FACT meeting

Hi Jo,

I've arranged a meeting with Karen from FACT in the morning of Friday 9th May at 10:00am to discuss blue screen access.

Creativity

"Creativity is absolutely about taking risks. (…) Creativity is not about playing safe, and it never should be. It should scare the hell out of you at times. It should put you in uncomfortable places that challenge you at every step."

Brendan Dawes creative director of magneticNorth,
Dawes, B (2007) Analog In, Digital Out, New Riders

Hope that helps?

FACT stuff

Yo Jo,

I did hear a good quote about creativity. Give me some time to recollect where I heard it so I can quote it.

I'll now email FACT as if they're up for it we can use their blue screen to do some simple tests. Then I could use that footage for practice in a student's ready made 3D environment. If this could happen then we would have a clearer plan for a longer blue screen session somewhere else. I have a meeting with someone at College on the 12th who can advise on summer-time access to the college, H&S, CRB checks etc.

That's all for now. I'm seeing Sophie on Wednesday night so I'll say hi from you. I'll be busy until Thursday now, but I'm at University of Huddersfield on Wednesday morning. I'll try to see my contact there on potential collaborations. If you're in FACT at the weekend, check out the upstairs bar. I usually hog their sofas in the afternoon to catch up on my own work on Sat and Sun afternoons. Feel free to pop over and say hello.

where I am...

Hi, hope all is well and not getting too hectic! There will be about 4 or 5 boys (yr10) involved, I spoke to them today briefly and they are so excited, were meeting later this week to discuss ideas further. I will show them the blue screen images you posted also so they get a taste of what it may be like. Ive just bought The Order and a free running dvd so Im looking forward to having a mooch at them this week, although I have a deadline for an assignment on creativity next week and it is taking over my life!!! Do you have a personal definition for creativity? Do you think it is a process or a thing or something we all have but don't use?

Edge Hill do have a blue screen so I will email Alex Jukes as we speak and find out the size, availability etc and I will think about taking them to Fact, I might nip myself next weekend and check it out! See ya...

Ok I know it's the weekend…

Hi Jo,

I'm in FACT and have a contact about the blue screen facility. They have a day to book in in May which may be useful. How many students have you got?

Also if you can I'd recommend bringing them to FACT to see the Al and Al films. It could be a good way to get their creative juices flowing.

Don't worry I'm not charging time and a half ,-)

Progress update

I've talked to my line manager who is supportive of the idea and has advised me on who else to speak to with St Helens College.

Below is my progress so far:

• Proposed idea to be video kids freerunning, filmed via bluescreen and composited into a 3D environment and made into a looped video??? for biennial deadline;
  
  See post below…
  
  
• Dave to get things sourced regarding blue screen and video (maybe Edge Hill collaboration);
  
  Ongoing (FACT has been sourced as an initial facility to do some tests in)
  
  
• Dave to draw up 3 design plans regarding students working on the level design;
  
  Ongoing
  
  
• Dave to discuss access, H&S/insurance etc for July access to facilities with college management


I have a contact to discuss this. I've emailed her for information.

That's me done for the weekend. I see you also like Lamb! Small world.

Visual of what I propose we may be able to offer

Hi Jo,

Here are 3 visuals to show what I propose we can possibly offer you for this project.

Image 1 blue(green) screening



In a blue screen environment (to be sourced (Edge Hill?)) we will get the kids to (safely) run through a set of moves we can video from different angles.

Image 2 environmental design



Chosen St Helens students (availability needs confirming mid-May) will build a 3D environment to contain the final compositing which will then be exported as video run-throughs, the 3D camera following the angle of the parkour footage

Image 3 compositing



We will then composite the parkour footage into the environment footage, edit the scenes together into a fluid final video. The final video could either be looped or be edited with a beginning, middle and end. That is something you and your pupils can discuss.

The duration of the video and scope of the environment will need careful consideration at a future meeting. This is dependent upon resources, time and student availability.

Free Running / Parkour Definined

Hi Jo I found this information at http://www.thefreerunningmovie.com/freerunningnf.php and found this useful:

"Originally founded in France by David Belle as parkour, Free Running is an artistic physical discipline of human movement, focusing on uninterrupted, efficient forward motion over, under, around and through obstacles (both man-made and natural) in one’s environment. Such movement may come in the form of running, jumping, climbing and other more complex techniques.

The goal of Free Running is to be able to adapt one’s movement and progress to any given scenario so that any obstacle can be overcome purely by using the human body and the ‘athletes’ own physical abilities.

According to David Belle, the ‘spirit’ of parkour is guided in part by the notions of ‘escape’ and ‘reach’; that is, the idea of using physical agility and quick thinking to get out of difficult situations, and to be able to go anywhere that one desires. However, fluidity and beauty are also important considerations; for example, co-founder Sébastien Foucan speaks of being ‘fluid like water,’ a frequently used metaphor for the smooth passage of barriers through the use of parkour.

Free Running is often connected with the idea of freedom, in the form of the ability to overcome aspects of one’s surroundings that tend to confine – for example, railings, staircases, or walls."

That sounds spot on. In addition I will check out the blue screen facilities at Edge Hill on Monday and get back to you. I am well impressed by this blog its such a great way to record the process of ideas, thoughts etc I just can't wait to meet the students and get talking about ideas etc. Ooh, I thought also that we could film the stages and my students could make a kind of documentary to accompany the game or at least just to learn the editing skills. If you feel like we may need some funding for any of this then I will look into that or if there is anything else I can be doing let me know. Thanks for everything Ive got a really good feeling about this project, see you soon...

Initial Meeting

Just to confirm what we discussed today:

• Proposed idea to be video kids freerunning, filmed via bluescreen and composited into a 3D environment and made into a looped video??? for biennial deadline;
  
• Dave to get things sourced regarding blue screen and video (maybe Edge Hill collaboration);
  
• Dave to draw up 3 design plans regarding students working on the level design;
  
• Dave to discuss access, H&S/insurance etc for July access to facilities with college management;
  
• Jo to attend Biennial meeting and get submission deadline;
  
• Jo to talk to students to discuss ideas for the video, environments etc.;
  
• Dave, Jo and Stas (Games course leader) to meet in June or before;


• Embryonic Schedule:
  
  
  
  • W/C 23 June - initial meeting of students/brainstorming idea;
  
  
  • W/C 23 - 28 June - blue-screen video;
  
  
  • W/C 1st July - End July - production of 3D environment & compositing of videos;
  
  
  • W/C 14th July - student collaboration visit.
  
  

Future posts will refine and update these details… (Jo does this sound right?)