My most recent project is titled "Agent Cauliflower and The Missing Seedling". It's inspired by the corny (no pun intended) and sometimes wacky world of 1950's/60's cartoons. It all started when I watched a bonus scene from "The Incredibles" which included a fictional commentary over a fake vintage superhero show featuring Mr. Incredible and Frozon. The art style and atheistic made me laugh but also made me interested in doing something similar. Thats when I found a show called "Clutch Cargo" which inspired the bonus feature on The Incredibles. From that point on I worked towards recreating a vintage cartoon inspired by "Clutch Cargo" and the other imitators of the format. The format is called Syncro-Vox Animation. The style was fast and cheap meaning that the studios could make a lot of money without having to put in the tradition amount of effort typically seen in most animations. Everything about this project was geared towards making this cartoon as close as possible to the era it represented. An example of this was using a limited color palette. Keep in mind everything was physical back then so colors equaled paint and you would need storage to store the paint. A low budget animation didn't have the money or the space to store and keep track of all the colors, so colors were often reused and limited in terms of variety. I also tried making the plot similar to one of the same era. Helicopters and planes were often used as transportation in "Clutch Cargo" and the final villain rival is reminiscent to one that could be on "Scooby-Doo". Even aspects like "what shape should their eyes be?" was considered when making the cartoon. Overall i'm very proud of the script, animation, sound, and editing that went into this project. It was so much fun working on and I can't wait to continue the story!
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This has been the 4th Ladue View that I have been a part of and definitely one of the most exciting! One aspect that made this Ladue View special for me was that I was able to get my video featured on the program. I think that the uniqueness of the video and the subject matter made it qualify to be featured so it was great being able to have this project that I worked really hard on air with the show.
Another aspect that made this Ladue View unique to me was that it was the first time I had worked a more hidden role rather than anchoring. Even though most roles are hidden that doesn't make them any less important. It was really cool to see the show run from a behind the scenes perspective rather than in front of the camera. I personally worked in the writing room to develop the script for the show. One big thing I learned while working on this upcoming show was the importance of communication and dedication. Everyone was dedicated to doing their job and that made the show run more smoothly than I had ever seen it run before. Communication also played a big role in making that happen because it kept everybody in line. A challenge we faced was working with AJA, our video/graphics player. While the problem wasn't 100% fixed it was solved by working around the problem and making it work. I personally faced a challenge when trying to come up with ideas in the writers room. The solution was and is always to communicate with your collaborators which will help you open up your mind to new possible ideas. I felt the most successful in my job when I came up with ideas that could work well in the show like the idea to have one of the anchors Maxwell leave the stage before his segment aired. My favorite part of recording the show was seeing all the pieces come together so seamlessly. It takes so many people to bring the show to life which can make it difficult for all the pieces to fit. In the future I would love to continue writing or even possibly anchor again but I still want to give opportunities to those who haven't experienced it yet. I think that including more of the student body in the show can encourage more students to watch it. I know that in middle school everyone was looking forward to watching the weekly show because they got to see themselves or their friends. With that being said I believe that it's still important to include different stories that might not be 100% about school or friends. Overall this was an exciting experience that has made me really look forward to this Broadcast class. This blog post is going to be unique from my other ones. Normally my blog posts are just an extended description with maybe some added behind the scenes on the project. This blog post will instead be a more simplified guide to my process with filming on actual film, more specifically Super 8. Cost) Quickly I just want to get the cost out of the way. Filming on Super 8 is expensive. As much as it was a fun and educational experience the total cost is a definite deterrent. The total cost for the processing and scanning was around $40 without shipping. The total cost for the film was also around $40. The camera would be another additional cost if you don't have one already. This why I would only recommend filming on Super 8 when the final outcome benefits from being shot on Super 8. Step 1) Finding a Camera and Film For me, I asked family members if they had a super 8 camera. Many people had super 8 cameras in the 60s through early 70s to record friends and family. Chances of an older relative having one is a lot higher than you may think so ask around. If no one has a Super 8 camera, Ebay and other shops like Esty are always a good alternative. Make sure that the camera is tested and working. Buying older technology is always a gamble but if it was tested and working the chances of it failing on you are