seazenbones

[seazenbones]

Almost finished the first week of my second semester of a Visual Communication Design degree. I received a Distinction for Creative Collaboration and the short film project. I’m really happy with that.

This semester I’m doing Song writing, Character Design and Design Projects.

So far I’ve created two short pieces of music.

I have to work out how to join them together and make them one cohesive piece and write lyrics.

I’ll post it when I’m done.

Character Design is a challenge. Even though I’m allowed to use a computer, I’m trying to draw by hand as much as I can.

This is an Illustrator iteration of my first character.

I wonder what they’ll look like when I’m finished.

Design was my most challenging subject last semester and I managed a credit. I’m still pretty happy with that. I kind of had to take a step sideways and really simplify my designs. Here is what I created. I was happy with it.

I received a High Distinction in Digital Practices. Opened a good bottle of red wine to celebrate that.

Anyway, I’ll keep you posted. Stay healthy and creative. I’m trying to.

[seazenbones]

CIND1004 Creative Collaboration Blog #6

Feel the fear…

At Tuesday’s production meeting we exchanged the storyboard and theatre poster files. I took possession of the thumb drive holding the edited video. I’m adding credits, spx shots, soundtrack, subtitles, colour correction and noise reduction.

✅ Thumb drive in.

✅ Premiere Pro- Open ‘Insomnia’. There ar no files lost.

✅ Add Woman’s Weekly shot to the timeline - add zoom.

✅ Add After Effects hand shot - add pan.

❌ Noise reduction and voice enhancement with Prem. Pro native plug-in not doing the job. Investigate parameters and adjust. No.

✅ LinkedIn Learning. Essential Logic Pro – Contents - Extract soundtrack from movies.

✅ Noise reduction done. Add soundtrack, while I’m in Logic (LinkedIn Learning again).

✅ Add automation to speech and music, then limiting to the stereo out. Send back to the movie.

❌ Correct underexposed shot and colour correct one scene to dusk. YouTube tutorial. First step and I’m stopped. The tutorial used an older version of Pr. Pro. I got up walked away. I don’t know what I’m doing.

✅ First shot of dusk scene. Basic colour correction panel. Write current parameters in iPad. Lower exposure. Raise blues. Mess with highlights. Add blacks and experiment with whites and saturation. Is that the look? Repeat. Is that the look? Repeat. That is what I want. It”s alright. Write down parameters and plug them into every shot ( Note to self: Learn how to save and paste colour correction parameters).

❌ Watch film 😳😭. Oh no! There is shot where clothes change colour. 😱

✅ Colour correction is an evil art. It must have been something I did. A tick in a box that none of the other’s have. Un-tick and…

✅ Watch the film again. The vocal sync is out. It’s turned into a spaghetti western. 😱😱

✅ I can’t fix it without ruining the music. I know what I’ve done. I understand everything up to this point. It won’t take long and it will be good practice. Close project, don’t save.

✅ I began again. No longer am I afraid of Premier Pro or colour correction or Logic.

❌ When videoing in 4K on an iPhone. Remember any automated functions can be slowed due to the incredible size of the files. It may be best to shoot on manual at 4K or 1080HD if you need quick automation of aperture, film speed, focus etc. 4K does not mean best in lots of situations. Makes editing a nightmare.

✅ I don’t like my title card. I’ll do it again next Tuesday. Family are more important.

Feel the fear: I wouldn’t want to do anything else.

It’s such a pleasure to do the things you love and I love playing with sound and vision on a computer.

There are plenty of things about the movie and the process I don’t like. But, after having sat with it for hours (and hours), I have some ownership and I love it, flaws and all.

Bye folks and bots.

Stay healthy and oiled.

[seazenbones]

Creative Collaboration Blog #5

Schrödinger's Cat

5 days to go, before the film is due.

Last Tuesday, we filmed the 2nd scene over again, in a location, close to the University. We were able to get back to class and airdrop everything that was needed.

