so the premier will have to be online.
Fade To Black from Ian Robinson on Vimeo.
Enjoy!!
Wednesday 10 March 2010
Premiere!
Well, I wasn't on this months Concept Film night,
so the premier will have to be online.
Enjoy!!
so the premier will have to be online.
Enjoy!!
Monday 22 February 2010
post.
well,
in one night my brother and I managed to digitize and then edit what was shot on sunday.
adobe premiere was its usual narky self, managing to crash a couple of times,
and the whole "insert clip" thing it just couldn't seem to get its head round, poor dear.
as my brother said, "I might not like it, but I'm good at this.",
and he is. I think it's the technical aspect that works for him. I tend to get baffled with all the functions and timelines and tracks.
It's fairly tight, and smooth, too.
I don't like my performance. I found myself a bit blank and not very emotional. Katy is great, though. she can act physically - she'll add a tut or smack of the lips, fiddle with a wine glass or pick up the empty bottle and look at it mournfully. I think one of the hardest things for film acting, when you're doing dialogue scenes, is what to do with the rest of your body - especially hands and arms. one of the reasons characters were often given cigarettes was as a prop. unfortunately, my hands and arms in this instance were a little camp. ahem. what with being unshaven, a bit rotund, and with some questionable hand/finger gestures, I likened myself to ricky gervais in the office.
One of the first things you really have to learn when making films is that it will never match up to what you had in mind. the mind is the perfect director, cinematographer and actor. i think the trick, in order to avoid discouragement, is to remember the level you are at.
The footage is good, though. It's straight forward, one location, one time; no dissolves, cutaways etc. the only "effect" edit is a freeze frame at the end of the first part. which (again, thank you adobe premiere) is surprisingly hard to pull off.
tomorrow (or, later today) we'll be filming the last couple of shots. using my spare big room as another hotel room (a grotty hotel, obviously), with Katy in different costume, makeup and a black wig. my friend Jacqui is also coming over. we're using her car for the last shots, and given she has straight black hair, like the wig, she is being body double for one of the shots where we see both the characters Katy plays next to each other.
So once they're done, I'll scoot back up to my brothers, capture and edit them in, and we'll have an apprx 6 1/2 minute film done; filmed sunday, edited monday, filmed tuesday, finished editing tuesday night, screened in a couple of weeks.
NEXT!!
in one night my brother and I managed to digitize and then edit what was shot on sunday.
adobe premiere was its usual narky self, managing to crash a couple of times,
and the whole "insert clip" thing it just couldn't seem to get its head round, poor dear.
as my brother said, "I might not like it, but I'm good at this.",
and he is. I think it's the technical aspect that works for him. I tend to get baffled with all the functions and timelines and tracks.
It's fairly tight, and smooth, too.
I don't like my performance. I found myself a bit blank and not very emotional. Katy is great, though. she can act physically - she'll add a tut or smack of the lips, fiddle with a wine glass or pick up the empty bottle and look at it mournfully. I think one of the hardest things for film acting, when you're doing dialogue scenes, is what to do with the rest of your body - especially hands and arms. one of the reasons characters were often given cigarettes was as a prop. unfortunately, my hands and arms in this instance were a little camp. ahem. what with being unshaven, a bit rotund, and with some questionable hand/finger gestures, I likened myself to ricky gervais in the office.
One of the first things you really have to learn when making films is that it will never match up to what you had in mind. the mind is the perfect director, cinematographer and actor. i think the trick, in order to avoid discouragement, is to remember the level you are at.
The footage is good, though. It's straight forward, one location, one time; no dissolves, cutaways etc. the only "effect" edit is a freeze frame at the end of the first part. which (again, thank you adobe premiere) is surprisingly hard to pull off.
tomorrow (or, later today) we'll be filming the last couple of shots. using my spare big room as another hotel room (a grotty hotel, obviously), with Katy in different costume, makeup and a black wig. my friend Jacqui is also coming over. we're using her car for the last shots, and given she has straight black hair, like the wig, she is being body double for one of the shots where we see both the characters Katy plays next to each other.
So once they're done, I'll scoot back up to my brothers, capture and edit them in, and we'll have an apprx 6 1/2 minute film done; filmed sunday, edited monday, filmed tuesday, finished editing tuesday night, screened in a couple of weeks.
NEXT!!
