure environment for everyone involved.
This blog post, written by me (Beatrice), details the resources of the materials I studied in class and outside of class that will be beneficial for our music video project. This will include the technical elements, theories, and additional information regarding media studies.
TECHNICAL ELEMENTS
Camera Angles and Movements
Camera angles and movements are essential for visual storytelling, as it helps to shape how audience perceive the scenes, emotions, and theme of the narrative in a music video.
Camera angle is a specific view point from which a camera captures the subject or scene. This will impact how the audience interprets it. (e.g., higher camera angle makes the subject appears small / weak). It also influences the mise-en-scène, which guides the audiences' perspective and response to what is shown in the scenes.
Here is the list of some camera angles that I've studied, along with the image of the notes I took in class :
Effects
Close-ups : focusing on a specific part of the subject / object in detail, used to intensify emotions and highlight details.
Extreme close-up : an even tighter version of close-up, focusing on very small details. It intensifies atmosphere and draw audiences' attention to details.
Medium shot : frames subject from the waist up, providing a balance between detail and context, as it offers a balanced view of the subject while still allowing some context or background to be visible.
Long shot : shows the subject from a distance, with the full body of the person visible but still focused on them within their surroundings. (noticeable environments, but the subject remains as the key focus)
Extreme long shot : the subject appears to be very small within the large environment, used to emphasize the vastness of the surroundings. (focuses more to the setting than subject)
High angle : the camera is placed above the subject, facing downwards. It makes the subject appear small, vulnerable, or powerless.
Low angle : the camera is placed below the subject, facing upwards. It makes the subject appear large, powerful, or dominant.
Dutch angle : tilted sideways to create feelings of disorientation and imbalance. It can also create a surreal atmosphere.
POV : shows the scene from a character's perspective, making audiences see what the character would see if they were in the scenes themselves. It creates a sense of emotional engagement and immersion, as it allows audiences to experience the narrative firsthand.
Over the shoulder : positioned behind a character, slightly showing their back or shoulder. It gives the audience a sense of being part of the scene, as it typically focus on what they're looking at.
Cowboy shot : frames the subject from the knees up to the head, often capturing action or preparation for intense moments. Often used to emphasize on confidence and power, as it highlights both the character's body and environment.
Establishing shot : serves to set the context of the environment, typically shown at the beginning of a scene. It provides clear understanding of where the action is taking place, as it establishes the location, mood, and relationship between characters or their surroundings.
Camera movement is the intentional movement of a camera during a shot to influence audiences' engagement with a subject and enhances the narrative. It also shapes how the audience interprets the visual content.
Effects
Static : staying still, making the scene feels calm, peace, and normal.
Pan : moves horizontally, revealing information while mirroring the natural head movement of the audience.
Tilt : same as pan, except, it moves vertically.
Push in : moves closer to the subject, making the audience more involved and getting more serious.
Pull out : moves further from the subject to detach from it.
Zoom in / out : using camera lens to get closer / further away from the subject. It draws our attention to it.
Tracking : following the subject from behind.
Trucking : following the subject from the side.
Boom : moves up and down, usually uses drones, cane or helicopter for the shot.
Crane : reveals the epic size of the setting / landscape.
Random : it gives a , raw, high energy, and natural feel to it, as it is usually shakey / handheld.
Mise-en-Scène
Mise-en-scène is every visual elements that appear in front of the camera and contribute to the overall look, feel, and meaning of the scene. It shapes the audiences' interpretation of characters, themes, and atmosphere. This is essential for encoding meaning, as it helps to communicate the themes and emotions visually. Additionally, each of these elements contributes to the preferred reading by shaping audiences' understanding without relying on dialogue.
The list above was made by my teacher, Mr. Nick.
Some mostly used mise-en-scène includes :
Props : objects that the subjects interact with within the setting. It can be symbolic or functional.
Setting : physical location / environment where the scene takes place (can be realistic or stylized). It immediately informs the audiences about the context and time.
Costume, hair, and makeup : define subject's appearance. It helps to establish personality, social status, time period, or emotional state.
Colour : contributes to the emotional feel of the scene, usually by colour grading and colour temperature (e.g., warm tone connote feelings of happiness and comfort, while cool tone connote feelings of sadness and melancholy).
Lighting : sets the mood and tone of the scene. (e.g., high-key lighting are often used in lighthearted scenes, while low-key lighting are often used in thriller scenes)
Sound
Sound includes all audio element within a media text, such as music videos (the project that my team and I are currently working on), films, and television. It plays an important role in evoking emotions and creating the atmosphere. Sounds are categorized into three; diegetic, non-diegetic, and trans-diegetic.
Diegetic sounds are sounds that can be heard by characters within the media text. It is used to add a sense of realism and immersion, revealing information to characters, then the audience.
Examples : footsteps, rain, voices.
This was also made by Mr. Nick.
Non-diegetic sounds are sounds that can only be heard by the audience. It enhances meaning, creating an emotional response in the audience.
Examples : sound track, sound effects.
Trans-diegetic sounds are sounds that transitions from one to the other. It creates a link between the audience and world, making it more immersive.
Edit
Editing is the process of selecting, arranging, and manipulating footage to create a cohesive and engaging narrative. It is an important part of the post-production process, as it shapes the pacing and overall flow of the scene. The two main types of edits are continuity and non-continuity.
Here is the note I created regarding editing, which outlines the different types of edits, brief descriptions of each, and short explanations of how they are used in media production ↓
THEORIES
Media theories are frameworks developed by theorists to understand, analyze, and explain how media texts influence and are interpreted by audiences. It reveals how different elements contributes to shape the meaning and social effects of media.
