Last week was Thanksgiving break. We had the full week off. I wanted to film. Things didn't work out.
I wanted to film Sunday, and everyone was set. Until the night before. At about 10 pm, after Carlos went to sleep, Kevin informs me that his house is no longer available.
Well that sucks. I found a replacement location however! So, crisis averted.
The next day I woke up early so I could pack and prepare. I was able to contact Carlos and discuss the situation. However, my other three actors were no where to be found. Filming was planned for 12 noon, and it was 11:30, and I hadn't heard a peep from any of them. Shit.
Finally, after many stressful (and anger-ful) calls, I got an answer. Apparently, all three of these actors went out last night for the midnight showing of Rocky Horror Picture Show. That's fine and all, but they were out until about 4 am. So they didn't wake up till about 12. Great.
Carlos and I headed to Kevin's house to get the lowdown. Upon ringing the doorbell, a red-eyed, loopy Kevin struggles out of the door in front of us. He looks as if he's been hit with pink-eye or something. He could barely stand straight, and he was slurring his words, and his hands were shaking. There was no way he could act in this condition. As much as I hated to say it, I had to reschedule the filming.
Later that day, about 3 pm, Julien texts me, saying that he can't make it to filming because he just woke up. Derp.
So we rescheduled to Tuesday. But then, Carlos got sick. I pardoned him immediately because you can't avoid illness. Plus, he's my main actor, and I wanted to make sure he was 100% before he acted. So we postponed again. But by that time, I just wanted to enjoy my vacation. So I did.
In two days, filming will happen (I hope). I continue to have high expectations for this film. I have a ton of great actors who are ready to be in the film. I are excited.
Anyway, that's my story. Don't tl;dr me or I'll find you and kill you while you're asleep or in the bathroom. :D
12/2/10
11/17/10
More Movies!
Here are some other movies I've watched recently.
The Social Network: Okay, it was good. It was a solid movie that never strayed away from its purpose. It had good dialogue and good cinematography. The story was non-linear and developed characters. But really, nothing really stood out to me. Yes, it was a technically solid movie, and yes, it has garnered many high reviews, but it didn't wow me, it simply left me content. At least it wasn't a bad movie. The actors were pretty good. The whole process of making Facebook was a drama waiting to happen. But once again, I was failed to be completely wowed. I feel like it was playing it too safe. But that's me. Failed to wow, but was a solid movie otherwise. My verdict: 8/10.
Chungking Express: Okay, now THIS movie was different. It follows the stories of two heartbroken cops and the way they deal with their sadness. I liked this movie because the way it was filmed was completely different from any other. The chase scenes involved low shutter speeds, but you were still able to see the characters' faces through all the blur. My favorite line in the movie is "Do you like pineapples?" That itself should interest you. I liked this movie a lot because it had very interesting dialogue, had a great set of characters, and extremely unique storylines. The cinematography in this movie was very different from other movies so it stood out like a sore thumb. Thing is, it works. There's something about this movie that makes it one of my all time favorites. I could watch it all day long. The "Dreamlover" sequence never fails to make me smile. My verdict: 10/10
The Social Network: Okay, it was good. It was a solid movie that never strayed away from its purpose. It had good dialogue and good cinematography. The story was non-linear and developed characters. But really, nothing really stood out to me. Yes, it was a technically solid movie, and yes, it has garnered many high reviews, but it didn't wow me, it simply left me content. At least it wasn't a bad movie. The actors were pretty good. The whole process of making Facebook was a drama waiting to happen. But once again, I was failed to be completely wowed. I feel like it was playing it too safe. But that's me. Failed to wow, but was a solid movie otherwise. My verdict: 8/10.
Chungking Express: Okay, now THIS movie was different. It follows the stories of two heartbroken cops and the way they deal with their sadness. I liked this movie because the way it was filmed was completely different from any other. The chase scenes involved low shutter speeds, but you were still able to see the characters' faces through all the blur. My favorite line in the movie is "Do you like pineapples?" That itself should interest you. I liked this movie a lot because it had very interesting dialogue, had a great set of characters, and extremely unique storylines. The cinematography in this movie was very different from other movies so it stood out like a sore thumb. Thing is, it works. There's something about this movie that makes it one of my all time favorites. I could watch it all day long. The "Dreamlover" sequence never fails to make me smile. My verdict: 10/10
11/10/10
Analysis of Nickelodeon
I've watched shows like iCarly, Big Time Rush, and True Jackson enough and I think I now know why I don't like these shows and why I think it has a negative impact on the viewers.
The thing is that in these shows, stardom seems to just come one day when they choose to. iCarly begins with three teenagers who want to make a web show. That's all fine and dandy, but then, out of the blue, they have their own studio with expensive equipment and everything. This is where things start going off track. The thing is, viewers at this point don't watch because they relate to the story. Instead, they're brainwashed that success appears at your doorstep when you want it to. I don't like this depiction of instant success because it's simply not what life is. Also, no one cares who dates who. It blows up the magnitude of relationship drama that is incredibly poisonous to younger viewers who strive to be like Carly, i.e. yelling at every moment that you want to get your point across. Come on, this show isn't even funny.
Same with True Jackson. When would a big company pass their executive position to a teenager? Are they stupid? Not only does it immediately stray away from reality, but then it shows viewers that it's okay to screw around when you supposedly have a high position in a big company. Once again, how does this relate to anyone? If people mess around in school, they get in trouble. Success doesn't just show up one day, and even if it does, it shouldn't lead to goofing off. Once again, these shows fail to relate to life and the viewers and only brainwash young viewers into thinking that this is actually how things work.
Let's go back to the days of Drake and Josh and Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide. Why did I like these shows? Why did everyone like these shows? Because they depicted the lives of relatively ordinary people in ordinary situations (albeit excluding Megan). Drake and Josh was about two step brothers who have to deal with each other and life in high school. This was something that everyone could relate to in some way. It's just life, even though it gets silly. They don't just jump straight to stardom when they want to.
Ned's Declassified was the same. It had goofy characters, yes, but it also dealt with common occurrences in middle school and school in general. Everyone could relate to this show, even though it was pretty silly. It depicted the school lives of ordinary people and exemplified the stereotypes, like the bully and the jock, and placed them in an environment that people could relate to.
I feel like those older shows had more heart behind them. We could watch Ned and feel like "Hey, we're not alone. Other people deal with similar things in middle school as I do." We could watch Drake and Josh and laugh because brothers did act that way, and the two different personalities would always clash in some way, much like they would in real life. But shows like iCarly and True Jackson have no relatability factor. It's simply a means of making people wish that they could have success like they do. It is for this reason why I hate these new Nickelodeon shows the most. I'm still waiting for a new, organic show that doesn't have to be disgusting to appear.
The thing is that in these shows, stardom seems to just come one day when they choose to. iCarly begins with three teenagers who want to make a web show. That's all fine and dandy, but then, out of the blue, they have their own studio with expensive equipment and everything. This is where things start going off track. The thing is, viewers at this point don't watch because they relate to the story. Instead, they're brainwashed that success appears at your doorstep when you want it to. I don't like this depiction of instant success because it's simply not what life is. Also, no one cares who dates who. It blows up the magnitude of relationship drama that is incredibly poisonous to younger viewers who strive to be like Carly, i.e. yelling at every moment that you want to get your point across. Come on, this show isn't even funny.
Same with True Jackson. When would a big company pass their executive position to a teenager? Are they stupid? Not only does it immediately stray away from reality, but then it shows viewers that it's okay to screw around when you supposedly have a high position in a big company. Once again, how does this relate to anyone? If people mess around in school, they get in trouble. Success doesn't just show up one day, and even if it does, it shouldn't lead to goofing off. Once again, these shows fail to relate to life and the viewers and only brainwash young viewers into thinking that this is actually how things work.
Let's go back to the days of Drake and Josh and Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide. Why did I like these shows? Why did everyone like these shows? Because they depicted the lives of relatively ordinary people in ordinary situations (albeit excluding Megan). Drake and Josh was about two step brothers who have to deal with each other and life in high school. This was something that everyone could relate to in some way. It's just life, even though it gets silly. They don't just jump straight to stardom when they want to.
Ned's Declassified was the same. It had goofy characters, yes, but it also dealt with common occurrences in middle school and school in general. Everyone could relate to this show, even though it was pretty silly. It depicted the school lives of ordinary people and exemplified the stereotypes, like the bully and the jock, and placed them in an environment that people could relate to.
I feel like those older shows had more heart behind them. We could watch Ned and feel like "Hey, we're not alone. Other people deal with similar things in middle school as I do." We could watch Drake and Josh and laugh because brothers did act that way, and the two different personalities would always clash in some way, much like they would in real life. But shows like iCarly and True Jackson have no relatability factor. It's simply a means of making people wish that they could have success like they do. It is for this reason why I hate these new Nickelodeon shows the most. I'm still waiting for a new, organic show that doesn't have to be disgusting to appear.
10/30/10
A Tale of Unspoken Revenge Reflection
I was going to do a video reflection but I'm being lazy so I'll just stick to this for now.
A Tale of Unspoken Revenge was technically a very neat film. Other that some less-than-stellar Steadicam shots (by me), every angle benefited the film and showed exactly what needed to be shown. I dedicated a lot of our film time getting the tripod down and getting exactly the angle I wanted. Even if they were a teensie bit off from where I wanted them, I asked to start the take over again because I wanted to be picky.
I realize it starts out slow, but that's what I like about it. The story begins with two guys walking to someone's house, and then they break in and beat the crap out of him. Then it settles, talk talk talk, babble babble babble, whoa what the hell, Ryan escaped and beat up Julien! That's when it got good for me. It starts out slow, and I'm not sure how many people can sit through it, but if you watch till the end, it turns out great. I loved the scene where Ryan untied himself. I couldn't have asked for a better turnout than that.
The fight scenes were awesome. We made up those fight scenes on set and on the spot between each consecutive take. I think it ended up very smooth-like and was a good ending to the video.
The tackle scene was accomplished by placing a ton of pillows in front of Julien. Once again, taking time in between takes for scenes like this was crucial.
