Good Morning,

Thought I might start this thread, it always keeps things lively and more interesting.

I woke up to snow on the ground, and its supposed to warm up to -2c (ok, thats 35 degrees f). Its been raining or snowing sense the 1st, figures.

Between the rain and snow I have formulated my short, made a shot list and am waiting for some reasonable weather.

I hope you all are fairing better than I am and at least getting some shooting in!!


Dale

I came up with an idea for this one right away. It usually takes me two weeks at least to come up with a workable idea. I went out the next day to start shooting and ran into a snag. When mounted on my window mount my new tripod head is two inches too tall to fit the camera in the window of any vehicle I have access to. My subjects must be approached using the car as a blind. I think I have a solution, but it will be two more days before I find out if it will work. Meanwhile, I’m thinking about other subjects in case I’m unable to make this work…

Dale- Sorry about your weather problems! I just got a report on a Texas Ornithological Society field trip last week to a location I frequently shot at last year for the long form. On Thursday they had 100 degrees (F) and that night they were snowed on!

Mike,

weather has been pretty volitile to be ceretain!!

shooting out a window I found windows to shakey if you clamp to them. I bought a foam bead pillow (great for cold mornings in the blind too!) I rest it on the door of the open window then presss the camera down into it for a much steadier shot! I can not shoot at the long end of telephot lens like a 400mm!!!. Up to 200 with ois on the images are pretty reasonable if its not windy and moving the car. Oh yea I got the pillow in the sporting department at wall mart! five to ten bucks as I recall.

Thanks Dale! I'll give it a try. I'll probably be working at around 100mm. The window mount has been pretty stable in the past for static shots, the old 501 head just wasn't up to smooth pans.

I have a script ready to go to my wife for approval...then I may begin.

A couple ideas have come and quickly passed by again. Still twisting my brain.
For once it is forecasted nice weather (which means no rain) for the next week, so that shouldn't be a problem this time. Still plenty time. No worries yet.

I'm young so this isn't that crazy, but I've shot some of the best wildlife footage in my life the last couple of days. Barred owls.

I look forward to starting some sort of episode based series as a reason for me to produce more and more natural history content on my own. Like I mentioned in another thread, I may use this challenge as my "1st episode" or at least piggy back a bunch of the footage.

Good Morning, Well maybe????

Here is a picture of what we woke up to this beautiful may 6th day. and it is still snowing. And I thought I'd be sailing and shooting video!!!

Whoa, Dale's spring time has been cancelled this year.
Hope the summer gets a little bit warmer.

pretty shot, Dale - I woke up to the same thing...snow! on May 7!

craziest. weather. ever.

Meryem,

I think there must be a ratio between altitude and latitude!!!

Have not shot a single frame yet, ug!


dale

We're getting the tail end of Dale's weather system. we've had thunderstorms, really heavy rains, and strong winds, that are knocking down tree limbs, making it a little dangerous to go out and get any footage in the area I had planned.

So much for this weekend, hopefully I'll be able to get out at some point next weekend, after the dentist appointment.
Hahaha.

Finally, I think I have got an idea I can actually use. But it requires shooting on a lot of locations.
Why make it easy if you can make it very complicated. So we'll see how it goes.
If I only knew how to securely mount my camera in the car to avoid it from bouncing around while filming and driving at the same time. Hm, why do I have to come up with so complicated ideas??
Might have to go back to the drawing board again...

Sam, I'll try to share some of our sunshine, but please don't feel the need to share your weather. ;)

Well, last Friday I sat out to get some shooting done.
First (in the morning) I had to pack all my gear into the car, drop off my wife at her job and then off it went to my location for shooting.
I had packed all my gear the day before, the weather forecast was super and so everything should be in order to get a wonderful day, out there alone in the bush.
Just before me and my wife took off, I thought it was a bit strange she asked me if I had forget anything???
But not a single bell rang in my head.
So after a 2 hours drive I was finally there. Deep inside the fjord landscape and the sun was shining.
Oh, how wonderful it is when everything turns out right, eh?
Well, let me see ( I have this thing talking to myself when I am on location) I have to unpack my gear.
OK, camera, check.
batteries, check.
extra lense, check.
rain cover (didn't need it), check.
tripod........?
I said tripod......?
What the......?
Then the bell rang... my tripod is safe back home, lying on the floor.
My wife did think it was odd, but she often find my things floating around on the floor, (shoes, jacket, bag etc, etc) so she didn't find it unnatural either.
Well, did I get some shooting done?
Both yes and no. I did some freehand shooting.
Though it has nothing to do with me forgetting my tripod, I was too late for filming my object.
Too late in season, so I went empty handed back home.
Now I have to improve my rutines on packing my video gear, and I also have to find another object.

