Final Video.

Below is our finished video, we hope you enjoy it. We are quite pleased with how it turned out and think it accurately reflects how far we've come and the many techniques we have learnt. :)

Editing Our Video.

To edit and create our video we used iMovie on an Apple Mac laptop. This gave us lots of chances to create exactly what we wanted and gave us the opportunity to use effects.
We both started with limited experience with iMovie but after the initial few hours on it we felt much more confident and had got the general grasp of the software. Editing then became a quicker process, but still rather laborious and monotonous. We tried to share the workload evenly so that we could both have a chance to use the software and it wasn't too much pressure on one member. Unfortunately all the editing had to be done in school because we needed the same Apple Mac every time, this proved to sometimes be an annoyance as we would have preferred to work at home a little more. However, after a few weeks of hard work we managed to make the video almost exactly how we wanted it.
One of the biggest struggle for us was getting Matt's lip syncing to match the song in the background, even a millisecond out and you could see the difference. However, we didn't have to change almost anything on our storyboard which meant our timings were fairly accurate and when we had sorted out the lip syncing on what bit it would stay the same and we could move on to the next bit. The editing process is where our storyboard really came in handy and we could quickly find our clips and the order they were meant to be in which meant there was no time wasted.
A specific effect we used and really thought worked well was a Cross Dissolve effect (see photo). This was used when me and Sam were walking through the forest and it then cross dissolved to him walking alone. We had tried other effects for this scene but we found this one worked the best and looked most authentic. It took quite a while for us to be completely happy and for it to work in the way we needed it to, but we were very happy with how this effect came out.

Here are some pictures of us working together during editing process:

Day 4.

 

 

Today was our final day of filming. Today we got all the shots of me and Lauren with Sam done and we filmed these in our local town centre. We used Burger King as one of our locations for a scene where Lauren is out with Sam and talking away to him and he is distracted. We also filmed a part where it shows the contrast of the two dates and me and Sam are laughing, touching hands, and chatting together. We went early morning to make sure we beat crowds and could have room to film properly.
Another scene we filmed was the scene where Sam comes back to me. We decided to show me waiting on a bench alone so that the audience knew there was something was about to happen with me. We also shot a scene where Sam joins me on the bench and we talk a little and we hug. We decided to include the hug as it makes it obvious to the audience that we are back together, this is also reinforced by the last scene we shot where we walk off in the snow holding hands.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 3.

This was our third day filming and it was the second time we tried to shoot the band. I knew we had the hall until 6 and Matt was getting there just gone 4. This gave us pleanty of time to film all the things we needed. We used our storyboard to know which shots we wanted to use and to mae the whole process smooth and simple. Fortunately our and complied and were serious... mostly!
After hours of solid filming we had all the shots that we needed and were happy to tell the boys they could go. They'd all done a great job and we were extremley happy with Matt and his acting skills.
We took shots of the band from the front and the sides. We then filmed Matt standing in his postion with the band, but a close up so you could only see his face and we took some other shots of him on his own infront of a screen to change it up a little.

 

 

Day 2.

The second time we filmed was less successful than the first. Unfortunately, the lead singer of our 'band' was only available half 3:30 to 4:15 which didn't give us a huge window of opportunity. We did however get some good shots of the band. This first time of meeting up all together also meant that they got used to the song and learnt bits of it to make it look realistic.
This also gave us the chance to see Matt in action and he was great! We knew we'd made a good choice and we were pleased to know that what we had filmed would look professional and convincing.

Day 1.

For the first day of filming we went to Hampstead. We wanted to film some of the memories of me and Sam together here and we knew the hill was a perfect spot. We left about 11 and got there for 12. When we arrived it was unfortunately raining so we got a quick coffee in Starbucks, we also asked if we could film there, but they said 'no' unless we went to their media department (what a waste of £3!) We quickly resolved this and decided that we'd have to film this bit in our local town centre. Whilst we were there we got changed into our summer clothes so it would look like it was Summer. Safe to say it was pretty cold wearing just a dress!
Our first spot we decided to film at was this pretty cobbled street. We were lucky that it was not very busy, but still nice enough to get a good shot. After setting up the tripod, Lauren directed me and Sam in how we should look like we're in love. We held hands, but felt that we could do more so I took the opportunity to stop mid walk and he pulled me in for a hug. We felt this looked a lot better and more emotional than us just walking, holding hands.
After taking a few shots down this street we had to try and find Hampstead Heath. Unfortunately this was not as easy as we'd originally thought it would be and we ended up lost in Hampstead. We must have looked it too (me in a dress, Sam in shorts and Lauren holding a tripod) as a man soon approached us and gave us directions. Turns out we were going the opposite way! We then found the Heath with not much trouble and set off trying to find Parliament Hill.
Who knew the same group of people could get lost twice in the same day! After almost an hour and directions from two people, including the park rangers, we reached Parliament hill. We were tired and freezing but the view was amazing and we knew we'd made a good choice in location. We were blown away and thought this was the perfect place for a music video. We got some scenery shots and the shots we needed then went home.

CD Analysis.

I decided to look at some of You Me At Six's other album covers to get ideas for my own and make sure I don't stray too far away from their image, but that I'm not copying them either. These are two of You Me At Six's albums:

 

 

I'm going to name my album 'Sinners Never Sleep', but do a different cover and inside for mine. Both the album covers don't have a photo of the band on the front. I think I will change this when creating mine to be different and orginial, although I will keep the genral feel quite similar. I like the use of dark colours on the Sinners Never Sleep album cover and I think I will use dark colours also, but the I want it to be in colour instead of black and white.

 

The middle of the CD case usually has a pattern, but still quite plain. I plan to do something similar and have a small design on that page.

This is the inside page of SNS. I want to also make mine a page of thanks as it will make my whole deign more exciting.

This is the fron cover and back of SNS. I like that it is quite a simple design. HMD is quite simple, but a lot busier than SNS. I also noticed the small print at the bottom of each CD, I will reword this and put it on mine to make it look original.

 

After looking at these, I feel a lot better prepared for making my own CD and what I will need and is expected of me.