Friday, February 28, 2014

Editing Tricks for Amateur Vacation Video #108

China 2001:  Wushan - Three Little Gorges



Princess Sheena sailed upstream from the construction site, bringing us to Wushan, a small town that'shome of the Three Little Gorges.  This 7th chapter of the trip DVD is unique; no one will ever be able to film these locations again, since they are covered by the lake that formed behind the Three Gorges Dam.

I think this video is a nice mixture of unusual sights and sounds.  It was easy to edit; this was a "rare" occasion when my camera skills had captured establishing shots, action shots, and a mix of medium and close-ups.  And how about my narration ... it's animated, adding to the "excitement".

Lessons Learned:
If you're lucky enough to have a good mix of raw video, count your blessings.  Convince your audience that you're almost a "professional".

Suggestion:
There was ample opportunity to inject humor into this vignette.  Leave your audience guessing ... my viewers never expected Sarah Palin to pop into this a vacation video!

FYI:
All of the China trip vignettes are already loaded onto YouTube.  They may be viewed on one of my YouTube channels: HENBCtravel
I have three other channels that might be of interest:  HENBCvideo (miscellaneous videos that try to look professional, with particular respect for copyrights), RAGEAIR (advertises the licensing availability of my newsworthy videos), and this YouTube Channel of Shame (an odd collection of stuff, not respectful of others’ copyrights).


Music Copyright Considerations:
This original audience for this video was friends and family who would view the DVD in my living room.  It contains 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.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Editing Tricks for Amateur Vacation Video #107

China 2001:  Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River



Chapter Six of the China vacation DVD takes us to the Three Gorges Dam construction site.       Excavation and concrete placement was well underway in 2001.  The dam body was competed five years later.  The first generator was switched on in 2005, and the last (#27) was placed in service in 2012.  Total generating capacity is 14.1 gigawatts, nearly five times that of Gezhou Dam.

This is an interesting and informative chapter.  Once again the length is about 2-1/2 minutes (looks like that will be a common denominator for these vignettes).  It begins with our surprisingly steep climb up the riverbank, then riding a purple bus with our guide, "Bobo Lee".  It would take a Cinemascope camera to capture the enormity of this project -- but this video is not even widescreen.  I was able to show the scale model; the 4:3 aspect ratio was more suitable for close-ups and personal moments around the construction site.

Lessons Learned:
Widescreen format was not available for this video.  Use a few stills to establish the scale, but then play to the strengths of your equipment.  In this case there are four or five very good clips that are well framed as 4:3 traditional compositions.

Suggestion:
You're unlikely to return for a second chance at filming with better equipment.  So build your video edit with the best of what you have.  

FYI:
All of the China trip vignettes are already loaded onto YouTube.  They may be viewed on one of my YouTube channels: HENBCtravel
I have three other channels that might be of interest:  HENBCvideo (miscellaneous videos that try to look professional, with particular respect for copyrights), RAGEAIR (advertises the licensing availability of my newsworthy videos), and this YouTube Channel of Shame (an odd collection of stuff, not respectful of others’ copyrights).



Music Copyright Considerations:
This original audience for this video was friends and family who would view the DVD in my living room.  It contains 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.

Friday, February 21, 2014

Editing Tricks for Amateur Vacation Video #106

China 2001:  Gezhou Dam on the Yangtze River




Chapter 5 of the China vacation DVD provides a nice look at the first dam on the lower Yangtze River.  Good motion video of the rising water level and opening of the lock gates.  Still photos fill in the gaps of coverage, and the ending montage provide a look at our six vacationers.  Music is a pleasant selection (Leon Redbone's Up a Lazy River).  Just 150 seconds long, then we're ready to see Chapter 5.

Titles and narration are informative, one attempt at humor is a bit lame.  Not a "great" video, but views of this small dam set the stage for an upcoming look at the massive Three Gorges Dam project.

Lessons Learned:
Still photos can provide visual content when there's not enough video coverage.

