Photoshop Animation Project

This is an animation project created by myself and Sarah Tooby, the aim of which was to experiment using a stop-motion & key frame animation technique.

A - Z Induction Project

This is a basic video created so I could get used to Premiere Pro after the summer break, and also to experiment using different post production techniques and effects.

Summer Music Video Project

This video was created in response to a task I was assigned, the aim of which was to get comfortable with using Adobe Premiere Pro CS3 and filming using a handheld camera. Overall I am impressed by how it turned out considering it was my first attempt at making a music video, and I managed to bring together several different pieces of footage which didn't relate to each other and make it seem relatively cohesive as a video. I feel this type of music video suits the song well.

Katy Perry ft. Kanye West - E.T.

I think the special effects are absolutely fantastic in this video and it succeeds in giving off the sci-fi feeling that the song implies. Whilst the narrative isn't groundbreaking or particularly crucial to the video, I feel the effect with the light dominating the screen towards the end of the video is very impressive. The make-up and costume design is to a very high standard, as should be expected of a video with an undoubtedly high budget, and it makes a pleasant change for the artist not to be looking and singing directly into the camera for the whole video. The video serves the role required of it very well, and the special effects at the start of the video with the spinning cloth, along with the shaking of the camera to the beat of the song midway through the video, are two elements of this video I particularly admire.

Cheryl Cole - 3 Words

The main thing I like about this video is the clever way in which the screen splits into half and each side shows different footage around the same room and then the screen merges back into one. If used correctly this is a very interesting and distinctive technique to use on a video, and in the instance of this video it dominates the proceedings - the narrative of the video follows the split screen effect. I would be interested in finding out how one would go about planning, organising and filming a video with this effect in it and what would be required in order to be able to do it.

Ellie Goulding - Your Song

One aspect I love about this video is how relaxed and organic it feels - there's no pretentiousness or attempts to deceive the viewer, instead it sensibly relies upon the real feeling of the countryside and a home video, which helps to bridge the gap between the artist and the viewer by suggesting that they are alike and the artist is down to earth and similar to most members of society. The laid back and "real" feeling of the video is repeated in the feeling of the song, and by keeping things simple I feel the video is effective and performs its role adequately.

Cheryl Cole - The Flood

One of the aspects of this video I really like is the use of repeated imagery, which then in turns helps to break up and continue the narrative. It's also a technique which wouldn't be too difficult to implement into my video and, providing the images are of a high enough quality and suit their purpose, can look very appealing and create an identity for the video. It can also be used to display panic or confusion, and can be used as both a subtle and obvious technique for showing this. I also admire the location and colours used in this video, as I feel they compliment the lyrics and instead of trying to impress the viewer with a complicated narrative, the focus instead is on the artist, the fashion and the overall aesthetics of the video, which can make a pleasant change from other videos which are overloaded with content just to try and impress the viewer and make the artist seem "different".

Cheryl Cole - Promise This

One of the aspects I admire the most about this video is the use of silhouettes and shadows throughout the video. If incorporated well I feel they are extremely eye catching and aesthetically pleasing, and it helps to give an identity to the video. Another reason why I like this video so much is because it was filmed in a studio, and whilst there are aspects of it which retain the feeling of being filmed in a studio I don't feel this ruins the video like it could easily do. The use of silhouettes is something I would seriously consider implementing into my video, particularly because they aren't bound to a particular genre and they can mix up the dimensions of a video by going from 3-D footage to 2-D images.

Nicole Scherzinger - Poison

Whilst the narrative in this video has been widely used before (good vs bad) I do admire the effect used on Nicole in this video, when she transforms from good to bad and vice versa and I feel it is implemented very well. It is an effect which I would like to learn how to use, and also learn how you would implement it into the filming and post production of the video.

Lady Gaga ft. Beyoncé - Telephone

There are many different aspects to this video I like, such as the way the narrative is well held together despite how complicated and wacky the video is throughout. I feel the use of an introduction to the video before the song starts is a good feature to have, and it is one which Gaga regularly uses and is possibly something I could use for my video. It helps to make the video transcend being there to just aid a song and creates it into a kind-of mini-film. Another feature I admire about this video is the use of triggering parts of the video to the beat of the song, and depending on the song which I use for my coursework is something I'd seriously consider implementing into my video.

Natalia Kills ft. will.i.am - Free

This video feels like a photoshoot for a high end magazine, or a television advert for a fashion company and I feel it fits in well with the theme of the song. I particularly like the use of written text appearing briefly on the screen, giving out a message which is maybe in contrast to the lyrical content of the songs. I feel the video is quite dependent on the props and clothing of the people, which is a slight negative, but it has been redeemed by the fact that the props are of a high quality and I get the distinct impression that a lot of work has gone into the treatment and organisation of this video. I also appreciate the special effects gone into the video, such as the split screen & mirror effect used on will.i.am, his face appearing on the television at the start of the video and the subtle use of reversing footage on Natalia at 04:18. I think lighting is used smartly in this video, in order to help exemplify the feeling that this is a fashion video or photoshoot.

Lady Gaga - Judas

One of the reasons I like the music video to the Lady Gaga song "Judas" is because I think the narrative is interlaced within the video without being too overbearing. In some music videos I feel the narrative is the only thing driving the video forward but in this video I feel the colour pallete, choreography and set design give added factors to the video alongside the narrative. I feel the choreography is one of the strong points of the video & I think that the video does a good job in giving the song a solid foundation to build from.