Finally I Have Arrived!

December 14th, the last day to prepare for class. Again I started the day struggling to upload versions of my film that I feel would be better. Ironically none have completed. The ones I started downloading at 4 yesterday failed. So I stayed up till 3AM trying to up load them again.

After a few hours of sleep this morning, I woke weary and worn out but managed to sit in front of the computer again. Putting the finishing touches on my report, gathering all pertinent information needed to submit to my professor. I started uploading my film once more and bang! Like a shot-gun going off the film wont upload, and the computer starts warning me about space on the disk.

AGGGGGH!!! I feel like Charlie Brown when Lucy snatches up the football at the last second before he kicks it. Could the situation get any worse??!! Okay time to re-group! At the worst I submit a film where I am not happy because the quality of the sound is suffering, and one minor flaw is visual to me. But I will continue in the meanwhile to up load a different version.

So finally I get a 3rd final version saved to a flash card from my laptop. I then take it to my desktop computer which is connected to ethernet.( As I discovered over the last 5 days.) It is imperative that when you upload to Vimeo you make sure you are connected by ethernet. Otherwise you will have issues and the film will never upload. (Oh my God who ever thought this was the grandest thing to do is crazy!!!!!) Any ways in my search and desperation I have been seeking help through the Vimeo web site its self. I wanted to see if anyone else had the same issues.

Sure enough, I click on the help button and there is message upon message of other viewers experiencing sound quality issues. And the skipping when it comes to playback. So what do I do now? I know that the quality of audio is there in Quicktime and in Final Cut Pro X so where is the problem stemming from. I go back and I follow the suggested specs given by Vimeo themselves and retry up loading and again I am stuck in this hole of despair. I also try different compression settings but in the end the same result and the same frustration arises. So what I am left with?

The simple fact that anything other than the original will ALWAYS suffer in quality. And no matter how much I try, this is it. The version I have posted will be it, if version 3 does not make it through the up loading process.

Whether I am happy or not I finally have arrived! Arrived at a point where I have to say this is my film I did everything possible to get here in the best condition I could. Take it for what it is worth on face value. A non-profit film completed by a student.

The Last Leg Of The Race

Why is it that when you are running a race you tend to keep pushing for something more at the end when you should just start to slow and relax? Your finished, done, completed, what more do you need?

Well, I find my self pushing and pushing even though my final film is complete. It is as if I am not satisfied with what I have done. But in some ways I am happy with what I have accomplished.

I keep trying to achieve a better finish on my film. I keep re burning and loading my film. Compressing and decompressing. Adjusting titles, text, music. Just about everything on there. It is as if I can’t be happy but at the same time I am happy for I like my film.

Perhaps I need to slow down and relax, after all I am a student. But when I watch the films from other people on Vimeo I start picking apart my film in my head. What I need to remember is that my film is mine, it is different from others because the creator is different. It’s purpose is different, the music is different.

This is after all an educational/promotional film. It is for a non-profit, not for pure entertainment. It is NOT a porn film there is no nude woman dancing in a smoke-filled room, with pricey furniture decorating the space around her.

I guess if I had done a film like that I would be able to create a jaw dropping film that makes every man forget about the fact that all the photographer did was set the camera on a tripod and let the girl do all the work!

Yeah she changed outfits several times. I counted all of 4 or 5 times. But really it was the same girl doing the same dance in the same room with the same furniture. In the same spot except for the brief moment she bent over the chair. It was, if anything  just a lap dance on Vimeo.

So why do I feel like my film is inferior? Perhaps it is because I want so much to continue on my quest to perfection. To have a crew with me and to expand my abilities with filming a video. I want to do more than I have ever done before. I want to achieve a greater understanding of all that I learned so far.

The last leg of the race is coming to an end for my class. But for me it is just the beginning. I need to remember that and try to work on creating a new world of possibilities once I have graduated.

Experience Of A Lifetime

Life is a journey whether good or bad, a journey we have no choice but to venture on. In some cases we do everything just right and things come easy. In other cases we get lost, distracted and end up suffering a trip on a long detour to the place where we really need to be in life.

Right about now you are asking yourself what is she talking about?! And how does this fit in with photography? For me it fits in all to well, especially seeing how I worked, to get my degree in commercial photography.

Granted it would have been easier to go through school once and get it over. But when I look back on my journey I learned much more than I ever could imagine having taken the bumpy road I followed. In the end I have arrived where I should be. All the more wiser for the wear and experienced in aspects of photography and graphic design far beyond the students in my class.

No matter how I got to this place in my life. No one can take away the achievement I feel, the self satisfaction that despite the lack of money, the hurdles thrown my way and my own fears of intimidation. I have accomplished the ultimate goal in my life.

