@Tjabo

I really must call upon you to rescind your completely over-the-top and overly harsh criticism of Gardners's video. As Douglas Horn so aptly demonstrated when another forum member offered his opinion on Gardner's work, that kind of peer review is just not welcome here. Personal-View is a place where all guys who boughted a camera - nay, filmmakers - can feel comfortable and safe throwing up whatever poorly shot, overly graded, sub-cameraphone quality video without fear of being asked why their video looks, well, so amateurish when they had the balls to hail it as "cinematic rap video" in their own description.

I think what's missing here is an understanding of aesthetics. You may feel that a subject should be properly lit, so that he or she can be seen clearly. But like Miles Davis's playing, isn't the lighting gear Gardner doesn't use on a spec rap video just as important as the lighting he might have used?

Why does the rapper need to be well-lit, anyway? Maybe he's singing about existential angst, and the director wanted to emphasize this by shrouding his face in darkness. Maybe the "bitch" he's singing about is his own internal struggle with the meaningless of it all. Maybe by not lighting this video and then grading the fck out of it so it's got that patented "I don't know how to grade and I'm doing it on a cheap monitor LOL" grey goblin look to it, what the director is saying is who are we to judge whether a spec rap video is "cinematic" or even visible when the director has already given us his opinion? Why should you have the right to express your opinion?

Douglas Horn was right, by god. You don't!

You're not entitled to an opinion here unless it's cluelessly positive and uses lots of exclamation points and misspelling. What you are entitled to do, however, and right this minute, is to get down on your knees and apologize to Gardner for offending his delicate sensibilities. Apologize for raising the possibility that perhaps his "cinematic rap video" wasn't cinematic at all unless by cinematic you mean of or relating to motion pictures in which case yes it was absolutely cinematic as are all videos of more than a single frame. Apologize for contributing to an atmosphere here where constructive criticism and "feedback" are free to inflict their helpful skill-sharpening hurt on kids just picking up cameras and aiming them at other kids who say things like "bitch" a lot, often in the dark.

I would hope that this shameful episode stands as a warning to you all. Just because a video looks amateurish, or an ADR tutorial seems more like a warning not to do anything shown in the tutorial if you want your video to sound good, that doesn't mean you have the right to criticize anything anyone shares here. Look at the way Douglas Horn bullied that other guy into deleting his entire critique of Gardner's "feature short". That was truly a thing to behold. He even got the guy to apologize profusely for what he'd done, really bend over backwards and cave, throw away his right to an opinion like it was a flaming bag of crap.

Now that's how Gentlemen behave. How Filmmakers behave.

It's how Americans behave.

"Why the hell would anyone professional who really has the skills and the paid projects waste his time here?" @Mirrorkisser

Maybe because it's the internet and it's about sharing. There's not just amateurs around PV and not just amateurish speaking. There are very interesting deals, a lot of people making a lot of effort into R&D (kinda the topic to discuss it). No time is ever wasted unless you think so.

I'm excited for moon T9, I had a great year shooting with T7 but I hesitated to jump on T8 since T7 proved to be very reliable (for me).

"Actually i would love to see one of your projects. Of course, you will claim that this aint necessary to claim your knows it all status."

I'll be the first to admit I can't sing worth a lick. But I can hear just fine. I don't need to be Frank Sinatra to recognize when someone else also sucks at singing. Likewise, I don't need a golden statue on my mantle piece to recognize that someone's video isn't very good. Even if their's is better than mine, that doesn't make their's good, it just makes mine really, really bad.

Good is good. We know it when we see it...and when we don't. What's NOT helpful is Paula Abduling everyone's barely mediocre work. Simon Cowell had it right far more often, and those who were able to incorporate his advice were better off for it.

I think Saveblog's posts are a breath of fresh air around here.

Might as well go on facebook and read the politicians snipe at each other.

@Mirrorkisser, Do you even know who Douglas Horn is? You try to beat Shaveblog at his own game but I think we can all agree that he is funny and insightful whereas you come off as pretentious and bitter (the very same things that you accuse him of). Your perception of injustice tempted you to come out of retirement and right the wrongs on personal-view but your enemy simply ignores your comments and now his self-appointed lackey is even trying to take a clumsy jab at you. If you preach a zen-like approach to internet forums, teach by example not through sermon. Change yourself and the world will follow. --The Meta-meta-police

And with this crushing response I see no further choice but to declare today the birth of a new non-denominational religious organization: "The Douglas Horn Died for You Foundation." Donations now accepted through PayPal @ churchofdeddoug@gmail.com. All proceeds will be used to purchase more of that high quality opium for shaveblog that allows him to peek behind that curtain we call "the ego" and come back with greater truths about the root of our lust for T9. I feel a toast may be in order...

Number 1 thread of the century.

Sarcasm, irony...... some people don't understand this kind of humour. Personally I won't be happy until Apefos and Driftwood have a baby and call it 'T20 The Matrix'. I insist that they make it happen and give the GH2 more cinematicness and filmicness. I refuse to do any more shooting as all other patches are clearly inferior to the image I can imagine coming from this camera. But seriously, if you post your work here, I think it's quite reasonable to expect criticism, both positive, negative and humorous.

@Manicd I think yes. I think increasing dct number and matrix quantization, it can work as a denoise to get a clean look and less sharpness like video.

Its like you hide your man boobs at a nude beach and laugh about everybody elses. Whats the point and spirit in that?

The point is to shame the lardo's into giving up their snicker's and heading to a gym once in a while. Whether or not I do the same doesn't negate the need for someone else to do it.

Framed more politely, the point of honest criticism is to allow someone to improve their work. If the standard around here is the inexperienced, unschooled amateur, no one will improve. If the standard is broadcast and independent cinema, then there's a chance for improvement.

Whether or not the critic's own work also needs improvement is irrelevant. The criticism is based on a professional standard, and holds true when it's true.

My take is that Shaveblog is trying to elevate the standard, is all. Things needed a good shaking up.

I just wanted to scan to every page to make sure I hadn't missed the release of T9. Then I got to this page and things got... interesting. I need to google a few new words now, for example: legastheny

@tjabo looks good to me. A little warm maybe but it's solid good work with no flash and dazzle to take you away from the character. The only minor comment I could make is to change scenes or camera angles more often. All in all, very nice work.