The People's Podcast

Here is a thing. It could be good thing. It shall be good thing. It is decent thing. The People's Podcast from Ryan Shields on Vimeo.

Empire: The Rise & Fall of the Sweet Life

Empire: The Rise & Fall of the Sweet Life

by Jake Neece & Ryan Shields

Richard Marshall

Younger Marshall Played by Chris Good

Older Marshall Played by Scott Curtis 

Location Scout Survey

Project Name:

Empire: The Rise & Fall of the Sweet Life

Completed by: Jake Neece & Ryan Shields

Scout Date & Time:  

1. April  5, 2017

2. April 10, 2017

Location address:

1. 3030 Conant Dr. Mishawka 46544 (Scott’s House)

2. 1700 Mishawaka Ave, South Bend, IN 46615 (IUSB)

Day and time of shoot:

Friday April 14, 2017

Friday April 21, 2017

Location description (interior/ exterior):

1.     Scott lives in a modest house within old Reverewood in Mishawaka. The layout consists of three upstairs bedrooms and two large basement rooms. The basement rooms consist of a “hang out” room and Scott’s studio room. The living room and kitchen occupy the main level of the house.  The exterior is that of a uniform floor planned sub-division house.

2.     IUSB Chemistry labs. These labs are found in the first basement level of Northside Hall. These labs will be perfect to capture that “on the cutting edge of the 1970s,” we desire for the opening scene. Neat technology will be juxtaposed by the walls and décor of a building that has seen little renovation in the past 40 years.  This location requires the least amount of shooting time.

Describe the scene and action. How many people are on camera?

Most shots will be solely focused on Richard Marshall (Scott) as he observes a world void of the affinity for high fructose corn syrup.

1.     Marshall will be sitting in his chair watching a newscast. Over the shoulder shot perspective of newscast. With regard to the 180 degree rule, we will get reaction shots to the news. Clinton will also get himself a bowl of cereal in the kitchen. We will shoot a master scene and then focus on close ups.

2.     A slow pan in and will focus on young Marshall, a group of four scientists clapping will surround him. The same pan will be reshot with older Marshall with the intention to graphic match the two shots. There will be no one else in the “older Marshall” shot. The shift from a happy retro coloration to a darker, almost dingy, coloration to emphasize the shift in Marshall’s life. 

How much space is needed?

1.     Not much space required. The hardest framing element will be the over the shoulder shot as Marshall watches television as I intend to use a 50 mm prime lens. I will play with the lighting and aperture to get an aesthetically pleasing depth of field. I will also try rack focusing for this shot. 

2.     The chemistry lab will be tricky. We will need to be conscious of the space a 47” track will occupy. I also intend to use the 50 mm prime for these two shots, thus a sufficient amount of space is required.  

Will the action be shot from one or multiple locations?

Multiple. We will be shooting at two or three locations, depending on Down to Earth Grocery store’s willingness to participate.

Is there off-screen space available?

The only scene that we could potentially utilize off-screen space would be the grocery scene. We haven’t gotten the approval to shoot at Down to Earth, but once we get word of what resources are available we will plan the scene.

What are the light levels and sources of light? How does this impact your scene?

We will be using the dimmable LED lights on our subjects. I also have three 160 LED lights we will use as fill lights where needed. We will use gold light reflectors for the “flashback” scene and diffused light for the “modern” scenes. 

Are you recording sound? Are there any issues to be aware of?

We will be recording sound and need to be conscious of the external sounds in the grocery store. We will also need to be aware of mic placement at Scott’s house to avoid the hum of electronics.

Is there any special equipment needed?

The 47” Pan Track will be required for the opening shots. I will mount it to two tripods, one at each end.

We will also need fabric to diffuse the large LED lights.

Are there any concerns that need to be addressed about shooting at this location?

We want the IUSB chemistry labs and Down to Earth to be comfortable with our shooting in their lab and store. We will emphasize the care we will approach the task with.

IUSB Chemistry Labs

Richard at his house.

Style Book

Screenplay

Five Phrases

"The last thing I want to do is go to Mexico" - Uttered by one of my homebody friends.

"I went to those Chinks in the mall and they rubbed me out real good." - One of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard. I heard this playing video game hockey with an acquaintance from Detroit. (I apologize for the insensitivity.)

