Laura Mulvey

Laura Mulvey is a British feminist film theorist. Mulvey is best known for her essay, "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema", written in 1973 and published in 1975 in the influential British film theory journal Screen.  Her article is one of the first major essays that helped shift the orientation of film theory towards a psychoanalytic framework, influenced by the theories of Sigmund Freud and Jacques Lacan.She then used some of their concepts to argue that the cinematic apparatus of classical Hollywood cinema inevitably put the spectator in a masculine subject position, with the figure of the woman on screen as the object of desire and "the male gaze." 

In the era of classical Hollywood cinema, viewers were encouraged to identify with the protagonist of the film, who were and still are overwhelmingly male. Meanwhile, Hollywood women characters of the 1950s and '60s were, according to Mulvey, coded with "to-be-looked-at-ness" while the camera positioning and the male viewer constituted the "bearer of the look." Mulvey suggests two distinct modes of the male gaze of this era: "voyeuristic" (i.e. seeing woman as image "to be looked at") and "fetishistic" (i.e. seeing woman as a substitute for "the lack," the underlying psychoanalytic fear of castration).

The Male Gaze Slide Show

Video Analysis

I have made a table to break down my analysis of the three main music videos  i am planning to refer to and a fourth as a comparison piece. The four music videos are: Nelly - Tip Drill, N.E.R.D - Lapdance, Destiny's Child - Survivor and Aphex Twin - Windowlicker.

   

   

All of the elements i have picked out are the ones that i am planning to refer to in my final essay. by doing my planning this way, i will be able to compare the similarities and differences across all the four videos and be less likely to leave any aspect out in reference to the technical side of the music video, i.e. the camera angle, light, miss-en-scene etc. (Hard copy of analysis table avalible)

Music Video - Codes and Conventions

The purpose of a music video is to promote; this can the the single, album, artist, band, record company. they create, adapt or feed into a stars image whilst entertaining the audience. Music video should set the meaning of the song by the use of images.

Music videos can be categorised in terms of style. These are:

Performance - this is where the band/group/ artist are seen performing the song. 
                        
                         Band - A degree of authenticity of the performance is sought by the band and the director so we often find lip-syncing close-up, mimed playing of instruments, repetition of chorus shots to enhance repeatability, unusual camera shots and angles (e.g. the micro camera shots attached to the neck of a guitar, sweeping crane shots to film audience reaction to the band playing etc.) 
   
                          Solo - many of the band performance conventions plus choreographed dance routines to enhance repeatability. Also, a first-person mode of address directly engaging the viewer through the camera which involves many close-up shots of eyes rolling and gesturing and if the video is a hybrid form cutting between performance and narrative then the solo artist or band lead singer often becomes part of the narrative story, acting as narrator and participant at the same time. 

Narrative - the music video contains a series of events that both make sense to the audience and appear to be unified in time and space. So as to ensure repeated viewings and the effective marketing of the band/artist and song, the narrative code must be simply and suggestive, rather than realistic or detailed. 

Mixture - both performance and narrative based. the video may cut between the narrative and scenes of the artist performing the song.

Cameo - this is were the band/artist features in the narrative but doesn't perform

Animation - digitally/stop-frame

Audiovisual Technical Codes

Camera Shots 

Jumping directly between long shots, close ups and extreme close ups. Primarily the close up on the singer's face is the main generic convention for music videos. Also the extreme close up on the lips for lip synching. 


Camera Movement

whip pans, fast dolly track shots and fast overhead crane shots to follow the running, walking or dancing of performers. Also, fast vertical tilts and horizontal pans. 


Editing
Editing is a very important aspect to music videos. There are various terms, such as jump cutting, MTV style editing or montage editing. Creating the visually decanted experience of jumping from location to person to instrument without any normal narrative continuity. Instead it is often the beat or the rhythm of the track which provides the organising principle for editing movement. The editing moves so fast it creates the need for viewing repeatedly. There are exceptions though. Some continuity editing is used such as atmospheric dissolve shots.

Post-production digital effects

These effects are added to the video after the live sequences have been strung together. Examples are split-screens, colourisation, slow motion CGI (Computer Generated Illustration), etc

Lighting

Lighting sets the atmosphere and mood and is a key feature of music videos. Examples of how expressive lighting can affect the video are: extreme artificial light creates the bleaching effect on pop stars faces (making them seem ageless). Also, the use of switching from colour to black & white or sepia to indicate a shift from chorus to verse. Also, other lighting effects such as strobes or flashing needs to be identified. 


