It's A New Dawn, It's A New Day

Well, CCAD is now over and I'm now at Teesside University studying for my top up year. Currently I am making a short documentary on Gaelic Football as editor and camera alongside Richard Hansen (Director), Karl Keenen (Camera/Edit), Lainey Clark (Producer/Camera), Raphael Dixon (Camera/Edit), Sam Hall (Camera) and Natalie Swain (Interviewer). So far it's going pretty well and we're aiming for it to be finished by the 22nd November, a full eight days before the deadline.

Cineworld Showing and Hartlepool

For the past couple of weeks I have been  at Hartlepool CCAD for the end of year degree show. Despite the extra work, it was quite fun and the night went well. I'll be there manning the show today and on Friday.

On Monday we had our end of year degree show at Cineworld. It was a very good night, though my specialism film wasn't shown  However, Positive Children UK was shown in its place. Overall, the night was enjoyable and one of the highlights of the night was seeing my college Media Studies teacher.

Updated Work Resume

Steel Streets (2007) - Director/Camera Operator
St. Mary's College X-Factor (2008) - Camera Operator
Pax Christi Peace Film (2009) - Producer/Director/Camera Operator
Music Video - I Don't Want To Miss A Thing (2009) - Director/Producer
The Devil Makes Work For Idle Hands (2009) - Producer
Silence Of The Lambs Reinterpretation Chef - (2009) - Lighting/Editor
Silence Of The Lambs Reinterpretation Noir (2009) - Lighting
Journey Of A Relationship (2009) - Producer/Lighting
Silence Of The Lambs Reconstruction (2010) - Sound
A Sense Of Time (2010) - Editor
Sometimes It's Just Not Funny (2010) - Camera Operator/Editor
Framed (2010) - Writer/Producer/Director/Camera Operator/Editor
Me, Myself + I (2010) - Writer/Producer/Director/Editor
Flip For Boro - Loan Shark (2010) - Camera Operator/Runner
Order In The Court 2nd Unit (2011) - Producer/Editor
Order In The Court (2011) - Camera Operator/Vision Mixer/Props Master/Assistant Floor Manager
Positive Children UK (2011) - Runner/Editor
Yellowcayke Saltburn Beach Music Video (2011) - Runner
Just The Once (2011) - Runner/Sound Assistant
Dr. Z (2011)- Clapper/Special Thanks
Collector's Edition (2011) - Special Thanks
Waiting (2011) - Producer/Writer/Editor

Got into Teesside

Well I got onto the top up year at Teesside University TV + Film Production. Should be interesting.

Specialism Finally Over!

Well the long torture of the specialism project is finally over and done with. Thank God!. It was a really tough and stressful experience, yet it was a great learning curve.I learned a lot about myself as a worker. Now onto the professional studies

Filming Finished

The filming of "Waiting" has been finished finally. It hasn't been without its problems. The biggest issue we had was with the 1960s/1970s era clothing and set dressing.

All we need to do now is edit.

New Actress

After losing Emily Coates, the actress who was going to play Eleanor, we had to look for another. Luckily we were given the name of another actress who appeared at the auditions. Vicky Holtom, who was also in Karl's film "Through The Eyes".

She is working
4th  from 12 until 4.30
6th  5-6
7th 1 - 7pm

We'll most likely film her parts on the 6th as she isn't working until the evening.

Presentation Finally Finished

Well, today I've finished my presentation. It is on semitoics and the role of religion and mythology in film. Hopefully it will all go well on Wednesday.

Specialism Is Going Better

Well after certain unpleasentries surrounding the Waiting project, things have gotten a lot better over the past few weeks. Thanks to my co-producer Sam, we now have pretty much all the actors and most of the locations. Unfortunately the actress we originally got to play Eleanor is only free over Easter so we may have to hire a replacement.

Specialism Update And Potential Swansong

So far the specialism is not looking good at all. Not got much organized so far and it likes the plug will be pulled on it if things don't get done by this week. If it happens it looks like it'll be the end of my CCAD career.

Presentation Update

I have had to completely revamp my presentation. Originally it was about uses and gratifications and the empowerment theory. However the new idea features more symbolism in it. Because of this the presentation is now on semiotics and idelogy, which is good for me because I found the subject easier to digest.

