Get Rid of that Wind Noise.

If wind noise is destroying your videos, here's a simple solution.

Manual Vs Auto Focus

DON'T BUY SERESTO FLEA COLLAR FOR CATS

This product nearly put our cat in a coma. I do NOT recommend it.

ANCIENT TREASURE DISCOVERED

I am changing my Patreon page to fund this new project. Very exciting. Be a part of it.

New Project

Check this one out. Help if you can.

Before I was famous on YouTube...

WHERE IS CASEY NEISTAT?

New video by request from Casey himself.

STORYBOARDS

Here's the video I promised last week.

PRESIDENTIAL POLL. CAST YOUR VOTE TODAY!

This is our official Presidential poll. Please watch the video and follow the instructions. Results will be posted at the end of the month. Thanks for participating. Feel free to share this with others in your social media groups so we can get a large cross section.

VIDEO CAMERA SHOT DESCRIPTIONS

Another tutorial with descriptions of the various camera shots you can create for your YouTube videos. Also a tip on how to pick up audio at a distance by using another camera and syncing the audio with the other footage.

CUTTING ON THE ACTION

In video production, film making, and cinematography circles, cutting on the action is an old trick that helps the director, uh, direct the viewers' attention to where he wants it to be. In YouTube videos, this same technique can be use, although it rarely is by most YouTubers and daily vloggers. And that's unfortunate, because it's really a very simple technique to use and it can help add a lot of interest to your video creations.

All that's necessary in order to use this technique is for the video creator to think ahead a wee bit and decide what shots he/she wants to use to tell their story. It may involve different camera angles, different camera positions, different lenses, i.e., a wide lens or a long lens. Summarily, it's up to the videographer to figure out ahead of time what the viewers' attention needs to be drawn toward or to. It can also involve using a shallow depth of field in order to pull focus in a dramatic manner, or using a different lighting set up to create the desired mood or feel for the video.

The attached video shows a very basic, very simple method that can be used by anyone. It requires only one camera, although multiple cameras could be used. Take a look. Be sure to leave me a comment with any questions. Enjoy.

THE BIMBO ADVENTURE

This was a fun video to make. Nothing special on this one. Just some long cross dissolves I did as an experiment to see how they worked. Enjoy. Leave a comment!

Using Action for Scene Transitions

Here's a short video showing how to incorporate action into your scene transitions rather than using a digital fade or cross dissolve or jump cut.

The Crane, Boom, or Jib shot

I decided to do a little experiment to see if this could be done effectively without investing a lot of money into a jib or boom. It actually came out pretty good for the first try. Check it out. Leave a comment if you have any suggestions on how to make it better.

Basic Camera Moves to Improve Your Videos

If you're just starting out as a videographer, or you just created your first YouTube channel, here's a short video that will explain some basic camera moves. These camera moves can help create some variety in your videos that will make them more alive and much less boring and static. Camera moves have been used for decades in the movie industry and you can use these same camera moves for your creations. Enjoy. Feel free to leave a comment or check out my other videos on youtube.com/magnumvideos.

Patreon Page is LIVE!

Great news! I just completed my new Patreon page so that those people who enjoy my videos and want to see my channel grow can help. Check it out see the rewards for your generosity.

Rear Window Video: Episode Four

Back in the Belton/Raymore area today. We actually got some pretty good footage. Check it out.
Be sure to leave a comment. I have no way of knowing if anyone is watching these. Thanks!

Rear Window Video: Episode 3

We expand our horizons a bit with this one and travel to Overland Park Kansas for a sequence of Rear Window Videos. This was a fun day. A lot of clouds in the blue sky above made some irritating reflections in the car windshields, but we captured some interesting footage. Enjoy. Leave a comment so I know you're out there.

Canon Vixia R700 Returns...

I tried this camera a few weeks ago, but my heart was craving a Canon G7X (since Casey Neistat uses one. LOL!) So, I got one to use in the Magnum Mobile for my Rear Window video. It didn't work out as well as I had hoped. This video will tell you why. So, when that didn't fill the need, I went back and purchased another Vixia R700 to give it another test. Here's my final opinion...

REAR WINDOW VIDEO: Episode Two

This is the second episode of the new Rear Window Video feature on my Magnum Videos YouTube channel. This footage was shot in the Belton/Raymroe area in Cass County, Missouri. I'm not sure what the guy in the pick up truck is doing, but it looks pretty serious. Leave a comment and tell me what you think.

