Uwol#21 - Abandoned by Geir Inge B. Brekke

[Geir Inge]

In this video I try to focus on what is happening to the seabirds, because of the lack of fish.
This causes the birds to abandoned their young.
I have been under water, over land and even in the air to make this video.
Species: Sandeel, Pollack (Pollachius pollachius), Saithe (Pollachius virens), Jellyfish, Arctic tern, Guillemot, Auk, Puffins, Oystercatcher, Eider, Black Scoter, Gulls and one human :)
I don't think I would have managed to complete this one without the extended deadline.
I welcome your feedback.

Locations: Crete (Greece), Runde island (Norway), Kvamsoy island (Norway
Camera: Canon XLH1 & Canon HV30 (under water scenes).
Edited in Vegas Pro 10.
Music: Inward from Sonicfire Pro 5.

Abandoned on Vimeo

[Meryem Ersoz]

PUFFINS!

I always love our little trips through Norway together, Geir. A little sad this time, to see the destruction of habitats, but always lovely to see it through your eyes.

[Simon Wood]

This is a very beautiful film.

I see a lot of similarities between this story, and 'Birds along the river' by Finn-Erik Faale. While they are quite different films, both of the stories unfold leisurely with a relaxed pace.Yet yours is a very personal, reflective film, and I think your story resonates strongly with anyone who loves the great outdoors. I can really sense your passion about the subject.

While your story is essentially a negative report on the environmental state-of-affairs, by the end of the film I get the feeling that there will yet be a happy ending. Because with dedicated people like you out there, watching over the fjord, there is hope that people will come to their senses. That's the feeling I got when I watched it (I hope I didn't read too much in to it)!

A pleasure to watch.

[Rob Evans]

I love being invited into your world Geir Inge, the scenery and pace, a simpler life with nature. Reminds me of the Western Isles of Scotland are never far from my mind. It's really shocking to witness such devastation of species even in your own lifetime, and you did well of presenting the problems and the probable causes.

I have a question about the ending - have you given up hope that anything can be changed to reverse the damage?

Nice UW footage from the hv30 - was it nice and cold? :-)

Cheers,

Rob

[Lorinda Norton]

Hi Geir,

Your personal, sincere and conversational dialog made me feel like we were old friends talking over a cup of coffee. I had to smile at your opening about sitting down, relaxing and doing nothing, as that is my specialty. :)

Looks like we have something in common--deep family roots in a rural, gentle environment that we've known our whole lives and would like to see maintained. We're "losing ground" and it's mostly beyond our control, yet, we will stay and do what we can while accepting that which we cannot change. I hope you can be a voice in bringing about a "new strategy" there.

My favorite scenes were those with the birds on the rocks and, of course, the adorable Puffins. Love to see some for myself someday. Were you in Greece or Norway when you filmed them?

Apparently, we also share taste in cameras. This Canon owner watched your video before reading the description and thought, "I'd know untouched Canon footage anywhere." Am I right in thinking that you didn't tweak the images at all? :)

[Mike Sims]

Geir Inge- We both appeared on camera this time but I think you were much more stylishly dressed! I found it very difficult to frame shots when working on both sides of the camera. I think you did a great job of it. I like the way you seamlessly integrated the footage from Norway and Crete. Your story is both poignant and very sad. Alcids are generally long lived for birds (Puffin~20 years) but, even so, ten years of zero natality will cause any population to crash. I much fear we have only seen the tip of the iceberg. I also grew up on the coast and well remember the much larger bird populations of my youth.

[Markus Nord]

Nice one GI!
Nice shots on the Puffins and the other birds.
I think we all have seen the changes and we all have the responsibility to stand up for what we se is wrong and show ppl around us. To manny ppl don't know and don't see the problem that we meet everyday.
Yes, we are only human, but we are humans with knowledge that we need to spread!

[Geir Inge]

Hello everyone and thanks for the feedback.
I really appreciate it.

Lorrinda you precious:) I do not think you will find puffins in Crete. They live in northern regions of the world, such as: Alaska, Canada, Iceland, Russia and Norway, among others.
It is easy to love puffins, it is both confident and handsome to look at.
You are right Lorrinda, no tweaking in this video :)
I had to cut down on the video's length, so eventually it was just two clips from Crete. I was out with a parachute pulled by a speed boat with my camera (I loved it).
The clip is where I land in the sea, a nice transition to the underwater shots, I think.
I am so lucky to live near several nature reserves and protected areas for seabirds. No wonder I'm fond of them:)
In this video, I would primarily focus on what is happening with the seabirds. No Rob, I have not lost faith that we can do something for seabirds, it is the cause of this video:)
If you see this video, you start to think, question it, I have achieved much. I think that all the conservation of nature and its diversity, must start with the individual - that we care.
Meryem you're right, it's a little sad this time, but sometimes we also need to show that everything is not only beautiful and fine that it is allowed to stop and think about things.
Although I do not show death and destruction in this video, you'll find it in my comments, and by reading between the lines.
I have faith that things will work out Simon, however, we need to make nature videos that have a balanced focus on the area, right? It is so easy to show the fine and beautiful that one can easily forget how the people run the world and its natural diversity.
It is quite cold water here in Norway, Rob, but I have a wetsuit that is 7 mm, so that's okay.
I had to go three times the island of Runde, before I got the recording of auks, guillemots and puffins. I was lucky, most have left the area, but few were left. I had to crawl downhills with almost 30 kg on my back - hmm am I to olde for this.
On the island of Runde there is now created an environmental center, which conducts research and education. It is both necessary and good.
Maybe we can gather, sometime in the future, a worldwide Uwol conference at the island of Runde?
There are two things (that I can think of) that I am not satisfied with this video.
One is that the sound in the opening clip is somewhat low. Second is that I have not deinterlaced video. I did not know about interlacing, before a Norwegian friend told me about it on my Vimeo Plus channel. It causes these stripes in the film; /
I'm getting into interlacing in my next uwol video :)

[Finn-Erik Faale]

Geir Inge, it is always a pleasure to watch your films from your environment.
The film has a good form and you have managed pointing at a serious and important problem in our time.
I am so fascinated by the scenes with the puffin feet and the close-up of the puffin head (01:22 – 01:33).