I loved how Jared was able to pull off his talk scene with Ryan. Albeit, it took a few tries, it was extremely funny in the end. I would have never been able to pull such a scene off. Special thanks to Jared for being awesome there.
We took our time because we had a lot of time. For longer videos, I can see filming spanning multiple days, but for now, I won't go over two days for a video. The filming for World War Z was ridiculously tiring because we were so short on time, and frankly, it just was not fun at that point. When you're in a small group, taking your time, and focusing on quality, I find it a much more enjoyable experience. Lesson from World War Z and Blood Exchange, do not rush your videos, and do not sacrifice quality.
Overall, I'm mucho proud of this video. It sets another standard for me in quality. Taking the scenes slowly with care pays off massively in the end. It showed me the power of the tripod and that I need to practice more with the Steadicam. Until next time, with my next big feature!
A Tale of Unspoken Revenge was technically a very neat film. Other that some less-than-stellar Steadicam shots (by me), every angle benefited the film and showed exactly what needed to be shown. I dedicated a lot of our film time getting the tripod down and getting exactly the angle I wanted. Even if they were a teensie bit off from where I wanted them, I asked to start the take over again because I wanted to be picky.
I realize it starts out slow, but that's what I like about it. The story begins with two guys walking to someone's house, and then they break in and beat the crap out of him. Then it settles, talk talk talk, babble babble babble, whoa what the hell, Ryan escaped and beat up Julien! That's when it got good for me. It starts out slow, and I'm not sure how many people can sit through it, but if you watch till the end, it turns out great. I loved the scene where Ryan untied himself. I couldn't have asked for a better turnout than that.
The fight scenes were awesome. We made up those fight scenes on set and on the spot between each consecutive take. I think it ended up very smooth-like and was a good ending to the video.
The tackle scene was accomplished by placing a ton of pillows in front of Julien. Once again, taking time in between takes for scenes like this was crucial.
I loved how Jared was able to pull off his talk scene with Ryan. Albeit, it took a few tries, it was extremely funny in the end. I would have never been able to pull such a scene off. Special thanks to Jared for being awesome there.
We took our time because we had a lot of time. For longer videos, I can see filming spanning multiple days, but for now, I won't go over two days for a video. The filming for World War Z was ridiculously tiring because we were so short on time, and frankly, it just was not fun at that point. When you're in a small group, taking your time, and focusing on quality, I find it a much more enjoyable experience. Lesson from World War Z and Blood Exchange, do not rush your videos, and do not sacrifice quality.
Overall, I'm mucho proud of this video. It sets another standard for me in quality. Taking the scenes slowly with care pays off massively in the end. It showed me the power of the tripod and that I need to practice more with the Steadicam. Until next time, with my next big feature!
10/10/10
10/2/10
Another Video in Secret
I spat out another video idea. My goal this time was to avoid guns as much as possible. However, I wanted to make some kind of action flick too, so, we did a break-in.
A Tale of Unspoken Revenge is a story about a guy seeking revenge on someone for something. I won't release any more information about it because it's almost done anyway.
I called in Ryan, Julien, and my friend Jared to star in this film. Ryan has no lines in this video. I decided to make him mute, hence, Unspoken Revenge.
I had Kristin come in and be my behind the scenes photographer and make-up artist. She drew a blemish on Ryan's face, but I neglected to get a good angle to see it. Sorry Kristin D: But thanks still! She was a great help being my script supervisor and photographer.
Expect to see the video coming out this week!
A Tale of Unspoken Revenge is a story about a guy seeking revenge on someone for something. I won't release any more information about it because it's almost done anyway.
I called in Ryan, Julien, and my friend Jared to star in this film. Ryan has no lines in this video. I decided to make him mute, hence, Unspoken Revenge.
I had Kristin come in and be my behind the scenes photographer and make-up artist. She drew a blemish on Ryan's face, but I neglected to get a good angle to see it. Sorry Kristin D: But thanks still! She was a great help being my script supervisor and photographer.
Expect to see the video coming out this week!
9/4/10
Drama Drama
For the past MONTH or so I've been trying to think of a new movie idea. I wanted to make a drama.
Sad part is, I can't think of anything good.
We tried to make something last weekend, and we filmed, but I really don't see where the story is going to go from where we stopped. So I'm dropping the project. I guess that's me in search of something amazing in the raw footage. I'm dumb sometimes.
So here's where I go now: Action, suspense, and mystery. I find that so much more interesting. I'll figure something out soon. Post later!
Sad part is, I can't think of anything good.
We tried to make something last weekend, and we filmed, but I really don't see where the story is going to go from where we stopped. So I'm dropping the project. I guess that's me in search of something amazing in the raw footage. I'm dumb sometimes.
So here's where I go now: Action, suspense, and mystery. I find that so much more interesting. I'll figure something out soon. Post later!
8/8/10
A Ton of Stuff!
Okay, so, this post will be an assortment of different topics. Let's do this.
In my last big post, I reviewed some movies. Well I got around to one more after that. 2001: A Space Odyssey. It's revered as a classic and as one of the best movies ever made. It's iconic opening sequence is recognizable everywhere. But man, even with all the hype, I couldn't help but get bored with the movie. It's pacing is incredibly slow, and I honestly didn't understand what the monolith was supposed to do. The Star Gate scene gave me a headache (I had had surgery that day so maybe that's why) and the ending was so weird that I gave up on understanding the movie. Some of the scenes were cool though. I liked the low-gravity scenes. But it simply didn't live up to the hype that I had heard. My verdict: 7/10
Natural Inspiration is on the internet! I have put it on Vimeo instead of Youtube because I feel like it would be better to put it on that site because of the indie community. My cousin Ryan stars as the only person in the video! I'm quite proud of it, so check it out!
Natural Inspiration
I'm writing a couple new videos right now so I'll be updating you with one of the videos soon.
I dunno, I guess that really isn't a whole lot. But whatever, :) Just check out my video and tell me how you feel about it! Even though no one really reads this =P
In my last big post, I reviewed some movies. Well I got around to one more after that. 2001: A Space Odyssey. It's revered as a classic and as one of the best movies ever made. It's iconic opening sequence is recognizable everywhere. But man, even with all the hype, I couldn't help but get bored with the movie. It's pacing is incredibly slow, and I honestly didn't understand what the monolith was supposed to do. The Star Gate scene gave me a headache (I had had surgery that day so maybe that's why) and the ending was so weird that I gave up on understanding the movie. Some of the scenes were cool though. I liked the low-gravity scenes. But it simply didn't live up to the hype that I had heard. My verdict: 7/10
Natural Inspiration is on the internet! I have put it on Vimeo instead of Youtube because I feel like it would be better to put it on that site because of the indie community. My cousin Ryan stars as the only person in the video! I'm quite proud of it, so check it out!
Natural Inspiration
I'm writing a couple new videos right now so I'll be updating you with one of the videos soon.
I dunno, I guess that really isn't a whole lot. But whatever, :) Just check out my video and tell me how you feel about it! Even though no one really reads this =P
7/29/10
100th Post!
I'd like to make a point to celebrate my 100th post on this blog!
Woo!
I'm quite proud that I've dedicated part of myself to this blog long enough to reach 100 posts. It's quite an accomplishment for me, and 100 is a big number. I'll keep posting so stay tuned for more!
:D
Woo!
I'm quite proud that I've dedicated part of myself to this blog long enough to reach 100 posts. It's quite an accomplishment for me, and 100 is a big number. I'll keep posting so stay tuned for more!
:D
7/28/10
Movie Watcher
I've been on a quest to watch good movies. There are some movies that I think are great, and there are some movies I think aren't so great. Let's dig in.
Inception, by Christopher Nolan, was okay. It was pretty entertaining to see them exploring dreams. I think that it was a bit overly hyped, but even then, I didn't go in with any expectations. It was a bit confusing at times, especially at the beginning. The climax was good, but very long, and a little bit over the top. But that's how Hollywood movies are like. I'll be honest and say that the reason I wanted to see it was Joseph Gordon Levitt was in it, and I've become a huge fan of him since 500 Days of Summer. My verdict of the movie: 9/10 (would have been 8, but +1 for Joe)
Toy Story 3 was, by far, the best movie of the year. It was without a doubt in my mind, the best installment in the whole Toy Story franchise. Everything about it was Toy Story--the characters, the story, and everything. I loved how, for a kid's movie, it has so many layers to it that it appeals to adults too. I especially loved watching Spanish Buzz go nuts over Jessie. Buzz + Jessie forever! It was exciting, it was extremely funny, and it was a true final sequel to the best animated series ever created. My verdict: 10/10
Platoon was a disturbing movie. It wasn't because of the gore or anything, but by how cruel the soldiers in the movie were to the Vietnamese townsfolk. One soldier shot a woman in the head because she was yelling, and a couple other soldiers raped a little girl. It's a disturbing thought that this kind of stuff actually happened, but on a much larger scale. It's my second favorite Vietnam war movie, behind Full Metal Jacket. Very good. My verdict: 9/10
Desperado was a crazy movie. At heart, simply a shoot-em up with a sex scene in the middle. The main guy has a suitcase full of guns and goes around killing people. He has friends who have rocket launchers and machine guns in their guitar cases. Bullets flying everywhere made this movie exciting, yet completely ridiculous. My verdict: 7/10
Planet Terror. That was one crazy-ass movie. A TON of blood, gore, zombies, guns, explosions, a sex scene, a missing reel, and a gogo dancer who has an M16 for a leg. It's completely ridiculous. It's a fun movie though, even though you'll be cringing at some of the visuals. It crosses a lot of boundaries, so it gets some credit for that. My verdict: 7/10
Death Proof was an interesting movie. Half of the movie is just girls talking about stuff, and nothing more. It drags on for a long time, but the action sequences make up for it all. The last car chase scene frickin' blew my mind. I can't believe the time, detail, and effort put into the one eighteen-minute climax. It was incredible, but it's offset by the relatively dull dialogue in the rest of the movie. My verdict: 8/10
I'm off to watch 2001: A Space Odyssey and A Clockwork Orange now, so I'll talk to y'all later!
