You Are Currently Watching: The General - David Stephenson
Posted On: May 8, 2009Posted In: 5D MkII, Documentary, Vimeo
Comments: 2 Responses
Filmmaker: David Stephenson (www.mophojo.com) with writer/narrator Amy Wilson
Pro or amateur: Pro, photojournalist. This piece was produced for Time.com
Synopsis: Tom McCarthy and his horse, General Quarters, are sentimental favorites heading into the 2009 Kentucky Derby. The General placed 10th, though, after a rough trip through the nasty mud. McCarthy was pulling dirt out of the horse’s nose and eyes after the race. He will likely run in the Preakness on May 16
Production equipment used: Canon 5D Mark II, Gitzo tripod with leveling column, 2180 fluid head, Glidecam HD2000 steadycam, 24-105 f/4 IS, 300 f/2.8, 70-200 f/2.8, ND filter, Sennheiser wireless mic, Sennheiser MKE 400 mic
Editing software: Final Cut Pro
Editing hardware: MacPro (2009) Quad Core 2.66ghz 3gbRAM
Editing Workflow: I edited in the native h.264. Drag and drop, baby! I exported to Quicktime Movie using the Apple ProRes 422 1920 x 1080 60i 48kHz
Favorite shot or clip in this film: @:57 mark, when the trainer leads the General out of his stall. Also love the steadycam and light as they walk to the track @2:40
Tip for 5d MkII filmmakers: Practice practice practice! Keep it simple and tell a good story
May 12th, 2009 at 3:20 pm
Love the story and the shots. I like the shot of the General falling asleep as well. Nice detail shot that adds some flavor and “in the moment” element to it.
June 3rd, 2009 at 9:57 am
I really liked the flow and story of, “The General” in that it showed the close link between man and depending on a horse.
Loved the photography of the early morning washing of the General with the steam rising off his back…very nice touch.
Looking forward to your next one!
John Young