Good luck everyone and remember to bring along your tripod, your batteries, whatever..
.. and please, do listen to your wifes when they tell you to clean up your things and stuff.

geir inge

Geir,

it wont be the last time I bet!! My wife has harped on me to make a list, and she is right!

I keep several things in the truck 24/7 spare tapes, a battery, an old tripod, plastic bags, water and lens cloth!!! I also keep a plastic tub with a lid on it with tools and things.

One thing for sure, a camera bag is never big enough!!!

Rained all day today, still have not shot!!!

At least the snow should be over!

Dale

Geir this certainly sounds familiar - but even when you have learnt the lesson and thought of everything the wheels can still fall off! I don’t think I could have been better organized than I was for a family wedding at a private game lodge this last weekend. I had organized lights and sound and spares of everything (which, incidentally, was very fortunate because I had to use most for unexpected eventualities!). I did a check five minutes before we left on our four hour trip – everything was there and in working order. I even organized a big trunk with locks and chain and ten spare keys to lock up spares and equipment that would be needed close to hand.

I had visited the game lodge with my niece a month earlier to check out the venue which is absolutely stunning but a videographer’s nightmare for different reasons: The lodge is set on a rocky outcrop above a fast flowing river that tumbles over a long low dam wall (a road) and in and around beautiful rocks dotted along its path. The ceremony was to take place outside on the wooden decking overlooking this breathtaking scenery. The white noise from this background made it imperative to organize sound from the sound system into my camera. An added problem was the decking itself - when people walked on these floor boards the vibrations and bumps were carried directly to the camera. I used the lens stabiliser to solve the problem although, to my relief, once lots of people were finally seated the problem seemed to resolve itself. The thatched roof supported on three sides by heavy timber poles creates dense cool shade but all round the sides the outside area is brightly lit. I organized lighting to fill the deep shadows. I also set up a camera on the roof beams above which gave me a very nice angle looking down on the bridal ceremony that I could use as filler shots for the times when lighting was guaranteed to spoil the shot. I went up a day early to set up my lights and cameras - so I was little miss belt and braces all round. What could possibly go wrong!?

Well firstly a week before the event I hurt my wrist which was very frustrating. Then when setting up the camera on the roof beams the backlight button on the Sony handycam was accidentally pushed and all the resulting footage was blown out.

Because the space in which to manoevre was very limited I had decided on two positions for my XL2 – one at the back when the bride and her entourage entered down a flight of steps and one at the front to record the ceremony. I made sure no one would be blocking my way to and from these two positions or my final view. Tom was on the opposite side with my HV30 with strict instructions not to turn off the camera for any reason. I enlisted Gary’s help to film everything on his camera that I would miss when moving from the back to the front. Wonderful... drumroll ....final what could go wrong, go wrong, go wrong......halfway through the ceremony I noticed I had forgotten to press the RECORD button! After all that!!!

Fortunately , I can rescue the situation for the most part: because the first half of the ceremony was mostly praise and worship, most of the river sound was drowned by the music so even though not ideal at least the HV30 picked up the sound from the speakers okay. Unbeknown to me, Gary had been watching me and was getting filler shots in areas where I wasn’t pointing so thankfully I had the footage from Tom and Gary to resolve the problem! I can remove the white noise up to a point from the little bit of the ceremony that was spoilt but in conclusion I have decided I am sticking to wildlife filming - and not the wild life of event filming!

Ignore the view bmp - could not delete it for some reason.

Good luck everyone and remember to bring along your tripod, your batteries, whatever..
.. and please, do listen to your wifes when they tell you to clean up your things and stuff.



I bet your wife is glad that you finally learned this valuable lesson...

Good afternoon,

I hope things are going well with your projects.

With only 8 days left I am glad to report we have some decent weather to do some filming!!!

I have shot the bulk, perhaps a couple retakes to do if we continue with nice weather.

Have 3:53 on the timeline

Time for the hard part, voice overs and ambience!!! Uggggg!


Dale

Hi guys

Good to hear folks are beavering away ! I'm all shot already, something quite unusual for me. This will be set somewhere different this round and I'm looking forward to start laying down the footage tonight :-)

I'm currently camera-less, waiting for my new one to arrive... unless a miracle happens, I think I might be swimming this time round.

