Promoting My Book with a Video

[Teresa Edgerton]

At this point we're using a green screen, which John read was much better if you are filming outside. Part of it is painted plywood, and the part on top is painted muslin. If you poke around online long enough you can get the information they need to custom mix Chroma Green and Chroma Blue at Lowes or Home Depot. (If you can use the green for what you're doing, you could come by here, get a swatch of our paint, and take it to Home Depot for a color match.)

We're still having some problems with faint green halos, but it seems to be a question of lighting the scene correctly and then tweaking the footage afterward.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Our second day of taping, and I think we have some really good footage. It was all war and mayhem, and many died (picturesquely) for the cause ... some of them repeatedly.

By a very lucky chance, Charles (one of our actors) recruited a friend for the battle sequences, and the friend, Mark, turns out to have extensive experience with theatrical makeup, and works with an airbrush. He did some awesome makeup for the Furiádhin today, and that was just on the spur of the moment.

Also, Megan and I made our acting debuts as peasants in a burning village -- the beginning and almost certainly the ending of our careers in drama.

Now if we don't turn up some more problems in the compositing ...

(Carolyn, you really do need to come by and see what we are doing.)

 

[scalem X]

Also, Megan and I made our acting debuts as peasants in a burning village -- the beginning and almost certainly the ending of our careers in drama.

Why can't I read this part without having a smile on my face?

Even if eventually it is not as you liked, it must be fun to do it nevertheless; a bit like writing.

 

[Carolyn Hill]

(Carolyn, you really do need to come by and see what we are doing.)

I know, I know. And I really really really want to. And I will. But right now . . . ack.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Even if eventually it is not as you liked, it must be fun to do it nevertheless; a bit like writing.

Well, it wasn't that we weren't reasonably pleased with the result (it helped that we were supposed to look terrified), it was just that we didn't like doing it, since we're both camera shy -- especially me.

Oh, and Ethan made his film debut, too, but he slept right through it.

 

[carrie221]

I can't wait to get to see this it sounds so cool

 

[scalem X]

I can't wait to get to see this it sounds so cool

yeah what about some raw footage for the nice people from chronicles?

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

yeah what about some raw footage for the nice people from chronicles?

Your wish is my command.

Everytime we upload it to the web, the video quality goes way down -- also, we're still working on the smoke and flame effects -- but here's a link to an experimental cut of Saturday's footage. It will only be online for a day or two, so that everyone involved in making the video can see it. Then it will be gone.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3508036326390524296&pr=goog-sl

 

[scalem X]

That's great!!!! !!!!!!!!

Now I feel jealous because I'm not in it .

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Now I feel jealous because I'm not in it .

And you would have looked perfect in white face paint and a white wig, too.

(sigh) I see that everyone is ignoring my plea over in the lounge for digital photos of snowy landscape. Don't some of the people who frequent this place live in the frozen north?

Maybe snow is too commonplace in those frigid climes for the inhabitants to take pictures of it.

 

[Alia]

Awesome Teresa! I love the fight!

And I'm sorry I live in central Cal now... no snow here.

 

[carrie221]

We have snow but no mountains here so... and no we are so use to snow we don't take pictures of just snow

PS the video was cute

 

[aarti]

It looks great, Teresa! Good work

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

More footage. This part isn't as exciting, but it is pretty, and John will be editing in some sword fights, magic, etc. as we film them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmZRNeH54Gk

 

[scalem X]

Ow I really liked it, damn it's just great!.
I can't wait to see the whole thing. I actually even prefer this part to the precious. You are really putting something great together.

 

[Mark Robson]

That's just great, Teresa! I want one now ... I think I'll be emailing S & S tomorrow.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Thanks, Scalem. I think it looks good, too, but I hate the way the quality varies on YouTube. Sometimes the picture is almost as good as the original, and other times it goes fuzzy and the movement looks choppy. I hope there will be a way to set up the eventual video on my website or somewhere that it can be played on QuickTime and viewed properly.

Mark, maybe in your case your publisher would foot the bill.

I can't imagine what this would be costing if we didn't have so many free resources and incredible volunteers. (As it is, expenses are rising pretty fast.)

 

[dwndrgn]

This is great! Now I'm going to have to read the book again...

 

[Carolyn Hill]

Excellent! Gorgeous shot of the dark figures toiling up the hill against the silvery background.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Another frantic day of filming. Carolyn (Brown Rat) stopped by for a visit and was forcibly coerced into donning a costume (two costumes, actually) and participating.

She didn't seem to realize that once she had that nasty-looking pole weapon with the hook in her hands, she could have forced us to do what she wanted.