Improved Shots

Original














Improved
This image has been improved by blurring out the background because it allows the character to be the main focus point. As well the previous image was breaking the rules of the rule of thirds as it was directly in the centre whereas this new one is slightly to the right. Also the first one was looking directly into the camera, this one now looks off into another direction showing.







Original

Improved
We have improved this image by taking down the posters originally behind the character. They needed to be moved as they were taking the main focus point away from the character. As well, the original was a bit too much in the centre, meaning it was breaking the rules of the rule of thirds, so this one is slightly more off centre.

Original

Improved
The previous image needed improvement due to the scenery and the bin in the background. We decided to swap sides with the picture to avoid a less cluttered background to keep the focus point on the characters to avoid anyone getting confusion.







Original

Improved
Like the previous image with the zombies, it needed improvement because of the cluttered background. Keeping the focus point on whats actually going on. It also needed changing because it had a bin in the background as well as we couldn't have 2 pictures relating to the same thing with opposite backgrounds.

Original

Improved
We improved this image because of the cluttered background, as of the posters which didn't help it represent a canteen very well. So we took the image from a different angle to include the vending machines. It is also a little off centre showing the rule of thirds.

Original

Improved
We improved the previous image by taking it at an angle, this is because the original one was breaking the rules of the rule of thirds as Callum's character was directly in the centre and as well was looking directly at the camera. We also changed it because the background wasn't very nice in the previous one so we wanted to show identifiable that it was outside the main entrance.

Location Recce - Part two (Images)

Composition Analysis Grid

Working between Premiere and After Effects

1) - File
    - Export
    - Change format to 'Quicktime'
    - Change Preset to 'Custom'
    - Change Video Codec to 'PNG'
    - Click Export

2) - Highlight clips that you want to move to After Effects
    - Right click
    - Scroll down to 'Replace with after effects composition'
    - After Effects will then come up with the clips in
    (To avoid losing the clips from Premiere Pro, before you go on 'Replace with after effects  
    composition', duplicate the clips before hand)

3) - Go onto Premiere Pro
    - Move Premiere Pro over to the right, so that after effects is in the background.
    - Go to the project panel
    - Drag and drop sequence into after effects

4) - Save work on Premiere Pro
    - Go onto After Effects
    - Double click the Project Panel
    - Select Premiere Pro Project
    - Import as Footage
    - Click 'Open'
    - Choose your footage from dialogue box which comes up

Research Rotoscoping

1) Rotoscoping is an animation technique in which animators trace over footage, frame by frame, for use in live-action and animated films. Originally, recorded live-action film images were projected onto a frosted glass panel and drawn again by an animator, the equipment used is called Rotoscope however this was eventually replaced by computers.

2) History of  Rotoscoping:
The Rotoscoping technique was invented by Max Fleischer. In 1915, he used it in his series called 'Out of the inkwell. Fleischer patented the method in 1917. He used rotoscoping in a range of his later cartoons as well as the animation of Gulliver in 'Gulliver's Travels' in 1939 however the most effective use of rotoscoping was in the series of action-orientated Superman Cartoons, in which Superman and the other animated figures displayed very realists movement. The first cartoons created by Fleischers using the Rotoscope were the Koko the Clown series, and then went on to use it in Betty Boop and Popeye. Rotoscope was mainly used to create the main characters. In 1937 it was then used in 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' by Walt Disney and his animators then from Snow White onwards, the rotoscoping was used mainly for studying human and animal motion, rather than actual tracing. In the mid-1990's, Bob Sabiston, an animator and computer scientist veteran of the MIT Media Lab, developed a computer-assisted 'interpolated rotoscoping'. The Fleischers brothers and Disney constantly raced one another to each new milestone in animation - first sound cartoon, first colour cartoon and first feature however it's heard that the Fleischers often came second because of their studio and Paramount didn't offer the support they needed.

3) Here is an example of Rotoscoping being used. The cartoon as a whole is very convincing as the background is completely still with no movement however there is moving characters.



4) Rotoscoping can be used in after effects by using the Rotobrush tool. With this tool, you draw strokes on representative areas of the foreground and background elements, and then after effects uses that information to create a segmentation boundary between the foreground and background elements. Here is a video of how to use it:

Good Images

This image is good because it using the Rule of Thirds well as he is on the left side and his reflection is on the right so it's avoiding the middle. It is also using the foreground well, it's like balancing element as well. As well the view point is very effective.

