Final filming: session 1

The plan for recording and filming changed because Sam (whose house and equipment I was using) had to work on Wednesday, and so we changed the date to Saturday afternoon. However, this meant that Morrighan wasn't available to assist me in filming any longer due to her work. I arranged for two others to help me operate the cameras but neither of them could make it on the day and only messaged me in the morning, which meant that I didn't have time to find an alternative camera operator. 

I met Toby at Sam's house at 1pm and we had some trouble getting the output set up correctly on the program Sam uses for recording, and so were a little set back, although we worked it out after a while. We began by plugging Toby's guitar in and recording the music, which we did a couple of takes of, followed by the vocals which we recorded through a microphone. This meant that we had to take extra care in sitting/standing still in order to avoid making any sounds that the microphone might have picked up in the background. 

Once we had finished recording, I then moved some furniture around in order to make a corner of the room aesthetically pleasing. Sam kindly offered to operate one of the cameras for me until she had to complete some of her own work, and so I set up one camera on a tripod and had her film with that one. When she had to get to work, I simply set up the camera angle etc. and let it record. This meant that I had a constant base shot which was in a position that always showed Toby (mid-shot) and didn't have breaks. Whilst this happened, I used my other camera to get various aesthetically pleasing shots, stopping and changing, throughout the song. Shots I used included reveal shots, panning, low angle, high angle, balanced shots, and I ensured that I filmed many close ups in order to conform to the 'star quality' convention for music videos. (I wrote about this in my 'What is a Music Video?' PowerPoint presentation.) I did this twice; the first time Toby played his guitar and mimed the lyrics whilst sitting down. The second time, I turned the microphone off and had Toby stand and mime so that he appears to be recording the song at that moment. I ensured that I kept his guitar near him in plain sight of the camera, as his genre is acoustic and guitars are part of his brand identity. 

Sam's friend, Mark, kindly agreed to teach me how to use the software that he uses to edit recordings in order to make them sound more professional, as he runs a company that makes music videos for artists. He has taught me the basics, and told me what I need to do to touch up the recording etc. so, as soon as Sam sends it to me by email, I can make a start on this and do my best. I also have Mark's number in case I need any assistance. 

Arranging final filming sessions and recording

I have talked with Toby about when he is likely to be available and he has told me that he is free most Wednesday evenings and Saturdays, although he is busy this coming Saturday (10th January). With this in mind, I'm planning to record the song and film the first section of the music video next Wednesday evening (14th January). I have made sure I have two extra camera operators available so that I can vary my shots, and so I just need to make sure this date suits Sam (my relative who is allowing me to use her home recording equipment) and double-check that this would be okay with Toby.

I have a video camera of my own that I can use, and I am also able to borrow two cameras from the school. I have access to a tripod, and one of my camera operators, Morrighan, has kindly offered to bring hers next Wednesday.

I also need to get the rest of the filming done in a different location(s), and so hopefully I can do this the following Saturday (17th). Again, I need to make sure any people I need are available. 

On Wednesday, I intend to focus on establishing star quality and making an icon of Toby by filming many close-ups and establishing shots etc, which is what his audience would want to see and is also a main convention for the music video genre. Whereas, on Saturday, I will focus on filming the narrative/concept of the music video.

Finding a recording studio

I needed to find a recording studio in order to record Toby's song, and also so that I can film this happening and use this footage as part of the music video. I am on a very low budget, and many of the recording studios in Norwich are fairly expensive, so I asked around some musicians I know to see where would be cheapest to go. My distant relative, Samantha Knight, is a professional singer. She kindly offered her home recording equipment for me to use, which was slightly concerning because ideally I wanted to film somewhere that actually looked like a recording studio. However, I think this would be better for Toby's image, as artists nowadays really focus on connecting with their audience and I feel that using a less professional location would allow him to display a 'down-to-earth' personality with his young audience.