Module No: ARD504 – Creative Futures 2 - Evaluation - A Compliment

A compliment I wasn’t expecting



Earlier this year in semester one, we were given the assignment AD502 - The Message, from which I chose to do “Illustrating a Feature – Fashion Magazine”.  Within this assignment I was challenged to come up with photographs under the heading of Dressed to Thrill. 

Lee Louise in Chester agreed to allow me to use their clothes, I then set up a photo studio in their shop after closing.  I used three models, Alex Burden, Emma Powell and Claire Dodds.









After the photo shoot, Emma and Claire asked me if they could use the photographs for their facebook profile pictures, I agreed to this as they both loved the photos I had taken.  Since they have done this both have received compliments about the photographs.  The comments for this photo of Claire have described her as sultry, sexy and stunning, which was the look I was trying to achieve when taking the photographs.

One of Claire’s facebook friends is an ex-student of Glyndwr University - Beckie Chadwick, who graduated in 2010 with a degree in Illustration.  Beckie liked the photograph so much has turned it into a drawing and has now published it on Deviant Art.   http://gyptianqueen.deviantart.com/#/d4wn365

Module No: ARD504 – Creative Futures 2 - Personal Investigation - Wedding Photography

Wedding Photography and the Photographer I want to be

Due to friends getting married, I have recently attended a couple weddings and it has given me the opportunity to observe wedding photographers in action.  This has given me the opportunity to learn techniques and strengthen my camera skills as I discovered, I was critically analyzing the photographers approaches and techniques, in the use of locations, arrangements of the subjects and interaction with the bridal party as well as other guests.

I think wedding photography is a challenging aspect of photography as until the day of the wedding there are a lot of unknowns – weather, number of guests, colour and style of outfits of the guests, do the extended bridal party like to be in front of the camera, how many other photographers will there be.

I believe preparation plays an important role – knowing the locations and exploring various camera angles and potential shot poses, discussing with the Bride and Groom what they would like from their wedding photographs, learning the set up of the Bridal party (number of bridesmaids, age of bridesmaids etc)

The wedding photographer has to be able to think on their feet, react to circumstances, remain calm and in control, and have great communication skills (to hopefully build a relationship with the guests).

One wedding I attended was my friend Nicola and Bruce Walker’s wedding and the photography was done by Vicki Blair and her co-worker (www.vickieblairphotography.com).  Vicki Blair Photography combines new and fresh ideas with the beauty of tradition.  They always use two photographers on the day, one to take all the formal shots whilst the other photographer takes candid reportage shots.

One of the first things I became aware of was their enthusiasm and enjoyment for this job, they acted like they were honoured to share this day with the Bride and Groom.  They set up the shots with patience, whilst ensuring the guests were where they wanted them to be.  A simple task of keeping the photo balanced – heights, gender, colour clashes all taken into account with the minimum of fuss.

They also worked with the other photographers to ensure everyone got the photographs they wanted, especially the Bride and Groom.  It was whilst they were interacting with the other photographers that they noticed I was using a Canon 500D, they soon discovered I was studying photography and film at Glyndwr University.  They then asked if they could see the photos I had taken, I’m glad to say they were impressed and ended up giving me their details and asking if they ever needed an extra photographer could they call me, of course I answered yes.

Another wedding I attended was a friend’s happy day, sadly this wasn’t such a positive experience.  I will not mention the name of my friend, the photographer or his company as this reflection is not designed to criticise anyone but to reflect on the knowledge and insight I have gained, and so I will ensure the anonymity of my reflection by ensuring nothing can lead the reader to know who I’m talking about or when or where this wedding took place.

The photographer seemed to have a completely different attitude to being a wedding photographer, he was quiet, serious and didn’t interact much with the guests.  One of the initial things that struck me was a member of the Bridal party held a list and was saying which shot would be taken next, to me this seemed strange as I thought the wedding photographer should have this responsibility (and would want it too).  The second thing to catch my photographer’s eye was how he arranged shots.  For instance, a shot of the Bride and Groom, with the Bride’s parents.  Both males were tall (6” plus) whilst the Bride and Bride’s mother were clearly alot shorter.  This photographer arranged the shot as shown below:

This to me gave a negative effect in two ways, one was the height distribution seemed to emphasise the difference in heights, and secondly the gender order.  In my opinion, the photograph would have looked alot better in this order:

This I feel would have not only reduced the impact of the men’s suits against the women’s dresses, but would have made the difference in heights less noticeable.

The other thing I noticed was in the grounds of where the wedding was being held, there was a beautiful monument that was just begging to be the setting for a series of photographs.  The monument would have been a focal point whilst still enabling the photograph to focus on the Bride and Groom.  To ensure the anonymity of the wedding and photographer, I will not illustrate this with a photograph as it would clearly give the location away, however I will bear it in mind for a possible location for a future photography shoot.

This photographer also appeared to feel threatened by other photographers taking photos.  Although none of the other photographers got close to the wedding photographer, none used flash photography, or interacted with the people being photographed.  The wedding photographer did snap at one of the other photographers without any real reason, as after all the wedding photographs were being taken in a public location with members of the general public still walking freely around.  Compared to the other wedding I mentioned before there seems a vast difference in the attitudes each wedding photographer brought to the wedding.

 In my opinion I would very much prefer to be like Vicki Blair, who seemed to cherish the day they were participating in.  My concern about becoming a professional photographer was that some photographers I have met have been filled with their own self importance, but I’m glad to say Vicki Blair have showed me the type of photographer I want to be.  A photographer that can work well with clients, who has the ability to put them at ease and importantly to smile, who has the ability to see the potential in locations and a eye for arrangements that set the subjects off to their best.  A photographer that gets repeat business and referrals because the people have enjoyed being in front of my camera as well as appreciating the photographs I have taken.

 






All Photographs shown are either courtesy of Vicki Blair Photography or my own photographs.

Module No: ARD504 – Creative Futures 2 - Influence Boards

“You are required to engage in the creation of six influence boards that provide meaning to you.  An influence board is a montage of images brought together that provide visual information and exploration on something, in this case, your montages are simply collections of images relating to your interests that may help steer your personal and professional development.”

