Learning Video Production~New Vid Drop~

[Guzzi Gal]

Update: I've taken into consideration the suggestions I've received and made a new vid about riding Arizona's Copper Triangle.
https://youtu.be/Tuq_wCIC3ac

I've decided to learn video production on the cheap. I'm using free programs, mostly iMovie, to put together videos for my club members to enjoy and share. So, if you have nothing better to do, I'd like you, as my trusted WG pals, to give objective feedback regarding the quality of content. Grab some and give it a go!

https://www.youtube.com/user/QueenDevilDog/featured

I've also started an Instagram account to highlight our club adventures.
https://www.instagram.com/sonoransunriders/

All constructive feedback will be appreciated. Please keep in mind that the "older" (only 6 weeks old) vids are rough and very experimental but they do get better. At least, that's my hope.


A BIG thank you to everyone who takes the time to help a gal out!

Elisha 
Vice President & CMO, Sonoran Sunriders Scooter Club
https://www.meetup.com/Sonoran-Sunriders-Scooter-Club/

PS. The very first video was what started the whole thing. My Vespa, Gigi, was poorly and in need of some help so I posted a sound clip for my Modern Vespa forum and Facebook peeps to help with diagnosis. She fixed herself within 24 hours and was ridden the day after for Vespa Parade Day. My guess is she had a clogged injector.

[Kiwi_Roy]

  From me

[Guzzi Gal]

From me

Thanks for the !

Well , it made me want a Vespa and a small dog , so ...

 TS

HA, what a good idea!

[lucian]

Nice work GG ,  You're efforts brought brought a me a  big smile just when I needed it! Nice work  !

[Moparnut72]

I watched the transformation of the copper Vespa. Very professional video in my opinion.  I stayed to the very end, something I don't ordinarily do. Good work.
kk

[Ncdan]

I watched it and think it great, it could be longer as I was enjoying it so much it seemed not long enough 👍

[Guzzi Gal]

Nice work GG,  You're efforts brought me a big smile just when I needed it! Nice work!

I'm glad I could help.

I watched it and think it great, it could be longer as I was enjoying it so much it seemed not long enough 👍

Thanks, most people say the opposite.

I watched the transformation of the copper Vespa. Very professional video in my opinion. I stayed to the very end, something I don't ordinarily do. Good work.
kk

That has got to be the sexiest Vespa in existence. Every time he rides it to a club meeting, I just wanna love on it.

[cliffrod]

My limited btdt experience & advice-

Think about a long term concept/format regarding what you want to achieve.   We've done videos for my studio work,  I wrote a classic motorcycle monthly magazine article/column for several years and I've promoted our bike motorcycle rally for 15+ yrs.   It's easy to exhaust what you say, how you take pictures, how you present & edit a video, etc.  Otherwise, after a given number of productions, you become redundant.  Think about how you'll do it several steps from now.   Then you can avoid using the same words, wearing the same favorite shirt, using the same music, .....  Your enthusiasm can be completely honest and still become repetitive. Develop a format of time, music, narrative and content so viewers know what they'll consistently get for their typically short attention span.  It's less artistic and free, but it works.  That's why pros do it.

It's hard to think about these things when videos are produced weeks or months or years apart.   But it's easy to see the issues when months or years of videos are binged back to back.  Think about the big picture, even if you can't see it all right now,  leave yourself room to be impressive later and watch what you have done so the next one isn't exactly the same unless that is your intent.

My wife recently started doing a no-till gardening weekly video series.  We're trying to do some kind of schedule/calendar for the effort so that what she does is still relevant and enticing in a few months or a year or two.  We've learned from previous honest mistakes.   Having some good ideas to work into the series helps extend the overall effort.

Good luck.

[Guzzi Gal]

My limited btdt experience & advice-

Think about a long term concept/format regarding what you want to achieve.   We've done videos for my studio work,  I wrote a classic motorcycle monthly magazine article/column for several years and I've promoted our bike motorcycle rally for 15+ yrs.   It's easy to exhaust what you say, how you take pictures, how you present & edit a video, etc.  Otherwise, after a given number of productions, you become redundant.  Think about how you'll do it several steps from now.   Then you can avoid using the same words, wearing the same favorite shirt, using the same music, .....  Your enthusiasm can be completely honest and still become repetitive. Develop a format of time, music, narrative and content so viewers know what they'll consistently get for their typically short attention span.  It's less artistic and free, but it works.  That's why pros do it.

