mikepmurf
05-03-2008, 03:40 PM
Hey, all!
Ok....I don't claim to be an expert, so don't take this thread as a complaint about anything that has been posted or will be posted in the future. I've been doing a LOT of video editing and producing in the last 6 years (gotta help make up for my teacher's salary AND this expensive hobby) and I thought I'd just list off a few suggestions that might make some of your taping and editing a little more enjoyable and easy...both for you and your intended viewers. Again, I'm NOT a professional videographer and don't claim to be one.
Here it goes!
:):):)RECORDING:):):)
Get a Tripod: if you are alone and just video-ing yourself, this is a no brainer, as long as you fly within your cameras recording box. If you (or someone else) is videotaping a flight...USE THE TRIPOD! Even the cheap Walmart ones will be able to hold steadier than us poor little humans can. It only starts to get tricky if you are trying to zoom in on someone flying high and fast, and the only way to conquer that is by practicing with the camera on the tripod.
I video for a local football team and get paid rather well because I follow the ball in the air on passes and am able to follow the players close up. Couldn't do that without my tripod.
Try different angles: An 8 minute flight with a static video with no zoom in's or movement can get boring. If you're by yourself, try placing the camera behind you and slightly to the left to get you in the frame as well and video for 3 minutes. Land, and then move the tripod to the side (getting you in the frame as well is your choice) for another 3 minutes. Finally, put the camera directly facing you and at a safe distance where it won't get hit and you can get some great footage of you and your bird.
Point of references: To be able to judge speed and distance, you need to have some kind of point of reference in the screen: tree line, tops of houses, etc. Zoom out just a little so you can still see the heli good in the frame but keep the tree line in the frame and you'll be surprised how it affects the viewers relationship on how fast your a flying and the distance you are covering.
:):):)EDITTING:):):)
Software: You don't have to have the most expensive software to do great editing. I use Pinnacle 11 for the most part unless I'm having to do some very specific effects, but Windows Movie Maker that's FREE with XP or Vista does JUST FINE!
Transitions: If you have a 10 minute video and only want to have 3 or 4 scenes of it and shorten it, cut it down to those scenes and throw a SIMPLE transition in between each scene. All of the fancy transitions seem to just distract from the video....I normally just use a simple "wipe" or "fade" just to make it easier on the viewers eyes.
Titles and Info: It's nice (but not necessary) to see a title of when, where, and conditions if your are posting to people who have NO clue where you live. You can do this in the video or just specify in the thread, but at least let us know something about the conditions you are flying in.
Music and Sound: Again, this is all up to preference. I like a music track in the background because I'm a high school band/choir teacher myself and I also teach guitar. It's totally up to you whether the music is all you hear and you can't hear the heli, but I like to mix a little of both....just to keep it interesting.
:):):)YOUTUBE POSTING:):):)
Everyone has their own opinion on this, so I'm just telling you the format that I "render" to within my software that has given me the best quality on youtube:
File Type: DIVX
Resolution: 320X240
Frame Rate: Standard (29.97 FPS)
Data Rate: 4,000 Kbits/sec
Audio: MP3, Stereo, 44.1kHz, 128 Kbits/sec
Rendering with these settings I can get about a 8-10 minute video just under 100MB (the max upload size for youtube)
JUST A REMINDER: Youtube doesn't support 16x9 yet, and that's all I video in, so I have to add the "Letterbox" black lines above in below within Pinnacle Studio 11 in order to keep it within the 4x3. if you don't (as you can see on one of my youtube videos) in will just compress it.
:):):)CONCLUSSION:):):)
Again, these are just some hints that might make your video memories a little more "memorable". Take 'em or leave 'em...no feelin's hurt. The editing process can get very lengthly and time consuming if you haven't done it a lot, so if it's something you're really not wanting to put all that time into, don't worry about it!
I am currently getting video of me flying out in a nearby field and hope to have that posted by next weekend.
Here is my "40th Pack" video again. I had a friend video for me (ON A TRIPOD) and we moved the tripod to 8 different locations during the shoot. I added some acoustic guitar in the background and just did some "fades" for the transitions. I changed camera angles a lot of times in the video just to keep the "viewer" a little more interested.
Feel free to ask if you have any questions!
