So, cutting HDV...
Ok, so here's some advice on cutting HDV, that I've picked up on so far.
Oh, and by the way, if you're not at all into the technicalities of editing then I wouldn't read much further! All you need to know is the edit is progressing and we hope to have a complete set of HDV trailers by the end of next week.
The following are a few paragraphs that gives some basic but useful advice about importing and editing HDV.
Offline DV edit system -
Be aware that this method of editing can cause you a lot of headaches, as we discovered!
When we first cut the trailers, we cut them using DV footage imported directly from the camera at native DV quality. We then assumed it would be just as simple to online the footage in HDV and simply link up all the cuts in full quality.
As it turns out, HDV is compressed using a GOP (group of pictures) system, this means that any single drop frame results in the camera having to re-locate the timcode during capture. So that means that when we decided to online the footage in HDV it split the clips into smaller chunks of footage, which meant that when it went to link the files up in HDV it did not have matching capture scratch clips! Rendering all of our work in DV useless!
This lead us having to use the following method to re-cut the trailers, and eventually the entire film.
Importing HDV -
This is an important factor that anyone should consider when importing their HDV footage to begin your cut.
HDV is compressed very heavily so that it can be recorded onto a standard mini DV tape, this means that your computer has to work incredibly hard to decompress the footage anytime you play it out. In editing terms this means that the simplest of cuts and scrubs take a hell of a lot of processing power!
To help out your computer, its best to import all of your footage in native HDV, then use the batch export function to convert all of your footage to a more stable and less compressed format. Such formats as Apple Intermediate Codec, or if you have the space, DVCPRO HD are good choices as they hold the same aspect ratio but are edited much more easily that native HDV. You then edit the whole sequence in your converted format, then once you have finished your edit, you can simply remove the converted format clips and replace them with the original HDV clips ready to render and export.
So far, these are the main issues that HDV have thrown at us in the last few weeks, but after a few tests and experiments we seem to have come up with a method that works pretty well.
I would go into more detail but I think I could go on forever! If you have any questions then just ask!
Oh yeah, and one last thing, before you get your kit set up, make sure your camera or deck is compatible with your software!!!
I'll keep you posted.
Luke
Thursday, March 23, 2006
Join S'kali MaLi!
We're aware the movie and press write-ups have successfully generated a level of interest out there. And as much as we'd like to think that you're cool enough to visit this blog and our soon-to-be-released official website, we know that the truth is less pretty. So to cater to people who're hungry for news on this movie but are too lazy to surf by here often, we're setting up a mailing list to contact you when there're new developments towards the release of S'kali.
Just drop us an email at perantauanpictures@gmail.com with your name, age, a short description of yourself and most importantly your email address/es and we'll add you to our S'kali Mailing List : S'kali MaLi
Members of S'kali Mali can expect to be first to know about our trailer releases, get first access to meet the cast and crew sessions and anything other crazy goodie the S'kali team may come up with!
Gmail users may also get exclusive trailer downloads and soundtrack clips.
Just drop us an email at perantauanpictures@gmail.com with your name, age, a short description of yourself and most importantly your email address/es and we'll add you to our S'kali Mailing List : S'kali MaLi
Members of S'kali Mali can expect to be first to know about our trailer releases, get first access to meet the cast and crew sessions and anything other crazy goodie the S'kali team may come up with!
Gmail users may also get exclusive trailer downloads and soundtrack clips.
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
DOP From Outer Space
Dear readers,
Here I am. My name is Dimitris (or Dimitrios) and I am the Director of photography of S’kali.
I have not made my presence visible as I was trying to process the material of the great Malaysian experience within the limited piece of equipment that is my head.
I studied film and English at the University of The West of England. That’s where I met Arivind. That meeting took place in the lift of a student halls building, and has acquired mythical status. No one remembers full details so we decided to “print the legend”.
I am grateful for the entire Malaysian experience, increasingly as days go by.
One does not get the opportunity to do such things every day, and it has been a real pleasure. Although in the latest years it feels like I ‘ve been living off a suitcase!
The problem with people, who wish to work in film, and make films, is that they can sense that they have some sort of talent, but are not able to prove it until they have done it!
Especially in that corner of the planet where I come from teamwork is not appreciated and talented people are not able to achieve certain goals that require teamwork. This is why filmmaking over here seems to be struggling at times; also, this is why too many aspiring artists remain unaccomplished individuals struggling to fulfill dreams. When I came home from Malaysia, I felt I had a little goal in life. To learn even more about filmmaking (and even more cinematography) and apply it wherever I can.
