Friday, November 27, 2015

Editing Tricks for Amateur Vacation Video #165 - Scandinavia Cruise (#10 of 10)

Scandinavia Cruise 2005:  Return to London, England (#10 of 10)

It's time to celebrate or be saddened ... this is the last chapter of our Baltic Cruise movie!

Just 49-seconds.  The ship on our title map does an about face ad races back to London.  Then still photos show all seven travelers.  The narrator [in my most-serious voice] proudly tells us that we've watched "everything there is to see on a Baltic cruise!"  
Suddenly, he's gotta run -- to put out a fire.  It's those darn Vikings again!

Comments:  
  • Personally, I like the ending.  If you watch all ten chapters, the ship-on-fire pulls the whole thirty minutes together.  If this is the only segment you watch ... oh well.  It's only 49 seconds!
  • One version of this chapter included the return of waving Queen Elizabeth II who welcomes us back to England.  preferred this version with a burning Viking ship.
  • I am not presenting the closing credits here to protect friends' privacy.

Lessons Learned:
  • Be sure that your vacation video includes one last image of everyone who traveled with you.
  • Roll credits at the end.  Thank everyone who traveled with you and who helped you with the edit.  That includes thanking artists who created copyrighted work you "borrowed", and also the sources of royalty-free music/images.

Suggestion:
  • When the final cut meets your approval, the editing is over.  Publish it to DVD and/or the Internet and move on to your next project.
  • Today I see all sorts of glitches and bad editing decisions in the 2002 production.   But ... it's good enough.  In fact it's better than that; it was the best I could do at the time I did it!  So be proud of your work, and use past mistakes as learning experiences for your next edit.  

FYI:
All of the Scandinavia trip chapters have already been loaded onto YouTube.  Individual chapters may be viewed on one of my YouTube channels: HENBCtravel
The combined 30-minute video is also available here.

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 and commercial video 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, November 20, 2015

Remember the OWC Video Contest?

You probably remember the fun and goofy video "commercial" I created last summer for the OWC Video Contest.  Others with bigger social networks got the most votes, and won the two major prizes of video editing system upgrades.  
Today the contest sponsor www.macsales.com delighted me with a beautifully wrapped & personalized thank-you gift:
 
Envoy Pro Mini (external SSD drive)
It's an engraved external SSD drive.  I'll put this 120GB of fast storage to immediate use in video production.  Special thanks to Larry O'Conner, OWC's owner, for remembering the runners up!

Thursday, November 12, 2015

Editing Tricks for Amateur Vacation Video #164 - Scandinavia Cruise (#9 of 10)

Scandinavia Cruise 2005:  Oslo, Norway (#9 of 10)

What do you think of when someone mentions "Vikings"?  ... Norway?  ... A football team from Minnesota?  ... Or Richard Fleischer's 1958 spectacle that starred Kirk Douglas, Tony Curtis, and Janet Leigh?
Based upon my past history, you've gotta' know that I will borrow liberally from the the video and soundtrack of The Vikings!

Orson Welles' narration is well used to accompany us as we sail in a fjörd, visit the Viking Museum, and explore the Vigeland Sculpture Park.  But why are those Norsemen shooting flaming arrows?  (It's a flashback ... we also saw that in Chapter 1.)  We're also hearing one of the best movie theme songs in history.


Comments:  
  • It's easy to make a vacation video when you borrow half of it from Hollywood!  (See copyright comments below)
  • Actually, the scenes are nicely intercut, and you get a fair picture of how we spent our day in Oslo.
  • Not too many jokes in this chapter.  That's not a bad thing; it really feels like the vacation is winding down!
  • Take a moment to enjoy the photos of Vigeland's distinctive sculptures that depict all sorts of human emotion.
Lessons Learned:
  • It's easy to make a vacation video when you borrow half of it from Hollywood!
    (See copyright comments below)

Suggestion:
  • If you want to see beautiful scenes of pristine Norwegian waterways, as well as authentic Viking vessels under sail, The Vikings is well worth the time.  One of my favorite highlights is the celebratory "oar walking".  Larger-than-life actor Kirk Douglas performs his own stunt; he accidentally fell into the icy water while the cameras were rolling, and that footage became part of the theatrical release. 

FYI:
All of the Scandinavia trip chapters have already been loaded onto YouTube.  Individual chapters may be viewed on one of my YouTube channels: HENBCtravel
The combined 30-minute video is also available here.

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 and commercial video 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.

Thursday, November 5, 2015

Editing Tricks for Amateur Vacation Video #163 - Scandinavia Cruise (#8 of 10)

Scandinavia Cruise 2005:  Copenhagen, Denmark (#8 of 10)


Copenhagen's Erotica Museum has closed, but it's immortalized in this video.  And I guess the "Erotica" theme put us in the mood for some lewd humor when we visited Tivoli Gardens.  Closing with a clip from immortal Danish comedian/pianist Victor Borge this Chapter is a quick and enjoyable three minutes.

