Dancing Whovians

16 Days (because it’s Saturday) until we debut “500 Miles of Rassilon” at Gallifrey One’s Masquerade. Are you ready/excited!?

We’ll post the public link for the video immediately following the Masquerade, at around 9PM on Saturday, February 16th, 2013.

Hey Dancing Whovians!

I’m happy to announce that we’ve finished the video and that it will be debuting at Gallifrey One 2013 on February 16, 2013 at the start of the Masquerade. For those of you not attending Gallifrey One, we will release the public link to the video shortly after 9PM that evening.

We’re proposing a Gangnam Style Doctor Who video project for Gallifrey One 2013. We’re currently in the planning stage, and Salina Conlan (team Torchwood) is taking care of planning out shots and how we’ll handle people’s uploads and what sections we want filmed.

If you’re interested in participating, please join us on the Facebook Group or follow this tumblr to keep updated. The FB Group is here: http://www.facebook.com/groups/140153606133207/

Both Salina and I (Lee, ConOps/UNIT) won’t have the time nor resources to conduct any of the filming onsite. We will, however, handle all of the upload management and editing post-project. Salina will provide her plan for shooting to all of you on the FB group. I understand we’re only two months out and this is relatively short notice for an idea, but I know that we can all tie it together if you spread the word.

Current result from our review: we need a clear “When I’m working… ” lyric. In the footage we have, most people just muddle through through this lyric. I could get on my gear and record it, but I think I’m in it enough.

Anyone want to take care of filming this and sending it to the Dropbox? Instructions for upload are here:

http://500rassilon.tumblr.com/upload

I know we’re four months out to Gallifrey One 2013, but there’s a big reason why we’ve waited this long to continue tweeking and editing.

You’ll be happy to know that we’re at the 2-minute mark for core footage. What does this mean? There’s approximately under 2 minutes left. But, we still have to do all the filler around the lyrics. Thankfully there is ENOUGH dancing from everyone. Thank you for that.

If everything goes as planned, the video will not be shown during Opening Ceremonies. Instead, the video will precede the Masquerade. But it still needs to be finished and reviewed before we can even begin to finalize that.

Our plan is to release the video to the internets one week before Gallifrey One. 

Thank you all for being so patient!

We’re only months away from Gallifrey One 2013, and I have an editing update for you!

Since my editor appears to be busy, I’ve started editing the video myself and am having quite a fun time doing it! There’s a few gaps between lyrics, but we’ve plenty of video to fill in those little instrumental gaps.

Also, I’m working on getting the footage to the Board of Gallifrey One so that we might be able to premiere the video during the Opening Ceremonies of Gally! What does this mean for you? Unfortunately, it would mean having to wait until February 2013 to see all your smiling, dancing, lip dubbed faces on any kind of screen (we’d do a simultaneous upload to YouTube, Vimeo, our Facebook group on the same week), and to have our super awesome secret revealed at that time. But, it will be worth the wait! 

I’ll try to update the Tumblr more frequently, but as the editing starts getting done, it’s getting a bit tougher to push out updates. Thanks for your understanding!

See you at Gally!

Hi Dancing & Lipsynching Whovians!

I know it’s been at least four months since Gallifrey One and you might be wondering, “Where’s the video, Lee?” Well, here’s my answer: It’s on my computer’s hard drive still. As you may not know, it’s particularly difficult to find good times to meet with people who have volunteered to do things for this project. It took about a whole month after to get all the footage people had, it took a whole two months after Gally to get the Project Board together in one place to do scene selection, and it’s going to be a whole four months after Gally just to get some free time from our pro bono editor to piece together the video.

So, we’re slated to start editing this weekend and will continue until early July. Hopefully we can have a teaser or final product by end of July. I’m sorry it has taken sooo long, but we held out for a month or two for people that really wanted to get footage in. And then it was just a matter of logistics. But, we do have a nice surprise in store for the video if you all continue to be patient.

Being that this is a collaborative and free project, where no one is being paid for their time, it does take a backseat to other activities where people are earning a paycheck. But, we promised a video before the end of 2012, so hopefully we’ll have something sooner rather than later.

I’m still trying to muster up a correct time to propose to Shaun Lyon (of Gallifrey One’s board) a possible Opening Ceremonies viewing of the video (or of a different version of the video, since we have SOOO much footage) for Gallifrey One 2013.

Thank you for being so patient, and please pass this on.

Hello my Dancing Whovians!

I’ve been tossing an idea around in my head and wanted a bit of feedback. How ‘bout after this video project, we just start a little tradition of having a Gally video project each year based on some random song. We can take song suggestions, dress up in our Who gear, and create a fan-vid and then edit them down again. We have time before and after each Gally to prepare and to edit, so I think it’s highly doable.

