My Favorite Matte Painting

Heres another matte painting from the 3rd Darklands trailer. Its one of my favorite ones I've done so far. Am slowly getting over my flu so should be back in work mode in the next few days.

Arts Victoria grant!

I got another Arts Victoria grant this week to make the next Uber Memoria installation (21 channels). All of us have flu at home so no time to celebrate yet. It will be shot of a RED during (I think) September and filming a lot of greenscreen shots on the large soundstage I hired the Darklands trailer. Will post more when I'm back on board.

Trailer 3 of Darklands (in progress)

Here's a still from the third and final Darklands trailer in progress. For those tech heads out there I'm working on a super anamorphic 2K timeline with 4K footage in AE. Should have all three done very soon. Thanks to all the emails over the last two weeks about the films, its going to be an exciting time. And if anyone wants to give me $45,000aud (100% tax credit) then let me know so I can complete stage 2!

Greenscreen shoot today

We did some test shooting today using a 5D and a HD201 in the studio. We had never used the Canon before so it yielded some interesting results when comparing 720P and the 35mm sensor images. While the 5D is certainly no RED, it does have a lot of advantages in post workflows and comes up with a great looking image. The before and after pics are of Cat, they're a bit rough but will tweak more in AE to correct a few mistakes in the spill etc and lively the image up a bit. Thanks to everyone today who made it possible!

Darklands Trailer Nearing Completion

The Darklands trailers are still in progress as you can see above. Had a few tech issues with a 4K red timeline on my old mac that can just handle a 720 HDV workflow! (work out the spec maths here), not to mention learning advanced AE on the go (and the multitude of mistakes), still plugging away but very close to finishing soon. Its going to be worth the wait when its all done.

More from Uber Memoria 61-100

Some more un-screened takes from the 2007 Uber shoots redone in AE with VFX lighting etc. The new stuff I'm about to film soon will (in most cases) will invite the actors back from these early shoots into the same poses but framed in different locations so its more or less a continuum of the idea of remixing memory through the image. The shot above is Krystal near the wreck of the Australian WW1 warship Cerberus.

Uber Memoria 61-100 (Series 7)

First images from Uber Memoria 61-100. This new suite is comprised of 40 new works shot in 2007 and 2010. Returning to the old series format earlier this month, I found this sequence of footage I shot in a dilapidated house in Woodend, Victoria around late 2007. These were captured after a shoot I was doing for a friend and by the off chance just after we wrapped I asked the makeup artist to stand in for a few uber styled frames. The room was filled with rat poo and possum pee so it was in a pretty discussing state. And look what happened...

More from Golden Winters

One of the things I was unhappy with from the Uber Memoria X suite was the limited scope of how I could light and play around with each part, as the uniform blue scheme had to hold up throughout the works in order to get the type of effect I wanted. Bringing these types of shots back to daylight again allowed me to be more faithful to the German source paintings and talk directly to that particular reference point. Here are some more pics from the first suite, hope you like them. Had a few questions this week about workflows, I'm cutting in a 720p FCP timeline then exporting out as an XML to AE for grading with Film Magic Pro, lighting with Optical Flares 1.2 and adding airborne particles with Particular.

Gothic Memoria X: Golden Winters

These are the first pics from the new Gothic Memoria X: Golden Winters series. They are created from takes I didn't use from the Uber Memoria X shoots in October-November 2008. There will be six suites of ten works each (eg. GM X-XVI) and locate a lot of new and old footage together that references late 18th century German Romanticist paintings in context to a Gothic sublime. These are created in lead up to Saturn Memoria beach and landscape shots I'm filming on green screen next week. Its nice to be working with Dr Phil, Cat and Sarah again... (Andrew shot these images by the way when I was on the sailing ship - pictured centre left - with the A Cam).

More from Golden Summers...

Some more stills from the Golden Summers series. There are a total of x30 new works in the suite, have finished all of the sequences today and rendering out (now) in AE but will take about a week to compile at 32 bit. Filming some scenes in my new feature called 'Saturn Rising' starting next week using greenscreen and 720p (nice and simple) and syncing the sound for the Darklands trailer as well, both of the trailers are due at the end of the month. Expect a lot of new things coming over the next few weeks...