Comments:  
  • One "fancy" editing trick, reversing and changing the speed of the roller coaster.  This was supposed to enhance the punchline of an off-color joke ... I wonder if it worked?
  • Most of the music was captured in-camera from street performers and during a dance performance at Tivolii.
  • Victor Borge's famous "Phonetic Punctuation" monologue was captured from YouTube.

Lessons Learned:
  • if our audience is watching the entire "Baltic Cruise" experience, then they have been sitting in front of the screen for about twenty-five minutes.  I'm very conscious that they may be getting restless.  This is the home stretch ... it's time to close this out and keep them happy! 

Suggestion:
  • Three of us had camcorders on this trip; unexpectedly this resulted in quite a bit of reasonably well-shot raw footage from Copenhagen.  However, to maintain pacing I included very little of the available video in this final cut.  That's great for most viewers, but our seven travelers might enjoy a longer version.  Next time I'll consider editing two versions: an "Internet" cut and a "Travelers' cut.


FYI:
All of the Scandinavia trip chapters have already been loaded onto YouTube.  Individual chapters may be viewed on one of my YouTube channels: HENBCtravel
The combined 30-minute video is also available here.



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



Thursday, October 29, 2015

Editing Tricks for Amateur Vacation Video #162 - Scandinavia Cruise (#7 of 10)

Scandinavia Cruise 2005:  Rostock, Germany (#7 of 10)

Chapter 6 (St. Petersburg) was very entertaining.  Now we are challenged to maintain viewers' interest during the four remaining segments, beginning with Rostock, Germany.

There's a bit of real educational history in the narration, accompanied by some worthy video and stills.  We watch our friends Steve, Maureen, Dave, and Becky take the ships tour to Berlin, then Gloria, Matt, and I enjoy the main street of Rostock take the public trolley to a nearby beach community.
Peter Sellers and President Reagan make a reappearance, and Matt is subjected to more on-camera questions.  Some German-language signs create opportunities for puns, and the final spoken words from Dr. Strangelove close the video.

Comments:  
  • Scenes "borrowed" from external sources provide some continuity to the style of the previous chapter.
  • This was a rare opportunity to see the interior of an automated German public restroom.
  • There are some decently composed video and still photo clips to accompany the inane dialogue
  • This edit provides a reasonable transition from Chapter 6's frenetic pace, while maintaining watchability.  However there is some room to tighten it up.

Lessons Learned:
  • We had fun mis-pronouncing and mis-translating the German-language signage.  When the trip video was posted several years ago I was surprised to see comments from German-speakers who didn't understand the humor and helpfully corrected the translation.
    So I guess the lesson learned is that not everyone understands my sense of humor.  So my choice is to restrain myself or ignore the criticism.
    (After being married for 35 years, I can truthfully say "ignorance is bliss"!)

Suggestion:
  • Pay attention to the emotional flow of your video project.  For instance, these ten chapters are presented in their natural chronological order.  I could easily have swapped the position of St. Petersburg (Chapter 6) with Rostock (Chapter 7).


FYI:
All of the Scandinavia trip chapters have already been loaded onto YouTube.  Individual chapters may be viewed on one of my YouTube channels: HENBCtravel
The combined 30-minute video is also available here.

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 and commercial video 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.


Thursday, October 22, 2015

Editing Tricks for Amateur Vacation Video #161 - Scandinavia Cruise (#6 of 10)

Scandinavia Cruise 2005:  St. Petersburg, Russia (#6 of 10)

At over eight minutes this is the longest chapter in the Baltic Cruise collection.  
St. Petersburg has a real challenge to keep my audience's attention.  So I kick the chapter off a little differently:  Three introductions:  What do tourists expect? (a montage of post cards); What does Scott think he saw? (lots of naked women); and What did we really see? 

There are extraordinary sights and sounds to record in St. Petersburg, but the video reveals that much of the beauty was obscured by crowds.  Well, this is obviously not a Rick Steves production ... we were tourists among throngs of tourists. 

Nevertheless this was an action-packed and exciting two-day port-of-call.  To give the audience a taste of the fun I relied on a few running gags:

  • Scenes from Norman Jewison's brilliant Cold War comedy, The Russians are Coming, the Russians are Coming (1966)
  • Scenes from Stanley Kubrick's brilliant Cold War satire/comedy, Dr. Strangelove (1964)
  • Boris Badenov and Natasha Fatale who are parodies of foreign spies in in Jay Ward Productions' side-splitting The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show (1959-1964) 
  • Clips illustrating the way our tour group was "Rushed" in "Russia"
  • Making fun of my nephew Matt
  • My typical "witty" narration

Comments:  
  • There are some fades and page turns but I especially enjoy the well-timed simple cuts.
  • One "pretty fancy special effect" that viewers seem to enjoy occurs at 5min53seconds.  A silver basin with the "Arms of Baron Stroganov" morphs into the muscular "Arms of Schwarzenegger".  I have no idea what gave me that goofy idea! 
  • I love the inclusion of Ronald Reagan's joke about bombing Russia.
  • My favorite cut transition occurs at 7min05seconds.  Jonathan Winters punches Paul Ford (The Russians are Coming ...) which seems to cause Russian ambassador Peter Bull to fall into George C. Scott's lap (Dr. Strangelove).
  • Music was mostly recorded in-camera while filming local musicians.  Also, the tour company gave us some souvenir music CD's and you can hear those traditional Russian tunes in a few scenes.