"I'd rather die than stay here with Emily!" - My girlfriend's 10 year old daughter exclaimed after getting into an argument with another girl over nothing.

"I used to love drugs!" - said by an older man who is established and prosperous around town.

"Should you go on, you'll surely be disappointed, perhaps even heartbroken." - I read this sentence in The Dark Tower, book 7 of Stephen King's series of the same name. This stood out to me because I have never before had an author break the fourth wall to tell me his ending would suck if I continued. I continued, it sucked...

Prejudice & Demand
The Cognitive Dissonance of an Ethnocentric Consumer

by

Ryan Shields

EXT. One of the local malls in Detroit. A place where consumerism juxtaposes the poverty of the surrounding neighborhoods.

Mitch enters the mall through a large automatic door. He is wearing a light green jacket composited of many fibers. He walks among the food court patrons and notices Panda Express. He notices the people working there, specifically their ethnicity.

Mitch

"...Chinks seem to have it figured out," he says under his breath.

The man that appears to be the manager of the restaurant smiles as he adds sauce to a customer's rice. Mitch continues walking through the food court fixated on the man. Mitch turns his head to face the direction he is walking. The frame centers on Mitch's face as he walks.

Mitch

(Muttering)

"Chinks are either Samurai or restaurant owners, not a bad niche in the world" Mitch generalizes out loud.

He then beholds a kiosk in the center of the mall. Two Asian people, a man and a woman, surrounded by 4 massage chairs, fill Mitch's gaze.

"I ain't never been touched by no chinjap," Mitch caught himself say louder than intended.

A young black woman in close proximity scorns at Mitch and his comment. He looks at her:

"What? Have you?" he asks her.

She exhales incredulously and rolls her eyes as she walks away.

"Some people are just stupid," Mitch says under his breath as he moves to approach the woman at the desk of the massage parlor.

Mitch observes that the man is already giving a massage and considers this the best time to book his own. He shifts into a pseudo-machoism. 

"Scuse me, Honey. How much fer' a rub out?" He blurts obliviously.

The woman stares at Mitch, her eyes seeming almost concerned. 

"Sir, we are certified massage therapists, or I am a masseuse as I prefer to call it. We do not satisfy sexual urges..." the woman responded with the tonality of mechanical customer service.

"Oh," said Mitch embarrassed. 

He puts his head down and begins to walk away.

The scene jump cuts to later that evening.

Mitch is playing video game hockey with a few guys on his club, Swamp Donkey.


He initiates conversation"

"I went to those Chinks in the mall and they rubbed me out real good," Mitch declares.

The People's Podcast

The Peoples Podcast follows Michiana native and host of The Michiana People's Podcast, Scott Curtis, as he discusses his journey into podcasting, how it all started, and what he hopes to accomplish through the medium.  

Written Treatment

Title:

The Peoples Podcast

Tagline:

Highlighting Michiana’s best humans.

Logline:

The Peoples Podcast follows Michiana native and host of The Michiana People's Podcast, Scott Curtis, as he discusses his journey into podcasting, how it all started, and what he hopes to accomplish through the medium. 

Synopsis:

The Peoples Podcast will be a documentary that focuses on Scott Curtis, an IT manager by day, and a podcaster by night. He is a Michiana local who hosts The Michiana Peoples Podcast, which is primarily about highlighting musicians, comedians, business owners, and others who make our community great through conversational interviews. This documentary will highlight Scott’s journey into podcasting, the state of podcasting as whole, and what he hopes to accomplish through his creative outlet.

Genre/Target Audience:

The genre for this film is realist documentary. This documentary is aimed at individuals who may be interested in podcasting, broadcasting, or other non-visual mediums. The aim of this film is to be an inspiration to aspiring creatives.

Locations:

The Michiana People’s Podcast studio

Various locations throughout Michiana (Scott’s favorite places in the area)

Cast and Crew:

Scott Curtis (Main subject of the film)

Interviewees of the show (b roll)

Jake Neece (DP, Co Director/Producer)

Ryan Shields (Editor, Co Director/Producer)

Resources:

Visual Elements

·     Canon T5i Dslr Camera

·     Canon T3i Dslr Camera

·     GoPro Action Camera

·     50mm prime lens

·     18-55mm zoom lens

·     75-300 mm lens

·     Multiple Memory Cards

·     Led Dimmable Lighting (3-point)

·     47” Camera Pan Track

·     Wheeled dolly

·     PVC rolling dolly

  

Audio Elements

·     Rode Shotgun Mic (Non-XLR)

·     Windscreen

·     2 Blue Spark Condenser Microphones

·     Audix i5 and om2 Dynamic Microphones

·     Zoom Z4 Field Recorder w/ Phantom power

 

Interview Questions/Script:

1) What is your name and what is the name of your podcast

2) Why did you decide to start a podcast?

