DVC4 How you guys doing?
 

Thought I'd take a general poll on how everyone is doing?

I did some shooting yesterday, but getting what I need for mine has proved much more difficult than I thought. Although I'm not giving anything away, I just don't think it's going to come off as I hoped it would. Oh well.

Did my first scene today. Will do the last scene tomorrow. Then it's just editing and music. I am most scared that only I will understand the spirit in my short... but... I guess next week will judge if I succeeded or failed...

I have about 80% done if not a little more. Did most of the shooting about 2am Saturday morning. Edited most of the morning Saturday. Have converted the midi files I found, the ones from the site mentioned in the other thread, using Sony Acid, into wav files. They still sound like midi files. Someone with Cakewalk or similar might get a better sound by changing the instrumentation.

I have 1 indoor set of quick flashback scenes and one longer outdoor scene. Still need to find some crime scene tape. I think I have about everything else I need at this point and, unfortunatly, I am going to need almost every second of the alloted max of 4 minutes.

I think it's perhaps too complex for the length of time I am trying to effectivly fit it into. I'll post the original script on the web site when I am done as well as the usual shooting notes.

Surgery is still planned for dawn on Friday so I have until Thursday evening to finish and "adjust" it into something understandable. I don't have a lot of faith in this one. For some reason it seems like a great idea for a script but I don't think I am giving it the best treatment. I have nobody in this one except me so right off the top, I apologize for the lack of acting.

Hope you are all doing well. For those still wresteling with the topic, I know what you're going through.

Title so far, unless I change my mind at the last minute is - "Off the Radar"

Sean

It took me 4 days to pick out a story that I could do with the crew of me and two kids... The first few stories where too much like a christmas special. Then there was the extremly ambitious ideas... Finally, I decided to cut back a little and just do something a little fun... Wrote up a script in all of 10 minutes... Started the kids practicing the script. I shot the first of 5 scenes last night, hopefully get the rest done tonight. It is going to be tough to even hit 3 minutes this time around... Although, my dvc3 entry was barely 3 minutes... :)

Thanks,
Josh

Hi. I'm glad everyone is doing well with the challenge. I am stuck on writing an end to my script.

Not so Good
 

Let's see, last Thursday I got the flu and yesterday "Sunday" I got food poising "TGI Fridays" and you know what happens when you get food poising, anyway I stayed home from work today and ...I know it sounds like a cop out... But I am still gonna try and get something out...Though all this has given me plenty of time to think of a story, this just might make for a funny video itself. "Spirit of Sick"

Richard. I was going through that book on video production for high school kids, the title I think was something like "Pulling off your shorts", I bought it for someone for Christmas, and it had a few exercises in it that might help you.

First, sit down with that blank piece of paper and simply think of 5 situations. Don't try to think in context of DVC4, just put down anything. You can possibly mold one to fit after you get it on paper.

Next, try to write several confilicts down.

Write down their possible resolutions and then, write down 5 opposite resolutions.

If the guy is trying to win the girl, write down that he doesn't. Then brainstorm on the rest.

Just an idea. I would hate to think someone will not get something in due to lack of help or ideas. I know this one is tough. It's pretty confined. Sort of like "dog fight". There are only 2 things that come to mind on that one too..

Craig, sounds like you got the spirit. Hanging in through tough obstacles and diversity.

Good luck everyone.

Sean

That's the story of my life! The short story, anyway. You get the idea.

I'm pretty much dead in the water at this point, though I'll try your way, see what I come up with. I'll probably just end up shooting the script I've got already, and hope my parents don't put me (back) in a psychiatric hospital when they find out the plot...

mine is done, one of those experimental pieces all about emotions you get from images and sounds, us crazy art majors i know...shot and edited in less than 3 hrs

Shot mine this weekend.

My wife scraped the script that I wrote for my acting class kids, and subsituted her script. She doesn't want me to kicked out of our local Methodist Church with my twisted supernatural-spirit story.