Lessons Learned:
  • What's the old saying ... "When it ... make movies"?  I was very worried about this chapter.  Although the raw footage included a few moments of nice video, I knew that there was great risk that the final cut would still be too long.  I've watched it dozens of times now -- thankfully I'm still happy with the final result.
  • Yes there is copyrighted material included in this chapter.  Not making excuses, please see below.

Suggestion:
  • Invest the time necessary to pre-plan your edit.  It took several months to capture external video from YouTube, toss out my unusable footage, and create a storyline from the remaining assets.  I remember laughing to myself at possible ways I could put the thing together.


Next up:  Rostock, Germany ... East Berlin's port city.



FYI:
All of the Scandinavia trip chapters have already been loaded onto YouTube.  Individual chapters may be viewed on one of my YouTube channels: HENBCtravel
The combined 30-minute video is also available here.

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 and commercial video 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.

Thursday, October 15, 2015

Editing Tricks for Amateur Vacation Video #160 - Scandinavia Cruise (#5 of 10)

Scandinavia Cruise 2005:  Talinn, Estonia (#5 of 10)

Looking through a porthole, Steve wonders "What's the name of this city?"  Our typical newsreel music is missing, replaced by the instantly recognizable introduction from Bob Dylan's Rainy Day Women #13 & 35.  As this two-minute video continues you'll notice the music is karaoke style with no vocals.

You'll be interested to learn that thee original version of this video included Dylan's "melodious" crooning.  As I was creating this chapter, I wrote to Mr. Dylan and Dwarf Music (his publishing company) several times for permission to use his original recording.  They chose to ignore me.
Although I'll earn nothing from this video, I would have gladly paid a small fee.  Even an outright denial would have been gentlemanly.  But being ignored really ticked me off.  
So don't kid yourself, Dylan has "sold out" to "the Man."

Naturally I wasn't able to post the original on YouTube; instead I hope you sort-of enjoy this karaoke+subtitles.  Have fun, sing along!  

Estonia is emerging from the Soviet economy; one of its great successes is the warm-weather transformation of walled city Talinn into a medieval village.  While this music creates a slower pace when compared to the preceding chapters, there are some fun scenes, cuts, and surprises.  Note the cynical copyright notice just before the video ends.

Comments:  
  • The opening video was not actually shot through a porthole.  It uses the editing software's vignette feature.  Sepia color is an editing software video filter. 
  • My subtitles differ from the words that Dylan actually mumbles in his recording.  If you know the original lyrics or listen to Bob singing while watching my video, there are some plays-on-words that are pretty funny and make this chapter worth watching.
  • I like the original version, which included Dylan's voice.  This sound edit is a poor substitute that was created solely for the benefit of HENBC.com readers.  I hope it  provided some continuity and completeness, and perhaps you've garnered some good while watching the crippled video.

Lessons Learned:
  • Don't lock-in to music that might not be available.  When you can't get copyright clearance, your choices are limited and often unsatisfactory.
  • " 'Estonia' sounds like 'They'll Stone Ya' "  It's such a perfect play on words that I couldn't dream up an alternative.  That's one of the reasons it took seven years to edit the raw footage!

Suggestion:
  • If you own a copy of Dylan's Rainy Day Women #13 & 35 try playing it while watching this video.
  • I admit failure here.  What if you are in the same situation?  When you hit a brick wall, can you abandon your original editing idea and move on?


Next up:  We "Rush-in" then "Rush-out" of Saint Petersburg, Russia.


FYI:
All of the Scandinavia trip chapters have already been loaded onto YouTube.  Individual chapters may be viewed on one of my YouTube channels: HENBCtravel
The combined 30-minute video is also available here.

Copyright Considerations:
This original audience for this video was friends and family who would view the DVD in my living room.  That group sees my productions unencumbered by copyright legalities,  For internet purposes, I have removed identifiable music that would otherwise be used without permission.  
Copyright compliance can be a real pain-in-the-neck; I try to comply but the system often presents unreasonable challenges for no-budget amateurs.
I own several hundred tracks of royalty-free music via SmartSound that I try to use in my productions.  There is no easy way, no safe harbor for little guys like us who need permission to use a bit of commercial music to create a fun little non-monetized movie.  Is it any wonder that many in this situation choose to go to the dark side?


Thursday, October 8, 2015

Editing Tricks for Amateur Vacation Video #159 - Scandinavia Cruise (#4 of 10)

Scandinavia Cruise 2005:  Helsinki, Finland (#4 of 10)

Within sixty seconds we've been given three options for getting the "Hell" out of Helsinki,  and the Finnish people have been insulted at least five times.  Then the stairs in Senate Square are too much of a temptation for Scott, who becomes a Rocky-wannabe.  Scenes from around town are interspersed with hilarious external video from Finnish Tourism Board and Monty Python's Spamalot.  Before you know it, the Helsinki chapter of the trip video is over.  

