and so alas, comes the end of our project. Everything gets handed into the office on Monday and we all walk away with experiences learnt and an essay to write. Fun fun…. not.

Love,
group7media xxxx

Name: Abby Gissey
Job: Research and Locations

Why did you choose the location that you settled on? “We chose the location, mainly because it was water proof and we had to find a place where there was a sufficient power supply which didn’t involve using generators. There where many other reasons we chose the location but the big problem to overcome was that we had to make sure the location could handle the technical aspects we wanted. The room that we chose in the end had blinds to block out the brightness, like i say, a main power supply with a good amount of sockets; there was no furniture which meant that it was a lot easier to set down the tarpaulin and also, bring in our props as we had a fair few to set up on the day.”

Did the location meet all of the requirements you were looking for? “Well as I say, we managed to get everything we wanted in the room sorted effectively, however, I don’t think it did, no. It would have been better if we had been outside – actually in nature – but due to time and budget constraints it was un-realistic to have out original idea.”

In terms of technical details do you think that the locations worked? “I think that technically the location we had in the end was a lot better than the one we originally wanted. Mainly because of health and safety reasons. In our finalised location we didn’t have to worry about daylight and weather constraints. Also, we didn’t have to worry about the construction, which saved us a lot of production time in the end, which we used for post instead, which made the final film stronger as we had a lot more time to perfect the “surreal” look that we wanted the occupiers to experience.”

What were the other ideas you had for the location? “As I said, we really did look into having it outside. Our first idea was to have it at Woodlane because is was generally a nicer area and it really worked with our creative vision – but in the end it was an unreliable source and we started looking into the Falmouth cinema and other various locations instead”

Why couldn’t use the aforementioned locations?
“unfortunately it was all down to budget constraints. Due to the project brief being so vague and instructed the ideas that we came up with were shot down for being seemingly un-realistic. However, as a team we took the idea and worked around the problems to find the right location. To do this I looked into funding and went about getting research on OMYD to see if we could gain public interest and organization funding”

Name: Sophie-Louise Lilley
Job: Editor and Technical Manager

What sort of atmosphere did you aim to create through the construction of the exhibition? “After sitting down with the group and explaining the technical side of the structure, we all agreed that we wanted to make the participants feel what we thought the mineral tramway would feel. We wanted to disorientate they senses and make it feel eery with a sense of history – like an old Cornish mine does. We decided to use the fan to recreate the light breezes, water and seaweed for the ocean; rocks, mud, stones; boots, plastic bags and sand to all represent things that we found on the mineral tramway when we visited. We even went to the lengths of covering the floor in tarpaulin to give the room that industrial feel to it, which, to us seemed to make it that much more real.”

What was your thinking behind the lighting set up?
“The lighting was, after the recce, one of the easiest things to do. One of the things I’d always visioned from the start was to have the two simple lights both representing things from the mine. We had two deodo lights – one with an orange gel on it and one with a midnight blue. Folding them in half and attaching them to the lights before changing the brightness gave us fantastic looking effects! The orange one gave us a lovely soft candle effect and the blue was brilliant for representing the light on the old-style miners hat. Both worked really well to light the room and create the atmosphere desired.”

How did you find the editing process? “Tedious! – After to lots of nearly 10 and a half hours editing you really do start to question your sanity *laughter* …luckily seemingly being the most experienced editor in th group I was able to do the tasks required quickly and without to much trouble (give of take the rendering!). The process as I say, although rather infuriating was fun to do and I managed to get the effect Mike wanted for his origional idea which was cool. I basicaly trimmed the footage down into uneven cuts and fiddled the with effects, looking at the different shots and getting the time lapse footage so that I could create the most surreal look possible. I made and changed a lot of the decisions in that room and the first thing I edited together as a rough cut looked nothing like the finished piece! – but in the end, Im was happy with the finished result as not only did it stick to the brief, but, when I watched it I felt disorientated; and that was a very good sign for us! However, I don’t think I could have done it if it wasn’t for my team bringing me bottles of Coke all day! Ha!”

If you could have done anything differently in retrospect – what would it be? “Like with ever project you do as a wannabe artist, you’re never going to be completely happy with your work. I’m exactly the same. Tecnically it worked well and the edit in the end was smooth, however, I probably would have changed a lot about the project overall …if I could have done. But due to the restrictions given in the brief we didn’t really have a wide variety of choice in what we could do. Hypothetically i think that changing the location would have been a good idea. As Abby has said I agree that having it outside, although it would have made my particular job harder, would have been that one step better. So that’s probably the main thing that I think, we all would have liked to change. But aside from that, the project went well and to be honest, as a team we all worked incredible well, without the heavy help from our lecturers and it payed off in the end!”

