Monday, January 28, 2008
Venn.tv
Venn now has a home- www.venn.tv.
Now that that is sorted out I can do some more work on finding funding and rewriting the first two episodes. The first draft of the new versions is a bit naughtier than the previous versions.
Technorati tag: Video, Spinneyhead
posted by Ian Pattinson at 9:23 AM
(0) comments
Venn now has a home- www.venn.tv.
Now that that is sorted out I can do some more work on finding funding and rewriting the first two episodes. The first draft of the new versions is a bit naughtier than the previous versions.
Technorati tag: Video, Spinneyhead
Labels: Short Tales, Short Tales - Production
posted by Ian Pattinson at 9:23 AM
(0) comments
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Venn - more designs
I'm about to put together a promo booklet for Venn, to send to possible investors, and today I've done a couple of rough designs for the cover.
It also seemes appropriate to redo the relationships diagram as a Venn diagram.
Technorati tag: Venn, Spinneyhead
posted by Ian Pattinson at 6:25 PM
(0) comments
I'm about to put together a promo booklet for Venn, to send to possible investors, and today I've done a couple of rough designs for the cover.
It also seemes appropriate to redo the relationships diagram as a Venn diagram.
Technorati tag: Venn, Spinneyhead
Labels: Short Tales, Short Tales - Production
posted by Ian Pattinson at 6:25 PM
(0) comments
Monday, January 07, 2008
Venn title logo ideas
A few ideas for the Venn title logo that I sketched over Christmas. Episode 0 is going to have a simpler logo.
posted by Ian Pattinson at 2:04 PM
(0) comments
A few ideas for the Venn title logo that I sketched over Christmas. Episode 0 is going to have a simpler logo.
Labels: Short Tales, Short Tales - Production
posted by Ian Pattinson at 2:04 PM
(0) comments
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Filming Venn episode 0
I've just uploaded a few pictures taken when we were shooting Episode 0 on December 8th.
We're not quite going to get the video out before Christmas. Alan and I are putting the final touches to it at the moment. He's doing the sound and I'm going to clean up the titles and do some colour matching. It should be ready early in the New Year.
posted by Ian Pattinson at 12:17 PM
(0) comments
I've just uploaded a few pictures taken when we were shooting Episode 0 on December 8th.
We're not quite going to get the video out before Christmas. Alan and I are putting the final touches to it at the moment. He's doing the sound and I'm going to clean up the titles and do some colour matching. It should be ready early in the New Year.
Labels: Short Tales, Short Tales - Production
posted by Ian Pattinson at 12:17 PM
(0) comments
Friday, December 14, 2007
Teas are good
We shot footage for Venn episode zero (a teaser/promo for the series proper) on Saturday and I started editing it together yesterday. It's very English, but right now I'm trying to get the "Tea and Sympathy" sequence down to a minute.
Technorati tag: Video, Spinneyhead, Venn
posted by Ian Pattinson at 10:29 AM
(0) comments
We shot footage for Venn episode zero (a teaser/promo for the series proper) on Saturday and I started editing it together yesterday. It's very English, but right now I'm trying to get the "Tea and Sympathy" sequence down to a minute.
Technorati tag: Video, Spinneyhead, Venn
Labels: editing, Short Tales, Short Tales - Production
posted by Ian Pattinson at 10:29 AM
(0) comments
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Venn test titles 1
The first of a few rough versions for the title sequence to Venn. It has to be fairly simple because it's going to change every episode so the Venn diagram shows who interacts with who during the episode that follows. Obviously the actor's name will be in the circle as well as the character's.
Arguing with Flash, because I hadn't used it in so long, meant that I only got the one title idea done today. I'll try to get at least one more, and some work on the title, done tomorrow.
Technorati tag: Titles, Venn
posted by Ian Pattinson at 5:33 PM
(0) comments
The first of a few rough versions for the title sequence to Venn. It has to be fairly simple because it's going to change every episode so the Venn diagram shows who interacts with who during the episode that follows. Obviously the actor's name will be in the circle as well as the character's.
Arguing with Flash, because I hadn't used it in so long, meant that I only got the one title idea done today. I'll try to get at least one more, and some work on the title, done tomorrow.
