Music Video Shot Entirely with Letus35
 

I shot this video with the XL2 and the Letus35. Thoughts?

http://www.theretrofits.com/video/

Hey man,
Great video. Love the song. The melody ain't bad at all. Allow me to offer up some suggestions if I may:

For the pace of the groove, the editing didn't match up. I feel like you could've been more liberal with cutting from shot to shot and increasing the pace of the video. Also, the shots were too detached from the performers. I would move up closer to them and get extreme closeups of not just them but their performance as well, i.e. the drummer on the hi-hat, etc. to get the audience to feel more involved in the song.

A big thing that would HUGELY increase the production value and look of your film, especially with the way you shot it, would be a dolly. A lot of those static shots on a tripod could be changed so drastically with instead a slow dolly crab sideways to make the shot more dynamic.

Don't be afraid to experiment! Try something wacky with a music video. People can like the song but it's usually the music videos that have something eye-catching and off-the-wall that keeps them watching.

Anyway, that's just my twenty-seven dollars and twelve--oh, wait, I took a cab here...two cents.

I think the bass player didn't get nearly enough screen time, and the singer got way too much:) When someone isn't a charismatic presence, it feels odd to watch them lip syncing right at the camera in long takes.

I'm not sure the Letus 35 made a huge difference, or if it did it was subtle- if that was your intention, well done.

The scenes I thought worked best were the close HH on the piano guy on the roof top, and the scene with him and the guitar player in that bright room with all the diffused light. They were memorable and professional looking, if somewhat conventional.

The rest of the scenes were pretty ho-hum, as is the song. If it were up to me, I would have had much more HH footage, at least twice as many cuts, and something besides band footage, as visual relief. Obviously just my opinion. best wishes

I appreciate all the input as we are always looking to improve. The video version you saw was edited by another chap. I actually have a different edit I put together that was much quicker, but the band liked the version you see on their site. I have only recently ordered the Indie Dolly setup and I now have a good Kessler Crane. Also, for the next video we are going to shoot with the XH-A1 and the Brevis35 HD adaptor, so should add production value.

Also, in my version I included five shots with a hot model they hired for the day - but in the edit you see they cut her entirely from the video. Not my call as the director and DP.

But, you are totally correct more camera movement, dolly and crane. Also the HH shot was actually a Glidecam.

Forgot to mention that the other version of the (rough) video I cut (with one or two shots that I missed the color grading) is on my website www.lyonfilms.com. The version on their site was edited by another guy...if you watch past the end of the video (on their site) it eventually lists that it was directed and produced by me and edited by another chap.

I call everything like that HH, I guess it's a bad habit:) It was very smooth. But it had more energy than the tripod shots, which you already mentioned.

BTW- if you're directing a video and putting your name on it, I think you should have every right to make editorial decisions. To do its job as a promotional tool, a music video has to appeal to a lot more people than just the band- they should instead be concerned with writing good songs and touring to build an audience.

I think your edit was a lot better.

Yeah, Devon's edit was waaaay better. I would've prefered to see a little more light on the singer's face in the two shot with him and the guitarist at the grand piano. And more movement on the static shots of the singer (and girl) would've added to the flow.

Overall, I liked it.

Having seen both cuts, I think a mix of the two would be good, in terms of some of the more dynamic band shots of the first, but definitely more of the "narrative" thing with the girl mixed in. Even without it being totally defined. Just the band playing wasn't enough. The many unrelated locations and outfits were distracting to me (less so in your cut). Like others said, more dynamics (dolly) needed, but a good effort to improve on!

Thank you all for your input. We (me and the band) are always interested in feedback - we want to improve and make a better product if we shoot another video.