Thursday 24 November 2011
Wednesday 9 November 2011
Week 11
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This week I have worked very hard on my lit. review. And I can proudly say my Week 12 Report is now completed. Phew! There's a few loose ends to tide up, howhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifever, in the pre-production, and I have to update my Gantt Chart. The report is due in a week and I still need to review it, check for any errors and make sure all is good.
I have reserarched some techniques such as time lapse and After Effects visual effects such as smoke letters etc. that I will find very useful in Post-production the next trimester. Some of the videos are posted below.
Next week I will have to work on my other two classes as there is a lot of catching up to do.
AFTER EFFECTS
Visual Effect - Text To Smoke
Within my title sequence I will use this technique to achieve my text to disperse into a smoke. See example in this video.
Text Smoke Tutorial
PHOTOGRAPHY TECHNIQUES
Auto Exposure Bracketing
I came across this video on how to do auto exposure bracketing. I am also considering getting the guide to Canon 550D to help me to get the right settings to achive the wanted effect.
Time Lapse Research
This is a great tutorial on Time Lapse Technique by Darren Rowse, which I will find very helpful. Now I will have to buy an intervalometer or timer remote control in order to be able to achieve time lapse photography.
http://www.digital-photography-school.com/how-to-make-a-time-lapse-video-with-your-dslr
See video below:
Time Lapse of Banana
Banana, photographed at 1 frame/hour.
Time acceleration 90000.
This week I have worked very hard on my lit. review. And I can proudly say my Week 12 Report is now completed. Phew! There's a few loose ends to tide up, howhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifever, in the pre-production, and I have to update my Gantt Chart. The report is due in a week and I still need to review it, check for any errors and make sure all is good.
I have reserarched some techniques such as time lapse and After Effects visual effects such as smoke letters etc. that I will find very useful in Post-production the next trimester. Some of the videos are posted below.
Next week I will have to work on my other two classes as there is a lot of catching up to do.
AFTER EFFECTS
Visual Effect - Text To Smoke
Within my title sequence I will use this technique to achieve my text to disperse into a smoke. See example in this video.
Text Smoke Tutorial
PHOTOGRAPHY TECHNIQUES
Auto Exposure Bracketing
I came across this video on how to do auto exposure bracketing. I am also considering getting the guide to Canon 550D to help me to get the right settings to achive the wanted effect.
Time Lapse Research
This is a great tutorial on Time Lapse Technique by Darren Rowse, which I will find very helpful. Now I will have to buy an intervalometer or timer remote control in order to be able to achieve time lapse photography.
http://www.digital-photography-school.com/how-to-make-a-time-lapse-video-with-your-dslr
See video below:
Time Lapse of Banana
Banana, photographed at 1 frame/hour.
Time acceleration 90000.
Week 10
My attention has now been split between trying to finish the report for my Honours project, Digital Imaging project and planning stages of my Motion Graphics project. The stress level is extra high as the deadlines are approaching fast. There’s two weeks now before the research has to be concluded and report handed in. The stress level is almost disabling at this point. I will have to conclude my research this week as I need to turn my full attention to other classes.
By now I have completed most of my literature review. Below is a short summary:
1. I have listened to the recording ‘Pocket Camera’, which introduces filmmakers that use mobile phones to create movies. One woman was recording a documentary which functions as a diary of her ill, elderly mother. It’s all done on mobile phone. Every time she visits her, she records the meeting.
There are shots you can get on mobile phone that you wouldn’t be able to do with a bigger camera because mobile phone is portable and always available, ready for the action. Setting up bigger cameras would take more time and often you wouldn’t want to used it in certain situations. The podcast mentions some of the advantages and disadvantages of using a mobile phone for filming. Some of the disadvantages would be the picture quality, shakiness; and advantages, always available, light, and can be attached easily to places such as exhausts and polls, pets, skateboards etc., where for obvious reasons you would not want to attach your D-SLR.
2. I have also read a few chapters in the book ‘If its purple, someone is gonna die.’ The book describes the role of colour in visual storytelling. The author, Patti Bellantoni, had conducted test with her students. She would ask them to bring an item of certain colour into the class. When the students brought red items they were very chatty, energetic, and hyper. When they brought blue items the students were quiet, passive, and almost lethargic. She concluded colours in film had great effect on emotions and mood of their audiences.
Bellantoni compares the shades of different colours used in various films. She analyses why they were used and whether it was a conscious or subconscious choice as well as what effect it had on the target audience of the particular film
3. I read chapters Cinematic techniques and Composition in the Jeremy Vineyard book ‘Setting up your shots’ I found it very interesting read and the number of images makes the book really worthwhile guide for a beginning cinematographer.
4. Stu Maschwitz: The DV Rebel’s Guide was also worthwhile read; I have paid attention to the pre-production and editing. It contains a great advice for every beginning director who wants to make movies on a small budget.
5. John Alton’s ‘Painting with light ‘is a guide book on how to use lighting in various shots. Correct lighting of a scene can communicate to audience the mood and emotion of the story. Whether it is mystery or comedy, the lighting or luck of it, plays a major role in achieving the mood we are trying to convey. I was particularly interested in the mystery lighting and candle lighting as I plan to use candle light in my opening sequence.
6. I have also watch number of films mentioned in my last blog post, in order to study opening sequences and storytelling, shot composition of the thriller genre.
