Critique a short video I shot

[Jensen Yancey]

Hi there! I recently shot a video for Fantastic Fest's bumper contest, and would really like some feedback on the cinematography in it. Overall I'm happy with how it turned out, but I feel like I didn't do a great job of keeping the lighting consistent through the scene. You can check it out here, and if you enjoyed it, we'd definitely appreciate a like:

http://frenzy5.badassdigest.com/entry/im:3460/

Thanks!

Jensen

 

[Glen Powell]

Thanks but no thanks; there are clowns. No matter how well you light, direct, and shoot a clown... its still a clown.

***Not a commentary on your work, but on my own foibles.

 

[sander kamp]

Funny! Good performance of the boys.

As for the cinematography:

I kind of think the light is a bit too soft and beautiful if you know what I mean. It is a bit as if you decided on the set to put the lights to make a nice image but not specifically for the mood of the scene. It helps a lot if you get some inspiration images from movies that are the right mood and tone so you have a reference. That doesn't mean you are going to copy anything but it is a lot easier to work if you know what it is supposed to look like. That makes it easier as well to keep lighting consistent. Once you're on the set there's so much going on that it is hard to keep holding on to any idea you had and the risk is that you do something that you know 'just works' to at least get the shot.

For something like this I would expect something with more shadows and stranger light angles than you have now. You already started with a practical on the ground between the boys so why not make that your key light? You would have a light from below which is always good when it has to be spooky and you would cast big shadows on the background which I think would be good too.

Then you have a dolly in on the boys face but he doesn't stay in the middle so basically you're dollying in on blanket in the background. Also the camera is a bit too high. Let me guess: you didn't want to show the background left of the boy because that's where the clown was going to be and the dolly with tripod head put the camera too high? What you could have done is keep the boy in the middle but choose a different angle to approach him or pan the camera when you get closer. And put your talent on a apple box or something so he is higher if you can't get the camera lower. Don't worry about continuity in the background, people are not going to notice that.

The clown in the background actually works really well.

Anyway, these are just my thoughts! Keep in mind there's not one way to do things right and you have to find your own way.

 

[Joshua Rindner]

i like it, i see your out of austin, if you ever need help im in san antonio, and i have an epic mx

josh