Hei Per Johan!

As always you have great projects and the results are stunning.
From what you write here, I'm sure this project will keep up to your standards as well.

I look forward to follow your project and to see the finished video.
Good luck!

superb footage as always, i will be very interested to see how the long form plays out for you, it's not always easy to come up with ways to stretch your formidable cinematography skills...

As usual Per, some fantastic footage and the audio was lovely too. I like wildlife films where there is human element connected to it, so am looking forward to seeing more of you and your photographers trips.

Just as a matter of interest, what editing software do you use and which codec to compress your images? They are fantastically clean and crisp.

You are right there is no secret - just hard work, patience, time, and strength. After carrying all that gear, you deserve to get the wonderful video that you have shared with us.

I do not expect to get the same results with the 20x lens on my Canon XH-A1, but I am curious about the magnification you are getting with those huge focal lengths.

I look forward to the seeing more of your video.

Per,

I thought I had responded to your wonderful post sharing some of your mechanics and methods.

I immediately put in your preset as "Per". My first shots with it were just about exactly what I was looking for! The added presets the xl2 does not have has kind of baffeled me. Now I get shots much more like my xl2 which I really like.

Thank you ever so much for sharing with the group and anyone else fortunate enough to glean from your experience.

I am really looking forward to seeing your project emerge.

As always, your work inspires me to work harder on my own!!

Hey Per

Your footage is always SO clean and technically well shot and this is bang on as usual and with some rare and stunning species. It is intimate and detailed and really takes you there, especially with Ole as your front man. It makes you feel like you are along for the ride and what a ride it will be I'm sure.

What I do think however is from a film making perspective I don't think this is pushing your boundaries. Its a safe story that you know only too well and is based around your technical prowess which we all know you have only too well :-) ! I think it is very hard to critique your foootage it is always so strong, that said I would like to have seen this footage mixed in with some flight shots, or more behaviour based footage.

Your editing and story telling is getting stronger and stronger and I think this will make a broadcast standard piece. I just can't help thinking you need to find more of a angle to your work...I think you'd then have the complete package!

I can't wait to see the next installment!

Per Johan,
Sorry about your difficulties with the capercaillie. Footage of you and Ole-Arne
in the field will be very interesting. Actually, the scene with the phone call about the eagle in UWOL 7 is one of my all time favorites. Best of luck to you both.

Hi Per

I was thinking about your disappointing trip and I really felt for you. But based on your premise above I would say that while the subject did not appear, it was nevertheless a very real and typical experience and I am glad that you have not tossed it out altogether. Sometimes even with the best research and best made plans we still have to wait upon things that are very much outside our control and it should be included as a true representation of what goes into attempting to capture those stunning and amazing pictures. Knowing you I have no doubt that you will find something equally interesting and beautiful to include as a substitute.

Wonderful work, both stills and video.

Bryce: Thanks for your comment! I've not made up my mind about how I will do this yet! I'm in the final edit stage of my second entry for the coming week and I will experiment with some narrating (by myself) while Ole Arne is speaking, slowly lowering his voice. Think this could be a good way to do it?

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Geir Inge: Did you try out the settings and how do you like it?



Marj: Many thanks for your comment and suggestions! I'm still experimenting how to present the still pictures. I fullly agree that the "Norwegian Wood" variant was the best so far!
I'm working on a script where I will make up some scenes of Ole Arne working in post with his pictures. This will cover (hopefully) how he's planning and doing his shooting and how he's working in PS (PhotoShop) to make the shoots more beautiful.

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Trond: Thanks for your kind comment, sorry that you're out of the long-form. Good luck with your #13 entry!

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Meryem: Thanks for your kind comment! In fact I'm wondering the same question myself :) But then I think about rule #11 :)

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Mihali: Thanks for your kind comment! I'm on Mac and FCP, so I just export it out as a QT file (H.264) from the timeline. I edit on a HDV timeline. Think I set dimension to 1280x720 (I'm not at my Mac as I write this, so I can't verify that), everything else is default setting. I put the quality slider to medium. When the file is generated I use Sorenson Squeeze suite for converting a flash flv-file for my website. For Vimeo uploading I use the generated QT-file from FCP.
I will make up a better explanation how I do this post production, when I have some more time to write and upload it at this forum?

