Will Mahoney
Smoothcam: A test video.
I'm taking a documentary editing class at Cuyahoga Community College, in Cleveland, OH. The facilites are top-notch and I can't wait to start my next class.
Anyways, this is a Smoothcam test to show to my fellow classmates. Some students were asking about stabilizing some of their documentary footage using Smoothcam.
So I want to show my classmates what Smoothcam actually does to your footage.
How it works:
(If my description of how this works isn't in-depth enough for you, then Google it. I'm a filmaker, not a software engineer.)
Smoothcam analyzes your footage, then distorts, rotates and slides it around the frame to keep motion smooth and centered.
Unfortunatly, when it rotates and distorts the footage, you can see the edges of the video frame. So Smoothcam then has to zoom-in to your footage to cover the missing edges. Check out my example.
What you are seeing:
(Yes, the footage has been color-corrected. Maybe not "corrected," but tweaked to my liking.)
The upper left window shows my original footage, straight out of the camera. I either had in-camera image stabilization on (which does the opposite in come cases), or I just wasn't smooth enough with the camera. Either way, the video is jumpy and not smooth at all.
The lower window shows the Smoothcam analysis, with no zooming. Look at the edges of the video frame and how they distort and move around. This is Smoothcam smoothing out my footage.
The upper right window is the final video, zoomed in to cover the moving video edges.
The Result:
Smoothcam did a passable job on my slightly un-smooth footage. Notice just how much the video frame moves around in the lower window. My footage wasn't super bad, just a bit shakey, and Smoothcam had to move the video frame around quite a bit.
Trying to stabilize anything that isn't already passably smooth doesn't work very well.
The Original:
Here's the original video I took this snippet of footage from:
Stylin' Trucks Customer Bio: Moises Quintana's 2000 Chevrolet Tahover By Will Mahoney On ExposureRoom
Anyways, this is a Smoothcam test to show to my fellow classmates. Some students were asking about stabilizing some of their documentary footage using Smoothcam.
So I want to show my classmates what Smoothcam actually does to your footage.
How it works:
(If my description of how this works isn't in-depth enough for you, then Google it. I'm a filmaker, not a software engineer.)
Smoothcam analyzes your footage, then distorts, rotates and slides it around the frame to keep motion smooth and centered.
Unfortunatly, when it rotates and distorts the footage, you can see the edges of the video frame. So Smoothcam then has to zoom-in to your footage to cover the missing edges. Check out my example.
What you are seeing:
(Yes, the footage has been color-corrected. Maybe not "corrected," but tweaked to my liking.)
The upper left window shows my original footage, straight out of the camera. I either had in-camera image stabilization on (which does the opposite in come cases), or I just wasn't smooth enough with the camera. Either way, the video is jumpy and not smooth at all.
The lower window shows the Smoothcam analysis, with no zooming. Look at the edges of the video frame and how they distort and move around. This is Smoothcam smoothing out my footage.
The upper right window is the final video, zoomed in to cover the moving video edges.
The Result:
Smoothcam did a passable job on my slightly un-smooth footage. Notice just how much the video frame moves around in the lower window. My footage wasn't super bad, just a bit shakey, and Smoothcam had to move the video frame around quite a bit.
Trying to stabilize anything that isn't already passably smooth doesn't work very well.
The Original:
Here's the original video I took this snippet of footage from:
Stylin' Trucks Customer Bio: Moises Quintana's 2000 Chevrolet Tahover By Will Mahoney On ExposureRoom
ShurTrax Bed Weight - Stylin' Trucks product video featuring Jim Sacco.
Product video for Stylin' Trucks.
Stylin's resident detailing expert, Jim Sacco, talks about his ShurTrax Bed weight, explaining why it is awesome and how to use it.
To find the product, head on over to
Full Size Truck ShurTrax Bed Weight at StylinTrucks.com
">StylinTrucks.com
Also, check out the Stylin' Trucks bio I wrote for Jim and his
Jim Sacco's 2003 Dodge Ram 1500
">badass 2003 Dodge Ram.
Stylin' Trucks Customer Bio: Moises Quintana's 2000 Chevrolet Tahover
Stylin' Trucks customer Moises Quintana talks about his 2000 Chevrolet Tahoe.
It features a Range Rover front end conversion, a Street Scene Speed Grille, a fiberglass 442 style hood from Keystone and Cadillac Fender Vents. A killer custom SUV. Good job Moises!
I shot this with my Canon XH-A1.
WD-H72 wide angle adaptor
HDV501 Manfrotto HDV video head
Bogen tripod legs
Samson Airline wireless microphone unit
I basically did a walk-around interview (handheld) while he told me/us about the project. Then I got the camera on the tripod and we did a static interview from the tripod. Then I went around the truck and got various detailed shots, both handheld and tripod. Tripod always looks better, but sometimes there is a gem in the handheld footage.
Enjoy.
It features a Range Rover front end conversion, a Street Scene Speed Grille, a fiberglass 442 style hood from Keystone and Cadillac Fender Vents. A killer custom SUV. Good job Moises!
I shot this with my Canon XH-A1.
