NicolaAstleyASMedia

Monday, 9 January 2012

Edited and updated video:

Today in our media lesson, our teacher suggested we use a deeper voice for our voiceover as it would build more tension up, as Tayla's voice was quite girly and soft in contrast, so we edited the voice by deepening the voice over and adding an echo to it.

Saturday, 7 January 2012

Evaluation - references:

References:

Evaluation question 7:

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Evaluation question 6:

Evaluation question 5:

Evaluation question 4:

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Evaluation question 3:

Research sources:

http://www.southdreamz.com/wpcontent/uploads/2008/01/waltdisne-logo.jpg

www.imdb.com

This is our creation of our institution logo which we created
using pixlr.com

Evaluation question 2:

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Evaluation question 1:

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Feedback:

So after we converted the file format to quick movie from Final Cut, Tayla went home and uploaded the video onto youtube. After she had uploaded it onto youtube, we realised there was somehow 4 extra minutes to our video which just consisted of a black screen - trouble again.

So we were debating whether or not to just keep it or cut it at school tomorrow as none of our laptops had Final Cut, so none of us could have cut out the extra 4 minutes...

I tried opening the Final Cut file using iMovie and surprisingly it worked, which was a relief! I then just cut away the extra 4 minute scenes, and uploaded the film sequence straight onto youtube from iMovie.

Opening the file using iMovie

Cutting the extra 4 minutes away

Publishing it on Twitter

Publishing it on Tumblr

Receiving feedback on Twitter - giving us our strengths and weaknesses.

Feedback from Tumblr.

Wednesday, 4 January 2012

Animatics:

Work Completed individually:

Sorry for the lack of updates recently! Anyway, here is a video of the animatics that we created a while ago, which I completely forgot to upload...

Friday, 23 December 2011

Final days of editing:

Work completed individually:

As days were quickly passing by, we had to finish editing ASAP and it was just our luck that Final Cut decided not to let us record a voiceover into our video, so we tried a lot of times before somehow it miraculously worked.

Applications we used:

Final Cut

What we did:

For one of the days, I finished up the credits using LiveType, whilst Tayla and Chloe were cutting the music to piece it into our final piece opening sequence - they were cutting the music straight from Final Cut.
Then, we decided to do the voice over, which was the last thing to do for the editing part and which was also where the trouble started again. Anyhow, it was also resolved last minute, and the voice over was completed!

Conclusion:

I am so glad that we have finally finished editing our opening sequence! I am looking forward to seeing comments from others and guidance which will hopefully help me in the future if I was to film again.

Editing some scenes on Final Cut

Rendering the text on LiveType to export it to Final Cut.

Tuesday, 13 December 2011

Editing day two and three:

Work completed individually:

For days two and three, we were still in the process of editing our two minute video.

Applications used:

Final Cut
Live Type

What we did:

Basically, for the first double lesson, we edited the video, cutting out scenes we didn't want - it was pretty much the same process as the first day.
For the second lesson, I decided to use Live Type - to create the credits on it, I was just experimenting around with it and just seeing what kind of texts the app had.
After playing around with Live Type, I started to create the film title, which included a moving background and interactive texts, which created a nice effect for the film, as this would be eye catching for the audience when watching the film, and not feel bored whilst certain scenes such as the EST shots run through, which can be quite long.
Whilst I was creation the credits on Live Type, Chloe and Tayla were tinting the shots we have filmed as we have together agreed that the atmosphere of the film was quite happy as the lighting in the shots we filmed was quite bright and sunny.

Conclusion:

Considering we only have Wednesday left, we need to try and finish up editing ASAP and in our spare time, do some more editing - Chloe and I went back to the macs suite when we had a free lesson, and imported the Live Type that I had created earlier into our film, we had to change the formatting to an AVI as Final Cut could not read Quickplayer.

