New to editing - any tips to improve my video?

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Diver Roonz

Registered
Messages
6
Reaction score
2
Location
NZ
# of dives
100 - 199
Hi all,

I have been diving for a while now but have only recently gotten into underwater videoing, and only even more recently into actually taking the footage and trying to edit it together into something viewable.

This is my second video (the first was edited on an iphone using splice while my computer was being repaired).

Please feel free to provide any hints / guidance on how to improve this as necessary - anything from the style I am filming (distance to objects etc.) to how the colours look after editing. I used a gopro hero 4 silver, but am thinking the image stabilisation of the 5 is what I might need. Also just used the camera in my hand but will be buying a tray shortly I think.

Thanks

 
Two years ago I started too, so I look forward to the comments. Nice video. Makes me want to go to the Maldives.

The main thing I have learned is to keep the videos very short - a minute to a minute and a half at most. Youtube has an analytics function that allows one to see the average watch time. The average time is less than a minute.

Another thing someone taught me was to change scenes on the beat of the music. It is a nice touch.
 
I really like it mate. Great vid, especially for only your 2nd effort. The timing of the clips & music is nicely done and fun. Imagine stabilisation & a tray should help but I think you did a good job with this video as you kept the clips short and zippy which works for that type of camera. Also, I think 4 mins is fine. Its hard to fit everything in on a short vid if you've seen a lot over a few dives! I think the colours are ok too, GP hero 4 doesn't have manual WB does it? Did you use any filters? I've tried correcting WB in editing software but unlike RAW photos its really hard to correct the colours if the original is off. I used manual WB on my Canon G7x MkII last trip which works well but its a pain and I didn't remember to do it often as I should've.
I'm very new to u/w video too. I'm currently editing my 2nd & 3rd vids, both from our last trip (separate vids for Gili Islands and Bali). The Gili vid is 10mins & Bali is 20mins!! But, I tend to use downtempo/ambient music which lends itself to longer clips. Also, I'm doing it mainly for my wife & I. I may do shorter versions for posting online rather than boring others with my long vids!! :wink: Btw, funnily enough, earlier today we were discussing maybe going to the Maldives next year - you've REALLY made me want to go now :)
 
Nice 2nd attempt.
I would agree that going shorter is better. 4min is really long when there is no story to tell. Keep it at 1min - 1min30. There is a movie production term that describes this problem really good. You have to keep it short but you have so much good material that you want to show. The term is called: "Kill your darlings".
The intro is also a little to long if you want to reach an audience on youtube. You need to really grab the viewers attention in the first 10seconds or they'll click away.
You do have some really nice shots. And I like your cutting rythm, you follow the music, but not blindly. Cutting on every beat is an easy way to keep the video rythmic and snappy, but it also makes it predictable boring in the end. So you need to feel when to follow the beat in the music, and when not. I think you did this well.
I really enjoyed your Dive Eat Sleep Repeat title and the 2nd time with the words crossed out. Very nice. - But I would change the fonts.
 
For me; I would say that longer shots would do better. It seems like most of the clips were a second or two; with hardly any time to see what was happening and what you were recording.
 
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