The Last Page Comments - Laura & ChanFly

The story is funny with a great twist at the end.  The price for the book is completely ridiculous but you basically forget that part of the story with all of the issues about the last page and the fact that the tips in the book seem to be working for the boy.  You tell the story with a good interplay of shots.  This is really well done.  Since it looks like he is getting the girl then maybe the book was worth the price he paid?

The Inside Man Comments - Ding & Ester

I was a bit confused on first viewing but a second viewing and I understood more of the action with the brothel and the other elements.  The flashback portion is really nice.  You provide a good variety of shots and the story is visually interesting.  The story problem I have is that this secret, "inside man," is not being very careful about who might be learning that he is actually a police man.  You need the searching to tell the joke but there must be a more subtle way to do it to keep the core premise of the story alive.  The core premise appears to be that this is an undercover cop working in a criminal organization.

Red And Blue Comments - Bryan & Chak

It's nice to see the crazy brothers do something nicely dramatic, but you did keep the brother connection in your work.  The story is very nice and you use a good variety of shots to tell it.  I think the fact that Blue gives Red the toy while he is in the hospital is a bit confusing.  The rest of the piece is very realistic and I guess that sets off my "is it possible for a boy sick in the hospital to go shopping for a toy for his brother" alarm.  I completely understand the reason for it being in the story but it feels awkward.  It would work better if Blue gives Red a robot because of Red's effort in making himself a robot and because it seemed like a very selfish moment when he asked his mother for a robot.  Then the giving of the robot, rather than a car, becomes an important part of the storytelling because it directly connects the actions and reactions of the two boys.

DGC Information Day Comments - Michelle & Calvin

It is a well drawn storyboard and you get in a nice variety of shots.  The story is obviously creepy and I guess it is inspired by the new gray and black building.  It would have been good to hold back the horror a bit longer than you did.  I wish I had a better evil power than drinking "blood coke."  It would be nice if there was some kind of twist at the end to tie the pieces together or make you think they just "imagined" the  whole horrific situation.

Snow White Comments - Cuttle & Vicky

The story gets a little aggressive but it is an interesting turn on the traditional story.  I guess the underwater castle has breathable air inside (I am always worried about the scientific reality of a story environment)  If you are going to have horns sprout from  her head then you should do it on both sides.  That way audience members will know exactly what is going on and the way she is changing from the Snow White most people know.  The story works visually but I got a bit lost in the "this is my new invention" portion of the storyboard.  Another thing is the use of X in the eyes of the fish.  This may be something that is used in anime but from my experience X in the eyes of an animal means that the animal is dead.  If the fish is dead then I find this part a bit confusing.

Killer Comments - Christy & Kitty

I have to admit being a bit confused the first time I looked through the storyboard.  But on a second viewing I picked up the details I missed and then connected with the game as training for killing people on earth theme.  Please confirm with me that this is the theme.  It is nice that you have the parallel place but that games are used for very different reasons.  The storyboard shows a good variety of shots and gives enough of the story that it could be developed even further.

The Ice Cream Comments - Candy & Helena

Overall this is a very nice story about a day in the play park.  Within the sequences you do a good job of mixing your angles and fields of view.  The transitions between scenes and locations are not as strong and you need to apply some of the same shot change techniques when moving from one part of the story to the next.  Change angle of view but more importantly change field of view.  When you transitioned from the flat to the park you could have done of happy kids and activities in the park sort of montage.  This would have taken the audience from one location to the next.  This would also work well with the three shots of amazement that you have with the little boy as he enters the park.  The montage would have given visual reference points for the three "waa" expressions.  It would be nice if there was a larger theme the played out in relation to the ice cream but this is a good slice of life story as it currently exists.

The Hamster Comments - Janet & Cindy

This is a really good story and storyboard.  It had action and adventure and there was enough mystery to keep people interested in watching.  You had some very nice traditional themes with the addition of the Hamster on the food chain below the lowly mouse.  You provide a good sense of what the story will look like.  Really good work.

The Journey Comments - Ka Hei & Kevin

You have created a very interesting story.  The photograph is an interesting device to use to get the boy to follow the man to the front of the train.  The end of the story did leave with a few questions: did the boy jump off of the train before it crashed and that is why his grandma then walks up to him?  or does he just survive the crash?  You probably need some more duration between the crash and the boy meeting his grandmother.  There should definitely be some more shots there.  It might be interesting if the people on the train or people at the crash site think the boy is the bad guy.  What did happen to the bad guy?  Did he jump or die?

Destiny Comments - Celesty & Sharon

Beautifully made storyboard.  The music is also working well though it is not required.  I really like the wide shot of the world with the ocean currents and the different paths of the ducks.  Did the Japanese people throw the duck back in the water?  You didn't show viewers that moment and it made me confused for a bit.  Really well told story and you show enough shots so that the viewer has an idea of how the story will be produced.  You do great twists and turns and it certainly doesn't turn out as one might expect.  This would also be a great animation and one of you should think about doing it for an Honours Project or both of you should think about doing it in the future.

