BBC - Mark Kermode's film blog

Thursday 29 December 2011

Media World: Colour Corrector Workshop



Some notes on Getting that "Summer Blockbuster" film look.

Iam thinking for my major project to gain a big budget film look, with zero budget and home made diy film making techniques: this is will be a starting point.

Taken from Red giant (magic Bullet plug in) 's creative director Stu Maschwitz guide.

Creating a Summer Blockbuster Film Look


> Eric Escobar mentions to Shoot with the look in mind,
> Adobe's Kuler:
"for generating color themes that can inspire any project. No matter what you're creating, with Kuler you can experiment quickly with color variations and browse thousands of themes from the Kuler community." find the matching colour combination like on many hollywood films. Art direction wise, cast are wearing neutral colours.
> Use colorista
> Terminator Salvation: "A bleach bypass look"

Media World: Five Phases of Movie Making

Monday 26 December 2011

Media World





Title sequence for 'Eva' by Spanish film director Kike MaĆ­llo.

Eva / Film Main Titles from Dvein on Vimeo.


Director Hoku Uchiyama uses some very impressive animation techniques in Evelyn Evelyn’s latest video for ‘Have You Seen My Sister Evelyn’

Evelyn Evelyn "Have You Seen My Sister Evelyn" Music Video from Amanda Palmer on Vimeo.

Friday 16 December 2011

Media World: Screenwriting rules of Charlie Kaufman

Screenwriter Charlie Kaufman, 52, is the mind behind such eccentric, cerebral hits as ‘Being John Malkovich’ (1999), ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’ (2004) and ‘Synecdoche, New York’ (2008), which he also directed. With his playful, paradoxical narratives and tendency to blur real and fictional concerns, he’s been dubbed the quintessential meta screenwriter, a true maverick who has managed to forge a niche within The System. He’s coming to London next week to take part in the Bafta and BFI Screenwriters’ Lecture Series, which will include presentations from other important contemporary screenwriters such as Guillermo Arriaga and Paul Laverty. Here, we asked him about some of the dos, don’ts and more don’ts of his very personalised trade.

On studio filmmaking…

‘In a lot of movies, especially big studio ones, they’re not constructed in any other way than to get people to like them and then tell their friends. It’s a product. It’s like building a Buick. I don’t think the studios would even argue with that. It’s a very big business, a very risky business, and they want some sort of certainty that they’re going to succeed. They push certain buttons. But those movies aren’t interesting to me.’

On being seen as a ‘mathematical’ screenwriter…

‘I’ve heard people say that, and I don’t approach things that way. It often does come down to imagining different permutations of events. But I’m certainly not mathematical by training. I have a personality that tends to be somewhat compulsive, and I do tend to think in a circular way. I dwell on the same things over and over and I try to figure out different ways of looking at the same issue.’

On screenwriting as therapy…

‘I think if I’ve worked anything through with screenwriting it’s that I’m not going to be able to work anything through. It’s an ongoing crisis. You deal with who you are in different circumstances. I don’t think screenwriting is therapeutic. It’s actually really, really hard for me. It’s not an enjoyable process. Sometimes I like it when a script is out in the world and people are talking about it. I’ve been asked this before, and it invariably leads to the question: is there something else I’d rather be doing that’s more therapeutic? When I was young I used to act, and I would say that that was something I could definitely see as therapeutic. I really loved it. With this, it doesn’t feel like I’m solving anything or that I feel any happier by doing it.’


Malkovich, Malkovich, Malkovich, the title star of Spike Jonze's 'Being John Malkovich' (1999)
On pitching…

‘I never think about that. I’ve never tailored anything that I’ve wanted to do to what I think is going to get me money. I didn’t write “Being John Malkovich” for anybody. I was working in TV and I did it in my spare time with an eye to using it as a sample so I could get other assignment work in movies.’

On attracting big names…

‘John Malkovich aside, I never write with actors in mind. When that happens, you tend to write what you already know the actor can do. For instance, Jim Carrey was not in my head when I wrote “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”. Had he been, and I was actually trying to get Jim Carrey to be in it, then I would’ve started to write what I know about Jim Carrey. It’s very hard to make that a character. The ideal situation is that you write this character, and then someone like Jim Carrey comes in to it, so Jim Carrey brings Jim Carrey, because Jim Carrey is Jim Carrey. That causes Jim Carrey to move away from what he knows (Jim Carrey), and it causes the character to move into the actuality of Jim Carrey and you get this synthesis, which is really good.’

