dvd cover
This is my final DVD cover, i only did it quick but i wanted some thing to finish it off. it had to be consistent with the titles as well. overall i am pleased with the general concept of the project thought to the way the final out comes look.
new final titles
This is my new background image for my tittles, i have left space for the custom buttons i am going to make with in DVD studio pro. i have imported all my clips and added them as tracks. i now needed to link them with buttons on the home screen.
This is a screen grab of the graphical view of my dvd also i have the button outline view turned on. when i was making my buttons i wanted them very subtle so i have a slight transparency box of white when they are selected. i made the automatic preset button be the button that plays the final movie. so at start up the default button that is selected is the very top. this will make it obvious for navigation. when the button is in its activated state the box will turn to a black transparent box to indicate a hit. there are transition fades from solid color before and after each clip is played.
This is a screen grab of all three states of my button, normal state, selected state and the activated state. finally is a screen shot of my dvd working in the simulator. it has been exported and is working fine.
DVD studio pro
I have now begun to make my titles in dvd studio pro. i have produced a mock up in photo shop and will begin importing this. i want to make some thing that is fitting with the theme.
This is the first mock up, once importing it in to dvd studio pro i was playing with importing my own custom buttons and realized that i needed to change and label my psd correctly, i now do not like this design and want to change it.
This is still my old layout, the reason i have included 'initial after effects' and 'no after effects' in the title is because i used after effects to make my time lapse footage. so to be correct with brief i would have to of left all of this out. i have made a second video that only uses a still photos in the place of the after effect footage. so that i have covered my self.
This is the first mock up, once importing it in to dvd studio pro i was playing with importing my own custom buttons and realized that i needed to change and label my psd correctly, i now do not like this design and want to change it.
This is still my old layout, the reason i have included 'initial after effects' and 'no after effects' in the title is because i used after effects to make my time lapse footage. so to be correct with brief i would have to of left all of this out. i have made a second video that only uses a still photos in the place of the after effect footage. so that i have covered my self.
WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING
This is my final product, i am really happy with how it has all come together. i am proud of the sound track and also pleased with how the idea of adding the sleeping element has enhanced it. it gave it more of a narrative and theme. I like how it ends suddenly after a build up both visually and with the audio.
Further editing
Now my sound track is made and all the after effects has been done i now want to finally tune the sound and maybe edit the footage very slightly. Firstly i have added the sound of a heart beat over the clips of the sleep scene. i had to speed this clip up so that you could hear a proper heart beat in the short time this clip is show for, it sounded to high pitched so i then adjusted this. i then begun editing the sound track to enhance it in some areas and do the opposite in others.
Above is a screen grab of the added sound tracks. i have used the pen tool to adjust it further.
This is showing how i made the sleep atmosphere sounds stand out against the traffic tones. i was keen to have a sudden contrast and initially it worked but the sleep sounds could have been more. i have solved this problem and now feel it works better.
The ending is very import and i put allot of attention on this section when initial producing the sound track with the sourced traffic sounds. i wanted to really peak the crescendo here so i have exaggerated it again using the pen tool. the alarm sound still comes in strong which i like. the section of sound before the peak has also been raised a bit so that the ending has more of a final punch.
Above is a screen grab of the added sound tracks. i have used the pen tool to adjust it further.
This is showing how i made the sleep atmosphere sounds stand out against the traffic tones. i was keen to have a sudden contrast and initially it worked but the sleep sounds could have been more. i have solved this problem and now feel it works better.
The ending is very import and i put allot of attention on this section when initial producing the sound track with the sourced traffic sounds. i wanted to really peak the crescendo here so i have exaggerated it again using the pen tool. the alarm sound still comes in strong which i like. the section of sound before the peak has also been raised a bit so that the ending has more of a final punch.
more after effects
Now that i have my sleep footage i can begin to make it more 'dreamy' using after effects. i used the following effects on the footage to make it;
Brightness & Contrast
Time Difference
Mood Lighting - Streaks
Factual Noise
This is an example too show the before and after of the sleep scenes. i zoomed in at the end on the eye, this will go with the sound for my final clip as well.
