Hand in

I have now finished and handed in both my rationale and my final video.

I will link to the video here once my 'executive producer' has given me permission.

Exploring rough cut notes.

After showing the roughcut, and reading through the notes I took, I went back and revised my film.

I played around with the speed of the catnapper running away - I found the original speed worked better. On its own the catnapper running away sequence felt better sped up, but in context it was better at its original speed. It had a sort of Mr. Bean running style and feel to it which I wanted to keep.

I corrected the colour in many of my shots to make the uniform as well as adding a warm hazy/ blurry colour edge to the cat scenes.

I also shorted the video from more then 5 minutes with credits to 4.08 with credits. I made every scene with music marginally shorter which helped with the pacing of the video too I think.

Notes from rough cut

Here are some notes I took after showing Max the rough cut of my video:

- Turn the volume of the chess scene down.

- Make the music sections shorter (I don't need to aim for 5 minutes, 3 or 4 is fine).

- Colour correction - change the colours and make it more uniform.

- Test out speeding up the cat stealing sequence.

Make the movie shorter.

Finally got it filmed!

So today I actually managed to get it all filmed.  YAY! I quickly put all the footage together and I like what has come out of it. Now begins the editing process. Finally things are rolling forward!

Chosen Story #2

Due to weather and the actor for the antagonist being busy I had to change my story idea. So i went with the one I called: Stolen.

Here is the script for the one: (copied from word)

Title: stolen

Fade in on the house - low shot - fade in title: Stolen

Cut to front door

Good Guy goes outside the front door - see cat - play evening melodrama - happy playing with cat

Bad guy comes and swipes cat away

Crying sequence - play "for the fallen"

0:43 of song - Good Guy says: "I will not let this be!"

Continue playing "for the fallen"- ‘Agent’ preparing sequence - ends with good guy putting sunglasses on.

1:30 of song - Good Guy says: "I will find you" (rubs picture of cat)

Goes to check mailbox - Reads on note: ‘You know where to find me’

Walks off camera

Fade to black

Good Guy appears from the blackness by opening a door - light comes in.

We see the Bad Guy mysteriously lit.

                Bad Guy: "I've been expecting you"

Good Guy: "Bet you weren't expecting me!"

                *Pause*

                Bad Guy: "I just said I was expecting you"

*Pause*

Good Guy: "Right, give my cat back!"

                Bad Guy: "Never!"

Good Guy: "Fine then, so that’s how you want to play it?"

                Bad Guy: "Uh, Yes"

Good Guy: "Alright - let’s fight!

A light shines on a chess board with an echoey bang sound of the light turning on.

Chess fight - play "Mechanolith"- Good Guy defeats Bad Guy.

Slow motion knocking the King over.

Good Guy: "There Now give to me what is rightfully mine"

                Bad Guy: "Follow me"

(Go another room - cat is on a chair and looks up as we enter)

Reclaim the Cat - play song "evening melodrama"

Voiceover: Kids! Tea Time! (drop cat (on bed?) and run out of the room)

END: fade in title: Stolen

credits

And here is the storyboard for it:

Page 1

Page 2

Page 3

Page 4

Chosen Story

I decided to go with the story idea that used time travel (had no title).

Here is the script (including some brainstorm) for that one: (Copied from Word)

What does antagonist do? Ambushes him with water balloons

What does protagonist do? Time travels to stop antagonist from throwing water balloons

Complications:

His actions cause something bad to happen to the antagonist (Suicide? Run over?)

The programs trial usage expires so he is stuck and has to pay

Roles:

Protagonist: James

Antagonist (needs to water balloon - reward is water balloon me): Peter

Friend at home (needs irony): Anthony

Open on front door - hand opens

Inside - character walks in (angry)

Slams door

"Oh hello I didn't hear you come in" (ironic)

“That stupid kid did it again!”

“What?”

“He threw water balloons at me!”

(says like so what?) “It’s raining”

“Yeh… well…it’s the thought that counts!”

Storms off to the computer

Sits down logs in

Sees a web ad for time travel computer program

It reads: Having a bad day? Try Apples Time Machine - Now on windows!

Shrugs: "Why not?"

Installs free trial - uses it - sets the time to 30 minutes beforehand.

