Week 12 - It is Done.

Well i finished my tracking, and inserted me on the video. Also placed a simple block with a image i made on the kinect version of me, mainly to act as a base. I personally think the video is believable, but this i my personal prediction.

Well Enjoy.

As you can see it didn't come out half as bad as i originally thought, so am pleased with the final footage.   Also i added in a slight video grain to the video, to add authenticity to the video. I enjoyed making this project mainly due to the fact we got to work with the Kinect sensor. It integrated this with work on Maya, so this project went well.

If i had to do this project again, i would definitely work on the tracking of my footage to make it a lot more smoother, so i would be able to add in the content to look more authentic. Also i would add more content to the video, such as multiple Kinect items around the scene. Another thing i would add to this project is audio, even a simple soundtrack would suffice.

Overall i enjoyed tracking the most in this project, so this is something i would like to evolve on in my final year, maybe use a green screen with tracking points "Matrix" style.

Week 11 - Kinect + Me = Saturday Night Fever.

Well on the first week, Jeremy took at 3D photo of me via the xbox kinect camera. It uses depth sensor to create a 3D representation of the room and calculated a 3D figure in the scene. It is really clever, but then again it is still in the early stages.

Heres an example of the 3D version of me, taken from the Kinect Camera Source, as you can see i was emulating John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever. I have no clue why i did this.

As you can see the Kinect Camera is not very precise, but when using it on the xbox it is uses the tracking data to calculate what the actions the human body is doing. For gaming it is perfect, but for cinematography it is not. In the future microsoft are going to track the human face, for emotion, so this is an exciting use of the technology.

Week 11 - Track and Field.

Well this week i shot some footage via an iPhone 4, mainly because i really do not like shooting on tape. At home i used the floor, and created some tracking points so when i tracked the footage, it would be easier to track. I also placed my phone, keys and the roll of tape in the scene so i could have more points to track. Overall i felt the footage i shot came out well, but i believe i will edit the beginnning out, because it is way too jumpy.

This is the footage i will use.

This footage seems appropriate for this project, hopefully it will be easy to track in Boujou.

Week 10 - "These aren't the titles your looking for".

Well during the week i was busy doing other modules, so i gave this project the back seat, but this week i am going to work on it. Another lesson with Jeremy this week, and more insight into what we were being asked to created.

As i created a tron light cycle sequence in my first year, i thought it would be appropriate for me to use the same materials and use it as a test for this project. Using my scanned self i deleted the background and other stuff to leave myself in the scene. Using the backgrounds i created, i designed a 3d box which contained me in. From there i constructed the floor, a standard black colour.

Afterwards i tried to program a camera to spin around me, but this was unsuccessful. I have another idea, of which is to place my character into a scene involving a shootout. Using the bullet-time technique, and digital manipulation in Maya, i think i am able to pull it off.

Week 9 - Kinecting the Void...

Well this week i was introduced to the third and final project. Jeremy came into class today and set up the recently released Xbox 360 Kinect Camera. It is a camera which contains a special depth sensor inside of it, an infrared light tracker and a VGA camera to record footage on. This device was going to be interesting to work with.

Using the camera he told us to pose infront of it, from there he took an image of me and showed the class how it the Kinect sensor used depth to show the image in 3D. This was very interesting as usually with a generic camera, the user would need 4 to gain most of the 3D depth of the object.

After he took a photo of me and the class posing, he showed us examples of what work people around the world have done with it. It was very clever what people had done, for example a youtube video showed a man holding his hand out infront of the camera, and was mimicking a parrot. This then was calculated into a parrots head moving and flapping about.

Using this technology will be interesting to say the least and this week i will try to think of an idea to use with the Kinect.

Maybe something Tron related ;)

Week 8 - Bi-Winning.

Today was the day i showed the class my music video, overall i feel it is a good piece of work, but i could have improved on it a lot if given more time. One thing i would have changed is the location, using my halls was not a great idea, it was boring and bland. Next time i would use a location which was full of colour, maybe the peace gardens in central sheffield. I would also like to include sheffield's vast architecture in my next piece of work. I like the designs of many buildings in sheffield and showcasing them would look good in the future.

