Recent Update after even more recent neglect

Another update! I've been so busy in the last couple of weeks that I haven't had the time or the space to update my blog adaquately. However, the heat has gone off a tiny bit so I can update.

If I haven't already said, my film has been submitted with everything coming into place and everything going according to schedule.

The film looks reasonably satisfying, the pace is decent enough and the music is even better than I expected it to be! The funeral scene has to be the best scene in the film hands down, particularly due to the unusual score and the moody photography.

All isn't over however as there is the dilemma as to whether I should colour grade some of the shots I have. This is particularly important since some of it might clash with the funeral scene photos - footage I definitely DON'T want to colour grade.

There is also the problem with the sound. The narration track was shot very much so I could have one for the submission. (More time was taken up by painting in the Devil's tail in each frame so there was little time to devote to narration as other aspects as editing took marginally higher priority.) It's not perfect as Catherine rushed through the narration so much of the dialogue is lost. Coupled with the fact that the sound of passing traffic can be very clearly heard throughout, I have full intention of re-recording the lines. I have booked with Marissa to re-record the narration on Wednesday.

Generally speaking though, I'd be inclined to say that everything is going as planned.


On to Borderlines!

Final Week!

Last week of editing before the deadline...actually the last couple of hours! I've been so busy in the last four days I've had little to absolutely no time to update this recently. However, things have gone well and according to schedule.

Things went a little haphazardly as in the previous week, the availibility of the narrator varied. First I wanted Catherine Whittaker but then she wasn't availible when she said she would be and then when replacing her with Marissa she was availible but then she WASN'T so I asked another individual who then ALSO WASN'T availible and then THE HD CAMERA was being used by everyone (I checked! Trust me!) And then Catherine WAS availible! This was on Tuesday but I eventually did manage to get hold of the camera and shoot the narration. (Partly because I wanted for people to actually see the narrator. I MAY have to reshoot the narrator track just for the sake of framing for widescreen.

However, I've got the shots I wanted, I've got the titles I've wanted, I've got the music I wanted so all in all, everything's coming together as planned. Lack of complacency has done me well to keep things rolling! Despite being worried that I would be without something or other, I've got everything clicking into place as planned!

Now All that's left is to update this and trim the last of the material in the timeline. (plus exporting in quicktime and burning the DVD but that kind of goes without saying) This is still no time for complacency though!

Photo editing finished

Okay, recent developments; err...photo editing has been completed, the tail is in all the shots that it's required to appear in, the eyes of the minion are red as they should be and he has finally got claws.

Now its just a matter of uploading the photos to final cut. However, the real production process that makes me anxious is the process of sound, particularly the music and the narration. Of course I've had sound problems in the past but I'm thinking that maybe I should use the sound system on the HD camera just so I can have some visual references while editing.

Still, things are going to plan and editing should be relatively easy considering that I didn't have to do numerous takes as I would have done normally.

Post production developments

Back again for another update! It's been all go lately I have to say, mainly in the process of editing and adding the Devil's tail into most of the shots. As it's meant to be obviously fake and inconsistent, the movement isn't so I've decided to keep the position of the tail consistent to the previous shot but not identically so it conveys absolutely no movement at all. I'm certain that these shots will be done by the end of this week. In the meantime, there isn't really any point in uploading the shots to final cut until the tail has been added to all the shots I need.

Pickup shots may be another problem. The weather is forecast to be pretty good this weekend which will be in stark contrast to the rain and clouds over the shoot so difficulties lie there! May well have to postpone it until next week. (Though that will have to be the absolute limit as time is most definitely of the essence)

I'm also sorting out the voiceover to do the narration for the film so everything is running in the right direction, its all a question of carrying on!

Now back to the shots!

Main shoot over!

Right! A huge weight off my mind right now! at least 97% of the footage I need has been shot. Working in still photographs has been completely different to almost everything I have done recently. Much simpler for a start considering that I don't have to constantly worry about sound or anything like that. It has got it's downsides however as the blood spitting shot was difficult to capture with a stills camera. I got round that by having the minion character disappear and leave "bloodstains" in its place.

A number of the shots came out as blurry but I think I can make them work in the context of the story. It'll give it more of a sense of movement as well so I recon that it's serendipity in a way. However, I'll need to check that Emily's foot shots have come out relatively clear or else the Devil's tail insertion may be more difficult than I thought. Plus with the fact that I have to keep this fifteen minutes long and cutting out a lot of material may cut down the run time too much.

The shoot started a little bit later than I originally expected (12:40pm) but things went smoothly enough to say the least. Due to the characters having to walk through a muddy field most of the time, it became incredibly problematic. Fortunately, we weren't plagued with problems that threatened to stop the shoot. Emily only used her high heels on the shots she had with her feet. However, it was entirely nessecary for her to walk through some degree of ploughed earth in high heels because that's how the Devil had been characterised and THAT'S EXACTLY the kind of thing I wanted visually.

I had some assistance from other people. Emily's boyfriend David came along as production assistant and both my parents came along to provide food. Both of which I was grateful for to say the least!

The shoot took up most of the afternoon and come the final shots in the cemetary, the light was beginning to fade (About 4:30 pm). I may well come back to the location in order to do a few pickup shots - provided the weather is consistent enough for the sake of continuity - and maybe with a few extras if I can muster them.

All in all, I'm pleased with what I have achieved so far!

New year first post

2010 New Year first post! Now that christmas is over its time to get down to business once more. Dissertation inevitably took priority (involving a lot of nights of disrupted sleep, anxiety and frustration etc etc but got there in the end and now on the home stretch)

Now to crack on with the film and make a good job of it. A lot of snow and it is really a mixed blessing. On one hand, it may well make the shoot incredibly problematic but on the other hand, there is potential for some really good photography. As I have the intentions of shooting it with a stills camera instead of a HD, it allows for further potential and a slightly simpler shoot with fewer technical problems to worry about.

There are two spanners in the works though.

The first one being the fact that the church I originally intended to shoot the funeral scene won't allow it due to association with the Devil. Understandable to a degree but presented a problem as to shooting in a graveyard. However, I have found a fairly derelict one a mile or so away.

The second is extras for the funeral scene. I have had very little luck so far and would very much like to do a few wide shots. (Possibly as a homage to Doctor Zhivago but mainly because of the striking imagery and there will be very little potential for overuse of close up in my opinion.) I won't need many, possibly about ten or so and they'll have to get transport to the location and back. Emily (who'll be playing the Devil) could double up as an extra for the long shots and wide shots and her boyfriend kindly passed on that he would be willing to play an extra. I won't need a huge amount, just enough to make a small crowd. Ten would probably be the minimum but accessability is one of the biggest problems.

At a push I COULD ask some of my former neighbours as I used to live very close to the location but that would be at very short notice so the likelihood of their participation is still fairly low.

I think Dave has already gone to do his shoot today, not sure whether the weather will be a problem for him or not, pity though because I DID offer to help out in some way or other...

six days and counting.

EXCELLENT BLOODY NEWS!
I believe that I now have my She-Devil. It's not entirely certain yet as I'm still to be told whether she'll be able to find time off work on the 16th and 17th. However, things are really beginning to look up!

There are a few things I still have to get hold of. This includes fake blood, a metal detector, someone to play the minion and a few extras of different ages for the funeral scene at the end.

I also still need to schedule the times of the shoot. The first day will take longer obviously (but I wonder if the second would if I'm co-ordinating a lot of extras for the funeral scene) but It might have to be shot a little later as I don't want to get in an argument with churchgoers.

Onwards and upwards!