FmP

Filming has taken its toll on the crew (adam and i) specially when its taking sometimes up to 12 hours just to get 400 hundred pictures. This can be either attributed to set disturbance or prepping time taking longer than anticipated. One of the hardest things about stop motion, is when you move your puppets/models you have to be sure your getting it right, because once you move them, you are committed to that move, if you want to go back and redo "a bit" you have to usually re-shoot the entire scene, as it is almost impossible to get the model/puppets back into exactly the same place as they were.
Another time saver, but not..is uploading and editing on the go, meaning less to upload on the start day of editing, but also some time saved. This was initially a good idea, however Final cut's ability to render at fast speeds(cough cough) meant there wasn't really much time saved, other than that of on the uploading of pictures, something i had to be very organised about, insuring all pictures went into the correctly labeled bins, making it easier to locate them, and put them in their correct order.
Working and living in a hot set is a nightmare, and the arrival of a kitten and two cats (cat sitting for a friend) has compromised the working environment, making it difficult to keep the set free of issues, such as camera/puppet, unwanted movements/disturbances.

Major Project

Last week was the final day of filming for Jo C's major project "Journey to expo", travelling to the excel in London for the big finale of Jo's project was very exciting, but I have to admit a little bit of me was dreading it, as cam op for the day, on hand held with the sony xd all day surrounded by thousands of people, some dressed in costume, some not, I opted for not, not only did I have to mange my own safety, but I had navigate the thousands of people in my way, and avoid trampling any costumes, seeing as most people had taken anything up to 6 months to make some of their outfits, avoid tripping over, and keep the camera safe. Hot and stuffy, rammed to the hilt with people, I loved it, the costumes were stunning, and the atmosphere was amazing, everyone was very co-operative, and willing to be on camera. In fact they were some of the nicest people I have come across. My previous filming on this project for the interviews with our contributors meant that I had a good idea of what to expect when they spoke to us again, the only surprise being Alice and Elle who I hadn't met until expo day who turned out to be my personal favourite people to work with, as they were great on camera visually as well as being great talkers.The major challenge of the day for me was trying to keep my shoulder from hurting, as I had my arm in an upright awkward position most of the day. Taking regular breaks helped, otherwise it was just a case of pushing through it and sleeping it off that night, overall a great experience and I was very happy to be a part of it, Jo was very well organised and I didn't have any issues or concerns when working with her..Looking forward to the next expo, as I will be attending, but not working, will be much more fun..

Major project

It's been a while since I last blogged but anyone who knows anything about stop motion will know just how time consuming it can be. My project will be part of a website that I'm launching called Stopping the Motion, the finished piece now titled Midnight Mischief will be as a final demo film to show what can be achieved. The site itself will be an informational site for young adults with an interest in making stop motion, providing useful tips and advice. 

Stop motion is becoming increasingly popular, with new evolving technologies making its appeal in the cinema more so. The birth of stop motion can be credited to Albert E. Smith and J.Stuart Blackton for The Humpty Dumpty Circus (1897), in which a toy circus of acrobats and animals comes to life. How ever the great pioneer of stop motion was Wladysaw Starewicz who animated The Beautiful Lukanida (1910), The Battle of the Stag Beetles(1910), The Ant and the Grasshopper (1911).

Above is an example of early stop motion, this piece is titled The Insects Christmas, it was made in 1913 by the Khanzhonkov Company, and although the person who uploaded it has made some minor changes with the text overlay, and sharpened the film, the actual content of the piece hasn't been changed and is a good example of what stop motion used to look like when compared to today's work, for example

Paranorman is an American 3d stop motion animation comedy horror film produced by Laika, distributed by Focus features and was released on August 17, 2012, when viewing this, it becomes very obvious just how far we have come since the birth of stop motion.

major project

Well as is per usual, i have had a disaster. The change in temperatures over the last week or so has meant that my clay models, despite being non air drying, have become brittle, and now flake apart like cheese strings every time you pose them into different positions. This has meant that the Twits idea is now completely out of question, however i have written a new script, "midnight mischief" still stop motion, using toys etc from my home and bringing them to life at night in my house. Although these problems with stop motion have set me back, they will give me a lot to write about in the report, i have learnt a lot about building skeletons for the models, posing clay models, what kind of clay you can and can't use,how long it takes to make just one model..etc etc etc   The pressures of stop motion do mean that it is important that if your doing this on your own, you keep it simple, as it will save you time and money, as well as looking better in the edit, complicated stop motion really is only possible with a big budget,lots of time, and lots of people. Although i was told i really should be researching the big boys of stop motion such as Nick Aardman etc, I found it more beneficial to research amateurs, because they are on the same budgets as myself, and same constraints with equipment.

