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.
Wednesday, 2 January 2013
Resolutions.
Hey guys.
So 2013 is here. Hooray, woo etc.
I decided to test out my new microphone by recording a vlog which you can view below.
For 2013 I considered starting on a big project similar to Mark Nugent's Photograph a Day which he ran during 2012. However, I want 2013 to be a year in which I cover a broad range of film styles and techniques. I don't want to give myself strict rules as to the form and content I spend my time producing. So instead of one big project, I want to make 2013 the year of little projects.
Whilst I don't have a strict agenda, a few goals of mine include:
- To build an arsenal of post production and visual effects skills.
- To produce more vlogs and shorts for my portfolio outside of university.
- To revitalise the SpacecatTV sketch series with all our new gear and talent.
- To lay the foundations for a potential future as a freelancer.
- To produce at least one film capable of a local festival run.
2012 was a huge year for me in terms of understanding my own capabilities as a creative, I created a large number of short films with my internal groups and also helped generate content for outside groups such as Video Ink and Liverpool Students Union.
I'm incredibly proud of all my work in 2012 and I am looking forward to a creative 2013.
Thanks guys.
Joe C
So 2013 is here. Hooray, woo etc.
I decided to test out my new microphone by recording a vlog which you can view below.
For 2013 I considered starting on a big project similar to Mark Nugent's Photograph a Day which he ran during 2012. However, I want 2013 to be a year in which I cover a broad range of film styles and techniques. I don't want to give myself strict rules as to the form and content I spend my time producing. So instead of one big project, I want to make 2013 the year of little projects.
Whilst I don't have a strict agenda, a few goals of mine include:
- To build an arsenal of post production and visual effects skills.
- To produce more vlogs and shorts for my portfolio outside of university.
- To revitalise the SpacecatTV sketch series with all our new gear and talent.
- To lay the foundations for a potential future as a freelancer.
- To produce at least one film capable of a local festival run.
2012 was a huge year for me in terms of understanding my own capabilities as a creative, I created a large number of short films with my internal groups and also helped generate content for outside groups such as Video Ink and Liverpool Students Union.
I'm incredibly proud of all my work in 2012 and I am looking forward to a creative 2013.
Thanks guys.
Joe C
Saturday, 29 December 2012
Reunion.
Hello...
Due to my hiatus, this post is essentially the blogging equivalent of going on an incredible holiday...without telling your friends you left; or phoning them when you get there...or bringing them back any souvenirs...or even worse, bringing back shark tooth necklaces.
But fear not! I'm back now with plenty of news updates and general waffling to keep you entertained before desperate housewives is on.
For anyone who hasn't clocked on to the metaphor yet, my holiday was actually an intensive 2 months of balancing university, freelancing, students union work and a social life. People really weren't kidding when they said that second year wouldn't be the easiest, although it has definitely been the best in my filmmaking career.
First order of business is we finally completed the short film for our Drama Production module 'Damp Patch'. Which can be found here:
Overall, I am incredibly happy with how the project turned out. The level of intensity our team poured into pre production, the tightness of the shoot, brilliant performances and the way we pulled together in the manic post production phrase (the 3 days I had to learn an entire media composer and edit a short film would not have been possible without my friends keeping me sane) makes this my proudest achievement so far.
My aim for the project was to set a new standard for myself in filmmaking when compared to previous work. This has been reflected in our feedback for the film which has been hugely positive, with the main praise being overall level of quality in the production. We have been awarded a First for our efforts, and hope that our next production fairs even better and continues to this new high standard we have set for ourselves.
Another aspect of 'Damp Patch' I am proud of is the editing, which was one of my main roles in the production. I was originally going to use the familiar software 'Premier Pro' for the job, but due to an abundance of time constraints, technical errors and screens-falling-off-laptops-errors, I was tasked by my lecturer to learn new software. So I spent hours learning 'Avid 6' and completed the film with the software, subjecting myself to the banter of the technicians who have been dealing with my 'Avid Attitude' for over a year. However, the new version is actually, dare I say, quite good. I enjoyed learning the software and facing the challenge, which whilst frustrating has pushed me to become a more efficient editor.
So, whilst the technicians have been hailing me as an 'Avid convert' I will simply say that it does its job, like any good tool should, and it does it very well. I just prefer using my new chainsaw: Final cut X.
