Inspirit

AwesomeHOBARTfilms MySpace

2008-04-01T20:03:00.003+11:00

There is now a a MySpace profile for AwesomeHOBARTfilms, so if you have MySpace then add this profile as a friend!

http://www.myspace.com/awesomehobartfilms

The other burning question many have is:

"When are you going to do some more work on your film?"

Now that I've graduated from university I can no longer receive Austudy which means I've got to work more. As a result I have less time to for this project, which is unfortunate.

However, I have abandoned it completely and I am working on it occasionally. There is in fact another version of the 5 minute preview which includes a shot whose composition was correctly digitally and a surprise creature added to the background of another shot.

I shall create blog entries for these updates in the near future.

A lot of milage from this footage

2008-03-06T17:45:00.002+11:00

Just recapping on my effects handiwork...

Source Footage

As mention previously it was impossible to get the shot I wanted so I had to resort to visual effects.

This edited footage resulted in two very shots.

Shot 1

Shot 2

Panache Leaves Uncle Bulo v2.1

2008-03-04T15:16:00.003+11:00

This shot didn't really make sense in it's original form as there needed to a reason for the camera to be hovering around the window.

So to fix this problem I've added a preying mantis. The effect looks a bit shoddy on computer monitors but it looks fine on TV screens.

Ghost Tour

2008-01-06T23:11:00.000+11:00

On Friday night I finally did one of Alan Jennison's Ghost Tours. Visit for www.toursofrichmond.com for more details.

So the big question is did I see any ghosts? Take a look at this...

(click thumbnails to view full sized images)

Ok, so that's a double exposure of Michael and his camera. I can tell it's Michael by the clothing, unless some ghosts has a shape shifting ability allowing them to assume the clothing of those nearby... And their video camera as well...

Now take a look at this...

This is most likely a lens flare caused by the light... Seems strange to have a random ball of light in the middle of nowhere though.

Now what be this? I've put a red arrow pointing to the area you need to look. You'll have to enlarge the picture otherwise you won't see anything

Interestingly enough it shows up again in a second picture. But less noticeable.

Perhaps it's another form of lens flare... Perhaps not! Either way I wouldn't mind going back and more pictures - and you should too!

Do the ghost tour and you'll understand why that tunnel is considered a particularly good location for finding ghosts.

A man that really did grow into a tree

2008-01-03T09:09:00.000+11:00

This bit of news seems relevant to what I'm doing

Dede is a 35 year old Indonesian man who suffers from an extremely rare condition caused by human papillomavirus. The virus has caused him to develop massive warts on his hands, feet, and face. The warts started growing when he was fifteen years old, after he accidentally cut his knee while working on a construction site. The warts on his hands and feet grow about five millimeters each month, and have grown so long they resemble the roots of a tree. Hence he has been referred to as the "Tree Man".

It is the season to be distracted

2007-12-31T19:50:00.000+11:00

This time of year is shocking for getting things done due to the number of distractions. I've decided now would be a wonderful time to begin sharing the context presentation I gave earlier in the semester.

Since I was intended to make a B movie I thought I should thoroughly investigate what a B Movie was. Many people seem to consider them as bad low budget movies but this is not actually the case.

So what I shall do is break the presentation down in section and post it in anti-chronological order. This way it will appear in linear order to those who don't follow the blog daily.

Visual Effect WIP - Gigh Resurrection - Wide Shot 1.03

2007-12-20T21:37:00.000+11:00

Now Gigh has been made to appear as though he grows out of the tree. At the moment it looks like too much like an ordinary morph but after the branches and leaves are added this should be reduced.

Next I shall fix the "morph" problem.

Visual Effect WIP - Gigh Resurrection - Wide Shot 1.02

2007-12-18T03:18:00.000+11:00

Tree Fitting Gigh

Step 1

First I just lay pieces of tree over Gigh roughly where I want them to grow. They're just pictures I've taken from near my place and they probably aren't the best choice so I'll replace them later when I find the "perfect" tree for the role. We better hold some tree auditions...

Step 2

Now using a warp mesh I shall conceal Mick behind the tree.

I'll drop the opacity of the tree down to 50% so you can see what's happening.

Now we have Mick within the boundary of the tree but the tree doesn't look very good so that requires improving.

Step 3

I adjust the tree so the branches look like they're blended better although they're still not right yet but they will have leaves on them by the final version.

Next I did a render to see what it looks like so far... Kind of like Mick is standing up from behind a tree.

Now I need to make it appear as though the tree is growing into him...

The Last Confession of Martin Pearce

2007-12-16T19:39:00.000+11:00

Yesterday auditions for extras were being held for a docu-drama called The Last Confession of Martin Pearce.

Seeing it as an opportunity to gain some experience on professionally funded project I decided to volunteer my services. My assistance was met with open arms which was very fortunate for them because they were flooded with an absolute deluge of auditionees.

A couple of days prior I was told there were 75 people coming along to audition and there may be a few that just walk in. In the end 153 people registered to audition and that's not including those who didn't return after I had to tell to them to come back in an hour. So the response was quite good!

It was very hectic (which I quite enjoyed) and afterwards I got to spend some one-on-one time with director Michael James Rowlands and he gave me some directorial advice and a further insight into the film.

It was quite a good learning experience!

