Enjoying Monastery Beach video

[stillhope]

There's a message here for the videographers: you are making a video of your work,
not a music video for whoever did the music. Put the music in the deep background and
let folks enjoy your video.

Did I miss something in this thread? Who is making a video of what "work"? And why should we think that there is just one acceptable style of video? Are you saying that if someone is an underwater videographer and a musician they shouldn't showcase their music too? Or what about a videographer who has a buddy who's a musician? Or a poet? Or an educator?

I watch a lot of underwater videos, and if I have any overarching complaint, it's that so many of them seem to follow just a few common formulas, the main one being "here was my dive at such and such a place". Occasionally someone breaks the mold with some artsy camerawork or poetry or an interesting story. My vote is to encourage people to experiment with lots of styles, to consider lots of different purposes for making a video, to imagine lots of different audiences, and try collaborating on a video with some of your friends who can contribute skills you might not have. Try putting together some video clips that are related by something other than the same dive trip or the same location. The sky's the limit! (well, maybe that's mixing metaphors :-(

 

[AirInHere]

I think I am doing good just by remembering when to start recording and when to stop. (I have several unwanted clips of me swimming from site to site with camera stowed under me to reduce drag).

Composition, white balance, lighting are all my biggest hurdles now. I also have to fight the desire to make 2 or 3 second clips. Its really hard to use such short clips in a video. I always try for about ten seconds. Then I can edit it a little if needed.

Over time I hope my videos will show improvement in filming and production. I might try doing some more ambitious projects like collaborate with others.

I have considered buying some invert and fish identification books and turning all my videos into short science lessons, but that would require scripting the whole thing out and I like how easy it is to ad lib it. I stumble every once in a while on my words, but I can always redo the audio later if I just hate the way it came out. (See: oh the places you will go...CORNY!!) (Soon to be re-released).

Plus, I agree with Brandon, I like making the videos and have a style that is fun for me to make. And that is what making these videos is all about.




But (just out of curiousity), what sorts of videos would people be interested in watching?

 

[DocWong]

Did I miss something in this thread? Who is making a video of what "work"? And why should we think that there is just one acceptable style of video? Are you saying that if someone is an underwater videographer and a musician they shouldn't showcase their music too? Or what about a videographer who has a buddy who's a musician? Or a poet? Or an educator?

I watch a lot of underwater videos, and if I have any overarching complaint, it's that so many of them seem to follow just a few common formulas, the main one being "here was my dive at such and such a place". Occasionally someone breaks the mold with some artsy camerawork or poetry or an interesting story. My vote is to encourage people to experiment with lots of styles, to consider lots of different purposes for making a video, to imagine lots of different audiences, and try collaborating on a video with some of your friends who can contribute skills you might not have. Try putting together some video clips that are related by something other than the same dive trip or the same location. The sky's the limit! (well, maybe that's mixing metaphors :-(

I like that! Thanks for encouraging creativity!

YouTube - Hazards of the Deep

YouTube - Scooterbatics and the Caverns of Pt Lobos