production week

This week is 'production week' for our music video class. This means all classes are cancelled, and we have the week open to shoot our official videos. Some have scheduled shoots on these days, and the rest of us are available to crew and do pre or post production work on our own videos. While some people are already in the editing lab working on their cuts, I won't actually be shooting my video until December 4th and 5th. It's not ideal to then only have about 5 days for editing,but it's allowed me a lot of prep time which was very much needed. Prep work includes selecting crew, securing locations, props, insurance, equipment, scheduling, test shoots, signing contracts... all that great, tedious, logistical, stuff.

In the mean time, along with my own prepping, I've been crewing for my classmates. For each video, the directors select their crew and assign each crew member a position. Some crews have been the whole class (all seven of us), and other crews have only one member in addition to the director. I've gotten to have the experience of working alone with the director and also being one of seven. It's amazing to see how different shoots run, due to crew numbers, locations, the production style, and the artists we're working with. But however different, every shoot so far has been a blast and so satisfying to wrap. Some productions have been as long as three, 13 hour days in a row. I'm a total sap and cheese ball like my dad, but I have to say... each time the director calls "that's a wrap!" and everyone cheers, I'm reminded of why I came here to do this program. And it feels great.

Since there are only seven of us, we all help out with bits and pieces of everything, in addition to having a more specific crew label. I've been assigned 'DP'and'AC' for the shoots I've been on. Working as Director of Photography is my favorite position, as I get to actually work the camera and shoot the video. Videos I DP'd for were I Phoenix, Codes, and BriBry.

SNEAK PEAK
Production 1: "On Your Radar" by I Phoenix. Directed by Anna Milshteyn


Production 2: "Home" by John Bleck & the Rats. Directed by Chris Daker


Production 3: "This Is Goodbye" by Codes. Directed by Paulo Testolini


Production 4: "A Poem I'll Sing Outloud" by BriBry. Directed by Erica Hart