Auditions

Yesterday we had auditions in which 2 dancers came in to perform in front of the group at separate times. This was very beneficial as both dancers had their own interpretation of the elements which came across in their style of dancing. It also gave us inspiration as we hadn't thought of  some of the moves they performed which gave us fresh ideas for when it comes to choreographing. We recorded the auditions so we are now in the stages of choosing which dancer we feel would best suit the style we are looking for. For me personally I recorded with a separate camera in order to analyse the variations of movement the dancers use in order to get a sense of which moments are best to cut to another shot when it comes to editing to keep the piece flowing.

I have Measured the G12/KN studio we will be using and have created a layout based on the space we have available both for shooting and the dancers dance area. Safety has been the main consideration due to the use of water and sand, which is why I have allowed a great deal of empty space surrounding the dance area.

I looked into the length of timber if we were to create the rectangular layout which would be most affordable for our budget. These are the best of the initial options I have found.

Due to the dancer working with sand and water there needs to be some sort of containment to cater for the volume of these two elements. The initial idea was to lay a tarpaulin sheet on the floor and  use timber planks in a square layout to form a barrier around the dance area.

after a couple more meetings the group have decided the location where we will be shooting, which is the KN studio/G12. The hiring of the studio as well as the equipment for the shooting dates have been confirmed. I have been given a sub role of set design in which I will firstly measure the Studio to get a sense of the space we will be shooting in and how much space the dancer will have.

Rihanna - Where Have You BeenThis music video features a few of the elements which we plan on including in our dance video. It was interesting to see this method of approaching the elements. Firstly when she rises from under this shallow water and begins crawling, this looks as though she is a predator who lives amongst that environment which I thought was an interesting way to represent water as it creates this illusion as though she is one with the water. Secondly the desert scene was also interesting mainly due to the set and lighting. The huge rocks surrounding the dance area along with the moon in the background added great depth to the sequence and allowed the scene to appear to be natural. The scene also features a flickering flame in the foreground which added a tribal feel to the dance as well as simplifying the transition from earth to fire. Lastly the fire scene was very inspiring in terms of lighting, the back light with an orange tint is a great way to represent the sun beaming through the openings, this combined with what looks like a soft box at Rihanna's face creates a natural hot and sweaty look to this scene. The VFX of the flames which keep appearing from her hands is also a nice touch to again show that she is one with the element.

Presentation on the Choreography for the camera Notes:

Structure of the work

Try not to make work to ‘fit’ the frame. 

If the action begins and ends in the frame it will lack fluidity

Movement through the frame creates energy and draws the eye from one shot to the next

Fragments and close ups stimulate viewer’s imagination for active viewing

This is easier if the choreography is created first – camera can then affect the perception of movement to fit intention of the work

Filming for the edit

Two basic approaches to time and space…

Filming to maintain continuity of live choreography or

Montage – live choreography is completely reordered in edit

Questions to consider when framing the dance

Where is my eye drawn? Where does it move to next?

What creates depth in the frame?

What effect does light have?

What effect does movement to and from the lens have?

What effect does movement across the frame have?

What effect is created by objects and architecture within the frame?

Field and Frames Lecture

OM - John Smith 1986

Simple but effective is the phrase I would use to describe this piece. The audience is led to believe they are watching a monk hum whilst in a state of meditation however the lesson is nothing is always as it it seems. it is revealed that it is in fact the complete opposite of a monk and is in fact what many people would see as an English skinhead which is given by his Fred Perry polo and obviously his hair. This is great shock factor to finish this simple piece.

Notes from this: simple, don't over complicate, illusion, address the audience, don't reveal everything immediately, confusion. 

I found the lighting and camera movements in this music video very interesting. the main factors of the lighting which were effective was firstly the the lens flare hitting smoke which created a blue tinted mist which created a mysterious mood and also enhanced the dancers feet movement as the smoke would flow with each move whilst it is swept away. Also the rays of light which beams from behind Chris Brown as he enters the club is used repetitively throughout the duration of the video, this also a great way of making the audience focus on the body movements in the dance as it almost gives a silhouette effect. In terms of camera movement there is a lot tracking in which is used to establish the space of each room and then track in to focus on the choreographed routines, this adds to create the line of symmetry which the dancers formations show.