Hello Again.
So today I'm excited to share with you a music video I shot/edited for my good friends band 'The Chief of Seattle'.
It was especially great time shooting this video. With no budget other than our pizza money, a borrowed smoke machine and a tiny garage, it was really fun getting back to basics and smashing out this performance piece.
Hope you enjoyed it. For more on the band such as new songs and upcoming shows be sure to add them on Facebook
I for one will certainly see you there with a beer and left over pizza in hand.
Later,
Joe C.
Friday, 19 June 2015
Sunday, 31 May 2015
Showcase: The Terry Caffrey Project.
Yalright.
So its been another busy few months of blood, sweat and post-production. But its all been worth it, because over the next few weeks I will be uploading the next lot of finished projects from this semester. Get in.
The first of these projects is actually a triple bill of something a little different - 'The Terry Caffrey' Project. This collection of short films was created for my 'collaborative brief' at the university of Salford. Unlike the previous project 'The Magician' which favoured an individual approach, this project required me to team up with others on the MA to deliver work for a visiting client.
In light of this, I was sourced by a team working in Children's TV production who needed a camera operator and post-producer for a collection of short adaptations of Children's poems by Terry Caffrey.
This project was especially enlightening because it required me to think outside the box, approaching an entirely new audience (children up to 10 years old) and also working alongside a new director and creative team to deliver 3 very different pieces.
The first of these videos 'Counting Buttons' was inspired by the recent span of heartwarming advertisments such as John Lewis and Thompson. We aimed to capture this style using smooth camera work, slow edits and soft music.
The second of these videos 'Bums' was a bit more challenging, as it was aimed at the youngest age group (3-4 year olds) I had to experiment in order to find a way to make the footage more exciting, so I opted to create the postcard aesthetic, adding a sense of fun to an otherwise dry edit of animal shots. (I also learnt working with animals is not for the faint of heart or those sensitive to smell).
Finally, we created 'No Time for Breakfast', this shoot was especially fun as we readily accepted the childrens input into what they thought best suited the story. This piece also served as the first time I experimented with sound design using pro-tools, as we felt the sound effects needed enhancing in order to emphasise the playful cartoon style.
When I was first drafted for this project, I felt the need to work towards a younger audience was slightly out of the comfort zone of my previous work. However, by collaborating with the excellent creative team and providing my own technical input, we had a great deal of fun making this collection and delighted Terry with what he calls 'his own visual legacy'. Plus, i got to experiment with graphics and sound design, pushing my own skills into areas outside of typical cutting that I hope to expand on in the future.
Thanks for reading guys.
More to come soon.
Special thanks to Meg Nicholson, Zoe Charleson and Emma Laycock for providing me with the brilliant foundation to work with on this project, and for Terry himself for letting us make this collection possible.
So its been another busy few months of blood, sweat and post-production. But its all been worth it, because over the next few weeks I will be uploading the next lot of finished projects from this semester. Get in.
The first of these projects is actually a triple bill of something a little different - 'The Terry Caffrey' Project. This collection of short films was created for my 'collaborative brief' at the university of Salford. Unlike the previous project 'The Magician' which favoured an individual approach, this project required me to team up with others on the MA to deliver work for a visiting client.
In light of this, I was sourced by a team working in Children's TV production who needed a camera operator and post-producer for a collection of short adaptations of Children's poems by Terry Caffrey.
This project was especially enlightening because it required me to think outside the box, approaching an entirely new audience (children up to 10 years old) and also working alongside a new director and creative team to deliver 3 very different pieces.
The first of these videos 'Counting Buttons' was inspired by the recent span of heartwarming advertisments such as John Lewis and Thompson. We aimed to capture this style using smooth camera work, slow edits and soft music.
The second of these videos 'Bums' was a bit more challenging, as it was aimed at the youngest age group (3-4 year olds) I had to experiment in order to find a way to make the footage more exciting, so I opted to create the postcard aesthetic, adding a sense of fun to an otherwise dry edit of animal shots. (I also learnt working with animals is not for the faint of heart or those sensitive to smell).
