This is me in the early 80s using some of the first portable affordable video gear with a separate recorder. It cost a fortune back then compered to todays amazing stuff and the quality wasn't great. At least you could see the results immediately unlike the cine film I had used for 20 years previously !


https://i.postimg.cc/7G4tG7T0/old-video-gear.jpg

tomH wrote:

Yes, I mean green screen and blue screen backgrounds; even professionally made green screen clips  are impossible to key correctly. Before the key is done MvP has washed out the subject or pixilated so badly it's worthless. Having said that, it's the only real complaint I have about the program and I do have a workaround.

I have had pretty good success with green screening on Movieplus over the years but it does take a fair bit of work to get it right. I will find one to show you that will be on a hard drive somewhere.
One that I had to do involved a wedding that I filmed in Morocco, everything was going fine and was being held outside in perfect weather. We were about to have the speeches when a sudden downpour developed and we were hustled into a small room that was far too small for everybody and I had to try and get to a position to record the various people.
I managed to get some footage of most of the speakers in the crammed dark conditions but missed most of the father of the bride.
When we came back to the UK I went to the brides fathers house and took my green screen backdrop kit with me and he dressed in the exact outfit (I took a photo with me for continuity) and he did the complete speech while I videoed it.
I took a screenshot off of the wedding video of him sitting at the table and got rid of him and anyone beside him in photoshop and placed him making the speech over the screenshot.  As I had also recorded the original wedding on an audio recorder as well I used the sound of the guest laughing and making comments at the relevant times.  I got away with it as the original footage wasn't the best in the dark crowded conditions and had to actually degrade the green screen video to match it!
I had to go to Ireland 3 months later for another one of the same family's wedding so they obviously liked it !

tomH wrote:

.

MoviePlus handles most tasks flawlessly, although it tends to crash during intense work, so I back up frequently and restart the program many times in the editing process. MoviePlus does not handle ChomaKey well enough to use. So I use one of the programs mentioned below when ChromaKeying is required and import the resulting file back to MvP.

I've tried other programs like Premiere/Sony-Magix/PowerDirector but find the interfaces confusing and with many more bells and whistles than I need (AFAIK). I have DaVicni Resolve and if I can become semi-proficient with it I may move away from MoviePlus, but that's a way down the road.

I do agree regarding crashing especially with intensive work like lots of stabilizations that can cause a bit of aggro, and like you I always make a copy of the programs every now and then while actually editing , especially in long projects. However I do use chroma key in various short advertising videos and find it OK, so do you mean green screen background problems or something else with it ?

Hi you guys n gals, how many of you are still using Movieplus ?. Although I do have other software I still go for it when editing as I have been using it since it came out and kept updating it until X6.
I find that I can do "just about" everything that all the others do with a bit of improvising that suits me without spending vast amounts on something that I will never use.
Obviously you can't render directly in 4K but who actually needs it for the type of videos that most of us make ? Although you can render to 2k with Movieplus that is fine but I do film in 4k sometimes and use a free 4k editing software to enlarge certain parts with no loss in quality and render it to 1080p mp4, I then use Movieplus to string it all together for final rendering.
It would be interesting to find out what other "workarounds" people have found.

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Alan Hodkinson wrote:

That was lovely Gordon, This is why I love going fishing, I like to just sit quietly on the bank and watch the wildlife, with the ground bait and other baits like maggots around you, if you're very still and quiet all sorts of things will come out to steal the bait.

I never catch many fish, I'm too busy watching the wildlife

Alan

Thanks Alan, I know exactly what you mean as I used to do a lot of river fishing in my youth and would see all sorts of wildlife when sitting quietly on the banks. I am very lucky where I live in the UK as I can walk out of my garden and not see another person or nearby house for miles if I want. At our place in Spain I have the best of both worlds in that I can walk to the beach in two or three minutes and see houses and people one way and the other is complete solitude in the countryside and mountains that are right behind us.

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Albert Ross wrote:

That was wonderful Gordon, I really enjoyed it. Very nice use of key frames etc, and showed how useful a tripod or similar type of contraption can be. Thanks for the upload.

Cheers Albert, I just wished that the lighting was better as the lens was wide open to get as much speed as I could, however at least it was on wide angle. As for the tripod, it is one of those cheap plastic ones that can get the camera very close to the ground that folds up and can be used as a handheld mount as well as slipping into a pocket easily. Yes key frames are a major part of this type of video, talking of which I think that it's probably too long and the music is annoying after a while !
One thing in my favor when I was making it (apart from the light) was that there was no breeze to move the leaves on the plants so that the background remained pretty static, there were several cuts in the editing that  didn't really show (apart from one) as this was filmed for over 30 mins.
https://i.postimg.cc/sMBZbqD8/Screenshot-961.png

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ericlnz wrote:

Thanks Gordon. Now I know what a Bank Vole is.  I'd never heard of them.

Did you leave any of the food outside to entice them out?


