Filmmaking DVDs?

Michael Wisniewski · November 4th, 2006, 01:22 AM

Sorry I've already sold my copy.

Gints Klimanis · November 4th, 2006, 03:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve Witt

you may have already seen this somewhere but it looks pretty good.
http://www.dvcreators.net/products/

While the DV lighting tutorial "DV Enlightenment"disk looks good, I bought the "Shooting Awesome Video". The latter is really a basic course that is worth the $10-25, but if you're going to spend money, I think the Advanced Broadcast Camera Techniques videos are better for $65.

Gints Klimanis · November 7th, 2006, 05:51 AM

I just finished watching this instructional DVD. The production quality and content were good, and the presentation educational while entertaining. And, this was actually a DVD-ROM instead of a recordable DVD, which I like because I'm under the impressiont that DVD-ROMs last longer.

For $20, this DVD is well worth it. I'd like to see another DVD by this crew with more on camera angles, foley.

I almost hate to write this. As a martial artist that practices hard-contact techniques and spars regularly, this is yet another vehicle to promote fake martial arts action. It doesn't look real because it isn't even close. When the actors don't hit each other and walk out of the fight scene with no marks on the areas of contact, this isn't believable. When you're done hitting someone in the head/jaw with bare knuckles, they are red and often cut (from your opponent's teeth) or fractured. Humans tire, sweat and pant.

The "line of impact" is a reasonable concept, but really, what makes the action fake is not the acted reaction of the receiver but the lack of reaction from the "giver." Most of this is caused by recruiting gymnasts and "martial" performance artists to mimic blows they have never delivered strikes to anything. The guy in the light blue pants is a fantastic athletic example, but you can tell he's never kicked anything or anyone. The blocks and grabs in the final action sequence are so fake that even my brother beat me to the comment. It's common sense. If it's not a good strike, and it won't actually hit you, there is no need to block it with a wimpy block. As for blocking kicks with hands, open fingered or not, yeah, right. Either the kick moves your hands or you take a trip down to the emergency room to relocate that finger joint that is now positioned at 90 degrees in the direction in which your finger doesn't bend.

Punching a rope for "control" is also a problem. If the velocity at the site of the target is zero, then even an untrained eye can tell that the strike has been decelerated to avoid impact. If you can't train on a human, then spend time punching a heavy bag to understand how it feels to punch an opponent and what it does to your body.

How a real nunchaku or stick/staff is used ? It doesn't spend much time twirling in fancy, pretty circles.

Gints Klimanis · November 7th, 2006, 06:19 AM

Sorry about the roll. In no way am I changing my opion that the "Fight Scenes" DVD is worth every penny. I just have a beef with martial arts fight choreography in general.

November 4th, 2006, 01:22 AM	#16
Michael Wisniewski Wrangler Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Makati, Metro Manila Posts: 2,706 Images: 32	Sorry I've already sold my copy. __________________ "Ultimately, the most extraordinary thing, in a frame, is a human being." - Martin Scorsese

November 7th, 2006, 05:51 AM	#18
Gints Klimanis Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 2,222	I just finished watching this instructional DVD. The production quality and content were good, and the presentation educational while entertaining. And, this was actually a DVD-ROM instead of a recordable DVD, which I like because I'm under the impressiont that DVD-ROMs last longer. For $20, this DVD is well worth it. I'd like to see another DVD by this crew with more on camera angles, foley. I almost hate to write this. As a martial artist that practices hard-contact techniques and spars regularly, this is yet another vehicle to promote fake martial arts action. It doesn't look real because it isn't even close. When the actors don't hit each other and walk out of the fight scene with no marks on the areas of contact, this isn't believable. When you're done hitting someone in the head/jaw with bare knuckles, they are red and often cut (from your opponent's teeth) or fractured. Humans tire, sweat and pant. The "line of impact" is a reasonable concept, but really, what makes the action fake is not the acted reaction of the receiver but the lack of reaction from the "giver." Most of this is caused by recruiting gymnasts and "martial" performance artists to mimic blows they have never delivered strikes to anything. The guy in the light blue pants is a fantastic athletic example, but you can tell he's never kicked anything or anyone. The blocks and grabs in the final action sequence are so fake that even my brother beat me to the comment. It's common sense. If it's not a good strike, and it won't actually hit you, there is no need to block it with a wimpy block. As for blocking kicks with hands, open fingered or not, yeah, right. Either the kick moves your hands or you take a trip down to the emergency room to relocate that finger joint that is now positioned at 90 degrees in the direction in which your finger doesn't bend. Punching a rope for "control" is also a problem. If the velocity at the site of the target is zero, then even an untrained eye can tell that the strike has been decelerated to avoid impact. If you can't train on a human, then spend time punching a heavy bag to understand how it feels to punch an opponent and what it does to your body. How a real nunchaku or stick/staff is used ? It doesn't spend much time twirling in fancy, pretty circles. Last edited by Gints Klimanis; November 7th, 2006 at 10:11 PM.

November 7th, 2006, 06:19 AM	#19
Gints Klimanis Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 2,222	Sorry about the roll. In no way am I changing my opion that the "Fight Scenes" DVD is worth every penny. I just have a beef with martial arts fight choreography in general.