Inception, by Christopher Nolan, was okay. It was pretty entertaining to see them exploring dreams. I think that it was a bit overly hyped, but even then, I didn't go in with any expectations. It was a bit confusing at times, especially at the beginning. The climax was good, but very long, and a little bit over the top. But that's how Hollywood movies are like. I'll be honest and say that the reason I wanted to see it was Joseph Gordon Levitt was in it, and I've become a huge fan of him since 500 Days of Summer. My verdict of the movie: 9/10 (would have been 8, but +1 for Joe)
Toy Story 3 was, by far, the best movie of the year. It was without a doubt in my mind, the best installment in the whole Toy Story franchise. Everything about it was Toy Story--the characters, the story, and everything. I loved how, for a kid's movie, it has so many layers to it that it appeals to adults too. I especially loved watching Spanish Buzz go nuts over Jessie. Buzz + Jessie forever! It was exciting, it was extremely funny, and it was a true final sequel to the best animated series ever created. My verdict: 10/10
Platoon was a disturbing movie. It wasn't because of the gore or anything, but by how cruel the soldiers in the movie were to the Vietnamese townsfolk. One soldier shot a woman in the head because she was yelling, and a couple other soldiers raped a little girl. It's a disturbing thought that this kind of stuff actually happened, but on a much larger scale. It's my second favorite Vietnam war movie, behind Full Metal Jacket. Very good. My verdict: 9/10
Desperado was a crazy movie. At heart, simply a shoot-em up with a sex scene in the middle. The main guy has a suitcase full of guns and goes around killing people. He has friends who have rocket launchers and machine guns in their guitar cases. Bullets flying everywhere made this movie exciting, yet completely ridiculous. My verdict: 7/10
Planet Terror. That was one crazy-ass movie. A TON of blood, gore, zombies, guns, explosions, a sex scene, a missing reel, and a gogo dancer who has an M16 for a leg. It's completely ridiculous. It's a fun movie though, even though you'll be cringing at some of the visuals. It crosses a lot of boundaries, so it gets some credit for that. My verdict: 7/10
Death Proof was an interesting movie. Half of the movie is just girls talking about stuff, and nothing more. It drags on for a long time, but the action sequences make up for it all. The last car chase scene frickin' blew my mind. I can't believe the time, detail, and effort put into the one eighteen-minute climax. It was incredible, but it's offset by the relatively dull dialogue in the rest of the movie. My verdict: 8/10
I'm off to watch 2001: A Space Odyssey and A Clockwork Orange now, so I'll talk to y'all later!
7/25/10
New Picture
Oh, I made a DVD compilation of all the videos my cousin and I have made together. Here was the DVD menu picture:
He bought that hat for $40. He has been "trying to find a hat like that for months." And he wanted to have it in the picture.
Hell, I got a laugh from it, so why not? It's not a complicated picture. It serves as a standalone picture and the menu for our DVD. Two birds with one stone.
He bought that hat for $40. He has been "trying to find a hat like that for months." And he wanted to have it in the picture.
Hell, I got a laugh from it, so why not? It's not a complicated picture. It serves as a standalone picture and the menu for our DVD. Two birds with one stone.
Natural Inspiration
Our summer video is Natural Inspiration. It is a very calm and peaceful outlook on how inspiring the world is. It's not complicated, and it's not actiony. Very unlike my usual huh?
It was not a strenuous film to finish at all. My cousin and I went out for about two hours walking around the neighborhood. We decided on certain angles and just filmed as we were walking. We took two days to film it all, focusing on detail and making significance in the angles and framing.
Editing was very easy too. It was just mixing and arranging different clips of Ryan walking around exploring. I desaturated the footage and increased contrast to make an effect that I can't explain, but it seems to fit the video.
I used three of Jon Brion's songs from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, my all-time favorite movie. I was listening to the soundtrack when I became inspired to film this video. The whole video was based off the music it seems, now that I think of it.
I'll probably post it on Vimeo and Youtube at the same time, Vimeo because that's where the artistic videographers go, and Youtube because it's more popular.
It was an interesting video to shoot and edit. I need this video to inspire myself to film more videos, because for a while there, I was in a slump where I had no motivation to film. Lesson: Never film a long video in one day.
Hopefully I'll have more opportunities to spread out my shoots.
It was not a strenuous film to finish at all. My cousin and I went out for about two hours walking around the neighborhood. We decided on certain angles and just filmed as we were walking. We took two days to film it all, focusing on detail and making significance in the angles and framing.
Editing was very easy too. It was just mixing and arranging different clips of Ryan walking around exploring. I desaturated the footage and increased contrast to make an effect that I can't explain, but it seems to fit the video.
I used three of Jon Brion's songs from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, my all-time favorite movie. I was listening to the soundtrack when I became inspired to film this video. The whole video was based off the music it seems, now that I think of it.
I'll probably post it on Vimeo and Youtube at the same time, Vimeo because that's where the artistic videographers go, and Youtube because it's more popular.
It was an interesting video to shoot and edit. I need this video to inspire myself to film more videos, because for a while there, I was in a slump where I had no motivation to film. Lesson: Never film a long video in one day.
Hopefully I'll have more opportunities to spread out my shoots.
7/10/10
Summer Video(s)
Alright so like usual, my cousin and I are making a video this summer. However, our original video didn't end up as good as we had expected.
Blood Exchange was going to be another Quentin Tarantino inspired action-suspense video. It was about a secret exchange and the events that occur when the deal goes wrong. I wrote the script and everything, and we were all prepared to shoot. And we did. But there were a few problems.
We filmed everything in one day. This was a long video, with a lot of dialogue, so it took a long time. This resulted in many boring angles. One of the things I like to have in my videos is good framing and angling. This video lacked many. Also, I used my new filters. However, they were smudgy, and because I used two at a time, they created a shadow on the lens that appeared in the footage. Filming took many hours, and by the end, my cousin and I just wanted it all to end. We were so exhausted and disappointed from the day that we didn't want to continue with the video any longer.
However, we made another.
Natural Inspiration is our experimental artsy film. The story is MUCH simpler and is much calmer, PG, and interesting. We took our sweet time getting random shots with the intent of making the video look pretty. And we have succeeded. Here are some screenshots.
We shall be finishing this video soon. I may post our video this year :D
Blood Exchange was going to be another Quentin Tarantino inspired action-suspense video. It was about a secret exchange and the events that occur when the deal goes wrong. I wrote the script and everything, and we were all prepared to shoot. And we did. But there were a few problems.
We filmed everything in one day. This was a long video, with a lot of dialogue, so it took a long time. This resulted in many boring angles. One of the things I like to have in my videos is good framing and angling. This video lacked many. Also, I used my new filters. However, they were smudgy, and because I used two at a time, they created a shadow on the lens that appeared in the footage. Filming took many hours, and by the end, my cousin and I just wanted it all to end. We were so exhausted and disappointed from the day that we didn't want to continue with the video any longer.
However, we made another.
Natural Inspiration is our experimental artsy film. The story is MUCH simpler and is much calmer, PG, and interesting. We took our sweet time getting random shots with the intent of making the video look pretty. And we have succeeded. Here are some screenshots.
We shall be finishing this video soon. I may post our video this year :D
6/17/10
World War Z Reflection
World War Z was an interesting video to film. One of the things that really pressured us was the lack of time we had. The project was due a week after it was filmed. We filmed it a week in advance because I knew, we all knew, I would not be able to finish it in one day. Thank GOD, editing was kind of a pain.
While not overly complicated like some of my other films, World War Z had the time constraint. I love editing, and I loved editing this one too, but instead of editing in some of my free time between school and outside activities, it WAS part of my school, so I had to get it done at a certain point. I stayed up late every night for a week editing this video, and I'm the type of person who cannot really function without sleep.
It did help though that I had a chunk of it thought out in my head prior to filming. Like most films I tend to have a certain perspective on a video idea. I knew pretty much what I wanted to do during filming, so thinking about some scenes wasn't as big an issue as others. Plus, we made a script.
I thought this video was pretty well put together. It would be a bit self-centered to say this, but I'm proud of it so I'll go out and say that I thought my editing job was pretty damn good. Everything timed well, and the flow of the scenes was good. Everyone else did pretty good too. Kevin did a great job portraying the mentally unstable hero of the story. Aaron, while not exactly a pro actor, he fulfilled his role. Julio did well in his scene, though he smiled a few times. Julien was my favorite character. If it wasn't for English, I would have cast him in a better role.
We had five main actors and about eight zombies. Filming those fight scenes was a huge pain in the ass. Everyone started getting bored at one point and messing around. While I understand that waiting is boring, it got to the point where Kevin started yelling to horde everyone together. The two zombie scenes took about two hours in total. We got those done first, and goddammit it was tiring.
I'm quite proud of how this video turned out. Until our next big project!
While not overly complicated like some of my other films, World War Z had the time constraint. I love editing, and I loved editing this one too, but instead of editing in some of my free time between school and outside activities, it WAS part of my school, so I had to get it done at a certain point. I stayed up late every night for a week editing this video, and I'm the type of person who cannot really function without sleep.
It did help though that I had a chunk of it thought out in my head prior to filming. Like most films I tend to have a certain perspective on a video idea. I knew pretty much what I wanted to do during filming, so thinking about some scenes wasn't as big an issue as others. Plus, we made a script.
I thought this video was pretty well put together. It would be a bit self-centered to say this, but I'm proud of it so I'll go out and say that I thought my editing job was pretty damn good. Everything timed well, and the flow of the scenes was good. Everyone else did pretty good too. Kevin did a great job portraying the mentally unstable hero of the story. Aaron, while not exactly a pro actor, he fulfilled his role. Julio did well in his scene, though he smiled a few times. Julien was my favorite character. If it wasn't for English, I would have cast him in a better role.
We had five main actors and about eight zombies. Filming those fight scenes was a huge pain in the ass. Everyone started getting bored at one point and messing around. While I understand that waiting is boring, it got to the point where Kevin started yelling to horde everyone together. The two zombie scenes took about two hours in total. We got those done first, and goddammit it was tiring.
