Show Your Work 2006

Josh Rudy · September 16th, 2006, 04:04 PM

Hello All, I wanted to share my first video that took over a month to make. Technically it shouldn't have taken that long, but I wanted something good and I wasn't sure how I was going to form it. The video was for a school production of West Side Story and it was the 20 year reunion since West Side Story was displayed at my school. The video was shown before one of the shows for the cast of 1986 and 2006. Most of the footage I took wasn't included (7 80min mini-dv tapes total). The whole thing was filmed on a Sony Handycam dvc-trv27 and was edited in both Cyberlink Powerdirector and Final Cut pro 5.

P.S. Sorry for the VHS quality and some color problems... I couldnt extract from the DVD without paying for a special program so I copied it to VHS and captured it to my computer.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...od+Corp.&hl=en

Josh Rudy · September 16th, 2006, 04:14 PM

I really liked it and I want to see more! I especially liked the titles and how only the letters in "Detours" stayed after a second or two. Storyline was very very catchy and I would definately like to see this movie.

Emre Safak · September 16th, 2006, 05:21 PM

I do not know if it is something at my end, but the file was corrupt. Regardless, I want to wish you luck in your project.

Cal Johnson · September 17th, 2006, 10:22 AM

Hey Josh, welcome to DV Info and congrats at getting into video production. This first effort that you've created is really more of a home movie, meaning the people who are going to enjoy watching it are most likely those who were in it or family and friends of those involved in the production. As an outsider, I have no idea who these people are, its just images of folks set to music. To really express yourself as a filmmaker, I'd suggest tackling something that isn't going to have a set, captive audience. Think of something simple, wether its a fictional story, or a documentary, but something that will be interesting for people to watch because there is a story that is revealed as the film progresses.
Also, be wary of lengthy credit rolls at the start of your film. Be confident in your work, tell a great story, and at the end people will take note of who created the film.

Dennis Khaye · September 17th, 2006, 02:17 PM

That looks really interesting. Nicely done Eli.

Michael Nistler · September 17th, 2006, 08:33 PM

Hi Terry,

You're vodcast looks like it's going to be a real hit! (I subscribe to about 20)

From the technical side, you're lighting could be improved - the video is almost washed out and shadows are on the subject's eyes (not flattering). Perhaps you can use an umbrella or softbox to fix this, diffuse your hard light, or crank down the gain/aperture, etc. Incidentally, you may want to consider a solid white/black background if file size is an issue (video compression works much better that way).

The voice quality could use some work - the mic distance is picking up an echo (poor room acoustics). One cheap fix is a wired lavilier. Processing the signal through a audio compressor would also help.

Your subject (Tami) is terrific - very energetic with good facial gestures and a pleasant presence! And looking at your site, you've got excellent content.

Best wishes and contact me if you have any follow-up questions.

Michael

Jonathan Pokay · September 18th, 2006, 08:56 PM

Here's the trailer for my feature, shot in HDV:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77hl5ETy0vQ

It's titled, "The Uninvited", and is a supernatural thriller.

(Please pardon YouTube's compression, the picture looks better than what you can currently see!)

Emre Safak · September 19th, 2006, 09:46 AM

That's why you should host your own videos, otherwise having shot in HDV becomes moot.

Gary McClurg · September 19th, 2006, 02:18 PM

I liked the trailer except for the shot of the girl in the house... it seemed to be the only shot that was different from the rest...

Shaughan Flynn · September 19th, 2006, 04:22 PM

Shot on Z1?

John Britt · September 19th, 2006, 07:21 PM

Here is a short video I recently did to accompany a musician's live performance:

http://karatemedia.com/inflatable/

(The Windows Media file is a little better because it is deinterlaced)

This was shot on both a Panasonic DVC-80 and a DV-53, then tweaked in After Effects to look something like an 8mm home movie. It's probably the antithesis of what most people are attempting to get here (and probably even of what I would normally strive for), but I thought it might be interesting to post here.

