Tales of wonders and woes - UC26

[Trond Saetre]

The good, the bad and the ugly... and everything in between.
Bring on the tales of the impact.

Oh, and make sure to follow the important rule 11! :)

[Catherine Russell]

Hi all:

Well, yesterday was a fun day of "close but not quites" with a real heartbreaker thrown in! We are warming up here in Colorado and the Rattlers are out. I went out hunting for them and didn't find one, even though I've been seeing them out quite a bit lately. What I did come away with was a couple of Bull snakes and amazingly a King snake! But very unfortunately this King snake already had his head in a hole, which he eventually disappeared entirely into. So I never saw it's head :( ---Bummer!

Now the heartbreaker. Later that day I had lugged the camera gear over onto what we call "Steamboat Mountain" which is near our house and my husband, Ed, literally ran over to meet me (we have a great little run loop from our house onto the mountain and back). I did some filming and then he started off running home with me following slowly behind with the gear.

Soon he reappeared - wide eyed and flabbergasted, grabbing my gear and telling me to follow him for "the shot of a lifetime". This "shot" happened to be a large black bear up in a dead tree tearing away at the bark. If this wasn't amazing enough, this dead tree just so happened to be very large and way down in the ravine so that for us being up on the trail, it put us right at eye-level and close to the bear, even though he was way up in the tree.

The vantage would have been perfect, and the visibility spectacular because he would have been fully exposed since there was no foliage on the dead tree limbs. Ah yes, well, I say "would" because when we got there he was G*O*N*E. We found him a little while later but the vantage was much less spectacular and he was really, pretty far away. I was able to get some footage, at least to prove that I'm not telling you all a tall story, but the chance of a lifetime just sort of slipped right through my fingers! :-/.

All in all there was great fun to be had. I've attached some stills to share the good times with you all.

Can't wait to hear some your tales.

Cheers,

Cat

[Trond Saetre]

I wish you had gotten that bear in the tree on film! Would have been awesome!

An uwol idea hit me yesterday, and a rough plan is taking place in my head.
Will only have this upcoming weekend to film it, so crossing my fingers.
Hmm, I wonder how I could film a "behind the scenes" of the brain creating a plan... :)

[Mikael Ewald]

Catherine, what a wildlife environment you seem to have just outside. Beautiful snakes and the bear-story was very exciting, I can imagine.

I´m about to start a 2500 km drive tomorrow and I hope to be able to start filming into the upcoming weekend. I got an idea for my first effort and then we will see how it turns out? I have some sleepless nights thinking about the story and how to approach it. Have good help from all the previous challenge videos that i have watched.
I will have to do some editing while I´m away be course I will not be back at home until the 28th, if the plans work out. Then I have to trie do the finish editing in the final weekend of June… I feel the pressure already.

How do you other guys pull off your projects? Do you write a story down and make the shots from there or do you take things as they turn out without any guidelines written down? It would be interesting for me as a newbie to hear how you others work?

[Mike Sims]

I just spent another sleepless night in the hospital (about my tenth this time). I spend days trying to catch up on essentials. Dad broke his leg and we are having complications from the Parkinson's. The next step looks like a rehabilitation hospital. It looks like it may be a long road. I'm not sure UC26 is going to happen for me. Right now the only impact I can think of is my head hitting the pillow. It is too early to give up but I'm definatly looking for some shark repellent.

Cat- Welcome home! We've missed you. Thanks for those screen grabs, they really made my morning.

Mikeal- Welcome! Good-luck on your trip.

Sorry guys- no spell check on this machine and I can't spell when I'm tired.

[Catherine Russell]

Mike:

I am so sorry to hear about your current situation and about your dad. First things first, get some rest. I find that when I'm tired I feel there is no hope and life can become dark and overwhelming. Be encouraged! You and your dad are in good hands and I will pray for both of you all month long :) I do so hope you can contribute a film, you have become a seasoned winner since I've been gone, congratulations! If it turns out that this time there simply is no time, then there is no time. But sometimes good work can happen as a release in a difficult period. All the best to you, friend!

Mikael:

Hello and welcome! In a way this is our first for both of us. For you, it is really a first time (yahoo!) and for me it's a first in a long while. You pose the million dollar question asking how everyone gets the inspiration for their films, and you will get a different answer with everyone you talk to. For me, the music has to inspire me to the very maximum and things fall together around that. For many seasoned documentarians and science buffs around here, that could be the least of their concerns. After you do a couple, you'll find what works best for you. And actually, it's not the same every time, either! Not a very satisfying answer I'm afraid.

