As part of the Documentary Edge Festival’s awesome press push, I was invited on to Radio New Zealand to talk about Red, White, Black & Blue before the Wellington Premiere (tomorrow). Felt like a good interview, a curly one at the end though…
May 10, 2013 Category: Post Production No Comments 
“He Toki Huna – New Zealand in Afghanistan” screens tonight on Maori TV. 8.30pm.
As our PRT withdraws from Afghanistan and we are set to remember our brave troops in another ANZAC Day celebration, this film is an important reminder and record about the war in which we’ve just been involved. I’ve spent the last 3 months editing with Directors Annie Goldson and Kay Ellmers on this film, which we are all really proud of. It’s been a real task to condense the story of our involvement while fleshing out the motivations and philosophies that surround this conflict and the nature of the military.
It has been a privilege to work with both Annie and Kay, as well as filming many of the interviews with major players in the military and the media, including Jon Stephenson (journalist and author of the notorious “Eyes Wide Shut” article), Nicky Hager (Author of “The Hollow Men” and “Other People’s Wars”), Simon Wilson (Editor of Metro), Mike McRoberts (journalist and mainstream news anchor) as well as the Dave Gawn (Chief of the Army).
Interviews with frontline soldiers and eyewitness accounts of incidents from Kiwi journalist Jon Stephenson featured in the documentary.
It sheds light on New Zealand’s recent past and holds valuable lessons for the future, prof Goldson said.Fellow director and producer Kay Ellmers said the film posed “some uncomfortable questions about the political motivations that sent young New Zealand men and women to battle in a very ill-defined war against an unclear and shifting ‘enemy’.”
Prof Goldson said the timing of the documentary premiere was deliberate.
But it’s not just a summary of our time in Afghanistan, it’s a story of a man driven to speak truth to power, to get down on the ground away from military surveillance to talk to real Afghans about their perspective and their stories. This documentary will no doubt enrage many of the powers that be, who would prefer to curate the message we see on our TV screens. Well done to Maori TV for having the courage to support programming like this.
April 24, 2013 Category: Post Production No Comments
My directorial feature debut “Red White Black & Blue” is doing the festival circuit and has had screenings all over the world. I’m looking forward to its New Zealand Premiere on April 13th, here in Auckland at the Documentary Edge Festival.
The film was recently nominated for an “African Oscar” at the Africa Movie Academy Awards for Best Diaspora Documentary!
And as all of this is happening, my crew Matty Warmington (left), Anton Leach (center) and David Green (right) have just arrived home from China shooting the second in the series of films following the school boys and girls from the ICEF Rugby program based in South Los Angeles.
By the sounds of it we’ve got another big story to tell, and the guys have been bloody champions, working all hours of the day and into the night, navigating customs, competing with the authorities, braving the freezing temperatures in Beijing and trying to keep their gear dry!
Now to open the box – the unassuming 2tb portable hard drive that holds all the footage. Christmas!
Of course it’s not all about rugby (a strange subject for me to be building a career on, as I have no interest in the sport). I’m also finishing editing a film about New Zealand’s involvement in Afghanistan with Directors Annie Goldson (Brother Number One) and Kay Ellmers. So I’m exercising some delayed gratification until I’m finished this current project. This is another film I’m very excited about as it exercises my political cognitive muscles, and has given me the opportunity to meet and film some very interesting public intellectuals! (Yes, very fancy). It will be screening around Anzac Day on Maori TV.
March 27, 2013 Category: Post Production No Comments
Red White Black & Blue is on the festival circuit!
Idyllwild CinemaFest – (Official Selection)
California. Jan 9th – 13th. 2013
Winner - Best Documentary (Feature)
Nominated - Best Director (Documentary)
San Diego Black Film Festival – (Official Selection)
San Diego. Jan 31st – Feb 3rd. 2013
Nominated - Best Documentary
Pan African Film Festival – (Official Selection)
California. Feb 7th – 18th. 2013
San Luis Obispo International Film Festival (Official Selection)
San Luis, March 6th – 10th
Bootleg Film Festival (Official Selection)
Edinburgh, March 22nd
Hearts and Minds Film Festival (Official Selection)
Pennsylvania, April 10th
Documentary Edge Festival – (Official Selection)
Auckland. April 11th – 21st. 2013
Wellington. May 9th – 19th. 2013
Langston Hughes African American Festival
Seattle. April 13 – 21. 2013
Viewfinders Film Festival
Atlanta. April 14 – 20
Festival International du Film Panafricain
Cannes. April 17 – 21
In addition to these festivals we have been nominated for Best Diaspora Documentary at the Africa Movie Academy Awards and are a finalist in the Africa World Documentary Film Festival which will be having screenings all around the world (US, UK, Africa). We have been awarded the Canada International Film Festival‘s 2013 Rising Star Award and were also short-listed for the Byron Bay Film Festival in Australia.
