Hawaii - ID# 130
Glenbrook South
Cinematography
Entry Description
This Cinematography reel demonstrates camera work and editing through a trip to the Big Island, Hawaii in early January. My vacation started out very rainy and over the course of the trip the sun came out, so I wanted to emphasize that through my cinematography.
Copyright Info
Recent Teacher Comments
- 4/29 1:46 pm - This reel includes a lot of beautiful shots, but by strictly focusing on Hawaii and not including virtually any lit interior scenes you're limiting the vocabulary of the cinematographer. You would benefit by showcasing a wide range of situation, camera angles, lighting scenes, etc.
- 4/28 1:21 pm - Hawaii is an undeniably beautiful backdrop, but in a cinematography category, the top-tier entries are defined by how the filmmaker controls the image rather than letting the scenery do the heavy lifting. While the footage is pretty, it felt like a lot of the visual work was done in post-production by cranking up the saturation rather than through creative use of the camera at the moment of capture. To compete with the best in this space, you need to showcase a wider variety of lighting techniques and angles. For your next project, challenge yourself to shoot in a 'boring' location—like a laundromat or a garage—and use light and composition to make it look as stunning as a tropical beach. The goal is to prove you can manufacture beauty and mood through technical skill, regardless of where you are standing.
- 4/7 10:24 am - PROS The shooter has a natural eye for vibrant color and environmental beauty, capturing the lush, tropical palette of Hawaii with high saturation and clarity. There is a clear attempt at thematic storytelling, organizing the footage chronologically from the airport to the destination, which gives the reel a cohesive narrative structure. Several static shots, like the wide landscape of the volcanic fields, show a blossoming understanding of Rule of Thirds and scale. IMPROVEMENTS The primary area of focus is the lack of stabilization; much of the footage appears to be point and shoot handheld, resulting in micro-jitters that distract from the high-quality scenery. To improve, the shooter should utilize a tripod or gimbal, or practice ninja walking/crab walking to smooth out handheld motion. While the imagery is beautiful, the composition is often passive. Many shots feel like casual vacation snapshots rather than intentional cinematic frames that support a narrative. Focus on creating depth by placing objects in the foreground to lead the viewer’s eye through the frame, rather than relying solely on the background scenery to do the heavy lifting. OVERALL This reel succeeds as a beautiful travelogue, but it struggles to meet the standard of a cinematography portfolio, relying on the subject matter (beautiful locations) to carry the reel rather than demonstrating technical intent. By introducing stabilization and more aggressive, intentional framing, the shooter can move away from home movie territory and toward a reel that proves they can compose a shot regardless of how beautiful the location is.
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