Lip Sync

In order to introduce us to music videos and the production of them, as well as the lip sync aspect within it, everyone in our Media Course decided to do the LipSync task, in which we used an excerpt of Meghan Trainor's "All About That Bass". Whilst it seemed like a fun activity for us to do, we also learned about how we can film different sequences all at one time, how important the role of a floor manager is, and the significance of a clapper. 

The clapper we used looks similar to this one

The role of the clapper is quite important when it comes to editing the sequences together later on. It's also useful for everyone on the floor to be in tune with the music and to know when the music is queued and when to film/stop filming. By having a clapper with the exact timing on the board, it makes it easier to edit the clip because it will give the editor the ability to match the timing with the sound so that the music will be the best quality, and so that the lip-sync doesn't look out of place.
In the clips that didn't include the clapper, we had to go by ear and try and match the clips up as well as possible.

Another pro-tip for editing music videos is to always change the shot on the beat so that it's still in sync with the music even when there's no lip sync. In this specific task, however, I think we didn't pay too much attention to that and therefore may look a little funny at times.

The floor manager is the one that makes sure everyone is ready, that the cameras are rolling and that the music can be played so everyone who is filming has a successful shoot without wasting time. It is also the floor managers' job to speak to the director and convey messages to the crew, actors, and so forth.

Another important thing that I specifically learnt from this task is that the actors must know the song and must be confident enough to sing it out loud so that it doesn't look fake when they're lip syncing, because that can make or break a video. Also, the voice has to match up with the character and look of the person, which is one of the most important things when it comes to the aesthetic of the entire video. When I plan the music videos this will be one of the most important things and will spend some time deliberating who would be fitting for the character, and so forth.