Scott Marshall - Time Travel Graph

Scott Marshall - Time Travel

After a quick browse on the net, I found a few interesting things relating to time travel.

This site lists the different styles of time travel used in film:

http://www.timetravelreviews.com/movies_list.html

This site, probably for the nerdier viewers, lists anomalies in time travel films:

http://www.mjyoung.net/time/

We don't have to be particularly concerned with time anomalies in our piece, as the action all takes place in the present day, but there are always problems that arise when films feature altered timelines.

Scott Marshall - Update

Well it has been over a month since I last posted on here, my apologies for the slackness. It's amazing how a bout of flu can derail plans to work.

Luckily in my absence my group has been plowing through and getting things sorted, and it looks like the film is coming together nicely. Its an ambitious piece, but judging from the progress so far it looks like turning out as a good piece.

One of my few concerns about the piece has already been addressed, and that was the length of the script. For my last project we planned a highly ambitious piece and after filming and editing realised we had far far too much footage and story, and we were forced to edit it down to 5 minutes and present an inferior version.

The original script was 18 pages long, but a lot of it has been cut and we now have a more manageable script, although we will still have to be careful about making sure our story fits into the 10 minute parameter. Perhaps a run through of the script in real time may be beneficial.

In a kind of backhanded compliment, I would like to complain that the rest of the group is far too thorough in their posts. Leave something for me to write about!

I joke of course.

Max Voyse - Update

Hey everyone,
Just a quick update before tomorrow, I'm getting rather worried about the fact we have not filmed, and this week I have a number of shifts at work which i need to go to. I'm hoping we get most of this done this week being that Wednesday being the day that seems to help all of us because everyone can make shoot. I'm currently trying to find a shot to post on here which is one of the key shots within the film. This being that when the audience see Gareth appear for the second time, he appears in front of Jenny but facing the wrong way. I wrote the shot list and in this shot we see a close up on Gareth then track left to see Jenny standing right behind him. I see this as one of the funniest moments in the film and would look brilliant.

When I was doing the shot list I thought of different shots but thought of them as what I would expect when watching a Romantic Comedy, I think if we view it from this angle than what I believe we are doing which is mainly focusing that its a Sci-Fi film, looking at the script thoroughly and working on the shots it feels more like a Romantic-Comedy than a Sci-Fi film. So I have looked at it from this angle. I have also come up with a idea for a finish to the film which could be a nice touch and would work really well. I have a image of both main characters sat in a park or somewhere and its a photograph which flashes on the screen after we see both characters leave with shot we see the plash than the photo. I can imagine it being at a Dutch angle and both of them smiling to give off the impression that there having a fun time. Than we hear this song over the top.



The song is 'Anything But Ordinary' by Avril Lavigne, it does sound daft that I come from a background listening to Alice Cooper and Madness but I think this fits the piece, well the begging part I think if we play this as there walking off then flash the pic for three seconds then fade out to credits I think it would work really well. Also if lucky we might get a few aww's in the audience. I have searched for other songs but I do think this is THE song for the ending, maybe Earth Wind & Fire's 'September' might work but I really want this song to be the ending with the photo. I have pitched it to the group and I know Avril is not every body's cup of tea but I think we should at least give it a try and not think of the song as a opinion but as film makers making a Romantic-Comedy. Luke didn't seem interested because it were Avril Lavigne that made the song. I plead for all of you if your looking at this post to listen to the song then think of the image and fade then wonder weather it would work!!!

Anyway sorry for rambling on, we are casting Gareth tomorrow, a fella named Ross is interested in the role, and will probably get the role. I'm hoping he looks good for the part and sounds good, I agree with people from the group when saying that both Gareth and Jenny need to look good together for the film to work.

I showed my girlfriend Hollie the script and went through some of the lines with her to play Alice, she is good for the role I think but needs guiding. Also we got to hope she doesn't freeze in front of the camera. That and she doesn't say the piece in her Welsh accent which she did when I went through the lines with her. I don't know it might work depends on how the rest of the group see it.

Anyways I'm off, looking forward to this week should be FUN!!! I'll post soon
SEE YA!!

Luke Pietnik - Sounds of the Future

Building on the content of my last post, I thought I'd delve into the world of sound. There's been very little talk of that, which seems odd, as I'll be designing and editing all the sound on this project. It is as much a part of any film as are the visuals.

