WLphoto

I loved it. Nice soundtrack too.

I changed the display name. Account should be in compliance now. This is a test to see that new name posts correctly and meets the minimum post requirements.

If you're handy, you could build a frame out of PVC pipe and plumbing fittings. It might be alittle slower to assemble than a commercially available frame, but it is easy to take apart if you lube the fittings with some soap. It's lightweight and cheap. For a VERY strong and rigid frame, build it out of square aluminum. Build it in six foot sections so you can pack and transport it reasonably. You would then have to buy fabric and sew a hem and some sort of ties or spandex to hold it to the frame. Good luck.

Avoid the temptation to blast extra lights at dark skin (Zone 1 or 2) to force it to appear Zone 6. Think in terms of surrounding the subject with glare. Use large light sources or fill cards placed near to the subject. Think about the contrast in your composition. A Zone 2 face next to zone 1 or 3 background will become lost without a rim light to provide some separation. A Zone 6 face next to a zone 5 or 7 background will have the same problem. I hope this helps. W.C.

regarding the 220/110 converter on ebay http://cgi.ebay.com/3000-W-110-220V-Voltag...oQQcmdZViewItem This item has a pigtail to plug which would fit European style 220v outlets. You would still need to replace the pigtail or create some adapters to go between this item and the US kitchen stove outlet, dry outlet, etc.

I get what you are trying to do. Tap into the 220 stove or dryer outlet and divide it into two 110 lines. Another post voiced concern about overloading the shared neutral. That is incorrect. The two legs of the power are on different phases and the shared neutral will be fine if you keep the load balanced. When you build the distro, arrange your outlets in two banks, one for each 110 volt leg. When you plug in your lights, try to distribute the load more or less evenly between the two banks. Bear in mind that the dryer circuit will be designed for 30 amps while the stove circuit is designed for 50 amps. You will have to remember these limits. "Today I am on a dryer circuit. I can only put 30 amps on each 'leg'." Maybe write it on the distro as a reminder for the less technically inclined? One more idea: Since recent code changes have changed 220 appliances from 3 pin to 4 pin design, it might be hard to buy one pigtail for your distro that fits every house. Newer houses will have 4 pin plugs while older ones will have 3, etc. Stove 4 pin doesn't fit dryer 4 pin, etc. If you are comfortable working inside an electrical panel you could avoid buying extra pigtails by building your dispro with a plain cable (3 wire #6 gauge with ground = big enough for 50 amps) . You could open the panel, turn off the breaker for the stove, disconnect the wires for the stove from the breaker, and then wire your distro into the stove's breaker. (Of course you would connect all 4 wires. Two hots to the breaker, white and ground to the neutral bar.) Then you would turn on the breaker to power your distro. The obvious disadvantage is that panel work is intimidating and you have to remember to replace the original stove hot wires at the end of the day. One benefit is your distro circuits would be more reliably grounded than if you had just plugged into an old three prong 220 outlet. It would save moving the stove, too. Final Caution: If all this sounds like Greek, please get help from somebody who understands household electricity. W.C.

Maybe you could make the zoetrope on a large bicycle wheel? Cut holes in matte board or foil to make the window shapes. Lazy susan idea is good. Or add a platform to a record turntable? Balance might work better if wheel is suspended above and the matteboard walls hang down like a lampshade. Another thought: If all you need is something flickering on the wall, (not distinct window shapes), maybe you could just aim a spot through a fan blade?

Black "cinefoil" is available at www.calumet.com www.bhphotovideo.com ---- cheaper

A strange question maybe, but how do you feel about you're work outliving you? I met a traveler from an antique land Who said: "Two vast and trunkless legs of stone Stand in the desert... Near them, on the sand, Half sunk a shattered visage lies, whose frown, And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command, Tell that its sculptor well those passions read Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things, The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed; And on the pedestal these words appear: My name is Ozymandius, King of Kings, Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair! Nothing beside remains. Round the decay Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare The lone and level sands stretch far away. - Percy Bysshe Shelley, "Ozymandius" Fame is fleeting and should not be a motivating factor. Fame and notoriety are primarily valuable as an asset for getting my next gig. "So what have you done lately?" "Well I worked on XYZ project." "Wow you must know what you're doing! Please work for us." I think like a craftsman. I want to do the best quality work possible and I want people to appreciate it when they see it. And I want to be well compensated for the value I added to the project. Accountants and tweakers who want a hurried hack job annoy me and are to be charged extra as punishment. Yes I will take less money if I can be proud of the result. Recognition is nice but I can't eat it. Recognition after I'm dead? That's funny to me.

