My goal with this project is to explore a completely different side of film-making. I am prioritizing the creative process over the end result, and pushing my own limits as a cinematographer. It is my hope that this experience yields not only a polished and eye-catching film in the end, but to have broadened my scope of the video creation process.
In the past week, I have considered many angles for this project. My initial concept was based around a journey through nature; following a flowing dancer along the way. Through each landscape we would see a new expression of movement in the form– mimicking the surrounding region.
I also loved the idea that one person with a single camera could also go out into the world and find any manner of interesting visual compositions. This being far more abstract, I felt as though it needed to be bound with an overarching theme.
Thus, I have combined the two into a greater exploration of the creative process, and of creation from a cosmic scale. Journeying through the stars as a divine deity swirls life into motion, we will follow this mysterious force as they wind themselves through time and space.
- Space
- Stars
- Planets
- Aliens
- Gods
- Beings
- Experiences
- Art
- Expression
- Time
- Memories
- Feelings
- Life
- Death
- Creation
- Stories
- Myths
- Fiction
- Universe
- Infinity
- Looping
- Clouds
- Rain
- Water
- Light
- Moon
- Sun
- Mirror
- Glass
- Reflections
- Fear
- Darkness
- Awe
- Water
- Drowning
- Illness
- Health
- Humanity
- Cycles
- Betrayal
- Loyalty
- Journey
- Change
- Unfamiliarity
- Blank-Slate
- Navigation
- Future
- Technology
- Gravity
- Ideas
- Weight
Afterglow Editing Style
Afterglow Editing Style
After much consideration as to how to depict the force of creation's divine presence, I was drawn to the 'echos' created by the layering and fading of after-images. Similar to Pas de Deux, by Norman McLaren, I will be sequencing this style adjacent to normal, full form figures.
Where my vision differs is in the coverage and pace of the cosmic dance. Creation will erratic, serene, violent, and beautiful all within the tight framing of the performance.
Macro/Probe Videography
Macro/Probe Videography
To enhance the alienating feeling of the experience, I am choosing to rely on natural phenomena to convey the familiar, yet intangible nature of existence. There will also be slow-motion movement in these shots.
To contrast the brightness I envision in each piece, I intend to keep the background quite dark and moody. In essence, the light will be 'painted' throughout the scene where I deem the eye should follow.
Lens Bokeh Shaping
Lens Bokeh Shaping
In my research, I stumbled across a video of @lensevision (YT) testing a custom aperture filter. This produced a mesmerizing effect on the shape of the light in the backgrounds of focus.
I intend to expand upon this idea to heighten the dreamy, surreal nature of my film. The inserts gathered to visualize creation are abstractions, and this would further separate them from hard reality.
Custom bokeh examples pictured on the right.
Musical Composition
Musical Composition
The vision for the backing audio is still in flux, but the composer and I have been leaning in the direction of slow, somber synths. We have also been experimenting with incorporating some form of visualizer.
Each movement in the music will tell its own reflection of accompanied moments in creation. We plan to mix the synthesizers in with piano and more traditional media to create that distant, yet familiar feeling.
Week 1-3: Concept Creation and Refinement
Week 4: Begin Macro Video Production
Week 5: Work with Composer for Demo
Week 6: Begin Choreography Video Production
Week 7: Review Dailies & Pull Select Footage
Week 8: Refine Macro & Dance Footage
Week 9: Finish first Rough Cut
Week 10: Open time for edit
Week 11: Finish Final Cut & Send to Colorist
Week 12: Review Colored Footage and make Tweaks
Week 13: Final Export & Begin Showcase Construction
Week 14: Finish Showcase Construction
Week 15: Screen Final Project
Jumping head-first into this project, I planned and shot all of the macro and probe videography during the month of September. Going forward, we will need to finish the choreography, as well as a demo pass of the musical composition being created by my brother, Parker Canedy.
After a long weekend of setup and filming, we finally have the dance choreography shot and ready to edit! Below are behind-the-scenes photos from our long day of dancing!
Below are concatenated reels of select footage that has been gathered during the end of September into October:
We also have a new demo of the spacey-twinkling vibe of our musical direction! There is much polishing to do, but this is a major step forward for the post-production process.
During the month of October, we filmed the choreography and other dancing visuals. Below is a progress reel with the footage.
The difficulty of October is the incredibly busy schedule; juggling fall break, this project, other classes, and the production of another short film. I hope to chip away more at the edit as we near Halloween, but the project may need a temporary hold before much significant progress can be made.
Below is the progress screening for the end-of-execution milestone in class:
During the beginning of November, my mortal enemy was the dynamic link feature in the Adobe Suite between Premiere and After Effects. After losing all editing progress from October due to a corruption in the linked composition, I had to start again.
I wasn't super upset about this, however, as it forced me to re-think my ideas for round two.
Below is a link to the first half of the new compositions:
After hearing from the radical cinema class for our end of execution milestone, I had a lot to go on for my following pass at the rest of the clips, as well as updating the timing and flow of the previous scenes. I worked to slow down the transitions and linger on each composition for longer. Additionally, the other half of the film was updated and added, as can be seen here:
The sound ambience and final score were still not finalized at this point, so I took advantage of seeing family over Thanksgiving break to work closer with my brother to craft the final sound design and score of the film. I pieced the clips above with the new audio, and added the RIT bumper and credits.
Still on my to-do list is a flashy title sequence, and a further pass to line up the rhythm changes to certain moments with a better flow, but here is the near-finished fine cut so far:
During the first week of December, I premiered my near-finalized film and made small tweaks accordingly. I also finished the setup and display of my sensory-focused installation for the Radical Cinema Showcase. My film will premiere on Friday afternoon, December 12th!