Fowls of a Feather on Vimeo

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9. Green Polka Dot Box

by wesley johnson

1 month ago

8. Firelight Opening Sequence

by wesley johnson

2 months ago

7. Robsion Ortho Welcome

by wesley johnson

2 months ago

6. Coastal

by wesley johnson

7 months ago

5. Jónsi : Go / At The Wiltern

by wesley johnson

1 year ago

4. homecoming montage

by wesley johnson

1 year ago

3. Baby Blue

by wesley johnson

1 year ago

2. Fowls of a Feather

by wesley johnson

3 years ago

1. finnhouette

by wesley johnson

3 years ago

The music is Yann Tiersen's "L'autre Valse d'Amélie" from the "Le Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain" Soundtrack.

(also known as the greatest film ever made...)

Thanks to all for enjoying this so much.

Credits

1,999 Likes

Need a'Break
3 hours ago
ametshodei
5 days ago
Gertjan Jobse
6 days ago
Jeremy Peresse
6 days ago
Paul Hutchinson
1 week ago
Félix
1 week ago
Raj Kottamasu
2 weeks ago
kimsenin kendisi
2 weeks ago
monsila mon
2 weeks ago
Eranima
2 weeks ago

Carole Beauchamp 3 years ago

Ok, Wes, how long did it take you to train those birds?Great shots.
Lauren Erickson 2 years ago

Haha, that's what I'd like to know. This was beautiful though!
yDrop 2 years ago

Great long shot - loved how you resisted temptation to move camera and let the birds do their thing...
wesley johnson 2 years ago

That's a bit of a funny story, actually. Fate made me keep it static. I didn't have my tripod with, if you can believe, and I had to rig one from a light stand, a super clamp and a grip head. That it even worked is nothing short of a miracle--I had to block the wind from passing (and honking, of course) cars, because the stand was so unstable. To look at me making this film must have been a sight.
Giorgio Constantine 1 year ago

Great insight to how a great video is made. Really, this must be one of the best moments of me, surfing the web!
thank you!
Red Productions 3 years ago

that was tight! love the Amelie and the tobacco grad.
Blake Whitman 2 years ago

incredible. looks like the progression of reading music.
tritochke 2 years ago

beautiful :)
Rachel Sender 2 years ago

so lovely. And the music fits in so well.
Evan Norris 2 years ago

That was awesome! Great shot!!!
Rusty Rogers 2 years ago

I like the angle on the pole... it adds to the dizzying flight.

Starlings are really strange like this, moving like schools of fish. An obvious defensive mechanism. I've seen thousands moving like black swooping clouds. Cool and creepy all at once.

Really nice vid, thanks for the post.
wesley johnson 2 years ago

Great comment. Thanks for that.
Roger Gibson 2 years ago

Wow. Loved it. Music and length of video just right
Martijn Doornenbal 2 years ago

so many... suddenly moving as one! amazing.
DEONPLAYGROUND 2 years ago

It took me 9 seconds to hit the 'heart' button! Gorgeous...and Yann Tiersen rocks!
Taylor Rudd 2 years ago

You held out that long??

Lovely video. Is the music from Amelie?
wesley johnson 2 years ago

Yes, from Amélie, also known as the greatest film ever made.
Zack McTee 2 years ago

I waited until the end because I couldn't stop watching the video. Great work! long shots that capture a moment so well are way better than heavy editing.
Ulises González 2 years ago

niceee
Dan Young 2 years ago

That was fun to watch - I think it would be great if you could train them to make words now...

Or use it as a part of an After Effects Project to spell out - A Wes Johnson Production
Cauna Del Mare 2 years ago

What have used?
Paul Davis 2 years ago

Oh wow. That is too cool!

You didn't park your car under them did you? =P
platypus fox 2 years ago

pleasant. cheerful. excellent.
lichnosam 2 years ago

amazin'
Dan Valentine 2 years ago

That's so cool. Love the music too.
Doublea 2 years ago

Too cool, Hope the wire doesn't break....
Marcel Trindade 2 years ago

Crazy birds! be quiet! the man is trying to take a picture!
Ran Gamboa 2 years ago

That is insane. And very, very cool.
Henry 2 years ago

Mesmerizing!
Minh Bui 2 years ago

this reminds me of that pixar short with those birds that came with the monsters inc dvd lol
Collin 2 years ago

nice man
CHERNOVFILM 2 years ago

Amazing!!!
Sriram 2 years ago

Beautiful
M.Dmitriy 2 years ago

Здорово!! :)
vizage 2 years ago

you're lucky man
marcelo brazuca 2 years ago

umbeliveableeeee!!!
Gérard Mouillaud 2 years ago

Good choice this waltz of "Amelie Poulain" for this waltz of birds !
Simple and excellent
Patrick Kempe 2 years ago

Loved your film. I was so absorbed, I ended up with an untouched and cold cup of coffee!! LOL!
Gaina 2 years ago

I love simple things like this which put a big smile on my face. Well done :)
Brian Berneker 2 years ago

Very nice shot. Just goes to show you that the best footage doesn't have to be very high tech or overproduced!
wesley johnson 2 years ago

Amen. Please watch "Sunrise Run" as well. I think you'll enjoy it.
christian carlsson 2 years ago

yeah mon, nice shot!
Jayson Moo-Young 2 years ago

wOw ^_^
Terre Britton 2 years ago

You never know how something you create will affect someone else... thank you for this video wes.
Alec Sky 2 years ago

awesome footage! also great choice of music (Yann Tiersen is great)
Dathan Manning 2 years ago

how simply beautiful is that? love it.
Gurpreet Waraich 2 years ago

awesome :)
Kimberly Boland 2 years ago

I really, really, love this...you have inspired me
wesley johnson 2 years ago

I want to say that there were literally hundreds of cars passing by this. I too was on my way home from a shoot, and dinner was on the table. But I made myself stop, and Nature paid me greatly for it. There is a wealth of simple and glorious beauty our there---just waiting to be recorded. Don't pass it by. It reminds me of one of my favorite Ansel quotes:

"Sometimes I do get to places just when God's ready to have somebody click the shutter."

