This is the best thing I've shot, and I would like you to critique my cinematography.

arhartman

arhartman

Well-known member
Hey guys,
I just wrote, directed, and shot this project, on my DVX-100 with letus35. It is the first project I've shot with the letus35 and I would love for you to watch, enjoy (hopefully), and tell me your thoughts of the visual aspect. Also, being this story is told visually, tell me if you feel this project gets the message across.

"Friends, And Love"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97RomIMuu00

cheers,
Austin R. Hartman
 
OK, just watched it.

I really liked the mood that you created, and the overall feel to it. The second it started I was really sucked into the mood and atmosphere you created.

I thought the cinematography/shot selection was good, also. While being a little bit cliche, you seemed to do something that hadn't been done before. I really liked how you framed/composed the beginning part when they get out of the car.

Have to go right now but I'll finish up when I get back.
 
I'm curious how you got that soft blown-out highlights look .. is this strictly cause of the 35mm lens used, or was this done in post?
thanks
 
it was all done on set. i was in the studio at my school and i took white pallets and a spotlight that was above their heads. There was no color correction or anything.
 
The shot at 1:57 is GREAT.
The Hug at 2:57 is GREAT.

That was Really honest, and beautiful. I loved it.

The shots were good. Nice use of the 35adapter. i like that you let it dammage the image.

But the content was very good. Especailly the kissing sequence. That was very powerful.

Great work.
 
Austin, just checked it out. You create a great and compelling emotional mood, and your use of camera angles and color is quite good. Nice work. I'll subscribe to your posts on youtube.

Jerry
 
i loved it.

bravo on making it work without any dialogue as well. i think we all know how difficult that is to do...

a sidenote...i loved the editing too. i think the editing helps set the mood as much as the cinematography does if not more. which is not something anyone on here has mentioned yet.

*probably because you asked us to critique your cinematography. my apologies.

kudos.
 
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ok, here are my thoughts: the shots in this film are good but not great. you set everything up well (i wouldn't have put the call box in the frame... i think it would have had a stronger impact with just the hill in the back) but then don't have any very dramatic images (no center placed people, or closeups, you could have some beautiful closeups of eyes or something.. maybe hands on the boys' waists, etc.)

the colors and film look are beautiful, very quaint kind of "indie" look to it.

another little peeve of mine is that they're all incredibly well dressed, they look like they walked out of levi's ads or something. maybe this is what you intended, but it really distracts me, i'm looking at the bright colored clothes, not the people.this would be a great fashion ad but not a coming out film.
 
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Hey thanks again you guys,
But I totally got what you are saying with the close ups, as for the clothes, I wasn't really paying attention to it at all, I guess I have really well dressed hipster friends. hahaha.

keep it comin guys.
 
Good Solid Work.

Being nit-pickey.

I agree with the previous posts about wanting to see close ups.

Some of the lens vignetting distracted me... I'm talking about the darker tones around the edges of the frame. Either zoom in a little further or crop 1:85x1 to get rid of it. If it was intentional I didn't care for it.

Some of the focusing was soft and looked unintentional to me. I would use marks and pull focus. I'm only pointing this out because the quiality of the short quickly exceeded "indi" and therefore I wanted the focusing to be as pro as posable

Thanks for posting it.

Kip
 
I thought you did a great job with editing, music, editing, and of course acting, to convey the mood.

Technical:
I actually like the "vintage" look that you have here. Reminds me of old surf movies in a way. I actually liked the vignetting and dirty image. Some of the focus did look soft, probably just because of the 35mm adapter.

Editing:
I wouldn't mind seeing a version where there would been more intercutting between the "spotlight" shots and the "home video" shots. Some back and forth between the two instead of just going from one to the other and staying there.

Also, I feel the other friend get's lost in the mix. He is there at the beach and then gone. The intercutting might help with that a little.

Good job,
Jeremy
 
I agree with jeremy. I think you should go back and forth instead of from one whole sequence to the next. I *believe* that when we're on the guy in the car and then we cut to the studio shots, that this is supposed to be what's going on in his head??

Not sure and maybe that's why you went from one whole sequence to the next. But I think it's such an abstract piece that it'll work cutting back and forth between the two the whole way.

Agree that the vignetting was a little too-heavy in some of the earlier shots. LIked it better when it was barely there. Were you using that on purpose?

But I liked it. What music did you use?

Oh, and tell me a little more about settings and extra equipment (matte box?) and what, if anything, you did in post?

A side note - and this is going to sound dirty but it isn't because it drew attention to itself. But it was weird how the guys were in their underwear and the girl was still wearing a shirt. It would've made more sense if she was in her underwear too.

best!
C.G.
 
The music is album leaf's "Hangover" and the earlier songs were my friends band minus the classic song. And she was in underwear too, but she had a tank top on as well.
 
Just watched this for the first time, and, MAN I loved it.

I don't have much constructive criticism, as I thought there wasn't anything I'd change about it.

Like mentioned before, the clothes (red and blue) probably should have been avoided just because of DV, but I think it came out fine.

Great short. :thumbsup:
 
I like the grunge look as well. And I'm a fan of jump cuts. But I have a horrible attention span and wandered to click on the YouTube desctription link that describes the film.

Good first film with an adapter. they can be so finicky!

-a
 
Yes. Nice piece all around. I agree with the earlier post about this looking very commercial (ie Levi's ad).

The car shot in the open was not as cool as the rest of the exterior scenes that came after... As soon as I saw that outdoor sequence I thought, 'man, this could be playing on one of those big plasma screens at a Hollister store.'

And I mean that as a compliment. I know you were trying to go for something artistic, which it is, but your visual style has a good commercial feel to it. Nothing wrong with that at all.

Also, good previsualization of the panning up/down between the spotlight shots. I did think the kissing could have been a little slower/sexier. I didn't feel real intimate-- but that's acting, not shooting or editing.

-Vic
 
Can someone pls explain why this video has gotten so much great feedback, I watched it right through, sat there, tried to work out why! what is good about it? i'm not trying to be smart or negative. If someone could explain to me what makes this clip great i'd probably learn something from it :beer:
 
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