It's hard to think about these things when videos are produced weeks or months or years apart.   But it's easy to see the issues when months or years of videos are binged back to back.  Think about the big picture, even if you can't see it all right now,  leave yourself room to be impressive later and watch what you have done so the next one isn't exactly the same unless that is your intent.

My wife recently started doing a no-till gardening weekly video series.  We're trying to do some kind of schedule/calendar for the effort so that what she does is still relevant and enticing in a few months or a year or two.  We've learned from previous honest mistakes.  Having some good ideas to work into the series helps extend the overall effort.

Good luck.

Luckily, my videos aren't narrated nor am I featured in any way. No wannabe Youtube Goddess with delusions of grandeur, here. I'm simply arranging photos and videos from past club events into something that our members and maybe the random scooter nerd might enjoy. I mix up the themes and music because repetition isn't my fave but iMovie has only a small library of transitions and the like.

[fotoguzzi]

Real nicely done. I'll just offer my take on a few things.. the pan, tilt and zooms I'll call the Ken Burns effect. A little too much of that in the copper video, nothing wrong with having a few static shots mixed in.. would like to have seen more rolling video sooner in the piece.
On the picnic video, the follow along shots seemed a bit too long for me, maybe if you got in front part ways and had the camera looking back so you see the front of bikes approaching so mix up the view more? Varied camera angles/views is almost always good.
Excellent choice of music in all of them. Transitions were great and your graphic titles are very nicely done.
I didn't feel like any of them were too long but always keep in mind your viewers attention span can be short, try and give a few surprises throughout to keep interest high. Maybe more video and less still pics?

[Guzzi Gal]

Real nicely done. I'll just offer my take on a few things.. the pan, tilt and zooms I'll call the Ken Burns effect. A little too much of that in the copper video, nothing wrong with having a few static shots mixed in.. would like to have seen more rolling video sooner in the piece.
On the picnic video, the follow along shots seemed a bit too long for me, maybe if you got in front part ways and had the camera looking back so you see the front of bikes approaching so mix up the view more? Varied camera angles/views is almost always good.
Excellent choice of music in all of them. Transitions were great and your graphic titles are very nicely done.
I didn't feel like any of them were too long but always keep in mind your viewers attention span can be short, try and give a few surprises throughout to keep interest high. Maybe more video and less still pics?

I see what you're saying about the Ken Burns, I will include some still shots in my next creation. I don't what a "follow along" shot is, if you reference a pic (just number it) it would help. I'm using existing video from another rider and I get what I get. My next vid will be from a recent ride to Wickenburg, which will include some approaching iPhone videos and photos. Some of our members might not be keen on stopping to wait while I set up a shot. Maybe I will set up a "make club movie" ride day this winter when the weather is good for just sitting around.

Thanks for the feedback!

[fotoguzzi]

By follow along I mean where the camera is mounted on a scooter and following other riders, it was good you altered the speed but it seemed like it lasted too long , so I was thinking break that up a little with a moving shot from in front looking back at the riders.

[Guzzi Gal]

By follow along I mean where the camera is mounted on a scooter and following other riders, it was good you altered the speed but it seemed like it lasted too long, so I was thinking break that up a little with a moving shot from in front looking back at the riders.

Agreed, that would be much better. I'm hoping to have some money in the kitty to get a 360 camera someday so I won't have a fixed perspective. It would have been great to use at the Grand Canyon because we missed out on so many good views!

[stubbie]

Nice. As someone pointed out, 4 minutes is about the normal attention span before people start to veg out and get bored. Try and get a different perspective of the ride to make it more interesting ie a side view, a front view. And just because the effects are there it doesn't mean you have to use them. Pictures spinning and sliding all over the screen is sometimes harder to watch than a plain ordinary cut or dissolve. Also your font might be a tad big but hey, it's nit picking. Nice work your on the right track.

[Guzzi Gal]

Nice. As someone pointed out, 4 minutes is about the normal attention span before people start to veg out and get bored. Try and get a different perspective of the ride to make it more interesting ie a side view, a front view. And just because the effects are there it doesn't mean you have to use them. Pictures spinning and sliding all over the screen is sometimes harder to watch than a plain ordinary cut or dissolve. Also your font might be a tad big but hey, it's nit picking. Nice work your on the right track.

Thanks for your helpful insights.

I will try to keep them short and sweet. I would love to have different perspectives, unfortunately, that won't happen unless I find a camera sugar daddy. The program does the Ken Burnes automatically, I will find out how to disable it.