The shoot.
wow.
well,
let it first be said that acting and directing the same picture is hard.
especially when you have such a small crew.
in this case, the crew was myself as director and Becky as camera.
between us we handled the sound and lights the rest of the time.
we got a room in the Tall Trees hotel,
the region's 4 star hotel, thanks to a friend who works there.
it took us a bit to get going.
i felt under pressure and a bit un-nerved,
partly at being in such expensive surroundings,
but also needing to focus on two quite separate jobs that required quite complete focus and attention.
to be honest, i was finding the acting hard.
i would have found it much much easier to forget the camera and just rapport with Katy, find things in the role i was playing, work on it and bring out the person over the course of the short film.
but, I also had to place the camera, check each shot and take, weigh Katy and my performance, and think of the next shot.
I had something of a new experience, when i realized i was completely outside of the film. i couldn't act, i had to take a few moments and breath deep and remember the lines, the situation, who i was trying to be. i usually took several takes to get it right.
Katy seems to love acting, it's clear. she got into costume, she knew when a take wasn't good, when she needed to repeat a line. what would have helped, me as director and us as actors, would have been a monitor. to have playback for each take would have helped us see things, reflect, adjust.
But all in all, a succesful shoot.
the camera, my Canon XL1S, performed beautifully.
Especially with the brand new wide angle lens adaptor on the front.
the image quality is warm and smooth, not sharp and edgey like video often comes out.
the wide lens is gorgeous. i am looking forward to using it, and the camera, on wider, outdoors, shoots.
we have two more clips to shoot for this film.
we're using my room for the second hotel room - the cheap small, dingy one, natch.
that only involves Katy, in different costume, wig, makeup, checking an email, looking out the window, packing and leaving.
then there's the second, more complex, scene where Katy in the second wig/costume/makeup gets in the car with Katy from the first scene (dressed now, not in bathrobe). that'll require some cunning cutting and angles, and one front-on composite shot.
then edit, and send it to Writer's Block on Friday for screening at the next Concept Film Night.
well,
let it first be said that acting and directing the same picture is hard.
especially when you have such a small crew.
in this case, the crew was myself as director and Becky as camera.
between us we handled the sound and lights the rest of the time.
we got a room in the Tall Trees hotel,
the region's 4 star hotel, thanks to a friend who works there.
it took us a bit to get going.
i felt under pressure and a bit un-nerved,
partly at being in such expensive surroundings,
but also needing to focus on two quite separate jobs that required quite complete focus and attention.
to be honest, i was finding the acting hard.
i would have found it much much easier to forget the camera and just rapport with Katy, find things in the role i was playing, work on it and bring out the person over the course of the short film.
but, I also had to place the camera, check each shot and take, weigh Katy and my performance, and think of the next shot.
I had something of a new experience, when i realized i was completely outside of the film. i couldn't act, i had to take a few moments and breath deep and remember the lines, the situation, who i was trying to be. i usually took several takes to get it right.
Katy seems to love acting, it's clear. she got into costume, she knew when a take wasn't good, when she needed to repeat a line. what would have helped, me as director and us as actors, would have been a monitor. to have playback for each take would have helped us see things, reflect, adjust.
But all in all, a succesful shoot.
the camera, my Canon XL1S, performed beautifully.
Especially with the brand new wide angle lens adaptor on the front.
the image quality is warm and smooth, not sharp and edgey like video often comes out.
the wide lens is gorgeous. i am looking forward to using it, and the camera, on wider, outdoors, shoots.
we have two more clips to shoot for this film.
we're using my room for the second hotel room - the cheap small, dingy one, natch.
that only involves Katy, in different costume, wig, makeup, checking an email, looking out the window, packing and leaving.
then there's the second, more complex, scene where Katy in the second wig/costume/makeup gets in the car with Katy from the first scene (dressed now, not in bathrobe). that'll require some cunning cutting and angles, and one front-on composite shot.
then edit, and send it to Writer's Block on Friday for screening at the next Concept Film Night.
Saturday 20 February 2010
Filming!
Well, tomorrow we are filming.
We're shooting the 6 page script called "Fade To Black",
in a hotel room.
I'm acting as well as directing, and perhaps I shouldn't have watched a load of documentaries on and films by Orson Welles this week...
so,
wide angle lens (which is also a macro lens),
polarizing, graded, warming softening filters,
mic, shockmount, mic stand, headphones,
diffusors, reflectors, lights + stands,
props, scripts, location and transport.
And camera, of course.
I think I've covered everything.
Bring on the morrow!!