It's a very basic piece, and the "state fair" theme is pretty obvious take on the Phil Spector-ish style of the music, but hopefully the general editing and shot selection accompanies the song well.

Jonathan Pokay · September 19th, 2006, 08:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Emre Safak

That's why you should host your own videos, otherwise having shot in HDV becomes moot.

Not to worry, it won't be shown in its entirety on the 'net- my producer is searching for a distributor for a DVD release.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gary McClurg

I liked the trailer except for the shot of the girl in the house... it seemed to be the only shot that was different from the rest...

If I told you why I couldn't use a shot of the girl that matches everyone else's, it would be giving away a major spoiler... ;)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shaughan Flynn

Shot on Z1?

No, we had to use the JVC JYHD10. Not my first choice, but it was available- along with the availability of the locations & actors. Otherwise, we would have had to find more financial backing, and start over with casting actors & locations months (or years) down the road. The lesser of two evils, I figure.

Ken Beals · September 19th, 2006, 11:56 PM

I like it Dave !!!

Edgy, lazer paced, well synced, colorful ... and yes, even a wee bit strange.

The music had almost a Blue Man Group feel to it....love that upbeat stuff.

hey, was that a jib shot behind the Musicians ?

Dave Perry · September 20th, 2006, 05:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ken Beals

I like it Dave !!!
hey, was that a jib shot behind the Musicians ?

Thanks a bunch Ken.

Yes, that was a jib shot. The second shot, the one of the school bus, was a jib shot as well. Both done with my home made jib.

At some point I will post pictures of the jib in the jib forum.

Murray Robinson · September 20th, 2006, 07:00 PM

I made this over a year ago but never really wanted to show it anywhere. As I was going through my hard drive, I decided to get some reviews on this short just to see what people think. I will admit that there is some amateur problems: a tripod in one shot; but other than that, I think it came out alright.

And yes I used a Chopin song but forgot to credit it. I didn't mean to infringe if I have, but I felt the song fit; plus it was just for fun.

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

Review away

September 16th, 2006, 04:04 PM	#766
Josh Rudy Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Hampstead, Maryland Posts: 28	My First Major Production Hello All, I wanted to share my first video that took over a month to make. Technically it shouldn't have taken that long, but I wanted something good and I wasn't sure how I was going to form it. The video was for a school production of West Side Story and it was the 20 year reunion since West Side Story was displayed at my school. The video was shown before one of the shows for the cast of 1986 and 2006. Most of the footage I took wasn't included (7 80min mini-dv tapes total). The whole thing was filmed on a Sony Handycam dvc-trv27 and was edited in both Cyberlink Powerdirector and Final Cut pro 5. P.S. Sorry for the VHS quality and some color problems... I couldnt extract from the DVD without paying for a special program so I copied it to VHS and captured it to my computer. http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...od+Corp.&hl=en

September 16th, 2006, 04:14 PM	#767
Josh Rudy Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Hampstead, Maryland Posts: 28	Wow I really liked it and I want to see more! I especially liked the titles and how only the letters in "Detours" stayed after a second or two. Storyline was very very catchy and I would definately like to see this movie.

September 17th, 2006, 08:33 PM	#771
Michael Nistler Major Player Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Petaluma, CA Posts: 456	Nice Start Hi Terry, You're vodcast looks like it's going to be a real hit! (I subscribe to about 20) From the technical side, you're lighting could be improved - the video is almost washed out and shadows are on the subject's eyes (not flattering). Perhaps you can use an umbrella or softbox to fix this, diffuse your hard light, or crank down the gain/aperture, etc. Incidentally, you may want to consider a solid white/black background if file size is an issue (video compression works much better that way). The voice quality could use some work - the mic distance is picking up an echo (poor room acoustics). One cheap fix is a wired lavilier. Processing the signal through a audio compressor would also help. Your subject (Tami) is terrific - very energetic with good facial gestures and a pleasant presence! And looking at your site, you've got excellent content. Best wishes and contact me if you have any follow-up questions. Michael

September 18th, 2006, 08:56 PM	#772
Jonathan Pokay Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Chicago Posts: 47	VERY low-budget HDV Feature! Here's the trailer for my feature, shot in HDV: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77hl5ETy0vQ It's titled, "The Uninvited", and is a supernatural thriller. (Please pardon YouTube's compression, the picture looks better than what you can currently see!)