WD-H72 wide angle adaptor
HDV501 Manfrotto HDV video head
Bogen tripod legs
Samson Airline wireless microphone unit
I basically did a walk-around interview (handheld) while he told me/us about the project. Then I got the camera on the tripod and we did a static interview from the tripod. Then I went around the truck and got various detailed shots, both handheld and tripod. Tripod always looks better, but sometimes there is a gem in the handheld footage.
Enjoy.
Stylin' Gem - Jeff Hubert defeats a Rubik's Cube in under 3:00 minutes...
Fun little video we made ad work yesterday. I found out one of the sales reps could complete a Rubik's Cube, so I grabbed our little Canon ZR-85 and went to town.
I prefer the ZR-85 to our big Canon XH-A1 for these fun little videos - it's quicker to shoot and edit with for fun stuff. For the A1 I'd be concerned with all sorts of details (lighting, shutter, framing, focus, etc.)
For the ZR-85, I just leave it on wide, with the wide-angle screwed on and push "record." No lighting, no white balancing, no worrying about audio - the little camera is just easier sometimes.
Oh, hosted and assisted by my best-buddy, co-worker friend Mike Freeze. He's a Copywriter here at Stylin' Trucks (or JC Whitney, I should say.)
I prefer the ZR-85 to our big Canon XH-A1 for these fun little videos - it's quicker to shoot and edit with for fun stuff. For the A1 I'd be concerned with all sorts of details (lighting, shutter, framing, focus, etc.)
For the ZR-85, I just leave it on wide, with the wide-angle screwed on and push "record." No lighting, no white balancing, no worrying about audio - the little camera is just easier sometimes.
Oh, hosted and assisted by my best-buddy, co-worker friend Mike Freeze. He's a Copywriter here at Stylin' Trucks (or JC Whitney, I should say.)
Rob Cullison, AllBikeSuperShop.com Employee Bio
Interview/biography test. I'm interviewing the staff at AllBikeSuperShop.com, an Independence, OH (U.S.A.) based retailer of aftermarket performance accessories for motorcycles and ATVs.
This is my initial test. I've still got to shoot footage of him riding his bike, then I can cut in more interview footage.
New version w/ titles, a floating graphic behind and letterboxing on the bike segments.
This is my initial test. I've still got to shoot footage of him riding his bike, then I can cut in more interview footage.
New version w/ titles, a floating graphic behind and letterboxing on the bike segments.
Four Corners of Dissapointment.
Screen grab of an internet problem I'm having right now.
New Tires
Some images I captured of my new tires. I love the look of new tires - clean, sharp edges, that new tire smell. Awesome! These are 195/55R-15 KUMHO ECSTA ASX tires that I ordered from TireRack.com.
Of course, my employer, Stylin' Trucks, does carry these tires now (and a lot of others.) But when I ordered, we didn't sell them. Now we do.
Of course, my employer, Stylin' Trucks, does carry these tires now (and a lot of others.) But when I ordered, we didn't sell them. Now we do.
New Tires
Some images I captured of my new tires. I love the look of new tires - clean, sharp edges, that new tire smell. Awesome! These are 195/55R-15 KUMHO ECSTA ASX tires that I ordered from TireRack.com.
Of course, my employer, Stylin' Trucks, does carry these tires now (and a lot of others.) But when I ordered, we didn't sell them. Now we do.
Of course, my employer, Stylin' Trucks, does carry these tires now (and a lot of others.) But when I ordered, we didn't sell them. Now we do.
New Tires
Some images I captured of my new tires. I love the look of new tires - clean, sharp edges, that new tire smell. Awesome! These are 195/55R-15 KUMHO ECSTA ASX tires that I ordered from TireRack.com.
Of course, my employer, Stylin' Trucks, does carry these tires now (and a lot of others.) But when I ordered, we didn't sell them. Now we do.
Of course, my employer, Stylin' Trucks, does carry these tires now (and a lot of others.) But when I ordered, we didn't sell them. Now we do.
2009 Cleveland Auto Show
Here is some footage I shot at the 2009 Cleveland Auto Show in Cleveland, OH. I got access to the event because I'm the videographer for JC Whitney for all Auto parts - Car, Truck, Jeep, Motorcycle & RV Parts " rel="nofollow">JC Whitney,
Truck Accessories | Pickup Truck Accessories & Truck Performance Parts | Stylin' Trucks
" rel="nofollow">Stylin' Trucks and
All Bike SuperShop Home Page | Motorcycle Accessories
" rel="nofollow">AllBikeSuperShop.com.
Truck Accessories | Pickup Truck Accessories & Truck Performance Parts | Stylin' Trucks
" rel="nofollow">Stylin' Trucks and
All Bike SuperShop Home Page | Motorcycle Accessories
" rel="nofollow">AllBikeSuperShop.com.
The event is hosted at the IX Center, which is an old B-52 Bomber factory from way back in WWII times. The building now holds massive trade shows in Cleveland.
Shot on XH-A1 camera w/ WD-H72 Wide-Angle lens.
Edited on Adobe Premiere Elements.
Music c/o
Andrew (Andrew Potterton) | MySpace
" rel="nofollow">dopekick.
