DVC#6 - Mike Teutsch "Man's Best Friend"
 

Hi all,

Well I managed to get another one done, and I hope you all like it.

Had someone to help with the camera this time, but all he could do was turn it on and off when I needed it done, but that in itself was a big help!

Used the XL2, and a good Bogan/Manfroto tripod combo. Should have used sunscreen too, and I paid for that.

My co-star is a new member to my family, about 2 months, and Sadie is the sweetest little girl in the world. I think she stole the show!

If I can answer any questions, just let me know. Thanks to all of the people who make this possible, and especially to Dylan and Chris.

Mike Teutsch
__________________
"The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their households. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize their teachers.

Socrates (470 - 399 BC)

Mike, I saw that you posted your feedback thread in the wrong place so I started one here for you.

It was a wonderful little video, funny too. It was a great idea and Sadie does an impressive job. The colours were a bit dull though, but you can colour correct it for the future if you want. It's really simple, in the editing app, there should be some colour corrections tools. I just took a screen cap to show you what is possible. All I did was fix the black and white levels and put in some yellow and red variation.

http://img237.imageshack.us/img237/2742/colourzx3.jpg

It was an entertaining video Mike!

Justin

Okay, Mike---this is by far my favorite movie to this point. I loved it!

Even though it's obvious where the "X" is going to be, I laughed out loud at your exclamation/acting. Actually, all your voiceover work (I'm assuming it was voiceover!) was excellent. The grunts, the exclamations....I'm laughing just thinking about the whole thing again! That shot of you when you put two-and-two together about Sadie and the treasure: PRICELESS.

And Sadie! Gosh, it's as if she's a professional actor! What a doll! ('bout time I got to see her ;)

Your cutting was superb (glad you did all that extra tweaking on the last day!), timing was perfect, in my opinion.

I could go on and on, but should leave something for others to say. Thank you so much for the great entertainment. BRAVO!!!!!

Sadie Stole the show. very cute. I thought the voice was good. very realistic if it was a voice over, can't even tell. I agree with Lorinda that the timing of the shots was great. It was a little washed out looking but I liked it. Kind of gave it that hotter than hell look. I hope someone helped you dig those holes. Just an overall great short and fun to watch.

Thanks Michael,

I did not notice I put it in the wrong thread! We Mikes have to stick together. :)

Thanks again,

Mike

Justin,

Damn, where we you when I needed you? Thanks for helping. I'll work on it later, too late now. I'm new to this so I'm still learning.

Mike

Michael,

Thanks for the nice comments. Believe me it was hotter than hell! And, no, I didn't have any help with the hole, but I did bring a shovel! :) I was exausted when done and actually hurt. When trying to get the box out of the hole, as you can see in the video, it was too deep to just pick it up, too off balance and I kept getting pulled in, and that is why I had to get in. The last time I hit my head pretty hard on the side, all the weight on my neck and head, and pinched a nerve or slipped a disk in my neck. I kept going, but when I got out of the hole the thumb and index finger were numb, along with half of my arm, but still kept going. The numbness went away about 95% now, but still not cleared up and my arm and neck is giving me problems, so it looks like an eventual trip to the doctor. Now I just have to figure out what to tell them when they ask how it happened!?!?!?!?

Yes, It was a voice over, just too noisy on the beach.

Thanks---Mike

Lorinda,

Thanks, you are a great audience! Sadie is great! She is a rescue from the Atlanta Humain Society. She was adopted by a niece of a friend of mine in Atlanta, but they kept her in a cage about 20 hours a day, and when she would get out, she would run away whenever she had the chance. I saw her on a trip there about 4 months ago, and when I found out that they were going to take her back to the shelter, a asked to have her, and that was one of the best decisions I have ever made. She has never been in the cage since and and cowers and runs if she even gets a glimps of it. All she wants to do is play and sit in my lap or be held. You should see her chase birds at the beach, and getting all wet! I'm sure she will find her way into future movies too.

I will work on the coloration, as it is a weakness of the XL2, so I need to learn correction better. I can usually get the story right, but need more experiance with the color correction.

Thanks again---Mike

Did you really eat those dog biscuits? If so, you gained some points with me! Anyway my favorite movie of Day 2. I loved the fast motion sequences. I knew it was going to be doggie treats but I had a hearty laugh when you took a "bite" out of it and then shrugged. Awesome work!

i'm so delighted that someone is carrying on the time-honored DV Challenge tradition of making dog movies! welcome to our club! so far, kris holodak and i are the only other members. (greg boston threatens but so far, he's all hat, no cattle....) great to have you aboard, mike!

this is my favorite so far, and not just because it features a cute doggie. i love the guy and the gentle humor of the whole thing, when they're sharing the animal cracker. and when the map takes him to the place he started...

the whole video just has a wonderful sweetness about it.

wish i could vote!

