archived-videos OK, here it is...my first ever video

Powerkicker · Mar 24, 2012

This is the only thing I have ever filmed aside from my kids with a sony handycam. I used a Canon XL2 and a rode mic strapped to the camera for this one. I had three redheads for lighting and still had problems...lighting is not easy :lol:

The acting is bad and I had a problem with the hallway shots taking on a large amount of yellow tint. I am using IMovie9 and it is almost as limited as my own capability. I had one person to help with the camera for a few shots.

There is a bit of pixelation on my monitor when viewing but it looks perfect on my television. Odd.

Constructive and destructive criticism is welcome :cool:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiHIzkeccZg&feature=youtu.be

KomikiDC · Mar 24, 2012

if i watched a short film all the way through, it at least had to be interesting. Acting wasn't great but for some reason i stayed to watch it so that's good, haha. I usually call it quits if the acting isn't good and i feel detached.

I would go over some websites and read about some cinematography, you were moving the camera to keep his head centered but shots look better when they're not centered. You don't even have to read about it, you could just pay attention when watching movies to the composition. It's cool that you used a microphone besides the one built in, the built in ones always end up sounding bad.

About the tint, you can color correct shots using Imovie, theres tutorials on youtube. It helps alot but it didn't bother me much anyway. And if it looked lower resolution while it was on imovie its probably because it wasn't rendered yet. Rendering is when a clip has the effects and what not set in stone into it, not like while editing where you can "undo" things. Un-rendered clips take longer to load because of that extra information it carries so it lowers the resolution to play it faster as making up for it.

If you didn't understand anything i said, just ask! I don't get bothered by people.

Cracker Funk · Mar 25, 2012

Not a bad start, but I do think you could bone-up on of the basics. For starters, your shot composition feels very home-video. My recommendation is that your next item of business be to seek out everything Photography 101, and just practice composing an interesting shot.

Best of luck, man. Keep it up.

Oh, and which part of Virginia are you in? You know, one of the best ways to learn how it's done is to work on someone else's set. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge.

Powerkicker · Mar 25, 2012

Cracker Funk said:
Not a bad start, but I do think you could bone-up on of the basics. For starters, your shot composition feels very home-video. My recommendation is that your next item of business be to seek out everything Photography 101, and just practice composing an interesting shot.

Best of luck, man. Keep it up.

Oh, and which part of Virginia are you in? You know, one of the best ways to learn how it's done is to work on someone else's set. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge.

Not too far away in Va Beach. I am not opposed to hands on working/learning and driving a couple hours from time to time on weekends. :yes:

Thanks for the input both of you. I learned a lot on this first attempt. I had given little thought to shot composition...I was most worried about bad lighting and sound. I tunneled visioned myself on a couple of basics and totally overlooked other important aspects. I will redouble my efforts.

I was actually expecting a vicious, yet good-natured savaging here. It must not be quite as bad as I thought...or folks are remaining politely silent.

The good news is the firearm enthusiast forum I posted it on (my target audience for this one)thinks it is hilarious with all positive comments so far. The only problem is they are only slightly less qualified to critique cinematography than I am to make a video short :lol:

dlevanchuk · Mar 25, 2012

Pretty good a first short!

Agreed with posts above, and also want to add to watch out for jump cuts (guy grabbing a gun from the table).
Also some edits were a tad too long (the lotion in the end).

When the guy looks in the hallway and swings back to his bedroom, I would have made a tighter shot on each swing back, to build the intensity.. I think that would have build more of a punch when the guy shot the intruder .. But that's just me, I like to move the camera a lot lol

Good stuff! Start working in your second !

Powerkicker · Mar 25, 2012

dlevanchuk said:
Pretty good a first short!

Agreed with posts above, and also want to add to watch out for jump cuts (guy grabbing a gun from the table).
Also some edits were a tad too long (the lotion in the end).

When the guy looks in the hallway and swings back to his bedroom, I would have made a tighter shot on each swing back, to build the intensity.. I think that would have build more of a punch when the guy shot the intruder .. But that's just me, I like to move the camera a lot lol

Good stuff! Start working in your second !

The jump cut you mention in particular was a sad loss for me. The bad thing is, I couldn't find a smooth way to use the funniest shot I took. That item no one has noticed so far next to the roll of tape and the gun on the dresser got used as a club to warm up for combat in the original version. Visualize a guy flailing about with intent using that item as a club and then deciding the gun was a better idea...

The other bad edits are just because I have little idea of what I'm doing :lol:

Atras · Mar 25, 2012

As a first short, it was not bad at all. But I will give you my criticism. First, the shots were a little jumpy, and there was some continuity problems. For example, you would show a shot of the man looking from behind the wall,and then going back behind it. In the shot where he goes back behind it, he would go almost all the way back, and then in the next shot, it would show him going back from where he was already a few seconds ago. You need to make sure when it cuts to another shot on the action, it flows correctly. Also, you wanna be careful about having the actor talk out his thoughts. It is very unrealistic. If you want people to know what he is thinking, then I would just have a voice-over representing him thinking, or just have him whispering to himself, but I would keep what he says to a minimum. However, the 2 thirds of congress part gave me a little laugh. I would also be careful with your head room, in a lot of shots, you have way too much head room. There should only be a little bit of space between the top of the mans head and the top of the screen. And of course the ending was completely expected. However, as a first short film, it was not bad at all, and I can tell you, it was much better than my first short film.

Powerkicker · Mar 25, 2012

Atras said:
As a first short, it was not bad at all. But I will give you my criticism. First, the shots were a little jumpy, and there was some continuity problems. For example, you would show a shot of the man looking from behind the wall,and then going back behind it. In the shot where he goes back behind it, he would go almost all the way back, and then in the next shot, it would show him going back from where he was already a few seconds ago. You need to make sure when it cuts to another shot on the action, it flows correctly. Also, you wanna be careful about having the actor talk out his thoughts. It is very unrealistic. If you want people to know what he is thinking, then I would just have a voice-over representing him thinking, or just have him whispering to himself, but I would keep what he says to a minimum. However, the 2 thirds of congress part gave me a little laugh. I would also be careful with your head room, in a lot of shots, you have way too much head room. There should only be a little bit of space between the top of the mans head and the top of the screen. And of course the ending was completely expected. However, as a first short film, it was not bad at all, and I can tell you, it was much better than my first short film.

I appreciate your input. The speaking thoughts aloud part is something I had not considered and now looking back, I believe you are 100% correct. Your other points are valid as well in retrospect.

Thanks for taking the time to help me improve. I will catch up to you guys one of these days. :yes: