Seeing colors
I just spent 2.5 hours color balancing 6.25 minutes of my movie. At this rate, I only have 27 more hours to go - and then I get to do the audio. Wheee! Looks a whole lot better, though.
August 22, 2008
August 19, 2008
RAAM: Locked and Loaded!!!
I hereby declare picture for my first documentary film, LOCKED! Sure, it took 2 years, 1 month, and 28 days to complete the story edit, but hey, who’s counting, right? It got done and that’s all that matters. Now on to the technical dotting of the i’s and crossing the t’s: mastering the audio tracks, completing the titles and bottom-thirds ("bottom thirds" are the text & graphics that pop up at the bottom of your screen, used ridiculously often in news programs), color balancing and visual polish, and music.
For the end credits, I’m planning on using some music written by my friend John Pilafidis, to which this film and the race in the film, are dedicated. The song’s intro is a little long, but I’ve got John’s master files. Always wanted to learn how to edit music…
I want to thank all of my friends who gave me feedback through the editing process. Your feedback made this a much, much better film. Thanks Amanda, Karen, Becky, Linda, Mike, Will, Susan, Helen, Bernie, Laurie, Tom, Marisa, Mark, and Harvey.
August 17, 2008
RAAM movie: the final sprint
I’m bouncing off the walls with excitement! I’ve just showed my last cut of the RAAM movie to 5 people and they all loved it. Those who’d seen it before thought it was surprisingly better than previous cuts. (One said, "this is a completely different movie") I’ve just a few minor tweaks based on feedback, and I’ll be set for Picture Lock by the end of the day tomorrow. That puts me solidly on a path to FINISHING THIS MOVIE by the end of the month. I’m very proud of how it’s turning out. It’s much better than I expected.
August 12, 2008
RAAM documentary nearly finished
After working on this project for over two years, it’s time to call this thing done. At the end of this month, I will declare this movie - in whatever state it’s in - done. That means I’m shooting for picture lock this Sunday. (Picture lock is when I’ve stopped editing the sequence of edits, and moved on to things like sound mastering, titles, and color balance). I’ve made some major edits based on test screenings and watching the raw footage over again (incredibly valuable). Benjamin Zander’s description of musical phrasing, and the structure of Samuel Barber’s Adaggio for Strings have also provided great inspiration. Look for more news in the next few weeks.
Meanwhile, try what I did this weekend: unplug the internet. I think I gained at least 3 hours per day doing that. Hmmm… Probably need to do it right now…
July 17, 2008
To finish or to abandon: that is the question
“A poem is never finished, only abandoned” - Paul ValeryMany have generalized this quote to apply to all artistic endeavors. On a video for current.tv, Ira Glass pointed out that all artists have excellent taste. They have a clear taste or vision of what work in a particular medium could be, and they create because they are driven to demonstrate that taste. But, there’s often a gap between the artist’s taste and his skill level. That gap causes endless frustration, and in part gets to the phenomenon behind the above quote. Often, an artist’s taste exceeds his skill (or materials), thus can never finish a particular work; only abandon it and move on to the next project.
Continue reading "To finish or to abandon: that is the question"
February 07, 2008
RAAM: movie editing continues
I made some good progress this week on my Race Across America documentary. It’s really coming together, and know what? It’s not half bad!
November 19, 2007
RAAM: Rough cut complete
I just finished the first complete assembly of my RAAM documentary. Heck, I’ll even call it the official 1st rough cut. It only took me a year and a half, but hey, I made it this far, and that’s farther than I would’ve guessed a while back. In a few days, I’ll watch it from start to finish for the first time to see if it makes any sense. After a few tweaks, I’ll unleash it on my unsuspecting friends. Bwahh, ha hah!!
October 22, 2007
RAAM Update
It’s amazing how this job thing really cuts into one’s schedule! I’m getting used to my new employment schedule, so I was able to resume editing last week. Look for more clips in the next few weeks.
June 20, 2007
RAAM: time to slice & dice
Phew… Just finished reviewing all the footage. This project proves that you should never loose faith in a project, no matter how discouraged you may feel. There’s a lot more good stuff here than I had thought when I filmed it. I think the distance that the span of a year gave helped a lot, as did my new logging method (taking much more detailed notes, real-time).
I still don’t have a concrete outline of the story, but I do have a nebulous idea knocking around my head. I can see several of the key scenes, how to assemble each scene, and how several relate to each other. I’m a stickler for structure, though, so I still feel the need to have a single thesis to hang it all off of.
In the meantime, enjoy this little clip. While reviewing the footage, I took a few still frames from each segment as a form of visual note taking. On a lark, I chained all 341 of them together at 1 second a piece. Just sit back and let it wash over you. Leave a comment with your impression - I’m entirely curious about how those impressions correlate with mine.
June 15, 2007
RAAM: a little distance is good
When I finished filming RAAM, I thought it was a dismal failure. On top of being sick, I had allowed myself to be made crew chief of the rider’s team part way through the race, knowing that I’d have to give up shooting. The first two thirds of my footage are only from the first third of the race. I thought I had missed all kinds of story elements - especially the competition with the Brazilian team which egged our team on through so much of the race. I have to admit that this cynicism is a big reason why I procrastinated on editing it.
