How can something so bad, feel sooo good? part 2

Basically the same video, with some adjustments made after getting some feedback during a tutorial. I have changed some of the fonts to make them more visible.

How can something so bad, feel sooo good?

...or as formerly known `But Everybody`s Doin` it!` is one happy finished project, nestling in its comfy Youtube space now.

Voila!

After the first rough cut, it took me a few days to figure out what was missing...I still don`t know if I`ve really found that elusive something (but then again...we never find THAT elusive something, do we?), but I am quite pleased with the freeze-frames stylised to look like 50s advertising posters. I hope I captured the spirit, I tried to use as a guide Robert Opie`s 1950s Scrapbook.

I know this has turned out rather ambiguous and cheeky, having a laugh at the overly dramatic seriousness of classic digital piracy ads by using the cartoonish chase seen music and the posters are only re-enforcing the irreverent atmosphere of the whole piece...but then again, it`s supposed to inform, not judge. And observe and inform it does...the vast majority of people have this ambivalent `let`s not and say we did` attitude towards the subject, hypocrisy is oozing out of everyone`s pores and we are, willy-nilly, surfing treacherous waters in our search for our favourite online commodities.

Technical details:

Compressed file has some colour loss but there doesn`t seem to be any major issue with the uncompressed video (have tried it on three different players) altough I`ve initially had some issues with subtitles not showing up on the screen for the introduction sequence.

Also, not entirely sure about the final Hyde-Jekyll transition, the morphing might be a bit...well, a bit spooky for the overall tone of the work (or maybe it`s just me seeing it like that). Might think about having different sequences for the morphing, some that are more similar so that it doesn`t look like something out of a sci-fi film.

But Everybod`s Doin` it! part 3

Busy day today...just finished capturing some of the laptop screen images (download progress bars, illegal download searches bla bla bla) and thought I will have a go at the simulated 50s style. Slightly desaturated colours, with the exception of reds and magentas, a bit of grain, a double yellow filter and a vignette effect.

Here`s what it looks like:

I think it does the job pretty well, so I`ll probably stick with these settings for the final edit.

I wanted to include my storyboard as well, but realised I am not yet ready to be the butt of all jokes because of my sloppy drawing. They are working documents and I won`t let them see the light, no sir!

But Everybody`s Doin` it! part 2

Day 1...it appears there will be a Day 2 as well, since the weather has been rather capricious today.

But first things first...

I`ve got my hands on a Nikon D80 camera, have been delighted to try it out and now at least I know that watching all those photography tutorials throughout these years has not been a waste of time. After I got the camera yesterday, I managed to learn how to handle it pretty decently in a few hours, so, a big thank you to YouTube and all the nice people who make tutorials and share the knowledge.

Problems: sunny...cloudy...sunny...cloudy...I know what you`re saying: `But Diana, that`s what those settings on the camera are there for!`  Yes, indeed...but even when you know what to do (change aperture, shutter speed, fiddle with the EV)...it is still frustrating when you have to do it every 2 minutes, while also trying to direct your subject, trying to keep continuity notes and change focus because of the movement.

So, I`ll probably have to play around with a few individual frames in Photoshop, adjusting lightness and gamma. But hey! who cares when I had so much fun.

 

Almost feels like a pity tampering with the colours...I`ll give it a try though, that`s the fun fun fun of experimentation, isn`t it?

 

Now, for some of the close-ups...I love depth of field!

 

 

And now...la piece de resistance! The macro shots:

 

There has been a slight change of location as well. Although, it is still within the University Park campus (where we got the permission to film), it is around the Lakeside Cafe, instead of the Student Union one. Some wonderful vanishing points and quite the view really, on and off camera as well. Thanks to Roxana for the scouting...



Just a case of red tape

Right, after Tuesday`s tutorial, I`ve been reminded about how we homo sapiens like to wrap ourselves up in red tape. Yes, you`ve guessed it (my imaginary blog visitor and maybe-perhaps-but-what-am-I-hoping-reader), it`s time for some bureaucracy...or as they call it in the business...PRODUCER stuff!

So, seeing that I want to film on University Park campus, I sent out emails asking for permission...I hope I do get an answer by the weekend.

Next on the list of excruciatingly dull things to do: reading up on licensing from Freeplay music. What an incredibly titillating, yet misguiding name.

They have some `interesting` price lists, I`ve given a look at some that might come in handy in the near-future.

I know....rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrriveting, isn`t it?

But Everybody`s Doin` it! part 1

Tadaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Here is my Simulated Client Project proposal (yes, I could crack a few jokes about "simulation" in Romanian, but I won`t).

BUT EVERYBODY`S DOIN` IT


(Working title)


CONTEXT AND MOTIVATION

`But Everybody`s Doin` it` is a short stop-motion animation about young peoples` attitude towards the subject of digital piracy, and most importantly, to the censure it instigates in public debates. Its aim is to show how for young people, the possibilities the internet opens up for seeking, sharing, acquiring data of all kind, proves to be as irresistible as a candy store with no limit on how much you can take. Most importantly, it instigates a Jekyll-and-Hyde bi-polarity within an individual, as students contemplate (briefly) the moral conundrum of digital theft and self-gratification, only to then fall into temptation and continue downloading and sharing content. However there is always a justification for this, in each individual`s mind: `Everybody`s doin` it! `.

