mikeyonwordress

vimeo

youtube

I was just looking for an example of a dolly construction on a movable track when I came across this edit. I realized when watching it that It’s pretty much what I want to produce for my final piece!
Getting professional shots and high production in sports like rollerblading and skateboarding is still a fresh concept. I love the timelapse, dolly and slow mo shots. High production values just make the subject more appealing to the average viewer. It’s what rollerblading and other smaller action sports need to help people appreciate it.

I will be building one of these tomorrow. It will help me with the freehand shots.

So, in preparation for the weekends filming, on Wednesday when I get the camera out I will be making a tracking system and a stabilizer. This will mean I can play around with the sort of shots I want to achieve and also, if the weather doesn’t work out for me then I will have some back up.

Specialist Project: Set Back

From last weekends filming not going as planned and after a hectic week not really knowing what my project was about and also being ill for a whole day on wednesday, I was to say the least a little set back.
So, with plan B in full motion, I decided to get a camera out for the weekend… I had been taking out the new Z-5′s from the film department with no hassle for the last 2 weekends with no hassle so this weekend I was expecting much the same.
After spending all morning trying to get a form to borrow equipment when I should’ve been at my tutorial with Bob and Amanda, I eventually handed to Tim in the store cupboard and he tells me the cameras have been all booked out for this weekend. NOT IMPRESSED.

After that, I tried to book out a JVC HD camera from the media stores cupboard even though I really hate them. Even they were booked out and I realized I wasn’t going to get a camera out this weekend. Unless, I wanted to film in standard definition. Which, I don’t.
Anyway, after all that, I just went back to film and booked out the a Sony camera for wednesday through till monday.
Basically, I am resting this whole project on next weekend as this weekend was such a fail. I’m going to storyboard everything and do the written evaluation and compile a project file, do all the gantt stuff and evaluation of progress etc. Then it will all be ready for my finished piece. That’s where my downfall has been in previous projects, not keeping up with the written side so when I come to finally rush my practical piece, the theory just doesn’t even have a chance.

As I am planning to do a video presentation, I will also be sorting out a rough guide for this and then filming what I have done so far.
Filming will begin next saturday and I will be doing some back up filming from wednesday to friday to make sure I have something to hand in even if everything goes wrong next saturday.

Modified post 05/12/09

Modified entry:

This post is just about my lack of inspiration after the weekend in Kent, when I tried to film my final piece and it just didn’t work out.
I went through this stage of wanting to build a skatepark in a garage or a bedroom or something. It really made me think about timelapses and how nice they can look… here’s this one I found on Vimeo

Original:

Evaluation for specialist project attempt.

I started off thinking that this project would be a great experience for me as it would determine the nature of my final major project in the new year; and yes, it did exactly that.

I have realized that this is completely the sort of area that is very unreliable and not visually what I was going for at all. Filming competitions is just not ideal. It’s busy, it’s hectic, the lighting inside and the combination of sweat, condensation and smoke from the indoor barbecue mixed with the final ingredient, lack of raw talent; all contributes to a collective of shots that are neither impressive, or visually stimulating.

Sponsers of the event

1.

Here, is an example of some day time filming when we got there.

Daytime long shot.

2.

After dark. This is the best trick! Besides from the terrible angle (I couldn’t get a second closer angle, despite the wide angle lens I brought, due to the cold weather giving the camera condensation problems) – He didn’t even land it! awful.

3.

Here is another example of getting some close shots for atmospheric purposes. Shows issues with lighting. Issue 1. No white lights in the park, therefore all my footage is orange! AND DARK!

So, like I said, there has been much to learn from this. I may have not project, but I do have things I can take away from this experience.

• I realized that this is not good for this project, or my FMP.
• I know that I want to make something that I have control over.
• I know what to expect now from skateparks.
• Filming issues, camera problems and lighting difficulties.

I am trying to stay positive about this experience even though I still have no project from it!

Stuart linked me to this project a few days ago and it has got me really inspired.

I am going to follow this now. It is the right thing for me to do, I can get good controlled shots, combined with my passion. My main concern that I will always be thinking of, and why I think this is the way to go, is that I think because rollerblading doesn’t have that immediate acceptance that skateboarding gets, I will always have to prove that it is something that can be just as astounding and visually amazing.

