This is the final update for the Roanoke: The Lost Colony blog. Further information will be added on the official site - www.RoanokeTheMovie.com
If you would like to follow the blog of the next BSDS Production please visit www.bsds.info for further information.
Thank you for your support and visits over the past year and I look forward to seeing you on our other blog and on the official website.
It's been, wonderfull...and then some.
Speak soon,
Bertie
Edit: Well done Sam! Check RoanokeTrip.com for update on the Roanoke Premiere!! 3 screenings in one week.
Ok, so on the day of the Premiere my train got stuck due to flooding and I missed it.
Yesterday, on my way to Bideford, I got stuck in traffic for about an hour due to an accident on the M5, and so arrived at about 2.40 instead of 1.30, and therefore missed the first half of the film!!
Also, as a result of this, I didn't have time to take any pictures or record any video, but there are pictures of the day which should be sent to me, and then I will post them when they are.
The film seemed to go down well (despite some slight historical inaccuracies!) and there is even talk of holding another screening!
I know Bertie has said that this blog will be continued on their Roanoke Trip, but I thought that if anyone is still checking this one, I'd let you know about a screening taking place tomorrow.
Basically, the guys who are in the U.S. (Bertie, Dan, Jenna and Shane) will be screening the film in Roanoke, and we will also be holding a screening in Bideford in Devon (I think!). Myself and some of the other cast and crew will be travelling down for this, and I am going to try to get some video footage of the day (anything they can do!) or at least some photo's, that I will put up tomorrow evening on this blog!
I hope those of you who were at the premiere enjoyed the film, I am looking forward to seeing it for the first time as I couldn't make the premiere because of the bad weather stopping my train, and I am so annoyed about it!
Anyway lets hope the weather is ok for tomorrow or I still won't get to see it!
Edit: Online Video of London Tonight news report - Here
Last night was the first (and for one night only) premiere of Roanoke: The Lost Colony. The cast and crew reunited once more. It was a great evening and with so many people in attendance the waiting area in front of screen 1 was very full. We have had so many wonderful comments and thoughts about the film from those who came to see it. It's really nice to get such amazing positive feedback from everyone.
Here's a few photos of our special day:
London Tonight make an appearance at the cinema filming an interview with the crew
Shane helping with the special tickets
Outside main doors of Screening Room 1 as we wait for doors to open
Screening Room 1 as audience take their seats
Bertie and Daniel give an introduction before the film starts (big round of applause)To get people used to switching to the month long Roanoke Trip website and updates, we have just added a new video to the site, video diaries and blog start June 25th.
Premiere tonihgt, very nervous.
x
www.RoanokeTrip.com
We had a lovely phone call today from London Tonight the flagship news program on ITV for the greater london region who have asked about our film. We will be doing an interview with at the Ritzy Cinema tomorrow and fingers crossed our story will be broadcast to millions just a few hours before the premiere and our trip out to America (which can now be viewed on RoanokeTrip.com). This will be the first large news broadcaster to pick up our stories although if you are in the Croyden area today you will be able to see a great article in the Advertiser who have followed up on our film (online version may be available soon). We have heard that the Virginia Post would also like to publish our story (however we'll let you know more when it happens) and fingers crossed this is just the beginning as we head out to publicize the film across America and the UK. I've said it before but I'll say it again, it wouldn't be possible without the hours of effort and support from everyone, so as we stand on the eve of the premiere, thank you to all.
p.s. - if we do get on London Tonight i'll try and post a video of it on here later (for those outside London)
Just a few days now until the premiere - www.RoanokeMovie.com! but in the mean time...
I went down to the Ritzy today to see the installed posters for our forthcoming premiere which is this Saturday. It's really cool to see them on display and hopefully it will get some attention over the next few days.
6 DAYS.... Buy your last minute tickets now... Details Here
Roanoke: The Lost Colony
Today the film has been officially rated as U - Universal (equivalent of G in America). We were surprised by this rating although not disappointed. We had never presumed the rating to be high due to the film lacking in very graphic material however there are some scenes we thought could push the rating higher. For the premiere it is very good news however as it means that everyone will be able to enjoy the show, whatever their age, and bring along a variety of family members. It was thought that although the film suggested and showed scenes that could raise the grade, they were handled in a tastfull way and one that did not glorify viloence etc.
