Notes from an Executive Producer

Today we were able to talk to an Executive producer, Ollie Allgrove, who works in a company called ‘The Mill’ and he helped us with tips and techniques for our music video's. I found it very interesting and useful and made a few notes during the talk:

• In charge of production department across UK
• themill.com
• helping people tell stories in a different way
• ‘we are artists, technologists and makers for all media, working at the frontiers of visual narrative’
• competitive environment, creatively and financially 
• 30 in house rosters
• 250 artists within 400 people working in London
• design back end technology allowing new techniques to be made
• visual effects Oscar for ‘Gladiator’

 

SSE Advert 2016 

• An orangutang walking around.. not normal 
• non of the shots of the orangutang are real
• 4th month study on the animal
• reference for movement with an ape impersonator lol
• Anything is possible!

• collaborating with record label and artist
• treatment at the end of it

• What’s the big idea?

• Write a treatment!
• has to have a voice
• doesn't have to feel like an essay
• trying to make and do something that is interesting
• back things up with images
• choose tracks that you are interested in and that you can respond to
• think about the images that you can balance your words with
• find references to how the style worked so you can help people understand where you are going

• story boards are very useful to set an idea going
• you are trying to make an image

Jolene and the jing jang jong

• location blagged
• simple effects
• simple props 
• someone running through a building, wanted someone in a POV shot to a rough top 
• single move
• extremely low budget
• helium balloon for the falling bit
• 2:22 long .. consider the timeline, don't make it too long if the budget is lower

• companies such as youtube etc nowadays allow careers to launch more easily as it gives them a platform to work from, giving room for music videos to bloom

Chemical Brothers

• simple treatment e.g. 'ballerina turns into robot'
• with your treatment think, how do you hook the narrative
• a lot of technical work
• 7200 frames
• scan the dancer and track the 3D model over her performance
• witness cameras, having a constant reference as to what her body is doing throughout
• begin to erase her body 
• cloth stimulation with her clothes etc
• 4 and a half months are hard work to complete
• budget was a slight issue but wanted to really execute the producers idea
• wasn't about the budget, was more about creating a quality piece of work

• Don't feel like you are copying other artists as you can use their work to be inspired by!
• set your own treatment
• don't make band look uncomfortable- get a performance out of a performer
• people have to understand what they are doing so over think it, over story board it and really be organised for the shoot day .. Nail it!
• over shoot if you can, make sure you have full coverage in the edit