Collaborative #2: UWOL Around the World
 

This thread will be for specific posts for the "UWOL Around the World" project.

Posts valid for both this and the "UWOL Cattle Drive"-Collaborate #1 project, should still be posted in the original Collaborate-thread.

Geir Inge's post in the original thread, should be a good starting point for this project:

Let the ideas and thoughts fly.

Re: Collaborative #2: UWOL Around the World
 

Well, I will be willing to help provide footage for the project. Will this be based on old projects, or new footage? I have 3 UWOL projects and 1 DVC/UWOL Christmas Challenge project available.

Will you be editing the footage Trond?

Re: Collaborative #2: UWOL Around the World
 

Here is a post Meryem made in the common collaborative thread.
Words of wisdom!
Simon,
I can volunteer to do the editing of this world project.

It is my understanding that we should use a mix of both old uwol films and also new footage filmed for this project.

As Meryem mentions, I totally agree that some kind of committee (say 3 people?) should keep the project on it's track.
First task should be to develop the core idea/theme/content, and also find out who of the participants would like to join the "director committee", editing... and so on.
I can be part of that committee, if wanted.

Probably vise to set a basic timeframe as well, so we have some guidelines to work with as the project develops.

Re: Collaborative #2: UWOL Around the World
 

Sounds good Trond!

So just to clarify; I would be available to submit my old work, and I would be able to film new footage as required if you need extra stuff from Uganda. I would prefer not to be on the 'committee', so I would just take instructions based on what is needed from those that take charge of the project.

One thing to bear in mind with the edit; I guess there will be a lot of conforming required given that some of the older entries might be SD 4:3, SD 16:9 and HD 720 and 1080, and also that the frame-rates might vary from 23.976p, 24p, 25p, 30p, all the way up to 60p, and dare I say it (*gasp!)...."the frame-rate that shall not be mentioned"...ye-olde-interlaced format!

Re: Collaborative #2: UWOL Around the World
 

Haha, yes you are right about the various frame rates and sizes.
My first thought about this, is that the finished film should be in HD.
So the old SD films we all used in the beginning of UWOL, has to be more or less upscaled.

Re: Collaborative #2: UWOL Around the World
 

Or a lot of it could be used "as is" with several clips playing simultaneously in smaller windows on the HD frame. If we upscale I think that as much as possible we should try to get the film owners to do that for us.

Re: Collaborative #2: UWOL Around the World
 

Good point, Mike. If needed, whoever submitted the shot could be required to resize it as needed. It's a good thing to spread the workload a little if we can.

Re: Collaborative #2: UWOL Around the World
 

Trond,

I volunteer for any role I can help with.

Re: Collaborative #2: UWOL Around the World
 

Very well, Paul. :)

Re: Collaborative #2: UWOL Around the World
 

I do not know if I can take on any task in relation to the project.
This is because I do not know how it will go with the disease I've got the legs.
Although I am an optimist.

I can help with film clips of puffins and other seabirds, otters and martens.

At the same time I throw out a little desire, or thought about prosjketet.
Only intended as suggestions.

What if we got Meryem, Catherin, Lorinda, or anyone else to tell the story of Uwol.
In this story we merge the contributions of the various participants?
1) The intro is how the idea came about, what happened and by whom, and what is Uwol?
2) The main story, the various topics, the Uliki contributions, feedback, learning potential for all, but most of all, cooperation across the globe - without meet, only through the internet.

Here is the same comment I added to the Cattle Uwol project:
Every second year, the Wildlife Vaasa International Film Festival continues in Finland.
I think next will be in November 2014, with the filing deadline in August.
If the time frame for the project is for one year, maybe it might be a secondary goal that we try two include both Uwol projects of this festival?
Just a suggestion,: o)

Re: Collaborative #2: UWOL Around the World
 

This would be great! Let's have this as a goal for the films. So how about we let our deadline for completion of the film be June / July 2014?

Re: Collaborative #2: UWOL Around the World
 

Do we have any volunteers to help with the organizing of the world project?
I think we should be 3 people for this task. (based on Meryem's advice).

Re: Collaborative #2: UWOL Around the World
 

Tronde,

I will help or volunteer for whatever needs to be done. My time is actually now becoming my own again, I am stepping down as president of a provincial organization at the same time; bottom line is I will make the time. Being retired is supposed to give one more time they say!!

As far as camera work, just need to know what to actually go for. I have a prairie fauna project I have been working on for 4 years.. And, of course, we have huge quanities of water fowl available between now and November, and I love shooting native grouse on the leks of which I already have some decent footage.