It was very interesting to shoot someone else's script. I actually think it might be good, but we'll figure that out in the edit. My kids are the BOMB, when it come to acting. We should add a Best Actor award catagory!

Wrote the script while doing the last of my class work for the semster. The plan is to shoot wednesday and thursday eveneings, but the warm body factor may be a little too low for us to pull it off. If that's the case I'll just come up with something else and do it myself over the weekend.

Well, I just ran the idea by my dad, who I'd need to help me out, and he was enthusiastic about it; haven't shown him the actual script yet, but I'm fairly sure he won't change his mind. Set to wake up nice and early (early for me, anyway) tomorrow and shoot. I'm gonna go give my gear a once-over, get everything set.

You guys might finally get to see my ugly mug on camera! I'm kidding, of course, the truth is I'm incredibly handsome.

Sounds more like a crap out! Hope you feel better very soon. Happy Holidays and keep the home fires burning, er, ah, scratch that last part!

Mike

We've started already?
 

Just kidding!

I am still putting the story together and doing some test shooting. I got some new lights today that I ordered a while back, and did not think would show up in time but, they are here! :)

Let's see, new camera, new lights, now if I just knew someone who knew how to use them!

Good luck to all,

Mike

Sean, thanks for the advice.

Craig, I hope you feel better. Funny how bad things later on turn out for the better. I bet you will do very well in the challenge in face of the recent bad luck.

My goal is to finish the script tonight. I am hopeful.

Let's see; my main computer has taken a turn for the worse, so editing may be hard unless I can sort out firewire for the other computer. That and I've spent too much time trying to sort it out.

I still haven't finished the script - that might be the first goal, then worry about shooting. Maybe I have too many ideas - it's only 3 minutes after all. Still need to finish off our bonfire before fire restrictions come in too (everything is still green anyway), which will also take time - maybe I can incorporate fire into the short, but that will leave little editing time. Just so you know, this is no campfire - the flames will be 15m or more if we build it up enough.

All major ideas brainstormed...............ever had something crawl out of your ass and then force it into your brain?

I just traded some days, leaving me the 6th - 11th to do this. I work 12 hour shifts... 4 days on, 4 days off ;).

20 extras, 1 main actor, 1 house (which I am flooding), lots of x-mas decorations, lots of wine. Oh man. You guys are in for it.

Done
 

Well, got a very good idea the first day and Saturday we were already shooting. By not having dialogue (only background narration) made things go pretty fast.

Probably many of us here have the fear that the way we're telling the story, won't be understood by others, well, that's the beauty of it, we have to make it work.

I am done but I can say that I did not had a resting week-end, but it was certainly lots of fun into it. Now I'm sitting on it for a few days before submission.

An exercise that helped me out (thanks Lee) was this:

1) Read the definition carefully. Ponder each possible way to interpret the word "spirit." If you can, look up some history of the word... with just this exercise, it got asking myself questions on the word that I would have never thought of without a deeper understanding. Also, little history, spirits (distilled alcohol) used to be used for medical purposes during medieval times (i.e The Black Plague)... interesting.

2) Play the "what if" game on possible scenarios? This helps think of any immediate ideas you might want to build off of... they usually turn out to be the most original. Questions seem to bring out the most honest desires of what you would like to do with something you don't know anything about.

3) Free association... write down every word that comes into your head from your newly educated view of "spirit." Then, cross out all the synonyms. Some words I thought of was: Wine, Self, Wandering, etc.

4) Then, cluster words in your list that are similar. Example: Wandering, Lost, Restless.

5) With each cluster of words, try to think of images that match up with the clusters.

In my case, every image I created from these clusters subconciously seemed to be similar. It wasn't hard to mix & match, fill in the gaps and I had a short. I then rounded out the edges to make things go full circle with more thought on backstory and forestory. No dialougue, as I thought the imagery was very powerful here and said more than words could say.

