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KilaTsunami
October, 2024

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Check out my reel! Criticism welcome.

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Downtofilm
Posts: 6896 - Karma: 20,395


We had a great season here in whistler! I got to shoot with some of whistlers best riders. During WSI I shot lots of the events and acquired some amazing shots. I was skeptical about making a demo reel this season because all I had was park footage. Next season I will be making a short film that will include much more than just park such as urban and backcountry.

Equipment:
Camera - Canon 60d
Lenses - Tokina 10-17 & Canon 24-105L
Stabilization - Glidecam 4000 pro & Kenyon labs ks-4 gyro
Backpack - F-stop bags

Song: Misteur Valaire - November Number 3

Big shout out to my sponsors, Kenyon Labs & F-stop backpacks. Without them I would not have been able to acquire some of the shots I have gotten this year.

Enjoy!
-Downtofilm
Oct 13 2011 12:42PM
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MANDER
Posts: 4017 - Karma: 2,038
Good, but it REALLY bugged me how you almost never showed the landing of a trick.
Oct 13 2011 1:20PM
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screamin_seamen
Posts: 619 - Karma: 551
EPIC! More landings though...My only complaint
Oct 13 2011 1:36PM
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*Nickdel*
Posts: 2264 - Karma: 956
second to last shot blew my mind. Nice work man!
Oct 13 2011 2:15PM
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NJurkiewicz
Posts: 1597 - Karma: 697
Loved it Zac! I love your glidecam shots they are so amazing the things I didn't like though where the titling and I think yah maybe some more landing shots. Otherwise great job!
Oct 13 2011 3:48PM
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andstuff
Posts: 1118 - Karma: 61
I say keep the landings cut out. The purpose is to show your filming skills, not the abilities of the skiers. If anything, the cuts were too long, and adding landings will make it worse in my opinion.

As a rule of thumb, at any point when you blink while watching the video, and the same clip is playing before and after you blink, its too long. I know it seems like minute differences, but when a potential employer is sifting through reels and his initial impression is "get on with it already," you're off to a bad start. For all you know, they'll skip the rest of your video based on that alone. It's far from fair, but its a reality.
Oct 13 2011 3:54PM
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EC-Skier
Posts: 3899 - Karma: 668
that was super sick Zac, great job
Oct 13 2011 4:31PM
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PhilboydStudge
Posts: 3431 - Karma: 206
Would agree that some of the shots are a little too long, but not about the comments that you need more shots of the landing, I thought it was fine without more. Only other thing is that I didn't really like the shots of Wallisch at 1:15, too gray and grainy and just didn't add anything imo. Other than that, awesome, I loved some of the slow pans and glides
Oct 13 2011 4:36PM
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Mkvackay
Posts: 1903 - Karma: 5,465
that is such a valid point.

well done zac.
Oct 13 2011 5:19PM
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Downtofilm
Posts: 6896 - Karma: 20,395
Thanks landis, I will consider all these points for next time!
Oct 13 2011 5:55PM
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NJurkiewicz
Posts: 1597 - Karma: 697
Actually I was pretty distracted when I said my comment haha I meant to agrree with Landis that some shots were a bit too long.
Oct 13 2011 6:27PM
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eheath
Posts: 61604 - Karma: 123,115
Pretty solid, i think it got boring thought (from a filmmaking standpoint). Every shot was the same thing, you had a couple static tripod shots and like two dollies and that was it. Glide cam shot after glide cam shot at 40% gets very old. So, to fix this, like landis said, speed it up, simple as that.
Oct 13 2011 6:55PM
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WillStart
Posts: 3955 - Karma: 3,192
Fully agree with the landings thing, that was exactly what i wanted to say after i read the first few comments.
Oct 13 2011 6:56PM
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EC-Skier
Posts: 3899 - Karma: 668
this, but really well done dude
Oct 13 2011 8:03PM
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skituner
Posts: 1162 - Karma: 127
real sick but i dont really understand the point of calling it a reel its its just all ski shots, it might as well just be an edit. you clearly can get some sick shots so why not include other subjects besides skiing. Also im very curious about that gyro that you have? how does that work? do you have that on your glidecam?
Oct 13 2011 9:17PM
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EC-Skier
Posts: 3899 - Karma: 668
yea, i looked these things up. Too expensive for me, but im wondering, how do these things work?
Oct 14 2011 8:57AM
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WillStart
Posts: 3955 - Karma: 3,192
i tried zacs setup one day, he had the gyro on a fig rig. worked soooo well, but wouldn't be as good for walking shots as a glidecam. but for skiing i think id rather have the gyro
Oct 14 2011 9:19AM
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EC-Skier
Posts: 3899 - Karma: 668
but, i dont really get it, what exactly does it do? does it just take out all the little jitters in the shot? if so thats sick, how much did you pay for it zac? cause they are mad expensive
Oct 14 2011 9:41AM
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hollygrove
Posts: 7845 - Karma: 93
Not so much to do with the video, but I say drop the whole DTF thing. You'e obviously going to to start getting work soon and the whole sexual innuendo thing doesnt quite come off as professional. And yes I know its Down To Film but you know what I mean.
Oct 14 2011 10:49AM
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EC-Skier
Posts: 3899 - Karma: 668
hahahaah this is true, but it is an awsome name i gotta say. I was kinda thinking about coming up with a new one, but not sure
Oct 14 2011 10:53AM
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andstuff
Posts: 1118 - Karma: 61
I'd rather see a well-composed static shot than a glidecam shot 90% of the time. Stark is beautiful. And ditto on the Wallisch shot. The level of skiing in your footage is completely irrelevent for this purpose, and i know you can do WAY better. Again, the closer you can make your reel to being 30 seconds long, the better. The human brain is a beautiful thing; you'd be surprised at how quickly it can process visuals.
Oct 14 2011 2:34PM
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WillStart
Posts: 3955 - Karma: 3,192
basically the gyro is kind of like an egg shaped thing. sort of like propane tank-shaped. and i think zac told me there are two spheres in either end of it or something, and basically they just move around to counter any movement. it requires power, so zac has a power cord running from the stabilizer to a batter pack that he keeps in a backpack. it's a pretty heavy duty system, but it works amazingly from what i could tell.
Oct 14 2011 3:22PM
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Cop.killer
Posts: 99 - Karma: 14
That gyro shit sounds next level...

On the video though, I feel like the overall impression is letting off a kind of strange vibe, its somewhere in between a long edit and a reel... Shorten up the cuts and focus on compo and movement in your frames, not just the trick or skier (a few completely out of place and unnecessary Tom wallisch clips I can imagine you included for the sake of the fact that it was him).

Other than that, I think you have the potential and shots to create the best skiing reel I have ever seen. Really, really good work.
Oct 14 2011 7:06PM
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EC-Skier
Posts: 3899 - Karma: 668
wholy god, sounds intense
Oct 14 2011 8:15PM
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Downtofilm
Posts: 6896 - Karma: 20,395
Thanks man, and the Tom wallisch shots I included cause I liked them, the only one out of the 3 I dint like was the 2 out it was out of place. The sw dub was a sick shot IMO
Oct 14 2011 9:13PM
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