Brightness & Contrast
Time Difference
Mood Lighting - Streaks
Factual Noise
This is an example too show the before and after of the sleep scenes. i zoomed in at the end on the eye, this will go with the sound for my final clip as well.
making the final sound track
I have put most of my clips together and have a good idea of where every thing is going. i have exported some thing just as a visual reference for when making the sound track. it doesn't include the sleep sequence but i have put some thing in place that will act simply as a reference for sound purposes.
i have a wide collection of sounds now and am going to begin to layer them up to produce a sound track for my project. i went to a friends recording studio who is a producer by profession. he let me use his space and equipment. i opened up all my sounds and sketched down on paper a rough plan of how i wanted it, still keeping in mind this crescendo idea.
Above is a screen grab of the project when i was working within fruity loops. its pretty late on in the making of the initial track but still there was more final edits to do before i brought it back to final cut to edit it further. when making some of the sounds that where duplicated and reversed. echos where added. reverb was added to a duplicated siren so that it didnt repeat its self. one of the things that was done was to change what speaker certain noises came out of, there is one bit where there is two quick edits and in time with this there are two car horns. the first horn comes out of a different speaker to the next one. i like this effect as it happens during the end and its all a bit chaotic and i wanted it to feel like more and more traffic is surrounding you.
This is one of the versions with the sound track and the sleep footage. it has not been finely tuned in final cut and that is what i wish to do. i want to make the quite bass space sounds of the sleeping scenes loader and also make it more intense at the end.i reckon i could add some thing extra to the sleeping bits in terms of noise. i like the alarm choice at the end because i nearly used a digital alarm. i had around 5 different alarm noises to use and tried all of them but the classic alarm worked best as its more obvious what it is in just a short time. the modern beeping alarm sounded a bit odd and it may not of been clear what it was at the end.
i have a wide collection of sounds now and am going to begin to layer them up to produce a sound track for my project. i went to a friends recording studio who is a producer by profession. he let me use his space and equipment. i opened up all my sounds and sketched down on paper a rough plan of how i wanted it, still keeping in mind this crescendo idea.
Above is a screen grab of the project when i was working within fruity loops. its pretty late on in the making of the initial track but still there was more final edits to do before i brought it back to final cut to edit it further. when making some of the sounds that where duplicated and reversed. echos where added. reverb was added to a duplicated siren so that it didnt repeat its self. one of the things that was done was to change what speaker certain noises came out of, there is one bit where there is two quick edits and in time with this there are two car horns. the first horn comes out of a different speaker to the next one. i like this effect as it happens during the end and its all a bit chaotic and i wanted it to feel like more and more traffic is surrounding you.
This is one of the versions with the sound track and the sleep footage. it has not been finely tuned in final cut and that is what i wish to do. i want to make the quite bass space sounds of the sleeping scenes loader and also make it more intense at the end.i reckon i could add some thing extra to the sleeping bits in terms of noise. i like the alarm choice at the end because i nearly used a digital alarm. i had around 5 different alarm noises to use and tried all of them but the classic alarm worked best as its more obvious what it is in just a short time. the modern beeping alarm sounded a bit odd and it may not of been clear what it was at the end.
IDEA DEVELOPMENT...
I have been playing around with my original idea, after getting the footage and realistically seeing it i feel its lacking in narrative. i have developed my original idea as i am very keen to use the footage i have already obtained. My new developed idea is going to be looking at some one going to sleep and then have the city come alive in one large noisy crescendo. i want to have a contrast between a plain mellow sleepy dream land and a busy out side dark hectic city. when looking at my research of digital kitchen, the true blood sequence kind of inspired this. when they have the the loud church screams and sudden cuts to the bar scene it really works and gets more chaotic as time goes by. this video can be seen in previous post here. I now am going to shoot some footage of some one sleeping in a neutral environment. this also creates more potential for me to use after effects as before i was pretty limited.
sound - crescendo
I have been thinking about sound for my clips. after doing a bit of research i have found some royalty free down loads but i am keen to record sound my self.
after walking around at night filming with a flip camera i extracted the audio from that and now have a good collection of sounds of traffic that i have recorded my self. after speeding these clips up and placing them next to the footage i already have its clear i need to really layer noises and some times play real time noises with the more abstract city background noise. i have been talking with Giles and we where discussing the idea of having a basic rhythm with in the piece. i really like this idea. also in my sketch book one of the key words that i have used in the planning is CRESCENDO. i really want my video to have an overall build up of energy. to achieve this the sound is as important as the visual. so when editing the final track i will have this in mind. for now i am still sourcing sounds.