Visual Effect WIP - Gigh Resurrection - Wide Shot 1.00

2007-12-14T07:51:00.000+11:00

Several weeks ago I attempted to create the visual effect depicting a tree growing from the ground and then into Gigh. As I was missing the footage I required to complete the shot I was having great difficulty in achieving the animation I desired.

I now have that missing footage thus providing me with the visual references I require to achieve the effect.

Here is the footage I shall be working with:

You'll notice Mick stands in the same position for 5 seconds then walks out the frame.

For greater flexibility I need to separate Mick from his background so I take the first frame and cut him it out using image editing software. I've made the background magenta so he contrasts nicely and you can see what I've done.

The part of the video after Mick steps out becomes a background plate:

Now I insert Mick into the background plate:

And I can now move parts of him around without interfering with the background. Mind you it doesn't look natural, partly because

The material of his shirt isn't blowing in the wind.
The shadows aren't adjusting as he moves.
This is the first time I've used this tool and I'm not very good with it!

I could improve upon this things but they're not really important to the shot I'm attempting to achieve.

Next I must "tree-fit" Mick...

Location Scouting for Tavern - Blue Bell Inn

2007-12-12T15:01:00.000+11:00

Since I've been busy of late I haven't been producing any new material and consequentially my recent blog entries have been very textual. So to break the monotony I've decided to delve into the vast backlog of content I didn't have time to blog earlier.

Today are some location scouting images of the Blue Bell Inn which was taken into consideration for the Tavern. The reason it wasn't selected because the rooms are a bit too small for filming purposes.

I admit the photography in these pictures probably isn't the best I've taken either.

Preview DVD

2007-12-10T20:19:00.000+11:00

If anyone involved in the production is interested in seeing the Preview DVD send me a message and I'll mail one to you.

The Preview DVD is the first 5 minutes of the film which I submitted for university assessment. Being a preview it's still not the final edit, because the effect shot take hours (or in some cases days) to complete I've decided to press ahead rather than spend more time refining the first half.

University Results

2007-12-08T05:53:00.000+11:00

I decided not check my university results because I knew I'd passed and getting a high mark wasn't important to me. I was quite happy to go through the rest of my existence not knowing the actual mark but unfortunately a certain lecturer informed me that I got "top mark". That foiled that idea...

I still haven't checked the exact score yet...

New Non-Film Projects

2007-12-05T11:12:00.000+11:00

It appears my Web Design clients I have almost paid off the websites I designed for them in 2006. This means I better do some more paid work because having the extra finances is very pleasant but there is a downside.

The downside is there will be further delay in the recommencement of post-production. Perhaps annoying because it pushes back the completion date of the film but unfortunately websites make money, working on this film does not.

Pity how life gets in the way of these things...

The Rehersals

2007-12-03T08:54:00.000+11:00

Someone reading this blog for the first time might see the footage from the final rehearsals and think "What the hell is this?".

Despite the outlandishness of the final rehearsal session the actors nailed their roles during production and their performance were pretty much spot on. I think the acting is probably one of the stronger points of the film.

So give a round of applause to the actors!

Final Rehearsal - September 7th - Fianle

2007-12-01T15:26:00.000+11:00

Finale - Take #1

Finale - Take #2

Final Rehearsal - September 7th - Tavern

2007-11-29T18:48:00.000+11:00

Tavern - Take #1

Tavern - Take #2

Tavern - Take #3

Final Rehearsal - September 7th - Back to Uncle Bulo

2007-11-27T19:25:00.000+11:00

Uncle Bulo 2 - Take #1

Uncle Bulo 2 - Take #2

Uncle Bulo 2 - Take #3

Final Rehearsal - September 7th - Gigh Resurrection

2007-11-25T22:50:00.000+11:00

Gigh Resurrection - Take #1

Gigh Resurrection - Take #2

Final Rehearsal - September 7th - Uncle Bulo 1

2007-11-23T11:26:00.000+11:00

Uncle Bulo 1 - Take #1

Uncle Bulo 1 - Take #2

Uncle Bulo 1 - Take #3

Uncle Bulo 1 - Take #4

Final Rehearsal - September 7th - Trollins Encounter

2007-11-21T15:26:00.000+11:00

Trollins Encounter

Good news everybody!

2007-11-19T13:53:00.000+11:00

I've decided to take the week off from working on this project!

I badly need a break to because I've been working on this project 6 or 7 days a week since about mid July - so that's around 4 months.

A week (or maybe even a bit longer) should be sufficient to rejuvenate my creative powers and enable me to see the project through to completion. As I've have few breaks I feel somewhat exhausted and feel that I'm not producing my best work so some time away will be highly beneficial.

Of course I won't have the luxury of sitting around and relaxing the whole time, instead I'll be starting new projects and continue others that I've been delaying over the past four months. When I do return to completing the film it'll probably be part time to enable me to continue these other projects simultaneously.

But fear not! This blog shall not be neglected as there quite a backlog of material that I haven't had time to upload yet. If I blogged everything I created then I wouldn't get any work done.

This week I will share the final rehearsal - the rehearsal in which Rebbeca Tilley was absent so each of the other cast members took turns playing Panache. It's quite amusing!

Preview - First 5 minutes - Enchanced

2007-11-18T08:33:00.000+11:00

There seemed to be problems with the sound synchronisation in the version I uploaded last week. This time I've re-encoded the latest version of the film using DivX inside an AVI container so lets see if this yields better results than the WMV.

