griz11

I stared on my year end highlights vid yesterday. The first segment is in the can as they say I'm going to group the segments by Series Local Races and possibly a Carnage section. To get everything in the segments will be the length of one song 2-3 minutes so there will be quite a few of them in an hour long video. Since I don't want to give away the whole vid I'm thinking I'll put up 1 out of each 3 segments I finish up. That way there will be plenty of stuff in the final vid that you haven't seen. First up roll the clock back to May of this year for the Tx R/C Pro Series race at Toys4BigBoys in San Antonio. My favorite track to shoot.

Embedded
www.promofo-racing.org/T4BB-Chapter-1.html

Download
http://www.promofo-racing.org/video/...-Chapter-1.wmv

I'll be putting up more in this thread as I finish them up. I figure it will take a couple of months since I can't work on them all the time. So check back from time to time.

Griz

petevette

iTrader: (13)

Nice work, as usual!!!

griz11

Man I have a lot of tape when I gathered it all up. So I'll be looking for the best clips for this end of year video. I needed a rest from filming for a bit. I've been hitting it pretty hard lately and I'm just worn out. I'm going to do it a little different next year. Should have an electric scooter to ride around on so that takes care of one problem. As far as everything costing more I'll just have to cut down a little on the number of races I film. Not so bad actually since I'll have more time to get the vids edited. Now I'm lucky to get out 2 or 3 before its time to start all over. And that cycle depletes my creative stuff pretty quick. Finally you just don't feel like editing any. So I'm going to dial it back a little and see if that works out better for me. I really hate to quit doing them. I'm too grumpy if I don't get to edit video My wife would throw me out in a month or less

Griz

DOMIT

iTrader: (1)

I can't wait to see the carnage section. I'm sure I'll see a LOT of my car in there!

superlapS15

iTrader: (5)

Once again, fantastic videos Griz! The quality of the filming, editing and the amazing action captured ensure that your videos are always impressive.

griz11

I'm also planning for next year as I review these tapes. When you aren't in the heat of trying to get out a few vids its much easier to critique my technique and learn a few things.

For example I've been having problems with the video being too bright and the colors washed out. You don't see it in the final vid but I have to do a lot of color correction to get it to look right. That turned out to be the lens hoods I am using. They don't block the sensor for white balance and exposure but in certain circumstances they put a shadow across it and screw up the image. I noticed that tapes made on the same day within and hour or so of each other were different and I know the exposure was the same from my notes. After looking at enough clips I figured it out. Tested it out in the back yard and sure enough its the lens hoods. No biggie now that I know what to look for. And instead of using the auto white balance I ordered some cards to use so I can set it manually. Some are staight white some are what's called warming cards which saturate the colors a bit more and give the vid that warm tone look.

So I figure after putting together this year end vid and having the chance to check out all the footage in a more relaxed atmosphere the stuff going forward will be even better.

Funny thing most of the techniques I use come from trying to minimize my mobility problem. Using multiple cameras for instance. The only real goal I had when I started out was to make the cars bigger on the screen so you could see them and see the suspension etc moving.

I'm just going to let it keep evolving and see where it leads. I'm just now getting used to the monopod and the other cameras. Its just like the editing software once you master it then you don't have to think about it and you can use all your brain to create and come up with new stuff for the vids.

I'm also going to branch out a bit next year. This year I did a few other kinds of racing sand drags and dirt oval racing. Next year I want to add motocross to that mix. I was heavily involved in motocross when I was younger. Used to get some excellent still shots back then. So I figure I can get some killer vid now. Bikes are a lot easier to shoot 1:1 anything for that matter. The R/C cars are a challenge especially if you are trying to zoom them up to a decent size. The mini's are almost impossible especially if you have a race full of novice drivers. Those things dart around so fast its very hard to follow them.

