Another Highlight Reel

[Michael Y Wong]

Hi Guys

Another High Definition 720P Highlight Reel for you guys to take a look @, simply click the link & download (u'll need to sign up for a FREE account if you dont have a yousendit account already).

Being HD, the file is large ~200mb. I've now put up an SD version for those systems that are not as up to date.

Please note that the song in the highlight reel is chinese (yes your speakers are workign correctly :D )

720P HD http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.ph...CPwLh5TA%3D%3D

360P SD (here u go Eric!) http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.ph...C985FB0C6C4C10 - mind u this is a rather large SD file as I encoded it HQ (a tad too HQ)

This was my first wedding in which I used a Merlin (had it for a little over a week). Once again shot with the HDR-HC1.

Constructive Criticism welcome!

Thanks in advance! (& thank you for those who gave feedback on my last highlight reel)

Michael

[Anthony Leong]

Checkout Michael wedding video. Great job. The editing was very good too. For someone who just bought the Merlin a week before shooting the wedding, wow....I really enjoy watching the video.

[Michael Y Wong]

Thank you Anthony - SD Version is up!

[Eric Gan]

Michael,

My 4-year old PC thanks you for the SD versions.

What can I say? You should remove the "aspiring" part from your signature. The pieces flow very nicely, and again, your shot composition shows a trained eye. Great use of closeups and revealing only parts of the scene. It's something that I'm trying to do more of - I think it comes from our background in the film industry. It's boring to just point the camera at your subject and frame a standard mid or wide shot. Blocking the scene with foreground and showing only bits of detail is very effective...let your audience fill in the missing parts in their mind. I draw inspiration from shows like 24, where often, you only see a sliver of the subject in a frame.

The Merlin work is great and the movement adds so much to the piece. I would actually like to see more Merlin shots. Here's something where a lot of forum members will disagree with me. I don't think you can overuse the steadicam. I think every static shot can be made better by moving the camera. However, a static shot is better than a poorly executed steadicam shot (i.e. wobbly). Let me explain a little bit more of where this comes from. When shooting a dramatic narrative, I will always choose to have the camera on a dolly tracking back and forth, even for a simple conversation. For whatever reason, it adds to the drama for me.

Now it's very difficult to achieve the same thing on a wedding shoot. That's why I try to make sure there is coverage from a second cam before attempting a steadicam shot, especially for the really important parts like the ceremony.

So in summary, if I can have a highlight video where every shot has the camera moving (tracks, pans, tilts, booms), I will choose to do so. However, if the movement is not smooth, a locked off shot is better. Okay, I have my flame suit on - I expect Peter J. to come in and give me a lecture at any moment....

Michael, both pieces were almost completely done in slow motion - music video style. I think you can add to the impact by incorporating some live audio - background sounds, perhaps the vows or a voiceover. I would also like to see a fast segment from you one of these days.

Are you delivering the high-def files to your clients? Are they sophisticated enough to play it back through a PC? I really have no wish to invest in Blu-ray or HD-DVD until the formats are settled.

Keep up the great work. Hope to meet you in person one of these days.

[Yow Siang]

Hi Michael,
The link does not seems to work anymore due to download exceed limit. Is there any other way i can view your video?

ys

Originally Posted by Michael Y Wong

Hi Guys

Another High Definition 720P Highlight Reel for you guys to take a look @, simply click the link & download (u'll need to sign up for a FREE account if you dont have a yousendit account already).

Being HD, the file is large ~200mb. I've now put up an SD version for those systems that are not as up to date.

Please note that the song in the highlight reel is chinese (yes your speakers are workign correctly :D )

720P HD http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.ph...CPwLh5TA%3D%3D

360P SD (here u go Eric!) http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.ph...C985FB0C6C4C10 - mind u this is a rather large SD file as I encoded it HQ (a tad too HQ)

This was my first wedding in which I used a Merlin (had it for a little over a week). Once again shot with the HDR-HC1.

Constructive Criticism welcome!

Thanks in advance! (& thank you for those who gave feedback on my last highlight reel)

Michael

[Michael Y Wong]

Originally Posted by Yow Siang

Hi Michael,
The link does not seems to work anymore due to download exceed limit. Is there any other way i can view your video?

ys

I have re-uploaded the demo's but in SD only. Thank you for bringing this up!

