Archive for August, 2006


Epi-Storm Preproduction – Soul Shock

Reading time: < 1 minute

  • Episode 1 – Mind-Storm Complete!
  • Episode 2 & 3 – Mind-Storm Complete!
  • Episode 4 & 5 – Mind-Storm in Progress…

Episode 4 begins with our main character walking into the masjid with Jameel. Episode 5 ends with him walking out of the masjid with a real interest to learn about Islam.

At the masjjid he’s totally blown away (no pun intended) by the adhan, the brohood, the unity of salah, and recitation of the Imam, and the down to earth friendlyness of the Muslims there. The Main character has a genuine interest in learning about Islam by end of Episode 5.

I need some exciting things to happen. If not then, i need some good dialouge. Let the juices flow :)

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Epi-Storm Preproduction – Encounter

Reading time: 2 – 4 minutes

Okay…episode 1 completed. Now episodes 2-5 remaining. Continuing from Episode 1:

Episode 2 Begin…

The interview takes place, and goes good. The work place is run by Muslims, and most of the employees are Muslim. The boss likes his resume and work. Boss asks if he can start monday (its friday right now, post jummah)…guy says sure. He walks out of the place by 4:00pm

After leaving main character decides to take a trip to Barns N Noble to check out some starwars books, and any new editions of martial arts magazines. He arrives at the store. Picks up a stars wars book. As hes walkin and lookin at the book, he bumps into a Muslim guy stading in the isle who has his niqaabi wife next to him …main char dropping his book.

Muslim (african american) guy picks up the book and hands it to the main char smiling, and says, “Star Wars! You know…i wanted my wife to play darth vader, but the role was already taken”. THey both laugh, and then the niqaabi wife lightly smacks her husband in the back of the head. He goes, “hey..it was a joke!”.

That evening main character meets up with his buddies to go to a club. Its about 10pm. He gets into his friends car to go to the club. Main character is driving his friends car. As they are driving, they are talking and distracted. Guys is crossing the street, main character sees him too late and slams on the brakes, “SCHREEEEeeech!!!!…BAM!”…the guy gets hit

Episode 2 End…

Episode 3 Begin…

Guys get out of the car to see the guy. Main character recognises the guy. Its the same guy he bumped into at the book store. One of the main character’s buddies say, “yo…lets get outa hear”. Main character want to help the man. Short argument takes place, and the main character pulls out his phone to call 911. His buddies get into the car and bounce.

After they guys jet, he goes over to the guy….he looks like hes knocked out. He pokes him a bit….guy starts laughing cause hes ticklish. This scared the main character.

Main character is like…”what the hell!?!”. Muslim guy sits up…’gotcha!’ i thought u were dead!’ Muslim guy goes….”i would have been…if Allah (swt) didnt give me experience wit ppl like you…although….you guys did knock the wind outta me. Man…wut you guys doin out here at this time drivin like that?’

main charc is still astonished at how the guy is takin it like nothin happened. Muslim guy goes….”help me up…” main char helps him up….and the Muslim guy goes…”ouch….ok…i think a lil more than my wind got knocked out” Muslim guy’s ankle got twisted…he goes…”ok…you gotta help me to where i was goin…name is jameel btw’

They arrive at the mosque. episode ends wit them goin to the masjid.

Episode 3 End…

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Mindscape – Reflections

Reading time: 2 – 2 minutes

After having completed the Macbeth video in May 2003, I was fully charged to do another video. For English class, as a final project I decided to do another video. I started planning and brainstorming. I decided to film a ‘scary’ story I heard back in 6th grade camp. The story was really ‘scary’. I remember Mr. Hess (Cabin coordinator) was an excellent story teller.

I planned out the story as best as I could in my memory, and added a few elements of my own. The filming of this video took place over several days. We did the following:

  • Spent ~ 2 days filming the forest scene at Van Saun Park.
  • Spent one day practicing for the ‘fight scene’ at Van Saun Park.
  • Spent an entire day filming the ‘fight’ scene’ at Garden State Plaza Mall.
  • Filming was done using a Sony D8 camcorder.
  • Spent about two and a half weeks editing on an iMac at friends house for 5-8 hrs each day.

Things to note:

  • Filming was never fully completed because deadline for project was approaching

The following was the result:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1460514921656598622

This was my third attempt at making a movie ever, and second time ever editing on a computer.

Lessons:

  • 1 day of practicing a fight scene is NOT enough to make a good fight scene. It should be practiced untill it becomes like fluid movement.
  • Planning out what you want to film and how to film it is usually a good idea :)
  • Its a good idea to have a script. This film didnt have any script at all :P
  • The most action you have, the more editing will be needed to be done. Plan accordingly.

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Epi-Storm Preproduction – Awakening

Reading time: 3 – 4 minutes

The winner of the epi-storm on my blog (Limited Immortality) was: A young man’s journy to Islam and the challenges he faces between culture and deen.

25 episodes will be layed out as such:

  • Episodes 1-5 will be him getting introduced to Islam.
  • Episodes 6-10 will be him becoming Muslim. Episode 10 he becomes Muslim.
  • Episodes 11-20 will be the experiences of culture vs. deen, and learning the religion.
  • Episodes 21-25 will be about marriage (what did you expect?)

The premiere and finale will be 5-10 mins each in length, while the other episodes will be 2-4 mins in length each. In this post I want to discuss and plan out the first five episodes.

[Episode 1 Mind-Storm Complete] – Aug 3, 2006:

Main character is drunk. He finds himself in the plaza, and sees a niqaabi with two other hijaabi sisters. He says some insulting things (he’s drunk so he doesnt know what hes doing really). He niqaabi respons in a way that throws him off.

From there he makes his way home. He’s still drunk and a lil high. His home is decorated with starwars stuff. he sits down on the sofa and begins to watch the news. some moments go by. He hears something move in his home. He’s all alone. A dark figure moves in the shadows. From a hand movement of the dark figure an object is thrown at him from a different direction.

The dark figure then attacks. its a niqaabi (a ninja from his prespective). he tries to defend himself. Niqaabi pulls out a light saber as he pulls out his. deul takes palce.

He runs from her as she attacks him. The two continue to duel each other. the phone rings, distracting him. In that moment the niqaabi disarms and corners him. She does her finishing move on him.

Our main character wakes up from a real bad hang over. His phone is ringing. (We learn his situtation was that he fell asleep watching the news drunk and high.) He answers the phone. Its his girl friend. She dumps him, last night at the plaza he got drunk, said things to her he shouldnt have, and left her there. (At this point hes confused as to whether or not he really did insult a niqaabi the night before or not)

He sits down to watch the tv, but b/c of the headach of the hang over he gets up turns off the news. He tries to get some more sleep yet he cant. he realizes that he isnt driunk enough… he goes to the fridge to get more alcohol… he realizes he ran out. He slams the door and decides to run to the store.

He doesnt have a job yet and he’s been sending resumes to a lot off places and going to a lot off interviews. Nobody hires him cause his drug tests come back bad. As he makes his way to the store he is still wondering ‘ How the heck that ninja chick beat me?’ considering he is a master at martial arts.

At the store he meets one of his buddies (A muslim) who tells him that he may have a job for him. turns out that the job is a Muslim place. They have lunch together (he woke up close to noon time). His buddy give the contact for the work place.

He calls the contact, and sets up an interview. He goes in. As he walks into the place, a niqaabi walks out.

- Episode 1 End

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$14 Steadycam

Reading time: < 1 minute

Last year I fell upon this website (http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~johnny/steadycam/) where the individual showed us how to build a steadycam. I figured, “hmm…$14. I’ll give it a try.” I went to homedepot and bought the parts and in about 30 minutes, I had my very own steadycam.

I decided to test out the steadycam. Two friends and myself decided to meetup for Fajr salah at the masjid and do the filming from there.We met up two more times to get some more cool “steadycam” footage. In the end after editing, the following was the result:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6478747510621351132

The footage that is from outside the car was done using the steadycam. Was this baby worth $14? Oh yea! :-)

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