twaffle

Thanks Tom, the latest download worked just fine. I have a suggestion for the walking lion scene that some posters felt a bit long which I have used on my DVDs and that is to keep the audio and have still photography closeups of the lion (assuming you took some). That way you could have the stills and cut to the last bit of the lion walking out of scene and over dub with all the guide talk. For continuity, I would be inclined to have the lion roaring before he leaves the picture but you would have to do some careful editing with the audio. But really, for a safari memorabilia item, it is fine just as it is.

I know I always spend too long editing but it is a fun way to relive a great trip.

I don't concern myself too much with the honesty of which bit of film came in which order provided it is in the same park/reserve because I want to make an interesting (hopefully!) audio visual to show people. So far, I get tears at each viewing but whereas I always thought that it was because of the emotional value of my photography and editing, perhaps the reality is that it is just too awful!

cary999

twaffle - Did you use the MOV file on your Mac?

You think it would be more interesting to have a still of the lion with Patrick talking? Hmm, I'll think about it. Perhaps several stills of the lion. But I don't have many good ones, bad luck with lighting that safari.

I do strip and move audio around. Especially if one scene is good video but bad audio. I also put "ambient" sounds in back of still photos. Sometimes music.

Also what I put up, except for the intro and the hut video, is not the exact sequence of my video. I put up those two lion scenes as typical of the video. And because it is lion

On that safari I took about 2,000 stills and about 2 hours of video. I agree editing is great way to relive trip and I don't mind doing it. Also agree about your honesty thing, I always keep camps separate but may not be chronologically accurate. And I never pull in "footage" from previous safaris. Thus each safari I have the challenge to to re-shoot <b>everything</b>, impala, buffalo, eles, zebras, giraffe.

Your DVD brings tears, I'd like to see it. I'll trade with you, send me email- tdgraham at sbcglobal dot net. And anyone else?

regards - tom

twaffle

I used the .mov file.

I understand now about the lion and the giving us a preview of things in your video. Makes complete sense.

Happy to trade. Could be fun.

cary999

Well, I'm not saying my "whole" DVD is that much better. Just that on the file you saw the lions scenes follow together while on the final DVD the two scenes are separated by a few minutes.

Happy to hear the MOV file worked on you Mac.

I sent you an email, let's trade.

regards - tom

sundowner

Great video, Tom. What are you using to film the video? The S2IS or have you bought something else?

I like the idea of shortening the video portion of the lion walking and letting Patrick talk over stills. But then again, it may be different when it's watched within the whole video.

You mailed me one of your other videos and I loved how you put it together. I really want to do one but just haven't gotten around to it. (Where does the time go??) I haven't even bought ProShow Gold yet. I have looked for it when I was already in a store but haven't made any effort to find it.

Thanks for posting!

cary999

HI Cindy - Yep, still using that Canon S2 for the videos. The actual videos are better than you see with that file because that file has a lot of compression on it. The Canon S2 et al do a 640x480 30fps picture which is standard DVD but not HD. Most people don't have HD players anyway. Although you can play an HD movie on your TV using your PC. Anyway, someday I'll have to get another video camera. May likely be a Nikon DSLR that also shoots video. But the DSLRs are slow coming around with video capabilities.

I think it would work good to have Patrick talking over lion stills. Problem is I'd need about 8-9 good stills of him and I don't have them. Next time

Putting something together like this can take a lot of time. Especially if you enjoy doing it It takes me at least two hours of work for every minute of playing time. Anyway, glad you liked what you saw.

regards - tom

safarimama

I loved the entire .mov file just as is, but then again I'm not picky, just an addict. That roar was amazing!!!!
Thanks for sharing.

amycyma

Tom

Was just browsing through things I bookmarked to get some info on video cameras, and I found your post.
I was able to watch your video, which i thought was very nicely done. As I haven't yet gone on my safari I was amazed at how close you were able to get to the lion, and his sounds, it made me get all tingly, and impatient for my trip.

to answer your questions
I have a Mac and used Quicktime player (I think that is what played it)

Thanks for posting
amy

cary999

amy - happy to hear it played ok for you. Yes you will be that close!!! And the first time you will forget to breath!! And still on 100th time you may breath better but your heart will be racing!!

