UWOL #6 "Isopod" by Markus Nord

[Markus Nord]

Hi

Background:
When the theme was announced I thought ”awesome, now I can go diving again!”. But then I started to think, I need to do some thing special with this one, test some new things. Cause just a nightdive would be to easy, and not challenging enough. So my Idea came up that I should try making a WebTV show. I think, in a way, that “our” challenge is becoming a source of information library about different spot around the world, so why not make it to a “WebTV station”?

My film:
The beginning of the film is shot with the wide angle lens and I was weird up with a wireless mic. In the editing, A just Croped the picture from side to side (if you’re locking at the sky you’ll se it). The Timelaps sunset is shot with the 0,5 sec every 30 sec. This was my second attempt to shot Timelaps and I think it turn out ok (just a bounce on the tripod in the middle). The hard think, I think, with the Timelaps is what kind of settings should you use on the camera, over expose in the beginning so you get more light in the end, or normal expose in the beginning so the picture are under expose in the end (this is the way I did it, because I was suppose to dissolve to black). The moon it shot during 2 minutes and speeded up, so I got the moving of the moon. I used one of my UW light to light up my self during the pre dive shot, it turn out really “cold looking” and that was my Idea. In the transition to UW, some thing is wrong after exporting, the moving picture should move in the same tempo as the black line, and it dose in my NLE but not after exporting (same in the end… crap). The UW shots are film with two 35W HID light, one on a one meter arm from the camera and the second on my dive buddy. A hard thing here is if he is moving then the picture will be under/over exposed, so it is important that you light diver stay still…
During the UW I was shooting with the OS on the 20x lens (better for close ups) on, but still it is a lot of movement (I will try the stabilizing program that Per recommended in another thread), but some came out stabile enough for using. I took us two one hours’ dives before we got the fist picture of the Isopod, but then I got enough good pictures to make the film.

So that is the story behind my film, I hope you enjoyed. I’m sorry of the bad exporting; I need to get some better encoder…

Cheers from Sweden
Markus Nord

Link of downloading:
(You can not view this film in you webbrowser, right click and “save target as” to download)

http://www.uwolchallenge.com/challen...UC6_isopod.mpg

[Meryem Ersoz]

another tip--i always watch markus' entries with the VLC player (videolan.org), because when i watch at home on my old home computer, i only get audio. the VLC is free, and it often can play videos that give other players problems.

markus, this is great. i really loved the shot of the shrimp--amazing detail and the colors were wonderful. it's pretty hard to track micro animals underwater when they are in motion, in my limited experience.

the webtv/newscast format was cute--it worked well here. it's always fun to see the players starring in their own movies. i also liked the behind-the-scenes shots with you sitting next to your giant pile of gear...maybe you could have thrown in some close-ups of your UW gear to educate us in the specifics about what you use, etc.

what kind of camera do you shoot with?

[Mat Thompson]

Markus

Way to go fella. Nice film indeed, I like your web tv format and your presentation was good. What I liked more though was your footage and introduction to that Isopod. Their design is like something straight out of science fiction and your footage and search for it was great.

I liked your intro fades of yourself but there was probably too many...less would have been more! Really liked the timelapse but I get some artifacting, might just be in the compression.

Great piece Markus....your best work so far. Your in my top 5 for sure!

[Ruth Happel]

I like the way you did this as a webtv program, and think it came across very well- you were a very informative host. I learned a lot, and the underwater footage was amazing. I also liked the way you broke up the footage, with some showing you before and after the dive, and a wide variety of animal footage shot on your dives. Fun to watch, and educational, too!

Ruth

[David Gemmell]

Hi Markus,

I also enjoyed the "WebTV" approach that you took, it really worked well. You also introduced your entry perfectly when you spoke about waiting for the sun to set, followed by a great time lapse of the sun setting. Not too sure about the shots of you at different spots on the beach?

The underwater shots were very high quality. Gee it's amazing the creatures you came across - it must feel wonderful down there at night. Commentary was very informative and I think you have a good voice for this.

You used the theme very well - with the only underwater night entry - which I think you did beautifully! You put a lot of thought and effort into this Markus and I think you should be very pleased with the outcome. One of my favourites - well done!

[Chris Barcellos]

Great underwater footage. Very ambitious.

I would love to have had a better look at your gear- camera and otherwise, and you entering the water... tough with a one man show, I understand issues there..

[Brian McKay]

Markus this was fun...I love the TV concept. Your underwater footage was wonderful and very informative. I hated that it came to an end I know you could have given me a ton of information.

I truly enjoyed the concept and the film....I'll be back to look again.

Brian

[Markus Nord]

Thanks everyone!

Meryem – The shots on the shrimps came out nice I think. I’ve been filming shrimps a couple of times now, the hard part is to guess where they are going, they seems to change direction in a sec.
Thank you for the WebTV comment. The shots with me sitting next to my gear could have been planed a bit better; I just needed tome pictures to step from moon to water. For lighting I used one of the dive lights and of course my camera (XL2-20x lens). I tried to keep that shot short so it didn’t take up times for “the real” show. I will upload a picture of me with all my gear for you.

