Winged Migration -- Astounding

[Shaky & Blue]

If you have a high speed Internet connection, or are willing to wait for it, go to this address:

http://www.wingedmigration.com/

... and watch the trailer for this movie.

This was one of the films that was up for the Academy Award for documentary. They mounted cameras on gliders, remoted control gliders, R/C helicopters, real helicopters, ultralight aircraft and even bicycles to track migrating birds in the air. They followed these birds throughout their migratory patterns, and the resulting images are simply amazing.

I saw the trailer in a theater yesterday, and when it was over someone behind me said, "Holy sh*t!" I can't wait to see the whole film.

[Dedline]

wow, i'd love to see a "making of" as well. awesome aerial video.

[SigLife]

yeah...good tight shots of them in flight too...amazing..

[Shaky & Blue]

I was in NYC for a shoot over the weekend and finally got the chance to see this film Saturday night. It lived up to the trailer's promise, and I was highly impressed by what I saw. Actually, I was blown away. This is some of the best wildlife photography you'll see.

There's hardly any narration. The film allows the images to speak for themselves for the most part, with a few titles superimposed here and there to identify some of the bird species and give information on the distances they fly. Most of it is just beautiful images, with a few shallow "story plots" thrown in to tie it together. For example, a bird that was caught in a net and has a piece of that net permanently attached to his foot shows up periodically throughout the film.

There are a few places where the film makes social commentary through the images. Some of the ducks and geese get shot down over a hunting ground in North America. One goose becomes stuck in a pool of oil in Europe. Both incidents are depicted without comment, last only a few moments and quickly move on to other more beautiful images; yet the effect is more powerful than anything that will ever come out of Michael Moore's fat mouth. Still, the filmmakers do not dwell on negative imagery or try to make the audience feel guilty.

One thing that really impressed me was how the filmmakers depicted the violence of nature in this film without resorting to graphic footage. Predators and scavengers are seen attacking birds, yet only enough is shown to let you know what's happening without getting into gore. For example, a baby penguin is seen being dragged by the neck from its parents by a predator bird while the parents helplessly try to defend it. Once the predator has secured its prey, however, we do not see the baby's carcass or its flesh being torn. There's no need; we know its fate. Likewise, when sand crabs pursue an injured bird on a beach, the actual attack happens off screen, followed by a creepy shot of a dozen crabs crawling over what is assumed to be the carcass, which remains unseen under the seething mass. Keeping the most violent parts of these scenes off screen is particularly effective.

All other merits aside, the aspect of this film that will draw in B-Roll visitors is the photography. First off, they used real film instead of a HD, and the quality difference truly shows itself in a film of this type. Of course the big talk around this film is the tracking shots, where the camera crew flew remote control aircraft in formation with the birds. These shots live up to their promise to present "an astonishing point of view." It's worth seeing the movie just for those images.

The big surprise, however, was the incredible timing and choreography of some of the shots. Flocks of birds seem to come in frame on cue, as if under the control of the filmmakers. They did use some trained birds for parts of the film, but trained birds can't accomplish some of these shots. Just as one bird leaves frame, another will enter in just the right place to hold the composition. I kept wanting to ask myself "How'd they get that?" Each time, I would answer my own question: "Incredible patience." The patience necessary to capture the images you'll see is perhaps the most impressive aspect of this movie.

This is a movie for anyone, and the audience in attendance when I saw it laughed, applauded and even cheered for a few of the birds. However, I figure most of the readers of this site are students of the moving image to some degree, and this is a film that no student of the moving image should miss. Please see it in a theater if possible, as a video screen will not be able to do justice to these images.

Currently it's playing in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, and it opens in Detroit Friday. Below is the rest of the current schedule, in case it's coming to an area near you. The date is first, followed by the city, then the theater in which it's playing.

