Learned to use DV on the fly! Check this out... at DVinfo.net

Terry Smith · June 26th, 2006, 07:37 PM

Hi folks, thanks to the folks and the great articles on this forum and website (Watchdog rocks!), we ventured forth a couple of years ago, bought an XL-1 and made a movie. We had no idea what we were doing when we started - but the end result is pretty impressive (IMHO)!

We just posted the teaser trailer on ifilm - and we expect to be finally finished sometime in the fall - the post is almost done. You can find it here:

http://www.ifilm.com/ifilmdetail/2748108

or just type ISHIN in the search feild.

Please tell me what you think! You can reach me at barking.dog@sympatico.ca; or just post a reply here.

What this truly testifies - is the power of DV in the hands of anyone! We had no training - no skills really - just an idea and an urge - and we figured out everything on the fly! I could write a book on what we spent (wasted)days (weeks!) trying to figure out - only to find out it's a switch or just a click we didn't know we should have used.

Please, check it out - and provide me some feedback - but please - nothing too overtly scathing or overwhelmingly negative - I get enough of that from my wife :)

Terry

John Wolf · June 26th, 2006, 07:52 PM

I have no experience, and certainly am not an expert, but I will say that if the trailer is any indication of the rest of the movie, I'd say you have a winner. Hard to believe you had no experience when you started it.
Great work!

Terry Smith · June 26th, 2006, 08:03 PM

Telling you... not an oodle of experience - just bought some crap (with the help of the watchdog!) off ebay and starting shooting. Took us a week just to figure out how to capture it properly onto the computer!

Thanks for the words.

TMS

Joshua Provost · June 27th, 2006, 12:04 AM

Terry,

That's a neat trailer. A very unique vision. I'll admit, I'm interested. Have you seen Cashern? Another DV/green screen samurai-infulenced epic worth checking out.

Josh

Mathew Kurtz · July 7th, 2006, 01:19 PM

That looks really great. You really have a nice style worked out there. Great props and costumes and effects and everything. I did notice the quick shot of 4 red dudes that looked a bit strange (I think it just clashed with the background or something). I'm really impressed though I can't wait to see the final thing.

Cole McDonald · July 7th, 2006, 02:56 PM

you should go ahead and write the book on the stuff you've learned and sell that too!

Eirik Tyrihjel · July 11th, 2006, 04:06 PM

I like the props and the costumes a lot more than the trailer...

I think actually think the trailer has some great shots: (the branch with the moon behind it, the guy walking along a mountain - at beginning, the cave shot and the shot of the guy looking out at landscape.

but it also has a lot of not so good at all shots...

...and then you have the real bad ones: Effect shots of small spacecraft - doesn´t work for me at all, the red lobster monsters looks like something from a terribly bad 60s sience fiction film, and the guy screaming at the end... ohh loose that!

All that said, for a beginner you´ve come a very long way and there are certainly a lot of good shots/things here, but I just thought I´d warn you since the people commenting above are all two thumbs up... this isnt exactly A class material.

Keep up the good work!

Tony Davies-Patrick · July 14th, 2006, 10:37 AM

I agree with most of the things that Erik pointed out.

I seem to remember the moon + tree shot, or almost exactly the same, somwhere before...in a full feature movie...

Dino Santoro · July 17th, 2006, 12:10 PM

Very good work Terry! Especially given that you had no experience. Let me know if it screens anywhere in T.O.

Mathieu Ghekiere · July 17th, 2006, 07:25 PM

I don't know, I thought it looked cool.
Yes, I agree, your red guys looked like a science fiction movie from the 60's but I thought that was charming, to see something more 'fresh' in that sense.

Show us more when you have more
(trailer, film, behind the scenes pictures,...?)

Keep up the good work.

Terry Smith · July 23rd, 2006, 08:45 PM

Thanks Folks for all your feedback.

We are pounding away (the shot of the red guys is staying - but it needs work - always bugged me) to get this thing done. It's actually an 8 part serial - lossely bound together as he travels along.

Will let you know more as we get there!

TMS

Matt Hiebert · September 18th, 2006, 05:18 AM

Dude, I thought that looked fantastic! I've been shooting for about a month and have just turned off the automatic settings on my GL2. How the heck did you get so good so quickly?

I'm also a samurai movie fan so I can't wait for the full length version. Sci Fi meets samurai. Awesome. And those costumes...

Luke Springer · September 18th, 2006, 07:30 PM

This is coming from a beginner myself, but I thought it looked great. I loved the costumes/props. I can't wait to see the full version. Nice work.

