Editing Tricks for Amateur Vacation Video #116

China 2001:  Beijing Hot Pot Restaurant

"Hot Pot" involves cooking your food at the table in boiling water.  Perhaps this chapter could serve as an instructional video for visitors to China?

The opening scene with "Santa Claus" seems out of place in this chapter about eating.  (At least until Steve makes a reappearance near the end.)

Inside the restaurant, food was served on a rotating lazy susan.  This is the first of several movies where I placed the camcorder on the turntable and spun it around to capture everyone at the table.  "Cheeseburger in Paradise" is a good choice for music, especially when American-style fast-food franchises are discovered later.

The close-ups of food are interesting and a nice change from the wider-angle shots typical of the daytime tourist footage.  I still don't know what that wiggly thing is at 00m:40s!

Lessons Learned:

There were no "brilliant" editing trick here.  Some fairly entertaining clips were simply cut together and mixed with some fun music.  If you've read some of these blog posts you know that I think pacing, music, and humor are the most important elements which keep your home audience in their seat.  Although I post my videos on the Internet, I love seeing friends and family enjoy my work in person.  [See: "What Makes This Hobby Fun"]

Camera Hint:  That turntable trick works pretty well if your friends cooperate.

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:

Camcorder tip:  Look for opportunities to get your camera into unusual places.  Here I had a "brainstorm" to spin it on the lazy susan.  It worked fairly well, but would have been better if I propped the camera to better frame people's faces.  If you use this trick, rotate the LCD screen so that your "talent" can see themselves.

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.

Editing Tricks for Amateur Vacation Video #115

China 2001:  Beijing People's Park

9:06AM, it's time for a beer!  We arrived in Beijing and immediately began disrespecting the society.

This is the 15th chapter of the vacation DVD.  It's less than two minutes long and sets the stage for more adventures in Beijing.  As always the camera work is completely un-planned.  I think everyone was a bit silly from travel weariness, creating a series of similar clips that got funnier when I was able to edit together.

I used sound from the Xi'an Tang Dynasty Show for background music.  A portion of it has a vocalist, but it's mostly unobtrusive.  I now own some royalty-free music whose juvenile/comical tone would probably add to the fun mood I was trying to create.

This little movie is unlikely to win any awards, but it's kind-of fun to watch.

Lessons Learned:

Preview your raw video and look for short clips that have a similar tone/theme.  Edit them together and you've just created a video!

Suggestion:

This blog is about editing, but I'll offer an idea for shooting.  If your travel companions get silly, encourage it!  Have them act-out for your camcorder.  When you get home you might discover some great stuff, ready for editing. 

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).

Editing Tricks for Amateur Vacation Video #114

China 2001:  Xi'an - Tang Dynasty Show

This video is somewhat longer than the other vignettes on my trip DVD.   I wanted to show some of the spectacular "Tang Dynasty Show".

The theatre had no restrictions on amateur video, so I captured almost forty minutes of coverage from various positions.  That old Panasonic miniDV camcorder had no built-in stabilization.  I must have braced myself pretty well, because the hand-held footage is not bad!  Unfortunately my attention sometimes wandered and the framing drifts upward or downward.

Sound is remarkably good from the camcorder's built-in microphone is remarkably clear.  That was a pretty decent piece of equipment (which was pick-pocketed in Paris five months later!)

The Tang Dynasty show is a choreographed Las Vegas-style extravaganza; these highlights capture its essence.  I think the movie is of reasonable length, no one has ever left in the middle of it!

There's an editing trick at 00m:45s.  I wanted to mark the end of dinner by having the stage curtain open.  So I overlaid two copies of a still frame above the main timeline.  Then I used the editing program's "transform" tools to crop the right half from one of the stills and the left half from the other.  It takes five seconds for the halves to slide off the screen, simulating a curtain opening.
(Obviously not a perfect effect.  Your trained eyes will likely detect that people's heads slide off the screen with the curtain!)

Lessons Learned:

Always concerned that I am too much in love with my own footage.  Cut, cut, cut .....
If you don't have the video coverage thats needed to complete your masterpiece, improvise!

Suggestion:

The friends who traveled with us wanted to re-live the entire Tang Dynasty Show.  That's only four people out of a potential "world-wide audience!  I know that anyone else would likely be so bored they could lapse into a coma.  So the trip DVD includes a "Bonus Disc" which includes every wonderful moment, un-cut and un-edited.  The bonus disc also includes the entire mashup of Air Rage with Airplane the Movie. 

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).

Editing Tricks for Amateur Vacation Video #113

China 2001:  Xi'an - Terra Cotta Warriors

This video highlights a problem with posting your videos online.  The original soundtrack is missing!  Music, location audio, and my very witty narration are gone.  They are replaced with royalty-free music from YouTube's collection.

What happened?  YouTube detected a bit of copyrighted music.  Most artists would simply require YouTube to insert advertising, but The Eagles require that the entire movie be disabled.  In fact, The Eagles and others have an ongoing legal battle with YouTube over copyright issues.   (If you want to catch the flavor of the original edit, try playing Witchy Woman on your iPod while this video plays?)

