Editing Tricks for Amateur Vacation Video #39

Africa 2002:  Zimbabwe

Ding-Dong!  That's an attention grabber.  Then a native guy introduces "The Show" and the audience is subjected to a short visual collage of unexpected scenes that includes eating worms!

The DVD that I created from this trip became my first use of a "vignette" concept.  Multiple chapters, each with its own story, presented more-or-less chronologically.  I rarely leave home with the story concept; just keep the camera running and hope for inspiration during the edit.  So each vignette become the result of serendipitous inspiration during the edit.

This particular vignette is the opening of the DVD.  We gain a humorous glimpse of the various travelers in an unusual setting.  It was shot and edited in 2002, using Pinnacle Studio.  If re-edited I might sweeten the sound and tweak the coloration, but it is essentially well done and humorous.

03/15/2014:  I noticed today that the video ends abruptly with scenes from the Zimbabwe Elephant Camp.  That was supposed to be a separate blog post.  Oops!  

Lessons Learned:

Use opening scenes to introduce the travelers and destination.

A lighthearted approach creates an entertaining video.

Suggestion:

There are a few seconds of copyrighted music that is not essential; replace it with a royalty-free selection.

Music Copyright Considerations:

This is a short excerpt from one of my older edited videos.  It contains some identifiable music that is regrettably used without permission.  But remember the time this video was created; in 2002 the audience for this production was usually sitting in my living room.  "Fair Use" allowed me to use the music without consideration of copyright.

Today, with digital distribution, artists' rights deserve more attention.  Since this video is intended for non-profit illustration and educational purposes only, I believe that valid arguments can be made for its "Fair Use" in this situation.  Please understand that I do not encourage improper use of copyrighted material.