Check it out, I finally made a new video!
So onto the mindless rambling breakdown that is usually in the video comments!
Well if you read the post below this one, you would've know that this was shot in a carpark a few day ago! This was the first "proper" use of my new camera, and out of 10, I'd give it a score of 11! I love it so much more every time I turn it on (not in that way Majed)!
But yeah, Dad wanted to help out, so I scribbled up a quick storyboard, gave him the camera and just said "do it!" I think he did an excellent job, considering he's no cinematography expert! There were a few tiny jolts and zooms that suddenly stopped, but they don't really matter since the focus wasn't actually on the filming, it was on the visual effects!
I took a huge chunk of my time doing all the effects you notice (the lightning and the car light being smashed and it smoking), but most of my time was spent on the un-noticeable stuff... The only "un-noticeable" thing in this vfx test was the colour correction and colour grading, something that I've never really tried to do properly! One thing I can say about the job I did this time around is "I'm never gonna be a pro at colour correction/grading..." Hehe.
The actual animation of the lightning was pretty decent in my opinion, but now that I look back on it, there should've been a shit load more IL (interactive lighting) being produced!
So overall, I didn't think it turned out too badly... It's by no means perfect, but it isn't the worst thing I've ever done! I'll try to upload something new in 2 weeks!
(I mentioned earlier in a vLog that my new years resolution was to try to get something new onto YouTube every 2 - 3 weeks, but that goal became impossible since I started picking up paid freelance vfx work, and the workload at school got a lot worse)
So yeah, stay tuned to the channel and subscribe if you haven't already, you'll get cookies!!
Wednesday, 11 June 2008
Sunday, 8 June 2008
I'm in love... with a carpark
Whilst driving around with Dad today we stopped off in the city, to find this awesome looking carpark. So we drove home, grabbed the camera (and the rest of the gear) and headed back down to the carpark. Since it's a long weekend, there wasn't one car in sight!
So we re-filmed the visual effects test I mentioned in the post below, and I'm pretty sure Dad go what I was talking about this time! I've only done a very quick review of the footage and it isn't looking too bad! At least it will be usable this time! For more epicness, I'm chopping out more of the footage, meaning cutting it down to a 2.35:1 ratio (same as most films you go and see at the cinema today)
Along with that, I shot a few things for some Aurellia tutorials being released in the near future. The tutorials are:
Another thing is a bunch of Dad driving around in his car, although I won't be able to make much out of it =( I might make a spec. commercial for his car in a few weeks if I can be bothered... Hehe.
Tomorrow I will be filming some stuff for a telekinesis tutorial over at Aurellia. So keep your eyes posted! If you aren't a member of the forums, I'd suggest you sign up. We're always sending out newsletters informing the community about our development behind the scenes (and why there is no new stuff) Haha!
So that just about wraps up this post. I'll try and get this visual effects test done before I go to bed! Catchya later!
So we re-filmed the visual effects test I mentioned in the post below, and I'm pretty sure Dad go what I was talking about this time! I've only done a very quick review of the footage and it isn't looking too bad! At least it will be usable this time! For more epicness, I'm chopping out more of the footage, meaning cutting it down to a 2.35:1 ratio (same as most films you go and see at the cinema today)
Along with that, I shot a few things for some Aurellia tutorials being released in the near future. The tutorials are:
- A revised and re-delivered lightsaber tutorial. It's going to be split up into a few separate tutorials for each different section, just so that you don't have to sit there through 40 minutes of Tom's funny accent! Haha, just kidding Tom. The footage consists of me standing there and spinning my saber around for a bit (I was trying to look cool/stylish, but the rest of my body moved a ton, so I just look funny!)
- Part 2 of the lightsaber wall-burning. We're going to have a tutorial with a metal wall (what I filmed today) and a dry-wall... Like the walls in your house unless you're rich and your house is made of gold...
