i will? i thought you did that, and that i just backed you up....

somebody get these people organized!

oh right, that's my job...heh.

Visitor
 

On the weekend we had a little visitor drop by the cabin to say hello....

Brian

Development kills...
 

So I drive 4 hours down to Rocky Point Mexico on saturday to start shooting for "water". I'm thinking I'll be able to drive out toward Cholla Bay, where it is usually pretty quiet and not very populated. I DO realize, since we go there like 2 - 3 times a year, that things are growing rapidily -- but - OMG!!!

We get there and there are 10 new skyscraper hotels on the beach where once sand dunes lay. The far end where I scoped out spots to film a year ago are totally developed beach house neighborhoods "from the $199's". I was floored, and drepressed. Gentrification is eliminating "free zones", argh!!!

You can no longer drive on the beach either. After driving for over an hour looking for a spot to film, I gave up. I didn't have enough time to drive further southwest or east, I had to be back in Phoenix the same night! I got a couple shots of places I usually go to once I get there (beach, hotels, waves), but not the shots I had envisioned from previous scoutings.

It all left me with a bad taste in my mouth, here in Phoenix mountains are being carved and dotted with "homes for the rich". Places I used to hike and enjoy nature are now people's backyards, off limits to everyone but the owner. I was hoping not to see this in Rocky Point for another few years, sad....(more sad as people sit starving in an allies 600 yards from these posh hotels).

I really want to have something good for this contest, but time and circumstance seem to dictate my opportunities.

Good afternoon,

Well the countdown is on !! I have most of my shots in the timeline, a few more to get to finalize.
But, it has been frustrating as I have been having to shoot in farely heavey winds every day. That has eliminated a lot of otherwise cool shots.

I stupidly taped over some irreplacable footage, been trying to redoo it but the same conditions have not occurred the last two weeks!!

It is a lot of fun to be certain!!

Well, I have a script/shot list written, my idea planned out. My problem (the last 2 weekends in a row) is getting up in time to shoot. By 9am here it is around 95 degrees, meaning I have to get up at 5am and get done by 9 - its been well over 100 for weeks now, that's just too hot to be out in the direct sunlight.

So I set my alarm, but so far have not gotten up in time. Plus last week I got sick and my medication says "stay out of direct sunlight while taking". Jeez!

Hmm, maybe i'll just come up with a new shady idea. Not sure that this weekend is enough time to shoot and edit my original plan.

Well, it was my job Meryem but you did it last time so I figured you were running with it. :)

I'm still just sitting here without any footage.. This one has really turned on me. I thought water would be a fun one, but not in my case. Sounds like I am not the only one also.

Arg. One more year, one more year, one more year... Its not working like it does in the movies! lol.

~Gabriel

I am still sitting here with a plan. I just wonder if I am going to have any time to shoot it.

Gabriel,
I have uploaded my video however, it doesn't cover the material I really wanted to film - which was "Reflections" (I had some technical difficulties). Given your dilema, perhaps a movie which captures the beauty you will find reflected in water. I have been amazed at the shots that are around.

Just a suggestion.

David
That's really interesting as my first plan was "Reflections" also. But I've been so busy this month (nothing to do with a video camera though) and now it is so smokey here that it's onto plan B.

Gordon Hoffman

Hi Gordon,
Sorry to hear about the smokey conditions, as it would have been nice to have seen what you came up with. I hope plan B works out for you.

David
The sad part is the weather earlier this month was favourable to do reflections. Usaully the wind in this country makes the water to rough for nice shots.

Gordon Hoffman

Well I'm now well off the mark....about 75% shot I'd say. Today its all going down on the timeline and we'll see if my story fits together.

Oh and I'm sure uwol is Meryems way of trying to kill me....after uc3 I thought this one would be physically easier at least! - Over the weekend my shoot left me with over 50 insect bites, and on yesterdays shoot I slipped down a mud bank and found myself next to a bee hive who then of course decided to sting me on the hand. (ouch)

All the clips are on the time line, along with a piece of music. So it's now down to the tweaking. Then the miserable task of getting it under 60 Megs.

Mat remind me never to travel on the land with you...man your an accident looking for a place to happen LOL. I have no bee stings but on Saturday the mosquitoes were out of this world. So bad in fact that in one of the shots I'v used you can see them buzzing around.

Gabriel...come on man you can do it. You pulled off the last three, don't drop the ball now. I know this is a tough one, actually I'd say the toughest to date but it's out there just go find it.

Good luck to everyone especially those still chasing down the shots.

Brian

Finally I have my entry for UC4 done.

For the first time I actually started off by making a storyboard. Well, by that I mean I wrote down things I wanted to include and a basic story.
That story only lasted until I started to film. The story changed (mostly due to the fact I couldn't find what I wanted to film, haha)

But in the end, I'm pretty happy with what I got. Even if I just "winged it" and ended up making the story in my head as I was shooting. Got some good help by the weather this last weekend.
A winner? Probably not, but I had a great time making it, and that is more than good enough for me.