Now that I’m re-reviewing it all one year later, I see that there’s plenty of stuff here - including bits about the Brazilians. It’s mostly people talking about it instead of showing it, but it’s there. It’s amazing what a little space in time and in emotion. (And, thanks to friend and documentary photographer Amanda Koster for giving me the appropriate kick in the butt about keeping an optimistic attitude)
June 14, 2007
RAAM: asleep at the wheel
Just another tidbit to share from today’s work. This guy obviously knew I was recording him so he was hamming it up quite a bit. The story he tells, though is true - I heard it from his co-pilot first. For reference: this is the fourth day of the race, and most people have been averaging 4-5 hours of sleep a night, but only about 2-3 at any given time. Nearly all of that is in a moving vehicle…
June 13, 2007
RAAM: editing the hardest race in the world
Editing this thing really shows me how important it is to think of the edit while shooting a film. Take this little clip for example. One of the riders in the race had just crashed. Nearly all of the aftermath takes place in the back room of the motor home as the racers try to figure out what’s going to happen. There are some lovely little moments, but they’re surrounded by long stretches of absolutely nothing interesting. To keep the film moving, I need to cut away to other people or locations. Had I thought about this more while shooting, I’d have gone to the other rooms of the RV to get more coverage.
Of course, this also shows how tough it can be as a one-man film crew. Had I gone to the front of the motor home to film, I probably would’ve missed some of these little interesting bits. But maybe there was also some interesting bits in the front of the van. Who knows? You can’t let yourself get caught up in that mind game. It’s like still photographers grieving over the shot that got away while changing lenses.
June 09, 2007
RAAM: Back in the saddle again
We’re coming up on the one year anniversary of the start of the race. I think that’s as good an excuse as any to get finished on this movie. I’ve left it languishing while I worked on a startup. This month, I’m letting the startup go and will focus on editing until it’s done.
Since it’s been six months since I last looked at any of this, I’ve spent the last few days reviewing footage. This time, though, I’m being a little more exploratory about it - meandering from one clip to another instead of going through them in sequence. Meanwhile, I’m doing radio-style logs (See the This American Life comic book on the subject) including visual notes and representative stills from the video stream. I print these out, thus I can sift and edit very quickly on paper. Looks promising, but we’ll see how useful it ends up being.
November 18, 2006
RAAM: still cranking
I’m still cranking through the footage I shot of RAAM, reviewing and categorizing it. It’s much more intense work than it sounds as I’m watching and listening very closely while making notes, tagging footage, thinking of all the possible story lines and where each clip fits, all while trying to tune in to the subtext of the scene - what behaviors are they demonstrating, what’s going unsaid, how do they feel, etc. And there’s no fast forwarding. I have to watch all 20 minutes of a biker’s butt riding ahead of us because something might be said or someone might do something interesting. Even the boring bits demand my full attention - even more because they’re dull. I’ve been averaging about 1-1.5 hours a session before my brain turns to jello, and only about 3 of these per day. It’s easily one of the most focused things I’ve done in a while.
The interesting thing is that as we’re nearing the end of the race, and as the racers are realizing they’re closer to the end than the beginning, I too am getting psyched. I find myself pushing to do just one more tape because it gets me that much closer to the finish line. I’m more focused, able to push each session towards 2 hours or more. Today, I realized that I’m going to finish this stage of editing this weekend - just as I watched the racers get ready for their last 24 hours of the race. Synchronicity or unconscious design?
October 18, 2006
Camerawork and editing RAAM
I’ve finally gotten back into editing the RAAM video in earnest. While doing so, I came across some clips that illustrate some of the points from my series on video vs stills.
September 28, 2006
Solarize me, baby
I used to think that solarization was just some goofy technique photographers used to show how cool they are in the darkroom. (The process of generating these in a darkroom is tedious and difficult on a good day). Then, Ron Hammond said something clever while presenting Forgotten but not Gone, “Solarization is wonderful when the image is all about shape.” A light went off in my head.
August 20, 2006
Published again! My commercial video online
Amidst editing RAAM footage and hopping between continents, I flew down to California to shoot a video for one of my brother’s clients. It was a great exercise in improvisation with tricky lighting and echo-chamber-like accoustics. Still, we were incredibly productive, doing 8 completely independent setups in 7.5 hours. I also had a lot of fun working with my brother. Have a look at the Definition Fitness web site to see video.
Continue reading "Published again! My commercial video online"
May 07, 2006
Day 2 of shooting
Pretty full day of shooting today. Out the door at 8:15, I taped some of the guys getting together for a ride, then followed their ride from the back of the Ford. Shot some establishing coverage in the early afternoon. Finished off the shoot catching the rest of Team OC Quattro hanging out at a “sag station” at the end of a race. I’m starting to get used to the setup.