Thoughts?

I’d probably rename this moving forward as the Dancing Whovians or something to that extent, with current project board members on board (unless they don’t wanna) and whatever we wanna do with stuff and things. 

UNIT out!

It looks like we’re missing the “When I’m lonely…” and “When I’m dreaming…” stanzas of the song. If you’d like to go out and film this portion for us, please do!

We have an ABUNDANCE of the Chorus march, “When I wake up…” and most of the beginning of the song. But I’ve realized in a cursory review of the videos that we’re missing the above two lyric stanzas.

These two stanzas have so much possibility for choreography! So, in addition to the above, we’re also looking for a cameo of Sue from Catering.

Film! Submit! Help us make a great video!

And we have a little surprise in store for the final video!

The Project Board and I are having a viewing party this weekend to start scene selection for editing in May. You still have time to submit your entries as we think there will be need for padding between cuts and there are probably a few holes in the song. If needed, we’ll make another announcement as to the video scenes we need in order to create the entire video.

Thanks to all that did get their videos in, and the few that provided enough footage to cover the entire song. We’re still looking for a Sue from Catering bit, so if you have it, we’d like to include you on that homage of Sue from Catering! 

We’ll mostly be looking over all the footage we’ve got so far (2.1 GB!) and deciding what will be spliced where for our video editor (who can’t make it this weekend), and then figure out what we’re missing so we can send out an updated post.

Perhaps I and one of the other Board Members will film something at the M*A*S*H film site in the Malibu Hills this weekend as well. Just to add a bit of location diversity.

Video upload information is available on it’s own page now, 500rassilon.tumblr.com/upload.

The Project Board is having a viewing party next weekend to select footage for the editing of the video that’ll happen in May.

We’re also thinking that we want to do something for the 24th Gallifrey One, being the 50th Anniversary of Doctor Who. But, we’re not sure what. Any ideas? I don’t know if we want to do another 500 Miles of Rassilon. I’m thinking we should do something else epic. 

Thoughts?

Also there’s an upload information page at http://500rassilon.tumblr.com/upload

April 30th is the final day we’ll accept videos (unless you can provide us with a sufficient excuse to extend the deadline beyond that for you) for inclusion in the final video.

We start editing mid-May, and I want to have enough time to categorize all the video files for our editor. So, we’ve agreed on a deadline of April 30th to videotape yourself or your group and get all files in.

Upload instructions are here: 

http://500rassilon.tumblr.com/upload

HELLO DANCING/LIPSYNCHING WHOVIANS!

We’re 1 week and 3 days out from the deadline to send in your 500 Miles footage! There’s still time to film (friend Katie and I did our “When I’m drunk…” line at the Anaheim Marriott during Wondercon) and still time to get your videos in.

The Project Board is going to review all footage around April 14th, and will start editing in late April. Depending on how much footage we have, there might even be a blooper reel released before the main video is released.

So what do you have to do? Spread the word that we’re still waiting on videos and people still have about 9 days to film themselves and get information to us. Look through our past Tumblr entries for information on how to upload videos to us.

Thanks to all who participated!

Okay, after I removed the duplicates, it’s 1.3 GB of footage thus far.

You still have time to get footage to me. Be sure to check our Tumblr archives for the upload information. If you want a ribbon, we still have several hundred.

Our Schedule

End of March - Deadline for videos to be collected for inclusion.

April 14,15 - We start reviewing all submitted footage and selecting scenes and sequences.

Late April - We start editing.

June - We’re shooting for final product, perhaps with bonus content depending on how much ends up on the “digital cutting room floor”.

You still have time to shoot!

You didn’t have to be at Gallifrey One to participate. For example, I’m still going to film my bit during Wondercon because I never got around to doing it! We’re still open for anyone that wants to participate.

We’ve gotten about 4GB of footage in so far, and I’m still waiting on more from peoples! I know that Tadao was filmed on Sunday after the Charity Auction, so I know it’s floating about out there.

No need to edit anything on your own beforehand. We’re going to cover up the soundtrack with the music, perform all the music to video lipsync, and select the footage we’ll be using. Your job is to get the files to us by the end of March. We’ll start editing in April.

If you have any questions, please email Lee at lee @ recycledsushi.com (without the spaces), add a question to the Facebook group, ask here, or check out previous entries for Upload Information and other stuffs.

We wanna see the footage from you guys! Lee is also going to propose to Gallifrey One for a possible showing during Opening Ceremonies or some other time.