Mat – I thought that it would be nice with a “hunt” for my creature, it’s not that fun if you just jump in the water ant “there it is”. I was thinking of the “Jeff Corwin Experience” at AP.
The Isopod is really cool looking guys… The way they crawl around, almost like the big dude in “Starship Troopers”.
The number of intro fades got a pretty good explanation; English are my second language and I speak it good but I need spellcheck to write. Because it’s my second language I have a hard time to remember al the lines in one take, so I broke them up in bits, it was easier to remember.
The artefacts are from the compression; in the next mouth I’m upgrading my hardware and software.

Ruth – Thanks Ruth, I always want an educational point of view in my films. I want the viewer to learn something from my videos (it is my work). As I answered to Mat, I wanted a hunt for the Isopod and way not show the difference from day to night – sleeping fish, moving shrimps.

David – Cool that you liked the WebTV approach. As I Answered to Mat, I hade to cut the intro up in bit, ‘cause I couldn’t remember al my lines for one take.
About my voice, I don’t mind speaking on my productions, but I need some training. I think I should check with some drama teacher, maybe they can help me out.
Night dives are a thrill, I love to dive in the cold, pitch black water and you have no clue what will be behind the next rock. I also dive caves and it’s the same feeling.
I’m pleased with the outcome; I think it worked well with the theme.

Chris – I’ll upload a picture of me with my gear ASAP (when I got a picture). I wanted a “enter the water” shot but it was no light there and the dive light was hooked up on the dive gear, and of course the camera was in the housing. With one more camera and camera guy I think it would work nice, team is nice…
But I think I worked around the issue with my black line transition (even if it technically didn’t come out the way it should have).

Brian – The time… the time… Those 3 minutes fly. I’m working right know on a 5 show, 5-10 minutes each, DVD about the Baltic Sea. It will be in Swedish at first, but I want to translate it in to English too. That’s a film about pretty much al I know about the Baltic Sea.

Thank you all for watching…


Markus Nord

[Vidar Vedaa]

Hollo Markus

I must say for my new hobby UW-photo this is rely a inspirasione.
This isopod was totaly new, I have never seen this before.
The problem in this round is to many good film.But this was a realy
good peace.

VV.

[Catherine Russell]

Hi Marcus:

Well, well, well.... what can I say? Everything about this excellent... the creativity, the really cool transitions from land to under water to land again and of course the content. In my book, this is in contention for a winner.

Way to go Marcus.... a far cry from UWOL 5 don't you think?

Cat

[Geir Inge]

Hi Markus.
Great film you braught to uwol.
Glad that you could use your under water skills (diving) this time :)
Music and narrations is very good and fit the scenes very well.
Also you have great editing skills, only one thing though.
At the beginning on the beach, fading yourself in and out to many times?
Just a personal feeling though.
Storyline is fine and your under water scenes are magnificent.
Such great colours and I do like your Isopod.
Also the TV consept worked fine.

Wish you all the best.
Geir Inge

[Dale Guthormsen]

markus,

What a great effort you put in to get this piece ready in three weeks.

Doing the time lapse in camera was interesting and i loved the two layers of clouds going perpendicular to each other.

The small shrimp was an amazing piece of footage and an amazing creature. It is great to see things I would never see in my world!!!

The videography was awesome

I liked your web TV idea, what is the deal with the monkey sounds in the opening??

This it in my top five favs.

[Steven Gotz]

I really liked this one. Not only was the subject reather interesting, the footage was well done, and the editing was very well done.

All in all, a very nice piece of work.

[Markus Nord]

Hello all…

Vidar – I’m glad I could inspire you. The Isopod is a really cool creature, and you can only se them at winter time.

Cat – Thank you Cat… that feels good to hear. I love the transitions, I made them al by my self. It’s a bit of a step from UWOL5 :)

Geir Inge – Thanks Geir Inge. I feel so much better when I’m in the water. I feel that I got a nice flow thro the film. I agree that it was too many fades in the beginning, but I couldn’t remember all my lines.
It’s cool that everyone seems to like the TV concept.

Dale – Thanks Dale, glad that you liked it. The two layers of clouds was cool, I didn’t realize that until I got home and viewed it. I choose that day cause the weather seems to be right, and it turned out good.
HAHA… the Monkey… I glad that anyone mention that :) . I didn’t really hade enough time to get a jingle for the intro, so I just grabbed a monkey sound to get a Wildlife TV program feeling in the beginning. Or it could mean that we are all monkeys :)

Steven – Glad that you liked the subject, I wasn’t sure if it was interesting enough.


Thank you all for viewing.


Markus Nord

[Bryce Comer]

Markus,
I loved your idea for the web tv show, & you pulled it off totally! The shots you got down there, were fantastic. I too dive a bit, but don't yet have a jacket for my camera. Maybe one day! Then, i guess, i will be learning a whole new world of shooting with my camera.
I loved the pace of your commentary, & it was very informative. Your films will definately be one that i will be looking closely at for inspiration!

Bryce