Interesting posts. I have an end to my short and I am very happy. :)

Still working on props. Got a last minute idea about 2am and needed small parts to build a blood capsul squirting device. Don't worry, it isn't that bad. A guy gets a bit spooked while shaving... Modern razors are no fun. What happened to good old straight razors anyway?

For the record, the blood in the gel capsuls I bought, tastes pretty bad. Hey, I had to taste it. Come on, you would too.

Shooting a bathroom scene with flashbacks and a police crime scene in the next day or so. That's all that I have left. I few special effects and clean up the sound track.

Should be good to go by Thursday evening.

Sean

I've got a fun idea but I haven't had time to start yet. I've pretty much just got Wednesday, Thursday and Friday to write, shoot and edit the whole thing. Hopefully Tyler and I can pull it off.

I'm praying for a last minute wonder.

I'm trying to sell shooting something with my wife and daughter as a sort of holiday greetings card for our relatives all over the world. But I'm stuck working on an intensive production which is occupying all of my time - like all of it.

Maybe I could edit the footage I shot for the DVC4 which I didn't manage to put together last time... Lets see, how can I get a scene of my daughter selling a piece of junk camera for 12,0234,0567 € into the theme of spirit?

I haven't given up yet - but I may have to go the art school way as well in the end.

Doesn't look like mine is going to happen. We were set to shoot tonight, but short notice, sickenss and bad weather have pretty much done us in.
I might put something together over the weekend by myself, but I dunno.

I have some big problems with mine to. What I have so far is total crap. I am gonna fire the writer... oh.. wait... that's me.. well... anyway... my original idea and that I thought were so great isn't so great. But luckily I have a christmassy spirits idea that I might be able to fix together in an evening. So either tomorrow night or sunday night... damn... I remember my first DV-challenge (DVC#2), I had recorded all my material on the friday! I hope that Santa don't think lazy and being bad is the same thing... 'cause then I am in trouble...

Fredrik, I swear I was going to write many of those exact words! LOL!

It was so exciting early on--the illustrious Brad Marlow was all set to drive down here and we were going to shoot the movie together. But then he had to stay home. Darn. Turns out it's just as well, because, like Fredrik, what I had envisioned isn't happening story-wise. Maybe that's why Brad really stayed home.... ;)

Now I'm having to wait to shoot an outdoor scene because a stiff wind is making it about 8 degrees Fahrenheit out there. I'm not dedicated enough to brave that. :)

According to the weather thingy on my PDA, last night was 9F here. I have to go out tonight and set up a simulated accident scene. First I need a street out in the country far enough I don't disturb the traffic (guerllia shooting ya know). Before that I have to learn to draw the chalk outline of a Reindeer...

Got the red strobe light, police tape, car, camera, tape...Ready to go.

Everything else is about as good as it's going to get. I see one issue but I'm ignorring it. Just like all the rules of lighting...

Sean

Unfortunately I will not have time to complete it. Wa out of town on a shoot Mon and Tus and have to prepare physically and mentally for grandkids coming this weekend as well as two sons playing youth basket ball this weekend.

On a lonely forgotten sliver of asphalt somewhere in Montgomery county, between Darbyville and Kileville, Ohio there is a chalk outline of a reindeer. I found a nearly deserted stretch of country road and went for it. I only needed less than a minute or two of footage total but the real adventure was driving around in unfamiliar rural areas looking for deserted roadways. I could hear the 2 banjos in the back of my head with every pickup truck I saw.

I actually did see a large red fox so that was neat. Haven't seen one in a long long time.

All shot, mostly color corrected and test rendered out. Probably have it posted for Dylan tomorrow evening. I suppose it's just me but these things always look like $1,000,000 bucks - in my head.

Hope you all enjoy it. It's another odd twist on things but something I have never seen done really. That's the fun part for me. Figuring out the different way to look at things.

