I am shooting a badminton movie, and since one has never been made, I am trying to get some good ideas on what offensive and defensive moves I should put in. Here is a clip that I have put together to give you an idea of what I am looking for. Please take a moment to give me your feedback on what moves work best so that I can put the best spin on the game of badminton in the film. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSc0Q2GEk2o If you know of a good clip, please send me the link as well. Thanks
Hey Fernleif, what is the intention of your movie? For the offensive and defensive moves you´re asking for, in my opinion your actors are very limited, but you have to rely on their performance for good pictures. From your short clip, whatever you do (effects like slow motion, fast cuts, perspectives ...) it does not look like badminton to me. If you need both sisters for your story i suggest to hire some doubles.
Hi Stork, Those aren't the actors for the film. They are really two sisters who allowed me to shoot a couple of their matches so that I could get a feel for some of the shots that were available in exchange for editing their video. You feedback is exactly the kind that I need. When I am editing the sequences for the film, what can I do to make it "Feel" more like badminton? All suggestions are appreciated.
Well, if you want a nice thriller, the starting scene can be something like the Thomas Cup Finals. In a stadium full of people from two different countries, cheering like crazy madmen. It's the singles match, which is the deciding match. You could feel the immense pressure emanating from the crowd, the sweat from the players battling it out. Just check out LD vs TH. That was crazy. For a badminton scene, you definitely want to show the quick action nature of badminton, it's explosive stroke, yet very graceful footwork. I don't know, I'm just shooting stuff....
Some good ideas there loopy. I like the explosive beginning and the fast action. Definately things to keep in mind as I am putting it together. Thanks for your input.
If you want the badminton to look authentic in your movie, you can prepare by watching some pro-games first (maybe in slow-motion), to get a feeling for it. There is very interesting and effective technicque, fine touches in badminton as well as speed- and power-moves. In my opinion badminton is compareable to martial-arts, where you need an advisory-team to make it look impressive. It could be helpfull to watch instructional-videos too, where the basics are explained. A lot of video-links can be found here: http://www.badmintoncentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=113 hope this helps...
Stork, your ideas are invaluable. I am going to be working on another clip this weekend, and I will be incorporating some of your ideas. You wouldn't have any ideas on how to get financing for a feature length film on Badminton, would you ?
hi, i know nothing about movie making but i'd be really interested in a badminton movie so good luck and hope u do a great job I think it'll be best for you to take a look at some real match videos of pros. Check out classic videos of fancy winners and great moments. Lets say....full length dives? Magnificent jump-smashes? Outrageous deceptive shots? Super-fast continuous drives? Crazy persistent defence? But of course the camera angle is different from that of a real match, and can be done from different takes. That way it shouldn't be too hard. you might also get some inspirations from badminton photography for camera angle. Also, backgrounds/court environment is important, as the shuttle should be clearly visible, and the flight must be smooth. This is a problem with many home-made badminton videos. Anyway is your movie on singles or doubles? Do you have a plot in mind or maybe u'd wanna keep us in suspense
I'm not sure you will appreciate this... For a start, you could amend the description for your youtube clip: It says: 'Sisters X and Y play an awesome game of badminton'. Well, 'an awful game of badminton' is more like it. A few tips to begin with: A handheld camera is not a good idea. Use a tripod (or a steadicam harness if you can find one). You will also need to get a greater height for your perspective. Instead of 4:3, it would be useful to shoot 16:9. The filter you used is also not a good idea. You need a bright subject area and a dark background... You also need a less busy background. You also need to stick to one side of the eyeline (or the axis). Else, it will look like both players are on one side. As with any sport, nat-sound is extremely important. Music must be limited to punctuation... on its won, it conveys little. Also, the power and explosiveness of the sport are critical facets. You will need to shoot inserts and cutaways to emphasise those. You're also missing close-ups (which are the lifeblood of intense sport). Finally, find a clutch of good players to be your 'actors' (it's evident that these sisters wouldn't be able to beat a blind camel).
this is my interpretation, so i am probably not totally accurate, but i think you guys ought to remember he's shooting a movie, and not a badminton match..... badminton is merely the subject. i think the approach he had in the clip was correct. you guys are bashing the two sisters who are in the clip which is totally uncalled for. he even said earlier that they were included in the clip only because they were willing to, and fernleif is still getting a hang at seeing what works and what doesn't. some of the stuff that some of the guys said are great. to add, i think the angles and such were great for soem of the particular situations. a good place for examples would be the replay highlights that are accompanied by music and the tv-station logos post-match on some of the videos we have downloaded. they usually inlcude the more dramatic angles, not caring so much for the "perfect view so we can tell whether or not that push actually landed in or out"
Oldhand, you have some great comments. It showed that you watched the clip and looked for the things that I need to do in order to make it better. Too bad you are in Singapore, I could sure use a good DP in LA for this film. Actually, there are many good DP's, I just haven't found one that wants to work on a low budget short. I have noted your comments and will work on that for the next round. I'm still doing auditions, so there is plenty of time for changes.
