New Wildlife Film

Peter McMurdie · December 30th, 2007, 10:05 AM

Hi All,

I've just posted my latest short film called 'The Grey Seals Of Donna Nook'.

Feel free to have a look - it's at:

http://www.petermcmurdie.co.uk/videogallery.htm

All the best
Pete

Mick Jenner · December 30th, 2007, 12:36 PM

Hi Pete,

Another great piece of work, keep it up and keep posting them here.
I like the way your videos tell a story, unlike some of the almost photo like sceinic montages with an added piece of moody music that are often posted here.

regards

Mick

Geir Inge · December 30th, 2007, 01:11 PM

I enjoyd this film very much Peter.
Very well done and with a suitable mix between music and narrations.
Also the storyline was very good with a lot of information and nice shots following the story.
Hope you can sell it to a TV station :)
The muddy/sandy beach of Donna Nook is a little bit different from our rocky beaches here in Norway though. This year I was supposed to film the Harbour seal as they gave birth to new pups, but I missed it by a week or so :( but I will try again in 2008.

Wish you all the best.
Geir Inge

Brendan Marnell · December 30th, 2007, 04:31 PM

Informative and enjoyable Peter. A real study of grey seals on land. The soundtrack matched the video sequence logically and unobtrusively.

I would agree with Mick Jenner about the success of your storytelling. I would go further and say that it is a relief to be able to hear a tight script without some dubbing idiot drowning it under so-called waves of glorious musak ... the scourge of almost every educational documentary in recent years.

Peter McMurdie · January 2nd, 2008, 04:23 AM

Hi All,

Thanks very much for your encouraging comments. I have tried to give the film a 'real' feel to it. It could quite easily have been 10 minutes of cuteness, but that wouldn't be a true reflection on these creatures lives, it's a cold, windy and barren place and I hope I have managed to capture some of that.

Hi Geir - Where I live the seals haul out in small rocky coves surrounded by steep cliffs, but are virtually impossible to get close enough to film, so I traveled a few hundred miles north to film this as footage was guaranteed.

Thanks again for taking the time to watch, it's much appreciated.

Best Regards
Pete

www.petermcmurdie.co.uk

______________________

Russ Holland · January 4th, 2008, 11:48 AM

You certainly had better weather than when I went :)

I like the narrative and the mix of footage showing life and death, very moving and shows nature as it is. It is a wonder how the seals stay with all the bombing in the week, how you mixed in the raf base to the narrative was good, although i wanted to keep away from that side and just show the seals in my film.

i did enjoy it though, they've all left the beach now, over a thousand pups were born there this season just out of interest, so it's all good that we can document that wonderful experience.

Well done!

Regards,
Russ

Peter McMurdie · January 6th, 2008, 05:18 AM

Hi Russ,

Thanks for watching - hope you get the camera sorted.

Great news on the seals. More pups survive at Donna Nook than average - I believe the mortality rate is about 20% rather than 40% percent elsewhere.

Hats off to all the people that work so hard to protect them - the volunteers, the local wildlife trust and the RAF. Long may it continue.

Cheers
Pete

Michael Richard · January 6th, 2008, 11:04 AM

It's cross platform wmv isn't. Lot's of folks using Mac's these days. Quicktime runs in Both Windows and MAC OSX.

Leon Lorenz · January 6th, 2008, 07:44 PM

Peter, do to all the trees around my home I'm unable to have wireless internet, so I'm unable to watch your video or others on this forum. Your stills, however, look awesome. What camera are you using?

Leon Lorenz
www.wildlifevideos.ca

Peter McMurdie · January 7th, 2008, 03:31 AM

Hi Michael,

The reason I'm using wmv is that in my experience, byte for byte the wmv video format is better at getting the file size down - 40Mb for a 10 minute film - with acceptable quality is pretty good. Using Quicktime it's 80Mb (ish). It could be that the software I'm using just isn't very good at getting the mov files down to size.

One could turn your statement on it's head and ask - Why buy a computer that can't play one of the most popular video formats on the internet? and also Why upload content that 'most' internet users would have to download a third party program to watch?

There are arguments for and against file formats and computer platforms. I hope this answers your question.

Hi Lorenz,
Thanks for taking the time to have a look at my website and comment on the stills. I'm using the Sony HVR-V1 at the moment, and on the whole feel it's pretty versatile and have produced some nice footage with it. It's also very light which enables me to walk miles to remote places for filming without breaking my shoulder.

I enjoyed your website as well - some great wildlife shots in there, particularly the bears and the bighorn mountain sheep fight.