When I was first given this assignment, I thought it looked fairly easy and the ideas quickly flowed.  As I got down to the actual task of creating these influence boards, I discovered the task was not as easy, as to restrict it to only six areas and to justify each one was harder than I expected.  The six areas I have chosen are Films, Television Programmes, Actors, Music, Anime and Cosplay.


Films
























As a Creative Media Student, there was no way I could create influence boards without including films.  I have found it hard to narrow down the list of films to include in this montage.  There are so many films I enjoy watching time and again, like Fast & Furious (all of them), Good Morning Vietnam, 50 First Dates,  Wayne’s World, Forrest Gump to name a few, all of these are iconic films but I realised I could go on forever so how could I reduce this list.  I decided to ask myself the question: “Which films have made me want to take some aspect of this film and reproduce it for myself?” and so here is my answer.

As a film maker I want to have the attention to detail and realism that Hero showed by sending a crew to wait in a location for the cherry trees to come into bloom just to record one scene in the film.  I want to develop the ability to merge reality with fiction as they do in What Dreams May Come where they story goes into the painting.  I would like the creation of my film to break the mould of expectations like Battle Royale did a dark film with an unexpected ending.  I want to make films that are different to a normal storyline like The Truman show.  I would like to have the ability to take an iconic film like Casino Royale and remake it with a modern theme that keeps the feel of the original but incorporates modern technologies.  I would like to develop the ability to create films like Fast Furious, where although it is a film about cars it has a strong storyline and the cars are a supporting role, whereas most car films are about the cars and the storyline supports them.  I would like to achieve the perfection of a action comedy film which I believe Rush Hour 3 achieves, I want the opportunity to incorporate special effects like those in the film Matrix which is referred to as bullet time where the film is slowed to enable the viewer to register all the information and suspense that this brings.

Finally, every film makers dream is to create a series of films that is watched and remembered by generations, films that you just have to watch no matter how many times they are repeated on Television.  Where people still dedicate days to watch the film series back to back, to know today’s children will grown up to watch this series.  Star Wars, even if you aren’t a science fiction fan, you know the storylines, to have a film that is this iconic, this remembered, that still has millions of fans 35 years after its first release – Who wouldn’t be inspired by this film?


Television Programmes

My second montage is Television Programmes, and although they are various programmes I could have included like Thomas the Tank Engine which I loved as a kid, I have endeavoured to have these montages reflect what has influenced me in later years and impacted on my creative knowledge.

Top Gear I enjoy because it’s factual and fun.  I have been watching Top Gear since 2002 and thoroughly enjoy the way they think of new ideas of portraying yet another new car.  The way they take the simple event of driving and create challenges to push the car and driver to the limit.  Although the programme is factual it is also entertaining and full of comedy.  The diversity between the presenters enables the programme to portray many viewpoints whilst the interaction between the presenters provides comedy.

Star Trek – The Next Generation, again I started watching in the early 2000’s and with the love of the storyline also came an appreciation of the attention to detail and the special effects used.  To pinpoint this to one special effect that I love would be like deciding your favourite chocolate bar, there is too many that I remember and for all different reasons.

Heroes, is a fictional American television series, which tells the stories of ordinary people who discover superhuman abilities, and how these abilities take effect in the characters' lives. The series is renowned for emulating the aesthetic style and storytelling of American comic books, using short, multi-episode stories that build upon a larger, more encompassing storyline.  Although I love this series, I found I was also interested in how it had been made, how they had created the special effects.  Heroes have also produced documentaries covering the making of the series, after watching these I found my enjoyment of the series had increased as I now watch an episode and appreciate the work that has gone into creating it.

Mythbusters is a factual programme which sets out to make learning fun whilst retaining the documentary style.  The programme uses unusual or different camera angles to illustrate a point.  A good example of this was when they placed a camera inside a building filled with C4 to watch it blow up from the inside most programmes would have only showed an outside angle.

Jmelo is a programme that reports on Japanese music (another passion of mine, but more on this later) in English for a worldwide audience.  A typical episode will feature the latest songs, excerpts from concerts and events, interviews with musicians as well as fans.  Although it features japans music as it broadcast worldwide and has a big international fan base, and even its own website (www.nhk.or.jp/j-melo/english/index.html).  On a creative view, what has influenced me from this programme is the way they not only report on music but also include cultural information, a prime example of this was an interview with JunJun from Morning Musume (aired on 11th April 2011) instead of sitting in a studio to undertake the interview, they accompanied JunJun on a shopping trip for clothes in Beijing, showed the latest Chinese fashions and ended up in a local restaurant eating and discussing the local delicacies.

One of my greatest enjoyments is comedy and I enjoy the way different genre of programmes can get this across to the viewing public.  As I mentioned earlier the interaction between the presenters on Top Gear adds to the enjoyment of the programme.  Whose line is it anyway does it in a different fashion, the programme has a UK version and an American version, both run on similar lines but I find the American version is much more humorous, where as the UK version seems to portray a much more serious nature.  The use of regular hosts with visiting guests enables the programme to be fresh and new each week, whilst having the ability to continue with a general theme.

The last area of Television Programmes I want to write about is comedy sitcoms, Friends, Scrubs, The Big Bang Theory, and How I Met Your Mother have all become iconic with each programme having their own fan base and followers.  What I believe is the reason they are just so popular is because the viewer can relate to the events portrayed.  For an example of this I am using an episode of The Big Bang Theory – an entire episode was dedicated to Sheldon getting a cold, a simple every day occurrence but portrayed to emphasise people’s reactions, the stay away, the concerned but stay out of it, the unwilling nursemaid, not forgetting the patient at deaths door with a simple cold.  I believe each one of us knows someone who displays these characteristics even if only to a lesser extent.  People therefore relate to the characters and this is then included in their lives “Don’t be a Sheldon just cause you have a sniffle”.  The characters are brought to life and give the viewer enjoyment and memories, as a film maker this I think is one of the primary aims to take the viewer with you on your journey and make it fun!