Technorati tag: Titles, Venn
Labels: Short Tales, Short Tales - Production
posted by Ian Pattinson at 5:33 PM
(0) comments
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Titles
I'm looking for ideas, rules, etc. for title sequences. I've got a strong idea of what I want to do, but no clues on the soundtrack etc. yet. Anyway, some notes and inspirations.
Inventory: 22 TV Opening-Credit Sequences That Fit Their Shows Perfectly
The worst title sequence on TV. Ever.
Fifteen seconds to set a TV show's perfect tone.
Technorati tag: Video, Spinneyhead
posted by Ian Pattinson at 4:53 PM
(0) comments
I'm looking for ideas, rules, etc. for title sequences. I've got a strong idea of what I want to do, but no clues on the soundtrack etc. yet. Anyway, some notes and inspirations.
Inventory: 22 TV Opening-Credit Sequences That Fit Their Shows Perfectly
The worst title sequence on TV. Ever.
Fifteen seconds to set a TV show's perfect tone.
Technorati tag: Video, Spinneyhead
Labels: Short Tales, Short Tales - Production
posted by Ian Pattinson at 4:53 PM
(0) comments
Thursday, November 22, 2007
We have a title!
And the title is Venn!
Technorati tag: Video, Spinneyhead
posted by Ian Pattinson at 10:51 PM
(0) comments
And the title is Venn!
Technorati tag: Video, Spinneyhead
Labels: Short Tales, Short Tales - Production
posted by Ian Pattinson at 10:51 PM
(0) comments
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Short Tales - some thoughts on tone
I've written one and a bit episodes of Short Tales, and have a few scenarios for future stories. So I've worked out the tone I want to set with the series.
The working title is Short Tales About Love and Sex. The Sex part should give a lot away. There's going to be some adult subject matter, our Tales will be quite dirty.
When I think of an adult/dirty sitcom three titles come to mind. Two of them were brilliant, one was rubbish. This isn't going to be Gimme Gimme Gimme, for example, where screamed swear words passed for humour and the main characters were one dimensional at best. Nor is it going to be Men Behaving Badly, great as that series was. For the first few episodes at least, I think it's going to feel most like Coupling (in fact, the blurb on the Amazon page for Coupling sounds a lot like the way I'd describe Short Tales).
Some of the stories I've got planned drift into, and occasionally beyond, Coupling territory. Without going into complete plot breakdowns there'll be tales about earth shattering orgasm (or the lack of), shopping for sex toys and sexual fantasies. Mostly details are going to be conveyed in conversation, but people are going to end up in bed. I'd like to avoid the L shaped blanket (and as many as possible of the other cliches in the list), but still keep all nudity implied rather than seen. There'll be lots of head and (bare) shoulders shots and the occasional bare back but nothing more (well, male characters can have bare chests exposed I guess). I know it's a visual medium and you're supposed to go for show, not tell, but you can always show that a character has no clothes on without having any nipples on display.
The benefit that Short Tales will have is that it's about a rotating cast of characters, so we don't have to leave the same four or six people in limbo with occasional disturbances. We can go away and concentrate on someone else for a while once it's established that, yes, A and B do end up together and they are happy. There are many reasons for this, the most pragmatic of which is that this is a low/no budget production and I want my actors to go on to better things when they get the chance (and then come back when they're famous to give Short Tales a bit of extra cool). This turn over will allow a greater number of subjects without falling into soap opera-ness.
This isn't the final word on tone and themes by any means, but I hope it serves as an introduction. I shall expand upon it as episodes are written and shot.
Technorati tag: Video, Spinneyhead
posted by Ian Pattinson at 4:28 PM
(0) comments
I've written one and a bit episodes of Short Tales, and have a few scenarios for future stories. So I've worked out the tone I want to set with the series.
The working title is Short Tales About Love and Sex. The Sex part should give a lot away. There's going to be some adult subject matter, our Tales will be quite dirty.
When I think of an adult/dirty sitcom three titles come to mind. Two of them were brilliant, one was rubbish. This isn't going to be Gimme Gimme Gimme, for example, where screamed swear words passed for humour and the main characters were one dimensional at best. Nor is it going to be Men Behaving Badly, great as that series was. For the first few episodes at least, I think it's going to feel most like Coupling (in fact, the blurb on the Amazon page for Coupling sounds a lot like the way I'd describe Short Tales).