List of amendments

Adjustment to colours in "Gigh Running Through the Forest" & "Trollins Encounter" scenes.
Major upgrades to the exterior of Uncle Bulo's Abode.
Frogs now chirp in stereo instead of just the right channel.
Improved colours in "Panache Collects Gigh's Ashes" scene.
Clouds in opening shot of "Gigh Resurrection" scene have been improved.
Upgrade to both scenes featuring megalith.
Changed "offine editor" to just "editor"
Corrected grammatical in "Hell Raiser: Hellbound" credit

Gigh Resurrection - Approach - Visual Effect WIP

2007-11-16T18:38:00.000+11:00

I've made a couple of tweaks to make the megalith "sit" better in it's environment. It still looks cartoonish on a computer monitor but I'm afraid changing it too much will make it look unrealistic on TV screen. So those viewing over the Internet will have to tolerate the cartoonishness for the time being.

Gigh Resurrection - Opening Shot - Visual Effect WIP

2007-11-15T15:56:00.000+11:00

In the previous version I thought the clouds looked too much like an image floating over the top of a background. I've tried to blend them in a little better but I'm still not happy with the result.

Visual Effect - Work In Progress - Uncle Bulo's Abode - EXT 2 - version 1.2

2007-11-14T11:33:00.000+11:00

Just as the shot when Panache approaches Uncle Bulo's Abode has been upgraded so has the shot where she has departed. Same updates as the previous shot but better virtual camera movement.

I think this shot needs something extra... I imagined having an owl sitting on the wind seal which flies away when the shuts. Unfortunately I don't know of any owl trainers who would freely offer their services for what would be a quite experimental shot - it would have to be filmed in front of a blue/green screen then composited into the shot.

The other option is to have a CG owl but I don't have the skills to design one that would look convincing enough. If anybody has such skills and would like to offer them then don't hesitate to contact.

Meanwhile here is the latest update to Exterior 2 of Uncle Bulo's Abode:

Visual Effect - Work In Progress - Uncle Bulo's Abode - EXT - version 1.2

2007-11-13T10:36:00.000+11:00

There were quite a few things bugging me about the Exterior shots of Uncle Bulo's Abode. Primarily the moon which looked like a circle rather than a moon and bush in the lower (our) left hand corner.

I've improved the moon significantly by giving it a moon surface texture and correcting the penumbra. The previous bush was merely a 2D image which I created by "stacking" copied and pasted sections of the source image till the bush was the desired height. This new bush is actually a bush which I filmed in my backyard and the part seen is actually 2 metres off the ground.

I also upgraded the fences. Once again the fence was extended by means of a 2D image taken during different lighting conditions thus creating an inconsistency. I've taken a frame from the source footage and overlayed on over the existing fences and now they should be consistent.

These differences probably aren't very noticeable in the YouTube video but on larger displays they stand out much more.

Latest Version - 1.2

Previously Uploaded Version - 1.08
See the entry on 4th October 2007 for more information

Once again the shot still isn't finshed because I want it to begin entered on the moon then zooming out and tilting down to reveal Panache running to the cottage door.

Audio Out of Sync

2007-11-12T11:35:00.000+11:00

I've received several reports that the audio is out of sync. I played the video back myself and the audio is fine up until the first exterior of Uncle Bulo's Abode. From that point onwards it goes hideously out of sync and I'm not entirely sure what's caused this.

I presume something has went wrong in the encoding when YouTube converted the video to Flash Video format. This may have had something to do with the format I uploaded which was a WMV file. Usually I upload DivX files which have few problems but for some reason the DivX encoder kept crashing when I attempted to convert the full length film from an uncompressed AVI.

I shall upload the full length film at the end of this week using different codecs and then we shall see if that fixes the problem.

Preview - The first 5 minutes

2007-11-10T16:24:00.000+11:00

I needed to submit something for assessment so I've submitted the first five minutes.

It's not easy submitting incomplete work and I'm not even allowed to explain what stage of development the film has reached or what improvements will be made in the future. It must be presented "as is" under the assumption this is the final version.

Here is the first 5 minutes - add an extra minutes for the credits. It's been heavily compressed to fit on YouTube and with the small frame size it's going to lose a lot of quality. Better than nothing though.

Interestingly enough when viewed on different displaying devices (such as a CRT TV or a plasma screen) the quality of the video varies. For example the megalith looks much more realistic on a plasma screen while on a computer monitor it looks very cartoonish (as Phil has noticed).

Artist's Statement

2007-11-08T09:01:00.000+11:00

As a mandatory requirement for E-Meda 312 I must also submit an Artist's Statement when I submit my project.

Here's what I came up with:

My aim was to produce a B Movie drawing influences from the low budget fantasy and adventure films of the 1940’s and 1950’s. Though I didn’t intend to recreate such films, I wanted to create a new contemporary form of B Movie retaining the old charm while utilising modern filmmaking technologies.

I devised a story set about 150 years in Australia’s past, yet I avoided representing actual locations. I wanted to create “a world of my own” and steer away from mimicking a “Tolkeinesque” fantasy. I helped this along by allowing the Australian actors to retain their accents and displaying indigenous flora in some of the exterior shots.

