Documentary Update

Also. We posted our documentary that we entered a while ago into the C-SPAN Student documentary contest. Here it is. The winner and other prize-winners are being announced in March 6th.

It's Been a While.

I haven't really done much on this in a while. Had midterms and what not, so I've not had the time to do much with videos, but now I have time once again...-ish. A friend of mine recently hooked me up with a job to make a typography music video for a rapper in Baltimore. He wants to present it to a record label and hopefully get signed. I'm definitely excited about this project because, well, it's legit, getting paid, it's experience, and it's a start to what can hopefully become a more frequent job. I'd really like to be able to do video and photography (maybe...interested, but have a ways to go) for a career. I enjoy it and I think it's definitely a job that is and will be valued in the future. It's so versatile. Videos or photos can be done for nearly anything: weddings, conferences, sports, parties, concerts, etc.

For me, this project is a three step process.
1. I'm making a 25-30 second preview to show him so he knows what it's looking like, can give input, etc. (Done in a day or two)
2. Then a 1:30-2:30 version for the record label because he'd like it relatively soon and it's a really long, time-consuming process. (Let's give it 2-3 weeks?)
3. Finally, the full 7 minute version for YouTube and other pages. (A good month)

I'm estimating it'll end up taking around 75 hours based on my current pacing.

Check him out here: http://www.facebook.com/ParkerKill
http://www.myspace.com/peterparkermusic
http://www.reverbnation.com/parkerkills

This is a video that he sent me for some inspiration and is, ideally, similar to the final product.

After Effects: Kinetic Typography - Choose Not to Fall

I wanted to try something new with After Effects, so I decided to give kinetic typography a go. It's incredibly tedious. A total time consumer. I've spent a while on this on and off. Came back to it yesterday to finish it up. This is just a minute of the original 3 minute video. I chose this video because, well, you have to use words or lyrics (usually) and because it involves parkour. I also think what Daniel Ilabaca is saying is relatively true and agree with his ideas and mindset.

This was how it was made:
-Choose a video (Choose Not to Fall -  Daniel Ilabaca)
-Create a background (I chose a white background with a slight vignette)
-Choose a font
-Type EVERY word of the part you're doing as individual Text Layers
-Position, re-size them, etc.
-Set them to appear as they say each word
-Add an effect to the more important words
-Create any interesting graphics etc. in other compositions
-Add other graphics, position them
-Create Null Object Layers and make them the parent layer of sets of words/graphics
-Animate Null Object Layers to move into the frame etc. bit by bit
-Add credits

So yeah. I think that was everything. This is what it came out to be:





The original video:

When you take video of anything and everything, this happens.

My sister and I made a video together yesterday because we can. I just got my Glidecam and am working on learning how to use it for the best results, so I've been taking it everywhere and taking random clips, hence this video.  This is a video of our times getting a Christmas tree out near Olney (Jordan's territory. It's pretty blank there.) and checking out a farm of sorts that was hosting some art gallery that we avoided to mess around.
Shot on my trusty T2i and kit lens. Oh, and the new Glidecam...but I've since balanced it much better, so I'll make another video soon. Color correction's a bit over the top, but I like it. A bit bright, but I think that's appropriate for the mood. Check it out (in 720p).