Please repost, retweet, re-stuff!

In light of how busy many of us were, we’ve extended the deadline to shoot and to get videos into us. The upload information is in the post before this one.

Cue Cards: http://bit.ly/zndlDf

We’re waiting a full month before we’ll start editing, so that gives you until the end of March to film your own movie wherever you want, however you want and get it to us (Upload Information)! This means that we might still be able to get the ending number!

What we have a lot of: “When I wake up…”

While we love this sequence, please please PLEASE send us more of all the other lyric lines. We’ll take any video format, and if we have an issue, we’ll try to contact you about a different format. Please try to shoot in 480i or 480p up to 1080p or 1080i.

If you want to spoof what was shown in the Crew video, you’re welcome to do so! We’re happy to take a Sue from Catering spot, ex-producers in bath robes, etc! EVERYONE did the marching, and while we love that, we’d like to see a bit more. For instance, we have a shot with Four and Nine in the TARDIS control room for a chorus bit, and that’s quite entertaining! Do what you can, and we hope to get an influx of upload.

And please, send us your name when you upload. We’d like to credit you properly. Please do also upload to the 500Miles folder within the Dropbox area. Just click on the link for the folder and then click on Upload. I have a 2GB max, so you’ll have to notify me via e-mail so I can download files and empty the folder for the next person.

If you have questions, please let me know!

Here is the dropbox upload information. Please pass it on:

http://www.dropbox.com/

U: Rassilon500@yahoo.com

P: ra$$i1oN

Upload to the 500 Miles folder. I only have a 2GB limit, so please send an e-mail to lee@recycledsushi.com when you’ve uploaded so that I can pull it down to my backup external HDD.

If you’re having issues with upload, please let me know ASAP.

lee@recycledsushi.com

Hey guys, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE reblog, retweet, repost.

We’re about four days out from the best convention all year round and the best fan attempt at the “500 Miles” video.

I’m turning over all filming duties to you, the fans that want to do it. Since I’m running Convention Operations this year, I may not be able to be on hand to film people. However, for those that want to film, I can hand off ribbons so that you can hand them out to people. Simply come down to Con Ops and ask for Lee. Even if I’m not there, I’ve instructed my staff to page me when it’s 500 Miles Project-related.

As far as upload of your video, I’ll provide a small business card to you (or my other “CREW” members in the blue t-shirts) with information on where to download the MP3 for playback and where to upload your files so we can use them. Or, if you happen to find me in Ops, you’ll be able to offload your data to me then (I’ll have my laptop with me just in case). Worst case scenario, hold onto your videos and send to me after Con.

Ribbons

For the big ending number, we haven’t decided on location yet, but we’re thinking we’ll either be in the patio area or the pool area. We’re also thinking about doing a sing-a-long acapella in the hotel Lobby one night. Just ask around to the people wearing the blue “500 Miles of Rassilon CREW” t-shirts, in case we know.

Most of the planning action occurs on the Facebook group, so join using the link button on the left navigation of our main Tumblr page. We have a final count of 1499 (I gave one away) ribbons to hand out for this project! I’ve also notifiedNerdist’s producer about it during our chat on his project yesterday. Maybe they’ll participate as well?

The section you want to film, or film others, is up to you. I just want as much coverage as possible. I’d prefer not to receive 1080p HD videos as those tend to take up too much room, but if you can keep high-HD videos short, it should be manageable on our end. We’re still shooting for a completion date of September of 2012, so we’ll have things to show for the 2013 Gallifrey One (we’ll also post final product on YouTube, Vimeo and any other sites).

I’ll be dressed as UNIT Soldier for most of the convention, so if you find me, I’ll have answers to most of your questions. If anyone has a 500GB external hard drive we can borrow during the convention and after as our editor will need it, it’d be helpful. I’m sure I’ll have a portable hard drive by then, but I don’t have one available right now.

So, everyone have fun at Gallifrey One, and be sure to spread the word there and everywhere you can in the days leading up! I want to run out of ribbons!

Okay, down to the final days.

Clarifications:

• There will not be a central location for filming, there will not be any one person doing filming (it’s open to everyone).
•  People wearing the blue “500 Miles of Rassilon CREW” shirts will have ribbons, file upload information cards, and possibly information on when and where the big final numbers will be filmed. 
• Since I’m (Lee) going to be busy with Operations duties all Con, I need three (or more) volunteers to wear the blue t-shirts and be CREW assigned to ribbons and distribution of the info cards.