TREATMENT

The piece starts off with our main character, a respectable looking young woman who the viewer can assume is either a student or a junior staff member, casually strolling out of a café with a cup in her hand. She is having a break and after finding a nice spot, sits down, takes out her laptop and begins typing. The camera closes in over her shoulder to reveal the pages she is surfing. All of them seem so tempting: a song she really likes on YouTube, that DVD on Amazon. Sure enough, after a few seconds of pondering, she looks around with a guilty look on her face, to make sure nobody is watching. As this happens, an IM window pops-up on her monitor with the message `come on, everybody`s doin` it`, as if to say `don`t be silly, we all know what you`re about to do, we all did it`. Relieved, she starts clicking away on the download buttons that appear on her screen. Progress bars run to completion like mad, and as all of this happens on her laptop, we can see short glimpses of the young woman, slowly undergoing a metamorphosis, turning into a Hyde-like character, with a mad grin on her face, dishevelled hair, make-up stains and more rugged clothes. Her gestures also become spasmodic. The animation stops as there is a fault in the internet connection and everything reverts back to normal, as if in a dream.

STYLE AND RHYTHM

The reference to R.L. Stevenson`s work would normally bring to mind a Victorian setting. Yet, what I have in mind is another era of split-personality with regards morals and desires: the 1950s. Thus, the animation will have pale, delicate colours (baby blue, light yellow, candy floss pink, etc), with the exception of the intense red (see sample picture).

As the metamorphosis happens, the colours will be even more desaturated, until almost black and white.

The rhythm will be even and rather slow until the character`s transformation, after which it will increase to suggest the frantic nature of the search for `booty`, reverting back to the initial tempo right at the end.

LENGTH

The estimated length of this piece is 2-3 minutes.



LOCATION

The location of choice is University of Nottingham`s park campus, outside the café (see sample pictures).

MUSIC

The sound will reflect the somewhat carefree, happy-go-lucky feel of 1950s commercials. Prospective songs to be used from FreePlay.com are:

Summer Night Party

Duration: 2 minutes, 17 seconds

Composed by: Pierre Langer, SESAC (50%), Scott P. Schreer, BMI (50%)

Published by: Dynamedion Publishing, SESAC (50%), Freeplaymusic, BMI (50%)


Lucky Sun

Duration: 2 minutes, 1 second

Composed by:Pierre Langer, SESAC (50%), Scott P. Schreer, BMI (50%)

Published by: Dynamedion Publishing, SESAC (50%), Freeplaymusic, BMI (50%)



EQUIPMENT

SONY Powershot Camera

ARI Lighting set

Reflective shield

Tripod

R-09 Edirol (for sound effects recording)



COSTS

Travelling costs from Peel Street-Nottingham University Campus: 20 ₤

Food and refreshments for crew and actor: 20 ₤

Make-up: 15 ₤



I do what I can...part 5

Well, here we are again...this is the spot for Comedy Cluj Film Festival and you can find it on the festival`s blog (unfortunately, only in Romanian for this year). The ending reads: `What of a world without laughter?`

Simply put: just a mild case of cartesian anxiety! part 3

BBC Documetaries - The Power of Nightmares

...talk about constructing through discourse an image new realities...myth creation in action!

I do what I can...part 4

COMEDY CLUJ: http://www.comedycluj.ro/

The Comedy Cluj site...still under construction, but getting ready for the event. I have been taken up by the volunteer coordinator as a collaborator for the site so, besides writing some of the material, I am taking my turn in coming up with suggestions for layout, spell-check, etc.

I do what I can...part 3

So, what`s new? Well, I`ve been doing some translations for film subtitles for Comedy Cluj and also done some more writing for the official website (www.comedycluj.ro). The site is still under construction, so you`ll have to take my word for it for now...I`ll leave you with the event`s mascots. Happy fellas!

I got the BLUES(creen)!

Ohohohoho!....I got myself some new guinea pigs...I mean, part-time actors and volunteers and hopefully, tomorrow will be a good day...for experimentation! What I would like to try out is the blue/green screen effect, and, possibly, the split screen effect too.

Random fantasy

Yesterday I decided I should break free of the vicious circle of laziness that seemed to overwhelm me and try to mess about with something to make me feel a bit more productive. So, I thought about some of the books I have already mentioned in my earlier posts on film architecture and special effects and thought I should try out something. The main idea was to take some everyday items, like pins, perfume bottles, tin foil, a bottle of wine, a candle, and use their surface, their texture, different angles to give the impression of some sort of a setting. So I took some photos initially, but then I decided I should give videos a go to, and so after an afternoon spent on editing and finding an inspiring score (Arnold Schoenberg`s Pelleas and Melisande), I came up with this:

À la recherche du temps perdu

As I was browsing through some animation videos on Youtube I came across this documentary on Romanian animation, from the beginnings up until 1990. I remember it being shown at TIFF (Transylvania International Film Festival) in 2007, but unfortunately I didn`t get to see it. Nevertheless, here it is now, and I`m looking forward to it, if for no other reason, than to at least have a moment of nostalgia and remember the names of those cartoons I can still recall by their characters` features, yet can`t remember their names to save my life!