The MacStudio I ordered (8 weeks ago) turned up at my door! It was up and running on Wednesday afternoon and I was able to figure out how to Rotoscope a hand and have it sitting on a plate. It’s not that scary, there is no gore (blood), I will have to get better at Adobe AfterEffects, it takes time, I guess. But it is complete, and I have linked the rendered scene from Premiere Pro to the editor.

I have had no direction for music composition. I have produced several transitional ‘soundscapes,’ each about 30 seconds in length. The editor will be able to cue up endings and then trim and fade in, where they would like it to start. Sound effects are done. These also have several versions.

I failed on Tuesday. I forgot to take a USB C cable with me. I couldn’t use my favourite microphone and had to rely on two iPhones.

The audio was taken from the video in LumaFusion and transferred to Cubasis 3. Both are iPad Apps. In Cubasis, I was able to denoise using Busfri and bring levels up to –14db LUFS, using FabFilter Pro L-2.

https://youtu.be/ZlcXtZLGSxo

Challenges:

https://youtu.be/jowVS3qz0CQ

https://youtu.be/oMJeWXtJODc

A pretty amazing thing to have in an iPad.

🙄 The team members have different schedules, except for 2 hours per week, when we are in class.

🙄 There has been a minimal use of WhatsApp.

🙄We will finish a film, but it may not be particularly good.

🙄 We lost time due to illness and inclement weather, causing editing and sound production/composition to be condensed into a shorter period, than I would have liked.

🙄We have taken an Ad Hoc and improvised journey, instead of a carefully planned route.

Was that my job as a Producer? I may have failed.

This Tuesday is our last class together. I must take headphones and have all sound effects and music transitions on a thumb drive and stored in OneDrive (named and filed professionally).

I’d like to be finished Wednesday, then post on Thursday.

I’m hoping we find the cat alive.

I’d hate to ruin Friday nights Yuseff Dayes/Hiatus Kaiyote concert.

[seazenbones]

Creative Collaborations Blog #4

“Our job is to do the stuff they can’t imagine” Hans Zimmer, Film Composer

Tuesday meeting: Very happy with communication and the team know what they need to do, are engaged and motivated. There was a change to ending agreed upon, which will produce a real horror movie response!

I have researched the technical needs to turn day into night, for the cult cure for insomnia scene and I have the same confidence of producing the startling and gory jump/shock scene needed in Adobe AfterEffects.

Music composition.

I will be discussing this on Tuesday on set. Music for 1st and 2nd scenes is to be written and recorded.

Hopefully, not over confident of my ability to produce something appropriate. Music has been completed for scene 3.

Sound affects have been discussed with the Editor and several iterations produced.

https://youtu.be/4maeHHtE-GE

https://youtu.be/Iotw4C7CHLE

😡🤬😡🤬😡🤬😡🤬😡🤬😡🤬😡🤬😡🤬😡🤬😡🤬😡🤬😡🤬😡🤬😡🤬😡🤬😡🤬😡🤬😡🤬😡🤬😡🤬😡🤬😡🤬😡🤬😡

It is easy to say the wrong thing.

It’s even easier to say the correct thing, but in a manner that causes distress in others.

The same sentence spoken to two different people, can get two completely different responses.

It’s easy to do, if your not familiar with the person you’re talking to.

While in my producer role, I feel my natural tendency towards being introverted/shy, can sometimes seem passive/aggressive. I need to be mindful of it.

🤯Respecting that others will do the tasks needed in their roles is paramount.

Then, when personal expections of another’s work is not fulfilled, the challenge is not be abusive to that person. It may well be my own communication style that caused it to happen!

Acting in a respectful manner is the professional way, for a team to work at its best.

⚠️ WARNING: This video contains images of caged chickens which may be distressing.

https://youtu.be/vjSTNv4gyMM

Mentoring quietly and in a way that empowers the other to own and complete a set task.

Taking a breath, concentrating on my breathing (instead of the non-helpful words that maybe flowing through my brain) and/or excusing myself, for a few minutes can be a great assistance in extreme cases.