Finally, we created 'No Time for Breakfast', this shoot was especially fun as we readily accepted the childrens input into what they thought best suited the story. This piece also served as the first time I experimented with sound design using pro-tools, as we felt the sound effects needed enhancing in order to emphasise the playful cartoon style.
When I was first drafted for this project, I felt the need to work towards a younger audience was slightly out of the comfort zone of my previous work. However, by collaborating with the excellent creative team and providing my own technical input, we had a great deal of fun making this collection and delighted Terry with what he calls 'his own visual legacy'. Plus, i got to experiment with graphics and sound design, pushing my own skills into areas outside of typical cutting that I hope to expand on in the future.
Thanks for reading guys.
More to come soon.
Special thanks to Meg Nicholson, Zoe Charleson and Emma Laycock for providing me with the brilliant foundation to work with on this project, and for Terry himself for letting us make this collection possible.
Monday, 23 February 2015
Showcase: The Magician VFX Shot - a reflection on 'fluff'.
Hello.
Recently I completed my first piece of visual effects compositing for my MA in Post-Production at salford university.
The brief was to create a shot based on the concept of 'The Magician', creating and combining all elements into a unique composition. Not only was I encouraged to think about the typical VFX trickery, but also to consider production and sound design in a way that would enhance the overall piece.
At first, I thought this was crazy, as I thought to myself:
'Why should I have to do that? I should be focusing on my effects, surely it is the directors job to sort all the fluff out beforehand'.
So, in an early version of the project, I produced the main trickery of the levitating book and called it a day. Mission accomplished.
But during playback, I was unhappy. Something felt off, whilst the book levitated invisibly, I could still see the wires in my mind.
It was then I realised the true nature of the task at hand.
The emphasis on the production design was not an unneeded demand. Instead, it was the very core of what would make the shot work.
The test wasn't to use the tools at my disposal to create a simple magic trick. In fact, the trick was the most unnecessary part of the shot. What my shot was missing, was a sense of place.
And so, I dove in to my composition, adding the moving bookshelves, artificial lighting and dust to enhance the location. I Added the typewriter to add a suggestion of character, and colour corrections to blend him into the library. I found the oldest door I could find (my parents bathroom) and recorded its creaks, and I worked with the music, pinpointing the highlights in the score and timing the action accordingly.
The trick soon became my last concern, as i strived to build a sense of place through these subtle background elements; I discovered these are the things which make great VFX shots work.
And so, whilst Directors can still create a lot off fluff on set, I plan to spend much more time in the future adding my own, and enhancing, not overlooking, the fluff I am lucky enough to work with.
Here is the finished project, with an included breakdown of the composition, whilst its not a masterpiece by any means, I'm proud of it as first attempt at a composition, and i am incredibly grateful for the lessons it has taught me.
Thanks for reading.
Joe C.
Recently I completed my first piece of visual effects compositing for my MA in Post-Production at salford university.
The brief was to create a shot based on the concept of 'The Magician', creating and combining all elements into a unique composition. Not only was I encouraged to think about the typical VFX trickery, but also to consider production and sound design in a way that would enhance the overall piece.
At first, I thought this was crazy, as I thought to myself:
'Why should I have to do that? I should be focusing on my effects, surely it is the directors job to sort all the fluff out beforehand'.
So, in an early version of the project, I produced the main trickery of the levitating book and called it a day. Mission accomplished.
But during playback, I was unhappy. Something felt off, whilst the book levitated invisibly, I could still see the wires in my mind.
It was then I realised the true nature of the task at hand.
The emphasis on the production design was not an unneeded demand. Instead, it was the very core of what would make the shot work.
The test wasn't to use the tools at my disposal to create a simple magic trick. In fact, the trick was the most unnecessary part of the shot. What my shot was missing, was a sense of place.