Mise en scene

Made up of a combination of props, costume, location, body language and facial expression. Look for the overall artistic concept in a video if there's a theme. the video's mise en scène may follow the need for authenticity in performance videos by using the concert hall or rehearsal studio setting or an intentional parodic setting to exaggerate star image as in many rap and R 'n' B videos with a focus on glamorous icons such as exotic locations, beautiful cocktail bars and stunning beachside houses with infinity pools. 

Idea of Spectacle
Music videos may be considered to be examples of spectacle, where the performers often look directly at the viewers, directly interacting with the viewer. in the case of men, this involves the look of the character towards the viewer. the male is seen to be addressing the viewer directly. he is supposed to be singing directly for the viewer. the female figure is often an object of an erotic gaze, object of male desire which is a voyeuristic gaze.

Research Methods

Question: 

"To what extent does the representation of women in contemporary R 'n' B music videos present stereotypically dominant views of female sexuality?"

Research is fundamental to all aspects of media production and is the essential starting point for productions of any size. It can be used to determine many factors of future productions, such as: the financial viability, gather information relevant to the content, assist the planning of technical and logistical requirements.

There are four main methods of research :- Primary, Secondary, Quantitative and Qualitative.

Primary Research 
This is research to obtain original data using such methods as interviews, questionnaires, focus groups and observation. Primary research is carried out for a specific reason and invovles the use of a range of different techniques to obtain this new data.

When planning primary research it it important to:
                             - think carefully about what you are trying to find out
                             - choose an appropriate sample
                             - decide upon an appropriate research technique
                             - be aware of the size, scope and timescale of the task ahead.

One main methods used in primary research is asking people questions. These questions can be presented to the public by, one-to-one interviews with a selected number of people, the production of a questionnaire (this will allow a larger group of people to be surveyed), or organise a focus group.

One-to-one interviews can be a very effective way of recieving reliable, qualitative data from selected individuals, however this method can also be very time consuming.

Secondary Research
Secondary research is based on the use of pre-existing data and information that has already been gathered by other people or organisations. It it often available in books, journals or via the Internet.

Quantitative Research
Type of research that is based on measurable and quantifiable facts and information, producing numerical and statistical data. Quantitative research is about asking people for their opinions in a structured way so that you can produce hard facts and statistics to guide you. To get reliable statistical results, it’s important to survey people in fairly large numbers and to make sure they are a representative sample of your target market.

Both primary and secondary research can produce quantitative data. this includes rating, circulation figures and marketing analysis, as well as the counting and measuring of items of space in a content analysis of a media product. 

Qualitative Research
This is the type of research that is based on opinions, attitudes and preferences rather than hard facts.  Once again, both primary and secondary research techniques can be used to produce qualitative data. The collection and use of qualitative data is an important aspect within the media industry as it is used to obtain individuals and groups thinkings and feelings about particular media products. 

Product Placement

Many musicians incorporate brands into there music videos. Both the move of videos form television to the Internet and the attenpt by record labls to make videos a revenuse source, have contributed to the growinf popularity of product placement in music videos. According to a report released in June of 2010 by PQ Media (a research firm) the amount of money spent on product placement in recorded music grew eight percent in 2009 compared with previous years.

Product Placement in Films
(Pizza Hut)

Product Placements on magazine
covers (Starbucks)

Product Placement in Music Videos
(Diet Coke)

Product Placement in Television Soaps
(Nationwide)

The money is often used to offset and make profit of the videos cost. Patrick Quinn, chief executive of PQ Media, stated that revenue from product placement in music videos totaled $15 million to $20 million in 2009, more than double the amount on 2000.

 brand marketers will spend an estimated $8.25 billion on them worldwide in 2012, rebounding solidly from the $6.25 billion spent in 2009 during the Great Recession.

For years, the opportunities for product placement — advertisers like to call it “integration” — in music videos were limited. MTV was the dominant outlet for videos, and its policy prohibited blatant plugs in videos, so the network would often blur brand labels or ask for a new version without the placement. But the airtime MTV devotes to music videos has decreased sharply, and the Web emerged as a preferred destination for fans, opening the door for labels and advertisers.

Rio Caraeff, the chief executive of Vevo, the music video network started late last year in partnership with YouTube, said the company aimed to enable product placement in videos.

Purpose of Research

Reasons for research
There are two main forms to research undertaken by the media industries; market research and production research.

Market research is the collection and analysis of information about the market within which a particular product will compete with other products for an audience and for revenue.

