My latest creation - Around Girona

5 days in northern Spain gave me this.

vimeo.com/67663219

I think this is your best one shared so far, Neguah. Wonderful mood you create, almost ethereal music, so many fascinating shots, beautiful focus. I enjoyed it.

Some might think the dramatic pauses after fade to black need something a bit more dramatic in the next following opening shot. The fancy dessert fits the bill but the second time we see the lamp stand it's a bit anticlimactic.

Nice trip, great footage, good job. Thanks

Thanks a lot, Trix!

I know, I had some challenge making the clips fit to the music. But all in all, this is the best I could do with what I´ve got.
Just started doing this, so I need some experience.

Everything fit to the music perfectly. We just need more dramatic content when we come out of those black pauses. I'd say all of them worked except the second shot of the lamp stand. Perhaps the dessert one was best. For me the black pauses worked well, but the second lamp stand shot made me think in a piece this long, maybe you'd run out of content. Some of the looks people gave directly into the camera were bold & striking, certainly bearing more impact than the dry lamp stand (it did have some cinematic appeal dripping in the rain).

It's difficult to shoot for the way you're going to edit, as your postproduction process might evolve after you've created the music, or started rough-cutting the clips inside FCPX. Your familiarity with the camera shows in the fine focus work you've developed here. This is such a huge improvement over what you first shared with us, your progress is quite remarkable.

Thank you for that feedback! I really appreciate it!

I have promised my self not to change a finished product. But this time I really considering changing it. When you mentioned it, it became very clear that the second lamp didn´t fit in.

When I´m out shooting, I think about the beginning and the end. Everything goes by feeling and what I see.
When I´m back in post I have to make the music, and as you say, my postproduction evolves.

You have an eye for details, and you have the ability to see what goes where, and what should not be there. It´s a great quality to possess!
And I are(and hopefully others to) grateful for you time you are putting in to help us do better

Thanks again for you positive and constructive feedback!

Thank you for your kind words, Neguah. We try to be encouraging, though of course one must be honest even at the expense of offending. As part of our growth we have to accept our weaknesses to begin to overcome them.

However, when we speak of art, it's a contentious issue. Some think art's totally free & any opinions on it are purely subjective. Perhaps. But there are some universals. We've spoken here about how certain compositions are mathematically measurable & shown to appeal to the human eye, these ratios pervade nature & are universally attractive to people of every culture & time. Sure there are those who don't like any kind of "rules" constricting their "art" & they're perfectly free to flout them. These are usually the "starving artist" types who harbor bitter resentment that nobody "gets" their art.

Not wanting to debate artists who have the kind of time necessary to quarrel endlessly over such subjects, I have one basic rule; Is it Interesting?

There are ways to make things more interesting in post (maybe your video's only lightleak could be on that second lampstand shot), but people are becoming wise to those tricks. Nothing beats content. You can throw every FX trick in the book at a boring shot, but there's only so much you can polish a turd.

It's obvious from your footage, you're developing awareness for interesting visuals. So, when you're on these jaunts have your camera at the ready, like a wild west gunslinger, always prepared to be quick on the draw. You'll see more of these great opportunities, don't be shy of incorporating some closeups. Most of this video is of a similar focal length, yes you play with the DOF, but there are no real closeups. Little details are interesting to viewers.

See what you think about what I wrote here on cutaways & insert shots.

Dare to stretch, try something a little bit bold, you can always reject it in post, but you never know, it might just be amazing. When I've worked with editors on projects, usually the prevailing struggle was to get them to try something a little bit less safe. They'd fight me on it, yet it was alway the thing the client liked best.

Who Dares Wins (SAS motto)

Looking forward to your next project...

You absolutely deserve the kind words, as you describe it. You´re given us inspiration, even if the words feel offending.
It´s hard to read about our weaknesses, but it´s nescsarry to get better - as you say.

I admit it, the lampstand shot was not good, but I´ll leave it there this time.