Really funny about game drives. In three previous years in around 60 nights in safari camps I had never heard the famous male lion call/roar. On this safari I heard it four times with three different lions and each up close like that. You never know what the next five minutes will bring on a game drive.

regards - tom

DonTopaz

amy,

Did you decide on a video camera yet?

cary999

New video camera?
No, will use old Canon S5 (basically a “still” camera) for at least this year for video. One main reason is it is a backup camera for Carolyn’s Canon S3. Second reason is that its videos are good quality, standard DVD quality, with stereo sound. Third reason is I would want HD video but I don’t have an HD DVD burner nor HD DVD player and not sure how many people do. Fourth not obvious reason is the S5/S3 body looks like a typical “still” camera and thus people don’t know you’re taking video. And not least, fifth reason is the next Nikon DSLR I get (this year?) may have HD video capability?

So, I have not really looked at video cameras. If I did it would have to have an eye view finder, stereo microphones, easy to copy and edit media/format, HD format. Can you recommend any like that? (And for under $500?)

regards - tom

DonTopaz

Tom (and anyone else), you do not necessarily need an HD burner. I have a regular old burner, and I can make 50-55 minute HD videos using double-layer (8.5GB) DVDs.

The difference between HD videos and standard videos is, to my eyes, every bit as enormous as the difference between watching a Tv program/sports event in HD compared to standard TV. Which is to say, a World of difference.

2 or 5 or 10 years from now, I cannot imagine how disappointed I would be if I were watching safari videos where I'd had an opportunity to shoot in HD but did not.

cary999

Ok, a learning opportunity for me!!!
But first, a rant. Have you noticed how good <b>standard</b> TV is sometimes recently? Why, because these new programs were produced with good production values. Production based on HD requirements. So even if the TV signal is SD it can look pretty dang good. And all these years we were being feed cr@p SD TV signals by broadcasters! My prediction- HD TV will go the same route, it will be degraded to the point that we will accept. Rant over.

Ok, I can burn an HD DVD without it being on Blu-Ray or HDVD media? Guess so, could use regular 4.7 gig DVD. Just that the play time would be (like you say) around 30 minutes (or 55) because of the greater bit rate required by HD. (2 to 4 times as much I think).

So, the video camera gives you the HD 1920x1080 lines output, AVHCD mpeg-4, H.264. How do you edit it? I have one answer. Proshow Producer will make a HD movie at 1920x1080 lines, bit rate of 17,000 Kbps, turns it into mpeg-2.

So now I have the basic HD mpeg file on my PC hard drive. How do I put it into DVD "structure"? I'm lost now. (I can do SD 720x480 easily). How do you do it, what program do you use? The one I have been using TMPGEnc Author does not support the HD 1920x1080 line format. Need to update it I'd guess. Then you still need an HD DVD player do you not? Unless you use a PC/Mac, but then we are starting from a different point all together.

Or, can you simply take me step by step from the (1) camera HD media, through how you (2) edit, (3) if/how you code into mpeg-4, (4)how you put into DVD structure (the VTS - bup, ifo, vob files). After this point I think you could use a regular DVD burn program, e.g. Nero, for standard (or double layer) DVD. (Would not have to use Blu-Ray). Now the last thing, the DVD player, the typical 4 year old Philips DVD player does not support 1920x1080i output does it? (Mine has RGB plus audio out). So need newer player with HDMI or DVI output, right?

Whew, a lot of questions, but it basically seems like that after the HD camera you just have to have updated software and DVD player to do it. The basic steps are the same. No?

regards - tom

cary999

Oh, and one more thing
I know some people with a Canon HG10 HD camera. They are not entirely satisfied with the picture quality. In fact thinking of going back to non HD because problem may be Canons implementation/compression of the codec (h.264?)? I have not seen any of their video. Do you have any ideas about it?

regards - tom

amycyma

Tom and Rizzuto

Not yet decided on the video camera, my husband says that Canon is coming out with new stuff in April, which may well drive the prices down of other HD.