Production research is related to the production process itself

Market Research
Effective and successful media products tarer the rigth audeince and communicate to them in an effective way. As the media industry becomes more fragmented so comptitions for a share of the audience becomes more intense. Knowing who your target audience are, and what makes them tick, is therefore increasingly important.

When doing market research it is important that you are looking at the following aspects.
                        - Statisical data about audience size and composition for a particular media product
                        - The extent to which a potention audience are aware of a media product or service
                        - What people think about particular products and services and what their patterns of behaviour are
                        - Market competitors who are competing for a share of the audience and revenue with similar products

The media marketplace is highly competitive and media production will often undertake detailed researcj into their target market, or more commonly commission other companies to undertake research on their behalf.

Market Research Organisations
there are various organisations whose main role is to undertake research on media audiences and products. the findings of their research often become a commercial product in its own right that is then sold on to media companies.
Some of this information is also frely avaliable to the public. you can find examples by visting the websitrs of the organisations listed below, as well as looking in the media pages of newspapers such as The Guardian and The Independent, and in specialist magazines such as Broadcast.

Nation Readership Survey (NRS) provides information to the industry on who reads what publication.

Audit Bureau of Circulation (ABC) provides circulation information to the newspaper and magazine industry.

Broardcasters' Audience Research Board (BARB) provides estimates of the number of people watching television programmes.

Radio Joint Audience Research Limited (RAJAR) provides estimates of the number of people listening to radio programmes.

When researching to produce a product age, gender, culture and ethnicity, income and social class should all be considered. Segementing the audience in these ways make it eaiser for media producers to identify and target groups of people with the same needs and wants.

Age is one of the most significant and often used categories within the media; often seperated into
           - 15 years and younger
           - 16 to 24 years
           - 25 to 44 years
           - 45 to 64 years
           - 65 years and over
With this said different research will use age divisions that are most appropriate for the task. for example the 15 years and under may need to be sub divided.

Many media products are targeted at a specific gender group, most obviously evidenced in the magazine market.

Media today is pushed to an audience all over the world, targeting different cultures and ethnic groups.

Finally income and social class are highly considered - annual salaries, types of jobs, social class. By researching into a persons disposable income is important, so that, in advertising for example, the right images, slogans, products are targeted to the right audience. advertisng a top of the range car to households with a low disposible income would not work.









Production Research
When planning a new media product the company making the programme, film, magazine, website or game will need to undertake a great deal of product research. this will provide content and gather material to allow them to write and develop the new product, research the commercial viability of actually making the product and throughly research and plan the production and post-production stages to ensure that it all runs as smoothly as possible.

Some of this research will be generic, but much of it will depend on the type of product being planned. when researching you may use secondary research to find out more specific information about the product, as well as conducting primary research in the form of interviews and sample members of the population to try to understand their viewpoints. the information collected can then be used to inform the writing, with some of the quotes used in the article itself. some form of picture research should be taken to find suitable images to accompany the article.

Production research not only looks into the content for the production, but is also the undertaking of  researching the cost (of hiring equipment, staff as well as post-production and distribution services required). additionally location scouting will need to be done to identify suitable venues for filming, assist in the planning of certain shots, and assess any problems or health and safety issues that the crew might face.

It is important that the iformation collected during this process is clearly, carefully and accurately logged, organsied and stored to ensure it is secure, while also allowing easy access and cross referencing.

Viability
Another important purpose of production research is to demonstrate that your planned products is viable. the viability of the product needs to be tested at a number of different levels: financial viability, necessary skills for the production process, availability of correct equipment and technology, help and support requirement and enough time to produce the product.

Research into different ways to fund or generate income from your product are highly necessary, allowing you to balance the amount of income against the costs of the production and the distribution. This will show to what extent your proposed product would be viable were it to be launched into the competitive media market.

A crucial source of income for many of the media products is advertising. Sponsorship of individual products by commercial companies is becoming increasingly popular and should be seen as a potential income source. The idea of a grant, loans and commission to help support the costs of media production should also be looked into. there are a number of public and private schemes that are designed to support creative production, including those run by Arts Council, the British Film Institute and the National Lottery.

within your budget you will need to include costing for any copyright material you plan to use, distribution of product, marketing and promotion. ways to promote your product may include, sponsored events where your target audience is present, publicity stunt to broaden the attention and hype surrounding the product, using a celebrity to endorse the product or produce merchandise. With all aspects of the media industry, you will have a specified timescale to work to and a deadline by which your work must be completed.