Yesterday we tested the film at the Ritzy Picturehouse again (2nd time) and we finally managed to get everything working smoothly after a few errors from both our end and theirs. They have some very helpfull and lovely people working their who have been a big help throughout the preperation process for the ritzy.
The official Roanoke: The Lost Colony poster is also up in two places at the ritzy, it is outside the cinema and also in the main foyer outside the top bar, it was great to see. Dan and I managed to get a quick photo on his phone so hopefully Dan maybe able to get this online sometime today/tomorrow.
The website we posted of RoanokeTrip.com has been gathering quite alot of interest and as we are still finalising details I can say that it will be a full month worth of daily updates (unless we find ourselves stranded without the internet) and will show the other side of the film production that is raley seen.
Thank you for all your support to date and we can't wait to chat to you at the premiere (if your able to make it)
If sadly you're in America and wouldnt' be able to make the UK premiere then don't worry........ :-D
Something for the Summer
While the premiere is just 13 days away, here's another reason to stay out of the sun this Summer (or something to do in the evening)
Opening June 20th 2007
www.RoanokeTrip.com
and that's not the only piece of exciting news, more to come...
Some news just broke, I'm going to save it up and announce it all at once, but ever so exciting!
First of all just 20 days to go until the UK premiere! It is very exciting and if you haven't already got your tickets then there are still 1 or 2 available at the box office. Call on 08707 55 00 62 or online via our link at http://www.roanokethemovie.com/index5.htm.
We are currently working on two big things which we are keeping on a low profile at the moment but should mean alot of website updates for a number of days coming soon.
The status of the film sees it now completed and going through a number of exports for the premiere and the DVD release. I know Angela has been working hard on all the behind the scene footage and making of material and it is looking fantastic.
Keep checking the site for the announcement of the two major things, sorry to be so vague, but they should be quite cool!
Sorry to those who encountered a fault with the site yesterday, all has been fixed now and we're back up and working. As you can see I've added a new header to the blog with the logo of Roanoke: The Lost Colony. We waiting on a few pieces of news that I shall make public sooner or later over this weekend/beginning of next week but there are now two places that you can view information on Roanoke (apart from the official sites of course).
The British Film Catalogue - Here
The International Movie Database - http://imdb.com/title/tt1029364/ (being updated now)
Under a month to go to the premiere! How exciting!
So we had the test screening of Roanoke: The Lost Colony and Bertie, Dan and I had the film screened at university for our major project screening. Overall the film has generally been excepted as a great achievement having been made by students.
The test screening was for members of the public that had no knowledge of the film, the story or the people involved in the production and therefore could give a impartial opinion. A big thank you to those who attended as many didn't turn up on the day that were expected, and for those who did turn up gave fantastic advice that we have taken on board. The questionnaires helped a lot for the opinions that were not voiced in the after disscussion, and to take notes from to find conclusive evidence for the common problems as well as complements. I have compiled the data to give an overview of the questions asked and they have come out quite positively.
The university screening went well and we have gained increased interest in the film and its merchandice, as well as discovering a target market audience for the film.
We are very happy with the finished film and delighted with the response that it is currently receiveing in the UK and America. Thank you to everyone that has supported the production and we look forward to seeing you at the premiere.
Roanoke: The Lost Colony - Trailer 2
The Second Trailer for Roanoke: The Lost Colony has been released!
Check it out on the website - http://www.roanokethemovie.com/trailer.htm
let us know what you think :-D
Roanoke: The Lost Colony - Press Kit
We have released a fancy press kit for Roanoke: The Lost Colony with pictures (thanks to Angela Keocharoen) and information about the film. You can download it via the hompage of the official site.
http://www.RoanokeTheMovie.com/
You will need Adobe PDF Reader to view it (most computers should have it)
Hint: To view it like a book (how it was published in print) click on the bottom right image (labled facing) when reading the doucment.
Today we had our first test screening for Roanoke: The Lost Colony, currently i'm reviewing all the forms and Jenna is working hard compiling all the data into one big form for us to peruse...when we have it a bit more organized I'll write a bit more.
Bertie
Premiere tickets can now be bought on general sale!
Call the box office: 08707 55 00 62 (lines open at 9:30am)
Visit the website: www.RoanokeTheMovie.com
Quick Details:
When? Saturday June 23rd 2007 - 6:30pm
Where? Ritzy, Picturehouse
Price? 5 pounds per ticket
Don't delay or you will miss out!
See you there (and let us know your coming)
Bertie
An open letter from Bertie Stephens (Producer and Director)
Hello Everyone,
I can very happily announce that the tickets for the premiere of the feature film Roanoke: The Lost Colony will go on general sale THIS Saturday (May 5th) at 9:30am. The movie has generated substantial interest over the past few months and we are expecting tickets to sell out fast for the premiere. I would more than love to see you there!
The Premiere is being held at a very impressive cinema in London, named the Ritzy Picturehouse. It is the largest independent cinema in the UK and very famous for its screening of independent films.
The date of the premiere is Saturday June 23rd 2007 – starts at 6:15pm
Tickets only cost £5!
The Ritzy has a very lovely bar where everyone can congregate for a drink before hand and then chat to the cast and crew afterwards.
At 9:30am the lines will open for General Sales to the Premiere, and as mentioned earlier due to the interest we are expecting the 350 seated cinema to sell out quite quickly. The bookings are being done on a first come, first served basis and are all controlled by the Ritzy Picturehouse box office (therefore I have no control over their sale).
On Saturday May 5th 2007 you can book online or over the phone:
Booking Office: 08707 55 00 62 (lines open at 9:30am)
Online: http://www.picturehouses.co.uk (choose Ritzy Cinema)
Details and location of the Ritzy can be found here - http://www.picturehouses.co.uk/cinema_info.aspx?venueId=ritz
Roanoke: The Lost Colony is a 16th Century Period Drama feature film with a twist in more ways than one. The film has been fronted by a team of seven recent graduates looking to make a difference in regards to the term ‘low-budget’ filmmaking. In all the film has been shot for under £10,000 but has used communities and locations from across England to bring about an ambitious feature film. The film follows the story of John White on his journey to reunite him his daughter in Roanoke Island, however what he finds on his arrival is one of the greatest historic mysteries ever recorded. The film will be of interest to those fascinated by seeing the first glimpses of the filmmakers of tomorrow, those intrigued by the possibilities and quality of true low budget filmmaking, and for all who enjoy a good narrative mixed with impressive acting and setting. More information can be found on the website at www.RoanokeTheMovie.com
I hope to see you there and please let me know if you have any questions!
All the best
Bertie
Yes, now the dissertations have finally come to an end, we can get back to fully concentrating on Roanoke. Not that we haven't been, its just now we can tell you all the wonderful things we have actually been working on like the sound, C.G.I (computer generated imagery) effects, grading and putting it all together to create the masterpiece that is Roanoke: The Lost Colony!
Apologies for the belated comments and display of the following pictures. The foley, which is the sound effects in the film were done a while ago. Bertie and I sat in a sound proof room with bits and pieces such as shoes, metal, glass jugs and so forth in order to create sounds that went with the images on screen. As not all the sound was recorded or not recorded loud enough (just the little things like writing, walking, putting cups down, that kind of thing) we then has to replicate the sound to complement the images being shown. Here are a few pictures:
Lots more has also been done for the films completion; I know it does get said often, but we could not have done it without the help from the cast and crew that have been involved with the making of the film in front and behind the camera. So thank you to everyone and hope to see you at the premiere!!
That's right everyone and over this weekend i'll be doing a big update about the premiere and some more cool things, but for now, here are a few pictures from the film to celerbrate!
as always click to enlarge
The UK Premiere for Roanoke: The Lost Colony has been set! On Saturday June 23rd 2007 at 6pm the doors will be open for the big day, the conclusion to nearly a years work, the premiere of Roanoke: The Lost Colony.
I am very excited to announce that on Friday we managed to agree a deal with what has been described as the best independent cinema in London (possibly England) for the premiere of our independent production, Roanoke. Our weekend will fit right in between the middle of all the major summer films on a weekend where no blockbuster is set for release.
Roanoke will be screened in Screen 1 of the Ritzy Picturehouse, London. The screen (as shown above) suits the style and mood of Roanoke perfectly and can seat more than 350 people in one showing.