Suggestion:
This chapter seems to have been edited to match the length of the song.  Also consider matching the music to the video content.  It's a balancing act; this vignette is on the edge of being too long.

FYI:
All of the China trip vignettes are already loaded onto YouTube.  They may be viewed on one of my YouTube channels: HENBCtravel
I have three other channels that might be of interest:  HENBCvideo (miscellaneous videos that try to look professional, with particular respect for copyrights), RAGEAIR (advertises the licensing availability of my newsworthy videos), and this YouTube Channel of Shame (an odd collection of stuff, not respectful of others’ copyrights).

Music Copyright Considerations:
This original audience for this video was friends and family who would view the DVD in my living room.  It contains 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.

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Editing Tricks for Amateur Vacation Video #105

China 2001:  Welcome to Princess Sheena - Yangtze Riverboat


Now we're having fun!  And the video editor is having fun too!!!!

Many members of Princess Sheena's crew joined to present a welcome aboard show.  Dancing, singing, and magic.  Limited by the low ceiling and poor lighting, this video takes off in an unexpected direction.  Traditional music gives way to Rick James' Super Freak.  The cooking staff's choreography has suddenly assumed a hip hop flavor.

I like this video (probably because I had fun editing it).  Chinese tradition fuses with off-the-wall Western humor.  And it's only 2-1/2 minutes long!

Lessons Learned:
It's not exactly Alfred Hitchcock, but unexpected twists keep the audience interested.
The venue was not ideal for the camcorder.  Use music to detract the audience's attention from the video quality.

Suggestion:
I obviously don't take myself too seriously as an editor.  Be sure to have fun with your hobby.


FYI:
This is #4 of 33.  All of the China trip vignettes are already loaded onto YouTube.  They may be viewed on one of my YouTube channels: HENBCtravel
I have three other channels that might be of interest:  HENBCvideo (miscellaneous videos that try to look professional, with particular respect for copyrights), RAGEAIR (advertises the licensing availability of my newsworthy videos), and this YouTube Channel of Shame (an odd collection of stuff, not respectful of others’ copyrights).

Music Copyright Considerations:
This video contains a 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.

Friday, February 14, 2014

Editing Tricks for Amateur Vacation Video #104

China 2001:  Yangtze River Cruise


The ancient Wuhan bells (from my previous blog post) transition nicely to Whispering Bells performed by the Del Vikings (See note below regarding use of copyrighted music).  In this third of 33 DVD chapters we have boarded a riverboat for a five-day cruise on the Yangtze River.

The edited video has a still photo of the boat and a map, plus a few scenes of the riverfront, ship's crew, and life on-board Princess Sheena.  Ouch!  did you see them pull out that acupuncture needle?
A lot of information is conveyed in just two minutes.  Looks like it's gonna' be a fun trip!

Lessons Learned:
Make sure your vacation video fans know where you are!  In this case, the viewers already know (from Chapter 2 of 33) that we have arrived in China.  This third chapter establishes that we are having a good time on the Yangtze river.

Suggestion:
I think that the viewers are now ready to experience China.  They know where we are, and they've "suffered" through the Air Rage detour to Anchorage.  Beginning with the next chapter let's give them some real "entertainment"!
FYI:
All of the China trip vignettes are already loaded onto YouTube.  They may be viewed on one of my YouTube channels: HENBCtravel
I have three other channels that might be of interest:  HENBCvideo (miscellaneous videos that try to look professional, with particular respect for copyrights), RAGEAIR (advertises the licensing availability of my newsworthy videos), and this YouTube Channel of Shame (an odd collection of stuff, not respectful of others’ copyrights).

Music Copyright Considerations:
This video contains identifiable music that is regrettably used without permission.  Note that it was created with the intention of being played only for friends in my living room.
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.

