My own Flash and blood...

Alright, so I guess it`s time for me to talk about what I`m going to present you with, my dear bloggaholic (I know there`s nobody out there, but what the heck, people could pretend they see an imaginary space daddy, so why shouldn`t I be delusional about this?) the result of several days of intense labour. Did I make any significant progress in Flash beyond what was necessary to complete my project? No, I`ll leave that to the holidays (yes, I mean it, my social life is that lame that this is a resolution I might just be able to keep!). But, on the sunny side, the scripting we had to use went smooth after the second seminar when some of my questions got answered. So, basically, I spent most of my time not in Flash, cursing the day ActionScript was invented, but in Photoshop and Word, creating my stills and (re)writting my scenario. Seeing that, as I have mentioned in my previous posts, the idea behind the project is an adaptation of a novel, one would think that there wasn`t much work to be done with the story. Oh, yes there was! Consider the project a personal remix of the novel. I have kept the title, some characters, some locations and dropped whole chunks of it, replacing them with what I would call speculative exercises. Let me expand on this...

Since I was in school I knew that if there was one thing I was good at it was telling the sort of stories that had as little action as possible. To this day, I prefer movies that some of my friends label `No action. None whatsoever` and that are more concerned with making the viewer immerse him/herself into the atmosphere not by identification with the happenings, but with the thoughts, feelings, humour, etc of the characters. So this narrative is not action packed as you will get to see. The novel itself is not action packed. For one thing, I remember an interesting connection that I made with the novel when preparing an essay later on. I was reading about Byzantine mosaics (a graphic concept I have used to illustrate my narrative) and the fact that the inherent stillness of the world that is represented within mosaics is a picture of a stasis perceived as a state of grace by the Byzantines. You might say, of course it is still, they are not animations...but think of the powerfull dynamism of, say, the Sixtine Chapel, where even the muscles on the characters seem to be rippling in a frenzy of movement. So, the stillness of mosaics is true to the image of the state of grace and also, I should point out, to the nature of the Byzantine society: the envy of the world for its affluence and noble legacy, but very much inclined to step outside of time and enter the same stasis is depicts in its mosaics, a state that in the real world brings...well, anything but the good things in life.

So, I think I made my point about the choice for the mosaic effect. Why sepia? For both technical reasons and aesthetic ones. Some pictures were black and white, others were coloured, so I had to figure out a way to make them work as a whole...colourise seemed to be the solution. Sepia: it looks most like the actual background colour for most mosaics I have seen (some are golden, not really sepia, but I think gold would have been a bit too flamboyant). I chose to blur and blacken the edges of the stills to create a story telling mood. Why would that effect bring about that mood? I guess because, on the one hand, it separates the story from the real world, acts like a stage if you will, and on the other hand, it mimics the limitation of our visual field and creates that `I`m there, I live the story` sort of feeling...blures the line between me, as in me, myself and I, and me as the observer of the events that are presented.

You`ll notice that most of the times, the characters are placed on one side of the frame, and there is a block of text on the other side. Of course, most of the times it has to do with managing the avaiable space to include both elements, but in some cases, I found it as a good means to express the idea of characters facing dilemmas, their choices and the outcomes of their decisions.

The fonts...oh, the fonts! I tested them on Sam, she could make out the story so I decided it was British proof and left it that way. The reason I was reluctant to change it, even though it does raise difficulties for some when trying to read it, is that the fonts are integral to the visual whole (mosaics and the typical letters that were used to offer information on the characters or the scene).

Navigation and interaction...I had to make some compromises here. My initial idea was to make timed frames, as in, to avoid using additional buttons in the already small frame. And I have figured out a way to do that...but I think it was more of a improvisation. The thing is, since the texts are usually rather long and also a bit hard to read for some users, adding frames to increase the time reserved for a sequence would just expand the timeline into a loooooooooooooooooooooooooong and endless snake, and it still wouldn`t garuantee everybody has enough time to actually read the sequence. So, what I did, in order to still avoid buttons, is that I made the actual texts into buttons, so that when the user has finished reading it in his own time, he can click on it to continue. Since the text area is pretty large, I think there shouldn`t be any confusion with regards this, because the mouse becomes active. As you progress through the story, you get to make three decisions (well, that is, if you don`t end up watching one of the alternative ends because of a choice you have made) and I tried to convey the importance of all of these decisions. It`s not so much a question of a right or wrong decision, as it is about realising the outcomes of these decisions. So, you won`t end up facing a GAME OVER screen, you won`t die...although there is at one point a masked threat...but I`m being my usual evil self and I refuse to let the player get off the hook so easily when making what I think is a poor choice (who am I to say what`s a poor choice? Well...I`m the narrator :P)...so I just make him/her face the consequences of his/her foolish/selfish/cowardly actions.

