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Formatting Your Final Project

14 May 2012

Your final pieces are due Friday before 3:00 pm.


I need one DVD that will play in a DVD player. This is your backup in case something goes wrong with the other version. You might need a different program to create it, such as Nero Burning Rom (PC) or DVD Studio Pro (Mac). There are hundreds of programs to do this, so ask around. See what your class mates are using.


I also need your final piece as a file. This is supposed to be at high resolution and will most likely be a big file. Below are some tips if you are having trouble exporting an MP4 (I will also except a .mov or an .avi).


Remember this?

When you first made your timeline in Premiere or FCP, you had to choose the settings that exactly matched your footage. There was picture size (aspect ratio) and frame rate (frames per second). Now that it is time to export the timeline, you must choose the same exact settings to maintain your picture size and frame rate.

Another issue is if you are using a Mac or a PC. Macs use Quicktime (.mov) and PCs use an AVI file. I can take either one. But there's more:


 

The file format is simply a container for the video and audio streams. It has nothing to do with the compression. Compression makes the size of the file smaller. The codecs dictate how the video information is written and placed into that container. And this is where you can really mess up your work. You want to choose settings that maintain your frame rate and picture size. So make sure you read all that information in the dialog box before you press "ok". It is a very good idea to only encode about 5 seconds of your work as a test to see if you have the right settings. That way you won't have to wait an hour to find out. You can mark in and mark out on your timeline before you go to export to do this.


Mind and I have worked out some of these problems over the phone. And she has posted about it on the chat pages under "Mysterious Faith of Buddhism". You can read that post for help on Premiere. If you are using FCP you will want to send the timeline to Compressor. You can ask Sand about that. Remember the whole class is one big team. We aren't little groups of four people working in isolation, but one really large group of professionals creating their own structures and working styles with in a larger industry.

Good luck.
A. Sam



Important

10 May 2012

We are getting close to the deadline, May 18th, so I wanted to give each group some tips. At this stage, just focus on what is important and forget about the small stuff. Everybody wants it to be the best it can be. So please don't fight eachother.


Please remember that I do not require credits on your films. You have 6 minutes, 29 seconds and 24 frames of time on the big screen in a really nice theater. Use that time to dazzle the audience with your filmmaking and editing skills. Put pictures up there! I might not even play the credits until the very end of the show, or not at all.


This information is to be compiled by the Director (as I assigned in class) and put in the Production Package. The credits are a list of people who helped make the film possible. And their positions should accurately reflect what they did (to the best of your understanding of the duties of that position). Wiki has a nice page on the positions in a film crew. Don't forget business owners, government officials, your parents, anybody who helped with permissions, support or financing.





Pictures

6 May 2012

I'm still accepting pictures, if you haven't sent one yet. If you find a better one than before, you may send it on too. We are looking for the one picture that best identifies your piece. It should be easy to find, especially if you are the editor or director. You can forward it to your producer's email or send it to me here.







Email

6 May 2012

A lot of you are saying that you sent a picture to my email. I have received no pictures by email.


This makes me think that people are using the wrong address. There is no samforkner@hotmail or gmail.


The email for this website is sam (at) samforkner.org. That's .org, not .com. If you need another you can write to me at samforkner (at) yahoo.com




Hello???

5 May 2012

I've only recieved photos from Fisherman's Life, Toll of Mental Illness, Sword as a Nation's Soul, and Vegetarian Festival

I will extend the deadline until tonight, Saturday, midnight. After that, no credit will be given to producers who miss deadlines.



Pictures

2 May 2012

Producers need to send me a picture, ASAP. Maximum size is 7 Mb.

I know you are busy with other things but slow and steady wins the race. OK? Don't forget to respond. It's part of your grade.







If you can't get this to work, send the pictures by email.
A. Sam



Anouncements

2 May 2012

Producers


I must have a picture that perfectly represents your group's project. And I need it by midnight Friday.

Remember stay out of the editing room. Love and trust your director. Give him or her what they need to do their job. The editor will be having a lot of problems with the technology so just communicate your needs to the director and leave that pitifull person alone. The day before the deadline you can get them to output the project no matter if it is finished or not.

