This blog post features my (Beatrice) weekly progress and plan for my team's music video production.
Here is the timetable made by our teacher to help us track the progress and list down what we need to do for our music video project :
Below is the checklist given by my teacher to track which part of the project needed to been done ↓
Term 1 - PRE PRODUCTION PROCESS
WEEK 1 - 4 October 2024
This week, we began forming groups and researching potential music genres for our upcoming music video project. Since our group isn’t finalized yet, we haven’t decided on a specific genre, as we want to discuss and agree on one as a team first. In the meantime, I focused my research on the pop and indie genres, as these are the styles I’m most interested in working with for this project.
To-Do list : Finalize my group so I can begin my research.
WEEK 2 - 9 October 2024
This week, our teacher helped us finalize our project teams. I’m really pleased with mine, as I’ll be working with close friends who I believe will make a strong team. We also began researching possible music genres for our project to help us make a more informed final decision. Initially, I found the research process a bit challenging, but it became more manageable once I understood the specific areas I needed to focus on.
Problem : I need to catch up on the research since I was absent and struggled to concentrate the previous week.
Solution : Set aside time to complete the research.
To-Do list : Continue with the research.
WEEK 3 - 16 October 2024
This week, we mostly learned about media regulation and ownership. For my project, I concentrated on finalizing all of my research, including the preliminary research, industry, and deeper exploration into our chosen genre, as some of it are due next Monday.
Problem : Earlier this week, I accidentally shut down my laptop without saving my work in this blog, which caused me to lose some of my research and forced me to redo parts of it while the deadlines are near.
Solution : Prioritize completing this work as soon as possible.
To-Do list : Complete the industry research and start drafting the statement of intent.
WEEK 4 - 23 October 2024
We began working on our statement of intent this week. My team and I had in-depth discussions to align our ideas and ensure we’re all on the same page regarding our final concept. We also explored Richard Dyer’s Stardom Theory, which highlights how celebrities are constructed to represent “real people” with relatable emotions, in order to relate to audiences and sell products such as films or music. This theory has been especially insightful in helping us shape the star persona for our statement of intent.
Problem : Initially, we planned to create a music video in the pop genre. However, after further discussions, we’re considering shifting toward an indie pop style. While this decision hasn’t been finalized, it does concern me, as much of my research has been focused on pop conventions.
Solution : I plan to discuss this possible genre shift with my teammates and explore how I might adapt my research if we decide to go with indie pop.
To-Do list : Finalize our statement of intent to create a clear direction for the project.
WEEK 5 - 30 October 2024
Earlier this week, we finalized our song choice: Birds of a Feather by Billie Eilish, a pop track that aligns well with the theme we want to convey. During the project lesson, we began creating a mood board to capture and maintain the visual tone we aim to achieve. Additionally, we started reviewing the lyric sheet, while brainstorming possible scenes to match specific lyrics. This proves to be invaluable in helping us visualize how we want our storyboard to unfold to make it more practical and achievable.
Problem : I didn't encounter any problems this week.
Solution : -
To-Do list : Continue team discussions on the desired direction for our music video, focusing on the lyric sheet and storyboard, and compiling images for the mood board.
WEEK 6 - 8 November 2024
Since all of the blogs for this term is due next week, My classmates and I focused solely on completing the unfinished parts of our project, so there were no theory lessons this week. To make efficient use of our time, we also conducted a full-class screen test, which helped streamline the process.
Problem : Several parts of the project that are still incomplete, which makes me feel extremely overwhelmed as I'm not sure if I'll be able to finish everything on time.
Solution : Dedicate additional time over the weekend to complete the remaining work.
To-Do list : Finishing up these blog posts → lyric sheet and storyboard, screen test, class work, and location scout and risk assessment.
WEEK 7 - 14 November 2024 [DEADLINE]
This week marks the deadline for our term's project work, and we had our final project lesson yesterday. However, I was absent, but my teammates informed me that we mainly focused on continuing and finalizing our work.
Problem : I have completed all my tasks, but some sections lack detail due to the tight deadlines.
Solution : I'll set aside time to add more detail to improve the quality of my work.
To-Do list : Refine and expand on specific areas to ensure a more thorough and polished result.
Pre-production reflection : Going into this term break, I feel quite satisfied with the progress we’ve made so far, as everything has largely followed our plan with only minor setbacks. I think my teammates and I have worked effectively as a group to create a basis for the project, as we've researched thoroughly during this pre-production phase. By making this self reflection and having a timetable of our tasks has been extremely helpful in tracking our weekly progress and sets clear goals on what we needed to do. Additionally, the checklist provided by my teacher, Mr Nick, at the end of the term has surely been invaluable in reminding me which sections are completed and which still need to be finished, which ensures that no work is overlooked. Overall, I believe this term’s work has gone well, though the tight deadlines occasionally led to rushed some sections in my blog posts, which makes me worry about whether the quality of my work will be good enough. Moving forward, I’ll need to manage my time better to ensure I have enough room to complete this project without compromising quality, ultimately aiming to produce work that I’m genuinely proud of.