Thanks Meryem,

It's funny, but there was no forthought in ending up on the blanket. When I did the first take I walk out of the camera and so on the second I was trying to stay in camera and as I was walking back and noticed that the blanket was dead ahead and added the reaction. Just lucky I guess. Or is that what they call acting?!?!?!? :)

Sadie will be back!

Mike

John,

Man I tried to take a real bite of the biskets, but only got a small piece, and a grain of sand. They are hard! But, Sadie can take one apart in no time! :)

Thanks--Mike

Mike,

Great little story. I keep expecting to see a DOLLY shot :) but very entertaining. I didn't think of it while watching the movie, but it makes sense that it was all voice over. You blended the ocean in the background perfectly, it didn't occur to me while watching it that it was V.O.

I live in Atlanta so next time you get up to see your daughter, send me a note and we can get together for a beer or two.

Dick

Mike:

I gotta stop watching these late at night. Dylan actually put you guys up just before midnight, and I ran through all of them... just didn't get excited because I was tired. Just watched it again, and I thought it was great job.

Old guys rule, and I can say that because I'm 56.... And we actually can tells a story with a beginning, middle, and an end....

Nice choice of music, the shot of the ocean and the sun was great. The story was funny.

From the looks of that hole, I think you worked harder than anyone else!

I was wondering how the dog buried the chest and drew the map, I didn't notice his thumbs!

The walking off the paces was really funny.

I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Definitely my favorite of the day - and not just for the dog, though I am a member of the dog club. It had a good story and it was well executed. Those are always the ones I like best.

Smile,
Kris

That was a nice little story and she is a very cute l'il dog. I had a few issues with continuity in the cuts (which I'd imagine is difficult to control, no matter HOW cute the dog is) and with crossing the axis but it was easy enough to follow what was what. One question: was the shot of the thermometer rising "assisted" in any way?

Nice job!


-j

Very nicely done Mike. The dog was wonderful, how was it working with animals? Not too tough I hope. Sorry to hear about your pain though, jeesh, hope your recovering nicely.

I think I remember reading a Disney story like this to my son, LOL.

For the thermometer, I sat the back workings of it on top of my cup of hot coffee. When it reached about 110 deg, I quickly hung it in a predetermined spot and ran to the camera, which was setup and ready to go. It took a couple of attempts to get it right. The temperature dropped very rapidly in the cooler morning breeze. Then in post I just reversed the footage. I did speed up the zoom in.

Thanks---Mike

She was good to work with, but all she wanted to do was chaise the birds. She is a real hunter. I shot some video of her splashing through the water trying to get to them.

Mike

I have to say I liked it a lot. Sort of a Laurel and Hardy feel for some reason with me. I suppose it's a sort of sad resignation in the delivery? Maybe the idea of adversity as humor? Not really sure, but I liked it.

Never ate a dog cookie. Thought about it - who hasn't thought about it? Fess up folks. I would have liked to see it as if he was stranded on an island with the poochie. Maybe the other people were a distraction to me. It would have been cliche I suppose, but fun. Either way, it was a good one. I like the pace as well.

Thanks,

Sean

Mike, hope you have a speedy recovery. That's dedication! I would've just buried the box 6 inches deep and called it a day. I enjoyed this one. Thanks.

I have eaten a dog cookie. My mom gave them to me when I was teething because they lasted much longer than the usual teething biscuits. I have also eaten cat food (dry Meow Mix, the chicken is the best) of my own accord.

And now back to your regularly scheduled topic...


-j

i bit into a dog biscuit when i was a child, on a dare from my brother. i don't recommend milk bones. dry. flat. mealy. the memory lingers...

how do you spell "thpah thpah thpah?"

Sadie is great! The movie's even better the second time through, I can practically see the mischief in her eyes. Waiting, hoping you'll leave so she can get to work digging up her treasure.

The first time through, I thought the voice work was supposed to be ADR, replacing dialogue you had spoken on camera, and it didn't sound very good, to be honest. Now that I consider it as voiceover, however, it fits like a glove, and does indeed give the Laurel and Hardy feel Sean spoke of. The sped up dog chase clinches that feel for me, and the ending made me chuckle. I feel stupid for not seeing it coming, but that made it all the more amusing.

The shots of you following the map are a little off kilter, but otherwise a "warm and fuzzy" kind of film. I like "warm and fuzzy". Good work.

Justin,

I went back and checked as I had done a little correcting and thought it looked dull in your picture too, and found that the effect was toggled off during the render. I redid it though, and punched it up to about what you had and it looks much better now. I did not change my submitted movie, just mine.

Thanks again----Mike