The End is Near.
After putting all the B-roll on the timeline (which took way longer than expected, probably because I had tons of footage to choose from), I had to do the masking. I had quite the scare once I realized that the method I was counting on (the Ultra Key method I mentioned in a previous post) did not work for every clip, leaving me to come up with strange shortcuts to get a similar effect (even though it was much more time-consuming than my original plan). This consisted of using a green solid to mask out the screens, copying that mask onto the movie footage that was supposed to be playing on the TVs, switching the blending mode and then messing with settings until it didn't look awful. The only issue was that without the Ultra Key effect, most of the TVs texture was covered up by the movie excerpt layers, making it seem even less realistic than before. There I was, hours before the deadline, trying to figure out what in the WORLD I was going to do. Saying that I was stressed was comically nothing but an understatement. This is how I felt staring deeply into my computer for hours at a time:
Halfway through, though, I realized that my initial approach was applicable to almost every clip, I just had to adjust two different settings within the effect in order to get it to be clearer (transparency and highlights on the Ultra Key effect). My computer crashed probably a total of 30 times (that's what I get for shooting in 4K) but overall it was relatively easy to handle and I was still able to get everything done. Check out the silly little blue screen I was greeted with multiple times throughout the night!
I was eventually able to figure it out regardless, however with the little time I had left to finish and my computer being on its last straw, there were some parts of the TV that were not fully covered by the mask. These edges made it look less realistic and in turn took away from the B-roll. Despite being somewhat disappointed with the result, I pushed myself to finish audio, last-minute color tweaking, and music.
The audio was overall very clear (especially Tess's, it was amazing) so I only had to do some minor tweaking, and color grading was relatively minimal since all I really felt was necessary was basic correction, which I did. Overall I think it looks clean and consistent, which is what I wanted for the documentary (our branding overall is very simplistic and modern, so this went very well with it). I found some futuristic yet relaxing background music that was royalty free and luckily, it fit perfectly. I really do think that this song adds to the project and helps create the atmosphere I wanted from the beginning.
I finished very late at night - but honestly, it was worth the lack of sleep. Despite the project being due, I think I am going to continue tweaking things and eventually finish the remainder of the 28-minute documentary, especially after going this far to get props, interviewees, a filming location (still can't believe I basically tore my house down for that), and great gear. Thank you Jimmy G, may ShortCuts (the program he runs to showcase student work at BECON-TV) reign forever and ever, Amen.
Adding music at the end made everything come together and got me excited about the project, even after hours and hours of working on it. I will be posting it soon, so stay tuned! It's just really is crazy that this is my last big project before high school ends... Part of me does not believe it's real... I'm just glad that I was able to be a part of such an amazing class (both AS and A). They completely changed the way I view the world and approach my own projects, and that in itself is priceless. I have always been grateful for the opportunity to get such a great education, but man, this class is just something else. I'll forever carry everything I learned (and am still learning) with me, and I can't wait to see where I end up in the future. Can't wait for you guys to see the doc, and if you haven't already, you guys should watch Counter Conformity here :D
No comments:
Post a Comment