Confrontation

Hear ye hear ye,

come fellow travelers, stay a while and listen!

I fear tis been far to many moons passed seance our last encounter..

Let the chapter of confrontation begin!

general updates of the D.D.R production team follows:


braking news! A PICTURE OF OUR TEAM!!!!

• The Project:

In it's grand ambition for an end of year film in the digital class, this final assessment production dubbed "Project Redemption" has progressed rather hasterly, and not in a straight line either might I add. It would appear the project just like the theme, has come to a crossroad, a choice, a decisions must be made that will change the entire out come and fate of everyone involved.

To be, or not to be?

with a week and half really left in our production schedual, it's come down to the ability to just film the oblivion scenes, 2 and 5, i quess the production team is settling for a taste, or concept of what this production may have been... a demo if you like, at lest enough for our digital assessment interview in a few weeks, It would have been nice to see the completed piece, however for now the team has to stick within realistic limits, thus using the entire teams focus on the two major scenes, we should be able to scrap away with the desired effect of the film, with out compromising the integrity of the scripts depth... hopefully!

• The Holidays

The word holidays? what is the word you speak of? heh I never really got to enjoy the fruits of a full contempt holiday, but that's okay, I got something better, a proper completed concept of the entire oblivion scene finished, a first day of filming!

It was quite adventurous one could say, as during these holidays the D.D.R team really pulled some strings we never even knew were there!.

We successfully planned, built, organized, and shot our very first film session. a great achievement for a team that until a few weeks okay, I honestly would never see the tiny red flashing light of a recording camera!..

However all good things are not with out a cost.

• The Process

Okay where to start?

The script why not?---okay so during the days leading up to the holidays the script was finally getting completed, just adding the finishing touches, polishing up the edges, making it presentable for the actors who were to be involved with the production. As a whole I feel our script is of solid substance, and I'm really enthused by it's creations, and the possibility of where a production like this could take us!

Next came the logistics----Our team always knew the far out their potential of our enterprise, and in reality it would prove extremely difficult to actually get some of film locations and requirements to a suitable standard without having to first go through considerable setbacks, for example: descilimars for actors, logistics with acquiring the locations for the alleyway scenes, getting the permission of venues near by, and the L.J hooker owned building on muarry street rooftop permission.

Set construction:----We built the flats 5 by 3 meters slats of three, white sheet covered, we acquired the wood from our local margate rubbish disposal center. a few forgotten pallets pulled apart and reassembled will do the trick!. some photos of the wood are to follow.

Actors:---- well well the actors, now these people are though very appreciated, proved very problematic. Our main allocated actor for the main roll position of the production "Niel Adams" who we scheduled to film during the holidays, could not make the production commitments, and in the final days before production had to pull out of the project. obviously this proved very problematic. In the pre seding day before shooting i was able to stumble across an old friend, who volunteered for the part, a savior in a time of need!!

however in the during the shooting this hero seemed more of faint dream that never really worked. It turns out he never even read through the script until the morning of shooting, majorly disappointing, and a huge set back for all involved. a little more respect hey? oh well people are people, and given such late notice i guess we can't complain...

the overall acting was balanced i guess, moments of pure brilliance, others where it looked like the entire vendetta was just a waste of time.

Sets:--- Our filming locations varied according to time restraints availability of locations and time management we could afford to spend. initially our area of choice was the Hobart college amphitheater main stage as the huge panorama that could be pulled down would serve as a great fitting for our third oblivion wall, the general rigging and lights all ready equipped with the site was an added bonus!, this was DDR's weapon of choice. however with the advent of term 3 the incressed use of the theatre from the drama departments of the college proved a major obstical to negotiate, in the end our team thought it best to scout for other, safer, more quite locations. our soloution turned out to be none other then the coffe lounge brake room opposite the teachers lounge often used for meetings and international conferences and the like. because of this room purpose an array of spot lights where also current with the room, these lights replaced the theatres rigging suffeciantely enough for filming to take place. it was here where a further three film sessions took place, and was used as our primary film location when shooting the oblivion scenes.

the logestics involved for the alleyway shooting proved too time consuming to afford an actuall deadicate alleyway location. The end result turning out to be none other the eduactiob deparment of tasmania building directly accros from the main college A block complex. all though not ordal, and not fully shot yet, this proved as a nessecory backup location that was well utilised.

unexpected conclusion:----I regret to announce but time has escaped me once again and I must journey off to work on a sunday night! I shal endevour to continue this post soon, an update on the more recent weeks of filming shall follow this blog shortly ( hopefully within a day or two) expected coverage will include our more recent film sessions, and an in depth scope into our years effort-was it all for nothing?

Another month passes's another road traveled...

One week remaining for term two of college life, and the crowed goes wild!!!!!!

ok so what does this mean for the D.D.R production team?

The tiny snowball that was an idea half a year ago is now hurdling at incredible speeds down a vast mountain range that is our time restraints of this particular project, we moving with such velocity I would be tempted to call this snow ball a fully fledged avalanche by now.

Scripts completed, location scouting and equipment acquisition is steaming along nicely. all that remains is a few read through with our dear actors, (whom have not even seen the script in full yet-something i must confess I'm very uneasy about.) final adjustments according the set production teams input, then finally if all goes well during the holidays, it's lights camera action!

Now fellow bloggers i must confess i did have some concept images for our alleyway scene that i had planed to upload into the internet today, however it seems in my rush i completely forgot about the transfer equipment, so perhaps next blog will be more successful hey? Anyway enough excuse making, it's journal writing time!

Life as a student living independently is always.... an extremely over the top interesting times i must say so where does this leave time for my film passion? unfortunately not as much as one would hope!
lets see here, i open up Adobe Premiere and i see six projects that all need to be completed within 3 weeks or so, with the exception of one which is due today oh the fun! thank god for Deep forest African world music, thats all i can say! hmm two jobs are offering a cash adjustment, which is always a good incentive, however I'm learning how one must balance life between, college academic projects in preparation for uni life, and the here and now, cash in hand, survival projects which will keep one on their legs for a few more legs just yet, it's difficult to say the lest!

The story of my life, hmm what else needs to be said...
well I'm not to keen on this, but I'll write it anyway, just promise me to keep it quite okay?
Last weekend (excluding the one just past-that was nothing but a fun blur to me..so i guess you could say ten days ago) was a horrible turn of events for me. A few tragedies had befallen some really really close friends of mine. it was quite seriously the stuff of nightmares, which including car crashes, suicides, broken legs and torso, and the abandonment of something beautiful, a good friend just left Tasmania off to WA for a better life, i kinda lost three really important friendships in one weekend, with another's life servilely hanging in the balance. lets just say... I'm done with life's silly games, I hate fate, and karma just isn't fair sometimes. I'm not going to name the victims purely out of respect, and it hurts to much to be thinking of this topic for too long. so yeah.. my life's in ruins right now i guess you cloud say, eh perhaps I've got it lucky? however somewhere i keep getting this thought, it's really disturbing, but... i keep thinking perhaps they got the better end of the deal?...

AAAAAAnnnnnnnnndddd on to other topics, Work, pift whom ever likes it? i know i don't however right now a certain anguish of even greater despise for it has built up in me i guess, for some reason after the group certificates where handed out, and it's time for tax return, my payments where started to getting taxed at the maximum rate, which is practically half my pay!!! Not happy Jan!!! I talked to the taxation office and apparently it's because I've turned 18 two months ago, and my TFN has been slipped up somewhere, anyway a few singing of TFN forms should soon take care of this problem.

Allright that about raps it up i guess, i must be off fellow bloggers! sorry for the mundane read today, i guess for now, it was more of a chance to get some thoughts of mine into written word, the first steps for closure i guess.. anyway can't wait for filming during the holidays! have fun my friends! peace!

The tides of change

Mr Balverdiear, Take a note!

Today on this fine morn on the eve of the 21st at approximately 9:54 I sit here pondering in deep thought, contemplating over the ever evolving challenge our SDI team has undertaken.

It appears Mr Balverdiear that life itself, is not without a sense of irony.
time will tell I guess... time will tell.

This production, this journey, this task our team had once set out to achieve, to answer the ever drifting question of "what is real?" has backfired somewhat, in the sense that actually producing the film has turned into a question more along the lines of "Are you for real?" it appears time restraints have altered the story somewhat.

okay so I hear you all screaming why? how? Are you insane changing the core question right now? here at virtually the end of all things college!

perhaps this answer is between the lines, yes it could be argued changing the purpose of the production at this late stage is a sure fire recipe for disaster, however is not the core idea of this course student adaptability and self directed evolution? why could this statement not reign true for our productions as well?

over the ever tiring advent of scripting our project has grown, matured some could say into a fully developed persona, as with all good youths we traverse the world of change, such is the case of our project. The child at the core of the question has change, taking on the form of " personal reconciliation, redemption, atonement and escape from our challenges in life, as people we all strive that picture perfect lifestyle, however all too often this dream often remains a piece of candy that's dangling just above your head by some universal sentient being, this project it seems has matured into illustrating these obstacles we all face.

On the bright side the scripting is all done, the majority of the pre-production has been completed, and our project seems to maintain on our schedules to plain, their could still be hope for us yet!!!. I feel if a dropped a few pages of our script on here it might just give away the projects progression, however I feel guilty if i don't hmm perhaps in a few days I will be bold enough to post what we've got so far.

And so Mr Balverdiear it is with great regret that i must sign off for now, end dictation please good sir!

" but but sir, were not done yet?"

" I know i know, just time has ran out, the actors are here, and it's time to begin! lights out!"

peace fellow bloggers!

The Light- AGH!

College date: 7.7.08 and one hour to many!!!

The SDI project we've decided to undertake is finally starting to shape into a completed package, we can actually see a light at the end of the tunnel!

one problem.

That tunnel is looking really, really small!!!

You see after a nice little gentle yet some how extremely scary wake up call last digital lesson on Tuesday it's become suddenly oh so crystal clear how desperate things are going to be. we've only got around ten weeks left? I can't quite remember so don't quote me on it.
however that time frame paints a fairly pristine picture to m e. this project needs to be filmed and completed. and fast!!!

As a counter measure for this sudden epiphany our group have strategies a benchmark fall back plain, where absolutely everything no matter how far behind we are, has to be completed by a certain date, if not the group is just going to keep this good al tug boat moving, and continue with the next stage.
additionally we've started clocking on double hours. spending every precious minute during class wisely for once, and an average of around 6 extra hours per week at the shouzen (my half shed, half hours I'm renting!) in a week or so were planning entire weekends dedicated to the course!

The group has high hopes of starting the production filming stage during the holidays, a few of the quicker shots, e.g our night club scene will be filmed before hand hopefully.

the following is a rough idea of the time frame we've got to work in.
keep in mind I've included the holidays as part of our production schedule. otherwise the normal time table would consist of 10 weeks, and not our 12

Pre Production

week 21: present week-rough draft scripting-research
week 22: expected rough draft script completion-edit read through of script-journals
week 23: Final edit of script-good copy completed-research
week 24: Location scouting for scenes. script reading with cast.

Production Phase

week 25: Holidays-final cast adjustments-Film oblivion & montage shots
week 26: Holidays-film alleyway & Scene3, Scene 4 conclusion

Post Production

week 27: Post production editing using equipment at the shouzen-adobe premiere CS3 pro
week 28: Final edit-tweaking-start distribution stage-journal
week 29: Project completion deadline. additional support documents & clips

Presentation

week 30: Repair final report-reflect in journals
week 31: Final report due-journal
week 32: presentation.

The above illustrates the types of limits we've got left to complete the project. I'm confident our group can pull it together just in time, it's all a matter of dedication i guess.

As for the actual project it self, my opinion has been persuaded, i Believe this Production is no longer primed on the " cyberpunk genre" and has rather evolved into surreal " drama" perhaps. as i feel the core of our production is concentrated more around emotions. redemption and reconciliation.

More on this development in my next post.

unfortunately it seems my time here on blogger world has run short.
I hope this post has given some type of insight into our digital project.

much love peoples! peace!
Da fro!

Junes Juxtaposition

PROLOGUE

recovered black box audio recording device transmission reads:

star date: 23/6/08

"Cap 'n' were braking up!
she's can't hold her course any longer, warp bubble failing, navigation off line!
engineering has reported critical damage throughout decks 1-42, life support failing, propulsion uncontrollable
where spinning in an uncontrolled multi directional axis towards the anomalies!
communications down. emergency life rafts deployed!
gravitational effects of the anomaly time dilation wave are infecting our systems recovery rate.
I'm sorry sir I've done all I can do!

* automated siren alert* projected chance of survival. 0.13%

" we have no choice cap n we must abandoned ship before it's too late!"
" hold your post solider! were gonna ride this sonic storm out son!"
" Sir yes sir! however i must employ to use active retreat methods before th.... ac...e....sta....b...

* automated alert* active stabilization coils damage*

" si...... close the ..... .bu.. ah..h... .aggh.."

*automated alert* Active stabilization coils destroyed
Decks 1-42 Destroyed
impact in T minus 30 seconds
all primary, secondary base systems at 0% proficiency
sense overload
Red alert! imminent destruction in 20 seconds
systems unresponsive
Red alert! structural integretiy collapse in 10 seconds
Hull breeches covering 90% of structure
Spot fires unchecked
Gravitational pull affecting ti.m..e.......spa...e.......con...........tin..........uumm...,,
Compl........ete............sh.......p. ....w..i..de........ d....es........tru........ion...... imin.... "


*End black box recovery transmission:

Here is the last picture of that fateful crew before getting sucked into oblivion. the vacuum was so powerful the skin had all ready been riped right of their bodies at the time of this recoding!

Okay so maybe a little over the top?

you all here? do I still have your glare? that ever watchful stare?

okay i must confess I'm sorry kinda got a little carried away as you can guess..
but yes you got the idea, I decided to open this post with a type of mini story metaphor explaining my situation right now, might as well run with the parody of all things Si Fi theme i seem to have created for myself hey?

okay so last 4 weeks or so recapped brought together in a single unified Blog, a huge combination of events have occurred, where to begin, lets see.... I'll start with the filming side of life





FILM

first thing that i guess should be mention in relation to the film vendetta i have going on that seems to drive my life right now is definitely the Directing & Acting with Di Dre workshop i completed at the beginning of this month!

okay this course was well worth the $100 i managed to pay, in fact i should have paid more considering all the trees i went through!
Honestly pages and pages upon pages of double sided pages of more pages worth of page worthy notes were transcribed upon these tree like pages!
no seriously i got like a books worth, ( 60 pages ) of notes taken in all things film and television related- all in a 4 day workshop- my hand was dropping off towards the end!
however these trees were not cut down in vain they served a fantastic course, the ground in which they were laid should be proud! many maaaaaannny life changing notes were acquired!

The workshop consisted of activities such as: scripting: -The synopsis
-the background
-pre/post line sceneiore
-Script subtext
Actors : -Background
-emotional graph
-emotional weight
- Trusting the Directors vision
-Communication
Director: -Trusting the respected crews professions
-Shaping actors persona
-Sequencings
-Blocking
-Creative constructive critical eye
-time management
All really great qualities worth learning!
this course has definitely provided a profound impact on my life

okay following these workshops i managed to pickup a few budding film enthusiasts in Tasmania as well, the result of which has proven adventurous.
i was offered a roll in play by the theater royal in the script adaptation reading of the famious play " THE CRUCIBLE" by Author Miller that would be directed by a great mate i found at the film workshop.
however unfortunately i have to face facts, and as much as any one with a sane mind would dearly love to jump at this great opportunity I had to face the truth and realize quite simply i don't have time for such pleasure.
my academic life must come first before any background port folio building i guess.

