Ladies with Leather Crafting - Maketh Project

[daniyal]

Managed to get a working opportunity with Maketh Project to make a video for their business.

The objective is not to make a sales sleazy video. More to provide insights into the leather craft itself. What they want to achieve to tell everyone that leather craft is easy and anyone can do. Pick up a leather and just do it.

[vid]AUSvoMVEk3g[/vid]

Let me know what are your thoughts, opinions and criticisms.

 

[Deunamist]

nice work man, I liked the cutaways a lot and how it blended with the music however I felt that the interviews could have been done better. the light bulb and the light shining through the window for the 2nd and 3rd girls are a little distracting TBH.. hahaha.

also perhaps the subtitles should not have the bar, it's kinda distracting too! haha.

 

[hamanoshun]

Is this your first attempt at something like this?

What equipments did you have access to for this shoot?

 

[Bamboopictures]

Good effort! Love the music! Could be more interesting if you used a macro lens /close-up filter for the cutting/ stitching scenes. Then you could really see what happens when leather meets steel.
Jump cuts could have been avoided if you had some close-ups of eyes or punch in more at regular intervals. You can plan for shorter shot durations during repetitive actions and cheat with different angles to create the illusion that you have multiple cameras. Bet you wished you brought a table-top tripod or high-hat for this one!

For interviews, mind your head-room and check your noise floor. Soundsoap / Audition could help.

Do something on food/cooking next?
Should consider going full-time into video production.

 

[daniyal]

Firstly, LOVE YOU GUYS. Thank you for spending some time in watching.

Deunamist>>> Thank you sir for your pointers. I will use it for my next one.

2nd Girl - I don't know why the light bulb lighting turn out that way. I was shocked. I am using Samyang 35mm lens. Could it be the cause of it ?

3rd Girl - Light through the window. Got it. Thank you Sir.

Subtitles with Bar - The girls wanted to use the video for a Design Week Exhibition. I was thinking, no one will actually sit down watch and appreciate the whole watching experience. By adding the bar, least, if they could not hear the audio properly, they can read it. Thank you Sir. I will heed your advice.

hamanoshun>>> Not really my first time doing this. I am bettering myself from the previous attempts. The difference is this time, I have shot lists prepared, I have the interview structured beforehand and I am not rushing for time because I pick the day when they don't have much bookings.

Equipment I used :-
1. Canon 60D
2. Samyang 35mm lens
3. Tokina 11-16mm lens
4. 1.2m sliders
5. Zoom H4N
6. Car sun blocking screen - Which is of no use (thought of being frugal)
7. Rode mic

That's it Bro.

BambooPictures>>> ARRRGHHH. I can picture it with your pointers, this piece can be even better! YES YES. How I wished I brought my table top dolly.

I got problem with the audio in post. After I add in Denoiser, it seems that every interview clips has this HIGH HISS sound for 00.20 seconds before the denoiser kicks in. I have tried use the Audition to rectify this but it will affect the whole clips audio in terms of "filling." I have checked online, this is a known issues for Adobe CC. I was like "heart stabbing".

Headroom wise, Sir, for the 2nd girl I was trying not to cut her at her elbow joint. So I had to sacrifice her headroom.

Bro, I use your advice. Taking more interests in your clients' profile/business. They love it. I am able to offer suggestion about why they should not do the sales sleazy video.

Thank you Bros. Really appreciate your time and comments. I will dwell on these pointers and use them for future. Thank you.

 

[Bamboopictures]

For interviews, you can probably get much better signal-to-noise ratio with a lavalier. The $40 Audio Technica is a small investment to start with. Alternatively, you can connect your rode videomic to an extension cable and boom it above the subject. A lowel lobo clamp and a selfie stick is sufficient to support the rode from a lightstand. Good for lone videographer. No soundman needed.

The problem with mounting a shotgun mic on your camera hotshoe is that the shotgun pickup pattern extends as far behind the mic as it does in front. If the rear of the rode is noisy, that gets amplified as well. That's why pointing the rear of the mic to the ceiling usually works better (unless there is a noisy aircon vent in the ceiling) But generally, a shotgun is best used outdoors and a hypercardiod is preferred for indoors.

If you regularly capture short interviews in noisy environments, the handheld Senny E835 offers even better noise rejection than most shotgun and lavalier. It's a very versatile kit with a very pleasing, rich tone and strangely impossible to clip. Boom it overhead if you like it out of frame.
Here's how it performed in a very noisy cafe (no audio filter was applied in post):

 

[daniyal]

BambooPictures>>> You need extra cam operator next time, call me PLEASE !!!!!

Yes, I have that Audio Technica Lavalier but after few times used, it gave me the fuzzy sound and inconsistent steady signal. I placed my Zoom H4N in front of the ladies pointing towards their chest actually. I can't afford the Senny yet.

