UWOL #6 Ventura Beach at DVinfo.net

Chris Eugster · November 20th, 2007, 08:04 PM

Just posting this since it appears to be mandatory. I didn't spend enough time on this project due to surprise family visits and Plan A and B falling through. I do like the shot of the birds flying off but otherwise I'm not too happy with this work.

http://www.uwolchallenge.com/challen...nturabeach.mov

Bruce Foreman · November 20th, 2007, 08:37 PM

Well, Chris. You got some beautiful sunset seascape stuff. That had to have been worth pushing to get the project done. We do what we can with the hand we're dealt and I admire you're getting something done.

I understand about surprise visits and all. Some of those folks just don't understand our commitment to what we do.

I didn't have the kind of thing I would have liked to do either. But I enjoyed watching what you did.

Brian McKay · November 20th, 2007, 09:45 PM

Chris I must agree the footage of the birds once they come above the horizon was great...put that in your never delete file for sure. I enjoyed the film, liked the music and only wish it was as warm here in my winterly home.

Thanks for bringing this to us.

Brian

Ruth Happel · November 20th, 2007, 09:53 PM

Chris,

As everyone has said, the bird footage was spectacular. I thought the music really enhanced the mood, though at least on my computer it seemed to end pretty abruptly.

The colors you got both in the sunset, and twilight, were really nice. Looked like a nice place to be, too. Thanks for sharing.

Ruth

Meryem Ersoz · November 20th, 2007, 11:05 PM

nice closing shot, the birds flying towards the palm trees is quite lovely.

you definitely walked right into the hardest theme we have ever posted.

it's a cool idea, night surfing, and nicely executed in many ways--you shot some gorgeous colors. it just needed more variety, i wonder what kind of rig you're shooting and whether more close-up work is an option with what you have. or some interviews with the surfers talking about what it's like to surf at that hour...something to supplement what you already have with some variety.

three weeks always seems like a long time to finish one of these, up until the deadline rolls around! hope you'll join us for another round.

David Gemmell · November 21st, 2007, 02:54 AM

Hi Chris,

What a wonderful use of the theme - absolutely brilliant!

The beautiful sun set colour, with the lone surfer worked beautifully, as well as the birds (need to watch your horizons) flying.

I think a different style of music may have conveyed the mood better and probably needed shots from different positions (I understand you may have been trying to keep the aperture open as much as posibble).

Overall, I think you did very well considering some of the issues you mentioned putting this piece together.

Well done.

Catherine Russell · November 21st, 2007, 07:53 AM

Hey Chris:

You are not so off the mark as you might think. It was all there, it just needed more time to be developed. The gorgeous colors at sunset, the guy surfing in the last of light, the birds above the skyline in all that warm red color, and the choice of music .... so Ventura Beach! Meryem had some good input about possibly getting some comments from the surfer about how it felt surfing so late into days end. This of course takes a bit of planning and time to execute which sounds like that didn't pan out this time.

PLUS: I loved the text effect at the start. PERFECT! It really set the scene. I love the "subtle" use of special effects and have an eye for how other people use it. I put "subtle" in quotes because one feedback on my previous film from UWOL 5 was that I was a little heavy-handed on the special effects HA!

Nice film Chris! Keep them coming!

Cat

Dale Guthormsen · November 21st, 2007, 02:18 PM

Chris

Ventura beach, A place I spent quite a bit of time in the far distant past!! I used to visit a friend on Dove street just up from the beach. So it kind of triggers some memories for me!!

Nice theme, wished I could have seen the surfers better, guess I will have to wait for another challenge this next year for that!!

Generally it seemed like you were trying to film daylight at night.

the establishing shot was beautiful. the closing shot of the three geese up in the orange sky with the tree on the lower right side of the frame would have made a fantastic closing shot, perhaps as a still and then credits over. anyway, what a view!!!

thanks for sharing your time and effort. as I said, it wrought out some memories of the dark ages for me!!

Geir Inge · November 22nd, 2007, 07:20 AM

Hi Chris.
I just sat and waited for some Beach Boys music :)
But your choice of soundtrack was nice though.
Also wanted to see some more close ups.
Great colors and the sky was magnificent and the birds at the end was stunning. Never tried surfing so it was nice to watch some sports in this round of uwol.

All the best.
Geir Inge

Per Johan Naesje · November 22nd, 2007, 07:29 AM

Chris, liked your entry. This time of year there not much surfing around where I live.
Second much of what the others have said.

Stay warm!