As the Canon is one if the ones I have been looking at, I will bear in mind your comments Tom about the HG10.

In terms of video, as I am not planning on bringing a computer, I am thinking of the ones with the flash memory.

But my question to both of you is how much video did you shoot, and how many batteries did you bring? (If I have asked this before, I apologize, there is just so much info to absorb)

And Tom, I am glad that the tingly feeling will never leave, and I can't wait to hear, see, smell, etc, all I can!!!

amy

cary999

Amy - my comments about the Canon HG10 are rather "hearsay". If you can find someone who uses the Canon HG10 you might find a different story. Like most photo gear, some of it works better for some people than for other people. My experience with video cameras is quite limited. I was sort of fishing to see if anyone here uses the Canon HG10. Since when I look at its specs they seem very impressive. But specs always tell only half of the story.

I would not take a computer just to store video or photos on. Memory cards are around $3-4 per gig so for less than $100 that would I'd think would be enough memory. But some video cameras do not use memory cards anyway, have hard drives or mini DVDs.

How much video did I shoot for 16 days? I'm thinking around 2 hours total, about 7 minutes a day. I like to take short scenes, 30 sec to maybe 2 minutes max. I don't like to have the camera up to my eye all the time either. Batteries - three sets for each type of camera battery. And I have three different types of batteries required. Plus of course the chargers.

Yes, still get that tingly feeling just thinking about my safari in Sep.

regards - tom

DonTopaz

Tom & amy,

Tom, I take your point that dealing with HD is a more complicated process than SD. Yes, I did have to upgrade my computer. (I did not buy a new computer, but I did expand the memory from 1gb to 4gb. That process turned out to be much simpler than I'd dared to hope.) I also had to buy a Blu-Ray DVD player: I got a Samsung for (about?) $180. For editing software, I use Sony Vegas Pro: it's one of the relatively few editors that can handle the AVCHD format. For me it was a reasonably steep learning curve, but more experienced people would likely learn it a lot more quickly. In short, moving to HD <i>does</i> involve a set of investments (money and time) beyond the HD camcorder itself. For me, though, the benefits of the results made the investment seem like pennies. And it's consistently amazing to hear the audible gasps when people see the videos on an HD screen -- "I can't believe how clear and close-up that looks!!"

My camera is the Sony HDR-SR11, which I dearly love. Easy to operate, takes both video and still photos, and holds about 7 hours of video (shooting best quality) on its hard drive. Sony also makes the SR12, which holds 14 hours on the hard drive. One feature of the SR11/12 that I especially like is the larger-than-usual LED screen. At the end-of-day campfire, it makes for a terrific showpiece, showing the day's highlights, that everyone can easily see.

On a 7-day safari, I shot about 3.5 hours video in total. I think there's certainly a trap, and I've seen others on safari fall into it, of spending too much time with your face against the back of a camera instead of soaking in Africa.

I have 3 batteries: one standard-length battery that came with the camera, and 2 extended-life batteries. One extended-life goes in the cam while the other is being charged, and the standard is my back-up -- I used the latter only once.

For me, the tingly feeling is way more now than for my first safari. First time around, I had no idea what to expect. Now .... WOW!

cary999

thanks rizzuto for wading through all of my verbiage!
PC and software wise I'm pretty much have it all now. What I need is the HD video camera and Blu-Ray player. Knowing/learning that a standard 4.7 DVD can be used is great because Blu-Ray burners and discs are still too expensive. I wait until burners are less than $100 and discs less than $1 before I buy in.

The other minor problem is that I'd still have to make standard DVDs because I know of no one that has a Blu-Ray player! And until/unless the cost of HD players and movies comes down to the standard DVD cost, I think HD will languish. Most people think standard DVD is good enough. But all that aside, I agree with your argument that it is still good to have the original video in HD. Maybe next year . Thanks again for helping me (and I'm sure others here) understand it.

regards - tom