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Tips & Tricks
- Creating a simple Music Video with trakAxPC
- Tuesday, January 31, 2012
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Hi Everyone,
With the advent of the digital age, music videos have become increasingly important to the success of music artists and bands. Never before has it been as easy for budding singers, songwriters and bands to be plucked out of total obscurity as a result of being noticed on YouTube and becoming overnight superstars. However, how do you stand out from the oceans of videos without getting swallowed up. Well, firstly it helps if you are talented or have a great song. Secondly, creating a great looking video will certainly help get you or your band noticed. Today we received a music video from Philip Birdsong, who is the drummer in the band “The Birdsongs”, which we believe ticks both these boxes.
The music video for the song “Pieces (Hold On)” gives a great insight into the members of the band and we can see from this video the fun side to them. The video shows them on tour and enjoying the live shows but also provides some personal clips of them chilling and relaxing with friends and family. The song itself is upbeat and this is reflected in the editing process with nice quick transitions between each segments. They have also managed to ultilise all aspects of the trakAxPC software by incorporating photos, videos and audio into the editing process.
We think this is a great song and video and we wish The Birdsongs all the best and every success. You can check out their Facebook page HERE and MySpace page HERE.
If you wish to support the band and purchase their music, please click on the iTunes and Amazon Links provided -
http://itunes.apple.com/ie/artist/the-birdsongs/id350752364
Remember trakAxPC can be used for all your video editing needs. Take advantage of our special price - buy trakAxPC today for just $24.95.
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Posted by Colm in Tips & Tricks |
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- New Graffiti Video created with trakAxPC Version 4
- Friday, January 20, 2012
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Hey Everyone,
Firstly, we would like to take this opportunity to thank all our users for their commitment, support and patience over the last number months. It has been a long slog for everyone involved and we are delighted to announce that the beta version of trakAxPC 4 is almost ready for testing. We are currently implementing our Nalpeiron protection software and support tutorials and once we have validated the beta version, we will be announcing the release date for the full version shortly afterwards.
With the release of the beta version of trakAxPC 4 imminent, I have created a new video to highlight some the new features available, as well as demonstrating the quality and professional output one can achieve with trakAxPC. I also hope to prove that one can create a great looking HD video with very little money. The video was shot with a Kodak Zi8 ($179, .MOV), a tripod ($20) and edited with trakAxPC 4 (Beta). Below, I have provided a detailed description of the video creation process and hopefully it will provide some ideas and inspiration when creating your next video.
Background & Preparation
The reason I created this video was due to a conversation I had with a friend of mine. He is a talented graffiti artist and was telling me that they had a big project coming up and wanted to record the process to share with his friends and peers in the graffiti scene. Up until now, he had created some simply videos using time-lapse photography and photos, so I asked if I could get involved and create a video with him. He agreed and so it began.
Before I began any filming, I took it upon myself to do a bit of research. I spent some time browsing through graffiti style videos on Vimeo and bookmarked videos that I liked. By doing this, I was able to analyse each video and choose certain elements that I wanted to incorporate into my video, for example, the type of text used, angles and positions footage was shot at, cuts and transitions between different scenes, etc. This research gave me sufficient ideas and from there I was able to plan out my video and the shots I wanted to record.
Soundtrack
I knew I wanted to keep the video fast placed and did not want to make it too long. Most experts suggest a video should last between 2-4 mins at most; anything longer and you will begin to lose the interest of the viewer. Firstly, I began looking for a soundtrack that would be suitable (TIP: I believe it is much easier to edit videos when you have a soundtrack chosen, as you can edit and cut scenes to the tempo). The track needed to be up-tempo so that it would facilitate quick cuts and transitions. I would also suggest having a couple of soundtracks selected on standby and try different ones out. You will know when you have selected the correct track as it will just feel right.
Filming
As I had done some research, I knew the type of shots I wanted to record. I had hoped to give the video a bit of a storyline which is highlighted in the opening sequence and gives a location and background to the video. I also wanted to show the wall gradually building up from a blank wall to completion. Most of the shots in the video are close-ups of the artists themselves (well their hands anyway) as I wanted to highlight their skills and talent, as well as give a more personal touch to the video. The rest of the shots are more mid-range and long shots with pans which helped to build up the picture and show the progress on the wall. I also took some footage of the pub (who owned the wall and had given permission to use) and some street shots which I used to build the introduction and add to the story.
Editing
The editing process should take you as long as necessary; there is no point in rushing it. I had recorded a lot of footage so it took quite a while to go through and select the shots I wanted to use. I created different folders and sub-folders with category names to help organise the shots for ease of use. I also revisited some of the videos I bookmarked to refresh my memory with the type of edits the professionals used. This helped the editing process and inspired me to add straight cuts between the segments instead of automatic crossfades (I only used 2-3 fades between transitions). I also decided to keep each segment relatively short which I hoped would add to the concept of a fast paced, up-tempo video. To further enhance this impression, I placed the start of each segment to align with the beat of the song so each cut / transition was in sync with the soundtrack. Finally, at the very end of the video I added a transparent PNG trakAxPC logo to help promote our company (if you have a small business, this is an ideal way to promote your company).
This description is not a strict guideline on to how edit your video. These are just some simply tips which I believe may help you when editing videos. I hope you find them useful and hope you will enjoy using the new version of trakAxPC 4. You can also view some of our other tips and tricks videos by clicking here.
Remember trakAxPC can be used for all your video editing needs. Take advantage of our special price - buy trakAxPC today for just $24.95.
