Social Networking Using a Blog

What is a blog? Well the word blog is derived from the term 'web log'. Take out the we and join the words together and you get blog. Basically a web-log or blog is a journal or a dairy of ones thoughts, ideas, criticisms, political opinions or simply a message. It is a document written electronically on an internet web page, in this case a blogging service on Blogger. You can learn more on what a blog is and all its history in this Blog Wiki.

Web log... Now that brings back some memories of the original television program 'Star Trek', where Captain Kirk records his ship's log with his famous words, “Captain's log, star date...”. In my case with my first blog... Daryl's blog, star date 2009.

So why have I started this blog? There are two reasons:

(1) Because I am studying at the University of Canberra ACT, Australia doing a Bachelor of Media Arts and Production. One of the units I am studying is Networked Media Production and the assignment I am required to do is to create a blog and write articles relating to media produced for the internet and explain how technology can be used to promote and display different forms of media such as text, audio, still images and video.

(2) Because I have a passion for filmmaking. I have been making short films since 1995, I have produced 2 community television programs in Sydney ('Simply Living in Sydney' and 'Fandangle') and now have been attracted to machinima. Machinima is a new method of filmmaking using video games and their SDK (software development kit) you can create your own sets or in gaming terms levels, control the in-game-camera and direct the actions of the actors ( npc's ) and in some cases have the actors speak in lipsynch (e.g. Half Life 2) and most importantly render the scenes in realtime. I have acquired all this production knowledge by personal research, experimentation and experience. A blog is a perfect medium for me to share and pass on the knowledge I possess that may be of assistance to other filmmakers.

In relation to technology, some of you have grown up with the internet and are familiar with its functions, services, information resources and its peculiarities. So to you it is nothing new, but your parents' generation will remember a time when computers, mobile phones, ipods, mp3 players, video and digital cameras, DVD's, CD's or even a simple electronic calculator didn't exist. They were the fantasy of comic books.

The modern technologies available to us today allows us to take digital photographs or videos of our friends, family, places we've traveled to, celebrations or events and upload them on the internet using social networks such as Youtube, Facebook, Myspace, Flickr and many more.

With this technology we have the opportunity to become filmmakers in a fashion unlike our artistic predecessors. We are not restricted or controlled by large motion picture studios who also control distributorship - deciding what films will and will not be shown on the big screen. There is no need for large budgets to produce our creative work. We have control over how, where and when our productions will be screened. Using the technology of the internet we are provided with a cinematic screen where our audience is limited only by the connectivity of the world wide web.

We are living in exciting times. Technology is moving at such a fast pace with new mediums and formats being invented that creative people can express themselves in many ways and develop their own individual styles.

Using a blog is one form of technology that filmmakers and artists can utilize to showcase their work, thoughts, messages and ideals to the world and build a social network with other individuals who have the same interests and curiosities.

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References:
University of Canberra ~ http://www.canberra.edu.au
University of Canberra Media Arts and Production ~ http://www.canberra.edu.au/courses/index.cfm?action=detail&courseid=985AA
Blog Wiki ~ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog
Social Networks Wiki ~ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_network
Youtube ~ http://www.youtube.com
Facebook ~ http://www.facebook.com
Myspace ~ http://www.myspace.com
Flickr ~ http//www.flickr.com
Machinima Wiki ~ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machinima
Half Life 2 PC Game ~ http://orange.half-life2.com

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Drink n Drive

The Media Resource Center (MRC) organized the first No Budget Production Project in 1997. 15 Adelaide film directors were to be chosen to make a short film on any subject they wished and have access to the MRC's video camera's and editing suite at no cost. I was one of the chosen ones. The story I came up with was my version of what the consequences could be if you drink and drive. [See this film] Read more Entry>>

Virtual Reality

Virtual Reality was a very short film. The Adelaide Film and Video Festival was coming up and I hadn't made a film. There was only 2 days to get a film made and submitted by the deadline. So I came up with an experimental artistic piece. Basically it was and eye candy experimental film with a futuristic style. The story line doesn't make any sense, but it is entertaining. [See this film] Read more Entry>>

Nightmare

The first film I made was called “Nightmare”. Back in 1995 I was going to a film night at the Crown and Anchor hotel in Adelaide. I wanted to be a filmmaker and this was the perfect place to be. There were University students, filmmakers like me and people in the industry. After a few months everyone started asking when will I make my first film. The pressure was on so I started thinking of a story. It was really hard coming up with a story. Eventually I decided to make a music video about suicide and if the person who is suicidal can hang in there while struggling through the depression stage, there is hope. [See this film] Read more Entry>>

The Creative Journey

The journey of a filmmaker is a creative one. This journey will lead you to cross roads where you will need to make decisions which may require you to change the direction you are going. There will be opportunities, disappointments and achievements along the way. You will develop long lasting relationships that will support you during the difficult times. And on reflection of your memories, you will be encouraged and determined to follow your creative journey so you can continue to grow as a filmmaker.

