ingenium - video [generation three]

GENERATION 3

[June 2001 - December 2001]

"Pushing and striving for something new."

OH. WHAT HAVE WE DONE? [Dec 9, 2001 - Squint]

Crap (wmv|0.5MB)

A video that explores that fact that we seemed to have neglected the real meaning of Christmas, replacing it with 'stuff' and our need to 'shop, shop, shop'.

Special thanks to Rick and Robin for their help.

Due to the amount of work I still had to do for 'Work Crew Chronicles', I didn't really get around to planning this video. It was mostly spur-of-the-moment type stuff, and all edited the night before Squint. That being said, it still came off quite well and people enjoyed it - there were some great responses when people were asked about Christmas. Above is a link to a spoof of the Gap 2001 commercial campaign which we tacked onto the end of the video. Oh, and in case you were wondering, we did get kicked out of the mall while filming.

HOW DID I GET HERE? [Oct 28, 2001 - Squint]

How Did I Get Here? (wmv|6.6MB)

Each day of our lives we come into contact with someone and somehow our stories intertwine. This is just one example of that.

This video was the first-ever joint effort between myself and Rick Colhoun. We met for three hours and were able to work out the script for this video which ended up being inspired by the brilliant 2001 movie 'Memento'.

Originally the story started out with our protagonist, Dave, meeting up with Jeff W. In the course of our planning meeting, however, we found out that Jeff couldn't make it, so we adjusted the story somewhat. It was fun to watch the progression of development in such a short period of time. It was also good to have someone talented (Rick) to bounce ideas off. It certainly pays off. A SPECIAL THANKS TO SERENA AND SHERRY FOR THEIR ROLE IN THIS VIDEO (I failed to get their names in the closing credits, but they certainly should have been there).

THE GROUND BENEATH HER FEET [Sept 30, 2001 - Squint]

The Ground Beneath Her Feet (wmv|4.1MB)

Have you ever walked through the streets of your everyday life and just admired what was around you? What has been beautifully created?

Shown at the 2001/2002 Squint kickoff, this video was created with the vision of a somewhat up-lifting, yet serious video. Tying in with the events of September 11, I felt that since everyone under the sun has been bombarded with the media, that perhaps there was something we were missing. Everyone, especially those on the West Coast who have not been nearly as effected by the tragedy, should take the opportunity to look around you and see what you're missing - the news is just what's out there.

With the help of the talented Krysta and Amanda, we were able to do this video in one take, which is the longest take I've ever done - 10 minutes. I also used Rick's hand-crafted camera mount to help create a more stable image as we walked around the area. Granted, although it's apparent that I'm definitely a rookie at using it, it still turned out great (with the exception of a few shots). Even though I rarely create "serious" videos, I find them fun to do as well as challenging. It's good to have a wide range of projects under one's belt.

TD CANADATRUST: CONVERSION WEEKEND 2001 [Oct 2, 2001]

TD CanadaTrust: Conversion 2001 (Part 4) (wmv|3.3MB)

A satirical look at the hurdles that were overcome during the conversion of TD and CanadaTrust banks.

This is the first project that I have undertaken for a corporation. It is also the first project I've been hired for. It's an exciting opportunity as well as a stressful one because the final product will have to be good. Working on things for yourself, where it doesn't matter how it turns out, is different than being paid to do it. The clip above is "Hurdle #3" which looks at the fact that CanadaTrust employees needed to change their working habits to a slightly older TD computer system. The talented Jessica appears in this, and it was nice to have her and her acting prowess onboard.

SWITCH [Camp 5, 2001]

Switch (Part 1 of 5) (wmv|3.7MB)

FOR ONLY A SHORT TIME:

Switch (Part 2 of 5) (wmv|0.6MB)

Switch (Part 3 of 5) (wmv|0.9MB)

Switch (Part 4 of 5) (wmv|4.8MB)

Switch (Part 5 of 5) (wmv|3.2MB)

Switch (Credits / Outtakes) (wmv|1.9MB)

Robert wants a week at camp without the vagabond band of merry dishwashers. Can the work crew stop him in time?

This video was intended to be (and has been) a challenge. This is our first video with literally hundreds of scenes and camera angles, as well as many dialogue sequences, not to mention an attempt at a real story line. I wanted this video to force me to take steps into the world of 'real filmmaking'. Without the help of anyone in the field, I have had to teach myself to plan and script out the things I wanted to do, proper project management (especially in post-production), and scheduling. Even though the finished project won't be as great as I originally intended, it certainly has taught me a number of things, as well as a higher level of respect for professional movie making and all the steps that are required to get a movie (or any production) completed.

