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.