Film Contest Update #10

The parsing is complete. The 14.4 gigabytes of video is now 143 take files across 7 scenes.

The editing begins now. Factoring in a very safe export/transportation/etc margin, I have about 14 hours to get a final cut. This morning was scary because I was dragging 5 other people into my madness, daring to ask them to donate ~8 hours of their life (not the most enjoyable 8 hours, either) to my project. To let me boss them around in order to further my 'vision'. Now it is scary because if it doesn't get done at this point, it's my fault. And all their donated effort would be wasted.

18 hours left.

Film Contest Update #11

A rough edit exists, currently 9:05 in length.

It took me 7 hours to edit, so I was averaging 1.28 minutes/hour. I have no idea what that number means.

11 hours left.

Film Contest Update #12

Back from a 2 hour nap and a shower. The current edit is passable, but completely lacking in foley and scoring. So that's what xiadyn and I are working on now.

In an hour or two I need to seriously start thinking about exporting. It can be an annoyingly long process.

6 hours left.

Film Contest Update #13

The movie is now officially called Intersections. Not the best, but not awful. And we just couldn't put it off any longer.

A bit under 6 hours left.

Film Contest Update #14

The movie is done. I'm exporting to a file now. I'll export to VHS using the crappy means at my disposal, then head into campus to try to export it properly.

I just put my watch back on, Kasparov style.

2.5 hours left.

Film Contest Update #15

Done. Done done.

After much last minute craziness, the movie was dropped off at Scarecrow Video at 6:40pm. An entire 20 minutes to spare!

Around 5 I started working on making the tape. The plan was to use my crappy export system to VHS, then take it into the UW to export to SVHS using a real system. The VHS tape would serve as a backup. So I export the project to a single file (2 gigabytes). Using my screwy NTSC export system I record it onto VHS. At the very end of the movie, at the final fade-to-black before the credits roll, I see a frame of clapboard. It is now 5:20. Indeed, I have a single frame of the next take at the end of the shot. I hadn't noticed it because of the fade, but the crappy NTSC export made it clearly, embarrasingly visible.

So I scramble to export a new copy. By the time it is finished it is 5:40. Keep in mind that Scarecrow Video is anywhere from 20 to 50 minutes away, depending how bad traffic is.

In order to export a high quality SVHS copy, we needed to get the 2 gigabyte file to the UW. I had borrowed a firewire DVD burner from work for the purpose but had never used it before. I install the software. Looks good. I start the burn. Look good... except the ETA is 28 minutes. And after about 7 minutes the burn spontaneously fails. No time for another burn, nor did I have any more media. It is now 5:55.

Panic.

Sometimes panics are useful. I rip the harddrive out of my machine and we rush to the UW where xmurf is gutting the DV export box to prepare it to receive my drive. We get there at 6:10, rush in, install the harddrive. And...

It works. The export works the first time. xmurf had slick looking labels ready for the tapes. By 6:27 we had a beautiful copy of the movie on tape and we dance our way back to the car. We jet up to Scarecrow, drop it off and... stand around outside feeling dazed.

At some point I really should sleep.