short film shot with still camera

charleslim · 13th August 2007

hi guys - i think i posted a couple of months ago about making an entire short film with a still camera. Well, here's a rough cut - at this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIbxR4dVtxw
A different more updated will be shown at the singapore short cuts.
with half of the full resolution -- (i couldn't get a 2K projector) with a panasonic HD projector. With life sounds and music!

yep it's a silent film

please give me yer feed back - if it's lousy, how it makes you feel? thoughs and first impressions. fire away

Patryk · 13th August 2007

Hi Charles,

Very interesting, was alot more smoother than I had expected. Some shots looked very much like they came straight out of a movie cam.

However, in my opinion, the very fluid movement of the characters seem to diminish the fact that it was painstakingly made with thousands of still shots. I was half hoping for a cross between the 'jaggedness' of stop-motion photography and the fluidity of a motion camera (something like the scene of the shoolboy eating the flower). Aesthetically I was also expecting something much more different with the possibilities of shooting this way (more creative use of lighting, post processing of shots to change the mood of the scenes, etc..).

Then again, it is still as you mentioned, the rough cut, which is a very commendable effort - especially in terms of getting the fluid motion of the characters. However in terms of the photography and aesthetics, I would hope you milk this method for what it has to offer as you progress to the final cut.

Other than the juxtaposition of ordinary people located in the jungle, I'm not quite sure of the intention of the film. Maybe you could fill me in on this?

I do like the girl in the pink dress though. Very mysterious, spooky even, yet the character still engages you to want to know more about her. I quite like the three intial shots of her, especially the one with her muddied feet - interesting direction and very well framed.

Hope you take my comments and critizisms in good light, just my two cents worth. All the best on completing your project...

shojibake · 14th August 2007

This is a great effort! Are you using after effects morphing between frames for some of the shots? like patryk i was expecting the more traditional 6-12fps stop motion, which i rather prefer for the same reasons. I'd also would have liked a more jan svankmajer slant to it.

The operatic music is a great choice.

charleslim · 14th August 2007

thanks for your comments. A couple of my friends also made the same comments, which was a surprise, considering the amount of work I put into the footages to get rid of those jerky, haha - the jerky parts you see are when I basically got lazy and left it.
The story is written by my wife, basically this is our first attempt at making a film together.
The story is that these are everyday folks going about their day doing their normal stuff, all of a sudden they are in the jungle. Originally we wanted to show how dislocated their minds are, by showing a couple of seconds of them not being aware of the 'teleportation'. Then the realization happens and there are different reactions.
abit like 'lost' but no plane fall out of the sky.
The last bit with the floating kid was my idea.

YES - I morphed it to create extra frames. basically I tortured my camera and actors, so that the morphing function could work BEST. Slow movement and sharp images, and fire as fast as I can. Maybe I should make a making of.... it's quite fun honestly!

Right now I am rendering a few more shots (pickups) and hopefully it will help.
Another 2 days of rendering! omg

photographique · 14th August 2007

How to make such film with a still camera, would you share it again?

Thanks.

nonchann · 15th August 2007

amazing stuff. i couldn' tell that it was shot with a still camera, i am not sure if that's a good thing. some of the cast members look familar...from Wee Lilin's "gone shopping"? I thought i saw princess hayumi.haha.

charleslim · 15th August 2007

actually I am the hubby of Wee Li Lin. She was the one who casted the actors and came up with this story. So yes, you are right, it's like a gone shopping episode gone crazy.

frame interpolation, which is designed to make normal video go slow mo.
I forced this process on jpegs shot from my still camera firing as fast as it can. This smoothens out the movement without resolution loss, because it is creating inbetween frames by morphing.
please ask more if you don't understand.

It's kindna nice cause it means we can all make cinema resolution films with our still cameras.

nonchann · 16th August 2007

Originally Posted by charleslim

actually I am the hubby of Wee Li Lin. She was the one who casted the actors and came up with this story. So yes, you are right, it's like a gone shopping episode gone crazy.

frame interpolation, which is designed to make normal video go slow mo.
I forced this process on jpegs shot from my still camera firing as fast as it can. This smoothens out the movement without resolution loss, because it is creating inbetween frames by morphing.
please ask more if you don't understand.

