TheLaird Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 Despite the approval of vaccines, it looks like it will be quite some time before we can look forward to the Exhibition cycle re starting. In the meantime, quite a few of us will be approached to produce videos for virtual shows. Does anybody have any advice, tips or recommendations on how to produce these. I have had some success in the past but realise that things have moved on, especially the quality of images now produced. Is there a preferred type or spec for cameras, or is everyone using smart phones? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators AY Mod Posted January 9, 2021 Moderators Share Posted January 9, 2021 5 minutes ago, TheLaird said: is everyone using smart phones? Many people are John and it's a good starting point without shelling out £700 or more on the sort of basic video camera I'd suggest. The same rules as stills apply where possible for best depth of field etc. The other main thing is to let the trains do the moving rather than the camera until you get well into the swing of it then consider image stabilization and gimbals etc. Some action cams can be put to good use but their weakness is in the close ups. A big subject to cover but happy to help where I can plus we'd love to include you in a future virtual show if you wish. As you say, I think they'll be with us a while. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Phil Parker Posted January 9, 2021 Administrators Share Posted January 9, 2021 It doesn't matter what you shoot on as long as the models are generally in focus. Tracking shots are tricky to keep smooth. Audio is the tough one - the audience wants interesting commentary and it's probably easier to record this separately and edit the film around it. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLaird Posted January 10, 2021 Author Share Posted January 10, 2021 Thanks for your comments Andy and Phil. One other issue I have is lighting! Some time ago I swapped the normal fluorescents for daylight tubes, 5.6 to 6K ish lumens. They work quite well for still photography but they cause the digital video cameras to flicker like mad. The iphone copes with it best but still does it in bright spots. I'm thinking of changing them all out for LEDs, do you think this would solve the problem? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mark Forrest Posted January 10, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 10, 2021 Any tips on what software to use when editing? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators AY Mod Posted January 10, 2021 Moderators Share Posted January 10, 2021 1 hour ago, TheLaird said: do you think this would solve the problem? Maybe, maybe not = unhelpful answer. It all depends on the lighting cycle frequency. This may be worth a read https://urbanvideo.ca/avoid-video-flicker. So, before splashing out on lighting in the shed have a play with frame rates and shutter speeds. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodenhead Posted January 11, 2021 Share Posted January 11, 2021 Rather than swapping out all lighting just for videoing, given you chose your current lighting for playing trains, could you not invest in a single bright light to flood the area being filmed - would that overwhelm the light flicker from the daylight units? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PenrithBeacon Posted January 11, 2021 Share Posted January 11, 2021 I've done a fair few videos of model railways and my advice is that a tripod is essential. I used to use an amateur video camera now I use a standard Panasonic bridge camera on its video setting and find that it's better than the video cameras I used to use, for the money you get a better lens and a larger sensor, but the autofocus is not as quick. I have used the video setting on a smart phone and, providing there is enough ambient light, they work, but again mount it on a tripod. Use the zoom as little as possible, zooming in and out is irritating to the viewer. Set the shot up and let the image come to you. Remember that focussing can be an issue and the longer the focal length the less depth of field you have. Lastly, get down amongst the weeds. Panoramic crow type of shots are OK but try to get down to the sort of viewpoint that a railway enthusiast might see if the model was the real thing. Imagine yourself by the trackside or on a hill nearby and try to get that shot. A couple of mine which I hope will illustrate the points above, please note that they are not in HD because of the bandwidth restrictions of the wifi at the time. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodenhead Posted January 11, 2021 Share Posted January 11, 2021 @PenrithBeacon two cracking layouts to showcase though. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLaird Posted January 16, 2021 Author Share Posted January 16, 2021 On 10/01/2021 at 19:36, Mark Forrest said: Any tips on what software to use when editing? Mark, no recommendations as such but I started off using the editor that comes with Windows, I have been using Corel Video Studio for a few years now. Would be interested to hear what others are using. Regards John E. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators AY Mod Posted January 16, 2021 Moderators Share Posted January 16, 2021 26 minutes ago, TheLaird said: Would be interested to hear what others are using Adobe Premiere Pro here John but I'm not going to recommend it for your use simply because of the cost. However, picking up an older copy of Adobe Elements would give most of what most people are likely to end up using. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PenrithBeacon Posted January 16, 2021 Share Posted January 16, 2021 I use Pinnacle, but it has a huge amount of functionality which I don't use and these require a very capable computer even though I don't use the software to its full extent. Because of this I've stayed with v12 from 2009 rather than upgrading to the more recent versions. If I were starting again I think I might explore the downloadable apps and use the tablet. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stringfingerling Posted January 16, 2021 Share Posted January 16, 2021 (edited) I am very pleased with VSDC which I've used a lot. The free version is ok to start with but the paid version (about £20-30) per year is really good. It's not perfect; you have to get used to a few quirks in the interface, but it's very good at opening all sorts of video formats and has loads of options for exporting the finished product. It has a multitude of editing features. With a little patience while getting started I'd say it's not hard to learn and there are many tutorial videos on YouTube. As with all video software, a reasonably powerful computer helps, but there are quite a few built in features which assist with improving preview performance etc. Not available for macs though - PC only. Edited January 16, 2021 by Stringfingerling 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Ian Morgan Posted January 16, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 16, 2021 I spent a lot of money on Adobe Premiere Pro fifteen years ago and used it quite a lot, but it was pretty slow even on a PC I had built specially to Adobe's specification, and it also had some annoying bugs. I have a Sony HDR-HC1E digital video camera and got reasonable results, I think, which are on my Youtube Channel, such as: However, technology advanced and I could not install my old Premiere Pro on the latest Windows laptop, and I can no longer download video from my camera, which requires FireWire. I know I can get a FireWire/USB adapter, but the download software does not recognise it. So, I am now using Nero and my OnePlus 7T mobile phone. My new laptop renders video in a fraction of the time my old setup used to take. Results now are like this: Sorry, I have not had the chance to video model layouts recently. I have also invested in some LED photographic lighting with tripods, like these: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Photography-Studio-LED-100W-Softbox-Continuous-Lighting-Stand-Kit-Photo-Video/373216798726?hash=item56e5746806:g:gTwAAOSw7cldXf2Y 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLaird Posted January 31, 2021 Author Share Posted January 31, 2021 Can someone remind me how I post videos on RMWeb please! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Ian Morgan Posted February 1, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 1, 2021 (edited) I upload video to YouTube, make it Public, then just add the complete URL to a post and the forum does the rest. e.g. I entered the following directly into this post (not in a 'code' block) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZji6qDlh0A then hit <return> and the forum automatically changes it to: Edited February 1, 2021 by Ian Morgan Added the bit about making the video public. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLaird Posted February 4, 2021 Author Share Posted February 4, 2021 (edited) Like this? Many thanks Ian for the reminder, wasn't sure that I still had to upload to UTube first. Edited February 4, 2021 by TheLaird 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodenhead Posted February 4, 2021 Share Posted February 4, 2021 My videos are classed as unlisted - that way I don't have to make them public and only people with the link or looking at the thread I put them in can see them. Public means anyone who finds your channel can see them, unlisted gives you privacy if you want it whilst still being able to share. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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