Fiction Adaptation Practice

For this practice we had to choose a song and create a new 30 second music video to it by using clips from Youtube. I chose to us Rock Mafia's "Big Bang", initially I want to have a girl being stalked and then bumping into someone at the end but then I found a clip in another music video I really liked and then began making a new idea.

This is the footage I found it was from Cherry Ghost's music video for their song "People Help The People" I thought I know some footage where a women is walking into an underpass from the other direction and so I sourced that and started to edit them together. I really liked how it was looking but I didn't have an ending. I wanted the ending to be the 2 people meeting in the underpass but obviously as the 2 clips where from different places and already shot I had no footage of them meeting and so I decided to have an explosion in the tunnel.

Here is my final piece.

As Live Workshop

Today we had a chance to set up the studio with 3 cameras and a microphone and link them up to the gallery. We were then all able to get into our job roles and practice the jobs we will be doing on the day and so I quickly jumped in the gallery and took my position as Vision Mixer. I never realised how much creative input the Vision Mixer had but now I know that if I see a good shot then I can cut to it without the Directors say so and I can also compensate for a shot not being ready by cutting to something else instead. I really enjoyed getting the practice with the mixing desk and even though on the day it maybe stressful as long as we've rehearsed and I concentrate I know I can do a good job.

VT Practice

We all got into groups of 4 and we had to make a specially shot VT working to the brief:

"Maidstone is a thriving commuter town within easy reach of major motorways to London and access to europe via Dover"

Before we went out filming we wrote a script and thought of locations we wanted to film at. We also thought about specially shot sequences and GVs we could use in the VT.

When we got out on location we realised we had forgotten a tripod so to compensate for this we made sure alot of our shots were moving so that you couldnt really notice that the shots were unsteady.

We recorded a voice over for the VT and gathered some archive and then began editing.

Here is our final cut.

We learnt alot from this project and so now we can make sure our VTs for the show are perfect.
What we learnt:

• Always take a tripod
• Always take a wild track
• Make sure every shot is in focus and exposed correctly
• Make sure moves are smooth and follows the action
• Make sure the shots are intresting and framed nicely

VT Research: How we want the VTs to look

Lauren has said that she would like the video to be point of view as if the camera is a person going to a gig. We have also discussed what we want the final VT to look like. We want the video to be quite fast passed and and exciting. Dean showed us this music video to give us an idea of what the end VT should look like.

VT Research: We've Made Some Phone Calls

Today we rang all the possible music venues to see if we could film there for our Gig Guide VT. 

I phoned The White Horse and I spoke to the landlord Lee and he said that he would be happy for us to film and we can go and visit the venue whenever we like to make sure its suitable. He said that on Saturdays he has bands playing and on Sundays it's more a Jam/ open mic night. 

The White Horse

46 London Rd  Maidstone, Kent ME16 8QL01622 752141

I also phone Pizza Express and they said that they would be happy for us to film but we would have to make sure it was alright with the customers on the day and to ask the bands in advance whether they would mind being filmed. I was speaking to the manager and she told be to contact the Pizza Express office in London as they are the ones who deal with the booking of the bands. We know that one of the bands we are interested in, Soundcasters, are playing at Pizza Express on 19th April and so this may be good to film.

Pizza Express Maidstone
32-34 Earl Street  Maidstone, Kent ME14 1PF01622 683548

Contact for Pizza Express Head Office:
Charlie - 08456027017

When we go to visit the venues we will have to talk to the landlord/manager to see if there is any interesting stories about the venue which we could talk about in our VT to make the venues more exciting and make the VTs more interesting.

Location, Location, Location

For the first part of my story where the girl is taking drugs I want her to be slumped against a wall in a room with plain walls for this I will use my bed room as the room is quite big and has plain walls and I have already started positioning the actor and the camera in my head.

For the main part of the story where the girl is transported to the world of Alice in Wonderland I want to use a woods and there are a few near where I live. There's one which I used for my A Level Media project and so know the area well and again have started planning shots and positioning in my head.

