I do not mean to bother you, but how do you convert clips from MKV to MP4? :( I love your videos and I really want to edit to some of the fandoms that you do, but they are all clips in MKV... When I use HandBrake the audio always messes up. I appreciate you! :D Even if you don't answer the question, I still appreciate your time.
Thank you! It's no bother at all! I use HandBrake as well, so I don't quite know why you're having audio issues. Maybe check to make sure your codec matches. This is what my audio settings looks like. Hopefully that helps!
Oh my goodness, I need a tutorial on how in the hell you manip an video edit! Either I'm just really bad at it or totally uncreative. Anyways, you're totally creative and talented. Take a shot every time I say "totally" xD anyways, I'm rambling and weird. Moral to the story is this is an amazing experience to give to your readers. You totally rock.
AW, thanks, man!!! That’s so sweet! Honestly, I think I’m just stubborn and keep trying new things till I’m satisfied with how something turned out/goes with the music, and people just conflate that will skill, lolololol. I have like no idea what I’m doing, either. My biggest tip for video editing from the limited stuff I know is just amass as much footage as you can and skim it pretty well so you know what you’re working with! It opens up a lot of possibilities and eliminates a lot of the need for fancy editing (’cause you just find things that miraculously work).
I’d also say that overlaying sound effects is your BEST FRIEND. Literally anytime you can overlay a sound over two scenes you’re trying to connect - the sound of a door swinging open, birds chirping, wind, a fireplace crackling, water running, etc. - you’ll just trick the mind into assuming those scenes flow into each other. Same goes for overlaying dialogue - at least 50% of the dialogue I use in the trailers is from other scenes, and I just use distant shots, the back of someone’s head, or a convenient black screen with text to hide the fact that the character isn’t actually saying that. Also, even if you have a full clip of someone saying exactly what you need, splice it so that the line spills over to a shot of the character that’s listening. Sound editing goes a LONG way, and sound effects are your best friend. (Ex: in the first trailer, it didn’t at ALL look like Stefan was opening the bathroom door and finding Caroline in the bathtub until I put in the door opening sound effect.)
Last tip is edit to your music. Even for the movie trailers that are all dialogue and exposition, I do this - it makes such a difference. Look for the beats in the music and sync to that rhythm, and it makes everything just feel cleaner and sharper. If there’s a crescendo in the music, speed up your scenes to build with it. If there’s a sudden crash of sound (in the second trailer, the chorus of ‘Sweeter’ kind of explodes into the ‘I just wanna TAAAAAAAAKE’, so that’s where I put the scene of the characters just throwing all caution to the wind and having a giant party), sync your content to that! Makes everything more fun. Oh, and don’t feel constricted to one song! I actually watched other trailers to figure out how they transitioned from song to song seamlessly, and it’s almost always through having a moment of pure dialogue where the previous song cuts, the line is said, and then a mood shift happens with a new song.
Anyway, sadly that’s all I got ‘cause I’m still pretty new to this, but I can’t wait to see what you come up with! And also, thanks for all the SMA love! It’s been a blast so far and I can’t wait to get back to it ;)
Hey! I sent an ask a while back about fade types, and your answer was great! I'm making a video but I'm struggling to pick when is best for a bright/white flash sort of fade, advice? Thanks
Ahhh you're that sweet anon~! I don't quite understand what you mean.. if you wanted something to say.. trigger a flashback or to hit a really hard beat, then i'd suggest the 'Flash' options from your transitions. Otherwise if your clips are dark then I'd choose the Additive Dissolve. If you'd like some more help, please feel free to explain to me in more detail over anon!
How to Avoid Clip Overuse (Or, "Ugh not that scene again!")
T.D. Possum here, to answer a question from a reader who wanted advice on how to avoid using the same few clips over and over in her vids.
The answer is CONSTANT VIGILANCE! (Shout that at yourself in a Mad-Eye Moody voice if you need to get into the spirit of things.) Putting in the same clips over and over is a habit, and if you want to break it, you'll have to use CONSTANT VIGILANCE on your own brain.
And since that advice isn't actually all that helpful on its own, here are some more specific suggestions that might work for you.
1. Laziness check! Are you using the same few clips because you've been too lazy to rip or download half the series? That's easily solved. Get off your butt and get it done.
2. Speed check! If you're like me, when you get started on a vid, you work really quickly at first, you have soooo many great ideas, you're rushing through slapping in clips left and right . . . ok great, but once that initial rush is over, stop and reconsider what you've done. When you're excited and in a hurry, it's natural to reach for one of your old favorite clips - after all, you've used that clip to express a similar idea in the past, and it worked really well. But, chances are there's another way to get your point across using a different clip. Take the time to think it over. You will probably surprise yourself with your creativity.
3. Build a library. If you know you are going to make a lot of vids about the same character, pairing, or situation, make yourself a reference library. For example, I have two libraries. One has all of Laura Roslin's scenes from BSG clipped out and ready to use, organized by episode. The other is a file of Sarah Jane Smith screencaps, subdivided and organized by what she's doing in the scene. "Smiling", "Running", "Looking at the Doctor like he's an idiot", etc. When I'm vidding and can't think of a fresh clip to use, I just spend a few minutes browsing in my files. Taking the time to build and organize a library is a pain in the ass, but it pays off in the end.
