Adobe Aftereffects lesson

Today in lesson, we learnt how to put effects onto green screen.
I worked with Aaron as he did not have a computer.

To start with we got to the image we wanted to start with:

In this shot we had green screened the mirror as we wanted to add a different version of the character in its place.

To start with we had to go onto 'keying' presets and choose 'linear color key' and add it to the clip

We then had to choose the the key color by using the dripper to match the color to the green screen. We then adjusted the 'match tolerance' and 'matching softness' and changed the 'match colors' to "using chroma". This is the result:

After that we added 'Spill suppressor' from the 'Keying' presets.
Then changed the 'Color to suppress' to green.

This didn't do a big amount, but it did change the color of some of the flowers on the wall.








To then soften the edges of we added a 'Matte choker' from the 'Matte' presets


After this we added the clip we wanted in the mirror underneath the first in the 'comp' window as a new layer.

We then played around with the size and placement to make it look realistic.

We filmed the second clip on green screen. We did this so we could add fire to the background.
So we repeated the above steps.

The final result looked like this.










Last came the ripple effect on the mirror. this was a simple preset called 'Ripple' then the radios was increased.

I am very confident now that i will be able to use the green screen effect in future projects.







some of the problems we encountered today were:

• Shadows - The first clip was filmed in very low lighting, which to start with makes it hard to see what's going on in the clip, but did actually cast shadows of the actresses arm over the green screened mirror when raised. which can be seen in the last image. this caused continuity problems mainly as the shadow would not be visible on a mirror. From this i have learnt that when using green screen, it is best to do it in full lighting so no shadows are cast.
• Editing - It would probably be best to edit the clips you wanted to use in final cut first, so you could get them in time and cut down to the size needed, then import them directly into After effects, do the effects, then import it directly back into final cut. this saves time in the long run as you would not need to keep exporting and re-importing clips which could ultimately lead into loss of quality and clips taking up a lot of storage space. 

Oh and the last problem we encountered was that our editing screen randomly turned blue and we couldn't figure out why, cmd + z did nothing:

Shoot write up

Todays shooting went pretty well. we managed to get everything we needed to film.

There were a few hiccups along the way. the first was mainly the set up. it took a long time to get the first lighting set up... set up, i think this was due to the cinematographers not knowing exactly what it was we were aiming for, perhaps if we had met with them before hand to discuss what we shots we wanted, this may have made things go faster as they wouldn't have had to improvise.
Also in my opinion there were too many people on set which made the room very crowded and hard to move around. This could've been combated by maybe not having two groups filming at once, and the third group that wasn't filming not being there. although i understand that they were there to observe, they really wern't needed and this just crowded the room even more.

Another problem we had was the actresses dress. because we got the actress this week and we did not have the chance to measure her or buy a dress. because of this we had to improvise on the spot and make one. To do this Joley used a white shirt and a strip of long lacey material. She cut the sleeves off the shirt and wrapped the material around the actressess (victoria) waste under the shirt using a bobble to secure it. she then tied a strip of what i think was a curtain tie around her waste as a belt. i think the finished dress was good considering the time it was done in.

For the effects we used a green screen where the mirror should be. To do this we removed the glass from the mirror and hung a green sheet in it's place. To achieve the look of an arm coming through the mirror, we left the glass out and set up a long shot from the side so the face of the mirror could not be seen, we then had Joley stand behind the set and put her hand through the hole - this then cut down time needed to shoot.

In order to make fake blood, i mixed golden syrup, chocolate sauce, red food colouring and water. This is the same recipe that is used on many feature films, the good thing about this recipe is that it's edible as our actress needed to spill it from her mouth.
From what i saw while filming the camera did not pick up the fack blood, this could have been because of the lighting or camera angle or the fact that Victoria's hair was in the way. however i hope that i am wrong.

I am confident that we have achieved what we had originally planned and that the concept of uncanny is clear thoughout. During this shoot i have learnt  how important it is to plan extensivly before a shoot especially in using special effects, and to have a run through with cinematogrophers and actors, as this cuts down the time taken on the day of the shoot, which was especially important today. I have also realised how important it is to only have essential personel on set as anyone who isn't needed ends up getting in the way.

