Production Diary: Schedules.

Shoot, shoot, shoot, post, sleep.

I'm sensing an increase in coffee for this one. And as you can tell by the film boards, my storyboarding is low on design, and high on direction. 

A Lesson in Observation.

After dallying in some lighting tests, and arranging everything in the newly MacGyvered studio, I decided to play around with some short captures to see how it all worked together. My Cast were making great shadows on the wall, so I thought I'd try making a quick stop-motion with them.

I was so focused on shooting each frame, and concentrating on the minute movements that I didn't quite catch the faux pas until afterwards when I was looking over the images in post. A simple scene of shaking hands, doesn't turn out as expected....

Lesson learned methinks.

Studio Time.

MacGyvering™ a studio.

Rope - check
Black sheet - check
Cable holders - check
Hammer - check (sans baggy pants)
Surge protector - check
Step ladder - check
Lights - check
Massive pile of recycle stuff waiting to be made into props - check

Production Diary: Storyboards

An initial story outline for Reckless Zen, using Xmind.

The saga with Lighting is on-going and I remind myself that every great film had some drama in its production history. Even if mine is just having the wrong or dead light bulbs and not trying to wrestle a few hundred thousand dollars into a shooting budget from those tight-fisted studio heads.

/shakes fist

I managed to storyboard key scenes today, so not all is lost. Even if the storyboard is badly drawn stick figures and scrawled notes, pencil directions and some squiggly lines - in my mind it all comes together in technicolour and pops! out of the index cards into three-dimensional magic. Good thing I don't have to explain these drawings to a crew.

Looking at the different scenes laid out so far, it does bring two questions to mind:

A. Will it all make sense to the audience?
B. Will it suck?

If I were to be completely honest, I'm more concerned about A, than B. It's one of the reasons I also don't like the "between time". The time between coming up with a great idea, developing it, and actually putting it into action. It's really a small space of time (unless you're arguing for those few thousand dollars from the studio heads... /shakes fist) but it can be so fragile to the overall "vision". The Big Picture of your big picture. I find myself constantly running sequences in my head so they stay fresh, or re-drawing a scene so there are finer details.

But between clutching onto an idea, and adapting it into a story, there's also the technicalities. Making sure that the message remains intact, that the characters arc and aren't dull (which let's face it, mine are a bit wooden...) -- and doing all these things within the right camera angles, using the right lighting, the correct effects, mixing good audio, flawless scenery, dynamic, crisp movement so that the message does remain intact, and the characters do arc and everything doesn't confuse/bore/bounce off the audience.

In my mind all these things are perfect. In reality, they have to appear perfect, and that's the hardest task of all.

Stop Motion, fps, and Pacing.

Where dust and sand (and cat-hair it has to be said) are the biggest enemies of stop-motion, patience is the biggest asset. From just two short (short) films, I'm learning a fair bit about thinking in advance, and how to make something look good. Missing a step can be good or bad, depending on what you're trying to achieve - and lighting does make all the difference...

As promised, a Lego short.






There are a few mistakes - namely shadows, camera woes, and perhaps some off-pacing (especially in the build-up between the walk and the pause at the mailbox). It's all good learning though. I want to get one more play around under my belt before I start filming "Reckless Zen". The next one will involve audio and proper lighting. 
Afterall, working out what not to do now, will save reckless re-filming later on.

Production Diary - Lighting Pt. I

I'm discovering very quickly that one of the biggest enemies to this whole process is sand and dust... and of course, I'm surrounded by it. I suspect a micro-duster of some persuasion will be on the list - something I'll investigate when I pick up some lights tomorrow.

Speaking of lighting.... I thought I would DIY myself a reflector. Only less pretty than the high-falutin' things in professional studios, and more economical - like Free! Behold my "crisplector"!

So the name needs some work. I'll test it out over the course of my short short stop-motion which should go down like a tonne of bricks...

...yes, it involves Lego.

Hello World!

Whilst lighting remains on the agenda, I decided to try a short short short animation test. Taking 3-4seconds of recorded images (the still camera was MIA). This equalled to about 12 still frames. I then shoved them in Final Cut Pro, and edited them (quickly) to wee frames - and hey presto!

The result, our first casting footage:

It's no Steamboat Willy, but it's a start.

Most video clips, tests, random dailies will be uploaded to Vimeo, so watch that space! You can also follow the daily action on Kontain, both brought to you via handy sidebar links.

Coffee break. (It's in their contracts)

Production Diary - Prologue.

My men have arrived, and one of them is a little stiff.