Chris Eugster · November 22nd, 2007, 11:02 PM

Thanks for all the comments! I never considered interviewing the surfers, that would have been a good idea. I definitely got lucky with the orange sky. I had the gain boosted to +12 the whole time, I could have switched it to 18 to see better, but thought it was pushed enough already. The result surprised me since I couldn't see much at all just looking out over the water. I shoot with a Canon A1, just recently picked it up and so far I love it. Even though it looks so warm those surfers are crazy, it was under 50 degrees out and the Pacific is cold!
My original plan was some waterscapes up in the mountains but believe it or not, it's so dry down here in Southern California that one pond I went to was completely dried out and the stream reduced to a trickle. Wildlife is next to impossible to find after the wildfires. I thought the ocean would be a little boring after dark, but then i remembered the diehard surfers who stay out after the sun goes down. It was an enjoyable project and I definitely look forward to the next one.
I've mostly done sports shooting, the last project I worked on was for a car racer. The semi final version of his video is at www.7cs.us the middle version is where we are currently, until I hear back from him with changes etc. If you happen to go check that out be patient the videos are larger size to preserve some quality.

Once again thanks for all the comments It's good to get out and shoot even when we can't see!

Bryce Comer · November 23rd, 2007, 01:51 AM

Hi Chris,
I loved your film, Ok, so it didn't have a lot of wildlife in it, but for a surf movie it was shreddin! I really liked the colours you were able to get with that sunset. The whole thing reminded me of when i used to surf, & sometimes even in the middle of night on a full moon. That was always eary, & i must admit a bit scary since you would never have a chance of seeing a shark if it were nearby! Just one thing on the technical side, i would have liked to have seen your last shot used as either a transition where you let the birds fly by out of shot & then cut to another shot, or alternatively, used the shot where it was at the end, but have them fly out of the shot to end rather than fade to black. Just my opinion. :)

All in all, a great job, i really liked it.

Bryce

John Dennis Robertson · November 23rd, 2007, 06:36 AM

Bruce Brown the Godfather of surfing and offroad motorcycle movies is one of my all time best movie producers.The colors in your movie reminded me so much of the Endless summer surf video,I just had to dig out my old Bruce Brown movies and get inspired all over again.You said you were not too happy with the overall production of this piece,but as Cat said, You not too far off at all.

Trond Saetre · November 23rd, 2007, 08:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris Eugster

Just posting this since it appears to be mandatory.

Chris, it is not mandatory, but the reason for posting these threads is to get feedback to your own film. And the feedback is maybe the most important part, since it gives you a chance to improve your own skills and to give you new ideas.

Anyway, I really like what you made. I agree with the previous comments you have received. Great colors of the sky!
A detail: Some of the shots were a little bit shaky. To smoothen this a bit would improve your video.

Thank you for sharing your artwork about the californian night. Please stay with us in the future challenges. We need your films too!

November 20th, 2007, 08:04 PM	#1
Chris Eugster New Boot Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Oxnard, CA Posts: 15	UWOL #6 Ventura Beach Just posting this since it appears to be mandatory. I didn't spend enough time on this project due to surprise family visits and Plan A and B falling through. I do like the shot of the birds flying off but otherwise I'm not too happy with this work. http://www.uwolchallenge.com/challen...nturabeach.mov

November 21st, 2007, 02:18 PM	#8
Dale Guthormsen Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Saskatchewan Posts: 3,048	Chris Ventura beach, A place I spent quite a bit of time in the far distant past!! I used to visit a friend on Dove street just up from the beach. So it kind of triggers some memories for me!! Nice theme, wished I could have seen the surfers better, guess I will have to wait for another challenge this next year for that!! Generally it seemed like you were trying to film daylight at night. the establishing shot was beautiful. the closing shot of the three geese up in the orange sky with the tree on the lower right side of the frame would have made a fantastic closing shot, perhaps as a still and then credits over. anyway, what a view!!! thanks for sharing your time and effort. as I said, it wrought out some memories of the dark ages for me!! __________________ DATS ALL FOLKS Dale W. Guthormsen

November 22nd, 2007, 07:20 AM	#9
Geir Inge Trustee Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Larsnes, Norway Posts: 1,343	Hi Chris. I just sat and waited for some Beach Boys music :) But your choice of soundtrack was nice though. Also wanted to see some more close ups. Great colors and the sky was magnificent and the birds at the end was stunning. Never tried surfing so it was nice to watch some sports in this round of uwol. All the best. Geir Inge __________________ Geir Inge B. Brekke Visit me at: https://vimeo.com/gibbfilm

November 22nd, 2007, 07:29 AM	#10
Per Johan Naesje Trustee Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Akershus, Norway Posts: 1,413	Chris, liked your entry. This time of year there not much surfing around where I live. Second much of what the others have said. Stay warm! __________________ - Per Johan

November 20th, 2007, 08:37 PM	#2
Bruce Foreman Trustee Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: San Angelo Texas Posts: 1,518	Well, Chris. You got some beautiful sunset seascape stuff. That had to have been worth pushing to get the project done. We do what we can with the hand we're dealt and I admire you're getting something done. I understand about surprise visits and all. Some of those folks just don't understand our commitment to what we do. I didn't have the kind of thing I would have liked to do either. But I enjoyed watching what you did.

