Question about a build video?

Jeff Horton

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Got me a real... well sort of real video camera. Small pocket job perfect for internet videos. My goal has been to set up a YouTube channel (for promotional purposes) with how-to videos and informational stuff about my boats. Today I am working on the boat and playing with the camera. I have been moving it around the shop shooting whatever I was doing just to get the feel for using it.

Stopped for lunch, reviewed the video and had an idea. I was thinking about putting together a several part video of building the boat. Nothing detailed, just shots of the different steps. Keeping each one brief. Sawing out the frame. Sanding it on the different sander. Routing the edges, etc. Overlay a narration describing what is being done and the machine when it is an old odd ball maybe (that describes a lot of mine).

Do one at the different steps as I go along. I can't nor would I try to tell how to build a boat. That's just to much. But maybe this would be educational and entertaining enough people would watch?

I am open to suggestions here. Just keep in mind it's just me and my camera. I don't have crew or want to do a 30 minute video! Just several short clips that would be something people would watch.

Might try to get a clip together tomorrow and see what it looks like. The narration is probably the hardest part of me.
 
Definitely a great idea.

I think you are on the right track doing demonstrations of different techniques required, instead of doing a whole build. I find I don't have much patience for videos that run too long.

But I do like the ones that are short, to the point, and actually show something specific in detail.

For example, showing how you put the skin on a boat could be seperated into a few videos.

1) talking about the fabric
2) showing how you do the initial layout and cut
3) Short video on how to stitch it together
4) How you get it on nice and tight
5) How you shrink and color it and finish it off.

Looking forward to the series! :thumb:
 
Jeff, good idea. Dont be concerned, about length of time. Do it in multiparts. Take a leaf from Charles Neil do it casual and real. Its a real refreshing change. He aint perfect but i just enjoy his non pretentious relaxed everyman style. Just tell it like it is as if you were talking to one of us and taking us through the part you want to tell us. The more you do it the more comfortable you will get. When you try to get fancy thats when the stress and scripts and storyboard etc start to throw a spanner in the works.

Thats my 5 cents worth. It really will help if you could get someone to drive the camera like he does. Big thing i think you need to watch is making sure you stay on a detail long enough for the video viewer to see it. And given resolutions zooming in is very neccessary, to achieve the viewer watching it in a small media player window, to get the detail across.

Best of luck a picture says a 1000 words.:thumb:
 
Thanks. I have several "how-to" videos. I have a couple in the works too that area not quite finished and need something. I put 5-6 on the CD with the plans. The Manual is on CD and I included a few short clips because they are worth a 1000 words. Some of those are destined to be replaced at some point.

I do have some ideas for some specific 'how-to's" but I can only shoot them as I build a boat. There are a couple out there on how to skin with nylon but nothing on Dacron and that is the material I settled on. It is a different technique too. So when I skin this one I have plans to shot A LOT of video. Then do a lot more editing.

What I have in mind for this one is a video version of what I posted on building Stonefly. Clips of the boat being built. Dubbing in a narration of what I am doing, not a "how to" but short of here is what I did today. It would something different. (if it goes well).

As I said I do have some ideas for YouTube and my web site but having to make a living gets in the way of starting a new business. I have way more idea's than I can possible do. So it is all a balancing act and trying to decide which one is the most likely to produce some work.
 
I think it is a great idea, kind of an "Over View" video of building one of your boats, I think this would be the kind of thing that someone with an interest would watch first, if they saw that and said to themselves "I could do that" then they would delve deeper into it.

Best of luck, look forward to the new vid, I've always enjoyed your other vids :thumb:
 
Well this just slapped onto hold! I thought I had researched my camera pretty well before buying it but .......

Turns out it records in MOV (MPG4 I think) format only. My Video software will not work with it. I did some research and not many will work with MOV except Macs. Which means I have to convert format before I work with it. While not hard it takes time to do and adds an extra step. So I am returning this camera and will keep looking.

Of course that crosses one thing off my list. :rolleyes:
 
My little sony thingamabob records in .mp4. I can edit it just fine in my "Movie Edit Pro" software...

Maybe you just need a software or code upgrade?
 
Adobe Premier Elements works with .MOV files. Cost about $99. All you will ever need unless your a Video Pro. (you do have to load the free QuickTime player from Apple to use .mov files)
 
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