Thanks Jim, Trish!

I call it the "Indie Ultra Macro"

I made a 2 minute video about how I created it (for under $10, too!)

Check it out:

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1164243/diy_indie_ultra_macro/

Also, I have some high rez stills on the thread I created, dedicated to the Indie Ultra Macro:

http://dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=117204

Thanks!

John

Not sure if any one cares, but we've been posting new videos up from the WOXY SXSW sessions.

www.vimeo.com/woxy

These are NOT with the XH-A1, but with the HV-30's. I do plan on combining the two and I'll update with the first project that does.

Cheers,
Kevin

hello everyone,
I shot this video of a bird about a month ago and don't really know how to show it (being an amateur myself I just got this camera 5months ago and letus 4 months ago) so I experimented and added some background music to this video to see what can happen,
but this video has made some mixed reviews or comments per say....

so by watching this video

some say I don't get it..(what ??)
and some say I got it......(haha)

this is a 7 day survey so let's see what the outcome is...

say "yes" if you get it
say "no" if you don't get it

www.vimeo.com/773403

thank you and let's all have some fun.......

Ricci, I loved it!

To me it makes perfect sense, and I really enjoyed the suspense.

The bird seems to stalk through the water in a menacing way, and just as it looks like something is about to happen, it dramatically shifts pace and goes off to pick at the water in a cute and non-threatening way.

Very nicely done, and you've got a great eye for picking out the emotional detail of a piece of footage (in my opinion).

-Dmitry

I don't think that opinions on any short can be so black and white. I think people either like it for what it is or they don't. Whether or not they "get it" is really subjective.

Kevin,

I'm no expert myself, but you did ask for feedback :)

I liked the how you started the video (could have don't without the camera jerks) up to the part where you show the title "The Kills". After that, I didn't care much for the video as a music video. I guess MTV has spoiled most of us into expecting music videos to be a certain way? But I found it quite boring. Sorry, just my two cents (which don't hold mcuh weight).

I did find notice the video has interlace lines showing. Did you deinterlace when you encoded?

I shot this stuff a while back, when I just received my Letus35 Extreme, but never got a change to edit and post this many months later.

I've written more about the background of this video in my blog (which you can get to from the link to the video), but essentially, this is my attempt to tell a story. Now none of this was actually planned. Nor did I have the music in mind or anything. Personally, I love the end result, but then we all love our work.

I'd be really interested in hearing from others. Be nice, be brutal, tell me what you really think.

http://exposureroom.com/members/skumar.aspx/assets/4c0151e5f72941f682d49eca99ed7e4a/

Hello Shiv,

Beautiful filmwork! Great colors too!
Can you reveal some details about how you made the video?

I'm very curious about how you checked if you had the right focus setting?
Did you use the magnifier on the little LCD or did you use a bigger screen?
Whick color settings (preset) did you use? The colors are great!

Oh yes...I'm using VIMEO until now but this website also has great features for showing video!

I only can say: make more of this!

Hey, Gert,

Thanks for the positive feedback. I'm glad you enjoyed the video. There is a blog associated with the video that actually answers some of your questions :)

I did that intentionally because it's never enough for us folks to just see a video :) We've got some many questions about it as well.

I was using the camera's LCD for this. No external monitor. It wasn't really easy to do and takes a lot of squinting and getting used to. With time it actually gets easier. Remember what you're seeing here are the "good takes" :).

No preset was used. I simply used levels in post. Bump up the blacks a bit and compress the highs.

Hey!
I'm posting the test of my Stedicam and homemade dolly (from Billy's Blueprints)
Feel free to comment.

Greg

http://www.vimeo.com/798449

They looked great Greg.

I eloved the shot of the tree as you pushed in on it.

Those were really nice and smooth shots. I couldn't find the dolly plans at Digitaljuice (and I haven't frequented that site much.) Where are the plans, and how did you get the raising and lowering shots? I understand the movement of the dolly, but how do you raise and lower it? Some of those shots almost looked like you used a small crane...

Thanks John and Will
For the raised and lowered shots I used the Merlin Stedicam. DJ talks a little about it at the end of this clip...
http://www.digitaljuice.com/djtv/segment_detail.asp?sid=196&sortby=&page=5&kwid=0&show=all_videos

Here's the clip for Do-it-Yourself Dolly here...

http://www.digitaljuice.com/djtv/segment_detail.asp?sid=186&sortby=&page=6&kwid=0&show=all_videos

Really good Greg,

I too build this dolly this weekend, really easy, cheap and works great!

