Music Video for your critiquing pleasure

D

DarkIndy

New member
Greetings!

I recently finished work on my first music video and I need some hardcore DVXUser critiquing and feedback! If you have 5 minutes to watch the video and leave a comment or two, I would greatly appreciate your help. It's hard to find honest, constructive criticism, but I know if I'll find it anywhere, it'll be here on the DVXUser forums!

Currently the featured video at: www.ourmedia.org
direct link: http://www.ourmedia.org/node/246767

and at youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkfwh81jwr0


My friend is the music artist, Dor Lata. She is featured in the video and she also created the instrumentation and wrote (and sang) the lyrics. This is not my typical choice in music (she does world/dance type-I listen to rock like Tool.), but I have wanted to try to make a music video for a long time now. We got together and shot it over several weekends inside a single house. I was responsible for all technical aspects in the production, from placing lights to operating the DVX100, to editing and adding effects (some effects need polishing, I know, be gentle.). So please comment on my work, what you like and don't like with regards to the technical achievements of the video, and any suggestions that may help me improve my future work.

Thank you all in advance for any assistance!
J~
 
That loop with the strings is a GarageBand loop. I'm sure of that. It's cool but I'm not too sure I'd use it as an actual base for a song though. Anywho...
 
I don't like the handheld stuff. The video is too glamorus for handhend shakies. Too many zooms as well. I like the sets and her wardrobe. I like the star filter oddly enough. That was an on camera filter right, not AE? Would have been nice to see dollie shots. My favorite shot is when the camera moves away from her really fast. Was that some in camera and some post or all in camera? Nice variety for sure and the lighting looked great, considering the compression.

-Kevin
 
I'll start out by telling you what I liked

Cutting to B/W I would have done it more. I loved it when you did it!

Loved the Super white blow out disolves and footage. I would have exploited that more and made it a style of the video rather than an accent.

Loved the filter on the lights. Some might say it cheeses the video out but used sparingly with confidence it works.



What bugged me... and I say that because most of what I'm about to say is personal prefrence...meaning you did nothing wrong I just wanted to see it alittle different.

Camera moves and zooms - looked like a primetime tv drama... jiggily without looking handheld. Again, just not a style I like.

Narrative...was there any? I didn't quite get what she was doing and why. Not that you allways need to. But I was fishing for one and never got it.



I don't know if you were the director but her performance was a bit lackluster. Sleepy. That's just how it came across to me



Good work for a first time music video.



Kip
 
the music was horrible, even if i was high off E at a rave i would still wish i was on a better drug to enjoy it. :) Having said that, the video was decent altho the youtube.com link didnt do quality justice.
 
to shaky, didnt match the format... if the movement was smoother, the video would've looked ALOT different - much BETTER. as for the garageband tune, that's the artists problem, not darkindy's.
I would maybe plan a reshoot, and just nail those shots a lot more smoothly. but the edit seemed like it was on the right track...
 
That's what I'm talking about!! Thank you all who left comments! It's great stuff.

Now to respond a little....

The star effect was achieved through an on camera filter. I was worried about the cheese factor involved, but it's been a while since I've seen it exploited, so I thought in small doses it would be okay. I'm glad most people agree with that also.

Almost all the real handheld shaky footage was shot with the intention of test footage (for lighting, make-up, etc.) with the belief that later on we would reshoot the scenes properly. But then that became an impossibility, so I had to use what I already had. I guess the lesson to be learned here is to shoot everything like you intend to use it in the final product....just in case you have to! Also, it was my first experiment usng my homemade 35mm lens adapter.

I had no part in the creation of the song itself, so I totally understand what you mean about the Garageband loop opening the song. When I stumbled across the loop while messing around in Garageband, it changed the song for me a little hearing it out of context. But many people that I've shown the video to commented very positively to the opening saying it was their favorite part in the song-very catchy.

Again, thank you all for taking the time to check out my work and provide me with feedback!
 
I think i figured it out-there is a big difference between handheld camera, camera shake, and shouldermount camera shake. Shouldermount shake looks much more "pro," handheld shake looks like you are borrowning the camera from your high school. Handheld tends to bobble around, while shouldmount tend to much more slightly bobble, but in a pivoting motion.

I love all the different sets up you had in the piece, never got bored looking at it. would have loved it more in a widescreen format. Usually cutting in some "grunged up footage, and B&W is a hack trick, butr you pulled it off well!

Id really like to see a higher res version, the compression kills how sharp those light effects must really look.
 
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