Steve,

Great getting the camera back in time!!! I got mine just at start up time!!!

I have no excuses now!! just my usual range of stupid moves.

tomarrow I shoot some serious close up material, I have been dieing to use this lens I have had for ages!!

Still waiting on a speciality lens I had hoped to use this round, may not happen!!

Heck, I am working on the music and that is taking more work than the editing to date!!

I was out at the Cradle of Humankind.My original idea was to do something on the transformation of mankind,This has changed to the transformation of a few generations of mankind,the lions are sort of a small part in the video.This was shot at The Rhino Lion Nature Reserve situated in the Cradle of Humankind World heritage Site, 50 km from both JHB & Pretoria.I still need a few key shots to complete this project, but "plan A " still looks on.

well, i am glad to hear that someone's Plan A is still on...mine has changed about 39 zillion million billion times already. and how am i going to get this done while i am at NAB staying up late at the craps table, hm?

I wish I managed to join you guys this round - silly work!

That craziness that made life hell and took away my free time during UWOL 7 is still around. Just a few more weeks! Only a few weeks too late! =D

I hear you about the workload these days.
But don't give up yet! There is still some time to come up with something.
Remember, the 3 minute limit is only a max limit!
Good luck!

well - I found someone and spent a couple of hours being driven around by the rangers and shown sites of interest - pretty good! now I just have to trek back in there with gear - great!

Well I started this one off with no plan A even, but I managed to think something up today and get it shot. No shark tank for me!


Meryem I can't wait to see what you will do with that RED.

Forgot about that one - very similar to Krugersdorp in set-up.
Your video sounds really interesting.

I am certainly glad I work flexi-time. Everything seems to start first thing in the morning with my subject. Today I had to do time-lapse.

Unfortunately you cannot use the interval timer on the camera if you have a subject that's moving around all the time!
I also have a pretty good idea now of how Per must have felt just waiting and waiting for something to happen.
I never realized, until I started this project, just how long it takes to record change while it is taking place! Pretty time-intensive.
Anyway I am relieved to have most of my footage now. It would not have been possible in May - just skidded in on time.

I discarded a whole raft of ideas for this project because I realised they were too ambitious in terms of the time it would take to film them. The one I've settled on was because I happened to notice it starting - I only hope that it finishes before the deadline!

Gosh, sounds like people are hard at work on their challenge films.

My Plan A is still in the early stages. In fact, I wouldn't even go so far as to say it's a "Plan A". It's more of a "Pla". :)
Hopefully I can get out this weekend and get some shooting done.
So far my "Pla" is a bit of a departure from what I've done in that past. But, I'm sure once I get out there, I'll throw everything away and just shoot whatever moves me. Hopefully I can do something a little different this round that what I usually do. Whether that turns out to be a good thing or not, we'll just have to see.

TRANSFORMATION, bah! i should have just stuck the camera in the window and been done with it.

we've had transformation all right. the past 4 days here: 1) snow, 2) sunshine and 50+ degrees, 3) rain, and 4) snow today. every day is a transformation. i can't get any consistent footage, in order to transform anything.

Well, there you go!
It's not easy these challenges of yours :)
Don't worry though, I think we do share the same type of weather.

I have been out 3 times trying to get something on tape.
Hiking the mountains for several hours 3 days in a row, but I'm not sure about the clips. Well, one of them I like very much though it was more like out of pure luck.
You can't predict nor direct mother nature, so when it comes out ( even by luck) with something you're satisfied with, it feels just great.
I also have my new camera (hv30) not as challenging as your Red, Meryem, but still... Also got myself a set of wireless mic which I'm testing out.

Something I want to mention is when you are out doors 3 days in a row, and you do not wear the same clothes each day, it some how comes out wrong in the film.
I have to remember that next time :) Also walking in and out of frame must be right. Don't know how many times I've done the same mistake on this one, hehe.

I will do my last shooting this weekend and then do my editing.

Plan? What plan...? I don't know about these things, I'm just shooting and do wish it will transform into something nice and watchable wildlife.

Hope every one is doing fine and are making some nice uwol films.

Geir Inge

that's funny...wonder if there is a way to work the magically changing clothes into the theme.

