Is this any good? at DVinfo.net

Josh Green · June 1st, 2007, 09:33 AM

Hey guys, I've never posted my stuff on here before, but I thought I'd give it a try. Feel free to critique me and let me know what you think. This is the last wedding highlights video I made.

http://klondikesamuelson.com/Andrew%20%26%20Mary.html

Michael Liebergot · June 1st, 2007, 09:44 AM

Josh I really thought that your composition on most of the shots were great. And I also loved the shot selctions and change of pace from real time to slow mo or fast forward with the glidecam shots.

The only suggestions I would make if to color correct the white balance of the low light shots from the reception, as they apprear to warm and yellow and don't match the clips where you used a light or were in better lighting. And possibly using some voice over audio for more impact (couples vows under ceremony clips, groom laughing, if there is a good small clip a toast during the reception etc.). Not many just a couple sprinkled here and there.

Besides that I loved it.
Especially the dancing girls during the reception (made for great video).

Mark Morikawa · June 1st, 2007, 10:47 AM

i love it... the camera work was excellent, editing must have been a breeze

what song was that? good choice

Patrick Moreau · June 1st, 2007, 10:49 AM

Hi Josh,

Awesome song choice :)

I think it worked well. You had some great shots in there in terms of the glidecam and angles and you also caught some great expressions.

A couple thinks I would probably take a look at:
-some of yor blur transitions were really quick and seemed a bit jarring. I would lengthen them a bit and if your using Final Cut, you can also turn down the blur a bit so it does a half blur, which seems to flow a bit better.
-I would agree with Michael that some of the reception stuff could really use some color work. With a song like the one you chose, I would really work with the colors to bring out the drama. You had a couple dancing shots near the end that were rather overexposed and would probably look great in black and white.
-Preps are always very tough to cover and make artisic. I think you had some great shots and it worked well but if your looking for some opinions on where to go from here, I would try and use objects a bit more. Try looking through things with the glidecam going over and under objects/subjects a bit more to give some of those filler shots more drama.

Thanks for sharing.

Patrick

Josh Green · June 1st, 2007, 04:39 PM

Cool! Thanks guys for your comments. I totally agreed with what everyone said. I wish I understood coloring and when, where, and how to apply it to my videos. It seems like the really good wedding videos are colored in a way that emphasizes the mood dramtaically. And I know I suck at white balancing! Honestly, I've never white balanced my camera. I don't even think I know how. I'm still really new to Final Cut and videos and I'm basically just trying to learn it on my own by using books, and this forum as a guide. I've had my eye on those Magic Bullet filters, does anyone know if those are a good buy?

Brendan Donohue · July 18th, 2007, 12:03 PM

that was really sweet!! good music, some really cool shots..I think it looked incredible; you definitely caught the emotion and fun in the air...and I doubt the client really cares too much about the minor color inconsistencies..what kind of camera did u shoot with??

brendan

Patrick Moreau · July 18th, 2007, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brendan Donohue

...and I doubt the client really cares too much about the minor color inconsistencies..

Its all part of the final product and while they may not stop and catch that the coloring is specifically good in one clip versus slightly off in another, the overall impact of the piece definitely will change. I think the color work is just as important as the editing, audio, and shooting. It all comes together to form the final piece and I think you should never skip over one part because 'they'll never notice'. Even if it made no difference to that couple, if you want to get better and attract higher end clients, they surely will notice.

Patrick

Josh Green · July 18th, 2007, 03:19 PM

Hey Brenden, thanks for the compliments. I shot it with my trusty XHA1 teamed up with the steadycam merlin. I think those two make a great team.

Patrick, I agree with you about the coloring. Whether the couple could tell or not, I sure can. It's definetely something I've been working on the last few months. Getting the coloring right at some of these receptions is the biggest pain in the ace!

Brendan Donohue · July 18th, 2007, 05:15 PM

yeah, you're right about that Patrick..the consistency in colors does tie a everything together nicely in most cases..it just sux when you work very hard to make something perfect and people don't even notice...but it is all about peace of mind i guess..and the higher end clients probably do pay more attention to that sort of thing...