On dreaming big…

‘I do have ideas that I don’t think can be realised in film. Yet, working mostly with Spike Jonze and Michel Gondry, all they ever say is: “Don’t worry about that. It’s great, we’ll figure out how to do it.” There are some things you’ve got to cut. For the most part, the ideas that have seemed expensive have been figured out. If that kind of thing is going to happen, it’s going to happen more now that I’ve taken on directing. I can’t just think: Oh, Spike will have to work that one out. ’

On going back to TV…

‘I was an employee on TV. I was never working on my own show, it was always for someone else. The things I was working on for the most part were not of great interest to me ['The Dana Carvey Show', 'The Edge', 'Get a Life']. I was very excited that I could be a working writer. I have written a pilot that might get made. If it did, I would take the time to run that show and make it in to a series. It would be something for HBO, but quite an intimate show that I could be quite autonomous with. I don’t want a huge writing staff and those giant production issues.’


Samantha Morton and Philip Seymour Hoffman in 'Synecdoche, New York'
On reviews of his films…

‘I love reading them. I have a policy that I will never explain anything in my movie because I want people to have their own interaction with it. I love that there’s a possibility of different interpretations, and I do write things with that intention.’

On his forthcoming project, ‘Frank or Francis’…

‘If I look at some of the things in the script that I’m about to embark on, I’d have to say I don’t really have any idea how we’re going to do it. I’ve been pretty good at keeping logistics away from the writing process. It’s important when you’re writing to not bridle yourself with pragmatic concerns. The movie I’m about to do has got a lot of scenes and a lot of characters. And the scope of it and the world it inhabits is very, very large. In the broadest possible sense, it’s about online film criticism, but as usual, the world that I’m writing about is not necessarily the world that I’m writing about. It’s just a place to set it. There’s a lot in there about the internet and anger: cultural, societal and individual anger. And isolation in this particular age we live in. And competition: it’s about the idea of people in this world wanting to be seen. I hate to use the word “about”, as it implies that what I’m doing is an analogy and that I’m trying to say something. I’m not. That’s for the audience to do.’


Charlie Kaufman speaks at the BAFTA BFI Screenwriting Lectures at BFI Southbank on Fri Sept 30

Sunday 4 December 2011

Edit day 6

Long time no see! Been busy on the edits. We have now got 2 1st fine cuts and 1 near fine cut so we are nearly there. Now in the studio - its like a ghost town! Sunday Editing!! We are having slight issues of storage management as we keep having to move around the macs in the room, due to other people coming and going! Lucky no ones here today! we are also creating magzine and newspaper article but find it tricky to recreate quotes so we are now creating our own Have I Got News for you style quotes.

Monday 21 November 2011

Major Project: Shoot Day 3(ish)

Episode 1. A good days shoot. we learnt from previous weeks the perfect time to film was around 4-430 allowing just enough light to film exteriors. One issue that araised was on arrival, me and Dylan went to recce the chuurch we planned to use from the beginning. And on arrival, in the exact spot we aimed to film, a 10 man film crew were set up shooting an indy film! It was starring a guy from This is England aswell! This either showed bad luck or good judgement of location...

Later we continued the shoot, ensuring maximum coverage. We did some actuality for cut aways out on the streets of Acton. We were then approached by the production team we saw earlier. The outfit are actor was wearing was apparently perfect for their shoot! The director soon came out and turned his nose up at poor Payno (our talent)!

Overall we managed to fill the 2 cards and were very happy with our shoot. next task is to log the footage and produce another rough edit to put onto Scenios... Then the edit of our 3 rough cuts will begin!

watch this space

Tuesday 15 November 2011

Major Project: Update/Research

Today we have adapted Episode 1 and combined with a detailed shooting script and call sheet for shoot day 3 in Acton: It has been distributed to cast and crew (via Scenios). We have blocked out an opening sequence using the location in Acton, one issue I could envisage is our opening sequence: we need a jig rig or a secure dolly to ensure a still shot...

Thursday 10 November 2011

Major Project: Research

VICE travels to Slab City, an ex-military base-cum-squatter haven in Southern California. With the help of two booze-guzzling sherpas, we traverse the Colorado desert to understand why so many call this wasteland home.




Shane Meadows, Advice on Screenwriting:

Any advice for writing effective comedy?

Comedy is impossible to write. If you've seen something that makes you laugh, this is probably the most important link to comedy. People can't help laughing at something that somebody else is laughing at. It's infectious, especially if that person is creasing up. If you have seen something funny, you should try to emulate that with your writing, or filmmaking. The chances are that you are showing people how you see it, and if it's funny to you, it is likely to be making people laugh at the other end.

Whereas, if you are trying to write a comedy that does not even make you laugh, then you are never going to make anybody laugh. So I think the secret to writing comedy is putting it across in a way which you find funny yourself. It sounds simple but a lot of people do not do it.

Tuesday 8 November 2011

Major Project: Update

A brief update:

Began a rough cut of Pete: Episode 3. Some very funny moments, it needs to be ramped up though. I have posted the rough cut on Scenios for the cast and crew to see with a view to recieving as much feedback as possible.

I have double checked with the Studio in Surrey and it has been confirmed for Saturday 12th November (collecting keys the night before) I have also got permission to use one of their Sony XD's for extra coverage during the interview and sequences.

Monday 7 November 2011

Major Project: Shoot Day 1

Didnt quite go to plan on Saturday: We managed to shoot episode 3 due to not being able to do a costume fitting. But we managed to work around the issue successfully.

Today I uploaded the footage we got but it needs pick-ups which we will do on location in Acton in 2 weeks time. I also organised our costume dept. to go to Camden tomorow in order to be ready to shoot on location in a studio on Saturday. I have kept my cast and crew informed through 'Scenios' our production website.

I have also got in touch with Cats ever helpful and hugley talented Boyfriend, who is designing a film poster for our fake press junkett on Saturday.

Although we have around a month to go I am concerned about our performer not being able be present on all our shoots. But learning from previous shoots it is essential to be persuasive and ensure contributors are 100% available well in advance.

Thursday 3 November 2011

Major Project: Pre Production

Discovered a website that can act as a hub and is a "Cloud-based software that streamlines the process of film and television production."




It is a virtual production office where we can add
- Script
- Schedule
- Call Sheets
- Location
- And videos (Selected shots, Rough Cuts and Final Cuts)

It becomes a network where we can connect all cast and crew through email, enabling all production members to view updates instantly rather than through individual emails.

Tuesday 1 November 2011

Watching Psychoville - Halloween Special

Whilst doing this I emailed my cast and crew the Major Project research pack.

I also came accross something rather pointless but quite interesting! One sound effect that has found a following with many sound editors and observant movie fans is a distinctive scream named Wilhelm. After "Distant Drums," the recording was archived into the studio's sound effects library, and was re-used in many Warner Bros. productions. The effect gained new popularity (its use often becoming an in-joke) after it was used in Star Wars and many other blockbuster films as well as television programs and video games.[2] The scream is often used when someone is shot, falls from a great height, or is thrown from an explosion.
Dont be surprised if you hear a Wilhelm scream within Struwwelpeter!

Off tangent once again, heres an interesting explanation of Focal Length

Thursday 27 October 2011

Major Project: 1st Draft

Presented our script to Simon today. There are adaptations we need to make to the script, and it also needs to be re-formatted in Final Draft. On top of that We have confirmed our make-up/costume artist for the 5th November and the following Saturday confirmed and booked a studio space for Episode 2 from Dan at From the Hip. our aim for the rest of the day is continue amending and tightening the script.

A Doc about Peter Jackson's Mockumentary - Forgotten Silver



An exert from Chrisopher Guest (Best in Show, This is Spinal Tap) mockumentary, A Mighty Wind



Another mocumentary about MS Paint

Wednesday 26 October 2011

Major Project: Update



Finalising the script in the last few days having concentrated on WBL.

In hindsight I may having focussed too much of my attention on WBL due to having extra days filming but I felt the experience I gained has given me that boost in confidence in pre-production, the filming process and a huge amount of editing time which will prove invaluable in the major project.

Now, however, I am purely working on the script. We have now confirmed the role of Struwwelpeter. A freind, a graduate from drama school, who is the character i had in mind from the start and a location. North Acton: this location is the backdrop I envisioned from the out set...


Example interview

Some questions, as the writer we are asking ourselves:

Whose story is it? Do you identify with the main character?

It is the plotting of a typcasted actor who wants to move away from his onscreen persona. He is a character who is rediculed and banished by popular culture and his suprising charisma and alter ego have a charming effect.

Does the plot tell us something about the main character?

The plot identifies the rise and fall of a recreation of character. It is portrayed through face to face interviews revealing his personality.

Are you able to tell what happens in the story in one sentance?

The retelling of a fabled creature rediculed by soceity, in the modern day. Struwwelpeter plays himself in a movie and we see his true character in a revealing behind the scenes documentary over 3 5 minute episodes.


