Making Videos

[NickfromWI]

Mr. B made a comment about my camera that prompted the response below- but then I realized it was better off as it's own thread.
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Hah! The source of your comment about the auto-exposure is actually why I asked about a new camera!

My camera is an Olympus 770 SW. It is completely waterproof (can take underwater pics and vid) and shockPROOF. You can stand on it. No joke. I think it is the perfect in-tree camera- and it's the only one I have.

However- one feature that I hate is that the vids are auto-exposure only. It drives me bonkers, but I have to make do with what I got right now. I'd like to find a decent camera that can record on a memory card that will also let me hook up a seperate mic. I hate how the audio on that vid is so echoey (is that a word) because of the large room and hardwood floors and whatnot. Also, the birds and traffic in the background are very distracting and very FAR from what I would consider a sellable video. I hope to eventually get this to a professional level to make a good sellable splicing video for arborists. People have been asking me for it for a few years now!

I'm also looking into some vid-making software. Right now I am using the free Windows Movie Maker. It's alright, but also limited. I can only make .avi movies of not-great quality. I'm thinking- buy a mac and get Final Cut Express.

This is a fun project. I'm looking forward to making more vids!

love
nick

 

[rbtree]

Nick....

In Movie maker, you can choose to erase or attenuate the audio track....then record your own narrative...if you have a way to do that....

I've done just a tad bit of shopping for video camcorders....

I've found that most of the relatively inexpensive models are weak when it comes to manual controls.....I think.

The camcorder that interested me the most was a $650 Canon that records to memory cards, and in HD! It's about the top of the heap of the consumer cameras....I'd have to look to see what manual features it has.....


with all my Canon digi cams, from small to full pro DSLR, full manual is available...except in movie mode....

 

[sotc]

ive been thinking of a movie cam also, figured it would do a better job than my regular cam

 

[gf beranek]

I've done a lot of live voice over in my vids, but like Nick said, the background noise can be distracting. So bad at times it kills the video.

I was at Greg Goods videoing a supplemental safety clip to go with his instructional DVD. The wind, trains, planes and motorcycles and automobiles in the background made the shoot last all day for 15 minutes of video. And still I had to add some of my voice to make up for Greg's being drowned out. It worked out but was an editing nightmare.

So what I have been doing a lot lately is writing a script and doing the voice over in a quite room that has sound absorption materials, carpet on the floors and drapes on the walls.

Then to make it sound more natural, like I'm outside, I have different background recordings that I add to fill the gaps between breaths. It's not perfect, but it's getting better.

Right now HD video editing systems are astronomical. It takes terabytes of hard drive space to store HD video. The price will come down, but right now with the progressive scan DVD players regular 720 by 480 looks great.

In the meantime I'll use 720p and wait for the price of HD to come down.