Susie's Leaves part 2

After Susie and I had reviewed, edited and "completed" the collaborative video work, of Susie's "Leaves on an Empty Beach" vision, we'd decided the footage we had, was just not good enough. We'd sat and watched the video and understood where we went wrong with it, shots too short, badly placed leaves etc. We also didn't have enough "ambient sound" (I'd had to loop 15 seconds of waves + wind, as we were all talking in the original footage). We'd considered this work, in the end "a sketch". With this in mind, we made a date to film more footage, knowing what we were looking for this time.

We pick up Mary from her house, and head to Balmedie beach...again. Susie did it again...take 2 heavy bags, full of soggy leaves...these buggers don't budge in a light - middling wind (which is exactly what we have today!). We get to a spot where it's fairly quiet (everyone ...and their dog is on the beach today!). We discuss what shots we need, how we might achieve them etc, and set up. The wind's a strange one today, mainly blowing down the beach (not across, which would be ideal), but, we feel that this can help us get longer, "wistful" shots..and does.

I needed to get some "panning" shots, but, two things kill this for me, we need leaves blowing in, but can't get a pile without getting Susie / Mary casting them out to start, people are not supposed to be in shot. Second, when I do "pan", the tripod is jerky and sticks, so we don't get a smooth transition / tracking shot. I am not sure there are any panning shots I could use in the final version (the pan felt too fast too)...we get a heap of nice into the wind / out of the wind (with leaves rushing past the lens), on a tripod, on the sand etc. All good stuff, unlike the hand held, shaky nonsense I'd filmed last time...I need to capture it and start editing, with Susie. I think out of the 20+ mins we got, there is plenty of scope for a 5 min film.

We head back to Mary's, for a tapas feast. Spreads, Pate, Salmon, Salad etc...all great stuff. We chat about how the MFA is shaping up, the usual panic as we feel the deadline of another semester speeding our way. Mary is getting her "white cube" show ready, all capes and piss...more on that later...(it's sounding great, a performance piece I am tasked in filming, I'll fit that round my 1500 word essay and all that Jazz... ho ho).

NEOS has 202 entries int he Database...that's scary. I need to find an automated way of creating the setups....lets not think about that just now!

I also have to think about the work for Uni, the "self portrait" for Charlie Hackett, and, as Mary pointed out, we're expected to have some "creative writing" for next Thursday...as you can tell from reading this, I ain't no writer. (is that a double negative? fahknahs).

Listening to : Aphex Twin - I care because you do : UI - lifelike