Bride Prep clip to share
 

hi everyone!

i thought i'd share a rough cut for a bridal prep that was shot just this past saturday.

i added mb, but no color correction on this pass, so some of the shots are blown way out (even moreso than my usual). also, i've yet to incorporate any of the shots from the 2nd camera.

link is here (quicktime 6 or better):
http://www.infinite-studios.com/movies/PrepAngie.mov

enjoy!

Awesome! I have no idea what the words to that song were/or meant and it didn't bother me one bit. The camera work was a perfect match for the music. Angie should be thrilled with this video.

A. J, when I first saw the video, I was thinking how much it looked like San Diego before I saw where you are located. I was there for my son's Marine Corps. graduation and I was staying at one of the hotels where this piece was shot. Anyway, I have one piece of advice for you. ALWAYS check your lens for cleanliness. There is a very noticable piece of dirt on the lens throughout the clip about 1/3 of the way from the left and just down from the top.

regards,

-gb-

hi craig, and thanks for the comments. the music is from sigur ros, and from what i've read, they sing in jibberish.

hi greg, there are actually 4 hairline scratches on the actual lens i was using. infuriating! i didn't find out until the night before when i was cleaning the equipment. i'll be removing them digitally before final delivery, and i'm already shopping for a new lens.

I like the music pick, different and it works nicely. Here are some thoughts. Keep in mind you asked for feedback and I am pointing out the things I would do different and not all the things I liked and by no means am I an expert.....

A couple of shots seemed too long. The opening shot for instance. I think I would also open with a steadier shot. I liked the one down the railing into the marina. I did, however, really like the way you did the white flash to the static shot - cool, I might borrow that one from you.....

You have the same affinity for focus pulls and depth of field work that I do but be careful not to overuse it.

Lots of wide and medium but a little short on tight stuff of the bride. You get some nice detail on make up and such though. This is something I am learning from my partner right now and really makes a difference in the cut. Real tight shots of eyes, jewelry etc can pop the video a bunch. Hard to get (for me) but they really express something.

Anyway, just some thoughts off the top of my head. Hope it is useful!

Mike

hi mike! thanks for the comments!

as i said earlier, i've yet to incorporate any of the shots from camera 2, which has lots of cutaways, ecu's and other shots that i missed. camera 2 has a snap on wide angle for ecu's as well as the regular lens.

i find that (for my purposes) it's best to use a wide angle lens for the ecu's, but you have to get really close in, which is fine for inanimate objects, but it might make your human subjects a bit uncomfortable.

I've stayed at that hotel several times and it's a wonderful place.

I liked the 'look' that you gave the material. You had some great film shots that added to the day.

I did get bored with it however. It just seems like the slow music kept going and going. It was all cut together well and looked great, but things just kept going. Maybe the cut could have been tighter and only half the song used?

I never thought I'd say this about handheld footage, but I really loved that opening shot. The rythem of the camera movement fit the song and made you feel a part of the scene.

Overall a nice piece.

Ben Lynn

AJ,

Can you tell me specifically which SLR lens you chose for your Letus and why? I liked the results (but I can see how someone could be tempted to over use it) - although I'm not sure how much of it was magic bullet and how much was Letus35. Anyway...

(I'm out of control, two months ago I got a camera crane, and now this 35A adapter).

You said you were getting used to shooting upside down but do you know any more about this "magnet trick" used to flip the LCD image? I keep hearing/reading mentions of it but never any specifics.

Thanks-

The music is from 'Sigur Ros'? If I'm not mistaken, that's what is used in the movie VANILLA SKY with Tom Cruise, correct? Very nice! I've been looking for that music for quite some time. Where did you get it?

Loved the video too!

thanks for the comments! the song is titled "Track 4" from their album "()". seriously.

i think the song you are referring to is "Svefn-g-englar", from the vanilla sky soundtrack, also from sigur ros. i've been a fan of their music for a long time now.

you can find them on amazon and itunes, but i suggest getting their physical albums. start with "()", as it includes an awesome dvd of their videos, which are visually stunning.

found info on magnet trick-

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthrea...ghlight=magnet

xxxxxxxxxxxx?

the magnet trick does not work for all cameras. for the vx series sony cameras, for example, there is a physical switch. since it is not possible to shoot a whole event day in 35mm (you lose 1 stop of light), and since it requires taking apart the vx, i opted not to do this.

i don't suggest using the 35 for weddings. it is easy to miss moments because you are out of focus. i'm testing it out for a feature film we are shooting in the winter, and i also have 2 other cameramen. a good number of brides who do not know anything about film will think that 35 is a step down, as it is a softness in focus and shallow dof. most brides want to see everything clearly, and do not care for shallow dof.

my brides, on the other hand, know that this is my style, so i can get away with it. same reason i can shoot really shaky, for that old 16mm look. i have other guys that are shooting the same scene smoothly, so in post we can pick my dirty artsy-fartsy pass or go for the safe shot.

oh, and as to the lens i am using, it was a 28mm lens that day. and that brings to mind another reason why 35mm is not practical for a live event: i'm on a fixed lens. no zoom. if i want to get close, i have to physically get close. i'm going to use a 35-70 this weekend, but until i get the footage back, i won't know if it works well. i have yet to find a review of someone using a zoom fd lens with a 35mm adapter.

hope this helps.

No intention of shooting entire weddings with it and I have another camera for primary footage during pre-ceremony & post-ceremony coverage - I'm not stuck using anything shot with it. Quyen recommends a 50mm f1.4, but have not heard anything about using a zoom FD with it - I suspect it won't work well or at all.