I kind of like that idea! Giers Magic Transforming Wardrobe Movie! I'm not so sure the title has such a great ring to it, but I'd bet that Gier could work some magic on that as well. :)

It sounds like you guys are getting things done...me I'm still in Winnipeg headed home tomorrow weather permitting. While here in the city I picked up a
HV 30...needed something to grab and run rather than have to pack the XL2 on every occasion. I may follow your lead Geir and shoot this challenge with it but I'll see when I get home how the weather is also picked up a copy of Premier Elements 4 again something to do down and dirty work with rather than always using Premier Pro.

Looking forward to getting home and getting things done....

Brian

Geir, you're going about it all wrong.

You wear the same clothes all 3 days, then on the 4th day they can walk in and out of the frame by themselves.

Bruce (ever the smart a.. um aleck)

hehe, that would have been something Bruce.
But I don't think the 3 Ladies in the house will approve, just imagine the smell :/

Geir Inge

ok, i'm shutting down this boys' locker room! new topic!

Do I have to surrender my shirt if I don't make it this time ??????

Well cold weather, rain and possible snow returned this weekend...
Hopefully a can make something with the little I shot last weekend...

Deadlines....I hate 'em ;)

Snow and rain here. Coupled with brown muddy landscapes doesn't make for a very photogenic setting. :)

well, I'm done

footage, narration, music all in the bag

that gives me a week to ...
reshoot the crap footage
redo the crap voiceover
and pull a rabbit out of the hat to make it into something reasonable

Have begun to edit my video today. Done the rough cut so far.
Seems like I have at least something useful, but I have already found some things I should have done different to make it much better.
Hopefully I can finish edit this weekend.

GOOD LUCK everyone!

It's today or nothing for me. Woke up to a bright sunny but cool morning the snow machines are ready, batteries are charged so we'll head out shortly. I have the shots mapped in my head now if I can just get them on tape into the computer and out the other end looking anything like I have things pictured I'll be a happy camper.

The reason I say today or nothing is the forecast shows snow and rain...yep rain right through until next week. This time of year rain means freezing rain layer after layer of it.

Wish me luck......I'll let you all know later today if I'm in the game or in the tank.

Brian

PS: Geir I've decided to go with the HV 30...like I need the added pressure.
B.

Good luck, Brian! Hope you get the shots you want.

Well, I baught my HV30 because I needed a smaller camera (not so heavy) on my mountain tours. The HV30 is OK, I've used it for 4 days now.
In my uwol8 film I will use film taken with both H1 and HV30. Still I have some more scenes to shoot before I can say I'm finished.
Wish you good luck Brian and hope the weather is on your side.

Geir Inge

Where oh where has my spring weather gone ?!?
 

Like many of you, the weather is not doing my project any favors either. All of my critical shots are depenant on nice weather and my ability to get on location. The odds of that happening are not looking good at this point in the game.

I have thought about changing my topic, yet again (I'm on plan D now). This weekend would've been my opportunity to get my critical shots, if I can't get them then it looks like I may be out of this round. Bummer....

Well mine is in the can, I decided to keep it rather simple. Most of my ideas had to be scrapped due to the 3 week time span of the project.

Transformation takes too long!

(four Letter word) followed by (four letter word) followed by (four letter word) if anyone needs macro footage of a single piece of fur stuck to a damn lens just drop me a line and I'll send you the (four letter word) footage.

We packed up and headed out to the same area we used for the water theme...great drive not to cold, bright sun absolutely wonderful. Minor problem the LCD screen on the HV 30 is useless in bright sun but hey we have the eye piece that will work. I shot a ton of footage..enough good stuff I thought to get three minutes worth....NOT. A damn hair on the lens....my parks has fur around the hood which is great for keeping my face from freezing but not worth a damn when a piece ends up on the camera lens.

Time for plan B or it's in the tank for little old Brian.

"For sale Green Parka complete with Fur Hood Trim" See attached photo for details.

No Reasonable Offer Refused.....Okay take the darn thing you can have it.

boy that looks cold - it must have taken you hours to find those rocks and stack them up like that :-)

It's so sad when you have had a great day out in the wild, shooting all the footage you need, and then it's all ruined by one single fur.
Hope you can come up with a plan B, Brian. Don't give up yet.

