Time Scale...

Resources...

HARDWARE

So as ive already stated at the beginning of the blog i have bought a number of prosthetic equipment that has set me back probably about £400-£500 but the way i see it is, this equipment is an investment into my future as a SFX Assistant/Expert.

I will also be trying to acquire the HEAD BUST for time management.

I will be using a shallow depth of field for shooting on close ups but also distance shots so i will be using a mixture between the CANON XF100's or the CANON 5D's once lenses arrive. I've worked with CANON's in great detail and i feel using my knowledge of camera techniques and familiarity of the cameras i could execute some really amazing shots. NOT ONLY in the green screen room but filming locations.

SOFTWARE

With software i will use Final Cut Pro to capture the footage and crop down to which of the footage i will use.

I will then use After Effects to add any extra things to the shots weather it be Keying out the green screen... adding objects to the building shots using Matte Painting and Motion Tracking (in Boujou).

I will also (learn and use) Autodesk Maya or 3DS MAX with help from ADAM SHEPHERD to add burnt out realistic models of cars and demolished signs.

I would like to get my hands on a plugin called Twixtor its a plugin that would help with slowing shots down but correctly frame blending as its an Intelligent frame blending node based plugin. that can take 25,29,30,35,50, frame per second footage to anything as low as 10,000 frames per seconds. Would help so much with doing focus shots on the zombies.

I will then put all my shots back into Final Cut Pro line everything up how i want it to look.

I will then use a mixture of Soundtrack Pro, Garage Band and Logic Pro to create or enhance a new/pre existing emotion building SLOW sample of music to fit the timescale of my piece of work.

FINALLY once i've given it that goose bump approval i will then colour correct everything using Adobe Colour as its something I've used and understand to a degree of using confidently.

Hey Presto i hopefully will land myself a 1st.

Backstory/Narrative

BACKSTORY

For my VISUAL PIECE the backstory really isnt necessary, but if it has to have one i was thinking a biomedical outbreak reached hospitals and contaminated the pathology labs undetected the toxins got into the blood samples which then got placed into BLOOD TRANSFUSION BAGS from that day on when people would come in for the use of extra blood (for example cancer patients) the outbreak would cure the cancer by rendering the patient "UNDEAD" and in a "Zombie like state" This would then trigger the reflex in the "Zombie" to act out and attack people spreading the infected cells throughout the hospitals then outbreaking to the streets and so on, so on creating a Chromosome 8 effect on the world.

NARRATIVE

For my Narrative side of it its quite simple im going to film different areas of the city and VISUALLY tell a story with slow music and going in and out of different shots showing how the outbreak has reached the city and how its rendered the human existence OBSOLETE

If pulled off correctly and chosen the correct actors/actresses for this visual piece, i feel it could make me go places Career wise. Showing off my talent not only with prosthetics but editing, concept, colour grading and execution.

I honestly feel that finally in my 3rd Year I'm finally showing what i can/could/would like to produce.

Clarification...

After having my meeting with Jem, I took a day to figure out short little bits for the process of me pulling this off correctly and within a time scale.

Me and Jem spoke about how the idea would unravel, luckily we came up with the basis of my work could be 3-6mins of VISUAL shots of burnt down areas of Sheffield with 'Zombies' populating the streets giving a rural burnt down lack of power where the zombies would be taking over the world.

We also spoke about time scale management with Green Screening and applying PROSTHETICS to zed actors on the day of shoot. Jem put me in the direction of Sheaf level -1 building to try and acquire a Head Bust from i kid you not a guy who looks a spitting image of the shopping assistant in Hot Fuzz (Learch). So im still trying to acquire this. IF and only IF i acquire this Head Bust it will be an amazing asset with the timescale. Basically if i have access to using this apparatus i could pre-make stock materials to apply on each actor/actress cutting the time of makeup down by... 80% all I'd have to do from there would be to blend prosthetics in and apply makeup and fake blood.

Im looking at doing around FIVE different green screen shots with different actors/actresses Im even trying to get some lecturer's in on it, just so i can get a varied amount of people so Jem? Melvin? Adam? Ken? John? if your reading this please please please will you let me drag you guys up (hahaha) and put you into this zombie short.

Catch up with Jem at 12...

Im just blogging before i go to see Jem, basically right after Jem im off out with my camera to scout locations im thinking run down places like Train Station or down near Castle Market... I may even do some matte painting in town at night and make some of the buildings i film against look abit more run down and more post apocalyptic.

Off to University i go..

Youtube Channels

On my youtube adventures i came across a really talented guy who seems to be a pro with high detail prosthetic makeup for cheap!!! ENTHUSES ON CHEAP

Http://www.youtube.com/user/petrilude

Skin Cuts...

Common Infected (low level prosthetics more makeup)

Rotting Decay Zombie (Liquid Latex and 1 ply tissue paper)

Rigid Collodion (scaring glue)

Staining Teeth (If i have money i will purchase these and apply to my zombies to give more of a prolonged zombie state so its more post apocalyptic rather than a zombie teeth whitening commercial)

Petrilude as a youtube channel has taught me a vast majority about prosthetics on a budget. Then there are higher grade channels on youtube.