We have been negotiating a number of venues over the last week but this proved to be the best due to the package Ritzy will put forward. We will have our name on the board outside, our poster in the window, the box office open to us with little Roanoke: The Lost Colony tickets printed out and our film advertised on our website. The Ritzy Cinema itself is "the largest independent specialist cinema in the country" and is located at the heart of the upcoming arts and media area of London.
We will be announcing how to get tickets for the event over the next couple of weeks, but mark it down in your diary now so that you don't miss out, we would love to see you there!
On the right you shall see a new media bar that will enable you to play, without leaving the page, some of the media from the roanoke the lost colony website. Under that we have a Google news box that allows you to see the latest news that mentions the historic event of Roanoke: The Lost Colony.
Quite exciting news, we now are the number 1 search hit on Yahoo (the most popular website on the internet*) when searching for "Roanoke The Lost Colony". This is very good for the movie as when people search for the historical event on the worlds most popular search engine they will be welcomed into our site with outstretched arms. We are also number one on Google for any mention of Roanoke and films or movies, still need to work on the "Lost colony" part of it tho.
Well back to dissertation writing i go! If you have any more interesting facts about where you can find links to our website or a mention of the film then it would be great to hear from you!
...if a computer had the same rights as a person.
First of all, happy easter every one. On one hand i could say not much has happened over the past week in regards to Roanoke, on the other over 40,000 frames have been rendered and mastered into a final export, with another number of thousand to come. Yep, the computer has been thrashing out frames since I last spoke and I've been able to review half the film so far and it is looking alot more filmic and professional than its native form. It is defiantly worth the wait. As of my title, if we lived in the film world of A.I or I. Robot then I'm sure a number of people would question the overtime the computer has done for the production. I have added a separate fan to aid in the cooling of the machine and often offer words of encouragement as i see it struggling away day and night with a tremendous amount of work.
This week while the computer finishes of we've begun looking at a final venue for Roanoke. I have one place in mind that hosts a perfect screen and setting for the final showing, whether we can secure it or not is a different matter.
I know the posts are coming few and far between but this isn't because Roanoke has gone away, it's becuase we're working on it even more. In fact the less blog posts there are the more we're working on Roanoke and have little time for anything else.
As it stands, like Sam pointed out below the production was completed over the weekend and now we are waiting for the computer to finish dealing with it. It is currently rendering and coloring the final visuals and making sure the dialog and foley are up to scratch. Sadly as the production is in High Definition this can take around 11 days to complete (some valuable dissertation time i feel)
From there it will be a day or so dropping in the final CGI plates and reviewing the whole movie with the mix of dialog, foley and music and making sure everything is just right to send off to the compressors. Sadly until technology advances a little (and we're nearly there) we cannot deliver the film in HD as no one will be able to play it, however until that time the film will be on your standard DVD for everyone to enjoy. We will be able to release a HD version later on should there be an interest for it.
So that's where the production stands and it will only be a few days now as the computer finishes off its thinking.
from,
a tired but excited bertie
Yes! This is the date Bertie has given as the day Roanoke: The Lost Colony will be finished!
It will then be time for some test screenings with the crew, as only Dan and Bertie have seen it, the rest of us have only seen some clips that they showed us at the wrap party! After the screenings it will then start to be put on to dvd (which you can still pre-order for just £3)! Angela has been busy cutting together the behind the scenes featurette for it (that I have seen!), and although not finished it is still looking really good, even with the interviews from the crew!
So once again I am going to say that its nearly over (I'm sure its about the 5th time we've said this!) and I'm sure we will all tell you what we think of the finished production when we've seen it! I can't wait to see the product of all our hard work!
Yesterday the crew got together with Ryan (Goodson) and Charlotte (Eleanor) who were also in the area at the time to have a bit of fun recording some green screen plates for the scenic section of the movie when we look out at the boat arriving in at Roanoke.
Sadly the authorities at Fleet pond and our budget didn't allow for a full 16th Century period long boat and hundreds of extras to arrive on set, for this reason we have had to cheat. In order to make it look realistic there are a number of ways it can be done, below is a quick rough example of one of those...
1. Here our DOP and Camera Man Dan stands in front of a large green piece of cloth in a studio in London, around stand the other crew members, reflectors and lights.
