Destined To Be The Sound Man

With the two, "two minute" films we had to make complete we have now started work on the first of our two final year films.

But to start with here is the film that me and my friend Jess made for the second of the "two minute" film projects (really only a 30-60 second project) which was a viral advert for the WOWee One.


Click Here To View HD Version

For this mini film I mixed some Lord Of The Rings music with some dubstep, and since I found it quite fun I decided to finish the track off, which I shall upload soon.

Here is what the client said of our viral advert:

"I loved the visual impact and the choice of music - really stylish and haunting. The technique for showing the sound wave through the screen was great and sums up what the product is all about. This was a really strong contender for the best viral because it was one I watched over and over - almost mesmeric!"

If we had won then we would have got a free WOWee each. But it was still good to get great feedback and know we came very close.

Moving onto the 10 minute film projects now. Myself and Jess pitched our idea for the script we had been working on. However, unfortunately it did not get chosen as one of the seven films to get made. Sadly this means that I have ended up doing sound again. However, I've decided to keep busy and do the sound on two different projects. Along side this I will also have the sound on the feature project to do, so as it seems I will end up being a sound man at least I should have a thoroughly built up portfolio.

But not all hope is lost, as myself and Jess are also working on a Salsa Tutorial video for a client after we were approached. Whilst it's not paid we do get free Salsa lessons! So as I want to go into dance filmmaking it will be very handy actually knowing how to dance a little bit!

That's all for this month, but I do have an extra goody. We had a Q and A with producer Rebecca O'Brien (Sweet Sixteen, Looking For Eric) as part of our course and I happened to record the session on my iPhone so decided to upload it for anyone that wants to listen. You can also download it as well.

Rebecca O'Brien Q and A

Dawn

I've been doing further testing this month with my Canon 550D + Sigma 18-200mm f3.5-6.3 lens. However, I now also have an LCDVF 3:2, Glidetrack Shooter 0.75m and Manfrotto 701HDV. So I've spent quite a lot of money now, hopefully not all for nothing either.

You can see the test I did using all of my kit below and you can also click the link to read about the encoding process/experiments that I did.


Click Here To View HD Version and/or Read About My Encoding Process/Experiments.

The reason I wanted to purchase a camera was for my upcoming dance film. I've met up with the woman whom I've been in contact with, Allie, and she is very enthusiastic about the project. There will be about 4 or 5 dancers in the film, including Allie, who will choreograph themselves, with perhaps a little direction from me. I've also managed to get copyright clearance for the music I wanted to use in the film, which means that I will be able to distribute the film once it is complete.

The aim is to shoot the film near Christmas, however, since I will only be in Cornwall for 2 weeks at Christmas I'm currently wondering whether the film will end up being postponed until summer 2011. Either way, I've managed to get things in motion so am confident that this film will get made.

Got a few projects I'll be working on much sooner though. One of which is a feature film which I will be doing the sound design on. I filmed the auditions on my camera which I found very interesting to do. It really helped me from a directing point as well. Although it seems I'm quite far away from being a director of actors at the moment. Fate seems to be steering me away from dramas, dance films are where I believe I'm headed. I think my best bet for dramas is to wait until I've a few dance films under my belt and then maybe have a go.

I've also been doing more work experience with MyCornwallTV this past week. I did a week's work experience out on location with them last year, however, this year I was mostly editing in the office. I edited a number of Wasson?! videos which are daily updates on what's going on in Cornwall, and are the first videos that come up when you enter the website. I also shot a weeks worth of Wasson?! videos which I believe will air from the 8th to the 14th of September. You will be able to watch the videos here, at mycornwall.tv.

I also did a full day on the live rugby game broadcast which they do, for the Cornish Pirates. It was a home game so was held at Penzance. I ended up cable bashing, which is where I had to run up and down the side of the pitch where one of the camera men is and make sure the the wires running from his camera to the broadcast van don't get tangled, and are kept out of the way so that the camera man can't trip over them. It's a pretty low down job, but it was a great experience being part of a live broadcast, and I feel learnt quite a lot. You can view highlights and will be able to see future broadcasts on their Pirates channel which you can find here.

Here are the latest uploads of the Gang Show, which complete Act 1. Unfortunately due to copyright issues the producer of the show has asked me to make the videos private. But you can access them all with the password, which I have provided.
Password: temp

Act 1 - Part 6: H.S.E?

Click Here To View HD Version

Act 1 - Part 7: Tramps


I've decided to discontinue with my monthly music track simply because I have been and will continue to be very busy. But I've not given up completely so will still be posting tracks here when I have them to post!

Failure Versus Success

I had a lot of failure last month. My script for the 2:30 minute narrative film didn't get chosen and the one I did co-direct turned out quite shit. Then I pitched my 10 minute narrative film which also didn't get chosen. It seems my year group don't like experimental films, something I find quite irritating. Next year we have to pitch our ideas to some people from HBO. Being from a television company I'm guessing they are going to be looking for commercial ideas, not experimental niche market stuff. So it seems I'm screwed next year too and won't actually get to make one of my own ideas/scripts whilst being at university.

The only outside the box thing I've managed to do is Dance Experiment I, which I go more into below. What I would call a success, but only just.

Following up from last months post, here is the soundtrack to Distant Donors composed by my friend Tom Law:

Distant Donors (Soundtrack) - Tom Law

I've finished shooting for Jessie Dyer's short documentary/music video, and am going to start editing it soon, so I can finish it for the end of the month.

I finished work on Waiting Room, which to be honest I've very disappointed with. But you learn from you mistakes so I feel I've learnt a lot.

On the other hand, I am quite proud with how my dance film has turned out. I experimented with camera movement and camera choreography within a screendance in an attempt to make a unique screendance that can not be seen live. Whilst my film could be seen live, you couldn't experience it in the same way, and I feel that the way I have shot the dance definitely improves on it. I did over do it a bit in terms of dancer/camera eye contact, but otherwise I think I've done quite well with the equipment/facilities/dancers available.

The music is actually twice as fast as it should be, because I wanted to slow the film down by 50%. However, since I didn't shoot the film at a higher frame rate, when slowed down by this amount it looked quite horrid. But also in terms of the dance itself, it just lost all its energy. I think they would have to dance twice as fast again and I would have to move the camera twice as fast in order for it to still keep it's energy when slowed down.

I've called the film Dance Experiment I because I'm hoping to make more dance experiments. My next one I am hoping to do after Easter and am thinking about playing with editing for this experiment, and filming a dance that is a cross between tap and flamenco. Seeing as my ideas never seem to get picked, I guess it's up to me to go and do something about it. The only trouble is making an experimental narrative film will take money, something that people on my course won't want to be spending since they will have already spent it on their 10 minute narrative films. Plus after we finish the 10 minute films, everyone will be going home for the summer, so no one will really want to hang around. And people is what I will need in order to create a set for the world my 10 minute experimental narrative film is set in. This is why I want to make Dance Experiment II, because the only people I need to make this film are dancers, who have all expressed a keen interest in doing more dance films.

The 10 minute film I am working on is called Forgotten. Since my idea did not get picked after what I thought was quite a successful pitch I am not directing this film, which has put me on a bit of a downer. But I have taken on the role of cinematographer and been given free reign with how the film is shot. Therefore, I'm going to stamp my mark on this film with my amazing shooting. Or at least that's the plan.

But whilst my 10 minute script, Masque, didn't get chosen I am still hoping to make it one day. Just like all my other ideas I guess. One day success will find me, or rather, I'll find success.