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.