Trash the Dress VIDEO/PHOTO Shoot
 

Its been a while since i posted any of my work, but i think this one should be shared, the Girl is hot, and the end result works well.

Rob.

Trash the dress on Vimeo

First off, cool song. Care to share?

Second, the video was pretty good. Your editing kept pace with the music and you got some fun shots.

I think maybe you had a bit too much with the photographer and the bride in the shot. From my perspective I would have liked to have seen some shots closer cropped and only featuring the bride (ex. when the bride flips her hair in the water ... great opportunity for a closeup of her).

Good stuff, though. Thanks for posting.

Hi Robert,

Thanks for sharing.

Personally, the soundtrack, heavy use of effects, and rather inconsistent color/exposure really killed it for me.

I think more of a focus on keeping the creativity through the lens and getting a consistent look would help the flow and overall impact.

P.

Thanks for the comments, the look i was trying to get was rich in color, and punchy to fit with the song.
next item on our shopping list is the Steady cam, we will see how creative we can get "creativity through the lens" with our new toy.

Robert,

There's a LOT to compliment in your video. But compliments, while nice, don't push us to think or work in new ways, so please don't forget that this is specifically NOT about the many, many things you did really, really well. Just about the things I saw that might help you do even better in the future.

First off. After watching the video, I have no idea about the video's purpose or YOUR point of view in making it. Yes, I understand the title. But I'm left wondering WHY the dress needed to be trashed? Is it a promo piece for the photographer? If so, I'm left with an impression of his "edginess" and by the approach and the included stills in the piece, but IF this is the point of the piece, there's too much that's NOT about the photographer.

Same with the "bride." IF the point of view is all about the BRIDE, you burried the lead (in newspaper speak) by making me wait and wait and wait to see her in her glory. The beginning seems all about technique - to the detriment of the bride and the photographic angle. Particularly how fast the stills are shuffled in the early montage. I can't SEE the dress or the girl.

So that leaves me thinking that the video must be about the videomaking itself. IF so, what's the message? What's the story? If it's just "lets go watch a bride in a nice dress pose abit and then get wet." That's OK I guess. But if that's the point - you make us wait a LONG time for the payoff.

If you're just making a music video, the same thing. Where's the story? What's the point.

I'm left having watched a bunch of pretty pictures that I'll immediately forget because I'm not emotionally attached to the people and you've given me no food for thought. (Other than as a videographer parsing technique, which limits the audience you can effect to a VERY small group)

The point I'm trying to make is the same one they keep harping on in the new wave of creative "reality shows" like the current ones with fashion designers, or chefs, or even wedding cake bakers.

On those shows they keep asking the contestents - "What's your POINT OF VIEW?"

It's a central question in the creative arts. What in your personal understanding of human behavior reflects in your videomaking in a way that would make it more INTERESTING for me to view?

Why do I care if the dress ever gets wet?

Are you saying that wedding photographers like this one should take more chances?

OK. Good. What about VIDEOGRAPHERS? What chances did YOU take in making this video?

The entire idea of a woman becoming a BRIDE is a story of EMOTION. Where's the emotion?

The model seemed she couldn't care less about the dress. Getting in the water. Messing up her hair. Or anything else. Which is OK. But not very involving.

You're working with video. Did she get cold? Did she have doubt? Did the photographer ask her to pose, or take physical risk that she resisted? If so, (or if anything emotional /funny/interesting happened during the shoot) would THAT have made things more interesting?

Pretty shots are nice. Emotional engagement makes for video you can't take your eyes off.

My 2 cents is that the video is very pretty. The bride is pretty. The location is pretty. So what?

That's a "challenge" question. Designed to enhance discussion - NOT to imply that the video isn't done really, really well.

BTW, I showed it to my wife and her comment was "He'll get a lot of work from people who can afford it, because he made the "bride" look like a fashion model - and EVERY woman wants to feel like a fashion model!"

Interesting.

Hi Bill,

I agree with you re the title, I think trash the dress could be worded better, the concept behind this was to combine the Makeup people, Photographer, Videographer,and our brides skills looks all together so we all had some part in it. Its was not all about the dress, but more about a fun style of photo shoot, the style could be adapted to many things, in stead of people just taking photos we can offer photo/video montage with a bit of fun. I will be do something later on in the year for family of 7 children, to play at the fathers 50th.
But thanks for your words.

rob.

Would you really do that to a bride and her dress on the wedding day?
I doubt it...
Was this done after the ceremony but before the reception? Nah .. don't think so...
Was it done a few weeks later, after they returned from the honeymoon?
Probably, but that takes the danger out of it....
A lot of questions, but is the point only to trash the dress?

One of the best techniques for video is to make the audience "worried" I wasn't worried at all. There was no link between the dress trashing and the emotion of a wedding

Great pics and video, really punchy...

This was done to show case the Makeup/photography/videography Skills - And to have a bit of fun.
Rob.

Hi Rob,
Apologies if my earlier post seemed a bit critical, that wasn't my intention.
You certainly showcased your video and photo skills, Although I do agree that the early montage is a bit too machine gun, not quite enough time to appreciate each phots. This happens when we as editors are so familiar with the subject, that we skip through too fast.
nuf sed
Chris

Hi Rob

I found in the clip that the photo and the Video part is fairly well showcased.

Some critique: I found the make up part wasn't really given a good exposure, other then showing that they do make up but the final result which is the most important part just didn't come through, some nice portraits and maybe not punching up the colour so much for some of the close up shots you did would have added to the product. Also for a promo shoot some steadicam and maybe better planed shots would have been better rather then hand held candid filming and as Patrick said more consistency and less effects.

Thanks peter, i agree with you on the steady cam stuff, i will be getting one soon.
thanks rob.

Liked the video, Rob. Here's one I did. It was totally on-the-fly, and I was too busy to spend more than a couple hours editing it:

Bob's IndyVisual Blog: Trash the Dress Shoot - 11/12/07

Bill, your critique was tactful, constructive and perfectly valid, but your wife's perspective is more illuminating to me. The 100's of highlight videos that populate my website will never win any industry awards, but frankly I'm far more interested in what my clients think that what fellow videographers think, and there's often a huge gap between the two. I believe the fact that I recognize that gap is the single biggest reason why I book 50 weddings a year at this market's highest prices. Brides are going to see mine and Rob's videos and think they're fun, not analyze the point of it all by breaking down shot-by-shot what we're trying to convey. Don't get me wrong, your perspective is incisive from a technical and narrative standpoint, I just want to be sure Rob is paying equal if not more attention to your wife's far-simpler gut reaction, as she will have more in common with the customer Rob is trying to reach.

I thought that this was a lot of fun and it worked fine for me.
The music was very her and I enjoyed it.
Presumably it was her fantasy and how she would like to remember herself as a wild young thing when she is a grandmother.
It can't have been cheap to do this - good for her. And good for you too.
I would have liked to have seen more use made of that shot where she looks like a waterlilly - that was ace.
ps I think 'Trash the dress' is a good title - she's letting her hair down isn't she?

Fun
 

I thought the video was a lot of fun. Good work!

Very true Bill - I was really set to thinking by your critique and point of view, that's one of the great things about this site..
EMOTIONAL ENGAGEMENT + POINT OF VIEW - 2 more post it notes for my wall