Here is the internship program I did which helped me gain lots of information and skills to be used for this project. This blog will outline what I did and learned as a marketing communication & social media specialist for a beauty salon.
My school held a two-week internship program from the end of November to the beginning of December. Based on each student's interests and possible future career, they offered a variety of palaces for them to choose from. As for me, I choose to work at a beauty salon named "New Melati" as a social media and marketing communication specialist.
Here are the roles & responsibilities the company required me to do:
Developing and executing marketing strategies that enhance their brand presence and engage their audience across various platforms
Develop engaging content for social media
Collaborate with the design team to create visually appealing marketing material
Plan and execute marketing campaigns that align with the company's objectives
Below, I'll go over everything I did and learned that are relevant to help me even more with this component 3 project.
Even though there were no other students from my school working there (just me), which allowed me to learn as much as I could and ask questions to gain further knowledge. Knowing that I'm a rather calm and reserved person, I also learnt how to interact with the team and communicate effectively with them. Given that the company is well-known (in Bali) and has over 82K followers on Instagram, I am aware that I will need to put in my best effort to reach my full potential and eagerly learn from the team there. Every team member follows their own standard operating procedure (SOP). I gained a lot of useful knowledge and skills there that really aided me with this project. To name a few, I learned how to operate a camera, which I had never done before, edit videos for their social media posts and design products that align with their branding, all of which I definitely used to our project. All of the people there was very friendly, willing to assist me, and unafraid to offer feedbacks, comments and appreciation for me to improve.
Here are the additional classwork about clapboard that our teacher explained during the lesson which would further help our project creation process. This blog post is written by me (Chelsea).
During a lesson class, our teacher explained briefly about clapboard and its importance for both production and post-production processes. Here, he explained how to use a basic clapboard and provided a visual explanation, making it easier for the whole class to understand. Using a clapboard taught me a few important things, one of which is that it can tremendously reduce time and allow for more efficient organisation. Since the scene number and takes are written as the thumbnail, it is easier to identify which scenes are which when compiling the files in, for instance, Google Drive because we can already tell from the cover which ones to select for editing. Furthermore, it is helpful to sync sound to the image because background noise may sometimes be a problem. Since students lack professional filming microphone equipment, our teacher suggests hiding a hidden microphone or using a phone voice recorder while filming. The sound of the clap also makes it easier to synchronise and helps identify the shot's starting point.
Here is a video from StudioBindermy teacher shared for us to watch:
I've summarised what I learned from the video below:
What is a clapperboard?
A clapperboard (also known as a slate) is a piece of equipment used in film and video production which is used to sync picture and audio, as well as to present information about a scene.
Appearance of a clapboard:
- Initially, clapperboards were either wooden or chalkboards. They are typically whiteboard material these days, making them more durable and easier to light because they're translucent
- The strips usually have black and white stripes for maximum visibility in all settings. Occasionally, it includes other colours in order to provide a constant reference point during the colour correction process
- Some clapperboards have smart slates; electronics that include time codes and metadata. While slates without this information are called dummy slates
The 2 main roles of a clapperboard:
1.) It helps to keep all the footage organised and a way for editors to sync sound and picture during the post-production process. Written on the board is the information for each take or shot during production, the editors then can quickly identify which shot is which when they assemble the film
2.) It syncs the sound to the picture. At majority sound and image are recorded separately so matching the visual and the audio is the quickest way to synchronise. When editing, the editor can look at the sound waves captured by the in-camera audio and the sound waves of the sound equipment, and then line up the spike created by the clap
Here is what a typical clapboard look like:
How to mark a clapboard properly?
- Most of clapperboards contain the following information for the editorial team:
↪ names of the project
↪ director and DP
↪ camera roll or card number
↪ scene number
↪ take number
↪ fps & lens info
↪ whether there is sound being recorded or not
↪ if the scene is an interior or exterior, day or night
All these information is used by the editorial team to keep the footage organised and to cross reference the script supervisor's notes on additional information for each shot
- When the camera and sound are rolling, the 2nd Assistant Camera holds the clapboard in front of the camera, making sure the information is visible. They call out the scene and take number to be recorded on the audio, and then they say, “mark.” At this point, they clap the sticks together to provide that sync point. Then the director calls action and the scene is recorded.