I'm quite proud of how this video turned out. Until our next big project!
6/10/10
World War Z
6/4/10
World War Z: A Film Adaptation
As previously stated, our video is based on the novel World War Z. In the novel, they deal a lot with military and millions of troops and places around the world. Of course, for an English project, we do not have the resources nor the time to do such a thing. So, instead of basing it off stories from the book, we created a story of our own based on some things they say in the book.
The main star is Kevin. He does a good job being the main character, but no more details than that. This video will end up being Theorem 42's longest ever. I've gotten 6 of the 8 scenes done and its almost 15 minutes long already. All I'm saying is, this had better get an A+.
Here are some pictures :D
The video looks very promising. It will be done by Monday! I shall be working very diligently until then. Update later :)
The main star is Kevin. He does a good job being the main character, but no more details than that. This video will end up being Theorem 42's longest ever. I've gotten 6 of the 8 scenes done and its almost 15 minutes long already. All I'm saying is, this had better get an A+.
Here are some pictures :D
The video looks very promising. It will be done by Monday! I shall be working very diligently until then. Update later :)
6/3/10
Surprise! ZOMBIE FILM
Hello friends, once again I am working on a new project. It was originally supposed to be just an English project, but it has spawned into something much more than that. It is now going to be a Theorem 42 production!
Based off the novel World War Z, it is an interview-style zombie action film. Hopefully it'll be good in the end.
Filming took place over the long weekend and in total took about 9 hours. Yeah, it's crazy. There are four survivors, an interviewer, and about seven zombies. SEVEN ZOMBIES. That's a lot for an amateur director like me. Lemme say this outright, it was not an easy experience. I have imported all the footage and am now in the process of editing it all together into one long masterpiece.
(JUST LIEK MY DICKKK)
Julien and Kevin return as actors, and Ryan and Roger are zombie extras. We have a lot of other people in our video too, so look out for them.
I shall post pictures next time!
Based off the novel World War Z, it is an interview-style zombie action film. Hopefully it'll be good in the end.
Filming took place over the long weekend and in total took about 9 hours. Yeah, it's crazy. There are four survivors, an interviewer, and about seven zombies. SEVEN ZOMBIES. That's a lot for an amateur director like me. Lemme say this outright, it was not an easy experience. I have imported all the footage and am now in the process of editing it all together into one long masterpiece.
(JUST LIEK MY DICKKK)
Julien and Kevin return as actors, and Ryan and Roger are zombie extras. We have a lot of other people in our video too, so look out for them.
I shall post pictures next time!
5/13/10
Pasta: My Guilty Pleasure
So I'm sitting here, it's almost 10, I haven't showered, I have my Speedo on still, and I'm doing nothing productive. Why you may ask?
I had a big plate of pasta for dinner. I decided to eat it as fast as I could, and now, over an hour later, it's sitting in my stomach, NOT digesting. It's like, it's trying to tell me that I'm gluttonous and I eat too much.
Yeah well I joined Nova swimming this week, and I work hard. I god damn deserve some god damn good food!
Still, this good food is still sitting here, and I'm afraid if I lie down, I'll barf it out. Those grapes next to me are winking at me though.... NO, NO, NO, IT'S A TRAP CARD. IT'S A TRAP CARD. MUST RESIST.
Which reminds me of this:
"NO, NO, NO NO NO, THERE WILL BE NO GAY SEX SPRAYS"
Team Fortress 2 Griefing. Classic griefing for those who love to see people squirm :)
Oh man I think I'm gonna throw up soon. Post later.
I had a big plate of pasta for dinner. I decided to eat it as fast as I could, and now, over an hour later, it's sitting in my stomach, NOT digesting. It's like, it's trying to tell me that I'm gluttonous and I eat too much.
Yeah well I joined Nova swimming this week, and I work hard. I god damn deserve some god damn good food!
Still, this good food is still sitting here, and I'm afraid if I lie down, I'll barf it out. Those grapes next to me are winking at me though.... NO, NO, NO, IT'S A TRAP CARD. IT'S A TRAP CARD. MUST RESIST.
Which reminds me of this:
"NO, NO, NO NO NO, THERE WILL BE NO GAY SEX SPRAYS"
Team Fortress 2 Griefing. Classic griefing for those who love to see people squirm :)
Oh man I think I'm gonna throw up soon. Post later.
5/6/10
Good Fortune
I would like to say, right out, that as someone as amateur and young as me, I am very fortunate to have the materials I have to pursue my passion for cinematography.
One of my idols is James Rolfe, also known as the Angry Video Game Nerd. One of his videos, Cinemassacre 200, explains his long history of video production and the obstacles he faced. I consider him a great model for an aspiring cinematographer as I. I consider myself very lucky to have some of my materials, like a good computer. The things that James had to do just to make a short video is crazy, and I'm happy I have the materials to pursue such a dream.
Cinemassacre 200
Thanks, James, for the inspiration you have given me. I hope I get as big a break as you did.
One of my idols is James Rolfe, also known as the Angry Video Game Nerd. One of his videos, Cinemassacre 200, explains his long history of video production and the obstacles he faced. I consider him a great model for an aspiring cinematographer as I. I consider myself very lucky to have some of my materials, like a good computer. The things that James had to do just to make a short video is crazy, and I'm happy I have the materials to pursue such a dream.
Cinemassacre 200
Thanks, James, for the inspiration you have given me. I hope I get as big a break as you did.
4/27/10
Oh Baby!
Alright gais, I currently have three planned videos!
One was the poker one that we didn't get to film yet. The second is the one with just Henry, Ryan, and me. No details on that one yet, but we know what it's about. Third is the summer video I will film with my cousin. I also have full details on that one, but no details pour VOUS!
I'm so stoked for filming.
Also, Adobe CS4 is working for me baby. I have the full Adobe CS4 Master Collection at my fingertips, waiting for my command, waiting for the magic to begin. Special thanks to Ryan for the help! I love the new interface of Premiere, and I can't wait to start editing on my new software!
GO VIDEO PRODUCTION!
GO THEOREM 42!
One was the poker one that we didn't get to film yet. The second is the one with just Henry, Ryan, and me. No details on that one yet, but we know what it's about. Third is the summer video I will film with my cousin. I also have full details on that one, but no details pour VOUS!
I'm so stoked for filming.
Also, Adobe CS4 is working for me baby. I have the full Adobe CS4 Master Collection at my fingertips, waiting for my command, waiting for the magic to begin. Special thanks to Ryan for the help! I love the new interface of Premiere, and I can't wait to start editing on my new software!
GO VIDEO PRODUCTION!
GO THEOREM 42!
4/25/10
Film Fail
Today was gonna be the day we filmed our next video. Didn't happen.
Julien is moving today, so I asked my friend Eric. He had a family issue. So I asked Kevin and he said he could come. But then, Chayan, one of our key actors, told us he had to be somewhere. Everyone as of late has been preparing for the big AP exams coming in the next few weeks. I can't blame everyone for having to be somewhere. I'll plan it again in a few weeks.
Gonna start writing the script for a 3-person film. I wanna try to revert back to a film with just Ryan, Henry and me, and maybe Roger, because it was always easier to plan films that way. Too many people now make it too hard to coordinate.
I wanna make a drama of some sort. I'll keep this updated with ideas.
Julien is moving today, so I asked my friend Eric. He had a family issue. So I asked Kevin and he said he could come. But then, Chayan, one of our key actors, told us he had to be somewhere. Everyone as of late has been preparing for the big AP exams coming in the next few weeks. I can't blame everyone for having to be somewhere. I'll plan it again in a few weeks.
Gonna start writing the script for a 3-person film. I wanna try to revert back to a film with just Ryan, Henry and me, and maybe Roger, because it was always easier to plan films that way. Too many people now make it too hard to coordinate.
I wanna make a drama of some sort. I'll keep this updated with ideas.
4/16/10
Another Question
Since I ranted in the past post, I'm going to rant about one more thing, because this has also been bothering me.
My question: Where did all the good shows go on Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network?
Lately, Nickelodeon has been trampled on by iCarly, True Jackson V.P., Big Time Rush, and more recently, Victorious. These have to be the crappiest, piece-of-shit shows I have ever seen. NO teenager acts like they do. Just because some teenagers want to make their own web show doesn't mean they automatically get to use STATE-OF-THE-ART equipment in their ATTIC. iCarly is dumb from the get-go: adults do not watch dumb teenagers who have terrible taste in humor, and the iCarly show is NOT funny. At all. All it shows is that teenagers yell a lot and they're stupid. Great.
True Jackson V.P. is also the same. I don't believe that a whole company should ever go to a teenager. You can watch the show to see why. It's complete chaos. These shows have no realism whatsoever.
I didn't bother with Big Time Rush. Or Victorious. I already KNOW they're terrible.
The sense of humor on Nickelodeon is dead. I personally do not want to meet the generation that grows up watching these shows. They will be missing the classic episodes of Spongebob that EVERYBODY knows and loves, Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide (oh man that show was awesome), and even Drake and Josh. Those were back when Nickelodeon gave a shit about humor or quality. You can say that I'm no longer a fan of the channel.
Cartoon Network recently has been beginning live-action shows also. Also, piece-of-crap shows. Dude, What Would Happen is a dumb teenager version of Mythbusters. Except it's NOT a cool show. Some of these shows were awful like Destroy Build Destroy, Survive This, etc. I dunno many of them because I never bothered with them. I miss Dexter's Laboratory, Ed Edd n' Eddy, the Powerpuff Girls, the Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, etc. Once again, stupid shows have ruined a once-great channel. All that Cartoon Network has now is Chowder, Flapjack, and Adventure Time, which are probably the only good cartoons left.
Ugh, everything is falling apart. Get rid of iCarly, Big Time Rush, all those shows, and return Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network to its former glory. iCarly is my ass and Victorious is my balls, GIMME MY CHILDHOOD BACK!!
My question: Where did all the good shows go on Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network?
