Dan Hume's Blog

Terrorists Biography

For the the final piece of this unit, we need to have the videos uploaded onto a website complete with each characters biography. The biographies are to enable the audience of who these characters are. Since this is not a typical drama, where TV shows that talk about the characters and plots, this is entirely up to the audience to get background information on the characters. Below is a summary of each terrorist character in the drama.

Leader – T3h M4n

Leader of the 1337 H4x02z, T3h M4n actually has little hacking knowledge, but for what he lacks in skill, he makes up in balls! He is the final say in the operation and will stop at nothing to fulfill his agenda.

Cameraman – Gu2u

Gu2u is the younger brother of T3h M4n, thus the only reason why he is a part of the operation. He is incompetent, not having a clue how to use technology. He does however know how to roll a joint like no other, which may explain his presence.

Doubter – Qu4nd2y

Qu4nd2y first started hacking at the age of 14. Now at the age of 20 his 6 years of internet hacking has made him an essential component to the 1337′s operation. Despite his experience in the field Qu4nd2y lacks the confidence that most internet hackers possess. This can be attributed to his sheltered upbringing, it’s a surprise Qu4nd2y ever became an internet hacker!

Maniac – P5ych01d

P5ych01d grew up outside of new york. His fear of his surroundings cause him to inflate his personality in an attempt to be accepted. This often fails with hilarious results.

Compositing Video Footage

So far, using Keylight in After Effects proves to be a better option than Colour Key in Premier Pro. I opened up a new composition in After Effects and imported the finished edited piece along with the empty room shot we recorded at Sopley. I dragged the Sopley Footage onto the composition first, then changed the size so it fitted the composition, like I’ve done below.

Then I dragged the footage we shot in the EP Room, on top of the Sopley Footage. I made sure I selected the right scene I wanted to green screen before I went any further. As you can I also altered the size of the footage so it fits into the composition nicely.

Then when I was happy with the size, I then went to Effects, Keying and then selected Keylight. This brought up the Keylight menu on the left hand side of the screen. All I needed to do now was to select the colour of the green in footage using the eyedropper tool which removes all the green screen instantly.

This screen shot below shows the result after using the eyedropper tool. It removes the entire green screen; therefore the Sopley footage can now be seen instead. There needs to be some tweaking to make the green screen footage blend in much better with the background, such as the lighting being having a slight blue tint to give it that cold like it is in the background.

Below is a video extract of this scene…

Video backdrop

Ok so today I’ve created the final version of the backdrop for the terrorist green screen. The visual will only be shown when the terrorists make their demands.

I have used the same effect as the test version I did before. This time I changed the colour to blue because it looks futuristic and is often associated with technology so it fits well with the cyber terrorism theme.

Below is the rendered video for the backdrop…

Filming complete!

The terrorist group managed to film all the scenes we had planned. All the scenes we filmed were done with a green screen backdrop. The original intention of the green screen was to use it so we could apply some motion graphics in the background so for the terrorist demand video. We tried to make the look of all the shots look really amateurish… which I think we did a good job of.

Before Easter, we had the opportunity to test out the lighting with green screen but never managed to film any of the scenes. So once again, we had to replicate the lighting set up for the green screen. This was to ensure we get the lighting as identical as we could to the lighting we had on location when we filmed at Sopley. This was basically a process of trial and error.

We are now into Post production with editing and adding some special effects. Today me and Graham started the editing and re-wacthed all the footage so we can now decided how to piece the video together. After watching through all the footage, I don’t see how this video will come across as a serious drama!

Text Animation for Video Backdrop

We decided we wanted to make a simple type of motion graphic using typography to be displayed in the background of the video. I’ve just gone into after effects and experimented with the light Burst effects, applied onto some text. I basically key framed the Ray Length and Pivot Position so it creates some motion.

This is nothing extravagant, it’s just a simple and effective animation for the logo of the terrorist group. This is just a draft, so the text maybe different and I might apply some more effects on the final version.

short form video (production)

Today our group (The terrorists) began the production of our drama, Hostage, by filming at Sopley, along with the lecturer, police and TV groups.

