Weekly update for semester

Weekly update for semester                                                                                                                    18/01/23

Figure 1: Seoras character design sketches

Here is the latest update on the progress of my degree thus far.  It's been a full-on week, and I've started to realise that this may well be the point in the degree where things get truly intensive.  We've had some intense scheduling conflict with the trip to Wild Child in Stirling that was supposed to take place this week, and I've had to acknowledge that there is always extra work to do.  I've attached some very basic sketches of how the character is going to look (I always intended the character to look like a very basic human, much like the old Star Trek TV series), and I've also done a very basic recce of each of the locations in my film so far.  I've also done a very basic first draft of the whale model for my film which is desperate need of some refining from someone more experienced.  Currently the model has the basic outline of a whale, but I recognise that it does need some more detail and smoothing to look professional enough.  

I've also had a go at filming some of the footage for the final project myself, and I've managed to get some usable footage for about 1 1/2 scenes in the film. The sound was pretty good for an incorporated mic, and the lighting was actually serviceable.   So far, I've done the opening scene and the waterside scene sans the segment with the charging boar and climbing the staircase.  That just leaves Verdant Works/West Ward Works, Cox's Stack, Commercial Street and Camperdown for scenes that I accomplish myself.  For the station, Dundee Law and the scenes on the Lookout Point, I need an additional cameraman for the angles required.  It was also during today's filming experience that I was reminded that filming, especially when you're just doing it by yourself can take a lot longer than you realise.  This is definitely a project that cannot be done in just one day, with or without a car for transport, but with enough flexibility and persistence, I know that it can be done.