Empowering other creatives, while also quietly communicating my own expectations, concerns or disagreements, is a work in progress. 😀

Not having videography completed at this stage, puts pressure on other creatives, like editors and composers to complete tasks in a reduced time.

This can lead to amazing creativity in some people, but for most of us, it leads to lower quality work and stress.

This next video, is my favourite introduction to quiet leadership.

https://youtu.be/UQrPVmcgJJk

See you next week folks.

And bots 🤖

[seazenbones]

Creative Collaborations: Blog #3

EVERYTHING THAT IS, COULD BE OTHERWISE!

Prof. Germaine Greer 1998

Tuesday :

Met in class and happy the consensus was; we haven’t planned this well. We had a volunteer for the leading role. Excellent. Had a conversation about what to achieve today and went to location. Set up my battery powered microphone, converter and iPad (24bit/48k sample rate). Videography started prior to me being ready to record. The thought of stopping everything and getting coordinated crossed my mind, but I thought a moment.

🧟‍ The actor and the videographer were in a creative moment.

⏺ Would the project be better if I stopped proceedings, or just my ego?

🦎 I tamed my lizard mind and let the other creatives do their job.

✅ I recorded the sound I needed and stayed out of the way of other peoples creativity.

Next scene: Cutting steak in kitchen. 😀😃😃I had an idea and people listened. If an arm was on the kitchen bench, maybe it would put the meat into context and get the shot that makes the film memorable. It’s time for Photoshop and AfterEffects to make it gory. Excellent.

Wednesday:

A windy, rainy day.

Scheduled to shoot outdoors at a park at 3pm. I posted to our WhatsApp group; an indoor alternative to the story.

Keeping the same template as the script, but swapping the outdoor satanic cult with, ‘His Satanic Majesties Vengeance Hospital’-Sleep Clinic. It could be shot indoors at the University. I already had some lines I enjoyed in my head and all the shots in my mind.

All do-able and easy to shoot (They have gone in my notebook of future projects).

The consensus was for outdoors and staying with the scriptwriter’s vision. All good.

On location, the wind was too strong for microphone usage. Sounded like a herd of elephants stampeding during sound check. 🐘🐘🐘🐘🐘🐘🐘🐘🐘🐘🐘🐘🐘🐘🐘🐘🐘🐘🐘🐘🐘🐘🐘🐘🐘🐘🐘🐘🐘🐘🐘🐘🐘🐘🐘🐘🐘🎤🎧

I wasn’t disappointed (too much) and I googled ADR (Automated Dialog Replacement) in Premiere Pro.

https://youtu.be/mGmdUwX9rMg

https://youtu.be/XjP7o1SsOjs

I”ve never done that before.

I’ll learn something new.

Happy again in moments.

It”s amazing what can be achieved with good storyboards.

https://youtu.be/4h_DpCFQ99w

Wow!

Acting: Time to improvise (I”m glad I watched a documentary about, The Method, ten years ago). Get into character and follow directions. I hope my death scene is OK.

It was supposed to be at night and it was shot just before dusk.

We can turn day to night in post!

https://youtu.be/KMKb0rOHtjM

I feel like the cult death scene will need a little spook-a-fying.

https://youtu.be/WAqLSDxC4L0

This is all native to Premiere Pro and could add something?

Bye, stay healthy and creative.

[seazenbones]

Creative Collaborations Blog #2:

The Split Brain Experiment

People who have had their brain divided into two separate halves, by cutting the nerves that deliver information from one half to the other, live with some interesting challenges. You are left with access to the thoughts of only one half of your brain. The other half is silent, but will act, on its own accord, while you are completely unaware of what it is doing. It’s called Alien Hand Syndrome and it’s the best analogy I can think of, to describe how I feel, about the Short Film Production I’m involved with.

We have had our second production meeting. I should be happy. The videographer, director, storyboarder and scriptwriter, all answered questions that fill me with confidence in their ability. The script was close to completion and storyboards were being beautifully drawn. The pitch had been accepted. Dates and places for shooting had been set. Costume Masks were being designed. Risk assessments completed and signed off. My colleagues were all on fire, creatively. I felt comfortable with what had happened, as I watched them do their thing.

