The Paradise Aliens

As if the Canon DSLRs were not already the bargain of the century with their ability to take stunning high definition video for a fraction of the price of the kit you would have needed just a few years ago a new tool is available to make those images even more cine-like – the Technicolor Cinestyle colour profile.

This is available as a FREE download from Technicolor (a company that knows a thing or two about colour!) and is easy to install using Canon’s own EOS Utility.

Technicolor describe it as follows:

“The Technicolor CineStyle™ is a Picture Style (profile) for Canon EOS DSLR cameras that optimizes the dynamic range in the image by leveraging the capabilities of the Canon imaging chipset. Cinematographers and their post-production partners will have greater flexibility in color grading and finishing their projects.”

Huw has been out and about shooting a variety of subjects to test it and the results are very interesting. The raw footage looks very flat and desaturated but this is exactly what a colour grader needs to be able to manipulate the image and Huw was able to get some remarkable results when grading this footage.

Over the next few days we will put the images together to compare how the raw images compare with the standard camera settings and how the images then compare when graded and then upload these so you can see what we’re on about.

On the basis of the results so far it is highly likely that this will find its way into our production toolkit.

Postscript: Had a few problems installing this on my 550D so I thought it might be worth elaborating on the installation instructions, which appear to be geared towards the 5D Mk II. I found that the open file icon was greyed out in the “Register Picture Style File” dialog so I was unable to install the downloaded profile. To get around it I selected “M” on the top wheel of the camera and then the open file icon was enabled when I opened the dialog. I was then able to install the profile for still images. To then enable this for movie mode I put the camera into that mode and selected “Picture Style” from the fourth red menu. Scroll down to the User Defined profiles and there is the CineStyle in the user style that the profile was installed in. It can now be selected. Happy shooting.

Well Christmas has come and gone and in the merest blink of an eye we are already half way through January. How does that happen exactly? No matter since my last post I have completed a basic script re-write and am now fine tuning it.

I have also shot some low light tests using my Canon 550D which, if nothing else, will give me an idea of the problems I will face should we decide to shoot at night (as opposed to the alternative of shooting day for night). The results were in fact reasonably encouraging, though we will need rather more lights than we currently have at our disposal currently to make it work. Battery operated LED panels (very reasonably priced on eBay may be the way to go there).

Of course that also assumes that we will be shooting on Canon DSLRs and that has yet to be decided. We may well end up going that route – after all we do have two of them currently at our disposal – but all the indications are that the new Canon C300 would be a much better bet if we can possibly swing it.

Either way our lives will be made much easier with some faster lenses and I have been pricing up some faster primes – Canon make really nice 28mm and 50mm lenses available for hundreds rather than thousands so those have gone on the shopping list.

Actually I have been pricing up all the additional kit that I believe we will need for the shoot and the verdict: we’re gonna need a bigger budget!

However I doubt we are the first production to face this problem so the task now is to figure out what elements we absolutely need and which we can live without if push comes to shove. And look at ways of increasing the budget…

Watch this space,

Chris

Here at Entanglement Towers we have lovingly crafted the Christmas Entanglement Productions newsletter for your amusement and delectation.

Now to get on with a different sort of writing – completing the next draft of the script.

In the meantime I wish everybody a Happy Christmas – hope Santa brings you everything you asked for!

Chris

You can keep up with the latest news by following us on Twitter and Facebook

In fact we would particularly appreciate it if you could ‘Like’ us on Facebook and in return you will get to hear the latest developments first as news is posted there before anywhere else,

Cheers,

Chris

We have a short film in the can titled “Dyson” featuring two of the Paradise Aliens characters, played by the excellent Roger Harding and the exquisite Amelia Tyler.

Roger requested a clip for use in his showreel. It was largely a green screen shoot so the ever reliable Huw Bowen found a suitable background, graded the shot and added a bit of sci fi audio and having completed it I think it works well as a teaser for the short.

And why Dirty Roger? Take a look at the clip and it should be obvious! To view it click on the link below.

Dirty Roger

OK, I know it is a little early in the game to be talking about our audio post but we had an opportunity to meet with Neil and Tim of The Audio Suite so we drove over to Birmingham this morning to get the ball rolling.

It was a good meeting – these guys are passionate about what they do and wanting people on board with that kind of enthusiasm is a no brainer. Plus we want a Dolby Surround Sound soundtrack on the movie and The Audio Suite can deliver that.

Another thing I like about them is that they are a midlands company. If we want a strong film production culture outside of London then we need to be spending our budgets with facilities houses within our region.

So assuming we can agree on a price when the time comes – and we discussed a number of strategies for closing any gaps in the budget – we have our audio post production sorted.

Another box ticked!

Ken Russell wrote “You can get away with indifferent photography, you can get away with unimaginative casting, pedestrian editing and uninspired music, but what you can’t get away with in the process of movie-making is a bad script”.

I agree with him, though I suspect that Hollywood believes a poor script can be masked by more explosions and bigger special effects.

I have been having problems writing the new draft of the Paradise Aliens script, beyond actually finding the time to write. Problems of the “whose story is this anyway?” variety. Anyone who writes will know what I mean. Fortunately I have the wonderful Hayley McKenzie as a script consultant and we met to work through the problems this morning. Over the course of ninety minutes she helped me clarify my thinking around the main characters and find a way forward that will give me a stronger, tighter script. Thanks Hayley.

Now I just have to turn all that talk into words. On the page.

I am confident that with this draft I will be getting close to something that we can shoot. And the plan is still to shoot this in spring 2012 so watch this space,

Cheers,

Chris

Following some excellent script feedback from Hayley McKenzie and Nicky Bentham I have now started on the next draft, which I intend to complete later this month.

In the meantime I have also written a new synopsis:

“Stella fights for her very life as the living dead walk the streets of the sleepy English village of Paradise when a renegade robot settles a feud with a pair of interstellar bounty hunters.”

I am working towards a spring shoot for principal photography so expect this site to become a lot busier in the coming weeks…

Chris

Hi

If you are reading this then you are early. This WordPress blog will be the official website for the Paradise Aliens movie currently in development by Entanglement Productions until such time as a custom site can be developed.

Right now we don’t have any graphics, photos or anything else with which to customise the site. Like I said, you’re early.

But please come back in a week or two, by which time we will have had time to find a theme and customise it. And start uploading content, like a plot synopsis, character biographies and introduce the production team.

Meanwhile if you are wondering what our credentials are then check out our last movie – Triple Hit

We also have another project in development – The Ministry of Secrets.

See you soon,

Chris