For the last bit I wanted her waking up in a hospital but I think I am going to have to fake this as I wont be able to film in an actual hospital. I will either find somewhere else to film it or take inspiration from Lauren Woodfall's sound project and some how fake it using sound and a still image.

Who's Going to Play the Part?

I have been able to rope my friends into helping me in this project by being part of my cast and crew.

Dan Baugh will be my Mad Hatter.
Maddie Ireland will be my Alice
Abbi Hubbard will be my Queen of Hearts
Dean Ross will be my right hand man helping me with ideas and the camera.

I will be shooting Tuesday 27th March as my costumes and the camera will be available on then and it will also give me time to prepare.

I Need Costumes

I've given myself quite a big job with my idea for fiction adaptation just for the fact that I need to source alot of costumes. I know that the characters I want for definite in my video are:

• Alice
• The Mad Hatter
• The Cheshire Cat
• The Queen of Hearts

and if I can I will also have:

• The White Rabbit
• The Door Mouse
• Some Playing Cards
• The Caterpillar
• Tweedledum and Tweedledee

I am going to ring a few fancy dress shops and costume warehouses next week to see if they could help me at all.

I know that I can make this video look really good as long as I have good costumes, if I can't get the costumes then I will have to think of a new idea which I'm really hoping I'm not going to have to do.

VT Research: Maidstone Music Venues

I have started to look at music venues in Maidstone and there are definitely more then I first thought. Here are a few that I found.

Pizza Express

Hazlitt Theatre

The Flower Pot

Drakes

The White Horse

Earls

Maddie and Abbi have both done in depth research on each of these place.

Abbi's blog
Maddie's blog

I also know that Chicago’s sometimes has music events.

60-61 High Street
Maidstone
Kent
ME14 1LF

Where To Find Us »

Tel: 01622 692299

Email: crc-maidstone@atmospherebars.co.uk

VT Research: Famous People from Maidstone

I thought I would do some research into famous people who were born or live in Maidstone to see if we could use some well known names in our Guide to Maidstone VT. Here's who I found, I'm not really sure if any of them are relevant to our programme but I though I would put it out there anyway we might find a place for these not very well known names.

Peter Wolfe

Known as Wolfman, he is a poet and musician born in Maidstone. Front man of Wolfman and the Side-Effects. He is friends with Pete Doherty and from time to time Wolfman and the Side-Effects would support Babyshambles and The Libertines.

Other musicians:

Nicky Moore – rock and blues musician – Vocalist in Samson
Mike Ratledge – musician - Soft Machine
Guy Fletcher - keyboardist in Dire Straits and his involvement in Mark Knopfler’s solo career after the band split in 1984.

Shaun Williamson

English actor best known as Barry Evans in Eastenders and playing a version of himself in Extras.

Paul Mackenzie Crook

Born in Maidstone. British actor and comedian best known for his roles in The Office and Pirates of the Caribbean.  

Ross Kemp

Best known for playing Grant Mitchell in Eastenders and his documentary series Ross Kemp on Gangs used to play for Maidstone rugby club.

VT Research: Gig Guide

I have began doing some research for the VTs as we don't know who the bands are yet we can only really focus on the "Guide to Maidstone" VT. I've started looking into potential places to film and website which could be some help to use when making the guide.

I found this Maidstone music guide from 2008 which has some good interviews and articles which we may be able to use.

http://www.maidstonemusic.co.uk/_assets/files/mm-guide-001-web(1).pdf
Maidstone also has its very own music website which we may be able us in some way. Maybe giving them advertising on our website for something in return.
http://www.maidstonemusic.co.uk/

I have also found that there is a recording studio in Maidstone which could be a potential place to film at.

http://www.nsprecordingstudios.co.uk/index.html

NSP Recording Studios
Unit 8a The Builders Yard,
Heath Road,
Boughton Monchelsea,
Maidstone,
Kent,
ME17 4GY

tel. +447878215396
email. james@nsprecordingstudios.co.uk