Latest blog posts by AndyParker

Film Friday - Up

13 06 2013 18:08:00 +0000

A 78 year old man decides to fulfil his lifelong dream of travelling by tying hundreds of balloons to his house.

Up is an animation feature film by Pixar. As far as animations go, it is up there with the best of them. For this blog however, I will only be focusing on one part of the film which I believe to be one of the best pieces of cinema in the last 10 years.

If you have already seen 'Up' you probably know which scene I am talking about. At the beginning of the film we are introduced to the main character 'Carl' a shy and quiet young boy. He meets loud and adventurous girl and falls for her. What follows is a montage of their life and it tells an incredibly powerful and emotional love story in the space of a few minutes.

SPOILERS:

An important aspect of making an audience feel for two characters in a love story, is making the two characters need each other to become a better person. Carl is a shy young boy who dreams of being an adventurer but does not have the courage to become one. When he meets Ellie, she is instantly established as being brave and adventurous. With Ellie in his life, Carl is given the courage he needs to fulfil his dream of being an adventurer. Because of this, you as a viewer feel incredibly sad when Ellie passes away. Carl no longer has the person in his life who gives him the inspiration and courage to be the person he wants to be... or does he?

In a clever use of using your items in film to the fullest (which I also discuss in Film Friday - Rear Window - http://www.filmannex.com/posts/blog_show_post/film-friday-rear-window/60770 ), Ellie's "Adventure Book" which is established when the two characters are young is used to continue the story. The book features Ellie's "Stuff she is going to do". As a child the book is filled with Ellie's dreams of places she wants to visit. When Carl is alone as an old man, he reads the book which now features photos of their life together, such as getting married and having good memories together. On the final page, Ellie has left a message for Carl "Thanks for the adventure now go have a new one".

This is an incredibly beautiful conclusion. Not only does Carl realise that even though he hasn't fulfilled his initial dream of being an adventurer, he has still had a great life, also he is given the final inspiration of courage from Ellie to go out an be an adventurer.

Film Friday - Drive

06 06 2013 19:23:07 +0000

A mysterious and talented driver gets into trouble when he tries to help out his new neighbour.

Drive is one of those films that can be described with one word - cool. Everything about it is cool: the soundtrack is cool, the cinematography style is cool and the main character is the epitome of cool (played by Ryan Gosling who is also, cool). However, what I like most about this film, and what I think you can take from it as a filmmaker, is that the director was not afraid to break filmmaking rules and clichés.

One of the first things you learn as a filmmaker is the 180 Degree Rule. When you are filming a conversation between two people, you keep each character on their respective side of the frame so as not to cross the line and confuse the audience. Whilst Drive does not technically cross the line, it seems like it does by framing the characters to the side of the frame in which they are looking. This most likely is done for stylistic reasons but it does give the film a fresh look and feel.

Drive also dips into surreal moments despite being a very realistically styled film. In the elevator scene where the two main characters kiss for the first time, the lighting drops which isolates the two main characters and creates a very powerful moment. Also, during a car chase scene, the director decides to hole on a slow motion shot of a characters face as a car crashes up behind her. Most films will tend to focus lots of their shots on big car crashes however Drive tends to keeps its focus on the emotions of the characters. The use of these unconventional and original techniques give the story a fresh and stylistic image, making it very enjoyable to watch.

The film technique and the overall style of this film make it incredible viewing for any filmmaker.

Film Friday - Psycho

30 05 2013 17:09:32 +0000

A woman steals $40,000 from her work and runs away. On her journey, she stops off at a strangely quiet motel whose owner has spent too long under his mother's domination.

I was introduced to this film by my very first media teacher. After watching the film from beginning to end, we went back and analysed it and in doing so, it gave me entirely new perspective and appreciation for not only Alfred Hitchcock, but films in general.

As with many Hitchcock films, Psycho can be thoroughly enjoyed without the need to analyse all of the details. But, as a filmmaker, your appreciation for the attention to detail in this film can make it even more enjoyable. An interesting thing to look out for is the recurring theme of birds. The lead female character is named Marion Crane (crane being a type of bird), Norman Bates has a large collection of stuffed birds and Norman even tells Marion "you eat like a bird" during their interaction. The birds all play a role in symbolising the characters and the story of the film, for example, after the famous shower scene where Marion Crane is murdered, Norman Bates accidentally knocks over one of two pictures of a bird on the wall when he discovers she is dead. This is symbolic of one of the two Crane sisters dying. Also, the stuffed birds of prey in the photo above seem to be looming over Norman in a sinister way which symbolises the way his mother is constantly looking over him.

Another aspect of this film you can enjoy as a filmmaker, is the way Hitchcock builds tension. Alfred Hitchcock was known as the master of suspense and this film exhibits his technique in the area perfectly. His main technique is giving the audience information that the characters do not have. For example in the shower scene, we see the murderer slowly approaching long before the character does. Also, when Arbogast goes to inspect the house, the audience know that the murderer is inside and the character is oblivious to it. This makes you sit at the edge of your seat in complete tension waiting for something to happen. Hitchcock keeps you in this state for just the right amount of time before the shock occurs.

The list of clever details and techniques exhibited in this film is almost endless which makes Psycho a must watch for all filmmakers.

Film Friday - Life of Pi

23 05 2013 14:02:46 +0000

After surviving a disaster at sea, a young man is forced to share a rescue boat with a tiger.

I was fortunate enough to see this film in the cinema which I believe is where this film is made for. A large part of what makes this film so enjoyable is its beautiful imagery which is enhanced when viewing it on a large cinema screen.

Life of Pi takes a very artistic and creative approach to telling a story. As the majority of the story takes place on a small boat, there has been a tremendous amount of effort gone in to the artistic design of scenes to keep the scenes fresh and interesting. The design of the scenes is taken to an almost surreal level with glowing fish and perfectly still water but by doing this, the image of a man on a boat is constantly being refreshed and never gets boring.

I found the film to be a very slow starter. Whilst the scenes in the beginning set up the events that happen in the film nicely, they were very passive and in my opinion could have been sped up. The triumph of this film is its ability to hold an audience during the scenes with the boy alone at sea on the boat, which normally could be very passive and slow paced.

Another thing that keeps the story interesting during the boat scenes are the boys conflict with the tiger. At first, the tiger is a direct enemy. The boy cannot share the boat with the tiger through fear of getting mauled so he has to stay on his makeshift float. The protagonist and antagonist are brought closer together through the dramatic situation of the film and you as an audience member, begin to care for the antagonist just as much as the hero. This really enhances the emotional journey of the main character as he has gone from being in direct conflict with the tiger, to working with it in order to survive.

Film Friday - It's a Wonderful Life

16 05 2013 10:08:52 +0000

When George Bailey prepares to commit suicide, an angel shows him what the world would be had he never been born. For a full synopsis, visit this link - http://www.filmannex.com/movie/its-a-wonderful-life/10258

This film has some of the most powerful character development you will ever see. The main character is George Bailey (played by Jimmy Stewart), an extremely likeable and selfless character who will go out of his way to help anyone. Throughout the film he expresses his interest to explore the world, but due to his selfless nature, he always misses his opportunity to leave in order to help out a friend or family member. As some people take advantage of his kind nature, it eventually leads him to become bankrupt with threats of false criminal charges. When this character breaks down, the scene is incredibly powerful and emotional because of how much you care for George Bailey.

Part of what makes you love this character is his kind and selfless nature, but another reason is the incredible acting by James Stewart. James Stewart is probably one of the most likeable actors of all time and his casting in this role couldn't be more suited. When an audience see not only the character of George Bailey break down, but the image of James Stewart hitting rock bottom, it stands out as one of the most emotionally moving scenes of all time.

