Tales of Wonder and Woe: UWOL-Long-Form 2009

Steve Siegel · October 1st, 2009, 03:04 PM

Well, I guess we are all getting down to the wire about now, and finding out that some shots we want to get are just not going to happen, so I have a question about the rules.
We are allowed to use up to three minutes of footage shot for previous UWOL contests. Can that mean "shot for a previous contest, but not actually used", or does it have to be "shot for a previous contest and actually appearing in the entry"? I know I have a good deal of the former, while the latter interpretation is much more restrictive.

Meryem Ersoz · October 1st, 2009, 05:50 PM

it had to be shot as part of your commitment to a previous UWOL project - but doesn't necessarily have to had made it into that same project. honor system prevails, as usual.

Mihali Moore · October 14th, 2009, 02:47 AM

Unfortunately I have been busy with work and have spent a lot of time away since the Augusts deadline, therefore have not had a chance to do any filming for my long from project. As the last deadline is upon us I have to bow out of the competition. However, I will continue to acquire more footage and hopefully next year end up with a finished film.

Good luck to the others and well done for getting this far. I await the final films with baited breath!

Cheers

Catherine Russell · October 14th, 2009, 07:37 AM

You will be missed Mihali, you have an interesting film in the works. As the long formers have discussed on another thread, we too intend to keep filming into next year in hopes that we will have acceptably covered our topics by that time. Keep it up!

All the best,

Cat

Chris Swanberg · October 15th, 2009, 06:42 PM

Cat's right Mihali... stay on with us as we work through the following year as a group to refine our visions and get more feedback. I think you will be pleasantly surprised how many of us want to continue to work as a group on our individual films over the following year. Meryem has graciously allowed us to us this forum to do so, even "post contest".

Keep up your excellent work and share with us and add input to our films as well.

Chris

Finn-Erik Faale · October 16th, 2009, 12:45 PM

Mihali,
I feel so sorry about your decision. You have one of the strongest projects, great shots and a good story to develop. Your film would be difficult to beat.
I am also concerned about several participants. Maybe they are even later than me to update the thread, and set up a link for the film?

Mike Sims · October 26th, 2009, 09:02 AM

Well, I’ve suffered a real setback. The motherboard on my editing computer has failed. I think my work is intact, but none of my other machines are up to spec to run the editing software. I’m exploring options. The image quality of the best of my SD footage is simply blown away by the results the rest of you are achieving, so I don’t really view this as a competition (for me anyway). It has, however, been a challenge. Mostly it has been a privilege just to hang out with and learn from you guys! At this point I’d just like to be in it at the end. We’ll see…

Catherine Russell · October 26th, 2009, 12:43 PM

Come on Mike! Replace your motherboard and get on it. Thank goodness you feel pretty sure your material is o.k. (that's a fear we all live with... losing material in a drive failure). Your vulture idea is really unique and technically not the simplest of effects to pull off. I'm looking forward to your final entry with the whole story told. It's been a joy to watch the works in progress.

Cat

Chris Swanberg · October 26th, 2009, 06:08 PM

Mike.. I'm with Cat on this. Your images and catalogue of them is phenomenal. It is easy to get lost on the HD aspects of images, and forget just basic good photography is what it is all about. I'd rather watch your images in SD than many images I have seen from time to time in HD. Content is king...and yours is awesome.

If at all possible...Stay the course my friend.

Chris

ps. (And work with many of us who will continue to perfect their piece(s) during the next year.)

Mike Sims · October 31st, 2009, 08:25 AM

I got the new motherboard in and everything working- somewhat. There are still some driver issues to sort. The bad news is that my contest files on one hard drive were corrupted. The good news is that I have backups. Now about 150 clips in the timeline need to be replaced by their backups. The BU files aren’t trimmed, so I have to do a little editing too. This weekend I should finally get back to where I was before all this- fingers crossed! Thanks to Catherine and Chris for the words of encouragement. They were a big help. I’m nominating both of you for the “True Spirit of UWOL” award!

Dale Guthormsen · October 31st, 2009, 10:17 AM

Mike,

Great things are getting sorted out for you!!! If what happened to you, happened to me I would be totally knocked off and devastated!!

Yes, the more this project came along the more I realize it is a huge undertaking requiring more time than I thought!!!!!

Good luck.

Dale Guthormsen · November 5th, 2009, 10:40 PM

Good evening:

spent most of today resolving a disaster. computer crashed for who knows what reason, I wasn't even using it at the time and it was setting idle!!!

all my long form stuff would not come up in my programs, no pathway!!! 6 months of work down the old throne pipe!!!

Well, I finally managed to grab each nestable project and then spend the entire day recombining them. Had to go back and recapture a bit of footage. My fire wire card seems defunct on my new computer preventing neoscene from working, had to capture m2t files on my old computer, transfer to the new one and then render as cineform files.

what a gong show!!

We have 30 minutes in the can.

On a three day shoot for Part 2 tomarrow sat and sunday.

Had I known the amount of work this was going to be I may have not bothered!!!

I hope everyone else has no blemishes in their final run on the program they are building!!!

Chris Swanberg · November 10th, 2009, 09:53 PM

Well... what with some issues on material timing, and some less than perfect planning on my part and a lot of life getting in the way right here at the end, I already know I won't be meeting the final deadline to be a contestant. But then, I realized I was never likely to have my first effort at a long film likely to be worthy of being in the judging in any event, but that knowledge has never held me back. I have been zealous in my pursuit of my goal. Due to the nature of my film that has translated into over a dozen books read, and countless hours of other research, and every book and research find brings things to my attention I had never realized before and want to somehow include in my film. It may even spawn other efforts on my part.

That said, I will tell you that I am committed to finishing my film about Glacier and look forward to the collegial collaboration with my fellow long formers in the coming year that may take. I guess entering this contest was more a way to keep me focused and get some useful feedback (and an unexpected bonus of encouragement) than it ever was an attempt to be a "contender". I'm fully cognizant of the skills of my fellow film makers and hope to someday possess those - this has been, and will be a learning process for me, a way to advance my own skills, and I thank everyone for your feedback and thoughts along the that way. You all inspire me.

I will get something up in a new thread, respectfully after the deadline...either started by Meryem, or if I beat her to it, me. Maybe it should be called "the Year After" or something <g>. I'd like to think that making it to this point should be a condition to entry in the "club" <g> and I am reminded mirthfully of the old saying that "I wouldn't want to belong to a club that would have me".

I'm looking forward to seing the "finalists". You are an awesome group - each and every one of you... Cat, Bob, Mat, Dale, Mike, Marj, Steve, Geir, Rob and our UWOL 15 winner Finn-Erik. Thank you all and good luck.

Chris S.

ps. As I re-read this, it occurred to me that other folks signed up may have dropped out in earlier rounds for very similar reasons as I did this round, and are still working on their films too... I would hope that they would be a part of whatever "group" evolves to continue their quest - my idea of "making it to this point " as a condition of membership in the "club" was not well thought out - at all. I'd rather be inclusive, rather than exclusive. Apologies.

Geir Inge · November 11th, 2009, 12:33 AM

Hi everyone.

Well, due to my schoolwork I now see I have to change my priorities.
So I wont be able to deliver a long form video with in the deadline.
I will keep on working on my video and try to finished it during the next year.
It will be a norwegian version and I will try to sell it to national TV in Norway.
Still I want to thank you all for support and feedback.
I feel, and this goes for most of my Uwol videos too, that there is a little bit of you in them and especially in my Long form video.

All the best and good luck to the rest of you.
Geir Inge

Chris Swanberg · November 11th, 2009, 01:25 AM

Geir.. I obviously understand, fully. I think your resulting film would be very saleable to National TV. I would hope you will stay with me, and any others who may continue to provide feedback and encouragement during the next year. All the best..

Chris S.

October 14th, 2009, 02:47 AM	#183
Mihali Moore Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Bristol Posts: 92	Out of the long form Unfortunately I have been busy with work and have spent a lot of time away since the Augusts deadline, therefore have not had a chance to do any filming for my long from project. As the last deadline is upon us I have to bow out of the competition. However, I will continue to acquire more footage and hopefully next year end up with a finished film. Good luck to the others and well done for getting this far. I await the final films with baited breath! Cheers Last edited by Mihali Moore; October 14th, 2009 at 03:40 AM.

