Still Video

[Mark Hampton]

I have not be on much as I am working on a video project at the moment - all stills - the song is about 4 mins long - lots of pictures to make that time work - here are a couple;

M - Hampton - stills

M - Hampton - stills​

thanks for looking in - will be posting more when I get time..

cheers

 

[Cem_Usakligil]

You've got my full interest Mark, the teaser photos are very effective. Let's hear more about this project please.

Cheers,

 

[Sandrine Bascouert]

Yes , I agree with Cem. I don't know if the sibject "plays" anger or if it's real life anger...But in any case, well rendered!

 

[Mark Hampton]

Yes , I agree with Cem. I don't know if the sibject "plays" anger or if it's real life anger...But in any case, well rendered!

Sandrine / Clem,

the song is called I wish I had someone else to blame - by the electric sugar children - Linky

finishing a draft edit at the moment - the song is angry and bitter self introspection.... of missed opportunities ....

I decided to use stills ... I didnt want the delusion of real time or objectiveness... I have no idea how to compress it down further than the 70 mg it is at the moment - when I do some reading and give it to the band I will post a link...

thanks for the interest...


cheers

 

[Umesh Bhatt]

pardon me...but, there is something funky about this. In looking at the image - It feels that the focus plane of both eyes are almost the same - but one of the eye is completely out of focus...Also - it appears that the front edge of the hood and the jacket are more in focus (although blurred) than the nose. Is your lens AF tuned?

Although - Without seeing the video - it is hard to comment on the still alone...How are you stitching the video from stills?

 

[Mark Hampton]

pardon me...but, there is something funky about this. In looking at the image - It feels that the focus plane of both eyes are almost the same - but one of the eye is completely out of focus...Also - it appears that the front edge of the hood and the jacket are more in focus (although blurred) than the nose. Is your lens AF tuned?

Although - Without seeing the video - it is hard to comment on the still alone...How are you stitching the video from stills?

Umesh,

the selective focus you point out is achieved using a tilt lens - linky... settings were 2.8 with a full tilt in the opposite direction of the sitter (in relation to the camera) - a rotation was also applied so the focus plane was angled...

thanks for looking

 

[Mark Hampton]

M - Hampton - stills​

I was almost there with the rough cut then I rendered and noticed the eyebrows are exhibiting a strange pattern when the image is moving.... I didn't want to achieve this and find it distracting so it must go...

any thoughts on the above ?

then I look at the 3rd verse and think - I need more footage to sustain this ... I am missing a scene ... i dance up and down and chant "I am missing a scene" then think moving images make you act like a child!

On a more positive note I can get the file to 10mgs and its still watchable !

cheers

 

[Cem_Usakligil]

Hi Mark,

..the song is called I wish I had someone else to blame - by the electric sugar children - Linky

I have enjoyed the song. The intro sounded a lot like Live until the singer kicked in. The ending lacked the guitar solo or the oomph I came to expect while listening. But a nice song, no doubt.

M - Hampton - stills​

I was almost there with the rough cut then I rendered and noticed the eyebrows are exhibiting a strange pattern when the image is moving.... I didn't want to achieve this and find it distracting so it must go...

any thoughts on the above ?

then I look at the 3rd verse and think - I need more footage to sustain this ... I am missing a scene ... i dance up and down and chant "I am missing a scene" then think moving images make you act like a child!

On a more positive note I can get the file to 10mgs and its still watchable !

The last picture is quite good and in line with the others. The difference being, we cannot guess about his state of emotions as easily as in the previous ones. What I see here is more akin to sorrow or sadness than anger.

So how did you deal with the eyebrows then? And do you have the time and the possibility to shoot additional footage for verse #3? I am really looking forward to see the results.

PS: The 10 MB (is that what you've meant with 10mgs) sounds quite low for a 4.5 min clip. What frame size, fps and encoding are you using?

Cheers,

 

[Mark Hampton]

Cem,

click on the black image - it takes you to the start of the song only a aboot a min or so... gives you an idea of whats happening

​

for small files - windows media player /12fps / 360*264 / 1 pass / no blur

large (100+ mgs) -MP4 264 - /25fps / 1280*720 / 2 pass / no blur

cheers

 

[Sandrine Bascouert]

Hi mark, this is very nice...I wish I could do that! The song reminds me something like an old nick cave stuff (Brighton and Hove resident hehehe!) with your video, it will be a killer! all the best for the rest!

 

[Asher Kelman]

Mark,

I find the change in background as the early still images show gives an interesting way of showing time compressed. I wonder whether you considered having the pictures transition with a soft exchange as opposed to a jump cut?

Is that staccato transition between images needed for your concept and execution?

Asher

 

[Mark Hampton]

Hi mark, this is very nice...I wish I could do that! The song reminds me something like an old nick cave stuff (Brighton and Hove resident hehehe!) with your video, it will be a killer! all the best for the rest!

Sandrine,
thanks for the encouragement on this... I think they will like the nick cave comparison.... glad you liked the start...


cheers

 

[Mark Hampton]

Mark,

I find the change in background as the early still images show gives an interesting way of showing time compressed. I wonder whether you considered having the pictures transition with a soft exchange as opposed to a jump cut?

Is that staccato transition between images needed for your concept and execution?

Asher

Asher - I looked at fades - but the felt they were not the correct approach in this case... that been said its just rough so until its stable nothing is ruled out.

the staccato - is a key element - I wanted to show the breaking of time/person/place - of dis - continuity. in my original idea it was almost unwatchable (which I liked) ... i put it back together in a more conventional manner .... to answer the question its a concept and a compromise.

thanks for questions.

cheers

 

[Asher Kelman]

the staccato - is a key element - I wanted to show the breaking of time/person/place - of dis - continuity.

