Interviews
Today I went up to Manchester to interview some of the scientists at jodrell bank who are involved in the search for planets orbiting other stars. Interesting stuff and apparently with new developments due on line in 10 years or so, they’ll be able to detect the constituents of the atmospheres of planets in other solar systems. They tell me that they’ll be able to be almost certain if there is life from these measurements. In a few years, we’ll know if we’re alone – or at least we’ll know if we’re not.
They seemed quite surprised that I had a camera with me (I think they thought it was audio only. Still, they adjusted quite quickly. The interviews went well, and they offered me some footage of the telescope which I can use in the documentary. They’re going to start making video in the next few months so I offered my help – the least I can do I think given that I’ve taken up their afternoon.
With these two interviews, I’ve got the first section of the documentary covered. I’ve got the solar sailing bit covered. I’ve also got the faster than light section covered. What remains is the part about how to sustain human habitation during a 50+ year journey to the stars (I’ve got someone lined up to interview about this), a section on fusion ramjets and other super-rockets, and a section on terraforming (which I think I may have an interviewee for, but I’m not sure).
It’s probably time to start editing and working on the animations.
Friday, December 14, 2007
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
A Sale - a palpable sale!
A Sale - a palpable sale!
Spent some time today re-writing the documentary transcript so that it made some kind of sense. It felt like a thankless task, but when I emailed it to the distributors, the return email informed me that the company who’d asked about the HD version of the shark documentary has bought it!
That means I have to get a HD master done – a job I don’t need right now – but I’ve at least got my first sale of the documentary.
The price is £2000 of which I’ll get £1,400. This for me goes some way to proving that I can do this – that my documentary work can sell and that it’s worthwhile working on all my other project ideas.
Great news. and I can go up to Manchester to record my Jodrel bank interviews with renewed confidence.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Lost in Transcription
Lost in Transcription
Having to get a script of my shark documentary for the distribution company presented a bit of a problem. Either I was going to have to write it out myself or I’d have to pay someone to do it.
I found a company on the Internet who would do the transcription for just $0.60 per minute – and who I could use completely automatically – uploading a mp3 file and paying by paypal.
The company (http://www.e24tech.com/) claims not to use computer software to transcribe, but I got back paragraphs like:
The secondary occupation of the sea spy mammals in the form of whales particularly seals. Meant a certain amount of competition for food, but also a food source in them selves in order to process them a whale caucus do enough damage to disable it and it requires very efficient biting mechanism and very efficient teeth.
…so judge for yourself.
Even though I’m now going to have to go through and correct the script, I still think the service is well worthwhile – and so cheap I don’t mind doing corrections. I think I’ll get all my interviews transcribed so I can do a paper edit – something I couldn’t have thought of before.
Having to get a script of my shark documentary for the distribution company presented a bit of a problem. Either I was going to have to write it out myself or I’d have to pay someone to do it.
I found a company on the Internet who would do the transcription for just $0.60 per minute – and who I could use completely automatically – uploading a mp3 file and paying by paypal.
The company (http://www.e24tech.com/) claims not to use computer software to transcribe, but I got back paragraphs like:
The secondary occupation of the sea spy mammals in the form of whales particularly seals. Meant a certain amount of competition for food, but also a food source in them selves in order to process them a whale caucus do enough damage to disable it and it requires very efficient biting mechanism and very efficient teeth.
…so judge for yourself.
Even though I’m now going to have to go through and correct the script, I still think the service is well worthwhile – and so cheap I don’t mind doing corrections. I think I’ll get all my interviews transcribed so I can do a paper edit – something I couldn’t have thought of before.
Friday, December 7, 2007
No go for pre-selling and stupid mistakes
Pre sales
Electric sky have had a meeting and decided that although they like the idea and think it will sell, they don't think they can pre-sell it. I can see their point - we'd be asking people to pay a high price for a low budget documentary from a small producer with limited track record.
It's quite possible TV companies would look at the budget and at the scale of the idea and think it couldn't be done to any decent standard. However, I like taking on impossible projects, and I think it can be done!