Griz

salteen

iTrader: (89)

as always, very nice video man. keep up the great work.

griz11

Man I lucked out today. I was looking for a different stabilizer for my camera and ran across varizoom. They have a discontinued model that is perfect for my camera so I picked one up today. The only difference between the one I have and the new one is another handle which I can't use since my cam requires a free hand to zoom etc. Best of all this thing sold for 650 and I got one new in box for 250. Its sweet puts the viewfinder right at my eye. So now I can go back to following the cars all the way around the track again The pod works really well but there is a definate limit to the range on one. Basically because when you turn it at some point you can't see the monitor anymore. The new stabilizer basically turns any mini-dv cam into a shoulder held cam with a spring loaded abdomen stabilizer that makes it hands free. Puts the viewfinder right at my eye comfortably. So no more loosing the viewfinder when turning. Going to test it out tomorrow in San Antonio. I'll put out a little video of the proceedings so you can see for yourself. I've only spent about a grand trying to find the perfect stabilizer And the kicker is if I'd found this one first its the cheapest of all of them I've bought. Oh well I can sell the other stuff its in perfect condition.



Griz

Djballen

iTrader: (10)

Fantastic vids like always. Love them. What cameras ,equipment and editing softwear are you useing? Thanks

salteen

iTrader: (89)

now I could look at that giant shaft coming out of her crotch and the huge smile on her face and be mature about it...or I could just lmao

griz11

Well I wasn't going to say anything but it does give one a reason to ponder such things

However that varizoom is awesome. Called up my buds at Toys 4 Big Boys in SA and they got a few people together today for a test session. The video is some of the best I've shot so far. And its the first time I've used the varizoom so I was still getting used to it and adjusting on it all afternoon.

I also used the Manfrotto arm to clamp onto the pit wall to get a camera over the frontstretch for some pretty cool shots. Now that I'm not using that to hang the 6 inch monitor on the monopod I can use it for things like that. For instance I can clamp that puppy on the drivers stand and get face shots while the races are going on. See the look when the crash happens etc. It opens up a lot of possibilities.

I'm totally happy with today's test. So over the top I forgot to put the varizoom back in the car so its still in San Antonio. We were watching some of the video after everyone put up their cars and I had the vari there so another video maker could check it out. Got so engrossed in the video I just forgot it.

Oh well guess I"ll just have to go back on Saturday to film the weekly race Gotta buy gas might as well get some footage. Its a little over 80 miles from my house to San Antonio so its not just around the block.

I'm capturing the video now. Won't edit it tonight I'm too tired but I'll have it on the computer ready to edit tomorrow.

Now for equipment and such here's the list

Cameras
Panasonic GS-300 3-ccd camera for my main camera
A pair of Panasonic GS-80 cameras I use for my satellites

Software
Avid Liquid 7 -- Awesome editing package best slow motion out there
Canopus Procorder 2 -- Compressing package that has a great deinterlacer

Computer
2.5GHz pentium basic box Intel mb EIDE drives Nvidia 7800GT video AGP

Accessories
Varizoom DV Rig XL camera support system -- Awesome
Manfrotto 561 fluid monopod -- excellent 2 axis fluid damped monopod
A pair of inexpensive short tripods to use with the satellite cameras
Manfrotto tripod with fluid head -- regular sized tripod I also use for still shots
Manfrotto Super Clamp and Magic Arm - articulated arm and clamp for camera
Marshall 5.6 in TFT monitor -- For checking the video in the field or viewfinder
Glidecam 2000 & body pod -- used for moving shots makes them glide

Now you don't need all this and some of it is redundant and only used occasionally. A good 3-ccd Mini-DV camera and a varizoom 1-shooter support will get you going quite well on the camera side. If you are a student you can get an academic discount on Liquid and Canopus. Cheaper for the pair than either one of them costs regularly. About 500 bucks with the discount. Other wise its about a grand for those two pieces of software. Canpous puts out excellent compressed video deinterlaces and does a lot of other things that are very trick. But its not necessary to put out decent video either. You can deinterlace and put out wmv with Liquid. But the sizes and such are limited. You have to download the Microsoft Media SDK to get the profile creator. Then you can create profiles for any size you want with any other options you want. The SDK is free as well.

Shoot lots of footage. Its the easiest way to make your vids look their best. The more you shoot the more picky you can be about what goes into the final video. Take only the best shots and blow off the rest. For a 5 minute video I like to have 20 or so minutes of raw video. 30-40 if using multiple cameras. Then you just pick out the creme of the crop shots and you look like a great photographer

Griz