Mike and Trond, thanks for the feed back. This has been a great challenge. I was fortunate to get to go to the Galapagos at the right time. My hardest part was comming up with the footage for the two uploads before I even left the country to video. I am trying to watch an entry a night. Right now I would propose to Meryem that since there are only eight left that we all send dvd's to the judge. I pity the poor person that has to choose between all those great videos. Everyone put so much work into these. Like the others, I am saddened that so many really good videographers had to drop out of the contest. I have my video on Vimeo, but as this was my first try with Vimeo I am afraid the resolution is not as good as it should. I posted my mpeg-4 one instead of a windows media file.

Cat, we will be watching yours this evening.

Bob

Bob,
The Galapagos is one of those places I will probably never see, but your perspective on it, and the shots you got of the birds makes it almost unnecessary. I really enjoyed your interpretation of the Islands. The one suggestion I would make is that you might want to run your audio through a noise filter to cut back on some of the wind, and to remove the electrical hum.

Finn-Eric
After a long day, I watched your film again just to relax. It worked. Your weaving of rich color and sound, land and sea are close to perfect. So is your choice of music. I would like to see this piece on a big screen.

Dale,
With all the tribulation you have had to bear in the making of this film, I was glad to see your final product. Just how long do you keep a bird? Do you have a whole stable of them, or do you release them at some point? Are they allowed to hunt all year, or during the off season is it chicken?

Dale, you presented us with a really amazing story,and your passion for it shines through. I remember talking to a documentary filmmaker a few years ago, and his number one shining rule was "shoot the cr*p out of everything!" - i felt that if you had more cutaways, different angles and frames, it would really help the visual flow a lot, and stop you from having to rely on jump cuts as much as you did.
I loved the way that the vast landscape plays such a role in your film, and was really sucked into your environment. The behaviour aspect of the birds themselves I found fascinating, particularly after walking over a hill a few months back and getting "buzzed" by an immature perigrine in training - it's backfilled a lot of the story for me. found the long flight sequences a little too long, perhaps just again need a wider / closer shot or a shot of the handler fixed on the horizon.
Overall, great job - thanks for showing me your world!

Cat, oh my what a wonderous thing you have created. I tip my lens cap to you. Your video was... well lets just say magnificent. Not only was the story great, but those graphics were outstanding, and the music perfect! The one chapter where you fade to black to match the music was great. Your video bought back so many memories, not only did I work there during the summer of '75, but my wife and I did most of our courting at Rocky Mountain. As a matter of fact we walked up to Cub lake two years ago and I videoed the water lillies there. With your permission I would like to send this to my nephew and his family that like in Fort Collins and spend lots of time in the park. Cat, again, you did a really magnificent job. Your love of the park, its flora and fauna really expressed itself. Thank you for such an enjoyable experiance. Bob

Bob... I watched your entry last evening. I must say that inspite of the tight time constraints you had to shoot your film, you managed to make a nearly perfect film on the variety of life in the Galapagos, make it interesting. and keep the viewer's interest. Your titles were well done and the soundtrack was about as good as I can image anyone doing. The VO was very listenable, and the narration interesting. Professional !!!

My only minor critique/suggestion is that to me, your ending was a little abrupt. Might I suggest that maybe you do a 30second reprise of the trip at the end?

Having "been there - done that" I have found myself caught without footage to cut to, in, or otherwise use... the "reprise" might soften the ending a little. Just an idea.

Like I said almost a year ago - "Take us with you!" ...and you DID ! Thank you for a wonderful film !

Chris S.

ps. I cannot say enough about your sound levels, mix, etc...best soundtrack so far. Edits were very pleasing as well.

pps. Oh! The prop plane foley with a jet on the screen may need a little retooling, maybe? <g>.

Right now I would propose to Meryem that since there are only eight left that we all send dvd's to the judge. I pity the poor person that has to choose between all those great videos.

One note on judging - I was a fool to think that I could have an outcome by Dec. 1...so the outcome is postponed, don't have a specific date yet, I am still watching the films. And will have to watch more than once....

The really hard part is that, without an overarching theme like we are used to, the judging process becomes very "apples to oranges," another unanticipated outcome.

Lots to grapple with, on the judging end.

All of you can send me your mailing addresses, for your hard-earned t-shirts, though. I only have L and XL left, I think.

Steve - a beautiful film. I can't say it more eloquently than Rob has. You have given us spectacular visuals and some very rare sightings of the birds of the USA. Very well done!

I did not count the list at the end but you have a sizeable collection there that you should be able to compile into films of all sorts in the future and I'm sure that, together with the species you collected before this challenge, you must have a good percentage of the birds of USA on film by now. How many bird species do you have in the United States?

My passion for filming birds is what got me to DVinfo and this challenge in the first place, so I can appreciate just how difficult some of those scenes were to film. You
follow individual birds masterfully with the camera - not easy.