Are you referring to fonts for the title thumbnails? The fonts within the videos are set by iMovie and I don't know if they can be changed. I will look into it.

[stubbie]

Without going back and looking I thought I saw some text over the video that looked a little large but as I said, nit picking. You should be able to find a Go Pro 3 for a cheap price. There way out of date now and good enough for this type of work.

[Guzzi Gal]

Without going back and looking I thought I saw some text over the video that looked a little large but as I said, nit picking. You should be able to find a Go Pro 3 for a cheap price. They're way out of date now and good enough for this type of work.

Thanks for the hint, I'll check it out.

[Guzzi Gal]

Update: I've taken into consideration the suggestions I've received and made a new vid about riding Arizona's Copper Triangle.
https://youtu.be/Tuq_wCIC3ac

[Vagrant]

Very nice!

[kingoffleece]

Great stuff.  We leave for AZ end of month to drop the last one off at GCU.  Then 6 days of vacation.  Scouting out a few places to live when we move there and visiting a few attractions and hikes we didn't get to last two visits.

[Guzzi Gal]

Great stuff.  We leave for AZ end of month to drop the last one off at GCU.  Then 6 days of vacation.  Scouting out a few places to live when we move there and visiting a few attractions and hikes we didn't get to last two visits.

Thanks!
If you want to meet on one of those days, let me know.

[fotoguzzi]

Very nice. !
Is this a graphic you made with the yellow line for the tunnel? Great job!

[fotoguzzi]

I'd say your ready to step up to Final Cut or other more advanced editing tools.

[Guzzi Gal]

Very nice. !
Is this a graphic you made with the yellow line for the tunnel? Great job!

Yup. It was a last-minute addition just in case I happen to score a viewer with no knowledge of the area.

I'd say you're ready to step up to Final Cut or other more advanced editing tools.

I'm assuming that's a good thing. I don't know anything about Final Cut, but to upgrade, I'd need a more robust computer. I currently use a mid-2012 Macbook Pro, and it gets so hot I think it's going to burn my leg. That's with the fan running full-bore!

[Dave Swanson]

Loved the Copper Triangle, video, but in the vein of constructive criticism,  my preference would be to reduce the amount of fast motion and replace it with segments of normal or close to normal speed.  I found the fast motion segments a bit dizzying.     Very nice work though, I applaud your efforts.  I know that is beyond my skill-set. 

I do want a scooter now!! 

[Guzzi Gal]

Loved the Copper Triangle video, but in the vein of constructive criticism, my preference would be to reduce the amount of fast motion and replace it with segments of normal or close to normal speed. I found the fast motion segments a bit dizzying. Very nice work though, I applaud your efforts. I know that is beyond my skill-set. 

I do want a scooter now!!

I'm torn about the fast-motion use myself. On one hand, some complain the videos or riding clips are too long. On the other, some want more. It's a balance I haven't worked out yet. I'll see what can be done on the video I'm starting today to improve viewability. 

Thanks for the excellent input!

[Dave Swanson]

I'm torn about the fast-motion use myself. On one hand, some complain the videos or riding clips are too long. On the other, some want more. It's a balance I haven't worked out yet. I'll see what can be done on the video I'm starting today to improve viewability. 

Thanks for the excellent input!

You could keep the same time duration, and splice in sections of the ride.  Someone who I think does this well is AZ Geek

https://youtu.be/WZk7ngXFqc0

[fotoguzzi]

Not really a scooter but I did commute on a MadAss 125. I used a lot of different speeds in this video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lF3Loc0q-J4

[RinkRat II]

   Great Job, GuzziGal!, Very well done for your foray into this medium. Is the 3 second rule something that is taught in your lessons or is it an unspoken industry standard. I know it's used in commercials ( and it annoys me) but is it for entertainment vids also?  Keep 'em coming!

     Paul B

[Guzzi Gal]

You could keep the same time duration, and splice in sections of the ride.  Someone who I think does this well is AZ Geek

https://youtu.be/WZk7ngXFqc0

I just subscribed to him yesterday but haven't had a chance to watch his vids.

   Great Job, GuzziGal!, Very well done for your foray into this medium. Is the 3 second rule something that is taught in your lessons or is it an unspoken industry standard. I know it's used in commercials ( and it annoys me) but is it for entertainment vids also?  Keep 'em coming!

     Paul B

I have no clue.

Not really a scooter but I did commute on a MadAss 125. I used a lot of different speeds in this video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lF3Loc0q-J4

Watching now!