FRAME DAMAGE: FCPX Templates

| Ade

I’ve just put together a few of my favourite film effects from the Scratchtapes collection, into a mini pack of Final Cut Pro templates. Frame Damage Vol2, is a collection of 15 FCPX effects and a few flare and film clutter transitions.

The templates are made up of telecines from super 8 and 16mm film. The scans are over sized and in some cases, can be cropped in or windowed to reduce the sprocket holes, if need be. I used a few different cutting edge techniques to achieve the damaged effects, including bucket processing out of date film, hand scratching with a hot needle and coating removal with a pan scrubber.

Themed around severe film damage, this collection is ideal for grunge and damaged film elements in any graphics/motion graphics or editing project. Used with adjustment layers, the templates can effect underlying elements in quite extreme ways. Used as backgrounds or layers, both the clips and the image textures can be combined to create various lo fi effects. All templates are based on a UHD 25p timeline, but should work well at most resolutions.

This video gives a brief overview of how to work with the templates and is intended as just a starting point. Layer up, combine with text/images and grunge up the cleanest of footage.

I’ll be adding to these over the next few months, so please subscribe to the blog if you’d be interested in updates on future template packs.

Frame Damage Vol 2 can be downloaded via our Gumroad store…

The Greenwash Experiment

| Ade

I’ve just created what I hope will be the first of a small series of shorts, monologues and mini docs, on the issues around greenwashing and the corporate takeover of environmentalism. The first of these “The Great Greenwash – The Great Reset”, is a monologue/op piece, which ties together two wildly separate subjects that I’ve been long interested in, the environment and conspiracy theory.

It’s almost impossible to land anywhere on the internet, without being confronted by articles, or social media posts relating to The Great Reset. What’s most surprising is that whilst most people have heard of this phrase, it’s gained ( quite conveniently ) something of a reputation as a conspiracy theory, which some may believe originated in the deepest, darkest corners of the web. On the contrary, The Great Reset came into being as a book, written by World Economic Forum founder, Klaus Schwab and WEF contributor, Thierry Malleret. Published in 2020, during a period of global lockdowns, the book proposes a number of solutions to the crisis and spins it into an opportunity to build a brave new world, in the World Economic Forum’s best interests of course.

In The Great Greenwash, I attempt to summarise why the Great Reset needs to be treated with suspicion and at the very least, should be urgently discussed out in the public square. While it’s easy to dismiss the book as the fluffy aspirations of an out of touch member of the elite ( it is that too ), many of the global issues it attempts to resolve, could be deeply damaging to not only the environment, but also democracy itself, given the the WEF’s reach into global decision making. Key phrases of Schwabs proposed plan, have been picked up and parroted by many world leaders and heads of state, seemingly in unison.. Build, Back, Better, being perhaps the most often repeated political “catchphrase”.

Greenwashing has now become so widespread and sophisticated in nature. To the point when being bombarded by advertising and promotions on an almost daily basis, recognising isn’t always that easy. I’m hoping to address some of these key aspects around the hijacking of classical environmentalism, in future instalments.

If you enjoyed the piece, then please take a look at the project page, where you can donate and download the 4k version, or alternatively please consider subscribing to the blog, or social channels.

Rendlesham

| Ade

It’s now 2 years since Codename Rendlesham was finalised and released. With the caveat that few productions and/or witnesses from the US have visited the UK in this time, the Rendlesham story, like many things has seemingly stood still….for now. As underlined in the documentary, the legend of Rendlesham has relied on a constantly evolving narrative, with emerging revelations and claims of new evidence surfacing every few months. Whether or not this evolutionary pause of the story represents the gradual onset of it’s ageing, or we’ll see a sudden revitalisation, remains to be seen. I’m hedging my bets towards the latter for now.

One of my background intentions with this film, was that by viewing multiple viewpoints without too much judgement ( hopefully ), it would shine a small light on these different takes and how each are valid in their own way. A belief system where alien beings visiting a Suffolk forest might be a distinct reality, or a factually driven, hard data approach to sifting through the nuts and bolts, are both equally valid from different viewpoints. The subject and place itself, are what bring those seemingly different thought processes together.

Because of this approach to what’s become a divided subject, the film has had a mixed reception, including some amusing assumptions that this film was MOD or militarily funded ( smile emoji ). I suspect that it’s because it appears to have challenged some belief systems by presenting facts and opinions, that seem to undermine them. However, facts and opinions aren’t always solid non movable things, they too evolve over time, if we let them.

I’m hoping to further explore this much misunderstood relationship, between fact based research and alternative belief systems in Tin Foiled, a documentary that will hopefully challenge what you thought you knew about conspiracy theory. Is belief in so called conspiracy theories really that dangerous and if so, for who is it a danger? It’s a touchy subject right now, but hopefully it will engage it respectfully. One question that’s on the list.. does a belief, or interest in UFO’s automatically make somebody a conspiracy theorist?

I’ll sign off with the admission that I’m firmly in the “I Want To Believe” camp, but maybe I’d also add “It’s Okay To Believe”. It’s all good.

Codename Rendlesham is available to view here at the new price of £2.50 buy/£1.50 rent

“Tin Foiled” Documentary

| Ade

Conspiracy theory, that keyword that has somehow entered our everyday lexicon, is a term often used to compartmentalise any narrative that can’t be filed under consensus. From a lizard alien super race, to political and scientific discourse, why has this banner become a catch all garbage can for anything we find difficult to confront, explain, or investigate?

How do we really benefit from such one size fits all terminology and have we really got to a point, where reality and fact have become so entangled in fantasy and fiction?

“Tin Foiled” will be a short documentary in the Para/Dox strand, launching 2022….to stay up to date with announcements, please either subscribe to the blog, or you can follow Chill Factor Films on Instagram.

A.I CEO

Video | | Ade
A.I CEO powered by ParaDox Neural Networks

This parody corporate promo, is inspired by the numerous articles that have saturated the web, on the coming future of A.I and it’s impact on the masses. It’s a slightly tongue in cheek poke at the thought process behind utopian visions, such as The Great Reset, which in reality are nothing short of dystopian nightmares, only being of benefit to the few.

A common theme running through Sci Fi lore, is one where AI and machine learning overtake humanity and only lead to negative outcomes. But what if things could be switched around and we could find a way to harness this technology and leave it in charge? Could we use it to make the world a better place? Possibly, but if something like A.I CEO was to emerge, then expect it to be met by a lot of resistance.

Perhaps if there is a message within this, it would be very clearly aimed at those in positions of power…. be careful what you wish for.

Produced as an intro to the Para/Dox series of docs and shorts, starting this winter.

Additional Image credits

Ketut Subiyanto, Dario Fernandez Ruz, Marian Croitoru, cottonbro, Tima Miroshnichenko, Pressmaster, Mikhail Nilov , Kindel Media , egamiFX Studio, Tom Fisk, Kampus Production, Ron Lach