Winfried Dobbe · July 21st, 2007, 05:14 AM

It takes more than one day to become a master at color correction. Hey, there must be a reason entire books have been written about this subject alone.
However I find that a simple addition of some blue for example can already make a big difference. It's not difficult and it doesn't take that much time.

Cesar Ruiz · July 27th, 2007, 01:01 PM

I thought it was a very nice piece. What I think could make it better is the following.

1. There are a couple of shots where the bride looks angry (like when she getting out of the car)... I'd lose that shot, or make it real short, especially since you have a great shot of her smiling right afterwards. During the processional she's smacking her tongue or something. Again you can start the processional after that, or for this highlights end it before that, or cut to something else and then come back to it.

2. Stop moving the camera so much. I did this a lot myself, and have been trying to stop doing it. Think about which shots look absolutely awesome when you glide the camera. Maybe the cake shot, when the dance for the first time, a subtle glide that exposes a scene. Settle on those shots and only move the cam for those shots. Trust me when I tell you that they will stand out more and make more of an impact. If you don't believe me, next time try taking a shot without movement (compose, focus, record for 10 seconds) and then shoot it again with the gliding you wanted. In post see which works better.

Stelios Christofides · July 27th, 2007, 02:41 PM

Where was this Greek wedding taken place? Is it in South Africa by any chance?

Stelios

Gary Hanna · July 27th, 2007, 05:47 PM

Main thing...

USE MANUAL IRIS!!!!!!!

Other than that, good shooting work - a tad jittery/out of focus and slightly off frame with the glidecam shots, but nothing major, but definitely turn off auto exposure

Buba Kastorski · July 28th, 2007, 12:35 AM

Great video! great audio/video edit, great website, and you guys are great!
Thanks for sharing and wish you the best!,
P.S.
low light sucks, but just a bit :-)

June 1st, 2007, 09:33 AM	#1
Josh Green Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 77	Is this any good? Hey guys, I've never posted my stuff on here before, but I thought I'd give it a try. Feel free to critique me and let me know what you think. This is the last wedding highlights video I made. http://klondikesamuelson.com/Andrew%20%26%20Mary.html

June 1st, 2007, 09:44 AM	#2
Michael Liebergot Trustee Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Maryland Posts: 1,505	Josh I really thought that your composition on most of the shots were great. And I also loved the shot selctions and change of pace from real time to slow mo or fast forward with the glidecam shots. The only suggestions I would make if to color correct the white balance of the low light shots from the reception, as they apprear to warm and yellow and don't match the clips where you used a light or were in better lighting. And possibly using some voice over audio for more impact (couples vows under ceremony clips, groom laughing, if there is a good small clip a toast during the reception etc.). Not many just a couple sprinkled here and there. Besides that I loved it. Especially the dancing girls during the reception (made for great video). __________________ Michael www.lvpvideo.com

June 1st, 2007, 04:39 PM	#5
Josh Green Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 77	I dig it Cool! Thanks guys for your comments. I totally agreed with what everyone said. I wish I understood coloring and when, where, and how to apply it to my videos. It seems like the really good wedding videos are colored in a way that emphasizes the mood dramtaically. And I know I suck at white balancing! Honestly, I've never white balanced my camera. I don't even think I know how. I'm still really new to Final Cut and videos and I'm basically just trying to learn it on my own by using books, and this forum as a guide. I've had my eye on those Magic Bullet filters, does anyone know if those are a good buy?

July 18th, 2007, 12:03 PM	#6
Brendan Donohue Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 161	Wow that was really sweet!! good music, some really cool shots..I think it looked incredible; you definitely caught the emotion and fun in the air...and I doubt the client really cares too much about the minor color inconsistencies..what kind of camera did u shoot with?? brendan

July 18th, 2007, 03:19 PM	#8
Josh Green Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 77	my trusty xha1 Hey Brenden, thanks for the compliments. I shot it with my trusty XHA1 teamed up with the steadycam merlin. I think those two make a great team. Patrick, I agree with you about the coloring. Whether the couple could tell or not, I sure can. It's definetely something I've been working on the last few months. Getting the coloring right at some of these receptions is the biggest pain in the ace!

