constructive criticism wanted!

[sxesrt]

just wanted to see what you guys think of the quality of my new t3is video. I'm brand new to video/photography altogether and just wanted input on the quality/color composition. took me a while to edit the video to my desired liking but think I nailed the look im going to be going for color grading wise.

try to look past the shakiness too. 😛
getting a monopod shortly!

constructive criticism is greatly appreciated!

http://vimeo.com/m/69939377

[fyigmo63]

One constructive criticism/suggestion would be if you're intent on shooting video I'd recommend buying a tripod with a fluid head (or if you already own a good tripod...like a Manfrotto...buy a fluid head for it.  For shooting video, you won't regret it.

As for the video itself, the colors are a bit washed out.  I'd utilize whatever video editing tool you have to reduce that effect and bring out the colors better.  Subject of the girls at breakfast is always a winner, they're in a natural state and cute just chomping away.

[TCampbell]

Conceptually I like what you've done.  I like your framing and your use of selective focus.  You're get a look that you normally wouldn't get with a camcorder.

Comments:

- I'm not a big fan of the faded look -- I see that as over-used these days so I don't think of it as being a unique "look".  The exception is when I see it used specifically in nostalgic settings (e.g. scenes which don't contain any modern subjects to spoil the idea that this might really be old film.)

- Check to see if your video editing software has a shake-reduction.  If you want to do hand-held shots, there are lots of Steadi-cam type mounts (Steadi-cam is a brand, but there are lots of copies).  I know a few people who have made their own.  The key is balancing the weight on the top and bottom.  If it's not balanced then when you move the camera forward/backward or sideways, the inertia of the heaviest weight will cause the camera to tilt.  But if it's balanced, it wont tilt... it'll remain level.

- The biggest comment I would suggest is about the focus hunt.  That's fairly distracting.  You can think about it two ways... do you want your videos to be videos about your "subjects" or do you want your videos to be more about "you using a camera to film things"?  When the image is stable, smooth, and focus is natural, viewers "forget about the camera" and they just focus on watching and enjoying your content.  When the video contains video artifacts (focus issues, stability issues, lighting, sound... etc.) then the viewer cannot forget about the camera because there are constant reminders of it.

If your scenes are pre-planned then you can use a piece of masking tape around the ring, then use a marker to put focus marks on the tape.  While shooting... you can move your focus from mark to mark and nail your focus every time (focusing manually... not using auto-focus).  The downside of this is that it does require that you pre-plan your shots...  this is a bit more time consuming, but it's a transition from candid video-recording into more of a deliberate film-making thought process.

I'm guessing that since you asked for comments and critique on your video, you're looking to do more of the latter.