The Wolves Comments - Sandy & Mon

Nice job with the music and the SFX and the timing of the storyboard panels.  Clouds moving in over the beautiful sunset would have been a more natural transition and do an effective job communicating the coming danger of the night.  The grows nicely with the conversation in the tent.  It would be good to stay inside the tent for the initial wolf howling.  That would keep the viewers in contact with girls and the drama that is building.  A really great story with a great ending.  This would make a great honors project or something in the future.  It could be a really good adult animation.  You have a great twist and then she faces her guilt and chooses the cowards way out.

Hidden Treasure Comments - Zoe & Tim

The Story jumped from suicide to the Piggy Bank.  You need a transition here even if it is just a CU of the Piggy Bank or the Bank Book.  From the XWS of BU you need an MS or CU of the school logo on the side of the building before you go to the map.  The viewer may not be as familiar with BU as you are.  Need to see the bug spray coming out of the bag.  Nice transition using the mosquito to get your main character to the pool.  I don't understand "the water in the pool brusts."  If the water went out then why does he still have his scuba gear on?  Need to have a visual way to get from the discovery of the treasure spot to the use of the "gimlet."  There are some funny ways that you can do this that will fit well with the mood and humour of this piece.  It is good for the storyboard to show the variety of shots you will include while he is jackhammering the bottom of the pool.  What I don't know is what happened to the guard.  AAAAAAhhhhhhhh, it just ends...what happens, does he get the money?  does he get the op?  does he find happiness?  Don't leave us hanging, tell us what happens.

Story Board on YouTube Example

Here is a storyboard on YouTube for example.  You do not have to but it might be nice if you zoom into your panels if that is what is going to happen in the shot.

Gray Matter Storyboard.

This is shot from a presentation but it gives the idea of how to accomplish this task in a sequential form.

Here is a storyboard from Titanic.  Here you can see that the panels are up long enough to pause and that is really what I am looking for.  I want you to put up the panels and have them on the screen long enough that I can pause the video and look at the individual panels.  This is not a timed animatic, it is an initial storyboard.

We will be looking at this storyboard in more detail in class next week and comparing it to the final filmed version.

- Dr. W -

Storyboarding Assignment

Here are the groups for the Storyboard Assignment that is due in two weeks.  These groups have been created randomly.

Cindy LO Wing Sze

Janet KWOK Ka Yan

Helena LI Fangya

Candy CHOW Ka Yee

Kitty NG Wai Ying

Christy CHAN Pik Shan

Laura XUE Bingyan

ChanFly CHAN Wing Kei 

Zoe AU Kwai Tsz

Tim LAI Kam Tim

Bryan TSUI Tsz Hoi

ChakChak LAM Wang Chak

Ester WONG Lee Yan

DingDing CHAN Ting Yin 

Sharon KEUNG Sau Wun

Celesty LEE Ming Yin

Sandy CHENG Ya Hsuan

Mon CHOI Ting Fung

Michelle TSANG Chi Wah

Calvin HO Ka Fai

KaHei KWOK Ka Hei

Kevin CHEUNG Chi Hang

Cuttle NG Yee Man

Vicky YEUNG Wai Shan

Click here for the class syllabus and go to the projects section and click on the Storyboard Assignment.

This is due on 26 October...

- Dr. W -

Guidelines for Shooting

You can actually find these guidelines in the Image and Shooting Composition notes for the class.  I am repeating them here for quick reference...

1. Keep shots steady, you cannot fix it in the edit or post production
           Use a tripod, use some kind of steading object, shoot steady shots.
           If you want a shot to shake you can make that happen in post production

2. Shoot twice as many close up shots as medium shots or wide shots 

           Close ups give you a lot more options when you are editing sequences

3. Shoot for eye contact  

           Looking into someone's eyes is the most interesting way to look at them within a frame  

           You will get lots of shots without eye contact but always get the shots with eye contact as well

4. Shoot at the eye level of the subject in the shot  

           only shoot at other angles when you are trying to make some sort of statement or create an effect

5. Compose the shot dynamically, while the action is unfolding in front of the camera  

           if you just point the camera without thinking the shot will not be usable in a sequence  

           the camera can do lots of technical thinking but it cannot compose a meaningful image or shot

6. Hold the shot long enough to edit so give yourself about 10 seconds before and after a camera move

7. Shoot around the angles of view, the world is three dimensional and your variety of shots should reflect that fact  

           imagine there is a sphere around the subject and get different shots on spots around the sphere.

8. You shoot far more video than you will ever use in a production.  A basic rule is 30 minutes of video for 1 minute of a final edit, so making it generally applicable means shooting 30 units of time for every one unit of time in the final production.

9.  Make a plan before you start shooting but be ready to improvise the plan while you are shooting  

           Know what you want to capture but be prepared for the unexpected.

