Way 1 Old School
Click on File, export Media choose the correct format and sequence settings and open in after effects.
This is the traditional method of importing files into after effects and was discovered before the Dynamic Link Methods.
Way 2 Dynamic Link Connection
ALL WORK MUST BE SAVED IN PREMIER BEFORE USING THIS METHOD
Lasso all clips in the sequence you want to export. Right click, replace with after effects compilation.
Save place for After Effects project. All sets up perfectly sequence is the same etc.
Way 3
In premier highlight clips that want to be copied across in premier, press ALT and drag up to a new line to create duplicate clips.
Lasso the duplicates over to After Effects and still retain the original clips.
Way 4
Drag and drop sequence from premier directly across to after effects. Gives single footage item. Everything you change in original will sync across the same.
Way 5
Import like any other asset. Double click and import into after effects. Choose sequence to import.
Friday, 14 March 2014
Sunday, 2 March 2014
Visual Effects Explanation | Adobe After Effects
In my film I had three main visual effects. I will explain how they were compiled in the following paragraphs.
Visual Effect 1 - Fire from Right Arm
This effect was vital in my film as it made up all the three effects in my final sequence. The effects was originally compiled by alternate sources and was stock footage free to use under the creative commons license. When I added it to the sequence I made sure the correct ratios were met when re sizing and scaling the effect. I then added stock fire sound footage which was found from freesounds.org.
Overall the combination of those 2 sound effects made a great looking and sounding visual effect.
Visual Effect 2 - Smoke Rising from the Head
I originally came up with the concept of this idea as soon as we had decided on the sequence. I was quick to find a YouTube tutorial on how to create the smoke and carried out my plans using the After Effects plugin 'Partical Playground' Which is renounced for creating smoke effects. After carrying out the work with Partical Playground and getting the settings perfect I then downloaded the royalty free sound effect from a royalty free sound website. I combined the two perfectly to create the final effect which worked effectively in my film.
Visual Effect 3 - Fire from Palm of Left Hand
Precision with placing this effect was absolutely essential as it was the difference between the film being great and okay as this was the main effect that stands out to the viewer. I made sure when collecting an choosing the stock footage that it was good and complied with the theme of the film. Furthermore the sound choice was essential as well so I spend a good deal of time looking for the appropriate sound effect and when I did it worked excellently and was suitable for the main Visual Effect.
Visual Effect 1 - Fire from Right Arm
Overall the combination of those 2 sound effects made a great looking and sounding visual effect.
Visual Effect 2 - Smoke Rising from the Head
Visual Effect 3 - Fire from Palm of Left Hand
Research | Composing Music for Films
5 Point Guide to Creating Great Music for You Film
Engage Yourself
Start by watching the film once, to discover the story, then watch it again, and you start seeing different things, the rhythm of the film, the video editing, and the other details..
Live the life of the product
Have it play in the background while you're doing other things. Your brain will still get used to it more, it's far more efficient than we think.
Watch it without the sound
Play it again now without the sound completely: another dimension will be revealed. It may talk to you more than with the sound. You will get to see more details as well, or notice other things, if it's very still, or very fast. The style of filming and video editing will stand out more. Your brain will not be distracted by the sound (and our ears are far more sensitive than our eyes), so it frees some space for your mind to focus on the images and the image detail.
Select the instruments or select the atmosphere
The instruments are chosen depending on the atmosphere. It might be instruments you've never used before. At this point, the video will dictate to you what it needs, hopefully.
Immerse Yourself
Let the film take over. Like an actor suddenly becomes his role, and lives, breathes, eats, sleeps and talks like his character. The images will inspire you to do the rest.
Reference:
http://www.wikihow.com/Compose-Music-for-Film
Case Study Questions
Describe how Hans Zimmer and Christopher Nolan worked together to create the music for the Dark Knight?
Hans Zimmer and Christopher Nolan worked together to create the soundtrack for the The Dark Knight film. Christopher Nolan started off the process of this creation sending Hans Zimmer still images of the visions that he had thought of in his mind of what the character would be like. Hans Zimmer reviewed those images and then began to put together a great amount of sounds that he thought may work when compiled. Christopher Nolan then listened to all of the sounds, intensely and greatly. Which caused the two of them to come together and decide on what worked well and what to do next.
What was the process that Hans Zimmer used to come up with the music?
Hans Zimmer started off by creating many different sounds that could be considered the sound for the joker. He created a nine hundred bar recording with hundreds of different sounds. He then refined the sounds to only a few that he really thought would work. Hans Zimmer came up with the idea that the music would be mayhem wherever it was taken. He wanted to use a fresh approach, defining the character in one note but found that two notes went well with each other. This was the sound of tight strings that get tighter and tighter but never break, this sound was created using a cello.
Engage Yourself
Start by watching the film once, to discover the story, then watch it again, and you start seeing different things, the rhythm of the film, the video editing, and the other details..
