Sound Editing Fun

I have just watched a very helpful tutorial on the Adobe website on how to remove unwanted sound from your audio. I tested it out myself by recording a plane soaring overhead my house kitchen, with the sound of a clock ticking and the background noise also getting in the way. Thanks to the tutorial, I've made a fresh-sounding and authentic aeroplane noise, all by itself.

I'm having trouble uploading the original, unaltered audio files, but here are the two finished versions of the sound of an aeroplane flying overhead, one in a higher pitch than the other.

FMP Progress (or more rather lack of it)

Well I've got a sufficient amount of actors. Now I find myself sitting around and waiting again for each of them to correspond...

FMP Filming At Night

I've just been to see Batman vs Superman (oh man, it was confusing and boring), but this gave me the opportunity to, when heading back home, film the scenery as it is now night-time. In all honesty, these are so much better than filming during the day or late evening with just a simple alteration of exposure and white balance; it feels more like a night setting (because it quite literally is though).

I just hope my actors will be able to stay awake that late.

FMP Sound Editing

This morning I messed about with more of Adobe Premiere Pro's audio effects, and if I'm being honest, they are a lot better than what Audition has to offer. I edited a favourite song of mine using all the various transitions and effects that I found to be incredibly awesome, and I'm sorry if I've ruined "Amethyst" for you. The original, unaltered song can be found here for your pleasure: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B23WWmX-WL4

FMP Film Testing

Luck is heading my way. I feel on track to gathering more actors, as more of the people around me are interested in taking part in my film and like the sound of the idea, especially a good old friend of mine. As I walked home from Ravensbourne, I remembered that I had my camera on me and decided to film a few areas in the night-time style that I discovered (Incandescent White Balance, Low Exposure), to see what it was like. Now I am looking at some video tutorials on how to reduce the noise wind makes when filming. Things are getting on track and April hasn't even started yet. If only the weather wouldn't remain this chaotic...

FMP Filming Preparations

I hope that it won't be as windy as it was this morning when I have to start shooting...

A Revolutionary Discovery

I've just realised that most car headlights are shaped like photo-realistic cartoon eyes.

Now this may come in handy!

I made a thing...

It's not for a project or anything. Just a thought that crossed my mind around a year ago.

FMP Progress: Desperate Times

The project started almost a month ago...the actors who say they want to get involved are still being left hanging...and in turn I just feel the need to carry on searching. SHOOT FACTORY is a website that I've just stumbled across and looks promising. It details domestic locations around the world London that are suitable for filming and photography, so hope still lies ahead. I aim to start shooting by early mid-April, let the crits take their toll, reshoot if needs to be, and then venture into post-production.

FMP Progress: Filming Techniques

This morning I found this really great tutorial on how to shoot night scenes during the day. This has been very helpful because if I actually filmed at night, the film probably wouldn't end up looking very good. I have also been messing around with Adobe Premiere Pro's video adjustments and effects, all of which have proved surprisingly effective.

This also means that I can probably film using my personal camera (and I will save myself the trouble of going to the CLR to rent things out). Although I would very much prefer access to a proper film camera, I guess the limitations will make it look cooler in the end......But let's wait and see!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xt5uH59_kWw

FMP Progress

Today I met up with an actor I'd met on Starnow called Prince David. He was a very enthusiastic guy and even showed me a portfolio of films he'd acted in before. Like the first Rave student I met up with they say they're going to try and seek out other actors and locations.

These are the storyboards in all their entirety, just so in case anyone looks at my blog they can see what kind of film I'm making.

FMP Progress

*Waiting anxiously*

FMP Actor Gathering

This morning I spoke to a graphics student who's interested in acting for my movie. They said they'd try to find a suitable location and even some more friends who might like to take part (they tell me they live in Stratford). And on either Thursday/Friday morning I'm meeting up with a candidate on my Starnow account, which has proved good so far at finding actors.

FMP Prop Research

I've just been searching across the web for my desired props to create the optimum emphasis of my film. This can be a starting point and I feel that I may actually have to head out and buy them physically, because I don't want to order it online and not know how long I have to wait. I will stick these in my sketchbook and annotate them so I can better dictate which is the best.

P.S. - I am more concerned with the value, not the price.

FMP Further Action

I only just found out this morning that we're on Easter break.

So that gives me the perfect excuse to carry out more research. And I'm meeting up with one of my actors tomorrow morning in order to discuss any plans.

