Yourmemphistakeone

So now I'm going to be the one acting in the video.  I'm going to have approx. 75+ shots dealing with all different kinds of things in Memphis.  For each thing, I'll stand in front of or next to the object and yell-  WE GOT...

A River

Beale Street 

Minor League Baseball Team

The Fedex Forum

A Denny's

A Metals Museum

Gus's Fried Chicken

Big Houses

Little Houses

Bridges

A McDonald's

A Library

A Home Depot

Circle K

Pawn Shops

Used Cars

A Target

Sushi 

A Bike Shop

A Blockbuster

A Post Office

Subway

Radioshack

A Movie Theater

Papa John's

Sun Studio

Parks

A Central BBQ

A Bowling Alley 

An Applebee's

Panda's

An Office Max

A Mall

Churches

A Schnucks

Trains

A Laundromat

The Full Moon Club

The Lamp Lighter

A Taco Bell

A Fire Department

Cell Phone Stores

Liquor Stores

Golf

Cemeteries

A Music Store

Schools

The P and H Cafe

A Guitar Store

No Traffic

Billboards

Kids

Teenagers 

Middle Aged People

Old People

Germantown

Shoe Stores

A Place to Get Your Hair Cut

A Hancock Fabrics

Big Trees

Cats

Dogs

Elvis?

I'll be wearing my 3 dollar suit, so I'll look legit.  I'm thinking this might take 2 days of shooting.  I'm sure once we are on location, there will be a lot more places I'll want to shoot in front of.  I think the crew will be small because I will only need a camera man.

Yourmemphistakeone Idea

I plan on doing between 50 and 100 shots at different locations around the Memphis area.  These places will be specific to Memphis along with others that can be found in any city.  I will have the same actor in each shot and each shot will be approximately 3-5 seconds in length.  The entire  video will be between 2 and 3 minutes in length. The actor will be wearing Memphis apparel to show their love of the city.  Each shot will consist of the actor saying, "We got..." followed by whatever place or structure they are standing in front of.  I plan on using locations such as McDonalds, which can be found in any city, along with places like Beale street, which is specific to this area.  I think the video will have a humorous undertone by mixing both types of places. (And I hope the real estate people have some kind of a sense of humor.)  

Instructed Confusion

This is my latest video project.  It deals with the frustration of trying to follow instructions while working with someone who doesn't want to follow instructions.

Crazy write up about my upcoming video

I'm wanting to shoot my video earlier than I had initially planned.  I think editing is going to take up quite a lot of time.  I'm going to contact my actors and see if I can move the shoot date up.  I am looking forward to shooting this video, probably more than any I've done so far.  Working on Dwayne's video was fun and I hope shooting mine will be too.  At first I thought editing was going to be really difficult, but I think it's going to be pretty easy.  I'm intending for the video to feel very confusing so the stranger the better.  

I VOTED EARLY!!!

This is the picture I took with my cell phone of my ballot.  Actually it's a picture of the picture that I took with my cell phone.  I wasn't sure if I was supposed to take any pictures but I did anyway.  OBAMA.

Write Up for Dwayne's shoot

Dwayne's video shoot was really simple as far as crewing.  We framed the shot and used all natural lighting.  Once Dwayne got in 'character' we began recording and pretty much just did one continuous shot until he felt he was satisfied with the performance.  We took several photos before, during, and after the shoot.  I feel like this project ran quite smoothly.  Although it was a little strange to watch Dwayne sitting in the back of his truck smoking a cigar and drinking beer in his underwear.

second sound/lighting test

Sound test/ Battery removal

Sound and lighting test

Images for production package

Electrical

Lighting

I got these guys to stand in for my test shoot since my actors were unavailable.





I will have plenty of lighting for every shot.  Multiple windows for natural light and lots of overhead/electrical light is available.  The fuse box is in the basement and the basement was really creepy so hopefully I won't have to mess with it.

During the sound test I noticed the clock was ticking very loudly so I will have to remove the battery or just remove the clock altogether.  There was a little noise form the street, but because I'm going to be using multiple jump cuts I think any sounds will just add to the confusion.

I plan on doing one long shot and just moving around the room to capture multiple angles.  Editing is going to be key in this project.

Proposal for Instructed Confusion

I would like to make a digital video about the frustrations of following instructions while assembling equipment.  The working title is, Instructed Confusion.  It will be approximately three to five minutes in length.  This piece will display two people struggling to work together to assemble a steel-shelving unit. 

The charters in this video will display emotions that most people feel while trying to assemble something with ‘less than exact’ directions.  Some of these feelings are anger, confusion, and impatience. This piece is meant to get an uncomfortable reaction from the audience.  Most likely, people will relate to the frustration and see the humor in watching other people struggle at a seemingly simple task. 

In the video, one character will logically try to follow the instructions that come with the materials while the other character immediately begins assembling.  However, the second character has no idea what they are doing and ends up failing repeatedly.  This drives both characters crazy to the point of physical anger.

The first character gives up out of frustration and the second character angrily demands the assistance of the other.  Eventually the first character reluctantly comes back, but the animosity is still looming.  Many trials and failures cause both characters to give up on the project, and come back to it another day.

 I intend on using jump cuts throughout the entire video.  This will give the viewer a sense of confusion; similar to the confusion the charters are dealing with.  Many of the shots will display irrational, violent reactions.  The shots will be very brief and difficult to understand.  Eventually, the viewer will comprehend what the characters are trying to do.  They will see the frustration in the characters and begin to feel it themselves.

