Particular Book: Rube Goldberg Machine

Using books as domino pieces.
the idea is to get as many books as possible and play around with them in a studio.



INTRO:







The opening scene would include having some b&w ambiguous image which would slowly transform into a layer of books on the floor. So we start with a blurry image of smoke and then just before the focus reaches the books the second part of the first verse ('I don't read from that particular book') comes up.



Then we start building our domino composition (using stop motion perhaps).


At the highest point of the song (3:48) the domino pieces start falling that way portraying the denial (I don't read from that particular book).
The structure includes the traditional "build something and then destroy it" leitmotiv.
The very last domino piece could be that special ' particular' book'





Once we build the domino line, we can then have a variety of interesting shots mainly from up above etc.

Concept for the Client Project

After discussing my ideas with several different people, I've made some amends.
At the very beginning, my plan was to make two different products:

Music Documentary
Home sessions

But after actually trying to imagine how these two very different types of video are going to work, I realised they won't. So I did my research. The plan was to find if somebody had done a similar project before.
Deborah, my client project supervisor expressed her opinion about my strengths and skills and she thinks that my calling card is narrative.
Had a similar conversation with Jools, he mentioned atmosphere as the main feature that describes my work. This made me think about how I actually approach all my projects. Don't really know if it's a positive thing but I do a lot of things instinctively e.g. on shoot I tend to do a lot of spontaneous decisions which later turn out to be the best bits of my work.

But anyhow, this post is about my client project.
My chosen client is a gypsy jazz band Maniere Des Bohemiens.





The band is quite new,they've been playing for the last couple of years together. They're not signed to any label but as the violinist Rob mentioned, they're not aiming for a contract, there's not much money in this type of music in the industry. Instead, they prefer doing live cozy gigs that attract their certain audience.
My plan was to represent the band for the first time, to make a music documentary explaining where this band comes from, who are the band members, how they came together to play their music etc. Also, the whole concept of a gypsy jazz band means (in my opinion) that these people are constantly traveling from place to place, 'home is where the heart is'. This led me to the idea of 'Home sessions', a series of live performances taking place at different locations such like Hand & Heart pub, one of the member's actual house where they rehearse, theatre , outdoors, etc.
Having rethought my idea, now I want to mix the live performance with some content and narrative. The viewer would have two different experiences:

1.If you watch only one segment of the series, you get the flavor of the band and their music but your don't get the whole story behind it.
2.If you watch the whole thing, you then have a full understanding about this particular band.

I seek for narrowing the distance between the band and its audience. Knowing how the music you like was born, puts you on the whole new level of connecting with the band.
As I see the structure of one of the home sessions it would go like this:

1. Create a 20-30s opening sequence for the whole documentary and use it at the beginning of each separate home session.

2. A short interview. Three main keypoints:
The origin of the band.
The present of the band
The future of the band

3. Live performance

4. Closing interview (I'm after some authentic stories, e.g. from their childhood, when and how they were first influenced by music.






Some examples of such documentaries:

Mumford & Sons Gentlemen of the Road series:




trailer:





Adele Live in her own home:





Jonsi Go Quiet acoustic version of his new album filmed in his own home:





The bottom line of this, of course, is promotion and introducing the band to the viral YouTube and Vimeo world.

Post-deadline update

Last week I handed in my simulated client project and startUP factory report. Gave myself a word not to lament about it anymore even though I know I could have done it better.
But just like one wise man said 'it's done and dusted' so it's time to move on to my next projects.

RESEARCH

What impact does the visual presence of music have on its promotion and marketing?

Submit your answers via dropbox.



There's a pile of books next to my bed, a red-labeled document file on my desktop and constant stress in my head. It's almost impossible to understand how important these 3000-4000 words are. Currently reading stuff about the types of music marketing that I am not going to investigate. Did you know that Michael Jackson owns (well, used to) the copyright of every single song The Beatles have ever written? I didn't. That's the kind of stuff I'm digging in now just to get the flavor of the industry and the way things work there.



EXHIBITION PACKAGE

What happens when after two years of quite intense academic life you realise that your portfolio is basically empty? In my case, a panic attack. But then I started thinking about what could I possibly get done in this tight schedule and now I've got a little plan for some shorts that would go on my portfolio.