Term 2 - FILMING & POST PRODUCTION PROCESS
Above is the new timetable made by teacher, Mr Nick, for the second semester of our project.
WEEK 1 - 10 January 2025
This week marked our first week back, and we worked on a mini music video project for the song Here Comes The Sun, focusing on a specific verse selected by our teacher. During the lesson, we created a storyboard, filmed the scenes, and edited the footage to complete the project. Additionally, we were instructed to finalize our filming schedule, as all clips need to be completed by the 24th of January. This allows us to receive feedback and provides plenty of time to edit and re-film if necessary, helping us avoid being rushed. However, I found myself slightly frustrated with my teammates regarding the scheduling process. Although I took the initiative to manage the filming schedule, I feel that we still need to have a proper discussion about which dates everyone will be available. It was quite challenging to finalize dates, as my teammates didn’t respond much when I asked about their availability and also seemed unsure of their schedules. Therefore, I had to make assumptions and assign dates based on when I believed they might be available. One of my teammates also informed us that she would be unavailable for almost a week due to sudden plans, which make me concerned about the deadlines even more. This situation was made even more stressful as we were unable to film during the holidays due to conflicting schedules.
Problem :My team and I have yet to finalize a filming schedule. Additionally, we still need to determine the necessary props and equipment for filming.
Solution : Organize a team discussion to confirm our filming schedule and ensure all required props and equipment are prepared in advance.
To-Do List : Begin the production process as soon as possible to stay on track with our timeline.
WEEK 2 - 17 January 2025
Earlier this week, we learned about multicam editing, a technique used to simplify the editing process when working with clips from multiple cameras. This lesson was particularly helpful in preparing us for the editing stage of our final project. After the lesson, my team and I went to Rachelle's house to film the second verse of our music video. Initially, we planned to shoot at two locations, but due to the rainy weather in Bali, we weren't able to film much as most of the scenes, as many of the scenes require outdoor settings. I've also completed our filming schedule this week.
Problem : There are still a lot of scenes that we need to film.
Solution : Find a time where we're all available to continue filming as soon as possible.
To-Do List : Film all the clips for the music video, write about the behind-the-scenes.
WEEK 3 - 24 January 2025
This week, we began learning about the importance of branding in shaping our products, including social media and digipaks, to make them recognizable to our target audience. We explored how branding influences the audience’s perception of a product and how music artists develop a brand image that reflects their personality, music style, and values. Following this, we were given instructions to create new blog posts on branding, social media, and digipaks, with specific questions to address in each. As a team, we discuss persona and brand identity, which helps us gain a clearer understanding of the overall image we want to establish for our artist and their music.
Problem : The deadline to film the videos for the music video project is actually this week. However, we couldn't finish it on time due to the absence of one of our members and challenges with time management.
Solution : Find a way to discuss with my team so we can establish a clear plan and schedule to ensure that we complete the remaining scenes as soon as possible.
To-Do list : Finalize my social media research and analyzing audience engagement strategies that are relevant to our project.
WEEK 4 - 31 January 2025
This week, we had a break for Isra Miraj and Chinese New Year, so we didn’t have a project lesson. However, we were still able to make progress by filming some beach scenes for our music video. Although the shoot didn’t go exactly as planned, it was a valuable learning experience, and we’ll definitely aim to improve next time. I also began working on the behind-the-scenes blog post and continued my research on social media.
Problem : Our filming progress was limited due to insufficient consideration of the risk assessment, which impacted our ability to shoot effectively.
Solution : Improve our pre-production planning by conducting a more thorough risk assessment, even for seemingly minor or simple risks, to ensure smoother production in future filming process.
To-Do list : Complete additional filming and finalize any unfinished blog posts documenting our production process.
WEEK 5 - 7 February 2025
Before this week’s lesson, my team and I had a minor disagreement as we felt that our filming schedule kept being postponed for reasons that weren’t entirely justifiable. To resolve this, we had a discussion to set a solid plan for our next filming session, including the location, time, and necessary preparations. During the lesson, we were tasked with conducting audience feedback by creating a questionnaire. This included draft versions of our music video and questions related to the music video, social media, and digipak to gather constructive feedback. My team and I spent the session carefully formulating relevant questions that would provide the most valuable insights for our project. Once the questionnaire was finalized, we continued working on our unfinished blog posts. Additionally, we scheduled a filming session for Sunday to ensure we complete our production as soon as possible.
Problem : I feel that we are falling behind on our project due to a lack of structured planning. This raises concerns that we may not have enough time to complete everything thoroughly, potentially resulting in rushed work and a decrease in overall quality.
Solution : Encourage my team to communicate more effectively and engage in better planning to maximize our remaining time and streamline the filming process.
