Navigation

I have scaled down the navigation to only the necessities. Why put in sections that people will not click on (unless for legal reasons)? I took out links and about and sponsors. The main flash intro will say what the show is about.

The show could have a main sponsor and then each episodes could have a "brought to you by" that is displayed under the title.

I also played around with different navigation systems but I keep coming back to the thumbnails so I am going to stick with it.

Logo Animation

The logo animation will play as soon as the user enters the site. It will be VERY short and there will be sound underneath with randomm talking. I will collect these and add them over time. It would also serve as a loading movie for the video.

Logo Explorations

I wanted to reference the idea of the road without being literal so the background in the opening sequence is pavement. The simple grey allows it to fit with any look of the videos.

The font is a san serif which mimics the idea of road signs without being exactly the same. It is readable when it is very small as well (so that I can have a logo screen burn when the actual movies play).

I'm still playing around with the idea of scribbling directions on a napkin. The border of the site and perhaps the thumbnails will reflect this idea.

Below are some explorations (scribbles really) that lead me in this direction.

I also played around with different navigation systems but I keep coming back to the thumbnails so I am going to stick with it.

I wanted to have a hand drawn feel to the logo but it ended up looking too childlike so I combined the main font with a handwritten sub-header.

Sizes

The site scales based on the user's monitor size.

BIG VERSION: 1280 X 720 large size (1440 and higher)
SMALL VERSION: 970 X 545 small size (1024 and 1280 which is 48% of users)

Both options have the flash fullscreen button and are based on 16:9 video widescreen ratios

Javascript is used to load the same flash movie but with different embed calls.

The images and video will be designed at 1280 X 720 but the flash production will scale down by 75.78%

Branding

Priority 1: Branding and identity
It is most important to have an identity that people can see right away. Do a few variations of the logo and the animation that will appear as soon as people go into the site.  

Priority 2: Film Content
If the content is not good the site is not good.

Priority 3: Promo Materials
The promo material is specifically for people that I am planning to approach who might be interested in sponsoring the site such as National Geographic Traveler. The material must catch their eye but not take any time whatsoever to read because these people will not take the time.  

Post Cards, View Master

Old Cowboy Movies

When I travel it is to broaden my understanding of the world but my journey to the Flying U Guest Ranch was to validate my notion that cowboys really do exist.  As a child I dreamed of cowgirls and horses, riding off into the sunset, cowbells rung to call everyone to meals and leisurely trail rides through sinuous mountain paths but, of course, that life was just a fantasy I garnered from cowboy movies.

The icons of the past, Gene Autry, William Boyd and Roy Rogers, are relics of a time long ago that allowed me to have this dream but ones that my daughter has no interest in watching.  The movies she watches are about teen rock stars.  She sees cowboys the same way that she sees computer programmers and accountants, as people, both good and bad and fun or boring.  I see cowboys as icons, adventurers, as heros from a past that is quietly disappearing.

I want her to feel the romance of the cowboy story, where good and evil are clearly defined and the good guys always win.  These stories didn't just entertain but they helped bring out the best, even if it was all fake.

The Flying U Guest Ranch in the southern Cariboo Region was built on the romantic notion of the cowboy.  The son of the original owners, Jack Boyd, was enamored with cowboy culture and had an actor friend, William Hart, who suggested that the ranch be called "The Flying U Guest Ranch" named after a popular series of books by B. M. Bower.  Since then there has always had an oblique reference to hollywood and cowboys. It has gone through a few hands since then but the original appeal has never changed.  Simple and direct.  Romantic and rugged.

Back in the Saddle

Came back from the Ranch and have so much content to sift through. I am tweaking my focus somewhat and that will evolve even more as I put this together.

I learned so much on so many levels from production to story boarding to relationships with people. All in all it was a very exciting and successful trip. There really are cowboys left in the world.

Chat with David

I had an amazing chat with David Ozier who works for paperny films. He gave me some good technical/lighting tips, which is the weakest part of my setup, but mostly he helped give the entire project more focus. His job is focusing in on stories and he really helped me to look at my story and ask what are the layers and how do they collide?

His question to me was what was is the story beyond the ranch? He suggested making the story more personal both with the interviews/ranch and with me. It'll make the project richer and more poetic. Focus in on relationships.

He suggested to look for the unresolved parts of the story which will make it more interesting. For example was there risk in the current owners acquisition of the ranch? Are there personal items (ie: cowboy boots) that tell a story. What is my relationship to the myth of the cowboy. Why do I feel that adventure is important VS my daughters desire for stability (perhaps the premise for the series).

There are 2 techniques to telling a story. Observational (seeing an event occur) or reflection (talking about an event after it has occurred). Choose which ways I want to tell a story and be aware of which method I am utilizing.

He suggested getting shots of my journey to the farm rather than just starting from the farm. Movement towards a destination.

A great tip was having a story in mind but being open to other stories as they occur.

Some of his keywords: The magic of the Myth, Painting a portrait.
Some Lighting equipment: Kino Flow. Flex Cards
Artist Suggestion: Ivan E Coyote A Canadian artist who reads the stories that she writes. A storyteller.

I'm off to the Ranch tomorrow for 3 days and I've prepared as much as I can now I will just be learning from the experience itself.

Convergent Conference

I went to an interesting conference yesterday that the Documentary Organization of Canada hosted called convergent.

The people speaking were in the non-linear and new media fields (sort of) and the agenda was to look at creative opportunities for new media and to encouraging content creators to consider the possibilities and creative opportunities presented by explorative content.