I am also on Jo C's project as cam op, and we will be filming at the expo on Sunday, which as much as I'm looking forward to it, I am also concerned about filming around 50,000 people, seeing as I've never done this before, and the health and safety risks to myself could be a problem.. I'm pretty sure Jo C will make sure everything will be properly assessed before we film, but I am still nervous. It will also be a good test run of my cam op skills, as i will be on hand held, on the Sony-xd cam all day, which in itself will present quite a challenge. Sensible shoes, and plenty of water, and probably some chocolate will help.   Fingers crossed...

green screen workshop

Today we spent learning about how to set up for green screen, this included spending time in the studio, working with Kim Brooke setting up lighting, and the green screen itself. Everyone participated in camera operation and presenting in front of the camera. Once we had done this we then had to research an appropriate backdrop for the piece to camera that we were discussing. This is my final piece.

Major project. The Twits.

I have had to change tact, and i am now adapting Roald Dahl's The Twits into a stop motion piece.
For those who don't know the story, its a short story about a married couple who are awful to each other and everyone/thing around them. They keep a family of monkey's in their garden that they train to stand on their heads all of the time. The main plot features around the twits and their monkeys, and the roly poly bird. The twits like to eat bird pie by catching birds on their glue smeared tree, the monkeys try and warn the birds and fail, then the roly poly bird turns up, and with his help they manage to save the birds, free themselves, and get revenge on the twits.

 So far i have managed to source all of my materials, sculpt nearly all of the characters, transcribe the story into script form, sew costumes for the characters, although the monkeys don't need costumes. I just have a few things left to do and I'm ready. I have worked out i will need to take a minimum of 2700 pictures. thats 90 pictures per hour spread over 30 hours, this is at the frame rate 3 pictures per sec, of course i can double these numbers if i need to, making it up to 6 fps.. This is still viable, and within time frame we have been given, it will just require strict timetabling.

Major project. sculpting....

As you can see, when making the models for stop motion, you need to build a skeleton first on which to model the clay, so that they can be moved easily. I had to look for a tutorial on youtube to find the correct method for making the skeletons. Above we have Mr Twit, and Mrs Twit, and the Roly poly bird, i have since made the monkey's and clothes for Mr Twit. The body's for Mr and Mrs Twit don't have to be perfect as they will be disguised by their clothing, so i can get away with not being the best sculptor.

WBL..the final edit

I have finally finished the commission, the edit was tricky, due to the voice over not being long enough. After speaking with the client about this we decided we had 2 choices, either make the film shorter slightly, or add more V/O. The client decided he didn't want more V/O as he felt he had enough on there and thought more V/O would spoil it, so we agreed to a slightly shorter film.  This was i feel the wiser choice, as i felt the film was a little long for a fitness demo vid anyway. i have shown the finished piece to my client and he is happy with the end result. Upon reflection i feel there were some things i could have done better during this commission, one, make sure i do better recces, as i encountered several problems at the second location, ie, the location of the power source for my lighting, and also the confined space i was working in. Also although i was relatively organised with my time and shooting schedule, i feel i could have been more organised, because there were times when i found it difficult getting all of my contributors together in the same place at the same time.
I feel i have learnt more about the fitness industry and how it has progressed, and how marketing , branding and advertising have a big impact on this industry, now more than ever since the London olympics.  I have enjoyed working on this commission, but to be honest it has been a lot to take on by myself, on top of my major project. Managing myself and time has been a whole new challenge in itself. I have discovered I'am still torn between editing and camera operation as a career path because i thoroughly enjoy both so much, so in that respect it was nice to be able to do both for the commission.