Rather than tell a “damsel in distress” tale I wanted the female protagonist to be a saviour and rescue her husband while plotting to intellectually defeat the villain. I the kept the dialogue mildly campy because I didn’t want to portray the characters too outlandishly, however I did accentuate the B Movie atmosphere by borrowing scores from old movies.

The film contains no pertinent messages or has any underlying significances. Its purpose is to simply entertain those with an appreciation for B Movies and to explore the possibilities of what can be achieved using modern video editing software.

Gigh Resurrection - Panache Approaches the Megalith - Examines - Visual Effect WIP

2007-11-06T12:25:00.000+11:00

Panache examines the megalith.

This is actually a still image. The reason I'm using a still is because I didn't have all the first 5 seconds of the shot and the footage I did have wasn't long enough. So to extend the shot I'm using a still but I haven't had time to add the video footage.

Gigh Resurrection - Panache Approaches the Megalith - Opening Shot - Visual Effect WIP

2007-11-04T13:02:00.000+11:00

Gigh Resurrection - Opening Shot - Visual Effect WIP

2007-11-02T12:30:00.001+11:00

A nice long opening shot for the Gigh Resurrection scene - perhaps too long. Easily shortened if required.

Like most visual effect shots it still needs more work...

Portfolio DVD

2007-10-31T13:28:00.000+11:00

As a require of E-Media 312 I must create a portfolio DVD or website showcasing examples of my past work. Since I appear to be a proficient web designer I opted to design a DVD menu. Ironically, due to time constraints I designed the interface more like a website rather than a typical DVD menu. It still looks decent but lacks the razzle dazzle of the more impressive DVD menus.

I decided to use Adobe Encore which I've found to be an un-intuitive and awkward program. It makes simple things unnecessarily difficult. Here's but one example; if I want to change the layer order I can just drag the layer up or down in the layer palette, first I must select the layer I want to move, then go to the Edit menu then the Arrange sub menu and repeat till the layer is in the appropriate order. There are shortcut keys but this could be so easily remedied with a drap and drop system or buttons above the layer palette.

Panache Collects Gigh's Ashes extended

2007-10-29T14:49:00.000+11:00

To create a time delay from when Panache leaves Uncle Bulo's Abode and returns to the site of Gigh's ashes I returned to Kangaroo Bluff Battery and filmed some additional footage with my camcorder.

I'm still missing the footage shot of Panache entering the frame so because of that the dissolve from swamp to wall is a little rushed. As soon as I get footage I'll make the dissolve longer.

I've turned day into night and added a moon to justify the light source. Not sure if the moon looks right though.

The Trollins Encounter location was originally a moat which extended the entire circumference of the battery. Decades after the battey was abandoned a young boy drowned in the moat and consequentially most of it was filled, however two pockets of moat remain at either end of the area we were filming.

Even though the moat is ripe with tadpoles the sound of the frogs croaking actually originates from a ditch over my back fence. After hearing the little buggers every night I really wanted to use their croaking and this seems like the perfect opportunity to do so.

Visual Effect - Work In Progress - Panache Leaves Uncle Bulo's Abode

2007-10-28T13:05:00.000+11:00

I've been experimenting with a new visual effect shot for when Panache leaves Uncle Bulo's abode.

Like most visual effect shots the first version needs a lot of work but here is the first version. The static image of the bush on the left badly needs replacing with live video and I don't like the pan/zoom which follows Panache.

Variation #1

The reason I've added the pan and zoom is to cover a continuity problem. In the previous shot Uncle Bulo begins opening the door to usher Panache outside but unfortunately due to rain we couldn't get a shot from the exterior of him standing at the door as she leaves. We had to come back the next day and film exteriors but we didn't have John so we only filmed was Bec leaving.

Some score has been added

2007-10-26T12:57:00.000+11:00

I've been editing the score from some old movies, including Day of the Triffids, House on Haunted Hill and Metropolis.

So here is the soundtrack! Just sound, no visuals.

Sound Sweetening - Uncle Bulo (first visit)

2007-10-25T12:11:00.001+11:00

Sweetened

Original

Sound Sweetening - Uncle Bulo's Abode EXT

2007-10-24T12:42:00.000+11:00

Sweetened

Original

Sound Sweetening - Trollins Encounter

2007-10-23T11:48:00.000+11:00

Sweetened

Original

Sound Sweetening - Gigh Running Through the Forest

2007-10-22T11:19:00.000+11:00

This week I've been working on the sound so I've cleaned up the dialgoue and added Foley. I'm not sure how YouTube with replay the sound on different computers but here's the latest version.

Sweetened

Original

Questions and then Answers

2007-10-20T08:25:00.000+11:00

The adoring fans have been asking questions and leaving feedback so now is a wonderful time to respond to them.

Anonymous said...
The gap between when Panache enters and when she first speaks worries me

Uncle Bulo does say "Panache" before he looks up but the audio may be too low for it to be heard. I'll be working on the sound next week so I'll increase the volume and add sound effects for her footsteps. That should fill the void nicely.

Phil said...
Why is Gigh still shacking on the ground? Shouldn't it be a continuos flow of lightning, and the throw back arms to> thrust forward would be a higher, more intensified bolt?

During editing I decided I didn't want Trollins casting lightning continuously. I don't have time at the moment but I plan to go back and replace the convulusing Gigh with a Gigh just lying there. Probably won't get to that till December though.

