EARTH: The Pale Blue Dot on Vimeo

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5. EARTH: The Pale Blue Dot

by Michael Marantz

3 years ago

4. From Day to Night

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3. The Window Sunset

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2. SKI UTAH

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1. VOTE

by Michael Marantz

3 years ago

michaelmarantz.com

This piece contains readings from Carl Sagan's "Pale Blue Dot". I have edited his words to tell this short narrative.

I took the time lapse images in Mexico and Utah.

The piano is self-composed. If you are interested in purchasing the instrumental song, you can do it here:

iTunes:
itunes.apple.com/us/album/earth-the-pale-blue-dot-instrumental/id414747613?i=414747637&uo=4

cdBaby:
cdbaby.com/Artist/MichaelMarantz

Everything in this video is created by myself except for the words of Carl Sagan.

I hope you enjoy this piece, it has given me hope once again.

UPDATE:
I would just like to thank everyone for all of your kind words. I feel humbled by all of your comments and privileged that I can be part of such a creative community.

Credits

2,924 Likes

D Ring
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The Funky Monkey 3 years ago

I thoroughly enjoyed it, Thank you!
ChangeUpMag.com 1 year ago

Well crafted, and put together. Thought provoking and truly inspirational. Very well done indeed
trondk 3 years ago

I like this one! Nice production, lovely music that complements the reading and the timelapse it self. Now that I have written this I think I will play it again...
Steve Muskie 3 years ago

Excellent! Now I'm going to download it and enjoy it on my big screen! I look forward to more of your videos.
Michael Marantz 3 years ago

thank you very much, i am always working on new stuff, hopefully something will come out soon
Steve Muskie 3 years ago

I enjoyed the video on my 32 inch screen even more, but I did find that dust spots on your camera's sensor were somewhat distracting. I started shooting timelapses with my Canon 5d a few weeks ago and had the same problem. Now I've decided to do most of my timelapses on my Canon g10. Since it has no removeable lens I shouldn't have to worry about dust spots!
Michael Marantz 3 years ago

i know, the dust spots drive me crazy!! although i have the d90 and apparently there is a auto cleaner, i have to check it out... and i got to have my lenses so the no lens option is not an option haha
Fish Porn 1 year ago

What did you guys do to take care of the dust spots in your later time lapse shots?
Steve Muskie 1 year ago

Dust wasn't a problem for me when using the G10 because it doesn't have an interchangeable lens, but with a DSLR I haven't found a solution. After a while dust gets onto the sensor no matter how careful you are.
Alex² 3 years ago

Wow. This is awsome. Love it. How did you do this? Are this all single shots or is this a movie?
Michael Marantz 3 years ago

Each frame is actually an HDR image. I did this by taking a rapid succession of three frames then combining them in a program to make the HDR image. Then I used after effects to make the image sequences into movies and do color correction...so long story short...both, haha
Willie Escaba 3 years ago

Wow, Great job. just wondering how many shots comprised a clip?
Michael Marantz 3 years ago

thank you! it is actually a total of 30 different shots
Willie Escaba 3 years ago

cool. How long did it take you to shot one of the different 30 shots and how many photos comprised a shot? This is really great. How long did it take you to finish one shot. I'd like to try this. Thanks again.
Michael Marantz 3 years ago

well, all of the shots were timed differently depending on the motion i wanted to capture, my shot lengths ranged from anywhere from 30 minutes shooting at 1 shot every 5 seconds to over 14hrs shooting one frame every minute... also, these are all HDR images, if you do not know what that is wiki it.
Willie Escaba 3 years ago

No, thats actually, what I was wondering. Ive done some HDR stuff but never thought of combining them into a timelapse movie. Very cool. Thanks again.
Mark Espina 3 years ago

Beautiful, meaningful and hopeful.

Thanks.
Juneteenth Works 3 years ago

great video!
doctordurden 3 years ago

Bravo!!!!!. 5*****
docrjay 3 years ago

Poignant! Typical Carl Sagan!
José Luis 3 years ago

Excellent job
krunkosaurus rex 3 years ago

Nice work. May I ask what method did you use for your time-lapse?
Michael Marantz 3 years ago

well i have a nikon D90 and i use nikon camera control pro to take my time lapse images. each image is an HDR image, if you do not know what that is check out the article on wikipedia about it. it is a involved process but the final output is worth it
krunkosaurus rex 3 years ago

Sounds awesome. I may try that. Also I found a d90 grip that will do time lapse: amazon.com/Timer-Vertical-Battery-Grip-Nikon/dp/B00192NV0Y/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1232209097&sr=8-3
Michael Marantz 3 years ago

the only problem with that grip is that it will only do 100 shots at a time, that was a deal breaker for me
krunkosaurus rex 3 years ago

Well crap, I already ordered it. :P
About how many shots would you say you take per scene (not including bracketing)?
landon shipman 3 years ago

240 frames = 10 seconds of video at 24 fps
Chad Richard 3 years ago

well done - meaningful and evocative
vikorasmussen 3 years ago

How did you go from three pictures to HDR?

