Thoughts behind cutting the trailer (2)

Despite all my best efforts however, whatever I think rarely hits the target. Hence the trailer that I successfully cut on Wednesday, was re-cut again on Thhursday.

Damned second opinions!

Thoughts behind cutting the trailer

All right, so I cut a trailer for 'Jay and Kay Save the World', finally, after racking my brains out for what seemed an eternity. SO what was going through my mind.

1) The right sound.

Believe it or not, sound is crucial during a trailer. Do I have music and a deep bass like voiceover or insert witty snippets from the film? In one minute, sound can have a crucial impact on the style of a trailer.


2) How much of the story do I give away?

Without revealing the 'plot' of 'Jay and Kay Save the World', I had to calculate, what could go in and what could not.


3) The iconic shots.

Without revealing the context in which they were shot, what 'beauty' shots do I put into the trailer. They have to be alluring, without revealing exactly what they are.


4) Graphics.

Finally, what graphics do I use to represent the titles of the film. Each font, each effect used gives a difference appearance to the trailer and must be carefully chosen.


5) The length.

Considering the film is ten minutes long, the trailer itself should not be too long. SOmething just over a minute should be fine.




---

The biggest constriction is actually the time. Both of the short film (ten minutes) and of the trailer itself. A 90 second trailer is not a long time and with only ten minutes of actual film to gleam footage from, there is a lot of scope for repetition in the trailer - something that must be avoided. But I managed to do it, and so...well, let us see...

That damn trailer

For some reason, my mind is going through a real block. I have been cutting the trailer for the past week, yet I cannot get my head around it. I cannot seem to visualise it clearly in my head. The trailer is a mish-mash of images and emotions, but nothing seems right. I have already cut through two trailers only to delete them, just simply because they do not have the right feel to them.

Oe of the big problems is that it is a ten minute short film. So how to I convey that in a one minute trailer, without giving away too much of the plot?

Mmmm, will take a cycle ride to think about it...

El Director has been naughty

Forgive me reader, for I have sinned. Yesterday, I discovered that I could play Sim City 2000 on my current computer. I spent the whole day playing it. ALL DAY. Nothing else was completed except for this.

Forgive me, for I have sinned.

On the plus side, I managed to reach the golden figure of 120,000 in that day! I am the most masterful of all mayors!

CWP Comic: Issue 3 - The 'Milkman'

Caution Wet Paint - Da Comic Strip (Issue 3)

Unbelievably, I have actually done the cover! Issue 2 out tomorrow!

New Comic...

Ah, time has caught up on me fast! Time to get a new comic strip for Monday!

Cutting Trailer (3)

Trailer? What trailer...

Trailer Cutting (2)

And so, what do I look for in a trailer? While I am cutting it? Well, first of all, I want to give an impression of the movie, show the great shots without giving too much of the plot away. Some funky music in the background also helps. Next I want to convey the feeling of the picture. In 'Jay and Kay Save the World', the film flips after the first quarter of the movie. I want the trailer to do the same. And finally, I want people to be impressed with the latest installment of 'Caution Wet Paint'. After all, there are a lot of good short films out there, and I have to make mine stand out from the crowd!

Trailer Cutting

I cut the first trailer in a hurry, and later on a put in a quick Hi Def teaser but I have yet to commence on a proper 'theatrical trailer'. An all important marketing tool for 'Jay and Kay Save the World'...

Comics and Videotape

Hello Bloggers,

Having read El D's latest post on post-production, I have to agree that it can be quite solitary after the film-making, and often the most anxious phase. All the hard wk and our efforts are out there now and we await the responses - in the meantime, clips such as the following:



keep me happy because I do not forget the hard work and fun that went in to making CWP 'Jay and Kay Save the World'!!

p.s. love the latest comic!

CWP - Comic Issue 2!

From CWP Comic Issue 2 - The Bus Stop

This was a really fun comic for me to make. For me, this was nearly three years ago since I shot this webisode on that rainy day in Poplar. The camera was conking out, the sound was patchy, but nonetheless, this is where it all began, at a Bus Stop in Poplar...

And you can compare the comic to the webisode, and see the (subtle) changes that I made...

'Contact'

The problem with film making is that once the production phase is over, it becomes a very solitary pursuit. People seem to go by the wayside as the all consuming goal of completing a movie becomes the soul reason for living. Eating, Sleeping, earning cash becomes automatic, a reflex to necessity while all consciousness fades into the distance. Of course, when the film is completed, you look up. Like waking up from nuclear armageddon, everything, the world seems familiar, yet strangely different. Everyone else has lived their life, while I have been stuck on the same ten minutes for the past few months.