Monday, 12 December 2011

Editing day one:

Work completed individually

5/12/11

Basically, for the double period we had, we started to edit using final cut on the macs, I had brought in my laptop for editing using iMovie as I was more familiar with that application in contrast to Final Cut. However, my laptop didn't have the firewire cable connector, so we had to connect it to the school's macs instead.

What we did?

Firstly, we connected the video camera into the macs using a firewire cable, and then opened up Final Cut and imported the video into the application. We then rendered the video.
Well, the whole process of editing today just consisted of cutting out some scenes and putting the shots into an order we wanted them to be in.

Conclusion:

Editing was actually quite stressful but it was also fun at the same time. It was stressful because we kept losing some scenes, and when we did retrieve the scenes, we was not able to render. It was fun though, because we were able to see what we filmed, and cut out scenes we didn't want.

We haven't actually finished editing the video yet, so I'll update the next time we edit!

Wednesday, 7 December 2011

Vlog

Here is our first vlog that we filmed on Monday, at first I had no idea how to upload it onto here, but then I found out, I could just export the video/file out of the "photo booth" and share it on to my youtube account, and then embed it onto here. Anyway, we'll be uploading more vlogs hopefully soon!

Filming day two:

Work completed individually:

On Wednesday (30/11/11), we started filming the final scenes for the "The Black Apple" - we had to leave at lunch as we had to stop filming by 3. Moreover, it is now getting darker early, so we had to film our scenes with natural sunlight, and bright lighting as much as possible!

Equipment we took with us that day:

Video Camera
Tripod
Storyboard sheet
Refreshments
Props - the mirror
Costumes and makeup
Phone - to take pictures

Who was present:

Chloe
Tayla
Annie
Me

What happened on filming day:

Walked to Tayla's house at lunch, in order to film everything by 3
Setted up the cameras and tripod at Tayla's back-garden and carport, Annie did her makeup and got changed etc.
Start shooting the scenes - Annie chucking the mirror, screaming, long shot of the shed and slowly zooming into the window etc.
Just ten minutes before 3, we finished filming - and this was good timing as Annie had to leave at 3 and the natural light was slowly darkening.

Overall thoughts:

In my personal opinion, at first I thought we would definitely not be able to finish filming on time as we it was quite impossible to finish quite a lot of scenes in just under 2 hours! Surprisingly, we did finish filming in time and with time to spare! Thanks to Annie with her great acting skills, she was able to portray the character well and did all her scenes in just one take!
In the future, I think we should be more organised as like how I have mentioned in the other post "Filming day one" and moreover, the ground was a bit uneven which made it difficult to film - so in the future, we should test out the location before filming, making sure filming there will be convinient and easy.
Overall, I thought the filming was more successful in contrast to the first day, as we agreed on most things such as shot angles - low angle or high angle etc. - and Annie was able to shoot her scenes all in just one take!

Tayla's carport

Setting up and preparing to film

Annie applying her "scary" Snow White makeup

Tuesday, 6 December 2011

Animatics part 2:

Work completed individually:

(28/11/11)

As previously said, we started editing the sketches on photoshop, and haven't actually finished. And on wednesday, we actually finished editing the sketches, so we then started using Final Cut.

What application did we use:

Photoshop
Final Cut
Garageband

What we did:

Format the sketches into a JPEG file as Final Cut only reads JPEG files
Import the files into Final Cut
Rearrange the sketches into the order according to our storyboard
Play through the "film" to see how it looks like, and see what needs to be altered and not etc.
Open up Garageband - scanning through possible music that we can use for the film sequence
We decided that we might use music from youtube instead as we thought it would suit the film slightly better, but we still imported the sound tracks from Garageband into Final Cut, just to see how well it goes.
Because we have no access to youtube at school, and as a group we have looked at the music that Tayla had looked through previously, we have chosen to use "Dead Silence", but because we don't have access to youtube at school, or a converter site - converting youtube files to MP3 files in order to import into Final Cut - I had to convert the music at home, using the site: www.snipmp3.com
I saved a copy onto my memorystick, and brought into school, and imported it into Final Cut.

