Thanks all for watching & commenting on my entry. This of course was just to stay in the competition & these clips will be drastically reduced in length for the final film.
Jeff,
yes it was a coyote that was stalking the ground squirrel. It really was a fantastic experience to witness that. All the time i thought it was sure to spot me, but it wasn't until it came to within about 30 yards of me that it happened to spot me & then took off at a million miles an hour! The other shots were actually of Elk. I will be including footage of elk, moose, & deer in the film as these "prey" animals venture into the clear cut blocks where logging has taken place in the old growth inland temperate rainforests that the mountain caribou inhabit. These animals intern attract predators that sometimes turn their attention to the mountain caribou instead of the prey they would normally go after.
Mike,
thanks for the comments. I was playing around a bit with the exposure when i was filming both the coyote & the elk. There are certainly some better exposed shots than others, & i will only be using the better ones in the final film. It was very early morning though, & the elk came up towards me from the direction of the rising sun, so exposing them correctly was a bit tricky. I wasn't in a hide when i filmed either of these two sequences so didn't get too much footage before being spotted. I have been using a blind a bit since & will likely be using it far more for the rest of my filming. Funny story actually about using the blind. Last week i was up in the mountains & set up my blind by a slow section in a small stream hoping to get some footage of elk or maybe a moose at the water. I had set up the blind & was very comfortable in it sitting in a chair & waiting for something to happen. After about half an hour, 3 elk showed up, feeding at the streams edge, then proceeding to walk out into the water, all the time a beaver was swimming in the foreground of the shot, then when the elk began to walk out into the stream, the beaver slapped its tail on the water & swam off. That was great, but no sooner had the elk dissapeared, but another beaver came out onto the bank 20 yards right in front of me. Needless to say, i managed to get some really nice footage of him. He stayed there happily eating & grooming himself until well after it was too dark for me to film. I had a long way to drive back home, so wanted to go but was a bit reluctant to move for fear of disturbing him. Well in the end i thought, ok, so now i really have to go, so i got out of the blind, to pack things up. Of course, the beaver took off pretty quickly with a big splash of his tail. The blind i have is one of the types that you simpy unfold to a certain extent, then it pops out using the spring metal frame. Really easy to put up as there's really nothing you have to do, however, folding the darn thing back up is another story, & while sometimes it can be pretty painless, this time it didn't want to play, & i was left standing there for at least 10 minutes trying to get the darn thing folded back up. While i was standing there getting more & more frustrated with not being able to fold up the blind, the beaver calmly came back to the same spot right in front of me & continued to groom & feed. Seems i didn't really need the blind for him after all. The footage i shot of the coyote was infact in an area where hunting is prohibited, so i guess that may have made it easier, however, i think most coyotes are pretty shy critters & getting any good footage of them is a challenge.
Marj,
thanks for the heads up on the phase 1 & 2 films on the uwol site. I haven't checked it out yet, & am running out of time to do so as i am heading back up into the mountains shortly to do some more filming. Hopefully i can get it sorted out when i'm back next weekend. Thanks also for your encouragement, any positive comments from you are a real motivator for me. If i could produce anything like what you & others are doing, then i will be very happy.
On another note, as i have said in other posts about this film, i will be looking at how the predator prey relationships work with the caribou, & i'm happy to say that i have now got some wolf footage in the can for the project! I have also seen my first grizzly bear the other weekend, but unfortunately just got the focus right, when he dissapeared behind some bushes & i didn't get another shot at it. Hopefully i will get some footage of the grizzly bears, & will be able to include that in the film. Cougars are another predator of the caribou, but getting footage of them will probably be a harder task than the caribou themselves!
Ok, thanks once again to all,
Bryce

Ohhh... I covet some of that beaver footage !!! Love to see it.

Chris

Yes! I also would love to see the beaver footage. Many are surprised to learn that we have beaver in the Chihuahuan Desert. They live in the major river systems like Rio Grande, Rio Conchos and Pecos River. They are very wary as there was a trapping industry here as late as the 1960’s. I’ve never seen them give the classic tail-slap that you describe so well. Normally when they detect a human they just sink like a stone with hardly a ripple. They don’t build stick lodges. Instead they excavate burrows in the bank with underwater entrances so they can just disappear. It’s been a mighty long time since we had Grizzly Bears though…

Hi Mike & Chris,
I will try to include some of the beaver footage in the next submission if it fits in, otherwise i will try to post something just of the beavers for you.
On another note, i now have some footage of a couple of moose for my film so now i really need some grizzly & cougar footage. I have heard of a mother grizzly with 2 cubs hanging around an area just up the road from here & have been up a few times looking for them but so far haven't been lucky enough to see them, oh well, i still have a bit of time yet i guess.
Bryce

Ok, now i'm starting to get excited. I was lucky enough to get some more mountain caribou footage last weekend. Light was really nice too, so that helped a lot.
On the Saturday evening i saw a total of 9 moose as i was getting ready to get some sleep. 3 were bulls, 2 cows 1 with an older calf maybe a year or two old, the other cow had 2 calves with it that were obviously very young as they were both only a couple of feet tall. Unfortunately it was way too dark to get any footage of the cows with the calves as they both showed up just as it was getting really dark. Still really nice to see though, that's the best part about this competition, & i guess filming wildlife in general, you get to see so many really beautiful things!
Hope everyone's projects are coming along.
Regards,
Bryce

I bet you are very relieved about that Bryce! So glad for you. Time is getting rather short for these projects now and we all have so much to do still.

