Hello,

Here is the link to my brand new digital video editing blog (tips, news and reviews):

Digital Video and Film

So far, I have posted a review of the Canon HV 20 HD camcorder, in addition to my "top-ten" video editing tips. Plus the latest video editing news from da weeb.

I am not affiliated with any of the products or advertisers mentioned in the blog, however I am signed up for adsense in the hopes of paying for an early retirement in Fiji (I have accumulated a grand total of $0.77 as of January 17th, 2007).

Feedback appreciated.

Kindest regards,
Zam

Zam, it's a bit too early for feedback on your site. I recommend you build content over the next year or so. It's hard work!

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Actually that is pretty good feedback (thanks ).

To be honest, I have a bazillion tricks that work for me, but I write very slowly (it's going to take a while to articulate them all in my blog).

I for one am looking forward with baited breath to hearing everyone of those bazillion tricks you have.

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Better than a poke in the eye with a pointy stick any day...

OK here is a small preview of my bazillion tips, as requested by Nik :

I got this idea while I was visiting a friend of mine who is a b&w (still image) photographer. He set up his camera outside an abandoned house at night (no moon) and opened the shutter. He then ran into the house and flashed a second camera out each of the windows. The effect was quite astonishing, as the house took on an errie haunted look in the final result.

The above experience encouraged me to try the same idea in a movie, which I used for a contest entry (the jury is still out). Here is "how to simulate a thunderstorm for an indoor scene":

If you want to properly simulate a thunderstorm in your video or film (and you don't want to wait for bad weather), here is what worked for me:

[1] For the sound effects (thunder and rain), I went to the following web page and found what I needed <a href="<A href="http://www.freesfx.co.uk/weather.html">http://www.freesfx.co.uk/weather.html</a">http://www.freesfx.co.uk/weather.html">http://www.freesfx.co.uk/weather.html</a>. The sound effects on the freesfx site are royalty-free, so you are "good to go". The "Rain with dripping (version 1)" effect is particuarly realistic.

[2] For the visuals, set your video camera up on a tripod, pointing at an open window. Sprinkle some water on the window's screen. Make sure it is sufficiently dark so that you can't see anything when you look out the window. Start filming -- then run outside with a (still picture) digital camera and start taking flash pictures of the open window from different angles (from outside). If you have a red-eye setting on your (still picture) digital camera, this is particularly good since the camera flashes twice (the first flash is to close the iris and prevent red-eye). The flashes will look just like lightning strikes on your video.

[3] In your video editing tool, remove the original soundtrack and add the sound effects, lining up the lightning and thunder.

Voila -- this worked for me and hopefully it will work for you.

I posted the above to my old blog last September but Google told me it was causing my ads to not display (I have no idea why) so I deleted it. If I figure out the problem, I'll post it back to my new blog. It probably has a nasty word in it but I can't tell what it could be.

Zam
my blog: Digital Video and Film