Final Promotional Video - Client Review

This is a short video to promote Art Alert to people of all generation and let them know who they are, what they do, and the benefits of joining the incredible organisation that is Art Alert. Also there is a trailer for a DVD that Art Alert have produced, archiving the memories of those who had the pleasure of experiencing The Co-op Hall in Nuneaton. 

Final Promotional Video 

Evaluation Unit 32 and Unit 6

I met up with Mick Dabrowski, my client, who looked at and reviewed the promotional video that I edited for him. Mick made several positive and constructive points about my video. He was happy overall with the final video, commenting on the good quality of the editing "you really have a good eye for editing" is one of the comments he made that stood out to me. Also he said that he liked the music section the best, and that he liked the fast past of the editing; however the cuts could be sharper.

The Planning Process

Before I could start any work on a promotional video I needed to know what my client wanted from the production. To do this I met up with my client and asked him to fill out a questionnaire. As the questionnaire didn’t cover all the technical aspects of what the client wanted from the promotional video, we had a conversation to discuss these. I wrote down what he wanted from the video and also recorded the interview. I feel that by provided both a questionnaire for my client to fill out and discussing the production with him in more detail allowed me to create a rough idea and outline to the video, as well as obtaining more than enough information so that I would be able to create a video that my client will be happy with.

To begin with I started by reviewing all the footage that my client had provided. By doing this I would not only gain ideas and structure to my promotional video but I would also know what footage I wanted to use, cutting down the time it would take to edit. When watching the footage I wrote down the name of the clips I wanted to use, the time sequence of the sections from the clip and what was said during this section. I did this for all of the footage. From my first meeting with Mick I knew that he wanted the promotional video to be separated into sections; he didn’t specify what he wanted the different section to be so I decide to separated the video by common topics that I picked up on when watching the footage. These topics were: the beginning, where I would include comments about what the coop hall looked like, how people felt about the place, being there and the people there; the fashion, including comments about the male and female clothing, shoes and hair styles; the music; and finally the end. The end topic was split into two sections; the first talking about the accident on the stairs and the second, talking about their feelings about the closing and demolition of The Coop Hall.

I found that didn’t want to use all of the clips, so I created a new folder and dragged only the clips I was going to use into this folder, and then place this onto my desktop. By separating the footage that I wanted to use from the footage that I didn’t saved me time when editing as I didn’t need to troll through footage that I wouldn’t use.

To make the editing process even more efficient, before I started editing in Adobe Premiere Pro I opened a new project and named several sequence within this project to organise my work further (see Planning post for more detail). 

When reviewing my planning process I feel that if I were to have renamed every clip I used (for example “The Pinkertons – It’s a shame to see it go) I would have been able to save more time, due to me not having to keep listening to the clip, or trying to find what the clip said from my written log. Instead I would have known instantly what clip I was working on, and my editing process would have been more efficient and allowing me to receive my clients opinions in enough time to make any changes to the final promotional video.

The Editing Process

I feel that my planning before hand was at a good enough standard that I could start editing straight away. I knew what clips I wanted to follow another, I knew what interviews I wanted to use and had written specific times from these clips that I wanted to include. Also I had found all the photos/pictures that I wanted to use when researching The Coop Hall in more detail. By doing all of this before hand when it came to editing I was able to get through it quickly.

I feel that when it came to editing I needed everything to be organised and by adding sequences within my premier window I feel that I was able to work fast and efficiently to get the video finished in time for my client to view, review and tell me any changes that he would like done to it. By reviewing the clips provided before I had even begun editing and writing down the clips and sequences I wanted to include also help to organise my work and help me generate ideas.

Editing this piece together was different from any previous editing I had done as I was working to a client brief – although the client was flexible and not to worried if I didn’t stay to the brief, I wanted to stick to it as much as possible.

When editing the promotional video together I came across the following problems:

-       Trying to isolate a sentence, word or comment was difficult

-       Deleting sequences that I wanted to keep (didn’t go/make Vid to long)

-       Creating the boards

(All of the previous are explain in more detail below)

The Editing

The constructive comment that Mick made about the cuts needing to be sharper was a general comment that he made throughout the video. When I was editing the video together I found that a lot of the time people talked over one another or that peoples words seemed to merge together, so when trying to isolate one comment or sentence I found it hard, without managing to include the start of the next word. However I didn’t want to cut the interviewee short in what they were saying. When speaking to Mick about this he told me that he would rather they were cut short and the end of a word missed rather than the next word heard. He said that doing it this way sounded better as you could still get the gist of what was being said. So with this in mind I went through the whole promotional video and cut the clips down frame by frame to achieve the outcome that my client wanted. Listening back over it myself I found that by cutting each clip this way did make the video cleaner and have a more professional sound and feel to the final video. Once Mick came back in to review the video again he said that the cuts were a lot cleaner and he preferred the video this way.

