www.dougdaulton.com

The folks over at 702FJCrew.net have been asking me to put this video together for quite some time now. Jerry Miller was kind enough to do the color correction a year ago, but my skills at video editing did not match the vision in my head. After my time with the Pixel Corps, my editing skills have gotten much stronger. So, I took this opportunity to play with Quicktime and iMovie to tell the story of the Blackbird.

Blackbird Fly is short (2:18), but I think the visuals speak for themselves. There is a lot I could have done in Final Cut Pro to tighten it up, especially fading the audio effects in & out, but this was really an exercise in seeing what I could throw together quickly in iMovie. For those interested, here is the work flow.

1. The images were shot on a Canon 30D using a Canon 24-70mm “red line” lens.
2. Jerry Miller color corrected all photos in Adobe Photoshop. Because of the relative angle of the sun, the color palette changed as the camera tracked the truck. Jerry did a great job of bringing all of the shots to one common palette.
3. Assemble the stills into movies of varying frame rates using QuickTime 7. It is a good thing I have an older G5 Mac in my studio because the newer Intel Macs all updated to Quicktime X. While QTX is a better player, Apple removed some of the useful pro features like building movies from an image sequence.
4. Bring the movies into iMovie then build titles and audio using the iMovie library. The music is from Midnight Syndicate, purveyors of excellent ambient music for gaming and theme parties.
5. Post to YouTube and wait for it to finish processing.

So, there you have it. I little bit about how this little movie came to life. I hope you enjoy it.

Peace,

Doug

My first work as an intern for the Pixel Corps was as the streaming camera operator at NAB 2010. The segments shot at that show are being used to relaunch Gear Media Tech on PixelCorps.tv. With that in mind, it is fitting that my first real post-production work be on the same show.

The first day in the office, I transferred and reviewed all of the EX-1 footage and began digital capture of all of the HV30 footage. With all of the footage in hand, it was my job to organize the segments into related chunks and create a production plan to get the show out the door. Along the way, we realized we need to rebuild all of the motion graphics (open, close and lower thirds) and related sound design. That task also fell to me. The results can be seen in the footage above and the subsequent episodes of GMT in the pipeline.

Credit for the 3D logo design belongs to McKay Hawkes, a talented 3-D artist on the Pixel Corps staff. Working with his logo, I created all of the remaining assets myself with input from fellow intern, Vlad Korishev. Using Soundtrack Pro, I also built all of the audio tracks found in the open and the close. That was a lot of fun and far less intimidating than it appeared at first.

I’ve built such assets from templates in the past, but this was the first motion graphics project I developed completely from scratch. I learned a lot and am looking forward to working on more complex projects down the road.

Peace,

Doug

One of the biggest advantages of being on set to stream/tape “behind the scenes” footage is that one gets to watch the film making process as it happens and soak up lots of knowledge in the process. “Working with Actors” is the first in a series of posts I have planned about lessons learned while streaming from the set of Marty Rosenberg’s indie supernatural theater. The “talking points” style I’ve been using has been well-recieved so far, so I’ll keep that format for this series as well. My publication plan is as follows.

1. Working with Actors: It was amazing to watch Heather, Jake and Mackenzie at work. And, I learned a lot from the way the Marty and crew supported them to get the best possible performances, particularly on a tight shooting schedule.
2. The Professional Crew: Watching seasoned filmmakers at work was a real eye-opener. It made film-making both magical and accessible at the same time.
3. Recruiting Talented Beginners: When I walked on set, I thought all of the Production Assistants already had film experience. They didn’t. But, they listened, learned and worked their butts off.
4. Practical Visual Effects: Not every VFX needs to be rendered CG. A can of compressed air and a spool of monofilament can go a very long way in the hands of Marty Rosenberg or Peter Bailey.
5. Lighting for Effect: Marty Rosenberg is a well-respected cinematographer and his ability to plan his lighting and adjust on the fly was a wonder to watch.
6. Managing the Production Schedule: The budget and schedule were tight, but the production value remained high for a “$0.59 cent movie”.
7. The Dinner Table: Napoleon said “an army marches on it’s stomach” … so does a film. In addition to fueling the cast & crew, the dinner table is an opportunity to build camaraderie on set.
8. Transferable Skills: This film was the first for Producer Peter Adams, but it did not show. The way Peter brought his skills from other businesses into play is a lesson for all first-time producers.
9. The Fourth Character: If chosen well, the location itself becomes another character in the film. This was certainly true for Preston Castle.
10. Make-Up is More than Lipstick: In addition to creating realistic bruises and open wounds, Margaret Caragan made me cry.

This list is more of a guideline than a formal plan. The order of publication may change and I may add, delete or consolidate topics as I write. So, stay tuned over the next month or so as I digest my on set experience and pass it on to you.

Peace,

Doug