street headphones party

J

josepe

New member
Hi guys,

please take a look at this street party, taking place in Tel-Aviv, Israel.
the party is with headphones, and a DJ that plays music into them, so that only those who have them on can hear the music.
I have tried to show that contrast between those who have them on, and those who don't.

I would love to hear any comments about the photography or editing.

shot with 7D.

Thanks!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PU3V0Dv3ds8
 
Not only was this well done but it was cool to see something I never knew existed before. That headphone party is a really neat concept. Overall great job!
 
I'm curious if you had (or have) any problems shooting because of people approaching you and asking what you're doing. I live in Israel too and wherever I am, it's the case for me. Whether it's Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Be'er Sheva, it doesn't matter. It ruins shots and often, people seem to be afraid that they're being photographed. So I'll often respond by asking them if they're doing something that is not OK. If you do encounter this, how do you handle it?

Regarding the video: good work. Nice contrast between the haves and have nots. It would have been great if some of the haves had shared their headphones with the have nots. Also, a final shot from above (from someone's apartment or the roof of a building) would have been, imho, great.
 
I agree with everyone, awesome concept.

Well shot. I think you accomplished your goal of contrast.
 
I just watched this at work with headphones on. Halfway through I realized I was bobbing my head and humming while others around me were silently working away. Malkovich Malkovich :)

I think this is a great concept for a commercial for headphones! But...

I really wish I had watched this video not knowing the premise. I think I wouldn't have known what was going on if that were the case. The camera puts on headphones part way through and its a party. It would have been cool to take those headphones off and go back to a POV of the passersby... street noise all around watching these people dance. Then jump right back into the party.

Also, I really wanted a wide master at some point to help me understand. Showing both types of people in the same shot with no music... cars driving, people watching, partiers dancing.

I showed this video to a coworker and he said, "So everyone is listening to the same song?" He didn't get that this was an organized party with a DJ. The music, fun, and party are exclusive to these headphones. When I told him that, he said, "Oh, that's pretty cool. I'd go to one of those".

Anyway, great work. I loved the beginning and the "inside the party" stuff.
 
Hi all, thanks for the attention and the time you took to comment.

Jordan - I don't recall any problems with shooting. I think the thing is to be sensitive towards people, and with eye contact receiving approval, and in case i see that it disturbs someone I just stop.
BUT, it's a party, and people used to being photographed in parties, so it makes it easier.

Now for the main issue - after being yesterday at another headphones party, without shooting it, I don't think I managed to show in the video the whole concept, and how it feels to be in such a party, when once you put the headphones on, you enter a different word, but together with the people around you.
what troubled me more, that I still not quite sure how could I have done it better - explain the situation.
I didn't want to do to much sound on/off, cause I was afraid it would ruin the rhythm and slow down the clip. I guess I preferred to show that it's fun party, less explain exactly the concept.
bare in mind that it's documentary shooting, and I didn't direct anyone as to what to do.

I would love to hear some ideas as to how to show this contrast more vividly, or any other thoughts.
thanks again for all the comments, Yossi.
 
mikemiho said:
Also, I really wanted a wide master at some point to help me understand. Showing both types of people in the same shot with no music... cars driving, people watching, partiers dancing.
Click to expand...

I agree.
A well done short but I was starving for more wide shots so I could understand the context and scale of it all.
 
josepe said:
[...]I don't recall any problems with shooting. I think the thing is to be sensitive towards people, and with eye contact receiving approval, and in case i see that it disturbs someone I just stop.
BUT, it's a party, and people used to being photographed in parties, so it makes it easier.
Click to expand...

But what about the people passing by (the have nots)? Did they even see you? Do they know they're in a video that was posted on the Internet?

It's been my experience in Israel that I could be taking a still photo of a building, a tree, or a bird with absolutely no people in the frame and inevitably, some stranger will put his hand on my shoulder and ask, "Why are you taking a picture?" Of course, in Hebrew, the verb used is litzalem, which makes it even more annoying because the last thing a camera does is copy.

Don't worry about missing the wide establishing shot. After this, you'll never forget it in the future.
 
it's a documentary piece.
I divide the issue to two parts - legal and moral :

legally - the law in israel allows you to shoot in a public area whatever and whoever you want.

moral/ethic - I try not to show anyone in his weakness or laugh at people or do anything to hurt them. If I feel that being photographed disturbs someone, I usually quit right away. I think it's an important self rule for any artist at general. actually, this is somehow also what the law says about publishing people's pictures/video.

I think that the right attitude is first of all being polite, but not to apologize for anything, and explain that you do not do anything illegal by photographing.
 
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