Storyboard for Music Video

Today,

Katie and I finalized our storyboard with Mise en Scene.  We know the order that we want it for the most part.  We have a few ideas on how we can end it.  It is just a matter of timing and our editing skills.

Starting with the costumes, we have decided to go in the path of wanting to bring three completely different outfits to portray three different events happening within our music video.  For our childhood scene we wanted to do bright soothing colors to express the youthfulness and joy.  The adult aspect we chose to have the actresses wear colors on a darker spectrum this to display maturity and the seriousness of the scene.  Lastly, for the scene where we dance it will be simple and movable.

Moving on towards the lighting, in the beginning scenes and scenes where we are adults the lights will give off a more realistic type of vibe.  In the dance scene the lighting that is desired should be dark and grayish.  This is to emphasize the dancers movements in the mirror and their reflections without being distracted by color.  The childhood scenes are one of animation and festive colors.

The actors/actresses starring in our production will be ourselves.  Katie and I will be acting and dancing in all the shots.  We believed that it was best for us to be the ones starring in, directing and producing the music video because not only would it be easier but also cleaner. This way the film can be executed the way we both envisioned it.

Make-up is pretty simple in this music video.  For the most part our faces will be completely naked and natural. We may wear a tab bit of make in the adult scenes to show age.

Props will consist of children toys and book bags for the flashback scenes of us being kids again.  The adult scene will consist of purses, little accessories that emulate to us looking older that we actually are. The dance scene truly only requires mirrors and lots of it.

Our scenes take place in three different locations.  The first beginning outside, somewhere nice with a sidewalk.  The next setting is on playground, for the children.  Lastly, the third location is in a dance room hopefully with mirrors.

We plan on checking out the camera tomorrow, the 22nd of this month (November), so that we may play it smart and have it for the weekend to film.  We will be doing a lot of pans, tilts, burn-ins and burn-outs, wide shots, possibly over the shoulder and some P.O.V.s.  This is so we capture the different moods, emotions,and scenery going on.  As far as editing goes, we have to do a lot of cutting, copying, pasting, and matching up to perfection or at least close to it.  This will be something really challenging for us since we are still learning the ins and outs of editing. For sound there will be the audio track.

Planning for The Music Video

Today, November 20th, 2019, my partner Katie and I were working on the vision for our commercial.  We started with the actual, visual for it.  We brainstormed on how exactly do we want to go about presenting the film.  We battled between if we were going to do an exact replica of the music video or if we wanted to do a spin-off.  We decided to do a spin-off.  To do this we began with finding the perfect place to reinvent and recapture the essence of a pop video, with our twist.

We wanted to keep the transition of time just as the original music video.  The twist would be its a friendship instead of a relationship between two females as adults reminiscing on their childhood.  The childhood scene would be filmed at a playground to capture the essence of purity and blissfulness. As for the chorus Katie and I felt the need to intertwine a dance choreography in so that we may differ from the rest.  The setting for this would be in a dance room that contains mirrors.  This is so that we play on the title of the song itself , “MIRRORS”. 

To prevent any incidents from happening, we thought of a safety plan to put in place.  We will be keeping track of the weather reports to find the perfect day to shoot the playground scene.  Katie will also be bringing along a first aid kit in case of emergencies.  Lastly, we will be taking the necessary precautions when dancing to insure we don’t injury the body.

As for props, starting with the childhood scene we will have book-bags as an indication we are coming home from school and meeting up at the park.  We will be using childhood everyday props: chalk, jump ropes, snacks, dolls, juice boxes etc. The dance props we have not quite decided how we would like to go about it.  Yet still, we do know that we are going to need and use a bunch of mirrors to add onto the vision we are trying to pursue.

As for finalizing a set schedule to stay on track for completion we’ve been matching up our personal lives.  On the 21st of this month (November), our storyboard is to be finalized.  By the 24th of this month we hope to begin filming as well as continue on the 27th.  We strive to begin the editing process by the 2nd of next month (December).  Listed above are dates we hope to meet but they may be tweaked here and there. This is all so that we finish by the 9th of December.