And so, I dove in to my composition, adding the moving bookshelves, artificial lighting and dust to enhance the location. I Added the typewriter to add a suggestion of character, and colour corrections to blend him into the library. I found the oldest door I could find (my parents bathroom) and recorded its creaks, and I worked with the music, pinpointing the highlights in the score and timing the action accordingly.
The trick soon became my last concern, as i strived to build a sense of place through these subtle background elements; I discovered these are the things which make great VFX shots work.
And so, whilst Directors can still create a lot off fluff on set, I plan to spend much more time in the future adding my own, and enhancing, not overlooking, the fluff I am lucky enough to work with.
Here is the finished project, with an included breakdown of the composition, whilst its not a masterpiece by any means, I'm proud of it as first attempt at a composition, and i am incredibly grateful for the lessons it has taught me.
Thanks for reading.
Joe C.
Monday, 10 November 2014
Showcase: The Bells Of Newtown
Hello again!
So, I'm here to talk a little about an exciting project I recently finished with long-time creative partner Jamie Morris and a bunch of other incredible friends and crew.
The Bells Of Newtown: A Film About L.A.R.P. (2014). is an independently produced non-profit documentary which follows the construction and execution of award winning Live Action Roleplaying event DARK TEMPUS.
Following an exciting preface by chap-hop star Professor Elemental; the film, hosted by Jamie Morris, provides a unique, involving and respectful look at the hobby from the inside, challenging common perceptions as the crew move up the ranks from zeroes to (almost) heroes in the World of L.A.R.P. - Chatting to crew, writers and of course, the players themselves IC and OC.
During the production of the film Phil J. McBride, father to the DARK TEMPUS creators, sadly passed away. Throughout this difficult period, he recieved outstanding care from MacMillian.
Although this film will always be available in his memory, we kindly ask for those who enjoy the film to donate towards this excellent cause http://www.macmillan.org.uk/Donate/
Thank you for watching, reviewing, Reblogging and sharing.
Cheers
Joe C.
- Contact us on twitter @bellsofnewtown or mail at bellsofnewtowndoc@gmail.com - we would love to hear your thoughts on our film, especially any reviews.
- www.thebellsofnewtown.co.uk
The Bump of the year.
Hello blog.
I'm giving you a bump.
It's been a whole year since I have maintained this blog, and a lot has happened inside that year (including a terrible defect to tumblr which I sincerely apologise for).
Let's start again and be friends.
I'm going to be updating this page soon with a wealth of new information about projects i've been working on now I'm a spiffy graduate, alongside other fun things I want to try like film reviews and discussion posts.
Until then, here is a picture from a project i'd love to write about in more detail.
See you around.
Joe C.
I'm giving you a bump.
It's been a whole year since I have maintained this blog, and a lot has happened inside that year (including a terrible defect to tumblr which I sincerely apologise for).
Let's start again and be friends.
I'm going to be updating this page soon with a wealth of new information about projects i've been working on now I'm a spiffy graduate, alongside other fun things I want to try like film reviews and discussion posts.
Until then, here is a picture from a project i'd love to write about in more detail.
See you around.
Joe C.
Sunday, 26 May 2013
Things I made. (May '13 edition).
Hello Blog!
It has come to my attention that I have a lot more work behind me now than I have ever actually mentioned. So I am going to use this post as a chance to share my list of credits before I cut my first showreel at the end of summer. So here is the list, and some embedded examples of pretty much everything I have been doing in the video world since I started university. Feel free to flick through, watch and enjoy. All comments would be greatly appreciated.
Note: None of these works would have been possible without the help of all collaborators and creatives involved. Whilst I do not have room to credit everyone individually for every video, I urge you to check out the profiles of everyone involved in all projects.
University Projects (Various Roles):
Films created as part of my Film Studies course at LJMU.
Damp Patch. (Producer and Editor) - A short drama film set in the 1950's.
Adie. (Producer and Editor) - A short documentary featuring Adrian Botham, and the 'Pantonic All Stars' steel orchestra.