Relationships suffer. Drastically. And so it is time for re-engaging with the world. Not just cast and crew, but people. So expect a flurry of contact in the next week. I am feeling...'sociable'.

Da Comic!

At the moment, putting the finishing touches to the comic strip for this Monday's issue. And in this one, I am going to take a look at that first episode, the first time for everything, where Jay and Kay first meet up. At The Bus Stop.

New Issue out on Monday!

Out Takes 2

Here's something for your Friday afternoon, something to waste a couple of minutes at the office instead of shuffling paper...



Out Takes and Dancing from 'Jay and Kay Save the World'

Praise (or Feedback) 3

The ultimate praise however, does not come from friends, family or the people on the set. That comes at a later stage when a cinematic release is formulated and money for admission is charged. But up until then, only one form of praise matters. That of the film festivals. So, I better keep on sending to them. Another package today and distribution continues!

Praise (or feedback) 2

Self congratulatory e-mails? I would never think of such a thing El Maestro...

Praise (or feedback)

Yes, it is good to be praised for my wonderful films.

Onto the next job...

The Caution Wet Paint Comic!

CWP Comic Issue 1 - Introducing Jay and Kay

Distributing Continued

But distributing by itself it no fun. I need a little bit more to inspire me. And so, I have decided to start the Caution Wet Paint Comic.

A twofold reason. Firstly, it keeps my mind on Caution Wet Paint in a creative way. Distribution, to be blunt, is pretty dull. Forms, letters and more paperwork. It takes a lot of the fun out of film making, and so I need that creative buzz. Secondly, there is a lot of material left over from the webisodes that has not yet got used. Hence the Comic Strips, a great way of utilising the unused and old material and retelling the stories of Jay and Kay or getting new adventures out.

Enjoy, the Caution Wet Paint Comic begins tomorrow and introduces our two loveable rogues, Jay and Kay!

Distribute Baby!

The final stage of film making, the distribution. After the months spent filming, preparing and editing the piece, finally, the film has to be screened.

For me, as a budget film maker with a couple of crazy characters at my disposal, that means film festivals...

There are a lot of festivals out there, but I have to gauge which ones would be the most suitable for my film in terms of it succeeding in being screened at the festival as well as its reception there. A difficult balancing act...

Da Crew

They are the guys behind the camera, that put that little bit of magic into the film. And so, proudly presenting, the crew of 'Jay and Kay Save the World!'



Vlog of the crew saving the world - click to watch!

Caution Wet Pant - The Comic Strip

Due to the web browser crashing, I had a really witty set up to this blog post, but that is now lost in the mists of time.

Oh well. Anyhoo, for those in the know, if you take a little look at this blog, a new icon has suddenly appeared. Yep, that's it, click on it. It is the new Caution Wet Paint Comic Strip Taking the persona of Jay one step further, I have decided to take the characters from Caution Wet Paint on a new adventure, this time in the form of a picture comic.



There is a good reason for this. Creatively, I have now finished with the shorts for 'Caution Wet Paint', but there is still a lot of material out there that I want to use up. My time is now going to be spent on the distribution of the latest CWP short film. So in the meantime, I want an expressive outlet for CWP, that goes beyond writing, which I will also be doing. Hence the comic strip is one of the more funky ways of doing this.

In other words, subscribe to it so every Monday you can 'click' and see what Jay and Kay have been up to. I'll recall their first adventures together before putting them in more devious situations. Ha!

Teaser Trailer's Second Feature

Ok so we are now in the process of sending the completed film to film festivals, it is the tick-tock time, a time to reflect and think about all the great aspects of CWP. For one, it is funny, side-splittingly funny, it has a great storyline, of two friends, finding their way, in London. It is epic, its emotional, CWP can make you smile, cry, dance, and scream, it is all encompassing, and once you watch one websiode or film, you can't stop..



la producer

Generalities

Yep, so after the editing and the DVD design, comes the burning. It has taken the best part of two hours to burn a dozen DVD's, but a few more and then I will hit the sack for the night.

Teaser Trailer

Just a little something I pulled together. Enjoy!

The DVD...

I REALLY think that this film could well be ready...

Burning DVD's

Just doing a little experiment with the DVD suite...trust me, it is an interesting number, mucking about with the spare footage...

DVD Authoring

Managed to get an MPEG-2, now onto the DVD suite, as this one requires an actual proper authoring. Should prove interesting...

MPEG-2

Does it ever end???

Ticking the Boxes, one at a time...

So far, so good. Done the for for the film festival website. Updated both the Babarouge and CWP websites. Now uploading photos from the set online. That should take a few more hours. Oh and cut a simple trailer, although I will turn my attentions to something more funky in a couple of weeks time.

El Director is happy, considering that July has only just begun...