A couple of weeks ago I wrote about our trip to the Gunning Fireworks Festival. At the time I promised to promptly post up some videos from the night,
It’s time for Fireworks!
This video is shot handheld and is a slightly cut-down version of the Finale display. There’s the odd shake and movement but they help show the scale (and closeness) of the display.
The second video is filmed on a tripod, so a little steadier but still very much lacking the field of view to get the finale in all it’s glory.
Still to come!
There’s about 3 hours more footage to cut together of the demonstration which I’ll make into a couple of short videos. Kind of a “Best of”.
When I was gifted a GoPro for my birthday last April I was like all “it’s so cool” but despite some tinkering around with making cat videos I didn’t really stretch its legs until recently.
Two things are immediately apparent;
I need to make more and “better” raw video, the more video I can choose from the more interesting things I may capture.
GoPro settings are important but they’re not the main factor, having a couple of “goto modes” and an understanding of the framing they provide is really all it takes.
To address the first problem all I need to do is actually use the GoPro. Sounds simple but it’s true. Sometimes a degree of self-consciousness can tip in, other times it’s too weird to carry around or have strapped into or on the car. Then there’s the “how many times do I do the same thing” problem to get different angles or views.
The second problem is addressed through use, but also through excellent resources like Abe Kislevitz who seems to have tried enough of the settings in practice and then is able to write about them in a realistic comparative way. http://abekislevitz.com/understanding-your-new-gopro/ is essential reading for any new GoPro owner, and a thorough browse through his Blog & Portfolio, especially the user comments where Abe actually drops great succinct tips in response to questions will go a long way to unlocking the magic of these cool little cameras.
So back to my video efforts thus far, I’m most proud of my first bit of real underwater footage – It gave me an understanding of the cameras capability and captured memories that previously just weren’t possible. I’ve got another couple of hours of raw video to edit from a different day, and I’m expecting it to reflect the increased comfort I had with the camera after the first 30 minutes use in water that made this video.
The second video here is just an edit together from a single drive. It’s the footage where I started to realise that the mounting of the GoPro really is the most important factor. The camera was secure, but with a couple too many pieces used to position it I got shake, not much but enough. Still, the video quality worked out OK, probably thanks to the bright sunny day.
Next challenge is to do some more on-car footage and see if we can get a complete 2-3 minute video with a number of angles and action sequences.