I had some trouble finding the right sound for this project. First, I was thinking of some Byzantine chants, and I knew I had some mp3s at home...but really, getting my parents to send them to me via email...forget ActionScript,*that* would have been a real challenge! But, the gods had mercy on me and I found what I think is just right for this story, the introduction theme from the game The Shadow of the Colossus. Serene but also punctuating some of the key moments, it fits very well with the sequences of the story even as I have looped the sound, instead of linking it to specific moments within the narrative. There is an element of randomness that can actually play to my advantage sometimes, because laying different emphasis on the same sequence the next time a user plays the game, is likely to give one a feeling similar to that of re-reading a book...you feel you`ve discovered a detail wou have missed.

Finally, here is the meisterwerk


The Golden Bough by ~dochiaz on deviantART

Interactivity overdose

Narrative seminar task:

Produce an analysis of three additional interactive narratives, commercial or artistic.

http://www.zdob-si-zdub.com/

Zdob si Zdub are a Moldavian band whose repertoire consists mostly of ethnic or folk inspired songs and Balkan rock. And just to show consistency all the way, the site`s narrative is abundant in references to myths and symbols of Eastern Europe and the Balkans. The home page takes the visitor on a journey through the use of the magical bird (pasarea maiastra) that flies off whenever one clicks on an animated button. In as much as spacial awareness is concerned, the stage is set from the beginning as a story layed out on a tapestry. Having symbols for buttons invites one to be curious because they are not as straightforward as one would guess. The personalised video player is an excellent idea, partly because it blends so nicely with the theme of the site, but also because it incites one to play around with the little bug that acts as a scroll. The site also gives the bio section a twist, by having a collage placed upon the members of the band, consisting of traditional garments with animated folk motifs running up and down on them.

http://www.tarkan.com/

The narrative idea behind this site becomes clear when one reads the description to the artist`s latest album (the site is made to promote this recent album, and does not contain older material or thorough information about the singer). Metamorfoz has been presented as the artist`s most revealing album to date (a funny way of saying he wrote all of the songs on the album) and the basic layout of the site illustrates that: one gets only a peak, a short glance inside, knowing there is more there, but just out of reach. There is a player in the top left corner, a feature that is useful no doubt but because it starts to play right away as you connect to the site, I found myself scared a few times by the sudden outburst of music. Buttons are animated and additional information appears in pop-up windows that bounce into the active area. Surely not the most interactiv site out there, but it does tell the story of the album and it does sell the image. And seeing that it is a promotional site for an album, it fulfills its goal.

http://www.adamilea.ro/

I always found Ada Milea an intriguing character. Her songs reveal the hollowness of many disputes, controversies, held-up-to-be-worshipped symbols within Romanian society. All this in a distinctly playful vein, often times using allegories and similees instead of blatant criticism. The narrative of the site reflects her style, looking much like an enfant terrible` s playground, with the little animated sheep (a reference to poem) pacing slowly from one end to another of the active screen area. The way the CD and VIDEO sections are organised brings an increased level of interactivity by, again, making the user play around with the little tablets and cds that hang on ropes (they are mouse sensitive and follow the mouse movements). The player on this site is so well integrated into the site...you can`t find it at first and have no idea where the sound is coming from. The active doesn`t take up the entire screen, and the desired effect in this case seems to be, seeing that it is the singers playground, to give the space a petite, childish look, like the secret corner to come and play in.

Getting interactive with the empress...

