It is done!

OK, I stopped blogging for a couple of days.  That’s because I was totally engrossed in getting the project done in time for the Monday 11:59PM deadline for the 3MM contest.  I’m happy to say that I made the deadline, and I’m mostly happen with the movie.

I really wasn’t sure if I could pull it together in 6 days.  It took probably close to 40 hours of effort, all told, to shoot and cut a 3-minute piece.  I feel for those folks out there who do this every week for a 46-minute show.  Of course, they’re pros and I’m just a newbie.

I have a lot of post-mortem thoughts that I promise to write down and provide in a follow-up post.  Until then, here’s the finished piece:

Day… what day is it again?

W00t!  I think I have all the footage I need.  We had to do a special f/x shot for the rain (fancy it not raining in Seattle when I need it to).  I am putting it all into Premiere now.  Not a lot of spare time for blogging right now.

Day Four

Woke up this morning to see rain.  Yay! Unfortunately, the rain had stopped by the time I got back from dropping the kids off at school, and the raindrops-on-the-tree effect doesn’t sell it.  I may need to resort to getting the shot with artificial rain(read—garden hose).  We’ll see.

Today is going to be all about cutting together the material I have so far inside of Premiere.  I’ve got my draft f/x in, but I’m going to hold off on refining them until I get all my footage and have a rough cut together.  I’m doing it that way because the AE work can be a complete time sink, and you’re never REALLY done.

Day Three

All hardware came yesterday.  I put together the visual f/x shot of the videos flying out of the TV.  Need to composite it with the video shot of TV.

Got 10 of the shots with the kids.  Everything looks pretty amateurish, though. Definitely need a wider angle lens and more control over the depth of field.   Don’t have time for proper lighting and this is the first time the kids have ever done anything like this, so they’re not exactly pro quality.

Still, progress is being made.  Hoping for rain tomorrow.  That’s a first.

Day Two

I’m behind.

Don’t have my shot list yet (it’s in my head, but that’s not real enough).  Spent some time yesterday with Allan going over a project he and I started on years ago.  We’re both keen to take it down off the shelf and have another go.

Got an automated call from UPS today warning me that I have to be home to sign for the (camera) package delivery.  So, I’m sitting here waiting and working.

I’m starting to worry a little that I’m not going to get the rainy day/sunny day I need to make this work.

UPDATE: Shot list is done.  Crap.  I’ve got 30 separate shots and about half as many setups.  All for a 3 minute piece.  Officially worried now.

Day One

Goal: Submit an entry to the Seattle Times Three Minute Masterpiece contest.  Deadline, midnight April 20.

Six days.  Not a whole lot of time.

I’ve got a concept.  I have tools (fast computer, good monitor, CS4 editions of Premiere and After Effects).  I had an old Sony DV camera, which crapped out last week. 

This morning I ordered the Canon VIXIA HFS100 HD Camcorder from Amazon.  Overnight shipping should get it here by tomorrow.  Need to get an SDHC card from Costco or Cameras West.

Part of my concept involves some video footage sort of flying around a room like circling birds.  I know AE has the power to do something like that, but I don’t have the AE skillz to make it happen.  Since I don’t have the camera yet I am spending today checking out the “Learn AE” videos on Adobe’s site.  So far, they’re pretty good.

UPDATE: My effort to shave off the cost of a latte (shipping charges from Amazon) resulted in wasted time going to Costco and Cameras West, where I discovered the “average” consumer has no interest in card capacities over 4GB.  Luckily I still had 51 minutes left to order the card from Amazon and have it delivered by tomorrow.

Need to get back to my shot list.

About this blog

It’s pretty straightforward.  I want to make movies.  I don’t put any further structure on it—I don’t care if it’s “TV” or Film or YouTube or whatever.  I do know that my own interests lie in dramatic storytelling in sci-fi settings, but I'm open to whatever.

In fact, there probably has never been a better time for someone like me to go from “I want to make movies” to actually creating and distributing movies with very little startup or operational cost.  With YouTube and other venues like it you get a venue.  With Premiere Pro and software like it you get Nonlinear Editing and Visual Effects tools better than what the Pros used just a few years ago.  With HD video cameras at $1,000 or less you’ve got all the hardware you need to capture your opus.

I’ve written a number of screenplays over the years (never sold any).  I’ve got some ideas of what I would want to make.  I’ve got some connections into the Biz.

I hope to share here my journey, be it a success or failure, long or short, so that others who care to embark on a similar journey can learn from mine.