The great thing about attempting the impossible is that you get a lot of credibility when it works, and only sympathy when it doesn't. Nobody's expecting very much, so whatever you do is going to impress!
I planned the project without pre-funding and although it would have been nice, it's not neccessary as long as I can convince myself I'll make sales in the end.
not having pre-sales also releaves me of the need to produce a trailler - so I can concentrate on the main programme.
Stupid mistake
Ok - we all do it, but here's my stupid mistake of the week - which I discovered when capturing my footage:
I did the interview - fine.
I rewound to check everything had recorded - fine
Just as I was leaving I saw an opportunity for a cut-away and filmed that.
Of course I didn't re-cue the tape, so I recorded my cutaways over the first 2 minutes of the interview.
doh!
Luckily, it was just the interviewee introducing himself and getting comfortable - no useable material was lost.
Still, it's so easy to do - one of the downsides of working on your own is that you're trying to do everything at once and there's nobody there to stop you messing up!
Satellite
I decided this morning that I think I’m going to try to launch a satellite. More on that ridiculous scheme later if it comes to anything…
George
My baby George has been taken into hospital for observations on his heart, so I'll be visiting a lot and probably will have to slow down work on the documentary for the next week or so.
http://christiandarkin.blogspot.com/2007/12/more-tests-and-fete.html
even so, I'm hoping to do some shooting at Jodrel bank next Friday.
Electric sky have had a meeting and decided that although they like the idea and think it will sell, they don't think they can pre-sell it. I can see their point - we'd be asking people to pay a high price for a low budget documentary from a small producer with limited track record.
It's quite possible TV companies would look at the budget and at the scale of the idea and think it couldn't be done to any decent standard. However, I like taking on impossible projects, and I think it can be done!
The great thing about attempting the impossible is that you get a lot of credibility when it works, and only sympathy when it doesn't. Nobody's expecting very much, so whatever you do is going to impress!
I planned the project without pre-funding and although it would have been nice, it's not neccessary as long as I can convince myself I'll make sales in the end.
not having pre-sales also releaves me of the need to produce a trailler - so I can concentrate on the main programme.
Stupid mistake
Ok - we all do it, but here's my stupid mistake of the week - which I discovered when capturing my footage:
I did the interview - fine.
I rewound to check everything had recorded - fine
Just as I was leaving I saw an opportunity for a cut-away and filmed that.
Of course I didn't re-cue the tape, so I recorded my cutaways over the first 2 minutes of the interview.
doh!
Luckily, it was just the interviewee introducing himself and getting comfortable - no useable material was lost.
Still, it's so easy to do - one of the downsides of working on your own is that you're trying to do everything at once and there's nobody there to stop you messing up!
Satellite
I decided this morning that I think I’m going to try to launch a satellite. More on that ridiculous scheme later if it comes to anything…
George
My baby George has been taken into hospital for observations on his heart, so I'll be visiting a lot and probably will have to slow down work on the documentary for the next week or so.
http://christiandarkin.blogspot.com/2007/12/more-tests-and-fete.html
even so, I'm hoping to do some shooting at Jodrel bank next Friday.
Thursday, December 6, 2007
kit satalites and solar sailing
Today was a long day - as I write I’m on the way back from Glasgow. Set out at 7:30 - trying to buy a ticket, the ticket seller at East Dulwich tried to charge me £250 and refused to sell me the £98 ticket for my journey saying that it wouldn‘t be valid even though I‘d checked it online. I went to Euston where they told me the £98 ticket was fine and there was some problem in their system. That problem ammounts to attempted fraud in my opinion and I’m sure plenty of people have been duped into paying £150 extra for their ticket.
Anyway - the journey was fine - the train is such a great way to travel in the UK. I don’t think I could have done a return trip in a day - even by plane. And rail travel has such a limited carbon footprint. It also allows me to work - and I virtually finished scripting the documentary on the way up.