After following some Flash tutorials and getting more and more confused, I decided that the best way to ward off a feeling of frustration and powerlessness is to focus on the actual story I wanted to tell. What I came up with is a story inspired by Mihail Sadoveanu`s The Golden Bough novel. Given the fact that we are supposed to use stills and that the story takes part in Byzantium, I thought I might use mosaic or iconic like stills to tell the story. But what is the story about? We start off as Kesarion Breb, an apprentice of the Dacian high-priest who is chosen to become the next leader of the cult of Zamolxis (don`t get excited about the names, it will get better). Before that, he is given a mission: he is to leave the refuge of the sacred Kogaionon mountain and embark on a journey that finally takes him to Constantinople in order to find out the answer to the high-priests question: does the new religion, Christianity, that is getting more and more people to renounce their old beliefs, bring people closer to the truth and make them lead a virtuous life.

Once he arrives to Constantinopole, he finds the city to be indeed one of extreme contrasts: decadence and icons, Christianity, ascetism, virtue and corruption, cosmopolitanism and age old wisdom gathered from every culture and violent outbursts of religious fanaticism and violence...all find their place on the streets and in the Imperial court of the city. At the time of his arrival, the capital has been through a major religious conflict between the iconoclasts and iconodoules, both having rallied powerfull and influential supporters. Empress Irina, an iconodoules, has emerged victorious and has decided to choose a bride for his son, the prince Konstantinos, that would further strenghten her and her parties position. Instead of the proposed alliance with Rotruda, Charlemagne`s daughter, she wants to find a Greek bride for his son, one that can thus be more easily manipulated. Having caught the attention of influential people at the court, you are made to choose between helping Irina find a bride, or be labelled a suspect and a possible enemy.

Having found Maria, the daughter of a pious man in one of the provinces of the empire, you face yet another dilemma: bring her to the court and watch her be the victim of all the intrigues or leave her in her town but know you have mingled with destiny and with the chance to remind the Byzantines of the power of virtue through the life and sacrifice of this girl.

As we get back to Constantinople, the scene is set for another major conflict. This time, prince Konstantinos, after getting bored of his new wife and wanting to get back to his debauch ways and finding his mother pushing him out of the scene to claim all power, becomes the leader of the former defeated party of the iconoclasts, and the clash between mother and son for the throne begins.

I hope I can get all the necessary details of the story into the project. What I have here is also a scheme of the choices the user would make to advance the story.

One-shot film: And the winners are...

...those who made it to the final cut! Now, I`m keeping the rest of the footage we shot during those two days with the group real close just in case I get some more ideas to experiment with, but after a fruitful and labour intensive week-end, I have two new one-shots to show off. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, let us make this a brag-a-lot-blog!

The first runner up is a the short movie entitled Pillars. As you might recall, the location for this one was the passage between the castle and the multi-level car park that Alex has spoted. Initially, the location was meant for a remake of the Package shot we did during our first one-shot seminar. It was at the end of a tiring day, and the guys didn`t seem very keen to redo the whole choreography of the scene, so inspiration struck me when I saw the pillars on site and I put on my Melies hat and tried out a morphing act. The idea and possible story behind the scene were both very vague, but the trick could be used for its symbolism and that meant it had some serious potential, at least from my point of view.

And that is exactly what came through in the final editing. Whenever you have actors performing relatively simple actions, in this case, walking, it seems that there is a very good chance of giving that action a symbolic value. Why? Because the more complex a routine becomes, the more spaces are filled in with details by the viewer, the more specific that action becomes, and it ends up being...disenchanted. It`s like magic: the minute the audience knows the whole procedure of the routine and the actions you are going to perform and why you are going to perform them, they lose interest.

The basic idea of the scene can be outlined through a few keywords: journey, metamorphosis, experience, apotheosis. I have chosen to represent each stage in the story by what I thought would be a befitting verse. There is a parallel drawn with the Plato`s allegory of the cave. We find ourselves part of a group, a micro-universe, a garden that we call home and cherish for all its shortcomings. We cling to it, and find ourselves striken with nostalgia if we get to leave it behind and find ourselves confronted with new worlds because the garden offers us security, one of the most basic human needs. It also disturbs our idea about what we know. During high-school, my mathematics teacher came into our class, draw a small circle on the blackboard and said: `The contour of this circle, is the area of contact with what you saw as the unknown, the yet-to-be-discovered when you were 6 years old`. Then, he drew around it a bigger circle: `This is you when you are about to finish high-school. As you can see, the area of contact with the unknown has grown. So, basically, we are making it harder for you...`. Well, yes indeed. Back to our shot, this is where we get the juxtaposition of the previous image of our world, the `majestic pillars` and the shock and sometimes horror of realising how petty, small-minded the garden we have cherished really is when one takes a step outside of it. Compare that to the prisoner who has gone out of the cave and sees the forms that actually created the dancing shadows on the cave`s walls. And finally, apotheosis...because we all like a happy-end, don`t we? Don`t regret nor despise the past and what you have left behind, internalise the lessons and continue your journey (yep, there is another one, and another one and another one ahead).

This is the Story board :

When editing, I decided to use duochrome, focusing on greys and purples. For one thing, these two colours appear in the verses I used as subtitles, and also, again, when going for the symbolic, less is indeed more. The reason is fairly simple. Symbols are simple because they have to appeal to people, and to do that, they have to be stripped of the many nuances and details that one actually finds in real life...to cut a long story short, they are abstractions of barely sketched ideas that sound familiar to all of us. The music is part of the late 90s action-adventure game Outcast. It matches with the development of the action and given the fact that I`ve used a verse from Dante`s Inferno and the track is called Heaven in Adelpha, it was just a nice paradox. Here is the video...

The second video is a DOS adventure games nostalgia. What I basically tried to do, is to create a scene from a game called `The Meeting`, with loading screens, menus, MIDI soundtracks, sprites, cluncky and funny looking animation, pixelated backgrounds, a reduced pallete of colours, subtitles instead of voice-over, a bit of a story line to it and playing around with the cliches of the genre. How did it all work? Well, for once, I`d wish Premiere wouldn`t smoothen the movements of the characters. I was thinking whether reducing the frame rate would have been a good idea to re-create the robotic movements of the characters, but I`ll try that some other time.

The footage I used was part of the CCTV idea. Alex was in charge with the camera and coreography on this one, and I picked one of the four takes we did. The location for this one was a tunnel leading to Broadmarsh bus station. All the rest of us were involved in the scene as actors in some of the scenes, but in this scene, Umar is the only actor. The other character in the video is `an innocent by-stander` I`ve incorporated into the shot.

And here is the video. Enjoy!

One-shot film: The Good, The Bad and The Draft

Yesterday we had a second shooting session. I`d say it went pretty well. We did the sleepwalking scene, with James and Will as actors, Umar helping with our improvised lighting and lil`ol`me clumsily handling the camera. We shot the scene at Maltings, took over the kitchen, made it into a darkroom, got hold of a lamp and a blue plastic lid and...voila!...we had our moonlight scene pret-a-shoot (don`t mind me, I`m just making up words here).

This is the `raw` video, with soft blue-lighting and sound effects provided by Sleepwalkers Records Ltd.



Now, let`s get all introspective and see what was the motivation.

1. Soft blue lighting: we tried different ideas out, like using a lid just to soften, not colour the light, or different positions for the light source. In the end, the blueish light seemed like the best idea because the scene is supposed to take place in the middle of the night, or in the early hours of morning, and we thought this would be the most realistic thing. Plus, having only one source of lighting, and even that dimmed, it was possible to recreat the way a person who has just awaken during the night sees things.

2. Camera position: we had to make some serious compromises here given the limitation of one camera movement per shot and because there was a pillar in the middle of the kitchen (yes, how very inconvenient indeed). The `coreography` had to be just right, in order to have everyone in the frame.

3. Story: the basic story, the starting point as it were, is sleepwalking. They used to call sleep `the little death`, and indeed, what is fascinating about dreams, sleepwalking or any other night time (in)activity is that your brain is there, yet it chooses to dictate its commands in a whole new key, while still dropping in some of the usual lines. Motivations become blurred, or disappear altogether, revealing the mechanical nature of many activities. Of course, we are talking here about things that we take for granted, like moving around or handling objects. But I guess it is something that makes you ponder about whether or not many of the decisions you take or desires that you consider as your own in a conscious state are there as a result of a consciencious process, and not a script that keeps you going.