I showed my video to the class today, low and behold the rest of the class decided to use stop motion as there idea. GREAT. I mean some were really good, and i enjoyed watching them. A lot were abstract, but thats the great thing about creating music videos, anything goes.

After i showed my video, i told the class the problem i came across. The problem of acting, who would star in it. Student, friends or professionals. Firstly i ruled out professionals, as i am a student, money is problem in general. Second was the students, i emailed the dance and acting societies for some help, when i received the brief, they got back to me 3 days before i was supposed to show the video to the class. So i utilised my best asset, my close friends. They helped me shoot the video, and also gave me a couple of ideas ( Thanks JJ and Anthony).

Well thats how the presentation went. Thanks for reading, and i shall be back next week with the next project and update.

Week 7 - Mission Complete.

So this week i completed editing my music video down, and added in the effects needed for the video and muxed in the audio. This project i went against Melvyns advice and used a 1280 x 720 resolution, as it would make my video look more slick. It was 720p video, something i had wanted to do for a long time, and this was the perfect opportunity.

Cross processing was a feature i added into the video, as it made the super clear SLR shots i had taken look like they were from the 1970s. This was an interesting effect, of which i was skeptical about at first, but in the end made the video look stylistic compared to other videos i had seen.

Here is my completed Music Video, with the standard MTV titles at the beginning of which adds authenticity ;)

Enjoy and watch it in 720p ;)

Week 6 - I Stopped, I Shot, I Conquered.

So this week i had a secondary idea, to use my flat as the set for the video. As many music videos don't always make sense with the lyrics or the title of the song. This way i could be as artistic as i wanted, with no boundaries, and use in camera effects, rather then digital manipulation for once. I want to showcase what was possible behind the camera lens, rather then generate a second rate rushed composition on the computer.

Looking at previous work by Michel Gondry, i wanted to use his style, but instead use still shots instead of video. Also i wanted to age my photographs, to make them look like old negatives that havent been processed correctly, the technical term is called cross processing. Using these methods i will make the music video to Monkeys Gone To Heaven by The Pixies, as this track has the best music compared to the instrumental Tortoise song Jeremy gave us. Also The Pixies are an old school band, its always fun to make videos for good songs after all.

Using my flat mate Bhavin Pancholi, course mates Anthony Turner and Jonathan Campion as actors, i shot half the images i needed for the 1 minute music video. The actors worked well with what i told them to do, basically anything funny, but with a edge towards the fact of heaven, as the title of the song went. Using the images i amalgamated a test to see if the images worked as a video with the song, and guess what. It did! The images flowed together on Final Cut Express, as i wanted 3 frames per second. Using this footage i knew what other things i needed to shoot.

Week 6 - Stopping and Shooting The World.

Well this week i got a camera out of the stores and started to take random photos of the public. They did not like this, and i was asked to stop doing it. When i got back to my flat i started to document and photograph simple procedures, such as getting up off a chair and walking into the living room, taking a photograph for each step.

It worked very well, so i decided to make the music video on the random things people do when a camera hits their face. I started out by placing the camera in the hallway of our flat, and asked each of my flatmates to come out in the hallway and talk to me. The results i came out with were hilarious but i was unable to use them as they were swearing in most of the shots i had taken.

Luckily i had another idea to base my stop motion video upon.

Week 5 - Corruption Of The Week.

This week, unfortunately I missed Melvyns lesson. Apparently it was the greatest lesson of all time, and i missed it :(

Luckily this week i started my stop motion video. I tested the theory to see if it was logical and viable, and luckily it worked. I used a pair of trainers in my flat and made them come out of the bathroom and turn and move towards the camera.

After this test i decided to shoot the video officially in stop motion, and emailed Melvyn to see if i gain some actors to my credits. I emailed him, and he replied. Using his advice, i emailed various societies in the University for actors and dancers. Unfortunately none of them wanted to reply, so i was quite dis-heartened by this. Luckily my friends Anthony Turner, Jonathan Campion and Bhavin Pancholi (my flatmate) were at hand to help me out.

As i originally wanted to shoot this week, i found that there was other work for other modules, so I will continue this work next week.

Week 4 - Ideas.

