My first underwater video, feedback would be great!

Hi everyone!

Finally I put together a little video with some shots done in and around Tulamben!

The video was done for putting on our tv in the diving center, thats why there is some Bali/resort intro/outro stuff in there as well

This is my first video so please feel free to give some feedback!

Enjoy,

-Morten

[vimeohd]57081976[/vimeohd]

https://vimeo.com/57081976

First, when you said this was your first video I expected to see a lot of jerky footage of subjects that were too far away and or not lighted with any thought. But what I found was video with very good camera skills, very steady hands and pretty enjoyable to watch. Very good, makes me want to dive there.

Second, it's a pretty long video. I am not sure you will hold most audiences for 20 minutes. I feel it could easily have been two videos, an above and below. Or maybe a wreck and or creature. But hey, you held my attention for the whole 20 minutes and maybe people like me are the audience you are looking for.

Excellent video and brings back some great memories.

What were shooting it with?

John

Thanks a bunch Paul, glad you liked it!

The length is an issue, I guess especially for internet, I made it to loop in the diving center and thats why I wanted to put in a bit more material so if someone was sitting doing logbooks or whatever they would most likely not see the same footage twice.

John, it was shot with a Canon 7D, 100mm USM, 60mm USM, Tokina 10-17, in Aquatica housing. The wide-angle shots were made with manual white balance, the macro shots were lit up with the focus lights from my strobes (D2000 & Z240).

I know, I really need to get some video lights but my girlfriend insists that if I buy 1 more piece of camera gear she is allowed to buy 3 pairs of shoes..

Does anyone have any other advice on how I can improve my video skills?

Thanks a lot, Morten

3 pairs of shoes........that's funny, about choked on my coffee.

I agree, darn good for a first time film maker but I also agree that 20 minutes is far too long. Usually, and as much as it hurts to do so, you produce a better and more interesting film when you cut a project down in duration. Try not to fall in love with your own footage. You definitely need some good video lights so bring your girlfriend to the Salvation Army and let her pick out three pairs of shoes.

Okay, at 3:37 and another at 3:45 you have jump cuts so pick two of the three clips and cut them. Prior to those shots you have a good downward facing establishing shot of the divers on the wreck but then you jump to the upward shot. Why? The establishing shot should lead to a further shot of the exploration of the wreck imho.

At 3:56 you have two, nicely focused shots of a ray. The 2nd is moving away from you and that would be the one I'd cut.

First frogfish clip could be shortened a touch if not cut completely since you have a moving behavior shot of it following which is the better of the two.

4:19 moving through the wreck all the way to 4:31, cut in half.

4:37 moving through the wreck again....I'd cut the whole clip

Okay, I am at 5 min and I can see that you have some great clips, steady hands, no lights but great potential. I know it hurts to do so but start cutting with 5 min 15 seconds as your goal. Keep clips

no longer than 5/6 seconds unless they are fantastic behavior shots. When possible always attempt to shoot up at the subject rather than down at them which will flatten out the image.

Get her those slippers and you get the lights; a fair trade.

Steve

Hi Steve, thanks a lot for taking the time to analyze the footage a bit!

Next time I do a video for the web for sure I will make it shorter, this one was purposely made to be long, for the whole diving-center thing.

Looking through the footage, I totally agree with the fact that changing the "downward facing establishing shot" to an upward shot looks a bit strange, I guess it just never caught my eye!

For sure I still have a lot to learn, I guess especially when it comes to editing and leaving shots out!

Again, thanks for the feedback!

-Morten

Morten,

Very nice. I enjoyed it alot. Thanks for posting it.

My only, would be to trim your clip length a little shorter....unless of course something amazing is happening. I try to do mine 5-7 seconds per clip.

Look forward to seeing more video from you.

Dustin

My only, would be to trim your clip length a little shorter....unless of course something amazing is happening. I try to do mine 5-7 seconds per clip.

I will try to keep them a little shorter next time, guess it is pretty hard not to drift away and start thinking about chocolate (first thing that came to mind and its 08.00 in the morning?!) or whatever when the clips are too long! Thanks!

Very nicely done for a 'first-timer' much of my suggestions are already mentioned in other replies. One thing that I learned from Howard Hall footage - get the clips into rhythm of music, soft rhythm = soft transitions, sharp rhythm = hard transitions and catch the tact of the music where you change the clips.

Lengths of clips reduce to 5-7 seconds or tact of music.

Follow the story, diver jumps in water, use the shot from below, don't go back topside (sunset boat shot) stay underwater and use topside sunset shot when dive is over.

Keep 4-5 macro shots together and ad 1-2 wide angle shots of reef to give viewers eye a 'break'. Also I suggest that you keep the wreck shots in one flow and reef shots in another, don't mix them. Love your steady hand and not 'painting walls' like we call it

Love how you use the rhytm of percussion for shrimp sequence at 10:02.

Good luck and keep up the good work.

Hi everyone!

So finally I got around to cutting the video a little shorter. Its now 2min30sec, threw out a whole bunch of footage and put some new stuff in there, I also went for a much shorter length of clips. Had a lot of fun with cutting it to the music so I hope you will like it

Oh yes, I uploaded this in HD from Indonesia, took me a year and a half, so please do watch it in HD as well!

https://vimeo.com/65997163

-Morten

Nice job Morten!

Dustin

Very nice

I do like this version better, nice job.

Hej Morten.

Nice work.

Søren

Thank you for all your nice comments, glad you enjoyed it!

-Morten

Really nice video, definitely can please a dive tourist looking for a dive vacation.

Side question: May I know in which month these footage were filmed? Thanks!

Hi Eddcar,

Thank you!

This was filmed in november/october 2012 and in february 2013 (mantas).

-Morten