Sunday, June 14, 2015

Editing Tricks for Amateur Video #152

Example of a Video Product Review:

"Installation of Skinomi TechSkin film on iPad"

Once in a while I create a movie that has nothing to do with travel and vacation.  That was the case with this product review.

There's a company named "Skinomi" that offers protective films for phones, tablets, and other digital devices.   Their Amazon reviews looked good, so I bought a set for my iPad.
I set up a camera to record the film's installation.  Fortunately everything went smoothly, so I created this instructional "how to" movie and shared it on YouTube with a link in my Amazon review.

The crazy look at the beginning of the video comes from a "kaleidoscope" filter in Final Cut Pro X.   A couple of still shots establish what we are doing, then the camera is locked down in position for a medium close-up view of the installation.  Simple cuts compress the time, plus a little humor when my cat decided to help.  Simple royalty-free jazz music introduces and closes the edited video.


Lessons Learned:
Medium Close-Up worked well for illustrating the installation of this protective film on an iPad.  An even closer point-of-view might be necessary when shooting a more intricate project.  In that case, enlist the help of a friend to shoot the B-roll.
My music choice worked well for this video.  Notice that when the music fades out/in there is no ambient sound.  I could have chosen to duck the sound, or include some of the natural background.  But I decided that this simple video did not need a complicated sound mix.

Suggestion:
Sometimes you need a break from your typical editing routine.  Why not try something different like this short instructional movie?
Is your camera ready to shoot with a charged battery?  Little projects like this one happen all the time and offer an opportunity to practice shooting and editing.



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