Comments:  
  • Once again, no fancy editing tricks were used in this chapter.   Skills required: capture a YouTube video and import into your editing program; simple titles; apply background music; simple cuts and fades.
  • The Fish Schlapping Song provided perfect background music for the second half of this chapter.  Earlier scenes are enhanced by choir music that was actually captured in-camera at the church seen at 0min52sec.
  • The Spamalot video was captured by someone in the audience who posted it on YouTube.  I'm sure Monty Python cares about copyright violations. VisitFinland.com probably doesn't mind that I used their video, but I didn't ask.  (View my disclaimer about copyright at the bottom of the page.)
  • Did you notice that this chapter was 4-1/2 minutes long?  Probably not.  It's entertaining and well paced.  And the Queen of England makes an unexpected appearance to end the show.  (I'm getting a lot of mileage from that "wave the hand" gag!)

Lessons Learned:
  • A well-edited and fun vacation video helps to guarantee that you won't have a restless audience.  We have a friend who asks for a blanket as her eyelids droop ... that didn't happen with this one!

Suggestion:
  • Even though this chapter is well-paced and fun, a couple of gags don't work (i.e. the "sardines" and maybe the "hanging suitcoats".  Once again, that honest friend who's not afraid to tell you what to cut is extremely valuable.
  • Obviously my videos are not a rigorous look at all the good things a country has to offer.  Take a look at The Official Travel Guide of Finland — VisitFinland.com for a sampling of beautiful images, videos, and vacation ideas.

FYI:
All of the Scandinavia trip chapters have already been loaded onto YouTube.  Individual chapters may be viewed on one of my YouTube channels: HENBCtravel
The combined 30-minute video is also available here.

Next up:  The medieval city of Talinn, Estonia

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 and commercial video 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.

Thursday, October 1, 2015

Editing Tricks for Amateur Vacation Video #158 - Scandinavia Cruise (#3 of 10)

Scandinavia Cruise 2005:  Stockholm, Sweden (#3 of 10)

The familiar newsreel footage announces our arrival in the capital of Sweden.  A military band accompanies changing of the guards at the palace; surprisingly good sound provides music for the entire video.

Comments:  
  • Lots of gags here:  the floating finger, the Muppets, meatballs and candy fish.
  • Some pretty good cinematography for a change.  Scenes of the military band, the horse carriage, and bocce-playing residents are nicely done.
  • I really like this 2-1/2 minute chapter.  It was created in 2012 -- frankly, this is close to the best I can do my current skill level.  
  • The Muppets scene was found on YouTube.  See copyright comments below.

Lessons Learned:
  • Use external sources of images to sell your story/narration.  

Suggestion:
  • Give your audience something familiar.  Most of my friends and family have not traveled internationally, their mental image of Sweden was formed by television programs and candy shops.    But they sure didn't expect to see the Swedish Chef, Swedish Meatballs, and Swedish Fish in my travel video!
  • Nevertheless, there is some educational value.  Changing of the Guard?  I had forgotten there was a King of Sweden!


Next Up:  A "hellish" day in Helsinki!


FYI:
All of the Scandinavia trip chapters have already been loaded onto YouTube.  Individual chapters may be viewed on one of my YouTube channels: HENBCtravel
The combined 30-minute video is also available here.

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 and commercial video 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.

Thursday, September 17, 2015

Editing Tricks for Amateur Vacation Video #157 - Scandinavia Cruise (#2 of 10)

Scandinavia Cruise 2005:  Gdansk, Poland (#2 of 10)

The quick pace of Chapter One is followed-up with another lively two-minute video.  A distinctive opening with a map & newsreel-style music will apparently introduce each chapter.  The narration tells a couple of quick facts about Gdansk, famous Polish person Lawrence Welk appears and it's Polka Time with Myron Floren!    (I did not request copyright/usage clearance from the Lawrence Welk Show.  The images and music were lifted from YouTube.  See copyright notes below.)
Gdansk is a very enjoyable city with lots of photo opportunities.  The polka provides a lively accompaniment, and Im having lots of fun teasing my nephew!

Comments:  
  • No fancy editing tricks were used in this chapter, proving that you don't have to be an expert to create an entertaining travel movie.
  • Although each chapter will have its own character, I like the idea of a consistent opening.  Instantly recognizable map, music, and narration will be a type of "transition", and should help to bind the ten-part project together.
  • There's a lot of jokes; obviously this video is less about Gdask and more about the travelers having fun together.
  • The last twenty seconds is a still & video montage that is a bit jump and could benefit from some re-work.

Lessons Learned:
  • Pay attention to pace; don't lose your audience's attention. 
  • Use a consistent transition so the audience can identify and anticipate major shifts in the video's location or tone.

Suggestion:
  • What do you remember most about your vacation?  Try to communicate that memory to your video audience.  In this case I remember more about the fun we had, and less about the specifics of an ancient Polish city.
  • Sound quality becomes more important if you want to include interviews of your travelers.  Get your microphone next to the person you are talking to; if you are using the on-camera mike, then use close-up video!