Alternate method of download of MP3 in a .zip file.

http://db.tt/A6zU1Pu5

We’re thinking about popping up to LobbyCon on Friday and/or Saturday night and having all people up there start a sing-a-long of the “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” song. Who wants to help us motivate the attendees to do this?

We need people with cameras up there too.

You can find the MP3 we’ll be using for editing here. Please please PLEASE use this file because it’ll make sync that much easier afterward when we’re editing.

http://db.tt/JhHyxdNi

Also, we’ve uploaded in an earlier post below a Word .docx document containing all the lyrics numbered off. If you provide what lyric numbers you’re lip-synching, it’ll make our Editor’s job even easier!

We have numbered lyrics now! If you’re filming, please use this when filming so our editor knows where they’re synching!

http://db.tt/X8DpohN5

It’s a Word .docx document. Let me know if you need it in another format!

Also, if you’re talking about us on Twitter, please use the hashtag #GallyVid

• We have a dedicated editor person, with professional industry experience.
• Two of the t-shirts have arrived; another two are on their way.
• 999 ribbons ready; another 500 on their way.
• 1000 business cards containing download and upload info as well as my e-mail address on their way.

What should you do? Spread the word. Tell people out there and everywhere that we’re doing this and that we want video peoples, we want lipsyncers, we want odd-ball dancers, we want cosplayers.

Gallifrey One is fast-approaching and we wanna make this video a BIG success!

There has been a bit of confusion expressed to me over Twitter.

There will be no formal time or place for filming during Gallifrey One. We are entrusting everyone to film, to have the MP3 we’re using (download here), to seek us out to get ribbons to distribute, and to upload or physically find me and give me the files for editing over the rest of the year.

I will post contact information for me closer to con dates, and will be handing out a small business card at Gallifrey One with upload information as well as my contact information.

The only one thing we’re trying to coordinate is a day, time and location for the ending march number. We’re thinking we’ll do one on the downstairs Patio, in the pool area, the lobby and one more undecided location.

I’m calling for ideas for the big end number. As seen in the official video, they had a gathering of all for the final lyrics of the song. We’d like to do similar, and are considering asking if we can use opening or closing ceremonies (or even Masquerade) audiences to do something in the big ballroom.

So, we’re polling for ideas and quickly trying to form a plan for the last number, including notifying everyone for it. I want to propose something to the Gallifrey One Board of Directors, so I’d like to have a quick idea. Obviously, the last number is a couple of ending seconds and shouldn’t take long to film. 

But, pose your ideas at the Facebook Group so that we can all have a similar platform on which to collaborate and vote. If you’re not a member of Facebook, you can e-mail me (lee @ recycledsushi.com) with your idea and I’ll post it onto the Facebook group.

Please reblog, retweet, repost elsewhere. We’re about four weeks out and there’s still much to plan for the best fan-made video version this year.

Dropbox has been set up. If you plan on filming and want to upload your vids to the Dropbox rather than find me, please e-mail me for the user name and password to this shared account. (lee at recycledsushi.com)

I get the horrible feeling that the evilness of SOPA would block the sheer awesomeness of this video. Therefore, instead of blocking the site for today, I’m just going to urge that all Americans involved in this video project do their best to bother their congressman/woman into veto’ing SOPA. It’s an explicit violation of our First Amendment and the US Government should have no right in denying us our rights, online or offline.

That said, we have updates on the project just a few weeks out from Gallifrey!

Read More →

This post is quoted from the Facebook Group:

Alright, here’s the basics breakdown. If you’re going to be filming, you’ll need at minimum the following:
1. Camera / Video Camera (memory card capable is better for transferring data to me)
2. Playback device (iPad/iPhone/iPod, MP3 player w/speakers, cell phone, computer, tablet, etc)
3. The audio file I’m using for editing later (from my dropbox later; I’ll post a link at the Facebook group)
4. “500 Miles of Rassilon” ribbons to hand out to participants (or a voucher system in case I end up just having people sent off to find me or Radar)
5. “500 Miles of Rassilon CREW” t-shirt. Either your own purchased from my online store, or one of our XL shirts I’ll have available.

After this, I encourage you to approach any and all with the promise of a ribbon and fun to film as many lyrics or just instrumental dancing as possible. Please try to keep videos short as 720p video clips tend to be large on the digital storage size. I’d rather piece together snippets of lyrics than break apart an entire 3-minute song. Choreography, location, lyrics choosing we leave to the people involved. If they give you an “I don’t know what to do”, have them dance to the instrumental portions however they want and we’ll at least have filler footage.

If it comes down to it (and it probably will), I’ll set up a public Dropbox acct for people to upload their videos during the convention at their leisure (in case I can’t be found) or after. You’ll simply access the web interface and upload to the provided folder (and notify me, so I can pull it down so the folder is empty for the next person).