SPOILER ALERT:

The film ends with George Bailey coming to the self revelation that despite life not turning out the way he had initially hoped for, he has still had a Wonderful Life. This has now become a rather common theme in film where the hero learns that the answer he has been looking for, has been at home all along. It is a theme that every person can relate to and it makes you reflect on your own self and appreciate what you have got.

It's a Wonderful Life is certainly a film that everyone can enjoy. It was made in 1946 but it is truly a timeless classic that will have a positive and lasting effect on you.

Film Friday - The Place Beyond the Pines

09 05 2013 14:02:05 +0000

The Place Beyond the Pines is about a motorcycle stunt rider who turns to robbing banks in order to provide for his lover and newborn son. His actions lead to a course of events that shape the lives of the characters around him.

This film has fantastic and well thought out cinematography. It is conventional in film to shoot action sequences with multiple angles and edits which can often leave the audience confused and unable to work out what is going on. The Place Beyond the Pines makes use of long takes and often follows the characters so you get a real sense of perspective. This works particularly well when you follow Luke (played by Ryan Gosling) walking into a bank to rob it. The camera follows him approaching the building, you see him psyche himself up and the camera follows him into the bank as he begins to rob it. As a viewer you really get a sense of the tension and emotion the character is going through at this time because it is almost as if you are robbing the bank with him.

Another enjoyable and creative aspect of this film is its story structure. The film follows a very linear narrative but in a pretty unique way. Instead of following the main protagonist throughout the film, we are branched off into the stories of characters who are affected by the initial hero's actions. But ultimately, the story links back and concludes brilliantly. My one flaw with this however, is that I found myself getting slightly bored during the middle of the film due to the almost sudden change of story and character. This left me feeling slightly disconnected from the new character and his story at first, but the way the end of the film wraps everything up certainly made up for it.

The Place Beyond the Pines is one of the best films I have seen released in the cinema in a long time. It has a clever script, fantastic acting, beautiful cinematography and an extremely emotive and atmospheric soundtrack. This film has strong underlying moral themes of fatherhood from different perspectives which, when combined with the fantastic acting leaves you very much emotionally invested. You will leave the cinema feeling like you have gone on a reflective and emotive journey, which is what a great film should do.

Shine: Teaser

07 05 2013 09:29:33 +0000

Here is my first Teaser clip for my latest film 'Shine'

This technically is the first animation I have shown anyone so things aren't completely polished but you get a good idea of the style and the atmosphere of the film.

The animation was created entirely in After Effects using imports from Photoshop. This is a very basic style of animation but it seems to work well for the style I wish to achieve. I am currently still learning more and more different techniques which I hope to implement later to give the film some added atmosphere. As a filmmaker, it is always important to continue to improve your skills and learn as much as you can. I am always aiming for my next film to be the best film I have ever made.

Thanks to the revenue I have made from Film Annex, I have been able to invest a lot of my time into learning how to animate and make this film, which I previously would not have been able to do! My film ideas tend to be based in fantasy worlds and I feel that by learning and using animation, it will really allow me to make the films I have always wanted to make without any limitations. I am extremely grateful for Film Annex in giving me such a great and unique opportunity!

If you wish to follow the full production of Shine, subscribe to my WebTV! I will be posting weekly behind the scenes production blogs giving you an insight into how I go about making a film and also sharing any new tips or tricks I have learnt.

Film Friday - Evil Dead

01 05 2013 12:26:34 +0000

I know recently there have been a lot of horror based Film Fridays, but I couldn't wait to see this film in the cinema. I promise I'll mix up the genre next week!

Evil Dead is a gory horror film about a group of people who stumble across the book of the dead in a cabin in the woods. They accidentally release the evil within the book and the chaos ensues.

Being a fan of the original Evil Dead films, I was very excited to see what they would do with this remake. The trailer looked extremely gory and filmed with a cool style so my expectations were high going in. I also wanted to see this in the cinema to watch the reactions of the audience who may or may not know what to expect.

Whilst the new film can be enjoyed for those who are fans of outrageous gore, this remake lacks the charm, humour and originality of its predecessor. The remake is a 'hollywoodized' version of the original Evil Dead. The special effects may be more realistic but I think what made the original Evil Dead films great were the fact that they were low budget. With a lower budget, the films had to be more creative and less predictable in order to sell themselves. The original Evil Deads, in doing so, created a genre of dark-chaos-horror-comedy which made them surprisingly charming and enjoyable.

Shot from the original Evil Dead

What I mean by the remake being 'Hollywoodized' is that it to took the unique Evil Dead films and turned it into a higher budget, predictable and pretty unoriginal film. They took a film series that made its name on being chaotic and somewhat nonsensical and tried to force it into becoming a very much by-the-book story. The original Evil Dead films had really creative cinematography, unusually enjoyable humour and a completely unpredictable and chaotic story (not to menton the acting from Bruce Campbell was incredible).

Needless to say, I was disappointed in this film as a remake, however I still enjoyed watching it. It's got cool effects, lots of gore and made me jump a few times but it's just not the same sort of film as the original.

Shine: First Animation Attempts

30 04 2013 18:07:53 +0000

Shine: First Animation Attempts

The overall design for my film Shine is coming together nicely and I have begun animating the opening scene! The full story isn't completely finished yet but I decided to start animating the opening scene in the hopes that it would build momentum and inspire me to finish off the story.

This is also a learning experience for me. I have never animated before so I have a lot to learn and the more animating I do, the better I will get at it (I hope).

I am going to upload the opening scene as a trailer soon, so you can get an idea of what I have been doing and how the film is progressing. I may also upload some test animations so you can see my progression as I learn how to animate from scratch.

Below is a sneak peek of a shot from the opening scene.

To keep up-to-date with the production of Shine, click the subscribe button!

Film Friday - Rubber

25 04 2013 15:19:23 +0000

Rubber - A display of the art of no reason

Rubber is a surreal comedy/horror film about a killer rubber tyre.

This is a film about a rubber tyre that goes on a mad killing spree, and this isn’t the weirdest part about it. The film begins with a car slowly driving towards a man in the middle of the desert whilst running over a series of randomly placed chairs. A policeman gets out of the boot of this car and begins to talk to the camera about ‘The Art of No Reason’. This opening pretty much sets the tone for the rest of the film. If you don't enjoy the first 5 minutes of this film, chances are you will hate it. Luckily for me, I found it strangely enjoyable.

As the film mostly revolves around watching a tyre roll around and killing people in the desert, this does begin to get tyresome (bad joke I know). The film has a relatively slow pace and is only really kept interesting by its surreal humour and its great cinematography. That being said, the film is only 82 minutes long, so even if you do get bored of it, you may as well stick around until the end.

Rubber breaks the ‘fourth wall’ in a really interesting way. Whilst the main story progesses, there is an equally as strange B story. The story of the killer tyre is being watched by a group of people with binoculars standing in the desert watching it as if it were a film. They talk about the film as it progresses and then mid way through the film the two stories cross in a very odd way. I can’t really say much more than that without spoiling it but I will say this breaking of the ‘fourth wall’ was very unique and interesting to watch.

The film finishes with a very 80s style outro to put the strange looking cherry on top of this unusual film. And if you find yourself asking why certain things happen in this film, the makers will probably reply with “No Reason” which makes this film very silly but enjoyable to those with such a taste.

Film Friday - Grave Encounters

19 04 2013 08:22:03 +0000

This film sets out to make you believe you are watching found footage from a recorded tv show called Grave Encounters. The show is about a team of paranormal investigators who investigate ‘real’ haunted locations. This footage you see is of episode 6 where the team lock themselves in the abandoned Collingwood Psychiatric Hospital for the night and things start to go horribly wrong.