Phil said...
Awesome, lightning looks great despite YT. Is that your computer fan mixed in with the lightning sound
No, I'm not sure how you hear a computer fan because that audio is taken from an electric power coupling overloading and sparking.

Phil said...
That first pan is great. And good shots! Though...red post.
The post is a reference point for the megalith so it will be "covered over" when I get around to adding it.

Phil said...
Oh, I forgot to comment. is there any wind? I can't hear a thing, that wall may have a bit to do with it though... Anyway, I like what's going on with the sounds and voices.
There was no wind at the Kangaroo Bluff Battery location as far as I'm aware. In fact I think the audio recorded better there than anywhere else.

Bec said...
The dialogue between Gigh and Panache after Trollins gets frozen is rather fast - I mean, not the actual talking, but the time between each line. I know at the time we were saying it quite fast, but it seems you've cut it together even faster. It needs to be slower, it sounds unnatural.

The dialogue was cut too fast in most of the film so that's being rectified in the next cut.

Gigh Resurrection - Tree Grow

2007-10-17T18:35:00.000+11:00

I somehow must make a tree grow from nothing and eventually emerge as Mick Lowenstein...

I still don't have the missing footage making it difficult to determine the timing but I must figure out how its going to be accomplished.

This is my initial experiment:

Uncle Bulo's Abode (first visit) - Next Cut

2007-10-15T17:39:00.000+11:00

Here's the next cut. The pace has been slowed down a bit and the colours have been worked on. The sunlight shining through the window has also been removed.

Visual Effect - Work In Progress - Trollins Attacks - Shot 7 - Version 1

2007-10-13T18:22:00.000+11:00

This one needs a lot of work.

Visual Effect - Work In Progress - Trollins Attacks - Shot 6 - Version 1

2007-10-12T15:19:00.000+11:00

Visual Effect - Work In Progress - Trollins Attacks - Shot 5 - Version 1

2007-10-11T08:53:00.000+11:00

Visual Effect - Work In Progress - Trollins Attacks - Shot 3 - Version 1

2007-10-10T20:21:00.000+11:00

The YouTube compression looks hideous. The source video was nice and clear before it was uploaded.

Visual Effect - Work In Progress - Trollins Attacks - Shot 1 & 2 - Version 1

2007-10-09T22:58:00.000+11:00

Short, seemingly simple shots which take hours to put together...

And they still need more work...

Artist's Statement

2007-10-09T09:01:00.000+11:00

Gigh Running Through The Forest

2007-10-07T16:25:00.000+11:00

There's the next edit of Gigh running through the forest. The colours have been altered and there has been some work done to the sound.

Visual Effect - Work In Progress - Uncle Bulo's Abode - EXT - version 2

2007-10-06T14:44:00.000+10:00

Here is the next version of the exterior of Uncle Bulo's Abode. Several people suggested the tilt moved too quickly so I've slowed it down.

The shot is still not complete and more work will be done on it later.

Rough Cut - Tavern Scene

2007-10-05T15:02:00.000+10:00

Filmed at the Hope & Anchor Tavern last Saturday is the Tavern scene

Visual Effect - Work In Progress - Uncle Bulo's Abode - EXT

2007-10-04T13:06:00.000+10:00

Whilst filming we could get the shot I wanted for Uncle Bulo's Abode because adjacent Rosny Cottage is the old School House leaving about a 50 metre gap between the two. The first problem was not enough space to frame the cottage in the shot and the other problem was the school house reflected on the cottage windows.

This was the footage I began working with.

Later I went back and took a still of the cottage. I resized the video footage so it sat within the image and this way I could fit the entire cottage in the shot. I added a virtual camera which to tilt down from the moon to Panche rushing towards the cottage doorway.

The shot still needs more work, particularly around the bottom corners as it looks two cartoon like.

Rough Cut - Finale

2007-10-03T03:37:00.001+10:00

This scene is also missing a few shots...

Rough Cut - Return to Uncle Bulo

2007-10-01T03:38:00.000+10:00

Missing some shots at the beginning...

Rough Cut - Gigh Resurrection

2007-09-29T13:34:00.001+10:00

Once again there's some missing shots which I expect to recieve later.

Rough Cut - Panache retrieves Gigh's ashes

2007-09-28T15:37:00.000+10:00

I seem to be missing the very first shot where Panache approaches the ashes. I hope to receive it soon.

Rough Cut - Uncle Bulo's Abode (first visit)

2007-09-27T13:17:00.000+10:00

Rough Cut - Trollins Encounter

2007-09-26T16:13:00.000+10:00

Rough Cut - Gigh Running Through the Forest

2007-09-25T15:47:00.000+10:00

Just the shots edited together and nothing else... No colour grading... No sound editing...

How not to record Foley of footsteps

2007-09-11T11:10:00.000+10:00

I did a small experiment to see how well I could capture the sound of my footsteps while running. It didn't turn out very well...

Rebecca Tilley

2007-09-10T22:07:00.000+10:00

Behold Rebecca Tilley - a sumptuous cornucopia of talent! Brimming with enthusiasm she approaches her tasks with a steadfast dedication and the utmost pizzazz!

