Ist vid - Shark feed

Purpleturtle · #1 (**permalink**) 10-24-2005, 04:06 PM

Hi all!

With 5 years video experience it might seem absurd....but this is the first movie I've ever posted on the web!
I sell souvenir underwater movies to scuba divers in the tropics, but up until now theyve been in VHS or DVD format.

This movie was just chucked together cos the real interest to me was the encoding for web . i.e. how much I can fit into about 10Mb.
The average 2 dive movie(after editing) lasts about 20mins. So 3 mins for me is VERY short. All work was done on P PRO including the adobe media encoder.

Does anyone have any recommendations as to getting the vids smaller without losing quality?
Really like this PUTFILE...nice and quick but I suppose I'd best get round to building my own site to host the movies.

Heres my 1st

http://media.putfile.com/Shark-feed

Ps it is shot with no cage and no zoom....pretty close eh?

Tony A · #2 (**permalink**) 10-24-2005, 04:19 PM

Nicely shot, and well edited.

That’s close all right. I’ve snorkelled with a shoal of white-tips around, they’re not the aggressive ones, right? But the ones under the boat looked different – were they tiger sharks? If so, you’re one brave kookie. How long did you have to wait to surface?

Andy Lockwood · #3 (**permalink**) 10-24-2005, 04:31 PM

Hi Purple.

Phew. Pretty damn cool video!

As a subject matter, you couldn't get much better really, but I'm not sure you've done it total justice. Camerawork is excellent, no question, but - you must have hours of this stuff I guess, close-ups too I would bet. I would have cut in some real close stuff from another dive during the long scene of the swarm. I guess filming conditions are normally the sameish? and would the viewer wouldn't be able to tell it was from a different shoot?

I really wanted to see the jaws in action and see the frenzy close up.

The other thing i would do (sorry if this comes over harsh, it's not meant to be) is change the font on the titles. It doesn't do the filming justice at all.

Having said all that, I still really liked it. Good choice of music, terrific subject, well fimed and a fantastic setting.

One part I think was very clever was the ending. Great idea!

Purpleturtle · #4 (**permalink**) 10-24-2005, 05:25 PM

Thanks for your comments guys!

There arent really aggro sharks, mostly grey reefies/whalers. There are about 50 or so at the feed, so dont leave out any dangling limbs etc.

I do indeed have gig upon gig of raw material from 2000+ dives, but as I say , my real interest is getting it out there. This was a trial encoding.

Conditions arent actually much of a muchness, very changable infact. Refracted light and colour are hard to work underwater, so if shot in different places at different depths its very different looking footage. Of course colour can be adjusted during editing but its part of the SCUBA film makers integrity not to give customers stock footage and pass it off as their days diving. They want a souvenir of what they saw.

Thanks for the tip on fonts,I'm pretty crap when it comes to the arty side of things...bad taste eh?

Music wise....Sonny Collinson (sunbeam) from this forum is currently composing me some ambient music for my vids , as part of a uni course.
That'll mean the copyrighters cant get me. Not as if Mr McCartney's short of a few bob eh?

Thanks for your comments

Neil

JT · #5 (**permalink**) 10-24-2005, 05:53 PM

They looked pretty aggro to me. I can't get my tiny brain round why people would get into the water when they're around.

The shot of them feeding is the best. You get this real feeling of danger as they are between the camera and the boat. Nicely matched to the music as well.

I enjoyed watching that, thanks.

shiner · #6 (**permalink**) 10-24-2005, 10:19 PM

just one thing to say - Compulsive Viewing !!!!!

Andy Lockwood · #7 (**permalink**) 10-25-2005, 07:55 AM

Originally Posted by Purpleturtle

....I'm pretty crap when it comes to the arty side of things..

That's not true, the video is really very good and you have to have an arty side to do what you've done. I was just being nit-picky. :lol:

Scooter · #8 (**permalink**) 10-25-2005, 03:55 PM

Very well done indeed. Gave a great feeling of being there and seeing the action as you sure captured the moment. Loved the music choice as well as James Bond movies have always been one of my biggies. It is indeed an unbelievable feeling having these sharks around you in the water and seeing what they are capable of. I was able to do this once in California many many years ago. I cannot remember what types however.

As far as your artsy part... I think it showed at the very ending. It is a trial and error type of things sometimes. You have a great start here and look forward to seeing more footage as you progress.

Scooter

paragliding · #9 (**permalink**) 10-26-2005, 04:11 AM

Before you read all the things I have to say.....Nice film!

I appreciate that this was 'just thrown together' so these are just some comments that came to mind when I was watching it (three times). Overwhelmingly this is a great bit of footage, well edited. Having said that, it is nice to get feedback that you can do something with so here goes...

Font = yuck!

first 40 seconds is annoying simply because the lack of any audio from the video makes it sound muted.

I guess the music in the first 40 seconds is intended to give it a sense of suspense? I just found it annoying though.

Maybe a narration over the first 40 seconds with some lapping water/ sea sounds in the background. If necessary the 'suspense music' could build once the narration ended.

Once underwater I loved everything about it. NO criticisms

Good job

Purpleturtle · #10 (**permalink**) 10-26-2005, 10:41 AM

Thanks Mark,

Def. getting the message bout the fonts...I'm sure I kinda knew that anyway in my subconcious but still not sure how to fix them. I suppose I use too many and mix them up too much. I'll work on it.

The intro music is supposed to be suspense building. Problem is that sound recording out at sea picks up a lot of wind. The camera mic is also inside the waterproof housing which muffles it. I've got plenty of stock "sea" sounds, I do try to incorporate them sometimes. I'd love to do a narrated documentary style...but with a broad Scottish accent....not many would understand me!!!!

As I've said...I'm mostly interested in getting more of my stuff on the web.
Its been all VHS and DVD for years, for me. I need to get a page up like yours (the paragliding one) with a vid gallery.

Many thanks for the comments.

Anyone got any tips on setting up a good video web page? I've got no bloody idea really, bit like my fonts !