FAR OUT!!! Congratulations. May I ask how you found the gig? Bulletin board? Industry contact?

1) Paid experience on the set is best. (Obviously.) 2) Any paid experience in which you are learning something and keeping your brain alive is good. News work teaches you to be fast. That is a valuable skill. But after a year or two you will probably know all there is to know about editing spot news. If they let you edit features that would be good experience for a few more years. Eventually you will grow to love journalism and get promoted to producer, or you'll have had enough and move on. 3) Anything related to your chosen field beats selling shoes or hanging drywall. 4) Any job that keeps the bills paid is better than no job at all. There is tremendous anxiety in being a starving artist who refuses to get a day job. There is tremendous satisfaction in putting food on the table, even if you don't like the job. If your phone number is disconnected, you can't get any film work and the dream is over. Period. Sunday I had a shoot. Monday I was a plumber. Tuesday I worked on my own house. Wednesday I had a shoot. Tomorrow I will be an electrician. My wife is a drummer on weekends and she cleans houses. If you're not in your chosen field full time, you'll piece it together somehow. One more thought. Not all your career experience has to come from the job. You can film your own projects. Volunteer to shoot an educational film for your church or create an ad for the Humane Society. Hope this helps, W.C.

I agree with others that the "behind the scenes" shot did not work. Fade up from black might be nice. Some people objected, but I don't mind the music choice. Quiet and pensive in the beginning. Up tempo and intense in the middle. Fade back to sad and pensive. Now try to fit the scene selection to match this trajectory. Maybe put the soldier battle scenes in the middle section? Longer, darker cuts at the end. I did not like the band images. Too jarring, commercial, didn't fit the tempo of this soundtrack, in the middle of so many quiet natural light portraits. Others' advice about not returning to earlier scenes is sensible. The exception would be if you could edit them so that the storylines weave together and form a short narrative that wraps up at the end of the song. That would be difficult if they weren't orginally scripted to fit together. Beautiful portrait lighting, by the way. W.C.

Loved both reels. I am not a big fan of electronic dance music and at first I thought it was odd in an office setting (on the commercial reel), but I quickly got over it as my mind dived into the story line. Fine work, W.C.

Joel I too am in a small market and have struggled to find gigs worthy of my training and gear. I take a lot of small "charity" cases just to keep my hand in the trade. There are lots of churches, local theater groups, starving artists, small businessmen, and struggling bands which could never afford to pay for a professional production. At the risk of being corny and philosophical, "The best way to achieve your dream is by helping someone else achieve theirs." Don't get discouraged, Joel. Your ship will come in. You have a stable income and your gear is all payed for and in good working condition. A lot of people would love to be in your shoes. You have enormous freedom to create anything you want. One more thought. Do you get out and meet people? If you are a techie and talk more to your computer than to people, you might have to push yourself to meet more folks. Almost every job I get is through networking. I suck at introducing myself, but it really is the way to find gigs. Tell everybody you know that you are a film maker (not a computer guy.) Read some marketing books for more insight on networking and selling yourself. I like the suggestions others have made: make your own short film or music video. Film somebody's wedding or your kid's school. Stretch yourself into a director/producer and make a sample you can show future customers. You've invested in the gear. Now invest in your reel. By the way, back to my story. Does shooting small local bands for next to no money really lead to better things? In my case, after shooting local bands for the last three years, one of them is taking off. They were just signed by an investor and are now planning a two month tour. And I will be shooting some of their concerts.... W.C.

This is a film school project? Great job! I Love the concept. And the concept is the most important part IMHO. A few suggestions: As a long time product photographer, I would like to see at least one tight shot of the shoe with the logo visible. Maybe the shoe splashing, impacting the ball, or flexing in slow motion and not too much mud on the logo area. Second from last shot. I would like to see more pride and satisfaction in the actor's expression. He just finished his masterpiece! Final shot. I don't like looking at the actors backside when he bends over- I can't tell what he is doing and I am getting mooned. I would suggest turning him 90 degrees to the camera so we can see him pick the ball up. Maybe light him as a silhouette? I think you have a winner on your hands. Definitely find out the name of the marketing director at Adidas and present it to him/her. They might just buy the concept from you and reshoot it, they might buy the film as is, or they might even hire you to direct some more! Good luck! W.C.