(Un)title(d) sequence part 4

King Tut(orial) part 2

Today has been a fine day...for tuts! I`ve set my eyes on a few things that might make our short-film project look better and I`ve tested two things: blemish removals (especially for close-ups, since we didn`t have a make-up person on the set) and the bleach bypass.

Now, the bleach tutorial  has helped me familiarise with the Luma Matte, but in terms of its effects (the ones I managed to achieve anyway) I am not sure I`m doing a proper job. I find I couldn`t really spot that much of a difference between shots that used it, and those that didn`t (maybe I was too tired). Here is an example that actually demonstrates the effect quite well:

This is the image without the Matte...

This is the image with the Matte...

I`ve noticed that since the lighting, contrast and saturation levels are different from one scene to the other, in order to get an effective matte, one has to take each scene separately and tweak the parameters. I guess that would mean jumping between Premiere and After Effects to treat each sequence.

But let`s get to the piece de resistance! The Bleach bypass has been around for quite a while, being used before the digital switch-over in photo labs. Here are some examples (and I don`t think I need to point out which one`s has bleach bypass applied):

I have also made an overview of the entire footage today, and I`m looking forward to discussing the next editing bits with the group members.

Color-Correct me!

We`ve had a lecture on the use of color in films and while looking up videos related to the topic on Youtube, I just came across this video:

Now, this seemed to answer in part one of the questions I was to ask my tutors, about how you get your footage to LOOK like a film, not just a recording of a scene (of course, I am only talking about the visual aspect here, I know that the cinematic look is achieved through movement, both of actors and camera, sound, lighting and so on). This second video offered a tutorial, and although it was for another editing software, it just made me more aware of what effects I had to resort to in Premiere and After Effects to get a similar result.

This is a first attempt with some of the footage from the camera training we had last year with Bindni:

And here are some screenshots. It is really interesting how you can add to the story, or turn it upside down by tinting, high or low saturation, playing around with the levels.  Even minor changes, such as between the first and second capture, can alter the feel of the movie. The first one is warmer, closer to `reality` in terms of colors, but also, because of this, the viewer may not feel cosy and safe in the belief that (as visually suggested) he is witnessing the happenings of another world that is not his.

Know thy lights!

Just your basic three-point lighting tutorial, to recap some of the things we`ve learned last year.







Some useful ideas, especially the ones about what sort of lighting to use (wide, narrow) depending on the shape of your subject`s face. Also, note to self...adjust the position of your lights for each new angle you will be filming from.



This video demonstrates one of those simple tricks that you can use to figure out how good your lighting really is...really makes you wonder why you haven`t thought about it yourself? I`ve tried the technique out in my room, and it makes it pretty obvious which position of the light is preferable.

The next one deals with film noir style lighting techniques. Really interesting, I`ve been trying to replicate it, but obviously I can`t focus my desk lamp. Focus and intensity of light are essential in film noir, so that the soft, grey shadows are replaced by harsh ones. Shadows are your friends in this case.

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

King Tut(orial)

Yes, well...first week back at uni, still trying to understand what I`ll do this year. Until I figure things out, I`m just trying to go through a few things I`ve heard about today, see if I can get some basic info and a taster/teaser.

So...it seems like I`ll have to invest some serious amount of my time getting my head round ProTools. I`ve found a tutorial series, but of course, it`s going to take more than that.

Also, since I chose Moving Images (previously known as the infamous Audio Visual pathway), I will have to face my greatest fears: working in a team and getting good at communicating my ideas (preferably, in a convincing way)...if that isn`t every (former) Humanities student`s nightmare, I don`t know what is...