Some of the stories I've got planned drift into, and occasionally beyond, Coupling territory. Without going into complete plot breakdowns there'll be tales about earth shattering orgasm (or the lack of), shopping for sex toys and sexual fantasies. Mostly details are going to be conveyed in conversation, but people are going to end up in bed. I'd like to avoid the L shaped blanket (and as many as possible of the other cliches in the list), but still keep all nudity implied rather than seen. There'll be lots of head and (bare) shoulders shots and the occasional bare back but nothing more (well, male characters can have bare chests exposed I guess). I know it's a visual medium and you're supposed to go for show, not tell, but you can always show that a character has no clothes on without having any nipples on display.
The benefit that Short Tales will have is that it's about a rotating cast of characters, so we don't have to leave the same four or six people in limbo with occasional disturbances. We can go away and concentrate on someone else for a while once it's established that, yes, A and B do end up together and they are happy. There are many reasons for this, the most pragmatic of which is that this is a low/no budget production and I want my actors to go on to better things when they get the chance (and then come back when they're famous to give Short Tales a bit of extra cool). This turn over will allow a greater number of subjects without falling into soap opera-ness.
This isn't the final word on tone and themes by any means, but I hope it serves as an introduction. I shall expand upon it as episodes are written and shot.
Technorati tag: Video, Spinneyhead
Labels: Short Tales, Short Tales - Production
posted by Ian Pattinson at 4:28 PM
(0) comments
Thursday, November 08, 2007
More thoughts on titles
I've been thinking about titles since reading Alan's suggestions, and I really like his first two suggestions- Connections and Intertwine.
These two words come close to summing up the style of story arcs I want to have in the series, with the focus drifting away from the initial four main characters onto those who start out in the background and then back again. Connections, or Connected, also calls to mind Six Degrees of Separation. And either one would be able to use one of two great early nineties indie hits for a theme if we were rich enough to do that sort of thing (Brownie points if you can name the ones I'm thinking of).
Intertwined is a little more insular than Connections, but would better describe the way storylines wrap around each other. I'm imagining a title sequence of vines wrapping around each other, or the pipes screensaver gone a bit mad.
For myself, I came up with the deliberately obscure Venn as a title suggestion. It's from a similar idea to Connections, calling up the way the characters' lives overlap with each other. It would be a good excuse for a gimmicky title sequence where the interactions of the episode are described graphically. So the title graphic for the first episode would look like this-
That may be a little too geeky, I don't know.
Does anyone have any comments or refined suggestions based upon these three ideas?
Technorati tag: Spinneyhead
posted by Ian Pattinson at 1:50 PM
(3) comments
I've been thinking about titles since reading Alan's suggestions, and I really like his first two suggestions- Connections and Intertwine.
These two words come close to summing up the style of story arcs I want to have in the series, with the focus drifting away from the initial four main characters onto those who start out in the background and then back again. Connections, or Connected, also calls to mind Six Degrees of Separation. And either one would be able to use one of two great early nineties indie hits for a theme if we were rich enough to do that sort of thing (Brownie points if you can name the ones I'm thinking of).
Intertwined is a little more insular than Connections, but would better describe the way storylines wrap around each other. I'm imagining a title sequence of vines wrapping around each other, or the pipes screensaver gone a bit mad.
For myself, I came up with the deliberately obscure Venn as a title suggestion. It's from a similar idea to Connections, calling up the way the characters' lives overlap with each other. It would be a good excuse for a gimmicky title sequence where the interactions of the episode are described graphically. So the title graphic for the first episode would look like this-
That may be a little too geeky, I don't know.
Does anyone have any comments or refined suggestions based upon these three ideas?
Technorati tag: Spinneyhead
Labels: Short Tales, Short Tales - Production
posted by Ian Pattinson at 1:50 PM
(3) comments
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
What's in a name?
