Hi

Well, I have not finished a film over a year... But this time I did it!

I and a friend went out to a lake last wensday to shot a pilot... This is some of the shots. I hade some problem during this shoot, my UW housing flooded twise! But the camera and the lenses held up. I need to take a look at that...

To the film... The story is about the fishing, and the work to catch a fish.
I didn't have time for speaker or working on sound so, I just wanted to finish a film during this year... Even without the best shots.

I used my 7D for this film and samyang 8mm for UW and samyang 14mm, sigma 20mm and canon 70-200mm for land shots.

Vimeo link:
Caught & Released on Vimeo

Marcus,

Your video has a delightful and relaxed mood.
The missing treble in the music while under the water level is a smart effect.
I appreciate the way of combining scenes above and below the water.
You have managed to make a good story without words within three minutes.

Marcus well done and welcome back!
I liked your film very much, relaxed and well edited. Don´t think you needed any narrating to this one as the pictures tells the story. UW-footage was nice, hoped to watch the fish got hooked on the crock!

Well done!

Great one Markus. I'm a big fan of the underwater footage and you got some great stuff. I had to google search the samyang 8mm that you used. That 7D is too expensive of a camera to get water on, although some of the water housings I've looked at are just as expensive as the camera. Amazing that you got a shot of the fish.

Thanks for viewing

Finn-Erik - Thank you, I was aming for the relaxed mood... the LowPass filter in added on the Vimeo film, not the one for download (if anyone wonder what his refering to).

Per Johan - Thanks Per, the idea was to get a shot on a perch getting the bait, but coz the flooded housing we hade to abort the diving. I knew from the beginning that I wouldn't have time for a voice over so I edited the film based on that.

Bill - thanks... As you can se in some shots I got water (inside) on the dome, and later I spotted more water inside so I hade to go up. I was so happy to se that the camera and the lens was ok... no water inside. Am I happy that I got the wether protected 7D!

Hi Marcus,

Thought that was very well filmed and edited. As Per said no narration needed and the sound change from above to underwater inspirational.

Well done

Mick

Hi Markus,

Your underwater filming is real good. I especially like the combined under/over water shots.
I agree with what has been said already. Good choice of music.
Well done!!

Hi Markus:

It is nice to have you back and working the "Markus Magic" once again. This is exceptional footage that sets the scene in a mystical way. It almost looks like it was a monochrome film that was touched up with color. No narration necessary here... you take us into both worlds with audio effects necessary to enhance the differences between both. The lake water is as smooth as glass and the camera motions match.

This is very well crafted, Markus. The intimate detail theme is subtle here, but no less real. There are rarely times we the viewer are able to seamlessly switch back and forth between the worlds of fisherman and fish in the same moment, even to the point of not having to switch back and forth but having both realities in the same frame. Wow!

Having a toddler to contend with these days hasn't dampened your style! This is a real treat!

Cat

Markuare. Excellant video. As the others have said, you told a beautiful story with no narration. I also liked the under water shots where you dropped the tone of the music to simulate being underwater. I think the first thing I said while watching the opening shots was "Look how beautiful Sweden is", it reminded me of out Pacific Northwest. Very well done. Seems like more and more of you switching over to DSLR's. Bob

Thanks for taking your time...

Bob - nice that you liked the opening shots... it was a perfect day with some myst moving just above the surface. I just love my DSLR, the downside is audio, but you got so work arounds...

Cat - Thanks Cat... I did some CC, not much... I just some filters and I think it turned out OK. Nice that you (and all others too). liked the sounds FX... it was an Idea I got to make something with sound...
I wasn't sure about the theme... but I think you can interpret it somewere in there...
I just hade one chance of the Half-nad-half shot... and it was my first time I did one. It came out OK I think.

Trond - Thank you. The music turn out ok... I hade a quick look around I found this track on a free site...

Mick - Thanks Mick. I'm glad I could inspire you...


Markus

Marcus,

I love the use of the rack focus, Nice.

When you were underwater you had me in total anticipation of seeing the strike by the fish!!!

I was real glad to see that the fish was shown to be properly resusitated with the forward and backward movement!!

On this one I do not think a voice over would have added anything and I think the music was appropriate for the mood you set!!

Very finely done!!!!

More dslr stuff, intriguing!!!

I very much enjoyed it. I take it you were shooting from shore with a telephoto?

Your use of and editing of DSLR footage was great.

I must admit I have never understood catch and release. I know fishermen enjoy it, but it seems somewhat cruel to me. But I don't fish, because I don't eat fish in general, so the whole thing seems strange to me.

Markus,

Well yours is another narrative entry this round. And very well executed. The pacing is good. You have an excellent set of shots: both above and below water.

I've watched it three times now and think that it works better without a voice over. It seems that in many cases narrative efforts can be very successful without voice over or dialog and your video exemplifies that.

Did you have any troubles keeping that small boat steady while you were shooting? I did not notice things wobbling at all.

