Sunday 19th April
Worked 10am – 4pm, drove around
picking up friends and all their band gear for a gig.
After the gig load up car with all my
puppets, sets and props ready to take to uni tomorrow for filming.
Monday 20th April.
Drove to uni, made 3 trips from the car
to the filming room. Booked out a camera, and lights. Then went on a
mission looking for two spigots to attach the lights to their stands,
extension cords to link the lights to the dimmer box, and a tripod.
Several hours later, everything finally set up ready to film... or so
I thought. Then the software, Stop-motion pro, decides not to work
with the camera. Tried different settings, re-booting the computer,
camera, everything. Then went and changed the camera at the library
to see if that was the problem. Nothing worked. Went to find Stan,
who fixed a similar problem I had back in November, he was off ill.
Finally got a different technician to come help me. He spent about an
hour, uninstalling and re-installing all software, and unfortunately
couldn't come up with a solution. Then I went to pester Gina, who
said she would email Stan and try her best to solve the problem for
me.
Pretty much had to go home, as there is
nothing more I could have done today. I however, get on with so
business work went I got home.
Tuesday 21st April
I was hoping the uni would be able to
fix the problem I was having with the software/cameras while I wasn't
there. I was in work all day from 10am – 8pm. I went in to uni
quickly after work to see if anyone was able to fix the problem, but
they hadn't.
Wednesday 22nd
April
Tried rebooting the computer again, and
changed the camera at the library for a second time.
Then I borrowed an older camera from a
second year student to see if that would work. That worked perfectly,
no problems what so ever.
So the old cameras work with the new
updated software, and from what I've heard the new cameras work with
the old software. However, all the computers now have the updated
version of the software, and only new cameras are available to book
out.
So spoke to Gina who said she's try an
get hold of an older camera from a different campus for me for
tomorrow. As a back up she suggested I ask Roger if he has any older
cameras I could book out.
Turned out Roger did have one camera
available, but would only book it out to me as a last resort as his
students, photography and VFX students, get priority. So now I would
have to wait until tomorrow to get anything sorted.
Thursday 23rd April
Gina has had no luck with getting a
camera from anywhere else, but is still in contact with Stan over
trying to get the new cameras to work with the new software. So I had
to get the camera from Roger who has booked it out for me until
Wendnesday 29th April, and said if no one else needs it
then he will extend the booking.
Finally able to get filming started.
I did a few title test shot ands some
test shots of the posh man and woman outside the shop. I then made a
list of things I'd forgot at home and needed to print off.
Then I did business work for the rest
of the day as the deadline is tomorrow.
 |
| This is a still shot from a short animated clip I did of the couple (the animation got deleted a few days later =,[ ) |
Friday 24th April
Went into uni and handed in my business
work. Then headed over to the filming room to get some work done.
Remembering the rig today I was able to
do a shot of scene 1 shots 2 and 3, where the posh couple look and
the shop, then each other and agree to go inside. I did these shots
twice.
Then I grabbed some food before headed
to work from 4pm- 8pm. I decided not to go back to uni afterwards
because I need to print some signs off for outside the shop because I
didn't like the ones I'd hand write.
Saturday 25th April
I went into uni to re-do the shop signs
and then film the opening title shot again and the sign that the
couple read and then chose to go inside shop.
Then I had to head of to work again
from 3pm – 8pm.
Sunday 26th April
Today I was in work all day from 8am –
5pm, and I was going to come to uni after work, but I changed my mind
because I had to be back in work for 7am and was planning to go
straight to uni after till as late as possible, but I also had to
ring my parents who I hadn't spoken to in about 7 weeks.
Monday 27th April
I was in work today from 7am – 12
noon. Then I went straight into uni to get on with my work. However,
Stop-motion pro decided not to work today and to make my day even
better the computer decided to wipe everything I had done on
Thursday, Friday and Saturday!
After a bit of a melt down, I hunted
down a technician who managed to fix stop-motion prop but
unfortunately was unable to re-cover my work. The only reason I
didn't back to up to my external hard-drive was that the computer
wouldn't recognise it, so I new I had to get my work backed up soon
just in case, but sadly the computer decided to erase every of mine
before I had a chance to fix that problem. It was just my work it got
rid of though, because the student who was using that computer and
software before me, his work was still on there.
I am noteing all of this down, not to
complain but to explain all of the obstacles I am coming across, to
prove that I am trying to do my work. The last thing I would want is
for any of the tutors to think I was just being lazy and not doing
anything.
I had a bit of a panic that I'd end up
graduating with a really low mark so I went to find one of my tutors
to discuss this. She explain the making scheme to me and reasured me
I had nothing to worry about but not to give up, and just do the best
that I can.
I went back to my little filming room
and shot 2 test shots of my policeman's walk cycle. I did 2 shots of
the policeman doing a turnaround, because I feel that my film is
likely to turn into a showreel/trailer for a film. So I was thinking
I could show turnarounds of each character with descriptions of their
personality next to them with background music that reflects their
personality.
With short animated clips from the
film. A bit like what Joshua and Nathan Flynn showed of their final
3rd year film, even though they didn't get to actually
finish the whole film itself.
I also shot my posh male character
turnaround and shots of him with different replaceable mouths.
To solve the problem of the external
hard-drive not working, I borrowed a different one from Gina,
unfortunately the computer won't recognised hers either. The only way
I could think around this rather than have to go find someone else to
help me, I have decided to email of my own work to myself. So now
everytime I do a shot I export it as a video and as individual
frames and attach them to an email from my university account and
send them to my hotmail account.
Tuesday 28th April
Today I shot: - the posh woman
turnaround
- the woman shop keeper turnaround
- the woman shop keeper with different
mouths
- all 5 character turnaround
Now that I have the character
turnarounds done, I figured I better start filming all my shots. I'm
going to try and get as much done as possible, and then IF I have
time after, I may go back and re-do some shots and improve them.
Though I am finding already that my puppets my look better than my
puppets from last year, but they still aren't easy to animate.
These shot I did today as well :
- Title shot 1:1
- 1:2 the couple outside the shop
shop description sign
- 1:3 the couple walking upto the shop
front door
- 3:1 the posh man and policeman outside the shop
Wednesday 29th
April
In uni by 9am, brought flooring for
scene 2, inside the shop. Also brought in my own tripod, because I
the I'm using is a bit wobbly at the top, and I like to animate
camera moves but obviously if your moving the camera you need a
stable tripod.
I saw Roger before 11am to see if I
could extend my booking on the camera, which I was able to yay!
Finally things are going right.
I am currently downloading all the
files I've sent to myself and am going to put them in my animatic and
send it to the lovely guy who has agreed to do the sound for me, and
tell him whats been going and what my new plan is.
I am also setting up my second scene,
which is the interior of the shop and am going to get some test shots
of that done today.