As far as technical skills one area |I am farely practiced in is color grading. all the other stuff there are many others better than I for the jobs.


Dale

Re: Collaborative #2: UWOL Around the World
 

That's great, Dale! :)
I was hoping you would be a part of this.

I guess the first thing to be done, is figure out exactly what we want the film to be, and divide the tasks between whoever will participate.


To everyone who wants to join this "world project":
No matter what you think you can do, or what you can share/help...
Even if it is only to submit footage from previous challenges, or take a bigger role...:
Please post here in this thread, so we get an idea of how many can participate.

Tasks:
Organize/ Coordinate: (My suggestion so far: Trond Saetre, Dale Guthormsen and Paul Wood or Mike Sims - based on volunteering so far) - Any thoughts or ideas?
Directing
Script writing
Filming: I believe everyone should be part of this. In addition, Meryem, Lorinda and Chris Hurd could/should be interviewed about their part of creating uwol and keep it alive all these years.
Editing
Narrating /VO
Music: I believe this must be royaltyfree, same rules as the regular uwol challenges?
Promoting? I'm thinking about the film festival Geir Inge mentioned... (or maybe also publish other ways?) (Not sure if we need this one)

I have probably forgotten some, so feel free to add to the list, and suggest people for the different tasks.

Re: Collaborative #2: UWOL Around the World
 

I would love to be part of this project (the second one, I don't have anything to contribute about cattle! ). Not just filming but the other stuff, too. This is a great opportunity to work in collaboration with other people on a film, something that doesn't present itself very often. My very favorite UWOL was the Long Form, and this looks like another one on those lines. Do we have a theme yet?

Re: Collaborative #2: UWOL Around the World
 

Steve, good to have you with us on this one. I had to bail out of the previous long form, so I'm really looking forward to this project.

We haven't had time to talk about the details for the theme yet, but please see the posts by Geir Inge in this and also the "general" Collaborating thread..
His suggestions are pretty much the guidelines for the theme so far.

I really hope someone will chime in and help with building a script, since that is far from my strongest side.

Re: Collaborative #2: UWOL Around the World
 

This is our guidelines so far, until we develop the theme details.

Re: Collaborative #2: UWOL Around the World
 

While we're looking for a theme, I put together my idea of a mission statement. It's rough, and perhaps a bit melodramatic, but maybe a start.

We live in a changing world. Demands of family, work and community keep growing for just about
everyone. Our connection to the land, and to the natural world becomes smaller with each generation.
For many, what they know about Nature is what they see on television, or on a computer screen, and is
often produced by huge corporations with huge budgets and the latest in cinematographic gear. What they
present is always spectacular, always rare, always memorable, always expensive, and usually beyond the
experience of most of us.

But there is another way to bring the wonders of Nature to light. Working just below the radar,
for several years an international group of men and women have roamed the world with their video
cameras and collected images of tiny amoebas, of huge mountains, of birds, mammals, insects and
people, of the sky, and of the sea. They call themselves UWOL: "Under Water, Over Land". Although
few of them have ever met, they act like family. Several times a year they produce short videos that
they share among themselves. Our world is their vision, and their vision is often as professional as
anything you might see on the BBC or National Geographic.

These are folks like you and me, students and working people who spend their weekends and spare
moments seeking out the little secrets that Nature holds out for all of us, and shows to those
who take the time to look. From the Arctic to the Southern Ocean, on all the continents and Oceania,
here is some of their best work. This is UWOL.

Re: Collaborative #2: UWOL Around the World
 

Steve, that's words of wisdom! I really like what you wrote there.

Re: Collaborative #2: UWOL Around the World
 

I'm happy to help out with shooting down here and narration/VO (my other job)

Re: Collaborative #2: UWOL Around the World
 

Good to have you with us, Paul! :)

Re: Collaborative #2: UWOL Around the World
 

Hi Trond, you do a great job and I thank you for it.

Although I can not help so much with editing, VO, manuscripts, etc.
Maybe I can make an attempt at music, if not someone else will do this?
Promotion is perhaps not the most important role, but I can try to make a list of festivals for wildlife films?
Some festivals have registration fee, others do not.
Wasa is free to attend, and it seems to me a very good festival.
Then there are the television channels in the respective countries, which all have to contribute - to the list?
Maybe promotion is not that important now in the beginning?

Steve:
The intro you have written is awesome. I do not think it is melodramatic, but rather reflect the facts.
You have the vision of Uwol, purpose and meaning. It's a good start.