Technorati tag: Video, Spinneyhead
Let's get this started with some ideas for names for the Short Tales project:
Connections
Intertwine
Reflections
Falling Apart
Drifted
Finger
The Ian Seat (by the way Mojo now has an Ian Seat, well, actually it's called Ian's Chair)
Cheats
Infidelity
Just Three Words
Confused
Three Second Rule
posted by alan at 2:56 PM
(1) comments
Technorati tag: Video, Spinneyhead
Let's get this started with some ideas for names for the Short Tales project:
Connections
Intertwine
Reflections
Falling Apart
Drifted
Finger
The Ian Seat (by the way Mojo now has an Ian Seat, well, actually it's called Ian's Chair)
Cheats
Infidelity
Just Three Words
Confused
Three Second Rule
Labels: Short Tales, Short Tales - Production
posted by alan at 2:56 PM
(1) comments
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Short Tales - an update
I haven't had much to report on the project for a few weeks, but it's been moving forward. Whilst in America I got some footage of myself on Times Square and under Niagara for what might become a running joke involving Robert. I've extended the script for part one, but I'd like to add more to take it nearer to fifteen minutes (at the moment it's just over ten). I've also authored the dvd for Memory. When I've had it tested on a few different systems and I've designed packaging I'll look into selling it through Lulu, Spinneyworld and local shops such as Magma.
The next step is to match actors to characters. There are four speaking parts in part one- Sarah, Paul, Gareth and Mark. I'd also like to have Mark's fiancee and possibly Vicky appear in a scene, even if they don't say anything. If there are more than six actors interested in the project then we'll put them in the background in the pub and party scenes of part one and bring their characters in later.
Other stuff worth thinking about-
Funding
To do this properly I think we need a sponsor. However, the best way to get a sponsor is to present them with an example of what they'll be paying for. So we should produce the first episode and then start shopping it around, online and off, to see who'll give us money.
Locations
The first episode has scenes in Paul's house, a pub, somewhere where an engagement party is held and Gareth's bedroom. I think I have somewhere for Paul's house, but need to find locations for all the others. It would be nice, with domestic locations in particular, if we can find places we can use again.
Title
We still need a better title than "Short Tales About Love and Sex".
Meeting
I'll arrange a meeting in the next couple of weeks. If you'd like to be kept informed of the plans send me an email or leave a message in the comments.
Technorati tag: Video, Spinneyhead
posted by Ian Pattinson at 6:06 PM
(0) comments
I haven't had much to report on the project for a few weeks, but it's been moving forward. Whilst in America I got some footage of myself on Times Square and under Niagara for what might become a running joke involving Robert. I've extended the script for part one, but I'd like to add more to take it nearer to fifteen minutes (at the moment it's just over ten). I've also authored the dvd for Memory. When I've had it tested on a few different systems and I've designed packaging I'll look into selling it through Lulu, Spinneyworld and local shops such as Magma.
The next step is to match actors to characters. There are four speaking parts in part one- Sarah, Paul, Gareth and Mark. I'd also like to have Mark's fiancee and possibly Vicky appear in a scene, even if they don't say anything. If there are more than six actors interested in the project then we'll put them in the background in the pub and party scenes of part one and bring their characters in later.
Other stuff worth thinking about-
Funding
To do this properly I think we need a sponsor. However, the best way to get a sponsor is to present them with an example of what they'll be paying for. So we should produce the first episode and then start shopping it around, online and off, to see who'll give us money.
Locations
The first episode has scenes in Paul's house, a pub, somewhere where an engagement party is held and Gareth's bedroom. I think I have somewhere for Paul's house, but need to find locations for all the others. It would be nice, with domestic locations in particular, if we can find places we can use again.
Title
We still need a better title than "Short Tales About Love and Sex".
Meeting
I'll arrange a meeting in the next couple of weeks. If you'd like to be kept informed of the plans send me an email or leave a message in the comments.
Technorati tag: Video, Spinneyhead
Labels: Short Tales, Short Tales - Production
posted by Ian Pattinson at 6:06 PM
(0) comments
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Short Tales- format and names
I'm going to make production of Spinneyhead's next project as interactive as possible. Until I set up forums and stuff the interactivity will be handled through this blog. I'm going to set up an overall label for Short Tales and secondary labels for character sketches, writing, production issues and any other areas that crop up. Please leave suggestions and start conversations in the comments of the relevant post. There will still be a fair amount of work done by email and by getting together. Please don't leave your emails in the comment thread, but get in touch with me and I'll add you in to messages.