2. Here is an image shot in the Summer of fleet pond (Roanoke). It is very empty and although pretty, a bit boring.
3. IN the editing program we tell the computer to look at the image of Dan, find anything that is Green and delete it from our sights. We then put the image of Fleet Pond underneath so we get a very weird image of Daniel Standing in a studio above a very colourful backdrop.
4. As the "Green Screen" wasn't able to stretch across the whole room we then delete all the rest of the frame of Dan so that the rest of the studio is deleted. In this Picture below I have left the right hand side of the screen as it is so you can see what is happening.
5. When the whole of the studio has vanished we then can scale Dan down move him around and place him anywhere we want. In the image below i have decided to have him standing ankle deep in water.
Update: Now all crew members and two cast members have profiles on the website, more coming soon.
I've started to update the website again now that the video edit has ended, I've just added a few Crew Profiles under the cast and crew section. The profiles give you a little bit of information about the crew member, their role, what they look like and a few things things they have to say about Roanoke The Lost Colony. I'll be adding the remainder of the crew members over the next few days, along with the cast members.
I've also continued to add the weekly quiz to the website which is proving to be a popular feature, and we will hopefully have a new trailer soon too.
On another note I've successfully backed up the whole of Roanoke onto some secondary secure hardrives. Yay :-D
28 days.... :-D
...we've had alot going on in the Roanoke corner. Firstly it was great to get back together with everyone during the five days of re-shoots.
The re-shoots went down very well and it was fabulous to see the actors bring their characters back to life for a final time, adding further plot lines and character to their....well characters.
Congratulations to all the actors (not just those involved in the re-shoots) for portraying the emotionally and physically challenging roles to the highest degree.
It is great to finally say the video edit of the production is over. It is now down to the final compositions of music and the audio edit to polish off the feature film. These steps will hopefully be completed over the next 4 weeks, from there it will be down to a few test screenings to let us know which bits should be tweaked and tightened in order to portray this tale of hope and adventure to the greatest degree.
Soon, Soon....
As well as the other re-shoots we had to do, we made a last minute decision to return to the S.S. Great Britain in Bristol to re-shoot a scene that we had done before, and this took place on Thursday. The reason we decided to go back was beacause unfortunatly, the first time we were there, a catering van got in shot of some of the close ups, but luckily only in the one scene!
We spent an hour on the dock (the boat itself is too modern for the era), and unlike the other re-shoots, which have been new scenes, this was shot in exactly the same way as the first time around.
Although this was technically the last shooting day of Roanoke, we still have a day of recording James Alexander (Sir Walter Raleigh) in a studio for some voiceover lines, and another day spent in front of a green screen, again in the studio.
Apart from that, Bertie is still cutting together all the footage we have (and i can't wait to see it!), and still has to finish adding the final audio to it as it was recorded seperatly for better quality.
As well as this, the music has to be added, a vital part to any movie! As well as the small amount of CGI that has to be done.
Though this is around the third final day we've had, I'll say again that it has been a pleasure to work with everyone on this production, and I'm looking forward to seeing the finished product!
Is underwater night...more pictures and videos to follow in the first day of re-shoots and the most ambitious shoot day of all.
Bertie
So I'm a little over 50 minutes into the audio syncing and I'm thinking I'm going to pull an all nighter in order to finish it by Monday. Monday I'll spend the day touching it up and then we'll have a synced "proper audio" fine edit (excluding re-shoots) ready.
How wonderful.
Well I shall speak after I have recovered.
All the best,
Bertie
So it has now been a few days of audio syncing, and I'm on the last straw.
Trying to sync audio together involves (at least with the equipment used on Roanoke) matching timecodes and lips, lining it up with the camera audio, muting the original (bad) audio and making sure every word spoken matches up with a mouth movement.
In doing so you give yourself a very respectable dialogue track but in return a week of being a bit mad.
This week rivals the week of logging all the clips, a week sat in front of the computer needing to concentrate constantly on mouths and not getting out much. Do not get me wrong however, when you hear the difference after a number of weeks editing the film in the bad guide dialogue it does sound refreshing, it also seems odd on some scenes (such as the London Dock and some scenes on the Golden Hinde) to be able to hear the chatter rather than the sound of traffic!
I did however meet up with someone yesterday and it was odd to see all their dialogue was the same as their mouth movements! How interesting!
