Ok gang, as the curtain draws on the conclusion of our first year of The UWOL Challenge, I'm drawing the curtain on all of you. As nature and outdoor shooters, you're spoiled rotten with easy access to the largest and most flexible light source in the galaxy, our fabulous sun. You've all grown soft, bathed in its perfect glory! Well, no more. You are going to have to work for your light in your cameras this time because our final theme of the year is...

NIGHT

You are going to have to pierce the veil in any unique and original way that you can think of...flashlights, campfires, on-camera lights, leftover pumpkins, candles (just don't burn anything down, we've had enough of that this year....). Your mission: find out the ways that the NIGHT is alive and bring them back to us here.

How are we defining night: The sun is down already, and 50 per cent or more of the light has faded from the sky (use your judgment here a bit, it's ok....), anything from twilight into say, about half an hour before the sun peeks over your horizon is fair game.

That cushy thing that you've grown used to, where you get to rest your weary head on a soft pillow and drool up on it for eight hours is over, at least for the next 3 weeks--wake up, get out there, and shoot something!

Deadline is November 19, anywhere in the world!

More instructions, as usual, will be forthcoming in e-mail, as soon as I get all your sign-ups collated. Best of luck to all players, old and new.

Advantage: Norwegians! And Brian! who are getting extra shoot time for this theme, yes?...

What a challenge!

Just a few short words.....

MERYEM, HOW COULD YOU!!!

Oh I think this is going to be fun :)

Perfect!

Gordon Hoffman

Awesome :) I like the night.... this is going to be fun :)

Meryem... ...I could't imagine night should be the theme when I told Paul to go out in the night... ...what I theme... ...I have to sit down and think hard on this one... ...hmmmmm

Well I didn't see that one coming !!!! ;-)

I tried to shoot video only once in a dimly lit room,and a combination of my cam and my lack of skill sucked.Therefore I have never bothered to try and film at night.This will be a steep learning curve and some carefull thinking on how to pull something halfr decent out of the box.

Great ;-) Good luck all!!!

Yeah! Thanks Meryem, I can go diving again! :)

I already got a solid story… how about that for knowing the theme for 5 minutes...

best of luck to ya all

Markus Nord

glad you could catch a break this time, markus. go sweden! maybe now's a good time for some of you to attempt the "Under Water" portion of our Challenge...

NIGHT, I knew it would be a spectacular theme, but who could imagine NIGHT?

The ideas are coming... the hard part will be to turn them into a storyline.

GOOD LUCK to everyone!! We will need it this time.

Night....she said Night. Your a crazy women completely out of your mind. What the heck do I do with that theme...leave on the lens cover and shoot for 3 minutes?

Just kidding, the wheels are turning slow mind you but turning.

Nice thing about up here is I can sleep in untill 9:00 or 9:30 and still shoot at night or leave the office at 3:00 in the afternoon and again it will be night. Now to find something to point the camera at.

Brian

Your a crazy women completely out of your mind.

awww, brian, it was so sweet of you to notice!

snicker, snicker...

Night? I like it. How did you know that I'd just bought a new telescope? Now I've got to hope for some clear skies...

Thanks Brian.... You stole my idea! Shoot with the lens cap on! Okay Meryem! Like you said, this was a great way to piss people off all over the world ;-). Now, Does Planete have enough funds for bail money for all of us who will get arrested for being out all hours of the night looking very suspicious harboring a camera? Ha! This IS challenging!

Cato

no, cat, i can't afford to spring you from the slammer, but if you call me while the rangers are handcuffing you and bagging your gear as evidence, i will be happy to swing by and shoot that scene for my own entry, that would be great!

Meryem if you can't count on a friend to compliment you than who can you count on :)

I just received word that there are some Walrus on one of the near by islands. I'll get some footage for sure but there is no chance in this world that I will go near those monsters in low light. Actually I'll shoot with a 400mm lens just to be damn sure.

I have a few ideas churning in my few remaining brain cells (left overs from the sixties) so I'm hoping to get me a free T-shirt.

Good luck everyone.

Brian

Night, well, I guess each day has one. I mean it's not like you got to go get in the car and drive off somewhere looking for night. Also, you don't have to worry about breeding time of night, migration period of night, feeding habits etc. Night is pretty easy to find, just go outside any time between day and day, and there is night....right?

Well Bob, you have a point! Night is pretty easy to find, but to make it interesting.... you know, that's tough... how to brighten up night just a bit?

Meryem! You are hard core! If I get arrested and you catch it on film, I at LEAST should get a free t-shirt out of it! ;-).

Cat

Mereym,


Well, that one catches me by surprise!!! Especially sense dv is never that nice light starved!!

It will be great to see what people actually come up with and then hearing how they did it. Should make all better for it.

Norway and Canada contingents:
When you shoot the Aurora, please do some of it in real time. I have always wondered if the stuff you see on TV is sped up or not.

