Video

Selected video clips

I started playing with NLE (Non Linear Editing) shortly after iMovie came out. I actually cut my first piece on Adobe Premiere 2.5LE back in the early 90s (I’ll have to see if I can dig it up), but did not pick it up again until more recently. My first efforts were primarily end of the year videos for the Awana kids program we ran at our church, shot primarily on a Sony TRV120 (Digital 8). I’ve since moved on to using Final Cut Pro and MiniDV cameras (Canon ZR60 for B roll and editing, and a GL2 as the main work horse). Samples here are provided in reverse chronological order, with the most recent at the top (links are directly to the QuickTime movie files).

Screen capture of Wanda Fulweather video

Wanda Fulweather

This tongue in cheek weather report was intended to be used in a children's musical at our church. They ended up going with a live version rather than the video clip. I shot this with my daughter in front of a green screen and then composited in all the backgrounds. I learned a lot about FCP in the process of putting this together.

  • Canon GL2
  • Final Cut Pro
  • 5MB, 320x240, 1:13
Screen capture of the Let Freedom Sing intro video

Let Freedom Sing intro

Since 1985, Tucson has held an annual patriotic music event called Let Freedom Sing on July 4, followed by fireworks. This year I was called upon to create a video of the event. I’ve composited shots of the fireworks with the logo and also 10 second highlights of the featured performers. This piece is best viewed on a television screen, so you won’t be able to see all the detail, especially in the smaller clips, in this half screen size version for the web. You’ll also notice the compression artifacts on the text.

  • Canon GL2
  • Canon ZR60
  • Final Cut Pro
  • 3.4MB, 320x240, 1:11
Screen capture of the At the Fair video

At the Fair

Sometimes technical limitations can be a springboard to creativity. I have a digital still camera that also allow you to take 20 seconds of video at smaller resolution and 10 frames per second. In the spring of 2003 I used this function to grab several snippets of video of our kids at the county fair. Inspired by Jeffrey Zeldman’s experiments in unique presentations of GIF animations (another bout of creativity inspired by technical limitations), as well as his music, I created this short piece.

  • Fuji Finepix 2600
  • Final Cut Pro
  • Arena, from Zeldman’s Waterbox
  • 4.6MB, 320x240, 0:53
Screen capture of Locks of Love video

Locks of Love

On Valentine’s day (2003) we took our daughter to the beauty salon at Ventana Canyon Resort where she donated a 14" ponytail of beautiful red hair to Locks of Love. I documented the event on my digital camcorder and created an iMovie that was intended to be viewed on a television. The scrolling words at the end of the movie are hard to see, so I’ve reproduced them below.

Locks of Love is a non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children across the U.S. under age 18 suffering from long-term medical hair loss. It takes ten to 15 donated ponytails to make one hairpiece because Locks of Love only uses lengths of 10 inches and longer. 80% of donors are children. Find out more about how and where you can donate at: www.locksoflove.org

  • Sony TRV120
  • iMovie
  • 15.6MB, 240x180, 4:34
Screen capture of Mount Lemmon video

Mount Lemmon

Shortly after my PowerBook G4 came in at work, my parents invited our family up to Mount Lemmon for breakfast at the ski area and a ride on the ski lift. I brought along my Sony video camera and the TiBook. I shot the video while we were there, and then edited it in iMovie on the way down the mountain (Dad was driving :). I was just finishing up as we pulled into the driveway, and we screened it in the living room a short while later.

  • Sony TRV120
  • iMovie
  • Music by Chris Rice
  • 11MB, 160x120, 7:07
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