10. Otto (auto) is not your friend  

           Do not rely on Auto Focus, Auto Exposure or Auto Gain to capture the audio and video  

           Use your brain and ability because you are smarter than the camera and microphone  

           Only use auto settings when you know what the results will be.

Keep these in mind and you will be able to get the shots that will lead to sequences.

Dr. W

Image - Shot - Sequence - Story

The video shooting exercise is about learning to use the camera.  It is also about learning to shoot creatively and intelligently.  Don't just run around shooting the required shots to complete the exercise.  Run around and shoot the shots so that they could be edited in a reasonable way.  You are not shooting to create a story but you are shooting to create sequences.  Once you create sequences then you will be able to create stories.

Here is the logical progression of elements within visual grammar and the construction of a visual story.

1. Image - this is a still picture, a moment in time.  There are important compositional decisions being made at this level of creation.

2. Shot - this is a moving image, a series of connected images that give the impression of motion and the passage of time.  A shot is the capturing of a single continuous frame or action and can be defined by its field of view, angle of view and perspective of view among other things.

3. Sequence - this is a combination of shots that create a unified sense of time, place, action or meaning.  When the shots in the sequence are directly connected it is a continuity sequence.  This type of sequence has a strong sense of reality for the viewer.  When the shots in the sequence are seemingly unrelated then it is more properly called a montage.  In a montage the connections between shots are more psychological than physical.  With continuity or montage there are compositional elements in the sequence that can make it more effective.  (in the SHOOTING EXERCISE you are trying to capture shots that will allow you to build continuity sequences, you are not just shooting random shots of assigned objects and actions)

4. Story - this is the combination of sequences that forms a logical whole and tells some kind of story to an audience.  Once again there are guidelines for composition that help us create meaning in a visual story.

So in the Shooting Exercise you are shooting for the creation of SEQUENCES.  We are not yet creating stories but it is a good thing to be thinking about how you might build a story.  It is always a good thing to be thinking ahead while you work...think like an editor when you shoot...think like a producer when you edit...think like a shooter when you write, storyboard and plan!

Dr. W

CHANGES to the Class Syllabus

I have made some changes to the course syllabus.  You need to click here to get to the syllabus or you can click on the title of this post.

The primary change is:

There will be no TEST.  That percentage of the class marks will now go into your creation of a video production blog that will require you to show and talk about some interesting videos.  It will also require you to read from the listed books and/or use the Video Producer 3.0 DVD that you can get from Henry.

Check out the syllabus to see the exact requirements.

Also there are now links to a wide array of audio/video related tutorials in the syllabus.  Lots of them are free, some might cost some money.  lynda.com is actually a great website with tutorials on virtually everything.  Lynda used to write tutorial books on software and design, etc and this is a resource that is well worth the price of admission when you need to learn a lot of different pieces of software.  There are also a lot of free tutorials on the site.

There will be more messages to come today.  I know you are all working hard on your audio projects.  We will be shooting more video today during class.  I know you will all be there so that you can get a strong basic understanding of this skill.


Dr. W

COMMENTS POSTED and a REMINDER

Hey,

I have posted comments on everything you have posted on your YouTube Channels.

REMEMBER: Your audio PROJECT is due this Tuesday at the beginning of class.

We will keep shooting video in class and then upload it.  I will also talk some more about composition.

Dr. W

The Shooting Exercise

For the shooting exercise you will need to capture multiple shots of the following situations, objects and places.  You need to capture each one of these things with multiple shots.

1. People
     Walking from the class to the lift
     Riding the lift to the first floor
     Riding the escalator to the ground floor
     Walking to the sculpture garden

     Two or more people talking with each other

     Other groups shooting video

     Two or more people playing a game (I have some balls, a frisbee and a foxtail for play)

2. Objects
     A car in the parking lot

3. Places
     Sculpture Garden
     Fountain
     CVA Building

Get a variety of shots for each action, object or place.  Give yourself something to edit to make an interesting piece of video.  Shoot some basic shots and then get a bit more creative if you would like.  Use anything you have learned from watching television, movies and YouTube and combine it with anything you have learned in class.

REMEMBER: think and compose strong images within your shots.  Use the Rule of Thirds, Angle of View and Field of View (WS, MS, CU, XCU) to mix up your shots.  You are working in a three-dimensional world so you should shoot video using all three dimensions.

REMEMBER: Be very careful with using auto focus and auto exposure with video and using auto gain with audio.

We will not be able to finish today so shoot as much as you can and then we will see if we can finish next week.

I will stay in the sculpture garden area to answer any of your questions. 


Dr. W

Editing Exercise

I hope everyone has had the chance to finish their editing exercise and maybe look at those of your classmates and make a comment.

I will be looking at everyone's work over the weekend and making comments on YouTube.

We will start working with sound in the next class and do something interesting with it.

Have a good weekend!!!

Dr. Williams

DGC 2220 - First Semester 2010-2011

This blog will continue to be updated with each class.  But...be sure to use the search function to discover if anything useful was posted in the past.

Welcome to the new year, the new building and the new lab...