We basically filmed the last scene where the police raid the terrorists base. This shoot very important because we knew this would be the one opportunity to use the facility, so we had to make the most of it. We had already planned to film a still shot of the interior of the location we were filming in. Then using the green screen back at the uni we would be able to composite the shot of the interior onto the green screen; therefore the rest of what we film will be at done at the uni.

This is a very challenging task. Hopefully, to get the best result of making it look as real as possible, we made sure we shot some footage of someone sitting on a chair using the same camera angle. This will help us to match the lighting so that the footage taken at Sopley and the footage taken at the uni is seamless.

The green screen we used to day would be used for the background visual for the terrorists video for when they make their demands. We are going to create some computer graphics for their background.

Below are some photos I took whilst we were on the shoot.

Risk Assessment & Recca Report (Short Form Video)

Our group is due to film next Tuesday. In order to prepare for this we have had to do a risk assessment. For my group, the shoot on Tuesday, these are our risks:

Props – Air Rifle – Risk of being shot

• Make sure safety cap is on.
• Make sure gun is not loaded.
• Make sure gun is not mis-used and is in the company of someone responsible at all times.

Members of Public – Public mistaking filming for reality – Risk of police involvement

• Filming indoors – out of public eye.
• Have signs displayed to warn people that filming is in progress.

Recca Report

Most of where we are filming will be based in the EP room, which our group will be the base for the terrorists. Pretty much most of the footage is going to be green screened due to having a one day shoot at Sopely, which is the actual location for the terrorists, and most of the day is going to be based around shooting the scene where police raid the terrorists hideout.

Short form Video – Terrorist scenes in more depth

Scene 1

Leader and Camera man are the only terrorists present

Camera man sets up the camera whilst leader walks around the set, preparing the lighting/green screen

Leader talks to cameraman about the backgrounds of the other two members

Camera man and leader know each other well but have never met the other two in person, only on the internet

Leader receives a text and goes to let the doubter into the building

Doubter enters the scene, leader asks him how his trip was/whether he had any problems

Scene 2

Maniac is running late so leader explains the plot to the cameraman and the doubter.

Doubter is nervous, expressing his fear for what they are going to do

Leader expresses his view on the situation and how they won’t need to harm anyone, explains the urgency of their cause, to keep Gary McKinnon out of jail

Leader gets another text and goes to let the maniac in

Maniac enters the scene, very eager for action

Maniac talks like a pseudo terrorist, spouting anti-establishment babble

Maniac asks the leader who they are going to kidnap, then produces a gun saying ‘the establishment is going to shit when they see this’

Doubter expresses his point that a gun will get them all jailed or shot, and that their computers are the real weapons of today.

Leader overrules the doubter’s argument and claims that a gun is going to give them considerable leverage.

Leader demands that the doubter configure the web stream whilst the leader and the maniac go to kidnap Brian.

Scene 3

Terrorist video scene

Production values dramatically greater than previous scenes

Leader and maniac are shown standing, wearing balaclavas and sunglasses, holding a gun to Brian’s head, who is kneeling on the floor between the two terrorists

Leader makes a speech about Americas police state, using ancient methods of crime prevention to insight fear into its people AND the peoples of other countries.

Scene 4

Terrorists congratulate each other on a successful shoot and try to relax

The pressure of waiting for a response puts the terrorists on edge

The doubter starts to have a serious attack of conscience; his nervous stance makes the maniac step up to confront him, calling him a ‘pussy’

Brain sits on the floor wearing his blindfold still, looking frightened

Argument escalates until the leader breaks the two up and orders the cameraman to fetch a bag of cannabis in an attempt to calm the group and relieve the tension

Scene 5

Terrorists light up a spliff and begin to relax

The leader passes around some reassuring words and reminds the terrorists why it’s so important that they did what they did

The leader decides to untie Brian and allow him to join them, treating him as a person instead of a hostage, showing that the leader has compassion; the maniac suggests otherwise but is overruled

The terrorists soon dissolve into laughter, joking around like a bunch of friends, as does Brian

The leader talks to Brian and asks him what his opinion on the situation was

Brian claims that he agree with their motive, stating how he is sickened by how the American government has become so totalitarian.