See me at Thammasat on the 18th of May and put a DVD and an MP4 in my hand. Contact me by email for help or if it is very important you may call me.



Blurbs for the brochure


I have received finished blurbs for every project except:

A Fisherman's Life - Num
Ngiew - Koko
Ruins in Ruins - Tara
Thai Traditional Tattoos - Pom
Transportation Infrastructure - Leela



Subtitles – Writers


If you send me your subtitles I will correct the English grammar for you. Do not send me a word file! Copy and paste the text into an email.


Putting good subtitles on a bilingual documentary is one of the most difficult things you will ever do. Here are some pointers:


Not every detail is important. It will not be possible to put all of the information conveyed in Thai into English. What you must do is pick what is the most important thing and only put that down. By adjusting the position of your title on the timeline, the meaning will slowly start to synchronize with the Thai language.


Subtitles must be very easy to read so that the audience can get back to looking at the film instead of reading. It is a good idea to write in short simple sentences. It is a bad idea to use a lot of punctuation. No colons, no semi-colons, no exclamation points, dashes or smileys. Just use periods and commas and write in complete sentence that use the simple present and past tense.





Class schedule for 30 April 2012

24 April 2012

  • 9:00-10:00
  • 10:00-10:30
  • 10:30-11:00
  • 11:00-12:00
  • 12:00-13:00
  • 13:00-16:00
  •      
  •      
  •      
  •      
  •      
  •      
  • Producers only
  • Writers only
  • Directors only
  • Editors only
  • LUNCH
  • Final in-class help session on projects
  • Order of projects TBA

The class on Monday, April 30th will be your last chance to work in class with me so make sure you bring all of your equipment and materials with you.





A Fisherman's Life

11 April 2012

This group has finished their assembly. It's quite an impressive cuts only piece. I recommend everyone watch their rough cut on their chat page:     here.





Writers, you have a job to do.

10 April 2012

Below is a list of each title and a short blurb about it. This is what will appear on the brochures and posters for the film festival. It's your job to approve, or not, of what I have written. You may expand on what I have done or change it entirely, but I must have your blurb before April 24. Write your description of the piece and paste it into the chat room for your group. There is a maximum 120 word limit.



A Fisherman's Life


We went out on a boat with a local family to see just what a fisherman's life is really like.



All Man Show


Go with us backstage at one of the premiere venues in Pattaya to interview performers and fans.



Arts and Crafts at Koh Kret


There is an amazing variety of crafts on this popular island.



Concrete Jungle


People don't think much about living in a large city, but what about the animals?



Ngiew


Join this group of students as they follow the Sai Yong Hong Teochew Chinese opera troupe.



Ramanya


In the heart of Songkhlaburi lies a hidden culture.



Ruins in Ruins


One of the worst hit areas of the recent flooding was Ayutthaya. What will happen to the ancient ruins there? What will happen to the temples and the people? These are a few of the problems explored.



Survivors to Souvenirs


Evolutionarily unchanged for hundreds of millions of years, these fierce beasts have gone from being predator to prey.



Sword as a Nation's Soul


The sword and it's ceremony represent the nation in a unique way.



The Anatomy of a Massage


See a detailed and artistic analysis of what make massage magical.



The Journey of Chocolate


Everyone loves chocolate. Come with us to explore more about it.



The Mysterious Faith of Buddhism


The Thai amulets represent a particularly secretive part of one of the world's major religions.



The One-handed Fighter


Watch as we follow the training and progress of a particularly challenged boxer.



The Toll of Mental Illness


Mental illness is a problem that affects all of society in many intricate and also abstract ways.



Thai Traditional Tattoos


This strange belief system is documented in a way that neither judges if these powers are real nor tries to expose these members as a rarity.



Thai Traditional Trains


The State Railway of Thailand maintains a quaint and lovely way to travel, relatively unchanged for over a hundred years.



Transportation Infrastructure


Everybody has to travel somewhere. And we all have to do it at the same time.