Major project- research

Must see's for research purposes only, of course...

Major project-changes

So far i have managed to get together all of my materials required for a stop motion project, this includes..
Sculpey clay (very expensive)
Cardboard
Paints and brushes
Camera 1100 d cannon
Bendy metal (for skeletons of models)
Set space

As you see there is a fair bit required and this is just for a basic set up, if i was doing anything more complicated, ie a Nick Aardman style piece, i would need a lot more materials, and larger quantities of the materials i already have.
There has been a change to the stories i was planning on scripting due to technical issues as well as visual problems. So this afternoon i am raiding my daughter's book collection to look for short stories that will fill the criteria.
The website i am putting together to host this project, is being done through weebly.com as it is relatively easy to use and is a basic template for website building, i did however take a couple days out to learn some HTML5 code so that i could understand the basic principles behind building a website from scratch. I found this helpful, but unfortunately i don't have time to learn HTML5 or construct a site from scratch.
I am planning a trip to the cinema soon to watch ParaNorman as part of my research on stop motion, just to see how far it has come along since its birth, and what can be achieved now with the latest technologies.

WBL- editing

The edit is going well, however after getting the voice-over last night from Lance, i have discovered that there is a minor problem. Either we need   at 3 mins there are to big a gaps between V/O. Meaning the visuals look lonely, despite the backing track. The backing track has also been changed, as it wasn't really setting the right tone for the piece. I have changed it for Katy Perry's wide awake, the instrumental version. This flows much more nicely than Kelly Rowland's Motivation and sets a more upbeat tone to the visuals. I am far happier with this, and so is Lance.  For Lance to understand what i am trying to achieve i had to show him the motivational fitness video by @adamwontlose, as this is the style i am aiming for as it appeals to the younger generation, and also is very glossy and gripping, and at 3:30 mins long it has to be. I am having further discussions with Lance later today re the edit and duration of the piece.

WBL- Editing

I have started editing, and I think i have found my backing track already for the piece, its called Motivation by Kelly Rowland, i am only using the instrumental though, as i don't want the lyrics to interfere with my voice over. So far it is going well, and i aim to finish by the weekend, hopefully..

WBL- filming-editing-virgin crashes again...!

It has been a couple of days since i was last on here. Partly because my internet wasn't working because Virgin had a fault and also because I have been busy filming my commission, which has been very difficult with the weather we have been having. Planning ahead before going out on a shoot is absolutely essential, thankfully i had planned exactly what i wanted to shoot and where, which meant it was just a case of protecting my equipment with waterproofs. So after a quick trip to the campus store for a tripod and lighting kit i was all set. I managed to get all of the shots i wanted, plus a few extras that were decided upon on the day, these were extra exercises that lance wanted to include. Shooting in Mote park was harder than at Tunbridge Wells, as i had to think about other park users who were not only curious about what i was doing, but also making noise and getting into shot, chasing their dogs etc...At least at Tunbridge Wells i had only lighting issues to contend with.
All thats left is to pick up the audio which will be a voice over from Lance, which will be done this week, after we have agreed on a final script.

WBL Filming

Today was all go, due to a break in the weather, we took the risk of filming today at Mote park the first half of the video. I had been lucky enough to find two fitness fanatics over the weekend who were prepared to be in the video. I hadn't yet heard back from the council about filming permissions, however I decided to take my UCA ID, and would explain myself if i was questioned at all by anyone. Filming today would have been worse if i needed audio, as it was exceptionally windy, making filming difficult enough. Due to the risk of rain i took my umbrella and rain mac, the brolli was for the camera.
My actors were very enthusiastic considering the conditions they were going to be working in, and despite the wet grass, and wind they were doing burpies, press ups, squats, and sit ups. i got nearly everything i needed on the first or second take, i think this was mainly because the actors didn't want to be hanging around in the weather, so were making a big effort to get it right first time. I have more filming to do tomorrow around the Tunbridge Wells area with just Lance, I just hope tomorrow goes as well as today, as there wont be another opportunity to film just Lance for another week. After the filming I will be starting the edit, aiming to pick up the voice over next week, as we still haven't agreed on the script for that yet.