October 26th, 2009, 09:02 AM	#187
Mike Sims Major Player Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 880	Down, but not out-yet... Well, I’ve suffered a real setback. The motherboard on my editing computer has failed. I think my work is intact, but none of my other machines are up to spec to run the editing software. I’m exploring options. The image quality of the best of my SD footage is simply blown away by the results the rest of you are achieving, so I don’t really view this as a competition (for me anyway). It has, however, been a challenge. Mostly it has been a privilege just to hang out with and learn from you guys! At this point I’d just like to be in it at the end. We’ll see…

October 31st, 2009, 08:25 AM	#190
Mike Sims Major Player Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 880	In with a chance...(of finishing!) I got the new motherboard in and everything working- somewhat. There are still some driver issues to sort. The bad news is that my contest files on one hard drive were corrupted. The good news is that I have backups. Now about 150 clips in the timeline need to be replaced by their backups. The BU files aren’t trimmed, so I have to do a little editing too. This weekend I should finally get back to where I was before all this- fingers crossed! Thanks to Catherine and Chris for the words of encouragement. They were a big help. I’m nominating both of you for the “True Spirit of UWOL” award!

October 31st, 2009, 10:17 AM	#191
Dale Guthormsen Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Saskatchewan Posts: 3,048	Mike, Great things are getting sorted out for you!!! If what happened to you, happened to me I would be totally knocked off and devastated!! Yes, the more this project came along the more I realize it is a huge undertaking requiring more time than I thought!!!!! Good luck. __________________ DATS ALL FOLKS Dale W. Guthormsen

November 5th, 2009, 10:40 PM	#192
Dale Guthormsen Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Saskatchewan Posts: 3,048	ten Days to go!! Good evening: spent most of today resolving a disaster. computer crashed for who knows what reason, I wasn't even using it at the time and it was setting idle!!! all my long form stuff would not come up in my programs, no pathway!!! 6 months of work down the old throne pipe!!! Well, I finally managed to grab each nestable project and then spend the entire day recombining them. Had to go back and recapture a bit of footage. My fire wire card seems defunct on my new computer preventing neoscene from working, had to capture m2t files on my old computer, transfer to the new one and then render as cineform files. what a gong show!! We have 30 minutes in the can. On a three day shoot for Part 2 tomarrow sat and sunday. Had I known the amount of work this was going to be I may have not bothered!!! I hope everyone else has no blemishes in their final run on the program they are building!!! __________________ DATS ALL FOLKS Dale W. Guthormsen

October 1st, 2009, 03:04 PM	#181
Steve Siegel Major Player Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Posts: 840	Well, I guess we are all getting down to the wire about now, and finding out that some shots we want to get are just not going to happen, so I have a question about the rules. We are allowed to use up to three minutes of footage shot for previous UWOL contests. Can that mean "shot for a previous contest, but not actually used", or does it have to be "shot for a previous contest and actually appearing in the entry"? I know I have a good deal of the former, while the latter interpretation is much more restrictive.

October 1st, 2009, 05:50 PM	#182
Meryem Ersoz Wrangler Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 3,015	it had to be shot as part of your commitment to a previous UWOL project - but doesn't necessarily have to had made it into that same project. honor system prevails, as usual.

October 14th, 2009, 07:37 AM	#184
Catherine Russell Trustee Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Lyons, Colorado Posts: 1,224	You will be missed Mihali, you have an interesting film in the works. As the long formers have discussed on another thread, we too intend to keep filming into next year in hopes that we will have acceptably covered our topics by that time. Keep it up! All the best, Cat

October 15th, 2009, 06:42 PM	#185
Chris Swanberg Major Player Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Sacramento, CA Posts: 904	Cat's right Mihali... stay on with us as we work through the following year as a group to refine our visions and get more feedback. I think you will be pleasantly surprised how many of us want to continue to work as a group on our individual films over the following year. Meryem has graciously allowed us to us this forum to do so, even "post contest". Keep up your excellent work and share with us and add input to our films as well. Chris

October 16th, 2009, 12:45 PM	#186
Finn-Erik Faale Major Player Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Porsgrunn Norway Posts: 280	Mihali, I feel so sorry about your decision. You have one of the strongest projects, great shots and a good story to develop. Your film would be difficult to beat. I am also concerned about several participants. Maybe they are even later than me to update the thread, and set up a link for the film?

