Wildlife video clips from new Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park documentary
 

Hi everybody,

I finally finished another production. It was a project for my Senior Field Research geography class at Humboldt State University in Arcata, CA. Still, the school didn’t provide me with any funding or equipment. I did all the work on my film. Anyway, my new film is called "Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park: A Biophysical Overview." It’s about a half-hour long and I’ve got a bunch of new material about it on my website. I thought some of you might enjoy checking out the sample video clips available here: Tristan Howard Productions: Prairie Creek Redwood State Park Wildlife Videos. The clip with the pelicans fishing is my personal favorite. Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park is only about 30 miles north of Arcata. Anyhow, below is the text I wrote for my back cover art.

“Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park is located along the North Coast of California. The park has primeval redwood forests, rocky bluffs, scenic grasslands, and a wild coastline. This production explores Prairie Creek Redwood State Park’s biophysical regions and the biodiversity they showcase. You’ll see the park’s forests with their prehistoric coast redwoods and bizarre banana slugs. Spectacular, internationally famous Fern Canyon is featured as part of the park’s bluffs. The park’s grasslands are shown along with the dramatic rutting activity of regal Roosevelt elk. There’s also an examination of the park’s wild coastline, located along Gold Bluffs Beach at the edge of the mighty Pacific Ocean. Here, you’ll witness gulls, cormorants, fleeting glimpses of bobbing harbor seals, and brown pelicans with their amazing aerial maneuvering and diving tactics. If you’re interested in seeing the striking scenery and remarkable biodiversity of a remote coastal portion of northern California, then this video is for you.”

All my footage was shot with a Canon XL1S attached to its 16x lens or a Canon EF 28-300 mm telephoto zoom lens with the EF Adapter XL. I recorded most sounds with a Sony MZNH1 HI MD minidisc recorder hooked to an Audio-Technica AT822 stereo cardioid microphone, though most of the ocean sounds are actually live from my camera mic. I edited my film with Sony Vegas 6.0 and processed some of the sounds with Sony Soundforge 7.0.

You might remember me posting a link (http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/under-wat...cumentary.html) in 2007 to clips I made for a previous production. Anyway, I’m now a senior in college and will graduate this spring with a degree in Geography. I’m hoping to get into Montana State University’s Science and Natural History Filmmaking graduate school program, but my future is uncertain. I know the XL1S is old and I’ll soon be updating to the Canon XLH1A.

As with my other film, advice I learned from the DV Info forums has helped me tremendously with my latest production. So, to everyone who helped me in the past, thanks again. Anyway, I hope some of you enjoy the clips. Feel free to post any comments. Take care.

Regards,
Tristan Howard

Great Job
 

Tristan,
I have only looked at your introductory clip so far, but I must say I am impressed. I enjoyed your Hot Springs Valley DVD and this one looks like one to be proud of as well.