WBL discussions

After some lengthy discussions with Lance about what he wants in his video, and showing him my storyboard and research, we both agreed on my idea. Lance training, cutting back and forth between Lance training on his own, and him training clients, with a voice over, which will be a motivational speech and explanation of what he does. A music track playing throughout in the background, something bouncy and lifting. Thankfully I own a camera i can shoot this on now, without having to come in and book out from the studios making this project a lot easier.

WBL visuals.

The majority of pictures or videos associated with fitness tend to be very glossy. After speaking with Lance, he has stated he wants his video to have a similar look, and although he doesn't want to alienate anyone, he does want to attract a younger client, as at the moment his clients tend to be the 30 plus woman.

WBL update

Albeit a little rough, this is my storyboard for my commission.

WBL update

I have been given the go ahead from Simon, so its all go now. I have managed to find some fitness fanatics who are prepared to be in the video, and being fitness fanatics they already know a lot of the techniques for the exercises that they will be participating in. I have started to put together a storyboard, after having a long discussion with Lance about what he wants in his video. The majority of the filming will be done at Mote park, with some being done at his home gym in Tunbridge Wells. We also discussed whether or not to do a piece to camera or voice over and both agreed it would be better to have Lance doing a voice over as it would be more aesthetically pleasing. I am hoping to start filming before the end of the week. I just need to get permission from Maidstone council to film at Mote park first, I don't anticipate any issues with the permission though.

WBL update.

Lance has been in touch today to let me know that he has returned the health and safety forms, completed. Also he wants me to find actors for the video as his clients are camera shy, it shouldn't be a problem, as i know a few fitness fanatics. We are hopefully (if simon approves the health and safety) are going to be siting down this wk for a meeting regarding the filming schedule, I have already started to put together some ideas about what to have in the vid.

WBL research

I found this on youtube, its a motivational fitness video, and is very well shot, glossy and has the same feel as what I would like to shoot. I intend to show this video to Lance, with the intention of shooting something similar ..

Work based learning

Unfortunately the commission I was planning on doing for the church has fallen through. This is due to the start and end dates for filming clash very badly with the deadline dates. So I have approached a fitness instructor who is looking to expand his business, and wants to produce a video for his website that he working on. The video would be a demo to show what he does, and to help him reach a wider audience. Basically advertising. At the moment I am just waiting for the health and safety to go through, and then I can start timetabling my time, and putting together a schedule..

Major project, update

Well here is Didi, haven't finished her feet, but this is a proto type. I have discovered plasticine is horrid for making models, its not strong enough, it melts, and it is very messy, (I still have black under my nails) but this is the first time I have ever made figures for stop motion. I am investing in some proper modelling clay asap. However not bad for a first go, and it only took an hour and fifteen to make her.
The other news is that, after re reading Neil Gaimen's novel again, I have decided that it is a little sterile, so what I will be doing is taking 3 short stories from his Smoke and Mirrors book, (which is a collection of short stories) and using them instead. It was building Didi that made me realise, that stop motion  is a little too animated for "Death the high cost of living" and so was a worthwhile exercise, saving me time and energy. I still intend to do stop motion, just different stories..

Major Project, update

I took a trip to toys r us yesterday, and it has become very clear that Barbie dolls may not be quite malleable enough, however I am making plasticine heads today, firstly to see how easy it is, and also to see if they look aesthetically ok for the camera, I aim to make the bodies later.. Going to visit the supermarkets this week and beg for cardboard boxes so that I can start making my set.

work based learning, update.

The vicar, Peter Harwood has been in touch, he is very interested and excited about the idea of producing a video for the Alpha course, still currently trying to secure the commission as due to Peter's busy schedule we need to make sure this is logistically possible, however time is running out, and this is becoming more urgent.

