The Daily Journal

Went shopping again today, this time for audio equipment. Picked up an XLR splitter, a couple of cables, a pop filter for a vocal mic and a 2-channel audio compressor/limiter. We're gearing up for a sound and recording check for the vocal/guitar performance of my artist friend. This will also be the first time he's read the script, so hopefully he likes it enough to get involved and write a ballad to go along with it. I'm leary of using the auto limiter in the camera because apparently it's not quick enough to prevent clipping entirely. I had to fix a lot of clipped audio tracks in the documentary that occurred when people laughed. These shotguns are really sensitive. While in outdoor situations with the boom, whoever is operating the boom can move the mic away to prevent clipping, but with it stationary I need more control over the signal. Sound check happens Friday. Hopefully his dynamic vocal mic is good enough because I priced a decent condenser mic today and wasn't prepared to drop another $200-300. We've recorded him before with that mic and it did well so we'll see. It was that experience that made me get the compressor and the pop filter this time around.
 
Last edited:
Finished editing a rough cut of a sketch today. It's 10mins, divided into two parts. I'm probably gonna aim for 3 three minute parts. It's going to be on The Poke Show, as well as being interspersed through a 15min "show", and then we're submitting it to Xbox for a competition.
I really overreached with our greenscreens, so there's a lot of wonkyness with some of the backgrounds, but I think it might be an interesting style. I'm gonna play with it.

Anyway, I have to write a couple sketches and I hope to be filming one this weekend. That's my story.
 
We've used dynamics in the past and had good luck with them...since it doesn't matter if it's in the shot, since they don't have as much reach as a condensor mic.
 
I've been at home the past couple of days with Sciatica, so I haven't been able to do much besides lie around and moan. But I did do some cosmetic work on The Poke Show site, but now we might have found a problem in the Theme and it may force to start over.

I also did a little character development on my current spec script. I've been doing a lot of research since January on this one and I'm itching to get a first draft started.
 
Final pieces are coming together. My light meter and contrast viewer showed up yesterday. We also had a successful sound check last night. Now we need to sound dampen the room and actually lay some usable tracks. The recording equipment is ready. We ended up getting a small Mackie studio mixer (he insisted on paying for half since he's getting just as much benefit as me). His headphones ran off the mixer and I monitored it through the computer so we both had accurate monitoring. This worked well because I could mute the incoming mix and listen to the playback while he still had full monitoring. It's six channel so I could split the playback into another channel where he could listen, too. I'll patch that together for the actual recording session. I plugged my shotgun mic into another channel so I could talk to him through the headphones. Everything came together nicely. And he's definitely on board with the project. I love it when a plan comes together.
 
Met with the Flapdaddy Comedy Live Executive Producer today -- discussed a pilot for a streaming internet version of The Poke Show that would showcase sketches from The Non-Retards and The Lava Factory as well as stuff from various sketch groups around the web.

It's in early development, but things look good.
 
Continuing to edit our new short project. Also, hatching a scheme for another short project -- might get it done quickly and soon!
 
This weekend, I built a sound dampening chamber out of 1/2" steel water pipe and fittings, some 2x4 studs (something to which I could attach the pipe floor flanges), corrugated foam mattress covers and a dozen 2" A-clamps. These 6' square "wall" frames are lightweight, sturdy and portable and will come in handy in any production situation as backdrop holders (for up to 18 feet of "wall") or even light rigging. With a white king-sized sheet or other material they could even work as a massive diffuser or reflector. Now I need to make some apple boxes to increase their height when/if needed. I justified this project to the wife by telling her we could even hang muslin backdrops for her still photography work.

Yesterday, we laid down 3 usable songs (his originals) to dial in the equipment and experiment with the effects of the mixer. We'll do more tonight. He read the script and is already starting to brainstorm on a song.
 
I got two or three good shots in this Friday night. I would have got more, but, against my will, spent Saturday and Sunday numbed up with painkillers. :cry:

This film should take me a month to make, but at this rate, it's going to take a friggin' year. :no:
 
We're patient LOC :)

We just got done with the 48. We got great footage with a really good story, but ran out of time for the edit. We ended up turning in late with a pretty rough cut (had to remove too much [shorter script next year?] and didn't have any time to do any audio work on it...hardly had time to slap the score in, it's too loud, I only had time to spot check the volume...and it was in a quiet part...no time to watch all the way through it...WHEEEEE!
 
Keep on truckin' LOC. My wife tells me I need to learn patience anyhow.

Didn't get much done today (although I read about half of "The Abyss"). Spent a lot of time the past couple of days trying to do things to get The Poke Show name out there...funny side note: iFilm rejected "The Knife Trick" cause they said it was porn. :yes:
 
Lesson: Ignorance is bliss and patience is a virtue.

Definition: I guess life is good if you're stupid and don't mind waiting around.

I'm the intelligent, impatient type.


Poke, referring to "The Knife Trick" - OMG WTF?! :weird:
 
Last night, we were sitting around, doing nothing. I was tired and was planning on going to bed. Just then, everyone was in 'just the perfect alignment'; I grabbed my camera and started shooting. I got a good 5 minutes of footage (that will probably translate into 30 seconds of usable footage), but at least I got it!

I've always got some of my most obscure shots on accident like this. Luckily, I have good luck catching them.

Indie's advice "do something every day for your film no matter how small it is" is on the money. :D
 
Been writing episode one of Keith Vader! Now Keith Vader is the second cousin of Darth Vader whose a sad unemployed nerd living in Hull, and every episode is a story of his pathetic life...
 
I like the sound of that! However i'm not sure what you mean by "twice removed."
Does it mean hes been kicked out of the family Vader twice?

Also Keith Vader has a dysentery problem and has to rush off to the toilet every now and then...
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top