Video Demo Reel

[spioraid]

My part time job (soon to be full time) is doing video work. For my personal rig I'm in the middle of upgrading from SD to HD. I took some shots a couple days ago and tried to upload it to vimeo.com, but it didn't compress/convert correctly so it's still in SD. Just uploaded and updated version to youtube and that came out SD as well. Nuts. Well here's the latest amidst being in sucky youtube compression:



I'll have the correct HD version next week. Should be TONS sharper. *edit* And youtube seriously needs to allow 16:9 in embedded videos!

I was basically trying to see how my new camera would react to my old set up, and it is as I imagined. Slightly out of focus, not as sharp as I would like and the still lenses I have (used with my M2 adapter) aren't the best.

But once RedRock announces their new upgrade at the end of the month I'll be upgrading everything so it's HD compatible. Even getting a 3-stage fluid head tripod.

Next demo reel will be full HD, fluid head, crane shot and if I have the cash, faster lenses with sharper glass.

 

[Sloan]

Sweet.
I used to be all about low/no budget filmmaking when i was in jr high to high school and before i got into music. i remember the XL-1 was my LIFE GOAL for a long time. never got there. i have hundreds of tapes that contain embarassing footage.

did you do the music for the video too?
it's amazing how powerful video + music can be. it's kinda how i think about music, when i hear a song, i visualize it to some scene created in my head. i think it's why music works so well in cars, there's constant motion all the time (like video) and i guess the brain digs that.

 

[spioraid]

Yeah man, in fact my SD camera is an XL2. I would have loved to get the HD version, the XLH1, but that was easily $4,000 outside my budget.

I wish I could say I did the music, but I didn't. It's from a new age guy who calls himself Gandalf. Yeah...I thought so too. But his music is great though.

 

[spioraid]

*bump*

HD and Color Corrected version now up on youtube. Couldn't wait till Monday for my bandwidth to open up again with vimeo.

youtube dot com /watch?v=TnKeWTWQoV8&fmt=22

 

[Metaltastic]

Dude, those annotations had me ready to kill somebody - thank god I can turn 'em off! I'm sure it's useful info and all, just super distracting. HOWEVER, beautiful footage and especially music dude! (though it definitely is New Age, it's like Carlos Nakai-type stuff you buy at nature museums haha) I freakin' love that water slow-down at like a minute in, and those focus transitions were really impressive (though I feel the last one could've been a bit smoother). I'm a total n00b when it comes to video, but I do agree it's overall a bit on the blurry and bland side, though as you say you're in the process of upgrading, so I have no doubt it'll improve!

I watched the one you just posted, btw

 

[Chryst Krispies]

I thought the music made the video wayyyyyy better. The video is cool, but the musick creeping in the background made me want to cry. Good stuff. Reminded me of a less metal Ensiferum.

 

[spioraid]

Thanks guys! Right now I don't have a follow focus:

That would let me have smooth focus transitions, I'm doing them all by hand. The last two with the micro shots are a lot harder to do because macro gear is really tough to turn. My lens was simply not made for motion, it's made for still. But again, I'm looking to change that.

I put up the annotations for those optical-nazi's that would plague my comment boxes with things like "What glass are you using?" "What size millimeter is that lens?" "Does water really turn the other way down the toilet in Australia?" I wish I could automatically have them off, and then have the option of them being put on manually.

Blurriness comes from my lens being wide open (bad lens on a bad day), and my achromat lens being too small. I've been digging this guy's demo reel a lot and wanted something similar, though not as ominous. But by the end of the month I should have most if not all of these issues fixed.

Hopefully I'll have a much better demo reel with my own written and recorded music next time 'round. Cheers guys!