Actors

As I thought about this montage, I discovered there are two main reasons why an actor appeared.  Firstly as a film maker I appreciate what the people bring to the role and character they portray.  When watching the film or television programme, it’s the fact they have made that character come alive, you forget you are watching Robin Williams when you watch Mrs Doubtfire.  The realism they bring to the character makes you forget it’s not reality, you feel like you are glimpsing a real person like Tom Hanks portraying Forrest in Forrest Gump.  This has influenced me that the choice of actor for a film can make such a difference to the finished result.

The other reason some of these actors have appeared in my montage is the qualities and skills they have as an individual, they are no longer just an actor.  They have gone on to become writers, directors and producers.  Their ability to in effect multitask, to draw on their initial knowledge as an actor, I feel has added so much more to the films they are involved with, for example Adam Sandler who portrays Henry Roth in 50 First Dates and is also Executive Producer on the film.


Music

Music I believe influences everybody’s lives, from the lyrics to the tune, to in recent years the videos and dance routines.   Music has the ability to lift you up when you are down, or relax you after a stressful day.  The music I love and enjoy crosses many genres, and depending on my mood and what I’m doing depends on what I choose to listen to at the time.  I get fascinated with the way musicians and singers portray themselves not only through their music but also their music videos, photography shoots to interviews.

The other way I am influenced by music is the way music, musicians and songs have become iconic, for example if you see four heads top lit it is always identified as Queen from the video of Bohemian Rhapsody, or  Gene Kelly with Singing in the Rain.  As a film maker I also appreciate how music can enhance or strengthen an effect in a film, the back ground music in Rocky and Jaws are iconic for this.

Music is unique to each person, one song can mean different things to different people, whilst at the same time it can become infectious.  The Blanks were asked to be the musical entertainment at the Christmas party of a American television show called Scrubs, the producers and directors enjoyed them so much they wrote the group into the series allocating each member a part, they now have a following as Ted’s Band or The Worthless Peons (the groups name in Scrubs) as well as The Blanks.


Anime

My love of anime started was I was young, and I feel like I have been watching anime all my life.  The graphics in the films and television programmes has captured my eye, as I found it interesting to see how they brought the manga to life.  Although I also love Disney which are also animated feature films, I really love the way the Japanese have brought manga to life in anime films, it truly is a movie manga.

As a film maker, anime has given me a lot on inspiration and influence, due to the way things are filmed.  Anime uses a certain film style to tell the story line which, even though it has the look of a child’s cartoon the storyline/genre has been designed for the more mature viewer.  Good examples of this are Deathnote and Devil May Cry both which have a storyline containing heavy violence and strong language.

Not only do I get inspired by this but other film makers have also been inspired to produce anime to live action for example M Night Shyamalan who did films like The Ring has recently produced the Last Airbender.  


Cosplay

Cosplay, for those of you who don’t know is short for costume play, it is when people dress up in costumes and accessories to represent a specific character from a film or anime, as I have heard it once said it can bring manga to life.  Cosplay is a growing culture, it has the ability to bring people together, not only is there an appreciation of the characters people are portraying, but also an appreciation of the work and dedication to detail that has gone into making the costumes.  What I like about Cosplay is the way it has the ability to give a shy person confidence, it’s as though the costume becomes a protective shield and people who wouldn’t normally interact, suddenly find a common ground to talk.

Cosplay photography is the reason it inspires and motivates me.  With normal photography it’s about the model, location and trying to gain an effect, Cosplay photography goes,  I feel one step further in endeavouring to capture the essence of the character the person is portraying, so finding the location and pose that best reflects the character whilst showing off their sometime elaborate costumes is really a challenge.  It is quite simply combining three into one - the character, the outfit and the setting making the photograph an effective representation of the character.

Cosplay is one of the reasons I enjoy going to the film and comic conventions, last year I attended the London Film and Comic Con and the Wales Comic Con, seeing the people in the various outfits has influenced me to put my own Cosplay outfit together for the Comic Cons I plan on attending this year.  The character I have chosen to Cosplay is Itachi Uchiha from Naruto, and I will also be planning a photo shoot to endeavour to capture his character with me obviously wearing the outfit.


Conclusion

In conclusion, I have found this assignment challenging and enlightening.  Challenging as to what to include or more importantly what not to include in my montages, enlightening to discover just how certain aspects have influenced my creative abilities and thirst for knowledge.  The influence boards have clearly given me an indication of where my love of film and photography has come from.  They have also provided me with goals  to gain the skills, and nowledge to put these aspects into my own work.

Module No: ARD504 – Creative Futures 2 - London Industrial Visit - Thursday and Conclusion

Thursday

The Moving Picture Company with Ben Owen


The Moving Picture Company (MPC) are a post production company, focussing in VFX for film, advertising, digital and television.  They have offices in London, Santa Monica in California, Yaletown in Vancouver, Bangalore in India and New York, all offices are networked with a dedicated digital infrastructure.

Their stunning visual treatments can be seen in some of today’s most memorable commercials.  At the same time, their integrated approach drives the use of existing or newly created assets across the whole range of today’s new media, from online to outdoor, hand-held to code-driven installations.

They have a dynamic team of fresh talent from various cultural backgrounds and different career paths, and therefore have a diverse and creative team.

www.moving-picture.com 

Sadly, this tour got cancelled but I took the opportunity to tour some of the famous landmarks of London instead.


I love this photo as it captures the feel of London, whether you are a tourist, breaking for lunch, on a trip or just shopping.  London is so many different things to different people.  Although I had been briefly to London once before I never got the chance to see the famous landmarks, and I wanted to try and capture not only the magnificence of the landmarks but the essence of London too.




Although I did also try an elusive challenge of catching Alex Burden smiling!! – I’m glad to say after a few attempts and even with Alex endeavouring to hide behind her camera I did achieve my goal.

Due to chance rather than timing I was also able to capture the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace.



Of course, the duck had to come to London as he had visited Paris last year.

 Framestore CFC with Ben White

Framestore is the largest visual effects and computer animation studio in Europe, with over 20 years of experience in digital film and video technology.  Although I have checked out their website, I found it seems to promote the finished films rather than detail the effects and procedures they have the ability to offer potential clients.

www.framestore.com  


The tour was again a presentation of the work they do and the films they have been involved in.  The latest blockbuster film and the majority of their presentation was on Sherlock Holmes “A Game of Shadows”.  The majority of this film was created using DMP (Digital Matt Painting) used 2.5D which allows for more flexibility in processing the film.  They used Hybrid cameras to ensure quality was achieved.

