# My first music video!  With girls (almost) kissing!



## AshleyAshes (Dec 7, 2011)

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This was my final project for one class in the college television program I'm in.  So this is the culmination of four months of learning.  I could go on about what's wrong with it and how I can improve but I can also go on about how I improved over the last thing I made as well.  Overall, we made the best music video in the class and that's something to be pleased with.  In the middle some camera work is out right terrible, the dumbfuck in our group got to hold the camera and everything he did was terrible and we didn't have time to reshoot.  We had to use zoom and position in the editor JUST to fix his terrible head room.

The exterior establishing shots are all mine and they are over exposed, my bad, there's nothing in the text book about where your zebras should be on red brick and concrete and the black and white viewfinder didn't offer much insight.  Can't wait till we use HD cameras in second year instead of these ten year old, SD, DVCAM hulks we had to use.

What else?  I learned not to do photographic effects.  In the hallway scene where we use the green screen to make everyone disappear, I overexposed it for artistic reasons but in post production I realized I didn't want it that way... But I blew it out and there was no restoring it.  I shoulda done a normal exposure because I could have blown out the exposure in post production and undoing that would have been just a CTRL+Z away.  At least I'm learning, right?


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## Term_the_Schmuck (Dec 8, 2011)

Couple other quick things:

1)  Go back and look at some of your cuts.  For the most part you timed the cuts with audio cues in the song, but there are some places where your cuts were either a little late or a little early.  That's something of a quick fix you could do without a problem.

2)  If you're going to use a wall of photographs to help establish the subjects' relationship, you should do tight close-ups of the photos with quick cuts to each one.  The wide shot of all the photographs on the wall is a little dull and drags for a bit.  There's also a visible cut in the video at around 0:15 where it's clear you're still looking at the same thing.  This is where those tight close-ups would help so you can cut to different images and make this visually interesting.

3)  On the subject of dragging, the shot from 0:17 - 0:27 goes on WAAAAAAY too long and just seems a bit awkward.  Move the camera around.  Follow the 180 degree rule and get close-ups on their faces.  That wide-shot should be your safety so you have something else to cut to, not the entire shot.  Remember, ten seconds can be an eternity.

4)  The flashes of light that go with the drumming is unnecessary.  I would have much rather you used cuts to those pictures on the wall rather than that.  It just strains the eyes a bit too much.

My other gripes you've already covered in the OP.  I'd say keep working at it.  The good news is you utilized focus well and you understand the concept of making cuts during audio cues, you just need to be more consistent.  I'd also try minimizing your use of a green screen if possible.


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## AshleyAshes (Dec 8, 2011)

Term_the_Schmuck said:


> 1) Go back and look at some of your cuts. For the most part you timed the cuts with audio cues in the song, but there are some places where your cuts were either a little late or a little early. That's something of a quick fix you could do without a problem.



I was actually using Adobe Audition to look at the song and get my cuts on the musical cues, I don't think that's the issue, I think the issue is my using the WRONG cues at sometimes.  Those where I used the guitar as the cue are a LOT stronger where others are using a drum hit and they come out much weaker, more over if I need to use a longer cut over two or three drum hits to ensure the clip is clearly scene it starts seeming more eratic... And then there's when I switch from the guitar to the drum in different segments.  I should have been more consistant in using the guitar as the primary cue.



Term_the_Schmuck said:


> 2)  If you're going to use a wall of photographs to help establish the subjects' relationship, you should do tight close-ups of the photos with quick cuts to each one.  The wide shot of all the photographs on the wall is a little dull and drags for a bit.  There's also a visible cut in the video at around 0:15 where it's clear you're still looking at the same thing.  This is where those tight close-ups would help so you can cut to different images and make this visually interesting.


 
Yeah, we realized this after shooting those scenes and THEN starting to edit.  Shoulda had the thing set to macro and been a lot closer.  



Term_the_Schmuck said:


> 3) On the subject of dragging, the shot from 0:17 - 0:27 goes on WAAAAAAY too long and just seems a bit awkward. Move the camera around. Follow the 180 degree rule and get close-ups on their faces. That wide-shot should be your safety so you have something else to cut to, not the entire shot. Remember, ten seconds can be an eternity.


 
The shoots afterwards had us getting 4-5 or so camera angles for each major scene instead as I realized I need a LOT more things to cut around due to the speed of the song.  As a result the bar scene which was shot almost last is a lot stronger with the music.  Though the lighting in that hall was atrocious and that was while using a reflector, wish we'd thought to bring a lighting kit on that day.




Term_the_Schmuck said:


> 4) The flashes of light that go with the drumming is unnecessary. I would have much rather you used cuts to those pictures on the wall rather than that. It just strains the eyes a bit too much.



But I like those. :3



Term_the_Schmuck said:


> My other gripes you've already covered in the OP. I'd say keep working at it. The good news is you utilized focus well and you understand the concept of making cuts during audio cues, you just need to be more consistent. I'd also try minimizing your use of a green screen if possible.


 
The green screen I don't think is the problem, my photography when I did it is the problem.  We set the shutter speed to 1/4 to get serious motion blur because it'd be speed up, I left it over exposed to get a sureal effect but later realized that to make the character 'match' it they looked less 'sureal' and more 'angelic' which I didn't like  The end result is an overexposed back ground with a subject that's normally exposed and it's just so blaaatently green screened.  I think it'd be a LOT stronger if I'd gotten a good exposure for both the background and the green screen (Both were shot in the exact same location afterall, we just used a portable green screen) and left any exposure, motion blur, or anything else to post production in Adobe After Effects.  ...That and the 4:1:1 color space in a Sony DVCAM is atrocious for greenscreening, even my DSLR at least dose 4:2:0 and our XDCAMs we get to use in second year are 4:2:2.

The two biggest lessons I learned was 'Get 3-5 camera angles, every time' and 'Leave the fancy stuff to After Effects and don't do it in the camera'.

One of the simplest effects though, no one notices.  In the stablishing shots there's a sign for Rideau College that says 'Castor Hall Residence'.  This was replaced in After Effects because it used to be a sign for Carleton University's Maintance building.  Most of the schools have issues with their trademarks being used without permission and I feel that out of the major college and two major universities in this city, all have good traits for filming, so I created the fictional 'Rideau College' graphic to use when I'm at any of those locations.  I figure the college will make apperances in anything 'Canadian' that I make.


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## dinosaurdammit (Dec 8, 2011)

Lol her boobies jiggle


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## AshleyAshes (Dec 8, 2011)

dinosaurdammit said:


> Lol her boobies jiggle



Those two straight girls were such good sports at playing lesbians, even if the make out scene was a constant attempt to not bust out laughing.

Why can't I get more straight boys to go gay on camera?


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## dinosaurdammit (Dec 8, 2011)

AshleyAshes said:


> Those two straight girls were such good sports at playing lesbians, even if the make out scene was a constant attempt to not bust out laughing.
> 
> Why can't I get more straight boys to go gay on camera?




Cuz they have dignity, what ever that is :V


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## Sarcastic Coffeecup (Dec 8, 2011)

AshleyAshes said:


> Those two straight girls were such good sports at playing lesbians, even if the make out scene was a constant attempt to not bust out laughing.
> 
> Why can't I get more straight boys to go gay on camera?


Straight boys don't do gay >: D
...Unless a great reward is promised


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