For actual screening times and updates visit:
http://redwhiteblackandbluemovie.com/screening-times/
January 13, 2013 Category: Red White Black & Blue No Comments
The article Why Touch Screens Will Not Take Over in Scientific American gives a basic overview of the reasons why a touch interface is not ideal for desktop computing. My favorite reason given is:
“… finger grease. You can clean a phone’s screen by wiping it on your jeans, but that’s not as convenient with a 32-inch monitor.”
January 8, 2013 Category: Post Production No Comments
2012 Was, for me, a year of adaptation. I had to learn 3 new editing systems on 2 different operating systems and learn 3-4 peripheral programs just to keep work ticking over. This is because my cushy editing platform was disrupted by Apple’s redesign (some would say destruction) of Final Cut Pro. We are all likely to see many more disruptions to the way we interact with our computers, and so I am starting a series of blogs based on Disruptive Technologies. To begin with, why not have a think about what to expect from 2013.
2012 seemed like a year where strangely the world’s disruptive innovator was overtaken. Could it be right that Windows 8 really beat Apple to the punch when it comes to a multi-touch-screen computer and operating system? Apple has clearly been heading in that direction with its increasingly IOS-like Mac operating systems (Lion and Mountain Lion which makes your Mac feel more and more like a big iPhone). As a video editor, a multi-touch interface has seemed the obvious direction at least for creative professionals – and c’mon Apple, we’re still your favorite right?
Some 3rd party applications like CTRL+CONSOLE and AC-7-Core seem to be playing this role, but since when has Apple let 3rd parties determine how their hardware is used?
These apps turn your iPad or iPhone into a control surface to use with audio or video editing applications on your Mac.
So why has Apple been so slow to pick this up? It seems so obvious right? Exactly… You can’t disrupt the system by doing the obvious. That’s what we expect from Windows.
There are two technologies that will define tech in 2013.
Ubiquitous and affordable 3D Displays…
3D is more than just a fad. Let’s face it. You have 3D Movies, 3D TVs (all mainstream editing platforms are 3D equipped), Free and easy to learn 3D modelling software, 3D motion capture, 3D photo sculpting, 3D maps, even 3D printing is becoming cheap and widely available.
… and 3D Controllers
Early this year we will see the release of the Leap Motion, which is already a functioning 3D control device with the sort of accuracy that Apple would require (as opposed to the Xbox Kinect). Not only is the Leap a far more powerful control device but it is also less cumbersome than a touch device would be.
So my prediction: By the end of 2013 Apple will combine these two technologies in one release. Ushering in a new paradigm in computing – bypassing a multi-touch-screen interface and going straight to an immersive touch-less interface, for both computing and media consumption.
I freely admit, this may be wish-thinking on my part and perhaps last year was truly an indication of Apple’s MO to alienate their niche Creative Professional market and target consumers with low risk upgrades to existing technology, but…
There are numerous reasons why this seemingly far-fetched scenario is the logical next step for Apple and I will be fleshing these out in following posts. I will also be pondering larger trends and consequences of the changing face of computing.
5 Most Impressive Movies of 2012
1. Undefeated – Well deserved winner of the Oscar for Best Documentary.
2. Beasts of the Southern Wild – Most surprising film of the year, incredible first time actors.
3. Shame – Michael Fassbender delivering one of many brilliant performances.
4. First Position – The most kickass documentary about Ballet ever.
5. The Intouchables – Coolest opening scene of the year.
5 Most Disappointing Movies of 2012
1. Mission Impossible 4 – Not even sure if this was this year, but its awfulness transcends time. This extended iPhone advert may have stopped me ever buying another Apple device out of protest.
2. Prometheus – While bumped for the top spot by the worst film ever made, this was the biggest disappointment for reasons that have been widely circulated, the funniest of which can be found in Digital Digging.
