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Feedback please! Byron Bay Lighthouse...
1036 5 2015-5-9
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Skippyo
lvl.4

Australia
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Here is one of our first videos with the Inspire 1. We are keen to hear what you have to say about our filming and editing. Be a bit gentle please!!! In my personal opinion, we still have much to do, but already 100% better than when we started. We captured about 3 hours of video to create this 2 min clip. If I was being paid, I would fix some of the little hiccups, but since I am not - this is mostly for fun. Although it is being published by our local paper!!!

To view I STRONGLY recommend you adjust settings in utube to 1080. Takes longer to render, but quality so much better!

   

Thanks in advance. Helen
2015-5-9
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peterconquest3
lvl.3

United States
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Hi Helen,

Very nice visuals! Beautiful place for sure! The timing of sunset was an excellent choice.

I'm struggling with my own 1st ariel video, so I know exactly some of the 1st time issues you must of had in editing. So I'll give you a professional critique, but I think you already are aware of most of these areas for improvement. Don't get me wrong, your video is amazing... and I'm sure the locals are going to LOVE IT! But to be truly helpful, I hope I'm giving you some useful input, while trying to be "gentle" (as you requested) too...

- When in editing did you often wish you could have changed the gimbal position more smoothly?  Even the slightest change in gimbal can disrupt the otherwise smooth flow of a shot. I recently turned down the sensitivity of the gimbal to something like "30", and I think it helped a lot to smooth out pans or tilts. Obtaining smooth gimbal moves during shots is still a learned skill. I marvel at all the pilots videos posted on this site... some have amazing skills in this area. But you can bet it took a lot of practice to get there.

- Your title sequence is very nice. Simple fonts, simple animation. Keeping it simple always plays better and more elegant.

- The small "hiccups" in the camera moves do indeed distract from an otherwise more polished final product. If you don't have long enough footage without a hiccup, I might suggest dissolving out of that clip earlier to eliminate it. Even small mistakes in camera moves, and then corrections can make the viewer feel that the camera person was not confident in composing their shot... and had to change it. The more professional looking the shot is, the more convincing and confident the viewers perception will be. A lot of this is subconscious and quite subtle... but elimination all little jumps and hiccups really does make huge improvements.

- Dissolving from one shot to the next it is sometimes better to chose a completely different angle if possible. Using two similar shots together can be perceived as a "jump cut" (terminology some professional editors use to describe such an event). At :20 secs into your video, this happens. By changing the next shot to something different, it maintains a more cinematic feel.

- Continuing a consistent forward movement, orbiting movement, or combination of moments is difficult, but good to strive for. I can see you are really making the effort! Did you have a separate camera operator?

- Watch your exposure. Use histogram and zebra tools built into the camera settings. The shot starting at 1:30 is pretty over exposed. Did you shoot in "Log" mode? That helps give  a little more exposure flexibility in editing.

- Shorter is better. I'd cut the last shot at 1:44 (the overhead wave portion), and not show the tilt back up to the lighthouse at all. The change is not that smooth, and the return to an ocean shot plays well against your opening shot. Overall some portions are somewhat repetitive. You could cut the total length by another 40%-50% and still have a beautiful piece that provides the same impact, if not better.
And whether you are getting paid or not, it's best to release the best product you can... you never know who's attention it will attract.

Please understand that my own videos have many of the same hiccups as yours... and I'm trying to improve them too. It will take time, but it's a lot of fun working on a goal of excellence... and in my humble opinion, you are definitely heading in the right direction.

- Pete

2015-5-9
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Skippyo
lvl.4

Australia
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peterconquest3 Posted at 2015-5-10 12:33
Hi Helen,

Very nice visuals! Beautiful place for sure! The timing of sunset was an excellent choice ...

Pete

Thanks very much - wonderfully constructive... You have identified many of the points I am aware of.

On exposure; the time of day was REALLY early - I indicated that a bit too early as I could not get the colour up in Post. I am still working on this aspect of editing. I am getting a lot better but I do find highly exposed or highly underexposed the hardest to fix... I am ok on general exposure but not when it results in washed out look and the consequence of then playing with colour/masks etc.. I am OK also on saturation and working with the video scopes, but struggling with the colour spectrum changes.

We have discussed at length about the 'sudden' but small move in the camera when pan/tilt/turn happens. This is something I have asked my pilot (hubby!) to work on.
Usually I am the camera operator but, since the last firmware update our 2nd radio has been out of commission - impact = more pressure on drone pilot to manage more elements. When I am there, I can critically view the footage even if the camera is in follow mode so we can retake several times to get it totally smooth.

I agree I should cut this video down further and do something about the last shot...plus fix up the2nd/3rd clips; I was trying to get round the hiccup;albeit unsuccessful.

I will show pilot hubby about the sensitivity!  Sometimes the expansive footage like this is harder to do as the need to keep smooth for longer is so key. We did a promo video for a venue and this was with the Inspire out of the box ( you can see it on our Aussie Drone Services UTube channel or our website 'EarthHouse') and we made some unique mistakes there - with the camera. I had some camera control on that occasion and find it good to separate pilot from camera functions...

I have to admit i really enjoy working not the making video work with music and the changes that demands. Based on your feedback, I will revisit some of the elements of this video before I hand over to the news team to publish it; you are right, you never know who is watching!

Thanks for your feedback Helen
2015-5-9
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nilsblix
First Officer
Flight distance : 23047543 ft
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Spain
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Very nice Helen

I am - as you - trying to learn and improve.
This video and the very honest review by peterconquest3 will for sure help me and others to get better - thank you for sharing.
And thank you peterconquest3 for taking time to help
2015-5-9
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peter.psilver
lvl.4

United Kingdom
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Hi Helen, as others have mention = shorter is better and try not to end one shot with a similar start to the next one. I would cut the short shot at .20 for instance.

Peter
2015-5-10
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GB44
Captain
Flight distance : 343848 ft
United Kingdom
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Skippy,

Do you have a commercial license from CASA.  Did you have authorisation to fly over public, visitors to the Lighthouse etc.

If you are going to fly these birds and get good images and film, you have to do it safely, responsibly and within legal parameters. From viewing the film, I doubt that any consideration for public safety was considered as you were flying over, above and close to people.  You even got pretty close to a guy and  small child around the 1:18 mark.

Nice film but no safety consideration.  I guess if you do have an Operators License with CASA, you won't be keeping it for long if you keep flying like this.
2015-5-10
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