Evanescence - Imaginary

I have recently listened to a song that i have not heard in a long time.

the song is called 'Imaginary' by Evanescence:

This song caught my attention for many reasons, not simply because it is about the imagination. but because some of the lyrics, specifically:

"let me stay where the wind will whisper to me"

"and candy clouds of lullaby"

"and watch my purple sky fly over me"

All of these lines have given me some inspirations and thoughts which i will incorperate into my own idea.
the first line has given me the idea of hearing words come out of nowhere in a whispering tone. much like that in The Torchwood episode "Small worlds". I will not use the same poem, i will either find one or write my own thing to be "heard in the wind".

the second line along with the third have given me the idea of a sky that changes colour. this will help show the difference between the 'normal world' and the 'fantasy worlds'.

Imaginary - Evanescence - Lyrics (YouTube Video) [online] last accessed 18th December 2012 on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQgfrjMXy_w

Set building

For the past two sessions of Creative Project realisation we have been building out sets for next Thursdays shoot.
For our set we were going for a girly type of look, beige and light colours with fairy lights and flowers posted over the walls.
i was incharge of wallpapering... having never wallpapered before, this didn't go as well as it could have. the main problem i encountered was that air bubbles got caught under the paper - even though i tried to brush them out, they still appeared.

I am very happy with the finished set, the fact that the wallpaper does not look perfect, adds to the concept of the uncanny, as we were trying to make it look perfect, but it is not, it has been made to look like something it is not.

for the mirror effects we have decided to green screen the mirror, to do this we have removed the back from the mirror so that the glass can be removed and replaced with a green sheet, we have had to cut a hole behind the mirror frame as it has been attached to the set.

here are some pictures of the finished set:

Idea Premise

Name:                    Joseph Bowles
Working Title:      In a child’s eyes
Film Genre:          Fantasy/ Horror
Length:                 10 - 15 minutes
Target Audience:  15 +
Tag line:                Innocence will save the world

               

Premise:                 In a lonely dark Forest an innocent girl lives in her own little fantasy world. However everything goes awry when her own imagination turns against her.  

 

Synopsis:               Set in a lonely forest, dark and dead. A young girl uses her imagination to bring life and colour to the dingy forest.

But everything goes from good to bad to worse when her imagination goes darker than the forest and turns against her. Can she escape the nightmare world that she has created?

Visual Realisation: ‘In a child’s eyes’ journeys into a dark, dead, scary forest. Carpeted by fallen leaves and mud and murky swamps, when subjected to a world of imagination, the forest is transformed into a Childs utopia of colourful flowers and lush green grass. A land of wonderful creatures from myth and legend makes it the ultimate children’s fantasy world.
But when the Childs fantasy turns nightmare, the lush green grass and flowers are morphed into living black oil and black thorns and thistles. The creatures of horror lurk in the shadows, fuelled by fear and a lust for blood.

 

Statement of Intent:      ‘In a child’s eyes’ Starts as a fantasy, showing the wonders and limitless of the imagination and dreams of an innocent child. However there is a second half to the Childs imagination, which is the half where nightmares and fears are born –this is the horror part of it. I intend these two worlds to be almost the complete opposites of each other. the first will be vibrant colours and be very happy and playful, especially with the creatures I will include such as fairies. And the second will be very dark and scary with a lot of emphasis on shadows and peripheral vision to show how a Childs imagination could make anything, such as a tree, be frightening. Both the worlds will be shown against the ‘Real world’ which will represent normality. I also plan to incorporate an underlying message “innocence will save the world” i want to make a statement of how industry is destroying the beauty of the natural world and it is the “un-innocent, industrial adult world” which is destroying it. To do this I will put a big focus on things becoming almost mechanical and oil orientated when the nightmare world begins.

Imaginaerum – Nightwish

Going back to my research into the imagination and dreams, I have recently been listening to a band called “Nightwish”. They are a Finnish Symphony metal band, (this means they use a lot of orchestral music along with guitars, drums and bass, as well as operatic singing) that has recently released an album called ‘Imaginaerum’.

Two specific songs on this Album caught my attention. They are:

Storytime

This song is generally about the childhood bedtime story and the wonderful journey it takes you on.
(I would include the lyrics but they are very long, so instead here the is the link to the official website where you can read them)

http://nightwish.com/en/releases/lyrics?a=102&s=2

The song can also be heard on the video below.

Scaretale

This song is like the first; however it talks about nightmares and fears of childhood. The scary stories of spiders and monsters in the cupboard and under the bed, as you can imagine it’s a very different feel. (Here is the link to the lyrics)

http://nightwish.com/en/releases/lyrics?a=102&s=6

and the song

The reason I am writing about them and specifically these two songs will become apparent soon.