8.7.01: It has been a week since the first screening, and everything was fantastic. The audience received 'Switch' with great reviews. As I watched with the audience, I was pleased to hear people laughing and enjoying the film. It certainly was a different style of Work Crew video than we've ever done before, but people really appreciated it. I have created a list of things to change for the final draft, but all-in-all, it's done. MANY THANKS TO THE CAMPERS AND STAFF OF CAMP 5, 2001

7.27.01: Completed editing last night, although it's quite rough around the edges. I'm going to keep the project files for another month in case I want to make some adjustments. Otherwise, everything else seems to be completed (Prologue, Acts 1-4 and Credits). Need only to combine each segment and produce a complete copy for viewing. The ending seemed to work quite well - certainly not "Hollywood-style", but effective none-the-less.

7.23.01: About 80% completed. Post production is going quite well, although the ending sequence may take more hours than I originally had thought (not to mention that we haven't even filmed it yet). A few catch-up scenes will be filmed this evening. Ending credits and outtakes are completed (although final 'print' will not be made until all filming has been completed). At this point, to keep with the original completion date, everything should be finished in three days, although with the number of things still needed to be completed, it doesn't seem as if that will hold true.

7.20.01: The shoot Wednesday evening went quite well. A few fill shots as well as the opening sequence have been scheduled for Sunday afternoon - only 8 days before viewing. Post-production is going to be chaotic. Unfortunately, a project this small and quick does not allow for proper scene blocking and lighting. As well, sound is also a very important factor, which due to the time limitation (and scale), were neglected.

7.17.01: Scheduled shoot tomorrow for part 2. Still about 80 short scenes to go, as well as two major dialogue sequences. It certainly won't all get done tomorrow. Very little time left, and there's still a lot of post-production do be completed on the new footage.

6.26.01: Finished shooting parts 1 (crew at Robert's house) and 3 (crew at HQs). Will begin editing within the week.

6.28.01: The EDL for Part 1 has been completed and already it's at 25 minutes of footage (the final video is estimated at about 15 minutes).

PROJECT:N [Camp 5, 2001 - Shown: Sept 8, 2001]

(see Project N in the Live section)

ELEVATION [Camp 7, 2001]

Elevation (Camp 7, 2001) (wmv|3.7MB)

The end-of-the-week video for Camp 7. A compilation of all the fun and wacky things they did that week. To the music of U2's 'Elevation' (All That You Can't Leave Behind)

Last year, for the same camp, I put together a video that I thought was pretty good (to the music of U2's 'Where the Streets Have No Name'). In hind-sight, it's actually quite bad. This year I forced myself to try and use engaging camera angles and other photo-composition rules (Rule-of-Thirds, etc) and the difference it makes is unbelievable. As well, I made sure that video cuts corresponded to the music, such that each clip is the same length to match the beat of the music. That also makes a difference, although it's not as noticeable. All-in-all, I learned a few techniques that I'll be sure to try again in the future.

CAMP 5, 2001 MOVIE AWARDS BUMPER [Camp 5, 2001]

Award Bumper (mpg|0.8MB)

As part of the Camp 5 multimedia entertainment, I created bumpers for each cabin's video. Below you can see one for the Work Crew 2001 Video.

Although this may categorize as part of the 'video' section, I felt that these designs should be in this section.

This particular bumper was created using a wide variety of programs. 3D Studio for the flying film and the spinning reel (although the reel could have just as easily been done in AE). Photoshop for the film negative. AE for the compositions and, finally, CoolEdit2000 for the audio adjustments. Many thanks also, to Jess for her lovely voice. It turned out great.

uHuH [June 24, 2001]

uHuH: Football (mpg|1.6MB)

Everyone's seen the Nike commercials. Everyone will soon see these (in our Youth Group, at least).

As with most things, these series of commercials were filmed without the knowledge of it's victim - Robin. A spin-off of the Nike 'Boing' commercials, this pokes fun at the sound 'uH' - which, for some reason, we think Robin makes all the time..

This was my first attempt at a 'commercial', and it turned out extremely well. Good things come in small packages and these 15 second clips hit the mark. Created using Adobe After Effects.

CONN2: THE SECOND CHAPTER [June 24, 2001]

A non-stop barrage of ridicule towards our good Texan buddy: Connor.

Dave and I got together, once again, to make a video for Connor to give him as a going-away gift. Since Connor is such an easy target we were able to produce new ways of displaying the same jokes. We were able to try out a few new things such as mouth-dub. In addition, I tried to utilize different camera angles to effectively maximize the potential of the video clips.

Initially, Dave and I were going to make fun of Connor and his brother, Reuben, but despite our best efforts we could not think of one good quality clip to poke fun at him. As Dave put: "...you're (Reuben) not like your quirky brother." On another note, again, Connor came very close to seeing the finished product before 'screening' because he was on the ftp site where the footage was kept. He actually downloaded two of the files that were part of the final product (luckily they didn't give anything away).

-end-