FMP Film Storyboards

I managed to complete the storyboards today, and I've already succeeded at luring in one actor for the film. Fingers crossed that I can get more.

Bill Brandt: Photography Influence

Today Seb talked to us about numerous photographers, my favourite being Bill Brandt. I have very fond memories of him when seeking out influence for the Shape & Form project and I really adore the way that he uses high contrast. It has a very bold and graphic feeling to it and would like to be influenced steal from it when thinking about how I handle the cinematography of my film.

FMP Posters

In an attempt to assemble a cast and crew to further help me on my quest to deliver this film, I have designed a couple of posters that should hopefully spark some interest in other filmmakers and actors alike. These are just the demo versions though, and knowing that I will be in Rave on a normal timetable I can get some useful feedback from tutors and students.

FMP New Script Annotated

I have finished the first draft for my new script, which is approximately four pages long. It feels somewhat underdeveloped though and could do with more violence.

FMP: The Ostrich's Dilemma - New Script

I have translated my notes onto paper and am now going to generate a new draft based on these. I think all the past exhibition visits and movie analyses have really helped to expand and elaborate on an already-existing idea and somehow make it feel more exciting and authentic.

FMP Idea Generation

I have taken notes from each of the exhibitions I've been to and the films that I've watched, which should help generate some more ideas. I am also updating my action plan so that my cast and crew that I have yet to gather can get more involved in the making of this film.

FMP Updates: Gallery Visits

The exhibitions I went to today were Performing For The Camera (Tate Modern) and States Of Mind (Wellcome Collection, Euston).

Admittedly both of these exhibitions were very interesting, although they've really done little to inspire me to generate more interesting ideas. Much of the scenarios depicted in Performing For The Camera - my favourites being Leap Into The Void and Anthropometry Of The Blue Period - are very extreme and have been edited well, but I feel like these scenarios are a bit too over-the-top for the message that I'm trying to get across. I do like the way that lighting and shadow were powerfully incorporated into much of the photos, Babette Mangolte's work most notably. I also found Eikoh Hosoe's Kamaitachi and Dance Experience very creative and expressive in the way that he used very minimal elements to achieve a maximum impact. Despite this, I felt in the end that it was a bit too much, but I will try to generate more ideas from it tomorrow.

As its title suggests, the second exhibition I went to really did delve in to the state of the mind. I also liked the style of Louis Dagner's thought photographs. They had a very unique process behind them (pressing unexposed photo plates to a victim's subject's forehead which transmitted images from their minds) which I have a little bit of trouble understanding since Science is my weakest subject, but the idea was cool and has started inspiring me on how to handle the cinematography.

FMP: Further Idea Generation

Taking into account the brutal context of my Final Major Project, I have decided to look back on a viral video that I discovered around a year ago. This video was a fight between a man and a woman on a subway train in New York, and what I find particularly interesting about it is that there was a deep and compelling background to it. There were many moral decisions that the victims and passengers could choose to make or not, and while some decisions made were horrible and violent, you could clearly tell which side was which and who you should really be rooting for. It had both people getting involved to try and break up the fight - uncaring of their own physical wellbeing - and people who just stood back and did nothing to help, the cameraman even chuckling out loud and making inappropriate remarks. It was a gruesome yet compelling spectacle which is why it sticks in my memory and why I think it could serve as a positive influence to my own film.

I have printed out the article from New York Post and underlined what I thought could be interesting plot points to incorporate into my film. You can see the actual fight taking place here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Czb4rImsph0

Gallery Visits: Alec Soth and Crime Museum Uncovered

Yesterday I went to two exhibitions: Gathered Leaves by Alec Soth and The Crime Museum Uncovered at the Museum Of London. I loved them both equally and they have helped to generate more script ideas (and maybe the chance to include some props in my film too).

Alec Soth really manages to give his subjects and settings a personality, primarily through structure and angles. Much of his photos felt real for the way that they captured the feeling of the scenery and made me feel like I knew what was happening, his Minnesota photos most notably.

The Crime Museum was really awesome. It has inspired me to heighten the intensity of the setting in which my film takes place. My favourite artefacts being a knife disguised as lipstick and a kitchen knife disguised as a shotgun. These are all everyday objects being used for villainous purposes, which really makes you feel unsettled that what you're comfortable with can swiftly be used against you. This could be something as simple as a door key or a kitchen knife.