Any and all thoughts are welcome. What did I do wrong, what did I do right. Have at it!
http://www.wpbf.com/video/24339502/index.html
http://www.wpbf.com/video/24339502/index.html
Smash 'n' grab PKG...
- Thread starter FLotog
- Start date
Wow. Are you sure you're entry level? Good gets on the chopper, and the dogs, and the suspect. I'm really impressed with the suspect stuff - most entry level people would have only had one medium shot of her, but you went and got tights of the cuffs, different angles, etc. That's really impressive.
I like that you were thinking about even stuff like interview shots. I really like the shot of the owner through the broken glass - I even like it enough to forgive the fact that he's on the wrong side of the screen. Next time, tell your reporter to get on the other side of you so he's looking the right direction, but I don't think it detracted much in this case.
The only really glaring things I noticed were focus (which could very easily not be a focus issue - the video is extremely compressed and blocky on the web, and so what I thought was blurry might have just been pixeled - hard to tell) and the audio change in the 2 part standup. It suddenly gets really loud right at the cut. You didn't by any chance have her say the entire standup in both shots, and then crossfade the two tracks when you stitched 'em together in the edit bay, did you?
All in all, especially for spot news where time was limited and you were running around, and especially considering it's in the entry level forum, I'd say, really nicely done. Keep building on what you've got here and you'll go places.
I like that you were thinking about even stuff like interview shots. I really like the shot of the owner through the broken glass - I even like it enough to forgive the fact that he's on the wrong side of the screen. Next time, tell your reporter to get on the other side of you so he's looking the right direction, but I don't think it detracted much in this case.
The only really glaring things I noticed were focus (which could very easily not be a focus issue - the video is extremely compressed and blocky on the web, and so what I thought was blurry might have just been pixeled - hard to tell) and the audio change in the 2 part standup. It suddenly gets really loud right at the cut. You didn't by any chance have her say the entire standup in both shots, and then crossfade the two tracks when you stitched 'em together in the edit bay, did you?
All in all, especially for spot news where time was limited and you were running around, and especially considering it's in the entry level forum, I'd say, really nicely done. Keep building on what you've got here and you'll go places.
MMrozinski
PRO user
Pretty good work for entry level. I liked the pacing of the story. My first quesiton is why weren't you live?
I liked how you interviewed the guy behind the glass. Good stuff. Some of your edits were unmotivated like showing the guys feet and the screwed up the pacing.
I don't have time to break down everything but I'll say this... lose the stick mic if you can. Focus in showing what the reporter is saying. I was having a hard time following the story because I wasn't sure what I was looking at sometimes.
Keep it up... nice beginner pkg.
I liked how you interviewed the guy behind the glass. Good stuff. Some of your edits were unmotivated like showing the guys feet and the screwed up the pacing.
I don't have time to break down everything but I'll say this... lose the stick mic if you can. Focus in showing what the reporter is saying. I was having a hard time following the story because I wasn't sure what I was looking at sometimes.
Keep it up... nice beginner pkg.
Thanks for the replies.
To Tom: I'm 21 and have been shooting for about a year now so I still consider myself very green. I swear, it feels like I learn something new and important everyday. That's why I figured it would qualify in entry level.
I'm the overnight shooter over at my shop so I don't do packages that often (once or twice every two weeks or so). I make every attempt to edit the ones I'm assigned like it's my last (even if it's some lame break-in).
I have to give much cred to my reporter, Tory. I'm fortunate to work with someone that's not afraid to bust-butt to create something above average (willing to do two part stand ups, willing to put the lav on our subjects, giving me the script early, etc.).
Being the overnight photog, I'm use to spot news and shooting suspects and stuff like that. We have a good working relationship with the local S.O. too so they let us get up close and give us what we want.
The focus issue I think may have been due to the stream on the web. I recently started shooting in Progressive Scan so that may be a contributing factor also.
You caught me on the stand-up! I'll openly admit I screwed up on the audio levels. I thought that was a common practice to do multi-part stand-ups. Is there a different process that works?
