Short Film Shot on T2i

[CloudX]

Hi all,

I've been lurking on CanonRumors for quite some time, and I find myself checking the front page daily, and the forums twice as much for information on new gadgets and fun camera equipment.

This is a short I shot on the T2i, and have since grabbed a 5Dmii as well (other works I've done have been a mix of both).

Any feedback or thoughts is very much appreciated.

http://youtu.be/XcAd9oc9AFM
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Thanks,

Mike

[Canihaspicture]

I thought it was pretty good. Definitely better than I can do, but two quick things jumped out at me... white balance changes at 2:49 or there's a lighting change or something... colors and wall look warmer for a few seconds then back to normal after the cut. At 3:28 the characters face is lit from both sides then in the next 5-7 seconds his right side (my left) gets progressively darker.

Those are the most obvious to me I wasn't really paying attention for feedback throughout. I'm not an expert at all either.

Also, I liked the panning but what I will refer to as the "bed pan" has been done to death in the traditional sense... maybe try a new interesting angle or come from above the bed itself. I don't know, just my 2 cents.

[KurtStevens]

Love this video, the way it was cut and shot was very visually interesting.  I like panning bed shots to be honest.  Was a little slow at a few parts but the overall feel was consistent.  I do believe the credits could have been done better, same sort of style as the intro credits, something more visually appealing.

Love it though.  Will be waiting for more videos.

[distant.star]

I don't know anything about video, but there is a starkness and simplicity to this that holds my attention. It reminds me of the stuff they made me watch in college film class many, many years ago.

And to think you did this with a sub-$1000 piece of equipment is a testament to your mind and creativity.

Keep at it, please.

[nex-s]

I have to agree that this is a very good job done here. One thing I noticed though was the transition of some shots in the beginning where it seemed a bit too much of the black screen and later on there was very little trace of that as the shots just came one after another which I think I prefer better. But it's only my thought and I'm nowhere near a professional, so Overall I think this was a great shor film.

Good luck!

[Cornershot]

Nicely done. Usually, it's bad acting that stands out the most in personal productions but the main character was engaging and believable. The intro with the blinds and especially the feet was really good. I'd say forget the slider and tripod and do more handheld so the shots look more dynamic. Also, try being more subtle with the memories. Not so much reaching for her hand but more reflection and performing routines that he'd do that would emphasize her absence like still leaving the toilet seat down or not throwing away her spoiled yogurt in the fridge because it's the last thing she bought. Roomates and couples will sometimes label food to designate what belongs to who so that can help explain the shot.

[UncleFester]

Nice short!!

I thought it shot very intelligently and liked the sparseness of clues (allowing the viewer that element of suprise -like the abrupt knock at the door).

I thought the 'hand' tied the story together very well and even added an element of horror to Echo (her trembling hand at the restaurant sort of reminded me of Anna's hand slithering on Sam's shoulder in the movie Habit).

Again, Nice job!

[leGreve]

Nice work... You know, everytime someone does a nice short I keep saying to myself "ok, now we've seen the posibilities of the 5D", but this was nicely executed and had the feel of a larger production.

I like how you used the 1: 2.35 aspect... It's hands down my favourite aspect ratio, even for web.

Recently I've come to terms with the fact that making shorts like yours are half about sound design and with the sound recording of the 5D being a complete joke, I'm about to invest 15.000 dollars in sound gear and a steadicam Pilot.
May I ask what hardware your sound designer used to capture the dialog and ambience etc. in these shots?

My only thing was like the comment Cornershot made... the slides are a bit too far for my taste, it's like they have become a fad. I think a nice shoulder mounted or steadicam pan would have done the trick equally as well, maybe a bit better.

Thanks for a nice experience...

Torben

[CloudX]

Thanks so much for the feedback guys.

A little more about this one. This is my fourth short, and we had a bunch of complications on set (the usual headaches for those filmmaker types). This was also the first short that I basically did everything on set with minimal help.

The panning shots seemed to be getting the most backlash, and this has been noted for future projects. I'm still getting used to running around using a shoulder harness and follow focus on the gf's cooking shows, so hopefully that will start to pan out in my next few shorts.

@Cornershot, I wish I could've done what you'd recommended, but as it is you hit the nail on the head about acting in low budget films. This was putting together pieces that I could salvage after shooting. I really hate being heavy-handed.

@leGreve, it was actually shot on a T2i, though I'm using both the T2i and 5d for future projects and the two were used on everything else I've done. This was strictly T2i. I used an H4n and a Sennheiser 416 shotgun mic. I also was lucky enough to have a very talented sound designer and composer pull sounds out and really make the piece work, which I couldn't have done myself in post. Actually either my producer held the boom or I did while shooting, so we didn't have an actual sound guy on set.

I'm glad, with flaws and all, most of you guys, at least enjoyed the short. This is what I want to do and it's going to be a steep learning process.

Mike