Alongside all of this I've been taking on various jobs as part of my new role as 'digital content producer' for the students union, so far consisting of dance photography, charity filming and promotional videos. I will be posting more in depth about this at a later date. I also worked as on a music video with Dean Cammack (Robbie from 'Damp Patch') and Joe Woolf which should hopefully surface soon. These outside opportunities have been great fun, practice and above all, a great way to meet great contacts and friends.
Thanks for reading this post, I'm going to try and keep on top of the blogging in the new year (one of the resolutions i'm more likely to keep, unlike 'look like Bane by August'). I have a few more projects in the to back catalogue to finish up before the next semester and I'm still waiting on feedback from a few essays, but its been a great year in all. I'm looking forward to a great year in 2013 with my friends, the crews I work with and my new drive for filmmaking.
From here on out, its: 'Make awesome things, and be awesome too'.
Thanks guys.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Joe C.
Due to my hiatus, this post is essentially the blogging equivalent of going on an incredible holiday...without telling your friends you left; or phoning them when you get there...or bringing them back any souvenirs...or even worse, bringing back shark tooth necklaces.
But fear not! I'm back now with plenty of news updates and general waffling to keep you entertained before desperate housewives is on.
For anyone who hasn't clocked on to the metaphor yet, my holiday was actually an intensive 2 months of balancing university, freelancing, students union work and a social life. People really weren't kidding when they said that second year wouldn't be the easiest, although it has definitely been the best in my filmmaking career.
First order of business is we finally completed the short film for our Drama Production module 'Damp Patch'. Which can be found here:
Overall, I am incredibly happy with how the project turned out. The level of intensity our team poured into pre production, the tightness of the shoot, brilliant performances and the way we pulled together in the manic post production phrase (the 3 days I had to learn an entire media composer and edit a short film would not have been possible without my friends keeping me sane) makes this my proudest achievement so far.
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| The Cast and Crew of 'Damp Patch' |
My aim for the project was to set a new standard for myself in filmmaking when compared to previous work. This has been reflected in our feedback for the film which has been hugely positive, with the main praise being overall level of quality in the production. We have been awarded a First for our efforts, and hope that our next production fairs even better and continues to this new high standard we have set for ourselves.
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| Editface. |
Another aspect of 'Damp Patch' I am proud of is the editing, which was one of my main roles in the production. I was originally going to use the familiar software 'Premier Pro' for the job, but due to an abundance of time constraints, technical errors and screens-falling-off-laptops-errors, I was tasked by my lecturer to learn new software. So I spent hours learning 'Avid 6' and completed the film with the software, subjecting myself to the banter of the technicians who have been dealing with my 'Avid Attitude' for over a year. However, the new version is actually, dare I say, quite good. I enjoyed learning the software and facing the challenge, which whilst frustrating has pushed me to become a more efficient editor.
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| Award, what award? |
So, whilst the technicians have been hailing me as an 'Avid convert' I will simply say that it does its job, like any good tool should, and it does it very well. I just prefer using my new chainsaw: Final cut X.
(The change of heart was in no way influenced by the 'Most original short' Award they sponsored a while back, I promise...).
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| Money raised for Children In Need: Over £150, Steve's pain: Priceless. |
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| Partying it up with Lauren Flynn for her debut music video. |
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| The various dance societies at LJMU prepare for the Xmas showcase. |
Alongside all of this I've been taking on various jobs as part of my new role as 'digital content producer' for the students union, so far consisting of dance photography, charity filming and promotional videos. I will be posting more in depth about this at a later date. I also worked as on a music video with Dean Cammack (Robbie from 'Damp Patch') and Joe Woolf which should hopefully surface soon. These outside opportunities have been great fun, practice and above all, a great way to meet great contacts and friends.
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| Christmas came early. |
The final order of business in this lengthy catch up is the unveiling of my new 27' iMac and newly installed Final Cut X. This is by far the most powerful computer, best editing software and largest investment I have ever made, but I confident that with this new tool at my disposal my filmmaking especially post production work, will improve even more. I will be posting more of my thoughts on Final Cut X at a later date although the short time I have spent with it has been nothing but amazing. It's fast, easy to use and intuitive. Which is exactly what I have been looking for in an editing software. To test the software I created an edit of my trip around Europe which can be viewed below (no shark tooth necklaces unfortunately).
