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How is this establishing shot?

H

harmonica44

http://youtu.be/OxVYWn0fb9E

I wanted to get closer but this is unfortunately as close as I could get to the city from where I was. It is quite far away so when you look at it, do you think that's where the story takes place or do you see the bridge first, and think the city is too far away?
 
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If you wanted to get the city then I don't think that's a great establishing shot. In fact, it's quite horrible for a city shot. For a bridge, it's decent because that's in the foreground. You would have benefited using a tripod and putting less focus on the bridge and more on the town. But it's just so far away that it doesn't even matter.
 
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Stabilize it (unless it's got the look you're going for with the movement -- to fit the rest of the shots and lead from one to the other), then take a couple more that give a larger sense of the city. What are you trying to say about the city with your establishing shot? Calm, tense, busy, happy? The shot above looks like it's going to lead to a couple more est. shots to build to a tension. It is an unrestful shot due to the movement, what's the story and how does the shot serve that story? What mood do you want to setup leading into your scene?

As a single shot, it's a motion photograph. As a piece of a larger whole, it may be precisely what you're looking for. As a stand alone shot it's fine other than the wobble.
 
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I thought that the scene following it was going to take place on the bridge until I read the rest of your post (If that answers your question)

An aerial view of the city is the best way to state that this is where the scene will take place
 
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With just that single shot, it looks the scene would be taking place either around the bottom of the bridge, or essentially where you're standing.

It could work as a series of shots to establish the city, similar to the way they do on TV shows.
 
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Okay thanks. I was planning on just having one establishing shot, then cutting to the actors and getting on with it. But if I need a series of shots, I will see what else I have to work with in my library. I wanted an aerial short but it's so hard to get in the air on a microbudget.
 
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Zensteve said:
If only you had access to a hot air balloon...
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Or a remote controlled quadricoptor!

When I was fifteen I envisaged a scene for my movie that would require something small and agile with a camera attached to it to float through a city-scape. Lo-and-behold, umpteen years later, we have quadricoptors!
 
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DDK said:
Or a remote controlled quadricoptor!

When I was fifteen I envisaged a scene for my movie that would require something small and agile with a camera attached to it to float through a city-scape. Lo-and-behold, umpteen years later, we have quadricoptors!
Click to expand...

It's everything but cheap.
 
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http://vimeo.com/64441546

That's my friend's aerial vid using a DJI Phantom drone and go pro.
599409_10200503679291036_518804525_n.jpg



He also later rigged it so send to a wireless monitor
544050_10200541043425116_2084183423_n.jpg
 
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What other equipment? I've carried a tripod and camera on my bike multiple times. Even a gorilla tripod (which are ridiculously cheap) that you can pretty much put in your pocket would do much better - unless of course the handheld shot makes more sense for your story.
 
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harmonica44 said:
Thanks. I couldn't carry a tripod though, when all I had is a bike, and had to carry the other equipment. So I thought I'd just make it handheld style.
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I think the part that's baffling everyone is that you could have easily worn the tripod around your upperbody.... that is to say that you actually have a bag for it.... and speaking of..... I don't exactly know what kind of equipment you have and what you carry them in....
 
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Well I had different lenses and filters to carry and lens cleaning equipment since their was dirt blowing around. I tried wearing on my back but it kept slipping. I was much more concerned about getting to the shot, and getting it right in camera. But I don't see why I needed a tripod, since hand held style is very much accepted and thought it would just be easier on bike, to go with that style.
 
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