Now if that goal should carry me on to achieve higher dreams. Than all I can say is that would be the cherry on the top of my sundae. So yes this has been the experience of a lifetime. One so rich I can’t help but say, Thank you to my father who always has been a constant squeaky wheel in my head. He never failed to remind me of the need to complete my degree.

Aside from my father there were many people along the way that worked to help me realize my own potential by encouraging me to take classes those that I normally would hesitate to take because of my fear of failure.

In retrospect if I had not taken the road I followed, I would have never interned with Gwinnett County police. Which in turn might have kept me from getting my first professional photography position with the State Crime Lab. Which if I had not worked there I would have never left to go work for Year One Inc. Where I learned so much more than just photography alone.

I learned about graphic design, about publishing catalogs, different software programs, and optimizing images for the web. I learned about cars, about how to REALLY photograph them for the car enthusiast. I went to Canada for them and saw first hand the production of TV show on restoring cars. And I spent my time on the race tracks with much enjoyment photographing cars racing. I spent seven years watching and learning from my co-workers. Learning how to be a stronger person even in the eye of criticism.

All the while  through the years off and on going to school during employment breaks. Having gone back to school in 2000 to learn digital photography and complete my degree. Coming back in 2009 to finally finish my degree.

Nerve racking as it was I managed to eventually blend in to my class for multimedia for which I write these blogs. Finishing this last project for school is sad in the way that I will miss the class mates that embraced my presences. But in turn will relish the final reward of graduation with a degree. I may not walk with my class. But I will walk with pride and a sense of relief that this degree that haunted me for so long has now become a reality! As an old coworker of mine from years ago (when I worked as a cake decorator) once said. “Francine, you just do the darn dest things!”

Deep In My Heart

The picture above is a snap shot of “Pauley” a lost  African Grey Parrot that I found . He is  the inspiration and soul reason I met Deb and her Parrot Sanctuary.

The moment I met “Pauley” was the moment fate took hold of my assignment for class. originally I thought I would produce a film based on the needs of a local humane society shelter. But my destiny was to meet Deb Allwein and her flock of parrots from no-”R”-birds sanctuary.

This all started November 8th 2011  when I woke up to find a lost African Grey Parrot in my backyard. He was injured and in need of help I decided to name him Pauley and seek medical care for him. As cute as “Pauley” was, I quickly realized he needed to be with his owner.  Little did I know that this adventure to find his owner would lead me to meet up with Deb. Ironically I had listed his photo on the Jackson County Humane society web site. The Same non-profit organization I was originally planning to film.

Deb saw my ad and called me. She helped me locate “Pauley’s” owner with- in three days of finding him. Deb also gave me a tour of her Parrot Sanctuary. She began to explain her mission and the purpose behind her sanctuary. She also explained how she would talk to school children but that the schools would never allow the parrots in the class room.

At that point the realization hit me that the best way to help her was to produce an educational film. In addition to that I wanted it to be a promotional film as well for the sanctuary. One in which Deb would be able to use for her website. After talking to Deb I was excited and encouraged to follow this unexpected path. I feel totally blessed by the experience and excited that Deb now has the ability to bring her Parrots into the classroom. Providing many children the opportunity to learn about Parrots, perhaps these children can help Deb reach her goals in the elimination of Parrots that are needing to be rescued, relinquished or  are ransomed for money.

After all the hard work and stress of planning I finished my final project for class. This film sits deep in my heart.

Catching Up!

Okay…so I am trying to catch up. I admit it! Right about now you are asking yourself what is she talking about? What I am talking about is this blogging. Our teacher assigned us to write blogs and to keep up with them as readers would often comment on the blogs. We are supposed to have at the minimum two blogs a week. Ideally the teacher expects more from us.

That’s where I say okay I admit it I have fallen short on some blogs. I am not used to writing this much and honestly get worn out. Boy does that seem to be the subject of this week. So in an effort to do better and catch up I am writing a second blog tonight. So here it is!!

The Ultimate film of 2011!!!!!

Last week while waiting on my dog who was at the vet for a day having tests run. I decided to spend a couple of hours entertaining myself with a movie. I figured well heck, the dog is at the vet all day. I am at least an hour or more from my home and its raining. Who really wants to drive back and forth through this mess. What a better way to spend the time than taking in a new movie and focusing on what it would teach me that I could apply to the photography work I am learning and working with.

So I chose to see the movie “Hugo”. What a film!!! It was by far one of the best films I had seen in a while!!! definitely one I could go see again and again! For those who don’t know me I usually don’t say that about films. So what was so special about this film? I will try to explain without giving away the whole movie.

This movie of course was shot 3D. Unlike other 3D movies the quality was top-notch it gave you the feeling of opening up a 3D Hallmark card. At times I felt as if I was interacting with the characters simply because of the perspective it gave as each character encountered the next. It also gave you the bird’s eye view at times as if you were almost a fly on the wall.

