Production Diary: Sets.

The only problem with extremely no-low budget, is things ultimately look so much better in your head than in reality. I've been attempting to convince myself that it's a "look" and with enough blather attached to it, I'm sure it could be convincing as a "look". As I approach my final shoot, and start colour correction and balance of a few hundred images, it has become a bit of a mantra.

One thing is for certain, I will definitely be building sets weeks in advance of the next project. Weeks, if not months. Squeezing a five minute stop-motion animation into an eight week time-frame has been overly ambitious, and it has meant cutting some artistic corners...  ...much to my annoyance.

Learning curve, learning curve.

Production Diary: Green Screen, You So Mean.

One of the biggest obstacles in this project (aside from the obvious ones) has been the green screen. Ideally, I should have gone for cardboard for its uniformity and sturdy structure. Instead, I've been using cloth sheets. The main reason, was for lack of table space, hanging a sheet seemed like a better option.

Still, without a 'frame', I'm left with a fair few shadows, and a good thirty to forty minutes rectifying pockets with lighting before I shoot any scene involving green screening. Thankfully, I'll soon be moving away from the green screen and onto... a blue screen! Woo. But also outdoors, where there shall be other obstacles.

Like 'attack birds', strolling cats, heatstroke and pesky things like light temperature.

Learning to Walk.

My Tripod Tragedy meant I was a couple nights behind schedule. In-between some set touch-ups, and rejiggling a scene or two so I can have at least a 5-minute film, I learnt how to walk. Not me personally, I already knew that, but my cast.

Most animations out there aim to shoot at least 24fps (frames-per-second) - that way the movements are fluid, and looks effortless. Me? I'm trying to, but results have a few 'movements' condensed. Mostly due to time constraints, but also, the rather humble camera I'm using. It's a point-n-shoot but then this is a project of "by any means". Or in this case, no means. Still, by moving everything off of auto and manually setting a few things (and adjusting for more camera angles in the storyboard, to compensate a lack of lenses and depth-of-field problems) I think it'll be okay.

I think. Too late now anyway!

It does mean I won't be able to try out Dragon, which convinced me through one tutorial that it was a great programme. Maybe next time.

So here's some of the "learning to walk" process. It shows a level of progression, methinks... and possibly a drunken stumble. A 'brisk walk' has been developed; along with a casual thinking stroll. But this is more entertaining....

I've named them: "stumbling out of pub"; "I forgot my keys" and "pebble in shoe".

Production Diary: The Studio.

A late entry on this one.

The Studio was finished late last week. In "technicality" it is a strategically placed black sheet covering an alcove. In "design" it is a strategically placed black curtain (sheet), providing an alcove with suitable conditions for green-screening, filming, and lighting arrangements.

I tested out the green-screen (sheet) and I really want to splurge on a proper frame for it to make it all super-flat and perfect. At the moment it has some shadowing (sans lighting set-up) so hopefully that won't be too much of an issue.

If I manage to finish the "Oceans" set, then we can do a test shoot this evening, and I'll grab some stills of the studio "in action"!