Month: December 2017

This commercial fashion film for Chanel Couture has also inspired me for my film project as it has all the elements I would like to incorporate into my video of fashion, fun, celebrity lifestyle and two friends spending a weekend away in a luxury hotel.  The digital special effects are particularly stunning and I would like to learn how to incorporate these into my film to give impact and draw my audience’s attention to the detail of the clothes whilst being entertained.  My commercial film was being shot at The Hilton Hotel but unfortunately they would not allow me access to any of the hotel bedrooms, otherwise I would have definitely wanted to have incorporated this theme into my storyboard.  Maybe next time!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVlCVVhvbMI

This is a promotional video for New Look’s AW15 rage and I have used this for some inspiration for my commercial film project.  Some of the digital effects in this video are very bold and engaging, which I would like to learn to try and incorporate into my video now I have shot my footage.  Some of the poses of the models in this video have also inspired me and I have used them to enhance my composition.  The New Look video has been shot in a studio and I feel that I would like to have been able to shoot some of the scenes in a studio for my commercial film.  However, due to availability of models and time constraints, this was not possible but, on reflection, the location of the Hilton Hotel in Bournemouth did fit the mood and ambience I wanted to create but with challenging conditions in a public environment.

The discography of Marina and the Diamonds does not shy away from addressing difficult topics, from assault to societal bigotry to emotional detachment. We as people listen to music that makes us feel something or connects to us in some way, and I particularly stick to Marina Diamandis’ work. This particular song, I Am  Not a Robot, is written in mind of the people who have pain and struggles hidden down under their surface but manage to keep a cool facade.

Throughout the entire music video, Diamandis is covered in different things, from shimmery glitter to superhero-like facepaint to rhinestones around her eyes and mouth, only at the end wiping it all off to reveal a naked face. It is a relatively simple video, but the message is in the facial expression and makeup (and, of course, the lyrics) and there are a few reasons why I’ve drawn inspiration from it.

The first is the idea of a cover over the face. My video focuses on a person who wears makeup which doesn’t allow them to feel natural, it is unnatural and obvious. I have always liked the idea of finding a creative way to obstruct a face to talk about beauty standards or issues. Just as Diamandis uses paint and glitter to make a point, I want to use cake, and at the end of my commercial have the person wiping it all off to reveal someone happier.

The second point is the overall message for the film. While Diamandis is singing about emotional detachment, and I am sending a message about feeling comfortable in your own skin, there is an overlap I think is very important, and that’s about being comfortable with who you are and not trying to hide behind something.

The last point is the feeling of the film. Diamandis’ chorus is cheerful and light for a not so happy topic, but this way it does not leave the listener feeling depressed. I have a background audio track that similarly keeps the commercial in an atmosphere of playfulness, so the viewer will not be distraught. By taking a subject and working it to be enjoyable to watch, while still getting the message across, you find a way to keep the viewer watching. As I’ve said before, I want to edit my film brightly, I do not want it to be an overly serious commercial picking apart the faults with the beauty industry, but to find a creative and fun way to point out a flaw.

My commercial tells the story of 5 kids on a treasure hunt and for most of their journey they are on bikes. Filming the bike scenes were a challenge, but researching ’80s films that managed to capture the intensity, magic and adventure of a bike chase helped to gain an insight into how to best film it.

The most important thing is the setting – choosing a wide, almost barren landscape is ideal. However, there were limitations set on me – I couldn’t realistically take the kids I’m shooting with out of the area we were filming in, which is a built-up area. This did take away some of the magic of the scene.

However this clip in particular helped me to still capture the action and adventure through POV shots (1:17), close-up shots of dirt and wheels (2:27). Furthermore, the music (fast-paced and quick) also sped up the action, with the sounds of the bikes, and kids further enhancing an already action-packed, adrenaline-inducing, and emotional scene.

This is an exhibition named teamlab.  The most inspiring me is that the textures when the pattern was reflected on the skin, clothes or somewhere else.

I think I could use this element in my video.

After the unfocus video, I found that it is not very attractive for person to still looking at this video. It will make people fall asleep.

So I try to change some colors of the video.

 

This is an unfocus video, which is a vague outline of  things. So, I’d like to film something abstract, and use a different angle to see the things. Then, I took a video by myself which is like this one.