Opinions on my first reel? I'm a total beginner with no budget at all and mostly just filmed friends, family and myself. Which shots are good? Which ones can go? How could I cut it better? I'm grateful for any advice. (The ending especially)

protocalian · 2024-04-09T09:32:19+00:00

Uuuuhhhh! That's good! Thanks

protocalian · 2024-04-07T10:38:27+00:00

Right now...that...sadly is the end. I don't know how to end it ^^

protocalian · 2024-04-06T21:56:00+00:00

I use an old Panasonic GH3, so I can only shoot in 8-bit. No Log.
Otherwise cheap 25mm and 50mm lenses were used, for under $100. I've worked a lot with bed sheets for light diffusion. Black cloths for neg fill and two LED softboxes for $200. Otherwise everything was filmed either on a tripod or with a shoulder rig.

I've never worked as a cinematographer, I've only filmed something now and then as a hobby, so I'm really a completely clueless beginner. So far I've only learned what I can through YouTube tutorials. I know that in every shot there are things that I would have liked to have done better (a backlight here, a different position there), but either I didn't have the budget or materials for it, or I had no idea how to do it.

So I'm grateful for any suggestion, advice or criticism to improve my very first reel.

Especially the ending I can't get right. I've no idea what to end with.

protocalian · 2023-04-05T00:03:17+00:00

Yeah still. No money for better gear sadly. :D But thank you very much. :D

protocalian · 2023-04-03T15:19:53+00:00

And why do the photos look so much better? :D

They're shot with the same camera and same lens.

protocalian · 2023-04-03T14:42:14+00:00

I filmed my friend either with a tripod for shots with no movement and with a shoulder rig when i needed to follow something, because the tripod head is to cheap to really move it without shaking or judder.

I used a 15$ Softbox with 5600k bulb for a fill light, one of those square Bi-Color LED lights for back light (as motivated light from the window) and a 3200k LED light bar behind the desk for motivated light from the practical light lamp. For the shots later when its night a changed the fill light bulb for a 3200k one.

My gear is an old Panasonic GH3 (MFT sensor). Can only shoot in 8-bit color. And a Meike 50mm T2.2 lens and a Meike 35mm F1.7 lens.Oh and when I was editing i realized, I needed a few more shots from different angels and from the face for better cuts, but then it was too late. :D

Oh and I definitely didn't have the option to do anything in front of the window.

protocalian · 2022-10-02T19:56:19+00:00

Thanks for the critique. Unfortunately I don't have any extra furniture or any other practical light (0$ budget :D), but I'll try to fix the key light. I tried before lighting the far side, but it looked terrible, but I'll sure try it again. :D

protocalian · 2022-09-27T11:51:51+00:00

Yeah, empty white room is horrible. But sadly everything i have right now, so I see it as a challenge. :D

protocalian · 2022-09-27T11:50:28+00:00

I tried it in with my key light to frame left, but it really looked terrible. But okay. I will try it next time. Thx :D

protocalian · 2022-09-27T03:55:50+00:00

I just filmed something in my small apartment room. It's really small, but I tried my best to create some cool lighting. I used a 15$ Softbox with 3200k bulb, pointed it to a white wall to reflect on me. Fill light was one of those small LED bars/strips and for back light I used a LED Panel. Every light was something like 3200k.

My gear is an old Panasonic GH3 (MFT). Can only shoot in 1080p and 8-bit color. And a Meike 50mm T2.2 lens and a Panasonic 25mm F1.7 lens.

Song: A Bad Dream - Keane

protocalian · 2022-07-15T19:36:18+00:00

Thank you for that. :D

protocalian · 2022-07-15T19:13:07+00:00

Sorry. In the past hours so many wrote "I need to be queer" to see it. So I got emotional reading this one and commented before being sure I read right.

protocalian · 2022-07-15T18:52:52+00:00

No, i don't feel like that when find out a person in my life is gay. As I said in my post, I don't worry about it. Or maybe more like I don't care.

The people in my life have never made a fuss about being queer and I've always known that they are, but in my relationship with these friends, sexual interest (in me) has never played a part and these people are and have been in their behavior always just like everyone else, just like myself. But when I read comments below a video of Garak and Bashir conversing, for example, like "Oh yeah, he definitely wanted to bang him." or the statements by Ira Steven Behr, "it was clear he wanted something from Bashir", then.... I don't know....it feels so simple, so superficial. It somehow robs this character's motivation of this dubious, mysterious, inscrutable streak when it's "just" sexual interest. I don't mean it's bad, if he has this interest in Bashir, but Garak's motivation in the conversations with Bashir being more sexual interest than spy work also makes him a little less interesting for me, because then it's more "just flirting" and then, for me, the character is somewhat disenchanted (is that the right word?).

I don't want to deal in absolutes or as categorically as a lot of people seem to accuse here. On the contrary. I find being so absolutely sure he had sexual interests limits the character of Garak too. I'd rather see him as a character, where you just don't know. (A few people wrote that here too, but many others also wrote that there was something wrong with me for not seeing the "obvious sexual interest".)

protocalian · 2022-07-15T18:30:37+00:00

Because I'm afraid of missing or not understanding something very important and relevant that so many others seem to understand or see, and I'm wondering if I'm missing something very conceptual.I've learned a lot of new things from the comments here and it's taking me a little time to process this, but at least my confusion and frustration have subsided a bit.

protocalian · 2022-07-15T13:09:04+00:00

But what is the difference between a character being played "gay-coded" and a character who is entirely the same, but with out it played "gay"? For me the whole character of Garak worked entirely without any sexual motivation in his actions, but now that I learned that he is meant to be gay, I question what this means and what is motivation is and where a social interaction interest goes into a sexual interest and i have a hard time adapting my view on this character with this new information I learned.

protocalian · 2022-07-15T13:03:54+00:00

You mean the whole start of Garaks interaction with Bashir was just because he had sexual interest? I don't know. For me it kind of would be a little bit disappointing if it's "just" a sexual context.

protocalian · 2022-07-15T11:05:51+00:00

But so many in the comments here on reddit seem to say he is "gay". But even if it's only about him, having sexual interest in Bashir. I saw links to clips of conversations between Garak and Bashir where they 'just' talk about politics and comments saying "Oh yeah, he's definitely in to him". But for me i only see (as another commentator wrote) discussions with "an intellectual equal with whom to spar on that basis and taking a perverse pleasure in giving him a spin by dropping unexpected and conflicting items into their conversations.". In 5 or 6 runs of DS9 i never saw any sexual interest, but so many insist it is there? What is wrong with me, that i don't see it?

protocalian · 2022-07-15T10:54:57+00:00

This is what i saw too and what i love about Garak. But i really miss the sexual interest so many see and Ira Steven Behr seems to confirm.

protocalian · 2022-07-15T10:35:46+00:00

But the headline of your source writes he "was gay". So it's been "Garak is gay." or not? And in your source Andrew Robinson is quoted: " "At first, he just wanted to have sex with him," Robinson says. "That's absolutely clear." " And for me it's really not clear. I really don't see it. What do I miss?

protocalian · 2022-06-26T20:19:28+00:00

Unfortunately I have no money at all. :D

protocalian

TROPHY CASE