Into The New Project- Music Video

Katie and I finished our Dunkin Donut commercial project on the 12th of November. Today, Katie and I are transitioning into our music video project.  We are hoping to accomplish a better film recording, from using our prior knowledge as well as what we learned while filming for our commercial.  Our storyboard was one of the main aspects that helped me when filming for our commercial.  This helped me to stay on track and how to go about recording the takes.  One of the most difficult hardships that we faced was, the loss of our ending footage.  This set us back because we ended up having to re-shoot the whole ending again.  As we go into this new series we must decide on a few things so that our project runs smoothly.  We have to decide: genre of the song, song, location, costumes, and the timing of the song.  We have to make sure we do not go pass or under the time limit of 1:05 - 1:15.
We want a song that we can put a twist on and make it ours to film with.  Yet still, be able to grasp the important content of a music video as well as dance along to it.  After going through our Apple Music, YouTube, Spotify, and Amazon Music, we chose the song Mirrors by Justin Timberlake.  Katie and I wanted to be different and do something that no one would actually think of which is the use of mirrors.  When you look into the mirror you see your reflection and thus the song speaks on someone being your personal mirror, reflecting who you are.  Now that we know which song we are leaning towards, we can start brainstorming how to kick off our film beginning with planning.  We now have to go into the research part, which means finding out the Misc en Scene of Pop songs.

1. Typically in a pop song, the costumes are based off of the gender or the artist.  A male is normally put into one to two outfit choices and the colors vary depending on the mood of the song.  As for females, they are placed in three to four different costumes and are commonly flashy.  In the song Justin Timberlake is seen in black appeal as he sings and dances throughout the mirrors.  His choice of outfit is dramatically simple that it adds and not takes away from the song itself.
2. The lighting is most of Justin's pop sounds are portrayed through the mood of the song.  This song for example had colors to show the mood of time transitioning.  You see bright colors when the couple was young.  There were lots of festive colors and it was very vibrant.  When the couple reaches adulthood and are now in their prime you see that the colors have faded into a more pastel look and its not so bright.  When the couple is now old you mostly see one color and its very faded.  It shows the fading of the of mood, emotion, and time.
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End Filming Blog

The saying goes “all good things have to come to an end.” That is exactly what’s happening. Today, November 7th, 2019, Katie and myself finished the commercial.  Well the filming, voiceovers, and the soundtrack. Our main concern was the editing portion. Seeing as though we both are fairly new to filming and editing this was a new experience for the two of us. On the 5th of this month, Katie and I already had a rough copy of how we wanted our commercial to be. I kept going back and forth with other Dunkin Donut (DD) Commercials to make sure we were on the same path. We wanted to overall stay in the guidelines of the typically DD commercials but add a splash of our personalities. 

Sadly, Katie and I hit a bump in the road when our footage was misplaced. Thus lead to us having to re-record half of our commercial. This was a blessing and a curse all in one. A blessing because we got a second chance to match up the films of the first half to the second half. The score (music) was a big part in how we went about the re-film of the second half. We decided it would be pretty cool to play on the words of the song. At moments it was a curse due to the long process and our fear of not finishing. Katie and I figured that it was best to record numerous takes but with small changes and decide which is best to use. This played to our advantage. 

With the help of our instructor we care to an agreement that Google Drive was a safe place to dump our footage. This was helpful so that we both had a way to view and edit when needed be. In putting the film together, we lined the shots up in the order we thought suited best. Next we played around with the song and shots to see the time length we wanted to portray. With us slowing down, speeding up, trimming and readjusting the film to the song when now just need the voiceover placed. In class we finalized the voiceover and once again played on the arrangement of the film. Seeking out a quiet place I was able to record the script and email it, thus it can be sectioned into the proper places. This being Katie and I’s first commercial we are filled with anxiety and joy to have it completed.

Final Editing

It seems to be that the odds are finally in Katie and I's favor.  After the horrific tragedy of losing our ending portion of our commercial, Katie and I had to go back of re-film everything all our again.  This set us back due to us having to rerecord majority of our video. 

Filming

Yesterday, October 24th, 2019 was my first filming day.  Before my partner Katie and I could do anything we needed to sign out the equipment.  The equipment consisted of; a camera, tripod, sd card, as well as a hall pass.  After gathering all the essentials we were all set and ready to film.  Previous to yesterday, the night of the 23rd of October, Katie and myself discussed what we needed and who was going to bring it.  We made a list of things and short reminders; this so we do not forget the next morning to bring. I decided to take one for the team and arrive late so that we may have our Dunkin Donut (DD) products fresh for the time we needed it.  With both our DD products and film equipment we were ready to begin.

First things first, Katie and I decided that it would be best if we worked backwards to front.  The reasoning for this, is because we knew people would be in the area where our beginning shots would be filmed.  Therefore instead of wasting time, why not go backwards and knockout all that we can.   When planning it was discussed and agreed upon that Katie would be the face of the film and I would take the lead in recording.  At first it was funny trying to operate the camera and figuring out how to set up a tripod.  Turns out our tripod was broken.   We had to hold the camera as well as maneuver the tripod to way we wanted.  Overall the filming was not ideal but we think  we got some shots with elevated production quality.