Unfortunately due to this sites restrictions, with this blog comes a CD with the interviews on and a CD with the film on (which we would have loved to embed in the blog but couldn’t as the site wouldn’t let us without premium membership)

PLEASE SEE VIDEO AND AUDIO ACCOMPANYING CD’S FOR FEEDBACK AND PERSONAL VIEWS ON HOW THE PROJECT WENT.

Other things where sorted while we’ve were doing the editing though including a list of everything needed and who’s doing what when. This was constructed as a group and we made some of the decisions on the run through of our project, discussing how we were going to put meaning behind everything and relating it back to the 3 ecological-things.

Mike: Ok guys, really well done for getting everything ready for the installation. We need to hit the “Smell and touch” portions of the project next. I think going out and simply grabbing some items from the tramway, stones, bits of broken bricks, branches etc we can do that next week. Unfortunately my car is going in for a service and an MOT on Tues so i am not sure when it will be available so we will have to use someone else’s to grab these in the week.
Alex: All the materials you’ve said are getting sorted this weekend, we’re setting up the installation on Monday as a test run. We will be working on setting up the installation from 12-5 on Monday. I will go to the hub session and inform the lecturers that we are setting up and inform you as to what is said there. On Tuesday half two till five the installation will be open to the course. If you want to talk to Sophie about technical matters you can contact her. If you go ahead and update the blog that will be cool and we will see you on the Monday for setting up.
Mike:You guys are legends!
Alex: Hi guys, has anyone got a photo camera that we can use to take photographs of the installation both when it is being constructed and when it is being completed? It would make good documentation for the blog.
Sophie: I have one I carry it with me everywhere :]
I’ll bring it with me on Monday no problemo hehe
Abby: Hi guys – Hope every one is having a good weekend?? This email is just the list of props me and Alex are going to get this weekend, and what going on next week.

On Monday I have booked the room out all day. 9.00 am till 8.45 pm. The room is next the radio wave studio, just by the editing work shop area. This is our “technical rehearsal” where we can work out where things are going and run though how we are going guide people around. We also need to keep H+S in mind, boring but got to be done. (We also have to find a place to put all the spare chairs that are in the room, and make sure there put back) …On Tuesday we have the room from 12.00 noon till close, so we can set up the room fairly quickly as we did the day before, using photographs. (And it’s a good way of tracking our progress, as well as helping our brains out!!) The viewing should be open for 2.30 pm so it’s just a case of working out who is going to show people around unless we all want a go?? (Alex had send and email on Friday asking them to come from 2.30 till 5) …Any questions just ask…??

The Props: Plastic tubs (to put seaweed and sea water in), Table cover (water proof), A blind fold, Seaweed/ sea water, Room spray, Pack of two pine car fresher’s, Walking boots (alex has some) Hard-hats and overalls (going to sweet talk the conish school of mines), Cornish pasty and Gardeing tools (to mock mining tools)

Equipment: Projector, Speakers/ sub, Power cables, Office fans x2, Tarp, Lights and gels / stands, Tables etc.

IDEA!! – As you all know we have rules on this project… shall we do the same? Anyone who enters has to abide by our rules? Me Alex and Sophie like this idea…and thought of some rules…

1) No talking 2) No shoes bare foot or socks 3) Hard hats and overalls must be worn at all times 4) No food or drink 5) Blind folds must be worn at all times unless stated 6) No resistance 7) …….

Mike: Great idea yeah!
Alex: Well done! Love it – how about rule 7 ALL RULES MUST BE OBEYED! haha!
Mike: The first rule of fight club, is that, you do not talk about fight club.
Sophie: The second rule of fight club is that you Do.
Not. Talk. About. Fight club.
Alex: Haha!!
Abby: Yeah it’s all goooood…

And then we just went from there to installing the piece really…

Mike: The filming will be finished tomorrow, then edited with luck it’ll be ready to start being “installed” Monday. Sophie knows what equipment we will need so we need to have that ll ready and booked in advance so we can get it going.
Alex: I’ve managed to get more sounds this week in my flat as well which have all mean edited – the only problem is that their all in Mono and not Stereo!! How do I sort this out?
Sophie: Great work guys! – it’s cool Al we can sort it out in the edit by just changing it, so no worries there :]
Alex: Is that going to be alright Sophie? I don’t want to make it a hassle and all?
Sophie: It’s cool. It’ll only be a quick fix job! No worries.
Mike: How is the editing coming Soph?
Sophie: Tedious. And I really am running out of footage, but it’s cool, I’ve managed to sort the technical problems and get something at least. So we have a backup if everything goes wrong.
Abby: I really think we should have one last group meeting for paperwork guys – as least then it’s all sorted etc.
Sophie: Yeah, me and Abby just set up a blog so that we can track our progress. I’ve pointed her in the direction of WordPress. It’s not amazingly easy to use if you haven’t blogged before but any issues, just pop along to her or me :]

Username: Group7media
Password: ********

https://group7media.wordpress.com is the URL if you want to link it to anything else that you have go on the go.
Abby: That’s great – are we OK to update it starting now or do well need to take a different approach?

