making doc on bees

dlevanchuk

dlevanchuk

I was asked to help to film a short documentary about bees today in 6hrs.
Using t2i, with 18-55mm 3.5f, 28mm 2.4 lenses and 50mm 1.4

Has anybody did a similar type of the shoot with a bunch of fast moving angry insects? Any advice and suggestions on getting good looking shots for such miniature scale "actors"?

I also want to record a sound from the inside of their nest, but concerned about the bees ruining my t2i or my mic..


UPDATE:

Here is the video!
Music is still being mixed, so there is some work that is left to be completed. But the video is pretty much completed! Plus we have to add some narrative and some interview type of the shots during in place of black screen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUVJtggZuDw
 
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If you are worried about gunk, etc. on your mic cover it with an unlubricated condom. I did a shoot that involved a food fight where it worked very well, and use them on my mics when recording water sounds.
 
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Holy jesus, alcove..
I just can imagine the faces of the bee keepers..

"all right, are we ready for the shoot?" As I roll out a pack of Magnums...



I cant stop laughing lol

Does it really work?? won't the sound be dampened ?
 
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dlevanchuk said:
Does it really work?? won't the sound be dampened ?
Click to expand...

It works great, and as long as you keep them really tight over the mic the high end loss is pretty much unnoticeable.

Oh, yeah, get those really tiny hair ties to grip them onto the mic.



A scene from the book "M*A*S*H" that didn't make it into the movie...

The balloon grips for the anesthesia tubes are always breaking, so anesthesiologist would buy 200 condoms every month to use as replacements; "And they better not leak like the last batch!!!"
 
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Alcove: thanks for the advice! Now I can even shoot in the rain :) time to stop by at local sexshop.. For film gear... Lol


cf: Agreed. I ll call around, maybe I could bum 100mm from somebody.


I ll post the footage tonight. If Im not going to be stung to death.
 
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I'd try setting the camera on a tripod almost perpendicular to the nest entrance, maybe 75° to 80°, open up that aperture wide as possible and focus as close as possible on those little buggers coming in and out, and crawling around.

If your t2i has slo mo capabilities use that for sure!

Find out where they're going to get nectar, local crop field and adjacent vegetation, pull a few close ups from those, both bees at the nectar source and of the variety of nectar sources they utilize.

And if you wanna have some (semi dangerous) fun, at the field or along some nearby non-paved road, have someone else sensibly drive the car while you hang out the window simulating a bee's flight path, camera aimed down.
This would be easiest from the bed of a pick up truck being driven in reverse.
A few dozen yards ought to be sufficient.
Could be a pretty interesting effect.

GL!
Don't forget the epi-pen if you need one.
Honey bee stings aren't like wasp and yellow-jacket stings.

And for God's sake, get a closeup of anyone that does get stung!
If your macro capabilities can catch it, you might be able to see the nerve still pumping the poison in.
A little blood and swelling add drama, too.
 
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Having been around commercial bee keeping, you should have lots of good shots down into the hive, the top comes off and the frames full of honey come out one by one and get spun. Lots of cool action if your filming harvest.

The The bees are pretty docile this time o year in the NW, just expect a few stings and you'll be good. :)
 
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9B4e09e2e0s

went through some footage and quickly slapped some stuff together, just so I got something to show.

Will comeback to it tomorrow, and start doing some work!

Sorry, no sound yet
 
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Oh yea, I was able to get canon 100mm 2.4, and that lens was able to zap these lil buggers with no problem. I got about an hour worth of footage, now its a matter of digging through it, and find some good stuff
 
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Fascinating.
Very nice.

Those yellow jackets are some mean little aggressive SOBs, eh?
Bastards.

Love the couple sipping honey.
That was really cool.

What a wonderful experience it looks like.
 
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rayw said:
What a wonderful experience it looks like.
Click to expand...

It was intense. The bee keeper got stung in the face, arm, and a pinky finger. I wore a full body suit, but he refused to wear any (show off! :D )

Got to learn a whole lot about bees though.

Thats one of many things I love about filmmaking - learn and see things I never even thought about before!
 
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You have some really good National Geographic quality shots in there. The bee coming out of the cell was an AMAZING thing to see! I think the distance is perfect, any closer and bees start to look way scary, at this distance they still look like cute bees that we all know can sting but are sweet and nice, not like strange alien things that sometimes kill people! :) the little yellow jacket battle was cool too!
 
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