When filming I did low shot (LS), extreme close-up, pan, and a variety of other ones as well.  If I do say so myself, filming is more about just holding a camera and pressing buttons.  When you film you have to try your absolute hardest to make sure everything is perfect.  If not, for the shot, you’ll have to keep doing it.  Having to repeat the same scene over and over again is very time consuming and expensive in the actual world of film.  Katie and I experienced this with two of our scenes. Thus in the end we had to hurriedly dump our SD card and still sign back in everything when it was time to go. 

Storyboard

Today in class we worked on our storyboard for the Dunkin Donuts (DD) commercial. I analyzed and confirmed with Katie on which way we wanted to go about the film. The first step was having a group discussion and talking out the whole commercial and editing out ideas that we felt were not cohesive. Originally, we were going to have a simple end card but, as we researched we realized that most coffee commercials stress the importance of coffee coming from a bean. We concluded we wanted a pouring bean scene then the final end card that promotes the new products. We then brainstormed with a rough draft of the storyboard that was an electronic note sketch. We then needed to transfer it to the paper square format. Lastly, we needed to finalize it and make sure this is what we wanted to bring our vision alive.
I started off with the basics of drawing the actor and the setting. Throughout the course of the commercial, you will see a transition in time. The beginning scene displays a girl sleeping.  Time changes and now she is up and out to start her day, but is poorly dressed as if she just rolled out of bed. This is before Dunkin Donuts’ new Fall coffee. Fast forward a bit, and you'll see the girl walking into the school still looking drowsy. Low maintenance sort of speak.  The scene afterwards the girl finally gets her burst of happiness when she intakes the DD coffee and now her wardrobe has changed. 
We realized that it would not be a coffee commercial if we did not add the iconic coffee beans. It truly shows that coffee is a delicacy that derives from a natural bean. Thus we added the signature shot of the beans being poured into the cup. We also decided that we should have both versions of the coffee. This shows the versatility of the pumpkin flavoring that you can find at Dunkin Donuts for everyone. The hot cup of coffee as well as the iced version just to emphasize how equally good both are. We wrapped up our commercial with the all-time infamous slogan, “America runs on Dunkin”. This will remind people that they need to include Dunkin Donuts in their daily morning routine.

Editing Blog Lesson

Today October 14th, 2019, I learned the functions of editing and the proper usage of a camera as well as what comes along with the camera.  I was taught by one of my instructors what comes along with the camera and the steps we must go through.  I also was taught the three major key points that I must use for editing which are:dump, import, and export.  Beginning with the camera, we have a sign-in and sign out form that must be completed prior to receiving any tech equipment.  We spoke briefly about the SD card and how it is recommended to purchase your own to be on the safe side of everything.  We were taught on how were the tripod is inputted at and how to maneuver it.  The camera and the parts that come alongside it are one of the most important parts.

Next, after filming with the camera I was taught how to dump all  the footage from the camera on to the computer that I will be using. To me the dumping process is the most important because if you miss something then it is a possibility you ruined your entire commercial. We were told it is best to use to Pinnacle Studios to go about the editing process so that we get used to it and its an easier process.  I for one have no idea what to do when you go into details about editing so this part was very important to me.  I have not gotten the hang of it yet, but hopefully with practice I will be able to.

Planning

    On Wednesday October 9th, Katie and I set out to experience Dunkin Donuts (DD) as a customer, rather than a student viewing it as a project. We sat down and brainstormed what exactly we want our commercial premise to be. After taking time out to watch YouTube (YT) videos online and observing the DD atmosphere we pondered on some important questions. For example, “What can we do to get our point across, but still stand out from others?” and “What will make our commercial different?” We decided we wanted a concise plot with an easy and fun message to understand. We planned to take inspiration from a 2018 DD coffee commercial and make it specific to the new Fall products they have available. Filming would consist of few props, seasonal costumes, and a short and memorable script. This commercial should convey the Autumn festivities and highlight the new coffee products.
     Our commercial should be split up into three parts: the morning (before coffee), experiencing the coffee, and information on new products. Our first section will feature pajamas as costumes because it will display how awful it is to wake up early in the morning after a long night. Props will include pillows and different bed accessories. This section will consist of strictly video, music, and sound effects. It will ideally be filmed on and by the senior patio tables and benches. The following scene will be a transition into a delightful mood  due to the new DD pumpkin flavored coffee she just drank. It will transform her outfit and attitude to an Autumn vibe and style. This costume will consist of warm tone and cozy knit wear.  The props will be consisting of a DD coffee cup. Music will still be playing from the first scene. This scene should be outside and happy so it will be filmed on the softball field behind building 17. Lastly, the final section will be our promotional information, logo, and slogan slide. It will contain a graphic of the coffee advertised and manipulated with ice pouring, coffee beans piled, etc. At the end, it will feature the DD logo and state “America runs on Dunkin” to close the scene. The script will describe the new and exciting fall products coming to DD. This last scene will be filmed on a table as it is simple and only need pans of the products.
     After drafting our ideas, visual design, and filming arrangements we decided to establish a schedule and set back up plans if anything goes wrong. Our first class period we will finalize the script and costumes.  Making sure that everything goes as planned, and if not, what is another way to go about it.  The following class period we will film all material needed for the commercial. Whether that be, the coffee itself, the products, or the actress.The final class period we will edit, retouch, and add sound effects/music to the final copy. If any outside location is under inclement weather we will migrate to the building 5 back stairway for our “first section”. The main media stairs for our “second section”.