Moviemakers, including amateurs like us, are subject to copyright laws.  With rare exceptions under "fair use" we should have explicit permission from the artists before publicly displaying movies that incorporate the work of others.

Most of my work was originally created for a "living room" audience.  So I've tried to be careful about which movies I place on the Internet.  The educational nature of this blog allows some latitude as fair use, but there are still pangs of conscience.  When a blog post displays video with copyrighted music, I always insert an explanatory paragraph (see below).

- - - 

The video consists of three parts:  an embarrassing scene at a restaurant where we thought the finger bowl was full of dipping sauce; the Terra Cotta Warriors archaeological site; and lunch at the hand-made noodle restaurant.  If you could hear the original soundtrack, you might like it.  The YouTube versions sadly lacking.

Lessons Learned:

Try to use royalty-free music for your soundtracks.  I have a growing library of SmartSound music that can be used over and over with no additional payments.  (Disclosure:  SmartSound is not a sponsor, I am simply a user of their products.)

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.  That DVD 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.

Editing Tricks for Amateur Vacation Video #112

China 2001:  Feng Du to Chongqing

The trip DVD includes a long movie that combines the clip in #111 with this one.  This minute of video deserves a little more discussion.  A four-second transition effect took me a lot of effort to figure out.  But no one ever notices it ... guess that means it's successful?

There's a light at the end of the tunnel [00m:38s];  an oval shape is filled with a Chongqing street scene.  As the bus moves, the oval expands to fill the screen.  The shape is located just a little bit off-center.

Many editing programs include this type of transition; if not, the street scene can be placed in a track that overlays the tunnel.  Animate the scale of the overlay track from zero to 100%, or use a shape mask effect.  [Hint: animation is often accomplished by the use of "keyframes"] 

I also animated the color of the street scene.  When it first appears, it matches the amber hue of the tunnel lighting.   Gradually it transforms to normal color.  My editing program allows many effects to be keyframed, including color adjustments.

Lessons Learned:

Our various editing programs include some built-in animation capability.  Try it out and see what happens!

Suggestion:

Sometimes the best way to learn your editing program is to play with it!  If you're afraid that you might make a horrible mistake, back up the project and work with a copy.  And get to know the Edit>Undo command!!!!

FYI:

All of these 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.

Editing Tricks for Amateur Vacation Video #111

China 2001:  Princess Sheena (Yangtze riverboat) Farewell

It was our last night on-board Princess Sheena ... that meant party time!  This eleventh chapter of the China trip DVD starts out with a laugh -- we "catch" my wife stealing the stash of snack food from my suitcase!  Good-bye's from the cruise director, and a line dance fades into the line of people disembarking the next morning.

It's a cute two-minute video.  Can't wait to see where this tour goes next!

Lessons Learned:

Lighting outside was dull and smoggy, indoors was under-lit.  Nevertheless this is a fun little video.  Focus on the good stuff, not what you can't control!

Suggestion:

Notice how the last few chapters flow seamlessly into one another?  It keeps the audience in their seats.

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 was played by the boats crew.  Regrettably, I was unfamiliar with this song and have used it without seeking 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.

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

Editing Tricks for Amateur Vacation Video #110

China 2001:  Wanxian

The ninth chapter of my China vacation DVD takes place in Wanxian, another port-of-call on the Yangtze River.  A colorful welcoming committee plays drums and bells as we climb up the Yangtze riverbank.  The guide's name is "Red Army" and there are nice clips from an open-air market.  "Ya wanna' buy a duck?"  No?  Then let's go to the acrobat show.

This is a nine-minute video, much longer than the the first eight chapters.  Half of it is edited from the acrobat and magic show.  Is it too long?  I guess that's individual taste, but I couldn't cut it because one of our friends was called on the stage to assist the magician.

Lessons Learned:

Editing follows the usual pattern of establishing location, variety of entertaining shots, humor, and good background music.
Be prepared to make tough choices when deciding what scenes should be shortened.

Suggestion:

This would be a candidate for two separate edits.  One version for friends who know the person in the magic show, and a shorter one for YouTube.

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).

Editing Tricks for Amateur Vacation Video #109

China 2001:  Yangtze River - Sailing up Qutang Gorge

Princess Sheena continues her voyage up the Yangtze River.  Some unusual sights, like cows riding on top of a barge loaded with coal.  A Monty Python song celebrates the waterway, and I give myself a new name:  "Gorges George" !

This is a three-minute video that follows a familiar formula.  Establish ... Unusual Sights & Sounds ... Humor ... Complementary Background Music.  The narration mentions smog; the topic is not discussed at length but one can only imagine how breathtaking the rugged terrain would be.  No amount of filtration or polarization can recover the colors which cannot be seen.  So, it's "breath-taking in an unintended way.  But the video has good content nonetheless.

Lessons Learned:

After eight chapters, the editing strategy mentioned above seems to be working for the China Vacation vignettes.
We Love The Yangtze was a pre-selected musical choice.  I knew it would be used even before we left home.  So I made sure to film content to accompany it.

Suggestion:

If you're serious about editing an entertaining movie, keep the video camera with you and ready to shoot at all times.  (For instance, when the Hokies raised their college flag, I was just hanging out on the deck.)

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.