Current state of filming
Someone left a comment on my previous post asking how I was getting on with the editing of our film. Well, the answer would be (quite) good. I’ve finished editing up our first short, ‘Training Day’ about Dave soloing a hard sport route in Spain. Typically, I no sooner thought it was finished, burned it a million times and sent it off to all the Mountain Festivals when I thought, “Actually, I’d like to change that bit. Oh, and that bit. And…” so on. But it’s done now and hopefully, fingers crossed and all that, you should see it at a fest near you soon.
Still from Training Day - Dave going for the mono.It’s proved a really useful exercise in filming and producing something from beginning to end and should ultimately make our main project the better for it. ‘Training Day’ was actually the first thing I’ve ever filmed. With the camera arriving the day before I left for Spain, it was turned on for the first time in a Spanish apartment with shots of the floor accompanied by “Is this thing even on?” directly followed by footage of one of the hardest solos the world’s ever seen, which is weird.
For the boffins out there, I film using a Canon XH-A1 and edit using Final Cut Pro on a Mac Pro which has proved itself to be a technical minefield for me. There are so many different formats to shoot in, capture, out-put and down-convert in, as well as being the first time I’ve used a Mac, that there has been many a late-night and the odd fit of pique but we’re there now. Ha, bold words indeed!
Labels: Filming
posted by Claire MacLeod at
20:31
3 Comments:
Well done you!! you sound as if you have been very busy indeed. Mastering all the variables that go into filming and editing is a serious challenge, so hat's off for putting yourself in the deep-end.
I am sure all climbing fans will be interested in seeing any material that comes out of team MacLeod's camp.
It's funny when it comes to film editing, because as you say, when you think you have nailed it, there is always another sequence or segment of footage that would look better in place of the 'orignial' edit. I blame the "incubation period". I remember when I was editing my wedding footage (which was shot by my brother in-law during the ceremony by the way). The first attempt was just perfect in my mind, and after letting the family see it, there was no question that given their reactions I could not have done any better. But if you suffer from perfectionism like me, you can always make things better, so I re-visited the wedding footage one afternoon - god I seen the whole production process in a different way. I eventually made another edit and low and behold it took ages, but it was worth it because what I created with the material was not just entertaining like the original edit, I managed convey a lot more emotion and it was a totally new film all together. With the original, I was focused on conveying entertainment, so I overlooked all the very simple cinematographic (hopefully this is a word by the way) material. So the lesson I have learned is to create a narrative prior to filming and focus on capturing quality first instead of just pressing record and hoping you get the shot. Better still, if you have two cameras rolling from different angles, then all the better because you are going to get something totally different - something amazing!!!! Better yet again if you have the eye of a photographer because you will see something in the shot the no-one else sees - It is true what they say, "it is what you focus on". Was also thinking that if you want to convey the true grit and emotion of a climb, then it is hard to get great sound from the camera microphone because of the proximity of the subject to the mic. I think a boom would be great but a bit dangerous unless you are climbing (with someone belaying you) in pararallel to the main climber. Another solution would be wireless mics - a transmitter mic on the climber and receiver on the mic dock on the camera - just an idea but you would not want any wires getting in the way!!!!!
I better shut up now, can't help it though because reading your post has brought back some great experiences and if you are ever looking for support one day, I would love to help (no charge).
Kind regards
Bidean
I must say I for one have been following this project with interest on both MacLeod blogs. It is interesting to see both of your points of view coming at the process from the two sides to create the finished whole.
Have you given any thought to a "Making Of (dvd Title)" chapter on the DVD? This would be a unique opportunity to provide an insight into the process of going from no previous experience to producing the finished film. Something which would be interesting to those climbers who have ever thought of making any form of film of their own climbing, what with the rise of YouTube and the like now a days.
Anyway all the best with the project.
Simon
Hi guys
Try as I might, I cannot get Dave to wear a radio mic when he's climbing. Apparently, they are too heavy! It weighs 158g by the way. And he often goes t-shirtless for coolness (temperature wise!) so there's nothing to clip it to. We do have one though and use it occasionally (Sennheiser EW112p). For shooting Echo Wall, I've used an onboard gun mic (a Rode NTG-1) and though not ideal, it's all I can get away with!
I've not thought about a "Making of..." as it has always been a bit touch and go whether the film would atually get made as it depends entirely on Dave getting up the route. Plus, I'm not that organised; one film is bad enough!
Cheers,
Claire
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