1. Solid, steady camera shots that are part of the action of the piece. We should feel like we are traveling as a "fly-on-the-wall," or a silent observer, following the subject of the production around.
2. Clean, concise audio that creates a very real soundscape for the "experience" of the production. No canned music here!
3. Edits that follow the story and are unobtrusive. The audience should not feel that they are being manipulated. It should feel like we are watching a natural event unfold.
4. The interviews and supporting video build a story with a beginning, middle and end. The production gives the feeling that someone or something has gone through a change and there is some meaningful outcome.
5. There should be a feeling of a breadth of knowledge and a heightened passion for the subject.

Thursday 13 October 2011

WBL: The Final Edit: Kaleidoscope

Kaleidoscope C6(n) 2'00" Advert/Promotional Video "KALEIDOSCOPE" is an inspirational film to catch the eye and project the C6(n) dream.

Sunday 9 October 2011

Media World

You have a roving eye Plotting static gaze points onto a single frame of the movie allows us to see what viewers were looking at in a particular frame, but we don’t get a true sense of how we watch movies until we animate the gaze on top of the movie as it plays back. Here is a video of the entire sequence from TWBB with superimposed gaze of 11 viewers.

There Will Be Blood with gaze locations of 11 viewers from TheDIEMProject on Vimeo.

The most striking feature of the gaze behaviour when it is animated in this way is the very fast pace at which we shift our eyes around the screen. On average, each fixation is about 300 milliseconds in duration. (A millisecond is a thousandth of a second.) Amazingly, that means that each fixation of the fovea lasts only about 1/3 of a second. These fixations are separated by even briefer saccadic eye movements, taking between 15 and 30 milliseconds! Looking at these patterns, our gaze may appear unusually busy and erratic, but we’re moving our eyes like this every moment of our waking lives. We are not aware of the frenetic pace of our attention because we are effectively blind every time we saccade between locations. This process is known as saccadic suppression. Our visual system automatically stitches together the information encoded during each fixation to effortlessly create the perception of a constant, stable scene. In other experiments with static scenes, my colleagues and I have shown that even if the overall scene is hidden 150milliseconds into every fixation, we are still able to move our eyes around and find a desired object. Our visual system is built to deal with such disruptions and perceive a coherent world from fragments of information encoded during each fixation.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Having talked about Magic Bullet as a plug in here is a Super-Slow motion plug in called Twixtor, here is a tutorial on how to use it:

Twixtor Tutorial Part One : Incendium from Elliott.G.Montello on Vimeo.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Soundlapse

Soundlapse from Fruit Bonus on Vimeo.

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Wednesday 5 October 2011

Media World

Red Giant TV Episode #57: Behind the Scenes of Plot Device from Red Giant on Vimeo.


More or less an advert for Magic Bullet, which I will be using in the advert for C6(n) its a neat bit of software and this video shows just how good it can be!

Movies About Moviemaking


8 1/2

Fellini's film about filmmaking. Note that this film was completely dubbed which lends a dreamy quality to the film.





Day for Night

(1973)Directed by Francois Truffaut

Buoyant, frothy French comedy provides a loving, behind-the-scenes look at a movie set. Critically acclaimed for its strong performances, cinema verite feel. Excellent example of European-style filmmaking.




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Very cool new innovation:

CineSkates Camera Sliders from Cinetics on Vimeo.



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Endzone, a mock film trailer to a runaway-express action flick about gun-toting Metro inspectors who find themselves on the other side of the tracks, is causing a stir online.

But the buzz is all good, with viewers urging the guerilla-style film-makers to turn their YouTube spoof into a full-blown feature film.



Struwwelpeter: Episode 3 screenshot
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Plenoptic cameras, also known as light-field cameras, which allow an image to be refocused after the picture is taken. Sometimes referred to as a 4D camera, this crazy technology is now headed to a consumer camera from new manufacturer Lytro.



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Tuesday 4 October 2011

Work Based Learning: Shoot Day

Shooting went extremely well today, one draw back was the Canon 5D I was planning to use had broken during the weekend but the Canon 7D stepped in and performed just as well. The conditions were perfect.

Here is the call sheet I made for the shoot:


It was a long shoot: around 7-8 hours over 2 days, but we managed to get more footage which will be a bonus in post. There was a change to the original storyboard and idea. Chris, the co-founder/owner was available so now the opening shot has an extra person, which actually has now worked in our favour. On the day I also thought it would be good to set up a second Sony EX to capture time lapse of the whole day, it now means plenty of coverage and useful cutaways.

