Commision Work - Lizzie's Application Video

This project involved creating an application video for my school peer Elizabeth Rudge, so that she could apply to a backstage work experience week.

Lizzie originally asked me for advice on which programme to use to edit a video, but after discussing what she needed for a short while I quickly realised that she felt very out of her depth, so I offered to step in and film and edit the application video for her; she gratefully accepted.

As her deadline for submission was fast approaching, we quickly agreed to film at the theatre (where her play was being performed) on the upcoming Thursday evening, so that I could edit the video and upload it to YouTube for her, ready to submit on the Sunday.

The whole shoot was fairly simple; I wanted to produce the video with a sense of professionalism, so when I arrived on location I quickly looked for an appropriate backdrop against which to film a close-up shot of Lizzie that would provide an introduction to the video - and what better backdrop than main stage red curtain! 

Unfortunately, the stage hands decided to play with the lighting as we were doing this, so it was slightly inconvenient to have to continuously adjust the white balance. I took several shots however, so as to ensure that I had a good selection of footage to choose from, and decided on the pink toned shot seen in the opening of the above video. I chose this shot as the pink tones create a soft and endearing look, and as it captures a beautiful moment where Lizzie looks into the camera and smiles; it was very important to me that I conveyed her lovely personality as clearly as possible, and I believe this shot captures that. 

The rest of the video was filmed in a backstage corridor; again, I positioned Lizzie in front of red - this time a pin board - as it linked nicely to the red backdrop seen in the first shot. Again, I used a close-up shot, as appropriate for an interview style clip.

The audio was recorded with the DSLR camera's in-built microphone, so is a little harsh at times, but does its job in clearly picking up Lizzie's speech. 

While in my pre-production discussion with Lizzie I had advised her to prepare what she wanted to say (as I was not familiar with the course she was applying to, or with what she needed to cover,) when it came down to it I realised that the 'speech' she had prepared was going to make her seem stiff and nervous (especially as she hadn't learnt it). I worried this would harm her application chances, so I did what I do best.

I improvised.

I knew that first I had to help Lizzie relax (facing a camera is very nerve-wracking after all!) So I got her chatting about off-topic stuff, while i 'fiddled' (recorded, unbeknownst to her) with the camera. I then had her talk me through her speech, and began to ask her questions from the information I gleaned, encouraging her to elaborate and allowing her the opportunity to discuss her passion. This made for a much more natural discussion, and helped Lizzie to come out of her shell and display the confidence that an interview video such as this requires.

During the editing process - for which I used FinalCut Pro - I rearranged the footage and cut out my speech (inserting question screens instead) to make sure that the interview was clear in conveying its point, and followed an ordered flow.

I also added music at the start to create a pleasant atmosphere, and to help ease the viewers into the video. I couldn't resist adding a moment of Lizzie relaxed and laughing after the end "Thank You", as I was determined to convey her personality and showing a moment of her pleasant personality 'off-camera' will make her more memorable and likeable to the people reviewing her application. 

Overall I found this project very easy and pleasurable, and enjoyed the opportunity to improvise and work with Lizzie to produce a video presenting her as a strong a personable applicant.

"The Night Robyn"

As this blog is all about my personal journey, it felt right to give it a name with meaning.
I didn't want to be clichéd, and it felt too narcissistic to go for something as obvious as my actual first name; but I'd always been fond my middle name and of the little birds which inspired it.
I was uncertain as to wether or not I should use the correct spelling, but eventually decided on my way of spelling it (Robyn) to keep it interesting.
I then toyed with various adjectives beginning with "R" (alliteration is just so tempting!), but felt unsatisfied with the options; for example, "Radioactive Robyn" sounds pretty awesome, but it does lack that cool professionalism I was hoping for...
The next letter I googled words for was "N", it's the first letter of my first name.

To cut a long story short, I chose the word "Night" for two reasons:

1. Because the imagery of a night robin is rather enchanting
2. Because I've always been one for late nights, there's a peacefulness to them. I also anticipate a lot of late night work ahead of me, so the name is my own little nod to that. 

So, that's the story of the name.

Now onto the logo!
Naturally, it had to involve a robin.
Preferably, there also needed to be some link to the night.
Using the "Sketches" app (which I have on my iPad) I created a few different trial designs, and asked my friends and family what they thought.

This was my first attempt; I liked the colouring, although it does feel too dark to be an actual robin. The other issue with this is that it's too artistic - the soft, blurring paint effect isn't ideal for a logo, it's just too complex.

I tried to make this robin more simplistic than the first, and my choice of colours for the bird felt better when kept in a simpler pallet. However, something didn't feel quite right about the shape of the red colouring, and I wasn't happy with the eye either, so I chocked this one up to being a practice and added the background to make it more artistic.

This third attempt felt a lot closer to what I wanted - the simple lines making up the birds body make it soothing and professional feeling. I also incorporated my signature into the design (the bold, dark lines which are seen to encircle the bird), turning it into a nest of sorts. Once again however, I got carried away with the colours, and ended up rendering this design unusual due to the dramatic background. 

Determined to avoid overdoing it once again, I applied a soft, light colour to the background and drew my fourth bird. Made up of five dark blue lines and one red squiggle, this bird is an ideal logo option. It's eye-catching and memorable without being gaudy.