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watch "Tension Head": New Documentary Short

spinner

spinner

My newest documentary short is now online :)

As always, I thank my fellow IndieTalkers for their invaluable guidance and advice as I worked on this doc. I have been saved many times by you guys! I even think I am beginning to figure out audio alittle.

TENSION HEAD is the band out of Mid-Michigan that I prepared the music video for. They sometimes refer to their music "Trucker Metal". This doc talks about their beginnings, influences and their performances over the 2007 summer months, leading up to the MySpace Demand It! contest they won to gain a coveted opening slot for the band Hell Yeah. (Hell Yeah is made up of members of Mudvayne, Nothingface and the remaining members of the revered band Pantera) Yeah, it was a big deal for them.

This version of the doc, is the short version, 15 minutes cut down from 23 minutes. I will eventually get the longer version up as it will be the one sent to film fests, but for now, Here It Is :)

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=2089441649

I hope you like it... as always, I look forward to your critiques.

-- spinner :cool:
 
Now that I think about it, here's some info you might appreciate:

The doc was shot on DVX 100a, there are some shots that you can tell that were NOT shot on DVX. This was a Panasonic GS-65, you can get it at best buy.

Audio was a AudioTechnica shotgun mic, AudioTechnica AT835.

The tripod I used was a Manfrotto/ with a bogen fluid head.

I edited on Mac PowerBook G4 using Final Cut Pro HD, (the HD version will cut standard)

I used all ambient light, I tend to prefer to have everything look like it does in the venue when the audience is there. I only raised the gain alittle. I like the way the DVX handles low light, it is capable of more than I used it for.

I have yet to learn Soundtrack or LiveType, but that is next on the agenda for me...

Fire away!

-- spinner :cool:
 
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I was talking about the program soundtrack pro you mentioned having to learn in the post before that...I'm going to watch the piece a little later tonight...sorry about the confusion.
 
That was well done, not necessarily my kind of music, but they sound pretty good and the interviews were well done.
 
Hey Spinner!

This came out great! You've got a good mix of music and interviews. The band seems very likable (does the singer ever perform without a bottle in his hand???) ;) The concert footage looks good as well. There is some motion in the camera movement, but I think that adds to the realism/energy of what's going on in the room. It moving, but fluid. I've seen much jerkier camera movement in footage like that. The music also sounded pretty decent in the live performances ... all things considered. I'd be curious to know how you got the audio recorded from the live performances (without blowing/distorting the recording). And even though you could not get the camera in for the big opening gig, the still photos were a nice effective replacement. It actually worked to an advantage in that it offered a change up in the live footage style -- kept things from looking too much the same. And as a final note -- I was very happy to see the music synchronized with the actual performances! Nice job!
 
John@Bophe said:
Hey Spinner!
This came out great! You've got a good mix of music and interviews. The band seems very likable (does the singer ever perform without a bottle in his hand???) ;)
Click to expand...

Chuck always performs with that bottle in his hand. Its part of his "thing" :lol: Someone else asked me the same thing and I told them, however, that beer or no beer, I have never seen him drunk on stage and that's a good thing.


I'd be curious to know how you got the audio recorded from the live performances (without blowing/distorting the recording).
Click to expand...

I didn't. The music used with the pictures is from their CD. By the way, I have just gotten better at holding my camera steady. I do a better job when I get some exercise and work out my arms. That's all the incentive I need to get back in the gym.


And even though you could not get the camera in for the big opening gig, the still photos were a nice effective replacement. It actually worked to an advantage in that it offered a change up in the live footage style -- kept things from looking too much the same. And as a final note -- I was very happy to see the music synchronized with the actual performances! Nice job!
Click to expand...

Thanks for watching it, J. I can always use all the critiquing I can get, I want to always do better than my last project. All the audio I am getting with my shotgun mic. I hope that I will be able to work with the audio guys at these shows to get better sound. There's this one guy, nice guy, bad audio guy, so I've been avoiding getting sound from the board, but I am getting to know the techs better now.

I am glad you enjoyed it. I love doing these!

-- spinner :cool:
 
John@Bophe said:
I'd be curious to know how you got the audio recorded from the live performances (without blowing/distorting the recording).
Click to expand...

I just realized that you asked about the live performances, not just the one we couldn't get.

My camera has levels that you can set, so during the sound checks and the other performances, I set my levels to what seems like mid range or just below mid range. It seems to work for me.


-- spinner :cool:
 
That was pretty cool. :cool:

Shame you couldn't get footage of the Hell Yeah! & Otep show, though.

Rock on.
smiley_rock.gif
 
Thanks, Zen :)

I am hoping that in the future I will be able to get to more locations to make things look alittle better as well. I am trying to come up with more interesting places to tape the bands I do this for...


-- spinner :cool:
 
Hey Spinner


Hey Spinner,

Girl, you got it going on! I loved the documentary...I want to work with you!

Yours truly,

Triple threat
 
Thanks for checking it out, Tameka! :)

As for working together, well, aren't you in NY? I guess we'll have to see!:P


-- spinner :cool:
 
They've got a killer sound. I'll have to keep up when their CD releases. It must have taken hours to match up the CD audio with the live performances.
 
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