2010 International Wildlife Film Festival at DVinfo.net

Don DesJardin · April 10th, 2010, 01:56 PM

I put together and submitted a short video called "Six Minutes" to the 2010 IWFF held in Missoula, Montana, not actually thinking it would go anywhere, but as a "what the heck". I entered it in both the Music Video and Amateur categories. It didn't make it in the Music Video category, but did advance as a finalist in the Amateur category. The awards have been selected, and although I wasn't selected for a "Best Of" or a "Merit" award, I'm listed as a "Finalist" which makes me very happy for a first ever submission to any film festival. You can see the list of awards here.

http://www.wildlifefilms.org/festiva...rd_Winners.pdf

Mick Jenner · April 11th, 2010, 02:23 AM

Hi Don,

What a lovely well filmed collection of birds.
Loved it very much, no wonder you were a finalist.
Well done.

Mick

Martyn Hull · April 11th, 2010, 03:48 AM

If yours didnt win the others must have been too good to be true, yours looks fantastic.

Mat Thompson · April 13th, 2010, 07:08 AM

Great photography Don! - Great list of species in there...wow!

John Abbey · April 13th, 2010, 11:35 AM

great stuff Don, you have a real passion for birds..

Don DesJardin · April 13th, 2010, 12:09 PM

Thank you Mick, Martyn, Mat, and John for your kind words and compliments. Quite obvious, birds are also high on my list. Basically, if it's outdoors and it presents an opportunity, I'll film it. I'm not quite sure if it's the challenge or reward, or just being outdoors in a remote location away from urban noise. I did have ~60 hours of XL H1 bird footage to work with, but it was still somewhat difficult making decisions. I have already started planning for IWFF next year, and this one will be a 30 minute documentary, which I start shooting this Friday. Again, thanks....Don

Mike Sims · April 13th, 2010, 04:22 PM

Howdy Don!
Congratulations on your first festival showing. Well done. I would love to hear more about your up-coming project as it progresses. Best of luck!

Jerry Merrell · April 18th, 2010, 03:18 PM

Congratulations, Don. This is very nice.

Jerry

Kenneth Burgener · April 19th, 2010, 07:29 PM

I enjoyed your film. I need to get lower on some of my birds. It is good to see a different look. Great job.

Ken.

Dale Guthormsen · April 27th, 2010, 07:28 PM

Don,

Really a nice Job!! some of the birds i did not recognise at all but that was alright as it was just geat seeing them.

that is good for your first effort to be a finalist, congratulations.

I always enjoy your clips, but a finished piece is a lot nicer to be sure!!! I loved the red shouldered hawk and the kestrel in particular, and the bright red bird, what ever it was.

Looke forward to seeing more of your terrific stuff.

Dale Guthormsen

Don DesJardin · April 29th, 2010, 05:40 PM

Dale,
Thanks for your compliments. The bright red bird is a male Vermilion Flycatcher, almost an annual winter visitor in our area. This one has spent the last two winters in a cemetery in the city of Santa Paula, California, and near to where I live. Again, thanks for all who commented...Don

Brendan Marnell · May 5th, 2010, 01:39 PM

A great pleasure to watch your film, Don.

It's good to see your condor was still in circulation; what a mighty bird. The lighting seemed remarkably consistent on all your fliers. Posting the grey heron as security at the start had a lovely effect ... it felt safe and privileged to stay and watch the show. Your shorebirds included a few long-distance migrants. Well done and many happy returns.

Tony Davies-Patrick · May 7th, 2010, 02:37 PM

Nice work, Don; and a great diversity of bird species. Well worth viewing.

Steve Siegel · May 23rd, 2010, 02:45 PM

Beautiful work, Don. Perfect lighting and everything tack-sharp. Shooting Lewis's Woodpecker in full sunlight, getting the red on the face without burning out the white neck ruff is hard to do. Care to share your technique?

Don DesJardin · May 25th, 2010, 11:00 PM

Steve,
Thanks for your compliments. I don't do anything special. I shoot with a XL H1 and Nikon 80-400mm lens with a screw on 2X ND filter if required. I try and stay between f11 and f8, camera mode at manual, 1/60th second, and gain at -3db. I also use a custom preset of my own, and make sure I get a good manual white balance. Many say that this camera is hard to focus with the stock viewfinder, but I don't have a problem with it, good eyes I guess. The Lewis's was shot near Santa Barbara, California, early November about 11:00am and the sun was low and not directly behind me, but off to my right side. I also depend on zebra and I have the level set at 80. That's about it, and again thanks for everyone's positive comments.