Yesterday I shot ond hour footage. Hopefully I can use some of it for my project.
Still need to shoot more.
This will be the most footage I have ever shot for any uwol film.
But it's the sweet 16, so the result has to be sweet, right...

So Last week I started filming some macro shot (of some ants as a test to completing this challenge as I didn't have access to the higher end Macro lens). Took some really nice shots but they were a bit bouncy. That said overall I was happy with the video but in appears I brushed up against some poison ivy (and didn't know it) and ended up this week with some nice reminders on my arms and a leg (cause I will kneeling down for some shots) and a bit itchy.

:P

Hopefully will get out tomorrow to do the shooting for the video and avoid the three leaf terror.

Finally had a chance to go out and shoot a bit today. I think I have some nice footage.
Captured footage that covered all aspects of emotions. Happy, Sad, we'll see if I can put something together now.

Good to hear that cameras been a rolling :-) - Look forward to seeing what you've got instore Mr Railsback !

Looks like I will be in the shark tank on my first entry. Still recovering from my recent op and not allowed lift or drive at the moment. Was trying to film something in the garden, unfortunately this has not materialised.
Maybe more luck next time around.

Mick

Good evening,

I actually have mine pretty much finished up, rendered a 57 mb version for the list and 118 mb version for vimeo. I pretty much had to finish it as I have three weddings and three event shoots in the next while.

The biggest problem with this round for me is the three minute limitation, I had to totally reduce my original plan and down scale the scope of the thing. Usually my ideas are always bigger than I am capable of accomplishing!

I am always invious of those people that have others to act, read script (or anything for that matter) or such and participate in their films it really gives things more depth!!

This is the first one that I actually had no problems of any kind, YE HA!



Really look forward to the completitions!!!

There is still four days!!! Time to get after it for those that have had prior issues!!! Just completing is a challenge in itself and a worthy accomplishment!!!



dale

May 24, midnight anywhere in the world !

More than four days fella :-)

Yeah, there's no way I'd be able to get mine done in four days! :)

Whoa,


Hope I didn't put the fright into anyone, I was thinking it was the usual 20th.

That is great, those feeling pressured have plenty of time to pull something together.

And those swamped with wo-wo-Work have the weekend too.


Dale

Have been much too busy in the past, so I´m sorry that I haven´t been joining the conversation on this forum much lately.

But I have some days off from today and the rest of this week, gonna make something, I´m sure!
Good luck to you all!

Began editing today. This time I am trying to make a totally different film compared to any previous uwol entries.
Scary and fun at the same time. Either people will like it, or it will be a total failure. But I'm optimistic as always, and strictly following rule 11 all the time.

Good to hear all the tales of wonder to date.

I had a really super story about a wildlife discovery and did quite a bit of research into it (just to make sure I could accomplish what I wanted to do) before asking permission from the centre involved to use it. Got some nice shots on the subject too. However, due to specific research they are conducting at the moment they do not feel they can give me permission to submit a film on this subject until their project is completed. Mmm - not sure what I am going to be able to come up with now.

Marj - Its a shame they didn't think about putting it out before you'd put the time in though but hey you'll have a nice piece eventually by the sounds of it :-/ !

Hi Mat
Definitely something to look forward to completing when it happens, but right now I have just hit another problem! I thought I would film a trip to my favourite birding spot (I needed a simple story at this late stage). However I have just found out that it is at the centre of a huge water pollution scandal and that daily thousands of litres of untreated mine water is being pumped into the river that feeds the wetland. I feel so so sad. I am not sure what I will find when I get there . . .

Marge,

that is a great opportunity to make a film that makes a statement!!!!!!


go for it!!!

Hi Dale

Yes I have a story for sure although not the one I had intended. Unfortunately there's not much time left in which to do this so it will have to be very simple.

Did I say thousands of litres a day? . . . . Different sources give different figures but anything between 48 and 100 million litres of contaminated water is being pumped daily into the river upstream of this wetland!

One weekend left - looking forward to seeing all the films. Tronde - what you are up to sounds intriguing!

Marj, I really hope you get a chance to complete and publish your film. Sounds like you have enough there for a long-form uwol or even more.

As for my entry, it will be a journey into the landscape of western Norway.
Or something like that.

Good evening,

Hope all is going well.

I was hoping to download tonight or tomarrow morning.

Leaving at noon tomarrow for a shoot up north.

Well, to be true I haven´t even started yet! Not a single frame of footage shoot.