Hi DivingBirdie, The movie is women's singles, but is is mostly about a young girl who has nothing going for her, except that she can play badminton well. She clings desperately to that one good feeling as the rest of her life crashes in around her. When she is on the court, she feels like a person, rather than a doormat. There is also a love story (supportive boyfriend) and villian (three time champion, and a real hottie). The rest, I will keep you in suspense about
Thanks ChickenPoodle, you are correct. Within 2 seconds of the film, anyone can see that they are not really playing a match. This was a series of staged shots and different angles and light sources. It's not that they couldn't play well, it's that it is hard to play well when someone keeps telling you "Go back to the baseline, run into camera and scoop the birdie at the last second." By and large, the "Average" person gets bored with two people hitting a shuttlecock back and forth. I am trying to get the "Feel" of the game, from the players standpoint, and convey that to the audience so that they can "Feel" just how hard the game is. To the person watching a real game, the player hits a successful backhand two inches from the net. To the person actually playing, the birdie is flying at 5000 miles an hour and is 50 feet away. That is the feeling I need to convey.
I wasn't bashing the sisters. I was bashing their game (if those antics can be called that). I don't think that a movie on racing would work with actors who can't get their car out of the garage without bumping the wall. Similarly, any excitement that Fernleif hopes to convey about badminton (and the heroine's aspirations to success) wouldn't work without a believable depiction of game skills. The mere fact that 'they were willing to' be included is beside the point. They detract from whatever he is trying to convey, trial or not. This is precisely my point, except that the argument is getting lost. If Lin Dan or Taufik Hidayat or Chickenpoodle were the viewer, they would immediately identify with the game and its finer points. Not so if the viewer happens to be Gordon Brown or Julia Stiles or some other soul whose knowledge of badminton is severely limited. For such uninitiated viewers (who will comprise the majority of any film-going audience), the movie will need to show those aspects of badminton that are likely to make them sit up... and these would be the grace, the power, the explosiveness, etc. (Of course, the 'hottie' would be of help too.) And for this to happen, the actors simply must be people who can convey these selling points. The most innovative of angles, the cleverest lighting and the best of locations aren't going to wow people if the on-screen talent cannot communicate the subject of the film.
Fernleif.. The video was niceley filmed. But the Girls filmed was really not good enough to use proper techinque and footwork. They where not "schooled" in how to grip, and how to move around on a badminton court to play well. They looked fit, So they could probably learn quickly by getting proper instructions on badminton techinque & footwork! Some good videos to take a look at is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukoCiP5qOss http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWcnSO6_Vas http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZ2k-tsX5KE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmMHx4YITgs&mode=related&search= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thf5lOxSbkg&mode=related&search= women singels: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELbm-fLYUPg cheers, Twobeer
Thanks OldHand. You have definately keyed in to what I am trying to show. I am going to be doing some additional clips with other actors as I begin auditions for the shows. I find your (and all the other) points very valid and invaluable. Thanks for all your imput.
Hey TwoBeer. I have put out a call for a Badminton instructor to address just that issue. Watching your videos will at least let me know that he is teaching them properly. Thanks for you input.
I think movie wise you can just solve much by filming just the "moves", and then cut the pieces together to form a match situation.. (one can feed the shuttle and then the other smashes, or does a net-kill and stuff like that) there is really no need for them to play a real game when making a movie.. Just think of how they would film a Rocky boxing match.. probably Sylvester stallone is not the most talented boxer around.. but for fight-scenes etc usually action coordinators are used to make it "look" real... /Twobeer
i am afraid to say that i am with Oldhand. no offense to the two actresses, but their skill is not up-to-par to produce any thing close to exciting. and the bad news is that badminton skill is not something that can be coached overnight. players who spent all their energy on badminton will take years to get to something that closely resembles good badminton form that will look good on the big screen. my suggestion is to scout for existing elite badminton players. i am sure there are lots of good and good looking players who will be willing to appear in a short film.