To Matt: thanks for the tips! I'm a fan of your work so I'm humbled by the compliments.
I caught this on the scanner going to a seperate morning Live Shot so we ended up working this instead. The PKG aired in the noon show. I shot every thing between AM Live Shots. Then we had to leave because there was a body found in canal a few miles south of the break-in scene. We didn't have enough time to head back north to go live so I cut it in about 40 minutes and fed back from location of the body in the water. I was disappointed because I actually felt like I under-shot it and wanted a little more b-roll.
As for the stick mic, I don't know why we used it. My reporter and I are usually pretty good about stickin' a lav on someone.
Again, thanks for the advice and praise!
To Tom: I'm 21 and have been shooting for about a year now so I still consider myself very green. I swear, it feels like I learn something new and important everyday. That's why I figured it would qualify in entry level.
I'm the overnight shooter over at my shop so I don't do packages that often (once or twice every two weeks or so). I make every attempt to edit the ones I'm assigned like it's my last (even if it's some lame break-in).
I have to give much cred to my reporter, Tory. I'm fortunate to work with someone that's not afraid to bust-butt to create something above average (willing to do two part stand ups, willing to put the lav on our subjects, giving me the script early, etc.).
Being the overnight photog, I'm use to spot news and shooting suspects and stuff like that. We have a good working relationship with the local S.O. too so they let us get up close and give us what we want.
The focus issue I think may have been due to the stream on the web. I recently started shooting in Progressive Scan so that may be a contributing factor also.
You caught me on the stand-up! I'll openly admit I screwed up on the audio levels. I thought that was a common practice to do multi-part stand-ups. Is there a different process that works?
To Matt: thanks for the tips! I'm a fan of your work so I'm humbled by the compliments.
I caught this on the scanner going to a seperate morning Live Shot so we ended up working this instead. The PKG aired in the noon show. I shot every thing between AM Live Shots. Then we had to leave because there was a body found in canal a few miles south of the break-in scene. We didn't have enough time to head back north to go live so I cut it in about 40 minutes and fed back from location of the body in the water. I was disappointed because I actually felt like I under-shot it and wanted a little more b-roll.
As for the stick mic, I don't know why we used it. My reporter and I are usually pretty good about stickin' a lav on someone.
Again, thanks for the advice and praise!
Shorten the sound fade, and make sure it's a true crossfade. When blending two tracks that are identical, if you let it be 1 second long, which is usually the default, then it's as though you are panning from a left speaker to a right speaker. When you're panned all the way left, things are fine because you only hear sound from one speaker. Same with all the way right. But in the middle of the pan, both speakers are going, and so it sounds louder. Really, a sound fade here is only to cover up possible audio glitches between the two tracks. Even a 2 frame one would probably have worked. Of course, I'm assuming you had both tracks on the same audio channel on your timeline. If you had them on different channels, then your problem is that you allowed them to overlap, which doubled the volume at that point.
If you still have a volume spike, get in there with your keyframes and adjust the levels across the spike until it's the same level as the rest of the tracks.
A Step Above Productions
Well-known member
FLotog -
I liked it; it was well done and well thought out. It is obvious that you were thinking of the end project as you were shooting. I know the time restraints PBF puts on the photogs so with that in mind there isn’t much negative things I can say except for the interview looking in the wrong direction.
What I really want to know is who are you? I haven’t freelanced there in a while. Send me a message and tell me who you are.
104imdirect
Well-known member
Nice piece...you nailed the basics. Composition, pacing, story. You can polish up on your editing a little. I think the first two chopper shots should have been reversed...start with the wide, then use the tighter shot to grab viewer focus for your next shot. Remember that wide shots release tension for the most part - they don't build it. They're payoff.
Your nats were great. The long lens shot of the reporter walking through the house and the standup had a noticeable audio change in quality.
Keep up the good work!
Your nats were great. The long lens shot of the reporter walking through the house and the standup had a noticeable audio change in quality.
Keep up the good work!