The Cartoonist. (Producer and Actor) - A simple but fun stop frame animation.
Also Including:
Taekwondo: A belief. (Producer and Editor) - http://youtu.be/2kJ8AeXUSHY
The Tower. (Producer and Editor) - http://youtu.be/d0rryVgQO0Q
Dead On Time. (Writer, Producer and Editor) - http://youtu.be/5TRoysKQR7E
RE: RE: Who is out there? (Producer, VFX) - http://youtu.be/nWfvWeUSsyA
SpacecatTV Productions (Various Roles):
Sketch/situation comedy written and produced by SpacecatTV.
Problematic. (Producer, Actor, Editor) - The gang get trapped in the editing suite.
AwkBand. (Producer, Writer, Actor, Editor) - James forms a band.
Mark & Joe. (Actor, Editor) - A pilot episode of a brand new BBC sitcom.
Also Including:
Strange Men. (Producer, Writer, Actor) - http://youtu.be/zFFhZyzwuWo
Robots. (Producer, Actor) - http://youtu.be/uL8PhJYFYU0
Loads more can be found on the Spacecat page - http://www.youtube.com/user/SpacecatTV
FACT (Various Roles):
Content produced during my time at FACT as a production Intern.
The Spirit of '45 - Q & A with Ken Loach. (Camera Operator).
Hacky Birthday! Celebrating 10 years of FACT. (Editor).
Also Including:
Terrence Fraser - Atlantic Star Interview. (Offline Editor) - http://vimeo.com/66227878
The Battle of the Atlantic Animations - Making of. (Camera Operator, Offline Editor) - http://vimeo.com/66230125
The Art of Pop - Curators Interview. (Day 2 Camera Operator) - http://vimeo.com/62334572
Liverpool Students Union (Various Roles):
Video content produced as part of my employment at the Liverpool Students Union.
Clubs and Societies. (Producer).
More content to follow with the new website launch September 2013.
EDGEclusive Entertainment (Editor):
Short-form videos I have edited as a freelancer for EDGEclusive entertainment.
No Retreat No Surrender - Press Conference with EDGEclusive. (Editor).
James Michael EDGEclusive Subway Session. (Editor).
Also Including:
Derry Mathews EDGEclusive Interview (Editor). - http://youtu.be/UUMdgdvm_ac
Del Bros Fitness Enthusiasts EDGEclusive promo 2013. (Editor). - http://youtu.be/wZQ23EwGX2A
No Retreat No Surrender weigh in with EDGEclusive. (Editor). - http://youtu.be/MqD46DEddus
EDGEclusive Dance Viral - The Talented Jake Donlan. (Editor). - http://youtu.be/Jk0ttfL97q8
EDGEclusive Dance Session - Freestyle Jake Donlan. (Editor). - http://youtu.be/CIR1jRYuQLU
Video Ink (Production Assistant):
Music videos created by Video Ink during my time as a production assistant there.
L & O - Now Everybody Stand In Line. (Production / Lighting Assistant).
Davoodi - Night Out. (Pre-Production Assistant).
Other Content (Various Roles):
Other video content I have made over the last few years for various clients and for myself.
Incindia - Take This Life Official Music Video. (Producer, Director, Camera Operator, Editor) - A music video I produced for uprising Manchester Metal band Incindia.
Filming Europe. (Camera Operator, Editor) - A montage of my travels around Europe.
Mothers Day. (Producer, Director, Actor, Editor) - A short film produced as a present for my Mum.
So there we go. Thank you so much for watching these things and for all of your support.
Currently I am in London getting in some work experience at Envy Post Production, so I should be writing about that soon. If you are interested in contacting me to produce, shoot or Edit some content for you, email me at joecostin@icloud.com.
Bye for now.
Joe C.
It has come to my attention that I have a lot more work behind me now than I have ever actually mentioned. So I am going to use this post as a chance to share my list of credits before I cut my first showreel at the end of summer. So here is the list, and some embedded examples of pretty much everything I have been doing in the video world since I started university. Feel free to flick through, watch and enjoy. All comments would be greatly appreciated.
