New Da Vinci Code doc filmed on DVX

Michael_Bott

Michael_Bott

Well-known member
Hi guys. Like to share with you that my film 'Origins of the Da Vinci Code' was released on the 25th October and should now be available in the shops in the US. I am lucky enough to be a friend of Henry Lincoln who wrote Holy Blood, Holy Grail, the book that inspired Dan Brown's novel. The film is an account of his story and how the theories in the Da Vinci Code came to be, but also an introduction to new discoveries made by Henry Lincoln in the 30 years since HBHG was published and that have got lost in the hoo-haa over the Da Vinci Code stuff.

Principle filming was done in the South of France in September last year and on the island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea in November. Once a distributor was secured, post was completed in a manic 2 months ending in August.

The DVX100a was fantastic - a gorgeous look from 25p PAL. I shot mostly squeeze but used the anamorphic on some landscape shots. Post was done entirely in Vegas 6 - I am totally convinced that any other NLE would have taken twice as long to acheive the results I got with Vegas.

It's not the greatest of all documentaries, but it's pretty darned good, though I says it myself, and shows what CAN be acheived by one man, a decent camera and a friendly NLE. If you want to see a trailer click this: www.davincicode.bz/ODVCTrailer.html .

Best wishes to you all

Michael Bott
 
Thanks Michael . . . convincing trailer -- I just ordered it. How long is the running time? Thanks.
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Wow. thanks for ordering - running time is 120m and there are about 50m of extras plus a 'Director's Commentary'!
can we get it in europe too?
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Yes, there is a PAL version coming out but I don't have a firm release date yet. Should be before Christmas, though.
 
Anhar Miah said:
Hmm.. interresting, its a shame that lies sell better than truth

see (from a quick google)

http://www.ignatius.com/books/davincihoax/thefacts/

Anhar
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Anhar, please - with all due respect - this is the whole problem. Dan Brown has muddied the water so much with his book, that the whole background story, which is far more interesting, and what this DVD is about, is getting thrown out with the bathwater. My video is not an advocacy of the Da VInci Code - far from it. Plain and simple: it is the story of how the original story came into being, how it has become distorted and misrepresented in the current climate and an account of discoveries in another field of which the general public is not yet aware. I don't wish to engage in a debate on the merits of my work in this forum, but I must say that I find your posting seems to be prejudicial against something you cannot have seen yet and I had to respond for the sake of those that might take your post and the link at face value. Forgive me if that is a misinterpretation or I am overreacting.

I posted here because I made the film with my DVX100a and Vegas. I did not post to advocate Dan Brown's book. If I had I am sure it would have disappeared very quickly. This is not the place to argue the subject matter and I apologise if my response is in danger of tipping the whole thing off topic. If anyone is interested in exchanging their views with me or has any questions about the subject matter please contact me personally. If you want to know about my experience shooting and getting it made I will gladly respond here. That's why I posted - to share.

Michael
 
Hey Michael, thanks for sharing!

I don't think anyone's confused about the DaVinci Code -- I'm pretty sure everyone recognizes that it's on the Fiction shelves of the bookstore for a reason, right? Your doc sounds interesting, and we appreciate it when DVXUsers take the time to share what they've been working on!
 
I find the subject facsinating no matter what the truth is. It made for a very fun read and I look forward to the film with Tom Hanks. But yes; as Barry states there is a reason it sits in the fiction section next to Steven Kings Salems Lot.

Let's please try and keep our 'personal beliefs' out of the forum please.

I think this Doc looks great!
 
Barry_Green said:
Hey Michael, thanks for sharing!

I don't think anyone's confused about the DaVinci Code -- I'm pretty sure everyone recognizes that it's on the Fiction shelves of the bookstore for a reason, right? Your doc sounds interesting, and we appreciate it when DVXUsers take the time to share what they've been working on!
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I ran into a lady at Barnes and Nobles once and I just happened to be around the Dan Brown section. She asked, "Have you read the DaVinci Code? It's really amazing." She paused for a second, then added, "The amazing thing is that it's all based off facts that the Catholic church is trying to hide."