Vegetarian Festivals


Students from the south of Thailand give us an audio-visual tour of the rituals surrounding this festival.





A word about adding effects

29 March 2012

It's always a good idea to have a strong cuts-only piece before you add graphics and effects. This is what we call an assembly. (That's an exam question if you missed in in class Tuesday, นะครับ).

If you sit with your editor and help him or her choose the best cuts from your footage — based on content — then your ideas will start coming out strong.

This is what we call a rough cut and it's just the first step after the assembling phase. We can look at rough cuts and talk about their effectiveness, i.e. what is working well vs. what isn't working at all. This process may stress the editor so be patient. And be nice!

After that, we can start adding effects, polishing the soundtrack, adding voice overs and more, which is what we call a fine cut. This is where your dreams start getting realized. Every group member will be happy with the work and proud of it too.

There's another step or two after that so just keep working on the assembly and rough cuts for now. I'll help out. We still have time.

A. Sam



A Note for Producers

28 March 2012

It should be obvious to some of you by now that a letter from the University and a couple of phone calls is not going to be enough to get what you want from a big guy who is stoping you from getting that perfect shot for your documentary. The true job of a producer requires more than just an attention to detail and the ability to print a letter. To be a producer means that you understand what important people want because you are an important person too. You have something important to give back to them because you have the ability to make a film. And that big guy wants it, trust me. A producer cultivates a relationship with an investor because there is a good chance that in the future there will be a great return for both parties. That's the way to get permission, by convincing them you have something that they need.



Another easy A

28 March 2012

Write your nickname, your ID, and what you're doing with your group and I'll give you +5 points on your grade! But hurry, you only have 24 hours to do so.

A. Sam


  • Nickname     ID
  •  
  • Comment
  •  


Announcement

23 March 2012

I have noticed that "The End of the Line" and "Transportation Infrastructure" have been unable to comment on their pages. This was my fault and it has been fixed.

Project pages

So far only a few groups have posted the information I requested on the 20th of March. Please post the information on you expanded teams.

The title of "Tiffany's at Pattaya" has been changed to "Pattaya Nightlife". If this group (or any other group) wishes to change their title, just let me know. It is perfectly okay to update your title to reflect the developments in your documentary. That's why each group has a writer.




Hi Everybody!

20 March 2012

I need to know the nicknames, positions, and ID numbers (last four only please) of everyone that is working on a particular project. Please post the information in the links to your project below. Remember to check the website often. It is a big part of your grade.

A. Sam




Just to be Fair

14 March 2012

Anyone using a PC laptop to make their final project can present during classtime. If we can see your timeline on the screen and edit in realtime, your group will get +5 too.




Important Announcement

12 March 2012

People using Apple laptops or Macintosh computers are going to need the white adaptor to connect to the projector in the class room. Any one who has it, and brings it to class will get 5 points for each time they bring it to class. If no one has it, then the group should get together and purchase it and I will reward the entire group of Mac users.




Midterm Assignment

12 March 2012

Fifteen teams have submitted their final preproduction work and received credit for correctly following the Midterm assignment. Please pay attention to the way I have spelled your title. As you edit your pieces, the title may change again.

These groups are listed in the order they were recieved:

  1. The Mysterious Faith of Buddhism
  2. The Anatomy of a Massage
  3. Transportation Infrastructure
  4. The Journey of Chocolate
  5. Tiffany's at Pattaya
  6. The Heart of Sangkhlaburi
  7. The Toll of Mental Illness
  8. Ngiew
  9. A Fisherman's Life
  10. Survivors to Souvenirs
  11. Arts and Crafts at Koh Kret
  12. The One Handed Fighter
  13. Traditional Thai Trains
  14. Ruins in Ruins
  15. Concrete Jungle

Groups that did not submit any preproduction by email are:

  • Sword as a Nation's Soul -- No problem
  • The End of the Line -- Changed topic
  • Art of Weave -- No information


Extra Credit

9 March 2012

Anyone who brings me a ticket stub from "The Artist," which is playing at Scala will recieve an extra 5 points added to their final score. Just write your nickname and the last four numbers of your ID on it.