Looks around - looks outside - “Huh, well that was useless.”

Walk out to the room again, he is now in the kitchen

"Oh hey, I didn’t hear you come in" (not sarcastic)

(main guy is puzzled)

"Was it an early finish today?"

Sees clock

“Uh…Yea”

Realises the program does work - rushes outside - sees himself getting water bombed

Runs back inside - sets the time travel time again

Fills up his own water balloons and then hides in wait. He ambushes the antagonist with water balloons and knocks him onto the road to get run over.

Woops

Goes back to reset time but finds the one-use trial has expired.

Does he pay money to reset time or let the guy be dead? ‘Tense’ (comedy) camera shots of ‘thinking’

Decides to pay the fee

Sets time again - it asks are you sure - if you are going back to fix a mistake we now have a reset feature. - uses this warning you may be disorientated

Fix it using handy reset in program (with warning on program "you will retain memories")

Wakes up from sleep like woa! What a dream - pans to reveal cliffhanger - IT WASN’T A DREAM!

END

New Story ideas #2

It was the year 2013.

I was getting closer to revealing the mystery that was plaguing this household. The undergarment disperser.

While others sat around doing this and that, unaware of events currently unravelling around them, I continued to delve deeper and deeper into the mystery that was.

A fresh load had been completed, it had been processed, dried, and brought in for delivery.

It was at this time I planned to catch him.

All clues lead to this day as being the ultimate heist.



Fade in on a shot by the couch

Character crawls in with magnifying glass to the beat

0:03 "It was the year 2013"

0:10 "I was getting closer to revealing the mystery that was plaguing this household."

0:17 (Title appears: Undergarment Disperser)

"Search for clues"

1:10"While others sat around doing this and that, unaware of events currently unravelling around them,

1:20 "I continued to delve deeper and deeper into the mystery that was."

1:39 (reveal some underwear by a corner in the hallway) - 'chase' ensues

from 2:17 to 2:45 build up to going in the wrong door - toilet maybe? - apologizes


3:35 build up to reveal its the cat

Things to do:
crawl
sidle round corners
open doors
emerge from bushes
look in bushes
swing magnifying glass past camera do like sherlock holmes - taste things
sniff things


--------------------------------------------

Title: stolen
Goog Guy
Bad Guy: has below eyes covered with mask till tea time when she rips it off and runs inside.

songs:
1.35
0.40
0.55

Fade in on the house - low shot - fade in title: Stolen

cut to front door

protagonist goes outside the front door - see tiger - play evening melodrama - happy playing with tiger

Bad guy comes and swipes tiger away

Crying sequence - play "for the fallen"

0:43 "I will not let this be!"

continue playing "for the fallen"- agent sequence - ends with put glasses on

1:30 "I will find you" (rubs picture of tiger)

goes to check mailbox - "you know where to find me"

walks off camera

black - protagonist opens door light comes in

we see bad guy mysteriously lit

"I've been expecting you"
"Bet you weren't expecting me!"
*Pause*
"I just said I was expecting you"
*Pause*
"Right, give my cat back!"
"Never!"
"Fine then, so thats how you want to play it?"
"Uh, Yes"
"Alrighty - lets fight!

Light shines on a chess board with a echoey band sound

chess fight - play "Mechanolith"- defeat villian

slow-mo knock king over

"There Now give to me what is rightfully mine"
"Follow me"

(go another room - tiger is on a chair and looks up as we enter)

reclaim tiger - play "evening melodrama"

Voiceover: Kids! Tea Time! (drop tiger (on bed?) and run out of the room)

END: fade in title: Stolen
credits

New story ideas #1

This is a copy and paste from a notepad document I had.

It is a brainstorm of all the story ideas I came up with as alternatives:

---------------------------------

downloads an app for timetravel.

thinks it doesn't work at first

realises it does

does something to suit his own needs

bad things result

has to fix it

fixes it

---------------------------------

open on calvin and hobbes building character

Mean guy does something

sad 

sees web ad for time travel computer program

installs it

thinks it doesn't work at first

"worth a shot"

realises it does

stops the mean guy doing something

bad things result

has to fix it

fixes it

endures bad thing - builds character

Jack walks in 

HI!

hi

goes to room

sees web ad "Bad Day? Try Time travel!"

tries it.