I never intended to be a cinematographer (although you never know what the future and your needs bring) but S’Kali proved that I could go ahead and work with directors who need my vision (not in the kill bill 2 sense…) in order to make art existent. I actually desire to keep on doing it together with filmmaking and screenwriting, because it is a ball game of its own!
I studied film theory, which can cause serious damage to creative people. Theory is adifficult sport, despite its beauty. Like filmmaking it is designed for the chosen few. I meant the mentally disturbed few. No kidding ! Blessed are the minds who can theorise and create at the same time (Godard and “mentor” Wim Wenders should be mentioned here).
I can’t thank enough the other team members though. These guys are wild ! I bonded especially with people behind the camera, as their “cannibalistic” sense of humour was incredibly close to mine. Plus we litteraly had to share food, beds, air throughout the shoot. And I thought I was the only idiot on the planet.. These guys proved me wrong ; I am the only “white” idiot. By the way It was the first time I was called white !! Sounds so…pale ! The other thing about the team was that they love movies a great deal. Benji would kill to get the proper shot done. He would climb the Petronas towers just to get a shot right…if he could. He also loves filmmaking to…deportation point! (Inside joke)
Jay is the man with the plan. The man who restores our faith in the coolness of engineers.
Zaid and Azlan…. No comment baby… Beyond commentary
The producer? ha ha ha ha
Jason, Keith, Kumar ? Outlaws beyond redemption.
Not every moment was great though. Time alters memories, and we might think so, but there were moments of misery and distress, further proof that a proper film was made. Yet, by the end of the shoot (48 hrs later actually) I was ready to go ahead with the making of another feature…I really was.
I have really appreciated the way S’kali dealt with a variety of issues: social, racial etc. It deals with so many things. Racial tensions in Malaysia are similar to the ones everywhere else, yet unique. I feel lucky to have taken a chance to be a temporary part of that culture. By the time I left Taman Tun I strongly felt that I could have stayed six more months. Possibly longer !
I have friends in Malaysia now, people I can call any time and discuss idiotic stuff, and although we don’t come from exactly the same neighborhood we have this bond between us, playing air guitar at the penthouse apartment or hiking at Frim, trying to catch up with the director’s brother, a keen sportsman, and deputy chair of applied bulshitology at the University of Rednecksville, Tallahassee.
Now, on the blog someone mentioned that the director states American films only as far as his influences are concerned. I stand by his viewing obsessions. These are good choices.
I would like to name five cinematographers whose work has influenced my perception of cinematography:
1. Laszlo Kovaks and Vilmos Zsigmond : Hungary born visual virtuosos who received similar training, and fled the country in 1956. American cinema owes its looks to them.
Look them up in anything from Easy Rider (Hopper) to tragically overlooked The Last Movie (Hopper) and Heaven’s Gate (Cimino).
2. Robby Muller : He is the one responsible for the cinematography in Paris Texas (Wenders) and the majority of the Wenders masterpieces. A real connaisseur of black and white.
3. Christopher Doyle: This gentleman has transferred cinematography to a different territory. Wang Kar Wai’s wonderful cinema found the ideal visualiser.
4. Vittorio Storaro :
Mr. Storaro made Philippines look like…Vietnam popping out of Dante’s mind. That was in Apocalypse Now (Copolla) A megalomaniac and a perfectionist…
-END OF LIST-
It is time to finish this one. I need to go! I hope that S’kali will take off soon. We shall follow its marvelous course.
Love, Peace, Understanding
Dimitris
Here I am. My name is Dimitris (or Dimitrios) and I am the Director of photography of S’kali.
I have not made my presence visible as I was trying to process the material of the great Malaysian experience within the limited piece of equipment that is my head.
I studied film and English at the University of The West of England. That’s where I met Arivind. That meeting took place in the lift of a student halls building, and has acquired mythical status. No one remembers full details so we decided to “print the legend”.
I am grateful for the entire Malaysian experience, increasingly as days go by.
One does not get the opportunity to do such things every day, and it has been a real pleasure. Although in the latest years it feels like I ‘ve been living off a suitcase!
The problem with people, who wish to work in film, and make films, is that they can sense that they have some sort of talent, but are not able to prove it until they have done it!
Especially in that corner of the planet where I come from teamwork is not appreciated and talented people are not able to achieve certain goals that require teamwork. This is why filmmaking over here seems to be struggling at times; also, this is why too many aspiring artists remain unaccomplished individuals struggling to fulfill dreams. When I came home from Malaysia, I felt I had a little goal in life. To learn even more about filmmaking (and even more cinematography) and apply it wherever I can.