I expect that you have some kind of batch process, and didn't manually create a HDR from three and three pictures. As that would take a lot of time.

What application did you use?

Great work in any case, I especially like the star-shots..
Kai Xu 3 years ago

love it
Thomas Edward Smith, Jr 3 years ago

Beautiful work.
Michael Tobia 3 years ago

enlightening and humbling!
Randy Perry 3 years ago

Inspired and inspiring. Truly a joy to watch.
Michael Marantz 3 years ago

thank you very much, kind words are appreciated
Alex 3 years ago

Oh My God, that last part at 2:40 was absolutely breathtaking, I've never seen anything like that before
Alli Gallixsee 3 years ago

wow this is stunning. I was just talking to a friend yesterday about doing hdr on moving images and voila! I find your piece and what an incredible application this is. What did you use to assemble the hdr? And if I may ask, how long did it take you to complete this piece? It makes me sweat just thinking about the laborious nature of this technique =)
Michael Marantz 3 years ago

haha, well, i am glad you found it! i actually used a few programs. photomatix pro was my HDR program and I used after effects to put the image sequences together and to create the motion as well as the color correction.

the shooting of this piece went off and on for 3 weeks and the post production took a long time, i cant actually be sure, a lot of it was just processing time for all the HDR images. if i had to guess, somewhere around 40hrs total for post...but don't quote me!

thanks for your kind words,
mike
Sean Hanley 3 years ago

beautiful imagery, but I felt it was missing something: humans.
Chris Light 3 years ago

i one believes the earth was here before us and it will be here when we're gone, then i think that's when the lack of humans in this video makes sense. ...we're inhabitors, mere visitors, or something. use your time, and admire the beauty surrounding. i don't know.
Sean Hanley 3 years ago

I agree with you on that one, but the voice over was about humanity.
Chris Kose 1 year ago

i agree with sean, surely earth was here before us but sagan talks about our potential, maybe a shot of people would be a good addition
Jason Prance 3 years ago

Congratulations on a job well done. Your views are rocking today on this video since the addition to the homepage of Vimeo. And well deserved too. I think my favorite part of the video was the night at the end. The sensation of being on this spinning globe can be felt.
Jonathan Villegas 3 years ago

gorgeous. diligent time lapsing.
Chris Light 3 years ago

very very very cool...
Jacob Ritley 3 years ago

Beautiful.
Francis Tapon 3 years ago

Wise words, although I doubt our ancestors will revere or respect their common origin on this Earth. How many humans alter their behavior to each other knowing that we all come from the same place in Africa?
Nikio 3 years ago

Simply beautiful!
J Meyer 3 years ago

I'm jealous of the locations - very beautiful. Nice blend of the various locations mixed with the Sagan's voiceover and piano for the full effect of visual and audio. Kudos - looking forward to your next project.
Job van der Zwan 3 years ago

That's cheating, Carl Sagan makes anything awesome! ;)

But seriously, I love this.
robertanderson 3 years ago

mm just beautiful, image and sound
rickflick 3 years ago

Very impressive. Carl was the man.
You have done justice to his words. I think he would be pleased.
Fine film.
nick schale 3 years ago

bravo!
Pawel B 3 years ago

amazing!
Daniel Hayek 3 years ago

Awesome :)
Andrew Stride 3 years ago

woweee!
malcolm man 3 years ago

Beautiful and inspiring.

Well done.
Donna M. Daly 3 years ago

Thank You! Carl again inspires yet another artist(s). This piece is beautiful in so many, many ways! Again, Thank you for sharing and making my day more meaningful!
Andres Fernandez 3 years ago

OMG the last part at 2:40 was the best part for me
Wolfgang Gaebler aka gogo6969 3 years ago

This is absolutely wonderful!
Walker 3 years ago

inspiring, this is what I've been looking for!
vimeo.com/groups/future
Gavin Owens 3 years ago

That is profound and thought provoking.
Excellent job on the music. You have a lot of talent.
Do you release music?
If so, post a link.
Cheers
Michael Marantz 3 years ago

thank you for your kind words, i actually do not release music as of yet, but i am working on an ambient album, i will let you know when i have completed it
Gavin Owens 3 years ago