Just a couple of observations for all they're worth:

I enjoyed so many parts of this film but especially the white birds, the birds in the 'land of the barking seals' and the camouflage sequence. I am a very impatient TV viewer but your film held my attention all the way. However, I still feel it it is a tad too long overall. My feeling is that if you trimmed some sections a little it would be perfect. (for the likes of me that is) :)

I realize your introduction is part and parcel of submitting a personal film but in a way, it pins it to the family so to speak and for me it came as a bit of a surprise. I would suggest rethinking this.

Marj,
Your video is impressing. The easy way of showing the mathematics in the nature is excellent. Your animated figures could hardly be better, the time-lapsing growing plants are very good and your clean narrating is easy for me to understand.
I think 90 minutes would be to long for that sort of video.
Then you have to make some sequences in strong contrast to the mathematical elements. How to do this is not easy to figure out.
What about three films, each in 30 minutes length?

Bob,
Thank you for watching and commenting my video.

I have watched your video twice. The Galapagos Islands have been just a dream for many years. Your video is the sort of traveling document I love to see. After watching I feel: I have been there.
This video would be a perfect showpiece for the traveling agency.
If the distance from Norway was shorter, I would by a ticket.

Hi you guys:

Steve, Mike, Finn Erik, Dale, Chris, Trond and Bob for watching my film and the generous comments and insightful critique. I so appreciate you and all that you do!

Bob: Of course you can send the link to your nephew in Fort Collins! It also sounds like you and your wife are due for another trip to the Park... we can hike some together and snag a bit of film too! Not quite the Galapagos, but it too has its charm!

Meryem: I so respect the difficulties of your job... and I thought filming for a year was tough! No worries about sending me a t-shirt... I'll stop by sometime and pick it up in person, maybe in the New Year! I'll take whatever you have. If it's a large, I'll wear it, if it's an XL my husband can have that one!

Cat

Mike,
Thanks for your encouraging comments. I give you credit for the bluish night scenes.

I have watched your video, and I am amazed by all the different animals, birds, insects and plants you have shot. There are many good close-ups and the macros are superb.
The voiceover by a zoological specialist strengthens the film.

Marj,
Thanks for the comments. I think that if I ever do more with this piece, instead of shortening it, it needs to be broken up into more than one program. The Audubon Wilson part is something I have long dreamed to do, and would make the core of something else.
Of course, in any future presentation of this, the intro narrative will be totally changed.
Since we have all been shepherding each other through this for a year, I thought it was an appropriate way to start. Maybe not.

Steve,
Thank you for watching my video after a long day.

I have watched your video. I am amazed by the quality. You have so many great shots and you must have a talent for following flying birds with your camera. You are a good storyteller and that is important for keeping my interest through the whole film.
I wish you all the best for the future of your film and
I hope many will enjoy the pleasure of seeing it.

Dale, First off I have got to say you really had me going there the last 30 sec. I thought you lost the bird. It was a very interesting subject, I never would have realized that all that work went into training a falcon, or any other bird. I would have liked to have heard a little more VO during the hunting scenes such as, how often do they hunt in nature? What is the "life expectancy" of a hunting bird? Are they released back into the wild? You may consider cutting back on the hunting shoots in part two and maybe adding close up stills of the birds with VO. There was a scene where you were standing there with the bird on your arms and she started to flap her wings. Man, what I would give to experiance that moment. Your music was fantastic, but could have been toned done a bit, especially when you were talking. Ghost Riders in the Sky was a perfect fit. What a gift to be able to do your own music.

As a viewer, I would have appreciated more information about where you were geographically, I know you said the bad lands in the beginning, but I wonder if all of your footage was shot there. Where was the lake? One other question, do you have more one than one bird in training at one time? Do they require special permits to capture birds in Canada? The US? I am very ignorant about falconry althouth you have educated me alot. Thanks

Bob

Well Rob I knew you were skilful and creative when it comes to making films but I never realized just how skilful until I watched this! This is exceptional stuff. From start to finish this is a well-crafted, professional film.

You did an excellent job as presenter, your interviews are informal and relaxed and yet convey all the pertinent and interesting information desired.

It is obvious that you put a great deal of thought into filming this. Your shots are well-considered, polished and support wonderfully the structured story that runs through the film from one aspect of wildlife at Cliveden to the next. Each sequence with its variety of shots, angles, points of view, camera movements and dissolves flows seamlessly to the next. I loved the transition between day and night using the moon and the turning of leaves used to show winter moving to spring. Not only have you managed to capture the breathtaking beauty of the countryside and immediate environs of this gracious old estate you have also drawn us to the finer details of the wildlife that inhabits the secluded places here.

I thought it was very practical to include the sequence on the mushrooms to warn visitors of the dangers but also to draw their attention to the delicate and transient beauty of these fungi. This for me was once of your most artistic sequences – beautiful colours and framing of the subjects. (I also enjoyed your handling of the bluebells with accompanying music.)

I missed the birds in this piece. I can hardly believe that Kites are the only species to be left there. Surely a few bird songs in the background to the woods would not go amiss – or have the planes flying overhead chased all the birds clean away?

Just something I noted -your audio is out of sync at the end (Crayfish Bob and yourself) but I’m sure you have fixed that already.