November 20th, 2007, 09:45 PM	#3
Brian McKay Major Player Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Rankin Inlet, Nunavut Canada Posts: 289	Chris I must agree the footage of the birds once they come above the horizon was great...put that in your never delete file for sure. I enjoyed the film, liked the music and only wish it was as warm here in my winterly home. Thanks for bringing this to us. Brian

November 20th, 2007, 09:53 PM	#4
Ruth Happel Major Player Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Black Mountain, NC Posts: 488	Chris, As everyone has said, the bird footage was spectacular. I thought the music really enhanced the mood, though at least on my computer it seemed to end pretty abruptly. The colors you got both in the sunset, and twilight, were really nice. Looked like a nice place to be, too. Thanks for sharing. Ruth

November 20th, 2007, 11:05 PM	#5
Meryem Ersoz Wrangler Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 3,015	nice closing shot, the birds flying towards the palm trees is quite lovely. you definitely walked right into the hardest theme we have ever posted. it's a cool idea, night surfing, and nicely executed in many ways--you shot some gorgeous colors. it just needed more variety, i wonder what kind of rig you're shooting and whether more close-up work is an option with what you have. or some interviews with the surfers talking about what it's like to surf at that hour...something to supplement what you already have with some variety. three weeks always seems like a long time to finish one of these, up until the deadline rolls around! hope you'll join us for another round.

November 21st, 2007, 02:54 AM	#6
David Gemmell Major Player Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Bendigo, Australia Posts: 234	Hi Chris, What a wonderful use of the theme - absolutely brilliant! The beautiful sun set colour, with the lone surfer worked beautifully, as well as the birds (need to watch your horizons) flying. I think a different style of music may have conveyed the mood better and probably needed shots from different positions (I understand you may have been trying to keep the aperture open as much as posibble). Overall, I think you did very well considering some of the issues you mentioned putting this piece together. Well done.

November 21st, 2007, 07:53 AM	#7
Catherine Russell Trustee Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Lyons, Colorado Posts: 1,224	Hey Chris: You are not so off the mark as you might think. It was all there, it just needed more time to be developed. The gorgeous colors at sunset, the guy surfing in the last of light, the birds above the skyline in all that warm red color, and the choice of music .... so Ventura Beach! Meryem had some good input about possibly getting some comments from the surfer about how it felt surfing so late into days end. This of course takes a bit of planning and time to execute which sounds like that didn't pan out this time. PLUS: I loved the text effect at the start. PERFECT! It really set the scene. I love the "subtle" use of special effects and have an eye for how other people use it. I put "subtle" in quotes because one feedback on my previous film from UWOL 5 was that I was a little heavy-handed on the special effects HA! Nice film Chris! Keep them coming! Cat

November 22nd, 2007, 11:02 PM	#11
Chris Eugster New Boot Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Oxnard, CA Posts: 15	Thanks for all the comments! I never considered interviewing the surfers, that would have been a good idea. I definitely got lucky with the orange sky. I had the gain boosted to +12 the whole time, I could have switched it to 18 to see better, but thought it was pushed enough already. The result surprised me since I couldn't see much at all just looking out over the water. I shoot with a Canon A1, just recently picked it up and so far I love it. Even though it looks so warm those surfers are crazy, it was under 50 degrees out and the Pacific is cold! My original plan was some waterscapes up in the mountains but believe it or not, it's so dry down here in Southern California that one pond I went to was completely dried out and the stream reduced to a trickle. Wildlife is next to impossible to find after the wildfires. I thought the ocean would be a little boring after dark, but then i remembered the diehard surfers who stay out after the sun goes down. It was an enjoyable project and I definitely look forward to the next one. I've mostly done sports shooting, the last project I worked on was for a car racer. The semi final version of his video is at www.7cs.us the middle version is where we are currently, until I hear back from him with changes etc. If you happen to go check that out be patient the videos are larger size to preserve some quality. Once again thanks for all the comments It's good to get out and shoot even when we can't see!

November 23rd, 2007, 01:51 AM	#12
Bryce Comer Trustee Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Rossland, British Columbia Posts: 1,024	Hi Chris, I loved your film, Ok, so it didn't have a lot of wildlife in it, but for a surf movie it was shreddin! I really liked the colours you were able to get with that sunset. The whole thing reminded me of when i used to surf, & sometimes even in the middle of night on a full moon. That was always eary, & i must admit a bit scary since you would never have a chance of seeing a shark if it were nearby! Just one thing on the technical side, i would have liked to have seen your last shot used as either a transition where you let the birds fly by out of shot & then cut to another shot, or alternatively, used the shot where it was at the end, but have them fly out of the shot to end rather than fade to black. Just my opinion. :) All in all, a great job, i really liked it. Bryce

November 23rd, 2007, 06:36 AM	#13
John Dennis Robertson Major Player Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Johanesburg South Africa Posts: 217	Bruce Brown the Godfather of surfing and offroad motorcycle movies is one of my all time best movie producers.The colors in your movie reminded me so much of the Endless summer surf video,I just had to dig out my old Bruce Brown movies and get inspired all over again.You said you were not too happy with the overall production of this piece,but as Cat said, You not too far off at all.