To achieve these effects, Framestore initially started with set measurement and scanning, taking reference photographs and camera floor sheets.  They then went on to use lighting references, lens grids and grain samples to match the quality of the film.

 Framestore then went into detail on the production of the Train ambush scene.  This started with the creation of a CG train, CG steam (which took senior designers 8 weeks to create), and a 2D environment.  Then to add to the realism of the scene they created a CG environment and a digital doubles of the actors.

We then were taken into detail on the production of the Waterfall scene from the film.  This was recorded between 24 to 724 frames per second, depending on the action showing in the clip.  They use the Maya – 3D digital editing to merge the transitions between CG and real life i.e. for when they actors fall off the waterfall they are the digital characters but as the near the base of the waterfall it changes to the actual actors in free fall.  They then went on to explain they had used Nuke to create the waterfall for which many layers were used, much detail was included as this is one of the longest scenes to be created due to the detail of the water cascading when in close up shots.  Alot of the images had come originally from photographs in Photoshop.

We then took a break from the visual effects, for them to explain the application process for applying for a job at Framestore.  Again like the previous companies they wanted the applicant to create a show reel, detailing references, and short pieces of film/effects we had created.  They said to ensure the show reel demonstrates any additional knowledge you have gained that you can bring to your role in Framestore.  Try to make the show reel fun and entertaining with your creations as Framestore said they have found a person who enjoys and is passionate about their work achieves better results.

Framestore then explained that they run summer internships that last for 8 weeks, and they currently can only offer 8 places per year.  As you can imagine therefore it is highly competitive and they endeavour to focus on applicants’ quality of film production rather than academic qualifications.  They then stressed again how important our show reels would be, they recommended that the show reel is no longer than 1 minute (wow its getting shorter!), and needs to include all your best work.  They prefer your show reel to be submitted online rather than by DVD.

One thing I found interesting from the tour which I feel could benefit me in the degree work was Framestore’s ability to use digital and colour corrections to alter the effect they want for a scene, for example the train scene in Sherlock Holmes was shot during the day but using colour correction it appeared in the film as night time.

Framestore I feel specialise in the digital effects of post production, and a lot of films can benefit from these techniques.  Although this did seem to give them a blinkered focus on post production where as other companies still seem to value how the scenes were originally recorded.


Molinare with Tom Rogers

Molinare is a Film and Broadcast Post Production Facility based in London, and is well respected within the industry, as it has been around for nearly 40 years.
They provide state of the art Digital Intermediate, Visual Effects, Sound, Restoration, 2D-3D Conversion, Animation, Library & Data Management services, International Servicing and Post Production Project Management.

 

www.molinare.co.uk   

 



As this tour began at 7pm, most of the employees had left for the day, so this tour was a practical walkabout rather than a presentation of projects worked on.  It started with the introduction as to who Molinaire are and what they do.  We were taken initially into the second building where we started the tour on the top floor in what was simply the Noise Room – Foley Studio.  It reminded me of the behind scene look at radio station programmes, as the room had gravel pits to walk on, doors to open or slam, old fashioned telephones, bells, bottles, basically everything you could need to create authentic sound effects.  A piece of advice given to us was the it was the sad duty of the runner’s who get  the job of tidying the room up after a recording session and by all accounts it can get quite messy.

From there on, we visited the various editing rooms, again we visited an offline editing suite like that we had seen in Envy.  Interestingly all the studios are named after a planet in the solar system.  We then went on to see one of their visual effects rooms, sadly as all the staff had left for the day, we only got to see the layout and not it in operation.  We then got to view the DI theatre which is the largest and most technically advanced grading theatre available in the world with also having the ability for 3D viewing. 

Apart from this theatre they do have other viewing rooms around their complex to enable you to view the quality of the film and the ability to test the audio before it is aired, to ensure it meets the client’s specifications.  Sadly there were rooms we weren’t able to see as the equipment in them was too expensive to risk us damaging it.

This tour focussed on the quality of video and sound with an emphasis on sound effects.  As the other tours had focussed more on visual effects it was interesting to gain this perspective.  The knowledge I gained from this tour initially is to always check the real life sound of my films, to not just rely on the audio mixers in final cut but to play it back in a screening room situation before allowing it to be aired to the viewers. 

I felt Molinaire took as greater care on the television productions as they do on their film productions.  Their focus on attention to detail and quality reflects in the work they produce, although I enjoyed this tour, there is still a part of me that would have preferred to see the studios etc in use rather than being told what goes on in the room with nothing happening.


Conclusion

The benefit I gained from the London Industrial Visit was that I actually got to see the post production being undertaken.  The London Industrial visit enabled me to gain valuable connections within the companies, which could prove beneficial should I decide to apply for work experience or internships.  However sadly, upon reflection it has made realise that although I have the opportunity and skills to go into post production, I don’t feel this is the career path I will choose as I am more interested in the film production.

I did appreciate that all the companies focus on expanding and developing their companies, and the dedication and support they provide to all their employees.  I really appreciated the knowledge and views they imparted on creating show reels as this knowledge can be transferred to applications for vacancies in production as well.

Upon reflection, I am sad that I missed the tour of the BBC but acknowledge this was down in the end to circumstances beyond my control.  I do wish the London Industrial Visit had included the opportunity to visit more companies involved in the physical side of filming rather than just the post production side.

Module No: ARD504 – Creative Futures 2 - London Industrial Visit - Tuesday and Wednesday

Introduction

When we got offered the opportunity to travel to London for four days, to visit companies connected to the film and television industry, I saw it as an amazing opportunity.  Although I have no plans at present to relocate to London after I finish my degree, it was still a possibility I wanted to explore.  The other reason why I chose to go on the Industrial Visit was the opportunity it would give me to see London first hand, I have been to London once before but spent the time inside Earl’s Court at the London Comic Con in 2011.


Tuesday

After leaving Glyndwr University at 8.30 am we travelled by coach down to London.  We didn’t arrive till mid afternoon with just enough time to put our bags in the room before heading out to the BBC, after being cooped up in a coach for the day, Charlotte and I decided to walk to the studios after getting directions and ensuring we had plenty of time, we set off to get our first view of London on foot.

