Performance Locations:
Obviously due to my lack of budget and my inability to drive I have to use locations that I can easily access and the band can easily access. Originally I was thinking about using a drama studio at my school, called "The Pit", because it is equipped with a lighting rig. This would allow me to really easily control the lighting in the shots. However at this point I'm not sure it would give the look I wanted. Also logistically it could prove more difficult than using my second choice of space. One of the other problems with using the school drama studio is that I would have to borrow instruments from the school to use as props. Last year I did this and the quality of the instruments is bad which comes across on film. Also the music department weren't compliant and at times proved extremely difficult to work with. Another issue I ran into last year with using The Pit was that from the end of school, 3:20pm, to lockup, 5:45pm, only left me with two hours and twenty five minutes to setup, check lighting continuity, make sure the props were all in the right place, setup the camera, shoot and then pack down. Also with my actors coming from up to 30 miles away my time on set would be so minimal that I would spend so much more time setting up each time. This meant that I ended up doing many more shoot days than were necessary and each time I would run into difficulty with borrowing prop instruments from the music department. All of this considered I decided that this would probably not work as a location.
My second location idea is the studio and rehearsal space that me and my band use. Logistically its much closer to home meaning I can spend a greater amount of time setting up and I can leave the mise-en-scène, props and lighting etc, all setup for days on end. Obviously The Pit is used as a drama studio so I would of had to pack down every time. Obviously the studio has a completely different vibe which dramatically impacts my choice of lighting techniques and camera angles and movement. The studio is far smaller than The Pit. This means I wouldn't be able to do as big movements with a dolly because the floor space is limited and will have cables and instruments on it. In a way that could be a shame however due to the movement and motion I want in my shots that shouldn't be too much of a loss at all. Because the space isn't equipped with a lighting rig I will either have to use natural light, incandescent ceiling lights or bring in my own lights. At this point these are all options. When I practise drums in the studio during golden hour it has the most beautiful light, in part due to the yellow walls and the way the light reacts with that. Also because there is a hedge outside the windows the light that comes through is slightly defused in an interesting way. Because the space is small I will have to make sure it doesn't negatively impact the range of motion and range of shots. However I'm mostly going to be using close ups and mid shots so this shouldn't be an issue.
Abstract Shots:
For the abstract shots that I use in my video I am planning to shoot them in New York. I will be in New York staying in upper Manhattan for the last week of October. Whilst I'm there I will be visiting specific locations and doing other activities however I will be taking my camera with me with me as I walk around the city. New York obviously is famous for being full such a photographic locations so whilst I travel the city I aim to capture street scenes and shots that would sit well with the performance. Besides walking round and collecting unplanned shots I also have specific locations that I want to include because of the imagery, iconography and colours as I feel that they will aid the themes and sentiment that I am trying to convey. Below are some images sourced from the web of locations I have in mind.
Top Left: Obviously a hugely famous icon as well as the flag of one of the most important countries when it comes to the recent music history.
Top Right: The subway is where real people travel. In New York the real New Yorkers, from all walks of life, travel from home to work every day using the subway.
Bottom Left: Times Square is obviously a huge tourist attraction and could work well to inject some more energy into my video.
Bottom Right: Another shot of the subway actually showing the people who ride it.
Top Left: Obviously a hugely famous icon as well as the flag of one of the most important countries when it comes to the recent music history.
Top Right: The subway is where real people travel. In New York the real New Yorkers, from all walks of life, travel from home to work every day using the subway.
Bottom Left: Times Square is obviously a huge tourist attraction and could work well to inject some more energy into my video.
Bottom Right: Another shot of the subway actually showing the people who ride it.