Lately, Nickelodeon has been trampled on by iCarly, True Jackson V.P., Big Time Rush, and more recently, Victorious. These have to be the crappiest, piece-of-shit shows I have ever seen. NO teenager acts like they do. Just because some teenagers want to make their own web show doesn't mean they automatically get to use STATE-OF-THE-ART equipment in their ATTIC. iCarly is dumb from the get-go: adults do not watch dumb teenagers who have terrible taste in humor, and the iCarly show is NOT funny. At all. All it shows is that teenagers yell a lot and they're stupid. Great.
True Jackson V.P. is also the same. I don't believe that a whole company should ever go to a teenager. You can watch the show to see why. It's complete chaos. These shows have no realism whatsoever.
I didn't bother with Big Time Rush. Or Victorious. I already KNOW they're terrible.
The sense of humor on Nickelodeon is dead. I personally do not want to meet the generation that grows up watching these shows. They will be missing the classic episodes of Spongebob that EVERYBODY knows and loves, Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide (oh man that show was awesome), and even Drake and Josh. Those were back when Nickelodeon gave a shit about humor or quality. You can say that I'm no longer a fan of the channel.
Cartoon Network recently has been beginning live-action shows also. Also, piece-of-crap shows. Dude, What Would Happen is a dumb teenager version of Mythbusters. Except it's NOT a cool show. Some of these shows were awful like Destroy Build Destroy, Survive This, etc. I dunno many of them because I never bothered with them. I miss Dexter's Laboratory, Ed Edd n' Eddy, the Powerpuff Girls, the Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, etc. Once again, stupid shows have ruined a once-great channel. All that Cartoon Network has now is Chowder, Flapjack, and Adventure Time, which are probably the only good cartoons left.
Ugh, everything is falling apart. Get rid of iCarly, Big Time Rush, all those shows, and return Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network to its former glory. iCarly is my ass and Victorious is my balls, GIMME MY CHILDHOOD BACK!!
4/13/10
What's Wrong With Everyone?
There are a few things today that I don't believe should be as popular as it is. These are my opinions.
First are the Twilight movies. I've watched a bit of both movies. I see absolutely NOTHING good about them. They are piece of crap movies. Kristen Stewart really isn't a good actress. She is very emotionless. When they showed it in my English class, this is what I heard:
"Oh my god, he's so hot." "Oh my god, look at his shoulders, so hot." "Oh my god, this movie is amazing." "Oh my god, isn't he cute?!"
The girls in my class were oohing and ahhing at the sight of Taylor Lautner, topless for some bullshit reason. It's such a shitty teen angst story. The only people who should like this series are desperate teenage girls, desperate middle aged women, and basically anyone who is stupid. I wish more peers would appreciate good movies more.
Okay, now there's contemporary music. I admit, there are some rap songs that I enjoy listening to, and I mean a slim few. But in general, rap is such a horrible genre of "music." Everything is about scoring with a girl. It's disgusting and has no melody whatsoever. I hate how some of these horrible songs are popular.
The part that really ticks me off is when these people use parts of other good songs and totally butcher it. Take, for example, that song that has been recently airing. I dunno what it's called, but it takes the amazing Alphaville song Forever Young and turns it into a horrible pile of rap shit. Way to ruin a great song. This also applies to, but not limited to: Whatcha Say (seriously Jason Derulo loves copying other people's melodies), many Kanye West songs, and you get my point.
What happened to the good stuff?
First are the Twilight movies. I've watched a bit of both movies. I see absolutely NOTHING good about them. They are piece of crap movies. Kristen Stewart really isn't a good actress. She is very emotionless. When they showed it in my English class, this is what I heard:
"Oh my god, he's so hot." "Oh my god, look at his shoulders, so hot." "Oh my god, this movie is amazing." "Oh my god, isn't he cute?!"
The girls in my class were oohing and ahhing at the sight of Taylor Lautner, topless for some bullshit reason. It's such a shitty teen angst story. The only people who should like this series are desperate teenage girls, desperate middle aged women, and basically anyone who is stupid. I wish more peers would appreciate good movies more.
Okay, now there's contemporary music. I admit, there are some rap songs that I enjoy listening to, and I mean a slim few. But in general, rap is such a horrible genre of "music." Everything is about scoring with a girl. It's disgusting and has no melody whatsoever. I hate how some of these horrible songs are popular.
The part that really ticks me off is when these people use parts of other good songs and totally butcher it. Take, for example, that song that has been recently airing. I dunno what it's called, but it takes the amazing Alphaville song Forever Young and turns it into a horrible pile of rap shit. Way to ruin a great song. This also applies to, but not limited to: Whatcha Say (seriously Jason Derulo loves copying other people's melodies), many Kanye West songs, and you get my point.
What happened to the good stuff?
4/4/10
More Thinking
I have written a script for our next video. It will star Chayan, Julien, Matt, Henry, Me, and Ryan. I've been thinking long and hard about how I'm gonna film this next one. I really want to stress the camera angles.
Ever since the Missing Immigrant Agency, my copy of Adobe Premiere has had a bug that prevents me from importing all the footage. It freezes while I import. I have been dealing with it by importing on my parents' computers and then transferring it to my computer. It's a pain in the butt. I see this as a major problem for my summer video with my cousin.
For the next video, I'm wondering if it's worthwhile to film it in HD. There are many ups and downs to HD video. The video quality is great. I can film in progressive 24 fps and in full HD. However, it is more expensive, the footage will need some compressing, and there's the thing with my Premiere. If I import it on any other computer in my house, it will be in SD.
I think for this video I'll be filming in SD, but with high contrast and desaturation. Hopefully not too much grain and noise will appear. I hate that stuff.
Expect filming to commence in the next few weeks. I have stuff to do over the next few weekends.
:D
Ever since the Missing Immigrant Agency, my copy of Adobe Premiere has had a bug that prevents me from importing all the footage. It freezes while I import. I have been dealing with it by importing on my parents' computers and then transferring it to my computer. It's a pain in the butt. I see this as a major problem for my summer video with my cousin.
For the next video, I'm wondering if it's worthwhile to film it in HD. There are many ups and downs to HD video. The video quality is great. I can film in progressive 24 fps and in full HD. However, it is more expensive, the footage will need some compressing, and there's the thing with my Premiere. If I import it on any other computer in my house, it will be in SD.
I think for this video I'll be filming in SD, but with high contrast and desaturation. Hopefully not too much grain and noise will appear. I hate that stuff.
Expect filming to commence in the next few weeks. I have stuff to do over the next few weekends.
:D
3/29/10
Lol... You guys...
If none of you happened to spontaneously look back a year ago on March 6th, I specifically stated that March 6th is my birthday.
DOES NO ONE APPRECIATE ME??? NO ONE ON THIS BLOG DECIDED TO SAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME ON MY 2010 MARCH 6TH POST. I ACTUALLY THOUGHT MY READERS CARED ENOUGH TO AT LEAST CHECK TO SEE IF IT WAS MY BIRTHDAY OR NOT. BUT NO, I WAS LEFT IN THE DUST, ALONE, WITHOUT LOVE OR ATTENTION.
AND FACEBOOK DOESN'T COUNT, FRICKIN NOTIFICATIONS. THEY SAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUT THERE'S NO LOVE BETWEEN THE LINES. IT'S ALL JUST BECAUSE FACEBOOK TELLS THEM TO.
OH THE CRUELTY IN THE WORLD, WOE IS ME. I HATE YOU ALL.
And I'm done. Happy late birthday to me, and I just wanted to post for the sake of posting :D
I don't hate you all. Only a choice few.
DOES NO ONE APPRECIATE ME??? NO ONE ON THIS BLOG DECIDED TO SAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME ON MY 2010 MARCH 6TH POST. I ACTUALLY THOUGHT MY READERS CARED ENOUGH TO AT LEAST CHECK TO SEE IF IT WAS MY BIRTHDAY OR NOT. BUT NO, I WAS LEFT IN THE DUST, ALONE, WITHOUT LOVE OR ATTENTION.
AND FACEBOOK DOESN'T COUNT, FRICKIN NOTIFICATIONS. THEY SAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUT THERE'S NO LOVE BETWEEN THE LINES. IT'S ALL JUST BECAUSE FACEBOOK TELLS THEM TO.
OH THE CRUELTY IN THE WORLD, WOE IS ME. I HATE YOU ALL.
And I'm done. Happy late birthday to me, and I just wanted to post for the sake of posting :D
I don't hate you all. Only a choice few.
3/22/10
School
Finally another school update.
Well not much has been happening. Swim season is back up, and I'm dominating the JV backstroke and 500 freestyle so far. I'm swimming with the varsity guys, who honestly make me feel really small and slow. Even the girls are faster, and it's really killin' my mojo man.
I have warmed up to all my teachers, even my English teacher. I honestly like all of them. The workload is generally okay. I really enjoy some of the projects we do, and I really hate some other ones.
And the rest is just work. Since school is the bulk of my life, this is basically how my life is, and how it will be. Ahh the glory days.
Well not much has been happening. Swim season is back up, and I'm dominating the JV backstroke and 500 freestyle so far. I'm swimming with the varsity guys, who honestly make me feel really small and slow. Even the girls are faster, and it's really killin' my mojo man.
I have warmed up to all my teachers, even my English teacher. I honestly like all of them. The workload is generally okay. I really enjoy some of the projects we do, and I really hate some other ones.
And the rest is just work. Since school is the bulk of my life, this is basically how my life is, and how it will be. Ahh the glory days.
3/17/10
Critical Thought Reflection
This post will be short, because I don't have much to say.
I mean, what can I say? It was an incredibly simple video. Editing literally took me 3 days total. Hardly any new special effects. Our goal of this video was to make a funny sequel to Coke and Expo Markers. And we accomplished that.
Neither one of the two videos are technically astounding, but they sure are funny. That's the point of these two videos. UNDERFIRE is meant to show off intense special effects and action sequences. Critical Thought was a pointless, stupid, meaningless, hilarious, random video. And I'm proud to have been a part of it.
It was a major improvement from Coke and Expo Markers. The cinematography was definitely an improvement. Acting was a major improvement; this time it wasn't nearly as obvious when someone looked at the camera. Chayan was awesome, coupled with Roger. The angles were pretty basic; only one Dutch angle in the whole video if I recall.
