Video Preliminary Tasks

DSLR Menu Filming Settings

Standard

If you are going to use a DSLR to shoot your music video you are going to have to tackle the video settings.

The settings you choose will depend on:

  • Lighting and shadows
  • Motion or lack of
  • Depth of field

These are the settings that should work if you were to film outside on a sunny day.

Make sure the camera is switched to filming mode and then press the menu button on the back of the camera.

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  • Exposure
    • Auto will set a compromise between shutter speed, ISO and exposure
    • Manual if you want a very specific effect (bokeh or movement).
      • Only use this if you are confident & had experience with a DSLR.
  • Focus
    • Auto Focus (FlexizoneAF).
    • AF w/shutter button during filming (enable).
      • This will allow you to change focal length by pressing the camera shutter button whilst you are filming)
      • Ensure the lens is switched to AF
    • Manual Focus (for shallow DoF & pulling focus). This will give you control over the manual focus.
      • Ensure the lens is switched to MF & use the focus ring at the end of the lens to change focus
        • Only use if you are confident.
        • It might look in focus in camera but be blurred on a larger screen!
  • Contrast
    • High Light Tone Priority enable for filming in bright (sun)light to avoid light colours being washed out.
    • This will mean you cannot change other settings – these are done automatically
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  • Video System – NTSC
  • If you want to use slow motion in the edit.
    • Movie Rec Size: 1280×720 (60 fps)
  • If you want to get better quality colour & image definition
    • Movie Rec Size:  1920×1080 (30fps)

 

Making a Montage

Aside

In the next three sessions you are going to complete a short production task, which is designed to advance your filming and editing skills ahead of your music video planning and filming days.

cutting-room-editing-film_med

Thank goodness for digital editing!

To complete these tasks effectively you’re going to have to think carefully about how the edit is going to look at the end and ensure that you film all the shots you need.

In session 1 you will create a storyboard.

Story Board 01

Create a montage video which explains visually how a typical school at day pans out. It should last no longer than 25 – 30 seconds (@ 15 shots).

Additional Information:

  1. Shoot for continuity using montage to condense time and space
  2. Use speed to infer tension
  3. Use close ups to show reactions / expression of the person – many of you missed these essential narrative moments in the Prelim Task – don’t do it this time.
  4. Shoot to edit at least one eye line match – significant object/person
  5. There may be some repeated action to show the repetitive nature of the school day
  6. Edit in at least one match on action – again, many of you missed the detail and purpose of MOA in the Prelim.
  7. Use some interesting transitions – fade in, wipe, dissolve etc...to help show the passing of time

Additional Information:
1. You may shoot an establishing shot.

2. Use the rule of thirds in all shots.

3. You can add a non-diegetic sound track too that suits the mood.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
It’s also a good opportunity to look at the assessment criteria relating to filming and ensure that you take those into account during your planning and filming. They are:

1. Holding a shot steady
2. Framing a shot
3. (Shooting a) variety of shot distances

You should do the following in the post:

  • Outline the task and what you are learning (use the success criteria in red above)
  • Embed the video
  • Embed and link the storyboard as a pdf (scanned from Photocopier)
  • x 3 bullet points of strengths
  • x 3 bullet points of weaknesses
  • Summarise what you have learnt about editing in preparation for your music video production.

Finalising the Preliminary Task and Evaluation Questions

Aside
  1. Export your video from Premiere Pro (use an H.264 file format & match source attributes);
  2. Upload your video to your YouTube channel;
  3. Copy the embed code underneath your video in YouTube;
  4. Paste the embed code into the text tab in your blog or go to add ‘Add Media’ and ‘Embed media’;
  5. Then cut and paste the following sentences into your post and complete the sentence stems…
  • I have used the following camera techniques…
  • I used these techniques to create a sense of/that….
  • I have learnt to use the following continuity editing rules…
  • I used these rules to…
  • I have learnt to use the following tools/techniques in Premiere Pro…
  • I used these tools to…
  • If I was to do this project again I would do some things differently,…

You should also embed your Script and Shot List if possible.

You should store this post in UNCATEGORISED for the time being as we will be creating new categories for your Music Video work.

The Blog League for Music Video starts next week.

The Preliminary Task

Standard

The preliminary task is a compulsory piece of coursework that all students must complete as part of their Foundation Portfolio. The purpose is to train you in some basic camera and editing techniques, that you will then use and develop in your main production piece.

It’s an opportunity to learn some new skills and whilst it is coursework it doesn’t matter if it goes wrong, as you don’t get any marks for it. However, if you don’t do it and embed it into your blog it will cost you 15 coursework marks!

The brief for the preliminary task is:

“A continuity task involving filming and editing a two characters in conversation, with one character who leaves the room’.

This task should demonstrate match on action, shot/reverse shot and the 180-degree rule.”

You should copy and paste the brief as a post into your blog.

 

Examples

Here are two example preliminary tasks made by the media teachers, spot the mistakes:

Here is the script which we would like you to use on the shoot.

You will be working in pairs for this task and should film about half of the shots.

  • Please use this document to list the shots you will need to complete the edit or annotate the script with the shots – CU, ECU, LS, MOA, SRS etc