It's kindna nice cause it means we can all make cinema resolution films with our still cameras.

Wow! Really?? Amazing...haha... I really enjoyed Gone Shopping though. It's quirky but fun. i

Hayumi.hahahaha.

basically...are you trying to recreate a 35mm film camera on a dlsr?

photographique · 16th August 2007

Originally Posted by charleslim

actually I am the hubby of Wee Li Lin. She was the one who casted the actors and came up with this story. So yes, you are right, it's like a gone shopping episode gone crazy.

frame interpolation, which is designed to make normal video go slow mo.
I forced this process on jpegs shot from my still camera firing as fast as it can. This smoothens out the movement without resolution loss, because it is creating inbetween frames by morphing.
please ask more if you don't understand.

It's kindna nice cause it means we can all make cinema resolution films with our still cameras.

What is the resolution of the photos u used?

charleslim · 16th August 2007

I think 2000+ by 1500+ pixel - that's 2K
Yep that's the idea.
Thanks - she would be glad to know.

jaegersing · 16th August 2007

Charles, very interesting shots. What software did you use for the frame interpolation?

charleslim · 18th August 2007

i used final cut pro with twixtor plugin - there's another program which you can try called retimer by realviZ. I saw a cheap software somewhere online for windows stand alone, can find again I post the link.

jaegersing · 18th August 2007

Originally Posted by charleslim

i used final cut pro with twixtor plugin - there's another program which you can try called retimer by realviZ. I saw a cheap software somewhere online for windows stand alone, can find again I post the link.

Ah Twixtor. OK, thanks Charles. Very impressive.

ckuang · 18th August 2007

hey Charles, that's really awesome, I've always thought aobut doing something like that, it's so great the way you've done it. It's surprisingly smooth.

charleslim · 18th August 2007

Screened this in Singapore National Musuem's Short Cuts, with a HD projector. today
quite fun, had live jungle sounds piped in through mobile phone and a shi how playing keyboard for music.

photographique · 18th August 2007

Why not upload the final version of your masterpiece?

charleslim · 19th August 2007

Yea I recut it, but I am still not happy with the cut. I will upload that - but I forgot to get someone to video it like some pirate movie - (dang!) was too worried of the whole thing failing. I am going to try to arrange another screening, then you guys can come see.

photographique · 19th August 2007

Originally Posted by charleslim

Yea I recut it, but I am still not happy with the cut. I will upload that - but I forgot to get someone to video it like some pirate movie - (dang!) was too worried of the whole thing failing. I am going to try to arrange another screening, then you guys can come see.

Cool, I think I'll want to see it...maybe you should also hold a lecture on how u do it...

charleslim · 19th August 2007

good idea

charleslim · 24th August 2007

paid me bills and updated my site which was down with details on wrongturn - http://www.seastories.sg/cinema/wongturn.html
http://www.seastories.sg/cinema/projects.html
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=mataikan

I am going to try to organize a 2nd screening.

13th August 2007	#1
charleslim Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: singapore Posts: 169	short film shot with still camera hi guys - i think i posted a couple of months ago about making an entire short film with a still camera. Well, here's a rough cut - at this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIbxR4dVtxw A different more updated will be shown at the singapore short cuts. with half of the full resolution -- (i couldn't get a 2K projector) with a panasonic HD projector. With life sounds and music! yep it's a silent film please give me yer feed back - if it's lousy, how it makes you feel? thoughs and first impressions. fire away