To discover the full extent of her wonder visit her work blog "Versatility is Vital"

Map to locations

2007-09-10T20:50:00.000+10:00

Here's an overview of the locations we'll be filming at.

Location Scouting for Tavern - Hope & Anchor Hotel

2007-09-09T13:51:00.000+10:00

Last Thursday Alan Jennison and myself once again conducted some Location Scouting and Sound Tests. We visited the Hope & Anchor to secure a location for the tavern scene.

The items which should not appear in shot or will have to be removed digitially during post production are numbered in the above picture.

Sound Tests - Hope and Anchor Hotel

2007-09-08T16:22:00.000+10:00

Test 1

Test 2

Test 3

Location Scouting for Uncle Bulo's Abode - Rosny Cottage

2007-09-08T14:22:00.000+10:00

On our continuing mission to find the best possible locations myself and Alan Jennison visit Rosny Farm to have a look at their cottage.

Visit the Rosny Farm website and see what it has to offer!

The numbers represent the items which should not appear in shot or will need digital altering in Post Production.

Sound Tests - Rosny Cottage

2007-09-06T17:53:00.000+10:00

Test 1

Test 2

Test 3

Costumes - Alan Jennison

2007-09-05T12:56:00.000+10:00

Alan Jennison has a number of costumes so he's photographg some that may be appropriate.

Gigh

That vest might work quite well with that John picked out.

Unlce Bulo

Hard to tell without someone actually wearing it!

Test build for Uncle Bulo's Abode

2007-09-04T15:50:00.001+10:00

The original plan was to build a small set for Uncle Bulo's Abode so last week I attempted a test build.

Unfortunately the brushwood looked horrible when it was hung up so I decided to use it on the floor. The idea would be to composite a background during post production, however this may been unsuccessful.

It seems finding an existing location would be a better choice.

Rough Cut - Finale

2007-09-03T15:37:00.000+10:00

This scene is also missing a few shots...

Costumes - Hobart Repertory

2007-09-03T15:30:00.000+10:00

John Andrews (Uncle Bulo) has been digging around the Hobart Repertory's costume department for some suitable attire for the characters. Here's some suitable items he's come up with.

He models them so well doesn't he?

For Gigh

Not sure if that vest works with the shirt - not enough constrast.

For Uncle Bulo

Looks kind of Northern African Nomad, but may be suitable.

Looks like a blue Darth Sidious cloak. We'd need to do something with the arms.

Sound Tests - Droughty Point

2007-09-02T16:16:00.000+10:00

In addition to the photographs Alan Jennison and myself conducted some microphone tests to determine how noticable the wind noise was. With the aid of a fluffy windsock the noise was reduced but there are still traces of it - a wonderful musical score would hide them nicely.

Test 1

Test 2 - No Windsock

Test 3

Test 4

Test 5

Test 6

Test 7

Test 8

Location Scouting - Droughty Point

2007-09-01T13:05:00.001+10:00

On Thursday Alan Jennison (the photographer) and myself did some Location Scouting and Sound Testing around Droughty Point.

In the top left corner is the Tasman Bridge.

We both took some images, here are some of mine - digitially enhanced of course!

Location Scouting for the forest - The Domain

2007-08-31T16:28:00.000+10:00

In case the Kangaroo Bluff forest is insufficient there is some more substantial forest about 5km in an area known as The Domain.

Location Scouting for Forest - Kangaroo Bluff

2007-08-30T21:09:00.000+10:00

Kangaroo Bluff Battery also offers a potential forest however it is somewhat small and confined.

Here are some images...

Telekentically moving chess piece

2007-08-29T22:34:00.001+10:00

In the tavern scene Mr. Trollins telekentically moves a chess piece with his finger. This is the 3rd attempt at achieving that effect. I'm not sure that the reflect is working properly though.

Location Scouting around Droughty Point

2007-08-28T11:40:00.000+10:00

A bit over a week ago I conducted some location scouting around Droughty Point. So for those who don't know where that is here's a map.
In the top left corner is the Tasman Bridge.

I headed down to Tranmere and walked down to the ew sub developments. Fortunately the real estate agent managing the land had a temporary office set up so I was able to have a chat with him.

The kind fellow granted me permission to explore his land and even offered to drive me round when he had more time. On this particular occassion I set off on foot with just my video camera. I didn't have my tripod either so some of the footage is rather shaky.

Photos from the Uncle Bulo auditions

2007-08-27T20:34:00.000+10:00

Alan Jennison took some photos during the Uncle Bulo auditions and now they're finally blogged for all to see.

Mick Lowenstien as Uncle Bulo with John Andrews standing in for Gigh

A loving moment between Mick Lowenstien and John Andrews.

David Bannister reads his Uncle Bulo lines

Mick Lowenstien looks to Bec Tilly with much wisdom and knowledge

John Andrews and Bec Tilley facing the grave situation

David Bannister auditions for Uncle Bulo while Mick Lowenstien stands in for Gigh

Mick Lowenstien as Uncle Bulo handing Panache the shoot

Rehearsals - 21st August

2007-08-26T17:53:00.000+10:00

Uncle Bulo - Part 1

Take 1

Take 2

Uncle Bulo - Part 2

Take 1

Take 2

Take 3

Trollins Encounter - Part 1

Take 1

Take 2

Trollins Encounter - Part 2

Take 1

Take 2

Take 3

Tavern

Trollins Defeat - Part 1

Take 1

Take 2

Trollins Defeat - Part 2

Microphone Tests

2007-08-25T11:02:00.000+10:00

To ensure I have access to a microphone I decided to buy my own. So I trotted off to McCann's music where Brett the sales man provided me with assistance.