It was a fascinating exercise in that I had a shot list for the day but after several hours it became a case of searching for the interesting shots and slotting them together in my head and imagining how they would fit together coherantly in Post. It proved relativly easy as we had a long time for the sturture to go up and I could consult with Charlie and Chris regarding shots they want and Dan with his expertise in Production.

Do the Time Lapse: Sony EX capturing the opening stages. The whole 2-tiered structure fits into the van and the trailer.
Double Decker: Dan Neatherway (From the Hip) shooting the first deck panel held by Will (not me!) and Charlie
Me framing up Charlie giving his crew the orders! (Canon 7D)
Van Dutch: The first floor of the structure filmed via 20 sec interval record on the Sony
See 6(n): the crew review the time lapse. Followed by rapturous applause!

Decided I will enter the Learning on Screen Award - Student Production Category

Sunday 2 October 2011

Media World: Horror Films

Whilst researching for ideas for the major project, I have come accross plenty of examples of the surreal world of horror movies. C.H.U.D
Ugly. Slobbering. Ferocious. Carnivorous.
Here is an interesting new concept from Germany of an interactive horror film using voice recognition from mobile phones: A quote from Invasion of the Body Snatchers
“Listen to me! Please listen! If you don’t, if you won’t, if you fail to understand, then the same incredible terror that’s menacing me WILL STRIKE AT YOU!” — Dr.Miles Bennell (Kevin McCarthy)
The Pit (1981) Bizzare Canadian horror film from a time when many horror films were based around evil children! Robert Helpmann - The Child-catcher (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang 1968) will be a similar character to Struwwelpeter in Episode 1 of Pete - A Hackumentary
Shop til you drop, dead!

Thursday 29 September 2011

Major Project: Poe Trilogy

Todays Absurd Tagline:

A Trilogy of Shock and Horror!

Tales of Terror (1962) Dir: Roger Corman

A movie adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's
Morella
The Black Cat

The Case of M. Valdemar


Another Absurd Tagline:
Suspiria - "The Only Thing More Terrifying Than The Last 12 Minutes Of This Film Are The First 92"

The film is 97 minutes long...

Wednesday 28 September 2011

Media World

Terje Sorgjerd, the photographer behind the viral video The Aurora, has done it again. Here, Sogjerd captures the Milky Way over El Teide, Spain’s highest mountain. Click through to watch, and get details on how the video was made.


Filmed between April 4 and April 11, 2011, the individual frames were shot using a Canon 5D Mark II with a Canon 17mm TSE, Canon 16-35mm II, Canon 24/1.4II, and Sigma 12-24mm.

The Mountain from TSO Photography on Vimeo.

Major Project: Idea Development

It will shock you out of your seat...


Above, an effective use of low lighting and shadows for the Count's startling first appearance in Dracula.


Jack Asher

Cinematographer

As cinematographer for several of Hammer's most memorable productions, he shrouded the studio's gothic horrors in all kinds of fantastical colours, filling the screen with lush purples, reds and greens.

His credits for the studio included The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), Dracula (1958), The Hound of the Baskervilles (1958) and The Mummy (1958). His final Hammer horror was The Two Faces of Dr Jekyll in 1960.

Below, a typical Asher green lighting gives a non-realistic, almost fairy-tale-like quality to a scene from The Hound of the Baskervilles. Below that, a similarly fantastic effect is created with a purple spot in The Brides of Dracula (1960).



Terance Fisher

Director

Without doubt the single most influential and talented of Hammer's directors, Fisher was responsible for a slew of the studio's finest gothic horrors, beginning with the Frankenstein-inspired 'Four-Sided Triangle' in 1953 and ending with 'Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell' in 1974.

Fisher was, In his own words, a maker of 'fairy tales for adults', and his best films are notable for their fantastic, fairy-tale-like qualities. One thinks of the hauntingly magical appearance of Count Dracula amid swirling autumn leaves in 'Horror of Dracula' (1958); the Egyptian dream-sequences and vivid hues of 'The Mummy' (1959); the once-upon-a-time quality of the opening scenes of 'The Curse of the Werewolf' (1960), that might easily have been lifted straight from a child's storybook; or the mesmerizing and enchantingly surreal fantasy-world of 'The Gorgon' (1964).

