Life and Wonder of Odonata on Vimeo

Some lovely shots, Willem. Have you considered slowing down some of the footage to give us time to appreciate some of the shorter shots? I've tried to film dragonflies but but the time I've got them in focus the little varmints are off and I've missed them.

Also, perhaps some kind of brief transition would avoid the slight "jarring" effect of the jump cuts.

Enjoyed that, thanks for posting.

A very informative film, with some lovely shots. As Colin says, some of the transitions could be refined, and also one or two of the larval shots could be sharper - though I'd guess that the problem is in the underwater filming.

Wow, that was an amazing amount of work. What a huge project...CongratuLATIONS!

If you can spare a moment, would you comment on:
-what camera/lenses you used

-what underwater housing and was the cam-op in a dry-suit?

-what was the workflow like...how much planning was done in advance...did the script come first?


Once again, congrats on a great piece with high production values.

Thank you for enjoying.... And thank you for your comments.
I shot most of the footage with a Canon XL H1A, using these lenses:
- Standard lens Canon (Canon HD 20x);
- Canon 1.4 converter;
- Zunov THV17 converter.
- Tamron 180 mm 1:3.5 macro 1:1; using a follow focus.
Some (very few) of the shots where made with an old Sony VX2000.

The script came first, and it was partly inspired on the footage in my collection.
Filming dragonflies is not too difficult as long as you understand their behaviour. But, still you need lots of patience.

The final editing was done on Mac using Final Cut Studio 3.

Willem,

I'm not even going to bother critiquing that, simply because I was so absorbed, learn't so much and, quite frankly, find it amazing that you've got so much good footage of Odonata. It is a species that has fascinated me since childhood but my efforts at filming it pale beside that of you, and who I assume, to be your brother.

The English in the narration was excellent as well.

Al

Very interesting and very well shot. Thanks for posting.

Thank you all for these compliments. I am happy that you enjoyed.
Alan, yes, he is my brother. We do a lot of filming together, using two similar camera's.

Life and Wonder of Odonata has been nominated for a Roscar, in two categories.
A roscar a prestigious price for Wild Life films.
For more information: www.wildtalkafrica.com

Wild Talk Africa is a premier international film festival for the global wildlife filmmaking industry.

Can a damaged wing heal itself?

Excellent, enjoyed watching. Fingrs crossed for you for the competition.

Thanks Mick, for enjoying. March 30 is the 'big' evening. I will be visiting Wild Talk.

Ivan, about your question: can a damaged wing heal itself... Not that I know of. Adult Odonata fully depend on their flying skills for survival, as they are 'skyhunters'. As long as an adult is able to fly it can survive. I have seen lots of Odonata with damaged wings that still were able to fly. But a severely damaged wing means death... Because the animal can not escape when under threat, not can it find food.
Thanks for asking!