Hey fellas,

Havn't posted anything here for a good while. I very hastily put this together this afternoon for my first DV prac assignment for my university digital media course. (due next week)

The project constraints allow only a maximum of 30seconds for a short thematic piece.

Here it is, took one hour from conception to film and 2 hours in editing and cutting back - 30seconds from 30min of footage. Shot on XM2 (GL2). Dad used as 'actor'.

Don't expect speilberg, but critical feedback/suggestions would be great.

I'm only 19 so go easy ;)

http://members.optushome.com.au/philcam/The_Salesman.avi
(9.6mb - right click, 'save as...')

Divx Codec ver 5 required. If you don't have it... you should, so grab it here. http://download.divxmovies.com/DivX505Bundle.exe

Thanks again guys, look foward to your views.

It was just enough to get me interested. What happens next???!?!? :)

30 seconds frrom 30 minutes of footage shot? Yikes, thats a 60:1 shooting ratio. Good thing you aren't using film.

It piqued my interest as well. Looked very clean (this can be a
good or bad thing, depending on which look your after)

Seems like the video file has been taken down...

Hi Hilary,

Can I contact you on email, yahoo or AIM? I saw your film and I have some criticisms and issues with it; I think it would probably be best if I discussed it with you instead of posting it on here.

Cheers,
Amelie
third_chord@yahoo.com

Looks like i have a sister on this forum now...heh

:)

lol hiya bro! :)

You can always adopt me online as a sibling if you want! It's nice to meet ya Zac, I'm Amelie... obviously :)

Amelia, what is your AIM, umm username i guess. what do you i find you with?

Mine is motionafterfx

Zac

Hey ppl, been really busy of late, havn't checked by for a while...

Sorry. I took down the avi version, but theres a *smaller/lower quality*, newer, Quicktime version at

http://members.optushome.com.au/philcam/Door2Door.mov

For image quality enthusiasts, a full-size frame-grab can be perused here http://members.optushome.com.au/philcam/snappy.jpg

Ill contact you Amelie, as soon as i get this essay done (on sound, using 'Requiem for a Dream' as a case study, pretty interesting), sounds like you've got some serious criticisms (I feel kinda threatened ;)

Personally, I hate the vid now, seen it enuff times and thought of a lot of things I could have done to improve it. But what can ya do :)

Amelie (and others),

If you have criticism (constructful I hope) or other comments
to make that might help more people, please do post them here.
A lot of people can learn from what other think or have to say
about certain imagery, even if it is not their own!

This is the primary reason why we exist, to talk to each other,
see work and comment on it.

So please keep it on the board! Thank you.

Hi Hilary,

Thanks for posting that up for us.

I didn't get a chance to look at it other then on my computer monitor so there are certain things I can't comment on but a few that immediately leapt out at me.

The colors look good.

I liked that you move the camera, I liked the shots.

One thing I immediately noticed was the lack of Depth of Field for a lot of the shots.

This is important NOT ONLY for Filmlook but also to draw the eye and focus in toward what you want them to be looking at.

Speaking of filmlook, you could have maybe tried a subtle filter on the lens too.

It looks nicely cut, all the action leads you right into the next cut and looks like good simple angles.

Would like to see more and learn if there were any techniques you tried for with your GL2.


PS: tell Dad he did a good job. Too bad he is in Australia and not NYC, I've got a part in a film for him. Oh well. (G)

PPS: Rob's right, when other people read something they can learn from it because most people here give detailed ideas and it's things that others can learn from.

Honestly I haven't ever seen a nasty or unprofessional critique of anyone's work here and I like to read and see what others saw that totally went over my head.

Robs right.

*I was just trying to avoid embarrassment out in the open :)

Readers get alot out of learning from other peoples attempts and suggestions.

Hilary, I had just watched it again and was going to edit my review to say this but saw you'd jumped in.

You've got NOTHING to be embarrassed about. Your shots are in focus and you cut it together nicely.

The other thing I was going to say about filters was that when you do that shot where you move around Dad you get a lot of the sky in it and it looks a little blown out on my monitor. A day filter or maybe cranking on it in post with some color correction might get that.

But then again... it adds a little something to the day because it looks pretty grey.

Thanks Kev,

Your spot on about the DOF, it was precisely one of the things I was refering to when I mentioned things I would have liked to of changed.

The monitors are always a problem. For a fact I know my monitor (4yr old 17") is significantly darker then most newer flatscreens. It can be annoying when your trying to perfect the colours/contrast.

Techniques used, geez:

The whole thing was shot in 1/120 shutter in TV mode at about +1.5 auto exposure. I tend to also lower the 'level' a few notches on the GL2 (XM2) as it gives darker shadows, and a bit nicer contrast, that look less video. (This is a personal opinion).

When shooting i kept exposure and focus on manual (locked) so as not to have brightness/focus jumping around in-shot.

A tripod was used for all stationary shots (bar one). It was also used also for the first two shots. The very first shot, the slow crane/dolly imitation, was done by slowly leaning the tripod foward on two legs and leveling the head back as it went foward. I've used this a few times in other vids, it can look very professional once perfected.

The 180 degree spin (2nd shot) was done in free hand, using the tripod as a makeshift stabilizer (which if balanced right can work well). However in hindsight I believe I (foolishly) had Optical Image Stabilization on during this shot (causing a slight jolting effect). A proper dolly/crane would, of course, been ideal.

Side-on moving shots where taken from car, drifting along the road. (OIS off)

Only a UV filter was on (just to protect the lens), all other colour work was done in post. Typically I reduced the colour saturation to about 70% for a more filmic touch.