It was funny, and it was fun. Till the next stupid video :D
I mean, what can I say? It was an incredibly simple video. Editing literally took me 3 days total. Hardly any new special effects. Our goal of this video was to make a funny sequel to Coke and Expo Markers. And we accomplished that.
Neither one of the two videos are technically astounding, but they sure are funny. That's the point of these two videos. UNDERFIRE is meant to show off intense special effects and action sequences. Critical Thought was a pointless, stupid, meaningless, hilarious, random video. And I'm proud to have been a part of it.
It was a major improvement from Coke and Expo Markers. The cinematography was definitely an improvement. Acting was a major improvement; this time it wasn't nearly as obvious when someone looked at the camera. Chayan was awesome, coupled with Roger. The angles were pretty basic; only one Dutch angle in the whole video if I recall.
It was funny, and it was fun. Till the next stupid video :D
3/15/10
Critical Thought
Critical Thought
Critical Thought, the new Theorem 42 video, is now live on Youtube!
Comment, subscribe, and show your friends!
Critical Thought, the new Theorem 42 video, is now live on Youtube!
Comment, subscribe, and show your friends!
3/13/10
TRAILER -- Critical Thought
Told you this wouldn't have many updates:
Critical Thought Trailer
Critical Thought, the next video from Theorem 42! From the looks of the trailer, it seems pretty unpredictable eh?
It'll be up in a few days. Making some light touches :)
Go Theorem 42!
Critical Thought Trailer
Critical Thought, the next video from Theorem 42! From the looks of the trailer, it seems pretty unpredictable eh?
It'll be up in a few days. Making some light touches :)
Go Theorem 42!
3/11/10
Video, Coming Soon!
What do condoms, corpses, Mah-Jong, and Blue's Clues all have in common?
They're all a part of Theorem 42's new upcoming film!
Starring the newest member, Chayan, Roger, Ryan, Jerry, and me, it is a crazy video that could very well be the sequel to Coke and Expo Markers. They find themselves with amnesia in the morning and can't remember what happened to them the night before. This is definitely a crazy ride.
Here are some photos:
More updates to come, but don't expect many, because this video is gonna come out soon!
They're all a part of Theorem 42's new upcoming film!
Starring the newest member, Chayan, Roger, Ryan, Jerry, and me, it is a crazy video that could very well be the sequel to Coke and Expo Markers. They find themselves with amnesia in the morning and can't remember what happened to them the night before. This is definitely a crazy ride.
Here are some photos:
More updates to come, but don't expect many, because this video is gonna come out soon!
3/8/10
Re-inspired
I went to visit my cousins again over the summer. Because our previous videos were so good, naturally we wanted to film again. We filmed a total of 4 videos that summer, all of which we were extremely proud of. The quality of each one was a new step for us, with good acting, interesting stories, and good angles. My interest with video production was once again resurrected.
I returned home and was once again eager to film with my friends. I wanted to test out some stuff that I had learned from my summer videos. Because we couldn't think of a decent video idea, we decided to do a remake of a previous video.
A Game of Poker was the first video filmed with my friends that I thought was decent. You can see it on Youtube now. It was a major improvement over our last version of the video because it actually had some sort of story-ish thing, not simply a couple of guys playing poker.
During the next few months, we discussed putting our videos up on Youtube. We decided to wait on that decision a bit longer. At this point, HnB Productions was long gone.
In December of that year, we created UNDERFIRE. It was spawned from our love for first-person shooters. This video created Theorem 42. The quality of the final video astounded us. We were so proud of it. The quality to us was a huge improvement from previous videos. At this point, we were certain that we wanted to continue video making. But we needed a name.
On the way home from school one day, I was pondering to myself about math and the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I decided to put the two thoughts together: "I wonder what Theorem 42 in geometry was..." And thus, the name was created. I know, it's nerdy, but it's how it happened.
A few months later, Popcorn was created. Then, I made this blog in honor of our group. From then on, our video production history was written in this blog.
We have been through some other complications with filming, but it hasn't changed our desire for video making. I'm glad that we have kept this alive, because I have never had a better experience doing anything else. Video making is my passion, and I'm glad to share it with my friends and family. We will continue video production.
By the way, a new video will be popping up soon...
I returned home and was once again eager to film with my friends. I wanted to test out some stuff that I had learned from my summer videos. Because we couldn't think of a decent video idea, we decided to do a remake of a previous video.
A Game of Poker was the first video filmed with my friends that I thought was decent. You can see it on Youtube now. It was a major improvement over our last version of the video because it actually had some sort of story-ish thing, not simply a couple of guys playing poker.
During the next few months, we discussed putting our videos up on Youtube. We decided to wait on that decision a bit longer. At this point, HnB Productions was long gone.
In December of that year, we created UNDERFIRE. It was spawned from our love for first-person shooters. This video created Theorem 42. The quality of the final video astounded us. We were so proud of it. The quality to us was a huge improvement from previous videos. At this point, we were certain that we wanted to continue video making. But we needed a name.
On the way home from school one day, I was pondering to myself about math and the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I decided to put the two thoughts together: "I wonder what Theorem 42 in geometry was..." And thus, the name was created. I know, it's nerdy, but it's how it happened.
A few months later, Popcorn was created. Then, I made this blog in honor of our group. From then on, our video production history was written in this blog.
We have been through some other complications with filming, but it hasn't changed our desire for video making. I'm glad that we have kept this alive, because I have never had a better experience doing anything else. Video making is my passion, and I'm glad to share it with my friends and family. We will continue video production.
By the way, a new video will be popping up soon...
3/7/10
Step Forward?
Once I got back from my summer vacation I immediately planned a filming with my friends. Khodadod, Henry, and I filmed a video called Fighting. Henry and I accidentally hit the sleeping Khodadod with socks, and a fight ensued.
It was pretty decent compared to some of the other stuff we had made together. So, naturally, I wanted to film again. I started making a few videos with my little brother. They were pretty good, but eventually he lost interest, and we stopped filming together. A few months later, my friends and I filmed a video called A Poker Game. This isn't the same one as on our Youtube page. This was our first version, and eventually we recreated it into A Game of Poker. This was the first video of ours that had a script.
This video, instead of starring Henry, starred Khodadod. Henry operated the camera. It seems very similar compared to our newer version. It was fun to make, but, to me, it lacked the quality of a good video. There was nothing terribly interesting about the story line, just a couple of guys playing poker. It was almost always shot from the same angle. Jerry kept smiling, and I acted horribly. I was again left displeased.
I decided to try some new actors, or, actor. It was the first time filming with Ryan. We made a video entitled Covert Operation 1. It was about Jerry and me trying to steal something from Ryan's house. It was an okay video, better than some previous videos, but not quite what I wanted yet. Also, this was the last video I wrote a script for. I hated that stuff.
I began to wonder whether or not video making was worth all the effort. None of our videos were void of mistakes. None of them really had amazing acting, or great angles, or great story lines. I wasn't sure if I could count on my friends to be filming buddies. I took a break from video making. But that summer, things changed for me.
It was pretty decent compared to some of the other stuff we had made together. So, naturally, I wanted to film again. I started making a few videos with my little brother. They were pretty good, but eventually he lost interest, and we stopped filming together. A few months later, my friends and I filmed a video called A Poker Game. This isn't the same one as on our Youtube page. This was our first version, and eventually we recreated it into A Game of Poker. This was the first video of ours that had a script.
This video, instead of starring Henry, starred Khodadod. Henry operated the camera. It seems very similar compared to our newer version. It was fun to make, but, to me, it lacked the quality of a good video. There was nothing terribly interesting about the story line, just a couple of guys playing poker. It was almost always shot from the same angle. Jerry kept smiling, and I acted horribly. I was again left displeased.
I decided to try some new actors, or, actor. It was the first time filming with Ryan. We made a video entitled Covert Operation 1. It was about Jerry and me trying to steal something from Ryan's house. It was an okay video, better than some previous videos, but not quite what I wanted yet. Also, this was the last video I wrote a script for. I hated that stuff.
I began to wonder whether or not video making was worth all the effort. None of our videos were void of mistakes. None of them really had amazing acting, or great angles, or great story lines. I wasn't sure if I could count on my friends to be filming buddies. I took a break from video making. But that summer, things changed for me.
3/6/10
Upgrades Needed
At the end of 7th grade, Henry, Kristin, Khodadod (an old film friend), and I made a video entitled Suburban Ninja. It was about a boy who thought he was a ninja, and sought to show off his ninja skills to random people. He failed of course.
I remember this video because it was another turning point in my film history. It was really fun to make, but it lacked quality. My acting sucked, there was always laughter behind the camera, and it didn't seem to flow well. I have trouble watching it because of my acting...
That high pitch voice and the cackling at the end of this clip is Henry by the way.
I was not quite as pleased with the turnout of this video as my friends. I wanted to make a good video with good acting, story, and camera, but at this point, I knew it wasn't going to happen for a while.
Not long after this video, I realized I needed a camera that was actually meant for video, not a digital photo camera. Also, I needed an editor that was better than Windows Movie Maker. I realized early on that it was very limited. Then, my problems were solved. I bought a Sony Handycam for $300, a cheap consumer-grade camcorder. It did the job. Then, my dad got me a copy of Adobe Premiere Pro CS2 from his office. At once, the new editor astounded me. There were so many options, so many possibilities with these two new tools. I was eager to try them out.
Over the summer I filmed two videos with my cousins and brother, and I was extremely happy with the end results. I experimented a lot with Premiere Pro while I was visiting my cousins. I couldn't wait to film again with my friends and try out my new stuff.
I remember this video because it was another turning point in my film history. It was really fun to make, but it lacked quality. My acting sucked, there was always laughter behind the camera, and it didn't seem to flow well. I have trouble watching it because of my acting...
That high pitch voice and the cackling at the end of this clip is Henry by the way.
I was not quite as pleased with the turnout of this video as my friends. I wanted to make a good video with good acting, story, and camera, but at this point, I knew it wasn't going to happen for a while.
