Ok, I'm ready. Bring it on. I know a couple of little things I'd have changed if I hadn't been out all day on Sunday. But over all I'm pretty happy with it. We were aiming for a cross between a 70's British documentary (think Richard Attenboro sitting on a rock in Egypt) and the overly dramatic modern news magazines like Dateline. We made ourselves laugh anyway so in that sense I feel like a winner already.

Camera: panasonic dvx100a
Tripod: Davis & Sanford Pro Vista
Mic: I'll have to check when I get into work
Lights: mostly sun with some bounce where possible
Edited with Final Cut Pro
Music: random loop out of Soundtrack Pro

Hey Kris, it felt a lot like dateline. I looks like something you would see on TV, except for the 'dumb' statements the people had to say. LOL. I think the name banner at the bottom while interviewing is what made it look more real. And the 'Reenactment', Haha.

Just some things that may have been able to fix. When the interviewer was speaking with the lady with the pink shirt and dog, the background grass was almost blown out. If some sort of white reflector was used on the subjects, then it would look a bit more balanced.

The NASA Scientist would have looked better if he was faced towards a window so that all you see is his silhouette instead of a big blur on his face. That one is sort of up to what you want, but it's just my opinion.

I liked your video, it had a great documentary feel.

Kris:

For some reason I cannot download past 8%. I will continue trying. Thank you for your hard work.

pretty funny. it looks like you studied some news documentaries to get the pacing down. I also laughed when you swing around on the picknick table like they do in dramatic news. I really like the highlighted text in the paper thing. I can never figure out how to do that. I thought you did have some lighting issues here and there but it's tough to get anything right in such a short time, especially with many outdoor scenes.

good job.

I'll bet this is one of those videos that was a blast behind-the-scenes, besides funny for us. You did a really good job with your outrageous documentary! That's hard work gathering all those personalities--lots of writing too.

Michael beat me to it--the segment with the text "lifting" off the paper really wowed me. Nice job!!!

We cracked ourselves up in the coffee shop writing it that first Saturday. I'm sure my neighbors think I'm insane standing on my deck holding an umbrella for shade over the camera for 45 minutes while the ice melted (they were all watching out their windows).

The paper thing was just photoshop layers scaling in. If I was more of that kind of an artist I'd have made the paper look torn, but it was coming out stupid looking when I tried.

Hugh - I tested on multiple platforms and environements so all I can think is too many people trying to download at once. If you try again later and it still doesn't work send me an email and I'll see what I can figure out.

Kris:

Nice lower thirds work. Very tongue-in cheek. Very original idea.

Kris,
Really nice graphics, good ideas. I like the news angle. I think it worked out pretty well. The only technical thing I see, and I am guilty too, I would have used a white card or reflector to bounce some light back onto the other side of the reporter.

Other than that, I hope those guys have a sense of humor. I would hate to think you just may just vanish one day. Those guys are big in government you know. If you do vanish, we'll have a good idea who is responsible.

It was fun.

Thanks,

Sean

I like the theme use alot. It's like the sun is some evil multi-national corporation like Microsoft or something and people are fed up with it. Good work.

Kris,

Very original idea. That's the problem with those no-bid contracts. Give the administration honchos the keys to our energy future, and we'll all be paying for our sun tans.

I would have liked the addition of a moment of urgency. Some LATE BREAKING news scoop, angle maybe. It was almost TOO MUCH like the news. But I suppose that is a good thing :)

Dick

That was an ambitious shooting, given the limited amount of time we had-- and you guys pulled it off !! Nice job.

I agree - a very ambitious shoot. Some of you must have loads of friends to get so many people on board in such a short time.

I like the different approach in this one, both in subject matter and presentation. It hit all the right beats at the right time for that sort of news magazine piece. The "reenactment" was especially funny.

Great stuff.


-j

That was good. I have to laugh, Haliburton, too funny. Probably could have set it in the near future and made sure you got the point across that there were two more wars, maybe one of them started by Co-Presidents, Jenna and Barbara Bush. With Haliburton getting the contract for both of them.

Maybe that's too over the top. Nicely done you guys.

That's a tough exposure situation. I think I would have chosen to shoot either completely in the sun, or stay totally in the shade. Great job with the graphics - makes it look very professional. You guys must have had a hard time trying to keep a straight face with that dialogue!

Just some things that may have been able to fix. When the interviewer was speaking with the lady with the pink shirt and dog, the background grass was almost blown out. If some sort of white reflector was used on the subjects, then it would look a bit more balanced.

As you an others have said, more light on the faces would have helped. I had people with bounce cards, but not enough light was getting in there. On the other hand, I didn't mind the grass blowing out because I was trying to imply that the sun is angry over the dismissal and has started getting hotter.


The NASA Scientist would have looked better if he was faced towards a window so that all you see is his silhouette instead of a big blur on his face. That one is sort of up to what you want, but it's just my opinion.

That would have worked too, but I was aiming for the joke of he thinks we're protecting his identity but we put him in front of all his family photos so The Man could actually still figure out who he was. (And then the double joke of it all being my family and not his at all.) But that was perhaps a bit subtle.

I didn't notice the family photos in the background, that's a nice touch now that you mention it.

Great film (love the line about subcontracting to another star), but I think it was a little slow to be a believable news piece; when the reporter swings around on the picnic table, for example, that felt like it should've been tighter to me.

Other than that, and maybe a different angle of the NASA sign--that light pole is right in front of the sign, though I understand we all have limitations when it comes to camera position--I loved this. The reenactment was it for me, I was cracking up, really a hilarious idea!

a little slow to be a believable news piece;

Nuts, that means I missed my mark a bit. We had a long discussion about whether it should be a news piece or a documentary and decided on the doc, which is why it was paced a little slower. (The picnic table move was meant to be an homage to Richard Attenboro on a rock in Egypt). But I guess thinking about it the only thing we did different script wise was leave out "I'm Janet reporting live on the scene".

Thanks for the feedback.

Kris, I was a little nervous about commenting on your piece prior to mine coming out, you can see why now.

It is amazing how a simple theme that has such a broad definition can be interpreted so simarly by different people. What really threw me was we both had NASA scientists. At least we used different scientists.

Having said that, I enjoyed the parody. Your reporter did a great job. I would agree that the lighting on the reporter could have used some help. I HATE shooting in the sun. The best outdoor shoots I have had were done when it was heavily overcast. Good work!

It is amazing how a simple theme that has such a broad definition can be interpreted so simarly by different people. What really threw me was we both had NASA scientists. At least we used different scientists.


NASA seems appropriate for theme, and having Goddard Space Flight Center close by I couldn't resist. Though there is a security station right next to that sign so I was afraid to get any closer. It probably would have been fine, but I was too shy to ask (which is why I don't do real news). Of course you only think they're different scientists, I manipulated the voice as well as the face. ;-)

You, me, Sean, all a little bit similar and yet very different. Kinda fun how that turns out.