Next up:  We travel to the home of Swedish Meatballs.  


FYI:
All of the Scandinavia trip chapters have already been loaded onto YouTube.  Individual chapters may be viewed on one of my YouTube channels: HENBCtravel
The combined 30-minute video is also available here.

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 and commercial video 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.



Monday, September 7, 2015

Editing Tricks for Amateur Vacation Video #156 - Scandinavia Cruise (#1 of 10)

Editing Techniques for Better Vacation Video
Hi, welcome back to the HENBC Blog!  We are continuing to feature ideas for editing vacation video. This is the first of a special 10-part series of articles.

Amateurs like myself shoot incredible amounts of video when we travel, but that stuff is likely to be boring and un-watchable.  This blog is full of ideas about how to transform raw footage into videos that our friends and families will enjoy!
Experts on the internet do a great job teaching us technique for cameras and editing programs.  I've learned a lot from them, but technique alone cannot create an interesting travel story.  
I challenge myself to tell quick interesting travel stories with my raw material.  For a long trip this often becomes a series of chapters that share some common elements.  I often use narration supported by music, because it's a quick way to orient the audience.  Since I don't take myself too seriously the chapters are often humorous, and I love to include little surprises.
There are more that 160 blog entries at HENBC.com (check out "archives" on the right side of this page).  Most are illustrated with a real example -- a travel story that was created using my own boring video footage.  


Next up is the Scandinavian Cruise that we took in 2005.  Seven years after the trip I "transformed" twelve hours of video and hundreds of still photos into ten short chapters. They can be watched individually, but taken together our vacation story is told in about thirty minutes.


Scandinavia Cruise 2005:  London, England (#1 of 10)


The purpose of this first chapter is to introduce the vacation and cast of characters, plus hopefully grab audience interest so they watch Chapter 2.  It's only two minutes long, so for a quick start I cranked-up newsreel-type music and we go directly to Buckingham Palace to meet the Queen.  Hey ... was that Elizabeth II waving to us?
Then we meet six friends at the cruise ship dock in Dover.  The Queen continues waving, a Viking ship burns, and the narrator (myself) suggests that the viewer pour a stiff drink to enhance their enjoyment of the movie.

Comments:
  • Well, it's obvious that this is not intended to be a serious travelogue.  From the very beginning I'm teasing our nephew, Matt, and there's an animatronic Queen-like person.
  • In retrospect, the scene from The Vikings is a little over the top, not funny enough, and probably unnecessary.
  • There are some poor-man's digital effects!  The "waving queen" comes from a still picture.  I cut off her arm, then replaced it.  But first the disconnected hand was animated with the editing software's transform controls.   It's real brute-force amateur-style digital special effects!  Check it out -- full-size at 1min 23sec.  A much smaller copy of the same graphic appears in the black car's window at  0min 51sec.
Lessons Learned:
  • Grab your audience's attention quickly.  (I think the newsreel music and map serve this purpose.)
  • Once you have their attention, don't lose them.  (I think the Vikings clip comes dangerously close.)
  • Use music to enliven the video.
  • You've only got the audience's attention for a few seconds.  A good narration gives them reason to "stay tuned"
  • Speaking of the audience ... they're impressed with simple things.  I always have to pause the movie to explain the Queen's waving hand!
Suggestion:
  • Before "Final Cut" always have someone you trust preview your masterpiece.  Once you start editing, you have ownership and are wearing blinders.  Shorter is always better, ask someone help you to identify and eliminate unnecessary scenes.

Next up:  The ship arrives in Gdansk Poland

FYI:
All of the Scandinavia trip chapters have already been loaded onto YouTube.  Individual chapters may be viewed on one of my YouTube channels: HENBCtravel
The combined 30-minute video is also available here.


Thursday, August 13, 2015

OWC Video Commercial Contest: Results Announced, Thanks for Your Support!

Well I never thought I had a chance to win this contest, so my hopes have been fully realized !!!
But it looks like your votes pushed us all the way up to #17 (of 67 total)!   Wow that is truly astonishing.  
This very amateur video placed in top 25%!

Actual vote counts were not released, but 67 entries can be viewed here:
OWC Video Commercial Competition - Enter to Win a Video Workstation!


How It Happened; What I've Learned:
  • Other World Computing had a beautiful product display at NAB 2015 in Las Vegas.  Someone handed me a postcard about OWC's upcoming "Viral Video Commercial Contest".  Interesting!  But I didn't have a story concept until about two weeks before the deadline.
  • It was incredible fun to produce my entry.  A real challenge to work on an assignment instead of my usual vacation videos.
  • The green screened footage was taken in my front yard, with camera on a tripod and green cloth covering a fence.
  • The oceanfront and cat footage was filmed several years ago, I had it stashed in a folder called "HENBC's Stock Footage"
  • The black and white footage is royalty-free from ArtBeats
  • The music is royalty-free from SmartSound
  • All video, title, and sound editing was done within Final Cut Pro X
  • If you liked my wardrobe design I’m willing to consult as your “personal shopper”!
  • I knew that there would be voting, however I didn't expect a Facebook-style event that would involve begging for votes.
  • Most contestants are more social-media-savvy than myself.  I didn't even have a FaceBook account until I submitted this entry.
  • I read the biographies of other contestants; most are either media professionals or film school students.
    [Patting myself on the back] it was great to see how well my "production quality" compared when measured against that sort of competition.
      