I went to see the band live in concert on Sunday 4^th November 2012 at Manchester o2 arena. While there I saw a t-shirt that someone was wearing, on the back of this t-shirt said the words “innocence will save the world”. Personally I thought this statement was amazingly powerful and the upkeep and preservation of what I like to call “the wild earth” i.e. nature is something I feel incredibly strongly about. It is for this reason I was once involved in ‘Green peace’ and my chosen religion is that of the Native American Indians (which doesn’t have a name) which focuses on the spirits of the earth and specifically its divinity and protection. A good way of seeing it: is “mother nature” or “mother earth” a great spirit that is within everything and all of us. It is very similar to ‘Paganism’ which I did also practise for a time.

Anyway this phrase along with these songs and my previous research has inspired my idea.

 
I will write up a premise for my idea and it shall be in my next blog entry.

here is a video of the band live - i'm sorry for the quality it was taken on my phone. the song is called "Over the hills and far away"

references:

imaginaerum_panorama-web - Google Images [online] last accessed on 18th December 2012 on https://www.google.co.uk/search?num=10&hl=en&safe=off&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1280&bih=666&q=imaginarium&oq=imaginarium&gs_l=img.3..0l10.773.3340.0.3550.11.8.0.3.3.0.111.732.6j2.8.0...0.0...1ac.1.QOrY2Pg_ZiQ#hl=en&safe=off&tbo=d&site=imghp&tbm=isch&spell=1&q=imaginaerum+album&sa=X&ei=mobQUKutCY_74QSm74CYBA&ved=0CFIQBSgA&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.1355534169,d.bGE&fp=e0a3f6b714b94685&bpcl=40096503&biw=1280&bih=666&imgrc=http%253A%252F%252Fcalibermag.org%252Fwp-content%252Fuploads%252F2012%252F01%252Fimaginaerum_panorama-web.jpeg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fcalibermag.org%252Farticles%252Falbum-review-imaginaerum-by-nightwish%252F%3BXnO3OhEpLgPXYM%3BI0i0xosEIws-gM%3A%3B117494581454074646023%3B1500%3B581

Nightwish - Storytime (lyrics) HD - (YouTube Video) [online] last accessed on 18th December 2012 on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5i7htF2AwY

Nightwish - Scaretail (+ lyrics) - (YouTube Video) [online] last accessed on 18th December 2012 on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QNIWAdvSVw

Fauns and Trolls research

Carol rose    2000.                        Giants, Monsters and Dragons.                 California

Faun

 In this book there is not much written about the Faun in this book. It simply said that the Faun is the offspring of a Demigod called Faunus (further research). The Faun is semi-human, half goat and half human, specifically human males. And that they are likened to ‘Satyrs’ (further research) and they are the guardians of the wild.  

Satyrs

The same book describes Satyrs as a hybrid humanoid creature from Greek mythology. Originally depicted the same as The Faun, male upper body and head and legs of a goat. Many different types of Satyrs were described including some that breathed through a hole in their chests and with no nose. The most recent description of Satyrs was that of a creature with a human head, pointy ears, horns and a hairy body and legs. They were led by a drunken master ‘Silenus’. 
Satyrs lived in the woods, mountains and countryside – much like fairies. It is because of their choice of habitat that they were known in some places as ‘Silvani’ or Forest people, they were renowned for pursuing nymphs, rudeness and playing pranks, their response to humans was very unpredictable and could be extremely harmful.

Troll

 The Troll originates from Scandinavia, however variations of with differences in characteristics and appearance have been recorded in other countries with troll’s in their folklore. They were noted to have a lot of hair and be very ugly. They were also described as ogres or giant like which were very hateful, however in some parts their women were described as being beautiful. They live in communities under the hills. Trolls hate loud noises and villages drove them away by ringing their church bells. They were very malicious creatures and have been known to steal women and children for cannibalistic purposes or slavery. They could only be seen between dusk and dawn because the sun caused them to turn to stone. It has been said that ancient standing stones are the remainder of trolls caught in the sun.  (see image right)

Many different versions of trolls come from throughout the world, however many of their visible characteristics remain the same. In literature the most well known version of the troll is probably from J.R.R Tolkiens ‘Lord of the Rings’ and even The Grimm Brothers ‘Three Billy goats Gruff’