To-Do list : Continue filming and finalize the development of my social media strategy.
WEEK 6 - 14 February 2025
My team and I successfully filmed the field scenes last Sunday. Although we initially planned to shoot at two different locations, we had to postpone the second location due to Jasmine’s camera running out of battery. We also intended to continue filming some more scenes throughout the week, particularly school scenes, as we realized we needed more scenes from that setting. However, due to the extreme weather conditions in Bali, it requires us to switch to online learning for safety reasons. During this week’s project lesson, we also began working on our CCR questions. Our teacher provided guidance on how to effectively structure our responses to ensure clarity and depth in our essay. I believe my team and I pretty well on it, as we had already incorporated main points into our statement of intent, which proved to be a valuable reference.
Problem : Due to extreme weather conditions in Bali, we were unable to film the planned scenes this week, which further delaying our production schedule. Additionally, we need more responses for our audience feedback.
Solution : Continue filming as soon as weather conditions improve while ensuring all necessary equipment is fully charged and prepared to prevent further delays.
To-Do list : Gather more audience feedback responses, continue working on the CCR questions, and begin developing the social media page for our project.
WEEK 7 - 21 February 2025
During this week's project lesson, Jasmine and I (Beatrice) continued working on our music video while (Rachelle was absent due to illness). We reviewed our music video draft and noticed that several gaps remained in the scenes. As we did not strictly follow our storyboard during the filming process, we brainstormed new ideas to fill in the missing scenes. While analyzing the scenes, I noticed that the video lacked performance-based shots, resulting in a monotonous flow with overly long scene durations. To address this, we sought feedback from our teacher, in which he provided several insightful suggestions to build up the visual narrative. I took notes and sketched out the given ideas, as we found it to be particularly helpful for our next filming session. Jasmine and I then began planning how to execute the additional scenes.
Problem : There are still several aspects of the project that need to be completed, including a few remaining scenes that need to be filmed. The current draft of the music video appears too monotone.
Solution : Continuously review the music video to evaluate its progress and identify areas for improvement. Furthermore, I will contribute more by giving ideas to enhance the visual narrative, while exploring ways to make the video more engaging through camera movements, and editing techniques.
To-Do list : Complete the remaining filming sessions, continue developing my blog posts, and work on creating and curating content for the star's social media page to strengthen the artist's branding.
WEEK 8 - 28 February 2025
Due to the continuous mock exams and school events throughout the week, we did not have any project lessons this week. However, I used this time to do further research on social media pages of artists within the same pop genre as our star. This helped me gain a better understanding of the conventions and branding strategies commonly used, which I hope will enhance the authenticity of our star's social media presence.
Problem : Since there are a lot of things that we need to prepare for outside of the project, we made minimal progress on the project this week. As the deadline approaches, I am worried about whether we will be able to complete everything on time without compromising the quality of our work.
Solution : Use more of my free time to work on the project independently to make sure that any unfinished tasks are gradually completed
To-Do list : Continue filming, working on my blog posts, develop the star's social media page, and work on the CCR questions.
WEEK 9 - 7 March 2025
During the first project lesson this week, Jasmine and I reviewed the progress of our music video and analyzed how the overall production was shaping up (Rachelle was absent). Since I have previously sketched out the layout and compiled a list of potential content ideas for the star's social media page, I consulted Jasmine for her input that would help to construct the star's persona. I also asked for some of Jasmine's personal pictures to post it on the social media page, ensuring that the content aligns with the artist's branding and authenticity. We also had another project lesson this week, in which we were instructed to work on any unfinished blog posts.
Problem : With only five days left until the deadline, I feel quite stressed as our filming process remains incomplete. Some aspects of the CCR questions are difficult to address without the final product.
Solution : Dedicate more of my free time to independently work on the project and offer help to my teammates if needed.
To-Do list : Finalize the remaining filming, continue working on blog posts, develop the star's social media page, and complete the CCR essay.
WEEK 10 - 12 March 2025 [DEADLINE]
This week marks the end of our project. We were given a lot of feedback by our teacher and were instructed to complete everything.
Problem : There are still a lot of things that needed to be done. I feel extremely pressured and overwhelmed as I'm not sure if I'll be able to finish it on time.
Solution : Work continuously to try and get everything done as soon as possible.
To-Do list : Finish my social media research and development, complete behind the scenes, and continue my CCR essay.
Post-production reflection : Documenting the weekly progress has helped me to track our group's progress to keep ourselves in the same direction and allows us to stay aligned and accountable of our own parts of the tasks, in order to improve and make progress every week. Since we weren't able to start filming early, and we struggled with communication at times, I felt really pressured because I was unsure whether we’d manage to stay on track and meet the mid-March deadline, since the deadline also clashed with deadlines from other projects and mock exams. Although we weren't able to film as scheduled, I still felt relieved that we were somehow able to complete the project on time.
No comments:
Post a Comment