I’ve got Sony Vegas as I’m planning on doing another couple of proper videos next month (one XC, one DH). I’ve been learning how to use the software by making another edit out of all the old footage from the 2 videos I’ve done before.

Is this an improvement on the other 2 below? If you could tell me what’s good and what’s bad then it would be a big help.

Re-edit using Sony Vegas:
http://www.pinkbike.com/video/267847/#top

Older edits using Windows Movie Maker:
http://www.pinkbike.com/video/230168/
http://www.pinkbike.com/video/235194/

Thanks

Improvement? Yes. Definitely.

The biggest improvements for me were the apparent quality of the footage. In your re-edit the camera work looked much smoother and better exposed. Does Vegas have some tools to do this? In terms of quality it was loads better. In terms of the actual editing and splicing of scenes there wasn’t as much in it. Personally I’m not a fan of having too many scenes repeated in slow motion. I got bored of Lifecycles, for example, because there was too much self indulgent slow-motion filming. Take it a bit easier on the slo-mo’ repeats and you’ll have a great little film.

No, the footage wasn’t played around with at all when it came to the quality but I did render the finished product at the highest quality I could get, so that’s probably what it is. Also, when using WMM I had to convert the .mov files to .avi, so the video lost some quality there to.

A big improvement in the quality, probably down to the final render. The ramping (slowing the shot in the same scene) works well, as has been said above don’t over do it. Try lowering the effects level, particularly during slo-mo edits, and also think about the outs on edits (keep them tight). Invest in a tripod, or something like the Gorrilla pod which is a great tool especially in a wood where you can clamp it to branches etc.

I know its your mates filming you for free, so you can’t be too critical, but ask them to think about the end of a shot as much as the start (ie, don’t end on a tree).

Best advice though, keep at it! Mix up the shots.

Try lowering the effects level, particularly during slo-mo edits

What do you mean by that?

So less slow-mo next time, keep the exit of clips really tight and I’ll be using a better quality camera and a Gorilla pod next time anyway. The next one will be purely self filmed with the Gorilla pod.

Thanks, that’s really helpfull guys. 🙂

For me the biggest improvement is how tight the edits are around the action. In the original version there are a lot of points where I feel I’m waiting for you to cut to the next shot. You ride past and as the viewer you still see the empty trail for that bit to long afterwards. This is not a software thing just a learning to edit thing. 🙂

Get who ever is filming to put their bike somewhere where it won’t get in shot. It’s a pet hate of mine when watching bike videos.

Effects or FX, sorry by that I mean the sound . Try lowering the level of the live recorded sound on the slo-mo bits, they can be a bit distracting.

Keep at it though, you’ll only get better by use.