Yes, I´m starting to get aware of my eye for some details. Always looking for good, detailed and special visuals.
I know about closeups, and I wanted to get more, besides the flower.
Do you have any examples of good closeups, for inspiration?

I just read your words about cutaways and insert shots. I like those small, detailed shots, like you describe it in you post. When I read it I good picture my self visualizing it, and filming it.
I´m not so fan of footages like the film from Skiathos. But that doesn´t mean it was good work, or nicely edited. I just want more details and DOF.

I liked you examples. The way you write makes me visualize the "footages".

I would think insert shots is a technique(if you can call it that) I could use. I don´t much about cutaways and insert shots besides knowing what it is.

My next prosject is from London. I was planning putting in my shots from London in my lates work, but it was to much, so I had to make two separate.

If your camera is ready & your eyes are open, you're going to see things. The more you look for them the doors of perception will open. It's always better to shoot many things you don't need, than to miss that one shot you can never get again.

As for cutaways & inserts they can be as varied as the imagination. From your work I can see you like people, of course they're universally interesting. But the face is not all they have. For instance, say you're shooting a couple at an outdoor cafe. We've got the medium two shot of the couple chatting, but look how she's twiddling the straw in her drink, or how he's using his hands to express himself. Then when he calms down a bit & touches her hand, or as she moves closer to the edge of her chair, look at the angle of her feet, all of these beautiful little signals express emotion, they are pure in the moment. Difficult for actors to fake. It's all real & again... has universal appeal.

Mixing those kinds of closeups as inserts ups your value as it makes it seem like a multi-camera shoot. But more than that, it raises your emotional quotient because these signals connect with viewers on a heart level beyond language.

Your words are really inspiring!
It´s better to have a shot to much, rather than a shot not taken. So I´ll remember that next time!

Of course, the inserts you are talking about, are shots I really like. So I´m not sure why I don`t have that. It might be because I was shy, and didn`t dare do the close up.

Today I´m trying to film a street race(road bike). They´re only riding 18-20 rounds so I don´t have the time to make the shots, but I´ll do my best. Looking forward to it. Have visualized the race for months, so I need to get this right!

Thank you, Trix!

And if you don´t mind, please share my video if you like it

Remember, inserts & cutaways are made to fit into YOUR timeline to make your story. They don't always have to be shot in real time as the story is happening. Some can be shot before or after, or even on another day (but that's when lighting & continuity become issues). Small unobtrusive cameras are great for getting natural performances from people without being a pest. The fold out swivel screen helps with low angle shots of feet, or hands without attracting the wrong kind of attention. Probably 30 years ago I had an assignment to capture the essence of a man & bring it back for a class. He turned out to be such a sincere gentle soul, I felt I was betraying him in some way. This translated into the shyness you speak of. Later in the class I felt some sense of almost shame for capturing a part of this man who was almost like a saint of sorts. The instructor & the class reassured me, what you have done is brought a kind of honorable tribute to this man by showing his true light.

It's difficult to describe in words, but as I said in the last post, these are real people & filming them when they're not posing is the most real depiction of human interaction. It's a higher level than acting. Sure the stories might not be as dramatic as the action films we're used to, but there is something else, an intangible that's more real. So, don't be shy, you're doing them a service.

As for the race, go early, get shots of motors & tires, helmets & hands working, up close before the race, & after. Look for the little things that make up the experience. Don't forget the fans, we want to feel we're there with them. Try to get some shots from diverse angles, ground up, grandstands down. Look to capture subtle fleeting things, smoke, dust, sweat, determination...

Looking forward to it.

I know, I´m did some shooting yesterday before I got on my bike and raced. And I´m also going to shot some clips tomorrow at another race. But I´ll only got 1 chance as I´m arranging it. Have to a lot other work than film this time.

I did some shots before the race, and also captured the audience. But not as much as I wanted. This was my first time, so I was a bit stressed out.
I´m not sure how to final outcome will be, because I shot with shutter speed 125, and I should have chosen 2000 or faster.

I didn´t have a lot of time filming it. But I´ll to my best with what I got.