Note: None of these works would have been possible without the help of all collaborators and creatives involved. Whilst I do not have room to credit everyone individually for every video, I urge you to check out the profiles of everyone involved in all projects.
University Projects (Various Roles):
Films created as part of my Film Studies course at LJMU.
Damp Patch. (Producer and Editor) - A short drama film set in the 1950's.
Adie. (Producer and Editor) - A short documentary featuring Adrian Botham, and the 'Pantonic All Stars' steel orchestra.
The Cartoonist. (Producer and Actor) - A simple but fun stop frame animation.
Also Including:
Taekwondo: A belief. (Producer and Editor) - http://youtu.be/2kJ8AeXUSHY
The Tower. (Producer and Editor) - http://youtu.be/d0rryVgQO0Q
Dead On Time. (Writer, Producer and Editor) - http://youtu.be/5TRoysKQR7E
RE: RE: Who is out there? (Producer, VFX) - http://youtu.be/nWfvWeUSsyA
SpacecatTV Productions (Various Roles):
Sketch/situation comedy written and produced by SpacecatTV.
Problematic. (Producer, Actor, Editor) - The gang get trapped in the editing suite.
AwkBand. (Producer, Writer, Actor, Editor) - James forms a band.
Mark & Joe. (Actor, Editor) - A pilot episode of a brand new BBC sitcom.
Also Including:
Strange Men. (Producer, Writer, Actor) - http://youtu.be/zFFhZyzwuWo
Robots. (Producer, Actor) - http://youtu.be/uL8PhJYFYU0
Loads more can be found on the Spacecat page - http://www.youtube.com/user/SpacecatTV
FACT (Various Roles):
Content produced during my time at FACT as a production Intern.
The Spirit of '45 - Q & A with Ken Loach. (Camera Operator).
Hacky Birthday! Celebrating 10 years of FACT. (Editor).
Also Including:
Terrence Fraser - Atlantic Star Interview. (Offline Editor) - http://vimeo.com/66227878
The Battle of the Atlantic Animations - Making of. (Camera Operator, Offline Editor) - http://vimeo.com/66230125
The Art of Pop - Curators Interview. (Day 2 Camera Operator) - http://vimeo.com/62334572
Liverpool Students Union (Various Roles):
Video content produced as part of my employment at the Liverpool Students Union.
Clubs and Societies. (Producer).
More content to follow with the new website launch September 2013.
EDGEclusive Entertainment (Editor):
Short-form videos I have edited as a freelancer for EDGEclusive entertainment.
No Retreat No Surrender - Press Conference with EDGEclusive. (Editor).
James Michael EDGEclusive Subway Session. (Editor).
Also Including:
Derry Mathews EDGEclusive Interview (Editor). - http://youtu.be/UUMdgdvm_ac
Del Bros Fitness Enthusiasts EDGEclusive promo 2013. (Editor). - http://youtu.be/wZQ23EwGX2A
No Retreat No Surrender weigh in with EDGEclusive. (Editor). - http://youtu.be/MqD46DEddus
EDGEclusive Dance Viral - The Talented Jake Donlan. (Editor). - http://youtu.be/Jk0ttfL97q8
EDGEclusive Dance Session - Freestyle Jake Donlan. (Editor). - http://youtu.be/CIR1jRYuQLU
Video Ink (Production Assistant):
Music videos created by Video Ink during my time as a production assistant there.
L & O - Now Everybody Stand In Line. (Production / Lighting Assistant).
Davoodi - Night Out. (Pre-Production Assistant).
Other Content (Various Roles):
Other video content I have made over the last few years for various clients and for myself.
Incindia - Take This Life Official Music Video. (Producer, Director, Camera Operator, Editor) - A music video I produced for uprising Manchester Metal band Incindia.
