on to sound

I know a little about sound and I have done a few projects, two of which i will did with a directional microphone and outdoor sounds that i made/took myself. One was about a girl from Alabama who came to the University of Maine and told her story of her first winter, the other was done in Quebec City during their Winter Carnival, trying to capture the essence of the Carnival. I will attach these files as soon as I figure out how to do this. I looked up audioblogger and I guess I can post a URL with the files on it. I will have to figure out how to get these files on the net.

In addition to what I said needed to be purchased in the first place, I think we will need a few decent directional mics and a few audio recorders. Maybe these could be rented, maybe they would be a better value to buy. This would give us the option of using the best sounds, or combining them. With more sources of sound, it will be easier to get good quality sound. Remember:

Video is 50% audio

Lighting fundamentals

Basic Lighting Scheme is a 3-point system consisting of:

KEY light: Primary light in the scene; stimulates natural light (30-45 degrees from camera-subject axis and elevated by the same degree)

FILL light: Partially fills in or softens shadows created from the FILL light; less intense light (placed opposite side of the camera from KEY light at 30-45 degrees from camera-subject axis and at about the height of the camera)

BACK light: Helps to outline the subject and separate it from the background (Placed above and to the rear of the subject, so the light doesn't go directly into the lens)

For a more extensive lighting system, consider the following

EYElight: a small light that can be focused to reflect in the subject's eye, giving them a reflective sparkle.

BACKGROUND light: To illuminate background (can use inexpensive colored lights I mentioned in the last post.

KICKER light: Similar to backlight, placed low, behind the subject, and may be opposite to KEY light

Lighting kit

I am beginning to research in more detail lighting in film. This is the area that have the least knowledge in. I know a lighting kit is going to make a world of difference, I have to figure out what kinds are most vital to have because I want to be efficient with equipment.

So far I have looked at the following:

- DynaPhos portrait lighting travel kit (2 large light kits that can be used in studio or on location and allows for switch between high-contrast and ultra-soft lighting in seconds) $900 retail;$300 eBay

-LED lighting (small, inexpensive colored lights that give off a lot of light for their size) $15/kit (blue,red,purple) *see photo

-650W continuous digital film studio lighting kit (For only $169, the only focusable digital light in its class, which means it is an affordable version to real Hollywood halogen kits.

Parti 2

This Parti is showing that with teamwork and good attitudes, we'll be able to make beautiful video. We are already placed in the Pocono Mountains and their is no limit to the films we can make. We have the scenary, we just need the ideas and the execution.

Brightcove

http://mediachannel.org/blog/node/1329
www.brightcove.com

The first link is an article about BrightCove and the second is BrightCove itself. It is truly AMAZING! In a nutshell it is the new wave of television/film/media distribution. The first wave was theatures that moved into television cable/satelite and now the new wave Internet Television Distribution. With the exisiting technology that allows quality video at affordable prices, there are more producers now than ever. Brightcove is developing their internet video distribution system. Simply put, soon you will be able to submit video to them and get paid based on how much it is viewed. They make money, you make money, it's a WIN-WIN!!!!!

We should submit our films to BrightCove and then if it makes any money, the money could go back into the film program at Indian Head to get better/more equipment!

Brightcove

http://mediachannel.org/blog/node/1329
www.brightcove.com

The first link is an article about BrightCove and the second is BrightCove itself. It is truly AMAZING! In a nutshell it is the new wave of television/film/media distribution. The first wave was theatures that moved into television cable/satelite and now the new wave Internet Television Distribution. With the exisiting technology that allows quality video at affordable prices, there are more producers now than ever. Brightcove is developing their internet video distribution system. Simply put, soon you will be able to submit video to them and get paid based on how much it is viewed. They make money, you make money, it's a WIN-WIN!!!!!

Using the net to find audiences

http://mediachannel.org/blog/node/1321

What I am taking from this site is not the idea to make money off of the films we make, but the idea of getting audiences over the internet. By creating a site where the films can be seen via broadband, the number of viewers will increase exponentially from only having hardcopy DVDs. I believe the idea and possiblity of the kids' work to be seen by viewers from potentially all over the world will excite them to do their best because you never know who might watch THEIR film.

Equipment

I just recieved an email from Dave with concern to the equipment we'd need to suffice this program.

I may correct myself later but currently there are 2 G5's, 2 Dells, and an iMAC. However out of those computers, 1 G5 has to be used for video yearbook, 1 Dell has to be used for hardcopy yearbook, and 1 Dell has to be used for updating the Web Site daily. So that leaves a G5 and an iMac. The more collaborative the project, the less computers we need, meaning if we produce a film as a whole rather than in small groups, then the two computers we have access to will be fine.

