WORKSHOPS
- 14:00-17:00 Catch up studio lighting
workshop. Studio three, Colin.
Another good catch up session and a chance to try the beauty dish and ring flash I’ve never used before. Some good points one of which being the setting and metering of individual lights, always starting with the main light, a really good practice. We went over the use of a fill, making the background white (and black). A reminder of how to set up the Broncolour system, including the use of the cell function.
- Final Cut Pro workshop
I found this workshop really interesting and useful as we
recapped the last sessions we had learning about the software.
Below is some information I learnt whilst experimenting
and learning with the software.
About Final Cut Pro
Final Cut Pro is a non-linear video editing
software developed by Macromedia Inc. and later Apple Inc. The most recent
version, Final Cut Pro X, runs on Intel-based Mac OS computers powered by OS X
version 10.6.8 or later. The software allows users to log and transfer video
onto a hard drive
(internal or
external), where it can be edited, processed, and output to a wide variety of
formats. Since the early 2000s, Final Cut Pro has developed a large and expanding
user base, mainly video hobbyists and independent filmmakers. It had also made
inroads with film and television editors who have traditionally used Avid
Technology's Media Composer. According to a 2007 SCRI study, Final Cut Pro made
up 49% of the US
Browser
As in
most digital non-linear editing applications, the Browser is not an interface
to the computer's file-system. It is an entirely virtual space in which
references to clips (aliases) are placed for easy access, and arranged in
folders called 'bins'. Since they are only references to clips that are
on the media drive of the computer, moving or deleting a source file on the
media hard drive destroys the link between the entry in the Browser and the
actual media. This results in a 'media offline' situation, and the media must
be 'reconnected'. Final Cut Pro can search for the media itself, or the user
can do this manually. If multiple clips are offline at the same time, Final Cut
can reconnect all the offline media clips that are in the relative directory
path as the first offline media clips that is reconnected.
The
browser has an 'effects' tab in which video transitions and filters can be
browsed and dragged onto or between clips.
Canvas
The
canvas outputs the contents of the Timeline. To add clips to the Timeline,
besides dragging them there, it is possible to drag clips from the Browser or
Viewer onto the Canvas, whereupon the so-called 'edit overlay' appears. The
edit overlay has seven drop zones, into which clips can be dragged in order to
perform different edits. The default is the 'overwrite' edit, which overwrites
at an in point or the space occupied after the playhead with the incoming clip.
The 'insert' edit slots a clip into the sequence at the in point or playhead's
position, keeping the rest of the video intact, but moving it all aside so that
the new clip fits. There are also drop zones to have the application
automatically insert transitions. The 'replace' edit replaces a clip in the
Timeline with an incoming clip, and the 'fit to fill' edit does the same thing,
but at the same time, it adjusts the playback speed of the incoming clip so
that all of it will fit into the required space [in the Timeline]. Finally
there is the 'superimpose' edit, which automatically places the dropped clip on
the track above the clip in the Timeline, with duration equal to the clip below
it. Unless an in or out point are set, all edits occur from the position of the
playhead in the Timeline.
Using
the wireframe view on the canvas, the clip can be manipulated directly -
dragging it around in the canvas to change its position, for example, or
resizing it. Precise adjustment controls for these things are in the viewer.
Viewer
The viewer
has tabs for each channel of the selected clip's audio, in which the waveform
for the audio can be viewed and scrubbed, and where its volume can be
keyframed. The filters tab is where effects for the clip appear and where their
parameters can be adjusted and keyframed. If the clip selected is a generator
(such as an oval shape), a control tab appears for changing its geometrical
properties. Finally, the viewer's motion tab contains tools to adjust the
scale, opacity, cropping, rotation, distortion, drop shadow, motion blur and
time remapping properties of a clip. Mini-timelines to the right of each
parameter allow the property to be keyframed. The Viewer is not present in
Final Cut Pro X.
Timeline
Clips
can be edited together in timelines called sequences. Sequences can be nested
inside other sequences, so that a filter or transition can be applied to the
grouped clips.
