Four Colour Ghosts - Freak

Tonight a few students helped the graduates film (or be extras) in a music video by a band called Four Colour Ghosts. We were scheduled to leave at 12am so it was going to be a long night. 

A few of the human burritos and a smoke bomb

Jacob became an extra because of the beautiful job me and Chloe did with his beard.

We got set up and waited for dusk and the rest of the actors/freaks/motorbikes to arrive. The pyrotechnics also warmed up (literally). 

Me and Chloe were on the "main camera" (we got promoted as we got loads of pretty shots) and we were on a camera all night. Chloe was my focus puller until we were moving about in the crowd. We got a lot of lovely shots and we make a good team! We were so on fire (heh) we finished two hours before the wrap time. A really enjoyable night's filming! Thanks for the opportunity. 

Digital Production - Introduction

Today the lecturer introduced us to the module handbook for this year. This module is worth 40 credits which means more work (400 hours altogether). We need to make an "as live" show (we say it's "as live" in case there's a technical fault). There's quite a few things we also need to research; the audience, how we would fund it, the production hierarchy and morals and ethics (since it's being broadcast on the internet, we need to be careful of controversy). 

For this module, we need to produce a broadcast (15 minutes or more, or 3 five minute shows) including 20% VT (2nd unit) material- this could be ad breaks, titles, credits. We also need a production diary (the blog) and a 1000 word evaluation. 

Don't forget books! Secondary research is still important. It's worth a look into how the streaming process works, different delivery formats (Facebook Live, Twitch, etc). 

For homework, we needed a few different examples of live videos (see below presentation). I also have some notes to accompany the presentation which I will also upload below.



Count Arthur Strong

• Broadcast on BBC1
• I was there so I know it's live! Genuine laugh track
• Mostly filmed in cafe but some VT material

Starkid - Trail to Oregon

• YouTube broadcast
• Pic is just proof it's live. Pay to see.
• Production's can mess up!

Muse - Live at Rome Olympic Stadium

• Cinema worldwide release
• First concert filmed in 4k

Visual Culture - Introduction

Today was our first lecture (in Hartlepool College, temporarily) with our other visual culture lecturer. He introduced us to the module and what was in the handbook and to some key terms;

• cultural appropriation - usage of one culture by another
• acculturation - reinforcing culture
• transculturation - cultural exchange
• agent - capacity for effective action
• hetergenous - different
• homogenous - same

Weeks 2-4 will focus on "Visual Culture as Rhetoric" which the lecturer pronounced as "retric" which really confused me. I've always thought it was "retoric". The slides were full of confusing words which weren't fully defined, but did have examples (I had to figure out the above definitions). I also find they read directly off the PowerPoints (which have many typos). I really struggled with this seminar and zoned out and panicked because of it. It might be a good idea to regroup as a class after the seminar to make sense of it and put it in our own words.

The deadline for this module is Friday 20th January, 12pm. We are allowed 10% internet sources like last year. He also introduced us to this website called "worldcat" which searches for key words in books which might be useful. Also, figure out the worth of the essay in evaluations!

I have one key question I will have to find out, is whether the journal has a word count, and how much we need to write. And how many topics from each seminar we need to research (two?).

Digital Production - Ideas

I had one idea a while back to film a live gig but the band has fell through and I just don't think it will be possible. Also linking it to the brief, it requires set pieces and a second unit. So I have another basic idea which needs developing if it gets the go ahead. It's a courtroom drama. We don't need a jury, possibly only the judge, the victim and the accused. The second unit can be flashbacks of the murder. Also there can be a big plot twist at the end (which I'm working on but I'm not saying because spoilers). 

(23/09/16) I told the lecturer about this idea today and a courtroom setting might be difficult and a better idea might be like a murder mystery in The Grand Hotel (kind of like live Cluedo!) and people can live chat about who they think did it.

I also had another idea of a live news broadcast where aliens attack and everyone think's it's real- a little bit like War of the Worlds but in a modern setting. 

Creative Film Piece - Ideas

Having a quick browse through the possible topics of the Visual Cultures, three stood out as interesting to me: Colour, Semiotics and Gender. I have one strong idea at the moment for the 3-6 minute short we are going to do, but it's basically a rip off of Sin City which is really putting me off making it. I will be utilising accessible ways of filming by using an app I found called Colour Splash (here's a tester image I tried with it) and it worked pretty well.

Basically my idea will be a lot of still images giving the illusion of movement (like a stop motion), with some colours picked out. I was thinking of having a female as the main character. Not quite sure what happens, but I can include her holding a few brightly coloured objects to represent what she is going through. Oh yeah I don't plan on using dialogue, just music. Maybe people can figure out what is going on based on colour alone.

I did some quick research into colours to try and get a basic storyline and possible things she could be holding or is involved with. She could hold a dark blue umbrella to represent depression. Have dull yellow wallpapers to represent illness. She can wipe away bright red lipstick to suggest her romantic interest has gone, or her power has.

http://www.color-wheel-pro.com/color-meaning.html

Introduction to Level 5

So this year, we have three new teachers (two of which we met today). Our visual culture lecturer introduced herself and the module to us, with some useful hand outs. She also showed us a few experimental films she was passionate about and they looked really beautiful. For our visual culture this year, we need to write a 3000 word essay, a Creative Response (journal) and a creative film piece, which needs to be 3-6 minutes. I have a few ideas already which I will upload in a different post.

We then met the lecturer who is teaching the Filmmaking pathway (but us Digital are with him for a few weeks). We did a few ice breakers and then discussed vital roles, camera shots and adverts (preparing filmmaking for their Kodak module). We got a few pieces of homework which I will add to this post at a later date.

Dissertation Ideas

Might be a bit early to be thinking of dissertation, but I want to get a head start and just have a post up so I can jot ideas down.

Vampire Films

I've already done something similar for my A Level Film coursework and (kinda) my Visual Culture journal in level 4, but it's what I love, passionate about and can rant for hours about. But what exactly about vampire films? I'm interested in cinematography so I could talk about the visual look of different vampire films (maybe spread it out a bit and say horror films), but I feel I can only talk so much about that. I feel more confident talking about the context of vampire films. I can research it more in depth at this level. I could link to different theories like the male/female gaze, context, apotheosis/religion, etc.

Fandom

Does fandom sell a film and spread the word? Why do people cosplay? I can talk for a while about this topic too being a member of loads of different fandoms and it will be interesting to find out if fandom saved a film with word of mouth. I can also talk about cosplay, comic cons, and social media. I could talk about theories like hyper-reality, and also link it to context, whether this is a new thing, or if it's been around for a while.