Question for Dylan and video buffs -DIY Video edit etc..

[Scotty_Tradewind]

Hi Dylan and video buffs

I'm expecting the Xacti as soon as the poor Japanese get themselves out of their pickle...

Can you advise me on the best way for a computer and techno luddite like me to do video edits? Is it best to go on a course etc.. if so where, or can I learn basic stuff from a manual etc.?
Do I need to buy some software etc?......

I'm hoping to retire and cruise a lot more soon and swmbo and I would like add to our hobbies by keeping video records of our voyages/trips and also of the family etc..

ta
S.

 

[dylanwinter]

premiere elements

Hi Dylan and video

I'm expecting the Xacti as soon as the poor Japanese get themselves out of their pickle...

Can you advise me on the best way for a computer and techno luddite like me to do video edits? Is it best to go on a course etc.. if so where, or can I learn basic stuff from a manual etc.?
Do I need to buy some software etc?......

I'm hoping to retire and cruise a lot more soon and swmbo and I would like add to our hobbies by keeping video records of our voyages/trips and also of the family etc..

ta
S.

if you have a PC my advice is to download a trial version of premiere elements

play with that for a while

it does almost everything I want it to do

but don't rush out and spend loads of money

as others will tell you it is feindishly time consuming to do it well

but if you are to be retired ==== go for it

windows has a free video editor with it

I would not bother with a course

just do what you see on tv or on sailing websites

a few simple rules - don't wave the camera around too much

count to five when you point the camera at something

takes lots of shots diffrent size, different angles

so if its a boat take a shot of the bow, of the stern, of the smiling helmsman, of the waves, of the wake, of the sals of the ;enant flapping in the wind

five seconds each bung em together - bingo 30 entertaing seconds

stick some music on it

epic

Dylan



D

 

[elton]

Download VirtualDub (free) and get your head around simple editing before you jump in at the deep end. Adobe Premiere is great, but you probably need to understand some basic principles first.

 

[dylanwinter]

good idea

Download VirtualDub (free) and get your head around simple editing before you jump in at the deep end. Adobe Premiere is great, but you probably need to understand some basic principles first.

try a free one

they all work in more or less the same way

capture the film chop it up into shots in a time line

move the shots around

However, if you want to do a course... I think they are great...

some people like to be taught by human beings rather than a m anual

however, there are loads of good videos about making videos - outube is full of them

D

 

[prv]

as others will tell ou it is feindishly time consuming to do it well

Certainly agree with that. I edited the video of a practical joke in which we filled someone's car with 3,600 rubber ducks, and it took forever to do.

Pete

 

[dylanwinter]

where is the video then?

Certainly agree with that. I edited the video of a practical joke in which we filled someone's car with 3,600 rubber ducks, and it took forever to do.

Pete

post a link

Dylan

 

[prv]

post a link

The full video was circulated as a DVD to those involved, but never published online. There was at one time a website with pictures, but this seems to have died (I wasn't involved with that part). The only remaining trace seems to be here.

OK, we cheated slightly by using balloons as filler in the footwells, but until the door was opened the ducks were above window level all the way round.

Pete

 

[st599]

VirtualDub is a bit hardcore, not really intuitive.

Wouldn't recommend one of the big boys (Premiere, Final Cut Pro, Media Composer......) as the initial learning curve is huge. However, they now do some real good cut down versions.

Have a look at Jahshaka, Video Pad, Virtual Dub etc.

 

[dylanwinter]

premiere elements

VirtualDub is a bit hardcore, not really intuitive.

Wouldn't recommend one of the big boys (Premiere, Final Cut Pro, Media Composer......) as the initial learning curve is huge. However, they now do some real good cut down versions.

Have a look at Jahshaka, Video Pad, Virtual Dub etc.

elements is, I beleive, the cut down version

some have cast aspersions on its stability but it has yest to give me problems

as long as you are nice to it - such as keeping your films on a diferent drive from the operating system

and feeding it with plenty of Ram

which is dirt cheap now

Dylan

Dylan

 

[maxcampbell]

AVS 4 you

One subscription to AVS (about £30 from memory) gives access to nice edit software, plus whole suite of other converters, stills edit etc. Just fiddle about - pretty intuitive.

Also another vote for yellow waterproof Sanyo xacti - £300 and (semi) HD. My channel - all using both above =

http://www.youtube.com/user/whispersvideos?feature=mhum#p/a/u/0/whxmUftZ-BI

 

[PeterR]

Despite many consumer reports of Adobe Premier Elements instability I bought a package of Premier Elements and Photoshop Elements assuming a product from a major supplier could not be that bad. Unfortunately, the premier part of the package was hopelessly unstable (at least on my setup) and I had just about given up wasting my time on it. However, about a fortnight ago it automatically downloaded an update and since then it seems to work as advertised. I now have to try and get my head around its remaining shortcoming, i.e the lack of a manual.

 

[Mavis]

Hi Dylan and video buffs

I'm expecting the Xacti as soon as the poor Japanese get themselves out of their pickle...

Can you advise me on the best way for a computer and techno luddite like me to do video edits? Is it best to go on a course etc.. if so where, or can I learn basic stuff from a manual etc.?
Do I need to buy some software etc?......

I'm hoping to retire and cruise a lot more soon and swmbo and I would like add to our hobbies by keeping video records of our voyages/trips and also of the family etc..

ta
S.

Hi.
I also bought a Xacti at Christmas and recently asked Dylan the very same questions. His advice was excellent as always, and my most recent video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYqDLjZeous was the first I have edited, and is very much of an improvement over my other two pretty poor efforts posted on You Tube. This one I did with the very basic software that came with the Xacti.

 

[Scotty_Tradewind]

Hi.
I also bought a Xacti at Christmas and recently asked Dylan the very same questions. His advice was excellent as always, and my most recent video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYqDLjZeous was the first I have edited, and is very much of an improvement over my other two pretty poor efforts posted on You Tube. This one I did with the very basic software that came with the Xacti.

I like the vid'
Did you get the answers from Dylan on the forum or by PM?
Any chance of the link or being privvy to the help?
I can see there being an annual prize for the best amateur sailing vid
ta
S.

 

[dylanwinter]

better videos

I like the vid'
Did you get the answers from Dylan on the forum or by PM?
Any chance of the link or being privvy to the help?
I can see there being an annual prize for the best amateur sailing vid
ta
S.

Posture - forget the viewfinder - holding the camera still when in the heaving cockpit of the yacht is really hard when the camera is stuck to you face. Flip out the viewfinder.... stand like a gorilla with the camera in the middle of your body so you can use your legs and your arms as stabilisers

Shots...keep the camera on one subject for at least five seconds .... anything less is not a shot

take a shot of the bows, the penant, the tiller, the wake, the helmsmans hands, the log, the ensign - string them togther and you have a 30 second sequence

narratuive - think about a story, no matter how crude, shot of boat on the pontoon or a mooring, shot of man making bacon sandwhiches, food being handed out.

Editing... keep everything short, if you have horrible wind noise - kill it with music

Cheers

Dylan

PS Ru88el has some great films up - they are very simple... and he films other people on the boat - they all sound soooo relaxed.... its wonderful, he clearly runs a very easy going ship

 

[Halcyon Yachts]

Hi Dylan and video buffs

I'm expecting the Xacti as soon as the poor Japanese get themselves out of their pickle...

Can you advise me on the best way for a computer and techno luddite like me to do video edits? Is it best to go on a course etc.. if so where, or can I learn basic stuff from a manual etc.?
Do I need to buy some software etc?......

I'm hoping to retire and cruise a lot more soon and swmbo and I would like add to our hobbies by keeping video records of our voyages/trips and also of the family etc..

ta
S.

Hi Scott,

I use the xacti and have found that it is excellent...

My main advise would be to follow Dylans advice! I spoke at length with him and have picked up some great tips.

I think it is important to use short clips (3-6 seconds) unless something particularly interesting is happening. After buying my camera I started to look at professional programmes with a more critical eye - I was surprised at how short most clips are, and if you combine this with different camera angles then the footage becomes all that more interesting... Avoid zooming too much and stabilise the camera (a tripod is essential). I quite like muting most clips, but it can be interesting if the odd one has sound. Pick some appropriate music and you are away!

I have Adobe Premier Pro but am struggling to get the best out of it, so for all my published videos I have just used Windows Live Movie Maker. It is an incredibly forgiving piece of software that enables you all the basic editing facilities. If you wish to give me a call or pm me I'd gladly talk you through the basics...

http://www.youtube.com/user/HalcyonYachtsLtd?feature=mhee

Feel free to have a look at my results - I think I am improving!

Pete

 

[Pete R]

Another thumbs up for Windows Movie Maker.

If you have a windows computer it is already there ready to go. No downloads or cost. Yes it is very basic but very easy to use from your first go and especially if you only want to edit home movies.

I also use a variety of other packages but most have alot of unnecssary add ons that you will never use and can fill up and slow your computer down.

Have fun but beware it can get addictive and you can loose days trying to get it just right.

 

[Scotty_Tradewind]

many thanks to all,
really looking forward to Xacti arriving...

wish I had it this w/e, terrific sail
see posting 139 here... http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?t=272840

 

[Scotty_Tradewind]

Which size Gorila will be suitable for the Xacti when using on the boat to strap onto things please and do they have to have a certain type of mount attachment?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&...nics&hvadid=9560771748&ref=pd_sl_15haau307a_b

and what size standard tripod would suit to start with..... is any type of attachment required for this?

thanks
S,

 

[Paulok]

I use Pinnacle to do editing of home video. Very easy but PC based only.

http://www.pinnaclesys.com/PublicSite/us/Home/

 

[dylanwinter]

cheapo tripod

Which size Gorila will be suitable for the Xacti when using on the boat to strap onto things please and do they have to have a certain type of mount attachment?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&...nics&hvadid=9560771748&ref=pd_sl_15haau307a_b

and what size standard tripod would suit to start with..... is any type of attachment required for this?

thanks
S,

maplins

these are great and cheap

http://www.maplin.co.uk/compact-lightweight-tripod-45697


liked em so much I bought two of them