Lucked Out
 

Good weather two days in a row, unheard of this time of year but it did happen. It was much colder but still nice and bright. I took the XL2 a heavy tripod a snack and we headed out to an area where I have never filmed before actually it's an area that we normally just pass through never taking the time to look around. I got some good footage so I THINK I'm safe from the tank....said with fingers crossed.

Anyway the parka is no longer for sale but I did come across a northern three bedroom condo that's going cheap. If your interested drop me a line within the next two months after that well lets say I will have a wet spot to sell.

Brian

Transformation. Thought about it enough by now that if I'd just aimed the camera at myself from the introduction of this idea, my video would be done already. Theme seems easy enough. Go shoot a caterpillar or something. Not a UWOLer though, we've got to think outside the box. Pains in the a$$es. Headed out early this morning in typical UWOL fasion - always turning left where I'd normally turn right. Eventually I came upon a state park situated around a sunken ship made of concrete - once again, less than an hour from home - never even knew it was there. "Alright I'm game" I thought. Did some research, built a story, worked it all out in my pea brain, then headed out to find the ship.

It was over 100 years ago that some Norwegian guy had a bug up his kazoo to build a ship out of cement. Interesting idea. Mind you, I said "interesting" not "good." When steel went scarce his odd idea found a place, kind of. By 1920 over a dozen concrete ships were under construction. One, named the Palo Alto, was finished over in Oakland - where it sat for nearly 20 years. It cost 1.5 million dollars to build the Palo Alto (do the math on THAT one - 1910?). Finally some carnival company purchased it for probably seventeen dollars and towed it out to sea on what would not only be it's maiden voyage, but also it's final voyage. They sank it just off shore a few miles south of SantaCruz, then turned it into a restaurant/night club complete with a ballroom. That idea went bust as well, after only two moderately successful seasons. A few years later the ocean blue had it's filthy way with the Palo Alto's hull, and cracked it in two.

Today the Palo Alto exists in just about all the glory it's ever known. It's still by the shore, it's still aimed out to a sea it will never know, and it's still being pounded by the ocean blue. Only now it's not as much a ship as it is a wonderland for sea life.

And that was my story of transformation - concrete turned into a ship, then a ship turned into an aquarium - with lots of fish and bird poop worked in between. Only one problem, they built a chain link fence across the stern some years ago and now you can't get up on it. Not even to film...

Five days left, no plan B yet.

I dove a wreck/ship like yours. This was in the Baltic Sea (where else?), and the ship hade a similar story too. It was built but never sailed, it sat in the harbour for years until someone came up with this Idea (I think it was a restaurant idea too) and started to tau the ship around Sweden from the east to west. A few days in to the slowly trip they got hit by a storm and they hade to cut the line to the concrete hull (‘cause it was not a ship…) and it sunk to the bottom in a second. Now it’s a popular dive site and a nice wreck to dive…
Thank for the story Eric, I hope you get a plan B (or se if you can continue on plan A).

Cheers from Sweden

I almost have all the shots I need and I also started editing. I got some good shots on Saturday the 5th when the weather was great. This past weekend was no good (rain mixed with some snow), but today and tomorrow is supposed to be fantastic.

Oliver

Squeeeeeeze!
 

This reminds me of the first time I had to do a presentation in front of a room full of people. I started off thinking I'd never fill three minutes, and now I'm at the editing stage I'm wondering how I'm going to squeeze it down to the regulation length!

Great fun... I don't know how my finished film will go down with the masses, but I sure had fun making it. I've got to practice my best narration voice now, there's only so long I can put that off!

Almost finished my uwol8 video.
I'm not sure how to end it though.
Tomorrow or coming weekend I will try to make one last trip, maybe I'll manage to capture some nice scenes. The weather forecast look promising.
Never struggled so much with an uwol topic before and it's strange how "luck" can be a big part of ones production, when it comes to wildlife videoing. Also trying to get my new wireless mic to work, but I think it's making too much noice when I'm walking aorund, talking/narrating. Any suggestion?

Geir Inge

Boy did I blow a great opportunity. At the start of the competition all the snow had melted. Then we had storm come through that dropped 14" inches on us. After 3 days it's gone again. Would have been perfect for transformation. I definitely dropped the ball on this one.

Egads!!! The upload instructions arrived.....

I better get to editing my meager supply of clips I shot....