Although we've learned quite a lot of theories in media studies,
Here are some theories that are often used in this project :
Uses and Gratification Theory - Blumler and Katz
Based on this theory, it is assumed that audiences actively choose media content to fulfill specific needs such as :
This theory makes us consider what audiences will seek in our music video and how our video will fulfill these expectations.
Theory of Stardom - Richard Dyer
This theory focuses on the concept of stardom and how stars are constructed through the media. He believes that stars are constructed to represent 'real people' with real emotions, allowing audiences to connect with them and promote their products. Additionally, he argues that their personality is often crafted and influenced by the media, producers, and public relations. This theory makes us think about how we will present our star in our music video, the type of image and persona we're constructing, and how it ties into their broader public image. We can also use this theory by exploring their 'real' and 'reel' persona in both the music video and social media.
Stuart Hall argued that "Media doesn't reflect meaning, media creates meaning". This theory explores how media represents social groups, identities, and issues. He argued that representations is not just about reflecting reality, but also about constructing the meaning of it through language, visuals, and cultural symbols. He also argued that events/people/groups don't have fixed meanings; instead, the media actively shapes and assigns meaning to them after they occur.
This theory is useful to analyze how social identities (such as race, gender, class) are portrayed in music videos, as music videos are where different individuals or groups are represented in various ways. It often use visual codes and symbols that either conform or subvert stereotypes.
Genre Theory - Steve Neale
'Similarity and Difference' ; the idea of this theory where Steve Neale stated that "A text must be similar enough to be recognize as a particular genre but also be different enough to be new and exciting". This theory explores the ways genres are constructed and evolve over time. This helps me to understand how audiences identify with certain conventions and expectations of a particular genre and how these genres can be conformed or subverted through media texts.
This theory will be useful, as it will help to shape the overall style and message for our music video project while engaging with the expectations of our audiences.
TERMINOLOGIES
Genres
Genre is the categorization of different types of media content based on their shared conventions, themes, and styles. It helps audiences and what to expect from a particular media text. By understanding genres, it helps me to analyze and deconstruct media texts, which allows me to identify the specific elements that define them.
Sub genre is a more specific category within a genre. It usually shares core elements of the broader genre but it has its own unique features to it.
Hybrid genre is a mix of two or more genres / sub-genres. It blends the characteristics from different genres to create something more unique, which makes it appeal to a broader, or more specific audience. This allows audiences who typically enjoy one genre to explore others they may not usually consider, thus attracting a wider range of audience. In music videos, this type of genres are surprisingly common, as artists often experiment with various visual and musical styles to create innovative and engaging content.
Conventions
Conventions expected patterns and practices that a particular genre, or media type follows. These help audiences identify the genre or type of media they are engaging with, as they are familiar and often predictable. They act as a standard for how media texts are structured and presented.
Conform
Conforming means to follow established conventions, norms, and expectations within a certain genre, narrative structure, or media type. When a media text conforms, it follows the typical patterns or codes that are commonly recognized by the audience to make it predictable or familiar. Furthermore, it often serves to meet the expectations of the audience and ensure familiarity, which helps build a connection with the audience, as they know what they’re going to experience based on the genre.
Subvert
Subversion refers to the act of challenging or reversing traditional expectations, conventions, or norms, essentially the opposite of conforming. It occurs when a media text deliberately breaks away from the standard codes and conventions typically associated with a particular genre. Subversion is often used to create surprise, critique social norms, or make a statement. Additionally, it helps to distinguish a work from others within the same genre and challenges the audience's expectations, which encourages them to reflect on the content in a deeper way.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONS
Storyboard
A storyboard is a visual representation that consists of a series of sketches that represents the key scenes of a music video or other media texts, and are arranged in the order they will appeal. It is used to plan and visualize the order of events to ensure that the narrative, camera angles, and other aspects are well thought out. Furthermore, it ensures that all visual components of our music video are planned and coordinated in advance, which will make the production process smoother and more efficient.
Here is the example of a storyboard made by Mr. Nick, along with my notes below it ↓
Storyboard's Key Elements :
- Frames : shows key moments, movements, and transitions.
- Shot number : orders of each scene.
- Shot duration : the amount of time each shot would take.
- Camera directions : how the shot would be captured through camera angles and movements.
- Transitions : shows the edit / cut type after each scenes.
- Shot descriptions : a short description of the action happening within the shot.
Here are some examples of the storyboards I created for various class projects we've completed :
This is a storyboard I created for an ad promoting Miss Dior’s Eau de Parfum 2021. As shown above, it includes detailed descriptions of all the key elements I envisioned using.
The storyboard above is another one I created. This time, it's for a documentary project we completed prior to this one. Unlike the previous storyboard, this one is less detailed and lacks written descriptions, as I felt the drawings alone effectively conveyed the necessary elements. Additionally, we had a script with detailed scene numbers that I followed thoroughly, so adding more details to the storyboard didn’t seem necessary.
Clapperboard
Clapperboard is a tool used in video production to assist with organizing shots and syncing audio and video during the filming process. I think this will be very useful during the post-production phase, as it allows editors to easily identify the footage that corresponds to the intended shot. Moreover, it helps the editor to know which scene they should work with.
Reflection : Although creating this blog was time-consuming, particularly as I had to revisit certain aspects of my research, I believe it will be highly beneficial in the long run since I can easily refer back to it if I need to recall specific information or want a quick reference. Additionally, it helps me to review and strengthen the classwork I have completed, which enables me to refresh my memory on topics I may have almost forgotten. Overall, I enjoyed working on this blog, although I didn’t anticipate the amount of time I would spend on it.
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