Best regards, Robert

I made this quick 1 min video after we had a small local vw club meet. Comments and criticisms welcomed!

http://www.vimeo.com/807011

I made this quick 1 min video after we had a small local vw club meet. Comments and criticisms welcomed!

http://www.vimeo.com/807011

I enjoyed watching it. I could have taken more - I felt it just got started when it stopped. You could have some quicker cuts and more footage for the same length of video. I felt the pace was not quite fast enough at times for the length and your titles took nearly 15 seconds out the minute. Also, most of the shots could have used a tripod (the moon!) - there's certain shots are OK handheld but again if the pace is too slow it just looks wobbly. Try to cut on a steady bit as it's distracting if the shot veers off just before a cut.

I hope you take this as constructive criticism - I'd like to see version 2!

Great video. I agree that some quicker cuts could spice things up a bit, but I'm nust a noob myself. I've had an event video posted up here for about a week and I'm actually going back through and recutting it to move faster. We'll see.

Good job, and I could have handled more. How long is the song? Give us more video!

Hey folks, I am trying to get as much experience with my new cam as possible before this weekend's wedding, so I took the A1 along on a bridal shoot with my wife. I shot this in 24f and really like this style. I think this might just become something I do. Comments and critiques welcome. I edited for about 20 minutes on this one... again just testing.
Bill
http://www.vimeo.com/828154

I'm a wildlife photographer and have been flirting with the idea of shooting video footage to satisfy my artistic sweet tooth. I've spent several days lurking in this forum reading and learning what I can before making a cam purchase.

i really love the results the xh-a1 provides. I'm leaning really hard in that direction. Looks like the location you shot that footage in has alot of possibilities for your xh-a1.

Very nice and bright Bill, can you recall shutter speed / aperture etc?

Regards, Robert

Great job. Were you using any custom presets? How did it react though when you have any motion shots.

This is a very short croma test based on an Andrew Kramer's tutorial (http://videocopilot.net).
Shot at 1/50
25fps (SD-PAL)

Postproduction:
After Effects 7.0

http://www.vimeo.com/834958

Guys,
The shutter speed throughout was 1/48 at various apertures. The first few shots I had forgotten about the ND I left on and was having to go wide open to get a shot. I am thinking I from 2.8 to about 5.6 without ND. I used a modified version of VividRGB I got on here. I was happy with it... It was an outdoor preset. I didn't notice any issue with motion, this is why I tried to do some moving shots like around the fence and the statue. I have been very pleased with the 24f I've seen so far.
Bill

Very well done! The "glare" overlay really adds to the effect.

What is that song? And who sings it?

Thanks. This was my first experience with after effects. I'm quite happy with the results.

Song: Doctorat en romanic medieval by Els Amics de les Arts

Joan

http://www.vimeo.com/839217

Shot run and gun (which we don't see a lot of here) last December over the course of about three hours in about 25-30 F degree weather as a familiarization exercise with the A1. I just walked around the edges of the event talking to people. It was early morning so a lot of the action happened in the shadows of buildings.

Things I learned:

1) It's hard to shoot bare-handed in cold weather.

2) Use the auto focus as little as possible. In one of the civil war bandsmen interviews the tree 50 years in the background is nicely focused, his face is not so much.

3) Use the strap when you have to go completely hand held.

Video is "protected" and can't be watched.

Thanks for pointing that out, Benoit. It has now been made public.

Nicely done. You did a great job of covering the event with just the right amount of interviews. Good mix of subjects as well. It kept me entertained.

I didn't notice too many focus issues. IT's very hard to do everything manual in a run and gun situation like that especially with the A1.

Thanks for the comments. I didn't have much to work with, which is why it's so short. I was mostly just walking around with the camera while hanging out and didn't feel like pulling out the tripod.

I agree that some quicker cuts would be nice. Next time I'll think about that as I'm shooting to make sure to get a variety of shots.

Here she goes...I went for the Trailer Theme, Shot in 60i / 120
My goal was to shoot the Bride a lot more, but I was banned from the room! ((smiling))
The music was composed at the spare of the moment by myself.
Feel free to share your comments!

Greg

http://www.vimeo.com/858087

To be 100% frank, the mood of the music doesn't match the style of shooting in my opinon. I'm led to believe by the music that something melancholy will be happening, but the shots that are shown are "storybook" wedding style shots, not theatric shots.

I feel with a different song, the video will come to life.

The beginning sequence is cool, but I would expect a shot of the groom and bride after their names rather than venue/prep shots.

Also, the quick "deja vu" cuts of a shot back and forward are distracting.

HOWEVER, from 2:30 on, the style of shooting and editing is great. I like the flow from that point on and the way you showcase different angles and the guests.

It seems that there wasn't a whole lot to work with as far as venue goes.

Thanks for sharing and keep shooting! Please don't take my suggestions as a negative or too personal, it's my perception on the video.

This was using the Truecolor preset with only the pedestal setting changed a bit, and without any cc in post. If it looks blue, that's probably because it was really like that, there's very little red in most of the shots. The greens have come out very rich, but again, that's how they looked to me yesterday when I shot this.

