'tulip tree'
a short film by jim bruno
9x16 aspect (604x1070)
filmed, edited, and color grading by jim bruno
music by moby, 'across,' (licensed at mobygratis.com)
photographs courtesy of the national weather service
shot on a canon 5d camera in granville, illinois, usa
© 2010 jimbruno.com

This short film was a quick experiment/proof of concept shot at 9x16 (vs wide 16x9) based on a subject or subject matter made sense for this format. The 126 foot tree was nearly impossible to capture wide, so I simple turned my tripod head onto its side and began to shoot.

I want to thank my dad, Charles, for inviting me to "go look at a tree" in a nearby town during Thanksgiving break.

My dad and I went on to Henry, IL to visit the Charles Perdew Museum. However, it was closed, so we stopped and shot some images of the museum, and I interviewed my dad about Mr. Perdew. My dad's duck and shorebird carving were greatly influenced by Mr. and Mrs. Perdew (Charles carved, Edna painted).

Charles and Edna Perdew, then, are the subject of my next short film, "Perdew," which I also shot in the experimental 9x16. They, too, it seems, are taller than the 1020 pixels afforded to the 1920 x 1020 HD format, especially in my mind's eye. They, too, were living examples of great fortitude and perseverance.

I'm truly grateful to Vimeo for creating such a creative format that allows for aspect manipulation, custom settings, and experimentation. Vimeo rocks in my mind, and I know the independent community of filmmakers is grateful to have this important broadcast technology with extensive and creative channels through which we might share our work!

For more information on the April 20th, 2004 Tornado Outbreak in Illinois, see: crh.noaa.gov/dvn/?n=ev20040420torputnam and en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_20,_2004_tornado_outbreak