What have I been up to? New project!!

[Ashman]

Well my first movie (www.betweenthelinesmovie.com) is complete and ready for DVD by the end of this week, hooray!! Does this mean time rest? You bet it doesn't. I have already started drafting a feature, a post apoclyptic one no less. The atmosphere is very much 'Time of the wolf' mixed with 'The Descent'. Already have a few people interested in the project and so far im very happy with the early concept art and structure of the story. Although don't hold your breath, there's going to be ongoing work until late this year. Aiming for a shoot Summer next year. I will be looking for matte artists and a VFX supervisor on this one so anyone interested drop me a line. But like I said it's still a way off. I'm looking to step back from working on the effects to concentrate on the story telling aspects of this production. Ambitious project? You bet it is.

Anyway time to kick back and take 5.

All the Best

Ash

[fireslice]

Ill help. And isnt between the lines done with fxhome's products? because they kind of advertise your movie. Nice

[Ashman]

Yes nearly all of the compositing work and keying was done in Visionlab. Fxhome have supported the project throughout which was great. I'm a complete amature when it comes to effects work really. I had alot of help in the early phases of visual post work. I was asking questions daily in order to learn more about what I could and couldn't do, I was going through tutorials for 5 months prior to shooting. I'm taking what I have learned and applying it to the next production. Here's hoping I eventually get funding. I have made a few contatcs and great friends through the film. I'll again need all the help and support for the next one.

And I thought filmmaking wouldn't be so stressful, but still I love it.

[tritrinh]

Hey ashman it said you use the xm2/gl2 to shoot "Between the Lines", I am using the same camera but what did you use in post production to paint your film a greenish color, and make it look so high def, and hollywood caliber. Is it a high resolution len your using? I shoot with the gl2 and I cant get it to look like that.

[Ashman]

Set your shots up on a long lens, we couldn't afford 35mm so we cheated a little. What you need to do is stand far away from your subject and zoom in. This'll flatten the image and give you depth of field. Good framing and light also helps alot.

I'd also recommend shooting In frame mode as it's the progressive equivelent. Some people prefer to do this in post but I could never get the same result. Beware if you plan on doing slow motion it may not be a good idea, trying to slow down 25 frames a second is a real pain and can destroy footage.

Once you have your shots you'll need to colour correct them in your NLE so they all match. Then you can grade using various tools like magic bullet or visionlab. Basically all the grade does is maipulate colours to give you a mood for your story. It can help alot also when trying to obtain rich skin tones. These are very basic steps but there are some in depth guides kicking around the net, try googling them out. I'd also suggest tests before any shoot so you know what look and colour scheme your going for. Preperation is key so test everything. It'll be worth it in the long run

Hope this helps
Ash

[tritrinh]

Thanks alot Ashman, this really help alot. By the way what is NLE?

[Ashman]

NLE is your editing program. Examples - premiere, vegas, final cut pro and so on.

Cheers
Ash

[tritrinh]

oh, am not familiar with that abreviation. But Thanks alot Ash

[fireslice]

yeah Ill definetley help I use after effects and maya and shake
Email me at shumbastudios@gmail.com