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Editing Tricks for Amateur Vacation Video #103

China 2001:  Shanghai & Wuhan


Our two-day visit to Shanghai was cut in half by the Air Rage incident, so there are just a few short clips of that city.  Then we fly to Wuhan on the Yangtze River.  There are nice close-up shots of rug-making, but views of the archaeological museum are confusing.

Highlight is the stage show featuring ancient bronze bells.  I like the way exotic music is in the background from the beginning of the video, but the "live" musicians are not revealed until the end.  And of course, there are "gag" titles at the beginning and end.

This is a reasonably good vignette that quickly takes the viewer out of Alaska/Air Rage mode and clearly establishes the Chinese destination.  Less than three minutes long, it helps to set expectations for viewers who will watch the DVD's thirty remaining chapters.

Lessons Learned:
Use live music, that was recorded on your trip, for background music.
Be careful not to confuse the audience with unclear video clips.  (Maybe use titles or voice-over narration?)
The close-up of the yarn spinning & rug making was a nice variation compared to mostly wide and medium shots.  These "accidental gems" create interesting edits, be sure to flag them for use in your edit!

Suggestion:
The close-up of the yarn spinning & rug making was a nice variation compared to mostly wide and medium shots.  These "accidental gems" create interesting edits, be sure to flag them for use in your edit!
Just in case you want to see more of Shanghai, here's a link to my blog post which discussed video edited in 2008.


Search description: 
HENBC.COM is here to help those of us who have already taken hours of long boring vacation video.  It's too late for advice on how to use your camera; you need help to transform your boring footage into something that friends will enjoy watching!  WWW.HENBC.COM

Label:
After the Air Rage incident we think we've landed in Shanghai ... but it's Anchorage, Alaska!  www.henbc.com has tips to add excitement to boring vacation video.

Friday, February 7, 2014

Editing Tricks for Amateur Vacation Video #102

China 2001:  Why are there Glaciers in Shanghai?

We start with a reminder of the Air Rage incident, then join the tour in Shanghai.  But wait a minute ... why do we see frozen rivers and glaciers from the bus window?  Hah, Hah! It's a "little" gag to start my trip DVD.  There are also a few laughs inside the Anchorage airport.

I think that this quick-paced chapter sets the stage for a mostly-lightheated look at our trip to China.  Even a clueless viewer should now understand that this is not a serious travel documentary.

The vacation took place in 2001, however I did not edit the raw footage until 2009.  What took so long?  Well, I had finally become comfortable with editing using Apple's software, Final Cut Pro 5.  But mostly I knew that it would be a challenge to create something watchable from my twelve hours of raw video.  (Solving this problem is the reason for the existence of henbc.com, isn't it?)

My final product is a set of vignettes that make up 33 chapters in a vacation memory DVD.  Most of the chapters can stand apart as complete short movies, but they are connected by the timeline of cities and sites that we visited in China.

Lessons Learned:
Dividing your vacation movie into smaller, more manageable, chapters.
Use the first chapter to set the tone for the entire production.

Suggestion:
I like to use humor.  Some of it is obvious, some might make you groan (like the gag about glaciers in Shanghai).  Sometimes I include something that's completely unexpected and off-the-wall!

FYI:
All of the vignettes are already loaded onto YouTube.  You could skip ahead and view them all by searching for "henbctravel AND China". 

Learn how to add excitement to that boring video that you shot on your vacation!  China, Air Rage, video, amateur, travel, henbc


HENBC.COM is here to help those of us who have already taken hours of long boring vacation video.  It's too late for advice on how to use your camera; you need help to transform your boring footage into something that friends will enjoy watching!  WWW.HENBC.COM

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Editing Tricks for Amateur Vacation Video #101 ... even more Air Rage!!!!

Air Rage Humor

If anyone deserved to be slapped silly while strapped into their seats, it was the "Air Rage Twins". This was my inspiration to create a mash-up video, using the movie Airplane and my own footage of the incident.  (True story:  I offered duct tape from my carry-on bag to the incident responders on United #857. "Maybe you want to put this over her mouth?"). 