This video will be targeted to anyone who has ever tried to assemble something by following confusing instructions. It will also be directed toward anyone that has issues with following instructions as well as working with other people to solve problems.  The video will be displayed in art galleries and film festivals. 

Ideas for next video

1.  I want to show people interacting, but I want it to be composed entirely of jump cuts.  It will be similar to the scene in Julian Donkey Boy where Julian and his brother are fighting in the kitchen and Julian makes his brother eat some shitty looking bacon.  This will deal with people trying to understand instructions for assembling something but are completely confused and the jump cuts will add to the confusion. 

2.  In this video I will be making a cup of tea.  I will be dropping the tea-bag over and over continuously for 5 minutes.  The sounds will consist of plopping and heavy breathing.

3.  In this video sound will be the only element up until the end.  The sounds will be indiscernible and will only be understood when the image is revealed at the end.  

Lunanova write up

This video deals with human dependancy on other people and technology.  It displays an isolated modern man hunched over a television.  He's wearing a suvival blanket in hopes that he will be rescued.  We soon realize he is focused on white noiose on the TV screen and quickly retreat from the figure because he has obviously gone a little nutty.

I really enjoyed using music in this video.  I think it gives the video a dramatic quality.  However, it could have really turned out cheesy if I had the wrong transitions.  I would like to try and use more sound in my work, but I'm sure it's really difficult to choose or to actually create music for certain videos.  

Lunanova Project Video

How To...

VP Debate Extra Credit

The lighting on both candidates as well as the moderator looked flooded, but not too bright.  They were all back lit and their faces looked equally bright on both sides.  There were very little shadows under their chins so I guess they were well lit in that sense.  The break up of shadows on the walls behind the candidates made the figures stand out from the background.  The US flag was really small and dimly lit above the moderator, which looked sort of cheap.

All three people were centered in the shots.  There were also many different camera angles.  Many of the shots that displayed both candidates were over the shoulder shots.  These shots also zoomed in and out a few times.  It seemed like very straightforward filming with very little action.

New Idea for Luna Nova Video

I want to start with a pan shot from left to right and stop on the figure and the TV.  The TV will only display fuzz.  The figures eyes will be fixed on the TV with little to no motion.  I've thought about having close ups on the figures face and close ups on the TV, but I'm not certain what will work yet so I plan on shooting lots of different angles.

I'm still going to use the same piece of music.  I've decided to portray one of my other painting/drawings.  This one focuses more on dependency on technology and looking to other people for answers.  It also deals with isolation and uncertainty of what to do in dire situations. 

LunaNova music and storyboard

http://lunanova.org/2008audio/combustion2.mp3

I am going to try and make a video that represents one of my painting/drawings.  I have a rough storyboard, but it might change depending on the feedback.  I might use more zooming than initially thought.

I (or the person I get to act in this) will be wearing a black suit and covered with an orange survival blanket.  

The idea of showing someone trying to light a fire in a white room is weird.  I think it will hint at the absurdity of trying to perform basic survival techniques without actually having to go out in the wilderness.  Also, not even using basic survival skills.  They will be completely dependent on technology.

Write up for Instructional Video

After finding the best shot of me yelling, "Hey, you wanna buy a chicken?" I tried to find the perfect point to loop.  This proved to be quite difficult.  I began by looking for a spot where I was standing completely still.  That was out of the question.  I wasn't standing in the exact same position at the end of the shot as I was at the beginning, so I started scrolling through the clip to find a spot where I was in motion.  After about 5 hours of going back and fourth I finally found a pretty decent connection.  I'm not going to say where the loop begins and ends, because that's all you will see if I tell you where it is.

Editing seems pretty confusing after first but once you get the hang of it and remember what all the buttons do it starts to flow pretty naturally.  I would like to try and make a piece similar to one of Martin Arnold's videos, but I'm sure that stuff is way beyond my skill level at this point.  I'm pretty satisfied with my results.

Assignment Write up for Instructional Video Shoot

After the first shot at the beginning of this project I realized how ridiculous it is to yell, "Hey, do you want to buy a chicken?"  I pretty much ruined every shot because I was smiling and on the verge of laughing.  After that I decided to widen the shot and get a few good takes.  I ended up looking quite stern in the next few takes and decided to shoot the first part of the joke from both distances as well.  (Just in case I ended up using one of the closer shots.)  I plan to use one or two good shots and loop them.  I want to try and line up the beginning and end of each one so it looks seamless.  

If I do decide to have side by side shots, I'm not sure how I want them to play.  Either a call and response style or just let them talk over each other.  I think if I let them talk over each other it would be more confusing, so that might be the way to go.  I'm not 100% certain I'm going to like the white room rather than the shell, but hopefully it will come together nicely when I edit.  Actually I think the white room will work out fine.  Now that I think about it, the shell would add too much meaning to the piece that I'm not intending.  

quiz 2

1.Explain standard 3 point lighting set up.

Main light is the Key light.  It should be the brightest light and positioned at the 7 to 8 o'clock position.  The 2nd light is the fill light.  It should be more of a flood light in brightness and set up around the 5 to 4 o'clock position.  And the 3rd is the back light.  This lights the hair and should be positioned above and behind the person in the shot.

2. How can you lower high contrast?

You can lower contrast by using bounce cards and reflective surfaces that have an off white or dull finish.