Alright, enough of that! Let`s see what we have here. This is my first attempt of editing yesterday`s scene. I don`t have Adobe Premiere so I used Magix Music Maker 2005 Deluxe for editing. As you might have guessed from the title, it is primarily a sound editing programme, but it has some basic video effects options too. If there is anything that is good about the experience of making this edited version is that I got to play around with the sound tools. Now, I`ve always been the more visually oriented person in the family, and my cousin was the sound master, child prodigee. I also took piano and guitar lessons, but never really got over the fact that I`m a dilletant. This little soundtrack I made for this version has not helped my self-esteem, but just reminded me how nice it is to actually get all experimental and then end up with something slightly decent.
About the visual part of the video. I had two video layers, with different colouring and with a slight delay between the two of them, that`s how I got the shadow/ghost look. I changed the tempo, making the movements slower and then added an echo effect, so that each movement of the characters could leave a trace. Why? It makes it ambiguous because one can think of the scene as the meeting of the ghosts, but also as the sort of scene, or the way you perceive a scene in your dreams.



So, we had the Good and the Draft. Now, for the Bad. Couldn`t get hold of the previous footage, the one from Saturday. Apparently, there is some sort of problem with transferring the video unto the computer. But...but, we should meet on Thursday and get that (hopefully) sorted out.

One-shot film: the pieces are coming together

I dare to say today was a good day...for shooting! And to my surprise, we did manage to shoot most of the scenes. We`ll still have to meet up on Tuesday to shoot the Sleepwalking scene, but the rest are pretty much done.

We made some on-the-spot changes too. The tree scene was shot from above, the package scene turned into a following and we tried a new scene that involved interchanging characters and the camera following their trail. By the end of the day we got all experimental and had a go at double exposure just outside the Boots Library, near the tram station and under a spotlight that made the scene quite intriguing. I don`t think though that one has come out well, but we can try it again on Tuesday. It was a rather rainy and gloomy day, which was good for most of our shots and it suited the locations we chose very well (cheers Alex for doing the scouting! ):

1. The tree scene: Arboretum
2. The speedcamera: across the bridge from Broadmarsh station, on one of the streets
3. The following and the interchanging characters: Broadmarsh bus station and the surroundings 4. Double exposure: near Boots Library

The team was really dedicated and I say we thank the brave camera man on two of our shots, Will, for risking life and limb (sort of) to get all the crazy camera angles right. We decided not to use any lighting, because most scenes were set outside. Also, some of the locations just had dramatic shadows that we can use to tell the story and lighting would have made it too artificial.

I think we should try to do some experimenting with the lighting for the indoor scene next week. That could give us some really spice up the whole idea and could really add to the story.

One-shot film: the light at the other end of the tunnel

So, I guess you`d expect me to deliver some good news finally. Well, yes and no. I must admit, it was interesting experimenting with all the lights and given that we had what was labelled `la madre di tutti cadri` to provide with lighting, we probably did pretty well (Chris at least insisted we did...guess we have to take his word for it). I remember having read just a week previous to our lecture and seminar about 3 point lighting, so it wasn`t a surprise, but it was useful putting theory into practice.

Afterwards, we had another group meeting (yes, another one!). We have decided what we are going to shoot tomorrow, booked out the equipment and discussed some of the details regarding the story lines for the scenes. Now, I`m really curious how we`ll manage. The guys have been fairly optimistic, in my humble opinion, stating we should try to do 4 different scenarios (tree, speed camera, the package and the sleepwalking). I say, quantity is secondary, I`d really like to have at least 2 shots at the end of the day that I could be satisfied with and that would inspire me for next week`s editing. Well, here we go then...

One-shot film: working hard or hardly working?

