(Un)title(d) sequence part 3

ail to zeh Lindsey! Yes, we got ourselves a kick-ass title sequence...don`t know the state of the rest of the edit, but this bit is something to be proud of. So, a big thank you again in the name of the whole group for Lindsey (whooop, whooop!). Here is the link to her blog for the animated sequence.

Over the weekend, we have discussed the look and basic visual elements of the title sequence. A very lucrative session, since I got to see the main ideas I proposed included in the finished work, while Lindsey has made some very good stylistic decisions on her own while working on the actual thing. So, allow me a few moments of sheer pride, until reality comes slamming in once again (probably tomorrow...when we`ll have to face up to the crude state of our yet-to-be edit).

(Un)title(d) sequence part 2

Today, after a chat with Lindsey, and after seeing some of the work she has done back in Belgium, I`ve decided that we`ve got ourselves our lady for a title sequence in our documentary. I had been thinking about a fairly brief one, maybe 10 seconds, just to introduce the title and possibly part of the credits.

I`ve first started doing some storyboards for the motion graphics, but I realised that instead of scribbling away thousands of notes on the side of each frame, I could just do a sketch in photoshop. So, voila!

What`s up, DOC? The write-up (almost D-Day)

Just a quick post on the write-up of the script for the Black Ice documentary...

I`ve started working on it today, and it`s going slowly, but at least I am fairly satisfied with what I`ve written so far (fairly...not really satisfied...just fairly!). Anyway, this should give us enough structure and a clearer idea of how to put together voice/idea and image and sound for our edit.

I`ve taken notes of some of the visuals I imagine for different sequences, but these are really only suggestions, and are meant to help me while writing to gauge the duration on the screen of a given segment.

Now that we`re fast approaching the disenchanting period of post-production, I am curious to see how many of the things went well and which went terribly wrong, because at some point, you get too caught up in the frenzy of the production to be able to step back and be rational and objective about what you are doing...so....fingers crossed!

What`s up, DOC? Day 4

So, back to filming again, after a few days off. Today we had two interviews (we will call them THE interviews, seeing that so far they`ll probably be the only ones we`ll have for our documentary). Our interviewees:

Oliver Harrison - lecturer at Nottingham Trent University, specialising in political theory, political ideology and ecology.

Dr. Matthew Ashton -  specialising in Media, Politics, US politics

For the setting, we went for a basic back background, three-point lighting, no fancy angles or camera movements. The main focus was sound, ensuring we could record without any interference, and just in case, the paranoid in me decided to record the interviews unto a R-09 as well. Better to be safe than sorry. As a side note, because the background is really basic, we might attempt to have something in the background added in post-production (although, for chroma keying, a green screen would have been more suitable...we`ll see what we can do about it).

Each of the interviews was around 20 minutes, with three main questions.

Black Ice Documentary

Interview (Oliver Harrison)

Q: In the second half of the 20th century, we witness a shift in our view of nature, of the planet.; from a relatively stable, self-regulating system upon which human activity has little, to no influence, to an extremely complex, interdependent and fragile whole. What caused this shift and what were the consequences? (in terms of media coverage, political action, scientific inquiry).

Q: Pollution and human activity incurring damage unto the environment are notions that have been around for the past decades, but the culprit a la mode, has been different from one period to another (nuclear tests, space exploration, acid rain, etc). Today, it is increased carbon emissions due to fossil fuels. How much of this is due to scientific uncertainty and its usual updates, and how much to politics (trying to motivate the existence of a cause/an ideology)?

Q: In the past decades, the environmental issue (and with it, that of climate change) has been through ups and downs with regards its `popularity`, depending on the prevalent political credo of the day (Reaganism), economic context (oil crisis). Does the 1992 Earth Summit mark a `change of heart`, with governments choosing to take the issue more seriously?

Interview (Matthew Ashton

Q: In the USA, the right wing has been notoriously hostile towards any political measures taken in order to reduce carbon emission. Yet, in other parts of the world, for instance in Britain, the conservatives have helped promote the importance of global warming. Why?

Q: Pollution and human activity incurring damage unto the environment are notions that have been around for the past decades, but the culprit a la mode, has been different from one period to another (nuclear tests, space exploration, acid rain, etc). Today, it is increased carbon emissions due to fossil fuels. How much of this is due to scientific uncertainty and its usual updates, and how much to politics (trying to motivate the existence of a cause/an ideology)?

Q: The Wall Street Journal reported, "The global-warming debate is shifting from science to economics... The biggest question going forward no longer is whether fossil-fuel emissions should be curbed. It is who will foot the bill for the cleanup." Is green-energy turning into a big enough business to be `worth it` for capitalism to take up?

The day started off badly, with one of the lights burning out, with no answer from our interviewees and crew shortage due to personal problems. Nevertheless, we managed to get things sorted, and by the end of the day, I think we got some decent footage and certainly useful material in terms of informed opinions on the subject.

What`s up, DOC? Day 3

I want a day like today, EVERYDAY!!!

Efficient, fun and busy! We were in the studios today, filming for the opening sequence, which has as its main theme `pioneers in the study of the greenhouse effect`. We are talking 19th century here, so the props we gathered try to reflect that. The lighting used was meant to simulate the idea of a candle-lit room, and I`ve done some shopping around for some of the items, and spent most of the evening yesterday filling the pages with equations and formulae on the subject, for that extra special something called authenticity!

Also, today I`ve managed to finally secure an interview for next Monday with Olliver Harrison from Nottingham Trent University, and got Matthew Ashton interested in the interview as well. So, with a bit of luck, we have to interviews in the bag for next week and counting (let`s see if our producer has any luck finding willing `victims` outside of academia).