He kindly researched various microphones which would suit my needs and I selected the one I thought would be most appropriate.

But to be doubly assurred he suggested we interview some people - at McCann's Music and in the street! So here is the video from those interviews.

Rehearsals - August 10th - Trollins Defeat

2007-08-24T12:49:00.000+10:00

Take 1

Take 2

Take 3

Take 4

Take 5

Take 6

Take 7

Take 8

Take 9

Location Scouting for the Mr. Trollins Encounter - Kangaroo Bluff Battery

2007-08-23T17:19:00.000+10:00

Kangaroo Bluff Battery

The pictures haven't been enhanced.

Rehearsals - August 10th - Trollins Encounter (Styne)

2007-08-22T12:48:00.000+10:00

Take 1

Take 2

Take 3

Take 4

Take 5

Take 6

Take 7

Trollin's costume - opinions needed

2007-08-21T20:25:00.000+10:00

Styne has come up with a couple of possibilities for Mr. Trollins costume but its hard to decide! Which do you think is most suitable?

Sinister Minister

Death Coat

Click here to voice your opinion!

Rehearsals - August 10th - Trollins Encounter (Guy)

2007-08-21T12:55:00.000+10:00

Scene 2 - Trollins Encounter - First Part

Take 1

Take 2

Take 3

Take 4

Take 5

Take 6

Scene 2 - Trollins Encounter - Full

Rehearsals - August 10th

2007-08-20T20:38:00.000+10:00

Scene 14 - Trollins Defeated

Take 1

Take 2

Take 3

Take 4

Take 5

Take 6

Take 7

Take 8

Take 9

Alan Jennison the Photographer

2007-08-19T22:55:00.000+10:00

Alan Jennison has offered us his photography services. Here are some images he's taken around Tasmania.

Richmond Bridge

St. Lukes Church in Richmond

He also conducts tours of Richmond, including Ghost Tours!!! So if you're interested then visit the Tours of Richmond website for more details.

Rehearsals

2007-08-18T18:45:00.000+10:00

Scene 13 - Tavern

Take 1

Take 2

Take 3

Scene 14 - Finale - Part 1

Take 1

Take 2

Scene 14 - Tavern - Part 2

Take 1

Take 2

Take 3

Rehearsals

2007-08-17T22:43:00.000+10:00

Scene 8 - Gigh Ressurrected

Take #1

Take #2

Take #3

Scene 2 - Trollins Encounter - 1st Half

Take 1

Take 2

Take 3

Scene 2 - Trollins Encounter - 2nd Half

Take 1

Take 2

Take 3

More to come...

Uncle Bulo Auditions

2007-08-17T07:48:00.000+10:00

John Andrews

Scene 1 - Take 1

Scene 1 - Take 2

Scene 2 - Take 1

Mick Lowenstien

Scene 1 - Take 1

Scene 1 - Take 1

Scene 1 - Take 2

Scene 2 - Take 2

David Bannister

Scene 1 - Take 1

Scene 1 - Take 2

Scene 2 - Take 1

Scene 2 - Take 2

Who will be Uncle Bulo? We shall confer over the weekend and the result will be announced early next week!

Flaming Thumb

2007-08-15T23:28:00.000+10:00

In the script Mr. Trollins lights a cigar with a flame he produces from his thumb. Here's some experiments to figure out how this is going to be accomplished.

Attempt 1.0

Using the flame from a Chickenfeed cigarette lighter.

Attempt 2.01

Using the flame of a candle.

Attempt 2.11

Using the flame of a candle. Effects added the lighting.

I think the cigarette lighter producers a nicer flame although its very difficult to use a cigarette lighter and operate a camera simultaneously. I wonder how a Zippo lighter would work.

Sound Track Experiment

2007-08-14T18:17:00.000+10:00

I was curious as to how the dialogue would sound with some sound effects and musical score added. I would liked to have used the audio from the screen tests we conducted last Friday but we've been having some compability problems with the High Definition video and I was unable to borrow a Sound Recorder or Microphone.

Instead I used the audio from a screen test we conducted a few weeks ago. So only Bec was cast as Panache meaning the other characters were voiced by stand-ins. The musical score is the intro music from Day of the Triffids.

Click on the little play arrow below to listen.

Stephen "Styne" Ashton

2007-08-12T12:10:00.001+10:00

Stephen "Styne" Ashton auditioned for Mr. Trollins on Friday and he certainly brought the character to life. His apperance and performance matched exactly what I imagined when I wrote the character.

Styne has appeared in many he appeared in many local theatre productions including Trial by Jury (as The Usher), HAIR, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Annie, ‘Allo ‘Allo (as General von Schmelling), Beauty and the Beast (as the Beast), H.M.S. Pinafore (as Dick Deadeye), The Sound of Music (as Herr Zeller), Murder on the Nile (as Dr. Bessner), Grease (as Johnny Casino) and recently appeared as Luther Billis in the G&S production of South Pacific.

