Digital Video 2 – Week 07

Research

I’ve approached this project in reverse to how I would have done things in the past. However, it’s probably more of a realistic workflow when approaching a ‘real world’ job. Instead of starting with images, which are forced into some kind of storyline, I began with a text, which I turned into a script of sorts, before storyboarding and then creating a soundtrack to edit the visuals to.

This probably seems like a pretty obvious method, but as is often the way when trying to pump out uni projects quickly – things don’t always happen in order. Many times, the pre-production work is quickly slapped together at the end of a project, just to get the marks. It’s a fairly cynical, but realistic situation many times during your uni career.

After completing the storyboard, I had a think about how I would like the ‘look’ of the images to come across. I did some research into 1960’s homes and found the gem above. I’m a huge fan of the colours and typesetting of this era, and whilst I won’t be using much in the way of type, I’m hoping I will be able to do some colour treatment on my images (if I ever get the photo shoot done) to give them a warm, aged feel.

As is the way with large projects, every step seems to take a little bit longer than I had planned. The soundtrack for this work was no exception.

For the first time, I spent some time in the ProTools HD studio at COFA getting a voice recording, performed by a friend. I think using the Rode Classic mic and sound treatment ‘booth’ (some expensive bit of foam on stands) really helped me here. I got a much drier recording that I could have achieved at home, allowing me a bit of room to move around the samples and music:

In keeping true to the text, I used both classical music pieces mentioned:

• Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No.2 in G minor Op.16: IV Finale – Vladimir Krainev
• Schumann: Symphony No. 4 in D minor, Op. 120/Scherzo – David Zinman

And via the brilliant Freesound Project, quite a few samples from talented users:

• Household glass clink – RHumphries
• Typewriter – Walter Odington
• Wind – Black Boe
• ‘Christmas Cancelled’ radio chat – acclivity
• Craftsman ratchet one crank – atomota
• Group laugh long – thanvannispen
• Laughter – sagetyrtle
• Citystreet3 – sagetyrtle
• Parklife – inchadney
• Footsteps bare feet – Corsica_S
• Pouring wine – Heigh_hoo
• Waves pebbles – dobroide
• Pumpe – Ohrwurm
• Dropping a file flat – joedeshon

Now I really (really, really) need to get moving on a photo shoot. Finding a location and props from that period is proving far more difficult that I first thought. I might spend some time/money in the dangerously awesome Mitchell Rd Antiques warehouse in the next couple of days.