3. Ted – Was hoping for more from Seth McFarlane than Hollywood in-jokes and stoner humour.
4. Death Proof – While my hopes weren’t high for Quentin Tarantino’s 2007 trying-hard-to-be-a cult classic, it was the only film this year that I stopped watching before the end.
5. The Hobbit: High Frame Rate – I join the chorus of audiences who exclaimed “Gawd it looks like an 80s soap opera.” And with Peter Jacksons labouring of long stares and smokey light effects it felt like one too. Not all bad though, Weta impressed once again.
December 29, 2012 Tags: 2012, Best, High Frame Rate, Hobbit, Movies, Ted, Top 5, Worst
Category: Geek No Comments
J & L trimming or asymmetrical trimming, as it as also known, is one of the most essential keys to driving an edit. There are many online resources showing how to make a J or an L trim, some less confused than others.
However, there is very little in the way of theory behind how asymmetrical trimming can be used. And I am not a gut-instinct person, I want to know how and why it works. So, I have worked out a few principles that can be applied when using asymmetrical editing that may be helpful to those starting out, and may challenge those more experienced editors who have built up editing instincts for trimming to think about why it is their cuts feel right.
1. J cuts are simply better than L cuts.
As you can see from the video the J cut (where audio precedes video) effectively creates a need in the viewer to see who is speaking. This is called “motivating” a cut. If the task of the editor is to remain invisible (which it is, no argument will be entered into here, thank you very much) then creating a need in the viewer to see the image we are going to cut to is very effective in making the cut feel natural / invisible.
Using a J cut of as little as 3 frames can be enough to motivate, and therefore hide, a cut. You can cut right in the middle of the first word if you need!!!
2. Motivating your cuts is effective even when the aim is to surprise.
Because I have no real social life, I once carefully watched a scene from Red Dragon cut by cut to work out how they had cut it so well. This was when I first noticed just how awesome J cuts are – every single cut was a J cut, whether it was a creak of a floorboard, or a whistle of wind, every cut was motivated by a sound cue. This might seem counter intuitive, to signal a change in shot when the objective is to unnerve and surprise but the principle remains the same. Surprise is heightened by suspense and suspense can only happen if you signal it and if the viewer is drawn into the scene, so it is still very important for the editor to be invisible.
What’s more, each motivated cut is essentially a tease for the inevitable fatal cut.
3. Phantom J cuts.
You can use the principle of the J cut to motivate b-roll cuts as well. A soundbite might be part of a continuous interview section, but if it relates to a piece of b-roll you can use it to motivate the cut in the middle of a b-roll scene. For example bringing in interview audio under a b-roll scene can allow you to cut seamlessly to a shot of the speaker in-scene rather than in-interview. You can even use a J cut to mask an interview jump cut (from interview shot, to the same interview shot). This requires some nuanced timing, but if done well, your viewer will not notice the cut at all.
4. The trouble with L cuts.
You may notice as I did with the video example of the L cut (where video precedes audio) that this did not feel like a natural cut, it felt jarring. This is because no need was created in the viewer, the cut was not motivated. A way to create this need would have been to ramp the audio of the sea up before the cut – effectively creating a J cut with the atmospheric sound.
5. Audio motivation and Conceptual motivation.
One way to make an effective L cut is to create a conceptual motivation, by mentioning for example the word “sea” or “beach”. But there is a difference however between using conceptual motivation and audio motivation. Audio signals are meant to be invisible, and therefore we benefit by purposefully cutting while our attention is on something else, so you should make these cuts in the middle of speech, in the middle of a word in fact. Where as conceptual signals need to feel purposeful so if you are relying on a word like “sea” or “beach” to signal a change of scene to a beach, you should wait until a break in the audio after the word has been mentioned. These cuts are much more intentional, so are typically used to change location / scene, or to signal a new topic in a documentary, and in a narrative film might be used for comic effect.
6. Conceptual motivation in dialogue.
With dialogue scenes in narrative film L cuts no longer have conceptual imagery to signal a change of shot, instead we have reaction to what is being said, if we can motivate the viewer to want to know what the person being spoken to feels about what is being said then we are free to (L) cut to their reaction while the speaker is still speaking. This sort of cutting is a complex area of its own and not my specialty. As with the Red Dragon example, J cuts are liberally used in narrative film, because they just feel right.
But… Why does it feel right?
