Sorting through footage (a moose hunting thread)

[pryor15]

Here’s what we’re going to do with this thread (or series of threads): I see it being sort of a transparent look at my film making process. Of course, my process is pretty unconventional, so it may not be all that helpful, but whatever. Perhaps it’ll be interesting.

Thread 1--The initial idea
Thread 2--The Death of Bullwinkle

So this one will be short-ish, since it's effectively just an update.

I've got all the footage uploaded into my computer--something like 5 hours or so--which isn't very much at all for a film of any length. But, consider also that it's one camera filming a single event (i.e. no second takes or anything, obviously. I couldn't exactly say, "Ok, can we prop the moose back up and this time I really want to feel the bullet..."), so that tends to stretch it out a bit.

Problems I've encountered so far:

1. I was so busy trying to figure out as much about the process as I could before we started (so I'd have a better chance of being in the right spot), that I forgot to check for dirt on the camera lens before we went out. It's not awful, but it's certainly not good, and just a stupid mistake.

2. The shock mount I rigged worked just fine for walking around, but not so much for running. So if I decide to actually do something with this, I'll have to clean up the audio.

3. Due to the one camera thing, I have little to no coverage. But, 2 cameras might have required another vehicle up there. Either way, part of filmmaking is doing the best you can with your limitations.

4. Because I spent a lot of time moving across landscapes that are treacherous, so say the least, there's a great deal of footage where the camera is running, but I'm clearly much more concerned with where I'm putting my feet.

So, what to do? Well, you try to find a clean narrative within that. You try to embrace enough of the rough camera work that it conveys the rough-ness, without being nausiating to the audience.

One thing I'm playing with right now is ways to convey the rhythms of hunting in the film, those long stretches of nothing, waiting for something as small as a twig cracking followed by 2 minutes of excitement.

Here's what I have so far. Keep in mind it's an assembly edit, so it's pretty rough. I've got 3 stretches of footage: scouting, hunting, and cleaning. This is the titles and the hunting. Nothing's been color-corrected. The audio needs to be massively fixed. The song in the beginning isn't who it says it is. It's just a placeholder. I'm waiting for the real music to come from Memphis.

assembly edit on youtube

note: youtube is wonderful for this sort of thing. i can upload an edit and send the link to people around the country who i need feedback from (like my father and the band that's doing the music), and it's quicker and cheaper than mailing stuff to people.

[kitaristi0]

I just watched it, and for the most part I liked it, though I thought it was a bit langweilig. I would've liked it more if you had shortened a few of the bits, e.g. after the third moose call the camera shook a lot and there was a long bit of silence that i think was too long and could be edited out. Also the bit zooming in on the moose before the shot was too long too IMO. There was also a part right after the opening credits where it looked like the video feed had frozen on my screen. Very dark and you couldn't make out anything. I didn't really like that if it was there intentionally.

I think you can still portray the contrast between the long silence and wait and the 2 minutes of excitement even if you shorten a few of the bits. It also makes it a bit more viewer friendly I guess.

Another thing was the ending, or lack thereof. It just stopped without a real distinct ending.

Just my amateur opinion.

[pryor15]

thanks,

keep in mind, though, that this is really, really rough. i haven't even figured out where my ending is yet. the idea of these threads is to give people a look at the various stages of the process that we don't often see. plus, my selfish reason is that i get good feedback like yours early on.

i wonder if the long, uncut stretches are too long. then again, (and this doesn't work as well on youtube as it does on a TV or the big screen) a long shot like that, if done correctly, might increase the tension as it plays off the audience's expectations. we're so trained to look for an edit or some action that the longer we go without one, the more on-edge it'll make the viewer. you know something has to happen, but the longer you go, the more you wonder about it.

i didn't say that right, but it's a thought i had while editing.

[Fishwhenican]

I am not much of a film critic but I'll throw in my 2 cents and a couple of questions.

Seeing what the road sign said on the drive in would have been good.
Seems like way too much stuff where it is really dark. I know this is a part of hunting but I think it will get boring for an audience.

Questions/Concerns: I do not know what the laws are where this was shot but where I am from I saw several game hunting violations.

