Does anybody direct/cut film?

[Guff]

I was wondering if anybody here did any film?

A group of my friends and I have been doing some amateur filmmaking for the last few years and it's a lot of fun!

With the conception of the usable-for-video DSLRs (5DMII, T2i) it has been very easy for people to get into filming and editing. My friend and I picked up 2 T2is a few years ago and went from there! We've entered into a few contests just for fun and we have won all of them!

I haven't made any car films but a Super-Secret Top Gear America project has been in the works in my little group for about a year now, and we might finish it up this Summer! Who knows, maybe we'll get famous!

Tell me what you guys think of some of my stuff and if you guys cut anything, post it!


Here's a short film we made for fun:


and here's one that we entered into Skills USA 2011:

[Giccin]

Those are some really good videos.

If you wanted me to critique them.. then here's a few..
Completely mute what your guys are saying and leave it up to the viewers to use their imagination. And make the fighting scene more intense.

And I'm not sure if you noticed but there was a strange glare/reflection that followed the guy. Not sure if it was the UV lens or not. Lol.

And.. try a slider. You can make one yourself. Pretty neat especially for the camera man who's is pretty damn good at focusing where he wants.

Edit: I forgot you can try to make a stabilizer too. Works wonders when in motion. Too much camera shake isn't a good thing.

Great work though. :>

[Guff]

Originally Posted by Giccin

Those are some really good videos.

If you wanted me to critique them.. then here's a few..
Completely mute what your guys are saying and leave it up to the viewers to use their imagination. And make the fighting scene more intense.

And I'm not sure if you noticed but there was a strange glare/reflection that followed the guy. Not sure if it was the UV lens or not. Lol.

And.. try a slider. You can make one yourself. Pretty neat especially for the camera man who's is pretty damn good at focusing where he wants.

Edit: I forgot you can try to make a stabilizer too. Works wonders when in motion. Too much camera shake isn't a good thing.

Great work though. :>

Is this for the first or second video?

If the first, then yeah, it had a lot of imperfections, because we just made it without any preparation and very little equipment. And thank you for the kind words!

On the second one, we used a slide in many of the shots actually. Almost all of the indoor shots were on a slide (and let me tell you, you have to do like 50 takes per shot to get it right). And this one was a few days of shooting with plenty of equipment.

Thanks again! It's nice to see other people interested in film on the forum.


PS.

I suddenly had the idea to do a Top Gear/Clarkson review of the FR-S/BRZ if and when I get one. Sounds awesome!

[WingsofWar]

im a film editor, and I mainly do wedding videos and misc. So film making and directing isn't something I'm too familiar with. However i do have some tips;

For the camera men,
- Watch your 'Rule of Thirds'
- Use don't be afraid to run with your mono-pods during chase scenes for stabilization.
- Watch your exposure settings (if you have any) in dark/shaded areas. If you don't have a settings bring a portable white mat to bring light into dark areas.

For Editors
- Watch your filters
- Watch your contrast and gamma.
- Since your not working professionally, you have freedom to reject bad scenes. Don't try to work with bad scenes.

For Directors
- Don't be afraid to take multiple shots of the same scene to get the most out of shooting. So your editors don't bitch at bad scenes to work with.
- Please review your shots before moving on to another scene.
- Make your script simple to follow, and make lots of notes for everyone to read for on-the-fly changes.

[Guff]

Originally Posted by WingsofWar

im a film editor, and I mainly do wedding videos and misc. So film making and directing isn't something I'm too familiar with. However i do have some tips;

For the camera men,
- Watch your 'Rule of Thirds'
- Use don't be afraid to run with your mono-pods during chase scenes for stabilization.
- Watch your exposure settings (if you have any) in dark/shaded areas. If you don't have a settings bring a portable white mat to bring light into dark areas.

For Editors
- Watch your filters
- Watch your contrast and gamma.
- Since your not working professionally, you have freedom to reject bad scenes. Don't try to work with bad scenes.

For Directors
- Don't be afraid to take multiple shots of the same scene to get the most out of shooting. So your editors don't bitch at bad scenes to work with.
- Please review your shots before moving on to another scene.
- Make your script simple to follow, and make lots of notes for everyone to read for on-the-fly changes.

Thanks man! All these are definitely important rules!

[cassidy0998]

Very cool videos man. I enjoyed them very much.

Just curious, what software do you guys use to cut/edit video? I have used windows movie maker for some basic little short videos I had to make for projects. But I'm thinking about switching to sony vegas for some larger projects that I'm going to be working on in the near future - any suggestions?

[WingsofWar]

vegas is good if your starting out on a professional tool and you can make good with its features. I use Adobe Premier Pro and its a bit more involved /complicated if your new to it.

[Guff]

Originally Posted by cassidy0998

Very cool videos man. I enjoyed them very much.

Just curious, what software do you guys use to cut/edit video? I have used windows movie maker for some basic little short videos I had to make for projects. But I'm thinking about switching to sony vegas for some larger projects that I'm going to be working on in the near future - any suggestions?

We actually work solely on Macs with the Final Cut Pro Suite, so I couldn't give you a recommendation for any windows software. Perhaps another forum member uses Vegas and could tell you, but if not then I suppose the Internet will be the best way to find the best software. Although, if you have access to a Mac and are serious about film, you could get Final Cut Express, which is a MUCH cheaper version compared to the suite, but still offers a ton of great functionality!

[R_E_L]

i like editing as well and would get into film projects if i had a nice DSLR capable of it (hopefully soon).

in regards to your work definitely nice, i really like the lighting in a lot of the shots in the second film, the shot from inside the house facing the door was my fav. good job and good luck with the rest of your projects.

[Giccin]

Originally Posted by Guff

Is this for the first or second video?

If the first, then yeah, it had a lot of imperfections, because we just made it without any preparation and very little equipment. And thank you for the kind words!

On the second one, we used a slide in many of the shots actually. Almost all of the indoor shots were on a slide (and let me tell you, you have to do like 50 takes per shot to get it right). And this one was a few days of shooting with plenty of equipment.

Thanks again! It's nice to see other people interested in film on the forum.


PS.

I suddenly had the idea to do a Top Gear/Clarkson review of the FR-S/BRZ if and when I get one. Sounds awesome!

Originally Posted by WingsofWar

im a film editor, and I mainly do wedding videos and misc. So film making and directing isn't something I'm too familiar with. However i do have some tips;

For the camera men,
- Watch your 'Rule of Thirds'
- Use don't be afraid to run with your mono-pods during chase scenes for stabilization.
- Watch your exposure settings (if you have any) in dark/shaded areas. If you don't have a settings bring a portable white mat to bring light into dark areas.

For Editors
- Watch your filters
- Watch your contrast and gamma.
- Since your not working professionally, you have freedom to reject bad scenes. Don't try to work with bad scenes.

For Directors
- Don't be afraid to take multiple shots of the same scene to get the most out of shooting. So your editors don't bitch at bad scenes to work with.
- Please review your shots before moving on to another scene.
- Make your script simple to follow, and make lots of notes for everyone to read for on-the-fly changes.

Deffo agree on exposure. Use back light and of course rule of thirds.

Don't be afraid to use a diffuser too! Not a film editor.. but a photographer who has used her camera for film a bit. ;p

[MF_DEUCE]

Would you guys recommend a T2i to a person starting off in photography/film?

[Giccin]

Originally Posted by MF_DEUCE

Would you guys recommend a T2i to a person starting off in photography/film?

T1i - Beginner camera
(I use it still because I can't afford a 60d or 70D atm. But I'm purchasing the proper glass.)

T2i - for the Intermediate Beginner

T3i - for the Advance Beginner.
You'll get the kit glass here. Which doesn't make it any different than the T1i. Only the pop out screen is useful. This camera is especially useful for those who want to do film.

High megapixels don't mean much if you don't know how to use your camera properly. I've done some amazing shots in my T1i. Enough to compete with a 7D.

So to answer your question I would go with the T2i. But T3i if you really want to extend your learning experience in the long run with photography and explore film.

[MF_DEUCE]

So those cameras do film as well correct? lol just reassuring, ive been glancing at reviews on these but wanted to get ppls insight as well.

[Giccin]

Originally Posted by MF_DEUCE

So those cameras do film as well correct? lol just reassuring, ive been glancing at reviews on these but wanted to get ppls insight as well.

Yup. All the Txi Rebel versions do Video. All HD too. :> 1080p.