Well, because of some pretty fundamental aspects of human perception. For one, you can get away with bringing in audio early through slow transitions over time, where as this is not possible with video, unless you want your edit littered with cross-dissolves.
Ghastly.
And this is ghastly for a reason, we don’t see cross dissolves in reality, they are wholly artificial, but we do hear the slow increase in volume of a person, a car, or a wave approaching. It is a natural human experience to hear someone say something of interest and for us to then direct our visual attention to them, but the opposite is not true, we don’t see someone talking and then hear what they are saying, that’s not the way hearing works. Short of putting our fingers in our ears, in general we involuntarily hear things, and we purposefully look at things. So these are fundamental aspects of the nature of vision and hearing that can inform the way we recreate those natural experiences through editing.
An editor will always find a point where naturalism is not the objective, and sometimes an editor grows tired of always being invisible. But knowing the natural way to edit something and the reasons why that method of editing feels natural will help in any attempt to subvert that naturalism.
December 17, 2012 Tags: asymmetrical trimming, Avid, Cutting, editing, Final Cut Pro, J & L, leading audio, motivating, Premiere, signaling, Trimming
Category: Geek, Post Production No Comments
I’m writing this as I upload the trailer to my full-length feature directorial debut “Red White Black & Blue”. I am very excited. We are entered in many, many festivals, and are anxiously awaiting replies (early days at the moment).
I haven’t written anything about the experience chiefly because, during the shooting and the editing my brain is completely absorbed in the project. And as the film became “My baby” It absorbed almost every waking hour of my days. So, sometimes it’s not such a good idea to reflect during the process for risk of becoming aware of just how absurdly enslaved your life has become.
But basically, at the start of the year, I was approached to direct and edit a film following two teams of students (one girls’ and one boys’) from South Los Angeles. The teams would tour New Zealand and compete against locals in… rugby.
This is peculiar for two reasons; one, because rugby seems a out-of-the-ordinary sport for inner city American kids to be playing, and two, because I was approached having absolutely no interest in rugby. Well, I… took a punt?
The film was low budget – funded by the rugby teams themselves. We shot on DSLRs, with a skeleton NZ crew: Director, DOP, Production Assistant and (all important…) Sound Recordist. Over two weeks of shooting we really started to hum as a team, and all of the crew built a strong bond with the students, which resulted in some incredibly open interviews.
Post-Productions was about 10-12 weeks and I cut on Avid. I was given a surprising amount of creative freedom and am very grateful that the people who initiated the project were interested in allowing me to tell an original, sometimes off-beat story as opposed to a promotional film for the program. I plan to post some “Lessons Learned” about the project, as there were things I would have done differently, and a few unexpected threads that worked out for the best.
These will also feature on the movie website: redwhiteblackandbluemovie.com
But for now, enjoy the trailer: It’s a bit of fun but hopefully hints at some of the depths that will be penetrated in the film itself.
November 24, 2012 Category: Post Production, Production, Red White Black & Blue No Comments
As an editor I am often asked the question “Are you just a button pusher?”
And in a sense yes, I am a button pusher. I push a series of buttons on a computer and out pops your film. It really is that simple.
And don’t under-rate the power of good button pushing, those buttons don’t push themselves. And as an editor who has spent the last year learning a new set of buttons (Avid Media Composer) I can tell you, everything is right with the world when I can push the right buttons.
I am a shortcut key addict. Why? Because it impresses the director? Because the mouse is uncool? Because I’m a geek who wants to have skills? Because I like the multicolored keyboard? – Yes, of course all of the above.
But the real reason? An editor needs space to think. And the more automatically your thoughts can be translated into edits the more time there is to think. Shortcut keys are exactly that – shortcuts, they make things happen more easily and more quickly, and there is no compromise required, a button pushed is a button pushed.
What you can’t shortcut are editing decisions, reflecting on a cut, timing, conversations with your director and story structure. If you don’t give these time and attention your edit will suffer. What’s more, by becoming a master of the buttons, you don’t have to shy away from complex edits or large structural changes.
But in all honesty. I really do just like pushing the buttons. My work is like a video game.
May 8, 2012 Category: Post Production No Comments
So, after 3 or 4 years of some of the worst html coding ever, I’ve decided to give up on my career as a web designer and defer to the genius of WordPress. Now that I’ll no longer be struggling with coding all my content I will be able to concentrate on actually getting some decent content for the site, and hopefully creating some at the same time.