I look forward to it.
Paul 3 years ago

Bravo
Léo Troadec 3 years ago

Magnifique !
Sean Lewis 3 years ago

Wow...amazing, breathtaking. Carl Sagan is an amazing guy and he had done amazing things for the world astronomy's knowledge. Thanks so much for sharing.

btw... How you take those nightshots so clear. I tried my HDR at night, but it too blurry.
about Movies 3 years ago

This was simply beautiful! Loved, loved, loved! Thank you for doing this and put it here for all of us to see! Thank you!!
Jeff Melanson 3 years ago

diggin it, beautiful peice.
MILapse 3 years ago

nice work! Great to see HDR TL progressing! Keep r up!
Fadi Jawish 3 years ago

Amazing!
Heather St. Clare 3 years ago

I love the palm tree time lapse. Very nice video
Jibran Jawaid 3 years ago

wow!!! what an end... dude hands down impressive... great stuff...
Phoric 3 years ago

Excellent!

Carl Sagan helped to change my life forever with "The Demon Haunted World".
Jon Rawlinson 3 years ago

That was incredible.

Loved the HDR shots.

Lovely piano as well!
mtb-idle 3 years ago

whoa! this is an awesome film with great photography and editing
Ilya Berezin 3 years ago

Realy God composition and Colors
Terre Britton 3 years ago

I loved all the parts and the combination thereof. Sagan's thoughts are great; the time-lapsed photography is wonderful, as is your piano composition; and your voice has that professional voice-over quality. The complete package is encouraging, inspirational and is a welcome respite, if momentary, from the troubled reality that surrounds us... globally. Thanks for sharing.
Thomas Malkowicz 3 years ago

What a great video. Carl Sagan is my hero.

Beautiful camera work and piano.
gianni tumino 3 years ago

Superlative work! Bravo!
Per Erik Sviland 3 years ago

Amazing work. I`ve done something similar, but you made a whole package with the narrative and self composed music. Well done.
Erik Wilting 3 years ago

He had always wanted to write music, and he could give no other identity to the thing he sought. If you want to know what it is, he told himself, listen to the first phrases of Tchaikovsky's first Concerto-or the last movement of Rachmaninoff's Second. Men have not found the words nor the thought, but they have found the music. Let me see that in one single act of man on earth. Let me see it made real. Let me see the answer to the promise of that music. Not servants nor the served; not altars and immolations; but the final, the fulfilled, innocent of pain. Don't help me or serve me, but let me see it once, because I need it. Don't work for my happiness, my brothers-show me yours-show me that it is possible- show me your achievement- and the knowledge will give me courage for mine.
-Howard Roark

Thanks...you inspire me
John Mickus 3 years ago

Spectacular... HD makes all the difference in this one :) THANK YOU
Justin Kuhn 3 years ago

This footage is absolutely amazing. The time lapse works great and you have captured some truly beautiful images.
ADW 3 years ago

Fantastic!
Jeff Olive 3 years ago

Absolutely beautiful.
Peter Woodbridge 3 years ago

amazing, it makes me feel insignificant, but good

well done
Lifelong Memories Films 3 years ago

This was a marvelous work. It makes you think of the endless possibilities and the potential of man to expand and explore the universe. It address how mankind will progress and move from hatred and wars to understanding the important things in life.
Trail Nerd 3 years ago

Thank you for this. The photography was beautiful and it made me remember how much I miss Carl Sagan's voice and his message.
Michael Wright 3 years ago

Wow, that was amazing. I love Carl's thoughts here. So inspiring. Maybe, just maybe we'll be the first generation to conquer aging and transcend our biology in unimaginable ways.
Mathias Huber 3 years ago

Very good video, great book too!
Paul Davis 3 years ago

Beautiful! The self-composed music was perfect.
Isaac Viel 3 years ago

Great, great movie.
jesús olmo 3 years ago

beautiful video (would be terrific if you include the text, my english is not very good...)
Riz 3 years ago

Tremendous work! Very beautiful use of the time-lapse and the music.

I'll have to now get the "Pale Blue Dot" audiobook!
Michael Zhao 3 years ago

Truly amazingly beautiful. I wish I could've made all the time lapse shots.

Also want to share my work, which presents a less optimistic angle. Wish all friends here can check it out asiasociety.org/chinagreen/

Enjoy, Michael
Cody Kitaura 3 years ago

WOW. Best time-lapse ever.

This worked way better than just music + pictures. Well done.
Jue 3 years ago

Touching, nice, amazing, must make more
Matthew Winters 3 years ago

A very nice video. Loved it!
Tim Tucker 3 years ago

I love the way clouds form and vanish. Not the piece I expected so such a pleasant surprise. Cold chills again from Dr. Sagan. Thank you for putting this together.
Timothy Nguyen 3 years ago

Amazing!