3) What have been your challenges in starting this podcast and how have you overcome them?

4) How do you view podcasting from a creative standpoint?

5) Why the people of Michiana? What makes them so great?

6) What are some of your influences in podcast? (podcasts you listen to, etc.)

7) Tell us a little about you, where your from, growing up in the Michiana area, etc.

8) What kind of people do you like to interview?

9) What do you love about the Michiana area?

10) What do you hope to accomplish with this podcast?

11) Is podcasting your full time thing? If not what do you do for your day job?

12) What are some of your favorite spots in Michiana?

13) How do you meet the people you want to feature on the show?

14) What’s your favorite thing about podcasting?

15) How has the show evolved since its inception

16) If you could offer any advice to podcasters starting out, what would it be?

17) How many listeners do you typically have? How has it grown since you started?

18) What is your podcast about?

19) Are their similar podcasts to yours? Is it part of a specific genre? (Do podcasts have genres like music or other mediums?)

20) How do you feel about podcasting vs. radio? Compare and contrast.

Music Video

Virola Shoots-The Sack from Jake Neece on Vimeo.

Bronze Star

This is Rodney Shields, company factotum, combat veteran, my father.


My biggest curiosity about my dad is how he came to earn a Bronze Star while participating in the United States' Middle Eastern military campaign. I am unsure as to whether or not he would tell the story in front of a camera, but that would be my goal. As the interviewer, It would be my job to generate a comfortable atmosphere. I would attempt to accomplish this with some less delicate and intrusive questions.

Rodney Shields was born September 21, 1953 to Wilbur and Ruby Shields. He has a brother and two sisters. His third sister died when he was younger in an unsolved suicide/murder mystery. He has always been a mechanical minded man as his brother and he started rebuilding a car at age 13. By age 16, the old Studebaker ran and this would be his first car. 
He joined the Army in the early 1980's at the age of 29. He stayed in the Army for just over 30 years, doing several tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. He received the U.S. Bronze Star, an accolade awarded to distinguish servicemen for heroic or meritorious accomplishment. After retiring from the Army, Rodney took over a communications installation project for Lockheed Martin, and headed back to the Middle East as a civilian. After three years of civilian contract work, and seven total years in the Middle East, Rodney returned to Indiana. He now is a warehouse foremen at Morrison Industrial Equipment where one can find him rebuilding motors, fitting hydraulic hoses, or researching how to fix obscure forklift models.


Questions
(In no particular order)


As a traditional American meal enthusiast, what did you eat in the Middle East for seven years? 

What were the circumstances surrounding you starting to rebuild a car at the age of 13?

Did you enjoy the mechanical aspect of building the Studebaker?

 How did that process affect your mentality moving forward?

What is your knowledge into your sister's death?

What was your experience/outlook towards institutional learning while in school?

What is your outlook on your long transition from liberal to conservative political disposition?

How did time in the Middle East Affect this transition?

What are the circumstances surrounding being awarded a Bronze Star. 

What does the Bronze Star mean to you?

Director of photography, reporting for duty.

The bar location will be the Phoenix Bar & Grill in Mishawaka. I just received the notification clearing us to shoot there on Sunday, the 26th of February. 

 

The Stage will be that of the Louise E. Addicott and Yatish J. Joshi Performance Hall in IUSB's Northside Hall

Here are some horrid thumbnail sketches of the opening scene, from the beginning of the song to the beginning of the first verse.

Style Book

Similar Perspectives to Bedroom Scene

The next photos are similar to the color pallet of the bedroom/bar sections.

Similar to Bar Perspectives

Similar to band section perspectives

Here is almost the exact opposite of what we are going for.

Emotion Video: Indecisive

Indecision Video from Ryan Shields on Vimeo.

