Cambodian Killing Fields

mojo43

mojo43

Well-known member
Filmed while visiting one of the Cambodian killing fields as well as S-21 prison (Tuol Sleng) near Phnom Penh.

Pol Pot's reign in which he attempted to "cleanse" the country, resulted in the deaths of an estimated 1.7 to 2.5 million people. This was a small glimpse into what happened during that time.

This is part one of my trip to Cambodia this year.

Camera: GH13 hacked with C settings Native unchecked
Lenses: Stock lens, Canon FD 50mm 1.4, C-mount 28mm 1.4


You can see the HD version here: http://vimeo.com/14348090

 
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You've got some great shots in there, but I think your editing is too quick for the content! I wanted to explore some scenes (even in the small window) and it quickly cuts... I watched the to the end... darting my eyes around because I knew I wouldn't get enough time to look around the frame. There are some shots (with less visual interest, like the CU on the ammo box, for example) where the quick cut works, but other shots have so much interest in them that you could draw them out to 10 second cuts (or more).

BTW, even if it doesn't sound like it... that's a compliment to your footage.
 
MattinSTL said:
You've got some great shots in there, but I think your editing is too quick for the content! I wanted to explore some scenes...
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Absolutely my reaction. The subject matter demands more time and I'm glad you are tackling it. More people need to be aware of the horror. I was in Eastern part of Cambodia and to the Western eye, one of the most beautiful landscapes on earth. This is such a stark reminder of how low humanity can stoop.

Well done.

My only other comments would be that I wasn't sure if that was fire noise or an old recording of the music. Personally I could have done without it, and I would have saved the gunshot for when you went to the photograph collage. Just a single shot at that moment. JMHO.

But thanks for sharing and I look forward to part 2.
 
Thanks for the suggestions... I always have trouble with pacing a vid. I will give it another look a little later on and post the results.
 
The shot length will vary, but the opening shot with the credits is probably close to the average shot length. If you want to get more in, then use times where you have the same object (like the temple peak) to put in some shorter cuts. (never shorter then what you have already though) A simple way to get decent pacing is to try to follow the music you chose... as the music climbs let the emotion of your shots climb. If the pace of your score is slow, the pace of your shots should be slow.

You have such good content in those shots that you can use the shots to tell a story... look at each cut and what it represents in the history of the place. Does the temple represent those that were to be killed? Do you have some peaceful shots of the countryside that may represent what the victims saw before the atrocities?

Take a fresh look at your video with shots put in order to tell a story... maybe even start with one of the pictured faces... with normal to progressively horrible content shots... then just before you're ready to go back into the skull shot... show the bullet scared wall... same cut with the same face again... then the lined up skull... then the case of skulls... then the other pictured faces.
 
May I suggest using the Kronos Quartet's 1990 recording of Samuel Barber's String Quartet, Op. 11 on Winter Was Hard, instead of this expanded string version, which I believe was used in the film Platoon? Although Barber himself orchestrated the larger Adagio for Strings based on the second movement of his string quartet—and later transcribed the piece in 1967 for eight-part choir—I do believe the original, plaintive ascending melody is best served by only four distinct string voices. JMHO.
 
Damn... I think I'm going to get an Isaac tattoo today!

Now THAT is how you offer a valuable contribution to a thread.
 
I actually had meant to concur with your statements regarding pacing. Viewing this compelled me to take another look at Night and Fog, whose cuts always seemed hasty to me—and very nearly detract from the short film's intended effect. It becomes almost comedic, in a very sick way, of course. Fog's cuts may have been a compromise between its editor's intentions and the reality of what the actual footage held.

I know, I know. It's hard to take Isaac seriously. Just think about the cat and the motorcycle.
 
Jordan_S said:
May I suggest using the Kronos Quartet's 1990 recording of Samuel Barber's String Quartet, Op. 11 on Winter Was Hard, instead of this expanded string version, which I believe was used in the film Platoon? Although Barber himself orchestrated the larger Adagio for Strings based on the second movement of his string quartet—and later transcribed the piece in 1967 for eight-part choir—I do believe the original, plaintive ascending melody is best served by only four distinct string voices. JMHO.
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Just checked it out... yes, it is a much better version to use. Thanks for letting me know. I am currently working on the video as we speak...
 
OK, based on the comments I updated the video and came up with this. I believe that it feels better now. Thanks for all of the help!



 
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mojo43 said:
OK, based on the comments I updated the video and came up with this. I believe that it feels better now. Thanks for all of the help!
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To say it feels better is ironic. Yes, a much more powerful rendition. Brought me to the verge.

Well done. Really.
 
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