Now, I’m spent. I’m going to have to figure out some way of training up for this race like the riders do - Maybe endurance interviewing…
May 06, 2006
First day of shooting!
Today was my first day shooting my documentary. There’s no better way to appreciate the mastery of veteran filmmakers than to try to make a film yourself. Those really cool shots filmed from a vehicle driving along side a bicyclist - looks easy, right? Hard. Especially when your vehicle is not a motorcycle like ESPN uses, but is a Ford Explorer driving through tiny suburban streets.
April 11, 2006
My first documentary
This June, I’ll be shooting my first documentary, recording the journey of a friend and three of his buddies riding their bikes from sea to shining sea for charity. Riding in relay 24/7, Team OC Quattro (as they call themselves) will start in Oceanside, CA on June 8 and will roll in to Atlantic City, NJ around eight days later. It’s going to be a great adventure for all of us and a huge learning experience for me.
February 09, 2006
Geeky poetry
From my anonymous distance,
I’ve cursed you.
I’ve damned you.
I’ve sentenced you to endless, gruesome tortures
For your crimes against me,
against ordinary people like me.
All I did was click on a pdf and
Your dark plan took action.
Your cruel warez updated;
My disks thrashing in agony.
Then, stillness returned and with it,
the promise
of quiet productivity
and peaceful creativity.
Yet your sinister design had not completed.
Your most hateful crime yet to come.
You, in your thoughtless negligence demanded
My hope and patience be undone.
Rather than slip silently into shadows,
Vile Programmer
you cast a vicious spell.
You prompted me to reboot.
May you forever burn in hell.
January 02, 2006
Office space
A daft friend of mine is silly enough to be working today. On a holiday. One of the few holidays that nearly everyone observes. On work she hates. Silly girl.
I thoroughly made fun of her in email. She just wrote to say she’s leaving her desk to do some exercises in the empty halls. Being a silly and visual guy, a scene immediately lept to mind:
December 21, 2005
Story time!
Doing creative things is fun and all, but sharing them is even better. So, for your enjoyment and mine, I’m going to start publishing my short stories on a semi-regular basis on this site. I’ve also created a second blog, Impulse: The Works, as a box for stories, screenplays, and other work - sort of an automatic anthology.
With that, here is the first story: “Natiki”. I hope you like it. I abolutely love comments and feedback.
November 15, 2005
Published again!
The University of Washington College of Arts and Sciences newsletter has published several of my pictures on the making of the movie At the Back of the North Wind. The article describes this cool film project - a summer class with only one assignment: to make a feature film. UW’s DXARTS department, which sponsored the film, is a program combining engineering with artmaking. Too bad it didn’t exist when I was in school…
I’ve gotta say: I still get a kick out of seeing the phrase, “All photos by Rob McKaughan”.
May 02, 2005
Pictures, and a Movie!
There’s nothing like deadlines to get a body moving. Needing an excuse to finish retouching my Golden Leaf photos, I volunteered to present said photos at the monthly Group f/5.6 meeting. As if that weren’t enough, I decided to add a soundtrack so that I could try my hand at sound editing. But wait, there’s more: I then, of course, had to publish it on this blog. I’ve been wanting to start publishing multimedia things here, and there’s no time like the present.
So, having spent many more hours that I had intended on this project, here is the presentation. Get out your popcorn and enjoy.
April 21, 2005
A little more action, please
Alright! Enough intellectualizing about creative work. Here’s some actual work. I’ve posted a few pics from a photo shoot I did of my friend Max, himself a fashion photographer who wanted to experience the model’s life in front of the lens. I more pics I’m working on and will post them as I finish them. In all, it was a really fun experience and I learned a lot.
April 15, 2005
Shameless self promotion
The 35th Street Mission is hitting the airwaves! This project is at the vanguard of a growing independent TV movement (much like independent film in the 90s), and the first production I worked on since leaving the tech world. I served as 1st Assistant Director on this episode, which allowed me to really get a feel for what an AD does on a set (slave-driver; I mean stage management). If you’re in the Seattle area, you can catch Episode 1 it at 8:00 PM on April 21 on Channel 77 (Comcast) or Channel 29 (Millennium). It will also be available online at the 35SM site.
Stay tuned for Episode 2 in which I make my directorial debut…
Waking up is hard to do
I had a terrible time heeding my alarm clock this morning. Slept an hour and a half later than I had intended. So, inspired by my inability to get out of bed, I composed this song to the tune of “Breaking up is hard to do”.
April 06, 2005
Of Ewoks and Emperors
As a exercise, I’ve been rewriting Return of the Jedi. The characterizations in this movie needs some work - Han Solo was a wimp and Darth Vader was practically friendly. My hope is to return these characters to their Empire Strikes Back glory. As I began disassembling the structure of the script, determining the causes for each event, the motivations of the characters, etc, a certain curiosity began to knock about my mind: Can I get rid of these overly cute Ewoks? Now, that’s something worth doing! To my surprise, the task is harder than it seems.
February 28, 2005
About me
is a storyteller, freelance writer, and occasional filmmaker living in Seattle.
Me, elsewhere
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