Planning:Time management Schedule 27/02/14

We have finally found a way to get the recorded tape onto computer, Richard found the firewire plug in his laptop and started editing bits on there, most of it, is done, but sound, and effects still to go. The opening 2 minutes is longer than expected. Its 3:31 and we are trying to cut bits out.

Planning:Time management Schedule 12/02/14

Our final filming session will be taken place on 13^th of February. We will be editing right after it so it would be ready on the 14^th of February for moderating over the half term. We have already started editing our previous recording although a lot of work still needs to be done on Thursday editing the work. We hope all will go well.

Planning:Time management Schedule 07/02/14

We have decided we are going to film the second part of the opening 2 minutes today(First part was filmed on Friday 24^th January 2014, we couldn’t film the whole of it due to the time taken and the school shut). Some of us have free periods during the day and we filmed during. The filming went very smoothly and efficiently, we have gotten another part filmed, and have a little bit to go. I believe Richard will begin to edit the footage this weekend.

Research:Soundtrack - Own Endeavours

From this video I have learned to make my own endeavour:

I thought this was a very effective, up-beat instrumental which would set the pace of the clip very well. Also, the inspirational music will emotionally attach the audience. It will clearly show the protagonist via extended prevalence and it will feature when the main character is walking towards the fight happening in a different so-it-seems.

In this post I will be completing the soundtrack so that we could have a rough cut finished for the deadline.

Screenshot of exporting the finished Soundtrack

I have presented and pulled together to finish the last of the titles and fine tune the editing, despite a power cut halfway through the lesson. I continued my work on the Soundtrack(which fortunately had saved a auto-recovery back-up of the project after the power cut), be matching the soundtrack to the action. I also implemented editing techniques such as changing the pitches of the two sections of the soundtrack; the first part, the piano segment, is now in a lower key to enhance the dark, mysterious atmosphere we intended to create, matching conventions, and the second section is in a slightly higher key to heighten the suspense created by the faster pace of the sequence. I exported the Soundtrack, and we placed it into Final Cut where it would play alongside our sequence. Below is a screenshot of the final timeline of the soundtrack, you can see the multiple tracks and samples that were used in the project (the longer pieces were actually mixed into one layer as originally they were several layers!)



A screenshot of the full timeline of the Rough Cut
Soundtrack

My focus was to begin the titling process and have a rough soundtrack produced. Richard was absent, so I also focused on finalising the titles that we had short-listed in the last lesson and selected the timings and adding the Production Company still that Richard and I created. LiveType was not functioning properly so they used Final Cut to produce some titles and effects using the fonts myself and Richard selected. We did a fantastic job and completed about half of the titles, along with the ending scene where the title is displayed - we produced a very good "typewriter" type effect here that is very effective.

Meanwhile, I was on my own producing a Soundtrack. I had downloaded the editing software Audacity, I placed all the samples I was going to use into the software, and began fine-tuning and editing each track, by adjusting tempo and abbreviating certain areas, as well as isolating particular notes and segments, such as the piano used in the start - the actual score I was working with was from British rock band Bring Me The Horizon's track "And The Snakes Start To Sing" - I isolated an instrumental by removing the vocal frequency, and then used a loop to get a solemn, piano piece. After discussing with the group, we decided to not use a few other samples I had created, and so extended the loops. Next lesson I need to fine-tune this area by adding a synth effect, that I could find online or use production software to create - the desired effect is a synth that builds in a lurch then cuts, to go at the end of each bar. This will also mean that the backing track will have more layers making it more original.



You can see the different tracks clearly, along with where I've added Fade in and out effects to the different tracks. Since this image, the second track has been removed and the tracks have been re-ordered,but this shot shows how I have been producing the Soundtrack so far

I then used my edited abbreviated version of "Pyres of Varanasi", to heighten the pace. I listed timings from the edit to base the soundtrack around, so that it was synchronized with the action, i.e. a large crashing noise is heard as the Shade is first seen. In the next lesson, I need to add the Camera sound effects and loud, low-frequency boom on each flashback/Shade sighting, and fine-tune the end section of the Soundtrack also. Although frustrating to time correctly, the lesson was productive and we made good progress as a whole despite the absence of a group member and can hopefully make more progress next lesson towards completing the rough edit. Richard and I later have figured out that we can get someone more proffesional to do the completed version of this, such as James Richardson, as he can view the final piece and put a soundtrack to it, as mentioned in a previous post, the plan is to get James to help us with the music.

