UWOL #1: "Appalachian Living Skies" by Rick Phillips at DVinfo.net

Rick A. Phillips · January 23rd, 2007, 10:24 AM

I really enjoyed being involved in this exercise. I don't really have the equipment to compete with some of you here, but it is fun nevertheless. It's a real learning experience for a novice videographer like myself. Now, on to push the limits of this ole equipment of mine in the next challenge!

link: http://www.uwolchallenge.com/challen...ving skies.mov

equipment: Canon Optura 200MC minidv camcorder
Sony dcr-trv730 digital8 camcorder
Nikon TC-E3 ED 3x teleconverter (for coolpix 995 camera)
Sony 2X teleconverter
Meade ETX-90 spotting scope

Rick Phillips
Kingsport, Tennessee

Ruth Happel · January 23rd, 2007, 11:27 AM

Before moving to the PNW, I lived in the Cherokee mountains outside Jonesborough/Johnson City, so your video made me very nostalgic. I love the southern Appalachians! Thanks for sharing such beautiful video.

I would like to hear more about your equipment- I did lots of Coolpix photography but never mastered the really high magnification images you got, and would be curious to hear more about how you use the spotting scope with both cameras and camcorders.

Ruth

Geir Inge · January 23rd, 2007, 11:56 AM

Thanks for sharing this beautiful scenes.
I liked your film very much and the music too.
Reminds me of Irish music. (?)

Gabriel Yeager · January 23rd, 2007, 01:43 PM

Nice footage there! Nice job on focusing. I liked the music.

Keep up the good work!
~Gabriel

Per Johan Naesje · January 23rd, 2007, 02:03 PM

Nice video and cool music. Did you use the Meade ETX-90 spotting scope in some of your clips?

Rick A. Phillips · January 23rd, 2007, 02:12 PM

Yes, Per, I used the ETX on the first close-up shot of the Merlin (small falcon) sitting in the top of the Spruce tree. I still have some problems to iron out with this setup. Sometimes I get some vinetting around the edges of the shot. I think this is just my homemade connector going astray. Still, it allows me to get some really closeup footage of birds that aren't easily approached.

Rick

Brian McKay · January 23rd, 2007, 02:12 PM

I truly enjoyed every moment, really, really liked the audio.

Brian

Kevin Railsback · January 23rd, 2007, 07:15 PM

Rick,

Don't know why you think you can't compete. You had some great bird shots in this film!

The music worked, the footage worked. You've got a really good film on your hands. Congrats!

Rick A. Phillips · January 23rd, 2007, 08:53 PM

Thanks for the encouragement Kevin. I guess I'm just in awe of all the artists here and the talented ways they approached this exercise. I've learned an awful lot just watching how different people shot and edited things together. It's just been a lot of fun and I look forward to doing and seeing more.

Rick

Randall Allen · January 24th, 2007, 04:40 PM

Rick:

Great production man. I loved every second of it. I think the choice of Irish music over....."hillbilly" for lack of a better term....was interesting. Was it a compromise or was it intentional?

Randy

Rick A. Phillips · January 24th, 2007, 05:34 PM

The selection of Irish was intentional. I found it under a creative commons license on the Internet Archive. Actually most of the "hillbillies" around here are of Irish or Scot/Irish decent. In fact a lot of the really weird terms (some of which I had heard all my life and still didn't know what they really meant) we use in the Appalachians are derived from old Scotch/Irish language corrupted as immigrants here were isolated for so long. Happy you enjoyed it.

Rick

Bruce Foreman · January 24th, 2007, 10:15 PM

The music reminds me a lot of some of the "intense" score in the Daniel Day Lewis "Last Of The Mohicans" movie (which is one of my favorites, by the way).

I had the feeling that a fringed deerskin clad individual bearing a Kentucky long rifle could step out from behind some foliage at any time.

You have some very well done footage of avian life and their environment, smoothly edited in a way that left me enchanted.

Bruce Foreman

P.S. And as Kevin said, you can compete far better than you may imagine. Equipment doesn't make an artist, he just uses what he has and rolls with it. Vision and inspiration count more.

Brendan Marnell · January 26th, 2007, 04:31 PM

Lovely shots of merlin(?) and exciting closing raptor sequence with vultures in between and a disagreeable coot or 2 (very shrewd, must count for bonus points!) and double jigs for barndancing in the background. Refreshing and foot-tapping all the way.

Bradley L Marlow · January 27th, 2007, 07:15 PM

This was great fun! I see you managed to capture many bird different species and that is impressive. I liked your choice of music too.

You do much better than you give yourself credit for. I agree with Bruce that it is not the equipment but rather the willingness to get out there, do it and share your vision. You certainly did that here and I hope we will see more.

You posted: "In fact a lot of the really weird terms (some of which I had heard all my life and still didn't know what they really meant) we use in the Appalachians are derived from old Scotch/Irish language corrupted as immigrants here were isolated for so long."

That is fascinating. Perhaps you can make a short out of this one day. I would definitely watch it!