Sean McHenry

I've had no time to make a vid this time around... boooo. I guess I'll have to wait till next time.

I was able to stick to my own deadline. Dylan has the links to my files. I'm probably done. I may redo the final files as they might be a touch too dark, as in brightness, not mood.

I hope you all enjoy it/them when they are released.

As always, I was in it so, sorry about the acting.

And the big police accident scene, the one I treked out to the wilderness of wild Ohio backroads for, at about 10 degrees outside, I used less than 4 seconds of it. man that was worth it. Actually, it does add quite a bit of authenticity to the piece.

Sean

Aaaaaand...I'm out! Again. I feel kind of guilty choosing not to shoot this thing when so many others are finding themselves in the unfortunate position of not even having the option, but that's the way it goes.

well I started...
 

I at least started after I was so sick this past week. I have the intro and music. Now need the voice over and several scenes inside. BUT the wife has a work party, I have the baby and she's the actress. So wait I must... But I persevere till the end...

How am I doing so far? NOTHING. That's right, I've done nothing so far. Thought about what I'll do? Not much. Struggling in school? Yes. Will I shoot, edit and submit something this weekend even though I have finals and projects due on Monday? You BETCHA.

I am beat, but I will still try. We just got a snow storm and now my cats can't perform outside as planned. So I am writing a new easier script tonight.

Yeah Im pretty much screwed. I wrote a script but I just haven't had the time to shoot anything. Chances are im done for, lucky theres no wall of shame this time ;)

Almost done!
 

Well I'm almost done with mine, but not having much fun. It is a real bummer of a story and that has brought me down. If you are looking for Holidays fun stuff, don't watch it. I should have done another comedy style movie, but this is just what I came up with, and too late to change now! I sure wish I knew more on the DP side, but I can only do what I can do. It does not have a name yet, but could probably be called, "Tales from the Dark Side of the Holidays."

If you watch it, please remember that I wish all a Merry Christmas and the best of New Years! Sad story and cheesy too quick ending, but hey, life's a bitch sometimes! Not really my life!

This is the only way I learn, if I do at all! So forgive me for this thing.

Come on everyone-----get-er-done!

Mike

Post-op
 

Mike, welcome to the dark side. I was headed that direction but came up with something a bit more interesting to me. I won't spoil it but if you ignore the Santa parts of it, I think it still has something interesting.

I am tapping this out with my left hand as my right arm is in a sling, and I am on double percocet. The shoulder operation came off without a hitch about 7am this morning. Other than the pain NOT killed by the drugs, and it's still substantial, I feel pretty moderate.

I was given a CD of the procedure and a set of stills of the before and afters. The stills are suprisingly clear and sharp and not at all gross. I'll save the CD for a bit later.

Trying to get some rest but I think I'll be up a while. Loading up the DVD player next. Solaris, 2010, Blade Runner and who knows what else.

See you all later. Get busy y'all.

Sean McHenry

Lost my mother on Christmas Eve 2000, and my step father on New Years day one year and a week later. Never thought about it as affecting my Holiday "Spirit," but maybe it did. Just a sad story for Christmas!

Oh, sling bad, percocet good! I quit taking any pain meds many years ago, as they do not work for me. I had knee surgery years ago, and they wanted to put me out. I said, no I don't need that. They said Ok, we'll give you a local and something to make you relax! I said, Ok on the local but I don't need anything to relax, I'll be fine. So I chatted with the anesthesiologist during the whole surgery. You want to know why it hurts so much later? They are not gentle at all during the surgery! I thought they were going to rip my leg off, but hey, they are the doctors!

Heal up Sean, and good luck! Don't watch my movie for a pick-me-up!

Mike

Where do we send the link?
 

I lost where we are to send the link.... Is it this one? "thedvchallenge@hotmail.com"

Also must it be QT?

What about WMV seems like it's a bit smaller in size for the servers we are responsible for. Also and looks better to me ...