Call this one another experiment, another chance to try out a new program. This time: Adobe After Effects.In short, I thought it would be relatively easy to replicate the look of that cool HP commercial that uses the Kinks song "Picture Book" (click here to see the original ads).
Alas, while I'm sure with a little more time I could have figured out some advanced tricks to nearly perfect the effect, I still think the end result is still fun to watch, if only in an amateur way.
The only professional thing about the clip is the use of my girlfriend Claire Dunlap, who had the patience to sit through dozens of takes as I tried to coach her on the blocking that I made up as we went, along with specific gestures I needed her to make so I could actually do the effect.
Here it is:
In the meantime, I'm meeting with my actors tomorrow night to have a quick read thru of the shoot rescheduled for next Saturday. Katzinjammer commented that "postponing filming usually means never filming," which I would have to agree with. In this case, in means that I can get some extra help as I'm shooting on a weekend, and my d.p. is also available. This also gives me a little more time to storyboard. Best yet, if my first check for the new job arrives by the end of the week, postponing, in this case, means that I can rent a boom and mic for better audio, and feed my cast and crew something better than El Pollo Loco (like Barney's Beanery).
By the way, while I originally recheduled out of fear of rain, last Thursday was the only day this week Los Angeles didn't get a drop of water. Of course, now we're being pummelled with rain that even Forest Gump would be astonished by - somtimes I think it's raining upside down.