If you've already seen it and you threw the ticket stub away, then you can bring me a ticket stub from "The Descendents", "The Iron Lady", or any other movie which has been nominated for an Acadamey Award. But hurry, these movies will soon be gone.



Get Your A

5 March 2012

Post freely. Your information will be kept secret.



  • Nickname     ID
  •  
  • Title of the film you are working on  
  •  
  • Your position (Director, Producer, ect.)  
  •  
  • Your opinion
  •  


Pixel Aspect Ratio

from the lecture on 21 February 2012

Today's motion pictures are almost all pixel based. Video has a long history of changing technology which itself was originally based on film. This means that editing platforms, such as Premiere and Final Cut Pro, have hundreds of codecs to choose from.

When you begin editing, you will need to choose the correct technical specs for your job. So how do you know? First, remember your pixel aspect ratio. Then choose the correct frame rate.

  1. Check the menus in your camera for information.
  2. Put a clip of your video in VLC player and go to the menu:
                Window>Media Information.
  3. Start a new project with your editing software and choose the settings that match this information. (You may need to go to Preferences if you are having trouble.)
  4. Import that clip and see if it plays properly.

If you are working on a film with multiple formats, choose the specs for the highest quality. Frame rate will be an issue! Converting video to different types will not solve problems with different frame rates. Try to maintain the same frame rate through (such as 24, 25, 30).

It's always better to do a short, quick test on 5 seconds of video. Think about the alternative. If you edit an entire piece with the wrong specs, and you have to start over, you will waste a lot more time.



Easy A

14 February 2012

Anyone who fills out this form before 12:00 am Monday gets extra credit! Your information will be kept confidential.



  • Nickname     ID
  •  
  • Title of the film you are working on
  •  
  • Title of the film you would like to work on
  •  


The Four Rules for a Filmmaker

14 February 2012
  • Find a way to prove your worth, anytime, any situation.
  • Rules must be learned before they are effectively broken.
  • Master the craft before attending to the details.
  • No matter how disappointed you are, be patient.


The Five C's


  • Camera
  • Continuity
  • Cutting
  • Close up
  • Composition


The Five E's


  • Enthrall
  • Entertain
  • Escape
  • Enlighten
  • Educate




Registration Period Over

11 February 2012

Thanks to all those who completed this process. You got your A for today! Click the link below to see the above-the-line groups and their projects. Any one who still doesn't have a documentary to work on can be a below the line player. This includes positions such as First Assistant Director, Director of Photography, Lighting Director, Electrician, Camera Operatator (or assist), Wardrobe and Make-up, and basically anything we did in class last year. There are also other positions outside of a studio, such as Location Scout, Line Producer, Co-producer, Second Assistant Director ...


I think you get the drift. Anything in red still has a problem. Boss, you can't be both director and producer for a job this size. Marine, being writer and director will be too much work for you. The group "Art of Weave" needs a writer. Can anyone volunteer?

Click ME





9 February 2012

  • Producer
  • Director
  • Editor
  • Writer
  •  
  • Producer
  • Director
  • Editor
  • Writer
  •  
  • Producer
  • Director
  • Editor
  • Writer
  • Ploy
  • Beer
  • Jom
  • Beau
  •  
  • Mind
  • Kalle
  • Fang
  • Aris
  •  
  • Ryo
  • Muk
  • Noon
  • Kat
  • 0318
  • 0334
  • 0102
  • 0664
  •  
  • 0201
  • 0847
  • 0185
  • 0615
  •  
  • 0599
  • 0474
  • 0797
  • 0441

Thank you. These students have recieved an A grade for this week. It's not too late. Please help me remind the rest of the class that the deadline is fast approaching. And remember, anyone can work with anyone else at anytime because

filmmaking is a collaborative art


This is going to be a really fun term and I look forward to working with you all.

Sincerely,

A. Sam



Homework

Deadline for registration is 11:59 pm, Friday, 10 February 2012.