….and that’s when this particular thing came up. And also, why I (Sophie) am the one updating 5 weeks backlog of work. Basically, due to the sheer amount of things the group had to do it got logged on tape and in memory, but never written down …Something I can assure you we won’t do again as it’s now 3:35am and I’m still writing everything I can remember!

This week was also the week we set a date to rig the room up if I remember rightly. We got the idea sorted and spoke to the right people to make sure that we could have the experiance project set up and finished by Friday so that everyone who wanted to come had a chance to vist the exphibit and we had time to tweek anything last minute.

This week the group has come up against some difficult issues. Basically, after looking into the ins and outs of the shed idea, Abby showed us that actually we really couldn’t afford it. And the funding organizations we looking into:-

This meant that we had to to find a new location and fast. Meanwhile while we were trying to find a new location, the creative concept of the idea had to be tweaked to now fit in a possibly bigger room – which also effected the technical aspect of the project. This meant that the film had to be re-thought and changed to fit the interactive experience of the project. Something that the group sat down and began to do while still gathering the sounds and footage …adapting it as we went along.

Sophie: Heya guys, Ive just been in the interaction – 3 weeks left till deadline, two of which would be great for post. How are we doing? Are you guys filming at the weekend/next week ect? What about you Ab’s? Have we managed to work anything out yet?
Mike: 3 weeks? That’s cool. Me and AWK should be filming and getting the footage to you soon.
Abby: I’ve been looking into the prices of sheads and we really can’t afford it! We need a backup – fast!
Sophie: Afford huh? …have you looked into funding from OMYD?
Abby: I’ve been looking yeah, whats OMYD?
Sophie: “Our Money Your Dream” …its an organisation that funds young people’s projects. I’m not sure if they’d back us which this stuff because it really is on a small scale and of course, it’s very short notice but it’s worth a shot! – I know I had to apply for funding when I was running the Cornish Film Festival. Did you wan’t to try them? I still have the form somewhere I think…
Abby: That would be awesome yeah! We have to try everything!
Mike: Funding yeah, the sooner we look into that the better.
Alex: Am I ok to go ahead and get these sounds guys? Connor and I could use with going to the mines and getting the .wav files needed for the film and things like that.
Sophie: Well you can always go with Mike? Kill two birds with one stone? that way you shouldn’t have to make two trips and the like?
Mike: Good idea. Alex if we drive back to the tramway and grab the footage and sounds that would be awesome. Then we’ll pass them onto Sophie for editing?
Alex: Sound good – what time and where?

As well as discussing the possiblity of getting the props and location funded by an oragisation, we also talked about what we wanted to film over the upcomming weeks ready for our film. After much debate we decided that we would go to several different locations (the beach, the mines etc) and film a varity of shots that can be edited together to recreate the mineral tramway. We also disscussed with Alex that getting the sounds of the water, footsteps and the sound of the machinary would be good to grab on location ready for the edit.

So far the desicions made have been good and as a group we are all pulling together well!

Alex: Hey guys, are we ok to meet today after the screening?
Sophie: Yeah sounds good to me. We could really use a meeting to discuss the main concept I think.
Mike: Yeah, I’m game! I’ve got a few ideas to run past you guys.
Abby: Yeah cool. I need to talk to you all about the locations anyway, I’ve been doing the reserch and I just need some opions.
Alex: Cool, so are we ok to meet about 1:30pm?

This particular uninteresting conversation was one of our first meetings after discussing what we wanted to do in our HUB lessons. At this stage we were all certain that we wanted to film the journey of Tin as it went though history. The concept being that we would have two different films on the same screen – one showing human evaluation and history and the other the evaluation of the Tin – with a manufactored timecode undernith. This was then ment to be shown in a shed which we would then kit out to have things in it to tingle a persons different senses; taste, smell, touch, sound and sight.

At the meeting we organised we distributed the other jobs leaving Mike to creating the idea, Abby to locations, reserch and organization, Alex and Connor to sound and myself to Tec and Editing. We all agreed that taking on our own jobs would benifit the group a lot more than everyone trying to help with everything all at once – and as the whole week and a bit went buy we started to relise that we were indeed right!

This blog was set up to not only track and document our progress but also so that we could keep communication flowing between the group smoothly.

Here, if you go through the posts, you can find notes on our projects conversations between us via our Facebook threads and much much more!

Group 7′s members where
Sophie, Abby, Connor, Mike and Alex

We hope you liked our project Xx