Repeat Please! on Vimeo

I was very much in two minds whether to post anything this round - my first plan was some motion control time-lapse footage of sunsets and sunrises, but that was plagued by technical issues, so at the last minute I decided to film the sparrows who have adopted our dogs as their givers of food throughout the winter.

They are very brave little birds, and not at all put off by the dogs, even as they rob the food.
I had filmed them before, from behind the front door, just a few feet from the dogs bowl, so I thought it would be easy.

On the first day of trying, they were flying close to me, and perching on the woodpile whilst I set up the cameras, so I left the food, and went indoors, leaving the set up recording for over an hour. After viewing the footage, and surprisingly finding nothing, I gave up, and set up in the same way for two more days.

Result - nothing, despite seeing the birds with food in their little beaks out of another window!

I’ve done quite a bit of wildlife photography over the years, so I wasn’t completely surprised, knowing the Law of Murphy that as soon as you set up the camera, whatever you were watching before disappears, and only comes back again once you have packed the camera away.

In the end, I decided to upload something - A scene I’m sure we are all familiar with - hours of footage, and waiting and nothing to show for it!

Repeat Please!

( I should really be in the Shark Tank, but…….:)

Feedback - I'm pleased to take all!

In my view. You have filmed and edited something. And completed the challenge by uploading your film. So you deserve to be here. Your film does have repetition within the edit.

May I make a small suggestion that you could tell the story of the birds via text on the screen and the videographer trying to filming them over and over again.

I agree with Mark, you completed UWOL 41 - that's as much as any of us did. I didn't get the theme till I read your post, I actually thought the repetition the didn't work was the patterns, logs & tiles on the floor etc. Perhaps text as Mark suggests or a VO would have given my the right concept.

Deleted. my comment in my own thread weirdly came here instead. No clue why.

Hi Paul. I think the others made some good comments. I also was a little lost as to what you were going for as I watched all the videos before I read anybodies post. When it comes to wildlife, it can be challenging at times which makes it interesting.

Gordon

Hi Paul or should I say Hi Mr Quirky, I have come to expect off the wall entries from you lol. This one is destine for big things this year, certainly a Turner Prize winner !!!!!!! Great that you entered something, thanks. Mick

PS I have sent the link to Mr Saatchi, so i expect my 10% from the millions he'll offer lol

I too thought the focus was on the patterns in the frame. And thought maybe you could have panned (zoomed in) across the intact tiles establishing a pattern, and then arriving at the broken one, thus breaking the repetition. It makes more sense that the repeat shots were successive days having read your post.

There's always a bigger story behind the camera. Like in theatre we say 'Keep the drama on the stage'. Like that ever actually happens ;-)

You got out there and gave it a go, that's half the battle. Hopefully the subjects are more compliant next time.

Hi Paul,
You must train your birds to cooperate, haha.
Like Andrew said, this could have been about the patterns of the floor and walls too.

Hi all,

Thanks for the constructive comments - I really shouldn't have submitted this round, and broke several of my own rules in doing so - putting it all together on the last day - no time to ¨sleep on my edits¨ I should have done, and although I toyed with the idea of zooming on a few shots (as I should have done) and adding VO to tell the story, I didn't in order to upload.
Note to self, start earlier in the month!....

Ill try and do better next time, honestly....

Mick, many thanks for the recommendation - I'll make sure you get your percentage!

I modified the version posted above, with some text, to explain a bit what wasn't happening.

paul,

alright, you win,I didnt even complete.

But I goota know??? what are all the propane tanks for?????

I can use some humor these days. thanks for that.

and wheres the dog???

Hi Dale,

I hope you get better soon!

The propane tanks (actually butane) are very common here in Spain, as there are still many places that don't have mains gas - here included, so we use them for cooking year round, and some additional heating in the winter. And of course during the summer for a gas ring for making paella!