They say a student`s life is a long, sinuous road, full of ups and downs. The downs are notorious though. I figure I might be experiencing my first significant down since uni began. I always knew that team work would be a hard lesson to learn since I`m the `lone wolf` sort of person with regards my work, I like to take full charge and responisibility for what I do, and this `let`s get together and just talk about stuff` is somehow still not working. I mean, it`s not that we didn`t come up with any ideas. Oh no, plenty of those. We have made lists of our ideas at each meeting we have had so far. The problem is, it just doesn`t seem to take off. We now have two lists of ideas, but I personally still am confused about what the storyline, guideline, motivation, red thread, the life-giving something that makes them come to life and actually make sense...still elludes me. I was thinking, maybe it will all come together when we start shooting (that`s scheduled this week-end) and we can then each of us create individually a background story when we`re editing the material. And it might be like that, we might get away with that, but I still feel frustrated and guilty of not having any consistent idea. Well, guess it`s no good getting upset over this, it might just be that the Muses have decided to delay their visit and will eventually show up, but until then, I`m still very much angry with myself for being such an idea wasteland.

Ok, so what have I done until now. I was thinking about a scene that would involve some sort of performance art. I read Hugo Ball`s Dada Manifesto, and I thought I should have a speaker read out some fragments of the manifesto. Then, as he would call the public to observe a demonstration of the principles presented by the manifesto, he would point to one side, camera paning along the indicated direction, and we would see a group of actors. What would then follow, and make up much of the shot, would be the actual performance, which I imagined as a sort of pun, or playfull, non-sensical, irreverent renditions of classics (paintings, sculptures, even music). For instance, Michelangelo`s Pieta could become a person lying on a Virgin Mary-shaped sofa. Lighting colour could change at every new rendition (though that would mean more people handling lights) but even lacking that, we could still create the idea of different tableaus by adding different sound effects or music to each piece. Of course, coreography would have to be exercised quite well, as the shot is supposed to be continuous, so that each person knows what pose and move to make to create the next scene with the minimum movement.




During today`s meeting, we have come up with some other stuff. Again, only ideas, we couldn`t find a definitive and convincing narrative for them...yet.

1. We`ve heard all the big stories about inventions, love, world changing actions taking place under the welcoming shadow of a tree (or more), but what does a tree think of all these? What would a tree`s reaction be to Isaac Newton and his apple, with the reaction that followed? Do trees really like activists who hug them? Or do they willingly offer or accept to host the sleepwalkers meeting every night? Hopefully, we`ll be able to find out the answer to all of these while shooting the story for you, from the T.P.O.V. (tree`s point of view). Probable location: Arboretum

2. Sleepwalking...just what exactly can you be up to when you`re brain is not in on it? This could be funny, scarry, or simply routine-like, and we could try out each version, with different lighting and different music. Location: student halls

3. The annoying narrator...this is basically a scene that would involve two or more actors, engage in an argument. Suddenly, they would freeze, the narrator would step into the frame and start making comments on the true motivations, hidden feelings, moral dilemmas of the characters involved. Location: Byron Lecture Theatre or Waverley.

Really hope things will work out a lot better while we`re shooting the actual thing. Come one Diana ol`girl, wou have to make this work, you can do it, you can do it...I mean, YES, WE CAN!

That`s a rap! (I think so...)

Aaaah! That`s a rap! My first pixilation project to date...completed!!! (imagine me saying all that in a Dexter voice)

So, I guess now we can do what every superstar with a retired muse can do...pop out the best of... or making of... behind the scenes stuff.

The basic idea behind the whole project was a memory of a Discovery Channel documentary about magicians I saw a few years ago. At one point, one of them told a story about an Indian god (don`t remember which one though, so I don`t want to jinx it) who was playing with the golden thread of time/destiny/matter over a burning candle. And even though the thread snapped when it got in contact with the flame, it regenerated in the end. Sooooooo...connections, connections (James Burke, the nerds of the world salute you!)...I thought this sounds a tad like one of the laws of thermodynamics (Energy can neither be created, nor destroyed; it can only change forms) and I started working on the idea. Luckily, I had one of my friends model for me and she was just the right thing for the image I was going for (the benefits of social networking...yey!)

I came up with different edited versions. Here they are

This is the so-called psychedelic version....

Now, this one is supposed to feel a bit like those dear ol` cutscenes from DOS or just plain old adventure games (think Gabriel Knight).



Finally, the version that made it to the end...a sort of romantic occult/mysticism sort of feeling is what I was going for...





And now, the moment you all have, presumably, been waiting for...the final cut!