Norway and Canada contingents:
When you shoot the Aurora, please do some of it in real time. I have always wondered if the stuff you see on TV is sped up or not.

Will do if I get a chance.
From personal experience, I can say that the Aurora can change shape and strenght of the light pretty quick, as I also have seen on tv.

Yeah the northern lights would rock indeed, I'm sure some of you Aurora residents will take up that challenge, its fascinating and I've always been intrigued by the the radio interferance type sound effects that always seem to accompany it on TV.....where does that come from!?

"Night", thats a clever one Meryem :)
I wish we had this theme in summertime though, with our midnightsun running, hehehe...

About Aurora Mat, there are no sound from it. In fact it's silent as in a grave, though I never been in one, yet :)
It can run fast and slow and at our place mostly green of color, but sometimes it's changing from bright yellow, green to red. Very beautiful and the sky has to be clear of caurse. We had some of it 5 days ago as I was on my way to work, and it's almost no wind when it appears on the sky.
It covers the whole skyline and brightens up the mountains and sea. When the mountains is covered with snow this is a sight for your eyes and soul.

Back to the theme:
Got an idea I will try out, but there is no Aurora in it, as for now.
Though I'm working night time still I'll have to use the weekend for my shooting. Of caurse Meryem; if you will let me film salmon inside factory at night time it would make it easier for me? (just kidding).
I guess "easy" was not in your mind when you figure out the finale theme of 2007. In fact I can imaging you sitting at your place in Boulder happily smiling about the challenge you've given us :)
You're the greatest Meryem.

Wish you all good luck and to all the new uwolers: Have fun!

Regards
Geir Inge

Hei Geir:

Hanging in there with your new job? Thanks for all the info on the aurora. Many years ago, I was working in Alaska flying balloons at night for NOAA. I went out to start up yet another weather balloon and saw an aurora for the first time. It changed very quickly and I was a bit overwhelmed. I felt very small and alone and it was so vast! Yet people who lived there said that one was a small hardly noticeable one! It took my breath away. I have a meteorology book that has an amazing photo in it of an aurora australis taken by space shuttle astronauts. Taken from outer space, it stretches the entire Southern Hemisphere from Antarctica to Australia. It's an amazing photograph!

All the best to all this challenge. This one is a tough one! Don't envy any newcomers jumping in for the first time!

Chow,

Cat

you're all making me nostalgic. when i was but a pup, i spent summers in canada, and i only saw the northern lights once, but it was fantastic, not like geir described, all i ever saw was gold lights, but the way that they shimmered across the sky, growing and expanding, was unforgettable. like a living god.

i didn't even think about the aurora when i considered the theme, but that would be entirely amazing if someone managed to put up an aurora entry. what's so fun about this whole endeavor is seeing how many different and unique--and beautiful--interpretations we get from the themes. i'm fully confident that when the surprise settles and you all get to work, that this Challenge will be no exception!

it's definitely a tough round for first-timers, but if you can nail down an entry in this round, the rest of them will seem easy....

Well you're right Meryem,
I was already nervous about this being my first attempt, now i'm shellshocked! I was only just starting to get a bit of a handle on my new camera. Now i'm back to square one. Luckily it sounds like most others are in the same boat there! Now if only i can settle on an idea. I guess that will be my first lesson, "how to pick you story" Ok, i'd better go & lie down so i can think more clearly. Well atleast that seams to work when i'm desperatly trying to get to sleep. :)

Bryce

I just realized something. I was thinking the theme was interesting and figured the best time to shoot would of course be with a full moon.
Then I looked at a calendar with the dates--
2007 Oct 26 04:53 Fri
2007 Nov 24 14:31 Sat

We've missed October and the contest ends before November.

In other words, it's likely that everyone will be shooting with no moon at all, if they choose sometime in the middle of the contest, like next week.

Nov 9 23:03 will be a new moon.

That's disappointing.

we don't call it a Challenge for nothing, Daniel...

once the announcement is complete, we generally move the conversation over to this thread:

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=107047

anyone who is struggling with the theme might want to jump over there, because i think that is where the tips and tricks are most likely to appear.

per johan has already nailed it with an astute observation--it's unlikely that you will be able to complete the Challenge without figuring out an original and creative external light source. it can be natural, it can be man-made.

I find this unrelated to working out the details and perfectly tied into the announcement, which is tied into the timeframe. This isn't something we can work around, nor find a solution for. It's simply a fact, a hindrance.
And, yes, it is a challenge.
As for what to do about it, we can certainly discuss lighting in the other thread.
I felt it was worth noting that we have no chance of using the moon, though, as that could be a very good option, at least as a base. Especially in that it gives some source for light, even if the rest was artificial; it gives a natural feel to the light, rather than no moon in the sky and for some odd reason animals you can see ;)

actually, i pointed it out partly to steer newcomers in the direction of the next step and partly because i thought some of the other players, new and old, could benefit from this info...the sooner we help each other figure out what to use for light sources, the better off the entire group will be.