(seemingly no effect)

walk out to front door

Oh Hi Jack I didn't see you walk in

puzzled Jack

moments after

jack its 2 o'clock did you leave early?

-------------------------------------------

open on front door - hand opens

inside - character walks in (glum)

"Hi James"

"Hi"

Goes to computer

sees web ad for time travel computer program

"Bad Day? Try Time travel!"

thinks: "worth a shot"

installs it

thinks it doesn't work at first

"Oh I didn't see you walk in"

"did you finish early today?"

realises it does work

sets the time travel time again

watches mean guy do something to jack

sets the time travel time again

stops the mean guy doing something

bad things result

fix it using handy reset (with warning on program "you will retain memories and may be confused")

it is fixed

endures bad thing - builds character

Looks at calvin and hobbes and says the dad was right

END

Jack walks in 

HI!

hi

goes to room

sees web ad "Bad Day? Try Time travel!"

tries it.

(seemingly no effect)

walk out to front door

Oh Hi Jack I didn't see you walk in

puzzled Jack

moments after

jack its 2 o'clock did you leave early?

-------------------------------------------

open on front door - hand opens

inside - character walks in (angry)

Slams door

"Oh hi I didn't hear you come in" (sarcastically)

Rant about mean guy

Goes to computer

sees web ad for time travel computer program

"Bad Day? Try Time travel!"

thinks: "worth a shot"

installs it

thinks it doesn't work at first

"Oh I hear you come in" (not sarcastic)

(main guy is puzzled)

"did you finish early today?"

Sees clock

realises the program does work

sets the time travel time again

watches mean guy do something

sets the time travel time again

makes mean guy not mean by going back to his childhood and being mean to him

bad things result

fix it using handy reset in program (with warning on program "you will retain memories")

it is fixed

becomes friends with mean guy - both nice

END

Project 2 update.

For various reasons I decided to start my own short film project for this course.

My previous group work contributions can be seen here: jimtimjia.blogspot.co.nz

What is not mentioned on the blog there is that I walked around for nearly a day going from door-to-door (much like the salesman in the story) asking peoples permission to use their doors and arranging a time. I only managed to get 2 people - and another person who said yes, but clearly did not understand english - and arranged to film on the next friday (which, due to weather did not go ahead.)

Project 2

For Project 2 I got into a group with Tim and Jia.

Our project progress work can be seen here: jimtimjia.blogspot.co.nz

Rational

I chose the place portrait area primarily because it was nearby which would mean I could visit and explore the location often, but also because the area was so varied in what it contained. It contained everything from farmland to riverside, and bush too; also llamas. I used a portion of Tchaikovsky’s ‘The Nutcracker’ suite to tie all the elements of the video together and to try to control the way the viewer felt towards what was onscreen. I also edited the clips so they changed between different scenes on key points of the piece and used scenes that tied in with what the music was doing. Originally the video’s audio was purely the music, but I lowered the volume of the piece overall and in some places nearly completed muted the piece, and added the scenery audio back in. This showed more of the surroundings, without actually showing more of the surroundings. I also tried to keep the video light-hearted. Evidence of this can be spotted with the doggy doodoo near the start.

I settled on my Grandad, Lance Godfrey, as an interviewee because he has led such an interesting life. I seized this project as an opportunity to learn more about him. So, after changing from the initial interview topic and moving onto his adventures, and after 2 app failures I recorded 30 or so minutes of footage. A bit overkill but it was enjoyable. I picked a part that would fit well enough in the time given and edited together the important parts of the story. I liken the interview to some interview videos I have watched in Te-Papa. They did not serve as conscious inspiration but after watching my video it seems it may have been subconscious influence. The only sound in this video is Grandad speaking and the background noise. I left it this way because I wanted the video to be purely about him, with no frills or distractions. This too is in an informal style; formal is too boring. I used only one camera angle because I wanted to liken the video to a conversation; in a conversation you usually do not move about the person speaking.

I think my works fit into the casual, informal recording section of documentary film making.

Final Videos

This post includes my final Documentation Videos of my chosen person and place.