Here's the master list from class. Use it well. Students who complete this assignment on time will recieve an A for this assignment which is equal to one paper grade.

Click me


Documentary Team

Just a quick note. When you actually go into production you can have whatever size team you need. This registration is only to determine who will be above the line for a certain project. Everyone is a free agent and may work with any group in any position at any time. If you can't get above the line for a project, help someone else first.


  • Title of Work    

   NicknameID No. (last four digits)
  • Producer
  • Director
  • Editor
  • Writer





The Project

January 31st 2012

Thanks for turning in your project treatments. I will read them all before next week. On February 7 we will talk about how to make your film a reality. Students need to bring laptop computers, external hard-drives, footage, cameras (both still and video), and any research materials regarding the project. The more you have, the quicker I can approve your content and get you started.

If you don't have all of these materials then just bring what you can. This is not a requirement just a good way to advance your work to the professional level.



The Project

January 24th 2012

Before you can make an award winning documentary, you will have to travel to an amazing place and take some fantastic pictures. Afterwards you will need to write about your experience in a way that makes others interested in your project's development. Finally, you will have to make an amazing video.

Requirements for a documentary production team

  1. You will need a computer with Premiere Pro or Final Cut Pro 7 (not X).
  2. At least 500 MB of free space for video footage, which could be an external hard-drive.
  3. The appropriate file structure in a folder on your hard-drive.

Bring all of this to class.

Your Team

When choosing your team, make sure that you have the following people:

  1. Someone who can manage the files, software and a computer to edit a finished piece.
  2. Someone who can manage the time and permission to work with important people.
  3. Someone who can write all the ideas down and compile them for your team to read and discuss. This is the most important job of all, and it should be done by the smartest person in the group. This person can have an assistant producer as long as that person is willing to follow the advice of the producer and expand it.
  4. Someone who has a strong motivation to make their ideas seen by the entire world.

Start in the Production or Post-production Phase

Use Professor Sam's Footage

Here are some possible topics for you to choose from. The advantage in choosing one of these is that you can use my footage for your piece. You can skip preproduction and production and get started with the editing right away!

  1. Wat Chaiwattanaram, Ayutthaya
  2. Phanom Rung, Buriram
  3. Kao Phra Viharn, Kantharalak, Surin
  4. Koh Kret
  5. Koh Kret
  6. Salakeoku, Nong Khai
  7. Phimai, Korat Nakorn Rachasima
  8. Si Satchanalai, Sukhothai
  • The Flooding of the Temple Ruins
  • Our Ancient Heritage
  • Dispute on the Boarder
  • Life on the Chaophraya River
  • Arts and Crafts at Koh Kret
  • The Strangest Temple
  • The Ancient City of Phimai
  • The First Thai Kingdom

Start with Production

Great Thai Stories

These stories are good because they appeal to both an international audience and a Thai audience too. You can sell the rights to your story twice — once to Discovery© and once to Thai PBS™. Unfortunately, I don't have any footage for these stories. But I will help you in other ways.

  1. Hmong Hill Tribes
  2. Akha, Lisu, Lawo Hill Tribes
  3. Mlabri/Pee Tong Luang
  • The Lost Civilization
  • The Opium Tribes
  • The Converted Foresters

More Stories

These stories have a lot of research that has already been done for you. I choose these topics because they would be a lot of fun to shoot. And the people who make these works of art would love to have you stop by.

  1. Sato, Folk Whiskey
  2. Petchaburi, Deserts
  3. Clay Pots
  4. Brooms
  5. Dye
  • Homemade
  • Sugar in the City of Petchaburi
  • From the Earth to Your Table
  • The Forest Products
  • The Color of Cloth

Even More Stories

If none of that interests you, then there are still plenty of other great stories to make.

  1. Kumanthong
  2. Chuchok
  3. Saiduksub
  4. Nangkwak
  5. Chatukamramathep
  6. Mahayan
  7. Phaya Tao Ruean
  8. many, many, many more

So there you have it. If any of these numbers interest you, then remember that number and make sure you turn in your treatment next week. If you weren't in class, shame on you, baby.