Live the life of the product
Have it play in the background while you're doing other things. Your brain will still get used to it more, it's far more efficient than we think.
Watch it without the sound
Play it again now without the sound completely: another dimension will be revealed. It may talk to you more than with the sound. You will get to see more details as well, or notice other things, if it's very still, or very fast. The style of filming and video editing will stand out more. Your brain will not be distracted by the sound (and our ears are far more sensitive than our eyes), so it frees some space for your mind to focus on the images and the image detail.
Select the instruments or select the atmosphere
The instruments are chosen depending on the atmosphere. It might be instruments you've never used before. At this point, the video will dictate to you what it needs, hopefully.
Immerse Yourself
Let the film take over. Like an actor suddenly becomes his role, and lives, breathes, eats, sleeps and talks like his character. The images will inspire you to do the rest.
Reference:
http://www.wikihow.com/Compose-Music-for-Film
Case Study Questions
Describe how Hans Zimmer and Christopher Nolan worked together to create the music for the Dark Knight?
Hans Zimmer and Christopher Nolan worked together to create the soundtrack for the The Dark Knight film. Christopher Nolan started off the process of this creation sending Hans Zimmer still images of the visions that he had thought of in his mind of what the character would be like. Hans Zimmer reviewed those images and then began to put together a great amount of sounds that he thought may work when compiled. Christopher Nolan then listened to all of the sounds, intensely and greatly. Which caused the two of them to come together and decide on what worked well and what to do next.
What was the process that Hans Zimmer used to come up with the music?
Hans Zimmer started off by creating many different sounds that could be considered the sound for the joker. He created a nine hundred bar recording with hundreds of different sounds. He then refined the sounds to only a few that he really thought would work. Hans Zimmer came up with the idea that the music would be mayhem wherever it was taken. He wanted to use a fresh approach, defining the character in one note but found that two notes went well with each other. This was the sound of tight strings that get tighter and tighter but never break, this sound was created using a cello.
What was Hans Zimmers intention when making this soundtrack?
Hans Zimmer didnt want to create a 'summer blockbuster', as he thought that it would be very dull and lifeless. He wanted to put something out that people would truly hate. He consulted with Christopher Nolan about the nature of the sounds, discussing the idea of a razor on strings to cause extreme sense of tension. He wanted to get the feeling of the character with the music without it making much of a difference to the rest of the music.
What qualities did Hans Zimmer want the music to have?
He wanted to make it something twisted and to suit the film's house theme, which was seriousness, he also wanted it to give a sense that the Joker is always there. He didn't want the music to be screaming, he wanted it to be like a whisper, as a sinister theme.
How do you feel about the final score and explain why you feel it works/doesn’t work.
I think the final score is very engaging and serious, it attracts the viewer in very well and explains the narrative well. As well as this we can get an idea of the genre /type of film and the characters involved. For example there is a very biased lean towards the sinister genre in the music.
Friday, 28 February 2014
Final Video | The Shattered Looking Glass
Attached is the Final Video that is hosted on Vimeo.
Tom Adams Project 1 from Long Road Applied Media Diploma on Vimeo.
Tom Adams Project 1 from Long Road Applied Media Diploma on Vimeo.
Meta Data | Adobe Premier | The Shattered Looking Glass
The enclosed screenshot summarises all the clips that were in my final project archive. I labelled all the clips accordingly including the DUD clips. I found this useful as I could constructively plan my lessons and I knew what had been done.
 |
| Screenshot of labelled clips |
Research | Recording Foley Sound and Sound Effects
Foley Artists
Foley Artists are people who record Foley Sound for a video or piece of Media. More famous Foley Artists record sounds for Movies the majority of the time. A good example of a Foley Artist would be Ben Burtt who created all the sounds for the Starwars films as well as the Wall-e movie by Disney Pixar.
Creation Order
In order to create Foley Sound a few essential stages are needed, these include putting yourself as the recorder into the mind of the viewer and imagine what the viewer would like to see. Then you would need to choose the appropriate set for the sound as well as the props to create that sounds. It would then be recorded and put into audio editing software. From there it would be in the post production stages and be taken onto the film editor.
Key Skills and Qualities Needed
To become a Foley Sound recorder you need many attributes you need to have the creative ability to be able to decide on each of the props you will use as well as the set dressing which can be put towards the recording. Alternatively another attribute needed is the persistency to retain a healthy outlook on the project, especially when things are not going to plan in the long run and the ability to amend previous mistakes. The ability to work fast is also essential.
Creating Original Material
It's important to create original material rather then relying on previously produced material because you can trust your own work and sources, you know how it is produced. Rather then getting your audio samples from an unknown music library and source. You cannot trust how they are made or their quality.
Example
Sound Creator Ben Burtt talks on how Starwars films are made.
Example
Sound Creator Ben Burtt talks on how Starwars films are made.