References:

satyr-faun - Google images [online] last accessed on 18th December 2012 - https://www.google.co.uk/search?num=10&hl=en&safe=off&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1280&bih=666&q=fauns&oq=fauns&gs_l=img.3..0l3j0i5j0i24l3j0i10i24l3.391.974.0.1119.5.5.0.0.0.0.102.367.4j1.5.0...0.0...1ac.1.TDM-IXtlHR0#hl=en&safe=off&tbo=d&site=imghp&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=evil+faun&oq=evil+faun&gs_l=img.3..0.59201.60580.6.60802.9.9.0.0.0.0.163.751.6j3.9.0...0.0...1c.1.MW8nYLYA8ZQ&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.1355534169,d.Yms&fp=e0a3f6b714b94685&bpcl=40096503&biw=1280&bih=666&imgrc=http%253A%252F%252Fopenbooksociety.com%252Fwp-content%252Fuploads%252F2012%252F09%252Fsatyr-faun.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fopenbooksociety.com%252Farticle%252Fsatyrs-fauns-mythical-creatures-throughout-history%252Fsatyr-faun%252F%3BYYH3oe4W4pybqM%3BvkWC2WmNUZEFgM%3A%3B117494581454074646023%3B595%3B429

Satyr/ Narnia fans - Google images [online] last accessed on 18th December 2012 on https://www.google.co.uk/search?num=10&hl=en&safe=off&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1280&bih=666&q=fauns&oq=fauns&gs_l=img.3..0l3j0i5j0i24l3j0i10i24l3.391.974.0.1119.5.5.0.0.0.0.102.367.4j1.5.0...0.0...1ac.1.TDM-IXtlHR0#hl=en&safe=off&tbo=d&site=imghp&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=satyr&oq=satyr&gs_l=img.3..0l5j0i10j0l4.61368.62300.10.62809.5.5.0.0.0.0.137.435.3j2.5.0...0.0...1c.1.DQL8ddU-FQQ&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.1355534169,d.Yms&fp=e0a3f6b714b94685&bpcl=40096503&biw=1280&bih=666&imgrc=http%253A%252F%252Fnarniafans.s3.amazonaws.com%252Fwp-content%252Fuploads%252F2007%252F09%252Fpc_satyr1_9-24-07.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.narniafans.com%252Farchives%252Ftag%252Fsatyr%3BM2PXOwc6Vna0FM%3BAXF94WB1w0XeoM%3A%3B117494581454074646023%3B1405%3B1080

Troll - Google images [online] last accessed on 18th December 2012 on https://www.google.co.uk/search?num=10&hl=en&safe=off&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1280&bih=666&q=fauns&oq=fauns&gs_l=img.3..0l3j0i5j0i24l3j0i10i24l3.391.974.0.1119.5.5.0.0.0.0.102.367.4j1.5.0...0.0...1ac.1.TDM-IXtlHR0#hl=en&safe=off&tbo=d&site=imghp&tbm=isch&q=evil+trolls&revid=1202625347&sa=X&ei=CozQUJOgM6SY0QXWo4DgBw&ved=0CG4QgxY&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.1355534169,d.Yms&fp=e0a3f6b714b94685&bpcl=40096503&biw=1280&bih=666&imgrc=http%253A%252F%252F25.media.tumblr.com%252Ftumblr_mauev56lqP1rrr6fso1_400.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fdjcblog.tumblr.com%252Fpost%252F32431925452%252Fmonsters-that-scared-steve-as-a-kid-trolls-when%3BgWjOaApqnyfbTM%3Bf_IccsHyo5QA5M%3A%3B117494581454074646023%3B394%3B406

Standing stone - Google Images [online] last accessed on 18th December 2012 on https://www.google.co.uk/search?num=10&hl=en&safe=off&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1280&bih=666&q=fauns&oq=fauns&gs_l=img.3..0l3j0i5j0i24l3j0i10i24l3.391.974.0.1119.5.5.0.0.0.0.102.367.4j1.5.0...0.0...1ac.1.TDM-IXtlHR0#hl=en&safe=off&tbo=d&site=imghp&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=standing+stone+of+the+north&oq=standing+stone+of+the+north&gs_l=img.3...28575.29892.19.30050.13.12.0.0.0.0.160.1002.7j5.12.0...0.0...1c.1.RZ68IF4X1es&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.1355534169,d.Yms&fp=e0a3f6b714b94685&bpcl=40096503&biw=1280&bih=666&imgrc=http%253A%252F%252Fs0.geograph.org.uk%252Fphotos%252F00%252F28%252F002859_d63572d7.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.geograph.org.uk%252Fphoto%252F2859%3BeDL87xoDv7UgaM%3BoiXHTv8e15NM5M%3A%3B117494581454074646023%3B640%3B480