Re: Collaborative #2: UWOL Around the World
 

Geir Inge, thank you.
And it is good to see more people join in.

I agree with you, no need for any promoting at this early stage. I was just doing a brainstorm, trying to come up with what we need to do, sooner or later in the project.

Re: Collaborative #2: UWOL Around the World
 

Hello All,

I'm responding to an email in my in box today from Trond. This project sounds most interesting. I'm from New Zealand and would probably be interested in the second theme. But having said that dairy farming is a big industry here in NZ. I grew up on a farm but have no farming contacts I know well enough to work with.

Regarding scripting and narration. This would have to be left to the end so the script writer has the finished footage to write around. It would be up to each individual to write their own rough script so we have something to shoot to. As regards narration I think it would add to the international feel if each contributer supplied narration with their own footage. The different accents belong to the topic covered in each country.

It does sound a very good idea.

Re: Collaborative #2: UWOL Around the World
 

Hi Owen, good points about the script and narration. And welcome aboard.

Re: Collaborative #2: UWOL Around the World
 

Thanks Trond for your mail about the collaborative project!

I will be traveling a lot in Norway, Sweden and Finland this summer for stock footage, so I think I should be able to contribute with some great footage (scenery, mammals and birds)

Geir Inge: I could help you out about the Herdalssetra, as I´m planning a trip to the west coast of Norway this summer! Maybe we could meet and do some shooting together?

Great to see so many uwolers already aboard!

Re: Collaborative #2: UWOL Around the World
 

Per Johan,
If your film projects take you to Bergen area, I'd be more than happy to give you a hand if needed.

Re: Collaborative #2: UWOL Around the World
 

Rather than multi-quotes from the same post (which I think can get hard to read), please consider that everything below in quotes is quoted from Trond’s post #14 in this thread.


“…suggest people for the different tasks.”
O.K. Here goes.

“Organize/ Coordinate: My suggestion so far: Trond Saetre, Dale Guthormsen and Paul Wood or Mike Sims…”
I will be willing to help here if needed but really I think you three will make an excellent team. I propose we call you the Coordinating Committee and give you final say.

“Directing”
I’m not sure how this differs from coordinating- that’s something the Coordinating Committee will have to work out. If we need a Director I think it should be Geir Inge. This was his idea and I would like to see how he would develop it. One task for the Director which comes to mind might be writing and recording the questions for the people we will interview. He (or she) could then send the recorded questions and ask the recipients to record their responses themselves and send us the footage.

“Script writing”
I think Steve would be a great choice for this. He could collaborate with other interested parties (Marj would be a great addition if she is willing) and we could call them the Script Committee. They should strive to come up with a draft script quickly (in this time period before the beginning of the next round in June) and put it up for review. We could all make comments much like a feedback thread in the contest. The Coordinating Committee would have final say on revisions. Then we would be in a position to seriously start production right after the next round. (We don’t want to let either of the collaborative projects interfere with the contests or take up so much of anyone’s time that they are unable to participate in the Challenge.)

“Filming: I believe everyone should be part of this.”
I agree. I think everyone that might appear on camera should strive to record themselves and any other filming duties which arise should be spread as widely as possible.

“Editing”
This is something I would like to help with.

“Narrating /VO”
I have consistently been impressed with the quality of the narrations by Rob Evans and Geir Inge. Paul Wood also has a great voice.

“Music: I believe this must be royaltyfree, same rules as the regular uwol challenges?”
Agreed. Let’s not overlook that we have some accomplished musicians in the group. We should think about whether some bespoke music is within our capabilities.

“Promoting? I'm thinking about the film festival Geir Inge mentioned...”
Yes, and I have a couple of others in mind as well. Dale has mentioned broadcasts by local television stations. This may be a bit ambitious but I think we should strive for the highest production value we can achieve and see where it takes us. To that end I propose we use the structure of a commercial television program. For example, fifty-two minutes with semi-independent segments allowing for a half dozen commercial breaks but structured such that it could play uninterrupted on a noncommercial channel. We can make it longer if the material warrants, but I think our best bet for distribution is going to be the one hour format. We have a number of television professionals on DVInfo that could probably give us advice.

Let’s refocus.
 

As more people come onboard we are getting more and more ideas. I’m not saying that any of them are bad or should not be considered, I’m just saying it is getting easy to lose sight of the original idea. I think we need to refocus. To that end I am going to try and use the little exercise I have been doing the last few rounds where I try to summarize the story in one sentence. Please feel free to disagree, revise or edit in any way. Here goes:

We are going to make a video about the history of the Under Water, Over Land Challenge, its origin and evolution, with back stories being excerpts from notable entries from the past and cameos of participants in the field or studio producing their entries for the upcoming round.