Another thing is a bunch of Dad driving around in his car, although I won't be able to make much out of it =( I might make a spec. commercial for his car in a few weeks if I can be bothered... Hehe.
Tomorrow I will be filming some stuff for a telekinesis tutorial over at Aurellia. So keep your eyes posted! If you aren't a member of the forums, I'd suggest you sign up. We're always sending out newsletters informing the community about our development behind the scenes (and why there is no new stuff) Haha!
So that just about wraps up this post. I'll try and get this visual effects test done before I go to bed! Catchya later!
Monday, 2 June 2008
New VFX Test
I finally got off my ass yesterday and filmed some stuff, with dad's assistance! This new visual effects test is intended to be the most epic thing you've ever seen, and to do that, I can't use the footage that we shot =(
(so much for the cutting down of emoticons, lol)
Don't get me wrong, the footage we shot was awesome! But to make it epic, both the effects AND the cinematography must be awesome!
So I guess it's time to give dad a lesson on cinematography and how to use a camera properly, since he hasn't done it in ages! Now to wait for another overcast day... Which could possibly be a while since there's a massive drought here in Australia, and it NEVER rains!
But with that all aside, I guess I can reveal that it's a new lightning video (like the old one, except it'll be friggen awesome [I hope]). It will more mimic heroes though, so that gives you a pretty good idea.
If it isn't overcast next weekend when dad has a spare moment, I've got other stuff planned to film! But thats a secret... Hehe
(so much for the cutting down of emoticons, lol)
Don't get me wrong, the footage we shot was awesome! But to make it epic, both the effects AND the cinematography must be awesome!
So I guess it's time to give dad a lesson on cinematography and how to use a camera properly, since he hasn't done it in ages! Now to wait for another overcast day... Which could possibly be a while since there's a massive drought here in Australia, and it NEVER rains!
But with that all aside, I guess I can reveal that it's a new lightning video (like the old one, except it'll be friggen awesome [I hope]). It will more mimic heroes though, so that gives you a pretty good idea.
If it isn't overcast next weekend when dad has a spare moment, I've got other stuff planned to film! But thats a secret... Hehe
Saturday, 31 May 2008
Short Films
Well at the moment, school assessment has died down, I've finished all my freelance visual effects work (for a few weeks), and I've got free time! Aside from finally playing Grand Theft Auto 4 and playing it for the first time properly (I only played it for a few hours when I first got it), I want to create some of my own personal projects. Now a visual effects test is on the was as soon as we can get some overcast weather here in Canberra! I'm dying to re-create another one of my old vfx tests, but the weather has to be right!
So at the start of this year I decided to actually start trying to make a few proper short films, not just a bunch of crappy little "long vfx tests" where both the cast AND the crew were me. So instead of trying to make another visual effects tests, I finally sat down and wrote out one of my few ideas...
I've titled this one Broken as it symbolizes the main theme in this movie. It's one of those movies that have a moral at the end of it, but the moral doesn't recur throughout the whole thing. It sounds pretty weird to even me to not have the theme recur throughout the entire movie, but it's just one of those choices I've made because I think it will turn out for the better. I didn't want to dwell on the moral too much though, because it would interrupt the storyline a bit to much, and in turn, ruin the whole style of the movie.
So at the start of this year I decided to actually start trying to make a few proper short films, not just a bunch of crappy little "long vfx tests" where both the cast AND the crew were me. So instead of trying to make another visual effects tests, I finally sat down and wrote out one of my few ideas...
I've titled this one Broken as it symbolizes the main theme in this movie. It's one of those movies that have a moral at the end of it, but the moral doesn't recur throughout the whole thing. It sounds pretty weird to even me to not have the theme recur throughout the entire movie, but it's just one of those choices I've made because I think it will turn out for the better. I didn't want to dwell on the moral too much though, because it would interrupt the storyline a bit to much, and in turn, ruin the whole style of the movie.
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!
