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Technology Standard

--Operating a video camera

After a lot of testing for lighting an positioning of the camera i decided i would have to place it on a tripod and tape it to the table so it wouldn't move. My camera wouldn't focus when close up to the reed so i had to put it high up on the tripod and zoomed in by 20x. Between each photo i had to change one small detail to the frame and it became quite difficult because reeds are so intricate and fiddly to work with. 

--Composing shots

I used the table as the background for most of the film as it provided a contrast of colour and texture to the reeds and reed equipment used. I composed the post-it section on a blank wall to draw the focus in on the post-it note title. I used contrasting colours for the post-its to give the most dynamic color effect. The film starts with a shot of the boot cap of my bassoon filling up the entire shot - this gives the viewer a sense of mystery and questioning as to what the film will be about. The bassoon is positioned on the floor so the reed could fall off the bocal and crawl across the floor and up the table to give a humorous feeling.

--Recording or using sound effects, dialogue or music and --Creating music or sound effects and --Editing sound for moving image production (use of editing software)

I arranged and recorded the music ("Lambada") for this film using Garageband. I used techniques i learnt in music technology at school to produce the best quality recording of the music. I recorded the main parts on bassoon and then added in some extra parts at the end of the song on contra bassoon to build the texture. I adjusted the velocity and quantization of notes individually on the midi tracks to create a realistic sound. I also adjusted the track volume and panning for effect. I wrote each individual part using garageband (such as the bass line and drum fills). The only track i used loops for was the drum kit beat. I added reverb and echo to the tracks to give a better overall sound. I then placed markers on the music in premiere pro to show places where i could sync up what was happening in the frame.

--Importing images & video files

I used iPhoto to import my images. I then exported them to the desktop ready to import into premiere pro. I then imported the photos into premiere pro. I had a few issues with importing the images into the premiere pro to be the same size as the project size. There were black "bars" on either side of the photos because the photos didn't fit to the standard size. After a lot of researching i managed to find a way to change the project size to be the same size as the images.

--Editing images for moving image production (use of editing software)

I used iPhoto to edit out little bits of blu-tack which were showing around the sides of the reed - these were impossible to have hidden from the view of the camera otherwise the reed would not stay in the correct place. I had to renumber all my images when exporting to desktop so they would appear in the correct order in premiere pro. Once the images were in premiere pro i adjusted the length of time (frame rate) in which they appeared for in order to synchronize it certain changes with the music (such as the post-it notes flashing inverted colours in the same rhythm as the bassoon theme. This also gave variety in the length of shot which makes it for interesting and visually pleasing for the viewer.

Overall time spent on project - Approx. 25 hours taking photos
                                                 Approx. 7 hours recording and editing music
                                                 Approx. 10 hours editing and putting together

Production Evaluation

Positive aspects of the process - I finished it on time. I wasn't entirely sure how realistic it was to complete the project as it was all a completely unfamiliar experience to me. When I started photographing i realised how large the project would be to put together. I am proud of my final product and think it is successful, especially as it is my first stop motion (or film altogether). During the editing process i learnt how to use premiere pro and how to approach difficulties/problems i had. This gives me a base knowledge if i use it again. I also learnt about the difficulties with lighting when filming and how to use my camera effectively so it didn't turn off or zoom back out every few minutes while i was re-arranging the frame. I found it very difficult to make each frame flow to the next because every photo you have to make one very small intricate detail on the reed. Each frame i had to pick up the reed again ( i couldn't just make the changes to it on the table as reeds are so small and fiddly!) and then put back where it was, take a photo, and then see if it was in the same place as the previous photo (so it would flow smoothly).

I also gained a reed out of it! - Which i recently played when i won the Australasian Double Reed Competition (Senior section - under 30 years)!

Steps in the process that could have been better done and strategies suggested to achieve this - The lighting - especially shadows - i had a problem in one point where there is an obvious shadow of me holding the camera which i couldn't get rid of while taking the photos (using different lighting set ups) or in the editing using photoshop and iPhoto. The strategy i used to try and eliminate the shadow after a lot of trying with editing was to speed up the frame rate so the viewer would not notice it. A strategy suggested to achieve no shadow or lighting problems would be to have a professional studio with the correct lighting set up. Experience in film making would also mean i would've had some knowledge on how to get rid of shadows.

Quality of video - I tried many different formats to export the final product and the best i could find was still not as high quality as the original images. If i had a better knowledge of how to use premiere pro i could possibly have been able to increase the video quality to that of original images. 

