😆 Well I must admit that some of the ideas in the video were directly inspired by Vincent Laforet’s “Reverie” http://blog.vincentlaforet.com/2008/10/10/without-further-ado-reverie/.

Steve bought the 5D Mk2 a few months ago and we’d not really considered it as a video shooting tool until we saw Reverie. I must admit I would also probably buy a 7D myself for video too: 25p in full HD or 50p in 1280×720 for slowmo. I gather that a firmware update for the 5DMk2 will provide 24/25 fps, but presumably not 50p (as the 5dMk2 only has one digic processor, rather than the two in the 7d). For low light, the 1d Mk 4 looks awesome, too, but hard to justify at more than twice the price of a 7D.

You don’t get quite such a “fetishistic” shallow depth of field on the 7D, I guess, but it is still going to be much more filmic than the tiny 1/3″ sensors on our Panasonics.

We also found a few problems on the 5DMk2. No continuous autofocus is certainly limiting, especially with shallow depth of field, so no fig-rig fluid moving shots. But the main thing we found is that the user interface is just not tuned for video: no zebra, no VU meter bars (which actually meant we had to reshoot a scene, as the microphone jack had got dislodged and recorded static- on the Panasonics that would have been instantly obvious from the VU meter bars).

But… just LOOK at the footage! This is the first time I feel like we’ve really got something approximating the “RE look” from the stills on video.

It is a tool with some limitations, so I’ll be keeping the Panasonics for the time being, but if sales pick up as we come out of recession I think a 7D is going to be top of my shopping list for new kit next year!

Cheers, Hywel.

Hi,

Yes, I did see that- I didn’t feel like I could ask Steve to risk his camera on a “it should be OK but if it breaks your camera, tough” third party extension. If it were my camera, paid for with RE money, it would be a different matter. Glad to see that they are working on a version for the 7D… really, if these guys can implement it, Canon should be able to. Maybe a firmware update somewhere down the line will do it. Obviously the autofocus and some other issues like jellocam rolling shutter and aliasing problems due to throwing away a lot of pixels from the sensor to record “only” about 2 megapixels are a fundamental limitation, but professional monitoring tools like those would make the camera a much more reassuring thing to use!

Cheers, Hywel.

Hi,

You are more than welcome to post techie stuff in the forum, that’s what it is here for. (You’ll have to excuse Ariel ignoring us, though 🙂 )

We had the following lenses in the bag:
16-35 mm f/2.8 L
24-70 mm f/2.8 L
24-105 mm f/4 L
50 mm f/1.4
85 mm f/1.8
100-400 mm f4.5-5.6 L IS

We found the 24-105 mm the most versatile for general shooting, and used the 100-400 mm for closeups (we’d probably have been better off with something that focussed closer, like a 100 mm macro, but I’d foolishly sold mine on eBay a few months ago as I hadn’t used it in ages use it. Bah! No sooner do you get rid of kit than you need it!)

I think we used the 24-70 mm for some scenes as well, where we wanted a bit more light than the f/4 lens gave us, but we could probably have got away purely with the 24-105 mm and a longer lens for closeups.

The two fast primes made it possible to shoot the night scenes with street lighting plus some supplemental light from a few small battery powered LED worklights with CT gels taped over them. Ariel dropped one of the lights into the river, so it is a good job they only cost five pounds! I think we used the 85mm lens for most of the night shots.

I don’t recall using the 16-35mm lens on the shoot but we had it with us.

Cheers, Hywel.

Greetings from New Jersey,

Well if the trailer is an accurate indication of what is coming with the full video then that is going to be one awesome video. At least three Wow’s as Kate said. The “Reverie” piece certainly had an “RE” feel about it as well. The ability to shoot video with just the available light from street lights (wonder what would happen with just a full moon’s light and the potential storylines that brings?) will be fantastic. I found the scenes of Sammie out in the green gown, particularly those when she seemed completely at ease being outdoors in her bondage and with “her man” to be both stunning in their beauty but also very inspirational as well. I’m mean really, imangine how cool it would be to be for you and your lady to be able to take a walk in public with her in bondage (simple or elaborate) and not have anyone think it out of the ordinary enough to call the authorities. Ah sweet dreams….

Best to everyone and Cheers,

Jeff

I fully concur with Jeff’s feelings about this. Sammie is stunningly beautiful, especially in her green dress and the looks on her face evoke a mixture of sympathy and wonder.

Congratulations to all involved, and I cannot wait for the film.

Auberon

Hi,

Just wondering if you will ever progress to H.264 encoding at 720p? I do a fair bit of video editing and find that a 2 pass H.264
encoding is far better than wmv9. I use Virtualdub and x264vfw for my final encoding. Then use MeGui for the chapters
and and muxing back together.

Thank you so much for putting this up. I think it has already become one of my all time favourites.

Sammie’s beautiful pale-alabaster complexion is emphasised all the more by the high exposure in the second half, and she is utterly adorable. So lovely, and her movements, and speech, are in perfect harmony with the production.

Sammie’s feet also look gorgeous throughout. Are there any plans to expose them to tickling, or harsher measures, during the new year? There does seem to have been a recent focus upon Ariel’s feet, which is understandable, but could Sammie be marked out for future attention…?

A Bondage romance has really brought RE video up to the quality of the still’s. Some the night shots are simply stunning! Using the 5d mkII definately works!

I wasn’t entirely conviced by Hywels performance as Sammies Boyfriend, But that doesn’t really matter with Samie dressed so nicely.

Great 😀

Sheep

Beautiful movie!

I’m not at all an expert of photography, but I see a difference. And I love the “outdoors” situations with Sammie chained in open space.

Hywel, what about more sets with challenging situations of ladies handcuffed (incognito) in restaurants, shops, train…??
It would be a challenge but the results can be extremely hot!!

R

Greetings from New Jersey,

I just wanted to say how much I have enjoyed the installments of the video that have been posted so far. They have all been wonderful but the most recent one with all the outdoor scenes and particularly the low light work and the much more public nature of the scenes were just stunning. I hope we’ll see other similar efforts on down the line. A great job by all involved and especially Sammie B for taking the bondage public like that. Wonderful. I’ll be looking forward to seeing the future installments.

I have to concur with 44rodolfoc in hoping we might see some more “hidden” bondage out in public from time to time. Obviously no one wants anyone to do something that would raise the interests of the authorities but you can do some wonderful things under a poncho, cape or long coat. A light jacket with front pockets offers several possibilities as the inner ends of the pockets can be opened up such that the hands pass through them and over the waist when the jacket is on. Then the wrists can be handcuffed in front and the jacket zipped up to cover the bondage. A waist chain can also be used in that scenario. Another alternative is black handcuffs over a long sleeve black blouse or dress as the handcuffs will pretty much disappear in low light. Just a couple of random thoughts….

Cheers,

Jeff