Hot on the heels of last Thursday’s post, I decided to continue making little films but quickly ran out of usable footage. One of the big problems recording with an iPhone is making sure to shoot horizontal and not vertical. Hence I wrecked a nice film recorded at a Japanese hibachi restaurant. What to do? I don’t intend to make fan videos but it would interesting to learn about the process. Interviewing other video makers about the how-to seemed the best way to go, until I realized that many of the main fan vidders had already been interviewed for the two Fanstravaganzas. Great.
Although the task seemed daunting, the only thing to do was read up a bit and jump right in. It turned out to be not quite like that. So, hypothetically, if I were a new video maker interested in leaping into the fray, what exactly would it take?
First I would have to select the editing software. Being cheap, I would opt to use Windows Live Movie Maker bundled with Windows 7. This program was not immediately intuitive. The idiot proof aspect occurred only after I watched the tutorials. However, producing the fireworks and bicycle videos were simple and linear. They simply required music and transitions if needed. But how would you tell your own story in a fan video using footage from a series?
Second, I learned not to grab any kind of footage, so I had to read about ripping raw footage from a DVD. This would require downloading a small but powerful program, MPEG Streamclip. If I used clips, they had to be preferably high quality. But I couldn’t edit that footage yet in WMM – I would have to “set up” the clips or my video would look like garbage.
Third, I learned from nifty tutorials all over video forums how to setup clips, that is how to process and convert them to a format appropriate for editing. This meant I would have to know the resolution (i.e. 720×526), format (PAL or NTSC) and aspect 16:9 (letterbox)/ 4:3 (normal) of the footage. Heaven forbid I didn’t know the right aspect or I’d have squished or squashed images. If I had a mix of resolutions and formats, I would have to convert the clips to be on the same page, as it were. The tutorials provided the exact settings for using MPEG Streamclip. Boom, converted. Once I wrapped my brain around this process, which was the hardest in terms of a learning curve, my studies progressed. (If you’re curious, the answer in my situation was to convert to NTSC DVD DV AVI. Aren’t you glad you know now?). This may sound complicated, but as I said, once it mentally clicked, it’s smooth sailing.
Four, armed with a load of newly convert AVI clips, I would have to attach descriptive labels so they could be used again. THEN I was ready to drag and drop them into WMM. I would select a song, depending on copyright constraints which would be published on either YouTube or other more lenient sites like Vimeo. With the song in place, I would use WMM to edit the clips I wanted and arrange them like a jigsaw puzzle according to taste, tempo and and the story I wished to tell using all the programs bells and whistles if I so chose. Tutorials listed different things to do or avoid in making videos but from watching numerous pieces on the internet I would say it’s all down to viewer personal taste and what the vidder wanted to say.
Five, I would add the title and credits (very important) and render my masterpiece into a file appropriate for posting on video sites and then upload it to that site. That’s it. The video would be out there for all the world to see.
So, after all that study, would I bite the bullet and finally make a fan video? Well, if I did I’d probably select as a topic Sir Guy of Gisborne played by a certain Richard Armitage. Or maybe not.
What do you think?
Enjoy!
woo hoo! that was great! I loved it! Guy at his best! Woo hoo!!
Thank you! You knew I was going to pick him, right? 🙂
i did! 😀 actually not entirely, i thought about DT too, but RA is the fanvid kinda guy, you know!
But if I’d made a DT first fan vid, I might have gotten my RA card revoked. Gotta be practical. 😉
Oh Judi,
Foreigner, that takes me back to Saturday morining video shows that came on after the cartoons.
Well, I’m all in love with with Guy anew … well it hasn’t stopped but … you know.
Your most inspired moment in this video?? … at 1:50 the song says “I want to feel what love is” and the beautiful man puts his head back against the wall. He obviously had that line in his head at that moment.
Squee, squee, squee … I’ve just been gizzied!
Thank you! I never tire of this song. It struck me as the fitting Guy to a tee. So sad.
Absolutely Gizzied!! Lovely video – was practically crying!
Aww, thank you!
ok watched the Darling Guy again before leaving for work! What a Darling! Love the video.
Go to work. He’ll be here when you get home. 🙂
Judy, I can’t get the darned thing to play. 🙁 I will have to go directly to Vimeo and try my luck there. Everything has to buffer first out here on my Not-So-High Speed Link, but it isn’t doing anything.
Darn! Have you tried to turn off the HD?
BTW, I’ve noticed Vimeo has been having problems for the past few days. It was completely down for a bit over the weekend.
I went to Vimeo directly and have the vid buffering right now. The wheels are grinding even more slowly than usual. *sigh*
Hmm, Elvira Sweeny’s comment suddenly went POOF! Is anybody else’s comments disappearing?