Ok well I've had a five minute break,
Back I go!
Bertie
So the audio edit has begun and there is the most delightful task ahead which involves finding all the dialogue spoken and sinking up the "real" audio with the video. I have set myself quite the impossible task (from a first look) of 15 minutes a day, so in theory I should have completed it (at least roughly) by Sunday.
I have found it very interesting that the brain will perceive any similar dialogue spoken to be similar to the mouth movements of the real line, I’m not sure I wrote that in the most coherent way possible, however in short it is possible to use the dialogue of various takes and layer it on the top of the video edit without it looking odd, which helps on some occasions.
I have also realised just how useful the clapper board really is. Although it is possible with us (due to having a bad camera sound as a guide) to operate when a clapper board is not in use, the sharp "clap" or frame that peaks in the audio wave in order to show the start of a new take can be extremely helpful when in reality one is operating "blind".
So yes, 0-15 mins yesterday, 15-30mins today (hopefully) and in similar sequence until the end of the film.
So in every production as one reaches the final part of the edit you realise that bits can be tweaked here and there to make the story better. In the case of the movie Roanoke: The Lost Colony we have finally concluded the fine edit and have left gaps for a few scenes which we feel will help the narrative, or on the odd occasion there was an issue with the set/equipment. This is not to say the script on its own did not make a fantastic read, its just its very hard to tell how areas will translate when they go onto the big screen.
The re-shoots will happen as the audio edit now begins (tomorrow) and will simply fit into the schedule and each scene will be edited the same day as it is shot in order to make sure the post-production stage is not slowed down.
One of the scenes that will be added is very ambitious and will involve going back to a pool, underwater filming equipment, scuba gear and alot of actors hoping they can hold there breath! Hopefully our safety will be a bit better than the quick description, but in general we are attempting a very ambitious underwater scene which should add a very nice element to the piece.
Although there are 5 days in total of re-shoots, most of the days are only one - a few hours long and will simply be a get in, get out situation. The locations are as follows:
The Golden Hinde
Fleet Pond
Bristol SS GB
Weald and Downland and West Wittering
Bradfield Sports Complex.
The new location being bradfield of course and all the other locations can be found out via our new website at www.RoanokeTheMovie.com
We will be shooting on the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 12th and 15th of February with an aim to having the finished 60 minute version complete a fortnight after. Once that has be done and prepared for competitions we will touch up the 90 minute version and look towards the first screening and the release of the DVD.
We have had a wonderful response, and some fantastic comments about the DVD over the past weekend, and with initial figears we will be looking to send out a few more DVDs than originally thought, although there is still work o be done to get to that stage and no one is looking past the next step ahead.
The end is now still far away, but on the horizon, and although there are many more updates and bits of work to be done your amazing support you have offered us either by buying the DVD, becoming an honourary sponsor, giving a donation, or simply staying on the blog with us has kept everyones spirits high!
Bertie x
I have some big news and very exciting news about the re-shoots and film status, but I'd like if I may to save that for tomorrow so I can chat a little bit more about the website.
First i must start with a huge thank you to every one who has supported the project in the first few days of pre-order. Your wonderful generosity in either buying the DVD, Cap or becoming an honourary sponsor has not only helped shown every volunteer who worked on the film how valued their efforts have been but given the film the opportunity to begin to get the recognition it deserves. Thank you, thank you.
As many will know our exam is over so we are now free to work on Roanoke, non stop, and we have happily been taking advantage of that situation over the past few days. For those who visited the website on the launch will now realise there are loads of knew features! In fact we aim to keep updating these features as the days go on so in the end we should have an even bigger and informative website.
Here are some of the new site updates:
and some page additions:
Hopefully this will offer lots more information regarding the project. If you have some idea of information you would like to see then we would love to hear your ideas.
All the best
Bertie x
p.s (i have on my list to update the photo album, the our story page, DVD page and multimedia page by the end of the day)
We were going to wait until the weekend, but we were too excited!
Here it is, a biggy:
+ more
We have a number of updates to come over the coming weeks so keep checking back. Although the blog will stay the #1 spot for the latest news and updates, don't miss out on pre-ordering the DVD at a highly reduced price (save 70%)!