I never intended to be a cinematographer (although you never know what the future and your needs bring) but S’Kali proved that I could go ahead and work with directors who need my vision (not in the kill bill 2 sense…) in order to make art existent. I actually desire to keep on doing it together with filmmaking and screenwriting, because it is a ball game of its own!
I studied film theory, which can cause serious damage to creative people. Theory is adifficult sport, despite its beauty. Like filmmaking it is designed for the chosen few. I meant the mentally disturbed few. No kidding ! Blessed are the minds who can theorise and create at the same time (Godard and “mentor” Wim Wenders should be mentioned here).
I can’t thank enough the other team members though. These guys are wild ! I bonded especially with people behind the camera, as their “cannibalistic” sense of humour was incredibly close to mine. Plus we litteraly had to share food, beds, air throughout the shoot. And I thought I was the only idiot on the planet.. These guys proved me wrong ; I am the only “white” idiot. By the way It was the first time I was called white !! Sounds so…pale ! The other thing about the team was that they love movies a great deal. Benji would kill to get the proper shot done. He would climb the Petronas towers just to get a shot right…if he could. He also loves filmmaking to…deportation point! (Inside joke)
Jay is the man with the plan. The man who restores our faith in the coolness of engineers.
Zaid and Azlan…. No comment baby… Beyond commentary
The producer? ha ha ha ha
Jason, Keith, Kumar ? Outlaws beyond redemption.
Not every moment was great though. Time alters memories, and we might think so, but there were moments of misery and distress, further proof that a proper film was made. Yet, by the end of the shoot (48 hrs later actually) I was ready to go ahead with the making of another feature…I really was.
I have really appreciated the way S’kali dealt with a variety of issues: social, racial etc. It deals with so many things. Racial tensions in Malaysia are similar to the ones everywhere else, yet unique. I feel lucky to have taken a chance to be a temporary part of that culture. By the time I left Taman Tun I strongly felt that I could have stayed six more months. Possibly longer !
I have friends in Malaysia now, people I can call any time and discuss idiotic stuff, and although we don’t come from exactly the same neighborhood we have this bond between us, playing air guitar at the penthouse apartment or hiking at Frim, trying to catch up with the director’s brother, a keen sportsman, and deputy chair of applied bulshitology at the University of Rednecksville, Tallahassee.
Now, on the blog someone mentioned that the director states American films only as far as his influences are concerned. I stand by his viewing obsessions. These are good choices.
I would like to name five cinematographers whose work has influenced my perception of cinematography:
1. Laszlo Kovaks and Vilmos Zsigmond : Hungary born visual virtuosos who received similar training, and fled the country in 1956. American cinema owes its looks to them.
Look them up in anything from Easy Rider (Hopper) to tragically overlooked The Last Movie (Hopper) and Heaven’s Gate (Cimino).
2. Robby Muller : He is the one responsible for the cinematography in Paris Texas (Wenders) and the majority of the Wenders masterpieces. A real connaisseur of black and white.
3. Christopher Doyle: This gentleman has transferred cinematography to a different territory. Wang Kar Wai’s wonderful cinema found the ideal visualiser.
4. Vittorio Storaro :
Mr. Storaro made Philippines look like…Vietnam popping out of Dante’s mind. That was in Apocalypse Now (Copolla) A megalomaniac and a perfectionist…
-END OF LIST-
It is time to finish this one. I need to go! I hope that S’kali will take off soon. We shall follow its marvelous course.
Love, Peace, Understanding
Dimitris
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Stills From Upcoming S'kali Trailers
It has been a while since the last post and this is mainly a reflection of the work that has been going on over the past few weeks. In KL, the team are preparing for the next phase of publicity, whilst in the UK, writer/director Arivind Abraham and editors Luke Yerbury and Ali Maggs are working hard on the trailers and movie.
The trailers will be making their way to KL within the coming weeks, and the guys decided to send over some stills from the film itself.
Luke Yerbury will soon be posting a section with tips and hints in regards to working in HDV, which hopefully will be useful to any of you who are either already working or planning to shoot something in HDV. In advance to that post, they have sent over 2 stills from thhe movie, just to show how much work is still needed, even when shooting in HDV.
It is very rare that what is shot onto tape, makes it onto the screen without some work being done on the image first. The edit team for S'kali are cutting the movie on Final Cut Pro 5 HD, and are also using a plug in called Magic Bullet. Ali and Luke first got experience working with this plug in when they worked on Arivind's graduation short 'The Mighty Tykes' which in fact won editor Ali Maggs the Hewlett Packard Award for editing.