I first heard about this film on youtube. I had come across an interesting thumbnail which had 26 million views entitled ‘Grave Encounters Trailer’ and decided to give it watch. The comments to the video had mostly positive things to say about the film which was enough of a selling point for me to go and watch it.

I think it is fantastic that a film can now gain popularity and interest over its trailer going viral on the internet. Whilst the film was shown in many Film Festivals, the online trailer has proved to be its greatest distribution tool which gives a lot of hope to online independent filmmakers.

The film itself is a cross between ‘Rec’, ‘The Blair Witch Project’ and ‘Paranormal Activity’ as the entire film is shot from the point of view of the characters cameras. I find it difficult to suspend my belief with this style of shooting especially in this film. They drop cameras on the floor that just so happen to land in a perfectly framed shot for the action, they leave the camera recording at unusual times and the characters complain way too much about the fact the camera man is still recording.

However, I do understand that it is an extremely difficult task to convey an entire story with this camera style whilst keeping it believable. I think the only films that have pulled it off quite well are ‘Rec’ 1 and 2. ‘Rec’ 2 more so as the characters entire purpose was to set out and record footage of as much of the strange activity as possible. They also make use of the camera as a tool to see in the dark and see things that the human eye cannot, giving it more of a believable purpose.

Aside from the realism factor, the film was ok. It made me jump at certain points, built up some nice tension and kept me entertained for the duration of the film. My bedroom door also opened by itself whilst watching this film which helped generate some added atmosphere!

Film Friday - The Fountain

12 04 2013 15:43:20 +0000

The Fountain seems to be a film you either love or hate. When released in 2006, it didn’t do great in terms of gross revenue but it has since developed a large cult following through word of mouth. I for one, love the film.

The Fountain is a Romantic Sci-Fi Fantasy Drama and tells three parallel stories of a man in search of an eternal life with the woman he loves. Directed by Darren Aronofsky. For a full synopsis, follow this link - http://www.filmannex.com/movie/the-fountain/8733

I think The Fountain alienates some audiences because it is a very simple story, told in a complex way. Last night I watched the film for the forth time and only now do I feel I have fully understood the finer details of the film...at least I think I do. The Fountain gives you lots of pieces to a puzzle which, when put together, creates an incredibly moving story.

The Fountain is a film you can take a lot from. One of the main themes of the film is of a man so obsessed with trying to find a way to live longer with the woman he loves, that he doesn’t end up spending time with her whilst she is alive. I found this to be a really powerful and relevant theme. It relates to a very common modern problem of people who focus too much time on work and preparing for the future, that they forget to make the most of the time now. The film also deals with coping with death. Tommy (played by Hugh Jackman) sees death as a disease that needs to be cured, where as his dying wife sees death as an act of creation and something that should not be feared - 'Death is the road to awe'.

The Film is also relatively short, clocking in at 96 minutes. Because it is so short, you don't get any wasted moments. Everything you see in the film helps progress the story and after you have watched the film, you feel like you have been on this long journey. You see strong character development, that moves you and makes you reflect on your own life. For this to happen in only an hour and a half is extremely commendable.

From a filmmakers perspective, the Film has fantastic cinematography, creative and original imagery and an amazing soundtrack. The Fountain is a feast for your eyes, ears and mind which is why it has become one of my personal favorites.

Shine: Trial and Error...Mostly Error - Production Update

06 04 2013 17:48:53 +0000

This week I have been looking into ways in which I can turn my concept drawings (shown my previous blog - http://www.filmannex.com/posts/blog_show_post/shine-creating-a-style/61410 ) into a moving animation. This posed a few questions -

How did I want the characters move?
What program was I going to use to animate?
How am I going to learn to use this program?
Will I be able to pull off a good looking animation?

All daunting questions at first, but I got excited at the prospect of facing these challenges.

My first approach was to scan through youtube tutorials on various different animation programs to see which one I felt I would be able to learn and would create the effect I most wanted. To my surprise, I stumbled across a video which detailed ways in which you can use After Effects to animate still images. I don't have much experience with After Effects but it is a program I feel reasonably comfortable using and it transitions to and from Photoshop very easily.

I have since spent most of my time practicing and testing out lots of different methods of animation and 3d camera projection in After Effects. After a lot of trial and error, mostly error, I now feel comfortable using the program and animating the style I have previously created. Here is a still image of the process -

My next aim is to focus a lot of my time on developing the story. Now that I am comfortable in knowing what I am able to do with my animation, I can have a clearer vision in what to create and know what will work and what won't.

This has all been a new learning experience for me and I have been able to learn it all using the internet. The internet is proving to be a great source of education for me and I am looking forward to learning more!

To keep up-to-date with the production of my film 'Shine', please subscribe!

Film Friday - The Shining

04 04 2013 19:47:40 +0000

This week I shall be talking about what I consider to be the best horror film ever made - The Shining.

The Shining is a psychological horror about a writer, Jack Torrance (played by Jack Nicholson) who takes a job as a winter caretaker of a large and remote hotel. He stays there with his wife and son but slowly begins to go mad in the isolation. For a full synopsis, follow this link - http://www.filmannex.com/movie/the-shining-film/13960

One of the most notable positives about this film is in its cinematography. The Shining was amongst the first few films to use a Steadicam, a device that allows for very smooth ‘handheld” shots. The Steadicam allowed the camera to follow the characters in a very fluid and cinematic motion which really gives the audience the impression that they are there with the character. This can be noticed in the scene where the camera follows Danny (the son) as he rides his tricycle all around the hotel. The camera turns round a corner at the same time as the character and reveals two ghostly girls standing in the middle of the corridor. This is a fantastic technique to involve the audience as we react to situations in the same way and at the same time as the character.

What I also love about this film, is that it never lets you get comfortable, like a good horror should. The sound design throughout the film is incredibly unpredictable and unnerving, even during relatively calm scenes. Sharp, piercing notes in the soundtrack along with the echo’d sounds of the vast empty hotel combine to create a really uncomfortable atmosphere which keeps you scared without the need to make you jump. This is the key to a great horror. Making an audience jump isn’t what scares them, what scares them is the build up of tension, atmosphere and unease which is something The Shining does masterfully.

As a fan of all things strange and surreal, The Shining ticks those boxes for me as well. The characters encounter unpredictable and unusual ghostly visions in the hotel. An elevator overflowing with blood, a beautiful lady turning into a walking corpse and a man in a bear costume presumably doing something rude with another man in one of the rooms are all things so strange and unique that they keep you in tension throughout the film because you just can't be sure what you are going to see next.

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As an extra, here is a funny re-cut of The Shining into a much more uplifting film trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Os6raCCmAFk

Shine: Creating a Style

01 04 2013 19:04:35 +0000

I found I wasn't happy with the previous tests I had done, mostly in terms of the way they looked. I have since decided to design a style on Photoshop which more accurately matches my initial imagination of the film. Here are some examples:

1. Coast Scene

2. Cave Scene

3. Water Spirit Encounter

The style I have created is of a very simple and basic design which is what I was after. For the time being, I am happy with the results and am now looking into ways I can transfer this design into either an animation, or a stop motion project.

Be sure to subscribe to my page to keep up-to-date!

'Film' Friday - Game of Thrones

28 03 2013 21:00:24 +0000

Ok ok, so it’s not technically a film i’m writing about for Film Friday this week, but with the highly anticipated 3rd season starting this sunday, I figured I would be a great time to talk about one of my favorite television series.

Game of Thrones is about seven noble families fighting for control of the fantasy world of Westeros. However, ‘winter is coming’ and so is an ancient threat that could mean the end for everyone.

The production values for this TV series are like no other series on television. I was completely blown away by the second to last episode in season 2. The sets, the acting, the special effects, the sound design in that episode were comparable to a lot of feature films. After watching that episode, I honestly felt like I had just left the cinema and I am expecting season 3 to follow suit.

