My Red Arrows video #2 ("Action Cut")

Hi folks,
I spent some time making another RED ARROWS video! (I posted my first one a few weeks ago).

This second one - I call it my “Action cut” - features some of the best action shots I took, with more severe editing, set to my own specially composed music track.

I followed helpful advice from @asik1 @emcsquared @drm and @hudson555x - including:

  1. Hardly any dissolves, mainly cuts,
  2. Shorter video length,
  3. Less shots with those intrusive streetlamps!!!

I created the soundtrack in Cubase. No loops or third party material - I played every note! Here’s a screenshot:

I used the stabilize filter for several shots, and the brightness filter on many of the action shots to try to brighten up the cloudy skies a little.

In case you didn’t see the original, here’s the background story again:
Recently I was in Devon (south coast UK) to watch an airshow by the excellent RAF Red Arrows aerobatics team. Conditions were damp and cloudy and it was touch and go whether they would be able to fly, but they found a slight easing of conditions, and gave what they term as a “rolling display”.

All shots are mine, taken with a Panasonic HCV-160 camera.
I sure wish I had a 4k camera (with a tripod…!!) , or some lovely sharp 4K footage… … and better weather…:unamused:

It’s now 2.30 in length. Done with 18.10.01. Hope someone enjoys it as much as I enjoyed making it!

Here’s the video:

https://streamable.com/eld9x
Jon

5 Likes

Great edit @jonray! :grinning: That music you did fit really well too. It’s like it’s their theme song or something. Did you think of the song just for this edit or did you do it sometime ago?

When I was watching it I was thinking in the back of my mind if you were going to reuse the “Red Arrows” titles and I thought that if I were doing it I would have some pause of an action shot and put it there. Much to my surprise you did it similar to how I was thinking. Nice ending.

Did you use the same stabilizing settings as before or did you mess around with it some more? Was it the same setting for all of the shots you used the stabilize filter?

Thank you @drm. The music is original, specially composed for this video. Took me about a couple of hours. I’ve composed stuff for years, I just sat down at my keyboard and this came out of my head!!!

Thanks!

I experimented with the settings and I’ve just posted some thoughts on this HERE.

Thanks for your feedback!

good change the fade with the smoking line was strange if you are looking again for advice maybe you should center the effect of the beginning (purple inappropriate) and the titles from beginning to end the sound of the planes is slightly shifted to 0.39 the timing has 1.02 also. and something for the colors and the voice at the microphone… the sond is really good :+1:

Did you come to use the new Grid feature for this?

Much improved :+1: :smile:

Well done :+1:

Did you mean the small white line to the left of screen on the blue/purple background? It’s the smoke trail of a plane! Background was created with this technique:Creative tip: create a cool coloured video background with natural gradients
Thanks - I didn’t see it, will address it…

Yes indeed, always open to advice/comments!

I agree, I need to leave more space at the top.

I liked the gradient idea but yes maybe I could calm the colours a bit!

Not quite sure what you mean…

Will look at that, thanks.

Again, not sure what you mean about the colors but I might add subtitles for the pilots’ voices.

Thanks!

I so did! Great feature but - (HINT to @shotcut…!!! ) a grid of 64x64 and /or 128x128 would be very useful…

Thanks!!

I also noticed:

  1. Drum kit (snare) is mixed slightly too loud in the soundtrack, will adjust in Cubase… [EDIT: …or maybe not - sounds fine on my laptop this morning…]

  2. Sync between music and cuts is slightly off in places, including first appearance of the planes (video is slightly late)…

  3. I’ll remove the black text outline for “RED ARROWS” in the end title.

Thanks again for comments/advice.

:souris2: for titles center them also and the color to hide the bad quality video or something like that sepia black and white ect…

Bravo! There are nitpicks one can pick up here and there, but that is a really engaging short film. The music fits the mood perfectly and the way you chose to end it was a neat idea. Great work @jonray

Nice edit, but the zoomed video shakes a lot. Have you tried https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7sBCYh9Ojs

Ah, thanks , @arthium, I get what you mean now. I will centre the PIP near the beginning and think about reducing/getting rid of the purple! And extra color effects/sepia etc is something for me to consider. Thanks!

Thank you! Pity about the general poor quality of my shots though!! I just searched “Red Arrows 4K” in Youtube and saw some amazing quality footage… something to aspire to next time…

Indeed it does shake!! No, I hadn’t seen the video you mentioned (I have now!). I did attempt to stabilize many shots though with the stabilize filter. Thanks.

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