As well as basic foley and spot effects for things like footsteps and general ambiences, our film requires some rather other-worldy, futuristic sound design. Gareth's TMD (Temporal Manipulation Device) should have a distinctive, ambient hum. His materialisations should also signify a mystical crossing, from one time to another. Building on the content of my last post, I thought I'd use those three programmes as examples.

Quantum Leap employs a range of sound effects including those of Al's Handlink and, of course, the actual Leap effect, linked here:

>> Quantum Leap Sound <<

The sound is recognisable, and fits the explosive light burst on screen very well. The sounds give an over-all continuity to the concepts and technology within the world of the show.

The beam sound from Star Trek is also instantly recongnisable, and has become iconic, often mimicked and re-created. Even in later incarnations of the series, the sound effect, while updated, has remained largely the same:

>> Star Trek Sound <<

Finally, it's my favourite show again, yes, Doctor Who. The TARDIS sound effect is one of the most prolific in TV history. Created by the Radiophonic Workshop, the effect was achieved by scraping a front door key along the wires inside a piano. This recording was then taken and reversed, reverb and distortion were added to it, and out came the most peculiar noise, once described as 'the sound of the universe':

>> TARDIS Sound <<

It's going to be my responsibilty, then, to design a sound that makes us think of the future, of time and space, and of course, of the void that seperates Gareth and Jenny. I'm keen, rather than dragging all the sounds from a library, to create them myself from various elements. It's a personal goal.

Right. Generate tone...

Luke Pietnik - Realising Space-Time

One of our major concerns throughout pre-production has been how to realise Gareth's materialisations. Max, heavily skeptical about in-shot transitions and effects, thought his appearances should be off-screen. However, I think we all wanted that shot, that extra-ordinary moment when Gareth passes from one world to another. As well as adding spectacle, it also emphasises Jenny's growing trust in Gareth, and the power possessed by the people of his time.

So, we looked to sci-fi for inspiration. I often sighted Quantum Leap as a major influence on me when it comes to materialisation effects. The flare is, as far as I'm aware, rotoscoped onto each frame, and animated.






The effects, as well as adding verisimilitude, help to 'hide the join' between the locked off shots of the environment, and Sam Beckett within that environment.

Another obvious effect to discuss is that of the Star Trek Transporter Beam.


The overlayed effect adds another level to the shot, more interesting than the ordinary and mundane jump cut or fade transition.

It's easy to forget that while we imagine Gareth traverses space, he also travels through time, and one of the most famous time travel special effects is also one of the most simple. The TARDIS.


Initially realised with just a simple cross fade transition, the sound effect and simple flashing light motif make The TARDIS' materialisation an iconic moment, whenever it occurs. With the advent of computer technology, the TARDIS effect has evolved somewhat since the show's return to our screens in 2005. A CGI skeleton underpins the fading box, and throbs beneath it.

Having done a few tests, I'm confident we can achieve something stylish, consistent and effective. Any scenery or minor lighting changes in the time between our locked off shots can be masked and shrouded by glow and blur effects.

Max, worry no longer.

Luke Pietnik - Video Blog One

Here's the first, hopefully, of several video blogs, that covers our brief meeting and audition with Helen. Enjoy:

Max Voyse - SHOT LIST!!!

Hi all,
I have finally finished the shot list and I'm confident it looks good and we will have fun time filming. There is one or two things on the shot list I have done/changed from the script, but are highlighted in some way with the scrip written dialogue done as-well. I have also added a possible ending which could be shot and added (well its a photo with a song behind it) and I believe would make to a nice ending to run into the credits. I hope everyone will be pleased with it and I'm really exited to work on it
See you soon

Max Voyse - Update

Hi all!!
Today we have been casting the female lead role, a lass named Helen turned up as soon as I got there and auditioned for the role of Jenny and Alice. I'm not too sure if the others will agree but I believed she performed Alice's roll better than Jenny, I think this is mainly because we sort of gave her a character to base Alice on (Phoebe from Friends) whereas Jenny we didn't really give her much to work on (sounds strange I know). But I believe after this weekend (if we can hopefully film) she will have nailed the part and made Jenny her own. I actually think looks wise she is ideal for Jenny just more how she acts and the tone of voice she needs to work on but I don't think it will take much (like Cat says below she isn't going to be perfect first time of looking at the script).

Apart from that it was the first time I saw the new edited version of the script and I like it, Luke and Dan have taken out a lot but not lost the narrative structure of the piece. Cat has had someone contact her for a possible Gareth, I think he will probably get the part as we have had no other interest from anyone else. As for Alice, I'm using tonight with our lass and hopefully with a bit of direction she could be ideal for Alice, Hollie (our lass) has the perfect personality for her but has never acted in front of camera before, hopefully she will be ok

I'm finishing the changes to the shot list now and I'll send everyone in the group a copy.

