FINISHED DOCUMENTARY!

Here's the finished result of the documentary! I compiled it into one film because it flowed nicely! Here it's split into two parts since the whole thing couldn't be uploaded (running time = 20 minutes).

DOCUMENTARY PART ONE


DOCUMENTARY PART TWO

HOLY MACARONI!

So the documentary has been giving me trouble! I noticed when I added the text in for the title/between sequences/credits, the text went fuzzy as you may have seen in the last videos I posted.

It was the compression settings, so I had to fiddle around with them - the text still looked awful until I changed them to 'none.' The file may be huge, but at least the text looks sharp. So the intro/mid-sequence/credits are done. I've fixed most of the sound and added some music. All that's left is to finish filming the last of the progress (screenprinting = Tues, folding, etc.). Here's a few screen caps of the text for the film.





Next up, we have the Coachella fanzine dealio to go with/in the music publication posters. Emilia and I have decided we are going to make them A5 and two sided - so if you flip them one way you can read her perspective, turn it the other way and SHAZAAM! my perspective. We're also discussing doing it in black & white (like the posters) or possibly in one colour. These are how my layouts are looking at the moment.




I just finished home screenprinting some envelopes I made for the post cards. I took the A3 bamboo paper print of the California one to get framed this morning : )

Can't really see the text on the darker khadi paper, but the bamboo looks good!

These bad boys took about 4 hours to fold. They were extremely difficult to fol, as the paper is MUCH thicker than expect. They're not perfect but at £140 to print, can't afford to redo. My back is about to go after all the hunching over today. Need to get these chopped down industrial style at Uni.

All this progress feels really good. I feel like I'm about to keel over at any given moment, but I can't believe how much I've accomplished.

GETTING CLOSER! AHHH!

Emilia and I have retrieved our printed posters! Double-sided A0 is possible folks!
Tuesday we will be screenprinting our gradient! Egads! Wish us luck. We can't screw up because we've just spent an arm and a leg on these posters!





I've also been making progress with the documentary. I've been learning Final Cut Studio as I go, not too difficult, but still all new. I've got nearly all the footage that I'm going to be using, edited it down to a fraction of what it was and started with the intro/end credits and breaks in between. A few minor errors at the moment - one video didn't transfer over from George's hard drive, right now it just says 'media offline' in place of the clip. So I'll have to get that from him on Monday. The text is a bit wonky also so that needs to be fixed. I'm just working on the sound at the moment... so that will be much smoother sooon!

Here it is as now, in 2 parts.

PHOTO PORTFOLIO

I've been having quite a difficult time selecting what will go into my photography portfolio. I've shot the trip to Scotland (Findhorn/Scoraig) and California (Coachella/Salvation Mountain) but neither of those groups of images really create a narrative/set. Dave and Gary have recommended that I submit a few mini-projects.
Right now I am working on choosing maximum 4-6 photographs for each.

I have forgotten all about some really great portraits from this year! Well - I really like them!

Here's a few 'sets' that I'm considering...

3/4

Thought you might like to see the regeneration process for one of the posters... not a great glimpse but still you get the idea..






So we've just got to print out and edit the Fans poster and complete the highlights poster! We're taking it to print Thursday morning, so we've got to HUSTLE! I'm ridiculously pleased with how it's turning out and the response we've gotten already! Hooray us!

TO DO:/FINISHED RHYTHMS BOOKLETS

I feel pretty good to have been able to cross 1 thing off my GIANT to do list!
Finished the Rhythms booklets! I put a little explanation of what the booklet is, and put in the lines as Rathna suggested. I think it really does look loads better. I also refined the spacing so it's all even now.




What's left on my TO DO?

• PRINT BOOKLETS
• CHOOSE PAPER FOR POST CARDS
• PRINT POST CARDS
• DESIGN FANS POSTER
• VIDEO EDITING (FINAL)-- THURSDAY
• GATHER/ASSEMBLE PHOTO SELECTION (PHOTOGRAPHY)
• PREPARE FOR TUESDAY GROUP TUTORIAL

... and most of that I want to get done today!

POSTER PROGRESS 2/3 DONE?

The posters are coming along swimmingly! It's been a lot of blood, sweat and tears to get these bad boys looking sharp. Emilia and I decided the easiest way to approach the posters what to divide up the interviews, get them on the page in our own styles, then come together in coordinating them to meld brilliantly. We spent Thursday doing our separate bits, then spent Friday finishing them together. Last night Emillia refined more details on the completed venues poster, which we will discuss after she gets off work.