As for the Tuesday afternoons workshops that are run locally, yeah their still alive and kicking. mind i haven’t had a lot of time to express my visual desires their much either.
however i hear from a passing workshop enthusiast that goes by the name of Fred (A real legend, starting to make his own small Tas documentary business) that the workshop recently opened an exhibition of the years works in channel court!
apparently it was a real blast, and clearly it is my loss i never got to attend. i simply just lost my contact with the workshop group i guess.

Hopefully i hear their is going to be a second gallery open towards the end of year-eyes set on that!
in related news i hear the workshop has managed to gain the presence of a stop start fireworks animation director in for the next few weeks, his one of three i think hired by the infamous online site " YouTube" should be a great chance for any animation buddies!


WORK
Okay work related content.

my current slave lord Bigw Kingston has decided to update the dress policy for all employees. this includes night fill. now don't get me wrong I'm all for keeping up appearances. but seriously getting
all the nightfall staff to go forth and purchase business class shoes and spend like $100 on clothes that we really don't need. i mean where the behind the scenes driving force of that place, no one is going to see us!
so yeah, not happy Jan!

ACADEMICS

College, eh such a wonderful word!

such a glimmering title, full of light and hope... lets all forget to tell the students of the workload eh? lets have fun laughing at their stress levels building to phenomenal levels,
I’m sure it's quite the show!

but seriously... yeah i guess I’m finally catching up with the majority of subjects.
the Digital Project our team have rightfully decided to title Contemplation is really starting to move along.
the project is really taking shape, great background for characters, locations, everything is finally binding together. About time!
Just last week our production team dubbed DDR productions ( Daniel, Daniel, Red-team member names) presented a class PowerPoint detailing our project proposal and all the actions we've taken so far to achieve the end goal of a really great film!
The presentation went smoothly, a little tweaking here and there couldn't go astray, but we had it audio recorded so later we shall have to learn from these mistakes.
Overall i'm happy with where the team is at now.

PERSONAL

Well I'll try to make this quick as I’m sure I’ve bored you all senseless by now.

There is chance, kind of 50/50 right now, that by the end of the month i'll finally gain independence and Have left the bounds of the family house hold and find a den for myself!
that’s right my friends, the Fro may be venturing forth and moving out from home in the near future, let the havoc begin!
but yeah all fairly pie in the sky stuff right now, However it's about time, especially after getting kicked out on an annual monthly basis lol!
so yeah. other then that what else is there...

Laptop has taken on a rather interesting new style with the plasma spreading over 1/5 of the total screen display. quite artistic if you ask me.
I don't mind it, kind of represents my life right now, trying. oh so trying, just fractions of darkness sweeping through to thwart my ways.

RELATIONSHIPS- what relationships? Don't go there my friends, too complicated.

FINANCIAL -I finally hit the magic $500 saving benchmark for this month! I'm so proud!

CONCLUSION

Okay my friends, once again thanks for reading, sorry for be the harbinger of many youthful years wasted on your lives reading this!
it's been... refreshing, I’m begging to abuse this site my thinks?
anyway. good luck to all! thanks again, next months post should be great! i promise, I turn 18 then! yay!
Perhaps there’ll be a new ship in store from the Insurance payout, unfortunately it seems my last just dived straight into a black hole. I Salute you thy fine crew! You flew with gusto!

Cheers: Danielson.

Renewed faith

If their was one word... one description that could sum up my last month... one final statement to conclude it all...what would it be? would could possibly explain my sudden absences? that final note

WOW!!!!!!

Honestly thats the only description i could conjure up. let me explain...

okay well for the first week of this month it was films ahoy! pre-production, production, and post production all rolled into one film! all in one week as well!,But hear me twas for a good course!

you see when you still trying to strive along on, survive, by yourself as a college student, one is going to some what of a financial support, a little cash in your wallet, keep you going by, you know what I'm talking about?
unfortunately i had none... not a surprising thing to hear from a naive teen my age, we are all broke!
however I struck gold a few weeks back! an old accomplice's and I ran into each other whilst fairing through the night life of Hobart, she also developed an interested in the film and television industry and apparently was lucky enough to score herself a job in a small add being created in little Tazy, I was fortunate enough to assist with the post production!!!! I was thrilled! the scenario ended up with my self getting a healthy budget boost! and one hell of a great memory walked right back into my life! friends reunited!!!