At the moment we’re toying with the idea of a Jack cosplayer and an Ianto cosplayer for the lyric “when I’m lonely” starting with a single Jack cosplayer somewhere in the hotel, and as the line continues to “I’m gonna be the man who’s lonely without you” and having him joined by an Ianto cosplayer. Just for the fan service.

We also need all 11 doctors for a group shot, but we’re not sure when just yet. Also, we need random auxiliary characters and companions dancing for the instrumental portions in between lyrics at different points of the convention floor.

Pass this information on, and let me know if you’re interested.

We’re six weeks away from the best convention of all year (at least for me).

We’re down to the wire and Tadao and Ric have excellent storyboard ideas. I will bring along my violin, but there will possibly be no playing. I will be interim Department Head for Convention Operations, so my attention will be primarily on providing an enjoyable and smooth-running convention for all. 

As such, if anyone wants to head up the video project filming onsite, please let me know. Otherwise, I’ll still be handling the editing and getting a few of the staff members to lipsync to whatever while there. It’s still a massive project, considering, but the onsite stuff is fairly easy. Just stop people, start the playback and get them doing the lipsync, and hand in the digital video to me. 

Anything more elaborate obviously needs planning, and that will be worked out hopefully in the next three weeks. We’re thinking one big elaborate number either during opening or closing ceremonies, but we’ll see what materializes.

I have 1000 (well, 999) ribbons, so come and earn them! (And reblog and retweet)

No, I’m relatively sure we haven’t forgotten that we’re all committed to making an awesome fan video at Gally this year. 

But, we should dive back into active planning about mid-January.

Susan Fox, over at the Facebook group, has volunteered as Producer for the GallyVid project with me as Executive Producer (obviously), and I think Ric Miller has volunteered to take on a bit of the editing and storyboarding.

We’re tossing ideas back and forth on the Facebook group for locations, shots, and the bigger production numbers late into the evening. If anyone is good at wrangling people or even creating basic, easy-to-follow choreography, we’re happy to have you!

Spread the word!

The Drinking Buddies of Rassilon group on Facebook has started their own countdown to Gallifrey by way of a daily “99 bottles of beer” rendition to their group’s status. Also, being the dork I am, I’ve taken on dedicating a sketchbook to drawing out each update starting at the end of this month.

Here’s what they’ve got so far:

If I’m going to dedicate a sketchbook to this endeavor, I’m going to have to track our little song ditties. We also forgot 98 somewhere…

———

‎99 bottles of beer on the wall, 99 days to Gally, we take one down, pass it around, wonder where in time it went, look over at the Master…98 bottles of beer on the wall (tomorrow)…

‎97 bottles of gin on the table, 97 days to Gally. Take one down, pass it around (Lobbycon), 96 bottles of gin on the table (at midnight)

‎96 bottles of beer on the wall, 96 bottles of beer! We take one down, Jack runs off with it followed by hot men and women, 95 bottles of beer on the wall (tomorrow).

‎95 bottles of daiquiris on the wall, 95 bottles of daiquiris, take one down, tie a tie around the Doctor’s head, 94 (tomorrow) bottles of daiquiris on the wall

‎94 bottles of raki on the wall, 94 bottles of raki, we take one down, 10 ends up naked and streaking through the lobby somehow, 93 (tomorrow) bottles of raki on the wall…

‎93 bottles of tequila on the wall, 93 bottles of tequila, we take one down, pass it around, 9 ends up in his skivvies somehow with 10 and 11 taking pictures, 92 (tomorrow) bottles of tequila on the wall…

‎92 bottles of ouzo on the wall, 92 bottles of ouzo, we take one down, earth disappears but the Doctor gets it back, 91 bottles (tomorrow) of ouzo on the wall…

‎91 bottles of beer on the wall, 91 bottles of beer, take one down, feature it in the Gally 500 miles video, 90 (tomorrow) bottles of beer on the wall.

90 bottles of red wine on the wall, 90 bottles of red wine. Take one down, pass it forward in time to Jack hanging on to the TARDIS, 89(tomorrow) bottles of red wine on the wall.

89 bottles of Jack on the wall, 89 bottles of Jack, we take one down, Captain Jack shows up with his entourage, 88 (Monday) bottles of Jack on the wall…

88 bottles of bourbon on the wall, 88 bottles of bourbon, we take one down, force the boys to drop trou (and take pictures), 87 (tomorrow) bottles of bourbon on the wall…

——

AND COUNTING!