I saw an interesting post on twitter the other week - “I used to think movies were just long TV shows. But now I realize TV shows are just REALLY long movies!”. This got me thinking about how book adaptations in film often get critiqued for not having the same level of detail in the 2-3 hours of film compared with the book.

Game of Thrones is an adaptation of the George R. R. Martin’s series of fantasy novels ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’. Whilst I have yet to read the books, I haven’t heard much, if any criticisms from book fans about the TV series. This could suggest how TV series are a much more favorable option for book adaptations because it allows the story to be told in a lot more detail. Whilst the TV series may not still be comparable in detail to the books, they definitely allow for a lot more focus on the original story, and do not have to suffer criticisms for making lousy short cuts or missing out important parts of the story.

Game of Thrones is really like getting to watch a feature film every week. If you haven’t already seen Game of Thrones, you have 2 days to catch up before the next series starts! You will not be disappointed!

P.s. I’m also going to throw in this hilarious 1995 style trailer for Game of Thrones - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fPgIIB67bw

Film Friday - Goodfellas

21 03 2013 15:57:40 +0000

To choose the next film to write about in my Film Friday series, I went to the imdb.com top 100 films and began to look for films in which I have not seen yet. The highest ranked film on the list which I had not seen, was Goodfellas. It’s one of those classic films I am ashamed to admit I haven't seen, especially as a film maker!

Goodfellas is a crime drama film that follows the story of Henry Hill (played by Ray Liotta) as his life leads him into becoming a member of the mob. For a full synopsis, follow this link - http://www.filmannex.com/movie/goodfellas/9170

There are so many positives to note about this film. The acting is superb, the cinematography is creative and engaging, giving the sense that you are really part of the story and on top of that, the soundtrack is excellent. Goodfellas is an incredibly convincing and engaging look into the life of the mob from the 1950s to the 1980s. The cinematography does play a great role in getting the viewer involved in the scenes but what I admire most is the attention to detail in this film that doesn't slip an inch.

As the story takes place over a longer period of time, everything changes throughout the film. The characters get older, the fashion changes, the cars change and the entire environment effortlessly matches the time period it is set in and you don’t question it once. This really helps you as a viewer to not get distracted from the story by any small inaccuracies in the production design. The character of Henry Hill is played by Ray Liotta who has noticeably green eyes, the actor playing the child version of Henry Hill has those same noticeably green eyes. Joe Pesci’s younger counterpart in the film even shares his trademark squeaky voice. These may seem like obvious things to mention, but it really is something that is neglected in most films.

All of the attention to detail in this film helps the story flow effortlessly. It's important to note as a filmmaker, that it is very easy for something in your film to seem unbelievable or out of place. Whilst an audience can suspend their belief for certain things, a filmmaker must make the extra effort to take any distractions away from the audience so that they can be fully engaged in the story. This is an important thing to note especially when making a realistic film. All great directors are noted for their attention to detail and you should look to follow suit.

Film Friday - Spirited Away

14 03 2013 14:22:11 +0000

I was first introduced to Studio Ghibli (The production company behind Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, Howl's Moving Castle etc.) by a friend at school. He handed me the DVD of 'Spirited Away' and described Studio Ghibli as the Disney of Japan with Spirited Away being on the same level as The Lion King. I couldn't agree more.

The film is an animation that follows the story of Chihiro, a young girl who finds herself trapped and working in a bathouse in the spirit world. For a full synopsis, follow this link - http://www.filmannex.com/movie/spirited-away/14409

One of the most enjoyable aspects about this film is its atmosphere. Director Hayao Miyazaki creates a beautifully strange world and really emerses the audience in it with fantastic animation, unique characters and most importantly, an engaging story.

What most inspires me about Spirited Away, is the fact that it is a relatively simple story, but it is told in a very unique way. At the heart of the story, Spirited Away is about a young girl named Chihiro coming of age and growing up. She begins the film as a timid and sheltered child, but thoughout the story she faces challenges which build her character into a brave, mature and more likeable protagonist. This ultimately is what you love about the film. The combination of extremely creative design, animation and story telling turn this film into not just a visual treat, but an enthralling and emotional journey.

I talked in my last blog about making the most out of your films environment. What I think Spirited Away demonstrates is not just the focus on the story, but a focus on the creativity of the environment. Hayao Miyazaki has not just written a great story, he has created a world with different rules and materials for the protagonist and the audience to learn about. You end up suspending belief and accepting this fantasy world as normal. This for me, exhibits the directors skill as not just a director, but as an artist in the truest form.

This masterpiece is a must watch for any filmmaker and/or artist out there.

If you like this blog series, be sure to click the subscribe button below for more Film Fridays!

Shine: Experimenting - Production Update

12 03 2013 16:43:18 +0000

Recently I had the chance to continue experimenting with some different animation techniques to see what will work best for my next film 'Shine'.

From the last test I did, I decided that I would like to add more depth to the image and clean up some of the compositing. First of all, I designed a forest scene and created all the separate layers of depth I would need by cutting out black card. I then placed them behind a white sheet separately at differing distances and shone a light through them. Then, with the help of Tim Orchard, we composited the layers in after effects to create a final rough image.

Here is a still from the shadow puppet scene with layers composited:

Alternatively, I decided to re-create the same scene entirely on the computer. I created the layers again on Photoshop and lined them all up to create a similar image to the shadow puppet scene.

Here is the same scene but entirely drawn in Photoshop:

After trying out both methods, I found that creating the scene on the computer was a lot more efficient and easier, but the final image lacks the 'charm' of a shadow puppet scene. Tim suggested that the scene would become a lot more atmospheric if it had more moving parts, for example grass blowing in the wind and birds fluttering away in the background.

For my next test, I plan to work more on making the shadow puppet scene easier and create more moving elements. I also plan to experiment with combining computer generated images with the shadow puppetry to see if I can improve the atmosphere of the image.

Special thanks to Tim Orchard for all the help! Check out his WebTV here - http://www.filmannex.com/webtv/timorchard

To keep up-to-date with the production of 'Shine', be sure to click the subscribe button below!

Film Friday - Rear Window

08 03 2013 08:53:33 +0000

For this week’s film friday I figured I would analyze one of my favourite films of all time, Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window.

The story takes place solely within the room of the main characters apartment (L.B. ‘Jeff’ Jefferies - played by Jimmy Stewart). He has broken his leg and is confined to a wheelchair in his apartment. His main source of entertainment comes from watching his neighbours through his apartments rear window. For a full synopsis check out this link - http://www.filmannex.com/movie/rear-window/13236

What makes this film so great is its simplicity. When a story is confined to one location, the writer and director must be extremely creative in order to maintain the audiences attention. One of the great ways Hitchcock does this, is by making the absolute most out of the environment and using the materials within that environment to the fullest.

The main character is a professional photographer and as such, uses the materials most available to him in order to aid himself throughout the story. For example, when Jeff wants to have a closer look at one of his neighbours apartments, he uses the long lens of his camera as opposed to binoculars. In another example, he uses a photograph as a before and after to demonstrate to his girlfriend and his nurse that the flowers in the garden have moved, suggesting that something has been buried. Also, towards the end of the film, he fends off the attacker using the flashes from his camera. Hitchcock uses the main characters profession creatively, in order to tell the story in a much more interesting way.

This is an incredibly powerful story telling tool which can often be under utilised in most films. The ability to make use of your materials in your film to the fullest, really makes your film more creative, engaging and intelligent.

Rear Window is a must watch for any filmmaker. It demonstrates fantastic and detailed story telling in a very simplistic environment. After watching Rear Window, I found myself wanting to create more simplistic stories. I try to give myself one location and one character and see how detailed of a story I can develop given this limited environment. It is a challenge that really opens up the creativity in your mind and I would recommend any filmmaker to give it go!