We previously worked on a documentary project where we encountered the difficulties of filming without a clapboard. The presentation I created about the use of clapboard in our last group project for class is shown below:
I've never realised how important a clapboard is for filming until my teacher's explanation during class. I've always known that clapboards are commonly used in the film industry but I never dived deeper into what the actual purpose is. After hearing my teacher's explanation, I realised that using a clapboard can save a lot of time and that not using one can result in significant production delays. Clapboards are helpful for identifying clips from multiple takes and for syncing sound and audio, which makes editing easier. Based on that, my group and I decided to buy a clapboard as soon as possible. Once our clapboard finally arrived, it has been really helpful and efficient for me and my team during the shooting process. It also makes file gathering and editing much easier and faster. Overall, we had no regrets with buying a clapboard and would definitely use it for future projects. For our part of the 3 project, we had one whole shooting day of not using a clapboard since we accidentally left it at school, so we had to use a paper-made dummy clapboard (the same one as the one we used for our previous project), which is incredibly ineffective (the presentation above clearly explains how much of a burden it is). Clapboard is therefore a crucial component of our filming process.
Here I will summarise all the theoriesI learned during class (most of the material are taught by the teacher). Most of the notes are in written form, however I will be transferring most of them digitally here This post is written by me (Chelsea).
REPRESENTATION THEORY (STUART HALL)
Below I created a spider web diagram based on our classroom presentation taught by our teacher for easier comprehension:
GENRE THEORY (STEVE NEALE)
Below I created a spider web diagram based on our classroom presentation taught by our teacher for easier comprehension:
USES & GRATIFICATION (BULMER & KATZ)
Below is the notes I took on the reasons why people consume the media in a form of simple bullet points:
Diversion: A form of escapism from the stress and strains of life as a form of distraction or entertainment due to. the mundaneness of the real world
Personal identity: The media supplies us with role models and ways of understand our place in society
Social relationships: People make connections with performers they see on the screen & people form relationships with people in society when discussing a media product
Surveillance: Audiences use the media to gather information
VAN ZOONEN (FEMININE DISCOURSE)
Below are the notes (mostly just the main ideas so I could refer back to this easily) I took based on our classroom presentation and our teacher's explanation. I also watched a Youtube video from Mrs Fisher's channel to help me gain deeper understanding on this theory:
Gender is constructed through discourse
Gender is not fixed, it is constantly being remade through cultural, social and historical contexts
Feminine and masculine ideals have changed overtime
Gender representation in the past were simple, now gender representation is more complex
There are constant representations in the media of men in positions of power and women being subservient to them reinforces the patriarchy (men being in control in the real world)
LAURA MULVEY (MALE GAZE THEORY)
Below are the notes I summarised of my individual research on this theory from a source from studiobinder.com:
Definition: Portraying women as objects of sexual desire and defines their identity in relation to a male character
The portrayal of women are constructed in an objectifying and limited manner to satisfy the psychological needs of men
Most scriptwriters in Hollywood are men, so their narratives usually follow a male protagonist who saves the world and rescues the girl
As Laura Mulvey says, "The presence of woman is an indispensable element of spectacle in normal narrative film, yet her visual presence tends to work against the development of the story line."
Movie example: In "Aladdin" live action released in 2019, Jasmine has her own goals and stands up for herself throughout the film, however she is still objectified by the story and every man in it.
How to subvert the male gaze: Swapping genders by take a role a women always plays and cast a man instead (e.g. the character swap in Jumanji).