Specialism

Just had a quick feedback of my specialism script. At the moment it's very basic and there needs to be some more visuals added. There are also a couple of problems with potential copyright infringement. One of the scenes is very similar to the film "Up" and the ending is quite similar to Edgar Allen Poe's "Raven". There will need to be some changes and different visuals to make stop it from being too similar.

Second Draft Of Poem

As I lie here waiting;

Waiting alone;

Alone in this bed;

I dream;

Dream of memories;

Friends and family long forgotten;

My first love;

I remember my grandfather;

His ramblings;

And how he used to make me laugh;

I remember the words he said to me;

“Arthur”, he said;

“Always remember;”

“A man is not truly rich unless he is blessed with love;”

At first I laughed and brushed him off;

The old fool was always rambling about nothing;

Why should I have listened?;

Oh, how I wish I did;

I loved once;

Ah, Eleanor;

How I miss you;

How I wish I could hear your comforting voice;

As I lie here alone waiting;

We met in school;

I was but a child of thirteen;

We met in the playground;

One December afternoon;

From that day on we never parted;

We were wed in a quaint chapel in Whitby;

‘Twas a beautiful ceremony;

Then came the worst moment of my life;

A moment which changed my life forever;

She was diagnosed with cancer;

They gave her six months to live;

Six months;

The days went by;

While we waited;

Waited;

Every day I hoped that the doctor was wrong;

Every day I watched her grow weaker;

And weaker with each passing breath;

Despite this she seemed happy and at peace;

I never understood why;

Maybe it was because of faith;

Or maybe it was because even though the future looked bleak;

And even though she would leave before her time;

She had no reason to be sad;

As she had me;

On that fateful winter afternoon in December;

The same afternoon we met;

Twenty-five years later;

She slipped away peacefully;

And with a smile on her face;

I never loved again;

The only love I had was the money;

Over the years I lost friends;

I didn’t need them;

I was rich, what more could I need;

Plus it wouldn’t change anything;

It wouldn’t bring her back;

I lie here in bed wishing I had someone here with me;

What use is money when you have nobody else in the world?;

Nobody to talk to;

Nobody to listen;

Nobody to comfort me as I wait;

There are doctors here;

But all they do is examine me;

Check my heart and blood;

To see if I still live;

I may live physically;

But I died long ago;

The years went by as I watched others slip away;

My grandfather, my mother and my father;

I look out the window and see the night sky;

The darkness;

I begin to ponder at what lies ahead;

Is there a heaven?

A hell?

Will I see my Eleanor again?

Or will I just slip away into permanent darkness?

I wait and I wait;

I hear the branches tapping against the window;

Blowing in the wind with a fit of rage;

The rain pouring outside like a blitzkrieg;

The thunder and lightning;

Booming and flashing;

Perforating my thoughts:

Oh why couldn’t it have been me instead?

Why Eleanor?

Why couldn’t I move on and tried to be happy?

I have no-one;

Nobody cares about a miserable old miser like me;

Nobody;

The storm is getting louder;

An owl is perched on a tree;

Staring at me;

Staring into my soul;

Oh why do you mock me?;

Leave me alone;

Dark shadows pass my eye;

I hear everything;

The doctors on their midnight rounds;

Their footsteps getting louder and louder;

Echoing in the darkness;

The dripping of the tap;

Louder and louder;

Faster and faster;

The storm is raging;

It’s getting colder;

My body is freezing;

The owl is still there watching;

And waiting for something to happen;

Just staring at me;

I feel tired;

Everything’s slowing down;

The owl is still there

Staring, staring;

The grim spectre of death is watching over me;

As I lie here waiting;

Waiting....

 I have timed this and it clocks in at 5 minuteds and 5 seconds.

Silhouette Owl Logos

Here is a quick retrospective of the Silhouette Owl logo.

Original Logo

Latest Logo

No Rest For The Wicked...

Well it's been a hectic few weeks what with deadlines constantly looming over us like a silent watcher. We've had the multi-cam show, the live film, the multi-cam folder, the live folder and the graphics package. Thankfully everything was handed in on time and hopefully everything was up to standards.