Cath Tomkinson - JP Factor... The Auditions!

Well, it should really be audition... Helen Dodds, the actress who contacted us yesterday turned up (thankfully). The elusive Ross didn't, and so far I haven't heard why.

I enjoyed Helen's performance, and I think she would be better as Jenny than Alice. Of course it all comes down to what everyone else thinks, but I think given time with the script she will get Jenny's character down, (lets face it, an impromtu performance of a script you've never seen before, with a brief look at character detail won't win a Best Actress Oscar).

We now need to face what we're going to do about Alice and Gareth. I can ask Helen if she is free over the weekend to film individual parts (the house scenes etc), and then we can at least put performance to tape - so to speak.

I think it would be good to have a meeting after the lesson on friday just to keep the ball rolling. Would that be ok with everyone?

Feel better soon Scott!

Luke Pietnik - The Happy Strife

Having been told on Friday that our script - then 19 pages long - needed to be edited down, we spent a couple of hours after our morning session scribbling on a copy, noting down what sections we could cut. Over the weekend, the script was gradually reduced to just over 12 pages. After that, there were only a few minor spelling and formatting corrections to make, and we now have a final draft.

Our attention has since turned to casting. Cat sent an e-mail to one of the heads of the drama faculty we visited the other day. She left a contact number with them, and we have recently been contacted by two actors, male and female, who are interested in playing characters in our film. Tomorrow, we are to meet and talk to them about the film.

We're a man down at the moment, it seems, as Scott has unexpectedly fallen ill, poor lad. I'm sure he'll be back on his feet soon, though. Until then, we've got to start gearing up, hopefully, for filming.

Get well soon, Scott.

Cath Tomkinson - The Drama Faculty

So, after our slight wild goose chase yesterday we managed to track down the faculty of Development and Society where we met Suzanne Boudjada who said to email her with details of the project and she will put it up on blackboard for all to see!

Her contact details are;
Email: s.j.boudjada@shu.ac.uk
Tel: 0114 225 5351

I'm going to include a short synopsis of the piece, character treatments and a rough schedule... but for the schedule I need to know roughly when we're shooting, and when we'll be casting. I'm presuming this won't be put up until monday now so it will have to be after that..

Also, Max did you have any luck with your actors?

Any suggestions on a post card.

Daniel Sieff - The Mounting Pressures of Pre-Production

Thanks to Luke the scriptwriting process went quite swimmingly and I couldn’t help but feel a little redundant at times. Don’t get me wrong, the entire process was a collaborative effort which as script writer I thought would be the best method to see that his idea went through and to have a completed script at a time that would allow us to comfortably focus on the remaining areas of pre-production.

We had expressed ideas about taking inspiration from one of the films we had seen at one of our screenings; Before Sunrise.



It was interesting because the entire film had revolved around a conversation between two strangers (a man and a woman) on a train in Europe who spontaneously decide spend a day together in Vienna as mere acquaintances and end up falling in love by nightfall. We thought that the situation these two people find themselves in and the path they follow into a blossoming relationship is almost identical to that of Jenny and Gareth and would be a good source to refer to when writing the exchange of dialogue between them.

In addition we speculated about ways we could pay homage to our film’s inspiration; The Time Traveller’s Wife.



So then we thought the book Jenny is reading in the second scene could be that, or if that makes things too obvious, it could have something to do with the theme of time travel or romance. There are also shots in the montage sequence of Jenny and Gareth playing a game of scrabble and watching a movie which will provide us with more opportunities for in-jokes and the like.

But all that aside - I thought in order to redeem myself, if it is okay with you Max, I would be more than happy to help you draw up some storyboards (of the montage sequence in particular) as I had a lot of success in this area whilst studying film and media at A-level.

I am also an aspiring musician and may be able to compose a short instrumental on my acoustic guitar, which if you guys like, could be played over the montage sequence and I think will add a more professional touch to the overall piece.

Oh yeah, and before I forget... to get this blasted temporal manipulation device sorted out once and for all, I suggest we pay a visit to one of those gadget shops that specialise in selling miscellaneous products, including futuristic looking artifacts such as the one we are looking for, and if we don't find anything that suits our interest, I think Luke's inventive design would be a nice backup.