INTERTEXTUALITY
Below are the notes I summarised of my individual research on intertextuality (especially homage) from a source from studiobinder.com and other resources:
Definition: It is anytime one media text is referenced in another text
Homage is a part of intertextuality, defined as a respectful imitation of another work or deliberately reference or tribute to a previous text to express admiration or influence. It is a way of acknowledging and honoring past creations
Other examples of intertextuality includes Allusion (A direct reference to another work) or Parody (An exaggerated imitation of a work, often for comedic effect)
ANDREW GOODWIN (MUSIC VIDEO THEORY)
The 7 key points from this theory:
All music videos have certain genre characteristics depending on the genre: The visuals of the music video should be styled to suit the genre of music (in terms of technical elements)
More often than not there is a relationship between the visuals and the lyrics: The lyrics of the song are represented with images (either illustrative, amplifying or contradicting)
There is a relationship between the music and the lyrics: The tone and atmosphere of the visual reflects the music's melody
The demand of the record label will be evident in the video: The record label have a certain amount of control over the artist they sign, so how artists are represented in the media is up to the record label
Artist iconography: Ensuring that the artist is dressed in a particular way through the range of their videos, allowing the artist to be easily recognised by the audience
The notion of looking: Music videos demand the audience to be voyeuristic (increasing the video's attractiveness particularly to males, where females are usually objectified)
Similar to the technical elements blog post, this blog post includes my summary of every theory I've studied in class as well as my own research. This is also crucial for my project later on since, by putting these theories into practice, I will be able to comprehend and demonstrate my understanding of the meaning I am attempting to convey in every idea I develop that aligns with these theories, which adds depth and clarity. Given that our concept will center on topics such as love, relationships, heartbreak, confidence, and femininity, these theories will help me in exploring the various ways in which the audience might interpret these messages. These theories can also explain to me why we used all of our technical elements and media language, not at random, but intentionally. I hope by learning each of these theories, I can apply it effectively to my project.
Here I will summarise all the technical elements (camera, mise-en-scene, sound, edit) I learned during class (most of the material are taught by the teacher). Most of the notes are in written form, however I will be transferring most of them digitally here This post is written by me (Chelsea).
Practice on camera angles short scene analysis from the movies "Cast Away" and "Revenant"
Camera Movements
1.) Static: Still, no movement, calm, boring, no action, usually to show dialogue and focuses on composition and what is currently happening
2.) Pan: The camera stays the same but moves left and right, this is used to reveal something and follow what a subject do and is often fast
3.) Tilt: The camera pans but it moves up and down, to make audience feel like they are moving their head, this gives the character dominance and can reveal more information (e.g. a character's setting)
4.) Push in: The camera moves towards the subject but the subject stays still, capturing the character's feeling and makes the audience feel connected
5.) Pull out: Creates a barrier between audience and subject, making them feel disconnected by detaching from a scene
6.) Zoom: Change the focal length of a camera, to reveal context and draws audience attention
7.) Tracking: The camera moves with the subject or where the character is going
8.) Trucking: The camera follows a subject from the side
9.) Boom: The camera moves up and down to reveal more information, capture surrounding, or to follow a character's action
10.) Random: Also known as camera shake, it is often shaky, handheld and no pattern, this creates a subjective experience, more realistic, creates excitement and energetic (e.g. a fight scene)
Other than my class notes, I also did an individual research on camera movements from the Youtube channel StudioBinder (video embed attached above).
Here is my summarisation of camera movements into a more simple and concise format:
MISE-EN-SCENE
- Definition: Mise-en-scene is the arrangement and design of visual elements within a frame or a scene, it is essentially everything you can see in the frame
- Mise-en-scene includes: props, set design, costume, hair, make up, colour, performance, lighting, blocking, focus, weather and environment
- Purpose: To convey emotions, theme, mood, character traits and atmosphere
Practice on mise-en-scene of a character's appearance & connotations used
SOUND
Written notes in class and practice on analysing diegetic & non-diegetic sound from the movies "Saving Private Ryan" and "Jurrasic Park"
The classwork we have been doing has been really beneficial, since I will undoubtedly use all the materials and resources I have learnt about technical elements to my component 3 project (whether it's the music video, social media & digipak). As I’m already familiar with these technical elements, this post made it easier for me to recallback what I have learned and how to apply it to my project. Creating this blog post is also helpful because I can simply referback to it if I need to remember something again because all of the notes are arranged here and are not cluttered. In addition to making the lesson fun and enjoyable, our teacher always ensured that we understood the subjects being covered and always provided explanations in words that we could all understand. Generally, I find that writing down my notes is more helpful than typing them online since it helps me better with memorisation and recall. I also use highlighters to make the main ideas or points easier to read and identify. Additionally, we get to view many different films while practicing technical elements, which makes them quite fun even when at times they are challenging. By further practicing and assessing my critical thinking and analysis abilities, I will be able to get more knowledge and proficiency for my music video project or exam, demonstrating that I truly understand its meaning and know how to apply it to properly convey a clear message to the audience.