This is the shot straight off the rushes:
And this is it after being worked on with Magic Bullet's "Look Suite" option:
The trailers will be making their way to KL within the coming weeks, and the guys decided to send over some stills from the film itself.
Luke Yerbury will soon be posting a section with tips and hints in regards to working in HDV, which hopefully will be useful to any of you who are either already working or planning to shoot something in HDV. In advance to that post, they have sent over 2 stills from thhe movie, just to show how much work is still needed, even when shooting in HDV.
It is very rare that what is shot onto tape, makes it onto the screen without some work being done on the image first. The edit team for S'kali are cutting the movie on Final Cut Pro 5 HD, and are also using a plug in called Magic Bullet. Ali and Luke first got experience working with this plug in when they worked on Arivind's graduation short 'The Mighty Tykes' which in fact won editor Ali Maggs the Hewlett Packard Award for editing.
This is the shot straight off the rushes:
And this is it after being worked on with Magic Bullet's "Look Suite" option:
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
Post Production
Hi all,
Arivind Abraham here. Just thought I would drop in a little update from the editing frontlines since we have been a little quiet as of late.
Ali, Luke and I have been working on the various trailers for all forms of media be it TV, Radio, Cinema and the internet. I promise some photos will be up soon with some screen grabs off the movie.
We can now confirm that the movie's website will be officially online from 03/04/2006 and will feature information, trailers and some downloads as well.
Talk to you all soon.
Arivind Abraham here. Just thought I would drop in a little update from the editing frontlines since we have been a little quiet as of late.
Ali, Luke and I have been working on the various trailers for all forms of media be it TV, Radio, Cinema and the internet. I promise some photos will be up soon with some screen grabs off the movie.
We can now confirm that the movie's website will be officially online from 03/04/2006 and will feature information, trailers and some downloads as well.
Talk to you all soon.
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
S'kali on mSTAR
Three cast members from S'kali were featured today (14.3.06) on mSTAR Online, theStar newspaper's Malay-language portal. Here is a brief extract from the interview:
Barisan pelakon Skali sering mengatakan bahawa filem tersebut merupakan sebuah filem yang localized (berunsurkan elemen tempatan). Namun, apakah yang dimaksudkan localized jika bahasa perantaraan yang digunakan adalah bahasa Inggeris. Tiada penggunaan dialek Cina , India ataupun Bahasa Melayu dalam skripnya.
"Memang wujudnya pemuda-pemudi yang menggunakan bahasa Inggeris sebagai bahasa untuk berkomunikasi. Terutamanya di kalangan mereka yang terdiri daripada pelbagai bangsa. Mustahil untuk berinteraksi jika seseorang itu menggunakan bahasa Cina kepada mereka yang bukan Cina," jelas Angeline mengenai penggunaan bahasa Inggeris secara menyeluruh dalam S'kali.
You can read the whole interview here.
An Innocent Post.
“Wah..this is just like an actual movie ah..?”
Those words were uttered by the director’s younger brother as we parked the Pajero, filled to the brim with the production equipment in their driveway. It was a weird moment, but an honest one. I personally have been working on this for the better part of 4 years, and I’ve been talking about it for just as long to anyone who was in screaming distance. And oddly enough, the response we got was constantly a variation of the one quoted above. We, the partners would have liked to think the response was mostly one of awe and respect. But to be honest, deep down we all knew it was more of disbelief. Many thought this group of 20 somethings (hey, isn’t that a song…?) were just a bunch of kids chasing a dream. We all got our fair share of doubters, some even coming from within our ‘support structure’.
“What? You think your just gonna call up Apple and walk up there and get their stuff issit..?!”
“Yeah..pretty much…”
And that’s exactly what we did. And that’s exactly what we got. (Admittedly, I’m leaving out some details, like the phone calls, the marketing plans, the business plans, and all the swearing (internally) but we don’t need to be bogged down by details right..?)
So, with our doubters in tow, we went about our business. Over several time zones, over several regions, we got the preproduction work done. We had had several “interesting” meetings with several producers who were interested in our humble little project. After much internal discussion and deliberation, we settled on the one that we felt fit our profile best. And what was the reason behind the eventual chosen one, I hear you ask? Well, they gave us our freedom. They gave us the license to run the production any way we felt best. Not only were the Executive Producers interested in our project, but they were interested in our dream. They were interested in the way WE wanted to run the production. It didn’t matter that we were a bunch of young, inexperienced kids. They didn’t want us to stick a famous face in the lead roles. They didn’t want us to do anything we didn’t want.