Richard

http://www.vimeo.com/865005

Nice video,
how did you white balanced it?

I like a lot this blueish look, overall it reminds me "Kingdom of Heaven" Ridley Scott, John Mathieson look,
I would not call that look "true", it's rather stylized beautifully in slight blue tint.
Have you noticed less noise compared to other presets?

Hi Oleg. WB was tricky, because the capsule glass is tinted. I tried using a white card inside the capsule but I also used a preset that I'd set up earlier, outside the capsule, for some shots. I also wanted to cc in post, but everything I tried in Edius caused too much red that I did not see during the shoot. So eventually I left it with no cc.

Haven't noticed any difference in noise so far, but these outdoor shots had plenty of light so I wouldn't really expect to. Yet to try this preset indoors.

Richard

Richard,
thank you, look forward to possibly see some lower light shots,
btw, the content of the video is great!

I saw you wrote music to the clip, enjoyed it a lot!

Randy,

Thanks for the comments! Now that you mentioned it, I'll have to agree with all you pointed out. I'll keep shooting and working harder at it. The wiffee made a similiar comment about the music (didn't believe her...cheezn)
Thanks for your honest support!

Greg

My daughters first horse show.

I've learned from the last couple of events. #1. keep the camera rolling.
I used to be the guy that would film for 4 minutes then pocket the camera for 45. Now that I have the gear, I am really working on the discipline.

Also, i am filming from a variety of areas in and around the event, making the video much more interesting. Many ideas and support have come from a few of you here on DVi. This site has been a great resource.
Capturing the emotions and creating a story of the event is something i have been really studying as well. I think i did a decent job on this one.

As far as the camera (xha1) goes, i am starting to get a bit more comfortable with it. One bit i noticed, i do mess with the iris ring a little too much. With changing locations and lighting conditions, i find i need to mildly correct often. Thankfully it was a cloudy day in socal for this event.


Shooting Manual
Review the video here:
Note: The frame rate is a little slow, next time i compress for vimeo i will work on it.
http://www.vimeo.com/868652

Jim

Hey Jim, you've got some good stuff in there. I'd like to offer a bit of critique for you to evaluate.

Audio is important... very important. The piano track is a bit jarring in its volume in relation to the natural sound track. There are likely some good nat sound elements in there getting lost under the piano. The shot from :15 to :18 is crying for some sound of horse hoofs. Fortunately, that's fixable with a remix if you have the nat sound to support it. Consider using a wireless lav planted on your daughter or, somewhere close to the arena for some great nat sound.

Love the shot of the horse facing camera. At around 5:00, you're letting the subject get too far across the frame. The rule of video is to allow for 'look space'. IOW, there needs to be space in front of the subject's nose, be it human or animal. If there is a limitation that prevents continued panning, stop the pan while the subject still has look space and let it proceed out of frame.

The good thing is that you took the initiative to get out there and shoot something to tell a story with. After editing some of these, you'll begin to realize in advance what shots and angles you need to tell the story properly.

Welcome to DVINFO,

-gb-

I put this together from footage I gathered during my recent trip to San Francisco. I have always loved wind turbines and the old scratchy record sound in the music worked perfectly with the revolution of the propeller blades:

http://exposureroom.com/members/disjecta.aspx/assets/d1a5c444e3d645c08a45108e8702c2d0/

I feel as if I've entered an entirely new dimension...

Ha Ha.... Thanks Steven...

Hi,
A man, bored, is waiting in a pub, then playing in a luna park, but is still bored and sad, until....
An improvised film...

Right click and save the 720p clip Here (http://www.giovannisperanza.com/downloads/bored.mov)







.

I could have put this in any number of threads I guess....it's got the XHA1, lens adapter, dolly, edited in VP8.

http://www.vimeo.com/885023

A quick subject matter that in particular figured out my 'Vertigo' dolly move dilema I had with the XhA1 in "Skully Dollies".

http://www.vimeo.com/861908

Was nice to use the dolly outdoors for a change after the heavy snows we've had this year in Canada.

Comments always welcome,

James

Thanks Greg

Great advise!
I will be thinking about your suggestions on my project.
Thanks for taking the time to review the video.
j

Hi James.
I'm curious as to how you did the strobing light effect on the animal skull?

Cheers!

Dennis,

In Vegas Pro 8 I used the film look effects. Using only the flicker effect from this plugin you can create flashes/strobes and keyframe them from none to very erratic frequency.

The screenshot shows the plugin...

Thanks James.
I thought it was particularly effective on the skull shot.

Hello Giovanni,

very nice short, but could it be that you used a 35mm adapter? Most of the takes in your short looks like it.

Yes sure! i used the LEX