This first production post is to raise two important issues- format of episodes and the little matter of a name.
For internet episodes the big constraint is file size. Based upon the experience of compressing for Memory, I think I could produce ten minute episodes and still have them at a suitable quality whilst staying small enough to fit under Revver's maximum size limit (100mb). However, I also remember reading that the average length of a YouTube video is in the region of two and a half minutes, suggesting that aiming at shorter attention spans works better.
Another, offline, factor I've been considering is the lengths of tv shows. I'm not looking at producing half hour episodes, but fifteen minutes would slot easily into many stations schedules. I'm thinking of marketing the first episode as a pilot, showing a local station like Channel M what we can do with nothing and seeing if they'll fund us to give them something for the late evening.
So I'm writing a fifteen minute script. The first draft is a mere nine pages, which roughly equates to nine minutes, but I wrote it before I started thinking of fifteen minute episodes. However, fifteen minutes is a bit long to compress well for the internet. So I'm thinking of splitting one fifteen minute episode into three five minute acts which each serve as webisodes.
Naming is a big deal. This project is currently called "Short Tales About Love and Sex". It's a working title and really, really needs changing before broadcast. Single word titles are popular- Coupling, Friends, Frasier, Seinfeld (though the last two were named for their central character and we can't do that with this project as it's going to involve an ever changing group of characters). I don't think anything longer than three words is going to work, and if we do go for a phrase rather than a word, it has to sum up some key theme of the series- Men Behaving Badly is the best example I can think of for this.
Of course, it'll be hard to name the series until you know a bit more about it. At the moment I know the most about what I want to do with it and the themes I want to explore, and I can't think of a name. So I'm not expecting miracles from you. I'll post the first draft script and some character sketches and you might begin to get some ideas.
Here's to working together.
Technorati tag: Video, Spinneyhead
posted by Ian Pattinson at 8:17 PM
(0) comments
I'm going to make production of Spinneyhead's next project as interactive as possible. Until I set up forums and stuff the interactivity will be handled through this blog. I'm going to set up an overall label for Short Tales and secondary labels for character sketches, writing, production issues and any other areas that crop up. Please leave suggestions and start conversations in the comments of the relevant post. There will still be a fair amount of work done by email and by getting together. Please don't leave your emails in the comment thread, but get in touch with me and I'll add you in to messages.
This first production post is to raise two important issues- format of episodes and the little matter of a name.
For internet episodes the big constraint is file size. Based upon the experience of compressing for Memory, I think I could produce ten minute episodes and still have them at a suitable quality whilst staying small enough to fit under Revver's maximum size limit (100mb). However, I also remember reading that the average length of a YouTube video is in the region of two and a half minutes, suggesting that aiming at shorter attention spans works better.
Another, offline, factor I've been considering is the lengths of tv shows. I'm not looking at producing half hour episodes, but fifteen minutes would slot easily into many stations schedules. I'm thinking of marketing the first episode as a pilot, showing a local station like Channel M what we can do with nothing and seeing if they'll fund us to give them something for the late evening.
So I'm writing a fifteen minute script. The first draft is a mere nine pages, which roughly equates to nine minutes, but I wrote it before I started thinking of fifteen minute episodes. However, fifteen minutes is a bit long to compress well for the internet. So I'm thinking of splitting one fifteen minute episode into three five minute acts which each serve as webisodes.
Naming is a big deal. This project is currently called "Short Tales About Love and Sex". It's a working title and really, really needs changing before broadcast. Single word titles are popular- Coupling, Friends, Frasier, Seinfeld (though the last two were named for their central character and we can't do that with this project as it's going to involve an ever changing group of characters). I don't think anything longer than three words is going to work, and if we do go for a phrase rather than a word, it has to sum up some key theme of the series- Men Behaving Badly is the best example I can think of for this.
Of course, it'll be hard to name the series until you know a bit more about it. At the moment I know the most about what I want to do with it and the themes I want to explore, and I can't think of a name. So I'm not expecting miracles from you. I'll post the first draft script and some character sketches and you might begin to get some ideas.
Here's to working together.
Technorati tag: Video, Spinneyhead
Labels: Short Tales, Short Tales - Production
posted by Ian Pattinson at 8:17 PM
(0) comments
