First video - rip it to shreds... or suggest improvements

[wca]

It was a wet and dull Sunday so I thought I would try and make a quick video.

Edited using Windows MovieMaker and no idea how to adjust the audio so mind your ears when the volumes jump.

Suggestions about better story plan, editing techniques, audio etc welcome

Complete slating and piss take expected and also welcome - you don't post on here without expecting this :-)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTZDpv3QSPY

[sc0tt]

Erm its a bit st.

I'm not sure what you way trying to acheieve?

[wca]

Just a short clip to show the car off a bit. No great story which is probably why it is a bit st I guess

[Simpo Two]

I like the bit where it knocks the camera over (or else it's a clever bit of editing and sound).

[wca]

I like the bit where it knocks the camera over (or else it's a clever bit of editing and sound)

I wish I was that clever - the car is just a bit lower than I thought and a fluke as to how the camera landed :-)

[johnymac]

HI WCA,
I tried to do a similar thing with some cheap cameras I bought off ebay. However I found editing quite time consuming and was completely clueless when it came to the audio.
When I get around to it I will try and re edit the video and lay a music track over it. I don't know what cheap options are available for audio but I guess I will investigate it at the same time. Interestingly the video on my PC runs better that that on youtube for some reason.
What I am happy with though was most of my results after mounting the camera in different positions to try and keep it a little more interesting visually.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDpbl4ilGok
John

[wca]

JonneyMac - Seems quite similar to mine apart from you had someone to pan the camera for a couple of shots.

Same audio challenges I had though.

Continuity didn't show as much on yours, or at least I didn't notice it. I drive through the same bend twice, jump from in the trees to open ground, headlights on and then off and sometimes with wipers and the roof up or down...but I was on my own with only one camera.

I think I might Google a few clips for ideas now I have got the basic technology sorted

[johnymac]

Yes I had a friend pan the camera at the beginning. After that I was on my own. The majority was filmed with a single camera and I too filmed the whole thing over a short course. I also used a tripod for the static shots. Most of it was filmed within 1 mile of my house but this was hidden by changes of direction and changes of camera position. I probably recorded about 30 minutes of video from which I edited it down to about 3 minutes.

[Evolved]

Well it does what it set out to achieve which is show the car off. As a well edited and composed video, it's fairly mundane.

[wca]

Mundane - Exactly! nail on the head etc

What makes a video engaging and exciting?

I was thinking of a bit of history - the story behind the car. Some shots of the car showing details.

Not really sure - advice welcome

It is not that critical, more of an ego movie for my car, but I would like to understand the ideas behind short clip films work

[Simpo Two]

Top Gear would be a good target to aim for/try to copy. Notice how much faster the edits are and how much more exciting it makes things (and has music of course). And plan your shots first, rather than just shooting everything several times from similar angles as you think of them.

[AB8219]

Not bad for a first effort.

Consider what is visually appealing about your car, what parts of it do you like the most? Those little details, can be used as inserts between bigger, larger shots.

Consider your camera angles, thinks close ups, mids, and wides. So the close ups can cover detail shots, the mids (about a car length or two back) can reveal some more of the cars shape (silhouette shots are nice against a light background), and then the wide shots where you can do those drive bys etc.

Windows movie maker has volume control, use it on each section and make sure it is consistent throughout, but also consider a generic instrumental track to lay across the whole thing. Moments of silence then won't feel so 'empty'.

Try to be a bit abstract with your shots, or if not, tell a story. A narrative makes people want to find out what happens in the beginning, middle, and end, where as abstract shots are just, well, cool!

Be careful with filter effects, unless you use the effect over the entire video, it can seem rather distracting from the subject.

Lovely car by the way.