Rob this film admirably fulfils the purpose for which it was created. I am sure there are many ways people would use this but I should imagine on those grey dreary days when no one can go outdoors this is going to be a wonderful compromise for visitors to the site. I know you will have great success with it. Buy some sunglasses – you are about to become a local hero. :)

Marj

Thanks so much for your comments Finn-Eric.

Steve I am still interested to know how many bird species are found in the USA.
I also have a question - how did you get such smooth diagonal pans across your photographs - did you use a rail of some sort was that handheld?

Marj

Marj - I had the distinct pleasure of viewing your film last evening and must say it is a magnificent effort. The subject was highly entertaining and instructive, the graphics were well into the professional range, and your script and narration were simply delightful. The more of these films I watch the happier I am that *I* don;t have to tryand pick the winner. Yours is surely a contender, and as you have stated, you haven't even polished it yet.

Thanks for a VERY enjoyable watch !

Chris S.

ps. As was also true with animations, your macros were beautifully done. You display a wide array of film making talents in this one!

Steve: I think you made the best use of our quarterly submissions as I saw most of them here and there throughout your film. A lesson learned.

I really enjoy your voice in VO, and the scripting was excellent, the storyline interesting and the pesonalization provided a nice "hook". I sat enthralled through your entire film.

I think you nailed the dialogue levels versus background... your voice was always up front and at no time in danger of being lost in the ambient or soundtrack, yet they too were easily heard. Your ambient (and I suspect some dub and foley) was absolutely perfect. Best I've run across on here perhaps. Your music choices were good, and if I had a criticism at all, it is probably more an issue of my style on this versus yours. There were times your sound tracks ended abruptly, as opposed to a fade out... and I like to try and avoid any extensive period of dead air, blending as close as I can. Between chapters there was sometimes a longer than (what I expected anyway) comfortable span of dead air.

That said, it is probably more an issue of taste, and as for everything else (99% in other words) your efforts in the making of this epic on birds is apparent. Your use of photographs and drawings, and handling of them was well done and appropriate, and the bird footage itself, from the closeups, to birds in flight (which you follow very well) was a joy.

You chose a BIG topic and managed to do it justice. Awesome watch ! Thanks !

Chris Swanberg

Good Morning,

Thank you everyone for taking the time. I hope some of you went to the vimeo site as it is definitely better in a couple ways.
Trying to make this general as apposed to advanced specific was really difficult. My friend Nairn (in the video talking) helped a lot in that regard.
Now to comments and questions:
Rob, Yes, I will shoot more of everything, I think that is a great suggestion!!! More cut aways !!! the flight sequences will be reduced big time and were too long for the reason mentioned!!
BOB, We do lose falcons for a barrage of reasons. Most survive just fine and join the wild population which is good because there is an 80% Mortality the first year for wild falcons).
Life expectancy: My oldest was a gyrfalcon that lived 23 years. Reality, in the wild 6 years is average life expectancy. If you hunt them the legal season of 6 months a year getting them past 7 years of age is not all that common. My best falcons have been killed in the field by Great Horned owls, blind sided while they eat on their prey. It isn’t Disneyland out there, lions do not talk to the Jackels, one doth eat the other. It breaks the heart as you develop such a bond with them as they are part of your life every single day.
In nature they are prone to hunt twice a day, morning and evening, but being opportunists they will take advantage of any good chance anytime of day.
Generally I only keep two falcons to hunt with, that is plenty. However, I have three right now because one has a recurring health issue( in the wild he would have been dead three years ago). Flying two takes me 1.5 to 4 hours each day, aug 15 to Feb.28. Of course they require attention in the off season.
In US and Canada you must have provincial permits. You must serve a 1 year apprenticeship under qualified individual before you can carry forward on your own. This is to protect the raptors.
Steve,
Any falcon I take will receive two years of work to prove itself. If it is conducive to falconry and what I do I will hang on to it. If not it can go back to the wild where it is better suited and I will start with a new member of the team the following spring or fall depending whether I take a youngster or trap a wild one.

My biggest problem is that I can not actually fly my own falcons and film them properly!! That means I am required to make trips to other falconers to get good ariel footage. Filming flying falcons is the hardest thing I do.

Being part of the UWOL group has been such a huge benefit to my videography . Not just the constructive criticism but rather the inspiration so many of you provide with your amazing videos!!!
Sometimes it is kind of like listening to my friend Keith Richmonds guitar music, it is so good I just want to put my instrument away or donate it to salvation army!! Seeing videos like some from this round makes me think the same about the camera. Of course, I plug away trying to learn more from you all and doing a better job!!

Thank you all so much.