Adios Branch Out Media 1.0. Introducing BOM 2.0 – doesn’t that sound better?
We’ll see a little evolution within the site no doubt over the next couple of months as I get to grips with all the possibilities. But for now I have a couple of pages up and some spinny graphics which should keep you occupied for at least 30 seconds.
May 6, 2012 Category: BOM News No Comments
Only a month after I managed to wrangle a cross-grade from FCP to Media Composer, Avid bring out their best deal yet – cross-grade to Symphony (MC’s big brother) for just US$999!!! What then is the price for someone who just bought Media Composer for US$1499?… You guessed it… US$999
So, for those of you in a position to take advantage of this offer… all power to you… you lucky bastards.
Oh, well, at least I got to do something physical for a couple of weeks. Now I’m back to devising complicated workflows… which I secretly love. I can only really handle about 2 weeks of daylight a year.
Just finished 2 weeks of shooting with the ICEF rugby teams from LA on a tour of New Zealand. Had a great time and, as always shot much too much material. This was the first major production David Green (sound recordist) and I have worked together on and what a liberating experience it is to have an expert taking care of the most important story telling element… sound.
David Green and Anton Leach lining up at the Hurricanes VS Cheetahs game in Wellington… poor Hurricanes.
I’m also about 2 months into a documentary edit on Avid, which I’m finding a pleasure to work with, and Branch Out Media has invested in a license for Media Composer 6, so it looks as though the big switch is happening. Which is very exciting for an audience of one.
NAB looks like it has some exciting arrivals as well. I’m tempted, once I get some time to trial the new Smoke and Resolve, which will be a huge distraction to my actual role as an offline editor… but that’s a blurry distinction these days.
The year has started out pretty bumpy for Branch Out Media, lots of projects up in the air and lots of new ways to execute them. I’ll be investing in Avid Media Composer in the next few weeks so I can offer editing on both major platforms.
I’ve also been launched into a couple of directing roles, which is really exciting. ‘Scrum’ is a TV doc following inner city kids from the US to Hong Kong, South Africa and New Zealand. I’ll be filming in New Zealand (on a massive bus tour) and editing in the weeks following the shoot. The other project is following Auckland Dubstep musicians ‘Mt Eden’ (NZ’s biggest band in terms of youtube hits – 80,000,000 – and yet relatively unknown in NZ). The boys have a big year ahead, we’ll be filming and building a story around their transformation from bedroom virtual superstars to playing live original music alongside the biggest bands in the world at the Ultra and Coachella Music Festivals in the US.
While my main skillset is in editing, I see myself as an all round filmmaker, and it is refreshing to focus on something outside of the edit suite. Both projects are being shot on DSLRs which are my staple at present.
For updates and links visit:
Until now Branch Out Media has been a one man band with occasional collaborating visits from other film makers. So in the spirit of “Branching Out” I decided to invite some of my collaborators to come on board and provide a profile for their skills on the site. I’m very excited to have David Green – Musician and Sound Recordist and Johanna Bridgman Camera Operator and lighting expert on board. Their profiles can be provided on request.
In addition to new people I’ve invested in some gear for Branch Out Media, to provide a more comprehensive wrap around service. We now provide dual lapel recording which has been really helpful on my last couple of shoots with Ogilvy, not to mention with the arrival of David we can provide Boom recording and H4n multichannel XLR recording. But I’m most excited to now have 2 LED Arrays which are perfect for fast, safe and versatile lighting. Coupled with my trusty flexifill these are going to add a further level of production quality to every shoot.
After reaching the deadline for “a kind of love” I’m focusing on workflows between 3 different editing platforms, FCP7, FCPX and now Avid in order to future proof Branch Out Media. To get to grips with these new editing workflows I’m taking the opportunity to do some, until now, neglected low-pressure (fun) projects.
One project has been a gig video for my brother’s band “Eb & Sparrow” a Americana blues band who I filmed a couple of months ago.
This was all edited in Avid Media Composer and after the initial stumbling blocks of the FCP – Avid transition I found Avid worked really well, and had everything I needed to cut quickly and efficiently, even working with AMA linking to Canon H.264 files!
For a basic grade I moved a prores export to FCPX, as I love the colour correction interface in FCPX then exported an H.264 mov straight out, ready for upload.
