A2 Media - Reflection

Despite the plethora of problems me and James have faced regarding the filming out our video we have still attempted to ensure that our planning and research has been up to scratch. Collectively both me and James have analysed and looked at several print products and several video products that have given the both of us a clear and definite understanding of the genre. We have not only singularly looking into the "thrash" sub genre of metal we have expanded out to look into the other sub genres such as death and power metal in order to gain a wider view of the genre and so what types of conventions we can convert and subvert in our final product. with regards to our planning we have tried to make sure we have posted everything we have designated and thought of, for example to numerous drafts and outlines of the album advert with several ideas posted about how we would want it to look and what we think would work best in regards to the genre trying to keep the feel of metal to the band. While doing this we are also trying to commune the consistent green and black colour scheme of which we intend to make the trade mark of the band ensuring that they will be recognised for this colour scheme.

A2 Media - Artwork

As mentioned in a previous post I have been talking to Dan Jordan about getting a piece of artwork for vortex from a website, well we have gotten a piece but however it is not the one we had initially planned on getting. Dan has been speaking to an artwork designer who has designed a logo for the band. The logo has the name "VORTEX" at the top and then shows a sort of demon face blurred across the front with a picture of the world at the bottom. Currently the whole piece is in black and white as it was hand drawn, however Dan has offered to me that we could use it if we managed to change the colour scheme into that which is typical with "VORTEX" as previously mentioned in earlier posts that scheme is the green and black colours. Therefore Dan has offered to let me use it so me and James can add the green colours in Photoshop then use it to create the Digi-pak. This links into our research with the print products in that they do always follow the bands specific colour scheme however vague that may be, an example is the "Mutant" cover shown in one of my earlier posts this of which alike to "VORTEX" focuses a lot of green but also futuristic images as that is what they often sing about.

A2 Media - Log Sheets

A2 Media - Print Products

Disregarding our serious bad luck with the creation of the moving product, I thought it would be worth having a look back at the production of the anchillery products. I have been searching and I have found a website that designs artwork, very similar to that of which are on the cover of Metal band CD covers. So I am intending to talk to one of the guys from the website (devianart.com) and see if I can get permission to actually use the artwork, the reason for this is the artwokr is a depiction of a man in a clearing of trees, which coincides greatly with our idea hence why we are going to try and get this for our dig-pak.

A2 Media - New Plan

Me and James have now run into contingency time on our project, we did not intend to film this weekend hence why we left ourselves this time as and emergency plan. So far I have recieved confirmation from the band memeber that did not turn up last Sunday that he is very much up for filming saying that he does owe us one in doing so. It now seems as if, if all goes to plan, we will be able to film on Sunday. At the current time I am trying to find out who will be able to go on Sunday, however me and James have both decided that if we cannot get it togehter this Sunday with the band that we will move onto a different idea and change cast completely and use the school stage to film to band however that will have to be discussed either after Sunday depending how it goes, or whether I can arrange to get filming done on the Sunday. As regards for Sunday we have already run into one problem which does not bode well, James is unable to film due to his part in rememberance day as he plays in the parade. However my parents have offered very kindly to keep their day free and so they have said they really want to help us get our filming done and so they have offered us use of their cars with givng us lifts there and back and picking people up and taking them home etc. Obviously this would be a great help to us and would seriously increase our chances of actually getting a decent amount of filming done meaning hopefully we can go out and get the filming done in one day and then focus on the narrative element. Also another good sign is that once again the weather is predicted to be good for the day which is extremely helpful for for obvious reasons.

A2 Media - Filming

As I mentioned on my last blog entry we were due to go out filming on Sunday the 6th we had it all planned out and everyone was avaliable to go. I met the vocalist Luke Elton near mine and we walked in and met Jonah Lambton and my partner James Burton and we were all in durham at around 3:15 pm we went to Warton Park where we were due to meet Daniel and Micheal Jordan but Dan had not picked up his phone in a while so we did not know where he was or when he would get here. Anyway we waited in Durham at the film site for about three hours we did not hear a word from Daniel even though we must have rang him another 20 times. So we called it a day and walked back into Durham city, it wasnt until the night when i got a text off dan saying he had fallen asleep and only woken up recently. Needless to say I was pretty annoyed at the time but there is nothing that can be done it was a genuine mistake and so we will have to move on, currently me and James are having to have a serious think about our project and where we stand with it. There is one good point that has come out of Sunday, Dan feels very guilty and has said the next time I arrange something he will drop everything and come and help.

A2 Media - Filming

Yesterday we went out and began to film some of the narrative from it we filmed multiple cut aways however it began to get dark about half 4 so we decided to call it a day and head back. We would have liked to get more filmed yesterday but unfortunetly due the rain the woods we had intended to use were inaccessible and so we had to use a smaller set of woods, James has pictures of this place of which he will upload onto his blog. What we actually filmed seem to go quite well we utilized both the cameras that we had and so pretty much doubled the footage that we had which is quite good. Overall it was mildly productive and we did make a good start with our narratvie footage.