  • The two winning entries are well produced; stylistically they are very solid corporate-style advertisements. No disrespect intended toward the winners, but readers of this blog know that I prefer a more whacky and fun video.  (I'm retired!  Corporate days are behind me now!!!!)
  • Frankly, I never expected to win.  I even voted for some videos that were not my own.
  • The production experience was so enjoyable that I hope to enter more short-video challenges.  However I will avoid anything that is judged solely by social media.  My comfort zone probably lies with a judged competition.  Or perhaps a qualified jury could select finalists before conducting a public vote.
  • Finally, a takeaway that every cinematographer knows:  A good story overcomes minor production flaws.  That's why some contest submittals are easier to watch than others.

Upcoming on This Blog
We've got some fun vacation videos to discuss.  This time the setting is a 2005 Baltic Cruise.  Raw material included eleven hours of uninspired footage, plus thousands of still photos.
In 2012 I produced a DVD consisting of ten shorts that total 30 minutes.   Those ten chapters should prove fertile ground for discussion, critique, and learning of vacation video editing tricks.


Once again, thanks for reading (and voting)!
All the best,

George

Sunday, July 26, 2015

2015 NAB (including SuperMeet) in Ninety Seconds

2015 NAB & SuperMeet (Las Vegas):

Broadcast Professionals come to Las Vegas every April for NAB.  The Creative Pro Users' Group holds their SuperMeet on Tuesday night.  So what's an amateur hobbyist like myself doing there?
It's all a blur, check it out here:

NAB 2015 & SuperMeet 2015


NAB fills the Convention Center space; it's awesome, educational, and overwhelming.  Every year I learn some new editing tricks at the SuperMeet, plus the event ends with the most amazing raffle you've ever seen.

My two days in Las Vegas each year are a sleepless blur.  I was learning to shoot my Panasonic G6 but the Lumix lens was a lot less fuzzy than my memory!

Hope to see you there in 2016!


Extra Bonus Video -- ELVIS Times Five:

I was on a bus northbound on Las Vegas Boulevard when I saw the ghost of Elvis.  Then another one.  And another .... total of FIVE UNDEAD ELVIS's.
Take a look:

Thursday, July 23, 2015

Editing Tricks for Amateur Vacation Video #156 - Delightful Embarrassment

Embarrass Your Friends With Video?  Be Cautious!

Even if you're a senior citizen, it still feels good to poke fun at your friends.  

We were at our friends' home for a summer backyard party, when martini consumption somehow outpaced good judgement.  They're from Wisconsin, where Myron Floren is treated with god-like respect.  Maureen doesn't practice her accordion much anymore, and Steve is not much of a vocalist.  But they decided to entertain us with the Julida Polka.  

Luckily I had my iPhone.  Light was fading, but dark video is better than no video:


(For your information, here's a link to what Julida Polka is supposed to sound like.)

Well it's pretty obvious that Steve & Maureen love to party, and are not afraid to make fun of themselves.  When they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary, I created a video presentation as a gift to them.  That show opened with this 30-second clip.  Everyone was rolling on the floor laughing -- many had actually seen this happen live!  The stage was set for everyone to have fun watching the rest of a half-hour movie.  And as you might guess, it was a killer anniversary party!

Technical:
Titles:  I edited with an early version of Final Cut Pro X.  The animated opening and titles are nothing fancy -- Apple includes them stock with the software.  I used lower thirds captions for the lyrics since Steve was mangling them in a lovable but mostly unintelligible way.  (Patting myself on the back) I think the ending title is hilarious!
Light & Sound:  Front light was incredibly dim, provided by a gas fire pit.  I used FCPX's built-in tools to brighten the video; there is a spotlight effect that helped a lot.  The software's audio tools also helped to enhance weak sound picked up by the iPhone's microphone.

Lessons Learned:
The day after the party, I was on a mission.  Transferred the "awful" video onto my hard drive and tried to save it -- this was too precious to lose!
The success of this edit proves that content is more important than video "quality".  No one has ever complained that this video is "too dark" ... they are too busy laughing.

Suggestion:
- Use your phone to capture unexpected special moments.
- Hard drives are cheap; moments like these happen only once!  Preserve them.
- Use good judgement.  Don't turn your friends into enemies with your "funny" video

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Daily Voting Continues: The OWC Video Contest

YOU CAN VOTE FOR MY VIDEO EVERY DAY !!!!