So I guess Dan has at least one convert, and I know there are more.
 
Hi there,

This is nice, Did you record the voice over and sweeten it? IF so could you just please briefly explain your steps?

Thanks,
Derrick
 
Derrick_SA said:
Hi there,

This is nice, Did you record the voice over and sweeten it? IF so could you just please briefly explain your steps?

Thanks,
Derrick
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Yes, the voice is actually my extraordinary wife, Sharon. We both come from acting backgrounds and with her the talent hasn't gone away ...

Voice over was recorded straight to a laptop using a Tascam DAT machine as intermediate link to an Audio Technica AT4033a. I captured using Sound Forge. I think the initial recording was a bit thin so I think there's some bass lift in there and a modest amount of compression. All that work was done in Sound Forge. To be honest, it was a case of making do with what was available to me. I wouldn't recommend this audio workflow as I pretty much made it up as I went along. In the main body of the programme there are of course synch sound events - interviews mostly - for that I used either an AT897, a Sony ECM-77B lapel mike., and when absolutely necessary, a Sennheiser ew100 radio mike. These were recording direct into the DVX. I am not the best sound man, especially when I'm being cameraman at the same time, and I found with the interviews that I needed to boost the levels in post quite considerably. Advice? Get a good sound guy or girl - if you can afford them.

However, in the end I think all it cost me is time - and not too much of that. Thanks to the tools in Sound Forge and Vegas, the end result is absolutely fine.

Best, Michael
 
FatBird19 said:
I ran into a lady at Barnes and Nobles once and I just happened to be around the Dan Brown section. She asked, "Have you read the DaVinci Code? It's really amazing." She paused for a second, then added, "The amazing thing is that it's all based off facts that the Catholic church is trying to hide."

So I guess Dan has at least one convert, and I know there are more.
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You say not to post personal statements and then let this stand.

If you don't remove it and mine... then All I can say is that this documentary is well done... but what ever "facts" it and the DaVinci Code attempt to prove are all just speculation and not "Truth".
 
Personally, I'm not a fan of the movie that's coming out, but as Hudson suggested, I'll keep my personal beliefs out.

What I WILL say, however, is that I'm really impressed with what you've done as a solo effort, Michael. I loved all the things you did with Vegas, and think you represented the NLE well with this. GREAT job, and it makes me want to see your doc, as I eat that stuff up (Discovery Channel, etc.).

Thanks for sharing. Oh, and your wife sounded great ... pretty pro.
 
Envision said:
Thanks for sharing. Oh, and your wife sounded great ... pretty pro.
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Actually her voice is what makes the teaser work. It gives 'old world' sophistication and credibility to the action.
 
Michael, wow, easy on the keyboard trigger!! :) I was not having a "dig" at your document far from it, I was refering to the book, like the other poster exemplified that many people (Joe Blogs) can sometimes (without prior knowledge) get really distorted picture of a particular subject. Like they say "a little knowledge is dangerous"

Barry said it right its fiction, BUT the problem is some actually think other wise.

Sorry for the confusion.

Anhar
 
Anhar,

How does "BUT the problem is some actually think otherwise" about the book have anything to do with Michael's doc shot on a DVX. If you don't like the book...don't read it and don't see the movie...but don't push your version of the truth on us. A link to a Da Vinci hoax page doesn't do much for me. There are two sides (at least) to every story. Michael documented the "making of" a movie which is admirable and difficult and that's the reason for his post. No politics, no religion, no problem.
 
wait a minute, there was just some job postings a couple months ago about a Docu on the Davinci thing, is this the same thing?
 
Hey crazyczech, take a deep breath .... Ahhh, feel the calm?

I don't think Michael's documentary is about the "making of" a movie. If you read the thread, it's about more than the movie ... in fact, it goes into NOTHING about the making of that I can see. It's talking about what inspired the movie, which was inspired by a book, which was inspired by another book, which was inspired by ...

Well, you'll have to buy his documentary to find out! :thumbsup:
 
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