Climbing Arc Ep. 1 Production Log



A photo of Mason Wolfglider's costume and props from the RIAfunk original sci-fi, "Climbing Arc".
Mason's stuff.

Climbing Arc Production Log
Original Young Adult Science Fiction

Created by DJ Hadoken Exlamparaaghis

copyright © RIAfunk and riafunk.com 2006




Production Retrospect

I had conceptualized the idea about a year before I wrote the script or made any solid plans. After the decision was made to go through with it, it took about two weeks to create the costumes in Summer of 2005.

Hammer ($8)
Sword ($8)
Trenchcoat ($30)
Tricorn Hat ($38)
White shirts ($8)
Imprints ($15)
Wig & Mustache ($12)
Egyptian Skirt (schenti) ($30)

Total: $149

You can add another $150 for DV tapes, paint for Vanier's sword, liquid stitch, and food for everyone who helped out. I wouldn’t necessarily count the DV tapes though, because they can be re-used for other projects as well. All the other materials I used for costumes I either already had or borrowed from someone. With The Funk Mistress’ help I made all the costumes in a two week period before I planned any filming or did any work on the script.

Most of the materials were bought from Halloween stores, Salvation Army, Wal-Mart and thrift shops. The tricorn hat I bought from an online hat store. Aside from costumes, there wasn’t much else I purchased specifically for the movie. I made Vanier's sword by painting a sword I bought at a Halloween shop and wrapping the hilt with a thin rope. I used liquid stitch to attach the white lining along his trench coat. I wanted Mason's hammer to be painted to match Vanier's sword, but I ran out of time.

Detailed planning and scriptwriting took about 1 to 2 months in Fall of 2005.

Filming was done primarily on 3 days in December of 2005. It really helped that I had planned everything in advance. Though I was set back a little bit, because on the first day I had filmed some things out of order and a bit inconsistent with the script. But it didn’t hinder me much because I had already planned for an extra 4th day in case of any problems.

There was a 5th day of filming done again a year later, when I had to re-shoot all the “green” screen stuff with a better camera and with an ACTUAL green screen (the screen I used the first time was a nightmare to work with when it came to compositing).

The green screen was set up at DJ Benvenuto's house and consisted of thin plastic sheets taped to his wall. I used his Canon GL2 and white energy saving bulbs on lamps and the sun for lighting. For everything other than the green screen footage, I used my own Canon Optura 20.

It took two days to get all the dubbing done. Once again, actually having everything planned out in advance really helped, because I knew what needed to be recorded. Though the entire transformation sequence of Mason’s hammer was never planned, it was a spur of the moment thing staying true to the RIAfunk spirit.

So in total it took about a week of production and..... 2 years of editing?!? Yes, the movie was completed 2 years later, but in reality I would say at the most it has about a solid two or three months worth of editing in it.

Seeing as how it has been a long time, I can’t clearly say what element took the longest, but this definitely challenged me more than when I worked on previous RIAfunk videos, because this movie was really special FX heavy, and just relying on what I filmed alone didn’t convey much of what I had envisioned. For the intro and end sequences, I used various anime as reference and pretty much tried to translate the effects I liked in them into Climbing Arc. And it was all basically using keyframes, timing, combining photos with video and chaining together filters.

So if my math is right, the complete production of this movie from planning to costumes to filming to editing to everything else was 5-6 months. Not bad I guess.

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For this project, I decided to dump Adobe Premiere Pro in favor of Sony Vegas. I had read a review about how Sony Vegas may be superior to Premiere, so I gave it a try. Also, in the recent releases of Premiere I noticed that the UI resembles Vegas a lot more now, so that has to be a point in Vegas’ favor.

Sony Vegas was a little hard to get used to after using Premiere so much, but in the end I liked it. I think Sony Vegas seems to have a lot more capability than Premiere, and it really helped with the green screen and special effects, where with Premiere I would have had to switch between that and After Effects which has a completely different UI. For the audio, I used Sony Sound Forge and Adobe Audition. Adobe Audition I think is useful because it has a lot more filters for voices. Sound Forge is convenient because it is simpler and fast. I used Maya 7 for the 3D stuff.

The movie turned out pretty much how I envisioned it. Although I planned for it to be more serious and “cool”, but after working on it, I realized that I liked it better cheesy and funny.

