New Trailer for BUTTERFLIES IN THE WIND, a 35mm feature film.

[www.releasing.net]

I've been editing on FCP5 for the past year or so. The movie was initially edited in 35mm on my Cinemonta flatbed.

I got the G5 and FCP5 after I had completed the rough cut.

I realized that FCP would allow me to do a better sound track and the beauty of it, it would allow me to mix my track as well.

Then I got to like editing in FCP -- LAFCPUG has been a big inspiration to me. I'm beginning to enjoy working with it.

I'm also very excited about the potential of exhibiting my movies on the Internet. The price is right anyway :-) Less hastle and virtually (pun not intended) no risk.

I secured the rights to the song by Catherine Anne Davies by the way -- in case you're wondering.

I'm interested in your comments as to how I can improve the trailer and whatever else you may wish to add.

The trailer was exported via QT conversion to H 264 best quality VBR. The size of the file I sent Google for Flash encoding was 94 MB. (limit 100 MB)

Good work Filmman,

I did enjoyed the color effect and we can see the camera work, wich in my opinion is good, because it turns the espectator as a witness of the story, like if he was the cameraman. I don't know if that was the goal and the music gives a special touch to the drama.
To bad that Google doesn't takes good care enconding the videos, good editings like this one deserve better technical parameters when they are showned.

Rui Barros
Editor Colorist Trainer
Lisbon, Portugal
RTP Post-Production
Apple Certified Trainer FCP 7
Apple Certified Pro FCP 7

Hello,

I agree one thing with Rui Barros, Google doesn't take good care encoding the video.

Getting a couple of skipped frames.

Is this a feature length movie?

I am believing that the trailer is purposed to tease the audience a little bit to make it interesting.

After I watched the trailer, I know all the story!!! I don't care another 2 hour stories.

However, I envy you for making a feature film.

I am a poor-man so my budget is my leg and tripod.

PLUS, I like how you use the text!! Did you study the graphic design? (I did)

It's very neat, clean and beautiful position.

Best regards,

Thank you, Rui. I'm very happy you liked the trailer. It took me a long time to figure out what shots to include in it.

I like your comment about the camera work. Since I was a film student I practiced getting close to my actors, because I wanted to capture their expressions as if I was a friend talking to them.

I'm thrilled that you like the color. I really struggled with it in FCP. I felt so constrained; I wasn't able to get the color correction filters to go all the way I wanted them. But in a way that's good because I have a tendency to overwork the color. Kodak film does so much better if I could just leave it alone :-)

Finally, I really happy you liked the music, because it was hard finding a song to underscore the mood of the movie without drowning the dialogue.

I like to use a lot of music in my movies. Sometimes I go overboard, but I don't care, because to me music is a necessary part of a cinematic experience. Although I must admit there are moments in films that are so well performed by the actors that to use music would be wrong. But those are big budget movies with major movie stars that have established themselves and their personas or their voice. But, nevertheless, I like music ...

As for the encoding and Google: Ken Stone recommended an article on his website by Gary Brian, about submitting video to Youtube. The same advice would work for Google and other video hosting websites. Next time I'm going to use the parameters recommended. I've seen some nice flash encoding on Google and even Youtube. I have to master this type of compression because for the next few years I feel that's all we can do as filmmakers trying to exhibit our work on the web for free.

And, thank you also h077314 :-)

I'm glad you liked my trailer. Yes, it's a 100 minute movie. It took me a while to find the right clips to use. I chose some some moments in my story that would give the viewer a sense of continuity and the presence of dramatic structure. I was trying to get away from just making an exciting trailer the way highly commerical movies do. I mean, after all I didn't have an action movie or a suspense drama so I couldn't very well use flash cuts and pounding music with explosions and guns firing ... LOL.

You know what I mean. But I didn't try to tell the whole story in 2 minutes either :-) That was not my intention and you may think that you know all the story -- and on a subconscious level, maybe you do know the story already, but I assure you there is a lot more story -- maybe not as exciting, but I hope so. And I'm satisfied that there is. I don't think it's Gone with the Wind but then I didn't have millions to spend either.

You don't have to be rich to make feature length films; you just have to be long-winded :-)

I practiced. Learn to ramble ... LOL

Thanks again for reviewing my trailer and commenting.

Vic