Well after brainstorming in class the style i wanted to do, i started to look for examples of good stop motion videos. Orignally Melvyn showed us his DVD of Michel Gondry, director of Dave Chappelles Block Part (2004). He showed me a music video for The White Stripes called "The Hardest Button to Button". The video is pure stop motion. This is the style i am thinking of using, but instead of using a video camera, i hope to use a digital SLR camera to shoot stills and use them in my video.

Here is an example of stop motion.

Week 4 - The Music Video

After showing off our videos, we were introduced to the next project. To create an original music video, from 2 songs chosen by Jeremy. One was a bizarre mashup of Dubstep and electronically created sounds, it  sounded weird. The next track was "Monkey Gone to Heaven" By The Pixies. It sounded pretty old, originally i guessed it was from the early 80s, but a google search told me it was released in 1989, which was the same year i was born. It was an old song, but not classic status like Michael Jacksons's Thriller.

An idea i had was to shoot a person doing the "air guitar" to The Pixies track. The person will not be moving there legs, only doing the "air guitar". I want to shoot this in the style of Stop Motion, like taking a photo, 3 photos per second. As i have 30-60 seconds to fill this would be hard to do. I like the idea as it is different, and reminds me of the film Bill and Teds Excellent Adventure, and how they did there style of the "air guitar".

Heres an example of air guitar.

Week 4 - Public Broadcast aka Judgement Day.

Tuesday 22nd February 2011.

Today was the day the class had to show there final product to Melvyn and to the rest of the group. It was exciting and nerve-racking at the same time. Would they like my sequence, or would they pan it for being too retro. Well the first couple of people showed there title sequences off, and i have to say they were pretty well made. They had some interesting ideas for the title sequence which did even come to my mind, so kudos to them.

Then came my turn. I was very scared at what the group was going to think of it. Would they like the nostalgia fueled idea, or would they pan it for being too "retro". I played the video sequence and everyone in the room was quite amazed. Firstly my sequence didn't contain "The Power of Love" by Huey Lewis and The News, it contained The Back to The Future Theme in 8-bit, which was an idea i came up with after researching old school video games. This idea worked out well, as it didn't become boring. Everyone before had the "The Power of Love" as there opening song, so using that theme was a blast of fresh air I suppose for the group.

After my video sequence was shown i was then "critiqued" by the class and by Melvyn and Jeremy.

Firstly the group liked the 8-bit style i went for. It was different and worked well. The music was also a blast from the past as many people don't play 8-bit games anymore and the films theme in 8-bit was a nostalgic event everyone enjoyed. The class liked the video, which was more then i was hoping for, so overall my sequence was successful as a title sequence.

Next was Melvyn and Jeremy turn. They both like the nostalgic style i went for, but said the sequence was still quite simple and basic. Maybe adding in more content and making the sequence a little more fun would liven it up, but overall was a good job. Basic but it worked.

Week 3 - Completion

Well this week i completed the video title sequence. I used all the feedback from Melvyn, who was very helpful. The sequence i put together actually does work as a title sequence, which was something i wanted to do, rather then edit the beginning of the film together and make it look mediocre. Logically the title sequence makes sense as the film was released in the 1980's, which was the era of 8-bit arcade games, so replicating this style was necessary by my standards. Nostalgic is the word.

Well this is the completed take of my title sequence.

Week 3 - Mission Impossible

Well this week I continued to tweak and edit my Back to the Future Title sequence. Melvyn showed me in lesson a couple of things to tweak on the video, and how to make it look better. First of all he said at its current state it looked ok, but slightly boring. Also adding in more text into the sequence would liven it up. As the film was financed in the 80s by Universal, I thought it was appropriate to add in a Universal Logo at the beginning of the titles, because most films do this. As the titles are normal, i found a suitable 8-bit version on youtube. This was origanally from Scott Pilgrim Vs The World, as the film is basically a love story towards the 8-bit gaming systems of the early 90's.

Here is an example of what i am going to use in my project as the opening sequence for Universal Films.

Week 3 - Its a Trap.... Ohh wait wrong film ;)

Well i have completed the first step of creating the titles, well the first half. I think it looks not half bad. The next thing on my agenda which i should finish tomorrow is the end of the titles, which includes the names of the people who worked on the film, including the director Robert Zemeckis. This is going to be an easier task, as there will not be that many photos to animate and composite into the background. As Melvyn said: The simpler the idea, the safer it will be. Well he didn't actually say them words, but more hinted towards it. Another idea i had was to use this music in the titles.