Farmland/Bush area documentation

Grandad on his south island bike trip

Minor inspiration

I just thought I would post this video here. It served to give me some minor inspirations for my nature video. I had reinforced to me that music in a video or scene can completely change the way you feel and the atmosphere of it all.

Storyboard for place recording

Here is the small storyboard I did for my nature documentation Video.

Its quite short but its to the point and I understand it. I think it gets the message across well enough.

Interview Process

This post documents the process I went through to achieve the finished interview video.

Interviewee: My Grandad

My initial plan was to interview my Grandad about his experiences being a conscientious objector during the war. Then as I thought about him more and more I realised (read: remembered) how much he treasured his family; children and grandchildren. So after coming up with some questions I changed the topic to his Grandchildren: (A few questions below)

So, I went around to my Grandparents house to have dinner with them and interview Grandad. The plan I had for this was to set my phone up and interview Grandad over dinner, in the end the idea was to show passing of time through the amount of food that was on Grandad's plate. The interview went well and I learnt alot more about Grandad than I had before (due to many anecdotes and digressions).

After the interview I checked my phone and the stupid app had stopped filming due to some unkown 'interuption'.

:(

So we scheduled another interview (morning tea the next day) and after hearing Grandad's side stories I decided to change the topic to one of his adventures as a mid teenager. He went on a bike tour of the south island during the second World War and he still had photos of his trip which I could show as well.

Some are below:

So we got started on the interview and this lasted almost 45 minutes (but felt nowhere near that). I checked my phone this time, and again it was interupted!

So I had learnt my lesson this time, I sat so I could see the back of the phone and regularly checked up on it. In the end I got plenty of interesting stories recorded, and chose the one that would fit into the time given and it still went over time.  :)

Feedback and video change

After showing the video for feedback and getting some suggestions I went back to fiddle with the sound in the video.

It was suggested I fade the music out in some parts to focus on the background noise instead of having plain music for the whole video. I can see what was being said here as adding the background sounds makes the video more dynamic and varying in content. IT also shows more of the scene without 'showing' it. 

I couldn't get the fade ins and outs to fit right so rather than fade the music in and out, I lowered its volume for the entire video and put the sound from the original clips back into it.

Here is the current cut:

Just a quick video progress upload

Just because I felt like sharing, here is the place portrait video, in portrait format, at its current edit. (720p it!)

- -

Documentation to follow.

Project And Process So Far

After reading the brief for this project I knew I wanted to document a natural space, possibly one that included man-made alterations. Just north of where I live is an area that features: A River, Bush walks, Farm Land, Farm Animals, and Wildlife so that seemed to fit the bill. It is an area surrounding a portion of the Hutt River - just north of Upper Hutt. (See Below - Area in red)

Here are some initial photo explorations of parts I might want to include in my end video.

As part of my experimentation and exploration I also created a timelapse between 6pm and 8pm to see A) how well the app worked (Osnap on iPhone) - and B) what the timelapse at that time of day would look like. (The timelapse can be seen at the end of the video below)

From this experimentation with the timelapse I have learned various things I need to change or would like to experiment more with, such as changing to look at the moving shadows on the ground rather then a sunset, or changing the image capture rate. Oh, I also learnt to have 100% battery before shooting.

The following video is a sort of roughly edited 'mood' video to give an idea of what I might like to include in the end product - some ways I might choose to shoot or what I might want to document.

Included in the video are some experiments such as using a tree branch as a tripod, tying it to the branch with my headphones (see below picture) and being ready to catch it should it fall. I also played around with different camera angles as I walked and a timelapse is also included.

'Mood' Video

I also took an audio recording of the river from about 2cm above a portion of the small rapids.

I haven't done all that much experimentation in regards to the interview yet but I plan on interviewing my Grandad. During World War II he was a conscientious objector and so I plan on basing the interview around this part of his life. As far as I am aware, life wasn't pleasant being a conscientious objector in World War II so I'm toying with the idea of doing something along the lines of "While many men went to war, many men stayed behind, and fought anyway" because they too fought a war, but it was more of a civil nature.

I haven't done much by way of interviewing so far because he has just had a tooth rebuilt so I'll give him a few days :).

This, is me.

My self portrait - taken through a window with a bush on the other side of it.