Thread: Music composer looking to start learning video

Hey,
I'm a composer of various styles of music, but I'm just starting to get in to video. I've learned that there are plenty of places locally that I can hire good cameras, so I've decided to start coming here (and elsewhere) to see if I can pick up tips on their usage.

At the moment I hire guys to do the camera work, but I'm interested to see if I can get into this myself. I've already started learning how to edit video - it seems very similar to audio editing, which of course I'm already very familiar with. The reason I'm interested in editing is because it seems to me that no one else editing videos of my music will be able to get the syncing and the various nuances quite as accurately as the composer... should that person be able to do it themselves.

Here's my first attempt. Very eager to hear critiques on any aspect of the process. I'll be back to ask all sorts of questions.
Thanks!-

Tom

I liked the closeups of the instruments being played. I am hoping another poster will offer some advice on how best to prevent the sepia colour.

The sepia is probably a result of the lighting... the room is pretty much that colour (70s style brown ). I didn't make any adjustments to the colour in editing. I am concerned about fiddling with the colour in Corel Video Studio, which doesn't seem to do a very good job of those particular adjustments. But of course advice is welcome!

Thoroughly enjoyed the music piece, the way in which it was played and the audio recording itself, Sync was impressive too... Full marks to the talent and quality of music

Your unwanted sepia tone is simply due to white balance not being set correctly. This would make a massive difference to the overall appearance although I was so taken with the music I quickly forgot about the colour problem. The girls collar the lights and other things that should have been shown as white are the main clue to your problem.
Your horizon on the long shots were a bit off. A bubble spirit level in the tripod head would have sorted this. Dolly shots can make such a difference with this type of video which is why I use a heavy homemade dolly with large castors which is great on smooth floors for recording similar situations.
Although most of the visual material was technically very good a better eye on composition and horizons would have greatly improved the production.
Some of you intended angle shots had not enough angle to show that it was intentional and jarred slightly.
I hope this has been helpful to you and look forward to your next video.

Thoroughly enjoyed the music piece, the way in which it was played and the audio recording itself, Sync was impressive too... Full marks to the talent and quality of music

Your unwanted sepia tone is simply due to white balance not being set correctly. This would make a massive difference to the overall appearance although I was so taken with the music I quickly forgot about the colour problem. The girls collar the lights and other things that should have been shown as white are the main clue to your problem.
Your horizon on the long shots were a bit off. A bubble spirit level in the tripod head would have sorted this. Dolly shots can make such a difference with this type of video which is why I use a heavy homemade dolly with large castors which is great on smooth floors for recording similar situations.
Although most of the visual material was technically very good a better eye on composition and horizons would have greatly improved the production.
Some of you intended angle shots had not enough angle to show that it was intentional and jarred slightly.
I hope this has been helpful to you and look forward to your next video.

Wow thanks so much!!! I'm taking that all in. Awesome Actually I didn't do the camera work on this one, so what you're saying will really come in handy, because for my next project I hope to learn how to operate a camera myself. I've got a lot to learn about video. Yes, I'm a bit down about the white balance but I'm trying to think of it as "character"

Anyway, here's the next mvt... I have a feeling it's suffering the very same problems as the last one

Thank you for your help Solway.

Originally Posted by Tomposer

Wow thanks so much!!! I'm taking that all in. Awesome Actually I didn't do the camera work on this one, so what you're saying will really come in handy, because for my next project I hope to learn how to operate a camera myself. I've got a lot to learn about video. Yes, I'm a bit down about the white balance but I'm trying to think of it as "character"

Anyway, here's the next mvt... I have a feeling it's suffering the very same problems as the last one

Thank you for your help Solway.

Thomas,
Don't get down Tom the problem is totally curable...

Can't say anything about the video quality, I'm a beginner myself but the music is excellent, you're a very talented chap.

Wow! The video is good. The shots are very sympathetic to the music. But my "wow!" is for the music. It strikes me as classical music inspired by prog rock which you'll probably consider an insult, but is meant as praise. I'm something of a "progger" and I totally "get" how prog gets much of its inspiration from the classical world. To my ears all attempts to play prog rock by an orchestra are weak, to say the least. But this is different. It's not the music of Yes or ELP orchestrated, it's music which is clearly written for these instruments and combines elements of both worlds. It has the virtuosity of classical and prog but manages to incorporate the soul of romantic and "soul" music. I think I'm a fan!

pretty sweet piece, man. The music was certainly top-notch. And for a beginner, the video came out pretty good. Keep it up!