Luke Pietnik - Casting the Future

How dare you Max! I will not tolerate slandour like that, not to mention grammar! - Ha! Yes, hello again everybody, it's your favourite busybody blog admin, Luke Pietnik. Tomorrow is the casting session, and almost everything is in place. I'm going to take in my Mini DV Camcorder and film some of what happens, then perhaps post an edited video here.

I have also prepared some script extracts and character treatments to show to the actors, hopefully helping them along. I think the hardest part is going to be choosing the appropriate actor for each role. I'm sure we'll reason wisely, though. I'll probably post tomorrow regarding our progress. Until then...

Fear not.

Max Voyse - Update

Hi all, getting all ready for tomorrow and quite exited really. Also looking forward to Luke editing this update: p only kidding I’m looking forward to seeing how people take a approach to the characters only seeing the script and a camera. I think if they do well we can find the ideal Jenny and Gareth. I’m still not well looks like I’m full up of cold now so trying to get myself better by taking loads of cold tablets.

Like Dan and Luke the meeting we had on Monday was problebly the most productive we have had all this project, we coved a number of things and now I’m looking forward to getting our actors and shooting next week

Luke Pietnik - The Belated Meeting

As young Daniel mentioned below, yesterday's meeting was most productive. We discussed casting, props, treatments, filming locations, and even this very blog. Friday is our next window of opportunity. We're going to hold a casting session, with staggered slots for each actor and actress. If we manage to decide and confirm who will play each of the three characters, filming should begin next week. If not, we might have problems.

I'll be sure to have a section or sections of the script for audition purposes, just to give our actors something to work with. We'll also be filming the auditions, so that we can refer back to each, and post a video blog of the session here. This will also act as a screen test, more of which we might do later, depending on whether we're ahead of schedule.

Max still isn't fond of our film's current title, 'The Time Messenger'. However, at this late stage, and in the absence of a suitable replacement that we all feel works better, we're going to have to go with it. I thought, then, that I might embed this poster. I wish I could say that it was a production aide, and part of our project development. It is, however, merely the result of boredom:


Sorry, Max - Much love!

Daniel Sieff - Update

I just want to say that I had found Monday's production meeting to be one of the most productive thus far. It was our very first meeting we had all managed to attend which enabled us to finalise the script and devise an extensive shot list. However, despite the fact that we are slightly ahead of schedule, we had realised that we should now begin to focus on the following things:-

Casting: Max and Scott had managed to contact a few actors and actresses where I recall Max agreeing with them for there to be a casting session after our class on Friday. I advise you guys to e-mail them the relevant extracts from the script for them to rehearse prior to the session and we should in advance, book a small room in the learning centre or someplace such as that where we shall assess their performances on a panel and decide who would best fit the bill for each of the three roles.

Character Treatments: We had agreed that Luke will write up a treatment for Jenny, Scott - Alice, and I - Gareth, to be handy before Friday's casting session. Although I would like to suggest that for anyone who would like to come up with some form of treatment for any, if not all three characters to please do so as it will enable us to fully understand the different perspectives we may have of these personalities which should prove to be most helpful when on the casting panel.

Location Scouting: Pending further investigation. lolz :P

Max Voyse - New Post

Hi all, just a quick update. I’ve not been feeling very well recently so not done much. Been trying to cast for the film and been getting rather worried that we have not filmed anything. I have proposed to some people of the group about a actress me and Luke used in one of our projects last year and the actor is a young actor who I know from school, I believe he is a brilliant actor. We are going to have a meeting tomorrow and I should have a shot list done by tonight. We should have started filming by next week and we should have this finished by the end of the month.
Max

Luke Pietnik - Fun With Photoshop

Yes, it's me again, the head! (sorry). I haven't heard from the others yet, but I think we may be meeting tomorrow. Sorry about the continual posts, but I thought I'd stick up these designs I had a go at, for the business/message cards that Gareth carries:


You'll notice I used the same black spiral motif on both, to give the company an identifyable brand or insigia. We'll probably print these onto card for use in the film, and try our best not to crease or damage them.

Swish!

Luke Pietnik - Will This Do?

OK, so you're probably going to be a little apprehensive about using this in the film, guys. Never the less, I think this is the closest thing we'll get to a 'designed' prop. Yes, earlier on, I spent a bit of time creating this:


I found an old iPod Nano box, took out the cardboard middle and covered all the logos and apple watermarks with white stickers. I then designed a front 'face' in Photoshop and printed it off on glossy paper. I had to saw off some bits from the back to get it to fit on, then put in the front and cardboard middle and selotaped it up.


