A Fly Fishing Short
 

Took the camera out to the stream last week to get a feel for filming fly fishing. This is what resulted, check it out & let me know what you think.

Some nice sections, especially some of the tripod stuff...but overall I think it needs a lot of work to improve it. There was far too much shaky, unstable clips, plus too much incorrect focus. Changing focus from soft to sharp is always good, but not when it frequently locks and holds onto an out-of-focus angler. The music was also very jarring and did not match the clips, especially during the middle sections; although softer tones of the opening music was OK.
I would be tempted to do it all again. Pick dawn & dusk times of day for that 'magic' light if possible. I'd try to bring down handheld shooting to a minimum, except when shooting wide or with IS at medium telephoto. For tighter telephoto a tripod is the only way to go. I'd also do some steadicam sequences plus underwater footage to add a bit of interest and spice.

I agree with Tony. My input:

1. I really liked the shot at 1:48. Good look for fly fishing.
2. Slow motion everything was kind of hard to watch.
3. Didn't see one adipose fin... fishing videos need to show fish =)
4. Not sure who you were filming, but have them hold a book or other object between their elbow and side while casting (not while filming though). This will help get a tighter cast, and stopping the rod appropriately upon final release will get the leader to turn over more crisply and get full extension of the fly.

Underwater footage from that water would be unusable. You need VERY clear fresh water to get good footage, and you have to be cognisant of the light entering the water. Sometimes what looks like very clear water from above will have a lot of floating particles that light up with sunlight when viewing from the camera's angle.

Good luck with the filming. If you want great inspiration for fly fishing videos check out anything done by Felt Soul Media. Another good video with great cinematic quality is "Once In a Blue Moon", filmed in New Zealand. Sure you can find those with a quick search online.

Here's a trailer for one of Felt Soul's videos:

Creating a piece like this, I'm always asking--What am I trying to say or celebrate with this piece? What is the story? Do I really need that shot? How does this shot add to what the viewer already knows? Haven't they seen that already? How does the music fit with the visuals and move the story along?

It's also worth considering the attention span of online viewers. The byword seems to be 'short'.

I bet if you answered some of these questions with the timeline open, you'd end up with a shorter, more interesting, more beautiful piece.

Here's my attempt at a short that celebrates fly-fishing.

Have phun-

After working for 7 years at the Fishing Hall of Fame & Museum I have seen lots and lots of fishing films. Yours is the first on with out a fish! I did like the editing and some good shots of the fly rod. You need a fish and shorten the film up. I thought the music was great and helped the film alot.