Yes that's what the Robin was eating at the start. Bank Voles are very timid and any noise or movement will send them scurrying back to their homes that consists of tunnels that seem to go all over the place.
They are pretty harmless to anything that we grow and we can watch them from the kitchen window, also they don't come into the house unlike the conventional "house mice" that I am forever putting the old "tried n tested" spring traps around different parts of the house.
I think that I have told you that we live in a 500 year old oak beamed cottage that has all sorts of voids that is designed perfectly for the mouse population and it's virtually impossible to stop the little blighters getting in.
I won't put poison down as you will know what a dead mouse smells like under the floorboards !!!!

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We have always been fascinated by the Bank Voles that live in our garden so I decided to make a video of them. Although I managed to get our furry friends to come out it wasn't the best light wise today so the lens was wide open unfortunately. However you could use the film to put you to sleep !
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vs9EoGtX8G4

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Albert Ross wrote:

Not really a gadget person, I operate with just a camcorder, no extra lens', but I do have a spare battery about my person when going out into the field, so to speak. The spare battery came in useful last Monday when we visited Anglesey Abbey in Cambridgeshire.

Hope you enjoy the five minute video https://youtu.be/UkPc-ON4BSA

Albert I'm surprised that you ventured out in this cold weather to make a video ! I enjoyed it. I am a bit of a warm weather animal and wish that I could just hibernate until spring arrives !
I think that we have had enough funerals to attend to in the last couple of months "hopefully" and have a flight booked for next month

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ericlnz wrote:

I had a 25 year gap in movie making.  From making 8mm film movies from 1967 to 1980 and then picking up again in 2006 with digital SD then HD.  I missed out on the analogue tape days.  I haven't, as yet, moved up to 4K and probably never will as my current 1080 camera should last me.

Here's a 2008 SD video.  My attempt at a fantasy movie.   I posted it years ago on the old Serif forum.  "King of the Jungle" https://vimeo.com/97633127

Loved the film Eric !. Regarding 4K I will shoot in it sometimes, however I never render them in 4K but simply use the footage to blow sections up so I don't lose quality when finally rendered in 1080p. The majority of people view most things on a tablet or mobile phone anyway so I don't see any sense in taking the time to do it, also I would really need faster laptops to cope with it as even the "gaming" ones that I have take ages even though they have SS drives in them.
I say "laptops" as I have two exactly the same and keep one in Spain and use a small external SS hard drive to take and bring back video recordings. They are brilliant as they are small and robust and will simply pop in your pocket. As we have had a house in Spain for years with everything we need (clothing etc) I don't have to take much hand luggage on the plane apart from a camcorder !

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Alan Hodkinson wrote:

Another attempt at lip sync with cine film and Audio tape,  a bit of 8mm film I took in our garden in the 1970's and had an Audio tape recorder running, never did do anything with it then, came across the tape a while ago and the film, with playing around with the film speed managed to get it together.

It's a bit noisy as we were on a hill under the flight path from Luton Airport

https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/797642938

Hi Alan thanks for joining in, I used to sync a lot of my 8mm & S8 films up all those years ago, and I did then go on to buy a S8 sound camera that I used until I went to the first actual "video" with all the clumsy heavy equipment back in the day. The latest generation of camcorders and editing equipment that we have now are so good that it is quite possible to make a decent film (in broadcast quality) that people would go and actually watch, without being pressganged into the "Baby On The Lawn" epics that a lot of people made (but some still do) !!
Now of course a humble mobile phone "can now produce" amazing footage.

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This is the one of the good things about the Panasonic in that you can charge it or run it with a cheap 5v phone  power pack.
https://i.postimg.cc/4mf5W9FM/Screenshot-2001.png

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Albert Ross wrote:

Very good Gordon, all you need to do now is to replicate the effect on another eight or 9 flowers, stitch it all together, add a narration and you will have something a certain D. Attenborough would be proud of!!

I was just giving it a try as these ones are out of the wind and possible rain and I can leave the camera there for hours. This could have been better as I wanted to leave it running for another hour or so to get all the flowers fully open, however as I  said the battery went flat !!! If I do it again I will use my external power pack.

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Just a bit of fun, I actually wanted it to last longer but the battery went flat !   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wL7LE65OwxE

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ericlnz wrote:

Personally I consider having to control your camera using your phone ridiculous and in cramped situations difficult.   I'm amazed Panasonic don't provide a proper means of remote control.

Eric I disagree as it's very easy to use, I use my Samsung phone that I bought on eBay for £25 and the App cost nothing. You can see what you are filming on a bigger screen and start/stop/ zoom/replay and control other things on the camera while sitting in a chair having a coffee or a beer. I need a bit of comfort in my dotage so I don't think that is ridiculous ?
Both of my old SD900 Panasonics have a remote but they have limited controls and no screen so you have to be  close to the camera to see what's going on. They stopped making them probably because they realized that they would have to make a remote with a screen and were on a hiding to nothing, as a phone (that most of us have) has got it already to go.

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ericlnz wrote:

What my Canon does have, which several of my friends don't have with their 4K Panasonics, is remote operation, unless they have a compliant mobile phone that can be used to control their cameras!

.