4. Cut your clips out ahead of time. This is like library building, but on a vid by vid basis. Say you want to make a depressing OUAT vid about Regina. Go ahead and gather up all the clips you can find of Regina crying, Regina looking sad, people being mean to her, etc. Get more clips than you will need. It'll take a long time, but when you sit down to make your vid, the work will go suuuuperfast because you won't have to stop and think about what clip to use and then go hunting for it - everything is there already.
5. Find other ways to add variety to clips that must be used over and over. There are some clips that are going to show up in all or most of your vids no matter what, and that's ok. These Big Clips are so definitive to the characters, the relationships, and the story that vids just don't make sense without them. This is especially true for shippy vids. For instance, if you are making a Janeway/Chakotay vid, you're going to have to have the Angry Warrior scene and the shoulder rub, don't even cause yourself stress by trying to avoid it. Instead, find a way to make it look different. Change the coloring, crop it, zoom, pan, use a short version instead of the full clip, whatever works for your project.
When vidding, there are two major factors. The first being the fandom you choose to vid. The second is your song choice. In all honesty, in most cases, your song selection is the most important decision you will make in your entire video. The song sets the mood for your entire video.
The choices are unlimited with vidders using everything from classics to heavy metal, instrumentals to rap. If it's been recorded, it's probably also been used in a fan video. You should use any music that moves you.
Once you have selected your song, it's very important to stick to the theme that the music tells. There is a lot more leeway with instrumentals because you don't have lyrics, just a general mood. But if you wanted to do a video about the Cylons attacking Kobol, you wouldn't want to use "I Like Big Butts". (I realize this a preposterous example, but hopefully it also serves its purpose)
When choosing a song, it's important to chose one you like. There's nothing worse than getting halfway through a video project, realizing you hate the song, and trashing the entire idea. But you also have to make sure that it's something you can relate to your fandom in some way.
Clip Choice/Song Sync - Next to song selection, clip selection is obviously the next important step. Once your song is chosen, and your mood set, it's important that your clip choice reflects this. I hate it when I'm watching a fan video and I have to wonder why a certain clip was chosen for a lyric when it does not relate to it in anyway whatsoever.
You wouldn't use happy scenes like this over lyrics talking about how horrible everything is. This is a really happy scene. And it wouldn't fit.
When I started vidding, this was the area I struggled with so much. I would be so distracted by "oh, look how shiny" the scene is! And I would forget about the over all feel of it.
if you celebrate Emily's "death", there's a 99% chance I hate you
Basically it all boils down to this: pick a song with a them you like. And then stick to that theme with your clips.
Today I have a few words of advice on how to successfully present yourself as a vidder.
I'm sure most of you have seen a fanvid that has a disclaimer in the description. Often, new vidders include a statement along the lines of: "Here's a vid I made, it kind of sucks." My response to this is always: "Thanks for letting me know, I won't bother watching it."
It's natural to be nervous about sharing your creative work, especially when you are first starting out. In fact, if I recall correctly, "terrified" is a pretty good word to describe how it feels to post your first few vids.
Your fear is a natural feeling, but you don't have to let it sabotage your work. No one was born knowing how to vid. Every vidder in the world made a few really craptacular vids early in her career. You are not alone.
Getting over your apprehension is easier said than done, of course, so here are a few tips you might find helpful.
If you are feeling the urge to announce that you suck in your vid description, stop typing for a minute and give yourself a little pep talk. Something like this:
"I did my best"
"So what if someone doesn't like it? Look at all the fucks I give!"
"Haters gonna haaaaate!"
If you still feel shaky, like you simply MUST put a disclaimer on your vid, give it a positive spin.
"My first vid! I still have a lot to learn, but I'm really excited!"
"Here's a little vid I made to teach myself the basics of coloring."
"I'm experimenting with pans and zooms in this vid - not sure I'll try it again, but it was interesting to make."
And here are some examples of what NOT to say:
"It kind of sucks."
"I only spent an hour on it."
"Sorry the aspect ratio is wrong but I was too lazy to reupload."
"Meh I dunno if I really like it."
Seriously, y'all, SERIOUSLY! If you say things like that, you are only going to invite your audience to agree with you. Vidding is about sending a subliminal emotional message, anyway, right? You pair clips up with music and lyrics in order to encourage your viewers to feel particular emotions. Why would you use your description to encourage them to feel that your vid is no good?
After all this, if you still feel nervous, think about your audience. Most of them are fangirls who just want to see their OTP gazing at each other to a nice song. They aren't going to judge you on technical errors because they don't know what technical errors in vids are. Some vidders will watch your vid, too. And they will look to see how much experience you have before they form an opinion on your skills. Yes, there might be few jerks on YouTube who don't even know what a fanvid is and might say something stupid, but we don't care what they think, anyway, right? NO, WE DO NOT. (They probably smell bad, too.)
Alright, so that's a lot to think about, and I do encourage you to give it some consideration. But the bottom line is DO NOT SAY THAT YOU SUCK.
