Here is a summary of how I made a video from a live performance using basic software on the Windows platform.
Venue: Cloverleaf Bakery outside patio in Temple City Ca.
Date: Sat night, 9/17/2011 – 8-9:30pm
Camera: Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 – 2+ years old now
Lighting: none, venue had outside lights, Lumix performs well in low light situations.
Sound: none, use Lumix camera microphone ( stereo )
Camera Access: easy, very few people in attendance which allowed me direct
access to members for close up video.
Weather: ideal, very balmy evening with no wind
Cooperation: Very good, band was receptive to amateur photographer
without prior agreement
Design Strategy:
Pictures: Take still images from various positions for the 3 players
and some group shots
Video: Capture live video with sound for various songs in the set
Note: Camera set to record with .MOV format and not .M2TS
format since .MOV is easier for me to handle and I don’t see a big
loss of quality
Video construction:
Computer: Dell Inspiron 1525 laptop 4GB ram ( 4 years old ) running
Windows 7
Other Media / Resources:
myspace.com – Tymeles page – play the “Bluer Skies” sample and record
on my handheld Digital Voice Recorder ( 7 years old ) to .wav file
Capture the group image in their promotional PDF file and add to the
end of the video – using Snagit32 screen capture program and save as
jpg
Windows Software:
Pictures: Picasa 3.8 to create Collage picture
Video: Sony Vegas Movie Studio 9 Platinum version ( 2+ years old )
collect media:
pictures .jpg, music – .wav and video .mov files into a new project
Use editing techniques to
fade in and fade out the sound on the video files
overlap the pictures and video for smoother transitions
Images Slide Show section
organize the images at the beginning of the video and use the
Bluer Skies wav file as the background sound.
NOTE: I converted the .wav file to .mp3 with Youtubedownloader but
the sound was a little distorted.
Good thing Sony Vegas accepts the .wav sound format as well as
.mp3
Video section
I didn’t really edit much of the video at all to cut any footage
out ( but I could have )
The sound was fine so I didn’t make any adjustments
Intro / Trailer
Use the group Collage picture at the beginning and end
Video Text
Added explantory text throughout the video to identify band
members
Video Output – .wmv
The video is 7.5 minutes long and about 250mb long in HD 720 format.
It took about 45 minutes to render.
Youtube upload
I was able to upload the big file on youtube in about 1/2 hour.
This was unusual for me as I have had serious problems with
uploading in the past ( especially with big files ).
Set the Video title
Tymeles band at Cloverleaf Temple City CA 09/17/2011
Added Description Text
Tymeles ( TIme Less ) – easy rock
Chris Tejada, Howard Skinner, Jon Inatomi are out of Downey Ca.
Perform their own title: Bluer Skies
with Covers of:
Lodi – Credence
Things we said today – Beatles
El Sabor De Mi
Country Roads – Denver
Tequila Sunrise – Eagles
My Back Pages – Byrds / Dylan
at Cloverleaf Bakery in Temple City Ca.
Where I catch the action on my Lumix Panasonic DMC-ZS3 camera.
Added Tags
Tymeles Beatles Credence Eagles Byrds Cover Music Band Lumix
The uploaded video is here less than 24 hours from event:
Post Mortem Review:
I never met the band before and just saw them playing when I got to the bakery. I just took out my Panasonic Lumix and started shooting !
Since, I’m having problems with Windows Live Movie Maker on Windows 7
I am using Sony Vegas instead. Movie Maker is much easier to use for
simple videos with no special/advanced effects ( except for music fade ins
and outs). But Sony Vegas takes the MOV and WAV files directly with no conversions !
I believe i’m at an intermediate level with Sony Vegas and have to
give credit to Bill Myers instructional videos ( and others ) on
youtube.
Q. What do you think of the music ?
Best to u, LA Guy
Check out the Timeless Music Band named – Tymeles at their Myspace page here
http://www.myspace.com/tymeles#!/530626147