John Lewis Advert (2014)
Moon Hitler…
And especially for B!
And you thought Media would be boring! Bwahahaha….
filming
Jumpcut Crew
My old keyboard player, Michael Hines, pointed me at Jumpcut. It’s not feasible for you this year (as you’d be working full-time right through the exams!), but it’s definitely a site to check on and they run regular projects.
Clicking on the poster will download the application pack which gives further information. If you are serious about a future career in the media, this could be just the thing for you!
Filming Help
Good luck those of you who are carrying out some filming over the long weekend. I meant to give you copies of a suggested ‘Shot List’ sheet. This is a pretty useful/essential tool that you should use while filming to keep a list of the shots you have made. If nothing else, it allows you to keep track of what you have filmed and what you still have to film… and if you are offloading a lot of files at the same time, it will speed up the search for the ‘right’ take when you are editing! (You will take sooooo long when it comes to editing that you’ll thank me for this, honestly, you will!)
It looks like this (click the pic to download as a PDF), and I have a pile of them in my room if you want to grab some.
Microphone?
*** Check the mike is compatible with your camera BEFORE you order it! ***
I was asked about a mike that’s be suitable for using with a DSLR. Without going mad, I’d suggest the Røde VideoMic GO. It’s about £55… which means it’s just gone up by a fiver. 😦
I know that’s a fair amount for a mike, and if it’s just for this course, you should be OK with the built in mike in your camera/phone/device… And I do have a few decent mikes you can use for re-recording if needed…
And yes, you will almost certainly find a cheaper alternative, but Røde have a really good reputation for quality and value for money… I’m hoping to get one for the school, but it is education, so money is extremely tight. 😦
PS: Check any mike is compatible with your camera BEFORE you order it!
Anyway, recommendation passed on! 🙂
FILMING WORKSHOP IS ON THURSDAY!
I’ve already posted this, but just in case you missed it, teh Filming Workshop will be on Thursday NOT Tuesday.
Hope to see a few of you there. Details of the day here: FILMING WORKSHOP DETAILS
How do you…? You just…!
There’s a brilliant meme on Kermode and Mayo’s show that goes like this:
Q: How do you use Snapchat? A: You just use snapchat.
Q: How do you solve world hunger? A: You just solve world hunger.
You get the idea. (Feel free to try it with any of your teachers as the answer to any question that begins “How do you…”. I dare you.) Anyway, the relevant question for you is “How do you make a film?”
Here are some people who have done just that. The 10 finalists have just been announced for second Kermode and Mayo “Well Done U” competition — Well Done U 2. The rules are simple. Your film has to be no more than 2 minutes long, and should be suitable to achieve a BBFC “U” certificate — and, indeed, that is what the First Prize in the competition is.
They are all worth watching, and you will get ideas from each of them. I know you are almost finished your scripts and pre-production, so you need to be thinking seriously about your cinematography… you can learn loads from watching each of these films, and I expect them to inspire you into seeing things with a more ‘filmic’ eye.
Have a look at the films (it’ll only take you 20 minutes to watch all of them!) and feel free to write a comment saying which is your favourite. 🙂
IMPORTANT UPDATE: October Workshop – THURSDAY 22nd!
NEW DATE
Hi everyone… There’s a new date for the workshop. It will now take place on THURSDAY 22nd OCTOBER. The plan is to start at about 9:30am with a session on cameras and filming. There’ll be some simple exercises for you to carry out that should improve your filming. Then, we’ll break for a bite of food at about 12. The afternoon session will start about 12:30 and will cover basic editing skills. I’m aiming to finish about 3pm.
You will need to sign in and out at the desk next to the janitor’s office in the main concourse. 🙂
While I will be able to provide some cameras and lights, you would be advised to bring your own equipment as much as possible… and this is especially true for the basic editing in the afternoon. Ideally, you should bring your own laptop with some video editing software on it. Leave me a comment if you need help with this… preferably sooner rather than later.
I’m looking forward to a useful day that should set you up nicely for the actual filming.
Filming Tricks and Tips
Here’s the infographic I mentioned in class… get yer wheelchairs ready! 😉
Filming Is Easy/Difficult
Just a wee heads up about your first attempts at filming and why I think it important that you have done them.
I’ll start with what you need to realise…
1) Having a script is essential. Think how quickly you were able to get started because you immediately knew what you had to shoot. Remember this when you come to creating your own product.
2) Keep it simple. Yes, you might want to make a new “Terminator” film, but the reality is that we don’t have the facilities or time (or budget!) to make a Hollywood blockbuster… but we do have the tools to make a movie. It’s all a question of making the best use of what we have… which is YOU, and some imagination. (PS: a script helps…)
3) Don’t be constrained by what you think you know. This is important to remember. You have been conditioned to think about filming and storytelling through years of exposure to media products. We constantly evaluate and judge what we see and experience to make sense of it. This drive allows us to make sense… or more accurately, create a narrative… from very little.
4) You can be fooled. Easily. Look at this painting of a leopard.
Notice anything about it?
Shot-Reverse-Whit?
Here are your shot-reverse-shot edits… Nice to know at least one of you was paying attention!
(Now with added subtitles!)
Enjoy!
Hello to Jason Isaacs... 