Finished Baseball Highlight Video...

jrazz wrote on 6/18/2006, 1:46 PM
I finally "finished" the baseball highlight video that I was working on and posted concerning the 24p aspect last month.
I had to come to the realization that I needed to complete this project and focus on what I am getting paid for. I have sunk many hours into this project and it has been good to learn from it as it took me outside my normal box, but money wise, I have several other projects going on that pay a whole heck of a lot more (I only have 7 orders so far for the highlight DVD). I need to clean some of my hard drives out and get them ready for paying jobs so, it is finished. If I had time (especially render time) I would go back and change some things, but...
Anyways, here is the link- it is about 12 minutes long.
Baseball Highlight Video

j razz

Comments

dibbkd wrote on 6/18/2006, 5:17 PM
Looked good, I liked the photo montage in the beginning, that was really cool. I see you got the "camera clicking" effect down well, I think that looked nice.
autopilot wrote on 6/18/2006, 8:40 PM
Very good.

Just wondering, did you do the " hanging " photos all in Vegas, or was there an add-on? I've used 3D some, but not with more than one clip.
jrazz wrote on 6/19/2006, 7:42 AM
The pictures hanging in space- that was done all in Vegas, but I cheated a little. I used a veg that FrigidNDE (Dave) made and customized that for another project I did a while back. From there I used the customized veg and customized it even further to get the video that I have listed on here.

I gave a copy to the coach today and he really liked it.

j razz
CVM wrote on 6/19/2006, 6:16 PM
God, I hate critizising ... because I'm far from perfect and rely on others to make me better... but I must point out something.

I see this on so many video projects: cool music, cool effects, cool graphics........... and boring video. Long shots. The same shot over and over. Video not edited to the beat of the music. Over 80 percent of the videos I see (not only on this forum) go from killer openings straight into boring video.

I would much rather watch a video with steady video, multiple shots with unique and varying angles (wide, medium, tight - just like the text book said)... and most important... FLOW (cut from pitcher pitching to batter batting, etc.).

Too many of us forget that acquision is the most important part of video. Start with great video... end with great video.

jrazz wrote on 6/19/2006, 7:59 PM
vegasbaby1,

That's okay. I do not claim to be a great videographer of sports. Actually, this was something that I did for the kids and they loved it as I showed it to them today. My goal was to give them something they like and they thought was cool. I had to stop short of what I would have like to of done. I am sure that it would not have pleased everyone, but who can? I know there were problems with some of my cuts and edits. As for the flow of things; I never intended on recreating a game- I was going for highlights and neat plays that my team did.

In the end, there was more that I wanted to do and make it look better, but time and (other paying jobs) were piling up so I had to "finish" this project up and move on to something that will bring in money- namely weddings for me. As for the critique- I truly don't mind. It helps me to become better and that is why I am apart of this forum.
The kids like it and that is who I made it for, but again, thanks for the critique- I am sure that if I would have done it how you described, they would have liked that just the same.

j razz
autopilot wrote on 6/20/2006, 2:36 PM
Is that veg file online somewhere?
jrazz wrote on 6/20/2006, 4:38 PM
I upload it soon and post back if you want it. Note though, I did the intro in swishmax in another project file and rendered out to uncompressed avi, so you won't see that in the veg file.

j razz
jrazz wrote on 6/20/2006, 4:48 PM
Here is the download link. You will want to note that you need to clear out all the missing media in "project media" and replace it with your own. Also, the render time for this veg is rediculous. Have fun with it.

j razz
mjroddy wrote on 6/20/2006, 4:58 PM
j razz,
You seem to be open to constructive criticism. If that's the case, read on. If not, read no further.
Like others here, I'm FAR from perfect. But I know what i like. I am rarely able to achieve that, but I do know what I like.
To that end, let me suggest a few editing options you could have gone for;
MUCH shorter edits. You say this is "Highlights." What is important about watching a kid adjusting his hat? No... Go for pure ACTION, pure emotion, pure excitement. Highlights, in my opinion, are to draw you in and excite you about watching more. If your highlight reel drags, even a little, you may loose potential viewers. So find something with a strong beat (like you did); plan on around :30 seconds (that's opinion only - as is all this): lay your music track down first and then go in and put markers in on the beat. Then cut your video to those markers. You'll use shorter clips, so you'll need more of them. Short, fast, ACTION!
You can start out slow, like you did, then explode into just how much fun the game can be!
Anyway, it sounds like you're done with it and it's behind you now. They loved it, and that's all that matters.
If all you were doing it for was the kids, then longer, slower shots of each kid is, indeed appropriate. That way they get to see themselves for a bit.
If they loved it, you done good.
jrazz wrote on 6/20/2006, 5:12 PM
mjroddy,

Thanks. I do not take offense to criticism as I will take whatever advice I can get; especially when things like this are not my forte' and I was way out of my comfort zone in that I never use effects... but I have been doing more with sports stuff, so it would be a good idea for me to get better at it- I say that to say that I will take criticism as long as I can learn from it.

It is funny you mentioned the kid with the hat. Just some inside information- which doesn't matter to you or anybody now as the vid is finished- he is the coach's son and it literally takes him about 30 seconds to throw the ball. That is his ritual and he does it every time he pitches and I mean every time. The kids on the team used to give him a hard time but have since gotten used to it. The coach said he trained him that way so that he would slow down and concentrate before throwing the ball. Anyways, that is the story on the kid touching the hat.

Another part that may not mean much to anybody who is not on the team is when the coach goes out to the mound along with the catcher. The pitcher said that his stomach hurt and he thinks he has gas. The coach said that he would leave him in the game for a few more pitches and see how he does. The very next pitch, he lets it rip (not only the ball but a big one that pretty much everybody on the field and in the dugouts could hear). The kids laughed hard. I didn't put that in there as I did not want to embarrass him directly, but last night when the kids watched it and they saw that shot they all started laughing b/c they knew what followed it.

Anyways, thanks for the idea about laying out the audio track first and putting up markers to add video to. I have always done it the opposite and with Cinescore's hinting, it made this one fun to adjust the music to. I have some opportunities to film for some local universities here (sports teams) and I will play around with that idea. If you have an example you would like to post, I wouldn't mind taking a look at it.

j razz