Exploratory Practice – Group Project
1. Concept // Moodboard //Storyboard
It has been a while since my last blog post. Since my mental and physical health has been really rough this year, I have been trying really hard to maintain a healthier lifestyle and get back on track. I am really grateful to kick start again on this project with my classmates – Moonju, Alwin and Wayne.
Initially, I was particularly interested in the sustainability theme, as it aligns with my aesthetic and vision, and I believe that everyone in my team has different skillsets that can support each other to create something good together. After a few brainstorming sessions, we agreed on working on a campaign for green vehicle, inspired by brands like Lime, unu, VOI, and Felyx, etc…
Link to our Miro board:
Me and Moonju started working on the storyboard together, I found it hard to express my ideas at first due to my no-so-good drawing skills, but everyone seems to understand the idea and happy to work on it at the end 🙂
I have always been intrigued by the biome / plant simulation made in Houdini or Blender’s geometry nodes and truly want to learn and experiment on them, hence incorporating these elements into this project.
After my first rough storyboard sketch, Moonju tried to turn it into an animatic video so we can better visualise how long each shot is going to take. We ended up removing the phone shots to keep the whole video within 1-minute time frame.
As we decided on the roles we’re taking for the project, I affirming my desire to contribute and strengthing my skills in 3D design and directing.
Here are our individual roles, with our planned equipments and filming dates and location.
2. Filming – Shooting Location #1 – Green wall
The first location I picked for the project was a building opposite my house, close to the uni. As we were searching for Lime’s parking spots to scout for a scooter, we found this building with a beautiful wall full of plants and leaf. This was actually not what we expected, but we were happy to add the wall as an addition to the project as it fits our theme, hence the revision of the storyboard.
We actually attempted to filmed twice. The first day we planned to, we rented a lot of equipments like GoPro, Black Magic, Gimbal. etc,… I tried to set up the gimbal since I have tried it before, but it was really hard to balance it and with the Black Magic camera on it, it was super heavy to operate. Furthermore, the first shooting day the weather was soooo bad, it was super cold and windy, so we decided to postponed it to another day. Everyone ended up coming back to my house to warm up, and I made them some hot chocolate 🙂
In the fourth week, we managed to confirm another day of shooting and got blessed with a nice sunny weather 🙂 . We started with the building scenes, and luckily, there were few people around, allowing us to shoot without interruptions. However, setting up the camera proved difficult due to our inexperience. Despite positioning it far from the actor, the angle was too narrow. We discovered this issue was caused by sensor cropping in the camera settings between 4K and 6K resolutions. We tried to adjust it, but the SD card couldn’t handle the high bitrate required for 6K, causing the camera to stop. As a result, we opted to stick with 4K.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this filming experience as it allowed me to hone my videography skills. I was very meticulous about the outcome of each shot, taking the lead in most of the filming and directing. I ensured our actor, Minghan, felt as comfortable as possible and communicated clearly with him about how I wanted him to perform.
3. Filming – Shooting Location #2 – Waterloo Tunnel
We chose Waterloo Tunnel because its entrance, covered with plants, perfectly suited our vision. We decided to conduct a test shoot first, as renting Lime scooters costs money by the minute, and we wanted to avoid unnecessary expenses.
On the test shoot day, we used Wayne’s bike to experiment with different angles and equipment. Initially, I attached my octopus tripod to the front of his bike as he rode into the tunnel, but the footage turned out shaky due to the uneven brick ground. We then tried using a chest mount, which I initially disliked because of the angle. However, we realized the perspective would differ if the rider were on a scooter instead of a bike. I instructed Wayne to ride in a straight line and keep his torso steady to ensure smoother footage.
On the official filming day, we rented two Lime scooters to ensure smoother footage compared to filming on a bike. Patience was key, as the tunnel was frequently crowded with passersby. While observing, we noticed a sign at the tunnel entrance and decided to incorporate it into our project by adding a slogan.
Overall, I really enjoyed these shooting days. I captured exactly what we needed for the project, enhancing my filming and directing skills. Although I was uncertain about transitioning from the real-life tunnel to the CG tunnel, I knew it would require some experimentation.
Afterward, Moonju used the footage I had filmed to create a rough cut and see how the entire video would look. Fortunately, everything fit within the 1-minute time frame.
Green Screen
We booked the green screen room and a Blackmagic camera for filming, intending to bring the scooter into the green screen room. However, the staff at reception didn’t allow it due to health and safety concerns, saying that the scooter’s battery as a potential fire hazard. They informed us that we needed permission from the health and safety team at least two days in advance.
With our original plan disrupted, we quickly found an alternative. We rented a green screen kit from the kit room, which included a large green cloth and poles. We relocated to the parking lot of my building and successfully completed the filming there.
CG Tunnel
For the tunnel scene, I envisioned transforming the tunnel into a visually captivating environment resembling an aquarium. However, instead of marine life, this unique space would be inhabited by a lush, vibrant world of plants.
I imagined the walls and ceiling of the tunnel teeming with a variety of greenery, creating a mesmerizing, garden-like atmosphere that envelops the viewer. The idea was to evoke the feeling of walking through an underwater realm, but with foliage thriving in place of fish, providing a surreal and enchanting visual experience.
This concept aimed to blend elements of nature and fantasy, creating a stunning, immersive setting for our project.
At the start of this project, I was trying to decide whether to use Unreal Engine or Blender. Unreal is great for creating realistic plants, trees, and foliage, so I thought it might be the best choice. I started with Unreal, hoping it would help make the environment in my project look amazing. However, I ran into issues with the glass materials, which didn’t look right for what I needed.
Since I’m more comfortable with Blender, I decided to switch back to it. I used some helpful add-ons in Blender to place plant models around my scene and make everything work better.
This experience taught me a lot about choosing the right tools for a project. It showed me that it’s okay to try new things, but sometimes, sticking with what you know best can help you get the best results. I learned that being flexible and knowing when to switch methods is important in making sure a project turns out well.
I also added some imperfection on the glass to make it more realistic