Today we are going out with the band to film the band, currently we have about an hour to hour and a half with the band before it will start to get dark, times have to had to be changed however the band have still agreed to come out and film. The time has been changed so that we are now meeting at 3 in durham, the drum kit and the drummer will be arriving a little bit later than that but they will be arriving straight to the site whereas we are walking to there from durham. Hopefully we will run into no furhter problems today and come out with a good selection of footage and so hopefully not have to do it again and so leaving us to focus on the narratvie element.

A2 Media - Props (Amps)

We have already arranged the majourity of props in which we had originally intended to use, however we had intended to use amps, mainly upon the request of Danial Jordan the guitarist. However upon further sepculation and research we have realised that for two reasons we do not need the amps. One that in a few of the videos we have watched, most notciable Evile - Infected Nations (see James Burton's blog), there are not any amps in the video meanind we do not need them sepicifically to film a good video. Also on a more practical side it would be difficult for us to get amps all the way to Durham and through the park so it is more practical to not have them, but also it does not degrade the quality of our work as shown by previous research.

A2 Media - Production Schedule

Date: Saturday 5th October

Time: 1pm - 5pm

Actors: Female actor (several people avaliable whichever can make it), Monster (Jonny Kelsey, Jonathan Moore, Craig Mullen whichever can be there)

Equipment: 2 Cameras, 2 Tripods, Story boards, Baseball Bat, Zombiesque get-up, Umbrella's

Detail: We are filming in Langley Park woods, in the woods we will make headway with the filming of the narrative scene. We will begin the chase scene using the two cameras to ensure we can attain a plethora of different camera shots and angles. Using the storyboards we know what shots we definitely want and need for these we will take multiple different shots of them and make sure that we have shots in different areas of the wood and different types of action, our main hope is to shoot a lot of footage more that we need by far, our reasoning for this being that we will be using the narrative primarily as a cut-away from the actual band playing and so the more footage we take this day the more we will have to cut away to. While we will be matching the shots of which we have shown on the storyboard, the storyboard was a shortened version of what we intended to do and so while out filming we will be creative and take shots and film what we think looks good just to make sure that we have more than enough footage.


Date: Sunday 6th October

Time: 12 -4

Actors: Daniel Jordan, Luke Elton, Jonah Lambton, Micheal Jordan. (We have one contingency to replace a band member if need be Jonny Kelsey has offered to step in if we need him)

Equipment: 2 Cameras, 2 Tripods, 2 Lead Guitars, 1 Bass Guitar, Drum Set, Umbrella's

Detail: We are meeting the Band at fram comunity center from there we are going to Durham in Warton Park where I have gotten permission to film from Durham County Council. We are intending on setting up on a circular piece of stone and having the band arranged in a typical band order with the drummer at the back. Using our two cameras and as we intend on the day before we are going to film more than what we need of the band and ensure we have more than enough footage. We will be filming the band in two shots, single shots, close ups, medium, long range. However one important aspect we must remember to do is the shoot the establishing shot of the band and the place of which they are filming in.


Contingency:

Further contingency plans relate to either filming next weekend or beginnning to use our time after school, if after this weekend this becomes a nesscity then me and james will produce a second production schedule detailing the dates of these shoots.

A2 Media - More Filming

We have arranged several contingency plans for the shooting this weekend but we have arranged to shoot the narrative on theSaturday before the Sunday and so we will ensure that by the time we get back on Monday the 7th we will be able to do an after school session and get a headstart and get ourselves up to speed with where we wanted to be at this point in the process. Currently the only problem we may have is that of who we are going to use for our victim in the scene in the forest i already have a volunteer for the monster and so that is sorted and i will arrange for a actor to play the victim, tonight i will post a production schedule for the weekend and what is going to happen.

A2 Media - Contingency

Currently we are running out of options and so we have sat down and thought about what we are going to do and we have come up with 3 different plans of how we are going to do this, however before we engage in our contingency plans we are giving it one more shot with the original band in Warton park and see if we can get them all down but we are going to do it so that without a doubt we will film on Sunday and get some footage shot.

1. Our first plan is to change the member of the band who cannot make it, one of the band members live in Bishop Auckland and he has struggles previously to make it however if he cannot make it again then we will replace him with a different person as we desperately need to get footage shot and preferably all of the band shot this weekend at least something to edit and create a rough cut with
2. The second option is a total recast, we have one band member who is definately confirmed for shooting so we will keep him and any other member who can make it. However the ones that cant we will have to replace possibly 2 or 3 members of the band.