(Red text will indicate Spoilers)
(Red text will indicate Spoilers)
Anyway the moral of the story is Don't stare for too long. The basic story is about an over-confident, kind of up himself teenager who has had a broken arm and goes to get the cast taken off. He then walks out of the hospital and sees a girl. He's dazzled by her beauty, so he naturally walks across the road after her (staring at her of course =P). He gets hit by a car, and both his legs, and one of his arms get broken again.
// End of Spoilerific Fun-ness =P
So yeah, that's just one of my several ideas in the bank. Depending on how quick I can get actors, hospitals, doctors, etc. I'll most likely film it these school holidays (which in Australia is between 07/07/08 - 21/07/08 I think).
So onto other things about short films...
Some of you may remember me talking about a short film I'd started to film called "Tommy and the Sharpened Carrot of Justice". Well it was a 2-day shoot, but unfortunately only one day was shot =( Alastair Hare, the guy who playedTommywas moving to Denmark one week after we shot the first day. Day 2 (the next day) was all planned and ready to go, but one of the crew decided not to show up or answer his phone, and when he finally did, he said he'd been asleep all day from a long night -. -' So as you can imagine I was pretty pissed off with him. But the good thing was out of all the awesome footage we shot, there was some really crappy stuff! So on the up-side, when Alastair comes back to Australia, I'll have in mind a better shoot, and of course have a High Definition camera (Canon HV20) under my belt =D
To sum up this post, I think I use smiley faces, or emoticons as they're officially called... I promise I'll try to cut down in the next post =P
Until then, keep your eyes glued toMy YouTube Channel... New stuff will be uploaded very soon!
// End of Spoilerific Fun-ness =P
So yeah, that's just one of my several ideas in the bank. Depending on how quick I can get actors, hospitals, doctors, etc. I'll most likely film it these school holidays (which in Australia is between 07/07/08 - 21/07/08 I think).
So onto other things about short films...
Some of you may remember me talking about a short film I'd started to film called "Tommy and the Sharpened Carrot of Justice". Well it was a 2-day shoot, but unfortunately only one day was shot =( Alastair Hare, the guy who playedTommywas moving to Denmark one week after we shot the first day. Day 2 (the next day) was all planned and ready to go, but one of the crew decided not to show up or answer his phone, and when he finally did, he said he'd been asleep all day from a long night -. -' So as you can imagine I was pretty pissed off with him. But the good thing was out of all the awesome footage we shot, there was some really crappy stuff! So on the up-side, when Alastair comes back to Australia, I'll have in mind a better shoot, and of course have a High Definition camera (Canon HV20) under my belt =D
To sum up this post, I think I use smiley faces, or emoticons as they're officially called... I promise I'll try to cut down in the next post =P
Until then, keep your eyes glued toMy YouTube Channel... New stuff will be uploaded very soon!
Thursday, 29 May 2008
So I made a Blog...
Well as most of you know, I've got a YouTube account... This YouTube account has been fairly inactive recently, and I made a 2-part video blog about why. But yeah, I don't like vLog's for a few reasons:
1) I look like a tool
2) Stuff-ups can't be edited out smoothly for a perfectionist like me
3) Typing stuff takes longer, so I can procrastinate about school work more
and most importantly
4) I can do a quick little blog like this HEAPS quicker than I can make a vLog
Back to my point though... I've created this vLog for those of you who get depressed when I only upload videos every one or two months =P
I'll post here semi-regularly just to say what's been going on, and why I haven't been uploading anything. At the start of the year I told myself I have to try as hard as I possibly could to have a new video out on YouTube at least every two to three weeks, but then I just got swamped with other work, giving me no time for any of my own personal projects!
So at the moment I've just finished 7 of the 9 assignment I had for school, plus the latest film from Navajo Joe Films/Harrison Bahe/Desmus55/Dr. Carnivora... It's a lightsaber fight, and it took me so bloody long to do! I'll post a link and more details when it has been uploaded.