Thanks for reading this post, I'm going to try and keep on top of the blogging in the new year (one of the resolutions i'm more likely to keep, unlike 'look like Bane by August'). I have a few more projects in the to back catalogue to finish up before the next semester and I'm still waiting on feedback from a few essays, but its been a great year in all. I'm looking forward to a great year in 2013 with my friends, the crews I work with and my new drive for filmmaking.
From here on out, its: 'Make awesome things, and be awesome too'.
Thanks guys.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Joe C.
Thursday, 25 October 2012
The First Creative Day.
Hey everyone.
We began the day by taking a part in an excersie that involved us listing as many scenarios as we could think of one by one as fast as we could such as:
Hopefully as more of these days happen, even more ideas will develop and grow in this space.
Last Saturday myself and my group of friends from Media professional studies decided to get our creative juices flowing by having an appropriately named 'Creative Day' at Becca's flat in the center of town.
The aim for the day was to create an open forum where ideas for our individual projects could be discussed with friends, and new ones can be born.
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| Pipes and bobble hats are of course a crucial part of the creative process. |
We began the day by taking a part in an excersie that involved us listing as many scenarios as we could think of one by one as fast as we could such as:
- A man walking a dog finds a treasure box.
- A woman falls into a painting.
- A detective discovers he can only concentrate around pies.
- An artist robs a bank.
We then decided to develop some of these scenarios in a story formatting exercise. In particular the girl falling into the painting, which became a complete narrative by the end of the day and may even be shot in the future, perfectly illustrating how ideas were born.
After this warm up, people who wanted to could present their ideas for projects and have the rest of the group challenge, develop and give feedback on the ideas. For example we helped James Dunn work on his new stand up routine and helped Mark Nugent in deciding how the final battle between two characters in his upcoming project should be conducted. I also presented small idea I've had for the 'Guardian Shorts' competition involving paper and creativity.
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| Mark Nugent on the prowl for his 'Photo of the Day'. |
After this warm up, people who wanted to could present their ideas for projects and have the rest of the group challenge, develop and give feedback on the ideas. For example we helped James Dunn work on his new stand up routine and helped Mark Nugent in deciding how the final battle between two characters in his upcoming project should be conducted. I also presented small idea I've had for the 'Guardian Shorts' competition involving paper and creativity.
After the feedback circle, the rest of the day was used by everyone involved in different ways, some built a fort to test for an upcoming short, others filmed a new short sketch and some of us continued to develop the story of the painting girl. All of this was concluded with takeaway, banter and of course, the x-factor (sigh).
All in all, I think the first creative day was a huge success, it's exciting to think of the possibility's of future days, and also what we can achieve as a group when we sit down to dedicate our time to our ideas.
The guest appearance of Slenderman was also surprising, although if anyone has seen James Dunn though contact me because he is still missing.
The guest appearance of Slenderman was also surprising, although if anyone has seen James Dunn though contact me because he is still missing.
Hopefully as more of these days happen, even more ideas will develop and grow in this space.
Thank you to everyone involved, and to you for reading this post!
Joe C
Saturday, 13 October 2012
Practice Makes Perfect.
Hey guys.
So its been a busy fortnight. Over the last two weeks I've done everything from attend meetings, produce test shoots, attend awards nights and begin to plan a few new projects. This post is sort of like a diary of whats been going on, with some more dedicated posts about the individual projects coming over the week.
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| Smiles at the awards night soon vanished upon discovering the trophies were not edible. (Pictured with Becca Fadden, winner of 'Best Factual Film'). |
The first order of business was the 'Avid awards' night, hosted by the university, where various awards were given across a wide range of categories to young film makers. My production team from last year received three nominations during the night, walking away with 'Most Original Short' for our film 'Dead on Time'. Which you can view below.
'Dead On Time' Is actually the first short film I have ever made, so it was looking back on the project, and how far I have come since then as a film maker that made the entire evening a real pleasure. (Besides seeing my lecturer in a tuxedo, that was priceless). It was also really nice to get together with friends and celebrate our successes from last year, before we all began to enter the fun, but admittedly stressful cycle of production again in Autumn 2012.
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| Myself with fellow producer on Dead On Time: Jamie Morris. |
When attending university, meetings become a huge part of your life. Over the last few days I have attended the 'board of study' where I converse with university staff as a representative for students in order to improve the quality of the degree. Whilst this isn't strictly relevant to film making practice, I enjoy my role and as it allows me to practice professional and social skills which will contribute to my personality in the industry such as voicing others opinions and articulating ideas to others.