Yes I have the ability to control the Panasonic from my phone that is a bonus, especially the zoom that is super smooth when on a decent tripod. I to have an old close up lens set left over from from my stills days that happen to be the same diameter for the Panasonic but too small for the Sony, OK I can use them on it but I don't see the point in cropping in post. Something else that I picked up years ago that I still use, is a clockwork tripod mount panning device that is brilliant that will revolve a full 360 deg.
I never throw anything away much to Sue's dismay !

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ericlnz wrote:

Mighty Monarchs https://vimeo.com/795458911

Close up video is always a challenge.

I enjoyed that Eric, really well filmed and sorry that you missed the great event.  It's a different concept waiting for ages for something to happen and I get too impatient, mostly I get the camera all secured/exposed/focused and suddenly a gale force ten suddenly appears on cue !
Close up work is not the easiest to do outside and mostly the professionals tend to have a mock up in the studio with perfect lighting etc so I also admire your video from the technical side.
Obviously we won't be having caterpillars and butterflies for some while over this side so the only things worth filming close up at the moment are the crocuses and snowdrops on the lawn that have started to grow in the last week.
On a technical note did you just use the zoom lens or did you use any close up lenses on the filter ring ? I have tried both over the years but can never decide what is best.   


https://i.postimg.cc/4nH8nyTC/Lawn-c.jpg

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Albert Ross wrote:

Gordon, flooding seems to be the norm these days doesn't it. I am quite surprised that we don't get it where I live, as we are only a five minute walk from the River Thames here in Grays.

We have always had flooding as we live in a valley where two rivers join, so it's no big deal having lived here for over 70 years. The main problem now is since the Tonbridge flood barrier was installed after the 1968 biggest one in living memory it comes up within 12 hours when they shut it. Now in their wisdom they are putting an extra metre on it this year !
I am a certified scuba diver so I should be able to survive.

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Albert Ross wrote:

Eric, we have been getting pictures on our news bulletins over here and Auckland looks horrendous, with pictures of people up to their waist in water. I did think of you as I was watching the pictures. Keep safe over there.

Albert Ross, we do get our share as well, this is one of the roads out of our village in the UK !

https://i.postimg.cc/SXgLXK6Q/Floods-1.jpg

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Hello !! is there anyone still alive out there ?  I know that I have been to a couple of funerals in the last few weeks but hopefully some of us are still alive ?  I have also got to go to 2 more funerals in the next couple of weeks so that's 4, perhaps I could make a feature film especially if I get an invite to a wedding. Hmm I wonder what I could call it ?

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ericlnz wrote:
GStree wrote:

As we will be in the UK for a while we went for a walk down the back of our house yesterday as the floods have receded. As usual I had my old Panasonic 990 in my pocket to capture a little part of our surroundings.
https://youtu.be/BiOxnoUzd1s

Thanks Gordon.  Looks a lot different to Spain.

Yes it's certainly "different"!  but I have lived here for over 70 years and we have always been used to floods. The house we now live in can get cut off as the road gets flooded in both directions as we are between two rivers that converge behind us. In 1968 we had the biggest flood after torrential rain for weeks that flooded the high street in the nearest Town downstream causing serious damage. A new flood barrier was installed in 1970 to stop it happening and now when they shut the gates the water rises within a few hours. However it soon disappears when they open them. This was a few weeks back and we could get through. In 1968 we had 0ver 6ft of water in this same spot!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWOHHL1FprA

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As we will be in the UK for a while we went for a walk down the back of our house yesterday as the floods have receded. As usual I had my old Panasonic 990 in my pocket to capture a little part of our surroundings.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kS2U_gtPQdU

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Happy Christmas everyone https://youtu.be/qUguIdZnx8g

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ericlnz wrote:

Christmas challenge for film and video makers

Do you remember the first movie you made years ago? Full of errors you wouldn't make now!  Can you grab it and post for old times sake?  Mine was in Easter 1967 when I went on a "safari" around South London parks "In search of Squirrels" https://vimeo.com/781392655

The main problem that I have is that I haven't got an 8mm projector anymore, also the 16mm ones that I made at school were left there when I finished in 1962. The majority of my 8mm films were made at motor racing events with a non focusing clockwork camera that I bought in a junk shop for 10 bob. My later films were mainly made in Spain with a S8 sound cine camera and edited onto 400ft reels that I have been intending to put on Digi for ages.

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I was intending to do a bit of filming around our area in the UK during the snow before we set of to Spain for a while, unfortunately one of my best friends who was my sponsor for my motor racing career and ran the local brewery died a couple of weeks back and the funeral is on the 19th. We thought that we could get away after Christmas as we booked a flight on the 31st, but a death in the family has put a stop to it. Unfortunately my brothers wife died at the weekend after a brave fight against the big C and the funeral won't be until the new year.
It brings things back into reality when this happens, just as you are thinking that life is going fine. The picture below was taken by my wife of Bob Dockerty the brewery owner, and is going on the front of the order of service as it showed him just as he was. RIP Bob.   
https://i.postimg.cc/LnKXgcnC/Bob-Dockerty.jpg