Major project

Basically I am hoping to do a fiction adaptation of Neil Gaimen's graphic novel "Death the high cost of living". I am hoping to do this as a stop motion piece, and I have asked Jo to come on board as my animation advisor, as she has already done some stop motion and knows what it entails.I would ask her to be more involved but unfortunately due to all of her commitments I wouldn't want to put Jo under anymore pressure.. I have also already been in touch with Neil Gaimen via twitter to ask his permission to do this, however he told me he doesn't own the rights to that novel. It would appear though that as a student, I don't need permission,so long as I acknowledge himself and the copyright holder, don't infringe on the copyright, or benefit financially from it.
I am now on the hunt again for barbie dolls, and will be building a mini set in my spare bedroom in my spare time over the next couple of weeks,so lots of cardboard will be needed..
Should be fun..

work based learning

Well after what seems forever, we are back at uni. So its time to blog again.. I have found a commission, hopefully, I need to check with Simon first if its ok, and Im waiting to hear back from them first.. Basically a church I know, run whats called an Alpha course, its a course to attract people usually younger people to the church and give them an insight into what Christianity is about, however they are struggling a little to attract numbers and I am in negotiations with the head vicar?? I think thats it, about doing a promotional video for them to help them attract more people and show them what the course is about.
I should know more after the weekend..
Thats the summarised version.. Full version of this to follow if all goes well..

As-live

Record day.... Well what can i say, overall i think it went really well, the audience was brilliant, we wrapped up in less time than we planned for, I didn't knock into anyone with my dolly, everyone was working very hard. The bands played well and everyone managed to work together on the day without any major issues. The studio was very hot under the lights, but the set looked amazing, by the afternoon it really started to feel like we were on a professional production shoot, and no longer just students. The main problem the camera ops and their assistants suffered from was lower back pain, for which i had brought in some pain relief. This was a god send, as I'm not sure I would have made it through the day without it, as the dress rehearsal had already made my back sore and on the record day it was more demanding. Plenty of sleep and rest and food the night before the record day was absolutely essential.
I'm glad its done now, and I cant wait to see the final piece, which Jo and Dan are currently editing. This was a very demanding and enjoyable module, and although at times we were all very stressed out I think the final piece will be worth all the work and effort that has gone into it.

As-live....Rehearsals

Practice, practice and more practice... yes I had to practice a lot, as senior cam op, not only do I need to be seen setting an example, but also I have to know what Im doing, or how else am I supposed to be able to help anyone else? I had to learn how to operate a camera that was on a dolly, so that the director could have tracking shots, and lots of movement in my shots.. This was particularly difficult as the dolly's wheels were castor wheels, similar to that of a shopping trolley, so when I was changing direction the wheels were constantly fighting against me and trying to turn the other way. The rehearsals went ok, and as they went on my movements became smoother, specially once i had changed one of the wheels over for one that was working properly. I had one incident, where my dolly's wheels caught on the cable of light, which resulted in the light crashing into my leg and breaking, and leaving me bruised.. Other than that, there weren't any other incidents for myself, but the rehearsal did make me very aware of how important it is to be on your guard and watch out for cables, not forgetting that on the record day we would have a live audience in, who i would have to manoeuvre around. My cable basher was going to have a hard job, trying to mange my cable and making sure i didn't bump into people.

As-live

My other role, was as part of the VT team, and I worked alongside Maddie to put together the VT day jobs, with Standing on Giants. This included putting together a shot list, a shooting schedule and script, as well as adhering to health and safety. We had some difficulties with this VT as the band members don't live locally and it wasn't easy to get them all together in one place at the same time for filming, so we had a fair bit of travelling to do,not to mention tweaking of the schedule.
For filming in the bookies where Daryl (band member) worked, it required permission from the William Hill press office, which was again difficult to obtain, as the director at the PO wasn't the best of communicators. The research was probably the easiest section, as it mainly required getting to know the band and their background, and listening to their music. The shoots themselves went smoothly enough, the main issues we had were with band members looking at the camera when they were being filmed, and making sure nobody tripped over cables. Lighting was another problem when we were filming at the old granary studios, as it wasn't  particularly well lit, so we had to bring along our lighting kit. Overall we enjoyed putting together this VT and although it was at times hard work and logistically a pain in the rear, we did it.

aslive

My on the day role was senior camera operative.
 Work activities vary greatly depending on the type of programme,  However, generally typical work activities include:
assembling, preparing and setting up equipment prior to filming, which may include tripods, monitors, cables and leads, and headphones;


Offering advice on how best to shoot a scene, explaining the visual impact created by particular shots;


Planning shots -


Practising the camera moves required for pre-arranged shots


Studying scripts


Finding solutions to technical or other practical problems (for an outside broadcast, for example, the natural light conditions need to be taken into account when setting up shots);


Being prepared to innovate and experiment with ideas


Taking instructions from the director


Working quickly, especially as timing is such an important factor;


Repairing and maintaining equipment;


Demonstrating a good awareness of health and safety issues


Part of the role involves interacting and maintaining good working relationships with other members of the crew and cast, including the director, producer, sound recordists, lighting technicians, actors, presenters and interviewees.

aslive

VT shooting schedule day job.