It had been a while since any new posts were written for the blog, so I thought id write something up. For all those kids out there who have a dream and want to chase it down. This is our story. We had our dream, we studied, we researched, we worked our way through everything, and we got our dream. They were right, we were chasing a dream. And no matter what happens, we’ve achieved that dream.
It’ll be nice to get some of that awe and respect now.
Those words were uttered by the director’s younger brother as we parked the Pajero, filled to the brim with the production equipment in their driveway. It was a weird moment, but an honest one. I personally have been working on this for the better part of 4 years, and I’ve been talking about it for just as long to anyone who was in screaming distance. And oddly enough, the response we got was constantly a variation of the one quoted above. We, the partners would have liked to think the response was mostly one of awe and respect. But to be honest, deep down we all knew it was more of disbelief. Many thought this group of 20 somethings (hey, isn’t that a song…?) were just a bunch of kids chasing a dream. We all got our fair share of doubters, some even coming from within our ‘support structure’.
“What? You think your just gonna call up Apple and walk up there and get their stuff issit..?!”
“Yeah..pretty much…”
And that’s exactly what we did. And that’s exactly what we got. (Admittedly, I’m leaving out some details, like the phone calls, the marketing plans, the business plans, and all the swearing (internally) but we don’t need to be bogged down by details right..?)
So, with our doubters in tow, we went about our business. Over several time zones, over several regions, we got the preproduction work done. We had had several “interesting” meetings with several producers who were interested in our humble little project. After much internal discussion and deliberation, we settled on the one that we felt fit our profile best. And what was the reason behind the eventual chosen one, I hear you ask? Well, they gave us our freedom. They gave us the license to run the production any way we felt best. Not only were the Executive Producers interested in our project, but they were interested in our dream. They were interested in the way WE wanted to run the production. It didn’t matter that we were a bunch of young, inexperienced kids. They didn’t want us to stick a famous face in the lead roles. They didn’t want us to do anything we didn’t want.
It had been a while since any new posts were written for the blog, so I thought id write something up. For all those kids out there who have a dream and want to chase it down. This is our story. We had our dream, we studied, we researched, we worked our way through everything, and we got our dream. They were right, we were chasing a dream. And no matter what happens, we’ve achieved that dream.
It’ll be nice to get some of that awe and respect now.
Friday, March 10, 2006
S'kali Gets a KLUE
The following is an extract from a feature on S'kali's writer and director, Arivind Abraham that appeared in the March 2006 issue of KLUE Magazine:
Gen-2
Text Brian Yap
One group of filmmakers does not a film industry make. So while Amir, James, Yuhang and Yasmin have been giving us reason to be excited by Malaysian cinema, a new generation of directors are already eager to contribute to Malaysian filmography. Arivind Abraham 23, and Khairil M Bahar, 25, are prepping their feature film debut this year. Here’s a side-by-side look:
Arivind Abraham
TITLE: S’kali
WRITER/DIRECTOR: Arivind Abraham, Multiple MVA winner since 1999. First feature.
SYNOPSIS: Five friends who are about to graduate from secondary school confront obstacles in love, life and friendship. A coming-of-age story that relates the various Malaysian experiences, touching upon contemporary socio-political issues faced by the young in Kuala Lumpur.
RELEASE DATE: August
SOUNDTRACK: Will feature tunes of different genres, mainstream-friendly songs by prominent local acts, together with a handful of newcomers. A rocking soundtrack with a smattering of hip hop, r’n’b and electronic music. With so many musicians in the cast, the hard part might be keeping it all in one CD.
WEBSITE: www.perantauanpictures.blogspot.com
Gen-2
Text Brian Yap
One group of filmmakers does not a film industry make. So while Amir, James, Yuhang and Yasmin have been giving us reason to be excited by Malaysian cinema, a new generation of directors are already eager to contribute to Malaysian filmography. Arivind Abraham 23, and Khairil M Bahar, 25, are prepping their feature film debut this year. Here’s a side-by-side look:
Arivind Abraham
TITLE: S’kali
WRITER/DIRECTOR: Arivind Abraham, Multiple MVA winner since 1999. First feature.
SYNOPSIS: Five friends who are about to graduate from secondary school confront obstacles in love, life and friendship. A coming-of-age story that relates the various Malaysian experiences, touching upon contemporary socio-political issues faced by the young in Kuala Lumpur.
RELEASE DATE: August
SOUNDTRACK: Will feature tunes of different genres, mainstream-friendly songs by prominent local acts, together with a handful of newcomers. A rocking soundtrack with a smattering of hip hop, r’n’b and electronic music. With so many musicians in the cast, the hard part might be keeping it all in one CD.
WEBSITE: www.perantauanpictures.blogspot.com
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