Filming Europe. (Camera Operator, Editor) - A montage of my travels around Europe.
Mothers Day. (Producer, Director, Actor, Editor) - A short film produced as a present for my Mum.
So there we go. Thank you so much for watching these things and for all of your support.
Currently I am in London getting in some work experience at Envy Post Production, so I should be writing about that soon. If you are interested in contacting me to produce, shoot or Edit some content for you, email me at joecostin@icloud.com.
Bye for now.
Joe C.
Tuesday, 12 March 2013
Busy Is The Running Theme. (AKA, List Central).
Hello!
It's March, hooray.
I'm terrible at updating blogs, but it's because i've been really busy I promise!
Because I am far too busy to reflect, here is a list of my business:
1. Shot a new sketch for spacecatTV to be released soon.
2. Gave my first presentation at university on the subject of Neo-Noir Cinema.
3. Worked on several paid shoots for the students union including advice vlogs and timelapses.
4. Finished the edit and release of Incindia's debut music video.
5. Released the first video of my new project lifelens and continued filming for the second and third.
6. Attending various networking events and planning for my post university career.
7. Began working at FACT (Foundation for art and creative technology) as an intern, editing viral videos and interviewing Ken Loach.
8. Began working with EDGEclusive entertainment as an editor, working on the new documentary 'Fighting Demons'.
9. Working on a new trans-media project with Jamie.
10. Attempting to run a social life, work in retail, get in shape (lost half a stone in feb) and REVISION.
So there are 10 fun things i'm doing at the moment.
This month alongside these ongoing things I also have to do these things soon:
1. Photograph the SU awards night.
2. Film an interview with the chancellor of the university.
3. Shoot a short film with Harry, Jamie and Marc.
4. Apply for my summer placement in London.
5. Make sure I manage to locate and film the SU's flashmob.
6. Create an overhaul of the LJMU's get involved video content.
7. Actually get all of this down in a decent portfolio that doesn't consist of photos of me in an elephant onsie.
Right, Imma go sleep.
I will be back soon.
I hope.
Bye.
Joe C.
Edit 13/03/13: After sending my friends into a mental panic of meeting Brian May the chancellor of LJMU we realised the email said 'vice-chancellor'. We are all disappointed.
It's March, hooray.
I'm terrible at updating blogs, but it's because i've been really busy I promise!
Because I am far too busy to reflect, here is a list of my business:
1. Shot a new sketch for spacecatTV to be released soon.
2. Gave my first presentation at university on the subject of Neo-Noir Cinema.
3. Worked on several paid shoots for the students union including advice vlogs and timelapses.
4. Finished the edit and release of Incindia's debut music video.
5. Released the first video of my new project lifelens and continued filming for the second and third.
6. Attending various networking events and planning for my post university career.
7. Began working at FACT (Foundation for art and creative technology) as an intern, editing viral videos and interviewing Ken Loach.
8. Began working with EDGEclusive entertainment as an editor, working on the new documentary 'Fighting Demons'.
9. Working on a new trans-media project with Jamie.
10. Attempting to run a social life, work in retail, get in shape (lost half a stone in feb) and REVISION.
So there are 10 fun things i'm doing at the moment.
 |
| Also I got drunk in a onsie. Because I am the best at multitasking. |
This month alongside these ongoing things I also have to do these things soon:
1. Photograph the SU awards night.
2. Film an interview with the chancellor of the university.
3. Shoot a short film with Harry, Jamie and Marc.
4. Apply for my summer placement in London.
5. Make sure I manage to locate and film the SU's flashmob.
6. Create an overhaul of the LJMU's get involved video content.
7. Actually get all of this down in a decent portfolio that doesn't consist of photos of me in an elephant onsie.
Right, Imma go sleep.
I will be back soon.
I hope.
Bye.
Joe C.
Edit 13/03/13: After sending my friends into a mental panic of meeting Brian May the chancellor of LJMU we realised the email said 'vice-chancellor'. We are all disappointed.
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