Shooting took place at the Jenny Packham studio in Gospel Oak. The shoot began at 9am and finished at 3pm. When the cast and crew arrived, a total of twelve people , we got started with hair and makeup which took around an hour . All of the instruments were then set up in the basement downstairs. Everyone went to the basement for a short rehearsal where we decided on blocking and lighting issues.After this we filmed two complete run throughs with the band , Basement Party, till we felt ready for the final shoot. The majority of the day was spent on filming according to my storyboard. Obviously I had to feed the talent and the crew, so after a short break we then moved upstairs to film in the studio.
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| Time for a break |
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| The Band - Basement Party |
Styling:
One of the reasons I chose this location was to create a run down and neglected atmopshere. After looking at several venues the basement proved the perfect location. The basement's washed out walls, dim lighting and tight spacing matched the band's grungy and edgy look. Amps and guitar wires were spread out across the floor to create a messy and careless look that fitted the teenage angst feel which was part of the band's representation.
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| Potential CD cover |
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| First rehearsal |
Hair and makeup took around an hour. Girls wore dark eyeshadow and lipstick whilst boys had messy gelled hair.Three of the band members wore a checkered pattern which made them appear slightly punky whislt the bass guitarist wore a leather jacket and black hoodie. To create a club like atmosphere I had small groups of girls dancing on either side of the band. The dancers/groupies wore dark clothing , baggy tshirts and leather to match the image of the band.
Technical - Camera, Shots and Lighting:
The technical equiment I used to film the shoot was a Sanyo Xacti photo and film camrea , a tripod and a dolly. I used the tripod for the majority of my shoot to keep the camera positioned. I used the dolly when filming a midshot of the band. I used close ups to highlight my lead singer. I experimented with different camera angles such as filming upside down to create a surreal image which suggested perhaps drunkeness or teenage confusion. To juxtapose this I shot up from the floor to make the band appear intimidating and powerful. When filming in the studio I zoomed in on different band members , isolating them to show them interacting in pairs or threes. Shaky camera shots combined with quick zooms were intended to lend an air of unconventionality which is often seen in grunge music videos.
The lighting used was a tripod mounted directional light. I placed this to light the whole band but when the lead guitarist tilted the guitar upwards the reflected glare created a visual flare of light back to the camera. Similarly, a mini lamp was used to highlight the band's faces when they were lined up against a dark wall , effectively isolating their faces. The contrast between the dark interior, lit only by directional light with the shots taken outside in natural daylight complemented the lyrics and interaction of the band members. When outside the action was more energectic with shots of them running , laughing and jumping.
Thoughts and Reflections:
Overall I am very happy with the way the shoot turned out. I still have another day of shooting to come. I loved the location and I'm very pleased with the mood and atmosphere created by the lighting and location in particular. I was very lucky to recruit a singer/songwriter to perform in his own music video as I think this lent an air of authenticity to the emotion of the song. If I were to do this again I would probably have spent more time on styling and costumes to consolidate the look of the band. It was difficult to get all members of the cast together before the shoot and I realise that on a professional project more time is needed in advance with the cast and crew to check on little details like shirt patterns etc.
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