Here is the filming schedule for our shooting. I created this shooting schedule table and my teammates contributed to discuss and add any necessary information that is important for this production process. This blog post is written by me (Chelsea).
Here is the link in case the file is not viewable: https://www.jotform.com/tables/242302146466047
Below is the number of times our shooting schedule changed:
• Tuesday, 17 December 2024 (Chelsea's house) ➔ FIXED
• Thursday, 19 December 2024 (Rara's house + Cafe) ➔ FIXED
• Saturday, 21 December 2024 (Pantai Sanur) ➔ RESCHEDULED to 19 January 2025 (Pantai Sanur, Karaoke, Chelsea's house) due to rainy weather ➔ RESCHEDULED to 26 January 2025 (Pantai Sanur, Chelsea's house) due to main actress unavailable
➔ Tuesday, 21 January 2025 (Rara's house) ➔ FIXED
• 19 January 2025 (Pantai Sanur, Karaoke, Chelsea's house) ➔ RESCHEDULED to 2 February 2025
Creating a filming schedule has tremendously helped me and my group to ensure that the production stays on track and uses time that is allocated for each scene shoot efficiently. A filming schedule gather the resources that we need to use during the shooting such as the cast, props or equipments. The use of the application Jotform has enabled me to organise everything in one place in detail as well as the calendar feature to serve as a reminder on when to shoot. Moreover, we also made a rundown in Google Sheets for each shooting day to give a clear insight for the cast on what to expect during filming to ease the briefing process.
Due to several factors such as sickness, weather or colliding/busy schedules outside media studies subject or school, it is quite difficult for us to arrange the day of shooting where all of us can come and participate. For instance, there are some times where we did the shooting with one missing member (not joining full day), however afterwards we gave them a brief review of what we did and they also contributed to help reviewing the clips and giving inputs (we always made sure to include everyone's participation even though they weren't present during the shooting day). A major problem is that our shooting schedule got postponed for almost a month due to these factors, specially the unsupported weather, making us unable to shoot in outdoor setting since it was rainy season (December-January). Because of this, we wanted to cramp the schedule by filming multiple scenes in a day to save time but the schedule clash does not make it possible for us to do so. As a result, we needed extra days and had to finish everything quickly at the end to get pass through the production process. Because we had a large cast for several scenes (e.g. cafe, karaoke), it was also a challenge for us to find a suitable time where everyone was available.
Although we had already planned our schedules, we knew that this kind of situation was unavoidable, but I'm glad we were able to tick off all of the shooting lists in the end. There were also schedules that were notified at the last minute (such as the day before), which is inefficient, especially for the actors; so, we want to use time more effectively and prepare ahead of time for our actions to avoid postponement, which would influence the entire production process.
My teammates (Kalista & Rara) made this location scout and risk assessment of all the possible locations that are appropriate for each scene of our music video as the pre-production process. They have listed out all the points that needed to be considered including the advantages and disadvantages of each location and any possible hazards and risks that might happen. This research aids us in making decisions of which location is the most suitable to shoot at without causing any damage or harm to the actors as well as the surroundings. Furthermore, the risk assessment table made me become more aware of the potential hazards and the need for increased caution. One of our scenes is shot at a beach setting, so the location we choose may become difficult because unforeseen events like weather changes might occur. This could cause our shooting schedule to be disrupted and postponed. As a result, we need to find a good day with good weather that is sunny and not gloomy so that we can all attend. Other than that, although setting up the shoot for indoor locations such as the bedroom and the cafe would not be too difficult, issues like poor lighting and unstable sound levels could arise, so we'll do our best to have lighting and microphone equipment ready for those situations.I'm hoping that everything goes well and according to the original location plan during the filming with less or no risks.