We're shooting the 6 page script called "Fade To Black",
in a hotel room.
I'm acting as well as directing, and perhaps I shouldn't have watched a load of documentaries on and films by Orson Welles this week...
so,
wide angle lens (which is also a macro lens),
polarizing, graded, warming softening filters,
mic, shockmount, mic stand, headphones,
diffusors, reflectors, lights + stands,
props, scripts, location and transport.
And camera, of course.
I think I've covered everything.
Bring on the morrow!!
Monday 4 January 2010
2010!
Well, a new year and what is on the horizon, zooming with glee at you?
It's some new films!
There are a few projects in the pipeline.
First I intend to film a short, 6 page, script, that I submitted to Northern Film & Media's "Stingers" project. Called "Fade To Black" it is shot entirely within a hotel room, featuring a writer/director struggling to finish her current film, and her husband, who is also her lead actor in this film and throughout her career. Problems with the script, the direction it is taking, echo the problems in their relationship. And who is mysteriously emailing the her throughout their conversation? Needing only three actors, one (large) room and a car, I believe this could be shot in a day.
Secondly, I have a synopsis for a music video which has been pitched to a local band that features friends of mine (and an actor in The Day Off), called The Murder Mile. Become a fan on their facebook page
href="http://www.facebook.com/TMMUK?ref=ts">
It features theft, smuggling, kidnap and murder. And rock n roll, of course. It will be shot at a pub (or two) and the South Gare (near Redcar).
While both of these are serious projects, they will be something of a test bed and learning process for the new camera (my Cannon XL1S), so that when it comes to filming the 13 page screenplay of a 1930s set thriller, complete with a nightclub, jazz band, burlesque girls, costumes, deception and intrigue. With all the extras, the set and costume design and the period look, this will be the biggest production I've attempted, but I have nothing but enthusiasm for it!!
Check back soon for more news and updates.
Happy New Year!
It's some new films!
There are a few projects in the pipeline.
First I intend to film a short, 6 page, script, that I submitted to Northern Film & Media's "Stingers" project. Called "Fade To Black" it is shot entirely within a hotel room, featuring a writer/director struggling to finish her current film, and her husband, who is also her lead actor in this film and throughout her career. Problems with the script, the direction it is taking, echo the problems in their relationship. And who is mysteriously emailing the her throughout their conversation? Needing only three actors, one (large) room and a car, I believe this could be shot in a day.
Secondly, I have a synopsis for a music video which has been pitched to a local band that features friends of mine (and an actor in The Day Off), called The Murder Mile. Become a fan on their facebook page
href="http://www.facebook.com/TMMUK?ref=ts">
It features theft, smuggling, kidnap and murder. And rock n roll, of course. It will be shot at a pub (or two) and the South Gare (near Redcar).
While both of these are serious projects, they will be something of a test bed and learning process for the new camera (my Cannon XL1S), so that when it comes to filming the 13 page screenplay of a 1930s set thriller, complete with a nightclub, jazz band, burlesque girls, costumes, deception and intrigue. With all the extras, the set and costume design and the period look, this will be the biggest production I've attempted, but I have nothing but enthusiasm for it!!
Check back soon for more news and updates.
Happy New Year!
Sunday 27 December 2009
A clip
Here is the latest (completed) short film from Smoggywood Productions.
This was shot in the early summer of 2009.
There are a couple of other bits n' bobs that I am editing and uploading,
stay tuned for more.
And of course, come the new year,
there'll be a whole lot more coming from Smoggywood.
The Day Off from Ian Robinson on Vimeo.
This was shot in the early summer of 2009.
There are a couple of other bits n' bobs that I am editing and uploading,
stay tuned for more.
And of course, come the new year,
there'll be a whole lot more coming from Smoggywood.
Sunday 29 November 2009
And so it begins
Well, here it is, the first blog post on the Smoggywood Productions official blog.
It almost sounds official, now.
Smoggywood is basically me, Ian Robinson, a 34 yr old Middlesbrough based (and born) writer and director. Now I have finished a Masters in Creative Writing and purchased my first proper pro-sumer camera (a gorgeous Canon XL1S from ebay, with inheritance money; thank you Nana and Grandad), and the laptop and software to edit, now I am launching this thing.
There's already a facebook page (because nothing is anything without one, apparently) where you can see pictures, watch video clips and be kept up to date with what is being made and done. this blog will be where I ponder, pontificate, procrastinate and post about film making related subjects.
Well, that's a start, more later.
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