I am interested in your equipment for the underwater video. What sort of housing do you use for the HV30?

[Marj Atkins]

A beautiful little film Geir – poignant - and yet one that sets out the problem well and sends out a strong message.

Some really great shots of the birds in there and of course your usual, stunning landscapes. I know I am repeating myself, but Norway has to be the most exquisitely beautiful place on planet earth and it is rather sobering to think that even in beautiful places such as Norway living creatures face serious challenges.

Your style is relaxed, the story flows well and your conclusion was very clever – good use of irony. We all know perfectly well ‘what will happen to the Guillemots, Auks and the Puffins’ if the strategy is not changed – there is never an excuse for apathy!

You work is always technically good, so it is with a bit of reluctance that I mention a couple of problems with the intro and conclusion that I feel detract from this film a little:

The intro audio volume is very low and difficult to hear as you have mentioned and the volume in the next scene propels you promptly skywards if you turn it up to hear better. :)

In the opening scene your face is underexposed and lacks contrast. (I’m guessing that’s because you did all the settings before you got into the water?) Can I nit-pick here too? The horizon line is skew in your intro.

Filming oneself is difficult at the best of times but I feel it’s a pity that you didn’t retake the scenes where your head was cut off as you walked in and out of the rock scenes. (00:22 & 02:55) Minor detail but perhaps not wise for the important concluding scene.

This is an eye-opening film and both interesting and a joy to watch. I still look forward to seeing those amazing Puffins and Auks for myself one day!!! Still saving to get there!

[Geir Inge]

Thanks for comments and feedback Marj and Finn-Erik - much appreciated.

Finn-Erik: I'm using a ewamarine underwater housing. One problem with this housing is that it's difficult to watch the monitor as you're diving, even if you kan turn the monitor outside in, on the side of the camera, it's difficult to watch sidewards on the camera when you're heading forwards (swimming). Attached you will see a picture of me with the housing. Finn-Erik you have to visit Runde next year, around May/june is best to watch puffins.

Marj: You are correct in your comments, so do not feel embarrassed or anything, for that reason. We are here to give each other comments and learn from each other. I appreciate your comments very much :)
I am aware of the wrong angle on the sea. Yet I use it as a symbol of how that will go with the sea-birds, if we do nothing - downhill:) In my videos, I have occasionally used the "wrong" angle, just to get a slightly different perspective, but I'm aware of that when it comes to water, it looks a bit odd :) I's just that I sometimes don't want to follow the rules ;) it is trying, and failing, right? I think my biggest problem is the text and find the right words in English, because it's not easy to translate words from one language to another. What I say in Norwegian, you get a completely different meaning in English, but I'm glad you took the irony, that's how I thought :)

[Trond Saetre]

Hei Geir Inge,

Finally I found some time to watch the #21 entries :)

As always, you deliver quality work. You have a good story, and the visuals back it up very well.
Nice music you selected.

One technical detail:
The audio levels when watching your entry on the vimeo site is very low compared to watching the same video through the link you have here in your feedback thread. Haven't watched any other video directly from the vimeo site yet, so I'm not sure if it is only yours or all the others are affected too.

Keep up your great work!

[Bob Safay]

Geir, sorry this is delayed, I am on the road again. I want to tell you I have watched your video several times and each time I watch it I am reminded about the devistation of our environment and the wildlife that lives within it. I envy you for having grown up in such a wonderful place and also I envy you for having taken the time to realize the intricate relationship between the puffins and the fishermen. It is through videos like yours that will awaken response to the dilemma we are all facing, if you look at my other posts I continue to state that we have transgressed beyond being videographers to the point that we are educating each other and the public, and that is the best we can do, you have done that Bob

[Geir Inge]

No worries Bob, I welcome your comments anytime :)
More and more I see that I change the attitude and opinion about the environment, as time passes.
Perhaps a result of the aging process, haha​​. I'm getting older.
Maybe I should start to use the term wisdom and prudence instead?
I guess that is synonymous with aging?
Actually I have no time for uwol, but I can not help myself :)
I go to school (bachelor's) and works 80% and my family to take care of.
I will be graduating in the spring of 2012 in May though, lucky me.
In the past I have also lost two of my relatives, my mom and my sisters husband.
I wish I could spend more time on editing, as it is now - I use the sparetime to shoot the film and thats it.
Thanks for the comments on my video, I really appreciate it.

Trond: Thanks for comments on my video, missed your film in this round, perhaps next time?
When it comes to the sound of VO in the opening sequence I did a little adjustment. So the file at my Vimeo Plus account is different from the one delivered for judgement, when it comes to volume (Vimeo Pro account).