So, why did I feel empty, the next day?

Art for arts sake?

I’m making a student Horror Movie. It makes no meaningful point. ☹️. I wish it did.

My colleagues are doing their own thing, in there own boxes and I feel the ‘Collaborative’ part is being minimised in places it is most important.

I’d rather have seen ten basic storyboards scratched out with a nail, but completed in the production meeting, with the director, scriptwriter and videographer having their input, than the one beautiful drawing that left the room.

I’d rather the script be in everyone’s hands and all of us discussing it, than sitting in silence waiting for it to be finished.

I’d rather, I’d thought of saying all that that at the meeting (Maybe I tried, but not affective).

I’d rather the story had a point!

Anyway, I’m more than prepared to do the sound and composing. I love the It Follows soundtrack (That is my kind of music). I will be asking for input from my team, before I start.

I’m lucky, I’ve been sticking microphones in front of things since 1973 and I’ve attended more meetings than I care to think about (99.9% of them were rubbish). The others don’t have that experience and I have to keep that in mind.

Role modelling is very important, so is openness and feeling comfortable when asking silly questions.

Anyway, we are shooting on Tuesday…

🤬🤬🤬!!!

We don’t have any actors yet!

I’m going to have to be prepared for several scenarios instead of one, well thought out, collaborative plan!

https://youtu.be/HYZt3gPRREk

Bye friends and bots.

Stay safe, creative and healthy and if your interested in Alien Hands…

https://youtu.be/e-NfY_DnWNM

[seazenbones]

Blog 1 Short Film. Horror Story.

1st meeting of film crew. No real problems except C-19 keeping several people away. We are doing a horror movie. Midsommer and It Follows suggested as reference.

Brainstorm ideas.

A (scriptwriter) has a story they would like to develop about an insomniac who unwittingly becomes involved with a satanic cult, promising to cure them. I’m the producer, my job is to assist others to realise their artistic ability. It was easy to defer to A.

Use of animal offal for props (Keen at first, but less so now). Are any crew members vegan? I don’t think it’s a necessity. I’d be prouder, to pull off a chilling, scary scene without it. Agenda item

Outdoor scenes to be shot at G’k Lagoon. Add to agenda. It will take a whole, long day! Shots will need to be very well storyboarded and planned. No wasting time on location. Agenda item.

We will also need a bedroom or study to shoot the first scene. A has a room in mind.

The story so far…

Scene One. 30 seconds Location: Bedroom or study, our anti-hero is sitting at a desk, chatting online with a group that promises to cure insomnia. Weekend retreat. Bag packed. Leave house. Establishes individual with insomnia finding a group of people with same problem who offer cure during a weekend retreat.

Producer to call Scouts to see if we can film on location.

Scene Two. 60 to 90 seconds * Location: At retreat. Our anti-hero is timid. During the course of time, comes to realise that they are in danger.

Scene Three: 60 to 90 seconds * Location : In the bush/forest. Shot during daylight and turned to night in post-production Our anti-hero finds the courage and strength they never knew they possessed to…

1) Defeat the satanic cult 2) Join the santanic cult 3) Die The conclusion may be left to the audience?

Producer to organise food and drink for Lagoon shoot. First Aid Kit!!,!,, Chairs✅ Covered area⛺️⛱

A is writing a first draft and posting to What’s App. L will post mindmap of meeting.

Challenges A day at the lagoon. Setting up (easier if using hall). Food. First aid kit I have current First Aid Qaulification from previous employment (Double Check)

*whether scene two or three is the longer is to be decided.

