DVC3 Ektachrome - Feedback

[Dick Mays]

Okay, let me have it! I'm at work today, so no long posts or replies until this evening!

[Sean McHenry]

Very nice work. The pace was good and the shooting was well done. My only question is, I know Ektachrome is a bit blue but some of the still "snaps" seemed a bit blueish. Was that intentional? Just curious.

For me, the better images were the digital still "snaps" as the coloring may have been a bit off in what were supposed to be the better images. Then again, I know about Ektachrome being blue so that's a toss up.

Overall, very nice.

Sean McHenry

[Dick Mays]

Yeah,

I color corrected the Ektachrome shots to look like a sample Ektacrhome print, and left the original a little yellowish. I did reduce contrast a bit on the digital shots, because they did look too good!

Dick

[Stephen van Vuuren]

Originally Posted by Dick Mays

Yeah,

I color corrected the Ektachrome shots to look like a sample Ektacrhome print, and left the original a little yellowish. I did reduce contrast a bit on the digital shots, because they did look too good!

Dick

Nice concept and having spent 3 months 15 years ago as a photographer for "Glamour Shots" (almost the worst job I ever had), I can relate.

One note - I had trouble noticing much a dramatic difference between the shots and was not sure if that was the joke?

[Hugo Pinto]

Dick,

Very nice concept - and most of all a very good insiders joke on the portrait photos business. I liked the photographer's attitude the most, with that "oh-no-no, can't shoot you with this" posture.

Very pleasant to watch.

Did you think in getting the girl's father photographed as well? - or maybe showing this great cheapo portrait photo he'd taken couple of years ago and still carries a dozen in the wallet? ;)

Cheers,

Hugo

[Sean Buck]

Very funny Dick. I just encountered this new world a couple of months ago with my baby girl and you couldn't be more accurate. We always go in for the $14.95 sitting and come out with the $120 family package. Great fun and you captured the photographer perfectly. My wife is going to roll when she see's this one.

[Dick Mays]

Sean,

I'm with you. It's $100 to visit the photographer, no matter what they say.
I teach acting to teenagers, and this project was an excuse to put three of them into a film. I don't have the background in digital effects that you guys have, or I could have done more with the pictures. But my focus is on the story, and character relationships. I'm proud of my kids! I think they came off very believable, using the "good acting."

Dick

[Lorinda Norton]

Yep, you and your kids did a great job, Dick. And I bet you all had a blast making this movie.

Isn't that what it's all about? :)

[Nick Hiltgen]

Dick you're not by chance outside of Athens in Winder GA are you? IF so that's awesome, it's good to see more GA natives on this board. (I'm currently living in L.A. but am considering a move back there) All in all I felt like it was a good short I was alittle confused at the end as far as waht the "real" photographer was diong all teh rest of the time, but it didn't distract too much. Good work!

[Dick Mays]

[QUOTE=Nick Hiltgen]Dick you're not by chance outside of Athens in Winder GA are you? QUOTE]

That's exactly where I am! I used the vacant "Studio 211" as an exterior and shot the rest in my basement. Studio 211 is right on highway 211, about a mile from my house. I used to live in town near Emory, but moved out here when I married a woman with horses.

The kids had a great time making this short. There was a line in the script, where the daughter says, "You're the photographer?!?!" with the implication that the young man starting shooting the session just to flirt with her. But I cut the line in the edit, because I thought it was a sweeter scene without any implied deception.

I have learned a lot watching these other entries in DV challenge. Most of you have a great eye, and really put some time into getting beautiful shots. I don't think I'm ever going to be much of a special effects guy, but I would love to have a few frames in my movie that really make someone sit up and take notice. Well, I guess I do have a few. But not for great lighting. I thought it was funny to have the harsh overhead florescent lighting when the young man says: "Lighting is everything..." But my wife says it just looks like bad lighting and no one will get my sense of humor!

Nobody mentioned the "hero camera." I thought someone would recognize the lens that was mounted on the Nikon body. :)

It was fun to do! Count us in on DVC4!

[Nick Hiltgen]

Touche!

That looked an awful lot like someone was holding a 16x lens from a canon xl1 in front of a still camera body... it actually made me laugh, I have a couple of little jokes like that hidden in mine (and some not so hidden) I think if you had a shot to show that it was flourescent light it would have made the light joke that much funnier. Unfortunately a lot of shorts these days have lighting like that on accident, so it's hard to tell if it's serious or not. Oh well. I don't think I've ever been to studio 211 (I've spent most of my life at either end of 316.) but It looks like a cool place.

[Jonathan Jones]

Oh Man!!!
I loved this one TOO!!! the judges must be pulling their hair out with this competition. I have found something in every short that I just love! The dialogue in your short is just the best..
ie: "Are you the 5:15?"
(pause) and respond "5' 11"" - that was awesome

(a patient pause) "That's pretty tall"
"thankyou"


other examples
"that's a cute camera"

"I don't need saturation, it's plenty hot in here."

"I can't shoot like this"....SMASH!

They were just great.

I loved when he pulled out the camera and held it close to her.."You'll get shot with THIS camera". It makes me think of how many times I have probably 'shown off' my XL2 to friends and family who frankly don't even care.

I loved the progression of the photos as her hair is 'let down' and they get closer.

You have made a little masterpiece here...you should be proud. I loved.
-Jon

[Bradley L Marlow]

Great Job Dick!

This was a hoot! I had several good laughs chuckles and from the dialog in your film. Did it take you a while to write that or did you have a creative moment and scratch it all down in a minute flat? Either way, this worked very well.

[Dick Mays]

Originally Posted by Jonathan Jones

Oh Man!!!

You have made a little masterpiece here...you should be proud. I loved.
-Jon

Thanks Jon, Bradley, and all of you with kind things to say. It is so interesting to me to watch all of these films. There are so many different ways to capture and entertain the audience. I was surprised to discover how many films could tell a story without any dialog at all.

But dialog is the stuff we use in our acting class, and the kids have gotten pretty good at delivering lines "with nothing on it." I'm glad someone appreciates the writing!

[Jeff Sayre]

I agree with Jon. The dialogue was great--especially the 5:15, 5'11'' repartee.

I enjoyed the pace and underlying, hidden message in your movie. I thought your three, young students did a good job. I watched the QuickTime version without any problems, although it was a little grainy. Much of that can be removed by the full-blown version of Sorenson Squeeze. Just output your movie as a QuickTime conversion, then process it with one of Squeeze's progressive compression codecs.

I noticed the "hero camera" and was going to say something about it my post here!