4/18 -- New York -- Paris
5/2 -- Chicago -- Music Box/ Landmark Renaissance
5/2 -- Los Angeles -- Landmark Regent/Pacific Grove Stadium
5/9 -- Detroit -- Detroit Institute of Arts
5/14 -- Detroit -- Landmark Maple 3
5/16 -- Albany, CA -- Landmark's Albany
5/16 -- Boston -- Kendall/Coolidge
5/16 -- Encino -- Laemmle's Town Center
5/16 -- Irvine -- University Town
5/16 -- Marin -- Rafael Film Center
5/16 -- Menlo Park -- Landmark's Guild
5/16 -- Pasadena -- Laemmle's Playhouse
5/16 -- San Francisco -- Embarcadero
5/16 -- San Jose -- Camera 7
5/30 -- San Diego -- Hillcrest
6/6 -- Camden, NJ -- Ritz
6/6 -- Milwaukee -- Oriental
6/6 -- Minneapolis -- Uptown
6/6 -- Philadelphia -- Ritz
6/6 -- Santa Cruz -- Del Mar
6/13 -- DC -- Shirlington/Bethesda/Dupont 5
6/13 -- Miami -- South Beach
6/13 -- Minneapolis -- Endina
6/20 -- Dallas -- Angelika
6/20 -- Denver -- Mayan
6/20 -- Houston -- River Oaks
6/20 -- Seattle -- Egyptian
6/27 -- Atlanta -- Garden Hills
6/27 -- Kansas -- City Tivoli
7/4 -- Albuquerque -- Rio
7/4 -- Austin -- Dobie
7/4 -- Baltimore -- Charles
7/4 -- Buffalo -- Amhurst 3
7/4 -- Cleveland -- Cedar
7/4 -- Gainsville -- Royal Park
7/4 -- Ithaca -- Fall Creek
7/4 -- Madison -- Hilldale
7/4 -- New Orleans -- Canal
7/4 -- Orlando -- Enzian
7/4 -- Pittsburgh -- Regent
7/4 -- Roanoke -- Grandin
7/4 -- Santa Barbara -- Plaza de Oro
7/4 -- Santa Fe -- Jean Cocteau
7/4 -- St. Louis -- Plaza Frontenac
7/4 -- Tampa -- Tampa Theatre
7/4 -- Tuscon -- Catalina 6
7/11 -- Louisville -- Baxter Avenue
7/11 -- Monterey -- Osio
7/11 -- Phoenix -- Camel View
7/11 -- Portland -- Cinema 21
7/11 -- Rochester -- Little
7/16 -- Taos -- Taos Talking Pictures
7/18 -- Charleston -- Terrace
7/18 -- Charlotte -- Manor
7/18 -- Charlottesville -- Vinegar Hill
7/18 -- Cincinnati -- Esquire
7/18 -- Columbus -- Drexel
7/18 -- Indianapolis -- South Keystone
7/18 -- Las Vegas -- Village Square
7/18 -- San Antonio -- Fiesta
7/18 -- Santa Fe -- Plan B Cinematheque
7/18 -- Tallahassee -- Miracle 5
7/25 -- Asheville -- Fine Arts Theatre
7/25 -- Chapel Hill -- Chelsea
7/25 -- Des Moines -- Dundee
7/25 -- Doylestown -- County Theatre
7/25 -- Memphis -- Ridgeway
7/25 -- Oklahoma City -- AMC Southroads
7/25 -- Salt Lake City -- Broadway Centre
7/25 -- Waterville -- Railroad Square
7/25 -- Yellow Springs -- Little Art
8/1 -- Sarasota -- SFS Burns Court

[canuckcam]

where's the canadian showings? =(

[Shaky & Blue]

Originally posted by polkaroo:
where's the canadian showings? =(That's weird. There aren't any listed outside the US, even though I know this film is playing in other countries.

If you go to the website ( http://www.wingedmigration.com/ ) and click on the link to release dates, you get a popup window with the dates in it. Perhaps you get a different popup depending on your location, based upon IP address. Maybe not. But I would try there.

I can't imagine that it wouldn't play in Toronto.

[<satpimp>]

shaky, Thanx for the info and a great review. Well written and tailored to the audience.

[<waiting>]

We got the press kit not too long ago and it looks great. We have a while to wait before it gets to Dallas.

[PBSphotog]

Thanks, Shaky, you've done a great service! Can't wait to see it. Some of the footage used for the David Attenborough documentaries -- The Life of Birds, The Life of Plants, The Life of Mammals -- is some of the best footage I've ever seen. So I'm sure this will be even better since the technology is improving to such fantastic degrees.