And if you happen to see that metallic gray Ford Escape Magnum Mobile, get behind it and give us a smile! I'll make you a YouTube star!

Canon G7X is going back...

I was excited to get the new Canon G7X. I had heard a lot of good things about it. It was purchased to be mounted in the rear window (for the Rear Window Video sequences). The image was great, the color was great. The battery life was NOT so great. This tiny battery only lasts about 45 minutes at most. Also another drawback is that when the file size reaches 4Gb, the camera shuts off and you have to stop the car, get out, climb into the back seat, lean over it, and push the button again. I'm not against exercise, but it seems a bit unnecessary and it could ruin a perfectly great section of video footage if it stopped right in the middle of something interesting.

So, farewell, my little G7X. It was great to know ya.

REAR WINDOW VIDEO: Episode One

As a Baby Boomer, I have fond memories of the laughter and silly situations shown on Alan Funt's television hit - Candid Camera. Perhaps it was that memory of such a unique concept that led me to this point. While Candid Camera aired on television, and that was their primary marketing channel, the new technology of the 21st Century provides creators with a whole lot more options.

With the advent of YouTube, cell phones, Instagram, BEME, Snapchat, Twitter, and other social media, a video creator's world has expanded exponentially from the single television channel outlet. So, after some careful consideration, checking legalities of putting people's images on the internet without permission, and the potential viewership this type of concept might generate, I decided to create the REAR WINDOW VIDEO feature on my YouTube channel.

Here is the first video containing the rear window footage that was captured yesterday near Raymore, MO. This should become more fun once people catch on to what's going on, realize they are being recorded, and act accordingly. I'm expecting some animated responses soon.

The Rear Window Project is underway...

This idea came to me a while back. Perhaps I was remembering the old Candid Camera show from the days of my youth. Anway, I figure out how to get the camera hooked up. And I got some signage for the Magnum Mobile. We shall see if we get any interesting videos from those who are following us.

The camera I've been looking for...

I didn't expect to be so amazed and impressed before I got my hands on this Canon G7X. But I was. This is an amazing little package. Check out the video, especially the night shots. Wow!

COMPARISON VIDEO...

This video provides a comparison of the test footage from the Canon 70D DSLR and the HF R700 camcorder. Although it's no match for the $1,500 70D, at only $250, this little camcorder is a bargain for the quality it delivers.

Our 45th President

A tribute to Donald Trump. Destined to become the 45th President of the United States.
Despite the doubt that everyone had from the start, billionaire Donald J. Trump has proven everyone wrong so far.

I Shot an Elephant in my Pajamas...

This is a short video showing how to set up a multi-camera video. I'm using the Canon 70D with the 50mm lens and an iPhone 6. Edited with iMovie. Leave a comment or question, and I will reply.

iPhone Mount for Car

This is a test video to see how well the iPhone performs in a mobile situation. Also showing the iPhone mount I picked up at Walmart. Seems to work pretty well.

Corvette C1 - The Legend Begins

This video is the first in a continuing series exploring the history of the legendary Chevrolet Corvette.

Our story begins in 1953. The war in Korean is winding down, and it will be over by the end of July. In Hollywood, California, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recently awarded Humphrey Bogart the Oscar for Best Actor for his portrayal of Charlie Allnut in The African Queen.

And if you happen to be listening to a radio anywhere in America, it won’t be long before Jo Stafford’s voice can be heard singing You Belong to Me. 

In Washington, D.C. plans are in the works for the televised inauguration ceremony for Dwight D. Eisenhower, who has just been elected the 34th President of the United States. But that celebration won’t receive the viewership that will occur on the prior evening when 71% of American televisions will be tuned in to watch the episode when Lucy gives birth to Little Ricky.

But two days before that event, on January 17th, the big reveal takes place. The executives at General Motors have been waiting a long time for the unveiling of their newest design. The crowd at the GM Motorama Show being held in the Waldorf Astoria in New York City is impressed with the new model known as the Corvette.

It’s touted as fast and maneuverable, like it’s namesake naval escort vessel. No one realizes at the time, but this 1953 Corvette is destined to become the first of seven iterations (so far) that the model will go through as it evolves from a somewhat underpowered debut model to the legendary icon representing the quintessential American Sports Car. 

Of course, every new car needs a unique identity, and the Corvette was no exception. However, the emblem that would eventually adorn the hood did not end up as it was originally created. Robert Bartholomew, an interior designer at GM, developed the original logo, which consisted of two crossed flags – a checkered racing flag and a United States Flag. 