Thursday, 27 February 2014
Research | Recording Ambient Sounds and Dialogue
Recording Ambient Sound
Definition
Ambient Sound means the background sounds which are present in a scene or location. Common Ambient Sounds include wind, water, birds, crowds, office noises, traffic, etc.
Specific Example
Wall-e the film by pixar is main composed by multiple sound effects that require computers and composing sounds and then editing them through a computer system. Ben Burrt who created all the sound effects for the Starwars saga movies was employed and assigned by the Wall-e Movie creators to make all the sounds in the Film and he recorded all the effects himself also. He had previous experience with the equipment and knew what he is doing. The absolute majority of the sounds were recorded purposely to then be digitally edited.
Hard Cuts in Ambient Sound Recording
Hard Cuts in Ambient Sounds are sounds in the Ambient sector that dramatically change quickly moreover they are not encouraged to be used in Ambient Sound as it can distract the watcher and often confused. However it can be used effectively in some films but rarely.
Advantages of Filming on Scene
The Advantages of Filming on Scene is that you can achieve the filming of all Ambient Sound within the shot and not worry about going to a license free library or a chosen library to collect these sounds. Moreover this means that you achieve what you wanted within the shot from the get go.
Recording Dialogue
Looping
Looping means replacing spoken lines recorded on set or on location with audio recorded in the studio. This technique is used the majority of the time in voice over, moreover it is used effectively in films that deliberately need it to work.
Ambient Noise in Shooting Conversation Scenes
Ambient Noise is important in Conversation Scenes as it puts context into the scene and what the viewer is watching moreover if a film has a dialogue scene and there is no ambient noise it will be very alienated and inappropriate as the viewer will be confused.
Location Shooting Difficulties
Location Shooting shooting sounds can often be hindered because of the weather conditions at the time. These can be best avoided by adjusting your schedule to accommodate for these conditions, also for the correct time of day for traffic as an example.
Definition
Ambient Sound means the background sounds which are present in a scene or location. Common Ambient Sounds include wind, water, birds, crowds, office noises, traffic, etc.
Specific Example
Wall-e the film by pixar is main composed by multiple sound effects that require computers and composing sounds and then editing them through a computer system. Ben Burrt who created all the sound effects for the Starwars saga movies was employed and assigned by the Wall-e Movie creators to make all the sounds in the Film and he recorded all the effects himself also. He had previous experience with the equipment and knew what he is doing. The absolute majority of the sounds were recorded purposely to then be digitally edited.
Hard Cuts in Ambient Sound Recording
Hard Cuts in Ambient Sounds are sounds in the Ambient sector that dramatically change quickly moreover they are not encouraged to be used in Ambient Sound as it can distract the watcher and often confused. However it can be used effectively in some films but rarely.
Advantages of Filming on Scene
The Advantages of Filming on Scene is that you can achieve the filming of all Ambient Sound within the shot and not worry about going to a license free library or a chosen library to collect these sounds. Moreover this means that you achieve what you wanted within the shot from the get go.
Recording Dialogue
Looping
Looping means replacing spoken lines recorded on set or on location with audio recorded in the studio. This technique is used the majority of the time in voice over, moreover it is used effectively in films that deliberately need it to work.
Ambient Noise in Shooting Conversation Scenes
Ambient Noise is important in Conversation Scenes as it puts context into the scene and what the viewer is watching moreover if a film has a dialogue scene and there is no ambient noise it will be very alienated and inappropriate as the viewer will be confused.
Location Shooting Difficulties
Location Shooting shooting sounds can often be hindered because of the weather conditions at the time. These can be best avoided by adjusting your schedule to accommodate for these conditions, also for the correct time of day for traffic as an example.
P1. Use of Music | Legal Considerations
Rights of Use
Publishing Rights
The publishing rights to a piece of music is the person who gave permission for the recording to happen. It could also be the producer or the lyrics writer if that applies to the piece of music. These are the people you should contact if you wish to use the piece of music in your film, moreover you are more likely to get a response about using the music from the Publishing Rights holder rather then the artist themselves.
Recording Rights
Recording Rights is given to somebody who wishes to create a cover of the original song or an alternative version based around the original, recording rights can be obtained form the Rights Holder. The Rights Holder is the producer or the person that arranged the original recording. The Publishing Rights holder can also be contacted.
Clearing Music
Clearing Music for use in your film is a fair simple process if you contact the right people. Contacting the right people will get you the quickest response. To get Clearing you will need to seek permission from the Rights Holder these are the Composers of the music and the Lyrics Writer, if applicable, if you contact these people you are likely to get the quickest response.
Using Music After the Composer Dies
If the Composer of the music has been dead for over 70 years after composing the piece the copyright would have expired, this means there is no need to seek clearance for the composition. However you will need to obtain clearance from Rights Holder in the recorder.
Incidental Music
Incidental Music is music that is played in the background of a film to enhance the atmosphere or create a particular atmosphere. Moreover it can be added to create a mood or tension in the scene.