June 1st, 2007, 10:47 AM	#3
Mark Morikawa Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Aiea, HI Posts: 85	i love it... the camera work was excellent, editing must have been a breeze what song was that? good choice

June 1st, 2007, 10:49 AM	#4
Patrick Moreau Still Motion Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 1,186	Hi Josh, Awesome song choice :) I think it worked well. You had some great shots in there in terms of the glidecam and angles and you also caught some great expressions. A couple thinks I would probably take a look at: -some of yor blur transitions were really quick and seemed a bit jarring. I would lengthen them a bit and if your using Final Cut, you can also turn down the blur a bit so it does a half blur, which seems to flow a bit better. -I would agree with Michael that some of the reception stuff could really use some color work. With a song like the one you chose, I would really work with the colors to bring out the drama. You had a couple dancing shots near the end that were rather overexposed and would probably look great in black and white. -Preps are always very tough to cover and make artisic. I think you had some great shots and it worked well but if your looking for some opinions on where to go from here, I would try and use objects a bit more. Try looking through things with the glidecam going over and under objects/subjects a bit more to give some of those filler shots more drama. Thanks for sharing. Patrick

July 18th, 2007, 05:15 PM	#9
Brendan Donohue Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Nashville, TN Posts: 161	yeah, you're right about that Patrick..the consistency in colors does tie a everything together nicely in most cases..it just sux when you work very hard to make something perfect and people don't even notice...but it is all about peace of mind i guess..and the higher end clients probably do pay more attention to that sort of thing...

July 21st, 2007, 05:14 AM	#10
Winfried Dobbe Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Amersfoort, Netherlands Posts: 85	It takes more than one day to become a master at color correction. Hey, there must be a reason entire books have been written about this subject alone. However I find that a simple addition of some blue for example can already make a big difference. It's not difficult and it doesn't take that much time.

July 27th, 2007, 01:01 PM	#11
Cesar Ruiz Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Manchester, NH Posts: 182	I thought it was a very nice piece. What I think could make it better is the following. 1. There are a couple of shots where the bride looks angry (like when she getting out of the car)... I'd lose that shot, or make it real short, especially since you have a great shot of her smiling right afterwards. During the processional she's smacking her tongue or something. Again you can start the processional after that, or for this highlights end it before that, or cut to something else and then come back to it. 2. Stop moving the camera so much. I did this a lot myself, and have been trying to stop doing it. Think about which shots look absolutely awesome when you glide the camera. Maybe the cake shot, when the dance for the first time, a subtle glide that exposes a scene. Settle on those shots and only move the cam for those shots. Trust me when I tell you that they will stand out more and make more of an impact. If you don't believe me, next time try taking a shot without movement (compose, focus, record for 10 seconds) and then shoot it again with the gliding you wanted. In post see which works better. __________________ Cana Video Productions, LLC Manchester, NH

July 27th, 2007, 02:41 PM	#12
Stelios Christofides Trustee Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Nicosia, CYPRUS Posts: 1,080	Where was this Greek wedding taken place? Is it in South Africa by any chance? Stelios __________________ My Blog: http://steliosc.blogspot.com "I hope for nothing, I fear nothing, I am free" Nikos Kazantzakis

July 27th, 2007, 05:47 PM	#13
Gary Hanna Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: United States Posts: 137	Main thing... USE MANUAL IRIS!!!!!!! Other than that, good shooting work - a tad jittery/out of focus and slightly off frame with the glidecam shots, but nothing major, but definitely turn off auto exposure

July 28th, 2007, 12:35 AM	#14
Buba Kastorski Trustee Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Toronto Posts: 1,414	Great video! great audio/video edit, great website, and you guys are great! Thanks for sharing and wish you the best!, P.S. low light sucks, but just a bit :-)