Dale, thanks for all the information. I would never have thought that it took so much to raise and train a bird of prey to do something that should have come naturally. Thanks again for introducing me to a world I would have never experienced. We all learn so much from these Challenges. Bob

Rob, As a long time fan of the National Trust on PBS I completely enjoyed your video. It was like a real "behind the scenes" of one of their gardens. You presented it in a way I have not seem on the series. I think you did a fantastic job of presenting yourself as the tour guide as you took us through the different seasons and areas of the Garden. Your narration and VO was clean and very clear, as was your natural sounds. Your use of interviews were like mini-stories within the story. Your lighting on the night scenes were some of the best I have seen, especially with that bright lamp burning right next to you. And, as a former entomologist I loved the insects. Very clever to include the use of the invasive crawfish as a dining experiance. The mushroom sequence was very educational. You really pointed out the danger of picking wild mushrooms unless you really know what you are doing. Your camera movement was very smooth. Did you use a dolly and crane in your shots? Again, thank you for such a wonderful tour of Cliveden. Bob

Hi Marj,

Your video was very nice and interesting to watch. I see a great potential for expanding this into a series for tv. Concentrate about one or a very few of the subjects in each episode.

Seing how skilled you and Catherine are with After Effects, that is a huge motivation factor for me to finally begin learning AE much better.

Very well done!
And since you said this was only a "rough cut", I really look forward to see the final cut.

Marj, what an incredible video. The graphics were fantastic and actually easy to follow. I loved the concept of relating everything to math. All those swirls and squares within a rectangle within a square. I, like some of the others think this should be divided into two of three parts and shown in science/math classes. As it was a bit over 40 minutes long it got to be a little over powering. Sort of like to much information to absorb at one time. My favorate part was the honeybees and the way they build their cones. Such presision in such a small brain. Begs the question...How do they do that? Thank you for taking us to a place where most of us have never been. An excellant productions. Bob

Finn-Erik,
Your film was very atmospheric and the island felt similar in many ways to summers I have spent on the coast of Denmark, so I felt very "at home" from the start! The storyline, framing and capture of nature was excellent throughout, with some great relaxed and precise camerawork and a wonderful feel for framing - the open garage with the tractor in particular really holds in my mind! I thought the research and subsequent telling of history was done with confidence and excellent narration from you both, and as others have said, the use of two voices added to a sensation of you discovering the place as a team - which worked well for me. I personally would have liked to have seen a little more of winter, the section felt a little rushed.Great storytelling on the story of the oil spill.
The photos at the end were great, but I kind of feel I wanted a little bit more of an ending, perhaps a summary or a few words about the islands past, present and it's future. But that would only make a very good product that little bit better.
The guitar music was wonderful throughout too, very appropriate and it ran almost like a metronome, setting the pace for the sections.

Note to self: must go back to Norway - soon!!!

Wonderful stuff!

Cat,
After watching this i just pulled out some of your old UWOL entries. Your skill at using AE has really come on so much in the last few years, and you should feel really proud - the intro sequence with map anims and the whole book effect is simply wonderful, not just professional in it's composition but also seamlessly in time with the V/O, which I must add was also warm, enthusiastic, well practised ( well, sounded it ;-) ) and well researched. It's an amazing educational tool at the same time as being really interesting and watchable. Your footage throughout was great too, I can imagine a lot of it must have resulted from a good few hour's hiking!! You have a wonderful playground and I feel as if I have been given a great insight into it. I hope this goes on to find a wide audience, it does deserve it!!
Well done :-)

Thanks for the feedback all,
Meeting the NT again next week, they have a few things they would like modded a little ( mainly down to me not paying enough attention when recording my facts!!) but they seem really happy with it, maybe I'll have to organise a launch party :-)

Steve, the comment about Gilbert White - thanks, that's really touched me. One thing that has really been reinforced this year for me is the aspect that everything in nature has behaviour, cycles and patterns, and it's only by taking time, observing and then thinking about what you're seeing that you really start to see the world in it's true glory. It's sometimes too easy to forget this when you leave the country to work in a conrete box in the city every day...

Cat, Cliveden actually has some really strong American tie-ins, from the Astor Family who owned the place for the first half of the 20th C, to the fact that it was a foreign campus for Stanford university in the 70's ( what a campus!!!) In fact I was speaking to a guy the other night who lived there for a while with his Californian G/F - but that's a story for another time!! It is a very special place.

Marj, glad you liked it! Birds. Yes. Birds. Must do better next time.
I only acquired by xlh1 with a decent Zoom in June, so a bit too late for the breeding season really, which was a big shame. The woodlands are also pretty tough for birdwatching due to the high overstory. Wanted to do a piece on woodpeckers or Jays, but never had much luck in the time allotted!!!! But yes, there are a lot of bird species living at cliveden, including most raptors and some fairly uncommon species - maybe next year :-) The audio was my bugbear. I think London Heathrow is the 2nd busiest airport in the world and most of the flights go over Cliveden at about 10,000 feet, so 75% of the time the audio is useless. But i did manage to scratch bits together here and there - should have gone somewhere else really ( erm which I think someone did actually suggest! oh well)
Funnily enough the mushroom sequnece was almost an afterthought that required the least preparation and shooting time - funny how things work out!
No need for the sunglasses, I've gone for a red cape and some spandex tights !!!

Bob, I never knew that PBS had done a series on NT, I'll have to track it down!
I did use a glidetrack for some of the earlier sequences, and a jib for the bluebells, and also a 35mm adapter for some of the early + roundgarden stuff. As the year wore on, I realised that I had to cover a lot more ground on foot so opted for the xlh1, which didn't leave much space for the other bits. I think i need an assitant/best boy/sound guy all rolled into one!!!

