Teenage Dirtbag Worshop

Evaluation Questions

1.What do you think you learnt from Friday's workshop? It could be specific things about making a music video OR general things about the production process.

Fridays workshop was a great learning experience as not only was it our first experience of making music videos but we also got to see how it’s done in the real music industry.

In order to complete the task within a limited time of only one day, the pre-production planning had to be thorough. From this task specifically I learn how important it is to divide the extract into how many camera set-ups are needed before creating a shot log and schedule. This meant that we were much more organised on the day. Everyone knew exactly where to set-up the equipment and where to be at what time. This was extremely important especially with such a big group. I also learnt about the importance of casting the right actors. In this case as we were imitating a Wheatus’s Teenage Dirtbag, it was important to consider both the look and performance of the cast. They also have to be directable and willing to do whatever is asked of them. Luckily we had the perfect actors!

From this workshop, I especially learnt a lot about the role of a director as we were directed by Jake Wynne who was extremely professional. From him I learnt that a director must know exactly what he wants from the actors and crew at all times in order to be efficient. They must have good communicational skills in order to give orders and take charge. They must also remain patient throughout the day. From watching Jake Wynne, I saw that directors in general have to be extremely hardworking and committed as even though were so tired after sitting around, Jake was still on top of everything and full of energy by the end of the day!

Finally I learnt a lot about the technical side of things. For this task were lucky enough to use professional equipment. I was able to see how a real track is used. This takes real team effort as the director says what he wants whilst the runner pushes the track and the camera man videos accordingly. A smooth track is produced through good co-operation and timing. Jake took many takes of each shot which was extremely helpful when editing as it gave us a lot of choice when trying to choosing the right shot. I also saw how professional lighting produced a much better quality shots. In this case, Jake had used tracing paper in order to soften the light so it looks more realistic. Finally, I learnt how it was important to make sure the audio was kept extremely loud when shooting to save actors from the embarrassment and for better lip synching.

2. For you, what was the best bit?

The best bit for me was when we all danced together to the chorus =)


3. How do you think the work we have done will impact on your group project?

I think this task will have a great impact on my coursework because as I am now aware of the overall process, I will approach the real coursework in a much more professional way. It has also given me a better idea of what makes a good music video. For the real coursework:

- As a director I will make sure I have a good idea of exactly what I want the actors to be doing and when, before the shoot
- We must spend a lot of time on pre-production and planning to be as efficient as Jake Wynne
- It will be essential to include a range of shot types and camera movement as these make it seem more like a music video
- We must use good quality lighting to make it look professional
- Both the look and performance of the actors is very important and therefore we would need to choose the best actors we can find to suit our video
- Personally after this task, I feel more confident to take part in the video itself if we need any extras as I have already done it before