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Community Project: UFO Scene

W

wheatgrinder

Need scene ideas for a hoax UFO sighting video.

Constraints:
  1. Two characters. One "shooting" the video on cell phone, the other ???
  2. Location is a clear cut area in the mountains with trees near by. Mountains in the background.
  3. They see a large UFO fly over head.
  4. funny

go
 
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Guys apologies for being so rubbish lately – coming off the back of exams, I've been away at job interviews and generally trying to focus on my future... *sigh*

When I wrote the script, I wrote this scene in a very cursory manner, so that we get the impression of what's happening but that the unit director has the freedom to improvise and improve.

I agree with CF that the viral video should be memorable, but I don't think we should go for out-and-out comedy. It should be incidentally funny, rather than slapstick funny.

How about this:

Man sets up camera on tripod. He grins. He puts down a blanket. Woman walks over and lies on the blanket. Man leans down and kisses her. As they start to kiss, a massive UFO emerges over the treeline and the wind it generates blows the tripod over.

I don't mind which direction we go in but, as CF notes, we need to get on this SOON!
 
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Virals are weird beasts:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQSNhk5ICTI

Once this was picked up by some influential blogger it went crazy through the roof.

"OMG an UFO!!!! Are you filming this? Why is my battery dead when I need my phone??!!!
OMG OMG OMG!!!!!! Whaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!"
 
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Sorry for letting this flower of a topic wilt from non-attention..

I built a rig to hold the phone and the camera so Id get good reference..

I took it out to the location to get some TEST footage for the CGI guy..


Here's the rig on location ...

10363975_10203278244308373_891171947601378754_n.jpg



I was in a likely spot.. clear cut with woods and mountains.. I was walking a bit further down the gravel road for a shot further off the road, when I noticed an Elk standing in the field looking at me. I hadn't yet set up my camera so I just started filming the elk hand held.. as I watches a few more showed up and all started looking at me..

I thought, this could be the footage for the ufo scene.. so I tried to make it work.. Of course I have no other actor with me, and Im trying to run the camera make up the action etc..

This is the footage from the phone.. https://vimeo.com/97267792
password itcomproj

Ignore my trying to "act" off cam.. it didn't quite work, but someone else could probably do a great job..


Thanks
 
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I like it Wheat – I think the stampeding elk give some production value (that will obviously be enhanced with the CGI).

The audio would need reperforming but I can see the visuals working.

Not 100% sure about the vertical video aspect ratio though...
 
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that footage is from the cell phone, I have matching footage from the GH2. You can hear me starting the gh2 in the clip above.

Going the tall aspect ration does say "phone" all over it, and unfortunately I see very few people turning there cameras to the side to get the wide screen... so its decision that needs to be made.
 
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My feeling is that sacrificing a little bit of that authenticity, in order to produce something that's more aesthetically pleasing, is probably worthwhile. But let's see what the others think...
 
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wheatgrinder said:
Ignore my trying to "act" off cam.. it didn't quite work, but someone else could probably do a great job..
Click to expand...


I don't know, Wheat. I hear there's some Oscar buzz already surrounding your performance. Best Actor 2014, baby! =P

You know, I doubt you guys really need to worry about whether your UFO video would really go viral, or not.

Like Walter more-or-less said, there's no telling which video will and which video won't.

It's your story. If you say the video goes viral, it goes viral.

Neat footage. Neat setting. Seems like it would work with the right ADR.
 
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Oh, you went vertical! I hate vertical video, but I think it might be a good idea for these purposes. Makes it more authentic and amateurish.

I'm also a believer in having someone in charge, so while I freely offer my opinion, I defer to the authority of our lead producer. :)
 
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For me, the most important thing is getting this done – if we're all happy that that footage can be used to create the 'viral' (I put it in inverted commas because, as Richy says, its viral in the story, not in real life) video then let's go with that.

The CGI is presumably going to take some time and effort and it's important that we get this done FIRST so that it can be used as a prop in the scenes with the artist and student.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bt9zSfinwFA
 
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By the way, I'm still not clear on who's getting the plate for the UFO footage. wheaty, is your test-footage indicative that you're on task for this? If not, I can shoot something this coming Monday.

Also, it might be funny if the video starts verticle, but then someone in the video comments how shitty vertical video looks. Too self-referential? Maybe, maybe not.
 
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Maybe this pushes things too far in the opposite direction we've been going in, but we could play up the implausible nature of the UFO sighting (and hence the whole film) in a kind of over the top, camp way?

Just thinking about directions I could take my own scene in, and it leaves a lot more room for creativity and a more stylised narrative.

But it may be too late for such a change in direction.
 
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