So with renewed faith in passion for the film industry releasing it wasn't just some phase most students go through, I realized it was time to up the game.. a journey down to the local film and television enthusiast and equipment hire establishment down in salmanca soon fixed it.

I found it with the help of my visual workshop tutor and some fellow colleagues a nifty little place called :Wide angle Tasmania turned out to be everything i was looking for, with the exception of the pricing! Agh alas it seems in order to make money in this industry you first need the money!
facing this prospect from a student prospective is like facing a huge concrete wall a mile high! with shadows reaching far enough you get the impression your back in the stone age.

It seems the universe is truly an image of the ying and the yang theory. here is the link if anyone is interested:

http://www.wideangle.org.au/

On the positive side i was able to secure a position as an observer in an up and coming film work shop called : Directing & acting masterclass with Di Drew, you know that director!!:)
who knows what that will bring, hopefully ill gain some useful insight in how things work far out and beyond the confines of a college campus class room environment. the master class is scheduled to start this coming Friday.
heres to happy future vendettas!

which brings me to last week.. last week was eventful as well full of productions, general catching up with class work and assignments due an age ago! ah just kidding I feel I'm fairing just as well as the next companion.

on top of all this work load it seems a whole lot of complications are trying to pull me down... a load full of family related, relationship related work related problems have popped up continuously throughout these last few weeks. almost as if these burdens are crying to be heard and sorting, unfortunately i Don't really have time for such matters this year... I've become somewhat of a cold bearskin... and i Don't like it one bit! oh well what am i saying, I'm sure everyone my age are all feeling the heat.

Okay well as I'm sure you all agree i have rambled on quite a lot more then usual! for this I am sorry , i just feel the need to catch up on my posting ill leave you all with one of my more favored pictures i have on this malfunctioning laptop of mine. i feel it really captures the essence of my position right now.


make off it what you will.
until next post, free loving to all! and ill catch ya all on the other side!

result time!

okay it's been a while.

finally worked out how to use Del.icio.us-rather confused now oh well.

The production schedules for the virtual line film is coming along nicely i feel, we've given the team until late July early August to finish all preproduction and be well and truly on our way to film by mid year if all goes well hopefully.
we are currently finishing up the last pieces of the concept ideas and are well onto the script stage.

during previous lectures given to us by our class mentors we given the opportunity to witness how to create a project map. i feel this an essential piece of work that we should all get completed ASAP it shall greatly enhance the work attitude and mind set of the group as it's a given concrete platform as to where the production stages are at, what has been completed, what areas need more doing, etc.
I plain to have a copy of this project map on my next blogger for all to see!

In other news.... yesterday I sent an email to wide angle. A business in Salamaca place aimed at supplying forums, workshops and equipment for buddying film enthusiast, be it emerging, independent or industrial! great place all round i say!
the email was regarding my application for a actors/directors masterclass series of seminars and work shops set up by acclaimed director Di Drew a Tasmanian director as well!! in order to hopefully, fingers crossed gain entry to the course!!

In personal agendas various birthday celebrations have just passed e.g sister, cousin friends, the list goes on, I even had to miss my Tuesday afternoon visual work shops to celebrate! apparently was quite an important meeting as well! in short it generally means all though good times have been had! my bank account is seeming a little shy right now.... hopefully some confidence builds soon ey!

results came back for the first time this year for grade 12 college.
I can quite confidently say I'm rather pleased with my results and feel I'm aiming right on target. especially in my various visual related subjects.
can't wait to see a completed port folio reel of my works at the end of the year. though still high hopes.

phew almost forgot to add the paragraph about results, would have been no use for the blog name then hey! must be a sign I'm tired hey..

With that i think it's safe to say i can sign off for now, catch some down time.
Enjoy the what life brings you hey!