Creative Commons
Definition
A Creative Commons License is music that was created that can be shared, majorly online, and modified by the downloader. Some music is specifically made to be distributed under the Creative Commons License and some music is made into Creative Commons music.
Existence
Creative commons exists to protect artists from random people stealing and using their music on random bits of Media. Especially if that bit of Media gets shared through the Press without proper mention to the Rights Holder it could be catastrophic for the Artists and people involved with creating the music.
Different Types of License
Definitions from https://creativecommons.org/licenses/
Attribution
CC BY
This license lets others distribute, remix, tweak, and build upon your work, even commercially, as long as they credit you for the original creation. This is the most accommodating of licenses offered. Recommended for maximum dissemination and use of licensed materials.
Attribution-NoDerivs
CC BY-ND
This license allows for redistribution, commercial and non-commercial, as long as it is passed along unchanged and in whole, with credit to you.
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
I chose this piece of Music because I felt it completely fit the genre of the film that we were filming. Moreover I had used the soundtrack originally in my Animatic so I knew it was the right choice. The music was a great choice because I felt it fit the scene well and explained the narrative to the viewer, it was also engaging and made the viewer feel like they were engaged and involved with the story.
Publishing Rights
The publishing rights to a piece of music is the person who gave permission for the recording to happen. It could also be the producer or the lyrics writer if that applies to the piece of music. These are the people you should contact if you wish to use the piece of music in your film, moreover you are more likely to get a response about using the music from the Publishing Rights holder rather then the artist themselves.
Recording Rights
Recording Rights is given to somebody who wishes to create a cover of the original song or an alternative version based around the original, recording rights can be obtained form the Rights Holder. The Rights Holder is the producer or the person that arranged the original recording. The Publishing Rights holder can also be contacted.
Clearing Music
Clearing Music for use in your film is a fair simple process if you contact the right people. Contacting the right people will get you the quickest response. To get Clearing you will need to seek permission from the Rights Holder these are the Composers of the music and the Lyrics Writer, if applicable, if you contact these people you are likely to get the quickest response.
Using Music After the Composer Dies
If the Composer of the music has been dead for over 70 years after composing the piece the copyright would have expired, this means there is no need to seek clearance for the composition. However you will need to obtain clearance from Rights Holder in the recorder.
Incidental Music
Incidental Music is music that is played in the background of a film to enhance the atmosphere or create a particular atmosphere. Moreover it can be added to create a mood or tension in the scene.
Creative Commons
Definition
A Creative Commons License is music that was created that can be shared, majorly online, and modified by the downloader. Some music is specifically made to be distributed under the Creative Commons License and some music is made into Creative Commons music.
Existence
Creative commons exists to protect artists from random people stealing and using their music on random bits of Media. Especially if that bit of Media gets shared through the Press without proper mention to the Rights Holder it could be catastrophic for the Artists and people involved with creating the music.
Different Types of License
Definitions from https://creativecommons.org/licenses/
Attribution CC BY
This license lets others distribute, remix, tweak, and build upon your work, even commercially, as long as they credit you for the original creation. This is the most accommodating of licenses offered. Recommended for maximum dissemination and use of licensed materials.
CC BY-ND
This license allows for redistribution, commercial and non-commercial, as long as it is passed along unchanged and in whole, with credit to you.
CC BY-NC-SA
This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon your work non-commercially, as long as they credit you and license their new creations under the identical terms.
Attribution-ShareAlike
CC BY-SA
This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon your work even for commercial purposes, as long as they credit you and license their new creations under the identical terms. This license is often compared to “copyleft” free and open source software licenses. All new works based on yours will carry the same license, so any derivatives will also allow commercial use. This is the license used by Wikipedia, and is recommended for materials that would benefit from incorporating content from Wikipedia and similarly licensed projects.
Attribution-NonCommercial
CC BY-NC
This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon your work non-commercially, and although their new works must also acknowledge you and be non-commercial, they don’t have to license their derivative works on the same terms.
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs
CC BY-NC-ND
This license is the most restrictive of our six main licenses, only allowing others to download your works and share them with others as long as they credit you, but they can’t change them in any way or use them commercially.
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creative_Commons
Your Choice of Music
Title: Clean Soul
Author: Kevin MacLeod - Incomptech
URL: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/2013/Clean_Soul_1793
PROOF OF USE:
I chose this piece of Music because I felt it completely fit the genre of the film that we were filming. Moreover I had used the soundtrack originally in my Animatic so I knew it was the right choice. The music was a great choice because I felt it fit the scene well and explained the narrative to the viewer, it was also engaging and made the viewer feel like they were engaged and involved with the story.
Tuesday, 25 February 2014
Audio Analysis | Submarine Clip
PURPOSE
The purpose of the music is too set a clear narrative, for example with every activity change in the clip there is a change of style to the music, When there is an uplifting moment the music reflects that. From the music the viewer understands that Oliver is trying to decipher the stories that he is telling himself and through this he is hoping to understand more about himself.
