My interviews bore the snot out of me

I thought it was really nice work too - and I shoot a lot of these! I have actually moved away from close up shots to wider shots recently - I think they look more natural - getting your talent to perch themselves on the edge of a desk etc often looks really good. Best wishes, Sparky
 
Sparky874 said:
getting your talent to perch themselves on the edge of a desk etc often looks really good.
Click to expand...

Yep lighting - im not too bothered - but positioning of the subject is a subtle art, eyeline, looking up/down (power) leaning to camera - friendly - away scared/negative etc

Keep it subliminal. IMO anything that the viewer notices - hair light - weird BG shadows etc breaks down the wall of belief

S
 
I also am about 25% talking heads. I think you're samples look very good. One biggie though for me: Don't have Rumsfeld up front. I feel you shouldn't have "baggage". When people see him they may think negative thoughts about the war, etc. whereas you want them to like your samples. That was my reaction: "You Bastard!". Also, his skin tone is sallow and too much plain wall behind him.

If you start out with the NFL sample that would be stronger. But visually they all look good.
 
David: Those were all in-camera audio, typically with a Senn G1/2 lav or ECM44 lav, sometimes also a boomed ME66. You can probably pick out the GH2 shots by ear ;)

Chuck: Thanks for the feedback... Yep, the white BG is Ameriprise, and it was AF (but lightly graded). The color match on the 2-angle shot was in-camera (P20 and Vivitar 50/1.7 M42)

Ned: I get what you're saying, but at the risk of sounding haughty, if a producer/director gets that bent out of shape that I worked with Rumsfeld (or somebody from the Obama admin, or a Christian, or Muslim, or atheist, or one-legged ass-kicker) I'd rather not work for them anyway. I'll let their personal hangups stay their personal hang-ups, and not make them my own.


Question for folks: what are your thoughts on going through and grading everything? My instinct was that the untouched footage would be more helpful to a potential client, since they usually hire me to shoot, not color... but my instincts have been wrong before.
 
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I think making a sample look the best it could possibly look would only benefit you. You might even get an editing gig. If you want to do that.
 
I give you props for just being able to stomach being in the same room with rumsfield. That in it's self is huge in my eyes. Your work is great. I can see you getting bored with it. Why not do a personal project that your interested in, maybe a documentary.
 
I'd definitely grade the reel.

Even if you don't typically edit and grade, you should show what your footage is capable of looking like, even if that's not what it looks like straight off the card.

What Gamma did you usually use?

I probably would flip Howie and Rummy, and what do you think of lowering (but keeping) their audio, and adding music, provide a bit of continuity across disparate subjects? (Use the Talking Heads? Ha ha)

And at the end of Ameriprise (small world! What did you light it with?), the fade to white is a bit abrupt and incomplete- maybe get rid of it?

As for working with possibly so-called undesirables, after getting kicked in the ass by a one-legged ass-kicker, I vowed, "Never again!" :grin:

But again, nice reel man!
 
Thanks again all

Chuck: I haven't an iota where my gamma is set (2.2 most likely?). The Ameriprise vid uses my standard RIFA key/gold reflector fill/prolight back with a V-light hitting the background (in this case, a very convenient wall-height whiteboard)

Anyway... went back through, tried a very light grade (basic contrast and saturation), found a couple of clips that I'd forgotten to add in, shortened most of them, and threw a touch of music bed underneath. Updated the Vimeo file, so just replay the previous link. Improvement, or no?
 
Yes, those interviews are above average.
I know it is tough when working with higher profile folks.
You don't get much time to tweak.
Yes those white backs are killers.
I have edited several of those "financial" interviews that require
the white backs and the videographer I work with hates those...

The only feedback I have as others have said....
Is to let the background go a little darker and if possible
throw it out of focus so as not to distract.
Otherwise the lighting on the subjects was excellent.
 
I like it! (of course, that and $7 will get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks...)

Great music track! Headshots- ha ha! (who is it?) Better than Talking Heads!

Not sure about the interview sound being up full at times and under at others, though I imagine you have a reason for it.

Not sure I like Howie's pause before he speaks, could be tighter, Rummy seems a bit long, too.
Maybe you need them longer for timing on the song, or to complete their thoughts?
But I'd tighten them up and edit the song, if needed.

Are there interlacing artifacts on Ameriprise (on his lips as he speaks?).

But I love it, love the new additions at the end, music for the opening/closing slates, it's a much better reel- well done!

And kudos for putting it out there for suggestions!!!
 
Very nice work for a 15 minute set up. I try to get at least an hour to set up for an interview. Dedos are nice but very expensive with the gobo projectors so I use source four leakos with patterns, the downside is that they are bulky to carry around.
 
Very interesting thread. I do a lot of talking heads and yours look very good. I like the last two the most. They have something more personal. I also like some of the tips, framing, composition, all very very good if you have the time to think of it. Not always do I have more than 5 minutes to set up. I started to do a lot of interviews on shoulder with object standing, its less static but also very tiring if I have that PDW 700 with around 20 pounds on my shoulder...I am surprised of the quality of the avchd stuff from GH2 and AF100. Skin tones are good.
In relation to being in the room with somebody you might not like: I just interviewed a lot of criminals in and out of jail, no problem for me ;-)
 
I'm i agreement that these interviews are above average, maybe well above the average these days. Even when you have set up time, it always seems as though you could have done something different when watching the raw stuff in post. Last year I shot Sen. George McGovern with my AF-100 in his office for my documentary. I could not have been happier on set. But when I looked at the interview later, I kicked myself for every little nuance under the sun.
No, you did a fine job all in all.
 
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