after walking around at night filming with a flip camera i extracted the audio from that and now have a good collection of sounds of traffic that i have recorded my self. after speeding these clips up and placing them next to the footage i already have its clear i need to really layer noises and some times play real time noises with the more abstract city background noise. i have been talking with Giles and we where discussing the idea of having a basic rhythm with in the piece. i really like this idea. also in my sketch book one of the key words that i have used in the planning is CRESCENDO. i really want my video to have an overall build up of energy. to achieve this the sound is as important as the visual. so when editing the final track i will have this in mind. for now i am still sourcing sounds.
night time shooting finished
I have now finished all of the night time shots. i am really pleased with how they have come out. I was at each location for a while so i made sure i thought about and planned the composition before hand. i also tried to position my self mainly out of the way of the flow of people/traffic but still very close to movement. i wanted to get the most movement i could from each shot so i was mainly looking at the light from cars and where the light was being directed. bellow is a video of the exported time lapse shots.
The following images are just a few screen grabs of the different locations that have been shot in and around Brighton city.
The following images are just a few screen grabs of the different locations that have been shot in and around Brighton city.
experiments
During the lesson time we have been exploring in after effects. this video was one of the products of a bit of experimenting. i have used a mash to mask out colour. also have been looking at particle emitters. there are so many adjustments that you can do to just one effect with in after effects its amazing. i have realized that by using one basic effect you can adapt or layer effects to create a very wide range of functions.
after effect sequences
I will be using after effects to create all my footage that has been shot with the slr camera. once i have imported all files for the sequence i then select all of them and create a new sequence. there is a dialog box that pops up this is important to get the correct settings other wise it will not work.
It is important that 'sequence layers' is checked on other wise it will place all images on top of each other. i have been experimenting with still duration. i found that a second was way to long so i will be using this a time, 0:00:00:01. The footage i am creating i want to be very fast. Its best the overall length is short for the clips as they will be only seen for short periods of time. once this has been clicked ok i can make further adjustments with in after effects then can export to my project folder and use in final cut.
It is important that 'sequence layers' is checked on other wise it will place all images on top of each other. i have been experimenting with still duration. i found that a second was way to long so i will be using this a time, 0:00:00:01. The footage i am creating i want to be very fast. Its best the overall length is short for the clips as they will be only seen for short periods of time. once this has been clicked ok i can make further adjustments with in after effects then can export to my project folder and use in final cut.
shooting - sun set sequence
I have story boarded a sun set sequence to act as an intro to my film. i got home early from work and have been thinking about how i am going to do this as i have thought about one major problem.
when using the digital slr camera to shoot the entire sun set i will have to make adjustments as i go according to the changes of light. i cant just point and shoot using a pre set mode for example the scenery setting as it will randomly adjust its self for each photo. so when shooting it i will have to set up the correct shutter speed, aperture ect and then change it constantly and regularly in time with the changing of the light out side for it to look smooth. i will have to make consistent changes to the camera and also use my judgment. i gave it a go as it was still light even tho it was just a grey day i wanted to see if i could do it. bellow are only just a few bits from the sequence i shot...
I was amazed with how it came out, by pure chance there happened to be a really nice sun set. the sequence of photos look good and i noticed when i changed the exposure each time there was a slight change in brightness but only with the first few photos of that particular exposure setting. so each time i changed the exposure i will delete the first few photos to make it look more seamless and smooth.
Bellow is a video of all the pictures, i have not deleted the needed pictures so its really obvious where the changes in brightness are. this is a really slow version of the clip just for my benefit and curiosity to see how it looks. It looks dramaticly better when its a lot faster.
when using the digital slr camera to shoot the entire sun set i will have to make adjustments as i go according to the changes of light. i cant just point and shoot using a pre set mode for example the scenery setting as it will randomly adjust its self for each photo. so when shooting it i will have to set up the correct shutter speed, aperture ect and then change it constantly and regularly in time with the changing of the light out side for it to look smooth. i will have to make consistent changes to the camera and also use my judgment. i gave it a go as it was still light even tho it was just a grey day i wanted to see if i could do it. bellow are only just a few bits from the sequence i shot...
I was amazed with how it came out, by pure chance there happened to be a really nice sun set. the sequence of photos look good and i noticed when i changed the exposure each time there was a slight change in brightness but only with the first few photos of that particular exposure setting. so each time i changed the exposure i will delete the first few photos to make it look more seamless and smooth.
Bellow is a video of all the pictures, i have not deleted the needed pictures so its really obvious where the changes in brightness are. this is a really slow version of the clip just for my benefit and curiosity to see how it looks. It looks dramaticly better when its a lot faster.
