Editing Tricks for Amateur Vacation Video #81

Cambodia 2008:  Ta Prohm (Lara Croft)

Natural sound from another location (Banteay Srei) accompanies my narration of this visit to a temple that seems almost overrun with vegetation of the Cambodian jungle.  Then we discover that this is where Angelina Jolie filmed Lara Croft on location.   That piece of trivia is illustrated by compositing some elements of the movie trailer and a still from the video game onto my own footage.

In less than a minute my audience sees where we've been, gains a bit of knowledge, and is ready to move on to the next vignette.  It's fun and fast, continuing the snappy pace of the short videos that form this trip DVD. 

Lessons Learned:

Don't be afraid to relocate natural sound from one part of your footage onto a different segment that you are editing.
Narration that "Lara Croft was filmed here" is somewhat interesting.  But I think that borrowing a bit of hollywood to illustrate that statement is more fun to watch.  Note that I used a few seconds from the movie trailer not from the movie itself.  The trailer is freely distributed on the Internet and I feel that good arguments can be made for its fair use.  However, if there were any commercial intent, then I suspect that the borrowed video as well as the few bars of music from Steppenwolf would require artist releases.

Suggestion:

When I recorded my video I knew I would likely use images of the Lara Croft character.  So I made sure to get some footage with a very still camera that would be suitable for compositing.  

Music Copyright Considerations:

This video contains some identifiable music that is regrettably used without permission.  

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.

Editing Tricks for Amateur Vacation Video #80

Cambodia 2008: Banteay Srei 

Cambodia 2008:  Angkor Wat

This ruined temple is vastly different when compared to Angkor Wat.  I like the close-up of a Vishnu incarnation who decorates one of the surviving doorways.  Especially touching is the ragtag orchestra of musicians who are land mine victims.  I used their music for the background of several of these Cambodia videos.

This chapter is just sixty seconds long, yet it tells a complete story.  This type of pacing should serve to maintain viewers' interest.

I should also note that the camerawork is quite steady!  My walking stick has a threaded post on top, which turns it into a monopod.  That one small technology resulted in a much higher percentage of potentially usable footage.

Lessons Learned:

I'm increasingly fond of rapidly-paced short vignettes to keep my travel stories entertaining.
A clean recording of local sound (music) allowed me to avoid using copyrighted material.

Suggestion:

Consider investing in a walking stick that doubles as a monopod.

Editing Tricks for Amateur Vacation Video #79

Cambodia 2008:  Angkor Wat

This post will look at two different edits of my footage from Angkor Wat.

The first edit lasts only 45-seconds; I edited this using my MacBook on cruise which followed this land tour.  Uploaded in 2008, it wasn't prepared properly for display on YouTube.
(It is possible that this video will not play on iPhone and iPad due to the incompatibilities of Adobe's Flash player.)

The guide's narration is briefly included.  At the end all the viewer has learned is that the videomaker went to Angkor Wat.

The second version is thirty seconds longer.  It adds narration and historical perspective; the viewer learns a litle about Cambodia with still photos augmenting the video.  As we exit the temple the narrator prepares viewers for an upcoming chapter of the trip's DVD.

I obviously prefer the second edit.  It's more fun to watch and follows the pace of other video chapters in this series.

Lessons Learned:

Consistency of titles and narration style keep the viewers comfortable.
Pacing keeps the viewers from leaving!

Suggestion:

Good example here of using live sound as background music.

Editing Tricks for Amateur Vacation Video #78

Cambodia 2008:  Angkor Thom

Those who watched my collection Asia vignettes on DVD were now taken us to the magnificent Angkor Thom temple in Cambodia.  This movie works well both in the DVD context and independently on YouTube.  It's a fast-moving and fun peek at the giant faces carved into the stone walls and columns.

Once again I was inspired by music of The Who.  In particular, the solo Face The Face by Pete Townshend.  Still photos and video are mixed to the beat of the music.  Staccato zoom into still photos and some admittedly goofy sight gags.  No narration, the video speaks for itself.

The video is improved versus the previous Phnom Bakheng, but my camera skills are obviously not up to the challenge of Cambodia's strong mid-day   Nevertheless I think this well-paced video keeps my audience entertained.  (We're seven minutes into the DVD and hopefully no one has fallen asleep yet!)

Once again, repeating my excuse for using copyrighted music:  edited this video during the trip, I didn't have much hard drive space on my MacBook.  Just a few songs in iTunes, most notably my collection of The Who.    Once you place a familiar song with a home video they become linked, making it hard to do a re-edit.

Lessons Learned:

Pacing.  Cut to the music, and don;t feel obligated to use the entire music track.

Suggestion:

I regret having started with copyrighted music. 

Music Copyright Considerations:

This video contains some identifiable music that is regrettably used without permission.  

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.