Other Lives "Dust Bowl III" music video shot on Scarlet. Would love feedback

[Domenic Barbero]

Other Lives "Dust Bowl III" music video shot on Scarlet. Would love feedback

This was a great music video shot in portland over 2 days using contax zeiss primes a tokina 11-16 and a canon 70-200 2.8. Two scarlets. one awesome concept.

I got to DP this shoot.

Any feedback would be great.

 

[Domenic Barbero]

anybody? really excited, feel like this is my first worthy project to post on here.

 

[Chris Lowe]

Looks great!

 

[Dominick Pietrzak]

Great work, I liked the color! It was a very interesting piece.

 

[Domenic Barbero]

Thanks guys

 

[Domenic Barbero]

anyone else?

 

[benjamin dell]

Man this song has been stuck in my head for like 3 days. So weird that it pops up on reduser.

I love the stuff inside the box. Beautiful brown/red palette.
.

 

[Andy Roberts]

Great cinematography. But I must admit, I don't get the symbolism. What does it all mean?

 

[Domenic Barbero]

thanks andy. i didnt write the concept but i assume they are on their way to some ritualistic place. thats all i get out of it.

 

[Domenic Barbero]

anyone else? would really like some pro feedback. First time i feel really proud of what i shot. Whats good and what needs help?

 

[Ryan De Franco]

overall there's a consistency thing going on. some shots are very well framed and lit, others are more a bit more raw. by which I mean more "documentary," more casual framing, some handheld. I personally like that you alternate between the two.


a little note that goes a long way: the first shot of the ascetic's face at :43 doesn't make him look like an ascetic, it looks like a guy with some grey on his face. later shots involve more makeup, but the introductory close-up doesn't quite sell as a guy who's been living this way for a long time, looks like a guy who's just trying to look like he has. which might be the point!


but the story suggests a man that's genuinely striving for some sort of spiritual beyond, rejecting the barn and it's inviting dust for the field, the rope, the robes and the masks…. so that first shot of his face, beat to hell, is pretty key.


four years ago shooting HD I'd say "man the make up artist did a shitty job this looks lame" and shake my head. these days in 4K I see the make up artist as important as my gaffer, keeping talent and story tight and good looking, I try to make a relationship happen where she (usually a she!) sees the monitor and works together during lighting to make it perfect.


nice that the dolly where she gets up is continuous from close up to wide.


great reveal of the hut moving, right on the crash in the song. great shot of the rope, and the son moving into the roses afterwards. the old man looking about with the dust falling is also experly framed.


the first shot of roses falling felt a little too staged, but from personal experience I know how hard it is to make those damn things fall in a way that doesn't look staged. the final wide, on the other hand, was awesome, felt like the perfect balance between cinematic and believable.


overall images that are going to haunt me. nicely done. I would say slightly tighter framing sometimes wouldn't hurt, but that's purely a style thing, you've got a great thing going.

 

[Domenic Barbero]

ryan this is exactly what i was hoping for. Thanks so much. I had little say in make up and shot selection being that i didnt direct. but i will gladly relay the message.

 

[Tom Gray]

Scarlet always looks like video to me for some reason esp. with overhead box, can't put a finger on it

 

[Jeff J Daniels]

Great work Domenic! Loved the style and color palette.
The textures in the man's hair, burlap fabric, barn sequence are beautiful. RED really shines there.

Loved the framing and grade for the most part.

My only critique would be the interior of the box feels very studio. Not necessarily a bad thing stylistically, more of a lighting critique.

Not sure I fully understood the symbolism, but overall I loved the look and feel. Nice work!