Typewriting Time is a counting leader composed of video sequences of an old typewriter typeing out the numbers counting down from ten to two. The video is inspired by classic film noir cinema. The idea sparked while rummaging through my closet and discovering my grandfathers old Remington typewriter. This cool antique offers great images and sounds, the ribbon was not dried out so everything you see and hear is the original stuff.
For the film, I set up the filmed myself typing out the numbers, playing with the keys and closeups of the arms moving. Oringinally storyboarded to includ a figure and other objects, I decided to omit these features as the element of time is a great factor in this project and i could simply not in corporate all the footage I planned.
to create the film noir effect I desaturated the footage and added contrast increasing the darkness of the actual typewriter ad the type being written. this achieved a great visual that supports the medium I used, typewriters being associated with classic times of black and white films.
I did encounter some technical problems along the way. final cut pro is different from the usual film editing program I use, Adobe Premier, and I am glad I used it as it is industry standard. after some quick trial and error sessions i was able to complete the project. Outputing the video posed the final problem. The quality of export was not to my desire. I will discuss this with David and my peers to find a way to get achieve the quality i want.
Over all I enjoyed this project as this is the first course to offer the option of video production.
My original storyboards can be downloaded here: Michael Dibblee – Project 1: Concept 2 – Storyboard
My concept statement can be viewed here: http://mdibblee.wordpress.com/2008/01/14/project-1-concept-2/
York/Sheridan Joint Program in Design
Michael Dibblee © 2008
January 29, 2008 at 5:19 am |
this one is totally classy. really swank.
then again, typewriters are always stylish. (especially those buttons, bright white. gorgeous.)
this was treated really well. the pacing is really even and easy to watch, and the lighting is really nice. love the concept. congrats.
January 29, 2008 at 6:24 am |
I can’t believe you found a typewriter that old! I liked every single shot, from the typing to the inking to the little movements of the typewriter. Your attempt to achieve the classic black and white look was successful. The twist in the beginning and the roll up of the credits ties everything together really well.
January 31, 2008 at 2:45 am |
I really enjoyed watching this leader, the way everything was tied together was quite clever and demonstrates that you put alot of thought into the assignment. The angles you used create much interest throughout the piece and work well to provide a sense of sophistication to the overall leader.
February 1, 2008 at 2:17 am |
definately one of my favourite leaders! what i really liked apart from the classic black and white edgy look was when u typed out the letters you filmed the ‘act of typing’ rather than keeping the camera on the white sheet. That really created an amazing contrast and there was a mysterious feeling in the video. Reminded me of Lemony Snickets movie!
February 1, 2008 at 7:07 am |
For a ten-second film, the content is quite rich for something so short. From the turning of the typewriter to the moving arms of the machine, from the strong composition in every cut to the subtle touches like the texture of the metal and paper, this film is strong in both the aspects of filmography as well as design. The film itself is well-paced, the lighting and contrast between light and dark is clear, and there is clear attention to detail (the sound of rolling the paper, the ‘ding’ at the end).
The rhythm of the typing sound is slightly off, giving a sense of randomness in an otherwise very mechanical and predictable sequence of events. It was a good choice to have isolated and focused on only the elements that mattered – it kept the film focused and on target. The predictability of the sequences can be more than made up for by the high-end production and overall strong execution.
February 1, 2008 at 7:10 am |
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February 2, 2008 at 12:10 am |
When I heard that you were going to use a typewriter for your ten-second leader, I was curious as to how you would execute the final product. When we finally got to see it in class, I was more than enticed by the compositional elements, use of sound and overall flow of your video. I really enjoyed watching this, and when viewing your leader, I immediately felt the film noir quality (thanks to Hollywood Old and New course) – the resemblance of film noir was more than fitting to your composition, sound, and overall feeling. I loved the extreme close-up shots that show how the typewriter works, which binds your leader together.