Hey everyone,

I'm new here to DVIC. I wondering if anyone had the time to check out my online video samples. I would love some feedback and constructive critism with regard to style, quality and product. Thanks!

Andrew

hmmm...
well dude, you have the potential there to do alot with what you have htere..
I only got a chance to see "Ceremony Processional of
Natalie & Mike Kelsall " and my comments are based on that clip alone.

afew things. Yoru online demos need to focus more on image quality and not sound. Id drop the high res audio for a lower bitrate mono track, this will save the download. Im on a T3 connection here (i run my own server hooked up through an optical fibre connection) and it still lagged quite a bit, i would dred if i was on dial up.

for the piece itself.
I found it to have some good elements, but slightly inconsistant with the use SlowMotions. Some of the procession were natural while others felt dragged out while others looked like they were runnig down a hill.

Your framing of the procession was also a little off target, as id prefer to have seen at least a stretched out slow mo piece of 7 seconds, as oppsed to seeing the whole thing from start to end all shaky.
I got alot of chopped off faces and viewfinder hunting. A trick to finding your intended target when filming is actaully keep both eyes open :) one on the viewfinder and the other scouting ahead.
Another thing to watch out for is panning at full zoom. Optical stabilisers dont work as well at full zoom so slight movements are exhaggerated.

Camera stability was an issue with me.

My comments are based only on that one clip, but what i fel was that you were paniced somehow. I dont know, it jsut felt that you were under pressure for some reason as the footage seemed strained. As if you were trying too hard to be discreet.
The edit seemed really loose as well.
But above all, it felt as if you were looking for the shot as oppsed to letting the action take its course in front of you. It could just be me, but it didnt seem as relaxed as it could have been. I dont know the factors behind it so there might be a million reasons for that.

the best thing about any flaw in ANY job thugh, is the fact that it can all be tweaked in the edit.

like i said, theres some great material there, jsut needs some finetuning on the cutting table and then itll be a masterpiece :)

Okay - I checked out the processional and the highlights clip. The fact that you want feedback tells me that you are interested in improving, so here it goes...

You definitely have a good eye for content and details, so you're on the right track there. Your clips represented the events well.

Now for how that content is captured: Invest in a good tripod. Especially during the ceremony. The camera movement is distracting. The quick zooms and pans are well, sloppy, for lack of a better word. As you do more events, you'll get a better idea of what is "coming next" so you'll be able to anticipate your shots better so during the edit you can eliminate as much of that camera movement as possible. But in the meantime, it wouldn't hurt to "play it safe" and avoid zooming and panning in the middle of an event, such as the vows, processional, etc. Set up your shot and stick with it - resist the urge to touch the camera - unless of course, the focus is completely screwed up or the composition is totally off.

Speaking of composition - practice following the "rule of thirds." Again, this comes with experience and shooting more. I remember my first few weddings - ugh. Head room, foot room, nose room - too much and too little - it was a mess. It takes practice to frame your subject properly. Like during the processional for example. You're putting the suject square in the middle of the frame and there's too much head room.

As for the picture quality: your colors are very flat. Increased saturation and/or contrast can add richness and make it pleasing to watch. (Assuming you are being compensated for the time it takes to do this...)

Editing: I appreciate that you don't use cheezy wipes and transitions which I often see from less experienced editors, almost as if to compensate for quality in other areas, or as an attempt to "spice things up." You use simple cuts and dissolves and I think that's appropriate. The timing of the clips is pretty routine. They didn't necessarily jive or flow with the music, but again, that can be very time consuming and you should be compensated for that time. Perhaps in this case, you weren't.

As for your website, it's easy to navigate and busy brides will appreciate that, but as for the appearance, it's rather cold. Looks too technical or something. Very corporate. Not warm and inviting like a wedding-based website should be. Needs more pictures or icons. I didn't feel motivated to read the text. But it's definitely a positive thing to have one at all. Very smart move.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for the feedback. Yes, constructive cricism is exactly what I was looking for. I've only shot about 6 weddings these past 2 years. Also, the wedding containing the Processional clip was my second wedding.....I'm currently in the process of replacing that clip with a more recent one.

What I'm mostly interested in is the other samples I've posted on my website. Did anyone else have any critism with regard to style, flow and concepts?

Andrew

Andrew, I really like the music you used on the Wini & Mike Mendoza high-lite reel. Who does that version and what's it called?

Regards, Myron

Myron, here's the info.

Israel Kamakawiwo'ole - "Over the Rainbow" from the "50 First Dates" soundtrack.

Thanks for that Andrew.

Myron.

Andrew,

You must have put a lot of time into your demos. They look great. I like the MTV Cribs type house demo and the demo reel for the photography business.

If you don't mind, what did you use for the photo demo real to get the characters to fly on and off the screen at the beginning.

I've noticed a bunch of Trapcode plugins, those are some of my favorites.

What do you edit with? After Effects and Prem Pro?

I would suggest a tripod as well for your wedding stuff. I am always on some kind of tripod. If you have the money, a glidecam will work wonders with stability. I just bought mine about 3 weeks ago, so I am still learning but I will send you a clip once I get a little better. I am also building a stabilizer arm and vest. I can't wait.

Thanks,

Jon

Hi Andrew,

I took a look at your "Then to Now" clip. Very nice. Good pace. Felt like I was watching a "controlled" MTV-style interview. It was interesting, and fun. You definitely accomplished your production philosophy on that one... I didn't want to skip foward! ;-)

Dave

Hi Andrew - I just visited your website and watched 3 of your sample videos; Ceremony Processional, Then to Now and Wini & Mike Mendoza. About the first piece, even though you did a good job cutting it, the camera work suffers. So if I were you, I would not include that in the website as a sample video. Judging from the "Wini & Mike Mendoza" piece it seems to me that your camera work (or, whoever the camera operator is) has improved. The "Then to Now" piece is very well done; the viewer gets a pretty good picture of who the couple is. As for the last sample video, I did not mind what some describe as "amateur camera work," such as quick zooms and shaky composition. In fact, I liked it very much because it gives the event a more spontaneous, real feel. In terms of your website's appearance, I agree with Jennifer in that "it's rather cold." Maybe changing your color palette might make your site more warm and appealing and less cold and impersonal.

Just borrowed 50 First Dates from the library. That songs not on it!

Regards,
Myron