I still can't get out of my head the time lapse motion control images from Attenborough's The Life of Plants from many years ago. Blackberry vines growing before your eyes while the camera slowly dollies and jibs around and over them. It was just stunning, and one of the reasons I had to get into film.

[shootist]

WOW! Finally got a chance to see it today. There really isn't anything I can add to Shaky's post. (excellently presented there s&b)

I really just wanted to bring the post back up to the top and remind EVERYONE about this wonderful film. Check the schedule in Shaky's post and if it's coming to your town make sure you get there.

My wife and I were transfixed... thought my 12 year-old would go for it but he seemed to think it a bit slow (of course this is after seeing "The Italian Job" and "League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" earlier in the week)

Anyway...see it...now.

[Bodhistaava]

saw it tonight...super. true documentary FILM making. I say "FILM", with a capital F I L M. great film guys. check it out. beautiful.

[Bodhistaava]

btw...thanks guys for the recomendation.

[Coolfire]

This film is must see in a nice theater but if you're looking for it on DVD (16:9), try Amazon.ca (Canada).

http://www.amazon.ca/exec/ obidos/ASIN/B00008DDJY/701-0270424-8657100 (http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00008DDJY/701-0270424-8657100)

Cost, including shipping came out to about $30.00 U.S. dollars.

It's region 1 so it'll play in U.S. DVD players. It comes with both a french and english version of the disc though all the text on the packaging is in french. In fact the title is "Le Peuple Migrateur"

There's not a whole lot of dialogue or graphics in the film so language doesn't really matter that much. Where language does matter is on the "extras" portion. The english disc has a very short (7min) "making of" with no dialogue, while the french version has a 56 min version with french v.o. and nats. It also has an interview (in french) with the director. I wish it had subtitles or a dub mix.

p.s. Tip: If $30.00 bucks is too much for you, buy a handful, get the free Amazon shipping deal, then sell them on ebay. Since you can't find this DVD in the states or on U.S. Amazon or DVD dealers, the disc's have been bidding out for about $40.00+.

[2000lux]

In that Amazon page you posted, the add and the cover are in French. Is the narartion in French as well?

Does any one know of any showings near Hartford CT? In Boston perhaps?

-Brian

[Shaky & Blue]

Originally posted by 2000lux:
Does any one know of any showings near Hartford CT? In Boston perhaps?It opened in Boston in May at the Kendall/Coolidge, according to the release schedule. You probably missed it.

Then again, it's been going strong here in DC for a full month now, so who knows? They may still be running it.

As for the French DVD, I suspect there will be version for English-speakers also once its theater run ends in the US. I imagine the Canadian version is just a region 1 repackage of the French DVD. The director speaks English, so perhaps there will be English versions of the interview and "making of" doc or at least English subtitles. Netflix already has the DVD in their database, but they don't show a release date yet. I look forward to seeing that "making of" video.

[Coolfire]

Originally posted by 2000lux:
In that Amazon page you posted, the add and the cover are in French. Is the narartion in French as well?It comes with two discs. Disc One has the film in french along with the french "Making of". Disc two has the film in english along with the truncated english "Making of". It also contains the french lsngusge, director interview.

[Flour City]

I saw it last night and was amazed! One question I had was does anyone know how they got such clean audio? They were flying with the birds and you hardly heard any wind noise! I don't have one of those fuzzy Ryocote-windscreens on my shot-gun, would that cut down on the wind noise that much?

[Shaky & Blue]

Originally posted by Flour City:
One question I had was does anyone know how they got such clean audio?They probably got clean audio by shooting MOS (silent) and building the audio tracks in Protools. It isn't uncommon for documentaries, especially nature documentaries, to rely heavily on the reconstruction of sound in post production.

And before anyone gets excited about that, replacing sound in documentary is an ACCEPTED PRACTICE and not considered unethical. News and documentary follow different rules.

[<elvez>]

It gets here in san antonio tommorrw and i cant wait to take the kids.

[<jtd>]

I don't know how your kids are but my 7 and 4 year olds would probably have gotten bored.