My first short film/music video....

[triplej96]

I made this in college back in April I used a pretty crappy camera 1 ccd from my college and then compressed it to upload to youtube. I will be making a new music video soon (getting paid) using the dvx100b soon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sB8IR80sEok

[Jon Starr]

Ewwww 1ccd.... lol

Well it was an okay movie. For a first, good job. You've got a lot of basic ideas down.

Here's a few pointers:

1) Watch the cuts and fades. The calendar cut looks like a "page turn" cut or whatever it's called. Those cuts are used in home videos because the people think they look good. They make things look like home videos though. Avoid those fancy cuts or dissolves. Sometimes dissolving from one to another shot just doesn't look good especially if not timed right, like the sun rise and sun set dissolve. Looked unproffesional, but there's also another reason for this, which I get to in the next point.

2) You need to take into account direction when going from one shot to another. If you notice, the sun rise and sun set (for obvious reasons) were in two different oppposing directions. One from left to right and bottom to top, and the other right to left top to bottom. Cutting them together makes it feel off, uncomfortable. People shouldn't even notice a cut or fade because it'll have worked for the moment. If you got the sun to rise perfectly in the middle, and then set perfectly in the middle, they would have worked well together. Or perhaps if the framing worked beter so that they would almost cross from either conrer of the screen instead of being at two opposing sides.

3) Sometimes nothing is going on. Like when he's just standing there. If you didn't have enough footage you should have cut the song a bit shorter. Or you should have put something more in there. At times I just felt like fast forwarding.

However, there are some pretty nice shots. Perhaps a bit over-use of the fast forward, but it sometimes worked. Very good for a first short.

[triplej96]

Thanks for the critique I was on a pretty short time frame I thought of the idea, story boarded it, shot it, edited it in 5 days . So yes their was quite a few shot ideas that didn't make it in. I purposely had that calendar transition (simple avid effect) that was my first time shooting a sunrise and sunset so I've learned some things from it. My video was aired on television and is still on air which is pretty cool and the band liked my video. This video also got me a future music video gig . It was a rushed project. Thank you for your response.

[triplej96]

Just an update my video has been nominated for three lindy awards at the up and comming Lindy Award show at my college April 12, 2007 it will be broadcasted on cable as well . Best Music video, Best Cinematography, and Best Editing. Wish me luck.