Art Alert Section/Interviews

This was the section I filmed by myself. I thought that it would be a good idea to promote not only the final DVD, but also Art Alert themselves, who they are and what they do. The arranging of where and when to conduct the interview was an easy process. I asked my clients when they were free as my schedule was very flexible. When they were happy with a date and time we then arranged a suitable location – Joanne’s home. I had been here often and knew that it would be a nice place to shoot the interview and would fit in nicely with the interviews Mick had given me (see previous post Art Alert).

The footage as a whole I was not pleased with. Trying to conduct this interview on my own was hard; having to control and monitor two cameras, asks questions and maintain visual and verbal contact with the interviewees. Because of this, my interview had a few mistakes. There were two major ones. One. The footage from the left camera is out of focus, an issue that I only noticed when going to edit the footage together. Two. The right camera was set on auto focus, and can be heard and seen focusing during the beginning of the clip, before I realised and turned it off. Another problem that occurred was that the left camera stopped after a few minutes, luckily the right camera continued to run, and when I noticed I simply pressed record again.

Audio problem. This was just a slight problem that has not hindered the interview footage outcome to any extent. I decided not to use the zoom microphone, as where I planned to film was very quite with not background noise. When looking over the footage, what was being said was audible however I noticed that it was quieter than the audio of the interviews conducted by mick. I feel that this is not a huge problem, as this footage is not being cut together with any clips with louder audio so it will not be noticeable.

Mick came in and reviewed the footage from my Art Alert interview. He picked up on the same technically problems that I had and offered some helpful advise. Mick said that the out of focus footage isn't too bad, however I shouldn’t use it if I could help it, although if I was to slip a few second into the promotional video he feels that it wouldn't be that noticeable. Also his comments on the footage from the other camera, regarding the auto focus, was that I can just cut those parts out; they don't really interfere with what is being said. When I showed my client this he said that it was find, not too much out of focus and the footage can be easily zoomed in on to cut out any unwanted background. Finally Mick picked up on a problem that I had not noticed. He said that the lighting is off, and the two interviewees are in different levels of light. However, Mick offered a simply solution. He told me to zoom in on Joanne and Corine separately so that the light contrast will not be seen.

If my client were not happy with the footage however, I would have arranged another interview with Joanne and Corine. This time I would have brought three cameras set up one with a close up of Corine, the second with a close up of Joanne and the third a two shot. Also I would have somebody along with me to help with the cameras, as this time I felt that it was too much for me to do by myself – watch both cameras, ask questions, maintain eye contact and encourage the interviewees with what they were saying.

Deleting Footage

Although I had selected all the footage I wanted to use I found that when editing the promotional video together not all of the sequences fitted in with the rest of the video. Sometimes they didn’t look right with the rest of the images. For example one of the clips I wanted to use mentioned several bands that played at The Coop Hall, however a student that my client had worked with filmed this particular clip and as they had little practice with a camera before hand the focus was not on the interviewee but rather on the background. When seeing the clip in isolation the out of focus interview looked useable, however when I edited this clip alongside the other clips it stood out, as all the other interviews were in focus. So in the end I decided not to use this interview.

Another reason why I ended up deleting footage that I had selected was because it disrupted the flow of the rest of the promotional video. This problem occurred mainly with the sequences I had selected for the beginning and the end topics. Some clips that I thought would add to the production, sometimes didn’t and slowed the pace down.

Extended edit 

First of all I ended up editing together a 15 minutes long video. The client had no problem with this video being this long, however when reviewing it with him we came to the conclusion that this is not a promotion video, and doesn't get to the point quick enough. So I edited together a short video which was the length of 8 minutes 41 seconds, which we were both happier with. When reviewing this with my client we decided that this was a more suitable promotional video and that the one I had edited together previously, he would use as a basis for the final overall DVD that I am creating the promotional video for, and that a lot of what I had edited together previously for him will be used in the final DVD. 

I am glad that the first promotional video I had edited together would not be wasted, as I did really like the outcome of this video. However I didn't like the length of the first video and found it to be too long and like I have said before didn't fit the brief of a video 5-8 minutes long. When I had finished the second shorter promotional video I was a lot happier with the outcome and length. 

