Lucus eat your heart out!

Yesterday's events in college took a turn for the geekier as we decided to set up a green screen and have a Star Wars duel. Unfortunately the green screen didn't work too well, the blankets aren't very good and the lights we have to hand are not brilliant for trying to get an even colour.
Despite all this, we persisted, and after about 4 hours of pain-staking editing (moving lightsabers and bullets frame by frame) we had 10 seconds of this heart-racing, jaw-dropping, adrenaline fuelled clash of titans! https://vimeo.com/40485413

Music Videos, Graded Unit and Bicycling

Well, here is a long over-due blog post. Tied up between Graded Unit work and various other projects recently, I've not had many oppertunities to sit and write.
So the filming for my music video went really well last Friday. Got all the shots I needed, brilliant weather yet again, and a healthy dose of directing power!
I've been editing the footage over the past week or so, watching it over endlessly and tweaking bits and pieces. Still not very good at colour correction but I'm learning gradually, I think I'll need another masterclass from Paul. I've quite enjoyed editing the music video, fitting cuts to music beats etc has been quite challenging and interesting.

Had a few changes to the bike recently, most notibly a new set of wheels. 700c deep-rim Weinmann jobs improve the look of the bike, the weight and most impressivly, the speed! 23c slick tyres, just perfect for powering about town.

Been playing Polo quite a bit too, getting better day by day. However obtaining the nickname "Do a Crash" probably best describes my playing style.

Also went to Ratho with Jessica on Friday, her first visit to the mammoth climbing arena. A good day was had, Jess managing to complete a pretty big lead climb, easily her highest to date. I also had a few shots on the new comp wall, testing my stamina to the limit on the ever increasing over-hang...

^Photo belongs to James Watson

Sunshine

So the last week in Glasgow has been glorious sunshine and record-breaking temperatures. Had 2 shoots so far, one involving a picnic and one a tennis match, both perfectly suited to a warm sunny day! My shoot for my graded unit music video is tomorrow and the weather forecast looks like we'll be able to hold on to the sun which is brilliant news! I was afraid I'd have to postpone my shoot if it were raining as it wouldn't fit the feel and mood of my film at all. Currently have a UV filter glued to a coffee cup by my side ready for the in-mug shot, hoping it'll hold the liquid this time! Last time I tried it I ended up with a DrPepper soaked 550D....

S.H.I.T. (E) 3

So on Saturday I braved the early start and arrived in Newcastle at 8.11am. As the city cleaned up from the night before, I rolled around with Brian looking for somewhere to have breakfast, finally ending up in the most nasty greasy spoon you can imagine....set us up perfectly for a day of sport!
After meeting the other Glasgow folks later, and the Edinburgh crew too, we headed through the maze that is Newcastle town centre, and over to the polo court for the tournament.
My team played ok I suppose, but we seemed to lack the ability to score goals, a major issue in a tournament! Still, 3 excellent games of polo were played, and we spent the rest of the day lying in the sun watching the other games and drinking Sainsbury's finest Biere De Flandres.
Team Sensible took the victory at the end of the day, congratulations to them!
On my way back to the station on my own - I'd foolishly booked a fairly early train home - I managed to get lost again, only finding the station by pure luck. As I came through the ticket barrier the guard was getting ready to wave the train off, but I managed to jump aboard just in time for the long journey home.
Here's an edit I made of the day, Cheers to all the good folks of Newcastle for the time and effort they put into making it happen!


http://vimeo.com/38751698

Graded Unit and silly old bike polo

So I haven't updated this in a while, the reason (main reason) for it is the Graded Unit work I've been doing for college. It's basically our end of year final piece, the only piece in the year that we get an actual grade for and not just pass/fail. Currently wading through paperwork, which ammounts to 40% of the grade. Hopefully have it all done tonight ready for tomorrow's deadline, only a few little bits and bobs to clear up. Once that's done, I can start getting ready to actually film something!

This coming Saturday, I board the 6am (6am!) train to Newcastle to play in the Scottish Hardcourt International Tournament (S.H.I.T.). I'm pretty psyched to get a chance to play in a tournament, and even more so in another country. I recently finished my Rasta polo bike, and yesterday I fitted new brakes and fixed my duel lever, so she's ready and raring to go! Next stop, Newcastle (wheyey man)

In the Studio

As I mentioned in my last entry, on Friday I cruised down to Greenock in the Stow College minibus to spend the morning at James Watt College in their TV studio using the multi-cam facility. Due to the poor turn out of students, we had to have some assistance from Fiona and Archie who kindly stood in as interviewer amd interviewee (they did indeed provide some fantastically hilarious improv).
I was floor manager first, which was a fun job, if slightly infuriating having Calum laughing and howling through my headset and not being able to hit him!
I then took a turn as sound engineer, however past turning the mics on, there wasn't much involved in that. Next I was vision mixer which was good fun, but I wasn't brilliant at sticking to the instructions from the director and got slightly carried away adding my own cuts. Finally I took another turn as floor manager which I enjoyed again.
However I'd have liked to have taken a shot on the cameras but again, due to the lack of students, we were forced to keep the static on the studio floor.
All in all it was a brilliant morning and a good laugh, even if I had to endure a tired early morning bus ride. I'd like to go back with more of us and do it properly so that I may take a turn on the cameras, as it is ultimately my preffered carrer choice!

Early bird

So today, I'm up at 6.15am to go to James Watt College to use their multicam studio facility. To say I'm not excited would be a lie, however I could have done with the extra few winks. I don't mind getting up at silly o'clock when going winter climbing for example, the excitement usually having kept me up all night anyway, but today I really lack the motivation to mount my bike and pedal sluggishly into college to get the coach at 7.45am.
That said, my chosen career will see me up at ungodly hours on a fairly regular basis. Hauling cameras and gear about while the birds sing their morning chorus. Bottemless cups of tea and coffee being my only fuel source. Bloodshot eyes from lack of kip. Grumpy, sleep deprived co-workers.
It's going to be awesome.