Analysis of Lip Syncing task

In order for us to practise for our music video task in September, we took part in a lip syncing task where the aim was to choose a song and create a music video showing us lip syncing to the lyrics. This task would enable us to have an insight into the decisions and tasks that we will need to undertake in September such as choosing the right song, cutting to the beat, lip syncing and creating transitions between different shots. We filmed our music video by using the app 'VideoStar' on an iPhone 7. 

1) Why did we choose that particular song?

We decided to chose 'Touch' by Little Mix as it is a popular song that everyone knows the words to, which made it easier for us to lip sync. The song is also fun and energetic which is the type of feel that we were aiming for. We also wanted to choose a song from a girlband as there are 4 girls in our video so therefore it would be easier to replicate the narrative of the song. 

2) What was difficult about the lip syncing?

One thing which we found difficult about the lip syncing was keeping in time with the music. In order to do this we had to rehearse the lyrics before we filmed it to make sure that we knew our cues and what the next words to the song were. We also found it difficult to film in the time we were given as we only had 45 minutes in order to film our music video, which is considerably shorter than the time we will be given in September. 

3) How easy was it to cut to the beat?

We found it easy to cut to the beat of the song as we knew the song really well and therefore we knew the points in the song where different verses ended and new verses began. In order to cut to the beat we used different angles and filmed in different locations in order to make our shots more creative and flow better. In most music videos, the demands for record labels will include the need for lots of close ups of the artist in order to create a star image. However in our music video there is no star artist yet close ups have been used to demonstrate lip syncing. 

4) What effects did we put in the video and why?

We used a variety of different effects in our video in order to make it seem eye catching, fun and creative, as well as to explore possible effects which we could use in September. We used a range of colourful effects that we were able to apply to our music video from the VideoStar app. The use of colourful effects reflects the energetic and youthful vibe that we were aiming for in our video. 

5) What would we change/ do better if we did it again?

If we were to be able film our music video again, we would change the types of shots that we took by filming more close ups, as many of our shots are wide shots. The aim of using a close up shot is to sell the artists star image, which we feel that we could have done better if we had included more of these shots. 

6) What has it taught me about planning for the real music video in September?

This lip syncing task has taught me that when planning for our music video in September we will have to make sure that the artist knows the words to the song before filming to avoid wasting time learning the lyrics before each shot is taken. In addition, when planning our music video we should make sure that the visuals in our music video are relevant to the lyrics and narrative of the song in order to create a more intriguing music video that would captivate the audience and make them want to watch it again. This task has also taught me that we should allow ourselves plenty of time for planning as it will take time in order to come up with an exciting concept for our music video.