This is a story about my expedition as a filmmaker and how it may assist you as you travel along the road of your creative journey.

I remember when I first started out as a filmmaker. The films I made were subjects that took my fancy with no direction as to where it will take me. I wasn't aware of what film genre appealed to me, what my directing style was and where I wanted to go with my directorial skills. After making several films the road I was taking as a filmmaker was becoming clearer. As you continue to make films you eventually realize that you are going on a creative journey. You realize there is a particular style or film genre that you just love, that you have a favorite colors, a favorite era, period of history, and your method of making films matures. As you make more films you will develop relationships with fellow creative people who are on a similar journey as you. Those relationships will build a strong bond with fellow directors, film and television industry people, actors, cinematographers, editors, musicians etc. It takes time to develop these relationships, but if you persist with your dream, you will find those relationships will be a great support in you creative journey.

My journey began in Adelaide, South Australia. I made several short films, organised the Schlockfest film festival and my dream was to write and direct a feature film. After writing my feature film “Feme” I moved to Sydney to develop some interest in producing it. There was some interest but giving a first time feature film director a break was an obstacle. I remember back in Adelaide having an in depth conversation with local feature film Producer/Director Rolf De Heer of Vertigo Productions about films and my passion to make a feature film. He gave me a word of advice “You have to be crazy to make a feature film. Because the film industry is a crazy business. If your not crazy you wont survive.” The dream faded. I met a lovely lady and got married. My wife and I went a monthly film night organised by Essan Laurent where we met a lot of people in film and television industry.

One of the people we met approached me saying he wanted to produce a community television program. I was adamant about my artistic integrity (something you have to get over very quickly. In reality it can restrict your creative growth). I didn't want to make television programs, I wanted to make a feature film. My wifed jumped in the conversation and said Daryl is the man for you, he is amazing (aint love grand). So I started producing a community television infotainment program called “Simply Living in Sydney” doing all the production work, with the help of a videographer friend who had a 3CCD Video camera and my wife was the production manager. When I made a 5 minute short film, it would take me a month to write the screenplay, breakdown the script, look for locations, actors, shoot the film and edit it. This television program required 5 x 5 minute segments a week. I was amazed I could do it. I was given a brief by the executive/producer. Read the brief, picked an interviewer, went to the location and I had to come up with a concept on the spot, direct the interviewer and client, shoot the interview and grab shots relating to the segment, edit the 5 segments and get the program to the television studio by Saturday to be aired. The program went for few months. The Producer had financial problems and the program stopped. My wife said why don't we make our own television program. So we produced “Fandangle” a program focusing on the music scene in Sydney where we would film live bands and show them on our program. The community TV station's license was up for review. It was revoked and given to another community group. Community Television in Sydney came to a stand still. Almost everyone who produced community television programs in Sydney moved on and I went to work in a regular job.

Finally we moved to Canberra, I heard about the new degree, Bachelor of Media Arts and Production at University of Canberra and decided I had to do this.

As you can see from this story, I have been on a creative journey. As a filmmaker, you too are on a creative journey. So let it happen, accept the offers that come your way, follow your inner guide and most of all, enjoy the trip.

References
Rolf De Heer: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0208854/
Rolf De Heer Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolf_de_Heer
Vertigo Productions: http://www.vertigoproductions.com.au/
Essan Laurent: http://www.essanlaurent.com/
Fandangle Productions: http://www.fandangle.com.au/
University of Canberra: http://www.canberra.edua.au/ Read more Entry>>

What is Machinima

What is Machinima you may ask? Well Machinima is a term used in reference to making animated movies using a game engine such as Unreal Tournament 3, Half Life 2 and a host of many other video games. In January 2000, two well respected filmmakers Hugh Hancock and Anthony Bailey were looking for a name that would best describe this new art form. They thought of two words Machine and Cinema. Hugh Hancock misspelled the word Machinema as Machinima and so the name stuck.. Gamers (video game enthusiasts) would be familiar with this new art form and yet there are a lot of people who haven't even heard of this style of filmmaking, let alone be aware of its potential.

Here is a Machinima film made in the Half Life video game. The film is called “What is Machinima?” It explains visually what Machinima is and how it is made.


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