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| Tea is a vital part of meetings. |
Meetings are also an important part of production, as without them all shoots would be a complete mess.
During the weekly planning sessions with my new production team '5F5' we produced a screenplay, character profiles, shot lists and research notes in order to prepare for our short film 'Damp Patch' we then as part of our assessment produced a test shoot for the film.
A test shoot is almost like a draft of an essay, we filmed a scene from our screenplay in a standard location, using ourselves as actors just to test our script, shot lists and lighting. The shoot went according to plan, and feedback from our tutors was mostly positive. We are now looking to cast actors and find a location to bring the real drama piece into the desired time period, combining the positives with needed improvements from the feedback in order to make our best short yet.
The shoot was also the first time we have used a Camera frame to stabilize our shots, which will help us achieve smooth camera motion and make difficult shots possible without resorting to a tripod, this has really helped our freedom in cinematography and it shows in our shoot.
I will be posting the test shoot up online after the finished film is released in order to write a comparison between them. I am also working on some brand new projects that I will outline in a more dedicated post, but I am really excited to be on some really exciting teams.
Thanks for the catch up.
Joe.
Wednesday, 26 September 2012
Playing Catch Up.
Hey all.
Originally I intended to launch this blog when I moved up to Liverpool, where I am currently studying my degree in Film studies. However, virgin media decided it would be much more fun for us to not have internet, so this post is serving as a catch up for all the media related things that have happened over the last few weeks.
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| Unboxing the Canon 600D proved to be little challenge after years of retail experience. |
First of all, I purchased my brand new DLSR camera, a Cannon 600D. One of my aims this year is to greatly improve my own sense of cinematography and to learn to operate a camera with complete manual exposure settings for both video and photography.
Right now though I am currently in love with my DSLR and here are some of the photos I have taken with it below using a mix of automatic and manual settings (No editing).
Alongside coming to grips with a new set of gear. I have also began attending lectures, this semester I will be covering European Cinemas, Modern American Cinemas, Film Adaptation and Film Drama production.
In terms of the theoretical modules I will occasionally be posting my thoughts on interesting things I pick up from these lectures, although the purpose of this blog is mostly to document the practical side of my work.
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| Currently 'Damp Patch' looks like this. Cinematic I know. |
For Film Drama Production I have began work on a new short film 'Damp Patch' alongside my new production team: Jamie Morris, Chris Hughes, Nancy Green and Olivia McAvoy. The film currently looks like a mess of paper, but will be a beautiful motion picture by November with this blog providing plenty of insight into the production process.
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| Cast and Crew for the Video Ink production 'Everybody Stand In Line' |
Outside of university I partook in an internship with Manchester based company 'Video Ink' as a production assistant on various music video shoots. I intend to write a proper reflection on my time with the company at a later date, but for now I'll just say it was insane and I've learnt a huge amount from the directors Adam Barker and Oliver Price during my time there. (Thank you guys).
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| The new SpacecatTV features outdoor sections. Evolution. |
I have also been reunited with my online sketch group 'SpacecatTV' and we are working on brand new and ambitious content for our exciting second year run.
The group consists of myself, Mark Nugent, James Dunn, Ian Gardner and James Mc keown. We have also welcomed Jamie Morris into our ranks as a producer and look forward to working with him on some awesome content this year. Together we have already shot one brand new untitled short which is under wraps for now, although I can promise it is our biggest production yet.
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| Outdoor segments AND mirrors? It's almost like we are trying. |
More production photos and notes relating to Spacecat will be uploaded to the SpacecatTV blog throughout the year, which you can check out here: http://spacecattv.blogspot.co.uk/
So there you go. That's almost everything I've been working on in the last few weeks, and there is only more to come.
Thanks for reading.
Joe.
Saturday, 22 September 2012
Welcome
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| This is my blogging face. I'm Pulling it right now. |
I decided to move from tumblr because...well it's tumblr.
On this exciting new blog I will be posting production insights into the short films and sketches I help produce, reviews of films I've seen, and thoughts on my new venture into the world of DSLR photography.
Please bookmark this page if:
A. You still bookmark pages (seriously do people still do that?)
B. You actually want to check this stuff out.
Okay, so thank you Mum for bookmarking.
To everyone else, I hope you will at least check back again once this is up and running!
Cheers Guys.
Joe.
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