Well the background to the pictures of the man is changing rapidly anyway. So it might be counterintuitive but might actually work well with a fade.

in my original idea it was almost unwatchable (which I liked) ... i put it back together in a more conventional manner .... to answer the question its a concept and a compromise.

Can we see the original. Maybe show both.

Asher

 

[Mark Hampton]

Well the background to the pictures of the man is changing rapidly anyway. So it might be counterintuitive but might actually work well with a fade.



Can we see the original. Maybe show both.

Asher

Asher - I was talking about the guy drinking ?are your talking about the close up of the face / slowed down?

there are 3 sections in the video - the spin - the slow moving portraits and the chorus / drinking bit... i think we are talking about different sections! lol

cheers

 

[Mark Hampton]

So how did you deal with the eyebrows then?

Cheers,

Aahh Cem,

I went back to the drawing board - I reworked the images in ACR / worked the animation back in Bridge - re named frames when I was happy with the cuts - then image processed them to tiffs @ 1920 / 1440 - fired them into PS and exported them once I was happy with the animation again I then export to video and - the artefact's gone.

so had to do the whole thing again from the start - but I was polishing it so it was a good in that it meant I had to look deep into the edit again.

​

click the above to view. In HD it looks good - tones / detail holds well

cheers

 

[Mark Hampton]

​

Almost Half way - working on the breakdown at the end at the moment - there are some images that need remade but its almost there.... hope it Dls ok...

cheers

 

[Sandrine Bascouert]

As you remember I subscribed to your "photobucket" account (So I know before the others). I can't wait the day you'll finish it... I've got a small community of French music lovers around me, all young, I'm like the grand mother.... If I can help in any way to pass the word across the channel, it would be with great pleasure, and it's not a favour...I really love the song, I really love your video. I think you both (the band and the photographer) are into something great.

 

[Mark Hampton]

As you remember I subscribed to your "photobucket" account (So I know before the others). I can't wait the day you'll finish it... I've got a small community of French music lovers around me, all young, I'm like the grand mother.... If I can help in any way to pass the word across the channel, it would be with great pleasure, and it's not a favour...I really love the song, I really love your video. I think you both (the band and the photographer) are into something great.

Sandrine,

man, thanks for the support, its appreciated more than I can express ! I am working to get this done by the weekend.... when its done I will post links etc...

if you have any suggestions they will be taken on board... I am sure the band would love to get a trip to France !

take care and thanks again.

 

[Mark Hampton]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkRusPsoSeA

cheers

 

[Cem_Usakligil]

Excellent Mark, this coming along quite nicely. I like the recent (?) addition of the.double portrait of the woman and the drops in the sink. On the whole, the flickering rate seems to increase towards the end and it made me kind of yearn that it should end sooner as it became tiring to watch it for more than 4 mins. But this is my personal opinion, ymmv. Absolutely brilliant otherwise

Cheers,

 

[Mark Hampton]

Excellent Mark, this coming along quite nicely. I like the recent (?) addition of the.double portrait of the woman and the drops in the sink. On the whole, the flickering rate seems to increase towards the end and it made me kind of yearn that it should end sooner as it became tiring to watch it for more than 4 mins. But this is my personal opinion, ymmv. Absolutely brilliant otherwise

Cheers,

Hi Cem,

thanks for the comments - we are looking at the breakdown at the moment - so this may change - personally I like things to get to a painful level - but have held back - I cant believe bands want people to watch through till the end !

all in all its been an interesting experience working with still images over time and has given me a few new ideas...

cheers

 

[Sandrine Bascouert]

I also like the sink sequence.... The flickering doesn't bother me, more would be a bit annoying, I reckon... the "wish I had someone else to blame" is stuck in my head for 2 days now...Thank you mark

 

[Cem_Usakligil]

... the "wish I had someone else to blame" is stuck in my head for 2 days now...Thank you mark

Ditto. I blame Mark, definitely

 

[Mark Hampton]

Ditto. I blame Mark, definitely

Sandrine /Clem,

they are back in the studio on april 2nd/3rd - working towards a new album - I think the video will be set free with the EP.

as for the song - I have heard it so many times - its kind of lodged into my brain !

feedback has been positive from the band and followers.

cheers

 

[Charlotte Thompson]

Mark

Intense and inspiring-
you should further this art
deep black and white shadows IMHO would enhance this-


Charlotte-

 

[Mark Hampton]

Mark

Intense and inspiring-
you should further this art
deep black and white shadows IMHO would enhance this-


Charlotte-

Charlotte,

thanks for the thoughts - I am in the process of flatting this down and playing around with the image qualities ( the band like it the way it is but I am looking for eye bleed) I have been careful so far with the tonality that I used to keep motifs in the space we had originally agreed.

Its funny - the process is collaborative to an extent - which is not what I am used to - so I tend to work for the team even when its not the outcome I desire. At the end of the day I get to remix my own mix !

I am sure there will be some more updates - if I could get that silver / black you sometimes manage I will be happy.

cheers

 

[Charlotte Thompson]

Mark

that silver I get most always is luck playing with process of light and shadow- like some kind of hat trick/LOL...your work is always interesting to me because it's outside of the box which is a good thing" keep on keepin' on"

 

[Mark Hampton]

Mark

that silver I get most always is luck playing with process of light and shadow- like some kind of hat trick/LOL...your work is always interesting to me because it's outside of the box which is a good thing" keep on keepin' on"

Ahh Boxes -

got the remix started !


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vwjPdq2Tnc


somethings is kickin off !

cheers

 

[Jerome Marot]

If I may voice a negative opinion: I think you got carried away and went too far with the video edit and the last audio version. It becomes too confusing.