Today I will be attacking the last poster, the fans, then we can go over that along with the other two final posters and voila! We should have these ready to print by Monday evening. Hooray! Go us!

Troxy article pre-page poster coordinating

Union Chapel interview, also pre-coordination

My articles pre-coordination

Artists poster, final version

Venues poster, final version

Emilia's Luminaire article (I think it's my favourite!)

Union Chapel, post-coordination

Troxy, post-coordination

How the fans poster looks now (with all the text to be used)

Beginning of some layout

DOCUMENTARY! FINALLY SOMETHING TO SEE!

I haven't really posted much about the documentary yet, mostly because I had hours upon hours of footage that needed editing. I've been receiving A LOT of help from a film wizard, George. I have learned that you need to be ruthless in cutting out repetition and bits that Emilia and I get, but the audience wouldn't understand. Also you don't need to show the entire process over and over, generally just give an indication, or demonstrate once quickly, then show initial engagement and future outcomes. It was very difficult to delete the footage of Aaron singing in the shower and Emilia wearing a mud mask during one of our work sessions.

Now I've cut those numerous hours down into 3 increments, 2 of approximately 3 minutes and one 'featurette' which is 7 minutes (down from 2 hours, which it was after the initial edit). The fourth and final installment is yet to be filmed (the finishing of the publication) but I am planning on filming a sort of reflection/summary interview with Emilia and I at the end, where you will get to see a few clips of our experience at gigs and so forth.

Lastly, I need to put proper intros (text) over some black transition screens and do the beginning & end credits. But it's exciting to see it all coming together. I'm a bit concerned with the quality of the footage, but I think it suits it's purpose quite fittingly. The reflection interview is going to be filmed on a higher quality camera to correspond with the notion that by the end of the process things are more refined and polished.

So this is the current stage of the documentary.

Part 1

PART 2 (featurette)

PART 3

WHAT I SPENT 10-11 HOURS OF MY DAY DOING!

DELVING BACK INTO MUSICNESS

This is our publication's current word count, without about 2-3 interviews. Keep in mind most of these we had to transcribe from audio files. Not an easy task, so it felt a ginormous feat when after numerous listens, we finally understood what was being said.



I adore this project.

FINAL POST CARD DESIGNS

I've finished the final post card designs now, thanks to Rathna's help with the last bit of details. I scanned and completed the final composite image from California (it's my favourite!).

I spent the entire day in the photo studio scanning, pre and post-meeting with Rathna. It's like a time abyss, I start scanning, look up and 4 hours have gone!

I ended up missing the lunch meeting on account of being in the zone. I did managed to scan ALL of the negatives from California/Coachella, so I'm looking forward to getting those posted.

Overall, I was feeling more positive about my work today. Emilia and I had an interesting chat during our walk to Waterloo after uni. It was mostly an inquiry into how our perspectives on our own work came to be. Again this may be rather incoherent, as it's past my zombification hour. She is always quite relaxed and optimistic when it comes to her work. Whereas she mentioned that I am very negative and critical.

I'm not sure it's possible to change, but more than just realizing this, I am starting to at the very least strive to listen to myself and go with my own instinct rather than create things solely based on others opinions and suggestions.

Annnyway, just something I've been giving a lot of thought to since our discussion!
Here are the post card designs!

COMPOSITE DECONSTRUCTED - ANOTHER VERSION

COACHELLA - PART II

The Coachella memories are beginning to fade now. It's become a pleasant dream. I'm happy to be sorting through the visuals, preparing for a project on the experience. We both kept a sketchbook/diary of the adventure, though it was difficult to maintain the momentum and got a bit behind. Today I'm planning on catching myself up. I photographed on 4 different cameras - Olympus DSLR and Pentax 6x7 for everything outside of the venue, as per the regulation no 'professional cameras permitted inside the venue' and the Ricoh compact digital and Olympus Pen half frame inside. So essentially 1 x film + 1 x digital for each scenario. Considering our documentary, I recorded some snippets of the trip on the Ricoh.

I have to say I was not impressed with the Ricoh photographs. There is a chance that I just don't know how to use this camera properly yet - because some of the images were great, but very few.

DAY ONE - ARRIVE + SET UP

DAY TWO - MUSIC COMMENCES

DAY TWO


DAY THREE

DAY FOUR - LEAVING PALM SPRINGS