You're right about seeing such beautiful things when out filming wildlife - I saw my first otters in the wild on Saturday - a family of six - made my day!! It was freezing cold too! Now that I have found their well-used pathway I am going to stake them out. Hopefully I will get some nice footage too.

Hi Marj,
Yes i am relieved that i am getting footage for my project, never the less, it seems the more i get, the more i am starting to think i need!! You're right, time is running short, & i'm sure the last half of this challenge will go very very quickly. I still haven't got my editing computer here in Canada, so i'm sweating on that a bit as i need it to put my film together. The laptop i have is simply nowhere near powerful enough to be able to edit all the footage i have let alone the fact that it simply won't handle HDV material at all. Hopefully i will have the computer in the next month or so & i can get to work on it.
Great to hear you saw your first otters. That must have been a wonderful thing to see. There are otters around here, but i haven't yet been lucky enough to see one. Maybe i would have more chance if i weren't up in the mountains in search of the caribou for every spare bit of my time!
Hope your film is coming along well,
Bryce

Ok, so it looks like i have got an interview with the biologist that is in charge of the mountain caribou for the BC government. I'm thinking of just asking him to give me his thoughts on how things are going with what's being done currently to help thier plight, & whre he sees things in the not too distant future. I will have to write a list of topics i want to make sure are covered, but hope to let him just give me his thoughts. I have never done any interviewing, so if anyone would be willing to help me out with how i should go about it, it would be much appreciated.
Bryce

Bryce... are you asking technique for lighting, sound etc, or more generally how to go about interviewing a subject from more of a communicative sense?

Hi Chris,
I'm hoping to be able to do the interview somewhere outside in a natural setting where i don't need lighting. I feel that sort of setting will go better with the film & will make the cuttaways more subtle.
So yes, any ideas you have on the communicative side of things would be a massive help. I'm thinking of simply having a list of open questions so hopefully he will give me his thoughts on those issues & i can then use snippets from the interview to cut into the film where it makes sense. As i write this it all sounds very simple but i'm sure it's not, so if anyone has any ideas, or suggestions i would be very grateful.
Regards,
Bryce

Hi Bryce.
Love your film and as I’ve told you before, you’ve got quite a job ahead of you :)

Interview:
I am not an expert, but here’s my advice on doing interviews.
You can do an interview without showing an interviewer, or by showing an interviewer. The first is the easiest option, I think. All the same it’s very important to brief the one to be interviewed. If you are showing the interviewer, remember face directions – not the same way as your interviewee.
You have to make sure you ask the right questions, so you get the right information (answers) for your film. Also it’s important to remember this when it comes to edit process. It’s easier to edit an answer like, “I am 50 years old”, rather then “50”, or "I've been working as a teacher for over 20 years", rather then "20 years". If you’re showing the interviewer, remember to record “noddies”, over the shoulder shots (both sides, interviewer and interviewee, if possible) and the interviewer asking the question(s). I have done some interviews myself, and I think a lot lies in the planning of it. Some cutaways will also do, from the same area.
I try to avoid asking yes and no questions. You can avoid these kinds of answers in the briefing process, together with your interviewee. If it’s taking place outside, I guess the light is no problem, keep in mind though if it’s heavy sunlight :)
Remember to look at your interviewee as he speaks, and nod your head as you’re interested in what he says. He will then hopefully act more natural. Most people are not familiar with being interviewed, so it’s your job to make them relax and feel comfortable.
If you only got one camera, an interview is no problem. It just takes a bit more time, as you have to record one thing after another. Also important is the sound, remember to get good sound without unnecessary noise.
Remember: the looking room (rule of thirds), get some close-ups, mid and wides.
Wish you good luck and remember to record some noddies :)