Here it is illegal to use walkie talkies or cell phones to find game while hunting. What happened here was pretty much textbook illegal here as far as that goes as far as I can see. It may be legal there I do not know.

Shooting from a vehicle is also illegal here. It may not be illegal where this was shot I do not know.

Shooting from a road is illegal here. It may not be there I do not know.

Do not misunderstand. I am not passing judgement, I am not a game warden or a fan of game wardens AT ALL. My ONLY concern is that if some of these things are not legal it may not be a great idea to document them on film and not out in public on the internet??? I would hate to see a hunt ruined because the wrong person saw something and put their nose into it and it came back to get someone in trouble. I know it is probably a stretch to worry about the "wrong" person seeing something like this and people in trouble but I just thought I would throw that out there. We have had too many times around here where someone has gotten in trouble over minor things because someone found out and had to tell someone else. The next thing you know people are getting fined, animals confiscated and hunting privledges are revoked.

If this stuff is not illegal wherever this was then no harm no foul but you might just want to double check.

Oh Ya, I could sort of hear something about not wanting to shoot through the bull and hit the cow. I was worried about that from the last view we had of the bull and then the shot of the hunter being right after that. It would be good to hear more about that as a lot of people do not realize that something like this can happen.

[pryor15]

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Seeing what the road sign said on the drive in would have been good.

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just a town line, nothing important

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Seems like way too much stuff where it is really dark. I know this is a part of hunting but I think it will get boring for an audience.

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this is something that is darker on youtube plus i can fix it w/ the color correction and stuff i still have to do.


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Questions/Concerns: I do not know what the laws are where this was shot but where I am from I saw several game hunting violations.

Here it is illegal to use walkie talkies or cell phones to find game while hunting. What happened here was pretty much textbook illegal here as far as that goes as far as I can see. It may be legal there I do not know.

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neither do i.


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Shooting from a vehicle is also illegal here. It may not be illegal where this was shot I do not know.

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i think this is borderline. you can't be in the vehicle, but no one's really sure about using the hood to steady yourself.

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Shooting from a road is illegal here. It may not be there I do not know.

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it's not a real road. it's a logging road. i have no idea if this makes a difference.

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Oh Ya, I could sort of hear something about not wanting to shoot through the bull and hit the cow. I was worried about that from the last view we had of the bull and then the shot of the hunter being right after that. It would be good to hear more about that as a lot of people do not realize that something like this can happen.

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there's always the possibility that i can get into this more, but i'd need more footage to do so. it's footage i can get, but i'm gonna wait and see if i need it (or want to add it)

i'll ask my father about the stuff you mentioned. he'll know much more than me. thanks

[Fishwhenican]

All in all I really liked the video, realizing it is in the early stage and rough. I am really glad to see someone covering something like a hunt.

I hope yo do not think I was being a nit trying to look at those couple of things. I was not trying to be. I just would hate for something bad to happen that was not intended.

Keep up the good work and I'll be watching for updates on the movie as you continue editing it! Interesting project!

[pryor15]

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I hope yo do not think I was being a nit trying to look at those couple of things. I was not trying to be. I just would hate for something bad to happen that was not intended.


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understood.

from my father: cell phones, legal. shooting from dirt road, legal.

[Fishwhenican]

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I hope yo do not think I was being a nit trying to look at those couple of things. I was not trying to be. I just would hate for something bad to happen that was not intended.


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understood.

from my father: cell phones, legal. shooting from dirt road, legal.

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Fantastic. I wish they were not so darn tight with that kind of stuff around here. About every time you turn around they are coming up with something new to make it more difficult to hunt.

[pryor15]

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I hope yo do not think I was being a nit trying to look at those couple of things. I was not trying to be. I just would hate for something bad to happen that was not intended.


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understood.

from my father: cell phones, legal. shooting from dirt road, legal.

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Fantastic. I wish they were not so darn tight with that kind of stuff around here. About every time you turn around they are coming up with something new to make it more difficult to hunt.

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as a rule, Mainers react poorly to dumb regulations, so even if they get passed, they're often ignored.