BBC Television Centre with Nick Davey


The BBC is the world's leading public service broadcaster. Its mission is to enrich people's lives with programmes that inform, educate and entertain.  Established by a Royal Charter, the BBC is a public service broadcaster funded by the licence fee paid by UK households.  The BBC uses income from the licence fee to provide services including 10 national TV channels plus regional programming, 10 national radio stations, 40 local radio stations and an extensive website.


BBC World Service broadcasts to the world on radio, on TV and online, providing news and information in 27 languages and world service English language.  The BBC also has a commercial arm, BBC Worldwide as well as a number of other commercial ventures. Profits from these activities are returned to the BBC for investment in new programming and services.


Although I was looking forward to this tour, unfortunately I was unable to attend as though we had  left in plenty of time to walk from our hotel to the BBC Centre, the directions we got given weren’t quite accurate, and sadly my childhood illness of asthma flared up, as Charlotte and I were walking to the studios.  Charlotte my Angel refused to leave my side though it meant she might not make the tour, and even though we arrived only 15 minutes late, and my fellow course mates had asked them to wait for us, Nick Davey insisted on starting the tour.  It was heartbreaking to see them on the roof as they began their tour.

The tour of the BBC Television Centre included the BBC News Studio, where my course mates met news presenter, George Alagiah immediately after transmission of the Six o’clock evening news.

After we discovered we were unable to join the tour, Charlotte and I slowly walked back to our hotel enjoying the sights of London.  After our return the photograph Stewart Edwards had taken at the BBC News Studio even appeared in the local paper as they reported on the Glyndwr University trip to London.

Wednesday

Double Negative with Alice Tuxford & Thom



Double Negative was established in 1998 with a team of 30 staff. Since then the company has grown to 1,000 people, making it Europe's largest provider of visual effects for Film. In 2009, Double Negative opened the doors to its Singapore office. Currently housing a team of 200, the Singapore office works closely with the Double Negative team in London, on selected productions. Through their steady and constant growth they have always sought to retain the creative drive and involvement of their artists through all projects, continuing to ensure that they have a close collaboration with clients. This approach ensures films both small and large receive the same high standard of creative and technical service and makes for a winning combination that has resulted in Double Negative being recognised with several Visual Effects Society awards for films such as Inception and Sherlock Holmes, BAFTA awards for Inception and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 and an Academy Award for Inception.

Over the past 12 months, Double Negative has completed work on projects including; John Carter, Captain America: The First Avenger, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 and Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists. They are currently in production on The Dark Knight Rises, Man of Steel, The Bourne Legacy, Skyfall, Snow White and the Huntsman, Rush, Battleship, Total Recall, Les Miserables and Captain's Duty.

www.dneg.com 

Captain America: The First Avenger was released in July 2011, it is set in the early days of the Marvel Universe, when Steve Rogers gets turned into a super soldier known as Captain America.  The making of the film was split between several visual effects companies, with Double Negative taking the lead and worked closely with Marvel’s visual effects department.

It took 13 years to create the film, 630 shots and 200 artists.  Double Negative had the challenge of building the series of vehicles used by the Hydra unit, creating the environments (Hydra Factory, Hangars & Runways, Alpine Mountains and Arctic Environments) as well as FX sequences – 8.

To begin the presentation they showed us a sequence of scenes Double Negative had been involved in with the Captain America film, these included the Crypt, Schmidt’s Office, the Hydra factory, Alpine sequence and the Commandos attack scene.  They then went on to show us how these scenes/environments had been created and developed.  The building phasing of the vehicles used in the film:  the Train, the Tank and the Bomber, including the scaling detail, they demonstrated this with the Landkreuzer LT17 Tank.  They briefly showed us the depth of research detail they went into to create the various effects.

They went on to explain that Double Negative used two different renders for Captain America, firstly they used detail and motion, this renders the film detail of the item and the motion it would use to move through a scene.  They then used Look Dev, this renders the lighting of the item in the situation.

They then went on to explain that Double Negative used Genesis cameras for the alpine scene, and that Research and Development had taken great care in the attention to detail to ensure the accuracy of the environment.  They then used Nuke to bring all those effects together in the film.

They explained they had used DN asset construction to create the Hydra Factory.  Instead of using artists to create the backdrop they had used a 3D digital background, as Double Negative explained that to use artists is a lot more expensive.  By doing this not only did they save time, but they also explained that one of their runners was responsible for the embers going across the scene in the film.

They then carried on to explain that for the Pod fighter sequence, they had had to research and create an aerial environment, but after the scene had been set, they had to add in extra CG clouds to allow the CG podfighters to have a more realistic effect when flying.  Double Negative then confirmed that directors are more interested in the telling of the story than the realism of the scene.

Next they briefly filled us in on Double Negative’s history, how they started and where they are today, most of this I already knew as I had researched Double Negative before visiting London.  It was interesting to note that most of the original employees in 1998 are still with the company today, its gives a good indication how good a company is when people stay for 14 years.

They then briefly detailed the projects they have recently been involved in.  This included the independent movies and box office blockbusters, and the successful and upcoming directors they had worked with on these films.

•    John Carter (Pixar)
•    Dark Knight Rises (Nolan)
•    Total Recall (Len Wiseman)
•    Man of Steel
•    Skyfall
•    The Bourne Legacy
•    Snow White and the Huntsman
•    Rush (to be released 2013)

They then went on to explain how starting as a runner at Double Negative gives you the opportunity to decide which area to specialise in, the following diagram illustrates this.

They then confirmed how all vacancies at Double Negative both in the UK and Singapore are advertised on the job section of their website (www.Dneg.com/jobs) and the application form to initially apply with is also on their website too.  They advised us we would need to put together a show reel of our achievements and films, preferable this needs to be no longer than two minutes, ensure we put our best work first.  We need to include a shot breakdown, and a CV and covering letter which when they receive, they will match to our online application.

Double Negative has a twitter account to follow their recent achievements and latest news, their twitter user name is @dneg.  Since attending the tour in London, I have found this interview on You Tube with Gavin Graham (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgxOV58rtMo) talking about Double Negative’s involvement with Captain America.

