family montage
 

New clip to share:

http://www.shalom-sda.org/ed/osimontage.mov

I need to hear feedback even if the link doesn't work tell me it doesn't
say something!!

Should work on windows... let me know

Here we go again, 39 views and not a single comment... oh well!!

Thanks no the less

hello dante,

well, the download takes way to long........

greetings

Why no reply
 

Dante:

I am relatively new to DVInfo.net. I routinely survey the site for techniques and fresh technical ideas. In terms of capability, I am a "babe in the woods" compared to most people on this site. But the video you posted appears more message oriented, rather than demonstrating any new techniques that would interest most people looking at this site. For most of us, we are looking at 10 minutes of download time or more to see what you are posting, and that is likely why you are not getting a response.

From the technical standpoint, and from what my limited experience is, the dual screen images may detract from your message, in that I tended to look at the silent screen to try to discern what was going on there, rather than try to listen what is going on in the message being presented in in the voice coming from the other screen. Sometimes, I think, we use these bells and whistles because they are cool, rather than using them to enhance the message...

Just an opinion from a neophyte...

I stopped watching after just a short bit. Here's the comments you want:

You need some type of introduction page or title page to set up the material that people are about to see.

The photo movement is poor. A new photo appears, and then it starts to move. The photos should already be moving when they appear.

Also on movement. You zoom in to the guys chest on one of the photos. You have to maintain the rule of thirds on those and zoom to a proper framing of the subjects eyes.

And it seems that you like to use every transition on your editor. Seen it a million times and so has everyone else. Better to chose one, maybe two, and be consistent with those and generate a style and a rythem. Everyone's computers can do those wipes, big deal. Not everyone can carry a beat and create a mood.

Now, download size. Forget about it, 86meg is beyond reasonable. Make it 10-15meg max and people will watch. We all understand compression and you won't make friends making people wait for the download.

Be patient and wait for people to respond. Instant gratification of your needs is not everyone else's main goal in life. And if people don't respond, just wait, don't pout and whine that no one is looking : ( Maybe make a nice posting asking if something needs to be adjusted on the file.

So having said all these harsh words that you really needed to hear, keep posting. Work on the download size and you'll make great progress. I'm sure that the client will love (not just like, love) the work even as it stands. But you wanted some insight so I gave you some to think about. Laters.

Ben Lynn

About me rushing things here... I was just ready to hear
a response, and when I didn't get one I thought the worst
that somehow you guys just didn't care, so it wasn't anger but
me just questioning.

I agree strongly about the intro page... This clip here was actually a quick item that was to demonstrate a service that will be offered, so intros where not quite considered so good point.

AHHH that photo idea is very well taken, they should really be moving by the time they appear (that's what I get for using iphoto). And the transistions are a bit too much...

I'll be honest the sole purpose was to shock and awe folk (not you guys). I'm actually all for the fade in fade out, so thinking that I left out my quality and instead put in quantity. This is why I share my work for improvement.

The thing about the bandwidth, I used soreson compression but somehow it makes it quite large, if I use H.264 it's real small but can't be viewed on all machines, so maybe you can shed some light on that area, cause as of now I'm stumped. I'll have to fix that somehow, till then I'm open for suggestions...

Two things I must cling onto in this business are:

"The key to failure is trying to please everybody"

"Study while others are sleeping
Work while others are loafing
Prepare while others are playing
and dream while others are wishing."

My thoughts about the opener are this: You don't sell ideas, only products. That means that if they don't see it, you won't sell it. And if you don't have it, then they won't buy it. So take the time to make an introduction and then you can sell it. Most people don't have the vision or understanding to picture what your concept will look like until you show them a sample of it.

Shock and awe? Everyone from an 8 year old kid on up knows that a computer can create all those effects in any given program. I would quickly ditch the effects approach and work on your technique. If the viewer thinks about what you did, then you didn't do it right. They should watch your material and be taken in by the content. Let the material do the talking and you just find a way to neatly present it. There's a time and a place for effects (openings, closings, pacing considerations), but the main material should be straight forward.

Ben Lynn

So you'd suggest that what I've done beyond the starting is too busy??
Ben don't get me wrong... my main focus is Cinematography, I do however
realize that just a few angles isn't enough for a lot of the younger folk.
Right now I'm my reading material is the 5 C's of Cinematography
Camera angles / Continuity / Cutting / Close-ups / composition

I do intend to perfect them all and I do agree with what you've said... developing a style is a must, but there should be some individuality about it something that comes from you (not all from the books). Again this is my opinion so isn't something set in stone here. I'll recreate based on the premiss of what's wrong and what's right and place some me in there.

"Only good cutting can bring life to a motion picture! The various shots are just so many odd pieces of film until they are skillfully assembled to tell a coherent story. Cutting takes up the slack in the film..."

Oh here you'll find a much smaller version of the file .wmv format 16.79mb: http://shalom-sda.org/ed/Osimontage.wmv

hello dante,

that version worked for me.
i am off course a beginner, so don't take my word for it

in the beginning (pic. section) you use to often the zoom out option
the lighting is not that great, to many shadows, and dark areas in the faces.
(i shoot mostly asiens, also darker skin, very few whites, and have no expirience shooting african-american.)
did you use any extra lights, or just the room light?

my 2 cents

greetings

You know Karl I don't exactly use lighting ( I do want to buy an arri light kit http://tinyurl.com/9g983 ) there is often a question looming over my mind on a lot of my edits...

Do I touch up the footage with some color correction brighten it up a bit? I decided to leave it be due to time constraints. I will however go back and do a new edit and repost.

hello dante,

just received my light kit from b&h last week (christmas)

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...goryNavigation

don't know what to do with it yet...lol
looks like i need more money and much more expirience.

greetings

Karl that's nice man... at least you have lighting. Just try different gels and work with the scrims. Get a book on lighting.

hello dante,

this board is such a great help to me. reading a lot here, makes me also realize how little i know..<G> but it covers all my questions, i guess there is the time where i just have to do it.....
most of my clients performances are in a theater/ studio setting, straight forward of the tri-pot, but i want to explore makeing/ delivering (editing) dvd's, corp. training, biz promo dvd, real estate, depositions. i allways thought i could stay away from editing, but the way everything is going, there is no way.

also i have to keep everything together, portable, since i am only a one man team, one camera only, even i restrict myself by that.

there are not many bands out there who want their music dvd shoot of one camera/ tri-pot anymore. they want multible cameras, (and you need them)
etc.

greetings