He's also had film appearances in Mad Max 2 and The Sound of one Hand Clapping and he's played Jake in the Blues Brother Revival since 1985. So if you're interested in seeing him perform then visit www.bluesbrothersrevival.com.au

Stone Soup

2007-08-12T03:54:00.001+10:00

This story is a great analogy for this project.

Three soldiers trudged down a road in a strange country. They were on their way home from the wars. Besides being tired, they were hungry. In fact, they had eaten nothing for two days.

"How I would like a good dinner tonight," said the first. "And a bed to sleep in," added the second. "But that is impossible," said the third.

On they marched, until suddenly, ahead of them, they saw the lights of a village. "Maybe we'll find a bite to eat and a bed to sleep in," they thought.

Now the peasants of the place feared strangers. When they heard that three soldiers were coming down the road, they talked among themselves. "Here come three soldiers," they said. "Soldiers are always hungry. But we have so little for ourselves." And they hurried to hide their food. They hid the barley in hay lofts, carrots under quilts, and buckets of milk down the wells. They hid all they had to eat. Then they waited.

The soldiers stopped at the first house. "Good evening to you," they said. "Could you spare a bit of food for three hungry soldiers?" "We have no food for ourselves," the residents lied. "It has been a poor harvest."

The soldiers went to the next house. "Could you spare a bit of food?" they asked. "And do you have a corner where we could sleep for the night?" "Oh, no," the man said. "We gave all we could spare to the soldiers who came before you." "And our beds are full," lied the woman.

At each house, the response was the same -- no one had food or a place for the soldiers to stay. The peasants had very good reasons, like feeding the sick and children. The villagers stood in the street and sighed. They looked as hungry as they could.

The soldiers talked together. The first soldier called out, "Good people! We are three hungry soldiers in a strange land. We have asked you for food and you have no food. Well, we will have to make stone soup." The peasants stared.

The soldiers asked for a big iron pot, water to fill it, and a fire to heat it. "And now, if you please, three round smooth stones." The soldiers dropped the stones into the pot.

"Any soup needs salt and pepper," the first soldier said, so children ran to fetch salt and pepper.

"Stones make good soup, but carrots would make it so much better," the second soldier added. One woman said, "Why, I think I have a carrot or two!" She ran to get the carrots.

"A good stone soup should have some cabbage, but no use asking for what we don't have!" said the third soldier. Another woman said, "I think I can probably find some cabbage," and off she scurried.

"If only we had a bit of beef and some potatoes, this soup would be fit for a rich man's table." The peasants thought it over, then ran to fetch what they had hidden in their cellars. A rich man's soup, and all from a few stones! It seemed like magic!

The soldiers said, "If only we had a bit of barley and some milk, this soup would be fit for a king!" And so the peasants managed to retrieve some barley and milk.

"The soup is ready," said the cooks, "and all will taste it, but first we need to set the tables." Tables and torches were set up in the square, and all sat down to eat. Some of the peasants said, "Such a great soup would be better with bread and cider," so they brought forth the last two items and the banquet was enjoyed by all. Never had there been such a feast and never had the peasants tasted such delicious soup, and all made from stones! They ate and drank and danced well into the night.

The soldiers asked again if there was a loft where they might sleep for the night. "Oh, no!" said the townsfolk. "You wise men must have the best beds in the village!" One soldier spent the night in the priest's house, one in the baker's house, and one in the mayor's house.

In the morning, the villagers gathered to say goodbye. "Many thanks to you," the people said, "for we shall never go hungry now that you have taught us how to make soup from stones!"

Production Meeting

2007-08-11T18:14:00.000+10:00

Yesterday we had a Production Meeting so here are some images taken at that meeting.

Director of Photography - Justin Smith

"Gigh" - Neil Triffit

Sam Rollins (Production Assistant) &
Hugh Tomas Reid (Runner)
Having a moment over some refreshments

Hugh's refreshment

Justin Smith joins as Director of Photography

2007-08-10T18:32:00.000+10:00

Justin Smith joins our project as the Directory of Photographer.

He's a freelance director, DVD author and "camera mercenary". He's also a skilled audio/video technican and a talented actor as well. Definitely someone you'd want involved in a short film project.

Photo by Bec Tilley

The photo is provided courtesy Bec Tilley. Yes that's right! Her talents extend well beyond acting, she sings too you know?

awesomeHOBARTfilm.com

2007-08-09T17:41:00.000+10:00

Today I launched www.awesomehobartfilm.com which shall act as the official website for this project.

Here's a screen shot:

Check it out today!

IMPORTANT: This blog's URL is changing!!!

2007-08-08T08:10:00.000+10:00

Now that "Inspirit" has been selected as the title of this project the URL (that's the website address) of this blog is going to be changed to:

http://inspirit.awesomehobartfilm.com

This change will come into affect early next week after the awesomehobartfilm.com website goes live.

The current address http://megalithproject.blogspot.com will still refer you to the new address but ideally you should update your bookmarks to reflect the new address.

A Peruvian Panache

2007-08-07T11:08:00.000+10:00

This is Milenka...

She insisted that I give her the lead female role but unfortunately I had I to tell her it was cast. Not sure if a Peruvian Panache supports my vision but at least she would have been really good at saying "Abuelo" since her first language is Spanish.

However she has potential for the future as I'm fascinated by Mesoamerican cultures, so should I ever do a film set in South America she's going to be at the top of my list!