I never quite got the dubbing of proto sounds over model videos. Doesn't look or sound right to me. Add to that, the second train arrives before its sound does and then the sound track sounds looped. And, we hear a crossing bell for the first train, but not the second. Also, to me a side shot is not near as interesting as an angle where we can see it coming or going. With so much beautiful scenery, its too bad we just see one side of a mountain. Daryl
Cut Jim some slack, it was his first try at embedding a video. I have no doubts future videos will be awesome. Like everything else, with practice everything can get better and better......
Some nice shooting Jim, I remember sitting on that same hill, in that same spot.... many years ago watching SP and Santa Fe make the hill. Grin! Keep them coming.
David, I appreciate the defense but Daryl makes some good points. I agree with most. I don't like that camera angle either. I DO like dubbed audio, however. To me, seeing trains without hearing them just doesn't make it. Says the guy who won't use sound on the layout. (The 3985 sounds pretty fair, however...) The sound of the second train could indeed have been better. I think I just got tired of trying to get it better and said the hell with it, it's good enough. That happens sometimes. All comments are most appreciated
Personally, I enjoyed watching and hearing those real rolling stock noises. Flange squeals, slight flattened spots on wheel treads, brake rigging rattling. I'd say even though a first try, it was well worth the effort.
Jim...ya asked so I'll comment. I presume you are using a tripod. Start the camera facing the right...as that train comes into view. Pan left with the locomotives to the left and stop panning when it gets about the same angle that way . Time it so the second train comes into view and passes the first train...pan with it to the right. Stop panning at the spot you started. You should be able to watch the front trains cars go by in the foreground and the tail end of the background train disappear out of frame on the left. JMO.
Yeah, George, I thought of doing that but I'm trying to not show anything other than the layout, and the pan would show lots besides. The beauty of still photography is you can pick your spot quite exactly - and if the real world intrudes you can always Photoshop it out. Video is much less forgiving. And I'm working with a "camera" with no zoom - a Google Nexus 10" pad to be exact. Gives far better results than either of my still cameras, a Lumix (Panasonic/Leica) and a Canon DSLR, both of which have focus issues in video mode. And this was not my first effort - there are three others on my You Tube page (It was my first "embed" - which didn't work over at Railwire for some reason, but works just fine here). They also have sound added. I get what I think is an acceptable video, then create a soundtrack using Adobe Audition - a full featured studio application. I tailor the sound to the motion of the train, the types of locos, whether upgrade or down, and the types of cars in the train. Daryl is correct about the looping, although I thought I disguised it a bit better than I did (Not a loop, just cut and paste and fudge a bit - I'll be more careful next time...). I then bring it together in Windows Movie Maker which has some fun stuff but is pretty limited in what it can do - Couldn't put the second audio track exactly where I wanted it. I do think I'm improving with each effort - the trains were too fast in the first three (but the sound was better). I do appreciate the dialog.
Jim: I enjoyed the video. How about a video showing the engineers view and/or a view from the back platform on an observation car? You could switch back forth with what you are showing now and it would be more interesting IMO. Would also show us more of your fine layout. Like Daryl I lose interest in just seeing a train go by a fixed spot. Al
Jim, Did you ever think of videoing from the engineers view. I have some videos of friends layouts and club layouts on Youtube using a Looxcie 2 camera mounted on a flat car. Would really like seeing your railroad that way. Check them out. http://youtu.be/_BOH73_aKzk (Chelten Hills Model Railroad Club HO scale) and my N scale railroad http://youtu.be/ULJ-1YTbAvY Bill
This kinda relates to why I was checking cab heights in another thread. I'm buying a cheapo U8 camera and all the videos I've seen...all of them great...still makes me think of camera height. Looking at a model locomotive and lining up the cab windshield with a camera lens...the camera would need to be higher then it being on a flat car. Most 'engineers view' videos look more like someone laying on their stomach on a flat car or the walkway of the locomotive and taking a video ;-). Realizing cameras like the Loxie dont give much of a choice...as they are taller and would hit bridges and such if mounted higher got me looking at that U8. I'm going to try and get the center of the lens at 'engineeers eye level' to get the best representation of a 'cab ride'. There are a ton of videos on youtube under the search for 'locomotive cab ride' and it just seems that even thought the camera is pointed down the track...you also can tell the cab ride is higher (looking down at the track right in front) then the shorter distance down to track from the deck of a flatcar. JMO.
George, I don't know what your looking at on my video but the camera is at the engineers view. Look at the freight cars your passing. Your looking at the tops of the lettering on the car sides. If laying n a flatcar you would be looking at the trucks.
I rarely post; however the wife and I always enjoy your thread and beautiful layout photos / videos. BTW not bad for your first video and I'm sure they will improve over time. I personally like the audio using real train sounds. I look forward to the possibility of a moving train video. That would be taking it to another level of WOW factor. Thanks, Jerry
The on-board camera idea is one I've thought of from time to time, but I'm not sure I want to embark on another new thing just yet...