As my idea is based upon the old school 8bit games of the 80's and 90's its only appropriate for me to have an 8bit song from the film. The Power of Love By Huey Lewis and The News is perfect, as it was written for the film and reminds viewers of the film thanks to its catchy words.

Week 2 - Lots of Names....

Wow, there is a lot of names in the title sequence. A lot more then i noticed the first time.


18 Lines of Text.
20 Names.
All placed in 3 minutes of footage.


This is going to be one hard task, as Melvyn said the title sequence shouldn't be longer then 2 minutes.
Damn :(


To be fair, its a great film and worthy of having all the names in my title sequence, so i am going to try my hardest to place them all into it.

Week 2 - Creating 8-bit style Content...

Well i started to create the 8-bit style photos the other day, and edit them on photoshop. I screenshot certain images from the film via VLC media player as i could use them in the title sequence. This was a clever idea as there was no stock images from the film on the internet, but to be fair the film was released in 1985, years before the internet came along. Originally i though editing the images down to an 8-bit style would be very difficult but as i searched on the internet for walkthroughs it became abundant that it was very simple. All i had to do was to place the image in photoshop and click on Posterize. From there i had the ability to edit the images to look like they were from an 8bit film.

Heres an example of a screenshot i took from the film, and edited into an 8-bit style image.

As you can see it looks pretty good, and yet was simple to create.

Hopefully my title sequence will look the same :)

Week 2 - Continued...

I watched the opening of the film today and wrote down all the names in the titles. When we watched the film last week i didn't notice how many lines of text were in the titles. There are 24 names mentioned in the opening title sequence, on 18 lines of text. Looking back on it, there was a lot of peoples names mentioned in it, but when watching the film fully i originally didn't notice how many names were mentioned.


I wrote down all the lines of text in the opening sequence without the help of IMDb.com and will use them in my version of the opening title sequence.


Here is a page of the names i wrote down in the title sequence.

Writing down these names was quite simple, as pausing the film would allow me to write down the names. I did this as i thought going onto IMDb.com was too easy and i wanted a little challenge. As you can see on the notes, i have placed numbers on the names of the actors, this was originally done so i could either give them there own name on a black background or put 2 names on the same background. In the end i scrapped this idea as i wanted to to create an 8-bit style sequence.

Week 2 - Production Commenced.

It is week 2 and i have started work on the opening title sequence. I have decided to use a retro 8-bit technique to create the title sequence. As the film was released in 1985 i thought it would be appropriate for me to create the title sequence in a 8-bit form. This is the style of the older generation games looked like and i felt that applying it to this project would be a creative and interesting idea, as it incorporates the gaming style of the 1980's and also the retro style of the film. This was a creative decision i came up with earlier on in the planning process. I chose this instead of creating something very complex, like in previous projects. As Melvyn said "simpler the better". This way i no i won't go off track and create something completely different from the brief.

I hope to capture stills of the characters from a HD source i have on my home computer and digitise them to make them look like there from a 8-bit games console, as it would add a nostalgic effect to the title sequence.

Here is an example i captured from the HD source i have. Converting the image into an 8-bit style photo will be difficult i think.

Day 1 - Back to The Future

So today was the first lesson of the year, and it was with good old Melvyn today, he told us that we had 3 projects to hand it over the 12 weeks of the term. He showed us some examples of work from previous students at the university, as an example of what we had to create. It had to be something i consider a step up from the first year. The examples were very good, and all contained well thought out ideas.


For our first project we have to create an opening title sequence for a film that he had chosen, in this case it was his favourite film Back to the Future (1985). As the orignal film does not include an opening credit crawl, it was the perfect opportunity for us to create one. In the early 70s this was considered illegal by the motion picture association of america, but thanks to the popularity of Star Wars (1977) it was over-ruled and films were allowed to show the credits at the end of the film.


Once he explained what the first project was, he then made us watch the film in class. It was for the student who had never seen the film before. This was an exhilarating experience as i havent seen the film in its entirety in a couple of years, so it was a blast from the past for me.


I hope to create a good opening title sequence for the film, as it is very nostalgic and fun. (plus i have seen the DeLorean in real life and met Doc Brown !)