As a few others have said, I can't imagine where you would start to judge all of these, so good luck to whoever is brave enough to step up!!!

Cheers,

Rob

Mike. Fasinating. I watched your video last night and it was great. The concept of following the buzzard "over the mountain" was very interesting concept. I loved the way you went through the different eco-zones. You sure got a lot of different wildlife out there. I did not know the white tail deer was that far west. I lived in colorado and Idaho for many years and never got to see a mountain lion. Were they captive? Your narration was clean and clear, but your natural sounds were outstanding. Even down to the sound of the spider feeding on the other insect, and the beating of the hummers wings. If it is true that video is 90 percent audio then you really proved the point. My two comments are, I think you could have done away with the buzzards head in a few shots and just had gone with a buzzard flying. Also, the last scene of the buzzards feeding. Since you did not use music anywher else it was a bit distracting, and the scene may be cut down just a bit. Other than that, it was a really great video and an educational one also. Question, why did she leave her home and fly over the mountain? Is that normal? Bob

Steve,

Your video is fantastic, and so interesting to watch! You told me a lot about all those different birds. Thank you! I enjoyed watching it.

I really like the opening shots, the magnificent colors, and the sky reflecting from the glass building. And same with the end. So great colors of the sky.

The sequence with the falcons hunting was awesome. I didn't know they were flying so low, like just above the vegetation.
Your voice over is calm and easy to understand. Together with well chosen music, it fits the video real good.

In my opinion this is more than good enough to be aired on tv.
You should try to sell it if you haven't done it yet.

Haven't watched all the long form videos yet, but the judge will have a tough job. :)
So many good videos.

Hi Rob:

Thank you for taking the time to watch my film, and adding the encouraging comment. I really appreciate that!

Hi Meryem:

Staying warm? Do you have a time estimate for the judging for the final round? Has it already happened and I'm missing something?

Looking forward to a warm up in the next couple of days...my toes will never be the same!

Cat

no, no time frame on the judging right now. the judge that I had lined up backed out, which happens occasionally. so I'm a little back to the drawing board. which is tough because it is not an easy time of year to find people with time to spare. but i'm working on a new plan. i will let you know when i get it figured out.

by all means, though, send me your address and t-shirt size prefs (L or XL), and i'll get those going...

Well we may all be in for a bit of a wait. In the mean time I want to thank each of you that stuck it out and crossed the finish line. No, let me just thank all of you UWOLer's for taking us to such magical places. We have traveled from a Norwegian village to an English garden, We flew over the mountains in Texas, migrated across the continant with huge flocks of birds, hunted the hard way in Canada, we read a book in Colorado while from South Africa we learned about the mathamatics of nature' s design. I have truely enjoyed this challenge. Bob

Nicely said, Bob!

Cheers to great experiences and magical places.

Cat

Now, if only my ankle weren't still swollen ;-)

A note on the judging - I'm having a bit of trouble just getting through the first round. The short form has a theme that helps to set the criteria for evaluation. Without that, it becomes a very "apples to oranges" judging scenario. There is no objective criteria like a theme, so just wading through the first round already feels too subjective to me. Things have to happen a bit differently on the judging side, than they do for short form - another thing I didn't anticipate one year ago, but need to react to, in the moment.

Because of this, I'm enlisting Kevin and Mat to help me just get through the first round. I've never invited them into the judging process before, because they are so often players of the game, so we don't ever, ever discuss things like themes or judging while the games are underway. We limit our conversations to the technical aspects, design issues - that sort of thing. They also help me to talk through some of the issues with the contest as they arise, but only retroactively, after the contest closes, and we try to pull those suggestions forward, into subsequent rounds.

But to keep this as fair as possible, as part of going back to the drawing board to find a judge, I'm also going to invite them into the initial judging process, to form a committee that ensures a higher degree of fairness to the process.

Trying to be as fair as possible with the process, but finding this process much more difficult and complicated than short-form judging--

You guys probably just want to know the winner, but I feel that I have to open up the process a bit more, in this instance. Thanks for your patience.

One other thought that I had - with short form, we know the audience - each other. With this challenge, the audience suddenly broadens. The world, yes, but who specifically in the world.

It might help (not only for judging purposes, but also for yourselves, for your own project) if each one of you posted here a short paragraph defining your target audience for your project -- "other UWOLers" is, of course, a viable target audience, but I know that some of you edited and produced with a theoretical audience in your head (and, in fact, that is something that you should always always do!)...it might help in the evaluation process to know how each of you conceive of and differentiate your audience...

Meryem,
Tanks for the information. I think you have made a good choice. Kevin and Mat have achieved respect as great video-makers in UWOL for years.

Stråholmen:
I had a theoretical audience in my mind for this project. The NRK (the Norwegian Broadcasting) has a program called "ut i naturen" (out into the nature). This program is running once a week and has the allotted length of 25 minutes.
The video has to be a bit shorter than 25 minutes. Some more information and credits have to be added at the end. I have no appointment with NRK. It is my own goal to stretch for.

