Production

 

I submitted a formal letter to the college requesting permission for our Media Lab in-charge to assist with the filming of my music video. As I was acting in the video, I was unable to shoot the footage myself. Additionally, the other students were unavailable to assist, as they were occupied with their own projects. Understanding my situation, the college kindly stepped in to offer support and provide the necessary resources to make the shoot possible.

The production started with me submitting another formal letter, requesting the college for permission to shoot on campus, I had discussed with my media lab in-charge about the date for the filming beforehand. Once the approval was granted, I reached out to all the actors to inform them of the scheduled shoot.

Day 1 of the shoot, I had to ask for permission to enter college without uniform, i was allowed to enter in colored clothing after 12pm, i attended my classes and i went back home as my house is near my college, I brought all the necessary props and costumes to the college. We started with a brief rehearsal, after which I began directing the actors. I carefully mapped out the positioning for each shot, ensuring that everyone knew where they needed to be and what actions to perform.

Day 1 of shooting:

first scene, walking into the classroom

Behind the scenes

Once we began the shoot, I decided to start with a scene of me walking toward the classroom. We went outside of the classroom and i wanted the scene to take place by the stairs, we filmed the first scene of me walking up to the class.

How the shot looked on camera

Second shot, inside of the classroom

Behind the scenes

Next, I planned to capture a scene of me entering the classroom through the door. To achieve this, I asked my media instructor to enter the classroom first, while I remained behind the door. On a count of “1, 2, 3,” I made my entrance, ensuring the shot was timed perfectly.

How the shot looked on camera

third shot, sitting on college desk and chair

Behind the scenes

Afterward, I decided where I would sit and the distance I would maintain from the other actors. I wanted a shot of me sitting at the desk and chair, so we carefully planned the positioning for the shot. Once everything was set, we proceeded to film the scene.

How the shot looked on camera

fourth shot, the teacher's shot

Behind the scenes

Next, I planned to capture shots of each character, starting with the teacher. For her scene, I wanted her to hold the assignment papers in her hand, basically a shot of her looking at the papers before handing them to the students later on.

How it looked on camera

fifth shot, the shot of the students talking and laughing

Behind the scenes

Following that, I planned a shot of the two students. I wanted them to appear engaged in a lively conversation, laughing and talking together, capturing their positive energy.

How it looked on camera

sixth shot, teacher distributing the assignment

 

Behind the scenes

Afterward, we did a brief rehearsal to plan how the paper distribution scene would unfold. I made sure to direct the actors so that the scene would look exactly how I envisioned it.

How it looked on camera

The first shot of the park scene

Behind the scenes

Next, we went to the college playground, where we decided to use a bench at the far end, away from the other kids. Once we had our location set, we proceeded to shoot the scene with the bench.

How it looked on camera

Shot of the kids playing

Behind the scenes

Next, I knew we needed to capture a scene of the kids playing as written in my script. I asked my Media Lab in-charge to film them. Once the kids who were playing agreed to let us shoot, they continued with their game, and we were able to capture the scene.

How it looked on camera

Last shot of the park scene

Behind the scenes

After that, we filmed the exit scene of the park, capturing the final moments of the shoot in that location.

How it looked on camera

And that was the end of day 1 of shooting. 

Day 2 of the shoot,  Since my house was 2-3 minute walk away from my college where most of the filming was happening, some of the scenes had to be shot at home. Initially, I thought I’d handle it on my own or maybe ask a friend from class to help. But then my media teacher suggested that why not let our media lab n charge sir, shoot the entire video as he pointed out the fact that the half of the footage was shot on his camera, and at home i would have to shoot on my phone. so my media sir said that would look weird, so its better to use his camera. I hadn’t even thought that, i didn't even know that was an option, so I decided to check it out.

I went to the department head to ask if it was possible for the media lab in charge to help with the shoot outside of college. They told me that I would need to check with him directly, if he was willing to assist, it wouldn’t be an issue. Encouraged by this, I reached out to the media lab in charge, and he was  willing to help. He was actually very excited to shoot this project.  His main goal was to finish the shooting as soon as possible.

With that, I got the support I needed. Alongside the media lab in charge, I took the help of a classmate to capture behind-the-scenes footage at my house and the park. This allowed me to focus more on the shoot itself, knowing that everything was in good hands. Plus, with outdoor scenes like the park scene in the plan, the extra hands were definitely going to be useful.

Looking back, I’m really grateful for how everything worked out. The support from the media lab in charge and the college made a huge difference, both in terms of speeding up the process and in making the whole experience a lot less stressful. It really showed me how important it is to ask for help when you need it and to be open to the unexpected ways people can support your project.

Day 2 of shooting:

Scene 3, the dining table 

Behind the scenes

 we began the shooting, we started with the dining table scene. I already had a clear vision of how I wanted the scene to play out, so I  started directing where I wanted the camera to be placed. We took some time to get the angles right, ensuring that the lighting and framing matched the mood I was going for. Once everything was in place, we got straight into the shooting.

How it looked on camera

Scene 3, the park shot

Behind the scenes

Next, we went to the park, which was just a 1 minute walk from my house and right next to the college. I had already decided during my location scouting that this would be the perfect spot for the scene, so I was excited to finally bring it to life. When we got there, I immediately jumped into directing mode, figuring out exactly where I wanted to walk, where the camera should be positioned, and how I wanted the scene to unfold. I had a clear vision in my mind, and I was determined to capture it just right.