April 10th, 2010, 01:56 PM	#1
Don DesJardin Major Player Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Ventura, California, USA Posts: 255	2010 International Wildlife Film Festival I put together and submitted a short video called "Six Minutes" to the 2010 IWFF held in Missoula, Montana, not actually thinking it would go anywhere, but as a "what the heck". I entered it in both the Music Video and Amateur categories. It didn't make it in the Music Video category, but did advance as a finalist in the Amateur category. The awards have been selected, and although I wasn't selected for a "Best Of" or a "Merit" award, I'm listed as a "Finalist" which makes me very happy for a first ever submission to any film festival. You can see the list of awards here. http://www.wildlifefilms.org/festiva...rd_Winners.pdf Six Minutes on Vimeo __________________ Don DesJardin

April 13th, 2010, 12:09 PM	#6
Don DesJardin Major Player Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Ventura, California, USA Posts: 255	Thank you Mick, Martyn, Mat, and John for your kind words and compliments. Quite obvious, birds are also high on my list. Basically, if it's outdoors and it presents an opportunity, I'll film it. I'm not quite sure if it's the challenge or reward, or just being outdoors in a remote location away from urban noise. I did have ~60 hours of XL H1 bird footage to work with, but it was still somewhat difficult making decisions. I have already started planning for IWFF next year, and this one will be a 30 minute documentary, which I start shooting this Friday. Again, thanks....Don __________________ Don DesJardin

April 27th, 2010, 07:28 PM	#10
Dale Guthormsen Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Saskatchewan Posts: 3,048	Don, Really a nice Job!! some of the birds i did not recognise at all but that was alright as it was just geat seeing them. that is good for your first effort to be a finalist, congratulations. I always enjoy your clips, but a finished piece is a lot nicer to be sure!!! I loved the red shouldered hawk and the kestrel in particular, and the bright red bird, what ever it was. Looke forward to seeing more of your terrific stuff. Dale Guthormsen __________________ DATS ALL FOLKS Dale W. Guthormsen

April 29th, 2010, 05:40 PM	#11
Don DesJardin Major Player Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Ventura, California, USA Posts: 255	Dale, Thanks for your compliments. The bright red bird is a male Vermilion Flycatcher, almost an annual winter visitor in our area. This one has spent the last two winters in a cemetery in the city of Santa Paula, California, and near to where I live. Again, thanks for all who commented...Don __________________ Don DesJardin

May 7th, 2010, 02:37 PM	#13
Tony Davies-Patrick Trustee Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Worldwide Posts: 1,589	Nice work, Don; and a great diversity of bird species. Well worth viewing. __________________ www.WILDCARP.com www.NIKON.me.uk

April 11th, 2010, 02:23 AM	#2
Mick Jenner Major Player Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: West Sussex England Posts: 843	Hi Don, What a lovely well filmed collection of birds. Loved it very much, no wonder you were a finalist. Well done. Mick

April 11th, 2010, 03:48 AM	#3
Martyn Hull Major Player Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: England Posts: 444	If yours didnt win the others must have been too good to be true, yours looks fantastic.

April 13th, 2010, 07:08 AM	#4
Mat Thompson Trustee Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Kent UK Posts: 1,397	Great photography Don! - Great list of species in there...wow!

April 13th, 2010, 11:35 AM	#5
John Abbey Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: The Great Northwest Posts: 133	great stuff Don, you have a real passion for birds..

April 13th, 2010, 04:22 PM	#7
Mike Sims Major Player Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 880	Howdy Don! Congratulations on your first festival showing. Well done. I would love to hear more about your up-coming project as it progresses. Best of luck!

April 18th, 2010, 03:18 PM	#8
Jerry Merrell New Boot Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Winter Park Florida Posts: 23	Congratulations, Don. This is very nice. Jerry

April 19th, 2010, 07:29 PM	#9
Kenneth Burgener Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Sanibel Florida Posts: 102	I enjoyed your film. I need to get lower on some of my birds. It is good to see a different look. Great job. Ken.

May 5th, 2010, 01:39 PM	#12
Brendan Marnell Major Player Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Dublin, Ireland Posts: 938	A great pleasure to watch your film, Don. It's good to see your condor was still in circulation; what a mighty bird. The lighting seemed remarkably consistent on all your fliers. Posting the grey heron as security at the start had a lovely effect ... it felt safe and privileged to stay and watch the show. Your shorebirds included a few long-distance migrants. Well done and many happy returns.

May 23rd, 2010, 02:45 PM	#14
Steve Siegel Major Player Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Posts: 840	Beautiful work, Don. Perfect lighting and everything tack-sharp. Shooting Lewis's Woodpecker in full sunlight, getting the red on the face without burning out the white neck ruff is hard to do. Care to share your technique?

May 25th, 2010, 11:00 PM	#15
Don DesJardin Major Player Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Ventura, California, USA Posts: 255	Steve, Thanks for your compliments. I don't do anything special. I shoot with a XL H1 and Nikon 80-400mm lens with a screw on 2X ND filter if required. I try and stay between f11 and f8, camera mode at manual, 1/60th second, and gain at -3db. I also use a custom preset of my own, and make sure I get a good manual white balance. Many say that this camera is hard to focus with the stock viewfinder, but I don't have a problem with it, good eyes I guess. The Lewis's was shot near Santa Barbara, California, early November about 11:00am and the sun was low and not directly behind me, but off to my right side. I also depend on zebra and I have the level set at 80. That's about it, and again thanks for everyone's positive comments. __________________ Don DesJardin