In the following screenshot you will see that I have changed the software I will be using, this is due to me lacking access to an Apple Mac, and found it easier to work on a computer. Here is the final screenshot of my soundtrack project:

 

Planning: Time Management Schedule 03/02/14

We have struggled to meet the deadline day for handing in some of our Research and Planning. This was because the cable for the camera has been broken, and we could not upload our actor interviews, video blogs and we couldn’t begin to edit our opening 2 minutes. This has had a bad impact on us, due to time, we have to catch up on many things. We have ordered a new camera lead but they seller sent the wrong one, and has consumed so much time on top of what we have lost already, we are doing all we can to catch up on the work and therefore we are behind. Hopefully the cable will arrive sometime during this week and we can get to work.

Planning:Animatic Storyboard

Some movies (Shrek and The Matrix, for example) include sample storyboards shot-by-shot sketches drawn to visualise the action of key sequences as bonus material. As I learned these drawings, I have noticed that most frames are remarkably close to the actual shots they predict. Back in Hollywood's glory days, most directors rarely worked with storyboards; however most use them nowadays. Here is our Animatic Storyboard:

Research and planning provisional mark

Name of student: Daniel Malamud

	Done?	Comment/target
RESEARCH
Genre Research and mind-maps	Yes
Uploaded YouTube videos of openings - analysed	Yes	Good detail of comments
Opening titles analysed in detail – font researched	Yes	Could you have used screen shots of the effects you comment on in this post?
Uploaded YouTube videos of similar genre openings analysed in detail	Yes	Good detail of comments
Costume and location research – google earth and pictures you’ve taken.	Yes	Great, detailed comments
Actors and props photos and interviews	Yes	Make sure you get these drafts of the interviews uploaded
Soundtrack research (non-copyright music)	Yes	Record of your own endeavours? It would really show how your research has influenced your own research and planning, and the journey you have undertaken
Audience Research and Profiling (typical audience member and similar films)	Yes
Institution research (Paramount etc)	Yes
Certificate research	Yes
PLANNING
Own film idea brainstorm	Yes
Own film treatment	Yes
Relevant Online Tutorials and Comment	Yes
Documenting of influences on production	Yes
Shot lists	Yes
Consideration  of representation in your film and stereotyping – use theory from G325.	Yes
Questionnaire (and feedback) Get some feedback on your initial ideas!	Yes
Diary of filming/editing etc with photos and screen grabs		You have some drafted, complete them and get them uploaded!
Mood board	?
Script	Yes
Practice titles created and uploaded	Yes
Storyboard – animatic.		Not sure what your draft is – use an animatic storyboard, as it is more level 4 and that’s what you’re aiming for
Time Management Schedule	NO

 

 

Research and planning mark scheme:

 

Level 2

8–11 marks

Planning and research evidence may be partially incomplete;

There is basic research into similar products and a potential target audience;

There is basic organisation of actors, locations, costumes or props;

There is basic work on shotlists, layouts, drafting, scripting or storyboarding;

There is a basic level of care in the presentation of the research and planning;

Time management may not be good.

 

Level 3

12–15 marks

Planning and research evidence will be complete;

There is proficient research into similar products and a potential target audience;

There is proficient organisation of actors, locations, costumes or props;

There is proficient work on shotlists, layouts, drafting, scripting or storyboarding;

There is a good level of care in the presentation of the research and planning;

Time management is good; there is a schedule of filming

There is no animatic storyboard and/or mood board

 

Level 4

16–20 marks

Planning and research evidence will be complete and detailed;

There is excellent research into similar products and a potential target audience;

There is excellent organisation of actors, locations, costumes or props;

There is excellent work on shotlists, layouts, drafting, scripting or storyboarding;

There is an excellent level of care in the presentation of the research and planning;

Time management is excellent.

Research and planning mark      15/20       Level 3

Daniel – once all of the tasks have been complete, your mark will be a level 4 mark