BBC Multi Platform - 'The Burning Room'

A while ago we had the pleasure to co-create a test platform for BBC's Multi Platform department. The brief was to explore the possibilities in interactive media that can be accessed by BBC's millions of online viewers.

Ace camera assistant Mihali Moore and Coob's Donnelly brothers discuss the required technicals for the panoramas.

Working again with Producer Jon Aird as we have on many previous adult education interactive experiences run on the BBC website. This time we had a 'blank canvas' and together, creative control in creating something that would explore the possibilities for online experiences, and something that could be easily adapted to terestrial projects such as Dr Who or Eastenders for instance.

Teamed up with Coob as we have done again in similar projects, we got going on drafting a scenario for our story to take place. For this a horor / suspense genre was chosen, as we also wanted to test out VFX elements in this experience.

ALL flame effects were filmed live in a Chromakey set up on site, and in the end up to 100 layers per frame were made to enhance certain scenes. The mastery of our VFX guru William Chang brought this to reality, while Adam Cutts, our Set Designer and Props Master worked his magic in creating the various sets to the final 'burn-out' set.

Exploring the paroramics was a key action we wanted to incorporate, as well as video insertion and sound cues.

The biggest hurdle we came up against was the compression in the platform of Flash video, where the very large VFX files had to be compressed heavily to ensure the smooth running of the experience.

Well received, we are now exploring the options of taking this and translating it to other genres like drama.

So take a moment, turn out the lights, and Enjoy!

The Burning Room

BBC 'Shakespeare's Stories' - 4 x Interactive Dramas

A while ago the BBC ran a 4 part series of modernised versions of 4 plays by the famous playwright Shakespeare. Cast with the crème of British talent this series was supported by a very innovative and advanced interactive tool that allowed it's viewers to watch the 4 plays then choose to explore the workings behind the plays... the 'glossary', the themes.. etc.

Our Director Of Photography Une Herzer, was brought in as Lighting Director and Technical Supervisor to the studio recordings of these BBC dramas as well as the menu option recordings that were hosted by actor David Oyelowo.

The plays featured were, 'Macbeth', Much Ado About Nothing', 'A Midsummer Nights Dream' and 'The Taming Of The Shrew'.

These interactive recordings were shot in the same minimalist space, devoid of theatrical trappings to give focus to the play in it's rawest form. The only difference was the creative input allowed to Une in translating the scene to 4 unique canvases through light alone. Further graphic enhancements were added to the 'glossary' choice in the interactive experience, to explain further explain the words Shakespeare penned in his plays. 

Widely acclaimed, this series of interactive experiences that supported the dramas aired on the BBC were nominated for both BAFTAs and BANFFs.

Macbeth:

This is the final drama piece for the 'Macbeth' play with the glossary graphics.

For the FULL interactive experience, you can view it online at the BBC website:

Shakespeares Stories - Macbeth

NOTE: Navigate by using your keyboard number keys and/or by selecting the numbers on the screen with your mouse when prompted.

Much Ado About Nothing:

This is the final drama piece for the 'Much Ado About Nothing' play with the glossary graphics.

For the FULL interactive experience, you can view it online at the BBC website:

Shakespeares Stories - Much Ado About Nothing

NOTE: Navigate by using your keyboard number keys and/or by selecting the numbers on the screen with your mouse when prompted.

A Midsummer Nights Dream:

This is the final drama piece for the 'A Midsummer Nights Dream' play with the VFX graphics.

For the FULL interactive experience, you can view it online at the BBC website:

Shakespeares Stories - A Midsummer Nights Dream

NOTE: Navigate by using your keyboard number keys and/or by selecting the numbers on the screen with your mouse when prompted.

The Taming Of The Shrew:

This is the final drama piece for the 'The Taming Of The Shrew' play with the glossary graphics.

For the FULL interactive experience, you can view it online at the BBC website:

Shakespeares Stories - The Taming Of The Shrew

NOTE: Navigate by using your keyboard number keys and/or by selecting the numbers on the screen with your mouse when prompted.

We hope you enjoyed this latest blog post and the exploration into the works of the greatest playwright.

Please feel free to let us know what you thought.

Until next time...

Light Hackers Photography - 'Lighting Deconstructed' 3

Shooting with children is something we have done for the past 20 odd years... Sometimes a challenge, yet always rewarding.

We were commissioned to shoot a model portfolio series for a young girl, Hana who was aiming for the catalogue genre.
I mention the genre early on as I find it important to know which type of genre the shoot is being designed for. This is important when designing and choosing locations, and lighting themes as well as wardrobe. You need to marry these elements to suit this type of work. For an actor's portfolio perhaps, you are looking for a more muted background and flatter lighting style to show the actor as the key focus, and not to be up staged or competing with a busy setting. Also for this tighter head shots are required.

Here you see the first in this series of shots, as the lighting set-up for which we are deconstructing, carries through to both shots.

To add an important element of 'fun' in child shoots we went for an activity theme, and brought in a trampoline... focusing on Hana's ability to be staged, yet look natural in her poses.

We also styled the lighting theme to compliment the wardrobe outfits... in this shot we chose the blue gelled background to set off the blue / purple dress.

Light metering on the skin tones, we established a ratio that set the black BG two stops lower, and then dialled in the gelled accent light to suit.

With the gridded source being a flashgun strobe, it does take a few test shots to aim the light and zoom the lens to have it exactly where you need it.

The full lighting plan for this and the second shot is below:

For a more traditional pose after a costume change we had Hana do a series of standing poses. Again the only change in lighting was the angle of the strobes and the back ground gel... to compliment the red ribbon and prints in the dress.

The BTS shot for this series shows the location of the lights and the set-up used... shot while we were testing the lighting.

We chose to shoot in a large open space that offered us not only room for a mobile studio, but which had a classic art deco style of trellis that worked well as a setting for this final shot.

As always we hope you found this write-up useful and inspiring. Please feel free to leave your comments, and if there are any questions, please feel free to ask.

Until next time...

DOP On Another Green Screen Chromakey Shoot

Une Herzer, our DOP has worked a lot over the years with London Film Studios, Broadley Studios.

They had a green screen shoot they asked to have him run for them for US client Staples Advantage. During the day we shot 2 series of PTC links for their various services.

Using a favoured wrap-around lighting rig 

For the size of the studio, 20,000 watts of light would be a tad much, however Une wanted a soft 'wrap-around' light with double baffled sources for both Key and Fill, that meant 2 x 5ks off the top.

The final results were VERY nice... wrapped early which the clients liked too!

A great place to film where in the past we have booked ALL of our 'BBC Training' shoots there as well as several commercials too... well recommended location.

A promo from the archives - BBC 'Genius'

Going through content for the new website, there was too many projects to have them all listed. Here is one from the archives, 2 promos for BBC 'Genius'. We got a call from Red Bee Media on a Friday afternoon, can we set-and light on Monday morning for a 60m2 garden set with shed, live turf and plants with the shoot on Tuesday?... YES Of course we can!

So Monday we were there with a 3 man HD crew, and lighting plan for the Gaffer and his team... our green fingered camera assistant, Danny Etheridge even laid a hell-a-lotta turf as well.

First a base light arrangement of a dozen+ space lights

... then a couple 10K lamps get wrapped in cookies n' flags

.. well the riggers 'SkyJack' was free!

'Genius' set almost complete... now for the landscaping, and we're good for rehearsals.

The shoot was a great success, and we actually wrapped this one ahead of time by several hours!... it's all in the prep!

Keep checking in to our blog for more projects and stuff!