Final project, Escape Pod... rough cut

I have finished the rough cut of my film.

It has very poor sound (recorded on the cameras mic)

It is also cut very roughly and having watched it I can already seem 10000000000 (FACT) changes that need to be made.

It also has my Producer Rhian Mason reading the lines of the Hologram...

Jack Shelbourn logo, Motion Ident

I have created three motion idents using the new logo.

I have spent most of the day on these, changing and trying things out and I am very happy with the final outcome and I think they look great.

They all start with the logo complete and then filter off to reflect what they individually represent.

I really like how all three aspect of what I do and create have logo that says it all and then can be branched off to reflect the individual aspects of what I do.

jack shelbourn films:


jack shelbourn images:


jack shelbourn motion graphics:

Jack Shelbourn logo... Update

I have re-designed it slightly, after seeing it on Vimeo.

As there is plenty of space I have decided to change 'Graphics' to a more correct 'Motion Graphics'.

Jack Shelbourn logo

I have spent a little time changing my 'logo'.

I have also created a bit of a colour scheme, so I will probably make my web pages and blog etc, match.

I'm not 100% settled on the design so will try a few of them out.

Final project, Escape Pod... Edit 01

Just finished arranging the footage using the shot logs.

Going to line the script now read for the edit...

Here's my nicely ordered Avid left screen.

Final Project, Escape Pod... Location Shoot

Today we finished filming for the project.

We finished off with a fun day on location outside in the sunshine.

We filmed in a field on the outskirts of Lincoln, and it was perfect for the script.

The light was great and there wasn't too much wind, though the girls were a little cold from time to time.

I filmed with my Canon 70-200mm L Lens and it was a dream to use. I was so happy to have the room to be able to use it and out of the confinement of the studio.

It was a great experience working outside and I really enjoyed it. I will definitely write more scenes that are on location for my next film.

My lens had a great lens cap so that eliminated flares and, although we did take audio, we had always planned to rerecord the speech in a studio so the noisy road near by wasn't a problem.

We tried a hand held shot, as the area we were filming in was too bumpy and the tracks wouldn't stay level, and it didn't turn out to bad. It even made me wish I had filmed more hand held, but I had to remind myself that I just don't have the time or technical skill to composite on hand held just yet.

It was a great way to end the shoot and I'm really happy with the footage.

Next week I plan to cut the rough edit of the film and then begin post production.

The plan after that is compositing, edit, colour grade then audio production...

Final project, Escape Pod... Sound guy Dex

You can follow the progress of my film through the ears of the sound guy involved, Dexter prior, on his blog found here.

Final Project, Escape Pod... Final Day

Today we finished up in the studio.

We filmed a few cut aways and then the rest of the scenes yet to be done.

Once this was done, a few shots of the main character walking and then 'accessing' a computer were needed.

All of these were shot in front of blue screen but this time we just put on all of the lights possible as I wanted this to feel less claustrophobic and confined as the rest of the shoot.

Rex, the actor, jokingly suggested a special effects shot involving a track and then some CGi of the camera flying through a space stations windows...

Well it inspired me so I took the footage and I'm going to see what I can do...

Packing up the studio tomorrow and then its edit time and plan the shoot on location, on Saturday.

Final Project, Escape Pod... Day 4

Today we filmed cut aways and shots that are needed for specific emphasis and story.

I filmed the day entirely with a canon 100mm f2.8 macro lens. This was one of the best and most fun lenses I have ever used. I love it!

I feel far better about the shots now, and I'm really happy about the depth of field I have been able to use. If I could I think I would re film everything I have done so far with this lens.

I intend to use it again tomorrow, as well as the 50mm f 1.4.

The shoot so far has not been without its losses... So far two of folders have been broken in the making of my film.

The first on the first day. I dropped it in a period of over excitement.

The second today, when the sound man Dex kicked it by accident.

So tomorrow one of the first things I will do is go and buy a new folder for the production file to live.

I've been really happy with my organisation so far, and its been great having someone log shots (which I've never had before), I'm sure it will help the edit loads.

I have also been ingesting the files into Avid each day, so it will save time in the long run, not spending an entire day doing it as it does take a while. I'm enjoying using Avid so far, which is the first time I have ever been able to say that.

On a project this size I prefer its layout and organisation.