Brian says that he doesn’t agree with their method and he doesn’t agree with terrorism but admits that he has been well treated since his kidnap.

Leader expresses his view that terrorists exist all across the world in different forms, for example the American government are terrorists for trying to imprison Gary McKinnon, using fear tactics to scare hackers.

Leader comments on Brian saying how he is a free thinker and how he’d make a good terrorist. The leader tells Brian to put a balaclava on and to do a joke shoot with him just to waste some time.

The police raid the building and shoot the terrorists and Brian

Short form Video update

Team Members:

• Dan Hume (cinematographer/Director)
• Graham Bowdery (Director/script writer)
• Oliver Emmett (Camera Operator)
• Jack Ashley (Boom Operator)
• Kieran Ayles (Actor)
• Will Bartlett (Actor)
• Dan Sullivan (Actor)

Location:

• Base Room (Interior Location)

We decided that the Base room would make a suitable environment for the terrorists. We’re going to use very dramatic lighting at this location.

• The Pier

This is the location where the terrorists abduct the lecture. The lecture will be waiting for this girl he is meant to meeting, underneath the pier. We will be shooting alongside with the lecture group at a late evening sort of time.

• Sopley Air Softing (Exterior location)

This is the exterior location of where the terrorists are based. This is where the last scene will be filmed and when the police raid the location.

Actors:

There are going to be four terrorists. Here are our actors we’ve decided to use.

• Kieran Ayles
• Will Bartlett
• Stephen
• Dan Sullivan

Props/Clothing:

• Casual clothing – Shirts and Jeans

• Balaclavas

• Three Guns

Special Effects:

• Green Screen

We will be using green screen for the video that the terrorists make their demands for. This will enable us to create a custom background, which will show the terrorists groups identity ‘The Leet Haxors‘

Equipment

• 1 x Green Screen

• 4 x Redhead lights

• 1 x HD Video Camera

• 1 x DV Camera

• 1 x Boom Microphone

• 1 x Tripod

Basic Overview of Lighting

We looked at lighting techniques in Phil’s lecture today. This is to prepare us for when it comes to filming for our short form videos so we can produce some dramatic scenes using lighting.

Basic light setup

The standard set up for illuminating a character in a scene is called ‘3 point lighting’. This involves a key, a fill and a backlight.

When setting up lighting, start at the back and work forwards, adjusting distances and angles as you go. Switch off the main room lights before you start.

Backlight

Positioned behind and to the side of the subject, this direct light seperates the subject from the background by creating a rim effect around the subject.

Key

Commonly positioned to one side of the camera, this strong but diffused or reflected light provides the main illumination to the subject. If it was used along, it would cast strong shadows on one side of the face,

Fill

Less bright than the key (or diffused or reflected) this light partially fills the shaded side of the subject, balancing the key.

You can achieve a similar effect with just one light and 2 reflectors, where you use the light as a back key, and reflect light back in from either side of the camera to key and fill. Another alternative is to use a key light and reflectors for back and fill. You have to try out different combinations and see which works best.

Using reflectors

You can control light without using additional lamps. Work with reflectors to alter how your video looks.  Reflected light is softer (more diffuse) than direct light, particularly if the reflecting surface is slightly textured. It will reduce harsh shadows from a direct light source.  You can use sheets of polystyrene from a DIY store to make very adaptable and lightweight reflectors. These will create a soft fill light (due to the textured surface which scatters the reflected light in different directions).

Soft light is more flattering as it flattens imperfections in skin, and generally smooths out a surface.

A smooth reflective surface (eg tin foil glued to a sheet of cardboard) creates a harder, more focused reflection.

Reflectors need to be held in position, either by a stand or a pair of hands. Coloured reflectors will add a colour cast to the scene.

Below are some photos I took of our workshop on lighting.