Sketch Comedy 3, To Drug a Mockingbird

H

homer

Well-known member
Here's the next volume.

We filmed this in the chicago winter, so excuse the bad camera work. I tried, but after 2 hours of being in that merciless cold it was just unbearable, but we got it done. We also had to hurry because we were in a good area, and people kept coming up to the black guy in the sketch and asking him what he was doing. Even though I was within 10 ft shooting my camera right at him.

I had a ND filter on, but filming in snow laid environment is really hard. Light reflects a lot. On top of that the pale skin tone next to brown skin tone and black leather didn't help the contrast.

I tried a lot of options, especially in post. Any suggestions would help.

Hope you enjoy

http://www.shadysoap.com/index.php?...to-drug-a-mockingbird&catid=2:videos&Itemid=5
 
that was really well done. Some overexposure at times, but i thought that the camera work was really smooth and the edits were good

Although the audio levels fluctuated quite a bit (especially the voices)
 
yea my usual boom guy was the in the clip so I had to mount the mic on the camera.

check out pursuit of hornyness for better audio.

thanks btw, i was kinda down about the hang ups in production but people still found it funny
 
I like this one... better script overall. In the last one, the actors were terribly unaware of what their bodies were doing, and it really hindered the performances. This time, they were much more aware.

The shoe salesman seemed uncomfortable at times... stumbling over lines, forced delivery here and there.

When the guys first round the corner towards the beginning, they're blown out by sudden sunlight, and the framing is way off. It can help a lot to block those shots before you roll, just to see what the light does. Since you were shooting all ambient light, you'd have been better off taking the underexposure for the first four seconds of that shot in order to keep them under control when they hit the sun.

The framing in that same shot is really distracting... they almost fall off the bottom of the frame, like you weren't watching the viewfinder at that point. I know you have mentioned how hard you find it to direct and shoot at the same time, but the honest truth is that it can be done, and done well. If you watch your viewfinder and wear headphones at all times, you'll be able to see and hear everything your actors do... and take care of framing and exposure at the same time.

And the audio has been mentioned, but I'll reiterate. It is terribly important to have a boom op there and avoid on-cam mic mounting for dialog like this. If you know that your boom op is going to be in the sketch, find some one else. Pre-production is key.

The ending was very abrupt, as the Vimeo player stopped on the last frame with the two guys. That took me out of it too quickly. Add a couple seconds of black at the end, and maybe even let a second of wild sound trail out after the cut to black. I also anticipated a cut to black at the line "Alcohol helps." Then the sketch kept going. Just my instinct. It might be a more effective place to end. Leaves a little mystery, which can be good.
 
thanks c2v,

Yea I knew I was screwing myself when I mounted the mic, but I'm pretty sure the guy I have doing boom wouldn't do it for me if it meant he couldn't act. I've gotten someone else now so it shouldn't happen again.

The framing was very bad I know. I kicked myself in post. The problem was the guys walked way to fast for me, even when I told them to slow down. So half my sight was on the lcd screen the other half was behind me making sure i wouldn't fall and break my dvx. I couldn't really sidewind with my walk either because the sidewalk was pretty thin, and there's a good 8 inches of snow/ice where grass use to be (welcome to chicago).

I'll underexpose in the future when there's going to be moments like that.

My new thing as far as the end will be much like my earlier clips. I'm going to black out right before the last line is said. And have the last line usually be something that's funnier heard out of context. (hence blacking out the scene, so the viewer can see how ridiculous the statement is).

But yea, the last clip, with the actors, it's kind of my fault. I told them to plan out their gestures so that there wouldn't be as much continuity problems when I kept switching angles. I had a second cameraman lined up, but they bailed on me. I really need one bad so the actors can improv. It takes the sketches to a new level when they do that. I wish i knew some in chicago that will work for free (for now)

thanks for the comments guys
 
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