I only wish that I had planned out a little better how I was going to do the transportation sequence of Raphael and Mason from scene 1 to scene 2 (after Mason shoots the lasers to when they meet the Egyptian King). I completely forgot to film any footage for that, so I ended up just leaving it like that and smacking “EGYPT” at the beginning of scene 2. I would have liked to have had a bit more special effects there.

And also, for the missile launch, I would have rather have had it cheesier (with a lamer missile shooting out of Raphael’s head) but since I already had made a 3D sequence of the missile launch, I decided to just throw that in there.

Hopefully this log will help you people be aware of the mistakes I made and the things I did right- seeing as how we have more films to be planned on bigger, grander, and in some people’s cases, cheesier scales. And it’s in everyone’s best interest to not make the same mistakes twice and to learn as much as we can from each other.

Below is a general plan I laid out for myself while planning Climbing Arc. Following that is how I planned out the three main filming days in detail. Because the nature of the film required the use of many still shots, I had to separate what needed to be a still (pic) and what needed to be filmed and what needed to be both.



Day 1
Flashback with Raphael, wife (Virginia) and Dr. Lightborg.
Intimate shot of Raphael and Virginia holding each other.
Get a picture of Raphael, wife, and Dr. Lightborg (with digital camera, real camera, and video).
Use my room or other room as “lab”.
One person to be a zombie.
Get a picture of Mason.
Return to park.
Film first half, park sequence.
Film characters running in park (for intro credits).
Ghost being captured.
2 mummies, 2 ghosts.
Get action shots of ghosts and mummies.
Of Raphael and Mason, if possible, if not, wait until Day 3.


Day 2
Film after transportation, baseball field.
Get various angles for this scene.
Mason and Raphael being surrounded.
Different angles of E.K. and Mason & Raphael talking to E.K.
Take expression shots for E.K.
Flashback for E.K., use a chair in the covered place in park for main “throne”.
Two “brothers” can lie on the floor, aliens, with bags on head shoot lightning bolts (from heads) to operate.
Two “brothers” being taken by the arms.


Day 3
Get a picture of Vanier.
Film random stuff for intro.
Film car scene in front of house.
Take pictures for end credits.
Take needed action shots, shots of bear.
Get background for narration.
Moving backgrounds, still backgrounds.


Day 4
Regroup, get any missing things together.

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Day 5
Sound recording!
Sound effects!

Important shots for the first scene:

Walking shots, feet specifically.
Waists, rustling trees, rustling trees with ghosts behind.

Feet stopping, focus on teddy bear.

Shot of ghosts emerging from trees.
Pan up along Mason’s shirt, to mouth, Mason grins.

Shot of Raphael lassoing ghost, shot of heroes surrounded by ghost remains.

Panning shot of girl or ghost sitting alone by trees beckoning heroes.

Shot of mummies appearing from trees and grabbing girl.

Puzzled look on Mason’s face, saying “Hey... hey...!”.

Shot of Raphael with solemn face.

More mummies come from trees, do it by different shots, multiple angles of a
single mummy hand, mummy face, mummy feet emerging, cut back to Raphael.



Raphael – DJ Firestarter, Mason – DJ Benvenuto, Virginia – The Funk Mistress, Camera – DJ Hadoken
Dr. Lightborg – The Woodsman
Ghosts – The General or whoever else happens to be around
Helpless spirit – same
Mummies – same

(Virginia and Raphael Flashback Sequence)
[pic][film] Raphael holding Virginia, silhouettes
[pic][film] Virginia changes to bear, Raphael has hat, kneeling, grasping bear
[pic][film] Stands, looks up with bear in hands

[pic] Raphael and Virginia walking, laughing, dressed normally
[pic] Zombies lurk in background

[pic] Raphael bursts into Dr. Lightborg’s lab, with Virginia dying in arms
[pic] Dr. Lightborg points at operating table (use my room or other room as “lab”)

[pic] Virginia, body on bed, arms shoot up, cringing
[pic] Attacks Raphael
[pic] New Raphael


(Scene 1)
[film] Mason and Raphael walking, shots focusing on feet moving, feet stop
[film] waists moving
[pic][film] rustling trees
[film] bear in Raphael’s coat, moving, then stops

[pic][film] ghosts emerging from trees
[pic][film] Pan up along Mason’s shirt, to mouth, Mason grins

[pic][film] speed lines, Raphael lassoes ghosts, ghosts falling, being defeated
[film][pic] Heroes standing, pan over to beckoning spirit

[film] Mason and Raphael standing, Mason speaks
[pic] Mason surprised, “scanline” effect

[film] Mummies appear from trees, take girl

[film] Puzzled look on Mason’s face, saying “Hey…hey…!”