The audience is Norwegian and the narrating has to be in Norwegian.
Strong requests from UWOLers is the only reason for the English voice over in the final UWOL version. The Norwegian narrating will differ a bit at some places, because of "my" audience's more local affiliation to the area.

I also have some further plans for the video, but the above aim is what I had in my mind from start to end.

Meryem- It took us a year to make these things. I don’t care if it takes a year for judging. I’m sure no one would want a rush to judgment. It’s mostly a learning exercise for me anyway. I judge that my last project was a success because this one is better. I won’t judge that this project is a success until and unless the next project is better still.

As to target audience- everything I have produced to date has been targeted for a specific and narrow audience. This project was an attempt to produce for a much broader general audience. As such, I set an additional set of “rules” for myself from day one. I always intended it to be exactly 42 minutes long with a one minute teaser intro and a structure with obvious places for commercial breaks, in other words, one of the several models for an hour long broadcast program in North America. (I do not and have never harbored the illusion that it is worthy of broadcast.) I will not go so far as to say that the science is “dummied-down” , however several things are certainly simplifications. For example, while the major premise is certainly possible and plausible, it is in no way typical. Turkey Vultures don’t form flocks but they may form associations. Within a certain area or group of birds some may be somewhat sedentary while others are seasonally migratory. Some birds only become migratory when ecological conditions dictate and are otherwise sedentary. The fine points of this become subsumed by the needs of telling the general purpose story. It remains a “natural history fairy tale”. My hope was that some might watch this that would not watch the same material presented as “A Catalogue of Chihuahuan Desert Habitats with Notes on the Natural History of the Turkey Vulture”.

In critique a couple of questions were raised that I think may be better answered in a larger context here. The “feeding frenzy” sequence at the end is over a minute too long. This extra footage was a convenient way for me to maintain my 42 minute goal and act as a place holder for missing footage. The missing footage consists of both shots I was unable to get (yet) and older shots I have but couldn’t use for the challenge.

In this day-and-age of full disclosure in natural history programming I had intended to have material concerning captive animals in the credits. In the rush to meet the deadline I managed to omit this. I offer this now in the spirit of full disclosure. With regards to the mountain lion footage, the first two shots were of wild animals. Indeed they may very well be the same animal as they were recorded about 60 yards and five weeks apart. The next clip is 3D animation. The following clip is of a wild animal that was radio collared by a colleague that allowed me to tag along on one of his tracking ventures. It is shown in silhouette both because it fits with the story and to disguise the fact that it is wearing a collar. The remaining shots are of captive animals that are currently with a wildlife rehabilitator. They were rescued as kittens after their mother was struck and killed by a vehicle. They have been raised with minimum human intervention and are scheduled to be released next year. At the time of filming they were 14 months old. Similarly, the close ups of the coyotes were shot at a small local zoo.

Thank you Meryem, Kevin and Mat

The intended audience for my project was strictly the UWOL community. My book theme relies heavily on this point of view as seen with the UWOL book press release, the dedication of the book to the UWOL community and the thank you to Meryem Ersoz and the UWOL community in the credits. I tried to have the film compliment the spirit of UWOL with its emphasis on nature, wildlife and the great outdoors.

My intention was to see how it fared in this contest. My thoughts were that if it was well received here in this community, with continued work into next year, I might broaden it to a wider audience. I have some ideas about this possibility that I won't mention here. It's just too premature to state dreams and aspirations when I have no idea if it will even make a first cut.

Thanks for the effort you are putting into the judging of these films. It turns out that a year's work is no trivial matter (whether one finished or not) and you honor us by sorting this out the very best way you can.

Regards,

Cat

Meryem, First off, thanks again for all your hard work on this. I do not envy your position. Like the others my intended audience was the UWOL community. However, I ended up sending copies to people I met on my trip. I guess you could say my intended audience would be people that are interested in Adventure Travel, going off the beaten path with the intent of seeing and photographing wildlife in out of the way places. I will also be sending a modified copy to my travel agency as a promotional video for people that are concidering going to the Galapagos. Bob

I'm with Mike in sentiment - we've spent so long on this now, some time longer isn't going to hurt at all!!

As for the film, well the honest truth is that it started with very little direction and purpose, probably as a result of trying to cram it in alongside full time work and a new baby. I simply wanted to show the beauty and magic of Cliveden to the world.
After meeting the national trust managers in May, the one thing that became clear was how much focus was placed on the house and the formal grounds, which actually account for quite a small porportion of the estate. So, with the resources and contacts of the NT behind me I set out to angle the project at a "behind the scenes" exploring the "wild side" of clivenden, which would stand alone as a self contained documentary at the same time as being an inspriational film to the casual visitor to cliveden, when they sit down and watch it being displayed in the onsite A/V theatre which seats about 40. Cliveden run quite a lot of guided nature walks throughout the year, and the final (NT) version will likely include a few info screens about who to speak to for more info. I actually hope that it might inspire the NT themselves to try a few more such events, like perhaps moth trapping open to the public.
Alongside showing it the NT would also like some DVD's to be able to sell in the onsite shop, which is nice :-)
Something I haven't discussed with NT yet is if they want to make use of the film, or perhaps an abridged version, for their website. It's something I shall mention when I meet them again after christmas!!