Thanks Elvira, I’m chuffed to have compliments from the vid high priestess herself! 🙂
OK, finally saw it after wrangling with the state unemployment service re my benefit claims. Bureaucracy.*sigh*
On to happier subjects. GREAT first effort, Judy and of course, I love the subject matter (goes without saying) . . . Richard did such a marvelous job with that character and he and Lucy had wonderful chemistry . . . who needed Hood?! 😉
Foreigner is another one of those groups that seems to work well with RA’s characters. I did “Hot-Blooded” for Guy and I’ve got a couple more songs on the back burner–their songs are blocked on YT, but there is always Vimeo.
Thanks! Every time I watch I keep saying “oh, missed that,” “another mistake!” and “oh that could have been better.” I don’t know how artists actually bear to watch their work after release. LOL!
Surprised it was Guy? 😉
Hope the state sends your benefits soon. You need to get ready for that cruise. 🙂
Well, it is a learning process, like anything else. Even with my slideshow vids, there are glitches in some of the early ones that make me cringe.
A couple still remain in my library and never have been uploaded.
Some performers don’t watch their own performances–it makes them too uncomfortable.
I have been trying to do everything online to simplify things re the benefits, and I got registered without any hitches. But when I tried to file my weekly certification online last week, it wouldn’t accept my info. I know I am in the system, as they sent me the report to let me know how much money I would get each week. Thank goodness I did get some severance pay and the rest of my vacation pay. Anyway, I actually talked to a human being at the career center in Greenville and she gave me an email addy to the state office as “it is sometimes hard to get through on those lines” (understatement of the year. That is why I opted for online). *rolls eyes*
I would like to get things sorted before the cruise. Good news, though–we have $200 in shipboard credit. I might even become tipsy on rum punch and let Benny take advantage of me. 😉
Ohhh, shipboard credit is a really GOOD thing. Hope you enjoy your birthday celebration. I went last year for my 50th and had a blast. I was on the Emerald Princess with the Princess? (slipped my mind) cruise line to the Caribbean.
We went last year for my 50th as well. 😀 Quite chuffed about the shipboard credit, especially after recent events. I love the Caribbean. We spent our honeymoon in St. John in the USVI. Our first two cruises were to the Caribbean . . .
I’ve always loved that song and HAVE to sing along whenever I hear it (good thing I live alone so no-one has to suffer the consequences!) so to combine it with Guy??? Well I’m mush – totally mush! The words go so perfectly with the video. He can show me what love is any time! So thanks judiang – you just made my day, if not my week!! 😀
So you glad you enjoyed it! I feel quite honored. 😀
Wow, you’re a natural! That was spectacular. It’s your first?! I
especially love your long dissolve transitions.
Thanks so much. From a pro like yourself, this means a lot. Yeah, it’s my first and not sure if last. Uh huh, I recall saying I’d never do this too.
Will have to check out MPEG Streamclip – if it works and doesn’t take forever to convert things, sounds like just the thing I need! Thanks! 🙂 WLMM came bundled on my laptop too, as did a similar Sony program, but I looked at it and went “where’s the timeline?! You can’t edit without a timeline!” and went to download the now discontinued Windows Movie Maker (for Vista, but works for W7 too) instead. I’m an old-fashioned kinda gal. 😉 Maybe I’ll give WLMM another go reading this.
MPEG Streamclip a powerful little program. I had a mix of every type of clip imaginable and it converted quickly and easily. There’s a preset you can create with the proper selections if you want me to send that to you. Yes WLMM works for Vista too. I love the program. Maybe as I become more experienced, I’ll want more bells and whistles, but it serves me fine for now.
That was wonderful! Can’t believe that was your first. Must do more!!! And LOVE LOVE LOVE your choice of song. Perfect for Guy. Thanks for the lovely vid!
Thank you! I followed the wonderful tutorials by ElviraSweeny so I give her the credit. Not quite sure if I’ll do more; have to feel inspired by a song. You’re right; this song screamed Guy. So glad you enjoyed it. 😀
That is really wonderful to watch! And I`ve to confess, even this old (worn-out) song fits extremely perfect with the new life you breathed into it. Beautiful work! I´m really impressed.
Thank you so much. I appreciate your feedback. 🙂
I think iMovie must make these aspect ratio decisions without asking me for input.
iMovie seems to be the holy grail of video editing programs. You lucky dog. 😉
It’s the bundled product w/Mac, and it seems to be easier to use than the pc equivalents. But I’ve heard great things about the more expensive video editors for pc, Sony Vegas, Final Cut Pro, etc.
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