Cheers
Pete
www.petermcmurdie.co.uk

___________________________-

December 30th, 2007, 10:05 AM	#1
Peter McMurdie Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Cornwall UK Posts: 30	New Wildlife Film - Grey Seals Hi All, I've just posted my latest short film called 'The Grey Seals Of Donna Nook'. Feel free to have a look - it's at: http://www.petermcmurdie.co.uk/videogallery.htm All the best Pete

December 30th, 2007, 01:11 PM	#3
Geir Inge Trustee Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Larsnes, Norway Posts: 1,342	I enjoyd this film very much Peter. Very well done and with a suitable mix between music and narrations. Also the storyline was very good with a lot of information and nice shots following the story. Hope you can sell it to a TV station :) The muddy/sandy beach of Donna Nook is a little bit different from our rocky beaches here in Norway though. This year I was supposed to film the Harbour seal as they gave birth to new pups, but I missed it by a week or so :( but I will try again in 2008. Wish you all the best. Geir Inge __________________ Geir Inge B. Brekke Visit me at: https://vimeo.com/gibbfilm

January 4th, 2008, 11:48 AM	#6
Russ Holland Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Burton on Trent, UK Posts: 193	You certainly had better weather than when I went :) I like the narrative and the mix of footage showing life and death, very moving and shows nature as it is. It is a wonder how the seals stay with all the bombing in the week, how you mixed in the raf base to the narrative was good, although i wanted to keep away from that side and just show the seals in my film. i did enjoy it though, they've all left the beach now, over a thousand pups were born there this season just out of interest, so it's all good that we can document that wonderful experience. Well done! Regards, Russ __________________ Sony Alpha a57 \| RODE VideoMic \| Adobe Premiere CS5 Manfrotto 785b \| Manfrotto 718b

January 6th, 2008, 11:04 AM	#8
Michael Richard Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Midcoast, Maine Posts: 89	wmv? why not Quicktime It's cross platform wmv isn't. Lot's of folks using Mac's these days. Quicktime runs in Both Windows and MAC OSX.

December 30th, 2007, 12:36 PM	#2
Mick Jenner Major Player Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: West Sussex England Posts: 843	Hi Pete, Another great piece of work, keep it up and keep posting them here. I like the way your videos tell a story, unlike some of the almost photo like sceinic montages with an added piece of moody music that are often posted here. regards Mick

December 30th, 2007, 04:31 PM	#4
Brendan Marnell Major Player Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Dublin, Ireland Posts: 938	Informative and enjoyable Peter. A real study of grey seals on land. The soundtrack matched the video sequence logically and unobtrusively. I would agree with Mick Jenner about the success of your storytelling. I would go further and say that it is a relief to be able to hear a tight script without some dubbing idiot drowning it under so-called waves of glorious musak ... the scourge of almost every educational documentary in recent years.

January 2nd, 2008, 04:23 AM	#5
Peter McMurdie Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Cornwall UK Posts: 30	Hi All, Thanks very much for your encouraging comments. I have tried to give the film a 'real' feel to it. It could quite easily have been 10 minutes of cuteness, but that wouldn't be a true reflection on these creatures lives, it's a cold, windy and barren place and I hope I have managed to capture some of that. Hi Geir - Where I live the seals haul out in small rocky coves surrounded by steep cliffs, but are virtually impossible to get close enough to film, so I traveled a few hundred miles north to film this as footage was guaranteed. Thanks again for taking the time to watch, it's much appreciated. Best Regards Pete www.petermcmurdie.co.uk ______________________

January 6th, 2008, 05:18 AM	#7
Peter McMurdie Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Cornwall UK Posts: 30	Hi Russ, Thanks for watching - hope you get the camera sorted. Great news on the seals. More pups survive at Donna Nook than average - I believe the mortality rate is about 20% rather than 40% percent elsewhere. Hats off to all the people that work so hard to protect them - the volunteers, the local wildlife trust and the RAF. Long may it continue. Cheers Pete

January 6th, 2008, 07:44 PM	#9
Leon Lorenz Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: McBride BC Canada Posts: 100	Peter, do to all the trees around my home I'm unable to have wireless internet, so I'm unable to watch your video or others on this forum. Your stills, however, look awesome. What camera are you using? Leon Lorenz www.wildlifevideos.ca

January 7th, 2008, 03:31 AM	#10
Peter McMurdie Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Cornwall UK Posts: 30	Hi Michael, The reason I'm using wmv is that in my experience, byte for byte the wmv video format is better at getting the file size down - 40Mb for a 10 minute film - with acceptable quality is pretty good. Using Quicktime it's 80Mb (ish). It could be that the software I'm using just isn't very good at getting the mov files down to size. One could turn your statement on it's head and ask - Why buy a computer that can't play one of the most popular video formats on the internet? and also Why upload content that 'most' internet users would have to download a third party program to watch? There are arguments for and against file formats and computer platforms. I hope this answers your question. Hi Lorenz, Thanks for taking the time to have a look at my website and comment on the stills. I'm using the Sony HVR-V1 at the moment, and on the whole feel it's pretty versatile and have produced some nice footage with it. It's also very light which enables me to walk miles to remote places for filming without breaking my shoulder. I enjoyed your website as well - some great wildlife shots in there, particularly the bears and the bighorn mountain sheep fight. Cheers Pete www.petermcmurdie.co.uk ___________________________-