Here is our casting development to find a suitable candidate for our music video, a continuation of the "Screen Test" blogpost. This post is written by me (Chelsea).
MAIN STAR
As mentioned in the "Screen Test" blogpost, our main star would be a female, who is feminine yet confident and bold, as well as comfortable being on camera. We considered the following candidates to be our main star:
Keiva
Louisa
Valen
Cinta
Keiva & Valen
Unfortunately we were unable to do an individual screen test for Keiva and Valen due to their busy schedules, therefore both of them are the first people we cross out from our list. Busy schedules could also be an issue, particularly if we need to spend a lot of time with the main star herself during later filming.
Louisa
We had time to record Louisa's screen test after school. Rara will record her short screen test as she is the only person in our group available. Our screen test will basically consist of having them lipsync a few lines of the song, especially the chorus, and then letting them act anyway they like or freestyle. This will allow us to see how at ease and natural they are on camera. Below is Louisa's screen test result that we conducted on November 14th, 2024.
Given that she only sang one line from the song, the screen test above might be too short. Nonetheless, we appreciated that she made lyric-related motions, including smiling at the camera and making the telephone gesture with her hand. We won't be able to see how comfortable she is on camera from this clip alone, but we'll leave it this way for the moment until we've conduct Cinta's screen test.
Cinta
On December 11th, 2024, we conducted Cinta's screen test after school, and thankfully all of us were present during the day. Her screen test also follows the same procedure as Louisa's. Below is a behind the scene picture of the screen test as well as the results. Before the screen test began, Audrey and Chelsea provided supervision and instructions, Rara played the song, and Kalista recorded.
It's impressive that she was able to memorise so many lines from the song, considering that we had only played it for her that day and she wasn't too familiar with the song. On camera, she makes incredibly effortless and naturalgestures that give the impression that she is truly feeling the music rather than just lipsyncing.
Final choice
We all agreed that Cinta's screen test had a lot of good things to say based on all of the results! Since Cinta fits the majority of our criteria, we ultimately decided that she should be our main star. Given that she is also a singer, working with her would be simpler because she is already at ease in front of the camera and radiates charisma. We're hoping that everyone can work cooperatively to schedule any necessary extra meetups or shooting hours. We also gained consent from Cinta as well, and she was excited to be working with us on this project!
MAIN LOVE INTEREST
We were looking for our main artist's main love interest, who would appear to be an "attractive toxic boyfriend" by portraying him as a cold and toxic guy in some scenes that only reveal his face. We will evaluate them based on their appearance and real-life personality (if they are cooperative to work with) as there are no dialogues for their role. He should have a clean, tidy appearance, a sharp jawline, intense eyes, and preferably tall. For acting, he should appear confident while yet emotionally unavailable. We thought of two guys for our main love interest, we of course asked for consent as well from them.
Darrel
Saka
Unfortunately, Saka declined to appear in our music video with no reason mentioned, he just preferred to not join and we respected his decision. So we are only left with Darrel. It took some time to explain everything and convince him to accept this role, but in the end, he sincerely wants to join and act the role as the main love interest.
It turns out that he and Cinta, our main star, get along well and had good chemistry off-screen as well, so they performed professionally and showed no signs of awkwardness while filming. They had fun while filming, and we think they both did a great job!
SIDE CHARACTERS (GUYS)
Turah Krishna
Bagus
Saka (Rejected)
Louis
Agung
Ryan Tjandra
Here are some of the supporting characters (guys) that will act as a potential (failing) love interests of our main star. In order to make them feel more comfortable on camera, we will reassure them that just their backs are shown in their main scenes, which excludes any of their faces. The most of them are from the Media Studies class and are also from the earlier screen test video in this blogpost, in which they seemed enthusiastic and enjoyed performing and being in front of the camera.