If you want to keep up to date with this blog series, click the subscribe button below!

Film Friday - Django Unchained

28 02 2013 18:30:09 +0000

'Django Unchained' is Quentin Tarantino's latest creation. It tells the story of Django (Jamie Foxx), a freed slave on gory mission to find wife. Throughout his journey, he is accompanied by the man who freed him, Dr King Schultz (Christopher Waltz), a bounty hunter and former dentist. The film also stars Leonardo DiCaprio who plays Calvin Candie, a wealthy and racist antagonist who owns the fourth largest cotton plantation in Mississippi, and Samuel L. Jackson who plays Stephen, Calvin Candies advisor.

Along with the big named cast of actors frequently associated with a Tarantino film, Django Unchained delivers on everything a Tarantino fan desires. Witty dialogue, outrageous gore and an old school filming style which pays a subtle homage to the spaghetti westerns that have influenced the fabled director. If you are a Tarantino fan, this is a must see. If you are not a Tarantino fan, see it anyway, but take it with a pinch of salt!

Like most Tarantino films, 'Django Unchained' has stirred up a lot of controversy amongst critics. Alongside the violence we have come to expect in a Tarantino film, the film deals with the controversial subject of slavery in 19th century America. However, this is not what the film is about. The story is always what hooks people to a film and this is not a story of slavery in America. This is a story of a man's journey to be with the woman that he loves and this story is set during a time where violence and slavery were common things. Jamie Foxx recently said it best in an interview that "the audience are not rooting for the black guy to kill the white people, you are rooting for the guy who just wants to be in love with his woman". My point being is that controversy should not get in the way of what is, for the most part, a thoroughly enjoyable film.

Whilst watching the film, I found myself getting really emotionally involved in the story and then all of a sudden being hit with a burst of either comedy or extreme gore. However, this did not diminish my enjoyment of the film. As much as these moments threw me off, they simply acted as reminders that this was a Tarantino film and when you have accepted that, Django Unchained is an entertaining and engrossing story told in a unique way.

Film Friday

28 02 2013 17:21:05 +0000

First of all I would like to introduce you to a new blog series I will be doing entitled 'Film Friday'. This will feature a weekly Film Review, from myself, every Friday! The films I will be reviewing may not necessarily be the latest hollywood releases, they may also be films from the past that have inspired me or even films I have seen online.

More recently, I have noticed that I have not been taking the time to sit down and really enjoy a film. The idea of this blog series is to get not only myself, but other readers more excited about watching films as well as analysing all of the aspects that make a film great.

So be sure to subscribe to my WebTV and be on the lookout every friday for a new Film Friday blog!

Shine: TestTestTest - Production Update 1

17 02 2013 16:27:23 +0000

As the title may indicate, I have been busy doing some tests for my next film - Shine (working title). I have always wanted to create an animated short film so this will be my first attempt at doing so. Seeing as I have very little knowledge of animation or animation programs, I am currently experimenting with the use of shadow puppetry combined with a little work on Adobe After Effects.

So far I have looked into using different lights and materials to see which ones create the best look for the film. Below is a very rough composite of a few different materials and lights being used so you can have a sneak peak as to where the style of the film is going.

I am still in the process of developing the story with the help of fellow filmannex'er Tim Orchard (check out his work here - http://www.filmannex.com/webtv/timorchard ). I wont share too many story details during these production blogs as I would like the story to remain 'fresh' for all the viewers.

During the production of this film I will be posting behind the scenes blogs, photos and maybe some videos so you can follow my journey of making a short film.

Be sure to subscribe to my WebTV for all the latest production updates!

Rush - Production

08 01 2013 13:13:35 +0000

Soon after I got into time-lapse photography, I was introduced to the films Koyaanisqatsi and Baraka. Both films exhibit fantastic cinematography and involve heavy use of time-lapse photography. These were the first films that I saw that used time-lapse as an experimental story telling technique and it was after watching these films that I decided to make 'Rush'.

I used time-lapse on the very wide and impersonal shots of the city and juxtaposed this with slower closeups of people. This really was to communicate the different ways we can view people. You can view a city as a whole and see the fast moving traffic and the masses of people 'Rush'ing around the countless number of buildings. At the same time, a city is filled with a plethora of individual people. It is important to remember that amongst the masses of crowds, are various different individuals, each with their own stories, personalities and lives.

For this film I used a Tilt-Shift effect on the camera to create the illusion of a miniature city. This effect is usually created using a Tilt-Shift lens but as I did not have one in my possession, I decided to create the effect in post production. The miniature effect is created by placing a shallow depth of field on a large space. This tricks the eye into thinking that the large space is actually miniature. I also increased the saturation on all of the shots to really help sell the miniature 'toy town' effect.

Trivia:

- Most of the shots were filmed in London and Manchester

- The time-lapses I created here took no longer than 2 minutes to film and because of this, I used the video record mode on the DSLR to create the time-lapse, instead of using photographs

- For the Manchester shoot day, I was lucky enough to have the help of fellow filmannex'ers Anderson West and Jack Tew

- The majority of the time lapses were achieved without using a tripod. I either would use a monopod and lean it against a wall, or I would hold the camera still against a surface to keep the shot steady

- All movements in the time-lapses were created using keyframes in Final Cut Pro.

Be sure to check out my WebTV for more films like this, more story based films and behind the scenes blogs.

http://www.filmannex.com/webtv/AndyParker

What if money was no object?

22 12 2012 18:59:12 +0000

I got shown a video online about a month ago and thought Filmannex would be a great place for me to share it. It is a video entitled "What if money was no object?" and features a voice over from a lecture by the late philosopher Alan Watts. The video talks about the concept of doing what you love in life and the reasons for pursuing that mindset.

As I believe a lot of filmmakers and bloggers on Filmannex are pursuing the idea of 'doing what they love for a living', I feel that this video would be perfect for you guys to watch. With Filmannex, filmmakers are given a fantastic opportunity to do what they love for a living. Their motto simply being "Get Sponsored. Are you a creator? Then, make a living with what you create!".

I could explain the video in my own words but the message would be far better received by watching the video, here's the link - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siu6JYqOZ0g&list=FLBzR4xVl--2ISYkc-VA-J2g

Come See

25 11 2012 11:45:08 +0000

A glimpse into what I have been getting up to.

Now that I have found myself with a bit more free time, I have started testing out some things for my next film. I won't talk about the idea too much as it is still in its infancy, but keep an eye out for behind the scenes blogs so you can follow me through this entire production.

WebTV

http://www.filmannex.com/webtv/AndyParker

Canada - Production

25 11 2012 07:55:18 +0000

Production blog for my latest film - Canada. AKA the art of sticking your DSLR camera out of a fast moving car!

Earlier this year, my WebTV got featured for a week on Filmannex and I was able to generate a lot of revenue in a short space of time. With some of the money I made, I decided to take a trip to Canada for a few weeks and make a travel/road trip film based around the concept of the 'Travel Photo'.

Due to Canada being such a large country, we spent a lot of time driving, but because the scenery was so beautiful, driving for 4 hours was an absolute joy. When I started filming, my favourite shots were the ones I did from the view of the car and so I decided to make the films story more about the journey we made. This helped encapsulate the feel and the atmosphere of the trip.

I achieved the look of the film by holding my camera and holding down the button to take a few photos every second. This is basically like doing a handheld time lapse and it gives the audience a feel as if they are flicking through a photo album. To build on this photo album feel, I decided to incorporate pages of the handmade "Canuck Survival Guide" my girlfriend had made me for the trip. This, I feel, added a more personal charm to the film.

Trivia:

- In total, I took 11,661 photos during this trip.