Now a week later we are starting the specialism and we need to get the first drafts of the script finished by Monday. Luckily my poem is already written, so it just needed to be formatted into script. The script itself is very basic at the moment as ideas haven't been fully organized as of yet.

Yesterday we recorded the poem to see how long it took to read out with proper pacing and to see if cuts needed to be made. It took just over 5 minutes to read with a few errors. There were a few lines that made me cringe, however, so I think there will be cuts.

Graphics Package

The graphics package is completed and handed in. Should post up my logo in the next few days.

And so it begins....

We now have the crews for the specialism. I am editing for Steven's project "It Only Happens Once". It is a piece about domestic abuse with two separate stories intertwined.

For my "Waiting" project, I'm the editor, writer and co-producer along with Sam Hall. I have two directors, Steven Swain and Sam Hall and Laura Glendenning on cinematography. I'm quite happy with the crew, however I'm not too happy being a producer as it's possibly my weakest role.

And now on to the Specialism...

Today we are starting the Specialism project. Last week it was decided in a tutorial that my visual poem "Waiting" will be given the go-ahead for the project. Now I need to find a crew..... To be continued

Hallelujah!

 Both the live and multicam folders are handed in ready to mark. Hopefully they'll both be up to standards.

Well Here's A Blast From The Past

While browsing the Internet I came across a Gazette article with me in from a couple of years back. It was about me and a few other students winning the "St. Mary's College Oscars". I won best directing and best film along with another student named Arran Garrens, for the short film "Steel Streets", a short crime thriller. It was done as part of our AS level project. The object was to create the opening three minutes of a fictional thriller. Looking back at it, I think it was quite amateurish especially compared to some of the stuff done at CCAD. The editing was basic and some of the shots were a bit pretentious, but overall it was nice getting some recognition.

Sometimes It's Just Not Funny

This is a film I made last year, along with Joanne Clayton and Andy Harrison for the Brake Campaign's 2 Young 2 Die competition. It won the 18+ category and came second overall.

Here are a couple of Gazzette links:

http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/gazette-communities/ts5-acklam-and-linthorpe/ts5-acklam-and-linthorpe-local-news/2010/11/10/film-scoops-road-safety-award-84229-27633664/

http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/2010/10/28/film-shows-danger-of-driving-while-on-phone-84229-27558103/

Deadline's Looming

In the next few days we have both the multi-cam (31st) and the live deadline (2nd). I am confident that I'll get them done in time and will hopefully pass.

After they're dome I can focus on my specialism and hopefully get a very good grade for it. It's been something I've been looking forward to doing for the whole year.

Multi-Cam Viewing

Today we watched the multicam show back on the big screen. Overall it was quite good, though there were some really cringe-worthy moments, some on my part. The biggest ones were sound levels, cuts and sometimes getting the top of the set.

Unfortunately, I was one of the people who caught the top of the set at times, which I'm quite distraught about as its not something I usually do.

Deadline Day

In about half an hour or so the live film has to be handed in! Will I have time? Will I be able to do this mountainous task in time before that forboding hour of 12PM????!!!! ..........................................The answer is no. It was handed in yesterday and I can't do it twice.

CV Done

Today I have finished my C.V. ready for the workshop tomorrow. Now I need to finish my graphics package for the 9th of Feb.

Bring on the specialism.

In a couple of weeks we will be starting the specialism project. I am actually looking forward to it. I think it will be a great oppurtunity to improve my skills and to show my talent as an individual. I think I'm looking forward to writing more than editing. I think the super-hero idea will be really fun to write and has the potential to be pretty hilarious if done correctly. I do kind of want to take it to production, however I think it will be a bit too difficult to do. I really like doing the "Waiting" film, I have even started doing some work towards it beforehand to make things easier and less stressful for me.

And the live is done

After a couple of months of editing and snow, the Positve Children UK film is finally completed. Personally, I think it looks quite well and features one of my favourite moments in any CCAD films.

Specialism Topics

For my specialism I pitched two ideas. The first idea was a superhero comedy in which a character from a "dark" universe gets transported into another dimention. A more farcical and "camp" universe ala Adam West and vice versa. Another idea I had was a film in which a man is lying in his hospital bed dying and going back to various different moments in his life which made him alone. It will be told in a narration poem form (which has been posted in a previous blog post).