Most people attending were documentary filmmakers. They were talking about the idea of merging internet and Film/TV. At this point the web is used mainly for marketing and networking but content isn't being created specifically for a web only audience. It seems as though industry leaders know that something needs to happen in terms of content but they are not sure where to go. There was also alot of talk about mobile technology.

There are ALOT of grants out there for content creators of New Media.

Ron Martin - ISWID Productions
Andrew Nisker - Director of Garbage
Maureen O'Reilly - BC Innovation Council (BCIC)
Janine Steele - BC Film

Shot List

I have a shot list and a rough idea of the story line. I believe that things will come together once I have all the content. It will be a matter of what I am going to do with it. I need to make a schedule for Erica of interviews. Pre-Interview on the phone next week to glean more information.

SHOT LIST

TRANSITIONS:
Sunset
Sunrise
Driving on the Road
Shot of the Delica driving

CANNED RANCH SHOTS
Horse Running in field in the distance
3 cowboys riding together rounding up the cattle
Profile View: Start far away and Pass camera
Cowboys riding face on heading towards the camera
Walking with the horse with the reigns
Opening a gate
Riding into the sunset
Cattle in the field

STABLE SHOTS
Feeding Horses

PERSONAL SHOTS
Riding Horses
Brushing horses
Eating with the Guests
Barn Dance
Walk into barn in city clothes and come out dressed in farm clothes

INTERVIEW SHOTS
Erica talking about running the ranch
Stable boy talking about taking care of horses
Cook and the Food
Guests and their stories

SOUNDS
Horse sounds in barn
Sounds of the animals in the morning
The rain at night against the roof
Night Sounds
Driving

PHOTO ESSAYS
Abandoned Barns/farmhouses
Signs heading to the farm
Graveyards on the side of the road
Texture of the Farm
People shots with the Holga Camera
Macro shots of the farm
Hands

Sketches

Although I like the idea of moving outside the idea of a player I like the way mediastorm uses great sound and photography. It is really all about the content. If the content is not there it really doesn't matter what you do...

I've uploaded a few more sketches from my book. I really wish I could draw but words are the key for me.

Web Story Ideas

Below are 2 example of ideas using tools that are only appropriate for the web. One idea is to use sound waves as the visual but created using text that tells the story.

The other is looking at textures. Not sure where this can go but textures on a farm are beautiful.

I'm also thinking of promotional materials although I'm not doing it for this phase. Postcards are an obvious choice. Maybe a viewmaster with photos of the places.

I also realized how important the 3 minute pitch is and I ramble too much. I need to figure out how to talk to people about the project in LESS than 3 minutes, I do believe that people tune out after the first minute. I also need to write a one page tear sheet explaining the project. People I am asking to do stories with want to know what the jist of the project is about and why and I need to give them a compelling reason to agree to working with me.

I'm also thinking of pitching some written story ideas to some travel magazines since I'm doing the stories anyway. If it is published in December it would be a nice starting place for the launch of the website.

Also I now own
www.hittheroad.tv and hittheroad.mobi

Things to do before the Flying U

After talking to the owner of the Ranch I realized that cattle ranching was as important as the horses. The people who work there love horses, it seems as though it is more than a job. These are some initial story ideas.

Story concept 1 for The Flying U Guest Ranch:

A Day in the Life: The life of a cowboy or cowgirl has been consistently dramatized over the last several decades. Movies depict beautiful sunrises, cowbells rung to call everyone to meals, leisurely trail rides through sinuous mountain paths, and sleeping next to campfires that crackle and pop through the night. In reality, life on a working ranch is hard work, and though there are certainly enjoyable perks to living in the country, there are also considerable hardships.

The Flying U Ranch in the southern Cariboo Region is on a beautiful stretch of land – more than three hundred acres of lush grass, rolling hills, and rocky mountainsides. The entrance to the ranch is a solid gate that bares the Flying U brand, and a crushed gravel drive that leads up to the farmhouse. There is a barn with twelve stalls, as well as four arenas, a round pen, and several miles of trails wound throughout the property. Life on the ranch is never without work. While guests are enjoying a relaxing ride on their horse through the woods Erica is keeping the ranch running.

Simultaneous parallel: Guests VS Ranchers

The Mornings/Afternoons/Evenings: Horses/Cows feeding times? Types of Feed? Amount of feed? When horses are sick? Cleaning the stalls? Exercise Horses? Rodeos? Evening feedings? Putting horseshoes on the horses? Where do the cows graze? How do you keep track of the cows? Preparation of Meals? Preparing the cabins? Fixing Fences? Breeding animals? Calving season? Closing the Ranch for the winter? Activities in the winter?

Story concept 2 for The Flying U Guest Ranch:


Last of the Old Time Cowboys: Working cowboys live as genuine legends who rode through a golden moment in history. As a child I dreamed of cowgirls and horses and riding off into the sunset but for those people who grew up in the city that life was just a fantasy. A shiny pair of boots, a finely shaped Stetson and a pearl-snap Western cut shirt was the uniform of the cowboy and a whip and spurs were his tools.

While these things may be relics of the past the cowboy still lives on and you can find them at the Flying U Guest Ranch. They’re hands off approach to riding gives you a feeling of freedom. When asking for advice on how to ride that answer is Just get on your horse and say Giddyup. They know that deep down we are all coyboys.

What are the horse fantasies of the guests VS the reality of todays cowboy?