UWOL #3 "Monkeys Rock" by Tom Schumann at DVinfo.net

Tom Schumann · May 22nd, 2007, 08:01 AM

my uwol # 1:

thought the only wild primates in europe would make a good subject for the wild-theme. so i used my trip to southern Spain to visit british overseas territory gibraltar, where the monkeys live on a rock above the city.

this was the first shoot with my new canon xh a1, so i used this trip to get to know my new baby. this is the first 'real' camcorder i own, so i don't have to mention that the shooting was great fun. new camcorder, monkeys, what else can you ask for?

shooting was fairly easy although i unfortunatetly didn't have too much time to spent on the rock.
i decided to use only handheld shots for the film, 'cause it gives you the feeling of being right in the middle of the monkeys. the steady shots slowed it down way too much and kind of made it all look bigger than this intimate spot actually is.

the music was originally composed for this film by a musician whose done all the scores for my films so far. i decided not to narrate the film myself, because i think germans speaking english only sound good, if they already have a very strong accent in their mother tongue. unfortunately i don't have that, so i used a women's voice that i thought fit the story well, because it doesn't sound too much like usual wildlife narration.

this was great fun and i'm already looking forward to uwol # 4 and your feedback.

Thanks

Link to the film: http://www.uwolchallenge.com/challen...onkeysrock.mov

Mat Thompson · May 22nd, 2007, 08:59 AM

Hey Tom....welcome to uwol...great first piece ! These guys look great and a lot of fun to watch !

I like your choice of theme and you gave some interesting information in the narration and it was well delievered, although I'm not sure about speaking to the subject...'hello little monkey' this off balanced things a little for me.

You had some very nice shots in there although I think everything was hand held. Shooting from a tripod in some cases would have really helped I think. I really liked some of your 'grooming shots', I love the delicacy of the nimble fingers. Some of your opening shots were also a little under exposed.

The music seemed a little 'harsh' overall but I can see what you were going for.

Overall great first piece fella, some nice shots, informative and very watchable :)

Mat

Geir Inge · May 22nd, 2007, 03:53 PM

Hi Tom.
I think your film is informative and give us a insight to the Gibraltar monkeys.
We learn about these monkeys at school and it was nice to see them in uwol.
Maybe the voiceover should be a little bit higher, or you should lower the music a bit. I shouldn't be the one saying this, but a tripod would be giving you steady pics of the apes in the tree, etc.
All in all a great film and I wish you good luck in uwol.

Per Johan Naesje · May 23rd, 2007, 01:25 AM

Tom, I really liked your film. It was very well edited and the score substantiated the footage in a nice way. As mentioned use of a tripod in some of the establishing shoots would have been better. I think you handled the Canon XHA1 in a nice way, very clean and sharp!

I put this on my top five list.

Rob Evans · May 23rd, 2007, 11:21 AM

Initially, i felt that some of the shots were a little on the shaky side and could have done with the use of a tripod, BUT.. the more i watched it, the more i liked it - alongside the moody music it takes on the feel of an arthouse thriller - and it worked for me! Narration was precise, cuts were great and helped establish quite a menacing feel. Great film.

Catherine Russell · May 23rd, 2007, 12:53 PM

What can I say, the maternal side of me loved this movie. The caring, cleaning and gentle touch of these magnificent primates simply took me in. What a unique opportunity to see these animals in this way. Way cool.

Cat

Trond Saetre · May 23rd, 2007, 01:17 PM

A very well made video Tom! I enjoyed watching it.
Thank you for sharing!

Gabriel Yeager · May 24th, 2007, 01:31 AM

Hi Tom. Sounds like it was a great vacation to me!

I liked your film. It looked like it was de-interlaced though, was it?

Even still, I think it turned out to be rather nice!

Best wishes!
~Gabriel

Tom Schumann · May 24th, 2007, 05:14 AM

thanks for the feedback, everyone.

i'm aware of the the tripod issue. some shots might have been nicer, if they'd been steady, but as i described earlier, for me the film felt more tense without the steady shots. still at some points i would have liked it to look a little less amateurish-shaky. next one is gonna be a tripod one.

Gabriel: as it's supposed to be watched on a computer screen, yep, it's deinterlaced.

thanks again, this was a great challenge. so many good films... very nice.

tom

Ruth Happel · May 24th, 2007, 10:10 AM

I really liked this film a lot. I studied primates around the world for about 15 years, but never got to Gibraltar, so it was a treat to see them. I liked the handheld style for this film, almost felt like from the perspective of one of the monkeys clambering over the rocks. Monkeycam! Great job.

Ruth

Meryem Ersoz · May 24th, 2007, 03:50 PM

hi tom: welcome to the UWOL Challenge. it's great to have new players who bring such fresh material and fresh perspectives to the game. awesome monkeys! (i managed to squeeze one into my entry, too, but nothing as brilliant as some of these...)

Dale Guthormsen · May 24th, 2007, 10:16 PM

Tom,

I really liked the entire story!!! nice short and succinct!!

May 22nd, 2007, 08:01 AM	#1
Tom Schumann New Boot Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Berlin, Germany Posts: 15	UWOL #3 "Monkeys Rock" by Tom Schumann my uwol # 1: thought the only wild primates in europe would make a good subject for the wild-theme. so i used my trip to southern Spain to visit british overseas territory gibraltar, where the monkeys live on a rock above the city. this was the first shoot with my new canon xh a1, so i used this trip to get to know my new baby. this is the first 'real' camcorder i own, so i don't have to mention that the shooting was great fun. new camcorder, monkeys, what else can you ask for? shooting was fairly easy although i unfortunatetly didn't have too much time to spent on the rock. i decided to use only handheld shots for the film, 'cause it gives you the feeling of being right in the middle of the monkeys. the steady shots slowed it down way too much and kind of made it all look bigger than this intimate spot actually is. the music was originally composed for this film by a musician whose done all the scores for my films so far. i decided not to narrate the film myself, because i think germans speaking english only sound good, if they already have a very strong accent in their mother tongue. unfortunately i don't have that, so i used a women's voice that i thought fit the story well, because it doesn't sound too much like usual wildlife narration. this was great fun and i'm already looking forward to uwol # 4 and your feedback. Thanks Link to the film: http://www.uwolchallenge.com/challen...onkeysrock.mov

May 23rd, 2007, 01:25 AM	#4
Per Johan Naesje Trustee Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Akershus, Norway Posts: 1,413	Tom, I really liked your film. It was very well edited and the score substantiated the footage in a nice way. As mentioned use of a tripod in some of the establishing shoots would have been better. I think you handled the Canon XHA1 in a nice way, very clean and sharp! I put this on my top five list. __________________ - Per Johan

May 24th, 2007, 01:31 AM	#8
Gabriel Yeager Major Player Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Washington, NorthWest USA Posts: 788	Hi Tom. Sounds like it was a great vacation to me! I liked your film. It looked like it was de-interlaced though, was it? Even still, I think it turned out to be rather nice! Best wishes! ~Gabriel __________________ Gabriel Photography

May 24th, 2007, 10:16 PM	#12
Dale Guthormsen Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Saskatchewan Posts: 3,048	Tom, I really liked the entire story!!! nice short and succinct!! __________________ DATS ALL FOLKS Dale W. Guthormsen

May 22nd, 2007, 08:59 AM	#2
Mat Thompson Trustee Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Kent UK Posts: 1,397	Hey Tom....welcome to uwol...great first piece ! These guys look great and a lot of fun to watch ! I like your choice of theme and you gave some interesting information in the narration and it was well delievered, although I'm not sure about speaking to the subject...'hello little monkey' this off balanced things a little for me. You had some very nice shots in there although I think everything was hand held. Shooting from a tripod in some cases would have really helped I think. I really liked some of your 'grooming shots', I love the delicacy of the nimble fingers. Some of your opening shots were also a little under exposed. The music seemed a little 'harsh' overall but I can see what you were going for. Overall great first piece fella, some nice shots, informative and very watchable :) Mat

May 22nd, 2007, 03:53 PM	#3
Geir Inge Trustee Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Larsnes, Norway Posts: 1,343	Hi Tom. I think your film is informative and give us a insight to the Gibraltar monkeys. We learn about these monkeys at school and it was nice to see them in uwol. Maybe the voiceover should be a little bit higher, or you should lower the music a bit. I shouldn't be the one saying this, but a tripod would be giving you steady pics of the apes in the tree, etc. All in all a great film and I wish you good luck in uwol. __________________ Geir Inge B. Brekke Visit me at: https://vimeo.com/gibbfilm

May 23rd, 2007, 11:21 AM	#5
Rob Evans Major Player Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Berkshire, UK Posts: 390	Initially, i felt that some of the shots were a little on the shaky side and could have done with the use of a tripod, BUT.. the more i watched it, the more i liked it - alongside the moody music it takes on the feel of an arthouse thriller - and it worked for me! Narration was precise, cuts were great and helped establish quite a menacing feel. Great film.

May 23rd, 2007, 12:53 PM	#6
Catherine Russell Trustee Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Lyons, Colorado Posts: 1,224	What can I say, the maternal side of me loved this movie. The caring, cleaning and gentle touch of these magnificent primates simply took me in. What a unique opportunity to see these animals in this way. Way cool. Cat

May 23rd, 2007, 01:17 PM	#7
Trond Saetre Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Bergen, Norway Posts: 3,375	A very well made video Tom! I enjoyed watching it. Thank you for sharing!

May 24th, 2007, 05:14 AM	#9
Tom Schumann New Boot Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Berlin, Germany Posts: 15	thanks for the feedback, everyone. i'm aware of the the tripod issue. some shots might have been nicer, if they'd been steady, but as i described earlier, for me the film felt more tense without the steady shots. still at some points i would have liked it to look a little less amateurish-shaky. next one is gonna be a tripod one. Gabriel: as it's supposed to be watched on a computer screen, yep, it's deinterlaced. thanks again, this was a great challenge. so many good films... very nice. tom

May 24th, 2007, 10:10 AM	#10
Ruth Happel Major Player Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Black Mountain, NC Posts: 488	I really liked this film a lot. I studied primates around the world for about 15 years, but never got to Gibraltar, so it was a treat to see them. I liked the handheld style for this film, almost felt like from the perspective of one of the monkeys clambering over the rocks. Monkeycam! Great job. Ruth

May 24th, 2007, 03:50 PM	#11
Meryem Ersoz Wrangler Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 3,015	hi tom: welcome to the UWOL Challenge. it's great to have new players who bring such fresh material and fresh perspectives to the game. awesome monkeys! (i managed to squeeze one into my entry, too, but nothing as brilliant as some of these...)