October 26th, 2009, 12:43 PM	#188
Catherine Russell Trustee Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Lyons, Colorado Posts: 1,224	Come on Mike! Replace your motherboard and get on it. Thank goodness you feel pretty sure your material is o.k. (that's a fear we all live with... losing material in a drive failure). Your vulture idea is really unique and technically not the simplest of effects to pull off. I'm looking forward to your final entry with the whole story told. It's been a joy to watch the works in progress. Cat

October 26th, 2009, 06:08 PM	#189
Chris Swanberg Major Player Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Sacramento, CA Posts: 904	Mike.. I'm with Cat on this. Your images and catalogue of them is phenomenal. It is easy to get lost on the HD aspects of images, and forget just basic good photography is what it is all about. I'd rather watch your images in SD than many images I have seen from time to time in HD. Content is king...and yours is awesome. If at all possible...Stay the course my friend. Chris ps. (And work with many of us who will continue to perfect their piece(s) during the next year.)

November 10th, 2009, 09:53 PM	#193
Chris Swanberg Major Player Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Sacramento, CA Posts: 904	Well... what with some issues on material timing, and some less than perfect planning on my part and a lot of life getting in the way right here at the end, I already know I won't be meeting the final deadline to be a contestant. But then, I realized I was never likely to have my first effort at a long film likely to be worthy of being in the judging in any event, but that knowledge has never held me back. I have been zealous in my pursuit of my goal. Due to the nature of my film that has translated into over a dozen books read, and countless hours of other research, and every book and research find brings things to my attention I had never realized before and want to somehow include in my film. It may even spawn other efforts on my part. That said, I will tell you that I am committed to finishing my film about Glacier and look forward to the collegial collaboration with my fellow long formers in the coming year that may take. I guess entering this contest was more a way to keep me focused and get some useful feedback (and an unexpected bonus of encouragement) than it ever was an attempt to be a "contender". I'm fully cognizant of the skills of my fellow film makers and hope to someday possess those - this has been, and will be a learning process for me, a way to advance my own skills, and I thank everyone for your feedback and thoughts along the that way. You all inspire me. I will get something up in a new thread, respectfully after the deadline...either started by Meryem, or if I beat her to it, me. Maybe it should be called "the Year After" or something <g>. I'd like to think that making it to this point should be a condition to entry in the "club" <g> and I am reminded mirthfully of the old saying that "I wouldn't want to belong to a club that would have me". I'm looking forward to seing the "finalists". You are an awesome group - each and every one of you... Cat, Bob, Mat, Dale, Mike, Marj, Steve, Geir, Rob and our UWOL 15 winner Finn-Erik. Thank you all and good luck. Chris S. ps. As I re-read this, it occurred to me that other folks signed up may have dropped out in earlier rounds for very similar reasons as I did this round, and are still working on their films too... I would hope that they would be a part of whatever "group" evolves to continue their quest - my idea of "making it to this point " as a condition of membership in the "club" was not well thought out - at all. I'd rather be inclusive, rather than exclusive. Apologies. Last edited by Chris Swanberg; November 11th, 2009 at 01:21 AM.

November 11th, 2009, 12:33 AM	#194
Geir Inge Trustee Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Larsnes, Norway Posts: 1,343	Hi everyone. Well, due to my schoolwork I now see I have to change my priorities. So I wont be able to deliver a long form video with in the deadline. I will keep on working on my video and try to finished it during the next year. It will be a norwegian version and I will try to sell it to national TV in Norway. Still I want to thank you all for support and feedback. I feel, and this goes for most of my Uwol videos too, that there is a little bit of you in them and especially in my Long form video. All the best and good luck to the rest of you. Geir Inge __________________ Geir Inge B. Brekke Visit me at: https://vimeo.com/gibbfilm

November 11th, 2009, 01:25 AM	#195
Chris Swanberg Major Player Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Sacramento, CA Posts: 904	Geir.. I obviously understand, fully. I think your resulting film would be very saleable to National TV. I would hope you will stay with me, and any others who may continue to provide feedback and encouragement during the next year. All the best.. Chris S.