As promised I put together a quick video from my ride last week. I am using IMovie on my wife’s IMac to edit and post process. While intuitive, it is a double learning curve for a lifetime PC guy like me.
I learned a bunch just making this short clip, from the importance of really thinking out for each shot to the need to have the camera perfectly plumb and level. I am working on adding music and refining my editing skills, for now it was time to quit editing and move on from my first pass at video. There will be better ones to follow for sure, this was fun.
Any tips you out there can provide are welcome, Thanks for taking a look.
First off, great job Rob. Like you said, video requires patience and planning. I edit for a living and when I’m on the bike I rarely shoot video because of this. Pictures are easier to just grab and go. Plus, it’s different than work to me, so it’s more fun.
Here’s a tip that someone told me long ago. No Empty Frames. If there’s nothing happening in the shot, it’s boring. For example, the long shot of you riding by. It’s great when you are in the frame and are clearly seen, but when you get farther and farther away it’s tough to see you and just looks like an empty frame. The shot towards the end is great where you enter the frame close to camera and then ride through, but then the viewer waits, and waits for the next shot as you continue to ride down the road.
Get some shots with your gopro to use as transitions. Like shots of you pedaling, looking down at the wheels, pointed up towards the sky with you in the frame etc. Those will help to break up the ride by shots as well.
Rapha, aside from their overuse of the word “epic”, puts together some great videos. Watch some of those for inspiration and ideas. Most importantly, keep at it! You’ll learn something each and every time you go out. Thanks for sharing and sorry for the long windedness.
Thanks Errin, I was hoping you would chime in, and pointers are duly noted. To get those few clips with no cars turned a 90 minute ride into three hours. The Rapha guys deserve a cookie and a medal for the content they put out, it is a lofty but valid goal for me. Although, they do have the benefit of a gang of guys. Pulling this off solo with remote releases and such is going to be way more work than I thought. Practice, practice, practice, lots of miles and a giant memory card. I was riding up and down each of those hills 3 and 4 times to make sure I had a usable clip.
Any tips for free or low cost background sounds? All the stuff I was able to find on my first pass sounded like it was made on my little girl’s casio.