The filming went well, that’s not to say we didn’t hit any snags (why is this never a surprise?). After we got to the TV studio we just stood there for a wee bit, scratching our heads figuring out what had went wrong.  As it was expected, the radius of the wheels on the Dolly was too large.  The TV Studio ended up being a wee bit smaller than originally anticipated (the floor plan was incorrect!).  Shortly after which Mike dismantled and mantled the whole thing in a space of about an hour.  So after a bit of rehearsing, chalk marking, weight distributing, duct tape laying we were ready to go.

The green screen wasn’t nearly as lit as it probably should have been but I’m pleased to say it worked out fine in post.  All the boys/girls did a stand up job bringing it all together for the shoot.

Kimberley was a star. Not needing too much direction, she was a natural.

Its been a few weeks, and I am pleased to say that the film is now complete.  First thing I must say is that it’s no longer an ‘Identity’ video.  It’s more a promotional video, commercial, advert, what you will.

The film has shifted from the original concept but I hope it still holds true to it. The journey has been a good one.

Keen to get away from any music rights issues I created the music track.  Woopy.

I just want to thank Rehan Yousuf, Kris Keegan, Mike Dunning, Shu Moon Leung, Babis Fasterous, Neil Martin, and Kimberley Brand for all the help.

The video is now live: http://www.krayamotion.co.uk

For most of last week, once the sun dipped past the horizon, the office has been turning into a workshop. After much hammering, sawing, thinking, drinking and thoughtful deliberation I’m pleased to say that the dolly is now complete. And it looks cooool. oh and it seems to work as well. Can I add that its not just a dolly, its a magical one, not in the harry potter sense of the word, rather its built in such a way that if pushed, it follows a circle thanks to its angled wheels.

The obvious catch is that we will need a smooth surface, but that bridge will be crossed this weekend when we are filming.
Here is the concept:

Baby dolly (Thanks Mike!):

Papa Dolly (Thanks Keegan!):

We are hoping to have the film completed by the 23rd of October.  If everything goes to plan…

Dear Diary,

360° track and dolly system don’t come cheap, so we are looking into building one ourselves and the initial deduction is that its not going to be easy.  We understand that there is a reason why its not cheap, but you gotta give it a try!.

Building the dolly itself looks to be a walk in the park, some ply wood, swivel wheels a piano chair and bobs your uncle. The tracks on the other hand is a different story and would involve getting a piece of material thats strong enough, then bending it to a perfect circle.  This will require some heavy thinking and heavy machinery. On top of this, metal and labour can be expensive, so we are researching plastic piping.  Plastic piping works well for a straight track, but not sure about bending it.  We are getting together tonight to test some of these materials.

To film the actor with the camera doing full 360° revolutions around him/her will mean that we will need to green screen the entire background.  Unless, we have two people tracking a sheet of green screen in the background in sync with the camera.  All of this sounds fine is theory but setting up the lights on top of all this won’t be easy.

I feel I have to mention this.  Mike and Kris had another very interesting take on the track and dolly system.  They proposed a rather revolutionary idea, have a Jib on either side, with the pivot point in the middle (where the actor stands).  One arm will hold the camera, the other holding a sheet of green screen.  Essentially the actor stays still, and the arms rotate around him/her like some time travel contraption.  Maybe for another shoot!!.

Things are fast starting to take shape, more coming soon.

The concept for the 20sec film is simple, emotion.  Kraya Motion is about story and a story is parts ‘in motion’, ‘e motion’.

After some discussions the first draft of the script is complete and we are sketching up some storyboards to get the visual idea and realise possible hurdles.  While the story is looking simple the production is summing up to be quite complex.  We will need to incorporate some clever CGI, some well timed camera movements and a dash of brilliance.

Since our green screens are too small our production assistant Rehan is researching hires, but all we have got so far is his detailed research analysis of the Champions League draw, apparently FC Barcelona are playing Inter Milan but I am assured that the green screen research is coming along nicely.  All this while he is getting hyped up by playing the Rocky theme tune in repeat.

Good times..

This is the result.

The year is 1896, the film is called “Arrivée d’un train à La Ciotat, L”, the plot “A train arrives at a station” duration: 15 minutes, format: black and white, sound: none, yet this is possibly the only film that evoked emotions in an audience to an extend that they jumped up off their seats and ran out of the picture house in sheer terror. No, this was not shown in IMAX SUPER EXTREME HIGH DEF 3D 3000, there is no CGI, and THX was nothing more than just three letters floating in the universe with no meaning, waiting for George Lucas to be born. What happened? Wide Shot of train heading towards the camera. What’s to make them think that the train being projected running towards them is not real? Nothing… this is cinema.

Its easy for us to rationalise and conclude that this would never happen to us, and in all probability it wont, but we cant deny watching Star Wars and not be scared shitless by Darth Vader. We know its just a film, just light projected on a screen, just an actor in a suite, all set in the past, way way back in the past, so you tell youself that there is no need to be afraid, yet you develop a distinct distaste towards this man, his dark jedi powers and his ventilator.

The year is 2009, welcome 72 feet wide by 52 feet tall screens, Welcome digital 6 channel cinema sound systems, welcome acronyms HD, CGI, Dolby, THX, IMAX. Welcome cinemas with people strolling out, trying to find their bearings, trying to subdue their nausea and friends flattening each others hair that’s standing on end. Some grasp the wall for support and tell their mates “holy ba jesus, that was unreal?”. It’s the cocaine of films, but it will always remain just that. A temporary high and the final low when you realise that the car ride back home will just be 30mph, sticking to the white lines and red lights.

We are after the proverbial carrot projected in front of us. Salivating at acronyms and numbers. So I say screw HD and lets just watch a movie. Don’t get caught up on blue ray, get caught up on the story. Start a DVD collection and don’t upgrade to blue ray. DVD is all we need, its cheap, its clear, you have non linear play black, it sounds good, and as far as I’m concerned, it’s not high definition but the right definition.

Watch a good movie on a 2” inch screen and you’ll forget the screen first and yourself second.  Lets stop living on the other side of the grassy field and enjoy the patch right here.

We have been discussing about possible having some form of guidelines for the Kraya employees who have chosen to blog.  Its an interesting topic of discussion, to what extend do we, as Kraya, manage/police our blogs?

Just recently a barmaid in New York was sacked after she wrote a blog about the Belgian defense minister’s alleged heavy drinking session during a visit to the bar where she worked.

Corporate blogging is a growing trend, especially in the technology field. But what rights do the corporation have to impose guidelines to its bloggers?  Well, what better to way to try and answer this question than to start by asking our bloggers themselves.