This project has been a real learning curve for me as it was one of my first experiences with both a professional client and a set deadline. I feel as though it was the most valuable project of the degree so far, as I was given a glimpse of what working in the industry is really like. It involved a ‘live brief’ which meant that I was constantly working to someone else’s requirements and decisions, which I found to be really tough at times. However I was really pleased to become familiar with this as I know it’s an inevitable part of working in a company or as a freelancer in the field of digital media.
I had two main clients for the project; the first being a singer/songwriter called Haze and the second was a lighting designer, Mark Cunniffe. For these clients I had been given very different tasks and altogether I would not only be using all of my skills but acquiring new ones too. For ‘Haze’ I offered a promotional package, and we agreed on making her two websites, a music video, photography and business cards. The overall project would be split into two parts because one half was dedicated towards her music and song writing, whereas the other would market her as a session singer.
Mark Cunniffe was approached by a stage design company who needed a promotional video for their new creation ‘Soundforms’. This is a specially shaped stage that projects acoustic sound for a long distance without amplification. Mark asked me to create a virtual 3D environment to place the stage into and display the possibilities of lighting the interior walls.
The project started off really well as I was very excited about the amazing range of work I had been set. For my first client, Haze, I began by having an in-depth listen to her music and writing down everything I sensed or picture in my mind. I wanted to capture the overall feel of her music so that I could create a consistent theme in her music website and music video. A lot of the songs had similar ideas and thoughts running through them which I noted down and discussed further with Haze. I also asked a lot of questions about what she wanted and researched thoroughly into examples of websites and music videos she liked, to ensure I was going in the right direction.
I’d planned to work mostly on the websites for the first few weeks, and at the same time I would start pre production for the music video (e.g. brainstorming and storyboarding). I managed to follow this plan fairly well although I feel I underestimated the amount of time structuring the websites would take. I had decided to build a simplistic website in Dreamweaver for the session singing, and the music website seemed logical to build in Flash because I wanted a moving background and interactivity. However I had never built a website or used these programs before so I was teaching myself as I was going along, and it turned out to be a great deal harder than I had first envisioned!
When the arranged filming dates for the music video took place, I put the websites to one side and focused on the task at hand. It was in these filming and photography sessions with my client that I realized making a video like this on your own is almost impossible and I really could have done with a team of people with individually assigned responsibilities. There are so many things you need to remember and it’s very hard to be in control of everything at the same time such as directing, camera work, lighting, music playing for lip sync, wardrobe and make up, carrying all the equipment, making sure public don’t walk into shot etc. It was unfortunate that I didn’t realize the extent of this before making the video, but in the end I shot to my best abilities and I feel I will be more prepared for next time.
In the editing stages things went quite well apart from the software not being able to cope with HD footage. This meant I lost a fair amount of time and quality through having to render and then re-edit many sections. I had also sadly lost some of the shots I had storyboarded so had to make amendments to the video’s structure. As I was going along I would send clips to my client to make sure I was producing what she wanted. There were a few choices she made that were rather painful for me to carry out because she wanted to get rid of some of my favourite shots. But I learnt that you just have to bite your tongue and continue with the clients overriding decision. By the end of it there were plenty of things I still wanted to change or redo such as improved indoor lighting and colour correction, but overall I was moderately pleased with the final outcome. When I presented the video to my client she was ecstatic and proud to display it online, which I felt relieved about! She was also delighted with the photography which I had been working on at the same time.
I went back to the website design after the music video was on it’s way and managed to finish the session singing one in good time. Unfortunately it seemed with the Flash website there was a new problem round every corner, and even the simplest things became the most tedious and problematic tasks. But eventually after many stressful days and nights I managed to produce a presentable website which I was happy with. The feedback from my client in regards to the websites was also very positive so I feel as though I was quite successful with the whole project for Haze.
The Soundforms project didn’t start until after I’d done a time schedule for Haze, so I didn’t give the work allotted times but simply let the projects run alongside. This worked well as I was able to prioritize it when I had a meeting or deadline approaching. The project ran very smoothly and contact with the client was perfectly placed at each stage along the process. I feel as though we communicated well and both had similar ideas about where the animation was heading. Most of the time I was able to do the required tasks within the time frames which I think Mark was impressed by. I did have a few technical errors when trying to render in Maya, but eventually these were solved by using a number of computers, and being very patient about the time it would take. We had some pre-deadlines when Mark wanted to see the project 75% finished. This was a great idea because it meant I could show him what I had so far, and then we could iron out any issues or improvements he wanted.
When I showed Mark my final animation he was very pleased with it and told me it was exactly what he wanted. I really enjoyed working with Mark because he made it quite clear what he wanted, but also gave me a bit of creative reign to put my own ideas into it. Mark’s feedback suggested I should be a bit more confident with my own input at the earlier stages of the project, but apart from that he sounded very positive and would now recommend me to other clients.
Looking back on it now I can’t emphasize enough how much I have learnt from this project. It really has put things into perspective for me and I’m more certain about the areas I want to specialize in now. I have learnt that it’s essential to set yourself pre-deadlines to ensure that the work is finished on time, as something will always either go wrong or need improving. I have also realized that it can be difficult working with a client, and that you have to be extremely patient and understanding if you want to get paid. For example I found it frustrating when the client frequently changed their mind, but in the end they decide they preferred what you started with after you’ve made all the alterations. However I think this was a blessing in disguise and I’m so thankful that I have experienced this now, as I am now more confident and prepared for a real life work situation.