I’ll admit, I can be a bit demanding when it comes to getting the perfect shot. Sometimes I want to film a scene over and over again to make sure everything feels right. i just want everything to look perfect and exactly how i envisioned it. But everyone was incredibly patient with me. I’m really grateful for that.

How it looked on camera

Scene 3, bench shot

Behind the scenes

we moved on to the next setup, a bench in the park where the character is supposed to sit. I had already envisioned how the scene should play out, so I quickly directed on where I wanted the character to be positioned and how the camera should frame the shot. It was important to capture the right angle, making sure the character’s emotions and surroundings were highlighted in the way I’d planned.

How it looked on camera

Scene 3, sitting on the bench shot

Behind the scenes

After shooting the scene with the character walking towards the bench, Initially, I had set up to shoot on the bench that i just shot the walking towards the bench scene, but when we began filming the next shot, I wasn’t happy with the background behind it. The background wall which was behind the bench was painted white, as i knew i wanted white animations, i knew the animations would be difficult to see with such walls. So, I made the decision to switch to the bench right next to it, which provided a better background for the scene.

How it looked on camera

Scene 3, shot of kids playing

Behind the scenes

Next, I wanted to capture a shot of some kids playing in the park. i saw some kids with a football. I approached them and asked if we could film them from a distance. They were curious about where they should stand or how they should act, and I simply told them to play as they normally would. The idea was to record their natural movements, as this would be a point-of-view shot from the protagonist’s perspective, who observes them from afar. The challenge was to make sure the shot felt authentic while aligning with her perspective in the scene. I also recorded other kids playing like for example on the swings or playing tag but i will be only using one clip in the music video. And i decided to go with the kids playing football.

How it looked on camera

Scene 3, over the shoulder shot of the paper

Behind the scenes

Next, we proceeded to shoot the over-the-shoulder shot. I directed my Media Lab in charge sir, on where to stand, ensuring the camera was positioned at the right angle. Once all the angles were properly set and everything was in place, we began filming the scene

How it looked on camera

Scene 3, the protagonist completes the assignment

Behind the scenes 

After that, we moved on to filming the scene where the protagonist completes her assignment. I carefully coordinated the positioning to ensure the moment felt natural and flowed seamlessly with the rest of the story. This scene was important for establishing her character's growth and the development of the plot

How it looked on camera

Scene 3, shot of the completed assignment

Behind the scenes

After that, we shot a over-the-shoulder shot to capture the completed assignment. I made sure that the viewer could clearly see the protagonist’s accomplishment.

How it looked on camera

That was the end of filming for Scene 3, and after wrapping that up, we immediately shifted our focus to shooting the final scene, Scene 4. Once we finished shooting at the park, we headed to the college, where the last part of the shoot would take place. For this scene, I had a new costume on which was pastel blue , the sudden appear of color in the protagonist's clothing was meant to reflect the character's development and shift in mood. We began shooting around 3 PM, but there was a time crunch since the college closed at 4 PM. With only one hour to capture the entire scene, we knew we had to work quickly and efficiently. The pressure was high because, due to the difficulty of coordinating everyone's schedules, it is very difficult to reshoot or come back another day with all the actors. Getting everyone together at the same time was a challenge, so we couldn’t afford any delays. Despite the time constraints, we pushed forward and managed to film the scene within the limited time we had.

Scene 4,  walking inside of the class

Behind the scenes

Once we arrived at the college, we began by filming the first shot, where I walk into the classroom to submit the assignment I had just completed. This moment was meant to capture the character’s sense of achievement and satisfaction after finishing her work. As I walked in, I made sure to convey a feeling of confidence and accomplishment, reflecting the character’s pride in what she had accomplished.

How it looked on camera

Scene 4, teacher checking the assignment

Behind the scenes

Next, we filmed the shot where the teacher reviews the assignment and writes 'Very Good' on the paper. This moment was key to reinforcing the protagonist's sense of accomplishment. As the teacher examined the work, we made sure to capture the small, but significant, gesture of approval, writing the positive comment. The scene was meant to highlight the validation the character receives for her effort, adding a sense of closure and reward to her journey

How it looked on camera

Last shot of scene 4

Behind the scenes

Then, we filmed the final shot of the entire shooting process, the scene where all the students are sitting together, laughing and enjoying each other's company.

How it looked on camera

End of shooting day 2. 

My entire experience with shooting

Filming this project was definitely not an easy task, but it was one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had. There was so much I learned along the way, especially about shooting and directing. At first, I had no idea how much effort went into making sure every shot was just right. From positioning the camera to guiding the actors, every little detail mattered. But with each new challenge, I felt myself growing more confident and learning something new about the process. The whole experience was super fun, especially since I got to shoot with friends. The energy on set was amazing, everyone was so positive and supportive, which made the long hours and pressure feel a lot easier to handle. Everyone that were involved in the production process really helped bring the project to life. There was this real sense of satisfaction every time a shot turned out exactly how I imagined it. When everything clicked, the camera angles, the lighting, the timing, it felt incredible. I was also really happy with how the outfits looked on camera, they were exactly what I had pictured in my head, and seeing that come to life made all the effort feel worthwhile.

Overall, it wasn’t just about filming, it was about learning, growing, and having fun while doing it. The whole process showed me how much goes into making a film, and I can't wait to apply everything I learned to future projects. It was hard work, but the experience was totally worth it.

This what the Music video was shot on, camera provided by the media lab incharge 

Sony a7iii

Lens 24+70 f4

And 50mm f1.8

Crane DJI Ronin 3

Camera sating 

ISO depand to light

Shutter speed 100

aperture 4