Film resumé so far

Steel Streets (2007) - Director/Camera Operator
St. Mary's College X-Factor (2008) - Camera Operator
Pax Christi Peace Film (2009) - Producer/Director/Camera Operator
Music Video - I Don't Want To Miss A Thing (2009) - Director/Producer
The Devil Makes Work For Idle Hands (2009) - Producer
Silence Of The Lambs Reinterpretation Chef - (2009) - Lighting/Editor
Silence Of The Lambs Reinterpretation Noir (2009) - Lighting
Journey Of A Relationship (2009) - Producer/Lighting
Silence Of The Lambs Reconstruction (2010) - Sound
A Sense Of Time (2010) - Editor
Sometimes It's Just Not Funny (2010) - Camera Operator/Editor
Framed (2010) - Writer/Producer/Director/Camera Operator/Editor
Me, Myself + I (2010) - Writer/Producer/Director/Editor
Flip For Boro - Loan Shark (2010) - Camera Operator/Runner
Order In The Court 2nd Unit (2011) - Producer/Editor
Order In The Court (2011) - Camera Operator/Vision Mixer/Props Master/Assistant Floor Manager
Positive Children UK (2011) - Runner/Editor
Yellowcayke Saltburn Beach Music Video (2011) - Runner

Extra, Extra

On Friday I took part on Sam and Jess' Woolroom shoot. I played an extra. For this I had to lie on a large sheet on the grass in front of MIMA, twas very cold. A few if the multicam actors took part in it as well, which was nice.

Deadline Notes - Just So I Don't Forget

January 26th - Live film hand-in
January 31st - Multi-Cam Folder
February 2nd - Live folder
February 9th - Final graphics package

Poem for my Specialism

For my specialism I have written a poem, which provides the overall storyline for the film. Here it is:

As I lie here waiting;
Waiting alone;
Alone in this bed;
I dream;
Dream of memories;
Friends and family long forgotten;
My first love;
I remember my grandfather;
His ramblings;
And how he used to make me laugh;
I remember the words he said to me;
“Arthur”, he said;
“Always remember;”
“A man is not truly rich unless he is blessed with love;”
At first I laughed and brushed him off;
The old fool was always rambling about nothing;
Why should I have listened?;
Oh, how I wish I did;
I loved once;
Ah, Eleanor;
How I miss you;
How I wish I could hear your comforting voice;
As I lie here alone waiting;
We met in school;
I was but a child of thirteen;
We met in the playground;
One December afternoon;
Ah, I remember it well;
It was at lunch time;
We spotted each other;
And our souls entwined;
From that day on we never parted;
We were wed in a quaint chapel in Whitby;
‘Twas a beautiful ceremony;
We never had children;
No, no children;
She couldn’t have any;
We managed though;
We were still happy and very much in love;
Then came the worst moment of my life;
A moment which changed my life forever;
She was diagnosed with cancer;
They gave her six months to live;
Six months;
The days went by;
While we waited;
Waited;
Every day I hoped that the doctor was wrong;
Unfortunately this wasn’t the case;
Every day I watched her grow weaker;
And weaker with each passing breath;
Despite this she seemed happy and at peace;
I never understood why;
Maybe it was because of faith;
Though she was never religious;
Or maybe it was because even though the future looked bleak;
And even though she would leave before her time;
She had no reason to be sad;
As she had me;
On that fateful winter afternoon in December;
The same afternoon we met;
Twenty-five years later;
She slipped away peacefully;
And with a smile on her face;
I never loved again;
The only love I had was the money;
Over the years I lost friends;
I didn’t need them;
I was rich, what more could I need;
Plus it wouldn’t change anything;
It wouldn’t bring her back;
Oh, how wrong I was;
I lie here in bed wishing I had someone here with me;
What use is money when you have nobody else in the world?;
Nobody to talk to;
Nobody to listen;
Nobody to comfort me as I wait;
There are doctors here;
But all they do is examine me;
Take my blood for tests;
Check my heart and blood;
To see if I still live;
I may live physically;
But I died long ago;
As the years went by I became greedy;
All I cared about was money;
The quick fix which would make me happy again;
The years went by as I watched others slip away;
My grandfather, my mother and my father;
I don’t speak to my brother;
We fell out a few years after Eleanor died;
It all happened so fast;
I can’t even remember why;
I don’t even know what has become of him;
Is he still alive?;
Does he even think of me?;
Does he know I’m here;
I guess I’ll never know;
I look out the window and see the night sky;
The darkness;
I begin to ponder at what lies ahead;
Is there a heaven?
A hell?
Will I see my Eleanor again?
Or will I just slip away into permanent darkness?
I wait and I wait;
What’s that sound?
The fast tapping;
I hear the branches tapping against the window;
Blowing in the wind with a fit of rage;
The rain pouring outside like a blitzkrieg;
The thunder and lightning;
Booming and flashing;
Perforating my thoughts:
Oh why couldn’t it have been me instead?
Why Eleanor?
Why couldn’t I move on and tried to be happy?
I have no-one;
Nobody cares about a miserable old miser like me;
Nobody;
The storm is getting louder;
What’s that sound?
What’s that on the tree?;
An owl perched;
Staring at me;
Staring into my soul;
Why do you mock me?;
Leave me alone;
Dark shadows pass my eye;
I hear everything;
The doctors on their midnight rounds;
The footsteps getting louder and louder;
Echoing in the darkness;
The dripping of the tap;
Louder and louder;
Faster and faster;
The storm is raging;
It’s getting colder;
My body is freezing;
The owl is still there watching;
And waiting for something to happen;
Just staring at me;
I feel tired;
Everything’s slowing down;
The owl is still perched;
Staring;
The grim spectre of death is watching over me;
As I lie here waiting;
Waiting....