So in evaluation, if my project is to successfully include my passion, it must be something that can allows outsiders of my sport to look at it without any prejudices.

The other day when I was organizing my specialist project plans for the weekend with Liam, we were discussing how it might be hard to get a sense of the atmosphere from the sort of standard shots that, more than likely, I would have a lot of. So he pointed me in the direction of Phil Peel, a lecturer present at the time of my unscheduled tutorial.

Phil had some great words of wisdom. We watched some of the examples I had put on my earlier blog entries of some good shots and some bad. He told me to go an storyboard my ideas so that I’m not surprised on the day…
Anyway, we got talking about how I didn’t really know what I was doing with direction in terms of career finding moves and he mentioned that I could get some experience in broadcasting and film if I was interested.

Without really considering how busy I was and what I was getting myself in for, I said yes. Just expecting to be doing a bit of filming for the Salisbury turning the Christmas lights on occasion thing the hold every year in the Market Square, where they have loads of fireworks and artists playing on a stage amongst other acts and entertainment. The whole event is filmed live and displayed on a massive projector that is somehow transported there in a massive truck… still seems a bit Mary Poppins to me but that’s the only way I can describe it.
So I filmed Phil asking the public questions like if they liked the fireworks and the show because the council were thinking of ditching it, and it ended up after editing the footage in the back of his car, looking like some south today insight it was absolutely priceless. Farming folk and old people talking about taxes and community spirit, crease!
Just as Phil was close to chopping the footage, I was hurried in to operating one of the three broadcasting cameras supplying the direct feed to the projector. It was pretty intense and totally not what I was expecting. I didn’t have a clue what I was doing and because it was so hectic and loud, they sort of had to just hope that I could figure out what I was even supposed to be doing. So I quickly realized that my commands were coming through the headphones i was given and from there I had to follow shot instructions for filming the band, choir and local Salisbury heroes on stage. Just looking left of the camera and seeing the shot I was currently in control of was pretty overwhelming and I guess although it was hectic and I made some rookie errors throughout the course of the day, it was all in the name of good experience and at least I know what to expect from that sort of line of work now.

I could imagine that it’s pretty satisfying once you actually know what you’re doing. Even I felt pretty happy that I accomplished what I did, so a worth while experience, even if I was to busy to be lending hands.

Made a fair bit of progress today with the project in terms of organizing the weekend for filming. Filled out a project proposal form to take out two Sony HVR-Z5Es and a tripod. The technicians in the film department had some great advice for me and also when speaking to both Liam Birtles and Phil Peel who I both got some interesting points from. In particular, regarding variety of shots i.e. length of shot, stylized focusing to achieve depth of field, lenses, lighting, camera positioning and achieving emotion/capturing the atmosphere of the competition.

Phil seemed to think that two cameras may not be necessary, as I may end up with too much footage. I on the other hand, disagree. I have decided to only book out one tripod so I can assign one camera to that tripod and gain the majority of my inventive shots with and leave the other camera for hand-held operation. I decided after finding out that the university doesn’t supply any extra lenses for the HD video cameras, to just go and buy one as from my testing I realized that some of the panning shots would’ve allowed me to get a better angle with a wider angle lens. Note to self, check when student credit card needs a minimum payment.

I’ve also arranged to help out Phil Peel on Thursday with some filming at an event in Salisbury. I’m not 100% sure what I’ve got myself in to but I think all I have to do is hold the camera steady while he gets clips for a video that will be shown on a large projector. Anyway, it will be good experience for me, something I’ve always tried to avoid…

Back to the project. So the main issue for me that surrounds the creative shots that I will try to somehow achieve, like some of the ones I have done in testing, all require preparation and space. This is something I don’t have enough of but something I will have to deal with and make the best of. It’s made me realize when talking to Liam, I need a backup plan. This could end up looking shit and just like a bunch of random footage chopped together. Although I am hoping that the issues I have had concerning the permissions with filming at the park, will actually end up benefiting me.

I have found out that a company called 3rider tv is covering the event. This either means that they could possibly have a problem with me filming at the event, to maintain exclusivity, which I very much doubt; or, they will take kindly to me using them as it will very much benefit them.

 

About 3Rider TV