I liked the way you edited the film to the music. As a few have already mentioned, some different angels on the last waves would have been better. Maybe you could hade zoomed out a bit on the Otters, and then they would have stayed in the frame, even in the waves.
Good job…

Markus

Hi eric
Great setting to film in...I can sit and watch Gulls for hours...the way they just glide onto the beach,and you captured them so well...Your editing is top class..I enjoyed this

Some of your shots were truly stunning, the gull coming into land particularly got me! The otters too, really made me smile. Good choice in music and the crescendo came together nicely - not an easy feat to acheive. Overall really nice quality and had a solid feel to it. Nice one!

Wow Eric! You had a killer ending, I live for shots like that along with the perfect edit to the music. Strong, entertaining footage throughout. What a gift. Thanks for lifting us out of the fog (which was awesome in itself) to a great adventure along the shore!

Cat

Thanks you guys are really generous to take the time to make comments and suggestions. I understand now and agree with all the pointers. I hope to apply the new knowledge next round. Looking forward to it actually.

Great video of wildlife and the pounding surf. Very good timing with the music. It really keep my interest. Bob

Hi Eric.
Gulbransen sound a little bit Norwegian?

I loved your film and how you build it up with perfectly match between images and music. Patriotic as I am I liked the last part most :) King of Mountain Hall by Edvard Grieg. Your clips of the sea otter was really nice, but maybe I loved the clips of the deer as much, walking there in the fog and then suddenly it all revealed.

Great entry and I wish you all the best.
Geir Inge

More than a little bit Norwegian Geir. That's the father's side - his father was an artist. I'm kind of a mutt though, got some Swiss and Irish in there too. Traces of Mom's Swiss heritage are etched in stone just below the Lion of Lucerne. Dad even drove a tank straight through Dachau in WWII.

Between this history, and the short films you guys put out, I need this camera to spread some wings as soon as I can figure how to tell a better story with it..

Thanks for the inspiration,

Eric

Awsome.
Great animal shots and some epic music.
I would love to see a sea otter in the wild one day. A great little keystone species and a fantastic subject for filming.
This film was a really nice piece and one of my favourites so far.

Pete

Hi Eric,

Well this was a lovely piece of work!

I really like so many on the things happening down by the beach that day. I also enjoyed your music selection which gave the whole piece such grace and motion - with the fast walking curlew dancing to the piano and the waves crashing as the build up took place. Beautifully edited.

The Grey Heron shot colouring didn't look quite right - was it shot in the same area on the same day? This shot was also very soft on my screen? I am nit picking a bit here though.

The last wave scene was so powerful and caught me quite by surprise - which added to the whole impact. Fantastic!

All in all, I think you filmed a beautiful entry. Looking forward to seeing more in the future. Well done.

Thanks David. The Heron was in a tiny stream/brook just one corner away from opening up to the ocean. He was the first shot of the day at Point Lobos, where the Otter and other madness took place. Early morning, protected by trees, probably why the light was different. I love those majestic birds, which is probably why I stubbornly kept him in. I captured a beautiful Egret that morning too, who did not make it in. You are right, the Heron I did not nail. This marks the second time that I have shot a Great Blue Heron at a comfortable distance, with no real peripheral challenges, and MISSED. I used the focus assist function on the camera to get him - perhaps this function doesn't work so well when the subject is not very high contrast, and against a dark background? I don't know, but either way those birds have me beat so far.

I guess I now know what I'm doing this upcoming weekend.. ;- )

This was such a lovely movie to watch Eric. You have managed to capture some really good clips during your adventure and I really like the style of your title and credits.
The use of four very different pieces of music to separate the different sequences is different and interesting. I enjoyed the way you synchronised the clips of the animals and birds and breaking waves with the music from the Peer Gynt suite - Hall of the Mountain king by Grieg. I especially liked the Curlew running along the beach. The highlight was the end with that wave crashing in. Wow - really good stuff there Eric!

This was really fun to watch- such movement, literal and figurative. And your cutting to the music was really great. The only thing I missed was natural sound- I think hearing the crashing waves would have added even more to the effect you already had toward the end, with the waves synchronised to the music. The ending was amazing- hope you and your camera stayed dry :)


Ruth

I think exactly the same, I really loved it! great and keep it up.

really nice film, loved the bird stuff- looks so sharp what lens did you use for that big feeding close up of the curlew/whimbrel/whatever?? at the end?