The subtext is everything: He was looking, 8x10 in tow...
Jesse Shannon 2 years ago

your willingness to be aware of this wonderful moment of simple beauty has rewarded us all. bravo.
Henry Selvey 2 years ago

What an adorable piece! What a great fit of music and subject!
Henry
Alex Itin 2 years ago

Fantastic find
murejib 2 years ago

Nature BEATS After Effects particle system !!!
Those birds made a great gift to you )) You should buy them a tonne of grain))
wesley johnson 2 years ago

Amen. You know, I've gone back several times since and they weren't there. A total gift.
Nigel Matthews 2 years ago

Great camera angle. Interesting how the birds never sit too close to one another...
wesley johnson 2 years ago

My favorite thing to watch is the upper-right frame, where exactly what you described happens again and again. One bird jumps in and creates this hilarious domino effect.
josh@firestorm 2 years ago

epically awesome
buyshanegas tumblr 2 years ago

beauty is everywhere and not always where you expect it
silvr 2 years ago

bonus cookie for yann tiersen!
MC BuggZ 2 years ago

personal spacing has never been so rhythmic and wondrous...
önder menken 2 years ago

ı like it wery much.
Edwin Pedroza 2 years ago

Super relajante...!!
Jon Rawlinson 2 years ago

lovely!

music from amelie works perfect!

blogd it! hope thats cool!
jonrawlinson.com/2009/03/powerlinerflyers/
Vivianne Canteclaer 2 years ago

Very special!!! Lucky you. The shot with only one colors makes it beautiful!!!!!
What a dynamic film.
Keith Rivers 2 years ago

what would be amazing is if you composed music to the birds moving... i'm sure someone on here will, and if they do, please send me the link...i'd love to see the end result. :)
Matthew Gagnon 2 years ago

O.o Sounds interesting, But I have no way (or aptitude) to do that...
I'd love to see the video if someone does that.
wesley johnson 2 years ago

I agree that it could syncopate even better with an original scoring---but doubt any gifted composer would take the time to do it! If I could afford Yann Tiersen, I would put him straight to work...
Renzo Fornazzari 2 years ago

it´s was Individual or Group Training?? ¿¿JA JA??
Matthew Gagnon 2 years ago

Beautiful
Ben 2 years ago

That is one massive meeting. Wonder if they were able to come to a decision?
Charlie Jennings 2 years ago

Very nicely done.
Diego Stocco 2 years ago

Beautiful, really poetic.
3to1 Studios 2 years ago

Fortunate series of events. Great work!
Goodwin Amundson 2 years ago

LOVE IT!!, are these sparrows, because i have seen them do that, but not quite as profusely.
Aaron Boot 2 years ago

The angle really does it for me. Really wonderful.
Jose, a secas 2 years ago

What a good luck to be there in this moment! XD
Emmie 2 years ago

This is beautiful and ultimately inspiring ♪
Adriana de Barros 2 years ago

Great footage!

I'm featuring this today at illusion.scene360.com
Andrew Waldron 2 years ago

at first i thought this was VFX wow pretty cool
Sasha Fornari 2 years ago

awesome. nature is amazing. great shot!
latiachola 2 years ago

amazing!!!
bravo bravo!!
Truitt 2 years ago

Beautiful video, and the music works in great synchronization. You may be interested in a similar type video "shadows". Please let me know your thoughts.
Frederic Vercammen 2 years ago

Lucky you

I like it
Eric Jasso 2 years ago

Very nice! Brightened my day.
Avi Flax 2 years ago

Great video! Suggest you add a credit for the music to the description.
Remyyy 2 years ago

Slowly waking up and that's just perfect, thanks ! (thanks Sox for the discover)
CreativeCrowds 2 years ago

Cool, the music fits...
Nancy Dimanahan 2 years ago

so natural and amazing! great job! i want to see more like this!...
Donna M. Daly 2 years ago

Great catch, and an absolutely wonderful choice for music.
Desiree Lindemann 2 years ago

beautiful video! I absolutely ADORE when birds do their power-line ballets :)

What song did you use in the video? I love it.
Claudine 2 years ago

this is just beautiful :) i love the color, and perfect lighting; their all silhouettes. nothing else to say, just wow. btw, did you make any speed adjustment on this? :)
Carriecookie 2 years ago

it does looked like the birds were dancing to your music! Nice
ingrid f 2 years ago

wonderful
Joseph Hung 2 years ago

Aaah, emergence. One of the most beautiful natural phenomenons in this world. Like a massive round of musical chairs with hundreds of players, extraordinary!
viraj 2 years ago

very nice :)
Adam Marshall 2 years ago

That put a big smile on my face.
Christopher Galasso 2 years ago

Outstanding.
Chris T. 2 years ago

This was referenced in an article in Slate.com and I checked it out - completely mesmerizing. Brilliant!
Larson's Last Licorice Lack 2 years ago

Saw this on Slate today. Really well done--I like how the power lines disappear as they go to the left and the birds go to the right.
atlasfugged 2 years ago

Incroyable!