J-KHos5y9vQ
Ok....I don't claim to be an expert, so don't take this thread as a complaint about anything that has been posted or will be posted in the future. I've been doing a LOT of video editing and producing in the last 6 years (gotta help make up for my teacher's salary AND this expensive hobby) and I thought I'd just list off a few suggestions that might make some of your taping and editing a little more enjoyable and easy...both for you and your intended viewers. Again, I'm NOT a professional videographer and don't claim to be one.
Here it goes!
:):):)RECORDING:):):)
Get a Tripod: if you are alone and just video-ing yourself, this is a no brainer, as long as you fly within your cameras recording box. If you (or someone else) is videotaping a flight...USE THE TRIPOD! Even the cheap Walmart ones will be able to hold steadier than us poor little humans can. It only starts to get tricky if you are trying to zoom in on someone flying high and fast, and the only way to conquer that is by practicing with the camera on the tripod.
I video for a local football team and get paid rather well because I follow the ball in the air on passes and am able to follow the players close up. Couldn't do that without my tripod.
Try different angles: An 8 minute flight with a static video with no zoom in's or movement can get boring. If you're by yourself, try placing the camera behind you and slightly to the left to get you in the frame as well and video for 3 minutes. Land, and then move the tripod to the side (getting you in the frame as well is your choice) for another 3 minutes. Finally, put the camera directly facing you and at a safe distance where it won't get hit and you can get some great footage of you and your bird.
Point of references: To be able to judge speed and distance, you need to have some kind of point of reference in the screen: tree line, tops of houses, etc. Zoom out just a little so you can still see the heli good in the frame but keep the tree line in the frame and you'll be surprised how it affects the viewers relationship on how fast your a flying and the distance you are covering.
:):):)EDITTING:):):)
Software: You don't have to have the most expensive software to do great editing. I use Pinnacle 11 for the most part unless I'm having to do some very specific effects, but Windows Movie Maker that's FREE with XP or Vista does JUST FINE!
Transitions: If you have a 10 minute video and only want to have 3 or 4 scenes of it and shorten it, cut it down to those scenes and throw a SIMPLE transition in between each scene. All of the fancy transitions seem to just distract from the video....I normally just use a simple "wipe" or "fade" just to make it easier on the viewers eyes.
Titles and Info: It's nice (but not necessary) to see a title of when, where, and conditions if your are posting to people who have NO clue where you live. You can do this in the video or just specify in the thread, but at least let us know something about the conditions you are flying in.
Music and Sound: Again, this is all up to preference. I like a music track in the background because I'm a high school band/choir teacher myself and I also teach guitar. It's totally up to you whether the music is all you hear and you can't hear the heli, but I like to mix a little of both....just to keep it interesting.
:):):)YOUTUBE POSTING:):):)
Everyone has their own opinion on this, so I'm just telling you the format that I "render" to within my software that has given me the best quality on youtube:
File Type: DIVX
Resolution: 320X240
Frame Rate: Standard (29.97 FPS)
Data Rate: 4,000 Kbits/sec
Audio: MP3, Stereo, 44.1kHz, 128 Kbits/sec
Rendering with these settings I can get about a 8-10 minute video just under 100MB (the max upload size for youtube)
JUST A REMINDER: Youtube doesn't support 16x9 yet, and that's all I video in, so I have to add the "Letterbox" black lines above in below within Pinnacle Studio 11 in order to keep it within the 4x3. if you don't (as you can see on one of my youtube videos) in will just compress it.
:):):)CONCLUSSION:):):)
Again, these are just some hints that might make your video memories a little more "memorable". Take 'em or leave 'em...no feelin's hurt. The editing process can get very lengthly and time consuming if you haven't done it a lot, so if it's something you're really not wanting to put all that time into, don't worry about it!
I am currently getting video of me flying out in a nearby field and hope to have that posted by next weekend.
Here is my "40th Pack" video again. I had a friend video for me (ON A TRIPOD) and we moved the tripod to 8 different locations during the shoot. I added some acoustic guitar in the background and just did some "fades" for the transitions. I changed camera angles a lot of times in the video just to keep the "viewer" a little more interested.
Feel free to ask if you have any questions!
J-KHos5y9vQ