I entered the Other World Computing contest; this is your chance to vote for the video commercial that I created.  Thanks!  (Last day to vote: 07/31/2015)

Having trouble voting?  My suggestion:  please try voting from your computer instead of your iPhone.
Although you're supposed to be able to vote with just an email address, some of us have discovered Facebook advertising that blocks it harder for non-Facebook users' to click on the voting buttons .  Or maybe you've had a problem with the "captcha" software that verifies you are a person not a robot.  It seems that the problems happen mostly on smartphones.



Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Camera Stabilizer ... "Like a Chicken?

Chicken Head Acts Like a Steadicam?

This YouTube video tells the whole story!  (Thanks, "Smarter Every Day")

Imagine if you attached a tiny camera to the chicken's head.  You could eliminate that hand-held shakiness from your videos.

Sounds like something AdultSwim did on Robot Chicken 


Saturday, July 11, 2015

Editing Tricks for Amateur Vacation Video #155 - Video & Photo Montage Part 2

Let's Practice Editing by making TWO Montages

In blog entry #154 you read that I have created two little movies from our trip on the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway.  (These are two very similar videos but with one notable difference:  One uses royalty-free copyright-licensed music, the other uses “borrowed” music.)  You might remember this first version:

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway” 3min 31sec with a surprisingly-entertaining copyright-legal soundtrack (shown here):




The second version is called:
Palm Springs Aerial Tramway - Relaxing with the Classics”  3min 25sec featuring spirit-enriching music by composers Edvard Grieg & Johann Pachelbel.




Let's talk about the first version.  I'm almost always happy with royalty-free tracks from the SmartSound library and this is no exception.  Refer back to my 19-step process from the provious post, and you'll notice that clips and photos are spritely timed to the music.  I really like the nature "interlude" during the pizzicato.  Then surprise ... there's a flashback!
Simple titles introduce the four cast members (including myself), and I did a little graphics/compositing work at the end.  The piece is lively, fun and quick.  I can watch it and see a few flaws, but at a certain point you've gotta say, "Enough.  It's Done!"


The second version has a peaceful introduction.  Were you fooled into believing that were going to be "Relaxing With the Classics"?  HAH!  it quickly leads to the ill-tuned Portsmouth Sinfonia and New Zealand Friendly Orchestra, whose comedic take on serious music has delighted audiences for many years.  The terribly recognizable Hall of the Mountain King joins us for our trip up the mountainside.  Then it makes an unwelcome reprise on the downhill trip!
Canon in D is ridiculously formal as we stumble around the hiking path, but Morning Mood perfectly accompanies my unnatural nature interlude.  (Note: This is not the first time that I've been tempted to "borrow" this commercial recording.  I notice that the composition is included on SmartSound's Classical Favorites album.  I'll license that album next time they have a sale.)

The edit points of both versions are essentially the same.   However it's pretty obvious that the clip lengths were adjusted to match the differences in music pacing.

Deep Thoughts:

  • This was a fun weekend project.  Great way to practice all those great editing keystrokes and techniques.
  • I laughed out loud many times while selecting the music, and was often surprised how a drumbeat or tempo change accidentally resulted in a great cut or transition.
  • I thought that my intended humor in the second version should be obvious from the outset.  But I have to be honest -- many friends missed the point and greatly prefer the other version.  They don't like the un-tuned orchestra.
  • We're not trying to be National Geographic here.  Just want to have a little something to share with friends, thank them for joining us on this trip, or make them want to join us on the next one!  A video/photo montage is a quick way to accomplish that goal.
  • As always, I do not encourage intentional misuse of copyrighted material.  I believe that these videos serve an educational purpose, and therefore fall under the guidelines for "Fair Use".


There's a comments section below.  I'd love to hear your thoughts about this exercise.  Which version did you prefer?  Do you ever create two versions of the same project?

Tuesday, July 7, 2015

VOTING HAS BEGUN ... OWC VIDEO CONTEST

The OWC Video Commercial Contest has begun accepting votes.  You can vote for me once every day until July 31, 2015.  As we used to say in Philly, “Vote early and vote often!
VOTE HERE
Note:  If you are not logged into Facebook, the voting machine will work better on a computer than on an iPhone

I need your help!
Never tried anything like this before; the odds are stacked against me!  
There are sixty-six contestants. I am probably the only amateur.  Everyone else is a video professional, a team of film students, or owns a production company.  Also pretty sure I’m the oldest contestant.  
Compared to me, they all have huge social networks. My network includes 17 followers on Twitter, one friend on Facebook, my wife. and two cats.  So I need your help:

Saturday, July 4, 2015

Editing Tricks for Amateur Vacation Video #154 - Video & Photo Montage Part 1

California 2015:  Palm Springs Aerial Tramway

I had time last weekend to create a couple of little movies from our trip up the mountain on the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway.  These are two very similar videos but with one notable difference:  One uses royalty-free copyright-licensed music, the other uses “borrowed” music.I

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway” 3min 31sec with a surprisingly-entertaining copyright-legal soundtrack (shown here):



Palm Springs Aerial Tramway - Relaxing with the Classics”  3min 25sec featuring spirit-enriching music by composers Edvard Grieg & Johann Pachelbel.  This will be shown in my next post when we critique both versions.