• Psycho 1960: directed by Alfred Hitchcock (horror)
• Shrooms 2007: Paddy Breathnach (horror)
• Cape Fear 1991: directed by Martin Scoresese (thriller), film
• Cape Fear 1962: directed by J. Lee Thompson (thriller) , film
• Grudge 2004: directed by Takashi Shimizu (horror) , film
• Splice 2009: directed by Vincenzo Natali (thriller, horror, sci-fi), film
7. I have created a very short questionnaire asking ‘What makes a good opening sequence?’ however there is no longer time to send it out and analyse the data. At this point I have only received two responses, which is insufficient to draw any conclusions. It was designed just to give me an idea what each group would select, whether it would be linear story such as Caper Fear with Gregory Peck or VFX. It was designed just to get an idea what a certain audience would prefer. I didn’t have enough time to research it. However my personal conclusion is that most people really don’t pay attention during the opening titles and it’s a shame, perhaps subconsciously they don’t realise how much it brings to a film.
This week I have also written the script, and updated my treatment to include all the information from my research. I still need to tidy up my storyboards.
The following Pre-production documents were drafted:
• Treatment
• Script
• Storyboards
• Shooting Schedule
• Animatic
• Contracts and Permissions documentation
Supervisor Meeting
My supervisor and I discussed the questionnaire design. Richard suggested the Questionnaire needs to be researched and the target audience has to be identified in order to sent the questionnaire on the right people. He said he would have to see the questionnaire I prepared for him to comment on it further. Richard suggested a book 'Visual Story' by Bruce Block to help with my storytelling. Before I left I was lucky to find the book in the library and took it out. Richard and I discussed stop motion animation and how it could help my project. He also checked my blog which was up to date.
By now I have completed most of my literature review. Below is a short summary:
1. I have listened to the recording ‘Pocket Camera’, which introduces filmmakers that use mobile phones to create movies. One woman was recording a documentary which functions as a diary of her ill, elderly mother. It’s all done on mobile phone. Every time she visits her, she records the meeting.
There are shots you can get on mobile phone that you wouldn’t be able to do with a bigger camera because mobile phone is portable and always available, ready for the action. Setting up bigger cameras would take more time and often you wouldn’t want to used it in certain situations. The podcast mentions some of the advantages and disadvantages of using a mobile phone for filming. Some of the disadvantages would be the picture quality, shakiness; and advantages, always available, light, and can be attached easily to places such as exhausts and polls, pets, skateboards etc., where for obvious reasons you would not want to attach your D-SLR.
2. I have also read a few chapters in the book ‘If its purple, someone is gonna die.’ The book describes the role of colour in visual storytelling. The author, Patti Bellantoni, had conducted test with her students. She would ask them to bring an item of certain colour into the class. When the students brought red items they were very chatty, energetic, and hyper. When they brought blue items the students were quiet, passive, and almost lethargic. She concluded colours in film had great effect on emotions and mood of their audiences.
Bellantoni compares the shades of different colours used in various films. She analyses why they were used and whether it was a conscious or subconscious choice as well as what effect it had on the target audience of the particular film
3. I read chapters Cinematic techniques and Composition in the Jeremy Vineyard book ‘Setting up your shots’ I found it very interesting read and the number of images makes the book really worthwhile guide for a beginning cinematographer.
4. Stu Maschwitz: The DV Rebel’s Guide was also worthwhile read; I have paid attention to the pre-production and editing. It contains a great advice for every beginning director who wants to make movies on a small budget.
5. John Alton’s ‘Painting with light ‘is a guide book on how to use lighting in various shots. Correct lighting of a scene can communicate to audience the mood and emotion of the story. Whether it is mystery or comedy, the lighting or luck of it, plays a major role in achieving the mood we are trying to convey. I was particularly interested in the mystery lighting and candle lighting as I plan to use candle light in my opening sequence.
6. I have also watch number of films mentioned in my last blog post, in order to study opening sequences and storytelling, shot composition of the thriller genre.
• Psycho 1960: directed by Alfred Hitchcock (horror)
• Shrooms 2007: Paddy Breathnach (horror)
• Cape Fear 1991: directed by Martin Scoresese (thriller), film
• Cape Fear 1962: directed by J. Lee Thompson (thriller) , film
• Grudge 2004: directed by Takashi Shimizu (horror) , film
• Splice 2009: directed by Vincenzo Natali (thriller, horror, sci-fi), film
7. I have created a very short questionnaire asking ‘What makes a good opening sequence?’ however there is no longer time to send it out and analyse the data. At this point I have only received two responses, which is insufficient to draw any conclusions. It was designed just to give me an idea what each group would select, whether it would be linear story such as Caper Fear with Gregory Peck or VFX. It was designed just to get an idea what a certain audience would prefer. I didn’t have enough time to research it. However my personal conclusion is that most people really don’t pay attention during the opening titles and it’s a shame, perhaps subconsciously they don’t realise how much it brings to a film.
This week I have also written the script, and updated my treatment to include all the information from my research. I still need to tidy up my storyboards.
The following Pre-production documents were drafted:
• Treatment
• Script
• Storyboards
• Shooting Schedule
• Animatic
• Contracts and Permissions documentation
Supervisor Meeting
My supervisor and I discussed the questionnaire design. Richard suggested the Questionnaire needs to be researched and the target audience has to be identified in order to sent the questionnaire on the right people. He said he would have to see the questionnaire I prepared for him to comment on it further. Richard suggested a book 'Visual Story' by Bruce Block to help with my storytelling. Before I left I was lucky to find the book in the library and took it out. Richard and I discussed stop motion animation and how it could help my project. He also checked my blog which was up to date.
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