Friday, 28 November 2014

Special post 2: 8, 9, 10, 11

Here is the special post 2!

As last time, I have been EXTREMELY busy with working at my placement, 3 days a week. This is due to a number of reasons:
- Finishing the OOLS Club DVD project (14/11/14)
- Air show DVD/Blu-rays are behind in production
- Starting of working on the years 'block buster': Avro-Sisters
- Constantly answering the phone to make orders, handle complaints, etcetera.


But let us work down in order...

On the 14th of November, I had finished the OOLS Club DVD that was made for my boss and his model train club, the OO Live Steam Club. When producing the DVD menu, I had used Adobe Encore CS5 on the Windows 7 machines they use at Planes TV. As far as the brief is concerned, the task was relatively easy and highly creative: Make a DVD with a moving background; a chapter menu; both main features on the main screen; and no transitions.

The first task was to make a moving background, which was performed using Adobe After effects for smoke, then with some adjusting placing the smoke layer on top with the alpha channel activated to allow the background image to be viewed. Image in question was the picture of the LNER A4 Mallard train, which was a Live Steam train from my boss's own collection. Once done, rendered and exported, it was placed into Encore within a timeline of its own. The timeline was then linked within Encore for the background using the link dragging tool within the menu settings window.

When making the buttons, I used Photoshop CS5 in conjunction with encore using the built-in work flow tools within the Adobe suite to allow saved Photoshop edits to be placed onto the encore project.  (Hint: When making buttons in Photoshop, place all elements of a button within a folder, and when naming the folder add a plus to the start. EG: + Chapters bin). 





During and after the production of the OO Live Steam DVD (Which took roughly 90 hours to compile due to extreme micro managing from my boss), we had many customers calling up the office asking where their DVD is, has it been made, and sometimes even ordering DVDs. 

When taking an order, you are to gather the follow:
>Name
>Address
>Phone Number
>Email address (if applicable since some customers don't use the internet)
>What DVDs are wanting to be purchased (Names of shows & Qty)
>Card Details
>Find if customers are returning customers, or if returning. If they are returning customers, find where they have come from. 
>If a customer quotes 'Aeroplane', they get British Air Shows '89 absolutely free.

When a customer is to complain about 2014 unfinished DVDs, explain that the company has been live broadcasting over the summer, and iterate that it deeply saddens us, that they are sad and that the DVD will soon be with them after the release date. If after telling the previous, and they are not happy, the customer usually asks for a refund. Bar that, the phones are easy to handle but they do delay production.




After completing OO Live Steam, I was placed to edit footage from a collection of air shows that featured the Canadian AVRO Lancaster Bomber that visited in August/September. Up until recently, I had no clue what show I was editing. It appears to be the show that is has been one of the most ordered shows of the year, Avro-sisters which features: the 3 Lancaster Bombers (KB276, PA474, NX611 (2 flying, one taxi): and the Vulcan Bomber (XH558).
DVD Cover for my project
http://planestv.com/shop/dvd/avro-sisters-reunited-pre-order-december-delivery

The show compiles footage of the Lancaster's from:
- East Kirkby 
- Duxford
- <Add other shows later>

Also featuring the Vulcan 'with some remakable air to air footage especially staged for PlanesTV cameras.'

So for this, I am especially excited for this project. I hope to finish the project within the next 2 weeks, since it is required to be out ASAP for a December release (In time for christmas).



Finally, my job role has changed dramatically. As well as editing, I answer the phone and take orders from customers as well as deal with minor complaints. Because of data protection, I cannot divulge into the calls, orders, names or complaints. So this point is only short...






Until next time, keep safe!


Josh 

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