As many of you know I make railfanning and layout videos (and post them here sometimes). I have been using windows movie maker since I was 7 (making lego movies) and I started making train videos with it when I was 12, three years ago. The truth is, it’s become a real pain, and I am looking for some more features for making railroad videos, such as captioning, transitions, audio layering, etc. Nothing fancy, I just want some more control then with Movie Maker. For all you railfanning video creators, What do you use? I would prefer something free if possible. I am using windows 10. I have Lightworks downloaded but I haven’t learned it yet. Is Lightworks worth learning for the features?
While I don’t do video editing, the company I use for photo editing (ACDSee) offers video editing software, and you can get a free trial to try out their products.
If you want to produce videos people will enjoy watching and learning something along the way, I suggest you view some of the videos put on YouTube by Danny Harmon of Distant Signal Productions.
Also, as crazy as it sounds, you may want to take up watching Turner Classic Movies, as much for the movies themselves but also for how they were made. Watch the camera angles, cuts, pacing, lighting, story-telling, and so forth. Quite an education in film-making if you really pay attention.
Since I am upgrading my software, I thought now would be a good time to improve my video style. I have a few questions for those who enjoy watching these types of videos:
Should I narrate my videos, or leave them to just captions?
Should I get “in front” of the camera, and include shots of non-train related stuff like driving down the highway, walking in train stations, etc?
Should I include some historical information/pictures/maps/etc?
The more relevant information you can give the viewer on what they are seing the better. If captions are ‘too long’ then narration would be the proper means of providing the information. Historical information can be beneficial, it can also be ‘too much’. YMMV.
If you are like me in the video world, I have the FACE for radio and the VOICE for print media.
As noted, it depends on how much information there is to convey. Captions do help if someone is watching with their audio reduced, or off. They are also helpful if you’re conveying information where the sound should be unobstructed - the throbbing Diesels approaching, etc.
Whichever you do, remember that people are watching the video to see railroad stuff, not to read endless text or hear your glorious voice.
If you do narrate, do so from a script.
If it’s related to the subject at hand, anything is fair game. If I were to shoot video of and around Starrucca Viaduct, I would probably want to include a shot of arriving at the viaduct. Doing so from the north is very impressive as the bridge comes into view.
A visit to a location with a notable train station might well include some shots of the station or other notable landmarks in the area. People are amazed to see the interior of Utica (NY) Union Station.
Such clips can be used to illustrate a break in the action trackside - “we have a break with no trains due in, so let’s take a brief look at…”
Only enough narration to explain non-obvious details. Nobody cares if you were on vacation and decided to take a side trip to see your Auntie and while she was napping, you wandered off and found this rail line by accident.
1.a Be careful where you place captions. Leave them on long enough to be read by a slow reader, or someone that was distracted when it first appeared. Make sure they are readable against the background (no white letters over a gray sky, or black letters against a dark forest). Keep captions short and to the point.
1.b Please do NOT ramble on about things. Have a script and follow it. Stick to the subject. Don’t stutter or fill time with “Ums” and “Ahs”. If you screw it up, start over.
1.c PLEASE do NOT beg, cajole, or even mention, “Please thumbs up this video”, “Please follow me.”, or any other self promotion garbage. If anyone likes the video they will give it a thumbs up, it anyone wants to follow you on the web, they will do so. If you
One other thing I will add, that I consider crucial. Try to get inside the viewer’s head. Imagine you are the viewer seeing this clip for the first time. It can be a lot harder than it sounds.
Granted, you are doing this for your own enjoyment. But the viewers really aren’t here to “celebrate yet another cool place you have been”. It isn’t supposed to be “the Harrison show”. I don’t mean that to sound cruel. It’s just that I see a lot of people get so wrapped up in the telling of the story, that they seem to gloss over why the viewer should want to watch.
Try to pick a descript title such as “A quartet of alligators laboring up Higgins Hill” rather than “My 10/21/20 trip to the Blakely industrial sub”. A good title should let the viewer know why the video is worth watching.
The only time you should do any of these things is when your video is meant to be about these things. If the video is about the trains themselves, don’t waste the viewer’s time.
That’s all good advice for you to pick and choose from, Harrison.
But remember that these are YOUR videos. Do what’s fun for you, looks good to you, and says what you want to say. You’re the boss. Have fun doing things your way. Follow your instincts, and over time you will develop your own style. There’s more than one way to make good soup.
Lots of good ideas, I’ll be considering all of them.
I will keep that in mind, right now I’m trying to find the sweet spot between making it my prefered way and making it for how the viewers want it.
I have made sure not to ask for subs and likes and all that nonsense, although I have my D&H channel logo pop up during the last 5 seconds or so of the video so if someome wishes to subscribe they can do so.
Just an observation, I visit a number of YouTube channels, and typically if anyone gives them a “thumbs down” it’s usually out of pure cussedness.
If those channels weren’t any good I wouldn’t bother with 'em.
Lotsa trolls out there who just love to make trouble.
By the way, I like young Mr. Harrison’s enthusiasm and think we should ecourage it all we can. He’s the future of the hobby you know, and if we’re honest with ourselves none of us know how long in this world we’ve got. Sooner or later someone else is going to have to pick up the ball and run with it. Harrison’s getting ready to do so.