Thanks,

Rob

errrmmm, that wasnt exacty short was it ? :-*

Good evening,

Well, no doubt intended audiance which really is what gives voice to the videos is pretty darn important.

I am confident Mat, kevin and Meryem will do a great job and keep all of these things in mind.

While it is a big job, there are only 8 contenders, and once you make up a rubric of the various requisites, then to the tick and checks to set aprat the top 4. The actual Judge can do their thing, whatever it is.

I would actually like to see the objective aspects that are being judged, the value of each aspect (often it is only four or five values,. eg. 0= did not accomplish 1 mildly meets excectations,2 meets expectations, 3 exceeds expectations, 4 superior in all regards.

then the arreas go down the side scores across. You you acess 10 objective aspects you have a potential of 40. Average the three judges scores. The rest is farely obvious.

When all was done and said a copy of each contestents rubric could be emailed to them. this would be useful to demonstrate on arreas needing improving in an objective fashion.

No matter what meryem decides I am ok with it. It has been a long haul, and others are right, no hurry at this point!!

Hi Meryem
When you first mooted the idea of this UWOL long form contest you expressed the idea that it would give us an opportunity to produce something for a film festival.


We are also thinking of offering a separate long-form contest which would run alongside the regular contest. This would be your chance to try your hand at a sustained narrative or experimental piece, to produce something for a film festival, with a minimum length of 20 minutes (no maxiumum).

http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/uwol-challenge-our-newest-contest/137777-uwol-announcements-discussion-talk-amongst-yourselves.html


At the time, I did not fully appreciate the idea of submitting to a film festival and decided to use my chosen topic as an opportunity to try out different techniques. However as my research took me deeper into the subject I realized there was a fascinating story to tell and I decided that if a film festival were the general aim then that is what I would try to aim for. That has been my primary mandate and vision – although one that will only be accomplished with the help of this forum.

For this reason, I made a huge attempt, despite a crashed and sick computer, to submit something for this final round even though I knew it would not be in its final finished form as it was important for me to gauge the response to my story from an informed audience while I had the opportunity.

As most of you will have worked out by now I tend to produce videos that are informative and educational in some way so my audiences will also tend to be those who want to learn. Hopefully this can reach students via educational institutions. However, I have tried to draw in a broader audience than just students.
As CS Lewis once said,
'A children's story that can only be enjoyed by children [read math and science student] is not a good children's story in the slightest.'

Marj

Thank you Chris, Trond and Bob for your encouraging and helpful comments.

Marj

Bob

Your wonderful travel diary really inspires one to visit the Galapagos – what an amazing place. Anyone toying with the idea of going will certainly be won over if they get to view some of this at a travel agency. I’m hooked – even if all I can do is to dream on.

(I have a feeling it may have to be shortened quite drastically for the agency.)

Your simple chronology of events draws us - from the moment you start planning the trip (where you set up our expectations by listing the things you are looking forward to seeing), out of the busy city so familiar to many of us, onto a plane and then to the remote islands of the Galapagos where you take us on an amazing guided tour. You certainly fulfilled your purpose – to get out of the city to a place where you could hear only the pure sounds of nature!

You have some spectacular footage of birds and reptiles unique to the islands. (What a great shot of the marine iguana blowing the salt out of its nostrils!... not to mention the fascinating feeding behaviour of the Storm Petrels.)

Just one small observation – while most Uwolers probably know who Charles Darwin is, there are many out there who don’t – or at least may not know very much about him at all. You have mentioned him a couple of times without introducing him or explaining your references to the research centre or his favourite island. Perhaps best to give the audience a few clues or leave reference to him out of your story.

A very enjoyable watch!

Marj

Marj, thank you for your wonderful comments on my Galapagos video. It was one of the greatest trips I have ever taken. I can not express the feeling of being there amoung all those birds and reptiles and yet they had no fear of us and we would often have to step over them. I was shooting so much video I didn't even realize I got the shot of the iguana shooting out the salt till I got home and started editing. I haven't even started to edit the Machu Picchu footage yet. It is interesting that they discovered stone statues on the Galapagos that are identical to those discovered in Peru and other parts of South America. I guess I did take it for granted that everyone knows about Darwin. However, like so many of you have said, this is a work in progress. Thank you again and have a Merry Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year. Bob

With Christmas, family visits, holidays, technical issues, etc. I have not been able to access my computer for most of December so I apologize for not doing the rest of my feedback comments until now. I am currently in the process of re-loading my software. Cat and Dale please forgive me - your files are a bit too large for me to download at the moment but I will do so as soon as I am able.

Mike – your intimate knowledge of the Chihuahuan desert biome is clearly evident from the way you have presented the different eco-zones, habitats and the fascinating species found there.