The
Timeline in Final Cut Pro allows 99 video tracks to be layered on top of each
other. If a clip is higher [in the timeline] than another, then it obscures
whatever is below it. The size of a video clip can be altered, and the clips
can be cropped, among many other settings that can be changed. Opacity levels
can also be altered, as well as animated over the course of the clip using keyframes,
defined either on a graphical overlay, or in the Viewer's 'motion' tab, where
precise percentage opacity values can be entered. Final Cut also has more than
a dozen common compositing modes that can be applied to clips, such as Add,
Subtract, Difference, Screen, Multiply, Overlay, and Travel Matte Luma/Alpha.
The
compositing mode for a clip is changed by control-clicking or right-clicking on
the clip and selecting it from the cascading contextual menu, or by selecting
the mode from the application's 'modify' menu. For either matte modes, the clip
that will perform the key is placed overneath the fill clip on the Timeline.
For
more advanced compositing Final Cut Pro is compatible with Apple's Shake
(discontinued) and Apple Motion software.
Keyboard shortcuts
Final
Cut Pro uses a set of hot-keys to select the tools. There are almost 400
keyboard commands that allow the user to increase the speed of edits. This
combined with the nonlinear approach that digital editing, provides Final Cut
Pro users with several editing options.
Users
can also set their own customizable keyboard preferences.
- Dream Weaver workshop
Unfortunately
due to number of students, this workshop was cancelled and was due to be
re-scheduled for another time. But have not heard of any re-scheduling, so
decided to do download the software and learn and experiment with the program.
Adobe Dreamweaver is a web development application developed by Adobe Systems.
About Dreamweaver
Adobe Dreamweaver is a web development application developed by Adobe Systems.
About Dreamweaver
Adobe Dreamweaver is a web design and development application that provides a visual WYSIWYG editor (colloquially referred to as the Design view) and a code editor with standard features such as syntax highlighting, code completion, and code collapsing as well as more sophisticated features such as real-time syntax checking and code introspection for generating code hints to assist the user in writing code. The Design view facilitates rapid layout design and code generation as it allows users to quickly create and manipulate the layout of HTML elements. Dreamweaver features an integrated browser for previewing developed webpages in the program's own preview pane in addition to allowing content to be open in locally installed web browsers. It provides transfer and synchronization features, the ability to find and replace lines of text or code by search terms or regular expressions across the entire site, and a templating feature that allows single-source update of shared code and layout across entire sites without server-side includes or scripting. The behaviors panel also enables use of basic JavaScript without any coding knowledge, and integration with Adobe's Spry Ajax framework offers easy access to dynamically-generated content and interfaces.
Dreamweaver
can use third-party "Extensions" to extend core functionality of the
application, which any web developer can write (largely in HTML and
JavaScript). Dreamweaver is supported by a large community of extension
developers who make extensions available (both commercial and free) for most
web development tasks from simple rollover effects to full-featured shopping
carts.
Dreamweaver,
like other HTML editors, edits files locally then uploads them to the remote
web server using FTP, SFTP, or WebDAV. Dreamweaver CS4 now supports the
Subversion (SVN) version control system.
·
16:00 Tech Talk Bjorn Veno: Lightroom
https://www.youtube.com/user/adobelightroom
15/Feb/2013 Bjorn Veno Tech Talk: ‘Lightroom’
Despite not being booked to attend the advanced Lightroom workshop i felt
i needed to attend this session as i have no experience of using Lightroom at
all, and i knew the advanced session would be too advanced for me therefore. I
have recently purchased Lightroom so the session was of real help in understanding
what the software was able to do.
- Mon
18th February 2013 Advanced Lighting Workshop: Colin Studio One 14:00-
17:00
Today’s
workshop started by setting up some a two light setup.
Aperture
setting to be achieved was F8 (selected because it was a good middle ground
aperture from which the lights could be adjusted from)
Two
gobos with reflectors affixed with clamps. The lights (broncolour) fitted with
dishes were aimed at the boards. The boards were set at about 45 degrees and
the reflected light illuminated both sides of the sitters face and torso.
Result an overall even lighting effect, with a grey background and separation
between sitter and background.
Further
combinations of lighting were demonstrated and those included:
Adding
extra gobos to effectively create a box (two walls of gobos wither side). Four
heads were used with umbrellas and ‘C stands’ using white material to diffuse
the light (hung from C stands). Two broncolor units were used, with the top two
heads attached to one, and the bottom two attached to the other. The reasoning
behind this being that you can adjust the levels of either upper or lower
segments independently. This gave an even overall light. Rotating the gobos (to
face the black side to the lights) darkened the backdrop by reducing reflected
light. Turning the gobos al slightly increased modelling on the face.