Glasgow was of course soaked in rain, but the interview was great - Colin was articulate and interesting. I’ll put up some of the interview once I’ve had a chance to take a look at it.
Again, my minimal set-up of HD camcorder, 3 lights, a lapel mic and a reflector proved more than acceptable (although a radio mic might be a good investment).
I could undoubtedly get better pictures by working in a larger way and have to keep re-examining why I don’t do it to make sure I’m doing the right thing:
If I had a lighting cameraman with me, and a full set of lights, the interviews would look a lot better. However, I’m forced to ask at what cost?
Well, let’s see:
Lighting cameraman: £350
Lighting setup and camera: £200
Transport - well, we couldn’t go by train - would have to drive, so that means transport costs of about £100
We couldn’t do it in a day, so that’s double the rates
That’s about £1,200 compared to the £100 it cost me to go alone. The cameraman and equipment would have to be booked in advance, so I couldn’t be flexible about times and places. Which brings me to the final and most significant point:
If I’d done it with a full lighting set-up, we’d have been 2 hours lighting the interview and we’d have had to crash into Colin’s office making enough disruption to have the organisation’s health and safety crew on our backs. The whole interview would have been a lot more hastle and taken most of my interviewee’s day, so he probably wouldn’t have been able to agree to it - even if his organisation had said yes.
Instead of which I could fit in around his schedule, there was minimal disruption, a relaxed and friendly chat and time enough for a pint before I got on the train home. I think the loss of arty interview shots is a price worth paying.
Although it just occurred to me as I write: I should have filmed some of the interview with the interviewee reflected in the solar sail foil he had hanging around the office. That would have made for a lovely shot.
Funny how these things occur to you just after you need them.
never mind.
One thing colin did mention which I find fascinating is that you can now buy space probes in kit form and have them launched for a minimal budget (50,000). In other words, universities can design their own payloads (providing they’re under 1kg and within a certain size limit) and put them into space. This is a fantastically inspiring notion and I’m definitely going to look into whose doing it!
Anyway - the journey was fine - the train is such a great way to travel in the UK. I don’t think I could have done a return trip in a day - even by plane. And rail travel has such a limited carbon footprint. It also allows me to work - and I virtually finished scripting the documentary on the way up.
Glasgow was of course soaked in rain, but the interview was great - Colin was articulate and interesting. I’ll put up some of the interview once I’ve had a chance to take a look at it.
Again, my minimal set-up of HD camcorder, 3 lights, a lapel mic and a reflector proved more than acceptable (although a radio mic might be a good investment).
I could undoubtedly get better pictures by working in a larger way and have to keep re-examining why I don’t do it to make sure I’m doing the right thing:
If I had a lighting cameraman with me, and a full set of lights, the interviews would look a lot better. However, I’m forced to ask at what cost?
Well, let’s see:
Lighting cameraman: £350
Lighting setup and camera: £200
Transport - well, we couldn’t go by train - would have to drive, so that means transport costs of about £100
We couldn’t do it in a day, so that’s double the rates
That’s about £1,200 compared to the £100 it cost me to go alone. The cameraman and equipment would have to be booked in advance, so I couldn’t be flexible about times and places. Which brings me to the final and most significant point:
If I’d done it with a full lighting set-up, we’d have been 2 hours lighting the interview and we’d have had to crash into Colin’s office making enough disruption to have the organisation’s health and safety crew on our backs. The whole interview would have been a lot more hastle and taken most of my interviewee’s day, so he probably wouldn’t have been able to agree to it - even if his organisation had said yes.
Instead of which I could fit in around his schedule, there was minimal disruption, a relaxed and friendly chat and time enough for a pint before I got on the train home. I think the loss of arty interview shots is a price worth paying.
Although it just occurred to me as I write: I should have filmed some of the interview with the interviewee reflected in the solar sail foil he had hanging around the office. That would have made for a lovely shot.
Funny how these things occur to you just after you need them.
never mind.