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Posted by Colm in Tips & Tricks TrakAx News Development Roadmap |
3 comments
- Using trakAxPC with Outdoor Footage
- Wednesday, June 01, 2011
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With the growing popularity in inexpensive, pocket-sized and robust camcorders such as the GoPro HD and Kodak Zi8, more and more people are beginning to capture their outdoor adventures and activities. Be it extreme sports, hiking & camping, outdoor fishing, skiing, why not grab a camcorder and create a video diary/journal of your adventure to share with family and friends. Some of our users are doing just that and these videos really capture the excitement and thrill one can experience by being adventurous in the outdoors and in the wild.
In these first videos, our user “Duffman8699” records himself dirt biking at Milestone Ranch MX Park in Riverside, CA and snowboarding at Snow Summit and Bear Mountain, in Big Bear, CA.. He used a GoPro in both cases to record the footage and edited it with trakAxPC Pro. The quality is superb and you really feel the sensation and buzz one gets from riding a powerful motorbike and the freedom of skiing down a mountainside.
Snowboarding at Snow Summit and Bear Mountain, in Big Bear, CA.
In these next videos, our users, Yakass and Jay Lovell, have captured their journeys into the wide open ocean in Australia and the wilderness of Canada. The first video is a collection of some of Yakass’s shark encounters while kayak fishing, including various catches as well as a seriously close brush with a great white. Scary stuff.
Jay Lovell, who is a new users and is his first video, really captures the beauty of the outdoors with amazing shots of the wildlife and surrounding wilderness. We get to see nature in it’s true light, as well as animals like the black bear and mouse in their natural habitat. Although I think I would be a little nervous with bears and snakes so close to my camp site.
Thanks to everyone for posting their videos, and if you any videos please pass them on. You can post your videos on our forum or facebook page.
Remember trakAxPC can be used for all your video editing needs. Take advantage of our special price - buy trakAxPC today for just $24.95.
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Posted by Colm in Tips & Tricks |
5 comments
- Music videos using trakAxPC
- Thursday, May 26, 2011
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We received some exciting new music videos from two of our users, Daniel West Young and Gavin McMahon, who are young and extremely talented.
In the first video by Daniel, we have an uplifting track with piano and synth rifts and a dubstep style guitar pedal for effects. Here he uses the collage feature to great effect and fades in and out of him creating the track and screen captures of the software he uses. To learn more about collaging, click here
In the second video by Gavin, we have a more dark and foreboding song. This superb song is an original and written by Gavin himself. And to the keen eyed observer, you will notice Gavin is also playing the guitar in the same video. Again Gavin is using the Collage feature to great effect here. To learn more about collaging, click here
Really great work guys and hope to share more work from these two soon.
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Posted by Colm in Tips & Tricks TrakAx News |
1 comment
- A video report on the integration of field hockey in Portuguese Schools.
- Thursday, April 28, 2011
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One of our user’s, Marcos Castro, sent us this report he created using trakAxPC. The report investigates the integration of field hockey into Portuguese schools. Unfortunately, I do not speak Portuguese, however Marcos has used trakAxPC extremely well as the is video is still interesting, the audio is perfect and the editing is superb. Some of the editing techniques Marcos has incorporated, like the J and L Cut, can be viewed on our tips and tricks page for audio and video editing.
Great work Marcos.
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Posted by Colm in Tips & Tricks |
1 comment
- A musical video created by Alex House
- Thursday, April 28, 2011
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We thought we would share a really nice musical video created by Alex House using trakAxPC.
Alex is obviously very talented as he plays all the instruments in this well made video and uses the collage feature extremely well. Great job Alex.
To learn how to integrate the collage (picture-in-picture) feature in to your video, click on our trakAx Wiki link provided. The wiki provides you with a written explanation and allows you to watch a dedicated video on how to implement this feature.
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Posted by Colm in Tips & Tricks |
1 comment
- Lighting your Video - Tips for Small Businesses
- Tuesday, August 10, 2010
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When you are creating a video for your small business (or any video for that matter), a key element of the recording will be you or a staff member speaking to the camera explaining your products and services. One of the easiest and cheapest ways to help your video look professional is the lighting. You don’t have to spend any money, just use what is available to you - overhead lights, natural light from windows, lamps etc. What’s more, once you get the set up you are happy with, you can use it over and over again for video blogs, product announcements etc.
Professionals often talk about “Three-Point Lighting” - which is a pretty simple theory. It involves a key light, a fill and a rim or back light. They often add a fourth point, which is a background light. As the name would suggest the Key Light is usually the most important source of light - in your video, you could try and use a large window or a strong lamp.
Play around with some lamps for the Back Light until you get the look you want - if the back light is too strong, your face may go into the shadows, so change the position (or lamp) until you get an even light. The Fill light is normally softer than the key and back light, so you could try a lamp with a lower wattage bulb or even some foam board from a Art and Hobby shop. Lastly you may want to turn on the overhead lights as a background light to brighten up the whole picture.
You’ll be surprised what a difference a little bit of time spent on the lighting will do for your video - as always, the more professional you look, the more trustworthy your business will appear.
The video below from Videomaker also gives some great tips of improving your lighting (especially if you decide to record outdoors):
Remember trakAxPC can be used for all your video editing needs. Take advantage of our special price - buy trakAxPC today for just $24.95.
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Posted by Catriona in Tips & Tricks Tips for Small Business |
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