Wishing now that I had signed up, Meryem. The 64 frame accumulation mode on the F350 is perfectly suited to this. Combined with the interval recording mode, it makes for some awesome late night time lapses.

Good luck to everyone!

-gb-

hey greg, i've certainly begged enough favors off you during the development of this contest for you to be considered an honorary participant. if you want to post a non-compete entry, i would really love to see what your camera can do in these conditions, especially because i have a jones for the EX version...i'd love to have something that small with that kind of flexibility and awesome feature set. will the EX have that same 64-frame accumulation mode, do you know?

I live in a place that comes alive at night. Disney has fireworks every night. The castle lights up as does the world at Epcot. And Universal has lights and fireworks.

I will just have music issues since I am not allowed to use the background music that the camera captures. But, I am sure there is an inexpensive 1812 Overture out there someplace. Or, something like it.

Or, perhaps we will get a nice lightning storm!!!

Night? No problem (I hope).

Ok, time for one more clarification.

Can we include let's say less than 10% footage NOT during the night? My immediate thought was including a sunset or sunrise, or perhaps the animals going to sleep, etc.

Open with the sunset, close with the sunrise? And have most of the footage/clip at night? Would that be acceptable?

I'm still planning ideas, and I'd guess other people may take this idea and run with it (go for it), so good to know either way.

If this is again in the wrong spot, sorry. I thought it was more appropriate than in the discussion/how-to thread. Move the post or direct me there if you'd prefer.

Ok, time for one more clarification.

Can we include let's say less than 10% footage NOT during the night? My immediate thought was including a sunset or sunrise, or perhaps the animals going to sleep, etc.

Open with the sunset, close with the sunrise? And have most of the footage/clip at night? Would that be acceptable?

I'm still planning ideas, and I'd guess other people may take this idea and run with it (go for it), so good to know either way.

If this is again in the wrong spot, sorry. I thought it was more appropriate than in the discussion/how-to thread. Move the post or direct me there if you'd prefer.

I hope it's acceptable, i was thinking the same thing!

As far as I know there's no "rule" that says so much of the film has to pertain to the theme.

I don't think there would be any problem in "setting the stage" like that.

Meryem gave her definition of what night was. How you work your film to interpret that is up to you.

Ok, thanks, guys. Sounds like a relaxed interpretive approach. Fun. My idea may work after all.

Guys.....you can include whatever you like! You will just do better with the judging if you stay 'on topic'. That said from what your saying I'd say it sounds absolutely fine and unless its all sunset/sunrise footage then you have no problems what so ever.

But remember you really can make this whatever you want within the rules laid down on the website http://www.uwolchallenge.com/contestrules.htm

edit : And what Kevin said :-) !

ditto what mat and kevin already said! i'm going to go so far to say that, although "the majority" or "the bulk" or at least "some" of your film should be shot at night, it's also fine to incorporate other imagery. for instance, in my MAMMALS video, i had dragonflies and other scenics that were part of the setting for the mammals (prairie dogs and buffalo), but "the bulk" of the footage was directly related to the theme. keep it recognizable, if you can. and if you can't post it anyway, because of RULE #11, HAVE FUN.

and remember, there are ways to deal with the theme, in a nature and outdoorsy way, that require no night shots whatsoever. maybe you are doing a doc on interviewing people for their memories of being afraid of the dark. ok, so that's a lame example, but you get what i mean. just because NIGHT is the theme, does not even mean that you have to shoot at night, in an absolute sense. you are approaching the theme, it is a vehicle for your creativity, and every time we post a theme, part of the fun is seeing what interesting ways people approach it! the "wow-i-never-thought-of-it-that-way" factor is a big part of Rule #11....

Wow Meryem:

It's all of what you just posted is why UWOL is so popular and #11 FUN! UWOL is an inspiration for creativity and becoming a cyclical way of life (for a couple of years or so) ....

We have got to plan a reunion somewhere in the world after 3 years of this!

Cat

We have got to plan a reunion somewhere in the world after 3 years of this!
Cat
Oh noooo, do we have to wait until after 3 years??? haha
But yes, whenever it happens, I am really looking forward to it.
Hope most of us will have a chance to travel to wherever we deside to go.
I have already some plans if we end up with Norway.

oh we are traveling all right, we are most definitely traveling!

future plans...the UWOL World Tour

and (Kevin's idea)

a meet-up at the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival in 2009....

we have a bit of work just preparing for next year's rounds, but travel ideas are definitely on our radar screen....

If you come here to Disney World, you can bring the family. If we do it during the off season, like this week, we can grab a whole bunch of timeshares and make a week of it. People rent them out pretty cheap in the off season.

The sky is so blue today that I could use it for a bluescreen and get a perfect key.

I got mine uploaded. It seems that everyone is using lights to shine on their subject. I just shot the lights. It isn't nature, but it still fits the "Night" theme.

I hope everyone enjoys the early Christmas lights.