Well,

For my first entry I wanted to keep it short and simple. But I seem to have the longest title (LOL). The day I shot the footage I was trying to find something that looked green. I finally did on the second weekend after alot of rain. Anyway, please be gentle...

Oliver


www.blindchildproductions.com/29_UC8_Transformation_Of_Scenery_With_Music.wmv

HI Oliver,
They were really nice shots you had in your film. The music complemented it perfectly i thought too. Loved the rich browns, & loved the way it was starting to green up. It's a pitty these challenges are as short as they are sometimes, as i could see your transformation happening, i just think another couple of weeks would have seen an explosion of many more colours.
Well done.

Bryce

Bryce,

Your scenery shots were quite nice. I would have liked to see more of a transformation in your scenery, perhaps going macro to where the first emegence of green. I realize it is really hard when everything appears dead and dormant!! This was one of the harder themes for a lot of people!!!!

Can't wait to see more of your work!! thanks for sharing your work!!

Thanks Bryce and Dale for your input. Things did look a little dead. It is greening up nicely now by me. The next challenge I promise more color.

Chow,

Oliver

Oliver, I will have to introduce you to Bruce and Dale, so that you can hold hands and repeat the mantra "428 x 240" -- which is our standard compression size for our contest files...

But hey, at least you have the excuse that this is your first entry!

Some nice shots here, very pretty, I liked the moon and the tree branch.

I know you perform your own music--did the images inspire the music, or did the musical selection follow the image?

I didn't find this dead at all -- to me, it more had the feeling -- and this was reinforced by the music -- of something on the verge of awakening. Not there yet, but a stirring. I liked that.

Nicely composed shots. Color was good on my monitor. Maybe a bit more adjusting of levels may have helped.

Hi Oliver,

Welcome to the UWOL family!
It is a nice video you made. I like the rack focus shot from 0:26. That's really cool.
I bet the area around that river will look really nice later this spring.

Well done!
I look forward to see more of your videos.

Sorry about that Meryem. I'll make a note of it since I would like to continue to participate in future contests. Thanks for your comments.

Hi Chris and Trond. Thanks for looking at my short and your comments. The area were I got the footage from is right across the street were I live and it does become very colorful in the summer.

Oliver

The footage was subtle but definitely gave the feeling of spring stirring. Given the short period of the challenge, you can't make it green if it isn't. But for me, I got the hint of spring, enhanced by your music. I really like your composition. What drives your video more, the sound or the image? Coming from an audio background myself (in nature sound), often I am more focused on the sound than most, both in producing and viewing videos. So I'm just curious about your own video production. Thanks for sharing!


Ruth

Thank you Ruth. It was actually more music driven and a good excercise for me in timing sequences.

Oliver

Oliver,

Excellent first entry. All the shades of brown and the bare trees just scream "Spring" to me - as if the landscape can't wait to turn lush and green. I thought I had a hard time finding a nice green environment, but you had your work cut out there!

The mix of music and ambient noise worked well - particularly when I realise that you're actually composing and playing the music.

The shot of the moon at the end with the out of focus tree in the foreground was a nice way to finish.

Hi Oliver
Welcome to the UWOL family.To be able to film record and produce all your own stuff is a talent all by itself.cant wait to see more of your work in future challenges

Oliver:

Welcome to the UWOL clan! I am always marvelously impressed with people who not only film and produce the video but compose the music as well. Very well done. And your editing skills are spot on and fit the music changes to a tee...

Looking forward to seeing what you do in UWOL 9.

Sincerely,
Cat

Thank you Mike. I was desperate to find something green at the time. Now there is green everywere (LOL). Thanks for looking at my short.

John, thank you very much. I've got music gear up the wazoo. I might as well us it. Thanks for looking at my short and I am also looking forward to future challenges.

Hi Cat, I like that "UWOL clan". Thank you as well for looking at my short. I will see you at the UWOL 9.

All the best,

Oliver

Hi Oliver.

Great first entry and I loved your music.
Ok, so you miss on the format/compression, but I guess next time (uwol9) your on the right track :)
I think sound/music is at least 50% of a film. Without it, the film will be very dull, if you ask me.

Looking forward to your next film.

All the best.
Geir Inge

Hi Oliver - nice that you have stepped into this challenge too. Not easy. Probably was a good idea to keep it short and simple on your first attempt as you decided to do here.

Overall your camera work is clear, steady and fairly well framed with good lighting. You have used a variety of shots (pans, rack focus, close subjects and far) to add interest - which is good. Your images show the bleak, colorless scenes typical of winter, with empty seed cases and dead flower heads - all complemented by the slow, almost heavy music.

I rather liked the way you did your titles - did you do that with a chroma key?

For the next challenge, a suggestion would be to try constructing your video - much like you would a piece of music - with a beginning, middle and end. This is an important step in producing a video that is complete as opposed to one that simply has a string of images arranged aimlessly one after the other.

Well done otherwise.