Africa film ready for client presentation

[sanj]

Friends. Here is the film I made. Some may remember me taking your advice for the trip. Before I present to the client, I request any suggestions that you may have to improve it. Or do you like it just the way it is? THANK YOU. Please, I need your comments.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/13sZsL-s0DM2jTwfhzdHJhq7jv9waY9SH/view?usp=sharing

 

[Jethro]

Wow, Sanjay - that's very impressive and well done! The lion shots were particularly wonderful. I don't feel qualified to make too many comments, but a couple (from a video rank amateur):

• Some of the cuts between animal shots (say 1.04 - 1.11) seem to me a little 'harsh'. Most other cuts are faded in. I get that you're probably trying to increase the pace (along with the music), and there is a similar sequence late as well, but I noticed it not in a good way.
  
  
• There is a lovely idyllic scene (1.53) with a waiter pouring a couple some wine outside the lodge - unfortunately the cap is firmly on the wine bottle! And I'm thinking there's absolutely nothing you can do about that now short of hours of frame-by-frame editing ...

But, I think you're about to have some very happy clients.

 

[Sporgon]

Very nice @sanj.

I would make the same first comment as @Jethro, some of the takes are a little short and abrupt; I’m just beginning to see what it is then it cuts to next scene, this makes some of it feel a little rushed or pacey. Another couple of seconds here would be an improvement IMO. Overall though, splendid.
(I didn’t notice the corked bottle !)

 

[sanj]

Wow, Sanjay - that's very impressive and well done! The lion shots were particularly wonderful. I don't feel qualified to make too many comments, but a couple (from a video rank amateur):

• Some of the cuts between animal shots (say 1.04 - 1.11) seem to me a little 'harsh'. Most other cuts are faded in. I get that you're probably trying to increase the pace (along with the music), and there is a similar sequence late as well, but I noticed it not in a good way.
  
  
• There is a lovely idyllic scene (1.53) with a waiter pouring a couple some wine outside the lodge - unfortunately the cap is firmly on the wine bottle! And I'm thinking there's absolutely nothing you can do about that now short of hours of frame-by-frame editing ...

But, I think you're about to have some very happy clients.

You have sharp eyes!!!!! I have seen the film 1000 times, the editor even more. The music guy, the colourist. We ALL missed that. Wow. Thank you. I checked the rushes, this was the rehearsal take. The actual take does not look as good, and I have run out of money to grade the not so good actual take. Will live with this because except for you, dear Jethro, no one notices it. I will wait and see if there are any other comments regarding the 'harsh' cuts and maybe the slow it down. To me (and that means nothing as my mind is numb by now), these cuts seems ok. THANK YOU

 

[sanj]

Very nice @sanj.

I would make the same first comment as @Jethro, some of the takes are a little short and abrupt; I’m just beginning to see what it is then it cuts to next scene, this makes some of it feel a little rushed or pacey. Another couple of seconds here would be an improvement IMO. Overall though, splendid.
(I didn’t notice the corked bottle !)

OK, thank you Sporgon. You are the second one to say this. I will now have to consider slowing it down.

 

[Del Paso]

Stunning animal sequences, indeed, longer ones would even be better.
What the Frenchman in me can never pardon, is the uncorked wine bottle
But, apart from these minor details: excellent work, I'm deeply impressed!

 

[sanj]

Stunning animal sequences, indeed, longer ones would even be better.
What the Frenchman in me can never pardon, is the uncorked wine bottle
But, apart from these minor details: excellent work, I'm deeply impressed!

Thank you so so much! Could you notice the uncorked bottle easily or saw it after reading the comments?

 

[sanj]

I cant unsee it now. Damn.

 

[jd7]

Friends. Here is the film I made. Some may remember me taking your advice for the trip. Before I present to the client, I request any suggestions that you may have to improve it. Or do you like it just the way it is? THANK YOU. Please, I need your comments.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/13sZsL-s0DM2jTwfhzdHJhq7jv9waY9SH/view?usp=sharing

Some great imagery there Sanj! Looks great. But i do agree with the others saying that a number of the sequences felt too short and abrupt. I want to see enough to decide if this is a place i want to visit, but for a number of sequences i felt like I'd barely seen enough to work out what I was looking at when it cut to another sequence. That's just my 2 cents as a random viewer though, I'm certainly no film maker! And as i said, there is a lot of fantastic imagery there.

I hope we will get to see some of your still photography from the trip at some point, and also hear how you got on with the Canon and Sony gear you took with you.

