The Rehearsal

When I was editing my final video submission on premier pro, I found that the software had a lot of different aspects to it that I wasn’t sure about. For example, I found that the audio was hard to sift through due to the many layers of voices in the pub as well as the static I received in the rehearsal room. In order to combat this I used the software that allowed me to reduce the static noise which meant that I was able to salvage some audio that may have otherwise been lost. However I noticed a huge problem in editing was that premier pro kept crashing when I tried to switch between assembly and editing mode and so I had to continuously save copies in order to combat too much work being lost. Luckily I managed to keep the entirety of my project without losing too many chunks at one time however I do note that I will need to practice premier pro far more in the future if I am to hone my skills using the software, in order to create better visuals and audio for my audience.

Before the main rehearsal began and I began documenting video footage, the band asked me to take some photographs of them as well. I took photographs of both female band members together and then the male band members, in which the camera again served the purpose of being a form of exchange as they could use the photographs for promotional purposes. The rehearsal space itself was extremely small and was a small industrial shack that had been soundproofed in the middle of dense woodland. While the atmosphere outside was extremely eerie the interior of the rehearsal space had a warm atmosphere.

Here is the official EP release that is upcoming for the band. The band use social media frequently in order to expand their fanbase.

I found that one of the most surprising challenges I faced during filming for this video project was filming in the pub where Off Topic had a residency. This had a huge impact on how I was going to record in the first place, as I could not be stationary during the entirety of the gig due to their being a number of people moving around and either getting in the way of the camera or having the risk of knocking the equipment.

In order to first combat the filming issue, I decided I would have to handhold the camera rather than use any stabilising equipment or the tripod. Even using a stabiliser had the risk of someone knocking into it and by keeping the camera close to me I could use it to capture exactly what I was seeing. While this meant that footage ran the risk of being more shaky, I was able to navigate the camera better without the risk of having any alcohol spilt on the equipment. However by doing this I forfeited the footage looking as professional as it could, as I would have to move while filming every now and again in order to keep the equipment safe which made the camera jerk to another side too quickly.

Lighting was another issue I did not foresee, as I believed I could correct it myself using the functions on the camera. However when the band was recording they used a number of multi-coloured strobe lights which were constantly flashing and changing colour and so in the end I had to pick a setting in which I could best cover the scope of colour without washing out the band members or the rest of the pub.

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I then had to figure out where to best record separate audio, as the level of noise created by the instruments was too loud for the camera to capture properly. I chose to place the recorder with a friend near the front of the stage on a table that was apart from the other pub go-ers but close enough that the sound would register. However later on I found that the audio from the camera was actually better than that of the audio recorder, which was really surprising as I thought the quality would be better with a separate recording. That being said, the majority of the audio from the audio recorder was better and so I believe using both pieces of equipment was the best course of action to ensure the best result.

Overall, I found that recording in a pub was extremely challenging and did limit how well I was able to obtain footage in a way that didn’t risk the equipment being damaged. However I believe that filming the gig was the best course of action in order to best portray the band in my own project.