Uber Memoria XII: Golden Summers

Over the next few weeks I'm reworking some of the never before seen footage from the early 2007 Uber Memoria shoots to be compiled into the next Uber series titled 'Uber Memoria XII: Golden Summers' based on the Australian Impressionists work around the same name. I'm quite excited to be revisiting some great footage that I never had time to finish. All of the Uber, Gothic, and Nocturnus series created between 2007-2010 are also being re-mastered into 32 bit on Blu Ray release with a few new additional features added along the way. Will post more pics as they come through...

Its Done: Uber Memoria XI

Uber Memoria XI: A Far Cry From Nowhere is available on DVD today, here are some stills...

New Short Film: A Far Cry from Nowhere

Here's a sneak peak at my new short film 'A Far Cry from Nowhere'. Its the single channel variant based on the Uber Memoria XI video installation, and staring among others Tim (above), the best Australian emerging actor in the making!

New Video Works

I'm putting the finishing touches on my new 5 channel video installation and single channel works 'Uber Memoria XI'. Its the continuum of the wider Uber project. This was funded by the Australia Council late last year and should be showing in galleries in late 2010 onwards. Will post some stills once its mastered onto DVD.

Somethings Coming...

Just a taste of what's next...

New Screening in Berlin

Shaun Wilson (2008-10) Gothic memoria (redux) 1-30: #24, HD video, sound, colour, 1:00 min.

'Gothic Memoria 1-30'
6th International Berlin Director's Lounge
Meinblau Art House, Berlin
11.02.10 - 21.02.10
weblink

Im screening 'Gothic Memoria 1-30' at the Meinblau Art House in Berlin next week. Check out
the program when its released.

New Book

'Save as.. Digital Memories'
Edited by Joanne Garde-Hansen, Andrew Hoskins & Anna Reading
Palgrave McMillan (UK) May 2009
isbn: 97802305422525, 224 pages, hardback
http://www.palgrave.com/products/title.aspx?PID=283304

I have a chapter in the newly released book 'Save as... Digital Memories' which is an edited volume of digital philosophy.(p.s, Im almost finished writing all three scripts for my films so will be back posting very soon).

Uber Nocturnus Acts 2-4 screens in Berlin

Shaun Wilson, Uber Nocturnus Act 3 (2008), video still, HD video as single channel DVD, dur:4 mins,

Uber Nocturnus Acts 2-4
Scala Theatre
Directors Lounge, Berlin
Feb 5-15, 2009

I'm screening in Berlin this month with Uber Nocturnus Acts 2, 3 and 4. With many thanks to
Maria, the lovely vampire who stars in No. 3.

I'm on a break writing the new versions of the Goth film scripts and will be backing posting in Feb. My next screening is at the Directors Lounge, Berlin throughout Feb featuring Uber Nocturnus Acts 2-4. Thanks for visiting my blog and see you in a few weeks. - S

Santa sightings over Melbourne

Reports of a flying sleigh and reindeers have been circulating throughout Melbourne from around 12:35am this morning. NORAD has been tracking the flight path of this UFO and can be found on the link below for further updates. The photograph above shows what looks like the navigation lights of the sleigh and an enlarged section reveals what clearly resembles a Santa-like vehicle.

Other sightings in Frankston and Lower Dandenong have also described multiple home invasions of short, overweight aliens carrying large red sacks displaying jedi mind tricks. The intruders are rumoured to enter homes via chimneys but these are yet to be confirmed. If anyone encounters these intruders please avoid eye contact, if threatened or spotted these terrorists may respond with gibberish chants such as 'ho, ho, ho' or commence singing songs about pregnant teenagers illegally crossing the Egpytian boarder and occupying mangers to deliver their out-of-wedlock babies. Several attempts to bait traps of milk and cookies have failed.

In other developments, nine dignitaries in the UK have been sited leaping, and the little known Bavarian King, Wenceslas, has disappeared in heavy snow overnight with his page. The last known text message from the king referred to a "rude wind" which local police are using in conjunction with footprints found in the local area with heat found in the very sod. Meanwhile, in the middle east, a bright light in the sky has been reported seen over several countries dubbed by three local leaders  as a 'star of wonder'.

If you have further sightings in your neighborhood please email me on shaun.wilson (at) rmit.edu.au.

Updates will follow throughout the night.  -S.

www.noradsanta.org

Uber Memoria X: Full Series Pics

The complete pics (low res) from Uber Memoria X (2008), all are available as editioned photographs for $750.00 aud (128cm x 72cm) each. (ed of 20).