Hi Joel, Thank you very much for the compliments. We really didn't use much on this in the way of stabilization. Virtually everything up until the Scientist was handheld. I wanted all the footage with the cabbie to have a more immediate feel, like we're experiencing these events with him not just as an observer. I have a mix of RedRock & Zacuto gear for shoulder mounting the camera etc, that I bought when i first got the camera, but I rarely if ever use them. What I've found I really enjoy about this camera a lot is the intimacy it offers. There's something very different about holding a DSLR close to the body, rather than being encumbered by a large shoulder-mounted rig.

There was one dolly shot we did in his family room (looking from another room) and that was done with an inexpensive skateboard dolly that I picked up from PaintedSheepDolly.com last year.

We were going to do a couple Steadicam shot on the beach, but had major probs there that I'll talk about on my blog, and i still plan on doing a commentary with the film.

Finally, the opening shot and all the scientist footage was shot from an 18' Jimmy Jib. My friend and colleague, Ian McGrew operated the jib on those and did an amazing job. The one shot at 3:15 is particularly impressive for what he did. The shot begins with him jibbing down, while dollying back (mind you, there was no track and no dolly grip, just the three fat jib wheels). As the camera reaches the corner of the table, it booms left, at which point Ian has to reverse his dolly direction and start pushing forward so he can get the boom over to the trunk, all while keeping track of pan/tilt and keeping it all fluid. I love it.

Thanks Ryan. I really appreciate that. And I rather enjoyed Unit 645 too. Some very cool shots in there.

thanks jonathan. I responded to Joel's comment which answered the question; please see that for info about camera support.

For real? They already said, and I thinkk told you, it was the baby sitter.

There were bigger probs with the story in this, as it didn't fit into the previous chapter, but still, how many voters are watching the otehr chapters and looking for those kind of details. This film looks amazing and it has real actors! That one guy was in FRINGE!!!! My fav!

Yeah, but, imo, the acting on this one was fairly bad, especially with the cabbie. It was completely unrealistic as to reactions. He was WAY too calm and uncaring and non-emotional with the broken door and trashed house, the dead babysitter, his little girl missing, and then leaving going to get her at the beach. It basically ruined the film for me, and I don't think it should have one just for that alone. But, after Top 5, it's mostly a popularity contest, so, that's what happens. It did have some other nice shots here and there. And I think the final photo still was very weak. (most of them were for Ch. 4) As contests go, this one is way too "random". And you better have some jib shots and other shots like that, or you don't stand a chance. And you are also probably pre-screwed if you don't shoot your film with a DSLR. I doubt if a "perfect" film could win a chapter contest (or Top 5) if it wasn't shot with a DSLR and at least one jib shot. (+/-) And the other Top 5 films had a lot of issues, as well, but maybe they were still Top 5.

Hanamichi, dude... as Saddas pointed out, this concern of yours was answered when you posted the first time. ;)

Popper, I take complete responsibility for the Cabbie's reactions in the house. It was purely a directorial decision. In delving into the other episodes and observing the Cabbie, I found him to be rather stoic. In the backstory I considered for the character, I imagined him as having had some rather severe anger issues in the past. Those issues forced his wife to leave him and she ended up dying on the very day she left, leaving Cabbie alone with his daughter, and alone with a heavy burden of guilt that helped him to change.

The Cabbie, imo, doesn't deal with "what-ifs." "Why" people do things doesn't matter to him. Just how those things affect him. He's a matter-of-fact man who does what he needs to do to get by. So yes... when he arrives at home and notices the door smashed open, his only thought at that point is Allison. Is she safe? But he's also not an idiot. He's smart enough not to just charge into the house for her, knowing that the perpetrators may still be in there.

I could have taken the obvious route and had him freaking out about the babysitter, or rushing through the house a la Bourne Identity (which was my first thought), but once I start thinking about characters and people and what makes them respond to situations the way they do -- often in ways that surprise me -- that's when the obvious choices begin to dissipate, and where the more intriguing choices, I think, can be discovered. I'm sorry you didn't like my choice, but that's one of the aspects of filmmaking no one can do anything about: it's impossible to please everyone.

That's all well and good, but non of that is dramatised... how are we supposed to know it's the baby-sitter?

You cannot dramatise 'nothing' - If his reaction is to be a calm one, and thus unusual and abnormal to the way we expect him to react then the audience has to see an element of the abnormality dramatised - it's not enough for you to say it in Vimeo comments - you have to say it in the film.

Basic directing is story first through actors and THEN comes the cinematography - it can look incredible, but bad acting turns audiences away - unless your audience is full of cinematographers.....

Thanks Finn. I spent somewhere around $1500 - $2000. I still haven't really tallied up all the receipts. $450 for the warehouse space. Another $500 for some additional gear (wireless follow focus, a 16-35mm lens, and some other little things), and then a bunch of money for food and transpo, plus a rented space for our casting session, props, wardrboe. Everything else -- lighting, jib, camera, etc -- I either own or we borrowed from friends and colleagues.

aw come on man. totally cool if you didn't like the acting, but 'awful'? ;)

thanks for the kudos on the cinematography tho!

Thanks Adrian. And thanks for noticing those little touches. It makes the hours I annoyed my wife by making her listen to different mixes and talking her ear off about tiny details all the more worthwhile. :)

Wow, thanks Ryan. I'm glad you enjoyed it so much! :)

You can find them on the home page if you scroll down to the thumbnails. but I've also just posted the links to each chapter in the main credits of "Allison." Thanks for mentioning that.

Thanks for the comment Josh. Just curious what about the editing you didn't like? was it an overall structural thing, or more of a stylistic choice?

Just structural. I get really critical when it comes to editing though, so don't mind me. There were a few parts where there were hard, noticeable cuts. I, personally, feel like when you have content like this the editing should go unnoticed. This was also the first video that I saw of the whole series, so I was kinda like "what the hell is going on". It makes more sense now. I'm actually inspired to make something for this contest. I have a pretty good idea that would kinda change this whole story and make it really strange.

I hear you, man, and I agree about some of the hard cuts. I can think of two edits right off the bat that were pretty blatant jump cuts that were done merely to save time cus of the 4 minute cap on the entry. Not preferred, just necessary! :)

are you an editor by trade?

I'm actually a student now, but it seems like my career is going way of editing and writing. I think the one cut I noticed the most was mainly because he is facing a different direction once cut. I watched this a few more time to figure out how I noticed it so easily. I would tell you the exact spot on the video, but it's not loading right now :/

what do you use as an editor?

Thanks Nathan! I assume you've since seen Ch 5 & 6 too. It's a really remarkable contest. Glad you enjoyed it!

I would definitely recommend watching all the chapters from the beginning. Or better yet, here's a link to the final, official version with all eight chapters stitched together:
vimeo.com/groups/beyondthestill