slim. The camera I ended up using was a Minolta XL 401. As for finding the correct film to use make sure that it is Super 8 film. There is other film that sounds similar like 8mm and while 8mm and super 8 are visually pretty much the same, you can't use 8mm on a super 8 camera and vice-versa. Film can get expired so make sure you buy it fresh. The best place to guarantee this to buy it from B&H. Amazon also sells Super 8 film, in fact that's where I got mine. The only thing with Amazon is that you don't get that 100% certainty but it's worked for me so far. Kodak is last main manufacturer of Super 8 film and they make 5 different types. Here is a quick brake down so that you can choose the film that works best for you: Kodak 50D) Good for bright sunny days (Color) Kodak 500T) Good for night time filming (Color) Kodak 200T) Good intermediate (Color) Kodak 7266) Black/White filming indoors and outdoors (B/W) Kodak Ektachrome 100D) Good for if you want to project your film into a projector (Color) I went with 50D as the choice for my first roll which for me turned out looking great for both the indoor and outdoor footage. With that being said go with the film that best suits your recording conditions or if you like the look of a certain film just go for it and experiment! Step 2) Recording Once the camera is turned on make sure to focus your camera by zooming all the way in and focus the lens. Some cameras also have an adjustable viewfinder so make sure that your viewfinder is in focus too. All of this can be difficult to do because Super 8 cameras tend to have a pretty small viewfinder but try your best and take your time. That leads me to my next point which is to take your time. Each reel gives you roughly 3½ minutes of footage so you have to make every shot count. Even though you must make every shot count, don't be too attached to your first roll because it might not turn out the way you want it too and that's ok, it's all part of the process. Step 3) Processing Once you finished recording take out your film and it should say exposed on the film seen in the side of the cartridge. Most cameras also have an indicator on the side that will reveal when the film reel is done. Now you send your film to a place to get processed. The option I went with was a company titled Spectra Film & Video. Spectra is going to ask you to fill out the order instructions which can be a bit confusing when trying to figure out what to include. Below is what I filled out on my Spectra order instructions so feel free to use it as a template of sorts: Super 8 Film Processing - ECN-2 Color Negative - Normal - 1 roll - Total: $19.50 I had Spectra ship the film and made sure to put Nicholas Coyle's address into the shipping address instead of my own. (We'll get to Nicholas in just a second) Step 4) Scanning You might be wondering to yourself why I put some random guy's house into the return address instead of my own. The reason for that is because this "random guy" just so happens to be one of the best film scanners in the country while also being one of the cheapest! He has scanned films for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Universal Studios, and MOMA just to name a few. To view your film on a computer you have to get it scanned. Nicholas Coyle will scan your film in 4K for only $20, including shipping the reel back to you. For reference most other scanning facilities cost well over $100 for a 4k scan. With that out of the way you will want to fill in Nicholas' information into the shipping address, city, state, and postal code when filling out the Spectra order form. Next make sure that you fill out an order from from Nicholas Coyle's website and a new client form if you are new. I can say from experience that Nicholas is one of the best people to email with any Super 8 or film questions. He responds back promptly and extremely quickly. He scanned my film the day it arrived and that night I got an invoice back with the footage. If you go with his 4k ProRes scan it will a roughly 43 gb dropbox file. The file was having a hard time loading for me so I asked if he could send me a compressed file or possibly another link for the ProRes scan. He did both and responded back very promptly so know that he is just an email away! If the dropbox file is not working for you ask for a link via frame.io which is what he sent me that worked. End Thoughts: Was the experience long and nerve wracking, yes. Was the experience worth it, also yes! In total the whole process took me around 2-3 weeks if you include filming. This meant that for a good chuck of time I was waiting and anxiously awaiting emails/notifications to see if the film was shipped safely. I was worried that the film wouldn't turn out at all and would just be a dark, out of focus mess. The fact that everything for the most part worked is honestly a miracle. With that being said, go into your first film roll acting like its going to turn out not the way you expect it to. I had low expectations for the final outcome which made the final outcome that much more special. This was a really fun experience that has definitely motivated me to try the format out again sometime soon. After celebrating this past Thanksgiving with family, it got me thinking about how different this holiday season already is when compared to last years. The video for my student choice project drove from this idea. The video is a reflection on the holiday season for the past decade, covering what life was like before, during, and "after" the pandemic. The project highlights the importance of friends and family during the holidays. For anyone wanting to watch a heartfelt and personal video essay on the holiday season click here!
