I am the Entertainment Tycoon

Auburn Way Street, Elffire City.

The production crew for the Moonlight's music video could be seen working with focused eyes.

And a song could be heard being played on the back.

Arthur played the song that would be the base for the music video.

He wanted everyone to get connected to the song and think of ways to adapt the script perfectly to the song being played.

Each member had a task to do, and they worked without having distracting thoughts.

To understand what each one of them was doing, we have to understand what producing a video or film means.

When someone makes a film or music video, it is needed to follow an organized process.

It's best to think of filmmaking as three distinct stages:

First, it is the planning and getting ready to film (development and pre-production).

Second, it is filming (production).

Third, it is editing and adjusting the takes (post-production).

When we talk about the development of a music video, we talk about several things that the production team must accomplish before the start of the filming.

They had to Develop the Concept, Consider the Budget, Find the Actors, Find a Film Crew, and Get the Necessary Equipment.

But all these things were already done, so they didn't have to worry about that.

After all, the concept of the music video was developed already by Moonlight, the budget was not a problem with Ayia taking care of it, they had just hired the actors, the film crew was hired was themselves, and the equipment was given to them already.

So, most of the pre-production was already done, which speed up the things for them.

But even though these things were already done, there were still things left for them to do before they started filming.

Arthur, as the director, had to plan the shots they would take.

He had to make storyboards to help plan how things would go when started to film a scene. Working out the shots in advance will help it make sure they get everything they need on the day.

Some people might remember the storyboard that animators make, but this one was a little different.

This was a storyboard that involved shot-by-shot sketches for the entirety of the music video.

The storyboard had to consider the camera angles and the types of shots the director want, such as full-length shots or closeups of the actors.

Which was different from the animation storyboard which had the purpose to be used as a reference for the in-between and keyframe animators to draw the frames.

They also had to finish scouting for possible locations to shoot.

Because only when they knew all the locations, they could finish planning the shoots.

Which had to determine which crew members and what equipment would be needed for every shot.

Kanna, as the coordinator, would also create a schedule to determine who and what is needed for each part.

They also had to finish all the designs for the characters.

What the actors would wear, what type of makeup, what type of shoes, and other things like these.

When all these things were done, the production of the music video would start.

But the filming also had to follow certain steps.

For example, if they decided to the first scene they would shoot was the one where the couple met for the first time in the coffee shop.

They had to check for the three things when they arrived in the coffee shop with the equipment, production crew, and actors.

Check the framing. They had to make sure that the camera doesn't cut out anything important, and that it doesn't include anything distracting or confusing.

Check the light. They had to look at the shot in the viewfinder or on the screen. 'Does it look right? If it looks too bright or too dark, can you change the exposure?' They would ask questions like these to see if the light was correct for that specific shot.

Check the focus. Arthur and the technical crew would try to adjust the focus as they followed the shooting plan that they had. If the plan said that the focus was shallow they make sure that the camera had a shallow focus.

When all these three checks were done, they could move up to the rehearsal.

With actors, it is needed to rehearse the scene a couple of times before the start of filming.

Helena and Ishii will run through the scene a couple of times, making any changes to their positions and performances. Then the crew would start to work out where to put the camera for each shot. This process is called blocking.

When these things were done, Arthur and the crew could finally start filming the scene.

But even then, they had to follow certain steps.

Because they had to cover all the shots possible for that scene.

Coverage means making sure that the crew got all the shots that were needed for the scene, so there won't be any awkward jumps or gaps when the editor tries and edit it together.

For short factual items, they would follow a rule of thumb: if the shot is showing a person doing something, film a couple of long shots or very long shots to introduce the setting, then they would make sure to get shots of the person, the thing, and the person with the thing.

For example, if the shot involved Helena taking a coffee from the counter and drinking it.

The shot had film separated shots of the coffee cup on the counter, Helena reaching her hand to take the cup, and the third shot of Helena drinking it.

Everything had to show fluidity that covered all possible movements.

They had to follow the continuity system, which was a set of rules about what to film, where to put the camera, how to frame your shots and how to edit them together. These are the main elements of the system.

And each scene had follow these steps that were mentioned before.

So, when the crew moved to another location, they had to do the same checks, rehearsals, and rules to follow.

And when the scenes were filmed, the post-production would come.

But Arthur and the crew would not be responsible for that.

Even though they could edit and piece the music video together, Theo could do a much better job than them.

After all, he had a Director and Editor Skill he received from the system.

He was much more knowledgeable than them in editing, and he also knew exactly what he wanted from the music video.

Therefore, only he was able to produce something he would like from the scenes that were filmed.

Even though with this skill he was a much better director than Arthur, Theo did not worry about the quality of the shots taken by the crew.

There were so few scenes in the music video that Arthur could take care of it without messing around much.

And he also trusted Ayia's judgment when she said that Arthur was a good director.

Because even if he wanted to be the director of these music videos, he would not be able to do so.

After all, he had his schedule completely full until the end of December.

And that was how the production of a music video was made.

That's why everyone was so focused in their jobs.

Helena and Ishii were studying the scripts with focused faces.

Even though the script did not have any lines for them to say because it was a music video, that would demand them to have very expressive faces in the shots filmed.

The emotions had to be clear to every viewer who watched the video.

So, they could not afford to miss anything in the script.

The two of them had to follow four steps in the process.

First, Read the whole script first. Before Helena and Ishii did anything else, they had to read the entire script through. Make note of characters, story progressions, moods, transitions, and anything else that sticks out to them. A sense of the whole story provides a solid direction, which can provide invaluable clues to help them remember your next line, especially if they knew what's coming up on the pages immediately after.

Second, Highlight their lines. Once they've done a full read-through, they would go through the script again and highlight their character's lines. This makes it easier to not only find the spots in the script that they need to focus on but also to refer back to them when they are practicing them later.

Third, Write through the trouble spots. One of the more effective memorization techniques, especially for visual learners, is to write the lines out on a piece of paper. There's a proven link between memory and writing: pull out some flashcards, and write your lines while reciting them to yourself. The act of writing is usually enough to leave a strong impression on your memory.

Fourth, Practice out loud. Another common memorization technique is saying lines out loud. Start by reciting their lines by yourself, then graduate to practicing with a scene partner. Scene partners are usually fellow cast members, though they can be fellow actors in an acting workshop, too. If the actor is not already paired with a scene partner or is working on a solo performance, he/she would try asking for running lines with a trusted friend or family member.

While the two of them were doing that.

Arthur had a concerned face as he looked at the paper in front of him.

He was planning the shots already, but there was a problem already.

Would they be able to shoot the scene they were planning to film on that Sunday's night?