When you are shooting underwater are you in a wet suit? How did you manage to track the fish after the release?

Hello Markus. When I was a boy I was an avid angler. This video really gave me a sense of nostalgia. I think the strongest feeling was evoked by the sound of the reel. It made me want for a moment to dust off my old tackle and get out there. In those days we didn’t practice catch and release. It was pretty much catch and eat. We’ve come a long way! I know everyone would have liked to see a shot of the fish taking the lure, but in only three weeks I think that may be too much to ask for. Sometimes I’m amazed that in the short time we give ourselves any of us are able to collect enough of the right shots to tell a story at all. You certainly did that here. I’m very glad that your camera wasn’t damaged when the housing flooded. We already had one camera broken in this challenge (and that’s too much!). I’m looking forward to your next video.

Dale - Thank you, Yes I was shoting from sure with my canon 70-200, I used my 20mm and 14mm siting in the boat. I really wanted to get a shot of the perch striknig, but coz teh flooded housing I only hade a few minutes UW.

Chris - Thanks Chris, I totaly understand what you mean. It can be crul if it's dune i a wrong way, but I'm working on a project that we will teach the right way to do this... in a less harmful way.

Rich - Thank you. The idea with a VO would have been an intreview or spoken thought from the fisherman.
That was no problem shoting from the boat, teh lake was like a mirror all day. The water temp was 4 degree centigrade, so a drysuit was needed.. I only dive with a wetsuit during july-aug and not below 10 meter (the water is too cold). the shot of the fish swiming up to the lens was taken after the release... I tracked the fish for several minutes after the release, to shot video of her, and to make sure that she was ok.

Mike - Thanks. A strike would have been asume... but only a few minutes UW... I shot everything last wensday and edit last weekend.... I'm very happy too that my camera didn't brake, but it did during this weekend... someone fell in the steeps and cracked the screen... I'm wating for it to return from service center, 1-4 week :(
I'm glad that you got a bit nostagic, then I did get teh right mood for the film... and the feeling I wanted to send out.

Thanks for watching eveyone...


Markus

Markus welcome back! Its really great to see another film from you after so long. While I can see good reason for it, it feels a bit strange not having your unique trademark – “Uwol Challenge WebTV” intro this time round. :)

This film is a portrait of tranquility - and silence. The story seems to steal across time with a dream-like quality: Nothing disturbs the mirror-like surface of the water - not even the slow moving boat creates much of a wake. The fisherman shows little movement or emotion and everything is done as if to disturb things in the least possible way and yet a fish was caught and landed and released again. Even the fish isn’t shown to flutter. Amazing.

Your camera work is as stunning out of water as it is under water – beautiful framing. I love the details you captured: the rings that spread out as the lure went in; the lure dancing under water; the fisherman’s hand; the outstanding, watery shot of the fish being taken out; the fish being released again. Very skilful.

The gentle music, the setting and the strong horizontal lines of the wide format of your film further emphasize the feeling of tranquility.

Wonderful film.

Another excellent film. I don't think I can add anything to what has already been said. Like Chris I have never understood catch and release, but I'm glad to find there is a correct way of doing it.

Thanks girls...

Marj - Maybe next time it will be another "webTV"... this time I didn't have the time for that.
This day was the perfect day for shoting this type of film... and I think it turned out ok.

Annie - It is a few things that a fisherman need to think of to not harm the film... or at leased, do as litle harm as possible...

Thanks for watching

Markus

Hi Markus

Very pretty indeed. The lake shots were lovely however I felt the shots could have flowed more naturally into one another. You missed a good opportunity to pull focus on the first reveal of the boat.

I think your handling of the material and flow of your visual story telling is strong and it showed some real confidence. I also think your film was bang on the money with regards to theme. You show the detail of both worlds coming together in a very nice and revealing way. That said, to me you didn't have much filling in what was a very nice sandwich. The fish was being released before we'd really had much time to get into the fact you'd caught it. The main enjoyment the fisherman would have is in the catching of his quarry, so to make this bit so short/un-important made the rest of it seem kind of flat. As if you were just going through some robotic process.

That was a good size Perch....lovely fish!

Nice piece. I used to fish a lot as a kid (catch and release) although now I have to say I'm not sure how I feel about hunting fish for sport. As a kid it was indeed another factor that got me interested in the natural world and enjoying the outdoors. I guess now I'd prefer to dive into their world and enjoy them!

Hi Mat
I agree that it was not that much filling in the sandwich, I did not get that much time to shot a catching of a fish sitting in the boat. The fisherman only got one fish and thats the one you se in all the shots (the swiming shot is taken after the release).
The focus pull shot is frim land and that is no fish in the boat at that time.
I also agree with enjoying the fish without getting cought, but hunting fish as a sport is big... So I'm working on a project to the how to handel the fish in the right way and so on. Fish will get cought in that production, but hopefully we'll teach how to do it in the "right way". It is an etical problem like in the thread about birdfeeding.

Thank you Mat for you words

Markus