Not long after this video, I realized I needed a camera that was actually meant for video, not a digital photo camera. Also, I needed an editor that was better than Windows Movie Maker. I realized early on that it was very limited. Then, my problems were solved. I bought a Sony Handycam for $300, a cheap consumer-grade camcorder. It did the job. Then, my dad got me a copy of Adobe Premiere Pro CS2 from his office. At once, the new editor astounded me. There were so many options, so many possibilities with these two new tools. I was eager to try them out.
Over the summer I filmed two videos with my cousins and brother, and I was extremely happy with the end results. I experimented a lot with Premiere Pro while I was visiting my cousins. I couldn't wait to film again with my friends and try out my new stuff.
3/5/10
From the Beginning
Back in 4th or 5th grade, I became interested in drawing. My mom gave me a sketchbook to document my drawings. I started drawing, and eventually I came up with a character of my own: Star Gazer. He was basically a star with a happy face.
I started drawing comics of him. I created a whole family of stars, from siamiese twins to demons. I really wanted to bring this guy to life, but I couldn't ever draw him as well as I wanted. I loved telling stories through pictures, but the process was sometimes boring, and drawing was difficult. Toward the end of 7th grade, I stopped drawing as a hobby.
In 7th grade, I met a friend named Kristin. We became really good friends. Once I got her email, she sent me a video she made and posted on Youtube. It was an AMV, an anime music video. I was astounded at how she was able to make her own custom videos like that. Turns out she was using Windows Movie Maker. I became intrigued at this.
Youtube also helped inspire this video production interest. I started watching more Youtube videos, and came across a comedy duo named Barats and Bereta. Their video, Mother's Day, was the turning point for me: It was at that point when I realized that I want to make videos.
Toward the end of 7th grade, Henry and I started planning a home video we were going to make. Entitled POINT BLANK, it was the first video I really made with friends. It was about a boy who tries to get revenge for the murder of his brother, and a chase through the neighborhood ensues. The quality was mediocre, the camera sucked, and the story was kinda dumb. But in retrospect, it was decent for our first time.
I started drawing comics of him. I created a whole family of stars, from siamiese twins to demons. I really wanted to bring this guy to life, but I couldn't ever draw him as well as I wanted. I loved telling stories through pictures, but the process was sometimes boring, and drawing was difficult. Toward the end of 7th grade, I stopped drawing as a hobby.
In 7th grade, I met a friend named Kristin. We became really good friends. Once I got her email, she sent me a video she made and posted on Youtube. It was an AMV, an anime music video. I was astounded at how she was able to make her own custom videos like that. Turns out she was using Windows Movie Maker. I became intrigued at this.
Youtube also helped inspire this video production interest. I started watching more Youtube videos, and came across a comedy duo named Barats and Bereta. Their video, Mother's Day, was the turning point for me: It was at that point when I realized that I want to make videos.
Toward the end of 7th grade, Henry and I started planning a home video we were going to make. Entitled POINT BLANK, it was the first video I really made with friends. It was about a boy who tries to get revenge for the murder of his brother, and a chase through the neighborhood ensues. The quality was mediocre, the camera sucked, and the story was kinda dumb. But in retrospect, it was decent for our first time.
We were very young back then, and our balls hadn't dropped yet.
Anywho, this is where Henry became my filming partner. We made a company name, HnB Productions, for Henry and Brandon. Henry even made a logo. But the "company" didn't last long.
3/4/10
The History of Theorem 42
In the next few days, I'm gonna start documenting how Theorem 42 became what it is today. I have had a relatively long history of video production. You'll understand why we do things the way we do, and why things worked out the way they did.
I have been through a lot when it comes to video making, from choosing actors to repairing video equipment to buying more stuff. I figure I should write this all down before I forget it or something.
So for the next few days, I'll be narrating the creation of Theorem 42 from beginning to the end bit by bit. If you're interested, check it out.
I have been through a lot when it comes to video making, from choosing actors to repairing video equipment to buying more stuff. I figure I should write this all down before I forget it or something.
So for the next few days, I'll be narrating the creation of Theorem 42 from beginning to the end bit by bit. If you're interested, check it out.
HOLY MOLY
HOLY CRAP, I NEVER EVEN NOTICED THIS.
I HAVE HAD THIS BLOG FOR OVER A YEAR NOW.
YAYYYYYYY!!!!!!
What an accomplishment! I can't believe I updated this much! I can't believe I didn't slack off on it! (sometimes I did but stfu). I'm quite proud of how long this blog has stayed alive.
Well I just wanted to say that. Thanks to my readers!
Update coming soon!
I HAVE HAD THIS BLOG FOR OVER A YEAR NOW.
YAYYYYYYY!!!!!!
What an accomplishment! I can't believe I updated this much! I can't believe I didn't slack off on it! (sometimes I did but stfu). I'm quite proud of how long this blog has stayed alive.
Well I just wanted to say that. Thanks to my readers!
Update coming soon!
2/26/10
Favorite Movies
Here is a list of my all-time favorite movies. They're in no particular order because I like each movie for different reasons.
- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
- 500 Days of Summer
- Slumdog Millionaire
- Saving Private Ryan
- Inglourious Basterds
- Full Metal Jacket
- Austin Powers Goldmember
- Kung Fu Hustle
I won't go into detail with each movie because that'll take too long. I just wanted to let y'all know ;)
2/22/10
UNDERFIRE Trivia
In case any of you out there want to know more about the UNDERFIRE series so far, here ya go.
I've been meaning to do this for a while, but I've been lazy. Realize that all the trivia only applies to the UNDERFIRE series, not any other videos from Theorem 42.
UNDERFIRE SERIES
I've been meaning to do this for a while, but I've been lazy. Realize that all the trivia only applies to the UNDERFIRE series, not any other videos from Theorem 42.
UNDERFIRE SERIES
- Ryan, Brandon, and Henry have been in every UNDERFIRE video to date.
- The sound effect for the Maverick/Revolver has been the same in every video, the Counter-Strike: Source Desert Eagle sound.
- Each video ends in the same spot.
- During filming, we have always been questioned by neighbors about our shenanigans.
- The inspiration of the series was Call of Duty 4 and Team Fortress 2.
UNDERFIRE
- This is the only video so far that only stars 3 people.
- This is the only video with subtitles.
- This is the only video that ends with everyone alive.
- This is the only video that has a "happy ending"
- When Ryan and Brandon are facing off, Ryan hides behind some stairs. After Brandon is ambushed by Henry, the stairs that Ryan is hiding behind changes. This is because when we were filming, the person who lived there came out, and we didn't want to be confronted.
- The Wilhelm Scream can be heard.
- This is the only video that a Portal song appears, 5000 Degrees Kelvin.
- This is the first video that Adobe After Effects was used in a Theorem 42 video, for the title.
- The primary color for this video is red for the sunniness and the high energy.
UNDERFIRE Deathmatch
- This is the video in which William makes his Theorem 42 debut.
- The video was actually filmed in the rain, thought the rain was intermittent, so sometimes it shows up, sometimes it doesn't.
- Henry dies in a similar fashion in the beginning as the first video; Ryan headshots him when he peeks over a bush.
- When Henry kills Ryan with the shotgun and runs away, you can see William sitting on the stairs in the background.
- This is the only video that a Team Fortress 2 song appears, Faster than a Speeding Bullet.
- The title retains the quick word glimmer as in the first video, but more advanced.
- This is the first video to have limited lives. Though it is not directly stated, once Ryan kills Brandon for the last time, he does not respawn.
- Though not directly contributing to the video, in the first 5 minutes of filming, we were yelled at by a woman for being too loud outside.
- The primary color for this video is blue for the gloominess of the rain.
UNDERFIRE War
- This is the video in which Matt makes his Theorem 42 debut.
- This is the first video that songs from the Half-Life 2 episodes appear.
- This is the first Theorem 42 video to have a trailer.
- This is the first video to include blood effects.
- This is the first video to feature team deathmatch.
- This is the first video to feature full length dialogue.
- Ryan and Henry wear black shirts, while Matt and Julien wear white shirts.
- Brandon only makes a small cameo here, for the sake of being in the video, and also to reference to the previous videos.
- It appears that Ryan, Henry, and Brandon made a truce of some sort and formed a team.
- In this video, there is a better implication of limited lives, as an example of Brandon.
- The real reason why it was raining at the end was because we filmed the ending on a separate day, and it was raining that day.
- The symbol on Ryan's shirt is of Portal.
- The title also retains the word glimmer from the first video.
- The primary color for this video is yellow, for the high energy and the high speed action.
- Team Tigers was the result of a discussion on current issues. The name of that team came from the discussion of Tiger Woods.
- The only person whose name is not mentioned is Henry.
- During the machine gun scene, a neighbor came out and confronted us.
- When Ryan's respawn is shown, an old Half-Life song plays. This is the same song we used for Ryan's respawn in UNDERFIRE.
- The silencer on Julien's rifle toward the end of the video is on crooked. The silencer was made from the core of a toilet paper roll and black electrical tape.
1/26/10
UNDERFIRE War Reflection
Like my past few videos, I will be writing a reflection on our past video.
UNDERFIRE War has become my proudest video overall. Its editing and effects are vastly superior to the past videos thanks to Action Essentials 2. This was good for the overall video, yet bad for me in ways. For one, it increased the amount of time it took to edit the clips. Instead if editing every other frame, or every two frames, I often had to edit frame by frame. One clip took me a week, five straight seconds of spray and pray by Ryan. Those kinds of scenes honestly drove me a bit nuts simply because of the number of frames required to edit.
In my opinion, Julien and Ryan shine in this video. Julien, first of all, was an overall great actor in the video. Everything he did was natural; the sliding, the walking, everything. He is a natural actor, and he will most certainly be starring in our next video. Ryan did a good job doing his scenes. They weren't forced; he was simply doing the actions. They were believable and not over the top.
Matt was also good in his first role. In the beginning, it was a bit rough trying him to get to fall or react in certain ways. However, as the video went on, you can visually see his acting getting better. His facial expressions are also hilarious. Next stoner video for certain.