LIVE CLIENT PROJECT

Had a meeting with my clients before their gig. We discussed possible ideas and locations for the documentary and Home Sessions. I'm really excited but have to work on my brief and proposal.

So far so good.

Thank You video production

After the numerous times of changing my idea and the initial script, I finally settled down and decided on my final Thank You video concept.

As I mentioned before, my video is like a demonstration of a part of the three piece scheme.

The Storyboard:







The location I chose (the conservatoire) was perfect! Apart from the light that kept on changing every three minutes.
My actress Natalia came to see me at 1pm that way we had 2 hours of rehearsing before the DOP came to shoot. I'd like to thank Tom Pykett again, he basically saved my project. Tom joined our course this year, came from Confetti Studios. I had only heard about the technical abilities people at that school have. Yesterday I had a chance to see it with my own eyes. I'd never worked with somebody that knows so much about film production before, was amazing. He understood my vision right away and made it work. Thank you Tom!!!








I looked at the footage on Premiere today, looks good! It's one minute long tracking shot, all I am going to do is colour grading and synchronising the sound because we recorded it on Tom's camera (my Rebel doesn't have a whole lot of audio options).










Still working on the paperwork, the plan is to get EVERYTHING done tomorrow!

This short video taught me that you just can't be a 'one man band' when it comes to shooting. I had a hard time finding help (everybody I knew were mega busy that wednesday). To be honest, that was the first time I directed something, now I feel I was a little bit too picky and fussy about some shots, but that happens when you stand aside and watch the whole thing instead of staring at the camera screen. You start seeing tiny flaws and want to fix them right away. It was fun and great experience no matter what.

StartUP factory

It's business, it's business time!




This assignment is about coming up with a business plan for your own creative company. And it's not as simple as it sounds, especially for a person like me that has never had an actual interaction with the inside of that kind of business.
Anyway. The reading list:

Soul food and music By Kim. Errington, Neil Maycroft and Jim Shorthose

Fish, Horses and other Animals by Jim Shorthose

Advertising Creative by Tim Altstiel and Jean Grow

How to do better creative work by Steve Harrison




My business idea is about starting up a company that would provide advertising service which would be based on traditional understanding of art & design. That would involve practitioners from different art backgrounds coming together and collaborating. The startUP company would specialise in advertising on three different platforms: print media, web and video.
In terms of the team, I would be looking for people that specialise in areas I'm not familiar with: web and graphics. If I'm lucky, I'd find a person that specialises in both in order to keep the crew as small as possible.
My client would be someone starting out his own career (mainly in art or creativity related businesses such as hairstyling/make up, architecture, publishing, gardening, etc) and in need of branding and self - advertising. The main goal of my company would be providing people with simple, creative and effective advertising material that would be comprehensible in the first place.


And NOW- the fun part where I have to figure out business values, business plan, sustainability and all those things I'm not aware of.
Two intense weeks ahead.

Final Year

After the most incredible summer in Alaska - I'm back!

And now it's a full-time activity.
University greeted me with deadlines and confusion. It's been two weeks and I'm currently working on these things:

Simulated Client Project
StartUP Factory Business Plan
Research Project



SIMULATED CLIENT PROJECT

We've got to make a product for the Alumni Association. I chose to make a 30s 'Thank You' video that would be shown to people after they make a donation.
The shoot is next week, I'm now working on pre production which is not my piece of cake. Anyway, regardless to all the obstacles (the machine that I ordered two weeks ago is still not here), I have high expectations for this short video. The first project of the year. Scary.




StartUP FACTORY


When did I enrol on a business course? Reading all the marketing - related material makes me dread the real world even more. Not too long before we all sell our souls to the big mighty industry of advertising! Trying to find the right combination of practitioners and come up with the greatest business plan.


RESEARCH



After many many confused days I'm finally starting to understand what my research project is going to be about.
Been trying to find a connection between the visual and the sonic aspects of moving image for the last 2 years. So naturally it led to something like this:'

The visual aspect of music.Selling music using visuals (NOT selling something else using music visuals).








There's always room for improvement and I still need to turn that pile of research papers into one sophisticated question.


Wish me luck!