Visit Now:
(there is another big production update to come, but I'll save that for another day, oh and thank you to everyone for the lovely exam well wishes :-D it was lovely)
Sadly this is not the day of release, the award ceremony we may one day be at, or even the end of the project, but today is the day of the exam. For the number of crew members who are in attendance at the same University as I, this has been the exam that has always left a guilty conscious since the New Year when we decided to edit instead of revise, made one feel a little uneasy after spending a good number of days planning possible re-shoots, or simply when working on the very major step that will be unveiled over the weekend.
However after today that is all over, and ignoring the quite possible over emotional prologue to this blog we will be free to finish the visual edit, move onto the audio edit and begin the marketing and the various other jobs needed to be done before we can finally pronounce the production complete. This also means we can begin to have regular blog updates again, News on the final steps, and as briefly mentioned above the new section that is opening on the weekend.
But for now I should go just check exactly what ethical media is all about and then be free by tomorrow.
I've had a few e-mails wondering what exactly the grading process is all about. Grading the movie is colouring the image so that in no longer looks raw and how the camera takes it, but instead can fit the feel, mood and style of the piece. Although the Crew has a very important part in creating the look of the piece, grading the video afterwards adds to the overall...welll...feel, mood, and style :-D
Instead of going on and on about what and how the colour can be changed I have made a few examples from clips of the Roanoke rushes. I can't guarantee these shots will appear in the film, nor can i say the colour is correct (only spent a short amount of time grading them), however it gives off a good idea!
Here we are on a long boat, it should be dark and dingy, not bright and orange like the original footage makes it seem:
Out in the forests, just a slight change here but it makes all the difference:
It depends on the mood, with the expression of the face here I have taken out the bright glow, it now looks a lot more sinister:
The golden glow of Roanoke seeps through:
Hi All Roanoke The Lost Colony Blog followers,
Just a quick note as we are moving through the edit to remember to change your credit. You can either use the link over here ------------------------> or click on this one that will always be near, in order to be credited correctly. It would be a great shame if we end up spelling your name wrong after the wonderful work you have offered us! I apologise if your name is currently spelt wrong as I edit the credits based on the release forms and my ability to read them :-D. If you have worked or been involved in the production in any way then please do let us know if you are not on the list as we must include you in our production!
In order to add/amend a credit, scroll to the bottom of the page and fill in the form!
Thanks!
Bertie
p.s - the edit will be this slow on updates until the 16th as alot of the crew have a UNI exam to fend off and therefore our concentration is rather split between the two!
A new year and a fine cut. Quite a bit ahead of schedule Daniel and I finished the first fine cut today (minus around 15 minor changes we have now deiced upon) and the final 10 minutes. Although this might not sound exactly like a fine cut, it means alot of the image is how it should be and it can be locked off for audio and cgi sooner or later.
At the beginning of February we may have a small change as we are currently discussing something reasonable major in regards to having all the footage filmed for the production. Although we have officially finished the shooting week we have always said there will be a few re-shoot days, the extent of these were not known until the edit and currently, although they will only total a small % of the final film, the locations means we might well be going back to a few of the locations.
Dan and I, along with the script writer Shane (from a virtual position) as he is now back in the USA are discussing a few changes which i believe will spruce up the production from the excellent narrative it has already and close a few remaining questions in regards to the narrative and open a number of further story lines and twists that are really quite exciting. I'm sorry for being slightly here and there with this statement but until we have fully confirmed the new additions to the story I don't want to speak out of turn. What could be quite interesting is that without intention we may end up with a alternate ending.
On Friday we are meeting with someone we hope will be able to complete our CGI (Computer Generated Imagery) and although it isn't a major factor within the production, as in we don't have many flying cars or that many laser guns ;-), we do have a number of areas that we couldn't fill in regards to scenery and therefore some computer imagery might be able to do the trick for us.
I wrote a full schedule yesterday for the production. Initial video editing (excluding video feed editing from the re-shoots) should be completed by January 21st 2007. The audio dubbing will then begin and be completed by January 28th, then the music will hopefully be on schedule for completion by February 4th.
After this we will be looking to re-shoot a number of areas (dependant on actors availability) by February 9ht, in order to edit the final bits, and colour grade and render by Feb 18th.
There are a few stages after this, but as we speak, that should do for now.
Speak on Friday,
Bertie
