NEW abstract short shot with the canon A1

nick666

nick666

Member
ok. I've been a frequent visitor to this site and based on the wonderful testimonies and footage I've seen here I got my work to pick up a canon a1. This camera is simply awesome and I love the images I'm able to get with it. So last week I took a trip to bombay beach on the salton sea in southern california (look it up it's a nice place to shoot), it was hot. 115 degree's hot and a good amount of humidity to add, but that did make for some awesome heat waves and about 4lbs of sweat. So on a random whim I thought that since I was here I'd try and shoot a little abstract short. So here it is and I'm open to all your feedback.

It was shot in 24f mode, mostly with the 1/32 nd filter on, so I could keep the aperture opened all the way and try and get some nice shallow DOF shots without sacrificing my shutter speed.

http://vimeo.com/1270481
 
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wow. disturbing. effective. really well done! outstanding really.

i think it shows the power of effective composition. you really got a lot out of that stock setup.

you clearly have talent. good luck to you.

i'll have to go check that place out.
 
Disturbing indeed. Seems like something I would see at a filmfest. Where did you get all those delightful sounds?
 
thanks, I appreciate the feedback. I got the sounds from apmmusic.com they have some great stuff.
 
BTW. What effect did you use for the greenish flicker in several of your shots?

Thanks.
 
Nice short film. Disturbing in a good way. I could see using that location for a music video as well.

I liked the flash cuts with the jarring sound/music. I was messing around with some random A1 footage a couple weeks ago and put together something that used a similar editing style.

Did you make the music/sound design or did you use a pre-existing track? I thought the music was very effective.

One thing that I think would be a nice addition would be something chasing the lost girl. The first flash cut you showed of her looked almost like a POV of someone running behind her. I think it would be interesting to have some strange figure running after her. Maybe someone in tattered rags, making it hard to see any details underneath, with a bull skull or some strange tribal mask or something covering the face. Or you could imply a post apocalyptic setting by having her being chased by some figure in a gas mask.
 
I just used the rgb balance in fcp and brought the green up in the midtones.

I did not compose the tracks they were pre existing, but I did do alot of splicing and mixing between three different tracks.

I would have loved to ellaborate on the short with someone chasing her, but it was all so spur of the moment. I didn't have planning for anything, just some thoughts in my head and went out and shot. I definitely see what your saying and I would have loved to do somethin like that, maybe at a later date.
 
Awesome footage, definitely.

I'm not a horror thriller guy. I really hate when it's loud noises that alert me more than anything. That's my only qualm, really.

Hopefully we'll see some more work from you, though. You've got something.
 
Wow. I'd like to see this developed into a feature.


Also, check out the movie The Salton Sea. It was shot there too, and it's some of Val Kilmer's best work.
 
Wow, that was fantabulous. That's the sort of stuff I love to see personally. There's lots of room to speculate... I hate typical American Hollywood formula crap.
I personally loved the imagery and the way you filmed it. The cuts worked well for me and the sound was bang on in terms of emotion.
I think it's particularly exceptional to create something creepy in broad daylight. Anyone can do that with a night scene.
I'd love to see this developed further with a trippy plot twist that you just don't see coming.
Seeing one of the dried dead fish flicker like it's fresh out of water and gasping would've been cool.

Cheers!
 
Thanks for all the positivity guys and the feedback, I really appreciate it. I have uploaded an HD version onto my idisk as well, for those of you that want to download the 180 something mb file.

I've gotten word from the producer that there is some possible funding to turn this little piece into something more... perhaps a 10 min short with some actual dialogue. I'll keep you posted.
 
Beautiful work. Excellent compositions. Very cinematic.
I'm surprised the built-in ND could cut it under those superbright conditions.
 
Wow! I can see I've got a long way to go before I can call myself a videographer. I'm new to this site and I've really enjoyed the two pieces of video I've downloaded so far.

This is more of a new hobby for me right now and keeps me busy doing video and editing footage for my church. I'm curious what video editing software some of you recomend? Right now I'm using Magix Movie Edit Rev 12. I have ordered a copy of Adobe Premiere Pro CS3 from a friend who works at Adobe.

Nice work
 
That was great! it would be great to see this as a 10 min short! Was this shoot with only the a1 or did you use a 35mm adapter??
 
Very cool! Now that is my kind of stuff. I have a couple of questions though.

1 - What preset did you use?
2 - What was done in CC?
3 - The same question as t-unit, did you use a 35mm adapter?
 
I used the vividrgb preset, but then I just ended up desaturating it in post and raising the contrast. There is no 35mm adapter used, this is just the A1 with the aperture opened up as much as it could be in everyshot.

xha1guy - I use final cut pro
 
I have to say, it really looks like a 35mm dof adapter was used.
Looks incredible, especially the CU off her face at the 1:05 mark.
Seeing this footage makes me really consider getting this camera
when I'm ready to jump into HD.
 
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