Sunset
 

http://members.cox.net/numericatroph..._palm_tree.jpg

Just a frame grab I took here in las vegas during sunset. Thought It looked really good, so I wanted to share it. Wanted to know what others thought.

Thanks.

I imagine actually being there would have been beautiful. The colours look like they would have been amazing.

Composition wise, with video as with stills, avoid composing a subject, especially in this situation, directly in the middle of the frame. When you have an obvious subject in a shot you should use the rule of thirds, divide your shot into equal thirds along the vertical or horizontal axis and place your subject in either the left or right third. Take a look at any professional shots and you'll rarely see the subject in the center of the shot.

That is very much appreciated advice. I am really new at this, so any advice at all is very good to get. Thank you.

Since this was video, and I was panning around, I was able to get a shot with the tree in the left third of the picture. However, you could also see a lightpole in the picture. The original shot above, had no cg work, but in the new one, i removed the light pole.

Thanks for the advice.

After

Before

(now if only I had remembered to turn off interlacing :-p )

Thanks Again

Good job Bryan.

Can you see that with the tree off to the side it's more pleasing to the eye, you see more of the sunset than just seeing this big black tree.

Unfortunately, video camera still functions are still lacking, they're getting better but your still better off with a still camera for stills and a video camera for video. If only we had the cash for what we need ay?

* * Autobiography Of A Suicide/Breathing Shadow * *
 

Good Afternoon All!

I've been very busy, but I thought I would post a few RAW shots from a short that and an upcoming feature that I'm working on.

The boards have been a fabulous resource of technical knowledge and contacts.

I will let you know when the endeavors are completed in their final forms...

I hope you enjoy them. They are untouched, with exception of the shot of New York, which was desaturated, the contrast up slightly, gamma increased nominally.

All shot on the XL1S. AOAS - - Frame Mode(16:9) Breathing Shadow - - 60i/4:3

Let me know:

2002-2003 (AOAS - Copyright by Derrick Begin, LOC)

http://www.dpbegin.com/Gallery/AOASIntro.jpg
http://www.dpbegin.com/Gallery/AOAS-Signs.jpg

2003 (Breathing Shadow - Copyright by Derrick Begin, LOC/R. Crafford)

http://www.dpbegin.com/Gallery/StatueBS.jpg
http://www.dpbegin.com/Gallery/ShadowBoxBS2.jpg
http://www.dpbegin.com/Gallery/ShadowBS.jpg

Please comment... (The stairs, jaggies, in the photos will be taken care of at a later date.)

Cheers!

Derrick

Made them links to save the ctrl+c ctrl+v keys
 

2002-2003 (AOAS - Copyright by Derrick Begin, LOC)

http://www.dpbegin.com/Gallery/AOASIntro.jpg
http://www.dpbegin.com/Gallery/AOAS-Signs.jpg


2003 (Breathing Shadow - Copyright by Derrick Begin, LOC/R. Crafford)

http://www.dpbegin.com/Gallery/StatueBS.jpg
http://www.dpbegin.com/Gallery/ShadowBoxBS2.jpg
http://www.dpbegin.com/Gallery/ShadowBS.jpg


You have to add [url ] before and [/url ] afterwords (minus the space inside the brackets) for it to be linked, even though in the FAQ I believe it says it will do it automatically.

Cheers,
Huey

Thanks, Huey!

Cheers!

Nothing, huh?

Composition?

Use of lens flare as an effect?

Anything?

Action?

Well...

Hi Derrick,

The shots look very interesting and moody, but what kind of feedback do you want based on a couple of screenshots? To me they are as mysterious/unclear as the rest of your website.

Anyone else?

Peter

Peter,

Your input is appreciated. Both of the pieces are very moody and I will intentionally deepen shadows to strengthen their look.

Your right. Posting photographic images does not represent the story in it's world and omits the motion picture aspect from the photo. I will post some rolling images in a short period of time which these images are a part of. (I lack the speed at the moment to upload *.mov)

However, I am looking for a person(s) who have a strong still photography background and/or cinematography background to possibly point out things that I can learn from. Or some suggestions... If you have seen or/ one of the photo reminds you of something or someone, artist, photographer, style, or other, please point me at the artist...

FYI - -

"Autobiography of a Suicide" was first introduced to this board a year ago based on improvisation and a poem. Experimental.

"Breathing Shadow" is a feature which I am working on, as cinematographer/dp, right now. E. Munch, the color palate he uses, and his paintings are being worked into the production.

My website is currently in conversion. The site is geared toward my professional acting career, as of the moment. Its being changed.

Cheers!

Thanks!

Here are some more:

http://www.dpbegin.com/Gallery/AOAS-Sid.jpg
http://www.dpbegin.com/Gallery/AOAS-Jen.jpg

I really like the first shot, the AOASintro. Great colours, and you've got a strong foreground and background.

My second favourite would have to be StatueBS, that's a really epic shot. It reminds me of something out of Shakespeare.. I'd love to see this in motion, with the birds flying every which way!

The second AOAS shot (with the silhouette against the window) is interesting, but I would like to see a bit more light on the figure. Maybe a strong key light from the same side as the window, just to bring out the features a bit more.

Alex,

That shot of the statue with the birds flying was an opportunity I took. I had it story boarded, but the pigeons was an added bonus. (Just before the pigeons launch, the main character steals and a chase ensues through Central Park.) I asked the director to follow me over to the statue, after setting up and locking the shot, I had him jostle the pigeons softly. I've got some great sounds of the birds in flight as they rush off the statue. I'll clip some off of the sequence and post it.

Yes, the figure infront of the window. I see what you mean by keying high from the window. Maybe even a slight hair light fill also... I am working on getting a light kit (I need to paint).

That first shot, AOASIntro, is the opening shot.

AOAS is giving me problems on the editing side. Sound issues and lack of perserverance that I now have. Because it has been so long, I am in the process of just cutting it together and leaving it as it is. Linking together all the pieces is and shall remain the obstacle with this experimental short.

Cheers!

Well, by JUST looking at the photos, they seem very blocky, as if they were de-interlaced. Other than that, the pics look good, but it's kind of hard to say how they fit the mood of your final project until I can see them in motion.

Ted,

I am exporting from Avid Express DV, Single Field. That may be what is causing the blocks. In addition to my, reducing the quality so that the images weren't large.

The footage has not been de-interlaced at all. Post production houses told me that if converting the feature, "Breathing Shadow" to 35mm film, they would use their own log to deinterlace the footage on their end.

I will make a separate version for television 1.85 letterboxed.

OK.

I'll post some moving images sometime this weekend.

Cheers!

Thanks for your input.

WeeklyDV.com
 

WeeklyDV

This is a site run by a guy named Jason Zada called WeeklyDV. He had it going for awhile last year and earlier this year, and then his wife had a baby and it stopped. But it's back starting this week.

The idea is there is a topic posted and you have a week to create a 4 minute or so short. They are all submitted by midnite (EST) Wednesday of each week. And then everyone gets a chance to view them. This week the challenge is to use a piece of music he created in Soundtrack as the BG music for your video.

More info on the About page, and Rules are on the Submit page (down the page a bit on the right hand side).

Check it out - it might get your creative juices flowing. There are a lot of good videos that were created the first time he did this, and I look forward to many more.