Posts Tagged Memory of You | Reflection of Me
Almost There
After the stress of trying to put the work up onto Annual 09 DVD catalogue and website, I feel the hard work is almost over, thanks to the extended deadline. There are two major tasks in the plan: surround sound and DVD production.
I have corresponded with Rafiralfiro regarding the soundtrack. Even though he could not write something new from the scratch for me, he sent me some unreleased tracks to listen. His works are amazing and he is excited to see his track in surround environment.
I have sketched DVD cover and structured the menu but unfortunately did not get a chance to present them on Week 9 assessment.
8 October 2009
A Nightmare Comes True
My worst fear has come true. Last night after the presentation, I felt tired for either hay fever or a cold. I caught the train and changed at Central Station while listening to iPod to relax. It was probable too relaxing and I was blurred. Next thing I knew I got off the train without the harddrive I was bringing back home every Thursday for the weekly back up.
First thing I ringed info line but it was out of business hour. With help of a friend on twitter who works for CityRail, I could locate where the train looped and got the numbers of the stations but it was too late in the night. No one heard anything. The best thing I could do was to call the info line in the morning.
What has been lost?
Basically, everything I have been working on this project in the week and some projects:
- Visual edit of fine cut 05. I still have low-res of Fine cut o6 in my thumb drive to as a reference.
- Sound design. Luckily, I work the audio on studio’s harddrive and it could still be there in CG15.
- Colour grading work. I will have to re-adjust it when CG13 is ready again.
- After Effect composite in Lounge scene. This could be redone easily and I like to tweak it a bit anyway.
- Last semester’s work. Joy still have that folder.
- The video art project I initiated during the break. It’s the only one that I don’t have any back up anywhere but I have the DV tape and can start again. (If I feel inspired)
Retrieval Plan
Obviously, it can’t be waited for a mishap to dissolve itself. The goal is to catch up progress of the week work last in the weekend so that I can go on with the project next week. The actions are:
- Get a new harddrive. It has to be FireWire since I work Final Cut Pro from the hard drive. La Cie rugged or Western Digital Passport II are my choices.
- Retrieve Pro Tool files from CG15. The room is booked for 30 minute for that.
- Retrieve the latest version of fine cut I have from my back up.
- Spend most of the time trying to match the work-in-progress: fine cut, composite and rough colour grading.
Lesson learned
What I have really lost is the plan to do other things today: research on other project, assignment and stress. There should be more sufficient back up plan for it. Not only for this project but for my entire archives. Weekly back up may not be enough when a disaster strikes. Everyone, please take me as an example.
25 September 2009
Post-Production Juggling
Although I felt relieved after the re-shoot and have started editing for few days, there are still many things to do in post-production:
- Visual edit — at the fine cut stage but I’d like to start sound design to get the feel and mood and take that to the account in final cut. I still need a clearance to use Mrs Delloway book cover and find a tourist footage travelling by boat.
- Music — I was going to compose myself but I found that I’d better get a license. I have been listening to mobygratis and Rafiralfiro over and over then decided to ask Rafiralfiro (I used their music for my previous film) to use Celeste (harp song) but found that it was an original soundtrack of El Plan B. I contacted them anyhow meanwhile I might look for another composer.
- Sound design — I couldn’t believe that CG15 has been pre-booked ahead. I thought I was quick. This project is pretty much plan for sound design and I’d like to do surround 5.1 to show off at Annual screening. This is something Cofa might have to look at when renovating the campus.
- DVD — There is a rough idea and a cover sketch in my visual diary but it will come along later.
That’s the post-production juggling. Still.So.Much.To.Do.
10 September 2009
Re-Shoot
A couple of mistakes I made on the second days of shooting: I chose to shoot Fay for the silhouette sunrise then I was rushing Gerard on his shots and we missed the light. The shots with him were complete unusable. The folding paper shots looked grotty and the last shot of the film had a dreadful background. I decided to go back to Coogee beach for another shoot. The crew were only Ben, Joy, Elham and Stilgherrian and it was only for Gerard so that I could concentrate on him. The call was half an hour earlier since we hit spring time.
The plan was to keep Gerard slow and keep him looking at the camera. I finally got the shot I wanted with sunrise on him.
7 September 2009
The Record Session
After the big weeks of my own shooting production, the first presentation, Joy’s production and the re-shoot, now I can feel at ease and have a time to reflect on the project and update it here. First of all, the record session.
One of the most beautiful scene we shot was the laundry room scene. However, we anticipated that the sound would be the problem because of the noise of the dryer. ADR (Additional Dialogue Replacement) seemed to be the only solution. Thanks to Tony, setting up room CG15 went smoothly and was on time with Fay arrived for her session. She confessed that she’d never done this before. Well, I once dubbed myself in a speaking extra role in a Thai movie years ago. She got used to it quickly and pull it off very well.
There was a change in final script in the bedroom scene. The telephone conversation between Daniel and Chrissie was added to the scene. Helen was called to record the audio with Gerard. These actors finally met each other. It was easy for Helen even though, to my surprise, it was her first recording session. Gerard overcame his speech difficulty with breathing technique. We could hear his deep breathe between the line as I directed him to pause into a rhythm. The outcome was satisfying even though I felt I did not force him to break out of his monotone.
30 August 2009
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