One of the higher grade channels is http://www.youtube.com/user/WaysideCreations

These guys have a professional prosthetic man by the name of Ralis Kahn. This man is one of the biggest names when it comes to monster makeup in a small industry.

Some of his work is located on his website here... http://ralisfx.com/gallery.html

But i will embed videos from the 'Monster Lab' Section that he has been doing with a youtube channel they come out every other week.

Gunshot to head

Applying rig to talent

Applying gelatine to face directly to make burn look

Severe bruising (was thinking of using this with a mixture of other techniques)

Speaking with Jem

While speaking with Jem on friday it came clear to me that being a visual effects student, were not asked to make a convincing screen play for these films. They can simply be focused on what input your putting in too a piece of work.

When i brought up the situation with Ken from the previous day Jem advised me that if i had 5-6 zombies in full prosthetic and up the standards he think i can pull off showing the videos ive shown him on tutorials im learning from he told me i could pull off a first for this module.

Benefit of doing 5-6 zombies is that i can green screen them in different sceneries aslong as i mark off the height on a stationary tripod. Measuring the distance from the floor to the camera and from the camera to the main focal feature in a scene.

I didnt even think of doing it this way i was going to ask the models to come 3 hours early to shoot so i can apply prosthetics directly to skin, blend, colour and give them a basics overview of what id like them to portray and how i want them to move and moan.

One thing i wanted to do was get a girl with long hair, kind of an indie look purchase contact lenses for her and have her look at the camera dead on as if its glass or a camera grab the camera and drop it on the floor (SAFELY NOT DAMAGING THE CAMERA) and focus on a pool of blood dribbling out of her mouth from the fall... while the camera adjusts focus from the 'indie girl' in foreground to the other zombies in background.

28 Days Later (2002) & 28 Weeks Later (2007) Reference

Shaun of the Dead (2004) Reference

The Walking Dead (2011) Season 1 Reference

Dawn of the dead (2004) References

Products

Some of the products i have bought so far.

Liquid Latex 3 x 9oz bottles (use as glue to apply prosthetics to skin, or apply straight to skin)

Gelatine Cubes 400grames (melt and use to mould or apply straight to skin)

Fake Blood 5kg bag (use to show deep cuts in skin or on clothes for completed look)

Skin Illustrator FX Palette + 99% Alcohol (most expensive product of all £115 spent on this as an investment one of the best visual makeup palettes on the market. Sweat proof, water proof, only activated with 99% Alcohol activating agent.

Multiple brushes (different angled brushes for makeup application mostly short nib brushes for control)

Makeup Sealer (this is used as a sealing agent after makeup has been applied to last for 3hours plus)

Gelatine Blender (used on a cotton bud and applied to excess gelatine on skin will blend the prosthetic pieces into the skin easier)

Alot of my purchases have been advised by other people in the industry and youtube channels i refuse to spend alot of money on something without testing a lower level product. However the Skin Illustrator FX Palette is an investment as i said before it will work for any skin tone and will be long lasting and work well with any prosthetic piece.

Mood Boards

With my contrasting mood boards i wanted to go against old school vs new school zombies, mainly because new school zombies are being modified by rage and blood transfusion and hospital dare i say it 'fuck ups' for example... cancer cure... where as old school zombies were grave bound and dug there ways out of graves via voodoo or witchcraft... Also the whole difference in makeup and speed of zombies... traditional SLOW zombies were so iconic i personally feel theyve ruined it abit after games like Left 4 Dead with the runners and other types of zombies...

Animatic from storyboard

I will show this to my actor/actress before trial shoot for 30 second clip and try to get it pin point accurate... as mine is a visual piece and i didnt really feel the need to storyboard ever shot as its not scripted... i only did a 30 second tester to show the animatic off for development..

Illustrative Sketches

For my illustrative sketches i decided to do camera shots that ive had in my mind for a while.

Storyboard

Treatment

In a world where ‘man’ is being whiped out by blood contamination.

Where supermarkets are left deserted and ammunition is as rare as fresh food.

Hospitals abandoned, army unseen and friends become memories.

The strong escape leaving the weak to turn.

‘Walkers’ roam the streets searching for what could be there last meal.


These are some of the final scenes of what was left of HUMANITY

(this would be where the VISUAL shots would start to be displayed)

Zombie Ideas

Initially i had ideas of doing a post apocalyptic short film but was struggling with story line ideas.

When speaking with Ken, he advised me that my story line was far to advanced and long for a 3min minimum piece. Which in a way jolted my confidence and worried me as its what i had myself set on.

I knew i wanted to use prosthetic makeup in pre production and a high dosage of colour grading in post production. As this is something that i've become quite interested in using.

I want to evoke emotion but at the same time i really want to make a piece I would be proud to use as an industry level showreel.

Since the end of last year I've been watching tutorials online about prosthetic application and its all very complex so i simplified my search down to more of a prosthetic makeup search on a budget.

Which i then came across a few youtube channels and cheap suppliers fortunately i had some money set away to buy prosthetic equipment.