- The time lapse of the lake just before the bear comes at the camera was actually shot at night time, the full moon was so bright it makes it look like it could be day time.

- The circular 'panning' shot over Toronto was taken from the top of the CN Tower. I took a photo against the fence of the 360 degree viewing platform, walked one step to left and took another photo. In total, this shot took an hour to complete.

- Most of the footage was shot over 5 days.

- The shots at the end of the film were long exposure photographs of a friend 'fire-spinning' with the view of the city in the background.

- The capital of Canada isn't Toronto :)

From the shoot all the way through to the edit, this has been the film I have most enjoyed making. It has always been a dream of mine to travel and make films so thank you again filmannex for helping me fund this film! Keep an eye out on my WebTV for more films coming soon!

http://www.filmannex.com/webtv/AndyParker

Canada - The Bear

19 11 2012 11:21:03 +0000

Editing is now at its final stages in the production of my latest film and before I release the finished product, I thought I'd show a few screen grabs of what I've been getting up to.

"ROOOAAARRR" - Grizzly Bear (2012)

These are what I created last night. I wanted to do a very fast animation of a bear approaching the camera and giving a big 'ROAR' just to aid the transitions from scene to scene a bit. Also I decided to put the bear in because at the time of filming these shots, we had been warned that bears could be in the area. It was night time and I was alone, finishing this time lapse by the lake. The extreme quiet of the location left my mind starting to think -"What the hell am I gonna do if a giant grizzly bear walks out of those bushes?!". Luckily nothing happened and I survived to tell the tale of my imaginary scary situation.

As this whole film is made entirely out of photographs, I figured I would try and develop my illustration skills and have a go at drawing a bear myself and then take photos of what I have drawn and find an interesting way to composite them into the frame.

The style of the film is very raw and rustic so I didn't want a realistic looking composite. By complete accident the background image of the bear turned blue when I inverted the colours and it gave an almost projector like look to the animation which works really well with the style of the film. One of those lucky accidents that crop up in the film making process!

For my next film, I am currently in pre production of creating an 'animated' series. I put the word 'animated' in quotations because it is not quite an animation but will definitely involve some craft work on my behalf.

I hope 'Canada' will be released at some point this week as I can't wait to share this film with everyone!

At First Sight - Production

05 11 2012 14:32:43 +0000

Back in 2010, faces looked younger, my hair was a lot longer and production on 'At First Sight' had begun. This was my final year film for university so times were very tense and ideas were big.

On the production team, we had fellow filmannex'ers Tim Orchard as Producer/Co-Writer and Anderson West as Director of Photography. We had been given 10 weeks to complete this film as a collaboration as well as making our own films at the same time.

The film was heavily inspired by Peter Jackson's 'The Lovely Bones' and we wanted to really focus on telling a story using unconventional techniques. There is no dialogue in the film and as such requires the audience to engage in the sounds and visuals of the film.

My behind the scenes time-lapse video on my WebTV shows how we created the 'endless' white room effect without the use of a u-shaped infinity cove. Because we were using curtains, we had to over-expose the curtains with lots of very large lights in order to hide any ripples.

For the outside scene, we had a very cold, grey and cloudy day (which could also be described as typical British weather!). As this was supposed to be a 'dream' world, Tim Orchard was able to use sky replacement techniques, in after effects, on the background and turn it into a more colourful and vibrant atmosphere.

The hospital scene was shot in a training room at Keele Hospital. We were lucky enough to get the room for free but were only limited to film in there for a few hours so we had to work fast. All of the equipment in the scene is actual hospital equipment.

The production of the film took a lot of work and was riddled with difficulties which forced us all on a steep learning curve. To this day has been the film that has taught me the most about all areas of film making.

Trivia:

- The total budget for the film came to around £500

- All of the sky seen in the outdoor scenes is actually a photograph of a more interesting looking sky.

- The flowers found in the bedside cabinet are actually 'Camilia' petals which is also the name of the main character.

- Almost all of the sound effects in the film were foley'ed after the filming took place.

- The sound effects used for the 'Reaper' character are all car sound effects as the reaper acts as a metaphor of the main character getting hit by a car causing her to be in this coma induced dream.

If you have any questions on the production of the film, feel free to send me a message or leave a comment below!

Time-Lapse Photography (Day-to-Night)

22 10 2012 17:18:31 +0000

I often get asked for tips on time-lapses so I figured alongside the release of my new film's teaser, I will share a bit of information about the time-lapse shown in the video!

The time-lapse seen in the video above is of the city of Toronto. I was lucky enough to be staying in an apartment which had that amazing view so I just had to film it!

First things first, you need to make sure you have the right equipment. For this shot I used a Canon 5D Mark ii with a 24mm f1.4 lens. For night time-lapses, I would recommend using the fastest lens possible (i.e. a lens with a low f-stop). This allows a lot more light into the camera meaning you wont have to rely on using a high ISO (a high ISO will make your shots look grainy and not as sharp!). You will also need a remote timer. Some cameras have built in remote timers which work just as good! Finally, you will need a sturdy tripod!

Once you have everything you need, you can set up your shot. Make sure the focus and white balance are on manual and are set to your liking as once the time lapse begins, you should avoid touching the camera at all costs. Make sure you have plenty of card space, a full battery and that your camera and tripod are in a safe place that won't get moved or have things blocking your view.

For this time-lapse I had my camera set to AV mode. I usually will shoot on manual but as the light was going to change from day to night, I decided to use AV mode. AV mode allows you to manually set the f-stop AND the ISO but will automatically change your shutter speed. This meant I could leave the camera to adjust to the light change automatically, whilst still having an initial manual control over the shots ISO and f-stop. I think for this shot my f-stop was f1.4 and my ISO was at 1200. This allowed the camera to adjust more easily for the night time shots without slowing down the shutter speed too much. When doing a day-to-night time-lapse (or any time-lapse for that matter), it is really important to plan ahead and have a rough idea of what your scene is going to look like in an hours time.

This time-lapse took about 1 hour in which I took around 1000 photos. The images were all large format to give the final video a much more detailed look.

This was just a brief overview of the time-lapse and hopefully it helped out a few people who were interested in doing a day-to-night time-lapse themselves.

If you like this blog and would like more time-lapse tips and behind the scenes, be sure to let me know in the comments below or send me a message on Filmannex or Twitter!

Working With Others - Music

12 10 2012 10:06:47 +0000

A large part of making a film is working with other people. Very rarely will you be able to make film by yourself. There are too many different skills required in making a film and it is very unlikely that one person will have all of these skills mastered. Which is why it is important to connect with other skilled and talented individuals to help make your film the best it can be.

But where do you find the right people for the job? Luckily, more and more artists are putting their work on the internet and demonstrating their individuals talents infront of a worldwide online audience. One of the most common collaborations a film maker will have, is with a musician.

Musicians are now able to make a living online by selling their music, generating advertising revenue from music videos and even getting commissioned work from someone who has heard their music online. Now that more and more musicians are reaching out to audiences online, finding the right song/musician for your film is becoming a lot easier.

Here are a few websites that can help you find the musician you are looking for. Lots of the artists on these sites are up and coming and are looking for exposure so are possibly great people to collaborate with.

SoundCloud - I have mentioned this website in a previous blog but they are definitely worth a mention here. Lots of variety and some songs are even royalty free so you can use them straight away! - http://www.soundcloud.com/

SoundGlee - More of a drum and bass channel but they are showing new, talented and mostly unheard of artists everyday who would be great collaborations for film makers - http://www.youtube.com/soundglee

Approaching Nirvana - Two musicians who offer their music out to online video makers as long as you give them a credit. Check out their videos for more information - http://www.youtube.com/approachingnirvana

Liquicity - A drum and bass youtube channel which has slightly more well known artists, but still a great place to scout for musicians - http://www.youtube.com/liquicity

If you know of any more artists or websites which have more undiscovered music talent please post in the comment section below! (Hopefully we can get a nice collection of different websites, making it a lot easier for film makers to find great musicians to work with!)

