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My Short hits #1 in website history!

pdpfilms

pdpfilms

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Jun 29, 2004
2,382
1
Vermontana
Thought I'd share this...

I made a short using only my still camera for a portfolio piece as I'm applying to NYU. My friend that was in it posted it on this skiing website called newschoolers.com. For the most part, the members are angst-loaded teenagers logging on only to swear and bash other people's pictures and videos. Well my friend emailed me yesterday to let me know that it's now the number one rated video in the history of this website!

EDIT: High-res version now available at:
http://stuff.sebisworld.com/I_use_magic.movThanks to sebisworld for the hosting.

EDIT2: Mirrored on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQo5DD3ByPE
 
Ok, I didn't watch any of the other shorts, but thay was pretty cool, even if I didn't understand it. How long did it take to make?
 
That's really good. After you get that scholarship to NYU you should apply for a job at Pixar (or should I say Walt Disney) ;)
 
Thanks, all!

It was pretty easy to make, using all Apple Pro Apps. We first shot about 1200 pictures. Then, imported into organized folders by shot using Aperture. Performed baseline color corrections and exposure compensation as well. Then, i imported image sequences into Motion (which, conviently enough, automatigically puts consecutively named images into single sequence files which can be dragged into the timeline as one object). Then, I added vignetting, did more color correction, exported as DVCPRO 720p file (True HD!!). Then, I imported into FCP, added music (the song is "Concerning the UFO Sighting Outside Near Highland, Illinois by Sufjan Stevens), and performed final color corrections. Exported using compressor as an h.264, and presto!

I appreciate all your comments!
 
pdpfilms said:
the song is "Concerning the UFO Sighting Outside Near Highland, Illinois by Sufjan Stevens)
Click to expand...

It's good work.

I spose this comment comes in the wrong forum, but Illinoise is an amazing, and under talked about, album.
 
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Great work. Love the music and the cinematography.

Doesn't this thread belong in the Digital Photography forum? :p
Here's to the Crazy Ones ​
 
That was cool =)

Ive been building a portfolio now for a while. Also working on admission to NYU.

What was the shooting process like? How many people did you have helping you? Did you just take 1 step and those with you would take the next shot? I feel like with my camera (Sony DSC-T7) I could never do anything like that.

Good work.
 
pdpfilms said:
Thought I'd share this...

I made a short using only my still camera for a portfolio piece as I'm applying to NYU. My friend that was in it posted it on this skiing website called newschoolers.com. For the most part, the members are angst-loaded teenagers logging on only to swear and bash other people's pictures and videos. Well my friend emailed me yesterday to let me know that it's now the number one rated video in the history of this website!

Check it out:
http://newschoolers.com/ns3/web/content/topvideos.php

(Click "i use magic")
Click to expand...


Good job it is always good to see people use their gifts.


Bless
 
mrzeve said:
What was the shooting process like? How many people did you have helping you? Did you just take 1 step and those with you would take the next shot?
Click to expand...
Oh gosh no, it was just me and the subject. He could hear the shutter release, and so everytime he heard it, he took a small step (or moved a few inches in whatever action he was doing). Then, I would shoot. Rinse, lather, repeat. It was super easy to get into a rhythm, taking about one shot per second. I'm sure it would be possible with any camera on a tripod that you can set to manual mode and doesn't have a significant shutter release lag.
 
buffalo said:
what kind of camera do you have?


that was incredible. it makes me wish i had the talent to do something like that!
Click to expand...
Nikon D2X... but it was totally unnecessary. Could've achieved the exact same results with a D50.
 
pdpfilms said:
Thanks, all!

It was pretty easy to make, using all Apple Pro Apps. We first shot about 1200 pictures. Then, imported into organized folders by shot using Aperture. Performed baseline color corrections and exposure compensation as well. Then, i imported image sequences into Motion (which, conviently enough, automatigically puts consecutively named images into single sequence files which can be dragged into the timeline as one object). Then, I added vignetting, did more color correction, exported as DVCPRO 720p file (True HD!!). Then, I imported into FCP, added music (the song is "Concerning the UFO Sighting Outside Near Highland, Illinois by Sufjan Stevens), and performed final color corrections. Exported using compressor as an h.264, and presto!

I appreciate all your comments!
Click to expand...


Very nice work, greatly appreciate all the time that went into it.. after seeing some of the other work on that site I would agree that you deserve the number one spot :)

Question regarding Motion to FCP... typically I just drop my Motion file right into FC, is there a benefit from exporting as a mov file first? Only asking because I know that when I go from Motion to FCP there seems to be a lot of rendering to preform... maybe your method would save me some FCP rendering time... maybe I should just experiment with this idea for myself.

Thanks for sharing!
 
zim said:
Question regarding Motion to FCP... typically I just drop my Motion file right into FC, is there a benefit from exporting as a mov file first? Only asking because I know that when I go from Motion to FCP there seems to be a lot of rendering to preform... maybe your method would save me some FCP rendering time... maybe I should just experiment with this idea for myself.
Click to expand...
Good call. I thought there must've been a better way to get projects into FCP. I would've done that... there's really no advantage to exporting and reimporting.
 
pdpfilms said:
Good call. I thought there must've been a better way to get projects into FCP. I would've done that... there's really no advantage to exporting and reimporting.
Click to expand...

This method does work... drag and drop the Motion file into FCP but it still requires you to render prior to adding any transitions etc... (this may be due to my set up). You can also do the same thing when going from LiveType to FCP. Motion and LiveType can also be dragged and dropped into DVD Studio. OH and one more, this one I love... dropping Motion into AfterEffects but I seem to be using AfterEffects less and less.
 
That was quite cool - nice job. I'm really liking the effects - but you seemed to do color correction at almost all points along the process - could that have been streamlined a bit?

D
 
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