 

[sanj]

Some great imagery there Sanj! Looks great. But i do agree with the others saying that a number of the sequences felt too short and abrupt. I want to see enough to decide if this is a place i want to visit, but for a number of sequences i felt like I'd barely seen enough to work out what I was looking at when it cut to another sequence. That's just my 2 cents as a random viewer though, I'm certainly no film maker! And as i said, there is a lot of fantastic imagery there.

I hope we will get to see some of your still photography from the trip at some point, and also hear how you got on with the Canon and Sony gear you took with you.

Dear JD. Thank you. I can immediately reply about Sony and Canon. It is simple: I have no interest in Sony anymore. The colours of Canon look way better.

 

[sanj]

Some shots are fast to keep a fast pace going. Some are fast as that is the only useable portion of the shot. :-(

 

[unfocused]

It is great. Beautiful. No one will say “I’m not going there because the wine bottle was uncorked.”

Sorry but I have the opposite reaction of some here. The cuts are fine and not too abrupt. I’ve commissioned a fair amount of ads in my time and I would be just a little concerned about the length. This is the version I would show the clients, but I would also be prepared to offer a shorter cut. We live in a short attention span world and getting customers to sit through three minutes can be tough.

Thinking more about this I would recommend getting the name of the lodge and relevant info onscreen at the front end as well as the back so if people drop out after a minute they still see the lodge name and website.

 

[sanj]

It is great. Beautiful. No one will say “I’m not going there because the wine bottle was uncorked.”

Sorry but IHA e the opposite reaction of some here. The cuts are fine and not too abrupt. Ive

Sort of a relief to hear about the cuts. The bigger issue, to me, is the corked bottle. It reflects very poorly on me. I am in talks with the editor to see our options.

 

[old-pr-pix]

Old stills photog here so comments are those of video consumer, not producer... Excellent work, great teaser for your client. I'm sure they will be pleased. I read the comments and then watched. Quick cuts didn't bother me - seemed consistent with desired pace and commonly used in many commercials today. I did not notice the uncorked wine bottle on first viewing, had to watch a second time to see it. Of course now I can't unsee it. Animal shots are fantastic but I would like to have learned more about the facility -- oh wait, that's the whole point of the video isn't it!

 

[Click]

Stunning animal sequences. Very well done, Sanjay.

 

[jd7]

Sort of a relief to hear about the cuts. The bigger issue, to me, is the corked bottle. It reflects very poorly on me. I am in talks with the editor to see our options.

Well, Game of Thrones can go to air with a coffee cup sitting on a table, so you are far from the only one with something not fitting quite right Sell it to the client as something which will get people's attention if they notice! All publicity is good publicity, right? As someone else has already said, i can't imagine anyone choosing not to go there just because of the corked bottle

 

[jd7]

Dear JD. Thank you. I can immediately reply about Sony and Canon. It is simple: I have no interest in Sony anymore. The colours of Canon look way better.

Interesting! Are you talking about colour in video specifically, or do you feel the same about photographs as well?

 

[sanj]

It is great. Beautiful. No one will say “I’m not going there because the wine bottle was uncorked.”

Sorry but I have the opposite reaction of some here. The cuts are fine and not too abrupt. I’ve commissioned a fair amount of ads in my time and I would be just a little concerned about the length. This is the version I would show the clients, but I would also be prepared to offer a shorter cut. We live in a short attention span world and getting customers to sit through three minutes can be tough.

Thinking more about this I would recommend getting the name of the lodge and relevant info onscreen at the front end as well as the back so if people drop out after a minute they still see the lodge name and website.

There is a slate. Is that not coming across? Should it be larger? It will be on their website. So it seems viewers will already know what they are watching. I must think of other ways also, you are right. Yes, the client has been insisting on a short film.

 

[sanj]

Interesting! Are you talking about colour in video specifically, or do you feel the same about photographs as well?

More on the video side.

Well, Game of Thrones can go to air with a coffee cup sitting on a table, so you are far from the only one with something not fitting quite right Sell it to the client as something which will get people's attention if they notice! All publicity is good publicity, right? As someone else has already said, i can't imagine anyone choosing not to go there just because of the corked bottle

Hahahaha. Yes.

 

[sanj]

Old stills photog here so comments are those of video consumer, not producer... Excellent work, great teaser for your client. I'm sure they will be pleased. I read the comments and then watched. Quick cuts didn't bother me - seemed consistent with desired pace and commonly used in many commercials today. I did not notice the uncorked wine bottle on first viewing, had to watch a second time to see it. Of course now I can't unsee it. Animal shots are fantastic but I would like to have learned more about the facility -- oh wait, that's the whole point of the video isn't it!

I want to show more about the facility, but the client keeps insisting on making it a 'not in your face' piece. And wants it shorter and shorter.