Back-lighting
was demonstrated with continuous lighting. A single rear continuous light
(T2 Arri) was then brought in, aimed forward toward the models back to
demonstrate how the light spills over the edge of the model. Also to
demonstrate how this lighting effect creates separation from the background. A
single front light (broncolor flash) with honeycomb attached lit the front
(placed in an elevated position). Various changes were demonstrated such as
changing the models to demonstrate the effect of dark or light clothing on
reflected light. This reflected light altered the background quite
dramatically. To exaggerate the effect a white sheet was affixed to the back of
one model.
Duel
softboxes were also demonstrated to show the even lighting effect.
Further lighting techniques included switching the rear
Arri light to face the camera and leaving it in shot (and also adding a second
light). The rear (forward facing) light was purely used for dramatic/cosmetic
effect and not for its lighting output.
Workshops i`ve missed! But collected notes from other
students….
- Photoshop - Feb/2013 10:00 – 12:00
Photoshop session with Bjorn Veno.
Due to competing in an international in Oberstdorf
I
heard this session went back over the re-touching session we’d previously had.
Students had found this session really useful, and helped with confidence and their enthusiasm to delve into the digital world increases.
Students had found this session really useful, and helped with confidence and their enthusiasm to delve into the digital world increases.
- 10-13:00 Cyanotype workshop with
Riike:
Today
(28/Jan/2013) was the cyanotype workshop with Riike. I would of liked to have
gone but unfortunately i had other commitments so wrote notes about the
workshop.
.
This
workshop I heard was a really fun and simple process that created an
interesting effect. The chemical solution is applied in two layers (dried
between applications) and then a neg or acetate is affixed to the surface
(emulsion to emulsion). Exposure is achieved by placing the paper and neg under
glass and exposing it to UV light. Exposure time was about 20 minutes on a UV
bed. The chemicals are then washed off in water and the prints left to dry.
Paper is usually a water-colour type, but any paper that can take the chemical
and survive the wash can be used.
- Workshop:
6th Mar 2013 Colin Jackson.
Hand Processing Film.
Unfortunately
I could not attend this workshop, but I gathered some notes from student who
did attend, and found the session really interesting and therefore would like
to experiment in the future.
Notes
Once you
have exposed your film, it is important that no further light gets to it, so
the first operation is performed in total darkness.
To
reveal the images, the film needs to be immersed in a sequence of three
chemicals, so firstly it is wound on to a spiral and placed in a light-tight developing
tank. The spiral holds the film so that the liquid chemicals can act on all
surfaces of it.
Once the
lid is on the developing tank, the next operations can be carried out in light.
The
sequence of chemicals is:
<!--[if
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<!--[endif]-->Developer
<!--[if
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<!--[endif]-->Stop Bath
<!--[if
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<!--[endif]-->Fix
Developer
Find out
how long your particular film needs in the developer you are using and the
quantity required.
Dilute
the developer according to the instructions.
·
Ilfosol 3 is diluted
1:9 with water at 20 degrees C.
·
Pour it into the
developing tank and start the timer.
·
Agitate the tank for
ten seconds when you have sealed it [four slow inversions] and again at the
same point in every minute of the developing time.
·
At the end of the
developing time remove the tank seal and pour out the developer.
·
The developer has
revealed the images and darkened them to the correct tones.
Stop Bath
Pour a
measured quantity of stop bath into the tank, leave for 30 seconds agitating
occasionally, then pour it back into the container. The stop bath is used as a
buffer between the developer [alkali] and the fix [acid].It helps to keep the
fix fresh and active.
Fix
Pour a
measured quantity of fix into the tank, seal it and zero the timer. You need to
fix for 5 or 10 minutes, depending on the type of film. You should agitate
every minute as you did with the developer.
The fix
dissolves any silver not affected by light during exposure and renders the film
insensitive to any further light, making it permanent. The fix should then be
returned to the container.
Keeping
the film on the spiral, wash it in running water for 10 minutes. It can then be
agitated in wetting agent, removed from the spiral and dried.
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