Media World: "10-Minute Film School"/The Social Network(s)

Part I


Part II



Rodriguez said he originally made this quick lesson to better explain to non-believers how he was able to make his Sundance-winning El mariachi on a budget of just $7,000. Not only is this a tremendous resource for anyone interested in making a great film with very little cash, it's also a fascinating glimpse behind the scenes for anyone who's ever wondered just how moviemakers do it.

Director Who style "If other directors made The Social Network" from College Humour:

The Social Network(s)

Tuesday 27 September 2011

Major Project: Opening Sequence

Opening sequence will take the feel of Tales from the Crypt Combined with The Horror of Dracula opening The Tales from the Crypt is taken from William M. Gaines comics:
This horror anthology featured stories of murder, greed, lust, gore and the supernatural, with touches of humor sprinkled throughout, usually with a twist ending of sorts (TV.com)
The Hackumentary will begin with the spooky POV style used in both extracts leading to a blood spattered sign - it includes the theme from Bram Stokers Dracula/Adam and the Ants - Prince Charming/Back from the Dead- Peter Doherty?? . The documentary version in Episode 2/3 will end with a member of the Art Dept. complete with talkback and clipboard, wiping the sign of blood. The following scene sees Struwwelpeter



Thursday 22 September 2011

Media World

An interesting "Sound Signiture" created by a guy called Diego Stocco for company DTS, Inc.

Diego Stocco - The Making of DTS Sound Signature from Diego Stocco on Vimeo.


An interesting way to show his work process on his website

Work Based Learning: Shooting Day Planning


Still confirming the shoot day... Taking into all considerations and variables it should be on October 3rd! After a meeting with Dan, we have worked out we want the product message to be clear during the dream vision sequence (Kaleidoscope) too add some innovative flair it will include some flashy, creative effects in post which will not ditract from the product and the message we wish to portray.

It is an exciting project and I know if I plan and make full use of the pre-production period we will achive a simple, affective and exciting platform to promote C6(n).

Wednesday 21 September 2011

Work Based Learning: Shooting Dates & Scouting


Today we sat down and began negotiating a shooting day and looked to take into consideration the crews availability to put up the structure, Dan at From the Hip and his schedule, and the Charlie (Site Manager). I have discovered that it is a balancing act to arrange convenient dates to shoot for all parties involved. I also had to take into consideration the fact that the use of Sony XDs from UCA are unavailable for 2 days during the shoot week. This however was overridden by my negotiations for hire of Canon 5D cameras from FTH.

Scouted potential locations at the Wylds today.



Tuesday 20 September 2011

Work Based Learning: First Film for C6(n)...FCPX Training

This is my first finished work from the Summer.

It is a time lapse film from Go Pro cameras. The project was a learning curve for me as I used Final Cut Pro 10 for the first time.

Monday 19 September 2011

Major Project: Struwwelpeter: The Musician

Anvil!: the Story of Anvil (2008) Dir: Sacha Gervasi I actually did VOX POPs at the Secret Cinema Premeiere of this film and saw them play live afterwards. a very funny doc which has scenes in which I could imagine Pete doing the same (interview with a guitar and a cuppa in the kitchen)



This is how time Magazine saw it:

For a moment in the 1980s, they hoped they'd become the heavy-metal band. Reality had other ideas, yet these Canadians kept on poundin' through decades of ignominy and, worse, anonymity. Sacha Gervasi's sweet doc is a Spinal Tap for losers who never give up dreaming.

Speaking of Spinal Tap...

Major Project: Struwwelpeter The Movie

Looking at horror film Suspiria Dir: Dario Argento, who according to IMDb was inspired by stories by the Grimm Borthers. Here is a scene from his 1977 film: (Contains strong violence) It has been descirbed as being
a surreal horror film about a witch's covenent which was inspired by the Gothic fairy tales of the Grimm Brothers (IMDb)
I sensed these scenes were on the side of the rediculous and in typical Argento fashion, everyone sucumbs to a grizzly end! This is what I'd like to recall in our retelling of Struwwelpeter and portray a comically gruesome tale.
The opening scene of Hammer Film, The Horror of Dracula

Music to accompany the film



Monday 12 September 2011

Work Based Learning: Advert: More Research




MyIdeas for the promo/advert has been cleared by Charlie so it is now time to establish a clear outline for my Idea...

Having had conversation with Michael re: the advert I'm looking to look into more detail of the structure going up. I have decided to portray this with a four way split screen.





This is the finished proposal (feedback welcome!)

Kaleidoscope (working Title)
C6(n)
2'00" Advert/Promotional Video

"KALEIDOSCOPE" aims to be a an inspirational film to catch the eye and
project the C6(n) dream.