Final project, Escape Pod... Day 3

Today's predicament was my forgetting to put the battery's on charge over night, so therefore day 3 will forever know as the battery day. Luckily I brought the battery grip for my 550D so I was able to use AA battery's, although the uni shop only had a pack of four.

So I had to use a couple of old ones which reduced the power of the new ones quite a lot, but with a carefully timed lunch one of the main battery's was charged and ready to finish the day.

Today about another third of the film was shot.

I experimented with different shot angles compared to yesterday, as yesterday was more of a two way conversation.

One shot I am particularly interested in is a shot through the 'windscreen' of the pod, that I intend to composite into a CGi space shot of the escape pod with a fleet of ships passing in the background.

Tomorrow I will hopefully be able to use the University's 100mm Macro lens, if I get there before the other guy who has been taking it out...

I will use this macro to have a very narrow depth of field as I'm not overly happy with the depth I'm getting with the 50mm f1.4 and 24mm f2.4 and I'd like to add move of an enclosed feel to the shots as I had originally intended.

This will be used, along with some track rails and jib, to take more experimental shots and cutaways. Then if there is time, or on Day 4, we will finish of the filming in the studio with a day to spare.

Here's some pictures so far of my Canon 550D with the 50mm f1.4 and the guys and the set...

Final project, Escape Pod... Day 2

Today was day two in the studio.

I filmed today on my Canon 550D with a canon 50mm F1.4 prime lens.

This gave me great control with depth of field and was great fun.

The day didn't last long and was mainly free of drama, apart from me having to run out to buy some red liquid mascara as I forgot to get fake blood... Worked well in the end.

I missed a few shots that need doing first thing tomorrow, but that's ok as we got through a good third of the film so were way ahead of schedule.


A quick test of some of the footage in after effects and I need a lot of time to experiment with colour grading as I'm currently with out Magic Bullet as I just upgraded to CS5. However i am happy about this as I will learn more.

Also there is a slight noticeable movement in the camera, which must just have been my breathing, its unnoticeable until I have added some test elements such as lens flares. However with some simple motion tracking added to these elements I feel it will add a natural rhythm and feel to the shots, so even though they do appear mainly static there will be a sense that the ship is moving.

Final Project, Escape Pod... Day 01, update

Footage is good! :-)

And there is sound...!

Haven t tried keying it yet, and the plug-in, Holomatrix, I intend to use to aid in the hologram effect isn't 64bit ready yet, so lets hope it will be before its to late, but I'm sure I can make my own effect from scratch...

Final Project, Escape Pod... Day 01

Day 01:

Start of filming went very well today. After a slow start and set up (lost of testing and trying things out) We started filming around 11:30.

Lunch was only about 45 mins after this because everyones belly's began to growl.

Due to some poor service (at the pub) we started filming again at 13:10.

However, even though I had a minor panic, we finished 30 mins early at 16:00.

I was short crewed but it worked out fine.

I am currently ingesting the video files ready for viewing tonight,

Plenty of planning to be done over the weekend ready for the 5 days in the studio but I am feeling very confident after today.

Final project, Escape Pod... Set Build

My final project requires a basic set.

The majority of the set for my film will be created in post production through CGI methods.

However to aid my main actors imagination an area that is interacted with the most has to be made.

Constructed mainly from wood, this control panel is the source of electronic, light based computer screens.

The set was constructed in two days, and is made from parts brought from hardware shops and car and bike parts shop.

These are images of the set through out its construction.

These are examples of what I would like to achieve.

Final project, Escape Pod... Introduction

Tomorrow, Friday the 4th of June, I start filming my film. There are only two locations; a blue screen studio and a field.

Tomorrow I begin my possible 6 day stint in the studio.

I will be filming in front of a blue screen (green screen is unavailable)

I will be blogging as much as possible through out the whole process of filming and post production, not just for my own records, but also to aid in my final reports including my 10,000 word critique.

Tomorrow was going to be my set up day, however due to uncontrollable circumstances I have to film an entire characters part in one day.

This should be perfectly do-able, but still will be a scary and exciting time.

I will then break for the weekend, spend the next five days in the studio, two on location and then a day packing up and maybe any excess shots needed.

There will be then plenty of time for post production until audio work in early August.

I will then spend the last two weeks of August finishing the project physically, I.E DVD case and cover, as well as all the writing work.

Finally the hand in date for the project is the 10th of September.

Hopefully that wont be the end for it and I will promote the film to festivals, but that's something to think about later on down the line...