Simply put: just a mild case of cartesian anxiety! part 2

Browsing through P. Adams Sitney`s Visionary Film, I came across the title of a 40s American avant-garde movie: Maya Deren`s Meshes of the Afternoon. The author drew several parallels with Dali and Bunuel`s Un chien andalou, and the description of the imagery employed seemed interesting enough to gave it a go. Heil YouTube again!

Using Teiji Ito`s music was a surprising addition, as the review in the book didn`t say much about the sound used. After a quick, it seems that Ito has written the scores of several other productions of Maya Deren, the producer of Meshes of the Afternoon. Seeing that there is a definite theme of repetition and accelaration that leads to the build-up of the dramatic sense, using this sort of music seems just perfect, as the drums seem to express the angst and all the ambivalence of feelings that are not revealed to us through the characters (who often seem expressionless, bedazzled and slightly hypnotic). In terms of visual metaphors, the mirror replacing the face of the nun is really inspiring...for think of all the things you can do with or about a mirror (break, distort, reflect, attract, trick).

Paris(h) the thought!

Not to give in to the image of the decadent French (except, if they insist we do) or to equate jazz, bohemian lifestyles, l`amour, etc etc with Paris but...who would mind this sort of stereotypes being heaped unto them? Sepia....yes, please! And by all means, when you are not filming naked or laced flesh...all cameras on Deneuve...sure winner!

Bookingham

Now that the deadlines are history, I can finally go back to reading some of the books I set my sight on. The one that is currently come to my attention is Michael Rabiger`s Directing.

I find I can open it at pretty much any page I want and just start reading. It draws you in, although it is supposed to be one of those rather aridly written `technical` books. I found some interesting techniques for motif and theme exploration, basics of script writing and of course lighting (which is becoming slowly but surely a little obssession of mine).

Aaaaaah…we had our first day of shooting with Bindni`s Play parade project yesterday. It has been a real fun and exciting day to learn a few things but most of all to get a taste of the whole crew working together ambient, which for someone used to work alone like me was really a great experience. I`m looking forward to the next sessions, hope I can do a good job of whatever task I`m assigned the next time (or the same). Meanwhile, I thought I would upload some of the videos we did while doing the camera training with Leslie, the last week. Since the project would be filmed using a HD camera, Leslie went through some of the basics of camera operating and through the exercises that followed, we, hopefully, learned them. We also did a bit of sound recording. The exciting part was that we got to direct, film, record and act out scenes in turns. I found that a good idea because it not only gave each of us the opportunity to boss around….ahem…sorry, I mean…to try out different roles…but also to get a sense of the importance of each individual role and of their coordination for the success of the final shot.

Here are some of the exercises. The first one is a close-up of Bindni indoors, and without sound.

Mid shot, with Matt as director, me recording the sound, Ben as subject and Sam at the camera (hope I got that one right).

Wide mid shot, with Matt acting, Ben as cameraman, Sam recording the sound and me as director (oh, yesssss!)

Not really the sort of material you would use to show-off. Clearly, a looooooooooooot to learn still. Nevertheless, the part of setting up the shots was a really engaging one for me, because photography and image manipulation is still the area that I feel most confortable in and which gives me the best opportunity to experiment and express visions.

Extra....extra(work)...read all about it!

Two weeks ago, we got an email from Bindni Karia, a 3rd Year Multimedia student asking for any volunteers to help out with her project. I, along with some of my 1st Year colleagues (I`m trying to memorise all the names, I promise I will) have replied and...here we are...involved in this project. We have had a first meeting last Friday, discussing mainly what we would like to do and of course, what we are needed to do, but there isn`t any definitive list yet. We will probably here more about it this Friday when Bindni will tell us (I guess) Who, When and What For?

Let me say a few words about the project. The basic aim of the production is to highlight the importance of having a safe and nice place to play in, outside the confinement of the house. There will be several interviews on the matter and the plot follows along the efforts of a team organising a play parade (why didn`t they have one of those when I was a kid?). And, hopefully, there will be a happy, happy end to it all, commanding a tear from the viewer`s eyes and making him more aware of how bad play deprivation is for the hearts and minds of those little brats....sorry, I mean....for those little angels.

Also, today we had a training session for operating and HD camera. Quite exciting, seeing that we got to do some work too and try our luck. I haven`t retrieved the footage yet but I`ll post it as soon as I can. It was fun fun fun because we not only got to handle the camera, but also had to try out different roles, from directing, to sound recording and acting (well, posing is a better word for it). Oh, I just got excited, really excited...I know I hide it well, but I did...

Trying to make good use of my enthusiasm for the day, I`m also looking at some Youtube videos on camera angles and shots. I`ve read about some of these, like the dolly and bird`s eye view, but it is definetly more interesting and makes much more sense to see them `in action` as it were, in shots from movies so that one can get a better perspective of what the visual potential of a certain angle or positioning is.