wow theres a market for everything LOL. cant say a woman with muscles bigger than me is a turn on but hey, good luck with whatever your project is :)

LOL! You don't know the half of it, trust me. I've been sent on two shoots, interesting group of people to say the least.... everyone I've met so far has been cool, but you have to wonder what's going on upstairs. I wish I got more fitness model work, but just not in the cards.

Anyway, it's so hard to get feedback on my editing of these projects because everyone I show this to is just amazed at how these women look and pay NO attention to the editing, CC, sound FX, music, levels, pacing, etc. I've been working with this client for almost 2 years and (needless to say) I can't really stick any of this stuff on my reel.

Thanks.

If the editing is visible, you're a failure.

That's the simple truth.

Editing is like the space between the notes played in a music performance.

When it's right, it sounds wonderful, but the notes get all the credit.


>...cant say a woman with muscles bigger than me is a turn on..

Full protective hockey gear may help alleviate your worries about getting squashed like a cockroach.

:O)

Ha Ha. Thanks Course (for both tips). I agree, I guess if people notice the editing then something is wrong. So I'll take peoples "ooohs, aaahs, and eeews" as compliments.

Those women have the same effect on me that ipecac does.

Ok, i watched again, wow ,you sure that one girl isn't Tony Danza in drag,,, well anyway might be my monitor but the plus sign seemed off a bit.and maybe the saturation on the rebar bender could be boosted thats all, looks good I'm sure your client will love it.

I think I saw this ad when they were looking for an editor. Your stuff is much better than their previous stuff I saw.

It's a very funny ad. It's probably more high concept than these sorts of things usually get.

Were the fruit pictures stock photos? It would be cool to see some crushed fruit at the end.

Did you use sound effects for the popping melon? If so, what did you use? Or is that the actual sound of a melon popping.
Something about the mask around the first woman with the pomegranate bugs me. I think it's the fact her head is cut off. Perhaps if the still was positioned differently.

I think I would drop the shot of the woman in the pink bikini being lifted. Consider the rest of the trailer is about crushing and squishing and we just saw the woman who lifted her bend metal, it seems out of place.

Anyway, it's so hard to get feedback on my editing of these projects because everyone I show this to is just amazed at how these women look and pay NO attention to the editing, CC, sound FX, music, levels, pacing, etc.

I think this is what I was getting at when I said it was high concept, the target audience may not want humor or may not see the concept of woman smashing a guava on herself as as funny as most other folks do. I also like that some of the women are deadly serious about it and the woman with the pomengranate seems to be laughing.

As I watched it again, I noticed you were doing shaky text, but never let the text find a center. I think I would either do shaky-still-shaky or shaky-still-dissolve/blur. So I would let the text stop for a half-second or so and then dissolve or blur it offscreen

Some green body paint...

Busterkeaton: The pictures are stock and I might end up changing them out if I find better one. I like your idea of showing some smashed fruit at the end, I'm sure I can find some shots.

As far as the "high concept" part, I get what you mean 100%. I enjoying doing the trailers and sometimes I come up with an idea that I want to see. The trick is keeping in mind what the target audience wants to see. Note: I didn't shoot this--just the editor.

The melon sound effect was the actual sound of the melon. It really popped and pegged the VU meter for a sec. These ladies don't kid around!

The first mask is not my fav. The head (as you said) is cut off. I've actually used that same bit with the vibrating titles, masks, and background on the DVD menu as well. So I'm going to let that one fly unaltered. I tried to find a frame where we could see her face but not let the head get cropped. I just couldn't find anything I liked. I even tried to blur the top... but it's rough. I'll check to see if they want to drop the shot of the girl in pink...it doesn't match, you are correct. But since that is a rather big section on the DVD I wanted to work it into their somehow/someplace. I'll look at the shaky test again. It's as plain as day on a large screen, but the small compressed .WMV slaughters it.

winrock: that is in fact Toni Danza. He pretty much bottomed out after "Who's The Boss?" and ended up competing as a female bodybuilder. The plus sign is centered, I think. I'll have a look and perhaps readdress some color levels.


Thanks for the feedback all.

Jeff

(I'll see if they can get some paint next time)

Wow, you should keep that sound of the melon popping, that would be a good sound effect to have.

I think if the lifting thing is a big part, you should include it at the end and do a couple of shots of it. Kind of like an added feature.


I think the green paint idea is hiliarious. Also if the guys who shot this did not include a section where the women shop for the fruit that is just a missed opportunity.

Personally I would have added some backstory, like the night before her wedding her fiancee died from a bad melon or when she was a rookie cop her partner and mentor was crushed by a crate of falling guavas three weeks before his retirement in an accident she could have prevented. Then she vowed she was going to take her revenge on fruit world, starting with the grapes and then leading up to the head casaba in charge.

"Anyway, it's so hard to get feedback on my editing of these projects because everyone I show this to is just amazed at how these women look and pay NO attention to the editing, CC, sound FX, music, levels, pacing, etc. "

Yeah, I kinda know what ya mean.

Great work all round, and I know you didn't shoot this but where the heck is the big glass of juice at the end??? Where all the girls , covered in fruit goo, sitting round the kitchen counter, raise their glasses and toast with their homemade glasses of juice ??? Just a thought.

Great job on the cutting together though.

One thing I've always wondered about women with bodies like this....why do they wear makeup ? To look pretty ?

Not my thing, but different strokes for all those folks. And I support anything that supports that kind of freedom to be yourself.