I’ve also been using FCPX for my most recent blogs, the second series of “The Creative Adventures of James Brown” which are due for release soon.
We’re bearing down on a decent 1st cut of “a kind of love” with Thomas and Sumner Burstyn. Next I’ll be switching roles to After Effects artist for a couple of weeks working on some graphic treatments for archive photographs and artworks.
And Branch Out Media has a Facebook Page!
“Maori Boy Genius” will screen on MAORI TELEVISION Saturday November 12 – 830pm and will be repeated Sunday 27 November – 6pm.
… follows Ngaa Rauuira, a teenager from Napier, who, at just 16, attends Yale.
Branch Out Media has been involved in editing and post-production transfers for Pietra Brettkelly’s “Maori Boy Genius”.
Henry Rollins is a contradiction, the Tough guy with a big heart. And watching this video this morning “Henry Rollins – Man Test” brought together for me a number of issues I’ve been facing in my recent documentary edits.
For the documentary editor, the way in which you reveal aspects of a subject’s personality is instrumental to their character in terms of storytelling…
I believe to thrive in this industry you have to adapt to new and sometimes uncomfortable paradigms. The introduction of FCPX has shaken up the Final Cut community by completely remodelling an editing platform we have built careers upon over the last 10 years.
I’m making the transition as smoothly as possible. Quickly up-skilling myself, on what is essentially a completely new program and using it on short, low risk projects. This has meant I’ve been able to explore many of the new features that FCPX offers without risking a big project. On those projects I’m discovering that despite a lot of bad press in the beginning FCPX is an excellent editing platform with a bright future. I have become confident enough with it to begin offering it as an alternative platform for new clients, especially those looking for fast turn around, in-program finishing and effects. I have found FCPX really shines in these areas.I can see a point too where FCPX’s metadata management will make it ideal for larger documentary projects. But at present I will be recommending sticking with FCP7 until we see a couple more updates from FCPX and some key features that it’s currently lacking.
Cutting a gig video for the Emma G Band
29/09/11
Been working on Thomas Burstyn’s “Yolanda’s Last Portrait” and Pietra Brettkelly’s “Maori Boy Genius” over the last month. Been shooting some more for the Council with Oglivy too. Keeping busy.
02/08/11
Just finished my taxes… late and at 2.30am. Not my forte. But been having a good week shooting for Oglivy with Craig Sinclair and Kirk Torrence. Some good as blokes.
My exhibition is drawing to a close and so is my contract on Brother Number One, as we reach the conclusion of the edit. So what next? Well, this is what’s next…
That’s right, Branch Out Media has now joined the digital SLR HD video revolution… well, perhaps that’s a little grandiose, but I am very excited about it. Coupled with my old Nikon Lenses from high school photography class and a Zoom audio recorder we’re all set for on-the-spot primo image and sound.
I am now working full time as primary editor on Brother Number One, which has been full on, a great opportunity and I am learning a great deal from Director Annie Goldson. Meanwhile in another field altogether, my art has been taking some strides forward. Late last year Orex Gallery decided to represent me as a painter and I am having my debut painting exhibition…
… this Saturday 12-3pm. Not only that but early this year I was approached by the US Ambassador to NZ and Samoa about collaborating with a US artist Nathan Huff in curating a show for the Ambassador’s residence in Wellington. This has involved working with Nathan, him visiting me here and touring the Auckland galleries and a couple of weeks ago I travelled to LA to check out galleries and art studios over there. It really has been a dream-start to the year.
Still working on Annie Goldson’s Brother Number One project and have recently been working again with Oliver Kraft on a short video for essenze and cutting a video for…
… with Director Sinclair Lonsdale, continuing to cut clips for Batucada Sound Machine, and recently cut a promo for the…
It’s been busy busy busy, and with Stag dos and Weddings and Barbeques and gigs and general summer bebauchery it’s been a right mess, but a fun mess. I’m also trying to get some more paintings together for an exhibition next year March 22nd at Oedipus Rex Gallery. It’s all on and hence the website is a little neglected of late.
