First nat pkg

Tdomi74

Well-known member
Ryan:
For your first nat pack it wasn't awful, although it wasn't great either. First and foremost getting one sound bite and making it a compelling nat sound package out of it is tough. The lady was alright but from a storytelling standpoint you didn't tell me anything. Other that this was her fifth or six year coming and why she likes to come. There where a lot of unanwsered questions in this story. You had a fair being, ok middle and bad ending from a stroytelling standpoint.

On the technical side of shooting, good white balance good nat sound of the band playing. You understand Wide, Medium but you lacked good tight shots. A majority of the shots where steady and nicely composed. Although your attempts of getting off the pod to get some low angle stuff was shaky.

The editing was good in spots bad in others. Your pacing was off in the edit compared to the action/reaction b-roll that you shot. I don't know if WTIC is edit non-linear or not, cutting to the beat shouldn't be a issue if you are edit non-linear. You need to practice your pacing both in telling the story and in the edit. Audio wise you worked it in and out although it fading out a little to quickly off the top to get to that first sound bite.

Now that you've heard the good and bad, it's time to prepare for the next time you shoot a nat pack. I generally try to shoot nat packs that are visual and has a good story to be told. I'll interview three or more people to make a decent nat sound package. That helps too build a story within the story. I'll gather as much nat sound or nat sots as I can to be used for transitons and pacing. As well shoot enough for the package only to stop and go back and get those ten gravy shots. Be it the "God Wide Shot" some more tight shots or more reaction shots. That way I won't have to use the same five shots twice like you had too.

So the next time you shoot a nat sound package here should be your checklist.
1. Talk to more people (For the Jazz Story I'd tried to get a musician, vendor, ect..)
2. Devolp a story within the story (Begin,Middle and End)
3. Shoot more b-roll and tight shots (Have enough too b-roll the whole story, only to stop and get ten more gravy shots)
4. Pacing (Both in the edit and the telling of the story)

Bottom line jazz story is your starting point. Now it's time to practice everytime you get a chance.
For practice makes perfect. Good Luck on your next shoot.

Brad
 

rb21089

Member
Hey Brad,

Thanks for taking the time to review it and give me some help.

We edit on FCP, and I agree that some of the pacing was off. I had some editors at the station watch it too, and they said if I had made it a little bit shorter it could've solved some problems regarding pacing and the need to reuse some shots.

Going in to it I thought I should make the piece centered around one person, but like you and others at my station have said, next time I should incorporate a couple more interviews.

Thanks again!
-Ryan
 

Latin Lens

Well-known member
Ryan....not a bad first effort. Natpkgs are hard to do no matter what...but they tend to get easier when you understand the direction you want to take and get the proper elements (sound bites) or characters for your story. With that said Tdomi74 said it wasn't awful but it wasn't great either.

First off, "know your story"....this is a jazz festival...so I expect to see alot of jazz instead of crowd shots....get the obvious then search for the harder shots....check all the angles by going close to the stage....far away.....go behind the band....get on the side....shoot thru cymbols....drum kits....stand up basses....whatever....look everywhere.

Use your interviews for the sub plots....maybe it was hot or somebody knew somebody playing that day...or someone who went there as a kid and is back again....so kinds of things. Its the salt and pepper of your story....gettting the jazz portion is the main course....season it with the salt and pepper to develop a better story.

Take the advice here to heart and apply it the next time....changing your approach will effect the end result.
 

nguyen.jason

Active member
Hey this wasn't a bad effort at all. I thought you should have started out with your shot at 1:51. To me that was a great establishing shot. I like that fact that you used one song in the pkg. I don't know your time restraints but maybe try to use a couple songs with good transitions.
Something like a drum kick to a all out drum solo. (I hope I'm getting that point across I don't really know how to word it).

This is one of those pkgs where you shouldn't be afraid to get really really close on people and things. ECU shots are your best friends here. Just ask LL he loves those things. Hands, faces foods, instruments, all great things to have. Try and shoot thru things, Tree limbs, plants, chairs, anything. Maybe like that one shot where you where behind a couple in there chairs focus in on them get tighter and have the stage out of focus.

The only other thing I can think of off the top of my head is you had a piano playing and you the first thing I remember seeing was a guitar and the guitar hadn't even started playing yet. So just be aware of things like that. But all in all good job. If I didn't explain some things just pm me and I'll try and help you as best as I can.
 

rb21089

Member
Jason: thanks, I am trying to work on getting real tight shots. I've been told I have wide-medium shots down, but that I need to get tighter.

Matt: Great package, I think I should have incorporated more interviews like you did. You mixed the music and the interviews really well.

-Ryan
 

camguy59

Member
That was all right!

If that was your first NAT pack, you did good. My suggestion would be a stronger, more cohesive narrative, but that was oh-tay.
 

MidwestShooter

Active member
BennyOne:

Nice Work! Only one suggestion...make sure if you use sound of a drum fill, that you show the drummer. Other than that, nice work!

m
 
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