Additional purposes include making the transition between each story obvious, moreover making sure the audience knows that there is an adjustment between each style and story within each of the little narratives that are featured.
The clip from Submarine is made up of multiple little flashbacks and is subdivided through a story, this helps us as the viewer gain a greater understanding of the narrative.
From the clip we get an understanding that Oliver is telling a story and reflecting on past events, he is using the events to his advantage as he is trying to understand and identify events within himself and his life.
ELEMENTS
The clip is made up of multiple elements and overlays, these including a short makeup of individual clips throughout along with some overlaying music to narrate the video.
Oliver is trying to find is identity and purpose. The music reflects this as it is restless and busy, and presents the story as very fast paced, this is effective as it is clear that many thoughts are going through Oliver's head at this time.
The music demonstrates and amplifies the typing action and accompanies Oliver though out the stories that he is telling. It matches the meaning of his letter and intentions despite the visuals being dark and vulgar.
MEANING
The stories told are about people's bad times in life and how they have gotten through them. The meaning behind the music is that the music its self is explaining a narrative to the viewer. The developers of the film have put a lot of thought behind the sound track to the piece and how it can assist in telling the narrative
Audio Analysis | Detailed Notes
Music helps the narrative to build and music helps the overall structure of a piece. Moreover music helps with the story telling and narrative within a clip and helps the viewer uncover and discover more of the narrative behind a piece.
Music helps to generate mood and atmosphere moreover it triggers an emotional response within the viewer that would not be able to be transferred through other content, video as an example. Music informs the viewer about the location and time that the video or other content is set within. Music can be based around a character and their personalities these are called Character Motifs and can be reoccurring within a piece. Diagetic sound is ambient sound within a shot that has not been manually handled or tampered with. Non-Diagetic sound is sound that has been added in post production moreover sound tracks and sound effects may be added, these would be Non-Diagetic sounds.
Music helps to generate mood and atmosphere moreover it triggers an emotional response within the viewer that would not be able to be transferred through other content, video as an example. Music informs the viewer about the location and time that the video or other content is set within. Music can be based around a character and their personalities these are called Character Motifs and can be reoccurring within a piece. Diagetic sound is ambient sound within a shot that has not been manually handled or tampered with. Non-Diagetic sound is sound that has been added in post production moreover sound tracks and sound effects may be added, these would be Non-Diagetic sounds.
Tuesday, 4 February 2014
Self Project Review | Appraising the Rough Cut
There are now as an individual many aspects of our project to consider - audio, special effects and the overall quality of the sequence. Through this extensive synopsis I hope to work through said elements.
Audio
Dialogue
The dialogue featured in the film is very strong and it is hard to fault. It is fully audible throughout with virtually no non audible sections. Sometimes certain lines can be repeated unintentionally in the film for example in a different shot or worded differently.
Sound FX
The sound effects in the film were subtle although showed through more clear to the viewer at certain times. The majority of sound effects featured were to fulfil the realness of the special effects and therefore make the film more complete.
Music
The music in my rough cut is subtly slotted behind the footage which gives the sequence a real narrative and expresses the true expressions and feelings of the characters through to the viewer via the music.
How I intend to improve element
I intend to improve the Audio by reshooting the shots this will improve the dialogue quality recording. I aim to add more sound effects to the composition which will improve the overall quality of the piece and add more finesse to the final product, these special effects sound effects will be most likely to be in the video special effects section to add more realism to the clips.
Special Effects
The special effects in my film are very basic and not very realistic. I would like to improve these as they do not express the narrative of the film well and leave the viewer disappointed wanting more from the film. They fit well into the story line and explaining narrative as it fits well into the discussion between the two characters, They are just done not to a high standard which means they are not expressing the narrative well.
How I intend to improve element
I intend to improve the special effect in which there is a really obvious mask around the flame. I will improve this by creating a raw special effect composition rather than importing video and creating a mask. This needed to be done in my opinion because it looked very amateur to have a flame with a mask around it and it could of been done better.
Sequence
Set Dressing
The Set is Dressed accordingly in the film. There are multiple elements in the background which make it seem like it is set at the front entrance of a college. We ensured this to retain realism in the piece. We ensured to film near an entrance path as well as car park to achieve this.
Acting
The Acting in our film I feel was good although at certain parts that slipped for example the last shot where they are seen running away. That could of been acted better to reveal more about the story line and characters.
Composition
The composition is laid out logically as it makes clear sense to the viewer furthermore we ensured that it was laid out well and structured accordingly so the view knew exactly what they were watching.
Editing
The editing in my rough cut I thought was very basic although covered all the major bases of editing that it needed to. For example all the clips flowed in an appropriate manor that makes sense to the viewer watching. Although fundamental expectations were met more technical aspects of the editing were not achieved. For example there were places where Continuity Editing needed to be implemented at the beginning of the film and that is very obvious when they are walking.
