The Edge of the World at DVinfo.net
DV Info Net

Go Back   DV Info Net > The DV Info Network > The UWOL Challenge

The UWOL Challenge
An organized competition for Under Water, Over Land videographers!

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old May 25th, 2010, 09:47 PM   #1
Major Player
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: HI, USA
Posts: 622
The Edge of the World

This was an experiment in photography. Thank you for watching.

The Edge of the World By Bill Thesken On ExposureRoom
Bill Thesken is offline   Reply With Quote
Old May 25th, 2010, 10:26 PM   #2
Major Player
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Sacramento, CA
Posts: 904
WOW Bill. I have never seen that perspective in filming surfing... from "inside the wave". Awesome ! Nice choice of music too.

Chris S
Chris Swanberg is offline   Reply With Quote
Old May 26th, 2010, 10:43 AM   #3
Major Player
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Posts: 880
Excellent work in an area most of us know little about. It looks as good as any surf video I have seen. Congratulations!
Mike Sims is offline   Reply With Quote
Old May 26th, 2010, 11:03 AM   #4
Inner Circle
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Saskatchewan
Posts: 3,048
Bill,

Some really great footage!!! Boy have surf boards changed over the decades!!!! We used a 9'6" jacobs in our youth!!!

I really liked the underwater footage in particular!!

I was waiting for a bit more naration along the way, Particularly at the end. Perhaps a bit of closure at the end would be an enhancement to what you have here.

the focus was awesome, did you have it set on infinite, auto? Also the clear glass, no droplets!!!

the music was great. almot as good as the ventures, eh?

Makes me yearn for the ocean!!!

Thanks for taking the time and sharing your part of the world.
__________________
DATS ALL FOLKS
Dale W. Guthormsen
Dale Guthormsen is offline   Reply With Quote
Old May 26th, 2010, 11:12 AM   #5
Major Player
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Johannesburg South Africa
Posts: 768
Really fantastic shots Bill. I found the end a bit abrupt but otherwise really enjoyed this film. What a setting!!!
Marj Atkins is offline   Reply With Quote
Old May 26th, 2010, 03:11 PM   #6
Trustee
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Antrim, Northern Ireland
Posts: 1,569
Bill,

That was awesome - and as good surfing footage as I've ever seen. It makes me want to be there, even though the sight of my pasty Irish legs would clear the beach in seconds.

I loved the underwater perspective of the waves, something I've never seen before, it was almost dream-like down there.

The music was really good - it really helped the feel-good factor of the film.

Excellent!
Mike Beckett is offline   Reply With Quote
Old May 26th, 2010, 03:22 PM   #7
Inner Circle
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Bergen, Norway
Posts: 3,375
Hi Bill,

This was absolutely fantastic! I loved the underwater shots of the waves.
I always struggle finding good music to my films, but you nailed it! Very cool music.
Had to immediately watch it again. :)
Trond Saetre is offline   Reply With Quote
Old May 26th, 2010, 05:38 PM   #8
Major Player
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: HI, USA
Posts: 622
Thanks for the comments. I didn't do much voice over because I wanted the visual to 'take command' of the senses. (Plus I didn't know what to say about the underwater wave phenomenon). The 3 minutes seemed to go by too quickly and I wanted to put in some more slow motion of the underwater waves. Seeing the result has given me a desire to get more footage of that action. I used a Go Pro Hero Surf HD camera for the entire film, and rigged a handle to it. It gets really good color, is waterproof to about 100', and costs less than $300. It has a few different aspect and frame rates available. I used the 1280x720 aspect which gets 60 frames progressive. I had tried using RainX to keep the water spots off, and it didn't work very well, but a tip from a friend did the trick. Instead of keeping the water off, you keep the water on the lenses by licking it so when the drops hit it they blend right in.
Bill Thesken is offline   Reply With Quote
Old May 26th, 2010, 08:06 PM   #9
Major Player
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: San Antonio, Texas
Posts: 880
That's pretty cool Bill. Is that the same camera you used for the UW shots in Monk Dreams?
Mike Sims is offline   Reply With Quote
Old May 26th, 2010, 10:48 PM   #10
Major Player
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: HI, USA
Posts: 622
Thanks Mike, for Monk Dreams I used a real cheap low end camera that was really hard to use, always turned off at the worst time, used AA batteries that wouldn't hold a charge. The GoPro is a huge improvement, still has a few glitches that I would change if I could. We're putting it on surfboards and windsurfers and kitesurfers so you can see what they see as they tear it up. That footage 'may' be coming in the next challenge. I'm still learning and have a long way to go.
Bill Thesken is offline   Reply With Quote
Old May 27th, 2010, 12:31 AM   #11
Inner Circle
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Elk Grove CA
Posts: 6,838
Wow... I must be going loopy... I thought I posted a comment on this one this morning....can't figure what happened. At any rate, this is a really cool film. I hads seen some of this shooting before, and really am impressed with all that you have done with the camera. Nice music too !
__________________
Chris J. Barcellos
Chris Barcellos is offline   Reply With Quote
Old June 1st, 2010, 02:02 AM   #12
Major Player
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Pembrokeshire, Wales
Posts: 734
It may have been an experiment, but it looks like a pretty good advert for the camera! Excellent concept and execution.
__________________
Canon XH A1; Canon XF100; Nikon D800
Annie Haycock is offline   Reply With Quote
Old June 4th, 2010, 03:23 PM   #13
Trustee
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Akershus, Norway
Posts: 1,413
Bill, a really amazing film! To me almost living on the North Pole, the surfing scenes made me want to move to a location with warm climate and sun.

I´m amazed about your camcorder and the wide lense. What focal length do you get? Your underwater skills look very professional. Being able to film so steady in those huge waves was amazing to watch!

I would have liked some scenes where these young people prepared their gear and commented how they was doing it. It would have been nice to know, to me this is a unknown sport.

As already told, this was a very nice piece, technically very well done both under and over the surface!
__________________
- Per Johan
Per Johan Naesje is offline   Reply With Quote
Old June 4th, 2010, 04:29 PM   #14
Major Player
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: HI, USA
Posts: 622
Thanks Per, here's the focal length for the GoPro per their website:
Camera Optics
Lens Type: Fixed Focus (2ft/.6m – ∞), glass
Aperture: f/2.8 (high performance in low-light situations)
Angle of View: 170º ultra wide angle in WVGA, 720p, or 960p mode
Angle of View: 127º wide angle in 1080p mode

The best thing about this camera is that I don't have to focus when I'm swimming in a rip tide in shallow water over sharp coral trying to get in position for the shot while also trying not to get run over by a surfer or smashed to the bottom by a wave.

I should have mentioned per Hannah's suggestion regarding the chant in the beginning. I Ku Mau Mau is an ancient Hawaiian chant. It was performed by about 200 elementary school children for a May Day celebration, and is from David Malo's Hawaiian Antiquities and was sung when the great logs for canoes and/or heiau idols were hauled. The spirit of the chant calls for the joining together of people for a single purpose:

I Ku Mau Mau
Bill Thesken is offline   Reply With Quote
Old June 5th, 2010, 08:21 AM   #15
Major Player
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Johannesburg South Africa
Posts: 768
Bill may I just add a couple more comments to your film. I know this was an experiment in photography but I simply love your film. When I watched it for the first time my first reaction was I wish I could make a film like this where the images speak louder than any voice-over possible could. I have watched it over and over simply because I find it so enjoyable. The music is just perfect for the piece, but the images of the waves that you managed to capture are simply stunning. I am absolutely amazed that a camera little larger than a matchbox can take such amazing shots.

I am just sorry you didn't bring it to a logical conclusion - if there could be a logical conclusion to this adventure - like showing footprints leaving the water as the music tailed off - or something like that.

Thanks for the inspiration.

Last edited by Marj Atkins; June 6th, 2010 at 03:20 AM.
Marj Atkins is offline   Reply
Reply

DV Info Net refers all where-to-buy and where-to-rent questions exclusively to these trusted full line dealers and rental houses...

B&H Photo Video
(866) 521-7381
New York, NY USA

Scan Computers Int. Ltd.
+44 0871-472-4747
Bolton, Lancashire UK


DV Info Net also encourages you to support local businesses and buy from an authorized dealer in your neighborhood.
  You are here: DV Info Net > The DV Info Network > The UWOL Challenge

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

 



All times are GMT -6. The time now is 04:30 PM.


DV Info Net -- Real Names, Real People, Real Info!
1998-2024 The Digital Video Information Network