Are you still using Hitfilm for your green screen effects? (Used to be FXHome).
Star Trek: Intrepid resumes production
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I still have a copy of FX Home on my old Windows machine but haven't powered it up in ages. Steve was actually using the predecessor to FX Home, I forget what it was called, when he was doing the keying. I believe Jon and Steve (Gilson) used After Effects.
I'm currently using the basic tools in Premiere Pro, but plan to upgrade to After Effects in short order.
I haven't really tried Hitfilm, other than playing around with the demo a bit when they first released it. The learning curve from FX Home didn't seem huge though.
I'm currently using the basic tools in Premiere Pro, but plan to upgrade to After Effects in short order.
I haven't really tried Hitfilm, other than playing around with the demo a bit when they first released it. The learning curve from FX Home didn't seem huge though.
So here's an object lesson for all budding fanfilm makers out there.
Since day one, sound has been by far our biggest problem. While I wouldn't suggest we have this entirely licked, we've reached a stage where we are at least recording much cleaner sound, and have progressed to recording sound separately from the camera. Now this may add another layer of complexity to the post-production process, but I can't recommend it highly enough. The sound we're getting is much, much cleaner.
Of course, it's also sensible to record sound directly into camera as well, which makes synching your nice clean sound files much to the video much easier.
Anyway, getting to the object lesson, you should always check the on camera mic is switched on before shooting.
In our defense, we haven't used this camera in over 2 years, so we're a bit rusty. And it's not an insurmountable job to synch the audio with the video, but it's a lot, lot harder.
So yeah, made my job harder. Doh! Always double check folks. Always doublecheck.
Since day one, sound has been by far our biggest problem. While I wouldn't suggest we have this entirely licked, we've reached a stage where we are at least recording much cleaner sound, and have progressed to recording sound separately from the camera. Now this may add another layer of complexity to the post-production process, but I can't recommend it highly enough. The sound we're getting is much, much cleaner.
Of course, it's also sensible to record sound directly into camera as well, which makes synching your nice clean sound files much to the video much easier.
Anyway, getting to the object lesson, you should always check the on camera mic is switched on before shooting.
In our defense, we haven't used this camera in over 2 years, so we're a bit rusty. And it's not an insurmountable job to synch the audio with the video, but it's a lot, lot harder.
So yeah, made my job harder. Doh! Always double check folks. Always doublecheck.
Okay, we never officially stopped, but it's been so long since we actually shot anything that we might as well have.
Our next episode was supposed to be Dissonant Minds. At that time, we were building up to a feature length episode which would have picked up where Dissonant Minds left off. We even have a few scenes from that feature length episode in hand.
And then I became a dad.
Those of you who have taken the step from no kids to suddenly having to juggle work life and parenthood will understand. Work on Intrepid became more and more of a challenge, and one I rarely had time or energy for. I realised shooting our feature length just wasn't practical, and truth be told, I was sick to death of greenscreen work (and there would have been a lot of it). So I decided it was necessary to rework Dissonant Minds as more of a cap to our arc, and scrap the feature length.
This, unfortunately, was not so easy as I'd imagined. We'd already shot about 70 percent of Dissonant Minds, and what we needed to achieve, didn't entirely fit in with what we had in the virtual can. For a while, I considered cutting what we had as a short, but that would have meant cutting a few people who had come and worked on scenes already, and I really didn't want to do that. Let's face it, there's little recompense for doing these things, the least we can do is make sure those who give their time end up on screen (or behind it, depending on what their role is). So I kept going back to that script, month after month, trying to make it work.
Until a few weeks ago. I'd planned to shoot a short this weekend, but couldn't arrange for the location I wanted in time so had to postpone. So I figured, what the hell, set a deadline and I'll figure something out.
Whether it was the deadline or just luck, I managed to cobble the plot back together and put together a few scenes that will, hopefully, tie things together coherently enough. We still need to shoot another one (maybe two) scenes, but the hard part is hopefully over.
So what will this episode be called? Well it might still be Dissonant Minds. Or it might be something else. The episode formerly known as Dissonant Minds will do for now I guess.
There are a few images up on our Facebook page if anyone wants to take a look.
https://www.facebook.com/starshipintrepid
Congratulations on becoming a father, and congratulations on returning to the Intrepid!
I know just what you mean by parenthood affecting, well, everything. And it's a wonderful (but exhausting) thing.
Thank you! And yes, it is indeed. Even though I spent most of last night sleeping in my daughter's bed because she kicked me out of ours.
The latest version Hitfilm 3 has some nice features, but AE is the standard for most productions around here.
At some point I might invest in Hitfilm and play about with it, but for the foreseeable future I'm going to concentrating on learning AE.
Here's a quick out take from the January shoot. Please note this is just a quick pass, the background plate is a placeholder. No sound work has been done and neither the keying or colour are necessarily indicative of the finished film, but now that we're up and running again I'm keen to share updates where possible and practical.
[yt]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TCeN5PAbZo[/yt]
[yt]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TCeN5PAbZo[/yt]
Looks like we'll be shooting a new short next month in what should be an interesting local venue. This will also be our first shoot using DSLR, but we'll have a few news faces helping out both in front of and behind the camera, so hopefully it'll be a relatively smooth process. I'm going to try and document things as we go (other pressures permitting) for those who may be interested.
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Best of luck!
Thanks guys.
Just received confirmation last night for dates that we can use this location, so looks like we're a go.
Just received confirmation last night for dates that we can use this location, so looks like we're a go.
Currently getting some odds and ends ready for the shoot in three weeks. Here's a couple of props we'll be using.
Everything looks great Nick. I've always been amazed at the level of green screening in your episodes. I am looking very forward to your next episodes and the visual effects in the first video here were great. Also, congratulations on being a dad. It's a wonderful gift.
Thank you!
No greenscreening for this upcoming shoot, I'm happy to say. I hate doing greenscreen.
And yes, being a dad rocks.
No greenscreening for this upcoming shoot, I'm happy to say. I hate doing greenscreen.
And yes, being a dad rocks.
You and me, both, pal!I hate doing greenscreen.
I asked this question over on our Facebook page, but I'm curious what others think.
If the Intrepid crew were ever to meet a fanfilm crew from the Original series era, which one would you pick, and why?
I have a particularly soft spot for Starship Exeter. It wasn't the first fanfilm I saw (it was the second) but it was the first that made me not just want to make my own, but to believe I actually could. So for me, if we ever did such a thing (assuming team Exeter were willing and able) that would be my first choice.
If the Intrepid crew were ever to meet a fanfilm crew from the Original series era, which one would you pick, and why?
I have a particularly soft spot for Starship Exeter. It wasn't the first fanfilm I saw (it was the second) but it was the first that made me not just want to make my own, but to believe I actually could. So for me, if we ever did such a thing (assuming team Exeter were willing and able) that would be my first choice.
I have a major soft spot for Exeter, too.
Andorian lithors (sp?) are established to exist by dialog in the Intrepid universe. So, seems like a natural fit.
I'd love to see the return of as many Exeter characters as is feasible.
More Exeter would be great. Who knows, maybe they'll come back for one last mission one of these days.
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