Branch Out has recently completed its first completely motion graphics project; a promo video for the Random House Sales Conference which can be viewed…
It’s ultra-cheesy but I can ultra-cheese with the best of them.. I have also been working with Annie Goldson on her documentary…
This month I will be cutting together a video for the incredibly talented ensemble group…
After passing the Level One exam, I thought I may as well increase my editing power level as high as possible attending a 3 day advanced editing course and sitting the Level 2 exam on Friday… 95%
21/04/10
Natalie and I returned from our big Europe trip just a few weeks ago. And I’ve just recently sat my apple certification exam for Final Cut Pro… a program I’ve been using for over 5 years. After reading almost the entire FCP user manual I passed. So you’ll see I’ve plastered the Apple logo all over the website, just because I can. I will be sitting the advanced certification in about a month, geeking it up big time!
Film work has been on a little hiatus over the last couple of months as I was painting a two and a half metre tall man with a goat head wearing a loin cloth on an autopsy bench… for the Wallace Awards. I’m also filming a series of video blogs for The Learning Connexion following my experience preparing for an exhibition next year. These will be being released soon on The Learning Connexion’s…
Half way through the year. Work with Moisture Detection has been ongoing throughout the year, and we have had good feedback from the first video which is proving a great marketting tool for the Step Up Group. For Myspace I have filmed performances and interviews with Die Die Die, Rhys Darby, Boh Runga and recently Smashproof. A highlight has been a project working with director Oliver Kraft and DOP Jan Steffen (who filmed the Human Rights Commission videos) for the South Auckland Poets’ Collective. A couple of weeks ago we had the group screening which was really satisfying watching everyone laughing and clapping. I’ve also begun filming interviews for Random House and seminars for the Market Research Society of New Zealand. Plans for this quarter include working on the new Annie Goldson documentary “Brother Number One”.
I am currently trying to upload and embed a new production logo clip (above) to the website frontpage, with some difficulty. Natalie has had some more success with her writing recently being published in Her Magazine, as well as having some really positive feedback from other publishers. Darwin, as anyone who has seen his videos will attest is taking a lot of my attention, and making my once lonely workplace fun. I’ve also managed, miraculously, to get some photo and extra work through Red Eleven, you can check out my photos on http://prefrontallobotomy.blogspot.com
I just received this in an email and thought it might be interesting. More interesting to me as I have recently bought a house…
This is Darwin – He has come to keep me company at work.
Yesterday we had the first screening for tutors and students at The Learning Connexion, with a good turn out and good response I’m really happy with the re-edit Matty has done with the film. This will now be the version I use to apply to festivals
Branch Out Media has completed editing and post-producing some short videos for The Human Rights Commission. The project was a great success, no mishaps with the HD footage, bring on the next Huge-Definition project!
Natalie and I are also working with a clothing company called Kow Tow on a proposal for a documentary about fair trade cotton
I am currently editing a short documentary about Equal Employment Opportunities with the Human Rights Commission. It’s a really exciting project as, although it is a commericial project, it still deals with human rights issues (obviously). I am working with a friend Briar who I attended art school with. The project is Branch Out Media’s first project in HD and I’m happy to announce that we are managing to work without any sign of technical difficulties.
I have also posted an ad on the big idea website which has had a great response and put me in contact with a number of talented potential collaborators. This is part of a “Branching Out” philosophy I am employing with Branch Out Media, each day introducing a new person or group to Branch Out Media in order to find untapped markets, collaborators, and other opportunities – so far it is working wonders.
The site is all up and running now, there are a couple of empty spaces on some of the “branches” to be filled but the styling is as of now satisfactory, and all the links work, still some IE bugs (borders and hover commands on ‘services’ page) A working site. Still more to come though.
Services page is now up and running, with some simple popup graphics, the images are place-markers only to be filled at a later date with production stills
Sorted out some position discrepancies with IE, not yet the “ugly borders” though. So far, pages that are up are Home, Msanii, Contact link, NEWs and videos, if this isn’t what you’re after look forward to some stylish “dead links” or some butt-ugly unstyled html. Working on the “people” page now.
So this is my first update. Just a test to see how my updates page is working
Later that day… Apologies to any Internet Explorer users, I’ve just been informed by my wife that the site looks “kinda strange” on her PC at work. Unfortunately I’m running Safari and Firefox on a Mac and this apparently leads to some conflicts, if anyone is seeing an ugly site please feel free to check it out in Firefox (for PC or Mac) to get the real flava. Ironically, this NEWs page is the only one that’s not completely messed up for IE users, isn’t that convenient?
January 1, 2008 Category: BOM News, Geek, Post Production, Production No Comments