Going Auto Pilot

12 09 2012 19:13:09 +0000

For the last couple weeks I have been travelling around Canada with camera in hand.

Earlier this year I had travelled to New Zealand with the intention to film the scenery and create a film from the footage. During the time I was travelling mostly on a tour bus, stopping off at locations for only 5 minutes maximum to take the same pictures everyone else was taking of the spectacle we had stopped at. Don't get me wrong, the views and scenes were lovely and I got some great footage, but I felt very uninspired to create a film out of it. There was no theme to latch onto and the footage wasn't really coming together in my mind as a complete film. It left me only getting my camera out because I had to, not because I wanted to.

Back to Canada - I have been here for just over two weeks now. I spent my first week driving around the Alberta Rockies. Similar to New Zealand, the scenery was stunning, but this time, I could stop when and where I wanted and even stick my camera out of the window of the car a fair few times (almost dropping it in the process, just don't tell my insurance company!). My inspiration wasn't limited to just key tourist places, I was able to find inspiration from the freedom that the trip gave.

Getting my camera out became something I was looking forward to doing, which is the way it should be! There were no time restrictions, nothing was really planned, filming just became a natural and enjoyable process. Because of this, I found myself coming up with lots of new film ideas and filming techniques. When you're in an environment where your mind goes auto pilot with filming, things start to become clearer and more enjoyable. I guess you could say it has helped me connect with my creative muse (at the risk of sounding too much like a hippy! :D)

I guess the main point of this blog is to say enjoy what you do, get lost in your work and great things will come of it.

P.s. More information to come on the shots I have been filming and the films I intend to make when I get back home!

Spirit of the Forest - Production

28 05 2012 17:04:23 +0000

Spirit of the forest was the second story based short film I have made. It was inspired from watching a lot of Studio Ghibli, especially watching the film Princess Mononoke.

I have always loved being in the woods and really wanted to set a film in a forest. When you see a forest on film or in a photograph, it is a lot more magical, warm and comfortable than it actually is. The shoot days for Spirit of the Forest were amongst some of the coldest shoot days I have experienced (we even had snow at the beginning of day 1). I really want the film to have the warm but mysterious atmosphere despite the cold, wet conditions of the shoot day. This was achieved through a combination of cinematography, colour grading and sound design.

Trivia:

- The red leaves in which the main character is stood behind are all fake leaves. I placed them there to add some colour to the production design of the area. They also act as opposing colours to the green of the forest, suggesting that Chris is acting as an enemy or a threat to the environment. His younger brother sits behind the green bushes to suggest that he is more in tune with the environment.

- Chris is wearing a purple jumper because purple is a colour that is usually associated with death or transformation. This gives a hint to the end of the film.

- The bleeding mushroom was achieved by using a tube tied to the back of the knife in which we squeezed fake blood down.

- Some white mushrooms were added to areas in the forest and I drew small faces on them as a subtle homage/reference to the Kodamas in Princess Mononoke.

- The shot of throwing the rope over the tree at the beginning of the film took around 50 tries to get right.

- The shoot took 2 full days to get every shot needed.

If you have any questions or comments about the production, feel free to leave a comment. If you liked this blog post, check out the production blogs for my other films!

Nocturne - Production

25 05 2012 17:23:21 +0000

Nocturne was my first ever time using time-lapse photography. My initial idea was to film the stars and see if I can make a film out of the footage, but I quickly learnt that a normal video camera does not let enough light in and you will not be able to see any stars. This is where I learnt about time-lapse photography.

The film is made entirely out of photographs strung together at 25 photographs a second to create a moving image. A Digital SLR camera allows a lot more light into it, therefore allowing you to see more stars in your shot. For most of the shots, I used a 15-30 second shutter speed, with f2.8 apature and 3200-6400 iso. This meant that I would take a photo every 30 seconds, so at 25 frames per second in video, it would take 22.5 minutes of shooting time to create a 1 second clip in the edit. This basically means very long shoots on very cold nights!

Time-lapse is a very addictive filming technique. Once you have done one, you start to imagine what other things would look like if they were sped up and you end up time-lapsing everything! My advice to anyone looking into doing time-lapse photography would be to buy a remote timer and a Digital SLR and start shooting. The best way to learn and get better at time-lapse (like anything) is to keep practicing.

Time-lapse can be used as a great story telling technique. When you see things at a different speed, you start to think about them differently. For example, the shot of the planes taking off at the airport in Nocturne interested me the most as I didn't really realise how many planes fly everyday, and this was just at one airport! It tends to put things in perspective.

Trivia:

- For the production of Nocturne, I ended up taking well over 10,000 photos in the space of 2 weeks.

- I did most of the shoots with my father who is a professional photographer and was nice enough to let me borrow his cameras! Thanks dad!

- When I was practicing time-lapse, I didn't have a remote timer device so I used to have to press the camera button for each photo (sometimes nonstop for well over an hour).

- As a photos resolution is usually near 5k, all of the shots had to be downscaled to 720p so that my computer at the time (2008) could actually edit the film together!

If you have any questions about the production or about time-lapse photography, feel free to leave a comment!

Highwayman - Production

23 05 2012 17:12:43 +0000

Highwayman was the first "real" film I made on my own. Before this, I had made experimental films, worked on films in groups, and even made a music video. This was the first time I had ever got together actors, locations, costumes, crew and written and directed a short film.

The focus of the production for me was to get everything organised. The story for the film is extremely simple and not challenging in any way but for my first film I believe this to be a good thing. It gave me a chance to get used to the producer side of film making. Having to organise everything myself really taught me that there is always a way to bring your ideas to life.

When you are making your own film, it is a difficult balance between focusing on the story and focusing on the logistics of the production. In a professional environment, a director will only have to focus on the art of film making as producers and other crew members will take care of the rest. Unfortunately, you are not always given such a freedom as an independent film maker. But this shouldn't limit any aspect of your film, it just requires a lot more hard work!

I came up with the idea for this film after watching lots of twilight zone episodes (hence the surreal nature of the film). The total time I had for this production was about 5-6 weeks so it was a very steep learning curve! The main lesson I learnt from the production of this film was how much work you can achieve in a short amount of time.

Trivia:

- During the shoot day, the police were called as some of the local farmers had had horses being stolen recently and they thought we were doing the same. Luckily I had called the police before the shoot and informed them that I would be filming here. (God knows why they thought a group of people with cameras and a man dressed as a clown would be stealing horses!)

- The cutaway shot of the birds flying away was achieved by getting one of my friends to jump into the field and run at the birds.

- We only used a small stretch of road for the entire shoot but as the background was just hedges, we could drive past the same hedge and it would give the illusion that the characters had driven a greater distance.

- The car never goes above a speed of 30mph but due to the background, it looks like it is going a lot faster.

- The shoot was completed in around 6 hours as it was winter and there wasn't many hours of daylight.

If you have any questions about the production of the film, feel free to leave a comment below!

Connect 4 - Production

18 05 2012 19:02:01 +0000

I figured I'd start writing some blogs detailing some interesting information about the films on my WebTV channel (http://www.filmannex.com/webtv/AndyParker). I begin with my latest upload - Connect 4.

Connect 4 was the first proper short film I made since leaving University. I was originally planning to make a more serious survival based drama set in the ocean but the pre production was proving to be to difficult/expensive!

The idea for the film came about from joking about with the actress in Connect 4 that if it rained during production of the ocean film, we would just stay inside and play connect 4 all day. The whole film strangely popped right into my head at that point! It's a really simple idea and would be far easier to make than my ocean idea.