This is a good image because, although the image is central which is breaking the rules for the rule of thirds, it has a blurred background which allows you to focus on the character.

This image works well because it's using the Rule of Thirds where no one is in the centre. It clearly shows what is going on as well.

This is a good over the shoulder shot clearly showing they are having a conversation, it is showing the rule of thirds well because it is avoiding the centre of the image.

This image has been taken well because it is filling the frame and showing there is space to move.

This image is good because it isn't breaking the rules for the rule of thirds and no one is central and you can clearly identify what is happening in the picture.

Bad Images

This image isn't very good because it is central which is breaking the rules from the Rule of Thirds. The image would look better is the background surrounding the character was blurred, this is because it's  quite busy so its taking the focus point away from the character. As well the character is making eye contact with the camera.

The problem with this image is that its got too much space beneath, this could be improved by being cropped more to get rid of the pointless areas surrounding the 3 characters.

This image could be improved because it needs to be cropped as it has our work folder in the background as well as bin which isn't needed. Also it's breaking the rules as it is central so not using the rule of thirds.

This is a poor image because it needs cropping, this is because there is pointless space which could go, as well as the posters and that need changing.

The problem with this image is the posters behind, these need either changing for the shot or being edited out.

This image could be improved because there is a folder on the middle of the table which is not needed for the shot.

Production Design

Research and understand mattes and matte painting

1) A matte painting is a painted representation of a set, landscape or distant location which allows filmmakers to create the inclusion of an environment that is non-existent in real life or would otherwise be too expensive or impossible to build or visit. Artists would set up a large plate of clear glass in front of the motion picture camera upon which he would carefully paint in a new scenery for example snow capped mountains.

2) History of Matte Painting:
Matte paintings were made by artists using paints or pastels on large sheets of glass for integrating with the live action footage. In 1907, the first known matte painting shot was made by Norman Dawn, who improvised the crumbling California Missions by painting them on glass for the movie 'Missons of California'. Other traditional matte paintings shots include Dorothy's approach to the Emerald city in The Wizard of Oz as well as the seemingly  endless tractor-beam set of Star Wards Episode IV: A New Hope. The first documentary of Star Wars (The Making of Star Wars) mentioned the technique used for the tractor beam scene as being a glass painting. By the mid 1980's, advancements in computer graphics programs allowed matte painters to work in the digital realm as the first digital matte shot was created by painter Chris Evans in 1985 for 'Young Sherlock Holmes' for the scene featuring computer graphics animation of a knight leaping from a stained-glass window.  His first painted the window in acrylics, then scanned the painting into LucasFilm's Pixar system for more digital manipulation. This blended perfectly with the digital matte.
In 1902, filmmaker Georges Melies made 'Le Voyage dans la Lune' and to create special effects he had to paint some curtains to use as a back drop and had to use an actual man in a moon costume for a man on the moon.

3) Wizard of Oz used matte painting for when they are approaching the Emerald City. It was used because there is nothing in real life resembling Emerald City so there only option was to draw it as a matte painting. I don't find this matte very convincing and quite poor, because the characters are quite faint compared to the image. I find the background looks quite cartoon like, when there is real people there.

Post Production #2 - VFX

The visual effects practise I did was when Callum's character teleported to the toilets.

What went wrong?
When we first filmed it, we forgot to take a picture of the scene after we recorded Callum jumping, this meant we couldn't show him disappearing very realistically so we had to go and re film and take pictures. Also the area which he was to land in, we couldn't use the toilets so we had to re scene it for the practise.
What did you struggle with in after effects?
When using after effects, I followed a youtube video of how to do teleportation, however I found it hard to follow because there was a few things done which I couldn't follow. So i struggled with getting the mist over Callum to show him disappearing, other than that it went quite well.
What do you need to learn?
In our script we have various different visual effects, so i have to learn how to do all of those in after effects as well. The other visual effects we have is flexibility, invisibility and levitation.
What 'assets' do you need?
The assists we will need for our film is just make up for the people who are to be our zombies because we can do everything else with after effects.

Location Recce - Part One (Script/Shoot Locations)

Animatic

Still images of storyboard shots - Part one

Breakdown Sheets

VFX Test Footage - Teleportation

Location Recce - Part one