Ouch, help me mommy!

jkrepner -
Everyone on this site is super cool, but...
(an aside from someone who learned the HARD way)

never write anything, anywhere - that you wouldn't want your client to read out loud to you - because having that particular situation totally sucks!

these things which seem pretty private and funny here have a way of biting your butt -

can't wait to see the footage, but I'm not near a decent connection -
actually I happen to like muscle builders of both sexes - call me crazy... heh heh

so be careful what you write...

v

Hey Vic? What did I miss?? - G

Vic, you are scaring me! I hope I didn't say anything my client shouldn't read and I'm pretty sure I didn't. But, I will heed your advice and I think it was beneficial that you mentioned it. Thanks and sorry you found out the hard way.... sounds like it was an interesting story. FWIW, I prefer FBB over MBB and I have new respect for the amount of work these women put into obtaining their physiques. There was one interview I cut and when asked about why she choose to train and look the way she looks, she said, "well, why don't you train? why do you choose to look the way you look?"

Buster: "include a section where the women shop for the fruit that is just a missed opportunity." Ha Ha. That's a pretty good idea, seeing them shopping for fruit and all! The best part is seeing the other shopper's reactions. In fact they did an entire DVD of people's reactions as the FBB walk around NYC... I will certainly pass your info "up the chain" for the sequel! Not sure about the back-story, but I got a kick out of it. Thanks,.

Stone: another good idea. A glass of juice at the end... almost like a Jack Lalan Juicer infomercial. Oh, I've seen your work and I'd imagine the audience pays way more attention to the talent than to your edits. But as mentioned above, as long as people don't notice our edits, we did good.

Having spent a large part of my professional lifetime walking the halls of Madison Avenue, I'm probably WAY overly paranoid (but if they're really AFTER you - is it still paranoia?) :>))

No doubt I have a big mouth and a small foot, so I am particularly careful. My "mouth speed" frequently exceeds my "mind speed", and I am often in trouble. Anyone that has seen my lectures is clearly aware of the flip little one-liners that pop out of my mind and into the toilet.

Nevertheless things have dramatically changed in communication.
Even as we speak kids are being (unfairly) judged by the stupid things they write online (MySpace, various blogs, etc). Cute little observations about clients will be online, possibly forever.

So this warning was in no way specifically directed to/at you (it would not be fun trying to backpedal out of, "no way would I show this on my reel") - but EVERYONE has to be a little more aware of the huge international visibility that the internet now affords. And the enormous ease of access that Google, etc. allows. Google unearthed something I wrote in Compuserve back in the late '80s - WOW!
BTW - although I am not an expert on such matters, it does seem that this particular forum is (currently) exempt from Google searches, so your secrets are safe here... shhhhh.

tha's all,
v

Great point Vic - I know a few people that have been bitten by what they wrote on the net.

jkrepner
Yikes! I like it though - great way to introduce the gals, I like the freeze frame effect. I agree that the shot of the one gal picking up the other seems out of place. Also agree that the video should end with some sort of crushed fruit thing. Pile of crushed fruit, fruit smashes against the screen and dissolves to title gfx...

OK - and now to the video (just got near a high speed connection)

Of course there are a grillion ways to approach something like this.
Here are the notes I'd give to my editor:
1 - love it
2 - love the music change, but END the drum music, don't fade it out. If you don't know how to do that, ask me.
3 - I particularly like the motion to freeze frame concept that you use later (in masking arena) - I'd use that throughout w/o the masks where you now are just cutting or fading.
4 - not as important, but I'd personally "Bounce" the first fruit fall - to make it feel heavy and to give the opening frame a "look".

You definitley need an ending. Ending the music (as above) will help a lot. The can crush is a natural. Or another fruit pop. Pick one. Personally I'd stick with the can crush and the title as you've got them.

I'd also add more "ad copy" - cut to music beat:
SQUOOSH
POP
POW
and

NAUGHTY
NICE
JUICY
and

NEVER SEEN BEFORE
FIRST TIME EVER
MUST HAVE VIDEO

don't forget the job of the spot is to move product.

I like it all -

v

Vic,

Good suggestions, but I disagree about the ad copy. If the concept of the video is a "trailer" and not a "commercial," then I think the heavy sell of ad copy doesn't work. Granted trailers are commercials for videos/films, but I think it's a different mindset, I think the audience doesn't want to be reminded that a trailer is just a commercial.

Again, the same ol' questions.

Who is the target audience?
What are you selling them?
Where will this video be seen?

Traditional trailers are seen on paid commercials on TV and at movie theaters (captive audience). Where will these spots play? Web site? TV? Trade shows? Others?

Being a professional "huskster" I have NO compunction about selling product (which is how I stayed in business for a long time). But if the venue is only trailers, then I'd agree - stay within the acceptible limits of "non-offense". On the other hand, what he was showing really didn't tell me what he wanted me to do, other than be amazed by some incredible women. If the idea is to sell DVD's then I say, you better not be coy about it.

Sad to say, but in the end you (the film maker) will not be judged by the beauty of the shots, the veracity of the edits or even the message imparted. In commercial TV you will be judged by the number of units you sell.

v

Hey guys, just wanted to thank everyone once again for the feedback. In this the target audience will be people that visit their website, see a link for the product and then choose to download and view. The other audience will be people that purchase other DVDs and see this trailer promoting this one. As far as the ad-copy stuff... that's a good question. I often feel that some of the trailers I've cut need some sort of call to action, but I'm not sure what that is just yet.

For what it's worth, here are two links to the finished trailer. I took some suggestions here and some from the client, so this is the final.

Thanks again! -Jeff

Kinky Crushes (large)
Kinky Crushes (small)