[seazenbones]

Learning how to use Tumblr on my iPad - Stream of consciousness

OK, classes start again tomorrow and I have a brief for posting my Tumblr blogs

First of all, I need to learn how to make bullet points and experiment with what writing 3 to 4 hundred words, per blog feels like

Hmm…, is there a TAB key or bullets in Tumblr

(He looks intently at the screen, but soon a disillusioned frown appears at the side of his mouth)

OK, I guess we have to go old school here and use the space bar

Wait! Stop everything

Emojis, I’ve found emojis; surely I can use an emoji or two to create bullet points

Yes, yes, 👍

OK, I think I’m getting an idea. 💡💡💡💡💡💡💡💡💡💡💡💡💡💡💡💡💡💡💡💡💡💡💡💡💡💡💡💡💡💡💡💡💡💡💡💡💡💡💡💡

🎧 Sound Production bullet

🎹 Soundtrack bullet

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Teamwork bullet

😵‍💫 I’m at a loss and I just want to run away bullet

🏳️‍🌈 Despite our differences, we worked it out, succeeded and still communicate effectively bullet

It’s wonderful when that happens

📅 Deadlines bullet

🤬 Challenges! (But respectful, objective and dignified) bullet

OK, there are some formatting issues, but I like using the emojis

Keep in mind, that I need to finish writing the bullet point, before I format it

Otherwise, it’s a pain to clean up 🧽

OK, how many words is that

Surely it’s about 300 👎😵‍💫I started getting confused at about 63, or maybe 36 😂

OK, write the blog in a program that ‘word counts’ then import and format for tumblr

Ok. Can I copy and paste this office doc into my tumblr blog

Maybe I’ll be able to keep bulleted formatting and my emojis?

💡

🎹

📅

🧽

Not sure of that yet, but it’s promising!

Now, word count. Do you think I’ll be able to find it? (The very last icon I touched and I touched them all)

Now for the copy and paste, wish me well.

That worked, but the formatting is awful…

OK, this is the best bit yet

While I was over in Office for iPad, I found the word count, took a screenshot, cropped the shot and added an arrow

Computers are genius

I wish I had an iPad when I was young a child

To quote Bob Dylan

“I was so much older then, I’m younger than that now”.

…1 Hour later! Sorry, I had to put some music on…

…and have lunch!

OK, what was I writing about?

Oh yeah, my word count reminder map for easy finding of word counts in Office for iPad

I love computers!

Be creative

Keep safe

Edit 1: Why is this a different font size to the other posts?

Bye for now.

Edit 2: The rubric says I have to have a heading. So, I found out how to bold, italicise, underline, change font size and strikeout text, while I added it.

I love computers!

Edit 3: FYI-Edit view does not correlate to Blog view 🥺

Edit 4: I think I created a new hashtag #mature age student. But, I’m not sure.

Edit 5: Thank heavens for the edit button🪄

Edit 6: No, I didn’t create a new hashtag. I’m so disappointed ☹️. Tumblr didn’t offer a prompt and I was prematurely excited.

[seazenbones]

This is is another video I produced in 2021, using LumaFusion. The music was made in Korg Gadget. I screenshot the (pause to think of the word) Public Domain footage from YouTube. It may make a good rotoscoping project in the future?

The story of the footage is really interesting (there is a link to the Wikipedia page at the bottom of this blog).

First shot in Russia, then remade into at least two Hollywood movies.

The thing that amazes me so much, is that someone thought that sitting around a campfire in a spacesuit would warm you up. And, how do you eat s’mores?

Wow! You can edit Tumblr. Fantastic!

Hope you enjoyed, talk again soon, friends and bots.

[seazenbones]

It looks like ‘Untitled’ is a popular blog title?

I’d like to call my post-‘My brain works best in the morning after coffee’.

But Tumblr says, ‘No’.

Any tips?

[seazenbones]

This is my first Tumblr blog!

I’m a mature age, first year VisCom student and I’ll be posting my journey through the creation of a three minute short film.

It’s a project for a Creative Collaborations class. I’m the producer, sound engineer, composer and foley artist.

I’m working with a crew of talented young people, who have taken the tasks of director, videographer, script writer and arts director.

It promises to be fun.

Here is a two minute film I made last year, for Halloween, using Storyblocks stock clips and edited in LumaFusion on my iPad. I wrote the music first and then edited the video to it.

Enjoy

Wow! That worked.

I’m stoked, talk soon.

Bye.