Besides of these guys, we also need more / extra supporting characters during our production process so that we don't show the same guys again. Fortunately, there is no need for a screen test because physical appearance is not the most important factor since their faces will not be shown, and most of the guys voluntarily agree to to do so, their names are listed below:
Bagas
Haresha (Cancelled)
Nathan (Cancelled)
Neils
MAIN ARTIST NAME
We did a discussion as a group on what to name our main artist, below is our list:
We all agreed to go for "CINTA KYLE"
Cinta, is our main artist's real name, which literally means "love" in Indonesian (love also is our main theme for our media product). Hence, we think that the name "CINTA" suits the best. Since our intended target audience are mainly South East Asians (including non-Indonesians), they may not know what Cinta means right away - but once they do, it becomes a name with secret meaning which we think our target audience or fans would love to discover. We think that the combination of Cinta and Kyle is easy to remember by people and sounded like a real pop star name. It also mirrors both of her personas: Cinta is more to the romantic, emotional and soft side while Kyle sounds more sharp, bold (this shows her character transformation, from soft or lovergirl to a confident icon, just like our music video concept).
Screen test is crucial, especially for our main star, to make sure they meet our expectations and meet the criteria we decided upon in order to ease our shooting. The guys we select as the main and supporting love interests are also eager to help and coopertate on our project. Because they performed so well on camera and made the filming process fun, we had no regrets at all about casting them. Our first choice for casting has always been Cinta and Darrel, and we think they met our expectations. Finally, we would like to express our sincere gratitude to them for volunteering their time and effort to participate in this project.
To find a star for our music video, we need to conduct a screen test. Here I will explain the brief definition and purpose of conducting a screen test, the screen test video we conducted as a class and the review regarding the video. This blog is written by me (Chelsea).
Brief overview of screen test
According to studiobinder.com, a screen test is a filmed audition in which an actor demonstrates their suitability for a role, in this case, a music video. Generally, actors are given lines of the lyrics to lip sync and perform on camera. Other than that, screen tests are also utilised to see how clothing, makeup, colours and other accessories may appear on an already casted actor.
Benefits of using a screen test includes:
➠ To see how actor performs on camera
➠ Testing wardrobe, makeup, accessories on the actor to see if they fit the visual style
➠ Determining chemistry between 2 actors
➠ Having audition footage to help make decisions later
Below is the video of our class's group audition. We did this as a class, where we all simultaneously acted & lip synced to the song, "Don't Stop Me Now" by Queen. Although this song (rock) does not fit with our genre (pop), we chose this song because the lyrics were familiar and the song overall was quite upbeat (matching many of our chosen songs).
Screen test video link: https://youtu.be/LL4o9gvDgdw?si=Spm2JMCV3pYxYebL
Screen test review
As stated in the beginning of the video, for our music video (song choice: 'The Weekend' by BIBI, 88rising), we were essentially looking for an actor who is:
✔ Feminine yet confident and bold
✔ Comfortable on camera (not awkward)
✔ Had the charisma of a possible star
✔ Matches our planned wardrobe and makeup
➝ Our main star target is a female, as the song is sung by a female, hence we would eliminate all males from this screen test. However, we might use them as side characters as we want to incorporate male(s) in this music video as well (perhaps no face is being shown so appearance does not matter in this case).
➝ We want our main star to be feminine while also being confident and bold, which means she should be expressive on screen. However, according to the screen test, the majority of the girls here are quiet and reserved, which does not match our primary star's personality.
Overall, we did not find any suitable candidate for our music video, hence we will conduct another screen test that focuses on each individual to analyse their suitability more detailed and precise. This matter will be discussed further in this "Development: Casting" blogpost.
Conducting a screen test is quite new to me, especially when I'm participating in the screen test, and I've never done it before. Although I was a little awkward because I'm not used to being on screen, it was a fun experience for the class as a whole, and most of us are enjoying our time together. I also learned how important a screen test is in finding the right candidate for our main star through assessing how they perform on camera. In comparison with when the candidates were already chosen without any screen test, this will result in expectations or vision that is not met when they perform on screen for our final music video, so a screen test helps to ensure that the chosen star truly meets our criteria. Although the class screen test had no suitable candidates for our music video, we had other persons in mind outside of class as our main star, in which we conducted a separate individual screen test.
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