Re: Collaborative #2: UWOL Around the World
 

Agreed! All suggestions you made, are good ones.
And a reminder of the "focus" is good to have once in a while. Like Meryem said, it is very easy to escalate the project way too much. So to repeat her words of wisdom:
Let's keep it simple and structured.


I have also received a mail from Michael Jenner that he has much footage he can share from various locations around the world.

Re: Collaborative #2: UWOL Around the World
 

Mike Sims, I like the way you think! All of the people you suggested for the various tasks look great to me. Hoping the ones who have not chimed in yet are game. And Trond, you are doing a wonderful job!

Keep it up, everyone...this is coming together very nicely because of your thoughtful input and eagerness to be a part of it. :)

Re: Collaborative #2: UWOL Around the World
 

Hi Trond, many thanks for the emails.

To All,
Would love to help out here. As I Indicated to Trond I have a lot of wildlife and some cultural footage from various parts of the world that I am willing to donate to the projects, also would love help out if required. I have listed the countries in an email to Trond as well as the Formats. You can see some of what I have available on our web site Home and on vimeo https://vimeo.com/user403697/videos. Other countries - Costa Rica, Peru, Borneo, Mexico, Mauritius , Tobago, Sri Lanka.

Maybe when the the scripts start to come together I could let you know what I have that maybe suitable.

My advice would be is to keep the final decision makers circle small.

Mick

Re: Collaborative #2: UWOL Around the World
 

Hey Mick; I see on your website that you have a photo of some Maasai jumping (was that Kenya or Tanzania?). Do you have any video footage of the Maasai, and if so do you have any of them in cattle kraals, and that sort of thing? If so it might be helpful as some 'b' roll footage for the Cattle Drive project. Cheers, Simon.

Re: Collaborative #2: UWOL Around the World
 

Yes, it would be nice to see you again PJ.
Obviously we can shoot together, it had been great.
When are you planning to travel up here?
I think I will prioritize the project; Collaborative#2 UWOL around the world.
If there is time and effort I thought filming on Herdalssetra.
Have been there several times, but never filmed there.
Looking forward to hear from you.

Re: Let’s refocus.
 

These are wise words Mike.
Your summarizing is just what I had in mind too, only had difficulty putting English words on it ;)
I thank you also for the nice comment regarding my narration skills, it's the area I feel most insecure of, haha.
Perhaps VO which can be performed by several operators?
But sure, I can help with VO if you want me to - no problem ;)
Perhaps it is easier to see when we start to get footage?
I have a great deal of royalty free music, which can be used.
In addition, I can also make an effort to compose a piece for the project.
Of course this is easier when the project starts to take shape.

Re: Collaborative #2: UWOL Around the World
 

Hi Simon,

Kenya - Amboseli and Mara. Also Samburu maasai who dress with more green (4x3 format) Have quite a bit of maasai in their bomas, spear throwing and dancing etc. Not sure how much with cattle in, will have a quick check for you tomorrow. Have close mid and close ups of sterilizing gourds etc. Quite a bit of them with goats (check out the Jakarna promo on our web site).

Mick

Re: Collaborative #2: UWOL Around the World
 

I am working on getting an "organizing team" up and running now.
That's the first task we need to complete, and then get a more detailed idea/theme of the core concept of the project, and take it from there.

Very good to see all of you bringing so many good ideas and thoughts.

So far, we have members from these countries volunteering:
Australia
Brazil
Canada
New Zealand
Norway
Uganda
UK
USA

How cool is that! :)

Re: Collaborative #2: UWOL Around the World
 

Hi Mike, Trond & Co
Unfortunately I am unable to participate in this project as co-script writer as I have already committed my time to creating a series of fifty mini tutorials for a company which is probably going to take a good part of the rest of this year for me to complete.

Re: Collaborative #2: UWOL Around the World
 

That sounds like quite a project, Marj. Best of luck with it!

Re: Collaborative #2: UWOL Around the World
 

Just a thought that crossed my mind,
which I think might make it easier to stitch together a contribution?
Have browsed through some feedback threads, and some tips and advice that are regulars, are cutting in different clips.
Although both Uwol projects are in the early stages,
maybe we should have a preliminary length of our contributions?
Of course it depends on how many people eventually join, but 5 min each as a start, may do the trick?
What do you think?