Dads Trains

This is a video of my dads model trains in his loft. I had no interest in them as a child, but i have a lot of memories of train based holidays and days out. I don't know why i didn't like them at the time, as I have gotten older i have found old steam trains magical.

I also had another try at composing a score for this short using garage band. sound really adds to images.

Scale!

I tried projecting the "model" films on the wall. The effect this had in the ones where i have "shrunk" my self into the model environment, was that the miniatures appear to have been scaled up to my size as opposed to me being shrunk to their size... If that makes sense?

Notes

To clarify, the experiments so far have been to look at ways to portray a memory visually. I think i may string some together to form a journey through my childhood, not sure if i need to narrow the "time" aspect down just yet. i had an idea that the piece could be "life flashing before your eyes", or i could incorporate the "water having a memory" aspect and have a character drink from different bottles and letting us "see" the results?

I realise we are a way off a final piece but i thought it a good time to review the work so far and to start to think how it could be pulled together next term.

Crowded

Another short using sound and shallow DOF, this time i have use still images to form an animated piece.




I like to sound on this, with the shallow DOF and spot lighting and the sound getting louder as the light comes to the front of the image, i feel gives a closed in sensation. This needs further experimentation!

tutorial

Based on today's tutorial i have made a short film using shallow DOF with light and sound. The featured object is another "relic" from my childhood.




Its a bit rough around the edges but i think it is a good way to get across the fuzziness of a memory. I will try it again with a shallower DOF and keep the camera still!!!

I like the seascape sound but although it is sort of in time with the lighting, its not really relevant to the subject so i will need to compose an original soundtrack. Maybe hide the identity of the item better?

Old Photographs

As this project is about time and memory i have looked through all our old family photographs, there are thousands just sitting in boxes in my parents house. Here are some i found interesting:



The oldest photo is of my Grandmas, grandma and sister i believe.




























I think this shot has the feel and composition of some of the early Beatles photographs from Hamburg.





Why did my mum always dress me and my brother the same? i think this happened until I was 10!!!


















I Like the span of time these images cover and the composition is quite good on these. I really like the "paparazzi" style of my parents wedding photograph with my grandma looking on only just in the frame.









Baywatch prequel?

Shallow DOF

The following images are a selection from my shallow DOF experiments with a 1960's 50mm prime lens at F1.8.






I think it adds some mystry in the blured parts.

Format Problems!

I have had a bit of a disaster with medium formats. i had no idea how complex the cameras were. i will need some help to continue with this format.

On a positive note my Polaroid camera arrived today so i will be experimenting with some black and white images and colour tinted images for this project.

I have also just taken delivery of a Super 8 camera (99p+3.99postage! from Ebay). i like the look of films in this format, the format alone is enough to evoke time gone by. I will be filming Steam trains with a visit to Loughborough station and possibly film at bradgate park, try to capture childhood memories on this old format.

Stormtrooper gets his memory back

What happens when the Jedi mind trick wears off?



Above is a composition, text in picture, very shallow Depth of field (DOF), F1.8 experiment. My earliest childhood memories are dominated by Star Wars...

From these experiments i have learnt that it is very difficult to get the area you want in focus at F1.8, it being a very shallow depth of field. I do think the effect on the background characters is interesting. The effect gives the impression of a hazy memory. The use of a shallow DOF to portray the foggy-ness of memories needs further development.

memories of childhood

I wanted to "put myself" into my memories. still need to improve green screen, lighting wise, or maybe abandon the idea? I have experimented with some sound effects. I think the sunrise over the tennis ball may become my ident on future work.

I think the animated boots and train sound work well.

the next step is to continue using different formats and ideas to illustrate memories.

Mem One

This experimental film was to try to overlay two images to allow me to walk through my memories. The music was also created by me using Garage Band. Its my first attempt at a sound track and i wanted something disjointed as well as in keeping with the Memory on show. I think it works well, the chroma key needs some improvement. for my next test i will try to match the camera movements in the "scene" with the "person" to create a more realistic experience.

On the whole it has been a successful experiment, lots of room for improvement in terms of technique, but i think the idea is a valid one.

Formats and Styles

Over the next week i will be experimenting with formats to try to show my childhood memories. this will include: Polaroids, Medium Format, Super 8 (8mm film) VHS camcorder and 35mm black and white film.... As well as Digital

Does Water Have a Memory?

Someone once told me that "our brains are 90% water and therefore water has a memory, if we don't drink enough of it we will become forgetful"

This was some fitness "professional" so it is most likely rubbish. But if you think laterally about it, water from the sea does evaporate into the clouds, the rain falls from the clouds and runs off to rivers and therefore the water REMEMBERS its way back to the sea. I don't think that's what they meant though!

But what if water could hold memories? Could we bottle them? Maybe even sell them?

Following on from our Lecture on Tuesday I have spent sometime this week looking at surreal films, mostly Terry Gillingham, Particularly "The Imagimarium of Dr Parnassus". i watched it with the directors commentary on and learnt quite a lot about how to style a film. the film is based on a story that has been told since the dawn of time...



The Holy Grail?


There was mention of George Melies as an influence on this film, Melies is considered the pioneer of in camera special effects in the late 19th/early 20th century. Most famous is "Les Voyage dans la lune" (the one with the spaceship in the moons eye).

I particularly liked the "2D in a 3D world of Victorian pop up theatre aesthetic, this influence can also be seen in Gillinghams' Time Bandits and The Adventures of Baron Munchhausen.

Melies moon is also seen in surreal comedy The Mighty Boosh, this has lead me to the film Benny and the Bull, where 2D in a 3D setting is used to show the past and dreams. i will explore the water memory idea using this style.

Time Travel

Back to the future was 25 years old exactly yesterday (look at the time code in the DeLorean at Twin Pines Mall in the beginning of the film). This is my favorite film ever. I have watched it loads of times but the next time i will watch it for the technical aspects such as lighting, sound scene construction. I am not a big fan of art house movies but this BA has caused me to look at some. The absence of any coherent (in my opinion) story lets you see the film for its aesthetics.

This same degree of detail of mise-en-scene is present in main stream film making and this is something i will be exploring over the next few weeks by looking at the "making of docs" on DVDs and watching some of my favorite films with the Directors Comments turned on, something i have never done!

I have been steadily looking at films in this more technical way, I hope it doesn't stop me from watching a film purely for entertainment!

I have watched a few films this last week that have a Time and Memory theme. I particularly like the way the new Star Trek film uses time as away to delete all the other films! I'm not sure about the Sands of Time as a film but the idea of going back to the start of the movie interested me, you could almost watch the film on a loop if the ending was edited differently.

Time Travel does seam to be a difficult subject to show on film, there are numerous plot holes to fall into, such as why does the second Terminator go back to a later date? or why isn't Kyle Reece's first thought to buy a lottery ticket!

Stick Man

The aspect ratio test seamed to work, so here's my first short film tenuously linked to the project theme Time and Memory. it is based on a "MEMORY" i have of a dream where there is a noise in the attic.

16:9 test upload

trying to get widescreen video. the last post (fake Movie Trailer)is 16:9 squashed to 4:3.

Time and Memory

I cleared out some things from our attic over the weekend. It's amazing how many memories are stored in the least used room of the house. Whilst i was up there i saw an opportunity for a short film to start off research on this years project.

Stick Man will be online shortly...

Idea for Project

There was a competition to pitch an idea to the BBC's writers room for a psychological Thriller. As our project will be Time and Memory i decided to pitch an idea based on a man with two distinct memories of who he is, one good one evil. but cannot discern who he really is. This Theme may play a part in my project.

Movie news

The Fifth Type full length short is currently in production.