Help with script changes is made easier by burned in timecode, but it has taken an entire day to create the clips and send them. Still, here's an insight into what I'm looking at every day.
Tuesday, 9 February 2016
February already
I've been pretty busy the last couple of weeks, so have hardly made a dent in the documentary. Between applying for jobs, freelancing and having house guests for the holidays, I simply haven't been able to sit down at the computer for any measure of time.
I have been able to update some software however, check off some workflow issues that were slowing me down and send a copy of the raw video to Northern Ireland where hopefully an old friend can help me nut through some stuff.
Tonight I'm burning timecode into some of that raw vision so we can try and get the players interviews to make more sense in the context of the film. It's a lot easier to bounce the script around on paper rather than in the video editing software.
I have been able to update some software however, check off some workflow issues that were slowing me down and send a copy of the raw video to Northern Ireland where hopefully an old friend can help me nut through some stuff.
Tonight I'm burning timecode into some of that raw vision so we can try and get the players interviews to make more sense in the context of the film. It's a lot easier to bounce the script around on paper rather than in the video editing software.
Sunday, 17 January 2016
Virus
I'm writing from my phone today because my computer has picked up a virus.
Hopefully things are back up and running soon, but it has been a very frustrating day trying to get the computer clean and operating properly again.
In the meantime let's reflect on the U20's beating Israel 6-2 overnight. Yay.
Saturday, 16 January 2016
Back up
Today I bought a gel pad and lumbar support cushion. I'm looking forward to a world of memory foam and more comfortable hours at the workstation.
Thursday, 14 January 2016
Slow
3 minutes a day should be quite manageable, it should be something I can do, however after 4 days, I am still stuck on the Serbia game. Progress is painfully, painfully slow.
One of the hardest things with this project is wearing too many hats. Because I'm writing, directing and editing with no assistance, it's easy to get bogged down, lose my train of thought or feel exhausted before I even start.
This Serbia game is a classic example. When I was there shooting, I missed the players coming onto the ice because I had to catch a tram laden with all my gear rather than taking the team bus. It's forcing me to have to re-write and that in turn effects the cut, neither of which are flowing very well.
Serbia scored a goal after a mere 22 seconds, which I just missed. When you don't have the pictures you want, you have to use creative license, but it can very hard to force a square peg into a round hole. Finding solutions as I go along is part and parcel of this project, but I can just feel time being sucked out of the universe.
One of the hardest things with this project is wearing too many hats. Because I'm writing, directing and editing with no assistance, it's easy to get bogged down, lose my train of thought or feel exhausted before I even start.
This Serbia game is a classic example. When I was there shooting, I missed the players coming onto the ice because I had to catch a tram laden with all my gear rather than taking the team bus. It's forcing me to have to re-write and that in turn effects the cut, neither of which are flowing very well.
Serbia scored a goal after a mere 22 seconds, which I just missed. When you don't have the pictures you want, you have to use creative license, but it can very hard to force a square peg into a round hole. Finding solutions as I go along is part and parcel of this project, but I can just feel time being sucked out of the universe.
Wednesday, 13 January 2016
It's like being there
I was going to bed each night with a headache from wearing headphones all day, so despite my reluctance to spend money, I bought these new monitor speakers today.
They make it sound like I'm back in the rink, so to prevent flashbacks I'm using their second channel to listen to Ween and the Horrorpops.
They make it sound like I'm back in the rink, so to prevent flashbacks I'm using their second channel to listen to Ween and the Horrorpops.
Monday, 11 January 2016
Dubbing Dubnick
I've filmed 5 seasons of the NZIHL, which means when and where I did things in my sleep deprived state can be a bit of a blur.
I believe it was late in 2014 that I sat down with the 'mouth of the south' Dave Dubnick in Queenstown to record some fake commentary for the Ice Blacks games.
While the AIHL are now blessed with fantastic coverage through ATC Productions, the company and the technology both they and Slapshot Productions use to film and stream games were in their infancy.
There was no match coverage of the Ice Blacks and no commentary I could draw on to add drama to the action on screen, thus I would have to forge it.
Take deep breaths while I break the fantasy of television.
Sitting down to record the commentary was no easy feat, I was shooting a lot of tight cutaways rather than following the game and my camera was situated down at ground level against the glass. Commentators don't tend to call the game sitting on the shoulders of the players.. but how cool would that be.
Dave was an absolute trooper as we tried to piece together the games from 4 years ago through a mix of old game sheets and my footage. It was a battle, but Dave created some wonderful sound bites and those who don't read this or know otherwise won't believe he wasn't there calling the games.
Somewhat unbelievably Dave got a leg infection during our recording session and had to go to hospital before we could finish. He really put in the hard yards and fought through considerable pain to record some wonderful moments.
Did I mention hospital? When Dave said "my leg hurts", I should have understood that a cast iron man from the deep south would never utter such a phrase unless they needed serious medical attention. I foolishly pressed him on and feel terribly guilty for the fact.
It would be the following year at the crack of dawn just after Christmas at a small flat in Miramar that we would finish the recording of the commentary. Ahh the magic of television.
Today I am working through New Zealand's game against Serbia, pulling out Dave's best grabs and the best shots I got on the day. This will end up being about 10-15 minutes long before before I cut it down to the very best bits and a duration of about 5 minutes. When this part appears in the film, it could be shorter still and will likely have music behind it.
Think of Dave lying back in a hospital bed giving you a thumbs up when you see it.
I believe it was late in 2014 that I sat down with the 'mouth of the south' Dave Dubnick in Queenstown to record some fake commentary for the Ice Blacks games.
While the AIHL are now blessed with fantastic coverage through ATC Productions, the company and the technology both they and Slapshot Productions use to film and stream games were in their infancy.
There was no match coverage of the Ice Blacks and no commentary I could draw on to add drama to the action on screen, thus I would have to forge it.
Take deep breaths while I break the fantasy of television.
Sitting down to record the commentary was no easy feat, I was shooting a lot of tight cutaways rather than following the game and my camera was situated down at ground level against the glass. Commentators don't tend to call the game sitting on the shoulders of the players.. but how cool would that be.
Dave was an absolute trooper as we tried to piece together the games from 4 years ago through a mix of old game sheets and my footage. It was a battle, but Dave created some wonderful sound bites and those who don't read this or know otherwise won't believe he wasn't there calling the games.
Somewhat unbelievably Dave got a leg infection during our recording session and had to go to hospital before we could finish. He really put in the hard yards and fought through considerable pain to record some wonderful moments.
Did I mention hospital? When Dave said "my leg hurts", I should have understood that a cast iron man from the deep south would never utter such a phrase unless they needed serious medical attention. I foolishly pressed him on and feel terribly guilty for the fact.
It would be the following year at the crack of dawn just after Christmas at a small flat in Miramar that we would finish the recording of the commentary. Ahh the magic of television.
Today I am working through New Zealand's game against Serbia, pulling out Dave's best grabs and the best shots I got on the day. This will end up being about 10-15 minutes long before before I cut it down to the very best bits and a duration of about 5 minutes. When this part appears in the film, it could be shorter still and will likely have music behind it.
Think of Dave lying back in a hospital bed giving you a thumbs up when you see it.
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