UWOL #20 - Vernal Light

[Ruth Happel]

I finally finished a video and don't have to swim with the sharks! After a serious shoulder injury a couple years ago it's been a long road getting back into making videos. Finally my shoulder is mostly better, and I'm excited to be back in the field shooting video. This effort was hampered by computer troubles, so I needed to submit it early without the narration I had hoped to use. I hope next round my computer is more cooperative. This was edited with Vegas, music courtesy of Sonicfire which I edited to fit the video.

Thanks for a fun theme- made me really think about light, and how to portray the essence of all video.

Here is a link to my video- YouTube - VernalLightFinal320.mp4

[Mike Sims]

Hi Ruth. It’s been a while since we have seen a video from you. About time too! Very enjoyable, I watched it several times. My favorite shots were the newts (Everyone around here knows I like salamanders. I’m working on a video in which they play a major part.) and the owl. All the clips were great. I’m glad your shoulder is better. I hope we get to see more from you soon! Thanks.

[Chris Barcellos]

Beautiful stuff, Ruth.

[Bill Thesken]

Very nice Ruth. I like the mix of tripod and handheld effect, and also the mix of flowers animals and music. A very relaxing film.

[Catherine Russell]

Hi Ruth;

Welcome back friend. It is wonderful to see your handiwork again after a two-year hiatus! You have brought us a spring bouquet of animals and flowers to soak up, relax in and enjoy. Thank you for the refreshments!

I'm looking forward to more films from you, now that you are injury free and back behind the camera lens again.

Cat

[Steve Siegel]

Ruth,

When I saw the Dutchman's Breeches, I knew this would be a treat. The dogwood, redbud and early maple confirmed it. Thanks for the spring we never can enjoy down here. You really captured the feeling of the vernal time. Now all we need is some Spring Peepers. It's good to have you back.

[Dale Guthormsen]

Ruth,

What a broad array of wildlife in your film!! I really liked the black bears and barred owl(?). For the flora, I really loved that range flower, what was that?

I think the pace was really nice, perhaps a couple clips were to short for me (I have the antithesis of attention deficit, needing more time for full appreciation of things).

as always I was not dissappointed, great to have you back in action once again!!!

Ahhhh, computers: you love em, you hate em!

[Trond Saetre]

Hi Ruth, it's good to have you back!

The black bear shots was my favorite. But whoaa, so crisp colors of the flowers! Very nice.
Well done!

[Geir Inge]

Hi Ruth.
First I must say how wonderful it is to have you back, but to me you where never really gone. I've been a big fan of your films and audio works, sinse first time you cheched in on uwol. I will always admire your work and carry it with me.
It's so great to see how you play with the scenes and make stories out of them. I fancy the bear with the stick. So amusing :) and the otter was great too. You let the music play along with the many different species you have included and each scene and clip is put together perfectly.

I hope you are doing fine and wish you good luck.
All the best from Norway :)
Geir Inge

[Ruth Happel]

Dale, thanks for the kind comments. At first I was having trouble figuring out what you meant by range flower. Got up WAY too early this AM (Our current schedule is a 5:30 wake up time, which even for a morning lover is more like night). The ORANGE flower is Ranunculus.

Originally I had longer clips but decided to tighten it up and have the video flicker just like the early spring light, moving fast. Maybe that was a bit too cerebral a take on the theme, and I should have kept the longer segments. Somehow though spring always goes by too fast for me, and the pace of the film conveyed the fast changes of the season.

Computers- mainly this round I was veering more toward the hate end of things :)

[Ruth Happel]

Mike,

I guess we'd be set if the next theme was salamanders! Tell me more about your salamander video!!!

[Ruth Happel]

Chris and Bill- Thanks for the kind comments. I'm glad for the timing of the contest that I was able to take advantage of the abundance of the spring season here.

Steve- The peepers were calling during filming, they still are now. They are really special to me. My aunt and I used to go on an annual spring peeper hunt in upstate NY, which I'm sure launched my love of wildlife. But the camera I am using is terrible at low light, so I figured the peepers would just need to be implied with the sunset and owl.

Trond- The bear with the uncooperative tongue was my favorite. I have never seen a bear do that before. I had a humorous script to incorporate that- going back to my early films emphasizing humor- but just didn't have the time or computer karma to get that done.

Geir- Thanks for the kind words. The bear with the stick was to be part of a humorous script I wrote out but couldn't get in because my computer had other ideas. But I liked the acting of the bears especially. It was fun to see how we both focused on otters, too. They are such great creatures. Good luck with your studies- it is great you could finish a film in the midst of that, too. I look forward to the next round, and a chance to see and hear another of your wildlife stories.

[Ruth Happel]

Cat,

Thanks for the welcome back. And thanks for taking on the UWOL challenge, quite a responsibility. My shoulder is still not 100%, but I am definitely back to video, and will eagerly wait for the next challenge. I appreciate you carrying on this great community of film and friendship.

Ruth

[Geir Inge]

Originally Posted by Ruth Happel

Geir- ..... Good luck with your studies- it is great you could finish a film in the midst of that, too. I look forward to the next round, and a chance to see and hear another of your wildlife stories.

Thank you Ruth for kind words. On Thursday 5.May, I will get the result from my 2.year exam. I just hope I made it. One year left to go, and I will be finished next spring, jippy :)
And yes otters are great animals, so full of life and that makes them not so easy to follow at times :)