Emotion

We have all gone through indecision in our lives. Given the modern consumer lifestyle, we are overwhelmed with options to choose from in every category. A reluctance to make a decision causes us to hesitate and waste time. Philosopher Robert Plutchik places indecision in his general emotional theory in between apprehension and anticipation. Here are 10 photographs that attempt to capture indecision in action.

Music Video Analysis

        

Music Video Analysis

Mastodon

Asleep in the Deep

         

Directed by: Skinner (http://www.theartofskinner.com), Shane Morton (http://www.silverscreamfxlab.com) and Video Rahim (https://musicvideorahim.com)

Creative Direction: Mark Szumski and Gina Niespodziani

Produced by: Shane Morton and Hey Beautiful Jerk (http://www.heybeautifuljerk.nyc)

Story and Character Design by: Skinner

*PRODUCTION:

SILVER SCREAM FX LAB
Creatures, Sets and Puppeteering by:
Shane Morton
Chris Brown
Sarah Cherney
Clay Croker 
Torrence Greene 
Victoria Kelly
Tom Pietch
Jason Feeman

Construction Department:
Rick Doucette 
Scott Fowler 
Dusty Mumma

AXIOM LIVE MEDIA 
Director of Photography/Camera Operator: Tim Reis
Assistant Camera/DIT/ B­cam Operator: John Manfredi
Key Grip/Lighting Designer: Michael Bremer
2nd AD/Best Boy Grip: Mike Morgan
Best Boy Electric: Billy Bolton
Production Assistant: Paul Katzman
Visual Effects Supervisor: Gina Niespodziani

*POST PRODUCTION

HEY BEAUTIFUL JERK 
Visual Effects and Animation by: 
Dengar
Joey Deady
Gina Niespodziani 
Mark Szumski
Mark Rubbo

Edited by: Gina Niespodziani and Jeremy Baumann
Color Grade: Ricart and Co.

Skye (the cat)
provided by Star K9
Owner/Trainer: Tracy Sargent
Wrangler/Trainer: Jenn Gagne

Production Coordinator: Ashley Simpson 

Assistant to Skinner: Hal Rotter
Assistant to Mr. Morton: Madeline Brumby
Assistant to Video Rahim: Ashley Simpson

Analysis

As we all know, cats are people. This is one of the lesser concepts found in Mastodon's music video for Asleep in the Deep. This music video is a conceptual narrative that follows a cat on an adventurous vision quest.  

Asleep in the Deep uses the rhythm of the song to use as cut points throughout the entirety of this video. The tone and color starts calm and cool and warms up for the rising action, only to resolve back to cool tone and color. A harmonious blend of practical and digital effects were used in production. This video was designed by Skinner, and is in his art style.

Concept/Story

The concept and story revolve around a linear story with conceptual elements. A cat called Skye leaves his sleeping owner and travels out of a kitty-door and begins the journey. He travels a little before reaching a cave. 

In the cave, Skye comes across a primitive sub-city of puppet men. These creatures are engaging in a ritual and offer him a drink from a ceremonial milk dish.

Upon drinking from the dish, Skye encounters a psychedelia-type state of consciousness. This allows him to unlock a wormhole inside the cave. 

He goes in. 

   The psychedelia intensifies and Skye himself becomes a distorted puppet version of himself. His visions become more prominent and he eventually meets an amphibious king whom has a hookah much like the caterpillar from Alice in Wonderland. The king blows hookah smoke into Skye's face. The cat's visions persist as he wanders around this psychedelic realm. He follows a flying sword to a rat or squirrel tied to a stake. Skye immediately uses some gained powers to release the little creature, and the rat-squirrel rides on Skye's back to a volcano tower where a congregation led by a three-faced yeti. The rat-squirrel launches himself at the yeti, knocking both he and the yeti into the volcano. The action resolves as Skye travels back through the worm hole and eventually back to his sleeping human's lap.

Production

The cuts, especially in the establishing scene, use drummer Brann Dailor's kick and snare drums as the videos rhythm. To signify the change from reality to psychedelic fantasy, the camera utilizes some dutch angles, otherwise it uses traditional framing techniques. Deeply saturated hues with abstract line work in the art-style of Skinner are found throughout the video. There are 5 different puppet types: Skye, the primitive-men, the amphibious king, the rat-squirrel, and the three-faced yeti. 

Steady use of particle fields and atmospheric effects aid in the psychedelia mode of most of the video.