Part 1 (30") The backdrop is the Autumnal Wylds Estate. The brainchild
of C6(n), Charlie admires the empty canvas in front of him: a wide
multi-coloured vista set high amongst the hills. Charlie sets a
Kaleidoscope to his eye and the viewer descends into a dream and a
vision.





Part 2 (30") We witness the structure elevating and constructing,
using sweeping shots and hallucinogenic colours. Viewed from
multi-perspective and in "Polyvision" the screen will be split into
four, the audience watch every intricacy in detail, it spirals and
spins like a Kaleidoscope.


ECU Machinery will be split 4 ways


C/U the crew drilling in action



Part 3 (30") Our protagonist, Charlie, takes the kaleidoscope from his
eye. Returning to brilliant full colour, unveiled, is the structure in
glorious High Definition.

"KALEIDOSCOPE" looks to take the C6(n) ideologies and retell it in a
simple and affective way.... More over to fulfil my aim to promote
C6(n)’s values and product and integrate this information into a short
advert/film

(Using the High Definition Canon 5D Camera with a wide angle lens)
Wide still shot of the Wylds with Charlie right of shot.
OTS (Over the shoulder shot) Charlie Putting the kaleidoscope to his eye

4 way split screen shots. Colours change to kaleidoscopic in post-production.
ECU (Extreme close up) of crew members drilling.
(Using head mounted go-pro camera) Crew members adjusting the structure
MC/U (Medium close up) Shots move further out showing multiple shots
of equipment/components
Wide shot of tent top.

Side profile of Charlie and reverse shot of first OTS
Kaleidoscopic colours change to full colour and the structure is
unveiled as a wide still, mirroring the opening shot.

Equipment required:
Canon 5D
Lenses
Tripod
Final Cut Pro (Dan's studio includes editing add-ons, Magic Bullet)
Note: No audio required

Resources:
Dan Heatherway (From The Hip Video) http://www.fromthehipvideo.co.uk
- Hire of equipment for production & post production (potential costs
and quotes to be reviewed by Tori/Michael/Charlie)

Will to do for pre-production:
Storyboard
Shooting script
Shot List (Tori/Michael/Charlie any specific shots required)

Work Based Learning: Advert: Primary Research









Isenseven "Kaleidoscope" Trailer 2011 from Isenseven on Vimeo.


This video stems from looking into kaleidoscopes. The film encapsulates elegance (with elevated scenery and stark white colours) it sums up my interpretation of the buzz words of C6n - Elevation and space. Technically it uses typography in the titles which I could be influenced by as well as the awesome high def shots which reminded me of our promo (the bright sunshine).



This image could be The Wylds estate in Autumn. For me it represents the height and elegance of the structure

Wagon Christ Chunkothy Promo (official music video) from Celyn Brazier on Vimeo.


This rather trippy video, has really inspired me, I can invisage the bulk of the advert/film having 4 seperate films in each corner of the screen all telling the story of c6(n) and flying into the middle on set moments like a kaleidoscope. it could a tough post-production job but it means I will be able to show multiple aspects of the structure in an exciting and colourful way.

Having had a brainwave and chatted with Tori, we established an exciting idea:

Charlie, the owner and brainchild of C6(n) stands looking at the beautiful surroundings of The Wylds estate with the picturesque surroundings and an empty space in front of him... He lifts a kaleidoscope to his eye, representing Charlie and his vision and equally his dream.
Cut to the structure going up in split screen with a spectrum of hallucinogenic colours. each shot ends with a sweep leading into the centre of the screen much like a kaleidoscope. and each shot shows the cogs and wheels of the structure and its intricacies in action. Four POV shots of the crew hands on and working... Four ECU(extreme close up) shots of the team at work... four wide establishing shots of the structure in different stages of the build.

Finally, Charlie takes the kaleidoscope away from his eye. The structure stands completed in full glorious High Definition.

Work Based Learning: Strategic plan for New Promotional film for C6(n)

Project Manager:
Will Tippett
Resources:
Tori Hall
Red Phonex

Project Description

Length: 2.00 mins

Aims: To promote C6(n)’s values and product and integrate this information into a short advert/film.

Start: 12th September 2011
End: 19th October 2011

Approach:
Theme analysis
- looking into values of C6(n), look at our fb page and look at the pictures, previous presentations will be provided.
we want to show off our product, quite like what was done in the previous video.
Story
will need to think about what is going to happen in this film to capture attention.
you may be working with Red Phonex to develop ideas.