I've told my friends that these little movies are "excellent in their brevity and also because they don’t take too long to watch.  They are also short, and it’s over with very quickly."

-----

I took some notes while I was assembling these montages, so that I could share some tips about the process here on the blog.  

My Process for Editing a Short Vacation Video/Photo Montage
  1. As soon as you get home, organize all of your source material into one folder.
  2. When you're ready to edit, review all of the source material.
  3. Begin culling everything that's not too interesting.  Import everything that "might" be worthwhile into your editing program.  I discard about 80% of the original footage, but leave generous "handles" at the beginning and end of each clip.
  4. Drag the best portions of the video clips from your program's browser onto your timeline.  Discard about three out of evert ten seconds.  Remember, there are very few long takes within a montage.
  5. For a vacation video I usually start with a chronological arrangement of clips on the timeline.
  6. Select some of your best still photographs in the browser, set for a duration of about 150 seconds each, and drag them to the end of your timeline.  Still photos of signage will be very useful to orient your viewers.
  7. Finalize the arrangement of your video clips to suit the mood or theme you are delivering.
  8. Drag still photos into position to support the video clips.  I like to use groups of stills in between groups of motion.
  9. Tighten up the timing again (by about 10%).
  10. Insert some placeholder titles, and perhaps some sound-effects or ambient sound.
  11. Export the timeline to a "working-copy" movie file.  Use this file to discover your background music.
  12. Find the tracks you are going to use for the music bed.
  13. Record your narration (if any)
  14. Import your music and narration into the editing program, then drag it into position on the timeline.  Chop and trim the music tracks as necessary.
  15. Now it's a reiterative process: trim the clips to suit the music; trim the music to suit the clips; repeat until it feels right.  This project was five minutes long when I imported the music.  Cutting to the music allowed me to shorten it by another 30% ... and believe me your audiences appreciate it.  Leave them wanting more!
  16. You're almost done; you can now make color corrections, masks, special effects, etc.
  17. Finalize your titles and transitions.
  18. Adjust your sound balance.  Listen to it with headphones and speakers several times.  For starters I bring in the music at about -12dB; background ambience about -28dB; sound effects -12dB; narration -12dB but ducking the music to -20dB when it's behind important narration or live sound.
  19. You might be done!  Preview your project with a friend to make sure you haven't missed anything.

Next time we'll compare and critique the two finished products.  One with Royalty-Free music, the other with "Borrowed" music.

Thursday, July 2, 2015

Other World Computing (OWC) - Video Commercial Contest

from the HENBC Shameless Self Promotion department:

If you've ever thought about upgrading your Apple computer then you're probably aware of OWC's website:  http://www.macsales.com.  Other World Computing offers an incredible array of well-engineered upgrades for the whole catalog of Macs.  I discovered them in 2005; a great source for memory, drives, upgrades, and accessories.  

Why am I talking about this now?  OWC is not a sponsor, we are not related in any way, but:

------

I've entered OWC's "Viral Video Commercial" competition. 
They challenged creative geniuses like me to show how "everything is possible" with OWC upgrades.  "Go further" with "the speed to create.  The capacity to dream."  

I've never participated in a challenge like this; never worked against anything but a self-imposed deadline.  I completed this fun project last month and submitted before the due date. I think you'll recognize my style.  

Looks like there are seventy-one other entries, some are really good.  But this amateur work by an old-guy hobbyist stacks up pretty well against work by media professionals, creative teams, and film school students.





Seriously, OWC is offering some really nice prizes.  Your vote will validate me and inspire even greater heights of creative excellence!  Vote once per day, between July 7 and July 31, 2015.

Thanks.  I mean it!





Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Editing Tricks for Amateur Vacation Video #153: iMovie for iPad

SAVING CANADA  (2012)
Create a Vacation Movie on your iPad


We took an iPad with us during a visit to Montreal and Quebec City in 2012.  The movie you see above was created using only the iMovie app, including its built-in sound effects, titles, and transitions.  I had no convenient way to transfer video into the iPad, so this is essentially an animated slideshow that tells a "story".

The video makes good use of close-up photos of sculptures and unusual street signs.  How about the police mannequin in an old squad car?  And the rare sighting of an endangered species -- a phone booth!  All I needed was some fool to play the leading man.

The iMovie app has a relatively small feature set, and precision editing is difficult on its small screen.  Nevertheless, this little video came out pretty well. 

Lessons Learned:
It's possible to create an entertaining vacation video using even the simplest of editing programs.  This short story was created using only: photos; transitions; titles; music; and sound effects.

Comment:
I am spoiled by my two-monitor video editing workstation at home and felt cramped when I tried to edit on the iPad.  (Imagine trying to edit a movie on a smart phone! No way.)  Oh well, the iMove app cost only $10.  I used it twice, so that's $5 per try!

Obviously I'm not very enthusiastic about creating my vacation videos on a tablet.  But that's my preference ... it might work for you.  Have you created a great vacation video on an iPad?  Post a link in the comments section and I'll discuss it in a future HENBC blog post.