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Annie: Thanks for your kind comment! I shoot with the Canon XLH1 allowing me to use external 35mm lenses. Beside the original 20x HD lens, I use a 70-200mm and a 300mm mostly, gives me a focal length up to 2100mm ++ :)

Dale: Thanks for your comments! And that you liked my H1 settings! The default color setting on both XL2 and H1 is a bit dull. I also found that when colors seems brilliant in FCP, after exporting to a QT-file, colors seems to degrade a bit. Especially when viewed on a PC. I've therefore started to do some color correction and adjusting of contrast in the timeline before exporting. But I'm still experimenting. Will write some of my findings later on.

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Mat: Thanks so much for your suggestions! I'm definitive thinking about making some more challenging scenes of raptors flights! This summer I'm planning to do some more flight-footage of the White Tailed Eagle, I'm also have some plans for the Golden Eagle as well. Time will show!!

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Mike: Thanks so much, glad you liked the "Eagle has landed"-episode! In fact after I've cooled down and got a couple of good nights sleep in my bed, life feels much better! And this is what I like about shooting wildlife, you NEVER know what you get or not get! Very facinating!

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Marj: I will try to show some of it in my next installment. I filmed myself in the blind when I was waiting for the black grouse. It's interesting to look at my face the fourth and fifth night at dawn, sitting in a wet moor, waiting for almost 70 hours without even captured a second of footage.

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Michael: Thanks so much for your kind comment!

Nordic Wildlife Part 2
 

Finally I got my second entry of the long-form-uwol uploaded.

Here's link to the film at Vimeo:
Nordic Wildlife Part 2 on Vimeo

and link at uwolchallenge.com:
http://www.uwolchallenge.com/longfor...OLLongForm.mp4

My plan in the second part, was to show you some spectacular action and scenery from something we're calling "the spring most beautiful adventure!" - well, things don't came out as planned and I've tried to show you some of it in this film.

My aim and intention for the final film is still "under construction" as 5 months already gone and I realize that I maybe in some kind of a hurry to get the footage I want!

Anyway, I would like your comments to this one - me as the talking head - the search for the mating game - the edit/cut - sound/audio - etc...


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Picture: a young capercaillie at the moor - photo by: Ole Arne Schlytter

Per.... as the only other "talking head" I woud have to say yours was better in all respects (plus you have more hair, though our beards match pretty well). In fact you should consider "popping in" now and then during your final fim to make a point or illustrate something.

I would be interested to know your sound capture technique because it was very good. Oh, and also...Was the "whisper" in the blind ADR or real time capture?

This was fascinating standing alone.... a fun 5 minute piece in the "making of"...bravo. Another lesson.

The editing was well done. The audio was excellent though the clownish music started too early before the sped up sequence with Arne setting up the blind. Good choice of music all the way through.

The edit of inside the tent and outside as it was zipped up was very nice and seamless. All your edits were seamless. Your editing skills are enviable.

Well done. No ... awesomely done..and this was JUSTa submisson point....I will look forward to the next one....

Chris Swanberg

Hey Per

Well, I can somewhat appreciate your frustrations. I attempted to see some Caper's in Scotland in April. In Scotland these really are very rare birds and I only did two mornings, but I too missed this elusive character. Ahhh well, maybe one day!

I think your editing is great on this and you know this is something I've critiqued you on before. Your even adding touching of comedy into the sequence which was great and really broke things up, especially with the use of the speeded up footage! Nice cut entering the hide too!

The shooting is all of the usual high quality. Although when the talking head at 2:38 needs to be better framed with the top of the head towards the top of frame.

As I said I'm previous post I think any film maker/photographer/wildlife watcher will find this approach fascinating. However I'm not sure that would still follow for a wider audience. That said, if within this you have 'Per Johan' level wildlife sequences (which I know you will) and the story becomes more subject focussed at these points then I can see it having wider appeal. - I guess I'm struggling to understand the whole film together because I've not read any written planning. If you have anything written, be sure to post it!!

Hi Per,
Good to see you in front of the lens. I think you have managed to produce an excellent chapter in your story, despite the capercaille being thin on the ground. Continuity and the feeling of anticipation came over well, might have been added to perhaps with a little timelapse maybe showing the shadows of the morning sun coming up over the hide?
Good work! One day I will come back to Norway and experience it in the summer!!