This visit gave me my first real insight as to what goes on in the post production industry.  Although I enjoyed learning about how to create special effects, at this present time for my current assignments I don’t have a practical application for it, however I am sure in my future I will have cause to draw on the knowledge I have gained from this visit.  Another point that I found interesting was the focus Double Negative place on the role of runners, the care and knowledge they take to ensure the runners take the career path best suited to them and the encouragement and support both physically and in training they give to each runner.  As one of the leading companies in visual effects, I feel the awards they have won have been justified, and look forward to seeing future films they have been involved with.


Envy Post Production with Josh Moore & Mat Appleton



Envy Post Production is a leading post production house based in London.  They work on programmes including Factual, Drama, Comedy, Documentaries and Light Entertainment and they collaborate on design, branding and commercials.
 www.envypost.co.uk 

They started off the tour in their Offline building.  The Offline buildings are not linked to external material, so directors bring the material with them to Envy to have it go through the post production stage.  Envy explained to us they do more work in this offline environment, as directors seem to prefer this method in production when producing films.

Envy explained on behalf of their clients they deal with various productions, from broadcasts, promotions, commercials to documentaries.  Envy seeks to meet what the industry wants, they use a variety of editing programmes for example Autodesk, Nuke and Adobe suites, to meet the clients specifications.

Envy has three grading suites in each Offline building they own, to ensure that have enough facilities for their own and external clients when required.  Like Double Negative, Envy also have the role of runners to enable them through a course of challenges to think about their individual vocations and to determine their future career paths.  Envy believes in continuous training to enable the individual to reach the next step on their career ladder.  Envy encourages their runners to discover the things they do not know, to strive always for development as Envy is a constantly expanding company.  Envy works on a pyramid structure with the aim that everyone wants to achieve and reach higher. 

We were advised that should we wish to apply for a job at Envy that our application show reel should be between 90 seconds and 120 seconds (yes this sounds very short and sweet).  We should use any clips we have created, even if they have appeared on Vimeo, You Tube or on our own Website.  We can also use professional clips, which we have altered using digital effects.  We can also add background music to our show reel for atmosphere effect but this is not hugely important.   Envy explained they have their own show reel on their website should we wish to view it as an example.  Envy explained that an Overall show reel is longer and contains much more detail, but should be tailored to a company’s specific aims.

joshm@envypost.co.uk

I felt Envy was more of a Television based production company, rather than Double Negative which had been a film based Production Company, and therefore felt the effects were more down to earth like creating rain on a dry day, than block buster special effects.  However I should add that Envy are looking to expand into film based production, and after looking round Envy I felt this was a company striving to become a bigger fish in the pond of post production.  Envy are still in the business of creating the everyday special effects that would be more useful to me on my degree course, as the effects are more achievable.

I appreciated the journey Envy has been on to get to where it is in the post productions leagues but acknowledge their dedication to expansion in the future, shows they are not a company prepared to stand still.

Module No: ARD504 – Creative Futures 2 Conclusion

Creative Futures has I feel improved my knowledge and understanding of the options available to me once I have graduated from Glyndwr University.   Although the schedule was diverse and covered the various creative industries, I do feel it was more biased towards a career in photography than a career in the film industry.  Granted in part this could have been the fact that the speakers who have careers in this dual field focussed more on their photography achievements than their film achievements. 

Upon reflection, I felt that most of the speakers throughout the weeks sessions were either ex-students, staff from other disciplines or staff from the BBC connection within the Creative Industries building, I think it would have given a much fairer picture to have people who are unconnected to Glyndwr University speak.  Although I do appreciate the benefit of hearing from ex-students, and to hear from ex-students who have succeeded in their chosen field is encouraging. 

I felt Creative Futures did cover the aspect of how to set up in business for myself, with the various sessions on funding, as well as the basics like copyright issues.  I now feel more aware of the basic essentials I need to sort out to enable me to start my own business, and especially feel the sessions by Paul Herrmann (Redeye Photography Network) and Alison McLean (The Photo Foundry) were extremely beneficial in covering the practicalities you need to sort out to make your business a success.  Both of these sessions covered how they got to where they are now and the steps they took to get there, they covered the problems they had encountered and shared the knowledge they had gained on their journeys, sadly this couldn’t be said for all the sessions.  Some of the speakers seemed to focus on what they had achieved rather than how they had achieved it, and although I can appreciate their successes, I would have preferred on hearing about the journey to that achievement.

One of the aspects of Creative Futures that I especially enjoyed this year was the opportunity to speak with the speakers after the sessions had finished.  I even managed to speak to one of the speakers whose lecture I had been unable to attend due to being in a different session.  I found this one on one time often gave an insight as the questions I asked were specific and the speakers appeared to appreciate that students wanted to know more and I often found the information I gained from this was more insightful than the actual session.

After thinking back to Creative Futures 2011 on the whole I found this year’s Creative Futures much more beneficial, whether this was due to the speakers and sessions I chose to attend or whether the time passed has made me more aware that the time when I leave Glyndwr University is fast approaching.  Last year I think was more focussed on finding my feet in University and succeeding on my course where this year I see my university time as a stepping stone to the future.  An example of this is that I found the session on Copyright issues so much more beneficial than last year’s but is this because I’m now thinking of publishing my own work and undertaking photographic projects.

Creative Futures 2013 – What would I like to see?  As mentioned before the opportunity to hear from people not directly connected to Glyndwr University or associated with it, more of a focus on a career in film.  The biggest hope is to hear more on the practicalities of the journeys then the achievements people have achieved, maybe it is the film maker in me that believes the journey is more important than the end credits.

Module No: ARD504 – Creative Futures 2 Day 4

Life in the Afterworld…as a freelance Artist (Photography) by Alison McLean




This session appealed to me as it was being taken by an ex-Creative Media Student of Glyndwr University, it goes to prove the ex-students are successful and more importantly as Alison is still locally based, successful in North East Wales, as my family and I live in Chester this is important to me although I will not allow it to restrict my career choice, it is reassuring to know that Photographers are finding work and making a living in this area.