Best wishes~
Bradley

January 23rd, 2007, 11:56 AM	#3
Geir Inge Trustee Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Larsnes, Norway Posts: 1,342	Thanks for sharing this beautiful scenes. I liked your film very much and the music too. Reminds me of Irish music. (?) __________________ Geir Inge B. Brekke Visit me at: https://vimeo.com/gibbfilm

January 23rd, 2007, 01:43 PM	#4
Gabriel Yeager Major Player Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Washington, NorthWest USA Posts: 788	Nice footage there! Nice job on focusing. I liked the music. Keep up the good work! ~Gabriel __________________ Gabriel Photography

January 23rd, 2007, 02:03 PM	#5
Per Johan Naesje Trustee Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Akershus, Norway Posts: 1,413	Nice video and cool music. Did you use the Meade ETX-90 spotting scope in some of your clips? __________________ - Per Johan

January 23rd, 2007, 07:15 PM	#8
Kevin Railsback Trustee Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Cedar Rapids, Iowa Posts: 1,544	Rick, Don't know why you think you can't compete. You had some great bird shots in this film! The music worked, the footage worked. You've got a really good film on your hands. Congrats! __________________ --==Kevin==-- http:naturephotostudios.com.com

January 27th, 2007, 07:15 PM	#14
Bradley L Marlow Major Player Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Central Wyoming Posts: 484	Hi Rick! This was great fun! I see you managed to capture many bird different species and that is impressive. I liked your choice of music too. You do much better than you give yourself credit for. I agree with Bruce that it is not the equipment but rather the willingness to get out there, do it and share your vision. You certainly did that here and I hope we will see more. You posted: "In fact a lot of the really weird terms (some of which I had heard all my life and still didn't know what they really meant) we use in the Appalachians are derived from old Scotch/Irish language corrupted as immigrants here were isolated for so long." That is fascinating. Perhaps you can make a short out of this one day. I would definitely watch it! Best wishes~ Bradley

January 23rd, 2007, 10:24 AM	#1
Rick A. Phillips Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: kingsport, tennessee Posts: 123	UWOL #1: "Appalachian Living Skies" by Rick Phillips I really enjoyed being involved in this exercise. I don't really have the equipment to compete with some of you here, but it is fun nevertheless. It's a real learning experience for a novice videographer like myself. Now, on to push the limits of this ole equipment of mine in the next challenge! link: http://www.uwolchallenge.com/challen...ving skies.mov equipment: Canon Optura 200MC minidv camcorder Sony dcr-trv730 digital8 camcorder Nikon TC-E3 ED 3x teleconverter (for coolpix 995 camera) Sony 2X teleconverter Meade ETX-90 spotting scope Rick Phillips Kingsport, Tennessee

January 23rd, 2007, 11:27 AM	#2
Ruth Happel Major Player Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Black Mountain, NC Posts: 488	Before moving to the PNW, I lived in the Cherokee mountains outside Jonesborough/Johnson City, so your video made me very nostalgic. I love the southern Appalachians! Thanks for sharing such beautiful video. I would like to hear more about your equipment- I did lots of Coolpix photography but never mastered the really high magnification images you got, and would be curious to hear more about how you use the spotting scope with both cameras and camcorders. Ruth

January 23rd, 2007, 02:12 PM	#6
Rick A. Phillips Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: kingsport, tennessee Posts: 123	Yes, Per, I used the ETX on the first close-up shot of the Merlin (small falcon) sitting in the top of the Spruce tree. I still have some problems to iron out with this setup. Sometimes I get some vinetting around the edges of the shot. I think this is just my homemade connector going astray. Still, it allows me to get some really closeup footage of birds that aren't easily approached. Rick

January 23rd, 2007, 02:12 PM	#7
Brian McKay Major Player Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Rankin Inlet, Nunavut Canada Posts: 289	I truly enjoyed every moment, really, really liked the audio. Brian

January 23rd, 2007, 08:53 PM	#9
Rick A. Phillips Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: kingsport, tennessee Posts: 123	Thanks for the encouragement Kevin. I guess I'm just in awe of all the artists here and the talented ways they approached this exercise. I've learned an awful lot just watching how different people shot and edited things together. It's just been a lot of fun and I look forward to doing and seeing more. Rick

January 24th, 2007, 04:40 PM	#10
Randall Allen Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 192	Rick: Great production man. I loved every second of it. I think the choice of Irish music over....."hillbilly" for lack of a better term....was interesting. Was it a compromise or was it intentional? Randy

January 24th, 2007, 05:34 PM	#11
Rick A. Phillips Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: kingsport, tennessee Posts: 123	The selection of Irish was intentional. I found it under a creative commons license on the Internet Archive. Actually most of the "hillbillies" around here are of Irish or Scot/Irish decent. In fact a lot of the really weird terms (some of which I had heard all my life and still didn't know what they really meant) we use in the Appalachians are derived from old Scotch/Irish language corrupted as immigrants here were isolated for so long. Happy you enjoyed it. Rick

January 24th, 2007, 10:15 PM	#12
Bruce Foreman Trustee Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: San Angelo Texas Posts: 1,518	The music reminds me a lot of some of the "intense" score in the Daniel Day Lewis "Last Of The Mohicans" movie (which is one of my favorites, by the way). I had the feeling that a fringed deerskin clad individual bearing a Kentucky long rifle could step out from behind some foliage at any time. You have some very well done footage of avian life and their environment, smoothly edited in a way that left me enchanted. Bruce Foreman P.S. And as Kevin said, you can compete far better than you may imagine. Equipment doesn't make an artist, he just uses what he has and rolls with it. Vision and inspiration count more.

January 26th, 2007, 04:31 PM	#13
Brendan Marnell Major Player Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Dublin, Ireland Posts: 938	Lovely shots of merlin(?) and exciting closing raptor sequence with vultures in between and a disagreeable coot or 2 (very shrewd, must count for bonus points!) and double jigs for barndancing in the background. Refreshing and foot-tapping all the way.