Tuesday 17 June 2014

The Miracle of Crowdfunding: UPDATE #3 - Finding your edge, from here on out (Pete's Masters crowdfunding video/practice filming) (18/06/2014)

Most of what I discuss in this post is just as much prevalent to the cinema documentary, as it is to my Masters campaign video.

Okay, so I had a long think about the video while cycling back to Bristol.

Here's what we'll do...



Filming style

No tripod - it's a pain-in-the-arse and it wastes too much time setting up.

Just do it all handheld - smooth, but slightly edgy.

Email Danny boy again and see if anyone is around on Thursday morning about collecting the rig thing. It might also be worth emailing the Artwork Media main email if Danny is not answering.

The handheld I am talking about is a bit like the video below, but with a bit more smoothness, which is why we need to practice at our handheld camera work. 

I shot this about this time last year for Dan Tapper (it's his final year creative project). The problem was I got to the American Museum (it looks a lot like campus) and I said: 

"I have a tripod and I could very easily make it look like traditional English heritage style video we've seen a hundred times, but I don't want to do that - how the hell do I make this look interesting?"

Have a watch.


I couldn't properly articulate it earlier, but the problem with using the tripod is it makes the image look too polished and rigid and the campaign video is all about getting away from rigid thinking.

Below is a nice little summation of my POV and heavily influenced by Twin peaks


Twin Peaks is a very good model to have in your mind - keep watching it!

Think dutch angles, think avant garde, think high art, think pop art, but don't think academically corporate. 

Another really good example.


I absolutely love this film!

Below are some short random shots I captured on my iPad today. I not really happy about the first one, because I did not really know what I was doing with it, but have a look.



The university has a very traditional English heritage look - how do we make it look untraditional, daring and dynamic?



Finding your edge: the filmmaker's no. 1 asset!

THIS IS IMPORTANT.

Once you are taught all the dos and don'ts it is really easy to do-things-by-the-book and this is why many aspiring filmmakers don't make it and don't keep at it, because by-the-book is not distinctive.

That is what I was trying to do with EYES and while I am still very happy with the final result, it is still not quite everything - the pace needs completely ramping up for one thing and that is what I am going to rectify with this campaign video - bam, bam, bam. 

You only find your edge by getting your hands dirty and trying out different things.

This is why it is so important to have a practical, theoretical and artistic understanding of filmmaking.

You have to find your own edge.

Your micro films will help you to figure this out.

Therefore, in addition to bearing in mind my own preferences, I would encourage you to start experimenting and exploring your own edge in the campaign video and the cinema documentary - all the by-the-book stuff can take care of itself.

And when I say edge, I don't just mean your visual style, I mean package - what is your visual style, what is your attitude, what are your story-centric concerns. Once you have this figured, you have the identity of your filmmaking brand figured. 

The following podcast episode provides a very in-depth discussion of its importance

Rebel Seed Podcast – Film Insights Edition: Package Your Brand + Pitch Presentation
As we need do need some general shots of the university anyway, on one of the filming days why don't we just go around campus for a couple of areas and just grab lots of random footage - you use the DSLR and I'll use my iPad.



Clothing

Also, I do not like what I am wearing - jeans and white top - too simplistic. Image is everything - so I am going to switch to my usual summer gear and invest in a new pair of vans.

What I am wearing at the minute is too bland, it blends too much with the fairly restricted Bath stone colour palette of the university.

I need to wear something that classes with it. 

So it is just as well we did not film much today.

The library stuff is fine though, I am happy with those shots as they are. 



Pete's Bedroom Filming - 19/06/2014 

Leave the tripod and bring everything else.

Get the train to Temple Meads.

Aim to get here between 9 and 10. If you need to be away for 5, we need to make as much of the time we do have!



Campaign video - making of video

I decided that I am also going to edit together a short making of video to accompany the other stuff I put up for the overall campaign. 

I am doing this because it means that I will have another piece of content to leverage the campaign with and it will elaborate on the message of the overall campaign.

It is nothing to complicate in my mind, I am just going to throw together a few bits of footage, out takes and short reflections from my iPad together.

Therefore, do not delete any material! 



Photography and footage - keep everything.


We can discuss storage later, I won't know until I can get in a Mac and see how much space is left on my final year external harddrive.

I will probably have to invest in a new. 

Just keep everything, even the cock-up stuff can be used for something.  



Still images - vital

Also, we need to get lots of stills that I can use for additional leverage.

We can take these inbetween filming with the DSLR and iPad.

Don't let forget.



Today was a good day, I look forward to Thursday

No comments: