Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Goals

Dvd Portfolio: I feel I understand how to make a dvd without any problems with DVD Studio Pro.

Final Cut Pro: I am comfortable with using it, but might still need to work on some formatting the screen sizes to match with the video, or a quick tutorial of where I could locate the options to do that.

Demo Reel: once I am finished with all my projects this semester I need to go back over and fix it up more.

This winter break I plan on working on my portfolio with my newly finished projects, and working on my cover letter, demo reel, dvd.

Web Portfolios

Blog Portfolio- http://martin-englert.blogspot.com/

Vimeo Portfolio- http://vimeo.com/user6510037

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Re-Edit of Daphne and Andrew

After incorrectly setting my audio levels too low for class, I now have everything corrected. With this version I also added more music for the background.

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Assignment Write Up/Self Critique: Daphne and Andrew Revised Edit

From the first time I showed my project in class I have edited more sound, more video, color correction, and title and end credits.

With the sound, I tweaked the high spots of the audio where needed. I added background party noise and presence sound. I did my best to find music that was free to use but nothing fit, and since I haven't been in the sound class I couldn't make my own. So in the end I used the music from that night and put it in for right now. I know I can't really show it in things as is, but it will have to do for now.

Another problem I had in class was the spill scene. I had too many shots for that one  instant so I cut out the  flower falling out of her hair. I believe it works better without it because Andrew notices the flower on the ground after she leaves so the audience can figure out easily that it fell during the spill.

The yellow and blue scenes just needed to be brought down, so I used the color correction 3-way and changed them a bit but not much. I did make some of the darks darker and color richer but only by a little for fear of over doing it.

In all I think it can stand as a single piece, but once I take the sound class I feel I will be better equipped with making sound and working with it.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Three Artists, Demo Reel Research

Seagulls Fly
Is a animation studio whose demo reel stood out to me. They have a combination of 3D, live action, and some mixed media videos. Their reel uses a 3D animated plant to show and move between the different clips of the demo reel. Another important part of their reel is the syncing to the music and how nicely everything flows together.




Waldemar Bartkowiak
He is a modeling and texture artist. Throughout his reel he starts with stills with camera movements of his models and his textures going along with his fast pace music. Then the music slows and he shows four of his best pieces of work he has done. With each piece he shows different angles and shows before and after he has done the texture.





Shaun Escayg
Most of what I know from his demo reel he strictly does the animation. He noted all animation from his reel was done by himself. I think this video is not as successful as the first two, but I wanted to have an example of a least successful reel. He had only one shot that showed which character he animated, the rest of the shots were obscure.




From what I gather from these demo reels one must show nothing but their best work. Make it easy for the person trying to hire you to tell what you did specifically if working in a group project. If you did everything in the shot describe or show in some way that you did all of it besides just putting "all animation done by..."

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Self Critique: Assignment Write Up

With this project we were to take a myth and adapt to be set in modern times. I chose the myth Apollo and Daphne. With my adaptation Daphne is the one who chases after Apollo. Daphne is at a toga party, she and Andrew meet from the help of her friend Erin. They try to get to know each other but each time this drunk girl interrupts them. Finally the drunk girl spills a drink on Daphne (Daphne's flower also falls to the ground) and she gets frustrated and heads toward the restroom. Daphne comes out and looks for Andrew but can't find him so she asks Erin. She tells her that he had left with a girl. Daphne then leaves the party. As she walks back home, Andrew appears and presents her with a flower to replace the one that was crushed and they walk away together in the night.

This was my first large project in digital cinema. It has taught me a lot about the composition in the frame, lighting, technical camera work, and scheduling people and places to shoot.

I think for the most part the story is coherent. In some spots my lighting could have been better. Some of my shots still need editing done. I still need to gather sound for background music and noise. My biggest problem is editing and remembering certain aspects of the shots that I needed to work out while I was shooting.

I intend for my next project to work more on my three point lighting and editing footage.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Final Project Idea: Band of Theives

 Final Project Title: Band of Theives

For my final project I want it to be mainly a technical shoot using three point lighting and filling the frame with an interesting composition.

The content of this piece will be one to three people telling of the times the have stolen objects from other people. They will tell why they wanted it, what the difficulties of obtaining the object, and did they get caught stealing it. While the interview is taking place each person will be dressed in different burglar/theif attire.