In fact, my first music video ever.

I'd REALLY appreciate any comments from you guys.

http://rs60.rapidshare.com/files/17246267/FFM-CedarFallsCarCrash.mov - 58mb

HD110e - Standard Lens
Cut with Final Cut Studio

Director/Producer/Editor/DOP - Neil Rostance
Camera Operator/Assistant DOP - Tim Palmer
Lighting Assistant - Michael Dyer

It was a whole lot of fun. Hope you enjoy it!!

the band are called Cedar Falls you can catch them here www.myspace.com/cedarfalls

any comments please go ahead!

Neil

bad link...

yeah my bandwidth has gone over.

I'll get it up somewhere else this evening.

Thanks for trying though.

Try to upload it to rapidshare for example.

http://rs60.rapidshare.com/files/17246267/FFM-CedarFallsCarCrash.mov

look forward to any comments!

Neil

it won't open after downloading

What codec are you using?

Andrew

that's strange...it's worked for a couple of people.

its your bog standard H.264. You got quicktime 7?

there's a youtube version but it's not very good quality...has made the darks darker, and the lights look over exposed. how?...i'll never know!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnRu8u5VSEs

Neil

yea I have the latest quicktime. I'm using a mac so it should play h264.

i'll try downloading it again

thanks

Neil
Not too shabby. You're right about the youtube experience. Good job for your first music video! The shots you got if the band inside are excellent and you've edited it together well - it suits the pace of the song.

I liked the interior band shots the best. The exterior was over exposed in places - probably due to the youtube factor. The sky was beached out and would have benefited from some filters to get back some colour/detail. IMHO.

Did you film it in a club? How did you achieve the lighting?

What camera settings were you using?

Andrew

PS i like the band - good song

PPS I right clicked on the link and selected save link as. HOW DO i download the video?

why thank you! By the way, i sent you e-mail. If you haven't checked yet.

Yeah the interiors were much stronger than the exteriors. My camera settings knowledge were pretty primitive on the first day of the shoot, which was the ext's.

I lit the scene with 4 domestic spots, and bounced them off the floor with gold reflectors. Then showered the scene with a handheld 1000w studio light, which involved me and lighting assistant shaking the life out of it and bouncing it off mirrors and the cieling. It was ace. Oh and a strobe, but that was not really a main character.

It was shot in a pub! Who'd a thought it! the stage was very small.

Thanks for the comments, i'm going to have another stab ab colour correcting now, but my monitors aren't colour clean, so i'm feeling in the dark.

you have any tips?

Neil

Hey, hope Neil doesn't mind me replying to your question(s) as I was the one who "did the lighting" :)

The exterior shots where over exposed do to the unusually sunny/misty morning we had, I had no control over the camera settings and even if I did the sun was so direct that there wouldn't have been much I could do to prevent the over exposure. Also the initial idea (to me anyway) was that the whole thing was supposed to look a bit "bleached out".

The internal shots where taken inside a small music room of a pub and mostly lit from above (there was some netting on the ceiling that created shadows. We used my 1000w movie lamp to add flashes occasionally and then for the final chorus a flashing colour light (normally used for gig lighting) was used. Extra light was gained from a gold reflector and by bouncing the light off the mirrors that surrounded the stage.

I think the internal shots where a bit under exposed (I had trouble taking photographs) so that's why they look dark. I have to get myself a light meter if I want to be a serious lighting assistant.

I don't know if he replied about downloading from the rapidshare link but if you just click the link, then click the "free" button, wait for the timer to count down, then enter the passcode and it should start downloading for you..

Hope you liked it,

bye d byee

You've done a great job with this. Your lighting technique is what this games all about - improvising with what you have to get the desired effect. I like it. I use 500w DIY work lights!! £20 each! I also grab what ever domestic lights are available.

I understand about the exterior lighting. We're not blessed with great conditions in the UK - there aren't many blue skys with fluffy white clouds when you need them!!

I'll try the download again tonight.

L8r

Andrew

The exterior shots where over exposed do to the unusually sunny/misty morning we had, I had no control over the camera settings and even if I did the sun was so direct that there wouldn't have been much I could do to prevent the over exposure.

Me thinks they doth protest too much: Misty mornings are great for photography.

Actually, you managed to underexpose as many of the exteriors as you overexposed. When working in a high contrast setting with a camera with low dynamic range it is vital to decide what part of the shot is most important and to expose it correctly. In your video that would be the singer's face. Not the sky, nor the trees. Try a reflector, choose your angles more carefully, but don't blame it on the weather.

Well, there are times when those sorts of conditions are exactly what the script calls for. The HD100 can be used to great effect, if you know how to control the light in your scene. There are probably going to be times when you will find yourself under-equipped in the grip department for a variety of reasons. Just don't let ignorance be one of them. Scout, preferably under the conditions where you'll be shooting. Then, as the adage goes, block, light and shoot. In that order.