How I intend to improve element
I intend to improve the sequence by paying more attention to the way that clips are laid out so they make more sense to the viewer.
Audio
Dialogue
The dialogue featured in the film is very strong and it is hard to fault. It is fully audible throughout with virtually no non audible sections. Sometimes certain lines can be repeated unintentionally in the film for example in a different shot or worded differently.
Sound FX
The sound effects in the film were subtle although showed through more clear to the viewer at certain times. The majority of sound effects featured were to fulfil the realness of the special effects and therefore make the film more complete.
Music
The music in my rough cut is subtly slotted behind the footage which gives the sequence a real narrative and expresses the true expressions and feelings of the characters through to the viewer via the music.
How I intend to improve element
I intend to improve the Audio by reshooting the shots this will improve the dialogue quality recording. I aim to add more sound effects to the composition which will improve the overall quality of the piece and add more finesse to the final product, these special effects sound effects will be most likely to be in the video special effects section to add more realism to the clips.
Special Effects
The special effects in my film are very basic and not very realistic. I would like to improve these as they do not express the narrative of the film well and leave the viewer disappointed wanting more from the film. They fit well into the story line and explaining narrative as it fits well into the discussion between the two characters, They are just done not to a high standard which means they are not expressing the narrative well.
How I intend to improve element
I intend to improve the special effect in which there is a really obvious mask around the flame. I will improve this by creating a raw special effect composition rather than importing video and creating a mask. This needed to be done in my opinion because it looked very amateur to have a flame with a mask around it and it could of been done better.
Sequence
Set Dressing
The Set is Dressed accordingly in the film. There are multiple elements in the background which make it seem like it is set at the front entrance of a college. We ensured this to retain realism in the piece. We ensured to film near an entrance path as well as car park to achieve this.
Acting
The Acting in our film I feel was good although at certain parts that slipped for example the last shot where they are seen running away. That could of been acted better to reveal more about the story line and characters.
Composition
The composition is laid out logically as it makes clear sense to the viewer furthermore we ensured that it was laid out well and structured accordingly so the view knew exactly what they were watching.
Editing
The editing in my rough cut I thought was very basic although covered all the major bases of editing that it needed to. For example all the clips flowed in an appropriate manor that makes sense to the viewer watching. Although fundamental expectations were met more technical aspects of the editing were not achieved. For example there were places where Continuity Editing needed to be implemented at the beginning of the film and that is very obvious when they are walking.
How I intend to improve element
I intend to improve the sequence by paying more attention to the way that clips are laid out so they make more sense to the viewer.
Monday, 3 February 2014
Friday, 31 January 2014
Production Meeting: Fri 31st January 2014
Who was Present: Tom Adams, Rory Forrester, Adam Duffield
What We Discussed: Amendments to Editing Sequence, Possible Re Shoot
Today a production meeting was held to discus future plans for the project and how we would further develop the project. Moreover the discussions included the possibility of re shooting and re staging the whole scene. This would include multiple more days to film and re shoot the project. Also discussions were held surrounding the special effects and how we would need to adapt some of them or even change them. We discussed in greater detail with our class teacher Dave and he recommended certain things that could be done to improve greater improve our video. These included re thinking the whole sequence and re thinking the location and a multitude of different shots and layout of the project.
From this production meeting we learnt that multiple elements of our film needed improving and that we should schedule our time accordingly to plan and carry out said changes that needed to be done.
What We Discussed: Amendments to Editing Sequence, Possible Re Shoot
Today a production meeting was held to discus future plans for the project and how we would further develop the project. Moreover the discussions included the possibility of re shooting and re staging the whole scene. This would include multiple more days to film and re shoot the project. Also discussions were held surrounding the special effects and how we would need to adapt some of them or even change them. We discussed in greater detail with our class teacher Dave and he recommended certain things that could be done to improve greater improve our video. These included re thinking the whole sequence and re thinking the location and a multitude of different shots and layout of the project.
From this production meeting we learnt that multiple elements of our film needed improving and that we should schedule our time accordingly to plan and carry out said changes that needed to be done.
 |
| Our Updated Schedule |
Thursday, 30 January 2014
Tuesday, 28 January 2014
Sunday, 19 January 2014
Annotated Matte Painting Definition Cards
 KEY - BLUE = Similarities GREEN = Differences |
| David Mattingly's Definition on the Left | My definition on the Right |
My Revised Definition Upon Final Review of Separate Cards
Matte Painting is a historic Film Making technique which dates back to 1907. Matte Painting has many forms including The Glass Shot, the Original Negative Matte and The Projection Matte. In which a man made element is planted in an live action scene to re-create something in an image. For 80 years amazing things have been created using these techniques.
Friday, 17 January 2014
Working Day: 17th January 2014
Today in lesson we filmed new footage for test editing. This footage would involve an Ice Ball. Evidence of this is too follow.
Tuesday, 14 January 2014
After Effects | Test Footage | 14th February 2014
Today I spent a lot of valuable time on after effects learning once again how to use basic masks along with integrating external images to create an overall effect.