And that's a wrap!

Yesterday was the final mulitcam show, thankfully. All those four months of work boiled down to 52 minutes. It was very nerve-racking, but slightly enjoyable experience. Personally I think it went quite well, though there were a few mistakes, though nothing very major. Today we have been painting the set white for it to be taken down.

Oh, Multi-Cam, Multi-Cam, Multicam

Unfortunately we have had a few knockbacks with the multi-cam. As with last year, actors have been a problem. Our Detective Law, dropped due to what he described as a "lack of communication". Not long after that we also lost our Stanley Buttons,  for unknown reasons.  We did have a replacement Detective Law, however he also dropped out because he thought the script was too long winded and was uncomfortable performing live. Not only that but our Vlad,dropped out due to work commitments. This was very unfortuante as he fit the part perfectly. Luckily though, we easily found a replacement, who is the husband of another one of our actresses. In the previous week our Christine Charles, dropped out due to college work and our romance character moved to the USA.  The romance was dropped because of this and was replaced with a chick flick section. We have found replacements for actors, but it is very unfortunate.

Walking in a Winter Wonderland....

We have started to film the Yellowcayke production. It started out well, however there have been various problems with the production afterwards. On the Friday shoot we had to finish early due to the snow. This has also affected other shoots.

The live isn't the only shoot which was affected due to snow. Many of the actors couldn't come in for rehersals and the college was shut, so we were unable to collect equipment which meant a few other shoot dates were cancelled.

Of course it wasn't negative. Despite a couple of problems, i.e.losing a location and actress the "Positive Children UK" shoot went very well. Arguably the best shoot I've ever been on. The actress dropped out, so we used Louise's mother for the part. This worked quite well. Also later in the shoot we were supposed to use the Teesside Uni Library, however it was closed due to snow. This was only a minor problem as the university staff allowed us to us another building for the shoot.

The Story So Far...

At first we had to pitch for the live project. We could pitch for "The Wool Room", pitch for our own personal project, "The History of CCAD" or a music video for the band Yellowcayke. I pitched for Yellowcayke. My role for this is the backup/cut-away camera. It should be fun. For this we went on various different recces in Saltburn, Whitby, Staithes and T'Leeds.

I am also an editor for Louise's project for "Positive Children UK". This is an anti-bullying charity which helps prevent people from becoming bullies by showing teachers and parents different ways of dealing with children.

For the multicam we decided that we are going to do a sitcom. The idea behind is a courtroom comedy where certain film genres (Musical, Sci-Fi, Western, Horror, Kids TV, Romance, Documentary and Action) have to they why they shouldn't get the chop. I think this will provide a decent challenge and will be quite entertaining to do.