13th August 2007	#2
Patryk Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 661	Re: short film shot with still camera Hi Charles, Very interesting, was alot more smoother than I had expected. Some shots looked very much like they came straight out of a movie cam. However, in my opinion, the very fluid movement of the characters seem to diminish the fact that it was painstakingly made with thousands of still shots. I was half hoping for a cross between the 'jaggedness' of stop-motion photography and the fluidity of a motion camera (something like the scene of the shoolboy eating the flower). Aesthetically I was also expecting something much more different with the possibilities of shooting this way (more creative use of lighting, post processing of shots to change the mood of the scenes, etc..). Then again, it is still as you mentioned, the rough cut, which is a very commendable effort - especially in terms of getting the fluid motion of the characters. However in terms of the photography and aesthetics, I would hope you milk this method for what it has to offer as you progress to the final cut. Other than the juxtaposition of ordinary people located in the jungle, I'm not quite sure of the intention of the film. Maybe you could fill me in on this? I do like the girl in the pink dress though. Very mysterious, spooky even, yet the character still engages you to want to know more about her. I quite like the three intial shots of her, especially the one with her muddied feet - interesting direction and very well framed. Hope you take my comments and critizisms in good light, just my two cents worth. All the best on completing your project...

14th August 2007	#3
shojibake Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 385	Re: short film shot with still camera This is a great effort! Are you using after effects morphing between frames for some of the shots? like patryk i was expecting the more traditional 6-12fps stop motion, which i rather prefer for the same reasons. I'd also would have liked a more jan svankmajer slant to it. The operatic music is a great choice.

14th August 2007	#4
charleslim Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: singapore Posts: 169	Re: short film shot with still camera thanks for your comments. A couple of my friends also made the same comments, which was a surprise, considering the amount of work I put into the footages to get rid of those jerky, haha - the jerky parts you see are when I basically got lazy and left it. The story is written by my wife, basically this is our first attempt at making a film together. The story is that these are everyday folks going about their day doing their normal stuff, all of a sudden they are in the jungle. Originally we wanted to show how dislocated their minds are, by showing a couple of seconds of them not being aware of the 'teleportation'. Then the realization happens and there are different reactions. abit like 'lost' but no plane fall out of the sky. The last bit with the floating kid was my idea. YES - I morphed it to create extra frames. basically I tortured my camera and actors, so that the morphing function could work BEST. Slow movement and sharp images, and fire as fast as I can. Maybe I should make a making of.... it's quite fun honestly! Right now I am rendering a few more shots (pickups) and hopefully it will help. Another 2 days of rendering! omg

14th August 2007	#5
photographique Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 960	Re: short film shot with still camera How to make such film with a still camera, would you share it again? Thanks. __________________ http://lxrichbirdsf.deviantart.com Please contact me at 81848022

15th August 2007	#6
nonchann Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 236	Re: short film shot with still camera amazing stuff. i couldn' tell that it was shot with a still camera, i am not sure if that's a good thing. some of the cast members look familar...from Wee Lilin's "gone shopping"? I thought i saw princess hayumi.haha.

16th August 2007	#10
charleslim Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: singapore Posts: 169	Re: short film shot with still camera I think 2000+ by 1500+ pixel - that's 2K Yep that's the idea. Thanks - she would be glad to know.

16th August 2007	#11
jaegersing Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 1,138	Re: short film shot with still camera Charles, very interesting shots. What software did you use for the frame interpolation?

18th August 2007	#12
charleslim Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: singapore Posts: 169	Re: short film shot with still camera i used final cut pro with twixtor plugin - there's another program which you can try called retimer by realviZ. I saw a cheap software somewhere online for windows stand alone, can find again I post the link.

18th August 2007	#14
ckuang Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 355	Re: short film shot with still camera hey Charles, that's really awesome, I've always thought aobut doing something like that, it's so great the way you've done it. It's surprisingly smooth.

19th August 2007	#17
charleslim Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: singapore Posts: 169	Re: short film shot with still camera Yea I recut it, but I am still not happy with the cut. I will upload that - but I forgot to get someone to video it like some pirate movie - (dang!) was too worried of the whole thing failing. I am going to try to arrange another screening, then you guys can come see.

24th August 2007	#20
charleslim Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: singapore Posts: 169	Re: short film shot with still camera paid me bills and updated my site which was down with details on wrongturn - http://www.seastories.sg/cinema/wongturn.html http://www.seastories.sg/cinema/projects.html http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=mataikan I am going to try to organize a 2nd screening. Last edited by charleslim; 8th October 2007 at 12:56 AM.