The Result:

We tried using music from both Garageband and youtube, and at the end we prefered the youtube version
The music at the beginning matches well with the scenes, as the music creates a fairytale/fantasy atmosphere, but with a creepy touch to it.
Some cuts were fades and not jump cuts, which is not what we wanted, but we experimented with it, and surprisinly it did look okay, so we might consider using fades and not jump cuts in our final piece.

Overall thoughts:

I liked using Final Cut, as it was a really useful application which will help us when we edit once we have finished all editing
I thought this task was useful as this allowed us to experiment and play around with Final Cut as all of us had no clue on how to use it at all.
In addition, I thought this was useful because it helped give us a brief look in how our final product will look and be like, so this allowed us to change or alter certain parts, if we did not like how it looked in the animatics.
In my opinion, the only negative to this is that we needed more storyboard sketches, to make the animatic look more realistic, as I have just briefly drew sketches for each scene. If I had drawn in more detail and depth, and more sketches per scene, I think we would get a better understanding and look in how the final product will look like.

Screenshot of me converting the files on SNIPMP3

Updates:

Just want to say sorry for the lack of updates this past week, as I had no time to blog, but on the good side, we have finished filming, so therefore we will be hopefully be editing ASAP!
Also, we decided as a group that we will start vlogging as it is a more easier and quicker way to keep everything up to date. We will start vlogging from now on! - First vlog will be up after this!

Wednesday, 30 November 2011

Filming day one:

Work completed individually:

On Thursday, Tayla, Chloe and I started filming some of the scenes for our two minute opening film.

Equipment we took with us that day:

Video camera
Tripod
Props - hazard sign and apples
Makeup & Costume
Money
Refreshments
Storyboard sheet
Phone - to take pictures

Who was present:

Tayla
Chloe
Annie Lock - actress
Ellie Weeks - our friend, who decided to come along with us and do the makeup for Annie, she also looked after our bags whilst we were filming
Me

What happened on the filming day:

We all brought in our stuff for filming on that morning - Tayla brought in the video camera, tripod, the cardigan and headband for the costume, Chloe brought in her makeup, fake blood that she made and hairbrush, and I brought in the hazard sign, storyboard, dress for the costume - I was supposed to bring in a knife for filming, but because of health and safety issues, I ended up not bringing in the knife to school, and in result, there will no longer be the knife scene.
During our free period, Tayla and I walked up to the shops to buy some apples for the filming for later, we brought two packets of apples.
At lunch, we started to prepare for filming - making sure the video camera was fully charged (we should of checked that in the morning..), making sure we had not forgotten something etc.
Annie got changed into the 'Snow White' outfit, and Ellie applied makeup on her and backcombed her hair.
We walked over to the Nicky Line - we changed the location pretty much last minute because we had no transport of getting to Ashridge, and it was getting dark early, so it would have been safer to film in a place near to where we live.
We started filming straight away at about 2pm, and thankfully it was not windy or freezing cold which could have potentially ruined our filming.
At about 4, we finished filming

Overall thoughts:

I thought the filming went well overall, as Annie was able to portray the character Snow White well, she also didn't mind running around barefoot on the muddy ground.
The weather was pretty good that day, it wasn't windy, dark or rainy when we filmed, which didn't delay filming.
We worked well as a group although there were some disagreements in some places, but overall filming went well.
I was glad Ellie was able to come along, as our bags were looked after when we were filming with Annie, and Ellie did Annie's makeup when some of us went over to the Nicky Line to set up the equipments, tripod and video camera.
Lastly, I think we could have been more organised on the filming day, for example, planning on transport to Ashridge - but Nicky Line was a better location in a way as we were still in Hemel and I live only a few minutes by it so we were more familiar with the location, having the props ready - apples, without having to buy them on the filming day, but luckily we had a free lesson that day.