Vegas 4.0 was used for editing. (I did a run through with some filmic colour tones in After Effects, but didn't think it needed it come last render)

The walk to the door of the house was repeated a hand full of times so as to allow for near-seemless editing between shots in scene. (obviously, as I only have the one camera)

That about raps it up, anything else I can elaborate on?

PS/

Yes it was very a grey winter day, Infact the odd 30min spent shooting was the only break between rain on that day. :)

PPS/ It is an XM2 (PAL) so 25fps not 30. So I dont bother with things like magic bullet.

was it in Frame Mode?

Normal (which I'm guessing is what TV mode is) is VERY video.

have you tried shooting in Frame at something closer to 1/30 or 1/25? You'll get a much more "filmic" look if that was what you are going for.

This is becoming akin to an Instant Message service :)


It was indeed shot in frame mode @ 25fps (I never use normal).

Thanks for giving my dad some credit, for someone reluctant to be on video, he did a stellar job. Perfect type casting :)

TV mode is simply when the XM2 allows you to specify a shutter speed, and it automatically selects the corresponding aperture. It does not mean it has to be interlaced footage.

Were there any particular shots that you thought could have done with some depth of field? (I have some ideas).

Also, do you recommend any filters for a softer/warmer look?

Thanks

<<<-- Originally posted by Rob Lohman : Amelie (and others),

If you have criticism (constructful I hope) or other comments
to make that might help more people, please do post them here.
A lot of people can learn from what other think or have to say
about certain imagery, even if it is not their own!

This is the primary reason why we exist, to talk to each other,
see work and comment on it.

So please keep it on the board! Thank you. -->>>

I guess I can post it on the board, it's just that I have quite a few criticisms from the first time I watched it. I've been writing some essays too Hilary, so I haven't had time to properly develop my criticisms (hope that doesn't scare you!)

Anyway, Rob - most of the time I do post both criticisms and praises. It's just here I find I have very little praise (I'm very sorry Hilary, but that's just the way it is). I just feel it is more appropriate to tell Hilary, if s/he wants to know, and then if it's okay, I'll post them up. I hope that doesn't bother anyone here?

I'm totally fine with it.
Once again, if its constructive and in good spirits.

Thank you all for posting back here. Amelie, I can't judge what
you have to tell so perhaps you should e-mail it to Hilary first.
Perhaps she can better "decide" if it should be posted here or
not.

Thanks!

Hilary,

I have been through the entire film school path down here in oz, and also had my dealings with the AFC and so on, if you want any feedback or advice on going down that road, and/or getting in touch with some professionals feel free to drop me an email.


Just click on my profile.

Zac

That’s really kind Zac. Your email wont display, so I just hope you'll catch this.

I'm at hilcam@optushome.com.au if you would rather respond via email.

I'm currently completing a degree (Media & Communications) at UNSW, but I’m always pretty eager to get more experience, whether this is doing a production with friends for a local film festival, through work in the industry or through something like AFTRS (Aus film, tv & radio school). Although, obviously, I have much to learn, and more still to prove, before I get any distance down that road.

Could you post a rough/short timeline (if you could call it that) for how you went about it? And any hints on how to pick up skills/contacts/'get-your-foot-in-the-door' on the way. Does creating a portfolio of your best work help?

Thanks.

PS/ I noticed on the 'DV Film Look' forum they recommended using a Cokin Sunsoft filter to get rid of the clinical harshness of DV. So I went off and grabbed one today, looks great, cant wait to use it in whatever I happen to do next... i'll be sure to post it up when I do. :)

PPS/ I signed up to a free 16mm camera usage course at my uni, I hope that it actually eventuates and doesn't just disappear like some of these too-good-too-be-true offers tend to do.

So how is it all going, Hilary?

I ended up getting a good mark for this little clip.

I'm heading out to a small inland town (about 2hrs from Sydney) next weekend to shoot a short film with about 8 other people (young crew), just for fun. I'm also talking to an enthusiastic group of people (including one film industry person) about getting together to work on a more serious 'non-profit' project for Tropfest (a premier film festival down here). The scripts already written (a dark comedy, just what I love) despite it being not due for the festival competition till Jan 2004 - should be good. So no shortage of things to keep film wannabes like myself occupied :)

Zac's email to me was very helpful. I might add though, that I would consider the help and resources at DVI Community as an imporant contact to have. :)

P.S.
Do you think editing footage from a Sony PD150 and a Canon XM2 (to be used in the next thing i do) will present any problems. (I'm shooting in frame mode, and will therefore have to de-interlace the PD150 stuff, but apart from that - the colours, lux etc).

Also we will be using DAT tapes for sound; but quality wise, is this really any better then hooking up the boom mic to one of the Cam's 'line-in'. I guess it'll be better for portability reasons alone.

Glad to hear everything is going okay Hilary! Matching camera's
can be problematic from what I've heard. I haven't done anything
like that myself so I cannot realy comment on it, other then: try
it out before you decide to go down this route.

I imagine it would be more easy if you are doing heavy color
correction on the movie anyway. Keep in mind that it is probably
best to try and get the settings as close to each other as possible
(shutter speed, iris etc.) to get matching movement signatures.

DV audio is pretty good so I don't think DAT would be needed
if you can get the signal into a camera. But that might be a drawback
as well. If you have a sound person with his own recording device
he is able to move freely from the camera, which might come in
handy. Ofcourse you will need to sync the audio and video up
afterwarts (again, do test this!!) so make sure you have something
like a clapper so you can see/hear where the sync is.