Pre Production took about 2 weeks, with a 1 day shoot and about 3 weeks editing and colour grading.

Trivia:

- Connect 4 cost less than £500 to make. The cat costume was the most expensive item but I believe it was well worth the money as it is the climax to the film.

- The cat costume used in Connect 4 was the same costume worn by English actor and comedian Mark Heap in the TV series Big Train!

- The opening shot features a small kitten (named Bella) running out of shot. We were filming round my friends house and he had recently got a very hyper active kitten. I decided I wanted Bella to run through the opening shot as a slight hint to the ending of the film. It took a total 5 takes to get Bella to run at the right time so we were very lucky with that!

- The main character in the film is reading Alice in Wonderland. I chose this as another small hint to the ending as the Cheshire Cat in the book is very similar to the illusive colourful cat in Connect 4.

- The final shot where the connect 4 pieces fall on their own was done with a long, thin piece of string being pulled by someone from behind the sofa.

- I am hidden behind the cat in all of the shots. I am swaying it's tail and lifting it's head up so you can see his face more clearly!

If you have any questions about the production of the film, feel free to leave a comment on this blog and I'll be happy to answer your questions/comments!

Film Annex's Afghan Development Project

15 05 2012 14:58:53 +0000

I've recently just seen Film Annex has started a project in Afghanistan to help educate children about connecting to the world via the internet. From a sociology stand point, the project has great potential to have an enormously positive effect. Teaching and encouraging children to make full use of the internet will really help to inspire a new generation of people who can send, share and learn different ideas on a global scale. The internet is a great source of ideas, information and creativity and everyone should have the opportunity to connect to it.

Having the ability to show the frequent progress of the construction of new school rooms filled with computers through the use of Film Annex's webtv channels is also really inspiring.

If you havnt already, go and check out the progress that there has already been made - http://www.filmannex.com/webtv/afghandevelopment

Hitchcock - Definition of Happiness

21 03 2012 16:50:42 +0000

Alfred Hitchcock's definition of happiness - "A clear horizon...nothing to worry about on your plate...only things that are creative and not destructive.".

Despite what it may seem from the picture above, Alfred Hitchcock was a very happy individual. He lived his life doing what he loved to do, being creative and directing some of the best films ever made.

I have always been a huge fan of Alfred Hitchcock and his work (Psycho and Rear Window being in my top 10 films list) and I am sure a lot of you will share my admiration. Recently, I watched an interview with the man himself answering the question "What is Happiness?".

He answers the question in his calm yet certain tone, explaining that happiness to him is living a life where he can focus on being creative. This is something I believe every artist desires, whether you are a painter, film maker, musician. But achieving this goal seems to be a very difficult one.

The majority of jobs out there aren't creative or restrict creativity and the few jobs that are creative are desired by many and thus are very difficult to obtain. The Internet to me is the new beacon of hope for the creative person to make a living. More and more people are using the internet to sell their artwork, personally designed clothing lines, music, films etc.

More and more filmmakers are using sites like filmannex to make money by being creative. On top of that, their art is reaching audiences all around the world. I truly believe the internet is now becoming the most powerful and important tool for the independent artist.

Hitchcock's entire interview can be found here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14dOICbwSIs

Royalty Free Music

08 03 2012 10:40:25 +0000

The last few days I have been searching the internet for Royalty Free Music to use in my films. I have found a lot of great sites but also a lot of not so great sites. Here are a few of the best places I have found that supply royalty free music for use in your films:

Kevin Macleod - http://incompetech.com/m/c/royalty-free/

- This is a great website created by composer Kevin Macleod. This site has one of the best and diverse music collections and it is all free to download. All of the music on this site is royalty free and under a creative commons license, meaning that you can use the music for your own films and even for commercial use. All he asks is that you credit him somewhere in your film.

Tom Fahy - http://tomfahy.org/tyr/

-This is another great website for Royalty Free music under the creative commons license. There is a vast selection of music here and the website is easily navigable. Once again, all he asks is that you credit him and the song you used in your film.

Alastair Cameron - http://www.cameronmusic.co.uk/using-the-free-music-and-sound-effects/

- Alastair Cameron offers both royalty free music tracks and free sound effects. He has a great selection of music and uses 'soundcloud' to play his music which makes searching through the songs quick and easy. Music and sound effects are free and he does ask that you credit him in your work.

Soundcloud - http://soundcloud.com/creativecommons

- Soundcloud have opened up a creative commons section where a lot of the music is free to download and use in your work. The music here is a lot more contemporary but be sure to check the type of license attributed to the song wish to use as it may not be allowed for commercial use.

I hope this helps and if you guys have any more royalty free music websites you have found useful, please do post them in the comments section.

Inspiration - Rob Gonsalves

04 03 2012 10:57:37 +0000

During my Travels in New Zealand, I visited Puzzling World in Wanaka. This building was like a museum for surreal and strange artwork. Featured on one of the walls were a series of paintings by Canadian artist Rob Gonsalves.

(Medieval Moonlight)

Now I am not usually a person to visit art galleries frequently but I do enjoy looking at various pieces of artwork especially if it falls into the surrealism category. Rob Gonsalves' paintings I viewed that day were probably the least highlighted section in the Puzzling World but they were the artwork which impressed me most by far.

(Ladies of the Lake)

The seemingly simple image soon becomes more complex the more you look at it. He is one of these artists where I would love any of his artwork hanging in my home as they are all excellent.

(Water Dancing)

His artwork is really inspiring for any creative person. His paintings are so well thought out and executed with perfect fluidity, you are left to just admire his initial creative visions as well as the technical mastery of his craft.

(The Chalkboard Universe)

Looking at artwork like always leaves me thinking about how I can apply what I have seen here to my own chosen form of artwork - Film. I think for each person, they can always take something different. For me, I take from this the ability to look at normal scenes and situations, and altering the imagery in order to aid the story. Much like the image above (The Chalkboard Universe), the use of the image of the Universe blending in with the formula that is attempting to describe the Universe, really tells the story of how a Theoretical Physicist may invision his formulas whereas others will just see them as numbers on a chalkboard.

(Sailing Island)

His art is described as 'magic realism' which I think is a great term.

If you have a moment, check out his website, you won't be dissapointed- http://www.robgonsalves.com/

Rule No.1 - Breathe

01 03 2012 18:58:49 +0000

"Rule number 1 when you are acting - remember to breathe" I was once told by a friend at University who had recently begun to pursue the delicate art of acting.

The reason I bring this up now is because I am soon going to be taking part in some acting myself. Well...voice acting...but acting none the less. However, I am not an actor.

"Not remembering to breathe normally during a take is what causes most people to stiffen up infront of the camera and makes them act very robotic" he continued.

I have experienced the freezing fear of being on the shiny side of the camera once before. Trying my best to "walk naturally across the shot" as the director had instructed. Thinking about "walking naturally" only seemed to cause me to over think something I do perfectly everyday, thus resulting in what can most suitably be described as an unnatural walk.

After hearing "Rule no.1 of acting", the whole remembering to breathe seems to make a lot of sense. I can think back to my "natural walking" and only remember focusing on the action of walking and not on my breathing. Breathing relaxes your body and mind and would have most likely lead to a genuinely natural onscreen walk.

If breathing can help me walk the walk, lets hope it helps me talk the talk. Time to put that tip to good use!

Welcome!

01 03 2012 05:56:05 +0000

Hi everyone and welcome to my WebTV channel.

I will be using these blogs to document the progress on a new Film project I am currently embarking on. The film project will not be using cameras, nor will it be filmed by traditional methods. Never the less, there will still be an interesting, unique and engaging story being told.

Keep an eye out for updates.

Andy