Rickesh Gurung
final major project
experimental
Shooting in Flat picture profile
I have tried shooting in C-LOG before however this is my first time properly shooting in flat, colour correcting and colour grading the footage in post. Shooting the footage flat gives me more flexibility in the editing room as well as bring out detail what would be visible overwise if shot on the default canon picture profile. This exercise was mostly experimental as i had no clue how the footage will turn out to be after editing it as i was doubting my skill in colour grading as well as worried about the digital noise flat picture profile can produce.
What is flat picture profile:
Flat picture profile, also known as LOG is a setting in the camera that allows the camera to capture the image at a higher dynamic range. This is important because camera with higher dynamic range can capture images balancing out both highlights and the shadows without one or the other looking blown out or under exposed. Therefore the LOG footage looks de- saturated and ugly while you’re shooting the footage however when you’re grading it in post, you will get a wider flexibility on how you want the image to look as you have more control over the footage because there is more important there. The more dynamic range there is, the more cinematic the footage will look as LOG setting is used in every hollywood movie to capture every single detail.
How I achieved this:
First and most importantly, I color corrected all the clips using the basic color correction tool on premiere pro where i can tweak and change all the basic elements on the clips for example the exposure, highlights and contrast. This part of the process is really important before slapping on the pre-made LUT color pack because the image should be corrected first. After that i chose what LUT i wanted to use, in this case i used the “Matrix Blue” pallet and chnaged the intensity of the effect to my desire. Changing the intensity is also important because beginner filmmakers and editor forget about this part and their footage ends up looking over done and not realistic.
Me and my film crew booked the equipment we needed and even had an induction on the Goddess C100. After the induction i was able to hold the holiness of the C100 with my naked hands. We got the glide rail out as well as lighting equipment such as LED lights with defusers and reflectors.
Shots i needed:
A very slow track of my back moving backwards while keeping me in the middle as well as maintaining symmetry on both sides. This shot is used for the end sequence therefore the shot is being slow and steady giving the audience the opportunity to digest the information and understand the visual story. This shot is also used to show realization in the character and what’s happening around him. Overall this scene as a whole is used to give the character and the audience a chance to breathe and take in the surrounding and events that has occurred.
Problems we faced:
Setting up the glide rail was really hard and time consuming. We didn’t have the correct plates for the tripods that goes into the glide rail. To overcome this problem we had to manually move the glide rail as well as hold the glide rail and the tripod together which Ryan helpfully did and Deimo did the movements with the C100 and the actual glide rail.
Problems I Faced In Post production:
When i was editing the clip, the shot was not focused all the way in. This is because when we were looking at the playback display the shot looked perfectly focused since the screen is small.
Things i learned // what i could improve:
Next time we are doing this scene/shot i could bring in my laptop with me and plug in the HTMI cable straight from the camera to my laptop to view the shot in real time with a bigger screen to spot any mistakes. If that plan doesn’t work out, we could use the magnifying tool in the C100 to double check the shot is in focus or not.
Intro Scene Practice Sequence:
This scene will be the first section of my FMP, used as the set up sequence for the main section.
I tried implementing the 180 film technique by always keeping the camera on one side of the spectrum. I broke and blend the rule here and there but for my first try, it didn’t look that bad i guess.
This practice session was manly to check how the shots will look in relation to the environment and the lighting conditions. The lighting is really important for this sequence as if the sun is out and the light is really harsh, it could ruin my shot as I am going for a dark and uncomforting aesthetic.
Color Grading:
This part of the scene will take place in the current timeline which is the future (2049). To represent this timeline, i will be using cold colours like blue and green. To represent the past, i will be using warmer colours like orange and golden. I want the audience to feel disgusted when they see the scenes of the future which is a representation of the current state of the world. When they see the past, i want them to feel comfortable and welcoming.
Things to improve:
I realised the whole time, the shots were out of focus. Even though this is the camera operator’s fault, as the director i should be reminding and making sure the focus and other camera settings are set before shooting.
Real Sequence:
On the actual scene, i wouldn’t be surprised if i will be changing some of the shot sizes as well as the angles.
Plot Hole:
You will never find out what Wyn saw…
Working with other content creators:
This video is a experimental fashion ad/ campaign that my friend shot and edited. Even though the product itself isn’t related to my FMP, the process of making it is really important as i need the experience working with other people. A lot of my previous projects i have always been the one directing,acting and editing. This mini project my friend and I did allowed me to work on the other side of the spectrum which was to act and to experience receiving directions from other people.
Things I learned:
using music and transitions in sync to make full use of the effects i have trying to present to the audience and how i want them to feel. And using music properly to its advantage to sell the effect or transitions and more impactful.
Other small useful tips i learned:
Before doing this mini project, i would always use my hands as a form of gimbal which has worked perfectly for me. As i am known for having the most stable hands. However looking back at the shoots we took, it amazes me on how smooth and professional looking the video turned out to be using a gimbal.
Experimental research of a style of filming a fight.
This was my first time choreographing a fight scene with my co-worker. I learned a lot thing in this mini project we did on Tuesday. The main task was to create a short realistic fight scene. The realism of this fight was created by performing an interesting and good set of fight choreography, adding music to sell the impact and the weight of the hits snd punches and well as adding manual camera movements to further enhance the effect and realism.
Blender : City Model
This is an (unfinished) model of an imaginary city i have created which is linked to the story that i will be presenting on my FMP. Reflecting back on my “Maya Robot” project. I did really bad as it was my first time using maya and i had little to no interest in modelling which affected my final product and my grade on that project. Therefore i am doing this in my own free time to show that i can indeed model 3D objects and make interesting things out of it. I am also doing this to show off the skills i have obtained from Joe’s lessons and his teachings and applying all of that into my FMP. Most importantly showing appreciation and thankfulness to Joe, Matt and the other teachers, staff and friends for teaching me and helping me out when i was highly lacking in skills in these areas.
This part/ scene that i am creating will play a heavy roll in my FMP and the story that it holds so that it doesn’t appear as i am doing this to just show that i did it. I really hope that this scene will make it to the final cut of the FMP as i'm just experimenting at the moment.