Shaggy Sheep Story

[morgan_moore]

Did this over the weekend..

http://www.vimeo.com/4824319

Vim looks choppy but the proper file looks nice to me

Using the 5d - I love it - but it stretches every facet of mind, muscle and support to the limit

The jello and wafer thin DOF push my ability to handle a camera to the absolute limit

I think users of this camera need to get so focused the technical minutiea of stability, lens torque lens backlash etc to get good results - the camera is the first link in a complex chain and I see no problems with it

comments appreciated on both the tech and the cut..

SMM

[daveswan]

Looks good!
Question from a rank amateur ...could you use something like a Steadycam Merlin for this sort of work? The reason I ask is that part of my day-job involves covering school field-trips, taking still and video, and a 5DII would cover both in one tool. I also do amateur narrative shorts, but thats another topic. I havn't traded my 5D for the MkII yet, as I'll have to check my finances, but I intend to go with Leica primes (I've already got the 21 f/4) and a 35-70 zoom.
Looking forward to seeing the whole movie,
Cheers,
Dave

[morgan_moore]

I dont think the merlin is really the right thing for this

A shoulder mount will enable you to aquire clips in a reasonably steady manner - pure handhold seems a no go

The trouble with the merlin is that is is very hard to hold static especially at an angle and you cant pull focus at all

a merlin can of course add an extra element to your footage by allowing shots where the camera is in motion (walking/running) but the majority of simple story telling requires a fairly static camera IMO

shoulder mount is something that does not appeal to me - Id go for a tripod dolly, steadicam or jib if I could but Im realising that for practicaliy size, speed and intrusiveness a shoulder mount (and knee pads) and an eye for things to lean on is the way forward

Wether the 5d is the best shoulder camera is debatable, I have a little sony sr12 - steady shot, amazing AF and simple zoom and monitorable sound are the friends of handheld shooters - shame it looks so awful

ref your lenses thats all you need - unless you are up for a big tripod 70mm is the max any way

S

[daveswan]

Thanks for that , you've just saved me a few hundred quid that would be better spent elsewhere!
Actually I'm inclined to agree about the tripod. Coming from a photographic background it seems natural to put the cam on sticks as a matter of course. so maybe I'll put something not too heavy but rigid on my (Already too long!) shopping list, remembering that I'm likely to be lugging it around all day.
Cheers,
Dave

[morgan_moore]

But tripods suck because of the physical demands of moving and the slow speed of re-setting

(for doco shooting)

Check the heaps of little cutaways in my film - it would have taken a week to 'pod them all

The thing about shoulder is to be realistic about the duration of a shot that can be held - maybe 2 seconds

And be realistic about the moves - did you notice the walkie past the barn or the next shot which is a handheld pan - hard to exectute

S

[daveswan]

I take your point. So a shoulder rig then.....some kind of a shaped pad to fit the shoulder, rods and what?..a handle to support the cam? Just thinking aloud.
Out of interest, what sort of cutting ratio did you end up with?
I'm thinking whether the 5D is the best tool for what I want to do.....don't know.....will have to give it some thought. No hurry yet though. Sometimes I have to do fairly long (Though less than the 12 min limit) takes of a teacher teaching on the trip, which will have to go on the final cut. Though for my own narrative work locked down is ok.
Dave

[morgan_moore]

12 min take - thats 1/3 of the length of Top Gear - I doubt there is two seconds aprt from the opener in my 'film'

The only situation I can see rolling for 12 mins is for an interview - youd need sticks for that (or a wall or something)

My shoulder mount is 18mm Ali square tube homebrew in the shape of a two handled rig like redrock or zacuto - no focus pulls - bars too wide
shoulder pad is a bit of pipe insulation

SHooting ratio - I shot 2 8gb cards for 2mins that will come down to 1min

I have loads of other shots and am very short of narrative speech

The construction and narative is the challenge due to my primary profession of stills photographer

With no subtitles or voiceover I just managed to get from A->B->A (and set up for arrival at C) and introduce two characters, hopefully, without jump cutting too badly - it makes my head hurt to shoot/edit for continuity

S

[Daniel L.]

Good job on the video.

Hand held operation depends on how steady your hands are and how much coffee you had ;)

I have a hard time holding a camera steady. Especially something as light as a 5D, just looks terrible. I need a stabilizer or a balanced shoulder mount. However, when I hand it to my buddy with steady hands it works great. Don't know how he can do it.

There are a few things you can do... First, use a shorter lens. The wider the field of view is the less wobble you can see even if it is still there. Next, you don't have to operate with thin DoF. Close the aperture a few clicks and you have a lot more room to work with. This is already solved by using a wider lens. This is the common solution to ease any kind of hand held or steadicam operation.

[morgan_moore]

Ta

of course I could grab my 14mm and shoot at f11 - maybe its not a bad idea - but then I could just use my EX1 too - something I have been considering for the more RnG situation

Of course I am trying to keep the pleasant look of shooting in a more photographic manner but not opting for ultra wide or very stopped down

The wafer thin DOF comment is really about the 100-300 zoom - which at 5.6 is already pretty closed IMO - I chose that 5.6 as acceptable because I knew the reality of focusing (pulling) at 2.8 (with 80-200) is a challenging one - those sheep move a foolish distance in the third shot as they head towards me- but you cant really see the pull at vimeo resolution..

S

[daveswan]

When I said long takes, I really meant up to say, 5-8 min. What happens on a field trip is we'll have a local lecturer giving a speil, then the kids go off to do their own thing in groups. But the speil is important for the DVD (For revision) so it has to be captured, mind you I'll likely edit it down to 2-3 min.
Anyway, this is going OT so I'll withdraw for the moment and let it come back on topic, just repeating that I like your short very much, and look forward to the finished article.
Dave