One thing colin did mention which I find fascinating is that you can now buy space probes in kit form and have them launched for a minimal budget (50,000). In other words, universities can design their own payloads (providing they’re under 1kg and within a certain size limit) and put them into space. This is a fantastically inspiring notion and I’m definitely going to look into whose doing it!
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
interview questions
Interview questions
Wrote a brief outline with a few questions for my interviewee in Glasgow tomorrow. Giving him the questions in advance will hopefully mean he can prepare a little – even if I deviate on the day – which I’m sure I will.
Tomorrow will be a long day – leaving here at 7am going right up to Glasgow by train, doing the interview and getting more or less straight back on the train to come home by 1am.
Ordinarily I’d break the journey, I don’t want to be away from Lisa and little George. It looks as though George is going to have to go into hospital and I don’t know when.
Wrote a brief outline with a few questions for my interviewee in Glasgow tomorrow. Giving him the questions in advance will hopefully mean he can prepare a little – even if I deviate on the day – which I’m sure I will.
Tomorrow will be a long day – leaving here at 7am going right up to Glasgow by train, doing the interview and getting more or less straight back on the train to come home by 1am.
Ordinarily I’d break the journey, I don’t want to be away from Lisa and little George. It looks as though George is going to have to go into hospital and I don’t know when.
Monday, December 3, 2007
scriptwriting and creationism
I found this frightening graph showing the percentages of people who believe/disbelieve evolution. I can only assume there’s either widespread ignorance or people are willfully fooling themselves because you don’t have to go to the Galapagos islands to see evolution in action – you just need to open your eyes.
scriptwriting
Today I’m scriptwriting – my background is as a writer (I’ve written for magazines, newspapers, theatre, radio and TV comedy sketches), but writing documentaries is an unusual discipline.
For a start, I’m writing the first script without having done all the interviews. The idea is to help me get an overview of the project so I know what I’m asking, what shots I need and what 3d animations I’m going to need to do. This means I’m working in the dark because I don’t know what exactly needs to be said or how much of the script will end up in the finished piece.
What I can do is more or less script the main introductions to parts of the story, and the storytelling scripts which will describe the CG action. Later I’ll re-write to give me a tighter script once I start editing.
I’m also not sure of all the facts and figures yet, so I’m leaving a lot of blank spaces. I usually write the general sentiment but leave out the facts replacing them with a series of question marks. That way I can fill them in easily when I come to do the final script, but don’t need to keep stopping the flow of writing to check my facts.
I write on the basis that a narrator will probably speak about 120-130 words per minute.
Here’s a brief section:
The beauty of the ships which carried the first humans across the oceans was their simplicity. The elegance of their design meant that these craft were cheap to build, easy to maintain on long journeys and carried no fuel. Could interstellar craft ever be designed on these principles?
A spaceship leaves Earth orbit. It will travel at .???12????% of the speed of light and yet it has no engines. It’s destination is deep in space, and yet it’s initial heading is straight into the heart of our solar system. In fact this ship is about to make the most dangerous maneuver of its journey: it makes its way directly towards the burning sun.
As the ship heads closer to the sun, its shielding begins to burn off. It’s vital that the craft gets as close as possible to the sun, but the closer it gets, the hotter it gets and the more chance there is that the radiation will destroy its systems and kill any living thing on board.
When the ship is within ????????? of the sun itself and its external temperature has exceeded ??????????? an internal mechanism is triggered to unfurl its solar sail – a sheet of unimaginably thin foil hundreds of meters across.
Instantly, the ship begins to decelerate, the solar wind – the pressure exerted by the light pushing on the craft’s sails is enough to propel it away from the sun and into space.
As the craft moves further from the sun, the solar winds become less strong, but in space, there is no friction. The ship’s acceleration becomes less and less, but by that time it has reached ?????????????????????.
Solar sails are not science fiction. The solar winds are a real phenomonen – in fact current craft have already used them to make minor corrections to their course. Purpose built sails are already being tested. And the technology is mature enough to allow scientists to create real designs for spacecraft.
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