The rest of the week and the weekend, it`s all about reviewing the shot list, see if there is anything else we need to schedule for next week for the B-Roll, finalise the script for the voice-over, and prepare the questions for the interviews....fun, fun, fun!

What`s up, DOC? Day 2

Tuesday has been a fine day ...for walking across town! We have been zipping across Nottingham from one chosen location to another, from Hyson Green, to Alfreton Road, the river Trent and finally Arboretum. Most of the shots should provide visuals for concepts related to the Industrial Revolution (steam, coal, fossil fuel, hence, first significant emmissions of CO2 through human activity), and of course, the whole idea of the buzz of a modern city (again, powered by CO2 releasing fuel).

What`s up, DOC? Day 1

First day of filming...

Actually, first day of filming together, as Joe has been capturing some of the shots we have discussed last week, thus successfully checking-off our shot list some of the shots from outside Nottingham.

We`ve followed the shot list for today, mainly in the city centre area, and then added a few more shots on the spot. I will try and review the shots and see what needs to be added (I have this most uncomfortable feeling that we haven`t planned for enough shots).

Anyways...tomorrow, another day out in the cold, this time going to Hyson Green and Broadmarsh station area. Hollie is trying to arrange for us to shoot from the flats near Victoria Centre, for the bird`s eye view shot, and I`m also trying to track down (hunt down, would be more like it) our interviewees. No luck so far, but we still have enough time.

Ok, to cut a long story short...animations by Joe and Production stills by Lindsey:

What`s up, DOC?

No update for quite a while now...

What happened lately to my gratious self? Well, we`ve been assigned new groups for our next project, the 10 minute documentary. Our working title is `Black Ice`, and the process of getting the subject right has been interesting and subject to debate in the group. Originally, being my usual politics geek, I suggested having the use and abuse of the environmental issue by left wing and right wing party, green movements and corporate politics as our main guiding line, but given the complexity of the subject (basically, if you read through the lines....people found this stuff booooooooooring...sheesh, who would have thought?!) and the brevity of our documentary, it would be better to look for a different approach. So, change of plans, and the new (and improved) documentary is:

A tale of scientific fumbling, seasoned with cruel intentions to create one of today’s most sizzling topics, in other words…

A historical perspective on the development and transformations of the notion of the greenhouse effect and its consequences (global warming, climate change). The journey from a scientific curiosity to a hotly debated issue that has found its way into politics and popular culture.

Sounds sexy, I know!

Anyway...

In terms of visuals, besides the interviews and some B Roll footage that we`ll have filmed in a `realistic` manner, we have agreed to have some cut-out animations. Soud treatment will rely heavily on cartoony effects, to match the animated sequences, keeping the `realistic` tone in the adequate shots. 

The crew:

Diana Sabau - Director, Researcher, Writer

Hollie Taylor - Producer

Joe Lau - Director of Photography

James Pratt - Editing, Camera Assistant

Hugo De Morais - Sound, Lighting

Lindsey Puylaert - Sound & Lighting Assistant, Runner

How to rock your doc

Since we have been assigned our groups for project 4 (producing a 10 minute documentary on a given theme) I have set forth to look up useful information until our first meeting this Thursday. It is a fresh start with new people and I`m looking forward to this new (sprained) `joint venture`.

I went looking for reading material to the library today, and started the hunt for useful video links. Here are some of the first findings:

Coverage: interview related shots, and B roll (a visualisation of some of the things your subjects talk about or reveal about themselves during the interviews. Ratio 30:1.

 In the case of subjects that are not present on camera, use photos, stock footage, alternative methods of visual representation for what the dialogue or voice-over is conveying.

Memo: scripted, unscripted? Voice-over? I have a vague feeling that people would not be too keen on voice-overs, mainly because someone needs to write the script for it...which is something I`d be really interested in trying though (together with all the research that goes into....wooohooo!).

Release forms: make every person that makes an appearance or a statement in your documentary, sign a release form that gives you permission to use their contribution. If they don`t sign it, don`t include the footage in the final edit!

Location release: has to be signed by the person in charge of the location you are filming on. IMPORTANT: you don`t (generally) need any permission to film in a public space...

Moving....Image part 2

Found out who is responsible for the cutout animation in the Monthy Python series: Terry Gilliam.

The movement of the characters with this method of animation is anything but smooth, which in turns seems to add to the comic effect generated by the overturning of expectations. Just like in the opening sequence of Monthy Python`s Flying Circus, the squash, kick, punch in the face of expectations or logic offers comic relief. What this technique achieves visually, one can find in the delivery of several stand-up comedians, the first that comes to mind right now being Bill Maher or Roy Zimmerman.

While I`m at it, I also came across a tutorial for cutout animation. I guess I should try it out as soon as possible

Moving....Image

Started thinking about possible subjects for the documentary project. I would love to do something history or sociology related of course, possibly even history of ideas or cultural history related stuff (I know, I am very boring! And I don`t have a life either). And suddenly, look-wise, I immediately thought of a series of documentaries hosted by Terry Jones, called Medieval Lives.  I loved the series (just like every other documentary by Terry Jones) because of how they tackled the subject (irreverent a la Monthy Python, but still based on facts, and most importantly,  challenging views that most of us take for granted) and because of the animations. In fact, that (i.e., animation) is precisely what I would love to learn more about, so memo to me, ask one of the tutors (Andy maybe?) on how to do something similar, and see if it would be feasible (time-wise) for the project.

Some useful links for the series:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2004/feb/08/highereducation.news
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bristol/3507439.stm