The Boards

From watching and analysing pre-existing promotional video I noticed that all of them had information at both the beginning and the end of the video. I feel that I have done this successfully, providing information to the audience about the DVD exhibition and Art Alert. The client was very happy with the idea of including boards and liked how they looked. I spent longer on the boards than I would have liked to, as I felt that this was not the main part of the promotional video. However this did not set me back too much in developing the promotional video. I feel that the final boards created fit in with the rest of the promotional video and help to bring it all together. My client was present for the creation of the boards and this made the process much easier. Previous to Mick being there I found it hard to find a font, style and colour for the boards that fitted in with the feel and topic of the promotional video. By Mick being present he was able to tell me what he wanted the boards to look like and what font and colours he wanted, making the final outcome of the boards exactly how my client wanted.

What Makes It A Promotional Video

 Codes and conventions for a promotional video include aspects such as interviews, from either people who were a main part in the products creation or customers who have purchased the product, be between 3-5 minutes long and show the product being used.

Applying these conventions to my own promotional video I feel that my video does what it’s suppose to. My video include both interviews from the people at Art Alert (Joanne and Corine) and from those who experienced The Coop Hall; my video isn’t between 3-5 minutes long, however my client is happy with the length of my final promotion video. Also from analysing other promotional videos i noted that some of them were longer than 5 minutes so I don’t feel that this is too much of an issue. By including a ‘trailer’ of the final DVD I feel that I have shown what Art Alert (the product) do.

Also by including contact details and dates of the DVD launch I feel that I am promoting Art Alert to it’s fullest, giving the audience sufficient information for them to be able to get in contact with and become apart of Art Alert.

Working With A Client

As I had never worked with a client before or to a client brief I was nervous. However the client was very pleasant and helpful along the way. The client and I arrange several meeting during the production process, which I feel was a good thing. It allowed me to get to know the client, making me feel more comfortable as I had not worked with a client before. Also I feel this made the production process easier because the client could make criticisms along the way that I could change easily.

Client Satisfaction and Meeting the Client Brief

During our first meeting with Mick Dabrowski we gave him a questionnaire to fill out, allowing us to create the promotional video to how the client wanted. To ensure that the final promotional video met all the requirements from this questionnaire I asked my client to fill in a second questionnaire, asking questions about the client’s satisfaction. (See Client Satisfaction Post, for questionnaire). The client told me that he was very happy with the outcome of both promotional videos that I created for him. Mick has also informed me that some of my editing will be included in the final DVD, which I am very happy about. Finally Mick has said that he would be more than happy to work with me again, which I am also very happy about. 

What I Have Learnt 

From this experience I have learnt that more than one crew member should be present when conducting interviews. This will allow the camera(s) to be monitored continuously and technical problems to be resolved straight away; whilst another crew member is communicating with the interviewees and encouraging them to tell there story - especially with people who are not used to being in front of a camera.

Overall I feel that my final promotional video was a success. The final product fitted in with the codes and conventions of a promotional video, and provided information for the audience to get in contact with Art Alert. I also feel that my video was a success because my client was happy with the final outcome. He gave me feedback and I was able to make the changes to the video that he wanted.

I feel that because I was not used to interviewing people and had never done it before that my own interview footage didn’t come out at the best quality. When interviewing the clients I didn’t want to make them feel uncomfortable so wanted to complete the interview as quickly as possible, (as they had also never been interviewed before). Because of this reason, I forgot the do the simplest of things, like focus the camera properly, causing my footage, like I mention before, to be at a low quality.

What I will take from this experience is that it is always best to have somebody helping with the filming or simply being on set with you. I know have some experience in interviewing people so I will be able to have a better idea for the future, however if I am asked to interview somebody again, I will have somebody there who has interviewing experience so that the interview runs more smoothly.

I will also in the future name the clips that I am editing together; so that when it comes to editing I will know exactly what clip I want where without having to keep watching the clips. This will help my editing process be more efficient and because I would have done a shot long and storyboarded before I will know exactly what clips I want where; once again speeding up the editing process.

Finally, by doing these units I have been able to gain experience and practice with dealing and communicating with a client(s). Although my client this time allowed me to edit the promotional video to how I wanted it, I know that future clients may/will want a promotional video to be exactly how they want it. When listening the Jim Hickey, I have come to understand that you can only advise a client, however if they do not want to take this advise, you still have to complete the project how they want it.

Extended Edition