[pic] Raphael, solemn face
[pic] More mummies emerge from trees, do it by different shots, multiple angles of a single mummy hand, mummy face, mummy feet, emerging

[film] Mason steps forward, stops Raphael, Hammer transforms
[pic] focus on hammer, powers up, blasts lasers
[film] Mummies are blasted
[film] Mason puzzled at what just happened, stepping forward

[pic] 2/3 profile of Raphael goes across screen

[film] Raphael looks down at bear
[film]Mason jumps towards bear, yelling
[pic] Bear flashes across screen
[pic] Raphael, another solemn face

[film] Mason walking away, exasperated, with giant hammer
[film] Mason is angry “falls”
[pic] Another 2/3 image of Raphael crosses screen
[pic] Bear meets image of Raphael in middle of screen (split screen sequence)
[film] Heroes standing, staring at bear in Raphael’s hands
[pic] Mason disgusted, hand on back of head
[pic] Bear flashes on screen

[pic] Mason angry, face scrolling
[pic] Images of bear

[film] Another wide shot of them standing, Mason yells at bear
[pic][film] Raphael, black shadow over face

[pic] More flashing images of bear, then crazy images of characters

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Raphael – DJ Firestarter, Mason – DJ Benvenuto, Egyptian King – Kewl Kat, Camera – DJ Hadoken
Mummies – Whoever happens to be around
Aliens – same
Old Pharoah – same

Scene 2

[film] Egyptian King standing on pitcher’s mound, staring into sky, looks down menacingly at heroes
[film] profile of both characters, Raphael steps forward

[pic][film] Shot of Raphael’s eyes, he narrows them

[film] Scrolling scenery shot, wind blowing

[film] Shot of E.K.’s face, eyes, changes to confused, disgusted expression.
E.K. grins

[pic][film] Shot rising from feet of E.K. up

[film] Different profile view, Mason steps forward, hammer has returned to normal, proudly points thumb to chest

[film] E.K. on pitcher’s mound after monologue.

[pic][film] Mason and Raphael on ground, backs against tree, nodding away

[film] E.K. on pitcher’s mound, mummies begin to appear around him
[pic] semi-transparent image of his face, hair covering eyes, to super-impose on above.

[film] Raphael and Mason standing up again, looking at mummies appearing around them
[pic] Mummies attack, random fists and legs
[pic] Multiples of characters dodging attacks
[film] Fast moving background for fight sequence

[film] Mason gets hit, eyes widen
[pic] Raphael sees, surprised, Raphael’s eyes are wide “shiiiiing!”
[film] Mason falls to knees on ground, spits blood

[pic] Diagonal on screen shot, two mummies have Mason by the arms, E.K. laughing further away, they are taking him toward E.K.

[film] Mason behind E.K. who is still laughing, Mason is wounded

[film] Mummies overwhelm Raphael, they try to mummify him and take his soul

[film] Profile of E.K. on screen, laughing

[film] Raphael pushes mummies away, crouching on ground, marks on face, panting, begins to rise up slowly

[film] E.K. surprised then angry, full body shot

[film] Raphael has stood up, head leaning toward ground, hair covering face, shadows on eyes.
[film] Mummies back away.

[film] Surprised look on E.K.’s face, hands cringing in front of him

[film] Sense of power coming from Raphael
[pic] Mummies quivering

[film] From gound up view: Raphael raises bear in hand, pulls out knife, holds knife over bear’s chest

[film] Different angle, from top-down view, shot of bear in Raphael’s hand

[pic][film] E.K. shaking angrily, body scrolls down, fists scroll up

[film] Raphael looks up from bear

[film] Different angle, knife plunges into bear’s chest

[pic][film] Shot of Mason watching, bloody face and eyes, tattered shirt

[film] Quick zooming out of E.K. pointing

[film] Mummies appear, rush Raphael, but it is too late

[pic] Raphael fires rocket from his hat

[film] Missile’s viewpoint heading toward E.K., hits, screen turns white

[film] E.K. badly wounded

[pic] E.K. flies away, fade out

[film] Fade in, Raphael is against a tree, he has sewn bear back together

[film] Mason approaches, you can tell it’s him because his legs come on screen, scroll up, he is rubbing forehead with arm, shirt is tattered