Date

Time

Equipment Cam Radio mic x2 Tripod

Location Williamhill pettswood

Contact

Picture	Sync	Commentary
Sequence; Daryll in work hanging up his coat getting ready for the day. MS…10 secs	Actual sounds	Daryll you’re the drummer of the band, tell us abit about your day job Daryll: I work in a bookie in Pettswood taking peoples bets all day. Music TBC
Daryll sitting in his booth looking bored CU	Actual sounds	Daryll: It’s not as exciting as Simon’s hobbies but it brings in the money!

VT shooting schedule day job.

Date

Time

Equipment Boom Cam Tripod Mic

Location Rehearsal warehouse

Contact

Picture	Sync	Commentary
Jess outside the rehearsal warehouse M/S 10 Secs	Actual Sounds	Presenter: Ever wondered what the up and coming bands of Kent do when they’re not rehearsing or gigging? I’m here today to talk to some of the members of Standing on Giants to find out more!
Jess walks in to the room, sits down and listens to the band. E/S L/S 20 secs	Actual sounds	Music TBC
Jess talks to the band M/S 10 secs	Actual sounds	Presenter: Hi guys, so we all know you all have busy lives, juggling hobbies, day jobs and being in the band. Simon as the lead singer of the band, what do you do in your spare time when your not song writing?
Cut between M/S and C/U of Simons, reaction shots from Jess	Actual sounds	Simon: Well I mainly teach in a school… but my main hobby is long boarding
M/S Jess piece to camera 5 secs	Actual sounds	So we now know a little bit more about Standing On Giants and what they get up to!

VT shooting schedule day job.

Picture	Sync	Commentary
Sequence of Simon long boarding down a hill Cam attached to front of long board	Actual sounds	Music TBC
Simon long boarding fast down a hill Various shots	Actual sounds	Music TBC

Date

Time

Equipment Cam Tape Mic Tripod

Location

Contact

Some dates and times etc are still to be confirmed.

aslive

Day Job VT Script

In words from studio

Adam walks in front of stage and over to the sofa area to deliver link (bands in background sitting)

And that was Standing on Giants. (Talk to bands) Jess spent some time with you, seeing what you all do, lets take a look...

Q/VT

Picture	Commentry
Jess outside the rehearsal warehouse M/S 10 secs	Presenter: Ever wondered what the up and coming bands of Kent do when their not rehearsing or gigging? I’m here today to talk to some of the members of Standing on Giants to find out more!
Jess walks in to the room, sits down and listens to the band. E/S L/S 20 secs	Music TBC
Jess talks to the band M/S 10 secs	Presenter: Hi guys, so we all know you all have busy lives, juggling hobbies, day jobs and being in the band. Simon as the lead singer of the band, what do you do in your spare time when your not songwriting?
Cut between M/S and C/U of Simons, reaction shots from Jess and sequence of Simon long boarding down a hill 30 secs	Simon: Well I mainly teach in a school… but my main hobby is long boarding…
Jess and Daryll talking 5 secs	Presenter: haha brillant thanks Simon. Daryll you’re the drummer of the band, tell us abit about your day job?
Sequence; Daryll in work hanging up his coat getting ready for the day. 10 secs	Daryll: I work in a bookies in Pettswood taking peoples bets all day. Music TBC
Cut between Daryll sitting in his booth looking bored and Simon long boarding fast down a hill 15 secs	Daryll: It’s not as exciting as Simon’s hobbies but it brings in the money!
M/S Jess piece to camera 5 secs	So we now know a little bit more about Standing On Giants and what they get up to!