And right now there is a Canon GL2 available, but that has to be used for video yearbook. There is also a handycam (i don't remember what brand), which could be used, but the quality isn't really what I was hoping for. However, we could still produce a very good film (we would just have to concentrate on lighting more to get a good picture.

As far as props, we can improvise. The theature has plenty of what we should need, but we'll be crafty.

Must make sure the computers have Final Cut Pro

Conclusion: Another Canon GL2 would be ideal. The campers aren't allowed to use the one available now, but I want to teach a short Do-s and Don't-s of using a camera, so that once the camper goes through the learning session and passes a short test, they could be licensed to use it. Most of the shots I anticipate will be using a tripod anyway so that eliminates most of the risk of damage. For the other shots that will require a camera-operator moving, I will be sure they have the strap around their neck and will plan the shot out precisely so everyone knows where to be. That should eliminate the cameraperson falling or the camera getting wet etc.

screenwriting

http://www.screenwriting.info/

This is a good site that explains everything that needs to be included in a screenplay. Soon I will begin writing "Cropsie", so i thought it was a good time do some research on screenwriting. Basically I have to include the whole vision of the story, what is seen, what is said, how it is said, what is heard, etc. Another site that I will be using is , http://www.script-o-rama.com/snazzy/dircut.html , Its a good exercise for me to read along with a script to a movie that i'm familiar with while i watch it. This site is just an open-source library of scripts to hollywood films.

acting tips

http://www.rehearsalroom.com/tips.htm

For those interested in acting, this site offers some basic tips to remember and will help them escape themselves and get into character. I think the most important thing to remember when acting is to showcase the "need" of the character. A good way to get better at this is have a group discussion to pinpoint what the characters are trying to accomplish through their dialogue in the scene. And another thing is too relax! Just get up and try and if it doesn't work, then keep trying, I am positive that we can get a good performace even if we have to make cuts line per line.

IHC Films logo

This is the logo (assuming approval) that will go at the beginning of all films. The "I" is a tripod with a camera, representing film, The "H" is two campers of each gender holding hands, representing unity and teamwork, and the "C" has an Indian Headdress, representing the history and logo of IHC.

free vlog

Another way to have the kids' work entered out into the world for others to see is to post it onto freevlog.org. With the internet and all its capabilities, television isn't the only way to have film viewed by a large number of people anymore. This site offers free hosting of videos and would be a great place to post finished work. Explaining to the kids how people all over the world can see what they have done should get them excited and motivated to do their best. I know that idea gets me excited!

more on metroactive

After the kids are done with their productions they are showcased in a film festival. This would be a great idea to do sometime in the last week of camp, right after olympics. After the film itself is finished, I want the kids to think about how they would like their film to be shown, to try and make it interactive. This would give them a headstart into learning about interactive art. There are a lot of smart kids at this camp, I am excited to see what they could some up with.

metroactive.com article

This article at http://www.metroactive.com/papers/metro/02.18.99/slices-9907.html is about a Children's Discovery Museum that allows kids to make their own short films, music videos etc. They are encouraged to focus on story and with simple software and using digital means of recording can achieve a near broadcast production of their ideas. This is what I am trying to get at with IHC's film program.

Rocketboom

http://www.rocketboom.com/vlog/

This is an awesome site that is like watching television for free. I think IHC could do one of these "news" reports every week and the parents would love it. It would be a new fresh way to keep the parents updated in the happenings of IHC and the kids would be doing all the reporting and writing the stories. An IHC "weeklyshow" full of fun, funny, news.

small activity idea

Use figurines and other objects and props to create a stop-motion photograph piece. Each second of film has almost 30 frames per second. In Stop-Motion, we will be using 15-20. This activity aimed to:

- Learn the benefits of using a tri-pod

- Learn the importance of frame-rate

- Work in a small group and complete objective in a short time

- Relate this activity to film

After presenting...

One thing that Jon brought to my attention after presenting a rough media project explaing Indian Head Camp and my proposed film program was the idea of testing it in the area at a local school. If I can really get the ball rolling, it would be great to talk to elementary schools in the area and see if I could work with a class for a few weeks, working with them for a period per day or something. It would be different from the cam atmosphere, but I could get a better idea of what works and what doesn't for kids in a certain age demographic.

research and development

Delicious has been useful in researching other camps that have a similar program and see what works and what doesn't for that camp. Indian Head is much different from most camps and all semester I am going to have to collaborate with both the owners/directors (Dave and Shelley Tager) as well as with the Associate Director (Joel Rutowski). I am hoping we can touch bases at least once a week to talk about ideas and so forth.

idea

I was thinking of an activity to help get the creative juices flowing. From this past summer I have about 800 pictures from camp. Some of them are really good (even better after I photo-shopped them.) What I was thinking was to show one at a time and give the kids 3 minutes to write a quick story of what is happening in the picture. If I can figure out how to upload pictures on here I will attach a few examples.