When I first watched this video on Vimeo, I was drawn in by the fantastic cinematography, and the atmosphere that is created in Alan Williams studio. The visuals hooked me but as his story, and discussion about process unfolded, I knew I was here for the full 8-minute duration. After watching it with the sound on, I muted the audio and watched it again, full screen and really looked at the way this was shot, edited, and composed. Ben Cox does a really nice job of framing his shots and using shallow depth of field to focus the viewer on specific elements within the frame. Lighting and color grading come together to really help enhance the story and create a mood that captures Alan Williams personality and the artwork he creates. This short has such a solid look, and great story hooks as well, it’s definitely going in the visual reference library for inspiration at a later date.
Color Grading
GlassFin Shows How it Made the Honda Wave.
Every day people see commercials on TV, the internet, in movie theaters, their mobile handset, etc. Most of the time we never really think about the amount of work that goes into the final production of that 30 to 60 second clip. The reality is, there is a boat load of post work that is done, after a boat load of on set production work. Then there is the preproduction work, with scripts, storyboards, style frames, and more. Below are two videos that show just how much post work goes into making that commercial sexy enough to maybe get you to buy a product.
The videos from Glassfin are for the Honda Wave 110. The first shows the final directors cut of the spot. A whopping thirty seconds of video. The second shows the compositing and post production breakdown of how this was put together with live action footage, CGI, particle systems, color grading, and so much more. If you have ever been curious about what it takes to make an award winning commercial, this is an excellent example.
“Unbound” Arbor Skateboards + James Kelly + RED.
When you take a RED camera and film one of the best downhill skateboard racers in the world free riding, the results can be pretty amazing. The film below from Arbor Collective features James Kelly simply having fun, going fast, flying downhill.
While this film has a great look to it with a desaturated color pallet, and interspersed slow motion shots, one thing that really makes it is the sense of speed. The way this is filmed, you get a sense of just how fast he is going. You see the wobbles, fumbles, and near spills. All of this helps build the sensation of movement and speed, while capturing the grace and athleticism of this sport. Great little short film with a soundtrack from the movie Django Unchained for bonus points.
“VO to Hero”. Thursday Morning Inspiration.
The right gear, a simple yet effective story, talented individuals behind the camera and working post make this short film. Shot on a RED EPIC, Michael Shainblum, and Maxwell Frank have created a beautiful little film championing those at the beginning of their journey. This short film has an absolutely wonderful look to it. Shallow depth of field, atmosphere, really nice color grading that accentuates the overall feel of the story. Definitely worth taking a few minutes to watch.
Modular 4 