Cross Platform Issue in FLV Cuepoints

The entire heavy coding production is done in my own laptop. After completed majority functions of the interactive video, right at the submission day, the FLV video is not working fine in college server. Because it is a submission timeline, there's not much of time for debugging. At such unpredictable incident, I am tempted to be panic. But I know that I need to show the best of the project outcome in the submission. Therefore, I tried to re-publish the files to test if this help to solve the platform problems. Somehow it's still not very stable. At the end I have to present the work from my laptop. 

Some of the classmates that explore cuepoints scripts face the same problems too. I think we can form a technical support group to continue learn together before the deadline (5pm of 10th Feb). This way it helps my learning as well.

Interactive Management

In the coding production, I realized that the connection between characters from one view to another view, from this person to another person can be very confusing. I could choose to use timeline animation to hard code the flv video and place the button accordingly. But if I choose to do so, I will not be learning a new knowledge to do things differently. Therefore, I remain using cuepoints structure to code the interactive video. Due to the time available, I do not have time to do too simplified and concrete script architecture. The result of the convenient coding structure is going to be long lines of script. (I got 500 overlines of scripts)

Discovery of AS3 Flvplayback & Cuepoints

I felt a little insecure when I had to swim in the ocean of knowledge and solidify what can be found of the internet and develop into skill to apply in a project. After sometimes of exploration and testing, these are my little knowledge discovered. 

#1: Add in cuepoints: control the video play pressing the play button. Pressing spacebar anytime you would like to pause the video. Then at the CUE POINTS window, click on plus icon to add label for the video timeline.

#2: Adjust timecode: If the timeline labelled needs to be adjusted. Click on the timecode area and key-in the time required. Name of the cuepoint can be edited by clicking on it as well. 

#3: Remove Flvplayer Controller: Click on the pencil icon at the Skin section. You can then choose from the skin list. In my case, I choose none.

#4: Back up the cuepoints: As the Flv has very location specific character, when you relink the Flv video, all the cuepoints added previously in Flash will be gone. So there's a disk icon allowing me to save all the cuepoints into XML file. I've tried this at the beginning of the knowledge exploration. And I also tried to relink the XML to the new Flv video.  

Discover Learning Pattern

With assistance of tutor, I am directed to explore cue points in Flash Actionscript 3. It's a brand new function in AS3 that I have never explored before. I discovered that I have some repeated patterns in learning. Before I learn something, I would like to know the reason of learning, the scope of the learning, and the motivation of learning. In my discovery of AS3.0 cuepoints scripts, I start learning by seeing other examples of how cuepoints scripts are used and how it can be flexibly apply. So I will choose tutorial website that provide working files of tutorial outcome so that I know I won't be getting the unhelpful tutorial.

Time Management Issue

In this STI project, I realize that I have a weakness my project planning.

Every time when I plan or propose something, I only concern about whether there's a way to do it, and neglected if the time is available. I thought, "If there's a will, there's a way". But in this project, I realize the my project plan can be very unrealistic. The outcome and the method is always workable, if time is not an issue. When time is the limitation, it affected my production quality.

Video Editing - Stablilizing Video

After the presentation of my learning and work-in-progress to the tutors, I realize that my first person view video footages are too shaky. So I go ahead to research how to stabilize the footages using Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects. Then I came across the video link above and it's very helpful. It explains how the stabilizing feature works and demonstrated the features clearly.

After trying out the Stablilizing  feature of After Effect (AE), I found out that because my video is recorded based on head movement of the actor/actress, the movement is too dramatic for AE to calculate and stablilize the movement. The outcome of the stablilizing cause majority of my video cropped. Therefore, I drop the plan of stablilizing the video footages.

Video Editing - Colour adjustment (classmates Abu share this technique with me)

At this stage of the production, I learnt how to save the colour adjustment preset and reuse them for all the footages consistently. 

Video Shooting Preparation and Equipment

According to the post before, I've learnt to do some ground work preparation for prop. s and location of the video shooting. The next important thing to study is the equipment. As the storytelling is using first-person POV to present different angle of the story, the video will not be planned in a third person POV and build the ideal camera angle. To make the experience of viewing from the character's eyes, the best way is to shoot the video by placing the camera at the eye level of the actor/actress.

When I research about the head-mounted camera, the keyword bring me to many virtual reality head-mounted camera. Therefore, I change my keyword search to Head Mounted DSLR so that the search result will be leading towards the photography or videography approach.

After getting an overall idea of what kind of equipment I will be needed, I used social media to ask around friends if they have any head-mounted DSLR. 

From then I learn that there's a better option for first person POV video shooting, GoPRo camera. I seen this is many websites during my head mounted camera research, but I did not go into deep research about GoPro. Since the timeline is so pack and I've secured the shooting date with all actor and actresses, I need to get the shooting done within the limited time that I have. 

With the help of friends, I manage to borrow a GoPro set with a D.I.Y head mount helmet. 

Video Shooting Preparation and Cordination - Part 1

Thankfully I have secured the location for video shooting and the schedule for the actor and actresses to come together during study break to record the videos. I'm fortunate enough to borrow GoPro camera from friends to record the video. In this post, I will document down the process and the learning I've got from this video shooting.

#1: Location Scouting and Makeover Plans
To find a strategic location where I can use 3 rooms in the same house to tell the story, I need to find a house that have most of my friend staying, and I can get permission to use those location easily. There's one student house in PJS9 rented by most of my classmates, 3 of them. And I got permission to use all the 3 rooms.

** Challenge: Most of my character in the story are girls. Very different character of girls. Out of the 3 rooms I can use, 2 are guys room. Only one is girl's room. I need to think of ideas to furnish one more room to a more girly one. The only girl's room available, which is Estee's room, has gave me great inspiration to decorate another girl's room.

To re-make the other girl's room, I think of using the photos put on the wall to hint user the relationship of these housemates without much conversation or voice over required.

From here, I contacted my other actresses to collect idea of props we can get from them. Below are some of the images the actress sent to me while we discuss about the props:

A girl's room similar to my story character - anime fans

Another actress' room

Trophies - The gold that can hint user to the missing palette

**Guy's Room Makeover Plan
Get props from actresses - items like big soft toy, dresses, makeup palettes, bags, beauty magazines... etc