Thanks,
Luke

June 26th, 2006, 07:37 PM	#1
Terry Smith New Boot Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Toronto, Ontario Posts: 23	Learned to use DV on the fly! Check this out... Hi folks, thanks to the folks and the great articles on this forum and website (Watchdog rocks!), we ventured forth a couple of years ago, bought an XL-1 and made a movie. We had no idea what we were doing when we started - but the end result is pretty impressive (IMHO)! We just posted the teaser trailer on ifilm - and we expect to be finally finished sometime in the fall - the post is almost done. You can find it here: http://www.ifilm.com/ifilmdetail/2748108 or just type ISHIN in the search feild. Please tell me what you think! You can reach me at barking.dog@sympatico.ca; or just post a reply here. What this truly testifies - is the power of DV in the hands of anyone! We had no training - no skills really - just an idea and an urge - and we figured out everything on the fly! I could write a book on what we spent (wasted)days (weeks!) trying to figure out - only to find out it's a switch or just a click we didn't know we should have used. Please, check it out - and provide me some feedback - but please - nothing too overtly scathing or overwhelmingly negative - I get enough of that from my wife :) Terry

June 26th, 2006, 07:52 PM	#2
John Wolf Tourist Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Brampton, Ontario, Canada Posts: 2	No Experience? I have no experience, and certainly am not an expert, but I will say that if the trailer is any indication of the rest of the movie, I'd say you have a winner. Hard to believe you had no experience when you started it. Great work!

June 27th, 2006, 12:04 AM	#4
Joshua Provost Major Player Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 493	Terry, That's a neat trailer. A very unique vision. I'll admit, I'm interested. Have you seen Cashern? Another DV/green screen samurai-infulenced epic worth checking out. Josh __________________ Owner/Operator, 727 Records Co-Founder, Matter of Chance Productions Blogger, Try Avoidance

July 7th, 2006, 02:56 PM	#6
Cole McDonald Trustee Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Sauk Rapids, MN, USA Posts: 1,675	you should go ahead and write the book on the stuff you've learned and sell that too! __________________ Web Youtube Facebook

July 11th, 2006, 04:06 PM	#7
Eirik Tyrihjel Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Oslo, Norway Posts: 84	I like the props and the costumes a lot more than the trailer... I think actually think the trailer has some great shots: (the branch with the moon behind it, the guy walking along a mountain - at beginning, the cave shot and the shot of the guy looking out at landscape. but it also has a lot of not so good at all shots... ...and then you have the real bad ones: Effect shots of small spacecraft - doesn´t work for me at all, the red lobster monsters looks like something from a terribly bad 60s sience fiction film, and the guy screaming at the end... ohh loose that! All that said, for a beginner you´ve come a very long way and there are certainly a lot of good shots/things here, but I just thought I´d warn you since the people commenting above are all two thumbs up... this isnt exactly A class material. Keep up the good work! __________________ http://www.groovyentertainment.com RED ONE #476

June 26th, 2006, 08:03 PM	#3
Terry Smith New Boot Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Toronto, Ontario Posts: 23	Telling you... not an oodle of experience - just bought some crap (with the help of the watchdog!) off ebay and starting shooting. Took us a week just to figure out how to capture it properly onto the computer! Thanks for the words. TMS

July 7th, 2006, 01:19 PM	#5
Mathew Kurtz Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Courtenay, British Columbia Posts: 39	That looks really great. You really have a nice style worked out there. Great props and costumes and effects and everything. I did notice the quick shot of 4 red dudes that looked a bit strange (I think it just clashed with the background or something). I'm really impressed though I can't wait to see the final thing.

July 14th, 2006, 10:37 AM	#8
Tony Davies-Patrick Trustee Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Worldwide Posts: 1,589	I agree with most of the things that Erik pointed out. I seem to remember the moon + tree shot, or almost exactly the same, somwhere before...in a full feature movie... __________________ www.WILDCARP.com www.NIKON.me.uk

July 17th, 2006, 12:10 PM	#9
Dino Santoro Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Toronto, Ontario Canada Posts: 82	Very good work Terry! Especially given that you had no experience. Let me know if it screens anywhere in T.O.

July 17th, 2006, 07:25 PM	#10
Mathieu Ghekiere Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Belgium Posts: 2,195	I don't know, I thought it looked cool. Yes, I agree, your red guys looked like a science fiction movie from the 60's but I thought that was charming, to see something more 'fresh' in that sense. Show us more when you have more (trailer, film, behind the scenes pictures,...?) Keep up the good work. __________________ http://productionsofthe3rdkind.com http://pr3k.com

July 23rd, 2006, 08:45 PM	#11
Terry Smith New Boot Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Toronto, Ontario Posts: 23	Thanks Y'all! Thanks Folks for all your feedback. We are pounding away (the shot of the red guys is staying - but it needs work - always bugged me) to get this thing done. It's actually an 8 part serial - lossely bound together as he travels along. Will let you know more as we get there! TMS

September 18th, 2006, 05:18 AM	#12
Matt Hiebert New Boot Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Jefferson City, Missouri Posts: 9	Wow... Dude, I thought that looked fantastic! I've been shooting for about a month and have just turned off the automatic settings on my GL2. How the heck did you get so good so quickly? I'm also a samurai movie fan so I can't wait for the full length version. Sci Fi meets samurai. Awesome. And those costumes...

September 18th, 2006, 07:30 PM	#13
Luke Springer Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Washington Posts: 60	This is coming from a beginner myself, but I thought it looked great. I loved the costumes/props. I can't wait to see the full version. Nice work. Thanks, Luke