New highglight reel (same one as above):
http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.ph...NLp3l5TA%3D%3D

Old one (from other thread):
http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.ph...NQbWx5TA%3D%3D

Please note he WILL need to sign up for a FREE account to download

More feedback welcome!

[Michael Y Wong]

Thank u Eric for the insights/feedback/comments...

Originally Posted by Eric Gan

It's boring to just point the camera at your subject and frame a standard mid or wide shot. Blocking the scene with foreground and showing only bits of detail is very effective...let your audience fill in the missing parts in their mind.

Yup, when shooting I try to compose as if i were a photographer, experiment with angles, framing, and most importantly height. IMO many videographers are too reliant upon the eye piece which in many instance only permits shoulder level shooting and hence the 'video look'.

Originally Posted by Eric Gan

I draw inspiration from shows like 24, where often, you only see a sliver of the subject in a frame.

My friend, don't get me started on 24, Smallville, Heroes etc etc.. Jon Cassar & Greg Beeman, are genuises IMO, and as good as Jon Cassar is for 24, I am a huge fan of Stephen Hopkins since i was 14 years old (after watchign predator 2) and still think he should have never left the directorial chair of 24. As a HUGE fan of digitial film, I find those high-end shows to be absolutely invaluable in teaching aspiring guys like us about the language of film.

Originally Posted by Eric Gan

I don't think you can overuse the steadicam... I will always choose to have the camera on a dolly tracking back and forth, even for a simple conversation. For whatever reason, it adds to the drama for me.

IF camera movenet is PROPERLY motivated it definately adds to what you're tryign to achieve. But sometimes you may not want to motivate the audience and let them decide, and in those instancess you lock off the camera. I could go on forever but i'll stop there.

But for weddings u want to motivate that sense of love/grandear/joy/happiness etc etc so I agree with you that there is something that can be done in every shot to help with that cause. What I find brutal right now is that I am editing past summer weddings b4 I had the steadicam and it is so boring in comparison!

Originally Posted by Eric Gan

Michael, both pieces were almost completely done in slow motion - music video style. I think you can add to the impact by incorporating some live audio - background sounds, perhaps the vows or a voiceover. I would also like to see a fast segment from you one of these days.

It is on the plan for 2007, for 2006 I was shooting with a BUDGET setup, the 'meat' of my setup was an HC1+Rode VM. Altho the Rode VM captures ok sound, I still dont think the quality is good enuf to be in a Highlight reel, & I want to get very good @ this beginnner music video style b4 I attempt a more complicated highlihgt reel with live audio. However, it is in the plan, and do wish to pick up a Sennheiser G2 100 Wireless system this year VERY soon:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...categoryNavig#

Is this what you are using?

Originally Posted by Eric Gan

Are you delivering the high-def files to your clients? Are they sophisticated enough to play it back through a PC? I really have no wish to invest in Blu-ray or HD-DVD until the formats are settled.

Yes, wmv720P hd, I can fit the entire 2 hour video in that format on a single layer DVD. I am a huge tech nerd @ heart, so playign around & understanding the intracacies with all these formats is fun for me. The fact is is that all you need is a 500 dollar pc (monitor included) to play this format smoothly in native HD resolution @ SXGA. Luckily most if not all my clients have a native 720p 32-50" lcd/plasma in their homes plus a more recent laptop/htpc supporting WXGA. Thus, even if they havnet hooked up thier computers to hteir TVs b4, I help them do it, and they are WOWed by the image quality even in this low end HD format.

I want HD DVD to win the war, as I hate the way Sony is advertising BR (blaming crappy BR titles on Mpeg-2, claiming htat 1080p is double the image quality as 1080i), & I defaintely want an HD DVD player + 1080p projector to replace my SD DVD player + WVGA projector in a few years from now (I swear I will never see a movie in the theatre ever again once I aquire that setup).

Anyways thanx again for the kind comments & I do look forward to working with you one day on future projects, drop me a line if you are ever in toronto this summer, I coudl sure beneft on ur expertise on a wedding or short film :)

Michael

More feedback welcome!