When researching Alison’s work prior to the session, I was pleased to see the creativity and diversity within Alison’s work, she simply isn’t a wedding photograph or typical studio portrait photographer.

Since leaving university Alison has set up and owns The Photo Foundry (www.thephotofoundry.co.uk), which is based in North Wales.  Alison undertakes photography assignments for artists, capturing them whilst working, as well as photographing their work and helping them promote themselves via electronic means of in advertising etc for exhibitions.  Alison also enjoys passing her knowledge on by undertaking workshops where she teaches/advises artists on photographing their own work.  Alison also takes commissions to photograph and film musicians, festivals, charity events, basically she appears to be open to use her artistic ability to help anyone whatever their passion is.

www.facebook.com/pages/Alison-McLean-Photography/192393004124243
www.flickriver.com/photos/kathka/sets/

This session intrigued me as since I have started my degree course friends and family have asked me to undertake photographic work for them.  This has been both in event photography and/or family portrait shots.

I was looking forward to this session as I felt it would give me help in marketing myself to make a living from freelance photography, and I wasn’t disappointed.


After briefly telling us a bit about herself and her time at Glyndwr, and how important it was to gain as much knowledge whilst studying as you could, Alison went on to focus on the practical advice she could give us to make the switch from university life to the business world as easy as possible.

Firstly, she stressed the importance of having your own website, as it was a great marketing tool in this age of technology.  Alison then went on to give us some very practical tips and advice, with details of where to get further information.

Your website should:

•    Have an original domain name (check www.namesco.co.uk to see if the name is used elsewhere before starting)
•    Use a free website (this reduces your costs) www.carbonmade.com , www.cargocollective.com
•    Work with a Graphic Designer – this will enable your website to have a professional appearance
•    Ensure your spelling and grammar is correct (www.ghotit.com can check this for you)
•    Get a friend(s) to proof read your website, someone who you trust to give honest feedback.
•    Use video, blogs or keywords to increase visitors to your website
•    Consider the use of freebies or competitions to increase visitors and to encourage viewers to return
•    Ensure your website is ALWAYS kept up to date, if there is nothing new it looks like you aren’t doing anything, even when busy make the time to update your website.

Secondly, Alison then went on to mention Business cards, and the benefits they can bring

Your business cards should:

•    Have a brand, link it to your website brand if possible
•    Use quality cards, this gives a professional appearance (they will also last longer for your customers)
•    Keep them uncluttered, you want the information to stand out and be easy to read
•    Consider postcard size, these can give greater opportunity to show your past works
•    Consider the future – if you show details of a competition they will have a short shelf life

www.moo.com

One of the main objectives when setting up in business is spreading the word.  Alison summarised this into three main categories:  Word of Mouth, Social Media and Networking.  Alison then went on in greater detail about each of these aspects.

Word Of Mouth
•    Family and Friends – they could be your greatest advertisement
•    Colleagues and Students – offer to take photos of their work
•    Referrals – the most satisfying as it means someone likes your work enough to refer you to someone else.

Remember even with family and friends always be professional, a good motto is “under promise and over deliver” always give yourself extra time in case of accidents/emergencies.

Social Media
•    Twitter
•    Facebook
•    Linked in – www.linkedin.com
•    Google plus
•    Blog e.g. wordpress, blogger
•    Flickr – www.flickr.com
•    Pinterest – www.pinterest.com
•    Social Media Management e.g. tweetdeck, hootsuite

Link the connections i.e. put a share/link on facebook whenever you update your website etc.  On a practical note, write in the third party, detail upcoming engagements (gives potential clients the chance to see you at work)

Networking
•    Exhibitions
•    Graduate networking events
•    Fusion (the Foundry, Wrexham)
•    Events
•    Chamber of Commerce
•    Linked in business groups
•    The pub
•    Redeye, the photographers network

Alison then went on to recommend the top groups we should get involved in or with:
•    Redeye – www.redeye.org.uk
•    Welshot – www.welshotimaging.co.uk
•    Local Camera clubs
•    Photoalternative
•    Insideout art group – www.insideoutart.co.uk
•    Open eye gallery (Liverpool) – www.openeyegallery.co.uk
•    Blank media collective (Manchester) - www.blankmediacollective.org 
•    Ffresh – www.ffresh.com

One of the things to bear in mind after leaving university, Alison said was to keep inspired, she then detailed how she does this.

•    Twitter – what are others up to?
•    Redeye/welshot
•    Collaborations
•    Art house co-op - www.arthousecoop.com
•    Eager (Company in Holland, which sets photography assignments/projects)
•    Projects
•    Restrictions

Alison also recommended keeping a file of your ideas and past works as a tool for new works.  Something that may not have been possible 6 months ago could be possible now.   Knowing what you would like to do could make you see an opportunity you could have missed if you hadn’t noted it down.

Continuing Professional Development

•    Redeye/welshot/camera clubs
•    Current trends
•    Photography skills
•    Competitions e.g. photocomplete
•    Online magazines e.g. fotoblur

Keep up with current news, events etc.  Entering competitions could open doors to new markets and or clients.

Basic business essentials are something you need to deal with if setting up as self employed or creating your own business but you can get help on these areas very easily. 

•    Tax and business practices
•    Business bank account
•    Money saving expert
•    Accountants
•    Insurance
•    Employing others

Websites we might find useful:

www.a-n.co.uk
www.bjp-online.com
www.freelanceuk.com
www.photographers.co.uk
www.professionalphotographers.co.uk
Alison@thephotofoundry.co.uk

This session with Alison was everything I hoped for, she gave the information in clear concise details, and not only could you see she enjoyed the work she does but actually wants others to enjoy it too.  The help and information she gave was practical and down to earth but also very relevant to anyone wanting to start their own photography business after leaving university. 


Show passion in your next step (Photography & Video) by Minimal Media

Minimal Media is a creative production company based in North Wales, but they work all over the country.  They specialise in both still and moving images.  Their aim is to provide a friendly and reliable service to help you to communicate your ideas, and to tell your story in the simplest of ways.  They have undertaken work for charities, community based organisations, education, marketing, events, short films and more.

