"Horse For Heroes" Short Film made for Maryland Therapeutic Riding

C-Mac

C-Mac

Well-known member
Here's a video we just finished for Maryland Therapeutic Riding's Horses For Heroes Program. The program helps wounded warriors regain core strength after injuries and amputations and relax from post traumatic stress disorder. It's an amazing program that offers it's service free of charge to these service men and women.

We shot this with a 2 man crew... I Produced, Directed, Edited, DPed, and Operated non interview footage. My friend operated camera during the interviews, ACed, and gripped.

It was a fun shoot, but not without challenges. All in all I'm happy with the production and I'm honored to make a film that has the potential to help our wounded Heroes.

It was shot with the Canon 5D Mark ii with 24-70mm L 2.8, 70-200mm L 2.8 ii, 15mm Fisheye and the Canon 7D with 24-70mm 2.8 and Nikon AIS fast primes

http://www.vimeo.com/15225915



I hope you enjoy and looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

Best Regards,

Chris McGuinness
www.pulsecinema.com
 
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Well done.

Well done.

Enjoyed this immensely. Beautiful images, story, emotions. My sister runs one of these centers in Florida--can't wait to show it to her. Thanks.
 
That sir was AWESOME!!! Great great work on your part.

And what a super organization. Amazing animals helping amazing people. I have an immense respect for our veterans. We as a nation and society could never do enough to re-pay what we owe them. And I am so thankful for places like this that give something back to them.

I can't say it enough...great work. That was top notch.

Regards,

G.
 
Chris - Spactactular! Beautiful images, especially the backlit horses and dolly fence shots. Sound design was also very well done.

I wasn't a fan of the L3 titling - especially "Married to Rider:..." It actually took me out of the story to try and figure out what it was referring to. Not a big deal. Maybe a wording change would have helped.

I also would have liked to see more reality footage - riders interacting with coaches and horses, not just interviews with broll.

If you get a chance, check out a non-profit horse piece I just completed and let me know your thoughts: http://awakenedfilms.com/media/dfs092010.mov


Jason - www.awakenedfilms.com
 
Wow! Fantastic.

Jason's point about more reality footage is a good one. It would be nice
to see the challenges the riders face as well as the remarkable outcomes. This piece rides
an emotional peak almost from the outset and while immensely touching feels somehow
just a bit unreal.

But this critique is only a quibbling of what is clearly a stellar achievement.
 
Everts said:
Great job ! Great editing & sound aswell .

What was your audio setup ?

Everts
Click to expand...

Thanks, we used the Tascam DR100 with a shot gun sennheiser with the K6 battery pack, forgot the model of the sennheiser. Used a boom stand.
 
AwakenedFilms said:
Chris - Spactactular! Beautiful images, especially the backlit horses and dolly fence shots. Sound design was also very well done.

I wasn't a fan of the L3 titling - especially "Married to Rider:..." It actually took me out of the story to try and figure out what it was referring to. Not a big deal. Maybe a wording change would have helped.

I also would have liked to see more reality footage - riders interacting with coaches and horses, not just interviews with broll.

If you get a chance, check out a non-profit horse piece I just completed and let me know your thoughts: http://awakenedfilms.com/media/dfs092010.mov


Jason - www.awakenedfilms.com
Click to expand...

Thank you, as far as "Married to Rider" didn't really have anything better and we could not use last names, thought about just giving first names on them...


As far as riders getting ready and interaction with coaches and horses... I would have loved to have more, but due to a bit of last minute bureaucracy from outside sources we where kept on stand by and not allowed to shoot anything... all we had time for was interviews and we where not able to getting the footage at a later date.

chris
 
maxdvz said:
Wow! Fantastic.

Jason's point about more reality footage is a good one. It would be nice
to see the challenges the riders face as well as the remarkable outcomes. This piece rides
an emotional peak almost from the outset and while immensely touching feels somehow
just a bit unreal.

But this critique is only a quibbling of what is clearly a stellar achievement.
Click to expand...

I appreciate the feed back and actually agree here... I'm copying from Jason's response below....

As far as riders getting ready and interaction with coaches and horses... I would have loved to have more, but due to a bit of last minute bureaucracy from outside sources we where kept on stand by and not allowed to shoot anything... all we had time for was interviews and we where not able to getting the footage at a later date.

chris
 
ProAmateur said:
That sir was AWESOME!!! Great great work on your part.

And what a super organization. Amazing animals helping amazing people. I have an immense respect for our veterans. We as a nation and society could never do enough to re-pay what we owe them. And I am so thankful for places like this that give something back to them.

I can't say it enough...great work. That was top notch.

Regards,

G.
Click to expand...

Thank you G.

When you see these people and speak with them, you really begin to understand the sacrafices they make for all of us... it's great that programs like this can give back and help them regain some of what was lost...
 
AwakenedFilms said:
Chris - Spactactular! Beautiful images, especially the backlit horses and dolly fence shots. Sound design was also very well done.

I wasn't a fan of the L3 titling - especially "Married to Rider:..." It actually took me out of the story to try and figure out what it was referring to. Not a big deal. Maybe a wording change would have helped.

I also would have liked to see more reality footage - riders interacting with coaches and horses, not just interviews with broll.

If you get a chance, check out a non-profit horse piece I just completed and let me know your thoughts: http://awakenedfilms.com/media/dfs092010.mov


Jason - www.awakenedfilms.com
Click to expand...

Also, great job on your non-profit, I think it looks fantastic, what did you shoot it on?
 
C-Mac said:
Thank you, as far as "Married to Rider" didn't really have anything better and we could not use last names, thought about just giving first names on them...


As far as riders getting ready and interaction with coaches and horses... I would have loved to have more, but due to a bit of last minute bureaucracy from outside sources we where kept on stand by and not allowed to shoot anything... all we had time for was interviews and we where not able to getting the footage at a later date.

chris
Click to expand...

By the quality of the product/video you guys delivered, I knew it was because of something like that....don't you just hate that :furious3:
 
C-Mac said:
Also, great job on your non-profit, I think it looks fantastic, what did you shoot it on?
Click to expand...

Thanks, chris. HVX200, letus extreme, nikkor primes. The piece just aired at the Driving for Surviving annual gala. Great response from the attendees as well.


Jason
 
Beautifully done. Lovely story-telling and sound, and I think the color grading is perfect for the mood you're conveying.
 
Well filmed and a great cause too!

I actually live right over in Hanover, MD and my boss is heavily involved in this program with his wife Naomi Parry. He describes the joy that the riders feel when they're able to get on the horse exactly as you've captured here. Definitely a program worth giving towards.

I haven't been doing this long but I'd love to tag along for a shoot with you and lend a hand where I can. I've got a 60D and a little bit of experience so hit me up with a PM if you need an extra body sometime ;)
 
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C-Mac said:
Also, great job on your non-profit, I think it looks fantastic, what did you shoot it on?
Click to expand...

Both of those videos are fantastic, congratulations to both of you. Chris I thought your video looked incredible, Jason, my wife was on the board for SERT [Special Equestrian Riding Therapy] and its really hard to explain to people the effect that, what I can only describe as unconditional love, these kinds of occupational programs can have on severely handicapped people. You did an outstanding job of capturing the essence of what that's about.

Thanks guys for sharing this.
 
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