Will needs to use the information above and tell Tori what type of music to produce for this.

Pre production
- Timelines/Deadlines
Storyboards
Actors preparation (c6n boys)
Filming script
Weather analysis
Shot lists

Filming production

Editing


Will

Please provide TH with a list of equipment, any costs you may incur, quotes are accepted, reviewed and you will be told if it is possible!

Thursday 8 September 2011

Major Project Idea: Influences

> German 1920’s cinema, Nosferatu


> “The angular Expressionist world of the 1920 film The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari, all twisted alleyways, lopsided doors, cramped rooms and overhanging buildings”



> German Art Director and Director Paul Leni

> Lon Chaney, who made memorable monsters of The Hunchback of Notre Dame and The Phantom of The Opera

Major Project Unit: Research & Idea

Research


The Grimm’s Fairytales and Bavarian folk stories are cautionary tales that have created a heritage, a history and a language. Brothers Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm strived to create a unique German heritage which unintentionally went on to become a global legacy, synonymous with childhood fantasy: everyone knows of and has been utterly terrified by Grimm’s allegoric fables. These stories occupy an important place in German cultural imagination, and my aim is to reinterpret these stories and relay its message and ignite that initial element of fear.

With this in mind similar Bavarian folk stories are revealed in Dr. Heinrich Hoffmann’s Struwwelpeter. I would like to reinterpret the short tale of ‘Shock-headed Peter’ and place him in the present day.

A perhaps unintentionally chilling German video of Struwwelpeter

I would like to shoot scenes in the film and have a documentary piece to match it.

Pete lives on Eym Cumming View, at number 4. He’s a likely lad. Think Pete Doherty meets Russell Brand at a dodgy party in Kentish town. We find Pete on location filming a horror film and he is the lead role as himself: The dishevelled and dastardly Stuwwelpeter. We, however, open up another side to ‘Pete’ through a documentary, off set. As Pete takes time out of his busy schedule, the audience begins to understand the real Pete through an honest, warts and all portrayal and account of a Londoner seeking to banish his bad name and become Struwwelpeter: the musician.

With a view to be aired on a platform such as the BBC Comedy website under the influence of BBC2 comedy, I envisage this to be filmed in multiple, separate episodes accounting a scene of the film with a face to face interview afterwards. This “Hac-umentary” sees Extras collide with Phscoville.

Work Based Learning: C6(n) Company Profile & Summer work


Based in Liss Forest, Hants, C6(n) is in its enfantcy and is enjoying its first test or 'soft' summer. It is a family run business at the moment concieved by freinds Chris and Charlie overseen by Michael and Toria.

It is the worlds first double tiered structure tailored mainly for events.


Theres me relaxing before the Polo at Hurtwood. At this event we installed the Go Pro Hero HD
for the first time. After this event I emailed the team my critique of the day. I made suggestions as a professional in hospitality as well as my opinion from a media perpective:

“Flip” point and click camera would be ideal to gain HD footage to gauge opinion and reaction of people in the structure (without a large camera and tripod) records up to 2 hours and could enable us to record moments quickly and easily. Simple uploads and more economical than hiring bulky DVCAMs.

During the summer I have been working in the office looking into media and online side of the company. I advised the team to purchase the Go Pro Camera hero HD not only to capture quality HD footage to promote the introqueces and building of the structure but to judge movement of clients around the structure.

Tuesday 6 September 2011

Summer Work Experience: From the Hip

Date: 17th & 18th August
Client: Kenwood
Location: Havant




Our brief was to shot a 2 - 3 minute promo for training staff how to demonstrate Kenwood products. It will be shown globally to staff. Predominatly auto-cue Piece to camera (PTC) using a Canon 5D camera.

These are the lenses we used on the shoot:

L-R
50mm focal (Macro) lens - Wider focal length (wider shot) good for C/U

75-300mm - Zoom lens, Slower optics - needs good light: 4 - 5.6 on apperture. Good focal length

24-70mm - (Kit lens) Good stock lens

50mm - Good cheap all rounder (£350)

During the shoot:
> Multiple ECU and C/Us of attachements of products
> Multiple Tracking shots of products and logos
> Audio from Sony XD EX, me and the other assistant noted down timecodes, takes numbers and durations.
> MD of Kendwood did a PTC for a conference in Italy.

3 way lighting used:

1. Chimera Soft box, Arri 800watt. Point lighting set up.


2. Bouncing a 2000watt Arri off the ceiling to diffuse the light.


3. Back light with blue to cool down.