Even the most mundane items can carry a treasure trove of family history. That is what I discovered when I asked my Uncle Alan a simple question about a camera he gave me. What followed was an eye opening experience that widened my perspective on the Vietnam War. The camera itself became my go-to camera when taking photos. Although it utilizes film, I find the camera far superior to work with than a digital one. My love for this camera that I had just recently received made me wonder how my Uncle Alan got it and what story came with that. This story highlights the beauty that is behind anything you find. To watch the final product, click here!
Recently I was messing around online and found out about OpenAIJukebox. It's a free software that allows you to create brand new pieces of music based off of your favorite artists and genres. After messing around with the software I found that there is some amazing potential with this technology that could change the music industry forever. To here more about it click here!
In my most recent video I decided to make it about the one year anniversary of the COVID-19 Pandemic. What I enjoyed most about making this film is how it gave me the opportunity to use some of the hundreds of videos I have taken within the past year including one where I talk to my future self about the pandemic (the first clip). Overall I really enjoyed this project and it gave me a nice way to reflect and voice my opinion about the pandemic. If you want to watch it click here!
Last month I traveled three hours outside of St. Louis to visit a small town by the name of Marceline, Missouri. This small town was the same one where Walt Disney grew up and spent most of his childhood. In the town was a ton of important Walt Disney locations and a museum. One of the most difficult parts of making a film about his hometown was the fact that I am a huge Walt Disney fan. Every little thing was amazing to me so it became difficult narrow down what was important and what I had to leave out. Because of that I had to go through a bunch of footage which was not only time consuming but also took up a lot of space. The next time I take on a project like this I plan on coming more prepared with a strict guideline of what I want to focus on. Honestly everything from the hometown theater to the local toy store could have been a full length video by itself so maybe next time narrowing my focus would be better. With that being said this was probably one of the funnest projects I have worked on in a while. Not only did it provide a nice opportunity to take a much needed break from school but it also opened my eyes to the previous misconceptions I've had about small towns. Everyone there was so kind and welcoming and the museum and stores we visited were all following COVID guidelines (masks, plexiglass, etc.). Overall this project was more of an experiment than anything else. It was a combination of trying some new styles and a learning experience of how to record in public spaces were you might not feel as comfortable recording. While it might have not been my best project, it has been the only one so far to really push me outside of my comfort zone and take some more risks than usual. If you want to check out the video click here
For my 60 video I wanted to make something that encompassed who I am and my skills. What was so fun about this project is how I was able to use old videos and movies that I have created. Especially when I was younger I recorded everything. I was able to use some of it like the fake fight I had with my brother for a video I was making. I was also able to use some of the videos from a series I did called Safari Adventure which was fun because the last time I had seen that footage was in middle school. When we shot that we would also record everything because for the most part it was all improvised so if something unique or funny popped up we had to be ready to instantly start recording. Because of that there was a lot of between take footage which immediately took me back to middle school. Overall this project was really cool and brought back a lot of memories from past experiences. If you want to watch the video for yourself click here
The TV Studio unit was an amazing unit. I was able to operate the major jobs that go into play in a TV studio. My favorite jobs were the talent, sound, technical director, camera operator, and floor director. I loved being the talent because I got to be in front of the camera and act though sometimes it was difficult to keep up with the teleprompter. Being the sound guy was a fun job that looks more difficult that it really is because half of the controls you don't need to use. The technical director was a job I looked forward to because you got to control all the cameras and it felt like you were an editor which is a job I like. Being the camera operator was interesting because I got to use professional camera equipment that I haven't used yet. The most difficult fun job for me was the floor director because I am bad a directing people but now that I have done it, I feel more confident in doing so.
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AuthorMy name is Mate Daus. I am a filmmaker, editor, Musician, and artist. Archives
April 2023
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