This session was detailed as a presentation from the team on what brought them together, how they set up their own media company, working life at a media company, their product and how they market their services.   This seems to be a common vein on Creative Future sessions, informing us on how to make it in the real world, the pitfalls we might incur, and to gain the benefit from others who have trod the same path.

Minimal Media is a group of currently three people, Graham Cooper, Hollie Harmsworth & Alan Whitfield, all three are ex-Glyndwr students, and they all graduated last year.  So once again they are students from my field of Film and Photography that are now making a living from it.

Graham started off with the statement “Never say No” then went on to explain, if you want to succeed you never turn down an opportunity, as work experience will not also improve your knowledge, but will also get your name mentioned in the acknowledgments and therefore will help spread your name both in the industry and to potential clients of the future.

They then mentioned a couple of local initiatives.

A local group based at Glyndwr University called Glyndwr Resonance, they had approached Minimal Media for help to produce a film called Resonance.   Minimal Media accepted the offer and Alan is producer, whilst the Directing is being undertaken by Graham.  It is a grand story about a mythical object of incredible power, co-created by professionals and audience, told across multiple platforms.  A sci-fi thriller unfolding across multiple platforms and around the world, Resonance centres on a mysterious Object and the people whose lives it alters.  www.glyndwrresonance.co.uk 


Alan then mentioned GO Wales, which has a local office at Glyndwr University, they offer a range of service proven to help students, graduates and businesses in Wales.  Their services include work placements, funding for training, an online database of jobs in Wales and the Graduate Academy.
Go Wales offers a Freelancer Academy & Internship package, it is a free 6 day training course designed to help interested graduates to develop the skills, knowledge and confidence needed to progress your business idea.  www.gowales.co.uk/en/Graduate/freelanceracademy

Their advice for people looking to set up as self employed was practical and down to earth.  Initially ensure you get the name for your company/trading name right, your choice of name will be with you for the rest of your career.  Then they mentioned the serious business stuff – taxes, business accounts and insurance.   One of the hardest things about being self employed is approaching people, Graham then recommended that you do this in person as emails, telephones can be very impersonal, and it is also harder for potential clients to say no face to face.

Graham then advised us that it would cost approximately £30 per year for Public Liability insurance, which covers you for damages to property or people during the course of your work.

Minimal Media’s latest project is to produce a commercial for a new website based company called Publicate.  Publicate aim is to make it easy to promote yourself through multimedia content.  Hearing about this I felt was beneficial on two counts, firstly Minimal Media’s involvement and secondly the potential to use the website for my personal benefit.  www.publicate.it 

Overall I felt the session had imparted a lot of knowledge, for a company that was started by graduates last year, it was great to hear that such a new company was getting so much business but also the diversity of the projects they were undertaking.

“Passion is a positive obsession.  Obsession is a negative passion” by Paul Carvel was the closing quote for the session and an interesting thought provoker.

Upon reflection, I enjoyed this session, although sadly I felt that they had spoke more about their achievements then how they got there, and had focussed more on their photography assignments then the film.  At the moment as I am undecided over which path to choose after university, I had hope this session taken by a company that focused on both photography and film would have given me the option of a different path, where I could combine both my photographic and film making skills. 
www.minimalmedia.co.uk


Going in to Business as a Young Entrepreneur by Charli Dickenson

The last session I worked out I wanted to attend was this one, as although again it potentially was going to focus on Welsh funding, I still felt the knowledge I would hopefully gain would be beneficial.

Charli Dickenson is employed as the Youth Engagement Project Officer for Launch.  Charli grew up in Bangor-on-Dee, so she knows what it is like to be a young person living in rural Wrexham.  Launch is a project funded by the Rural Development Plan for Wales.  The Northern Marches Cymru is responsible for delivering the Rural Development Plan for Wales in Wrexham, their aim is to improve the quality of life for people in rural Wrexham.

Launch’s aim is to get young people involved in their communities, and to help them improve the quality of life for young people living in rural Wrexham. It also has a focus on promoting business and enterprise for young people in rural Wrexham.

www.launchwrexham.co.uk

Charli started off by saying the most important point when setting up a new business is the idea, be excited about it.  If you aren’t excited over your idea then it’s the wrong idea.  Develop your ideas and talk about it, talk it over with friends, family and co-workers.  By doing this you can find out how popular the idea is and also get an idea on some pitfalls. 

The next stage is to talk to people with business-set-up knowledge, like business line-library, The Zone etc.  They will be able to give you practical advice and will probably know if there is a market for your idea.  Consider undertaking some market research to see what the general public think of your idea, find out who your competition is – what do they offer? Are they successful? Is there scope for a second company doing similar?

Charli then went on to say to make your business a reality it needs to be financially viable.   There are many organisations to help you in this, source funding, and find out where you can get help from.  Research to know whether your client base will be local or internet based. 

How will you sustain the business? The answer is of course marketing, Charli then went on to give her advice on this aspect.  Marketing is crucial for any business it is more of an investment than a day to day expense.  Charli confirmed your business will not be noticed without it, but you can advertise by the simplest of means, use social media (facebook, twitter etc.), blogging, cross references fresh posts news of what you are up to etc.  Develop a Marketing Campaign, keep track of what works and what doesn’t, remember what works for one doesn’t necessarily work for everyone.   Consider the Physiology of business cards, the benefits of being able to give out your details anytime any place.



Charli confirmed you need to get an understanding of finances, it isn’t that difficult and there are plenty of business workshops to offer advice and point you in the right direction if you have a problem.  The main thing to remember is to seek out information see if you get a Launch Grant to help cover the initial costs.  Just remember said Charli the aim of any business is to break even not to get into debt.

Websites to help you find funding (courtesy of the www.launchwrexham.co.uk website)
www.business.wales.gov.uk -The Business Support Finder through the Welsh Government
www.cypnow.co.uk/go/fundingfinder_wales - The Funding Finder from Children and Young People www.princes-trust.org.uk/need_help/enterprise_programme  - The Princes Trust Enterprise Programme www.j4bgrants.co.uk - A useful resource for finding sources of finance.
www.ms.fs4b.wales.gov.uk - For graduates the Welsh Government’s graduate business grant.
www.shell-livewire.org - If you sign up you can apply for £1000 Grand Ideas Award.