The number and variety of plants, birds and animal species you have covered is amazing. It must have taken you the best part of this year out in the desert in extreme temperatures to capture all of this on tape! I’m guessing, from some of the things you have said, that much of it also entailed a great deal of patience – just waiting in a hide for things to happen. I find myself asking if you had to hike into the different areas on foot - or is there access to the different areas by road? Your efforts and dedication to the task have certainly paid off as this is a pretty comprehensive portrait of the Chihuahuan desert and its species.

Your shots of hummingbirds on nests and other special species are excellent – not very easy to accomplish without a lot of time and know-how. The Solifuge sequence is very well done.

You also created some interesting special effects for this film. I have a lot to learn about AE!

I enjoyed watching this film more the second time round when I was concentrating on the information rather than just viewing it for its entertainment value as I was the first time round. I have learned so much from your film – not only about your subject but technically too.

Your Foley sounds are mind blowing. How did you manage to accomplish all this in one year? Just about the entire film has been ‘dubbed’ (for want of a better word)! I did have one thought in this regard - In nature one can always hear layers of sounds both close and far and having only one or two sounds audible at a time tends to make the ambience a little artificial (for me anyway).

While on the subject of sound - the music in the sequence where the vultures are feeding on the Javelina carcass seems strangely out of place. I like the Spanish feel to the music at the end – it might be quite nice to use it elsewhere – at the beginning and between scenes perhaps – as a unifying element.

As far as the story goes I think you have a very unique concept using the flight of the Turkey Vulture to guide us through the different eco-zones. The technique of cutting up your shots and interleaving them creates the feeling that a lot is going on at the same time in one scene – very clever. I do feel however, that your story would be improved if you added a bit of punch - something to help grab one’s attention and hold it, or to stir one’s curiosity. (I find it a bit dry at present.) One thing you could do in this respect is to rethink the length of the shots of the Turkey Vulture preparing to leave – she seems to take a bit long to get going and some of the anticipation is lost in the process. Another thing you could consider is introducing a challenge or some kind of danger that she will have to face in the process of getting to the other side of the mountain. Will she make it?! (Do Turkey Vultures have any natural enemies?) - just a couple of suggestions to think about to improve what is already a very comprehensive story.

Thanks for a super effort Mike.

Marj

You are certainly a very talented person Finn-Erik –not only capable of producing wonderful video work and guitar playing but you’re an accomplished sailor to boot!

Your camera work in this film is, as always, very good. There is a serene, structured feel to your film with carefully considered, well framed shots. (Some of your landscape shots are stunning.) Your footage is crisp and colour saturation is really nice. I enjoyed the colourful details of your boat at the start and end.

Story-wise – You have given us a well-rounded overview of Stråholmen and its history that most visitors would snap up as an all-inclusive memento of a visit to the island if it were sold in DVD form. (Perhaps you should consider approaching the custodians of the island in this respect.)

I like your idea of using two narrators.

I know your film is complete and as I have said, it is a well-rounded film, but I do feel, there is a lot more potential here that you could take advantage of in the future.

I still firmly believe you would have a much stronger story if you re-organised your sequences slightly differently to highlight the different moods of this island more dramatically. By first building up a picture of the idyllic nature of this picturesque island -its beauty and tranquillity, wildlife, botanical diversity and photographic opportunities and then contrasting this with the story of the treacherous skerries and rough seas that play havoc with sea vessels, your story would show just how vulnerable this island is.

History has shown how treacherous it is to navigate the skerries without the help of pilots and even today they continue to take their toll. I feel you could explain more about skerries - what they are and why they are so dangerous. There are many of us who don’t have experience of these glacially-formed rocky reefs and islands and would like to learn more. The different tragedies that have taken place illustrate this danger and emphasise the need for careful navigation even in modern times when oil spills create a huge ecological problem for this special nature reserve (and the Norwegian coast in general) and a very real tragedy for its inhabitants.

(BTW - Are there still pilots at Langesund today or do ships now rely on satellite navigation?)

Marj

Marj,

Thank you so much for your kind and thought-through comments.

I must realize my story-telling is not as good it could be, and the contrasts I have tried to show up with are not as dramatic as intended. The whole video is made by a consumer camcorder, a tripod and a light version editing program. I think it will be difficult to sell this video.

My intention was to do a film about Stråholmen, history and nature for the Norwegian people. The shipwreck should just be the needed contrast.
Norway’s coastline consists of more than 74000 islands and hundreds of thousand skerries.
Far north and west the weather conditions are heavier than we normally have here in south east. So, it is not easy to do much more out of the skerries around Stråholmen.

There are still pilots at Langesund, and it is compulsory pilotage for ships entering the fjords.

Hi Finn Eric - thanks for your reply to my post.

Yes - I thought about it afterwards and realised that in light of the fact that you intended this film to be viewed by a Norwegian audience, you would probably not have to explain the skerries at all. It was just all new to me and as I find it quite intriguing I wanted to know more. Wow - 74000 islands and hundreds of thousands of skerries - that's amazing!!

BTW - The fact that you have done it with a consumer camera is not obvious at all - your camera work is very good and the quality too - you could easily sell it.

Marj