[film] Shot from bear’s viewpoint in Raphael’s hands, he is looking up toward sky

[film] He looks down, smiles

[film] Maintain bear’s viewpoint, Mason approaches the two, puts hand on Raphael’s head

[pic] Bear on screen, flashing

[film] Bear pounces on Mason like it is being thrown repeatedly at him, camera zooms out

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(Egyptian King Flashback Sequence)

[pic] E.K. on pitcher’s mound, still image scrolling from top to bottom of screen

[pic] image of two aliens scrolls across screen, right to left, black background

[pic] still image of mummy, decayed away, scrolling on screen

[pic] Image of pyramids

[pic] Image of aliens speaking with old pharaoh on “throne” in covered place of park

[pic] Aliens reading books

[pic] Aliens thinking, contemplating

[pic] Aliens developing new technique

[pic] Aliens taking two brothers by the arms
[pic] Brothers can lie on floor, aliens, with bags on head shoot lightning bolts (from heads) to operate (operation)

[pic] Background turns red, hand cringing, aliens trying to save body

[pic] Flash image of necromancer, then E.K., arising

[pic] E.K. surrounded by mummies, laughing

[pic] * Take various expression shots of E.K. *



Raphael – DJ Firestarter, Mason – DJ Benvenuto, Vanier – Zath, Virginia – The Funk Mistress, Camera – DJ Hadoken
Dr. Lightborg – The Woodsman

Beginning and Ending Credits

[pic] Picture of Vanier and one for very end
[pic] Picture of Mason
[pic] Picture of Raphael
[pic] Picture of Dr.Lightborg
[pic] Mason thumbs up, for inversion
[pic] Vanier lifting sword for inversion
[pic] Raphael, smiling for inversion
[pic] Vanier looking bad-ass
[pic] Raphael looking bad-ass
[pic] Mason looking bad-ass
[pic] Vanier against a tree
[pic] Mason against a tree
[pic] Raphael against a tree
[pic] Virginia holding bear
[pic] Shot of characters’ faces, looking at screen

[film] Running shadows of Mason and Raphael
[film] Mason and Raphael running (1)
[film] Mason and Raphael running through park (2)

[film] Mason and Raphael fighting Vanier
[film] Scrolling shot of Mason and Raphael sitting on a ledge somewhere (front porch?)

[film] Mason standing, Raphael sleeping against a wall
[film] Scrolling shot of Mason and Raphael sitting by water

[film] Raphael, Vanier, Mason leaning against a fence

[film] Face shot of Raphael, sky in background, turning around
[film] Mason turning and smiling
[film] Vanier turning and smiling
[film] Raphael turning and smiling
[film] Dr. Lightborg turning and smiling
[film] Virginia turning and smiling

[film] Vanier slashing screen
[pic] Mason’s hammer turning big
[film] Mason blowing up cars

[film] Necromancer laughing
[film] Split screen shot of Mason and Vanier going to attack each other

[film] Raphael trying to talk to Mason, then hitting him over the head
[film] Raphael, Virginia, Vanier, Mason all sitting side by side, Virginia dozing off
[film] Scenery of Raphael, laying alone, stands up, sees Vanier and Mason waiting for him

[film] Virginia on screen, Raphael profile, Virginia is talking to him, smiles

[pic] Characters all posing together
[pic] Picture of Dr. Lightborg, Virginia and Raphael to frame

[film] Silhouettes of Raphael and Virginia walking, Virginia stumbles, Raphael helps her

[pic] Picture of Vanier and Mason arm wrestling
[pic] Picture of Raphael having dropped bear on both their hands

[pic] Picture of Mason reading dirty magazine
[pic] Vanier sneaks up from behind
[pic] Vanier dumps water on Mason’s head

[pic] Picture of each character doing their stuff

[film] Try to get evening shots, get some good scenery to impose text on
[film] Raphael panicking, missing bear, Mason picks it up and gives it to him
[film] Virginia walking alone, falls, Dr. Lightborg steps forward, helps her up
[film] Virginia walking alone, falls, Vanier looking scary, helps her up




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