(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? 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

UPDATE! UPDATE! Read all about it...

And we are nearly finished...tomorrow is the presentation and then this short film project is a closed chapter. Not to get melodramatic, but it has been a time full of new experiences (good or unpleasant), challenges, stress and rainy days (both literally and metaphorically). I have neglected my social life (not that it is a big deal of it anyway) and have decided that sleep is overrated during these last two months...oh, and also...who says you shouldn`t read/watch tutorials/write while you eat/get dressed/try to go to sleep? The gates were opened wide for the information flood.

So, what can I show for these last weeks, considering that the link to the uploaded finished edit will only be available later on? Let`s see what I can do...

Production stills...

A short clip of the team at work :



And, a version of the promotional poster:

...and ACTION!

Shooting Order for ‘Bogdan’

WAVERLEY

9:00 – 9:15

Arrive at Waverley, stash props in 108a, collect kit
  

DICE
9:15 – 9:30

Camera crew to begin set up for first tracking shot.

9:30-9:45

Actors rehearsals and blocking

9:45 – 10:00

Tracking shot (1); (intro)

10:00 – 10.15

            Wide shot (4)

10.15 – 10.30

            MS+CU Bogdan (7/8/8a)

10:30-10.45

            MS/CU Lawyer 5/6)

10:45-11:00

            Pan shot from stairs (9)

            Track shots Lawyer/Bogdan outro (8/9)

            Additional shots?

FOREST TRAM STOP
 11:00-11:15

            Taxis to Forest road tram stop

Ryan and Alan to York office > set decoration > first lighting setup (for shots FACING the window)

11:15-11:30

            Actors rehearsals and blocking

            Camera crew to get additional establishing footage

11:30-11:45

            WS/MS/CU/ECU Bogdan reading

11:45-12:00    

Pan shot Bogdan to trash can

            WS/MS/CU/ECU Bogdan seated at tram stop

           

12:00-12:20

            Tram arrives/departs/full scene establishing shots

12:20-12:30

            All remaining cast and crew to York House for rendezvous

12:30-13:00

            LUNCH

YORK HOUSE OFFICE
 13:00-13:15

            Actor rehearsals and blocking

13:15-13:55

            All shots facing window (initial lighting setup)

13:55-14:35

            All shots facing away from window (switch to second lighting setup)

ALAN HOUSE
 14:35-14:50

            Remaining cast and all crew to final set via taxi

14:50-15:05

            Actor rehearsal and blocking

15:05-15:30

            Bogdan activities round house (tv/food/toilet/read paper/ coffee/cook etc)

15:30-15:45

            Bogdan application form/email

15:45-16:00

            Bogdan email V/O record

16:00-16:30

            Bogdan arrives home from meeting/finds letter

            Reads letter/destroys letter

Unfortunately, we didn`t manage to get all of these shots; a series of unforeseen circumstances meant we had to rethink some of the shots on the go. I suppose this type of unpredictability is part of the job.

Props Lis(z)t!

Props list for Bogdan:

EXT. LEGAL OFFICE. DAY (DICe)

• handbag
• files
• portfolio
• cigarettes/ bottle of water
• folder (for Bogdan)

EXT. DAY. (Tramstop at Forest Field)

• cigarettes
• letter (with school logo)
• watch

INT. LEGAL OFFICE. DAY (York House)

• law books from Boots
• computer (Macs from 207 Wav?)
• desk lamp (?)
• pens
• mug
• files
• stationery
• graduation photos
• picture frame
• pins
• calendar
• diploma
• diary
• airline ticket

INT. APARTMENT. NIGHT

• pictures (son & wife)
• picture frames
• Romanian/English books
• Ro/Eng Dictionary
• chessboard
• stationery
• plate
• knife
• fork
• newspapers
• ironing table
• Rubik`s cube (?)

 

Bogdan - Day 0

Monday, 16th November...alright people, note that date down in your calendars, for you shall look back upon that day as a turning point in the history of mankind. Yes, we have started rehearsing for our uni project, Bogdan...and yes, we have focused today on the exterior shots, which proved to be an initiation rite into the glorious realm of movie making, under a drape of clouds and rain and generally horrible weather. Thinking back to the editing suite...it just warms me up with memories of coziness and hot chocolate. But back to the real world.

Main thing today, we had to relocate for the legal office exterior shot. Reason: the car park at the previous location proved to be too much of a problem, and also, the general feel of the surrounding area felt unconvincing today. We are still near the DICe building, but have moved to another entrance. We feel that the ramp and the rails can be useful for adding depth to the shot, and also, the tracking shots on the ramp that we`ve tried seem to add dynamism to the scene. Duncan has drawn up a shot list for the location, with 2-3 backup angles in case we are unable to get the desired shots in time on the day. As camera operator, I find the opening shot the most difficult, as it involves a tilt, matched by the coming into the scene of Bogdan, and then a track on a diagonal line across the frame, and ending in a pan to follow the lawyer as she catches up with the main character. It is possible of course, but I really need to work on my pace and coordination.

Umar has also been recording some of the sound effects, mainly ambient sound and some footsteps.

The second location for the day was the tram stop at Hyson Green. We talked about various angles we could shoot from but unfortunately couldn`t try them out, because the weather got really bad and we had to be back in time to hand in the equipment (we`ll need to bring some umbrellas for the day). Nevertheless, it might still be a good thing since we managed to get a rough idea of what we want to do.

After this, we had a meeting trying to think about the props for each scene and we will then see who can provide what. Also, we are still having a bit of trouble with the interior office location. We have been looking at some group work rooms in Boots Library, and I will try to talk to someone at York House reception to see if we can get something.