Henry delivered a solid performance also. His speaking parts were a bit forced, but it wasn't enough to make it sound stupid. He did a great job in the machine gun scene, grabbing the side and vibrating the gun in a realistic fashion. All of his falls were also very realistic, from his very first death to his last. All my actors were awesome.
I personally liked the angle choices. They varied more in the beginning because of the amount of time we spent on the first few scenes. Toward the end, we rushed slightly more. But I think in the end, we maintained good angles for our shots.
The action sequences were awesome, however, upon prior examination, I saw that there were not as many sequences as previous installments it seems. They were overall better though. The machine gun scene was my favorite, followed by the beginning scene and the scene right after the machine gun scene. It offers good variance in the flow of the video, from loud and exciting to quiet and unsuspecting. I had many people flip out when Ryan snuck out and shot Julien in the head because of how quiet and sudden it was.
The dialogue was okay. It could have been better I guess, but for the sake of this video, it was good enough. UNDERFIRE is not about story, it's about action. The break in the middle offers a break in fighting to prepare for the machine gun scene. It provides backstory to what happened before the video started, including my embarrassing death. Also, I think it's pretty funny, both sides. It adds personality to the characters.
I'm so proud of this video, and I truly truly hope that eventually it will become more popular on Youtube. Congratulations, friends, on another great video experience.
UNDERFIRE War has become my proudest video overall. Its editing and effects are vastly superior to the past videos thanks to Action Essentials 2. This was good for the overall video, yet bad for me in ways. For one, it increased the amount of time it took to edit the clips. Instead if editing every other frame, or every two frames, I often had to edit frame by frame. One clip took me a week, five straight seconds of spray and pray by Ryan. Those kinds of scenes honestly drove me a bit nuts simply because of the number of frames required to edit.
In my opinion, Julien and Ryan shine in this video. Julien, first of all, was an overall great actor in the video. Everything he did was natural; the sliding, the walking, everything. He is a natural actor, and he will most certainly be starring in our next video. Ryan did a good job doing his scenes. They weren't forced; he was simply doing the actions. They were believable and not over the top.
Matt was also good in his first role. In the beginning, it was a bit rough trying him to get to fall or react in certain ways. However, as the video went on, you can visually see his acting getting better. His facial expressions are also hilarious. Next stoner video for certain.
Henry delivered a solid performance also. His speaking parts were a bit forced, but it wasn't enough to make it sound stupid. He did a great job in the machine gun scene, grabbing the side and vibrating the gun in a realistic fashion. All of his falls were also very realistic, from his very first death to his last. All my actors were awesome.
I personally liked the angle choices. They varied more in the beginning because of the amount of time we spent on the first few scenes. Toward the end, we rushed slightly more. But I think in the end, we maintained good angles for our shots.
The action sequences were awesome, however, upon prior examination, I saw that there were not as many sequences as previous installments it seems. They were overall better though. The machine gun scene was my favorite, followed by the beginning scene and the scene right after the machine gun scene. It offers good variance in the flow of the video, from loud and exciting to quiet and unsuspecting. I had many people flip out when Ryan snuck out and shot Julien in the head because of how quiet and sudden it was.
The dialogue was okay. It could have been better I guess, but for the sake of this video, it was good enough. UNDERFIRE is not about story, it's about action. The break in the middle offers a break in fighting to prepare for the machine gun scene. It provides backstory to what happened before the video started, including my embarrassing death. Also, I think it's pretty funny, both sides. It adds personality to the characters.
I'm so proud of this video, and I truly truly hope that eventually it will become more popular on Youtube. Congratulations, friends, on another great video experience.
1/22/10
UNDERFIRE War
UNDERFIRE War
The new installment in the UNDERFIRE series, introducing:
UNDERFIRE War!!!
There are 2 parts because it is over 11 minutes long. Bear with it and please, watch both parts!
It is the best video I have ever had the pleasure of editing, directing, and being a part of. I could never have done this without the hard work and cooperation of my friends.
So, ENJOY!!
By the way, Henry made that picture up there. Kudos to him for making such a cool poster :D
1/18/10
TRAILER -- UNDERFIRE War
UNDERFIRE War
INTRODUCING, THE TRAILER FOR THE UPCOMING NEW VIDEO BY THEOREM 42, IT'S UNDERFIRE WAR.
It will be released probably by next week or so? Be ready. Show all your friends!!
INTRODUCING, THE TRAILER FOR THE UPCOMING NEW VIDEO BY THEOREM 42, IT'S UNDERFIRE WAR.
It will be released probably by next week or so? Be ready. Show all your friends!!
1/10/10
And The Editing Continues
The scene mentioned in the previous post took me a few days to complete, in between karate, homework, and whatnot. I have dubbed it "The Ass Scene." It was actually ten times harder to finish than "The Bitch Scene" from Deathmatch. I manually cut Ryan and his gun out for 4 seconds straight, which is about 120 frames. God.... But it's over!
Well the video looks phenomenal. The effects make an enormous difference in quality from our last UNDERFIRE. It's a huge step for us. Seriously.
Here are some photos for you!
Gasp, it's me in one of those pictures! Yes, I make an appearance. You'll have to see me in action when the video is released ;)
It looks pretty good doncha think? I'll add filters once the entire video is done. I have about half of the effects editing, probably a bit less. But progress is swift, and I become more and more excited to see this thing finished.
Well the video looks phenomenal. The effects make an enormous difference in quality from our last UNDERFIRE. It's a huge step for us. Seriously.
Here are some photos for you!
Gasp, it's me in one of those pictures! Yes, I make an appearance. You'll have to see me in action when the video is released ;)
It looks pretty good doncha think? I'll add filters once the entire video is done. I have about half of the effects editing, probably a bit less. But progress is swift, and I become more and more excited to see this thing finished.
1/6/10
UNDERFIRE: Advanced After Effects
I haven't updated this in a few days because school has been taking up my time unfortunately. However, I have been thinking about you!
Now one of the main focuses of the Underfire series is the special effects. We started with simple photoshop layers pasted directly onto the video timeline. Then we drew the [terrible] muzzle flashes onto the clips via After Effects. That was the worst After Effects experience I have ever had. It was extremely inefficient and didn't even look good, regardless of what I said back then. It taught me how After Effects works though.
Now, with the third installment, I have wisened up with my skills. I'm much more efficient now, utilizing many new techniques that could be considered advanced. My motion tracking is a million times better now. My overall compositing skills have been boosted.
Remember the "bitch" scene? Now that I'm where I am now, that scene is nothing compared to the scene I'm working on at this moment.
I have already used motion tracking multiple times in the video. Almost every fx clip has motion tracking. I'm so proud of how far we've come.
I'm implementing advanced muzzle flashes, concrete hits, sparks, and some blood effects in the video. Here's a picture of a typical scene in the video:
As you can see, simply placing the muzzle flash over the clip does nothing. It looks terrible like this. However, utilizing the power of masking...
BAM, I CUT OUT THE GUN AND RYAN IN ORDER TO PUT THE FLASH BEHIND THEM. This is how the process works. It is a long, and very very tedious process. It's very slow too, going frame by frame (remember, 30 frames per second).
However, it must be done. I honestly kinda enjoy this. It's tedious and boring, but you get to see the ordinarily plain clip transform into something so awesome.
The first two scenes are just about done. This here is the third scene. As you can see, Julien is going to be dominated by Ryan.
I couldn't be happier with how the video looks so far. It's honestly incredible and super exciting. Can't wait to show y'all the final product.
Well night everyone!
Now one of the main focuses of the Underfire series is the special effects. We started with simple photoshop layers pasted directly onto the video timeline. Then we drew the [terrible] muzzle flashes onto the clips via After Effects. That was the worst After Effects experience I have ever had. It was extremely inefficient and didn't even look good, regardless of what I said back then. It taught me how After Effects works though.
Now, with the third installment, I have wisened up with my skills. I'm much more efficient now, utilizing many new techniques that could be considered advanced. My motion tracking is a million times better now. My overall compositing skills have been boosted.
Remember the "bitch" scene? Now that I'm where I am now, that scene is nothing compared to the scene I'm working on at this moment.
I have already used motion tracking multiple times in the video. Almost every fx clip has motion tracking. I'm so proud of how far we've come.
I'm implementing advanced muzzle flashes, concrete hits, sparks, and some blood effects in the video. Here's a picture of a typical scene in the video:
As you can see, simply placing the muzzle flash over the clip does nothing. It looks terrible like this. However, utilizing the power of masking...
BAM, I CUT OUT THE GUN AND RYAN IN ORDER TO PUT THE FLASH BEHIND THEM. This is how the process works. It is a long, and very very tedious process. It's very slow too, going frame by frame (remember, 30 frames per second).
However, it must be done. I honestly kinda enjoy this. It's tedious and boring, but you get to see the ordinarily plain clip transform into something so awesome.
The first two scenes are just about done. This here is the third scene. As you can see, Julien is going to be dominated by Ryan.
I couldn't be happier with how the video looks so far. It's honestly incredible and super exciting. Can't wait to show y'all the final product.
Well night everyone!
1/2/10
UNDERFIRE 3
Announcing, the new video soon to hit Youtube, the third installment of the UNDERFIRE series!
I shall give you readers a small description of what it's about:
I will be updating this blog frequently. Much editing must be done!
More screenshots and news to come.
I shall give you readers a small description of what it's about:
- There are 4 players
- It is 2 versus 2
- There are Nerf guns
You may remember Julien from the Missing Immigrant Agency. He makes an appearance in this video. Plus, my friend Matt makes his debut. I make a short cameo, and Ryan and Henry return, this time as teammates.
I am very excited to see the final product. I've lain down all the clips already, and it looks pretty good so far. With music and effects, this is sure to be a great video.
The special effects are gonna be incredibly tough though. LOTS of new things that I'm going to put in, like new muzzle flashes, blood effects?, smoke, and wall hits. It's going to take a while to finish. But I will do my best as editor to make you fans happy!
I have some preliminary pictures for you.
I will be updating this blog frequently. Much editing must be done!
More screenshots and news to come.
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