 

[Bamboopictures]

I'll take you up on the offer soon!
Likely a few live streaming in Singapore soon.
Actually, the Zoom H4N works great with professional XLR cabled lavs which are a fraction of the cost of wireless systems and arguably easier to setup, more secure, immune to interference. Mount your Zoom on your camera to monitor and pull the lavalier cable to the talent.

 

[Deunamist]

wahlao.. dun sir sir leh.. I ORDed as a private... :bsmilie:

no la I don't think it's your lens. 60D? probably coz it's 8 bit 420..

 

[JacePhoto]

For interviews, you can probably get much better signal-to-noise ratio with a lavalier. The $40 Audio Technica is a small investment to start with. Alternatively, you can connect your rode videomic to an extension cable and boom it above the subject. A lowel lobo clamp and a selfie stick is sufficient to support the rode from a lightstand. No soundman needed.

The problem with mounting a shotgun mic on your camera hotshoe is that the shotgun pickup pattern extends as far behind the mic as it does in front. If the rear of the rode is noisy, that gets amplified as well. That's why pointing the rear of the mic to the ceiling usually works better (unless there is a noisy aircon vent in the ceiling) But generally, a shotgun is best used outdoors and a hypercardiod is preferred for indoors.

If you regularly capture short interviews in noisy environments, the handheld Senny E835 offers even better noise rejection than most shotgun and lavalier. It's a very versatile kit with a very pleasing, rich tone and strangely impossible to clip. Boom it overhead if you like it out of frame.
Here's how it performed in a very noisy cafe (no audio filter was applied in post):
https://vimeo.com/123203605

Wow! The Senny E835 is impressive!

 

[daniyal]

Second to Jacephoto

 

[hamanoshun]

Think the only thing you were lacking is a bit of lights, sound was ok at best because of all the echo that the Rode was picking up. I understand the h4n has adjustable x/y mics so it could have been better to tune it to 90 degrees to reduce the angle of capture and possibly lesser pickup of noise(I THINK).

Never capture interview audio with a mic mounted to camera because depending on far the camera is to subject, you have to compensate for signal level by doing one of the few things that will most surely bring up the noise floor. The absolute rule you must follow is have your mic as close to the sound source as possible. A simple mic stand from Swee Lee music costs no more than 80-90 bucks(cheaper if there's a promo/sale) and you are able to boom it over the head for a good hot signal.

All in all, good effort. Keep it up.

 

[daniyal]

Thank you Hamanoshun. Will heed your pointers.

 

[pettypoh]

Good effort! Love the music! Could be more interesting if you used a macro lens /close-up filter for the cutting/ stitching scenes. Then you could really see what happens when leather meets steel.
Jump cuts could have been avoided if you had some close-ups of eyes or punch in more at regular intervals. You can plan for shorter shot durations during repetitive actions and cheat with different angles to create the illusion that you have multiple cameras. Bet you wished you brought a table-top tripod or high-hat for this one!

For interviews, mind your head-room and check your noise floor. Soundsoap / Audition could help.

Do something on food/cooking next?

great idea on the macro and shorter durations during repetitive actions, it helps to get more angles for the same scene (which you can choose to use during edit)

there were a few scenes when you focused on the hand actions, might have been great to have shots from the angle of the ruler (close and low) -- the camera would have needed to be in-between the hands

i think another way to make the movements a bit more interesting is to change the speed of the move slightly (in post production) .... e.g. while sliding (have it smooth > speed up > then slow again)

have seen another technique that you can think about, not sure what's the proper name, but it's using slight out of focus to come into focus for a shot, it gives a 1/2 sec transition into the scene, instead of having the scene appear immediately as sharp and in focus already (so in a way, there's "action/movement" of sorts) =)

great work again, do shoot more and share

 

[daniyal]

great idea on the macro and shorter durations during repetitive actions, it helps to get more angles for the same scene (which you can choose to use during edit)

there were a few scenes when you focused on the hand actions, might have been great to have shots from the angle of the ruler (close and low) -- the camera would have needed to be in-between the hands

i think another way to make the movements a bit more interesting is to change the speed of the move slightly (in post production) .... e.g. while sliding (have it smooth > speed up > then slow again)

have seen another technique that you can think about, not sure what's the proper name, but it's using slight out of focus to come into focus for a shot, it gives a 1/2 sec transition into the scene, instead of having the scene appear immediately as sharp and in focus already (so in a way, there's "action/movement" of sorts) =)

great work again, do shoot more and share

pettypoh>>> The speed movement you referring to, I believe, is called Ramping. I did that from 00:29 - 00:31. But, as I go along,I felt that it will be more suited if the direction were on technical direction of leather making. Just my feel and approach.

The other technique you mentioned is Rack Focusing, I believe.

Your suggestions on the idea shot from the ruler, will note. That will be a FANTASTIC SHOT.

Thank you Bro for sparing me your time to watch. Thank you.