September 19th, 2006, 04:22 PM	#775
Shaughan Flynn Major Player Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 272	Shot on Z1? __________________ B-Scene Films

September 16th, 2006, 05:21 PM	#768
Emre Safak Trustee Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Brookline, MA Posts: 1,447	I do not know if it is something at my end, but the file was corrupt. Regardless, I want to wish you luck in your project.

September 17th, 2006, 10:22 AM	#769
Cal Johnson Major Player Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 180	Hey Josh, welcome to DV Info and congrats at getting into video production. This first effort that you've created is really more of a home movie, meaning the people who are going to enjoy watching it are most likely those who were in it or family and friends of those involved in the production. As an outsider, I have no idea who these people are, its just images of folks set to music. To really express yourself as a filmmaker, I'd suggest tackling something that isn't going to have a set, captive audience. Think of something simple, wether its a fictional story, or a documentary, but something that will be interesting for people to watch because there is a story that is revealed as the film progresses. Also, be wary of lengthy credit rolls at the start of your film. Be confident in your work, tell a great story, and at the end people will take note of who created the film.

September 17th, 2006, 02:17 PM	#770
Dennis Khaye Major Player Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Grand Rapids, MI Posts: 255	That looks really interesting. Nicely done Eli.

September 19th, 2006, 09:46 AM	#773
Emre Safak Trustee Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Brookline, MA Posts: 1,447	That's why you should host your own videos, otherwise having shot in HDV becomes moot.

September 19th, 2006, 02:18 PM	#774
Gary McClurg Major Player Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Springfield, MO, USA Posts: 389	I liked the trailer except for the shot of the girl in the house... it seemed to be the only shot that was different from the rest...

September 19th, 2006, 07:21 PM	#776
John Britt Major Player Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 621	Phil Spector at the Fair: Quasi-Music Video as Quasi-Home Movie, or something... Here is a short video I recently did to accompany a musician's live performance: http://karatemedia.com/inflatable/ (The Windows Media file is a little better because it is deinterlaced) This was shot on both a Panasonic DVC-80 and a DV-53, then tweaked in After Effects to look something like an 8mm home movie. It's probably the antithesis of what most people are attempting to get here (and probably even of what I would normally strive for), but I thought it might be interesting to post here. It's a very basic piece, and the "state fair" theme is pretty obvious take on the Phil Spector-ish style of the music, but hopefully the general editing and shot selection accompanies the song well. Last edited by John Britt; September 20th, 2006 at 06:07 PM.

September 19th, 2006, 11:56 PM	#778
Ken Beals Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Tempe, Az Posts: 172	I like it Dave !!! Edgy, lazer paced, well synced, colorful ... and yes, even a wee bit strange. The music had almost a Blue Man Group feel to it....love that upbeat stuff. hey, was that a jib shot behind the Musicians ? __________________ Mediocrity is a disease...

September 20th, 2006, 07:00 PM	#780
Murray Robinson New Boot Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Woodstock, New Brunswick, Canada Posts: 9	My first short film I made this over a year ago but never really wanted to show it anywhere. As I was going through my hard drive, I decided to get some reviews on this short just to see what people think. I will admit that there is some amateur problems: a tripod in one shot; but other than that, I think it came out alright. And yes I used a Chopin song but forgot to credit it. I didn't mean to infringe if I have, but I felt the song fit; plus it was just for fun. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAYhvjoFzkM Review away