The next great thing about the movie was the fact that you go in thinking okay this will be about the little boy named Hugo. But half way through the movie you learn it is much more than just about him. It really applies to the old man in the movie. And at the same time deals with more than one relationship. It almost seems as that is the main topic of the movie, relationships.

The third thing about the movie that jumped out at me was the vintage film and photography shown in the movie. Now I will say this I grew up in the 70′s so I am not sure how accurate all of it was. Or if any was real at all. But for some reason I get the feeling that the director and producer of the film did integrate some truth and vintage film into this movie. If this be true than I can say it certainly is a film that every photographer should watch.

Seeing how I did not grow up in World War II I have no clue about the validity of the era portrayed in the film. And I certainly was not around for the 1930′s when film got it’s chance at reality. But I can definitely say with out a doubt “Hugo” is worth the money paid to see it!

So if you get a chance to go to the movies in the next few weeks. Dig deep in your pockets and see “Hugo” I promise you will not feel cheated at all. You may even feel inspired and uplifted with this heart warming story of “Hugo”!

To Do Your Best

To do your best you must feel your best. Truthfully today has been a hard day in that I did not feel my best. I would not talk about myself usually. But I feel that this topic is essential to an aspiring photographer such as my self. It is a topic that we don’t usually think of and certainly would not air to just anyone.

I however am a realist, in that I think we are all human and we can relate from time to time about things that just down right plague us all but we never speak about. For some people it is taboo and I respect their feelings about that for me I am an open person almost an open book. Why? Well we are only given a short time here on earth and than one day we are gone.

I often wonder what impression will I leave on this world? What will others think of me? Good or bad I know that I will have left a mark. So I choose to be open. So how does all this apply to my topic tonight? Well sit back and let me tell you.

Today  I was on a mission to re shoot an interview for my final project. I was kindly asked by the lady from the sanctuary if we could do that. So I agreed last Thursday to do that and was excited for the chance. But today is Monday and today was different.

My day started with being late, partially my fault because I spent too much time working on my film the night before partially NOT my fault because I have Celiac Disease. For those who don’t know Celiac Disease is where your body can not digest wheat/gluten. It causes the villi in your intestines to slough off. Essential your body can not break down and absorb nutrients from your food.

So how did this play into my day? Well it wore me out long before 12 PM. I should have been more on the go, more vibrant together. unfortunately no matter how much I try not to show it my body just wore out causing a lack of enthusiasm and a loss of creativity. Ultimately it hampered the efforts to re shoot the interview and I think in turn rubbed off on the person I was filming. I feel bad about that. But can not change the day’s events.

What I did learn from this? I learned that to do your best you MUST feel your best. Perhaps being honest enough to call up and say hey is it possible to reschedule would have been a better idea. But the fact that obtaining a camera from school can be difficult I knew I had no choice but to try to complete my challenge for the day. I think as photographers we put so much pressure on our selves to not only be the best. But often commit to photo shoots that quite often are doomed for the lack of discretion on our part.

Sometimes we can pull it off other times we fail miserably. For me, well I guess I failed today in that area, BUT as always my motto is try to make something out of the day. And so I did thanks to Deb. I was given the chance to shoot the Parrots one more time giving me more footage to work with for my film. I have come to conclude that stocking up on footage is essential when filming. Even if your film is not very long and does not use every bit of footage shot.

I hope that who ever reads this especially if they are a photographer. Will take to heart the message I am trying to convey. That being to take time out for yourself. Make sure your feeling at the top of your game. And don’t push your self so hard that you compromise your project with the lack of production and creativity.

Documentary Best

The Secret To A Happy Ending, is a documentary about a rock group and their three-year career. The unique thing about this documentary that made this easy to watch almost enjoyable is the fact that the documentary uses the music from  the band. Along with stories and black and white photos of the area they were from. The black and white contrast is in contrast to the color film taken of the band and the scenery of the t own they are passing through.

Usually when we think of documentary we think of a long boring presentation of old history and a monotone voice relating the story. Something controversial and maybe disturbing depending upon your view of the subject. We don’t think about the modern life of people. Or of the color and excitement of music and lights.

A documentary is most often told in one perspective but in this case the documentary takes interviews of several band members and other guests. It almost feels as if you are on tour with the band. As they travel through the south, through Alabama.

At times you here the photographer asking questions. But for the most part the interview is mostly the band members talking. Every now and then they cut to a clip of the band playing. The most touching part of the documentary was when they cut to the part where one of the band members is talking about a guitar player who played with them and passed away from a disease. While they played the song dedicated to him they also showed the black and white photos of him singing and playing. This brought life and a reality to the individual being talked about.