This was my workspace layout for working in After Effects today. I chose this layout because it was the most effective layout for me to use and get work done furthermore I could achieve a more high class finish. Throughout my work I adjusted multiple settings to move the ice leaf about to achieve the final video.
 |
| Ice Leaf Effect | After Effects Work Space |
 |
| Time Line Workspace |
Basic Leaf Hand Special Effect | After Effects
In today's lesson at 13:05 I practised using special effects in After Effects. I then uploaded the footage to YouTube and it is below.
Gary Woolley | Health and Safety Talk
Today the Site Manager and overall Health and Safety Manager Gary Woolley came in to give a brief talk on Health and Safety within the college and more specifically the Media Department. The following notes were taken throughout.
The talk started briefly giving an overview of health and safety. Shortly Gary mentioned health and safety in more detail surrounding climbing onto benches and different objects. He then described this time of year and mentioned that multiple surfaces are slippery at this time of year and its best to avoid them or ask for a piece of carpet if we want to film on those surfaces. Paying closer attention to the amount of moss around at this time of year.
Discussion moved onto disruption in corridors and the fact that we have to be aware of other students around as well as using the various signs and props we are assigned to use to help assist other students in knowing we are present filming in that corridor.
When filming we have to take extra care when filming on stairs in the college as in the past there has been multiple accidents relating to filming on stairs.
It was emphasised that we need to take into account that we are not always audible and visible to other students especially in more concealed areas.
The talk started briefly giving an overview of health and safety. Shortly Gary mentioned health and safety in more detail surrounding climbing onto benches and different objects. He then described this time of year and mentioned that multiple surfaces are slippery at this time of year and its best to avoid them or ask for a piece of carpet if we want to film on those surfaces. Paying closer attention to the amount of moss around at this time of year.
Discussion moved onto disruption in corridors and the fact that we have to be aware of other students around as well as using the various signs and props we are assigned to use to help assist other students in knowing we are present filming in that corridor.
When filming we have to take extra care when filming on stairs in the college as in the past there has been multiple accidents relating to filming on stairs.
It was emphasised that we need to take into account that we are not always audible and visible to other students especially in more concealed areas.
 |
| Gary Woolley | Health and Safety Talk |
Friday, 10 January 2014
Thursday, 9 January 2014
Tuesday, 7 January 2014
Possible Project Problems
Inconveniences
People working on set during filming. Can be solved by asking them to wait or moving them along.
Too much traffic. Can be solved by waiting for traffic to pass or moving the traffic along. Also we can not film during rush hour or on the lead up to rush hour as there could be extra traffic during these times.
Bad lighting on set. This can be solved by adding extra external lights or in post production.
Keeping Concentration throughout the project. This can be solved by focusing more on the project and more major issues.
Minor Problems
Using various shot types. This can be solved by actively thinking of better shots that could be used. Pre planning our shots that we can use also, making sure they are not all mid or basic layout including lots of different features and points.
Bad weather. We can look up the weather and choose an appropriate day to shoot. Pre plan our filming session to ensure that weather is good.
Sound quality is poor. We can prevent this from happening by allowing more time to shoot and doing test shoots to ensure that all sound problems are eradicated.
Visual effects work. This can be solved by having more training before attempting the effects and shooting the footage in a different way.
Major Disasters
Actors not showing up. Remind them prior have backup actors ready on the day.
The camera breaks. Try not to break the camera in the first place by being careful with it. Choose a good day to take the camera out.
People working on set during filming. Can be solved by asking them to wait or moving them along.
Too much traffic. Can be solved by waiting for traffic to pass or moving the traffic along. Also we can not film during rush hour or on the lead up to rush hour as there could be extra traffic during these times.
Bad lighting on set. This can be solved by adding extra external lights or in post production.
Keeping Concentration throughout the project. This can be solved by focusing more on the project and more major issues.
Minor Problems
Using various shot types. This can be solved by actively thinking of better shots that could be used. Pre planning our shots that we can use also, making sure they are not all mid or basic layout including lots of different features and points.
Bad weather. We can look up the weather and choose an appropriate day to shoot. Pre plan our filming session to ensure that weather is good.
Sound quality is poor. We can prevent this from happening by allowing more time to shoot and doing test shoots to ensure that all sound problems are eradicated.
Visual effects work. This can be solved by having more training before attempting the effects and shooting the footage in a different way.
Major Disasters
Actors not showing up. Remind them prior have backup actors ready on the day.
The camera breaks. Try not to break the camera in the first place by being careful with it. Choose a good day to take the camera out.
Casting Notes | Jason [Main Role]
For the role of Jason we are looking for a Broad minded and confident individual who knows how to react when put in a situation. Futhermore they should be able to take on tasks and take on new knowledge and use that in a situation.
We considered two people to play the main role of Jason these people are Adam, a group member, and me Tom a group member.
