Feedback + footnotes on no-tripod look: Eve & Miki’s Living with Geeks clip

RE – tripod or not

I love the hand-held approach (vs tripod) esp in the video series. The look comes across more personal & participatory in interviews. So I experiment more with camera style in the vid series (vs with the core documentary content).

But!

I agree more with Phil, video creative & savvy DC Media Maker:
the movement distracts from this clip’s cool subjects.

Thoughts?

RE – As for the lighting

What do you think?

If memory serves, we talked mostly in the sun room late afternoon where additional lighting was unavailable (…memory is fading on this point!).

Loving the feedback (thanks and keep it comin’).

CLIP IN QUESTION:

Cutting Edge: Spielberg, Scorsese, Tarantino talk-shop on film editing

Excellent (…settle in for the 1.5 hr documentary).

Final Cut blues: crawling back to iMovie (for now…)

After some weeks of tinkering with Final Cut and being amazed and dazzled with its capability, I’m – only for the short-term – returning to iMovie and here’s why:

GRATIFICATION WITHDRAWAL!

Santa is disappointed too.

Yep – Final Cut is absolutely amazing and in-depth but it’s darned humbling!

No matter what I do in Final Cut, it looks like ‘The Suck’ (…as my man is known to say). I’ve ripped up footage, mis-aligned audio, and haven’t posted project-related clips on the blog in for-ev-ah (despite interviewing folks on a regular, fantastically fun basis e.g. footage is ready to fly!).

I fear this means I’m impatient in learning this. Ok! But the truth is, methinks learning in a collaborative environment with this may be useful. Or is that wimpy?

What’s your Final Cut (Express or Pro) learning-curve experience?!

Amateur v pro: Techdirt takes sides for film work

I like the open, personal feel of non-tripod recordings for band documentaries aka good ‘ol amateur stuff.

What’s your take?

Do you prefer more pro filming?

or Karl at Techdirt’s point of view?

Learning video: Blip.tv, YouTube, and New Year funny bone

Amit offers some good points to ponder for these major video hosting sites. I haven’t checked-out Blip but this certainly gives a compelling nudge.

I’m mentally stewing-around goals for next year, esp for learning video in 2007: filming a quick-n-funny clip in DC each day. -Seems an aggressive goal but a fun, doable exercise for recognizing one’s environment.

How ’bout you?

How’s your resolve for next year shaping up?

2 minutes – Scobleizer at ConvergSouth: punchy, flirty, uninterrupted

Are you rolling those eyes?! ‘Argh, another Scoble clip?’ Side note: that links to recent updates on Scoble’s fun photowalks.

I realize this footage is familiar. 🙂 But re-visiting it helps me learn what edits enable or distract from interviews. DC Media Makers screened some footage last week in teaser trailer format and made these suggestions.
So here are two uninterrupted minutes with my questions & interaction audible.

I like it more than when I first watched it months ago; not sure why except I recall we talked just after ConvergeSouth ended. They were happy and seemed post-presentation punchy (side note part deux: Maryam just interviewed a hip girl geek in London).

HAPPY HOLIDAYS to the max!

DC Media Makers gives great feedback on Scoble clip (+ Michael Verdi)

It rocked! … e.g. last night’s project-review meeting with DC Media Makers.

For this clip here, their feedback included:
reduce number of subjects addressed in clip;
let sequences play-out more (vs quickly moving on to another interview topic);
use narration to better introduce Scoble (vs using that small-text transition at beginning);
…or insert a clip of myself introducing them & summarizing our talk;
lengthen play-time of the text-on-black transitions;
view video interviews by Michael Verdi & his father for interview tactics

-Can’t wait to dive into these ideas.

Great tip from my man e.g. Main Geek

–Must give a big blogged thanks to Sean for suggesting the raw footage posting approach. It’s a great idea although it took a while of gentle family debates to convert my mind. [note eye roll + head shake of dismay on that “gentle” comment]

I can’t wait to see how cuts & effects change throughout Jonny/Matty’s segment & for future interviews.

Jonny, Matty T2: added effects + draft title bit

Thanks for taking time to see this footage & relay thoughts.

–Had fun with this second take. It’s hard not to keep editing until completion; but I keep reminding myself to value the editing process by posting bit by bit to better gain from readers. Allow imperfection. Allow incompletion. Grrrrrrr! It’s tough for some reason. I guess my ego thinks the video police will …. growl:

Photo credits (to be added in final segment):
SteveA, CC license 2.0 for A Few Laptops
The Stivo, CC license 2.0 for Red Bull
Amayita (for Flickr citation yet isn’t original photographer), CC license 2.0 for Peace, Love, Linux

Interview pipeline brushes with Hotmail & Reinventing Television (+ an emergence)

Project news (excellent!):
Interviews are in the works with DCWW’s technical officer, a guy in California & his wife (he used to work with Sabeer Bhatia that founded Hotmail.com), a software engineer – a girl geek – with her husband, and potentially new media/techi buff Jonny Goldstein (Jonny also hosts Reinventing Television online).

This interview pipeline creates an addictive momentum!

Chief Geek: making my man’s anniversary present
What a blast it’s been making a home movie for my husband (& it’s not too saucy either!). I’m experimenting with voiceover, exporting audio, increased photo imports.

What’s that? Hear it? …ahh, the sweet sound of technical fear morphing into confidence.