O.K., How About Plan B

[Catherine Russell]

Hello UWOL 19 players!

It isn't fair to enforce a strict deadline onto all of you when we in turn do not adhere to our own requirements. Let's get this contest rolling.

Get your links up to your films on Vimeo (or any other hosting site) and let the feedback begin! If there is anyone who has not used Vimeo or other video hosting sites before and has questions on how to get set up, fire me an e-mail and I will do all I can to help you get set up.

Don't worry, if anyone will take some flack for stepping over a courtesy rule it will be me. Like Meryem (the founder of this forum) has said in the past, rules are meant to be broken once in awhile!

All the best to everyone!

Cat

[Trond Saetre]

Break the rules, and let's follow #11.

Let the fun begin! :)

[Catherine Russell]

Well, my bad....

Looks like Mat had the films up all along.

Here's the link to the UWOL film vault of your uploaded films:

The UWOL Challenge - Wildlife & Outdoor based film competition

Cheers!

Cat

[Mike Sims]

Hey Cat, “Plan B, Rule11” is my new pet phrase! Actually, I already have a standing “Plan B”. For me it is always-”If the animal I came to record doesn’t show up, record whatever does”.

[Catherine Russell]

Oooh, I like it it! "Plan B, Rule 11".... That would be a nice UWOL theme choice, I think! ;-).

We miss you this time around, Mike. It's much better when you are on dry land and filming instead of swimming with the sharks. How's the health coming along?

Cat

[Mike Sims]

Thanks Catherine. It’s terribly frustrating being sidelined this time, especially with such fine videos and some new players. I’m feeling much better but my aerobic capacity is still quite diminished. I managed to get out a bit today and shot a little time lapse. Here is a very rough cut. The motorized slider is set at 60 degrees and 5 second interval.
http://www.hotspot-online.net/Video/tl1.mp4

[Catherine Russell]

Cool Mike:

I just got a GoPro and am excited to incorporate time laps into my videos as well! I don't have a slider or a motorized one for that matter. Motorization is the way to go though. I tried a slider once filming a segment for my long form movie with Meryem, but it was hand-held, not motorized. I couldn't believe how tough it was to get an even smooth movement off of the thing! I was able to use a short stint in my segment.

Jill's Doxology on Vimeo

starting at ~ 1:16 - 1:30. Kind of rough, I know.

Cat

[Kevin Railsback]

Cat,

If there's any play at all in your sliders sled then you need to push down on it with your hand to relive the pressure on the slider and move the whole assembly then by the sled itself. Otherwise your get what's called striction ( Sticky Friction ) The River was all done with a plain Jane slider.

[Catherine Russell]

Ah, Kevin:

How are you healing friend? I've been thinking about you!

I know there is wisdom in what you say, and I'm just going to have to go out and buy a plain Jane slider for myself. Trying it out that first time is one of the benefits of shooting a scene with Meryem... it was she that pushed me to do something new with her equipment.

Time laps and sliders are the focus of my attention over the next couple of months. I really desire to get good at these and incorporate them regularly into my films. So much to do, so little time!

Thanks for the input.

Cat

[Steve Siegel]

Playing a flute to the meadow and mountains is a wonderful idea. I see why you call it a doxology. I'm not the only one around here who is using black and white imagery! The second angle of Jill's face is very effective. Your audio is exactly perfect. You don't usually get such crisp sound online. Am I missing something in this slider business? The shots look like they are all stationary.

By the way, is the little stream in the beginning located just inside the Park, at the Estes Park entrance?

[Mike Sims]

One thing I’ve found helps tremendously when my slider sticks, especially when I am using it manually, is a little spray silicone lubricant.

[Catherine Russell]

Originally Posted by Steve Siegel

Am I missing something in this slider business? The shots look like they are all stationary.

By the way, is the little stream in the beginning located just inside the Park, at the Estes Park entrance?

LOL, my first attempt at a manual slide and it is really subtle! The only way you can actually tell is comparatively. At about 1:24 - 1:29 Jill gets closer to her "angel" who is stationary. No worries, it was about a 30 sec test at something new!

The stream is the headwaters of the Big Thompson River in Moraine Park. It's not too far from one of the entrances to the Park.

Thanks for the tips and the dialog guys!

Cat

[Steve Siegel]

Where do you get one of these sliders? Are they lightweight and easy to carry around? I've never used one, but if your manual motion is jerky, a trick I use to get smooth pans on a tripod is to hook a rubberband around the tripod handle and pull on it. It evens out your pulling force.

[David Elkins]

Steve,

This is the one I've got: indiSYSTEM - indiSLIDERpro 24" (mines the 36") but there are numerous manufacturers out there now. Kessler makes one that is pretty popular, not sure how portable it is. Mine is portable enough, but I don't think I'll be taking it on any overnight backpacking trips. All together it probably weighs 15-20 lbs. and I need my big tripod to mount it on or at least a couple sandbags to level it right on the ground.

The 'ol rubberband trick is definitely what I use for panning on a tripod, but with the slider it can be tough because the track may have sections that are slicker than others. This leads to a jumpiness in your move, although I have had decent results with bungee cords. I have found that steady downward pressure and utilizing the drag to control the rate/speed works best. As Mike mentioned too, I use silicon spray on the tracks to lube them up. However, I almost always do several takes before I am satisfied I got smooth motion. It takes a lot of practice and patience.