We considered Adam to play the role of Jason because he shows signs of all the correct attributes with a strong lean towards a sociable and outgoing side.
We considered Tom to play the role of Jason because he fulfilled the view of Jason being a social person with a comedic twist.
Adam is our main character choice with Tom being the second Alternative person to act the role of Jason.
We considered two people to play the main role of Jason these people are Adam, a group member, and me Tom a group member.
We considered Adam to play the role of Jason because he shows signs of all the correct attributes with a strong lean towards a sociable and outgoing side.
We considered Tom to play the role of Jason because he fulfilled the view of Jason being a social person with a comedic twist.
Adam is our main character choice with Tom being the second Alternative person to act the role of Jason.
Casting Notes | Alexis [Main Role]
For the role of Alexis we are looking for a Qwerky and interesting individual who has an outgoing personality. Furthermore someone who is not afraid to speak out when they have to and has a fiery personality. Although the person needs to be able to display a more intelligent and developed side.
We considered three people to play the main role of Alexis these people are Charlotte, Sophie and Amber.
We considered Charlotte to play the role of Alexis because she shows all the correct attributes to be considered with a predominant lean towards a fiery attitude side.
We considered Sophie to play the role of Alexis because she fulfilled the view of Alexis being a natural down to earth girl fulfilling the intelligence trait very well also.
We considered Amber to play the role of Alexis because she showed a very bias towards the intelligence and qwerkiness traits. Also she showed a confident and fulfilling out look.
Sophie is our main character choice with Charlotte and Amber being the second Alternative people to act the role of Alexis.
We considered three people to play the main role of Alexis these people are Charlotte, Sophie and Amber.
We considered Charlotte to play the role of Alexis because she shows all the correct attributes to be considered with a predominant lean towards a fiery attitude side.
We considered Sophie to play the role of Alexis because she fulfilled the view of Alexis being a natural down to earth girl fulfilling the intelligence trait very well also.
We considered Amber to play the role of Alexis because she showed a very bias towards the intelligence and qwerkiness traits. Also she showed a confident and fulfilling out look.
Sophie is our main character choice with Charlotte and Amber being the second Alternative people to act the role of Alexis.
Monday, 6 January 2014
Production Meeting: Schedule Update 6th Jan
Who was Present:
- Tom Adams
- Rory Forrester
- Adam Duffield
What we Discussed:
- We discussed the schedule and how we are planning to use our time upon lead up to the rough cut and final projects.
Sunday, 5 January 2014
Rotoscoping Special FX Research
Rotoscoping is mainly an animation technique used in film and TV. Rotoscoping is an technique in which animators trace over original footage frame by frame for use. Furthermore using the Rotoscoping technique can create different moods and atmospheres within a video project. Rotoscoping is always used over the whole canvas to create the video moving effect throughout the canvas and all over it.
Rotoscoping is a classic Animation technique dating back to the early 20th Century. The technique was created by Max Flescher who used it in a majority of his animations and projects. Rotoscoping was first used in Max Flescher's series Out of the Inkwell in 1915. With his brother Dave Fleischer dressed in a clown outfit as the live film reference for the character Koko the Clown. Max Patented the method as his own in 1917. Fleischer used Rotoscoping in a large number of his later cartoons and animation projects most notable being the animation of Gulliver in Gulliver's Travels (1939). Walt Disney went on to use Rotoscoping later on after it was founded, an example being in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937. From Snow White onwards, the rotoscope was used mainly for studying human and animal motion rather than actual tracing.
A good example of a film that was based around using RotoScoping would be the 2006 film directed by Richard Linklater called A Scanner Darkly. Brief Plot, The US has lost the war on drugs. Substance D, a powerful drug causing bizarre hallucinations, has swept the country. In response, the government develops an invasive, high-tech surveillance system and a network of undercover informants.
The Film featured a running time of 100 minutes as a result of that the film took over 15 months to animate to rotoscope over a step by step process. The animation phase was a trying process for Linklater who said, "I know how to make a movie, but I don't really know how to handle the animation." He had gone the animation route because he felt that there was very little animation targeted for adults.
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotoscoping#History
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Scanner_Darkly_(film)
 |
| Example of Rotoscoping Moving Image |
A good example of a film that was based around using RotoScoping would be the 2006 film directed by Richard Linklater called A Scanner Darkly. Brief Plot, The US has lost the war on drugs. Substance D, a powerful drug causing bizarre hallucinations, has swept the country. In response, the government develops an invasive, high-tech surveillance system and a network of undercover informants.
The Film featured a running time of 100 minutes as a result of that the film took over 15 months to animate to rotoscope over a step by step process. The animation phase was a trying process for Linklater who said, "I know how to make a movie, but I don't really know how to handle the animation." He had gone the animation route because he felt that there was very little animation targeted for adults.
 |
| A Scanner Darkly Film Screenshot |
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotoscoping#History
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Scanner_Darkly_(film)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)