If i had more time i may have found an alternative to using blu-tack to stick the reed down during most of the film. I had to edit this blu-tack out while editing.

If i had more experience with making stop motion films i would have been able to do some of process faster as i wouldn't've been learning and experimenting with what works while i was doing it.

Some evaluation of how these changes to the production process may have affected the media product - It may have improved the overall quality of the film, but i think most of it is the best it could have been. It could have been a little cleaner (eg. no shadow, no extra editing out blu-tack).

Pre-Production

Task 3 - design

Film treatment 

Title - "Bassoon reed making 101" - 12 photos per second approx.

Based on the structure of the music - Lambada (recorded and arranged by myself) 

Style of film - Title sequence to a documentary on the basics of making bassoon reeds. The style of the title sequence is intended to be humorous and fun for the viewer to have a preconception that bassoon reed making is easy and very enjoyable when really it is very fiddly, frustrating and tedious. Every bassoonist wishes the reed would just be made by themselves and this suggests humour because it is far from the truth. 

Intro - The bassoon with reed on it is lying on the ground - the camera starts with a shot from of the bassoon from the bottom. Zooms up from the bottom of the bassoon with handheld shots. The reed comes off bassoon onto ground and crawls along the floor and up the table leg and into the centre of the table. A piece of gouged, shaped and profiled cane comes on and has a question mark and arrow from reed to cane. (*Cane*  -->  *Reed*    ?)

Link - cut to post-its, post-its doing inverted colours in sync with the beat.

Theme 1- Title - "bassoon reed making 101" with note post-its notes- scrolling away.

How- Scrolling in from the right - departs downwards, up or left

(Shots aligned to fit in with the music.)

Cut back to cane reed, arrow and question mark - question mark, arrow and reed leave (fly off) while the cane stays on screen, camera zooms in and cane starts being cut/scored on the "bark".

Knife comes on, comes up under reed then turns with the blade facing upwards. Screen goes black and it cuts the cane (in sync with a hit in the music). 

Cane closes up, 3 wires come on and wrap/tie themselves around the cane. Mandrel comes on and inserts itself into the reed. The reed them automatically forms by itself without showing the middle steps (for effect).

Theme 2 - A bottle of clear nail varnish then comes on and paints the "bark" section of the reed.

The reed the jumps onto a drying rack and a sun then moon fly past to signify a night going by (for it to dry and form properly).

Theme 1a- A reel of thread then comes on and thread starts piling itself onto the reed. When a sufficient amount of thread has covered the reed a pair of scissors come on. The scissors cut the thread and as it does the thread which was on the reed flies off to reveal the reed to have magically been bound. The scissors and thread then leave the shot.

Theme 2a - A tube of "Duco Cement" then comes on and drives over the reed, after it has gone over it the reed now magically has Duco Cement around the binding. The reed then jumps back on to the drying rack and a sun and moon pass to signify a night going past (for the Duco Cement to dry).

Outro - The reed then hops off the drying rack and on the guillotine. The guillotine cuts the tip and the reed does a back flip off the guillotine. 

The shot then zooms in on the reed and bits of sliced post-its appear as if rays of the sun to show the reed is complete. "By Todd Gibson-Cornish" then appears in the bottom left of the shot.

Task 4 - Crew and Talent

Todd Gibson-Cornish - Director, editor, arranger, performer, everything.

Bassoon reed - actor.

Post-its - actor.

Task 5 - Production Schedule 

Just me - photos all to be done in holidays and beginning of term 3, at home, in my room, with my camera, and my reed. Aim for 100-200 photos a day

I will plan how to do the post-it notes title in my head as it's too difficult to plan on paper.

I will arrange the music and record it at the start of the holidays.

Task 6 - Art department

Bassoon cane (gouged shaped and profiled) - from America 

Reed equipment - from America, Germany, England

Bassoon - Germany 

Post-it notes - Stationary warehouse

Reeds - made them myself with equipment.

Task 7 - Locations and permissions

One location - my house, my room, i give myself permission.

Exam Reflection

I studied the most on the genre paper for the media exam. I didn't feel as prepared as i would have liked to be (possibly because i wasn't at school for the whole week before the exam). I will know exactly what to study for the external exam and will have more time to study than i did for the mocks. I spent about 2 hours and 15 minutes on the genre paper which left me with only 45 minutes for the representations paper and this will show in my results. I memorised some key points but will memorise more for the externals. For the externals i will have more time to study and i will make sure I achieve well - aiming for 2 excellences.