Geir Inge

Thanks Geir for all the fantastic tips,
I was just thinking about sending him an email with some of the topics i would like to cover so he is more prepared, & more likely to be able to talk freely about those topics. I don't think i will do the interviewer (me) & the interviewee together but rather ask the questions & let him answer, & film his responses. I will also only have the one camera since my HV20 is no longer working.
Sound will be a bit of a concern as i still don't have all of my equipment here yet so will be working with just a shotgun mic. I may actually have to enlist the help of a friend & make up a boom pole & buy a long XLR cable for the shoot.
I'm not sure, but i would imagine being in the position he's in, he would be more aware of what goes on in an interview than i am myself, so i will have to make sure i am well prepared & not waste any of his time. I think i will have to watch some current affairs programs before hand & prepare myself well.
I'm not sure yet when the interview will happen, & not sure what time of the day i will be able to do the shoot, so that of course will have an influence on light & perhaps where i do the shoot. Maybe if it has to be in the middle of the day i could find a nice shady park or something to difuse the light??
Thanks again for the tips, i definately have more to think about now, & at least i'm starting to formulate a bit of a plan.
Regards,
Bryce

Bryce

If you get a chance, look at some of Ken Burns stuff... The WAR had a number of interviews thoughout it. Even if you do interview outdoors, I recommend a reflector be handy to fill in dark spots. The overall difference is worth it.

I tend to prefer the interviewer be neither seen nor heard for my work. This requires that you spend some time before every segment explaining what you are hoping for your viewer to get from what the interviewee has to say. Tell them that if you DO butt in and ask a question to refocus them, that they then incorporate the question into the answer. Example:

Q. How long have caribou been using this particular migration route?
A (bad) As far as we know, since the beginning of time. (no reference)
A. (good) As best we know, Caribou have been using this migration route from before recorded history.

I also try and think of places where a VO would be beneficial in the film and try and elicit little VO snippets to use when I can. Nice to have in the can if you chose to add a little variety. You might even have a rough "script" for these.

I have also listened to the interviewee do a particularly good segment only to screw it up somewhere or miss a chance to finish an explanation as I might want it finished. I am not above discussing what they said and didn't say and reshooting that segment a time or two. I always offer praise when I do this so as not to put them in a defensive posture.

Also, don't center your subject unless you plan to have him or her speak directly into the lens (and to your audience). Off to one side with a little nose room on the other into which they are looking is always a good idea... I've broken this rule on occasion when a setup was hasty and I was fighting for space for the camera and the background was not cooperating, and always regretted it.

Finally, give yourself time. No rushing. You will not do your best job and your interview subject will feel that sense of rush and it will affect their delivery as well. My 2 cents worth.

Good luck.

Chris

ps. Use a wired lavalier. I'll happily loan you one if you need it. (I have a spare SONY ECM-77b wanting to visit Canada).
pps. No rushing.

Fantastic stuff thank you Chris. I will definately keep these points in mind when i'm planning the interview. I will definately have to plan this well to do justice to the tips i have already recieved from yourself & Geir.
Regards,
Bryce

Hi Bryce

I am dismayed to hear you are possibly down - after all that interesting stuff you have gathered so far! I sincerely hope you are only down and not out - its like losing good team members having you and Jeff missing this round.

Marj

Hi Marj, & everyone,
Well it looks like i will miss this round, putting me out of the challenge. I have been working away from home & have not had access to power, let alone a computer! The job i have been working on has seen me camping on the shores of Christina lake in British Columbia. I am back for the weekend, but unfortunately won't have the chance to get stuck into anything on my project since my parents will be coming here to visit me in just over 2 weeks & have lots to do on my apartment in order to get it in to shape for them to stay.
I will continue to work on my film since i have already invested considerable time in it, & would love to see it come to fruition. If it's ok with Meryem & all the other players, i would love to continue with the challenge, even though it will be disqualified from the judging etc.
Best Regards,
Bryce

Hi Bryce.

Sad to hear you're out of ULF.
I think you have a very good story to tell and I'm very pleased to hear you will continue to work on it. I really hope to see it finished and wish you good luck.
As for the matter of continue with the challenge it's all right by me.
If I'm not mistaken, in some of the short versions of Uwol there have been compeeters participating with films, but disqualified from the judging. I can't see no harm in the same procedure in ULF. But I guess Meryem got the final word about this matter.

All the best.
Geir Inge

Hi Bryce

Just to say I am very glad you are not abandoning this project. It has so much potential. So much can happen during the year that cannot possibly be anticipated - a real pity.

Enjoy having your folks round!

Marj

Bryce, keep working on it, you had some great stuff and I will love to see it finished. Bob

Sorry you missed, but keep working, Bryce. Our goal is to facilitate everyone's creativity...you don't need the contest to finish. Perhaps you only needed it to get started....

...you can bet the players will still help you out, if you just decide to play along to the finish...

Bryce,

It always amazes me how much gets in the way of having fun!!! Just means a change in your time frame!!!

I was really looking forward to your piece, so for selfish rreasons i'd like to see you finish it!!!

As mentioned in another post somewhere, most of those who are still in will have plenty of work after the deadline to make them publishable or fine tuned.

Mine should have three parts and I may only have part one finished by the deadline, so that means it wont be truly finished till sometime later. Join the club