I'll be the first to admit it's not perfect, both in terms of proportion and design, but I reckon it'll serve. As long as we abstain from extreme close-ups and keep it tucked away in Gareth's hand, we'll get away with it.

Anyway, those are my views, and if you guys have anything better, brilliant. But what do you think, will it work?

Hmm...

Luke Pietnik - Finishing Pre-Production

The script is finished for now, so we're going to start casting very, very soon. I started work on some designs for the business/memo cards which are vital to the plot, and have e-mailed them to the rest of the group.

I have also, like the young Walter Murch that I am (Haha!), started playing around with various sounds that will accompany Gareth's materialisations, and act as a motif for his character. In addition, I've started thinking about the various ambiences and effects I'll need to add with regard to the location of each scene.

The 'device' remains elusive, none of us having managed to create or find one as yet. As soon as we've managed to get that out of the way though, we'll pretty much be ready to film.

As the deadline draws closer, I'm anxious but optimistic about this production, and have faith in m'colleagues.

We few, we happy few...

Cath Tomkinson - Another Update

Hey all, just a brief post tonight as I have been in Blackpool all day!

I've been looking through the script, and apart from a few minor spelling errors (there is a 'loose' instead of 'lose' on page 5), and Jenny mentions a landlord when it is now a B&B (pg16 'What am I going to tell the Landlord'), I think it is a good script and is very close to what I expected the script to be like. A group meeting in the next week is imperative, we can talk about sound design and shooting style a bit more as well as we haven't really touched on that yet.

Anyway, I am out now as I am tired!
See you all soon

Luke Pietnik - A Quickie

Hello. This is another brief post, just to keep the ball rolling, but I'll be doing some more research very soon.

Danny and I got a finished draft of the script done on Friday. The others couldn't meet us for various reasons, but we managed to plow through it. Danny liked what I had done with the rough draft, but it still required some alterations. I've just got back from London (neither here nor there), and so haven't had a chance to post on here in the last couple of days.

I did mail the script out to everyone, but I haven't heard anything back yet. I told Danny to work on the script if he thought it needed any adjustments, anyway. It's imperative that we start location scouting and casting very soon though, so the script should be at least roughly finalised this week.

Depending on what everyone's up to this week, I'm hoping that all five of us can meet to discuss our next move. I've talked to the others about posting research, and I'm pretty sure they're all busying themselves with that.

More info soon...

Luke Pietnik - My Two Penneth

It's been a hectic few days for everyone, but we're getting to grips with the task ahead of us now. A very rough, first draft of the script has been completed. I imagine we'll have the final draft by next week. Going with the current trend, I thought I'd throw in my outlook on the 'device' that Gareth will use to navigate the space/time continuum.

I don't think the prop should be an Earthly, 20th century device. Quirky and interesting as this idea is, I think the device should represent Gareth's world. If nothing else, this will emphasise the isolation of Gareth from his own time when he breaks it. I also think that inserting an anachronistic or fantastical element into a domestic setting often creates an interesting juxtaposition.

In Red Dwarf 'Back to Earth', for example, the crew utilise a device known as the psi-scan, that helps them traverse 21st century Earth.


It helps, among other things, to emphasise the crew's natural segregation from this time period.

Likewise, the enigmatic Al from Quantum Leap has a hand-held device.


It helps us identify his connection to the world beyond the characters and times Sam Beckett inhabits. It also gives him an identifyable silhouette.

I am keen to employ a similar device in our own film. If we have a sturdy enough prop, the sound effects will do the rest.

Beep.

Cath Tomkinson - Devices, eh?

Ok well, I was thinking about the device used for time travelling on the train and I tried to think of all the existing hand held devices I could that were simple, so here we go! (Also, not all of these are time travel orientated, but they are all sci-fi-esqe)


Comm Badges in Star Trek, they are a simple design and something similar could be disguised as clothing.


The transport button used in the last episode of series 2 in Dr Who. Again, simple design. (For those not versed in Dr Who it is the Yellow thing in the bottom left hand corner)


Also, it could be something simple which 'blends in' with the time period, we could do it similarly to the off-style clothing idea we had? Something from a few years back, could be a tape recorder/cassette player or something similar? Or it could be something everyday like the 50p in The Queens Nose! (I won't bother finding a picture because I'm sure you all know what one of those looks like :P)

I thought that if the character is in a kinda dead-end job (sorta like a pizza delivery boy type role) then he wouldn't have complete control over the device, so maybe a button or something similar would blend in more?

Not sure, but I hope this is something to think about at least!