Now just a suggestion this round. "Impact" is not so easy as it seams and you may want to avoid the temptation to think of something that all hinges on getting a very specific shot. Like a snake catching a mouse or something, because if you don't happen to get it you may not complete your first film. So maybe it's better to think of an impact in a larger context so that you can fill it with lots of different types of film shots that you can readily get.

You are going on a trip! How exciting! I would just head out and see what unfolds from that. Trond will always remind you rule #11 HAVE FUN. No pressure from any of us :) I just feel you will be a seasoned contributor in no time!

Cat

[Dale Guthormsen]

Good Morning,

Mike,

We will keep you and your father in our prayers!! I know what it is like to be at the hospitals, it is just mind numbing at times. Getting out to film might be a help clearing the mind for a bit if nothing else.

Had my adult son at the hospital to remove the stitches and staples afer his leg surgery, gets the cast off the 19th. He has not actually walked sense October. Has a biopsy on a second brain tumor shortly. All this stuff wears on a person and deflecting emotion isn,'t so easy at times!!! Hang tuff Mike.

Cat

perhaps you should have grabbed that king snake by hand and slid him out into the open for a minute, certainly better it than a rattlesnake, LOL. And the bear, jog down and say hello. ha. shooting wildlife is never easy and the best laid plans run amuck pretty fast.

I spent some time out looking for nesting raptors and found two golden eagle nest with babies and three prairie falcon pairs but they were on eggs (actually two weeks late). One eagle eyrie is videoable and I am in the process of trying to organize a shoot there next week. Do not know how I would use that in an environmental impact statement, but I have to go for that even if I never use it. Finding eagles where you can actually set up a blind is not a common occurance.

I actually do have an idea for my film but it will require a fair amount of travel, so we will see.

Mikael,

Everyone tends to have their own work flow. Cats advice is sound, see what you get and then build around that!! Last uwol my first plan failed so I just worked with the little that I managed to get.

generally, I develop a direction for the theme, I make a shot list I then shoot as much as I can of the list (I have never got all the shots on the list). I then do a rough edit , leave it for a few days if time is available and then do a final edit.

I then decide whether to use smart sound or compose my own background guitar music.

I then set down and build my voice over IF the film really requires one. I actually like films that have no voice over at all!!

Alfred hitchcock said a film should tell the story without any sound at all!! That aint bad advice at all!! in the last twenty some uwols I have only really accomplished that once I figure, so it is not so easy either.


Rule 11 is absolutely paramount. have fun doing everything, even if it is like Wooork.

[Kevin Railsback]

Mike,

It certainly sounds like you have your hands full. Even though your dad is with the best people he can have at the moment, it's still hard to not be there every second to make sure he is doing ok.
You need to get some sleep or you won't be any good for him. It's tough I know. When my dad had quad bypass surgery sleep was the last thing on my mind. But it helps you stay strong and get through it all and be the best you can be for your loved one.

Cat,
The Cat is back! So nice to see you here again. You've been missed!
What
An incredible encounter you had!
Doesn't matter that you missed the shot of a lifetime. Yu got to see a magnificent animal in its natural habitat.
To me, that means more than getting a shot.

Mikael,

Welcome!
I'm like Cat in that I wrap my film around music that moves me.
I think you find your inspiration from within. A good filmmaker tells the story that is in his heart. Shoot from the heart and you will never go wrong.
It's not about winning or losing. It's about growing as a storyteller.

Mat Thompson who is an excellent filmmaker that now does a lot of work for the BBC got his start so to say here on UWOL.
The one thing I really love about Mat is he never pulls any punches with my work.
Everyone wants to hear that their work is good but it's the constructive criticism that makes you get better as a filmmaker.
Mat and I would have many email conversations behind the scenes about our work. He was quick to praise but also quick to say where I missed the mark. That's the best kind of friend you can have.

I hope that you finish a film and don't worry if you think it's not up to par. You finished a film. Think about that. You finished! I've not completed a film for a lot of these challenges. So to submit anything is better than nothing.

I have an idea. It's simple. I don't mind sharing it cause who knows if I'll even do it. But it's basically mans impact on nature and wildlife.

Though about doing something with the floods we are having right now and the impact they are having.
But the story in my heart is how man impacts nature and wildlife so that is probably what I will do.
Doesn't matter if anyone else does the same thing. The films will be totally different.

So your idea could be anything. Impact literally Or figuratively.

I'm just looking to get my motivation back.

I had to put down my dog Sadie this memorial day weekend. She was battling terminal liver cancer and her death has taken the wind out of my sails. I haven't picked up a camera since she was diagnosed and right now really have no desire to pick up up. So, just looking for a way to get out there and do something heartfelt in her memory.

[Dale Guthormsen]

Kevin,


Putting an old friend down is a tear sheeding event!!! It is tuff on the soul. I lost my 15 year old pointer last year and while I have his daughter I miss "the best dog in the whole world". My heart is with you on this one!!!

thats impact, eh!!

I hope you get a film done, they are always insopiring to me!!

[Kevin Railsback]

Dale,

Thanks for the kind words.
Yeah, I suppose I could do a four minute film of me crying my eyes out. :)

I know if Sadie could talk to me, she'd say get your ass out there and shoot and make a difference.
Just still having the Kevin pity party which is hard for me to snap out of.

[Michael Wisniewski]

Hi!

No ideas yet but determined to finish one UWOL.

Strategy
Shoot during the day and do string-outs at night to stir the imagination.

Frustrations
- Proper sound equipment. Videomic Pro + Canon 60D just ain't hacking it.
- Stabilizing the 60D

Fun stuff:
Lots of great stuff to shoot but the beautiful landscape is distracting. I keep forgetting the camera, because I'm enjoying myself.

[Mikael Ewald]

Thanks all for the feedback and the warm welcome!

I was just curious how you others do and what strategy you are working from. I think I´ll find a way as time goes? The first is the most difficult, i think.

The idea in my mind is related to the environment where Im visiting for the next weeks so that gonna be there and I have to try find a way to preform it in a story, somehow?
Then we´ll see if you like it or not :) Constructive criticism is always most welcome. That´s a very good way of learning.

The trip me and my wife going to is to visit our youngest son up in north of Norway. So the trip is not just for the challenge, we would do it, anyway:) I just found it very inspiring that the challenge come up just at the same time.

Mike: I hope everything works out for you and you're dad and that everything feels better when you got a really good sleep and that you are able to participate but the health and family are far more important than a Challenge,..

Kevin: I had to leave my best friend ever, (dog also) to the final sleep some years ago so i know the feeling and the emptiness that comes after. I hope you find your inspiration, (i know that you will), and that you get out with the camera soon.

Thanks again, everyone!

PS: Rule 11 is on my mind, constantly :)

[Catherine Russell]

Originally Posted by Dale Guthormsen

Cat

perhaps you should have grabbed that king snake by hand and slid him out into the open for a minute, certainly better it than a rattlesnake, LOL.

LOL Dale! You know? I almost lost myself for a moment and actually thought of that! If I had nerves of steel, right? Or better yet, Ed was with me then, I could have done the little wife thing, "Oh come on hun, you do it and I'll film..." Sort of like Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom where it was always Jim who did the dangerous stuff while Marlin Perkins sat in the air-conditioned trailer sipping lemonade :)

Mikael: See what I mean? You are in good hands with this crew for support and expert advice.

Michael: Cool! This is the best part of UWOL, it really is around the world. Our environments couldn't be more different and it's exciting to see where everyone lives.

Kevin: I am so sorry to hear about Sadie! I saw her photo on your Google + post, she's awesome. But this thread is taking a real turn to the lament and it's making me really sad.... so echoing Sadie's advice, "get your ass out there and film something to make a difference"! You'll have me to reckon with if you don't submit something this time around! ;-).

Dale, your son is going on the list in my prayers as well!

Cat

[Catherine Russell]

Originally Posted by Kevin Railsback

Mat and I would have many email conversations behind the scenes about our work. He was quick to praise but also quick to say where I missed the mark. That's the best kind of friend you can have.

Oi! E-mails behind the scenes with Mat Thompson??? Blimey! That barmy geezer sure did have a lot of cricket with his gobsmack and chin wag!

Just trying to make you laugh, Kevin!

[Kevin Railsback]

You succeeded Cat! :)

I try to say gobsmacked at least once a day here in Iowa. People look at me like I fell of my rocker.

The other one I'm trying to get going here is "a lick and a promise."
As in, didn't have time to shine my shoes properly so I gave them a lick and a promise and out the door I went.

See, UWOL can also be educational as well!