It was 2001.  Those were the bleeding-edge days for anyone trying to edit digital video at home.  It was nearly impossible to keep Pinnacle StudioDV running on my PC without crashing, but I managed to create a six minute movie which everyone thought was pretty funny.


I've included this short excerpt as a teaching example.  I have not obtained explicit permission from Airplane's copyright holders to use their material; therefore I'm not comfortable posting the entire mash-up edit.  Nevertheless, I feel that this is a fully legal use of their material under the definition of "Fair Use" (see below).

Lessons Learned:
Sometimes the inspiration is obvious.  Run with it and let your friends and family enjoy the fruits of your imagination.

Suggestion:
When I recently re-watched this video I was pleased that it is still funny.  Now that I have a more robust editing system, the cuts could be tightened up and the video shortened from six minutes to about four minutes.


Music Copyright Considerations:
When this video was edited it was intended to be displayed for private audiences in my own living room.  When I posted it on YouTube, I decided to use only a short portion so that it would be legal under the definition of "Fair Use".
Since the copyrighted material is transformed, only short segments of it is displayed, and the edited video is intended for non-profit illustration and educational purposes only, I believe that valid arguments can be made for its "Fair Use".
Today, with digital distribution, artists' rights deserve more attention.  Please understand that I do not encourage improper use of copyrighted material.

Monday, February 3, 2014

Editing Tricks for Amateur Vacation Video #100 ... Air Rage!

Air Rage!
The "Air Rage Twins" captured by my video camera!
On April 19, 2001 our group of six left San Francisco on United Flight, #857.  We were headed for Shanghai, beginning a two-week guided tour of China.

While en-route, two young women who were seated in front of us began misbehaving.  The situation escalated, a stewardess suffered a bloodied nose, and the crew enacted some emergency procedures to contain the disturbance.  Mid-flight, the captain announced that we were returning to Anchorage, Alaska where federal marshals would deal with the perpetrators.  We would stay in hotels overnight, then continue our journey "tomorrow".

This was five months before the terrorism of September 11th.  (I can only imagine that the situation would be handled differently if it happened today).  In 2001 every cell phone did not have a video camera, but I happened to capture some of the incident on my miniDVD camcorder.  There were local news media waiting for us upon arrival in Anchorage.  Next day the incident became a major national news story.

Some of the local reporters were interested in my footage, offering their "standard" compensation of $50.   But I contacted Ed, my brother-in-law, who negotiated much better deals with the networks and the television news magazine shows.  The Anchorage NBC affiliate put my video up on their satellite, from which it was widely distributed.  A week later I was able to make email contact with Ed who told me, "Have a great time.  YOUR VACATION IS PAID FOR!"

My ability to roam about the cabin was restricted during the incident, we were required to keep our seat belts fastened.  Much of the video was shot over my shoulder; quite frankly much of it is shaky, poorly lit, and not well framed.  Yet network show producers bought the rights and created 20-minute segments about "Air Rage".  

What an amazing windfall!  Other passengers were annoyed, but we wore smile for the whole trip!

--------

I created a new YouTube identity ("rageair") and posted some of the video online with a watermark.  Every once in a while a program's producer contacts me to purchase the rights to use my footage in a new project.  Take a look:

Lessons Learned:
Always have your camera ready.
Recognize when your video has value.  Those who use your property should at least give you on-screen credit.

Sunday, February 2, 2014

Looking Forward: China Video

Happy 2014!

It's been a month since my last post at henbc.com   Not really taking a break; but distracted by nuisances like preparing my taxes.

I've also been preparing the chapters from my 2001 China vacation video for use in this blog.  There are 33 segments extracted from the DVD, mostly short vignettes at the various tourist destinations. Also two "bonus" videos that will talk about my experience selling video to the news media.

Those movies are all loaded onto YouTube.  You could find them on your own, or follow this blog as we discuss each vignette one-at-a-time.

Have fun reading and watching!