Wow, I get sidetracked so easily, so once again, back to my point... This blog will include:
1) My latest YouTube videos posted with more of a description like what I think was good, bad, challenging, easy, what I learned and possibly a brief tutorial here and there!
2) What's going on. So stuff about my freelance VFX work, complaints about school, just general everyday what's-happening-in-my-life sort of stuff. So pretty much explaining why I haven't made a new video in over 300,000 years... Hehe
3) Aurellia going ons. Some of you might know about a website i co run and own with my good friend Tom in Norway. For those of you who don't know, Aurellia is a website dedicated to teaching people like yourself about different sorts of computer generated graphics. We will be making regular video tutorials for a variety of different programs (our list is currently Adobe After Effects, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator and 3D Studio Max. The website (www.aurellia.net) is currently pretty inactive, but let me assure you, behind the scenes is absolutely crazy! We're working extremely hard on both the new website, AND our secret product. Aurellia's products will consist of tools to help everybody produce more amazing work! These will include DVD's full of Stock Footage, Motion Graphics Gear, Training for certain Software, etc. We're currently selling a variety of random stuff from T-Shirts to Hoodies to Mugs to even Mouse Pads! So if you want to support me, and in turn, Aurellia, buy our stuff!
4) What ever else comes up that I feel like posting about. Possibly stuff like movie reviews, and how Indiana Jones 4 SUCKED!!
But yeah that's enough from me in this post. Like I said before, I'll try to keep this semi-regularly updated. It will be updated a lot more than my YouTube channel, so if you're looking for more Ben McEwan, look here!
1) I look like a tool
2) Stuff-ups can't be edited out smoothly for a perfectionist like me
3) Typing stuff takes longer, so I can procrastinate about school work more
and most importantly
4) I can do a quick little blog like this HEAPS quicker than I can make a vLog
Back to my point though... I've created this vLog for those of you who get depressed when I only upload videos every one or two months =P
I'll post here semi-regularly just to say what's been going on, and why I haven't been uploading anything. At the start of the year I told myself I have to try as hard as I possibly could to have a new video out on YouTube at least every two to three weeks, but then I just got swamped with other work, giving me no time for any of my own personal projects!
So at the moment I've just finished 7 of the 9 assignment I had for school, plus the latest film from Navajo Joe Films/Harrison Bahe/Desmus55/Dr. Carnivora... It's a lightsaber fight, and it took me so bloody long to do! I'll post a link and more details when it has been uploaded.
Wow, I get sidetracked so easily, so once again, back to my point... This blog will include:
1) My latest YouTube videos posted with more of a description like what I think was good, bad, challenging, easy, what I learned and possibly a brief tutorial here and there!
2) What's going on. So stuff about my freelance VFX work, complaints about school, just general everyday what's-happening-in-my-life sort of stuff. So pretty much explaining why I haven't made a new video in over 300,000 years... Hehe
3) Aurellia going ons. Some of you might know about a website i co run and own with my good friend Tom in Norway. For those of you who don't know, Aurellia is a website dedicated to teaching people like yourself about different sorts of computer generated graphics. We will be making regular video tutorials for a variety of different programs (our list is currently Adobe After Effects, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator and 3D Studio Max. The website (www.aurellia.net) is currently pretty inactive, but let me assure you, behind the scenes is absolutely crazy! We're working extremely hard on both the new website, AND our secret product. Aurellia's products will consist of tools to help everybody produce more amazing work! These will include DVD's full of Stock Footage, Motion Graphics Gear, Training for certain Software, etc. We're currently selling a variety of random stuff from T-Shirts to Hoodies to Mugs to even Mouse Pads! So if you want to support me, and in turn, Aurellia, buy our stuff!
4) What ever else comes up that I feel like posting about. Possibly stuff like movie reviews, and how Indiana Jones 4 SUCKED!!
But yeah that's enough from me in this post. Like I said before, I'll try to keep this semi-regularly updated. It will be updated a lot more than my YouTube channel, so if you're looking for more Ben McEwan, look here!
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