Research, Conventions, & Codes

    Katie and I began on our Dunkin Donuts (DD) coffee commercial with research. We started off with viewing all past DD commercials. The first one was from 1994 with its warm-toned lighting and graphics. It displayed a friendly man pouring hot brewed cups of coffee to a grumpy line of people. They all took a sip and instantly are satisfied by the rich and bold taste. The next commercial was from a year ago with colorful graphics following a cheerful man walking down the street as he sipped from his morning coffee. The people all around him seem confused at his joy until he spots a woman also drinking DD coffee. They end up both being happy together as it cuts into a montage of the coffee.
I notice in both commercials that they dramatize pouring the coffee into a cup as it hits the ice in some cases. They also zoomed in on the dark color of the coffee and talk about how striking and smooth the taste was. In addition, both commercials are set in the morning and “the start of their day”. This makes sense as many Americans start their day with coffee for breakfast.
We feel that we could also similarly start in the morning with upbeat music. We wanted to emphasize coffee as being part of someone's daily routine. In these commercials, they always try to show all aspects of the coffee without just letting it sit there.  They manipulate the coffee by pouring it on ice or out of the pot into a cup. They also show the versatility of the coffee by switching the toppings; like foam for hot and ice and straw for cold through editing. Some modern coffee commercials have visual illusions stressing that coffee is natural and comes from the coffee bean. They do this by pouring beans into a cup and then tilting the cup and watching coffee pour out. We think that it adds a subconscious sustainable/nature-y effect on the brand.
In the end, all Dunkin Donut coffee advertisements close with a solid colored background or a freeze-frame on what the camera was viewing before with the logo centered on the screen. Usually, the slogan is also said and written on the bottom of the screen. I think this is very effective because it is the final thing the audience will see and should remember from the commercial. I’ve noticed them highlight their branding colors, pink and orange, to not confuse Dunkin’s coffee with competitors. We were also going to match the traditional closing of DD commercials as to not confuse our audience with brands. That should keep it true to the Dunkin Donut coffee experience.

Introdutory

     Hi, my name is Nyaira, but I prefer Nyah for short.  I am currently a senior attending Fort Lauderdale High School.  Personally I would consider myself creative, hard-working, and passionate.  I would say that I have a love-hate relationship with the camera.  On some days I can be seen as very photogenic; and them on other days, not so much.  I have a passion for law as well as dance.  I am currently working on scholarships to get into the colleges of my choosing, such as FIU, NYU, Chicago University, and Julliard. I will be using this blog site, to keep track of  my progress for my AICE Media  Studies class.  I can't wait to see how far I will go with this class.
     I strongly believe this class will help me to be a better performing in case I am staring in someone's production.  It will help me to present and angle my  body in certain ways that compliments the shot and myself as well.  I can take into an account Mis en Scene, when I enter the infamous show business world.  I can only imagine that there are numerous people that would love to make it on the big screen and create a name for themselves.  Taking this class will give me one foot in the door.  By being able to walk in and already know some if not most camera angles, editing, sound, and Mis en Scene, to help make the lives of those filming much easier. 
     Adding on, I would say this class with help me to do no more than elevate in knowledge.  Learning something new that will help me succeed in what is yet to come is always a plus.  So far I have learned the angles, editing, sound, Mis en Scene.  As I take in movies, television shows, and clips of all kind; I notice myself listing out what is what and actually applying what I have learned to my everyday life and I have to say.  It is pretty cool.  I really take keen to the camera angles and the editing; my favorite being the drone shots, reaction shots, jump cut, and shot reverse shot.  I find that these four stick out to me, because it takes a lot more in my opinion to capture it, it a specific way to your liking. 

Lights, Camera, and ACTION!
-Nyah