Camera angles of the band members playing were unique from closeups of the guitars to close-ups of the face from a low angle. From time to time the camera backed out and panned the stage giving an overall shot. You truly get a rocking feel from this documentary because the music never fades away even when a member is talking.

After viewing this documentary I have to say it is one of few that can be classified as Documentary Best.

A Creative Mind

Sometimes an artist gets to a point where every bit of creativity is drained from them. For me this happens during the holidays. When a long break from work or school can cause the mind to go numb. This thanksgiving has been no exception in the fact that my creative wheel went flat searching for music for my film.

I had to think of a way to get my mind back to an artistic flow. For me that involves emursing my self in a variety of films. But perhaps watching a documentary would better help me with the assignment ahead. The question is will I be able to shoot in such a short period of time and get what is needed for my film.

In a way I almost wish there had not been a break. But I have no choice in the fact that I can not stop the holidays. Lucky for me the next four days I will be off from work allowing free and open time to complete or should I say start my film. I guess first I must de-stress and focus on what I can accomplish before filming.Titles, scripts, and other such things that accompany the project. Than hopefully towards the end it will be a matter of just finalizing the project for the web. I am finding it hard to even write this blog, the creative mind so to speak has certainly broken down during the break.

Maybe planning a time line will also help bring creative juices back in the picture. But I know with time lines you have to remain flexible. You never know when the unexpected will come up.

The Moment of Enlightenment

Thursdays have been very exciting for me. Thursday is the day I have my multimedia class. I must say that this class has been very interesting and educational for me. I actually enjoy the challenge each thursday. There is so much I am learning about filming and I enjoy very much. I can feel it deep in my bones. Too bad I do not live in Hollywood. I would thrive on working in the film industry.

I guess you can say that I found what I really enjoy when it comes to photography. For others it may be sports photography or portraits. But for me the challenge and excitement of completing a film and seeing it aired on a TV or Monitor is the creme de la creme.

So last thursday we were given our second and final project for the semester. I am pleased to say that I confirmed my subject this week. I will be working with a Bird sanctuary on an educational/promotional film for them. I thought long and hard about the birds I had seen there and what I wanted to portrait. But I was unsure how willing the lady would be about the project until I called her again after class

To my delight the lady was excited and very willing to accommodate me with what ever I needed to get started. I was so pleased with her reaction.l It was a moment of enlightenment for me. As if a ton of bricks were lifted off my shoulders.

unfortunately we have a tight time frame to get our film completed in. The thanksgiving holiday is really screwing up our time for shooting. I really wish there was some way I could skip the holiday and work on my film. But I guess I need to allow some down time for me and those who will be working with me on  this project.

But just having the moment of enlightenment will carry me through. It certainly helped motivate me to search for background music. Something which can be tedious. I will continue my search as the holidays pass and hopefully be ready to go full blast after the holidays are over with. My hope is to work on things like music search, script and ideas for my report during the holidays. Once that is out-of-the-way all I need to do after that is film, edit and compose the final product.

I will be keeping my fingers crossed on this one and saying many prayers. But I do believe it is doable, even if the due date is the 16th of december.

A New Adventure

The saddest thing about completing a project is that you no longer spend the time working on something you enjoyed. Finally the challenge is completed and all the planning is done.  There is nothing left to do but watch the creation you spent months working on. On one hand you feel a bit relieved on the other hand you feel useless.

But then it all changes again and you find yourself on a new adventure. A new challenge a new fear to overcome. For me this is the process I go through every time I face a new assignment. First there is the fear will I be able to come up with a real cool idea to work with. Then how will I pull it off. Next will I be able to accomplish this before the due date and then what? Will it live up to the expectations of the project I did before? All this runs through my mind and wonder how I will complete my assignments.

I think the best thing to do when you face a creative block is to stop and relax for a day try not to push myself. Giving myself a day or two to free up my mind will allow me to open my mind up. Clear the room so to speak and try to tackle this new project under different circumstances. It is important to realize that not every project has to be completed the same way. That variety is the spice of life and can lead to something different something new and exciting.

But being patient and staying calm will prove difficult if you worry like I tend to do sometimes. So maybe doing things in a different order will lessen the anxiety I feel. Perhaps I should be searching for music first since that was a difficult task. While doing that I need to think of what my next film will be about. After that I should look and see perhaps what other options are out there for me when it comes to filming a subject just in case my original idea falls through. Perhaps I should plan a tentative time line in which I can complete my new project.

So who will my client be? Non-profit? Commercial Ad? Or Promotional video for a business? Good question, right now I feel that the Non-profit organization would be the easier one to think of, but at the same time clearance is not easy. So I guess I will have to wait and see how this will pan out. All the while  planning the best I can. And remembering this is a new adventure and for this one I am on my own.