Nerd mom is experiencing technical difficulties
So this week I’m coming up against some of our little production’s shortcomings. You know, the hardware, lights (anybody want to lend me some kino flo light banks, and an led ring light?), props, costumes, how to make Barbie panties, and dry ice knowledge, kind of shortcomings. The usual stuff moms are thinking about while cooking up the mac and peas. For those of you who don’t know, and I forgot to mention in my first post, I am the not so proud owner of a blog called mymomsanerd. You can read all about my other domestic ventures and mishaps there.
Two of the three nerd moms from Lady Gaga parody video
I’ve been happily speculating about how I’m going to edit this video once it’s “in the can” so to speak. We just bought Final Cut Pro, but haven’t installed it yet. I was naively thinking “oh I might need a new graphics card for the G5″ or “maybe we can edit it on the macbook”. But then I looked at this.
D'oh!
I know. Insert laughing at me here. I’m going to need a whole new computer! Tragedy. As soon as I told my husband, who would like to name our next born 1 Infinite Loop (boy or girl), he was on the Apple site trying to decided which new baby he was going to take home. He was practically drooling. Never mind we don’t have the money. Never mind we already have FOUR apple computers in this house with three people. (one G5 tower, one macbook pro, one macbook, and one ibook) We are on the slippery slope to being those boys in the movie Weird Science. I’m in the garage glitter gluing bras on Barbie dolls, wearing nothing but a pink lame tube top, and he’s having some alone time with the apple store online. All I wanted to do was make a music video!
My future in film making
Right now it’s between the high-end iMac, and the low-end tower. Anyone with thoughts or advice on which would be better for editing video from the 5D, would be appreciated. Also if anyone that wants to give me $2500, I’ll bake you a cake. A really fancy cake.
I’m also having some serious doubts about my cinematography prowess. I’ve been spending hours analyzing the video we’re about to spoof. I think I need some kind of steadicam, and possibly dolly tracks. Maybe this is the week I start learning tai chi to steady my movements. The poor mans steadicam. I think music videos are where you find some of the most innovative use of camera work, lighting, and effects. It all happens fast, and has to be so tight. I’m used to working with strobes, but other than being lit with them as an actor, I don’t know a lot about hot lights. Part of me just wants to shoot it en plein air. But I know myself, by next week, I’ll be begging, borrowing, and stealing lights, that I will then have to learn how to use. I don’t think I could have set up a bigger challenge for myself for a first project.
There’s an effect in the original Lady Gaga video that looks like a stutter step. That’s the best way I can describe it. I’m sure it’s something they’ve done in the editing process or with an after effects program. I was putting my 2 year old to bed last night and as I was reading “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs” for the 3rd time, reading by the light from my iphone, resting on my chest, I had a flash of inspiration. As I was breathing in and out the light was subtly sweeping back and forth across the page. It got me thinking about things being revealed by light in a scene, which made me think of a student film I did in San Francisco years ago. The director had me walking through a dark set, where she revealed whole scenes right in front of me with hot lights as I passed. The effect was pretty cheesy, and looked, you know, like a student film. BUT, that made me think of the Kindle commercial with Annie Little, which was incredible, but had that home grown feel to it. Angela Kohler and Ithyle Griffiths shot that spot using stills to make stop motion vignettes. It was so well done, and so memorable.
There was a video we had to watch in 7th grade science class where Isaac Newton, or someone discovers something (gravity, whatevs. see what an impression it made) and then he shouts “EUREKA!” Maybe you remember it? Eureka!
EUREKA! I had that moment laying in the bed. I’ll shoot the parts where I need that stutter step, as stills. I’ll make that part stop motion, so I can move it forward or backward in time, without having to figure out how to do it in post. If any of you have thoughts on this approach I welcome them. I might do a little test this week to see if it’s going to work. After I get a new computer that is. Sigh…
Lady Gaga macaroni mask. That's mom hot.
I'm Bill Murray, you're everybody else
As for props, I’ve decided to take the “Be Kind Rewind” approach. Not that I’m in anyway that brilliant. But I’m letting myself off the hook on making it perfect. It’s going to look homemade. Like someone’s mom sewed the costumes (I did!), and some kids painted the sets (they did!). So that’s where we’re at this week. Be Kind Rewind meets Lady Gaga meets your mom. Are you excited? I am.