My plan A was to go to the mountains but there´s a severe hazard for avalanche in the area, so I decided to stay safe at home!
And I´m planning to shoot the entire piece with a DSLR, but strike caused some of my equipment not to be ready to pick up for my shooting! It´s a Zacuto viewfinder and a wide lens who is sitting waiting at a warehouse terminal somewhere in Oslo!

So, plan B is to go to the nearest bird sanctuary, Østensjøvannet in Oslo. Hopefully I can get something. Anyway I will follow rule #11 strictly - most of all, have fun!

I had an idea for a shoot on Skomer Island, based on Travel diaries: Visiting the puffins on Skomer Island, Wales - by Annie Haycock - Helium (http://www.helium.com/items/1714733-puffins-on-skomer-island-wales) but a long period of northerly winds stopped the boat going across, and then the island was closed for seabird counting.

So to plan B, and finally, on Wednesday, I managed to find a spare couple of hours to get out with the camera. I used a close-up filter on it for the first time, and really enjoyed shooting macro. I downloaded the tape that evening, but this morning is the first chance I've had to look at it. I knew that focussing was a problem - I really must get a field monitor to use outside (a portable dvd player does the job when I'm inside and keeping still) - but that was partly due to finding focussing distances with the close-up filter.

I hope I can find time today to pick out enough sharp clips to make a film. I won't have time over the weekend, so it's now or never.

Right, so I have nothing shot yet... but the new camera is here, even if it is a bit naked without all my goodies and I only have one SD card.

If all goes to plan, I'm going to climb a small mountain tomorrow, and then try to edit something quickly on Sunday.

...Although lazing around in the sun does seem very attractive too at the moment!

Blimey ! - Everyone seems to be last minute this round. Usually I'm right there too! However this time I'm edited and just about to voice the VO and do the sound.

I'm not gloating ;-) but it does feel nice for a change :-)


Marj - That sounds like something very worthy of your skills. Why do we insist of screwing this planet up. left, right and centre !

An incredible foggy morning here in Iowa and what am I doing? Yeah that's right, I have to go in to work all day today and tomorrow.

Hopefully there's something to shoot later towards evening when I get home.

Man this bites! Been so buy at work doing another job that I haven't had time to really formulate my idea. Have some stuff shot but nothing solid. Now I have to work this weekend so it's going to be a mad dash to the finish line!

Ow... ow.... and ow again.

A day climbing a mountain today (hottest day of the year so far) a journey back to my childhood... and I am sunburnt (despite the factor 30, hat etc.) battered and bruised (including a bash in the mouth from my tripod). Still, Rule #11 has applied throughout!

Now while my body tries to return to normal temperatures, I've got two days or so to pull this into something.

And, somehow, I am still smiling from the experience. I don't think us UWOL-ers can be classed as normal!

Sorry to hear about all the pain Mike.

Have my footage too . . . and a simple story. Now to pull it all together.

Waiting for the ravens on the updrafts - they never did come back and I missed them entirely. So I am living up to the UWOL cliche of "shooting rocks". And I nearly lost my Aussie hat in the 40mph winds, hence the sunburn to my fine skull.

Still, it was a fantastic view of the Irish countryside. And the photo captures my best side...

And what did I learn from today? Yes, a Sachtler DV6-SB is a mighty fine tripod, but at 13 lbs it is not the ideal companion for climbing a mountain!

I’m glad to see most of us seem to be struggling through. I solved my problems by switching to another camera. Like Per Johann, I shot this one on a HDSLR. It’s been a little scary since this is the first thing I’ve shot with this camera. I’m now waging my usual battle against the evil compression software. Looks like it’s going to win again…

Mike- Please accept some advice from sunny Texas, my friend. Aloe vera juice or cream is the best for sunburn. It heals faster and takes the pain out. I hope you can find some. Glad you saved the hat. Hang in there.

Mike - thanks for the advice! We don't "do" sun well here. I escaped lightly, thanks to some Cactus-extract after-sun spray. Probably inspired by Texans!

I have written the first draft of my script and am going to record my voiceover then start laying down my clips... and try not to panic being late.

And I forgot to add another tale of woe. It was a very windy day and I didn't have my mic blimp with me, so I was struggling with audio.

Just as I got one of the few wind-free minutes of the day and there was some nice bird song and background noise, a party fire engine came up the road, blasting the horn and with kids screaming out the windows.

In the middle of nowhere.

I may just have sworn, but I suppose there was a funny side to it...

Got mine completed last night.

I uploaded to the site this morning using the old password. I assume that is okay.