At some point before it was approved for production, someone, whose name has now been lost to history, discovered Public Law 77-623, also known as the National Flag Code. Unfortunately, this law made it illegal to use the American Flag in any form of advertising, marketing, or branding. Bartholomew made a revision and created the version shown here, which ended up as the final hood emblem. Obviously, this logo has evolved over the years, but Bartholomew’s original concept of the crossed flags has remained.

The Motorama Show was only the beginning. Let’s move forward in time to take a closer look so we can become a little more familiar with some of the details surrounding this first model year Corvette.

Six months after the Motorama Show, on June 30th, 1953, the first of only 300 units rolled off the assembly line at the GM Plant in Flint Michigan. These were the only Corvettes that would ever be built in that plant. The following year, production was transferred to St. Louis and remained there for the next 27 years until 1981, when it was moved to Bowling Green, KY, where it still remains.

(EXTERIOR SHOT)

Unlike today’s models with a multitude of versions and varieties, aside from their unique serial numbers, all 300 of the units were identical. Each was created with the same exterior paint color known as Polo White. 

The interiors were identical as well and were all produced with the Sportsman Red vinyl bucket seats. All 300 of them were convertibles.

If you raised the hood, you would find an inline six cylinder engine known as the Blue Flame. This motor was  connected to a 2 speed Powerglide transmission controlled by a sporty, floor-mounted shifter. Unlike the more aggressive power plants that would follow as the Corvette evolved, this initial engine only delivered a somewhat wimpy 150 hp. 

The options available were equally mediocre and included only an AM radio and a heater, which really didn’t heat anything, but actually only recirculated the air inside  the cockpit. Those two options weren’t actually options as we know them today, because each new Corvette had both items installed at the assembly plant, and the customer was charged for them, whether they wanted them or not.

The MSRP with no options was $3,490 (which was $90 more than the annual salary of the average worker in 1953). But, after the addition of the non-optional options, the actual price came in at $3,734. 

Of the 300 original units, there are over 200 of them still accounted for today. And, since rarity typically dictates value, these remaining models have become highly desirable. 

As shown on the Barrett Jackson flyer, Production Number 3 (Serial number E53F001003) sold at auction in 2006 for $1.1 million dollars.

And that’s how the legend began, on June 30, 1953.

Audiotrack: The Curtain Rises by Kevin MacLeod.

Audiotrack: In Your Arms by Kevin MacLeod.

This presentation contains copyrighted material incorporated under the Fair Use exemption of the U.S. copyright law.

CANON 70D PANORAMA. EASY TO DO.

If you have a Canon 70D (or any of the Canon DSLR recent models) you can create a panorama in no time. The steps are easy. Just make certain you're using a tripod. Set your camera to MANUAL MODE. (I know, most newbies are stuck on the AUTOMATIC MODE) but his will give you an opportunity to use that manual mode and get more familiar with it.

Once you get your tripod set up and your camera switch to manual mode, check to make sure your camera is level before you start shooting. I would suggest using ISO of 100 and set your aperture at a relative high number so you can get more of the shot in focus by having a longer depth of field.

With your lens set on AF, press the shutter half way so the lens focuses. I would suggest picking focal point that's about halfway into the image (vertically). Once the camera focuses, switch the lens to MF so that your camera doesn't keep focusing during the sequence of shots.

Take a shot of the far left end of our landscape. Check it to see if the focus and exposure looks good. If not, adjust your shutter speed to get the exposure where you want it. Take another shot and check. If everything looks good, start shooting. The sequence should go from left to right, with about a 25% overlap on each image.

Once you have your shots, take the images into Photoshop and perform the Automate/Photomerge process. Then you can crop your image at the points you wish for the best result. Any questions, leave a comment. I'll be happy to answer them.

Instragram transfer of videos... EASY!

If you're looking for the easiest way to upload your YouTube videos to your Instagram account, this is the simplest method I have found. No additional apps to download. If you need to increase your marketing channels to get more views on your YouTube videos by uploading to Instagram, this is the video you've been looking for. Give it a try and expand your views and market penetration.

YouTube Camera Options

If you're thinking about starting a YouTube channel, but you don't want to spend the money on an expensive camera, you probably already have a couple of cameras that would work just fine for your video production. Check out this video to learn more.

Link Your Car to Your YouTube Channel

I did an experiment lately to see if it would work. I had a QR code created online (free) which I linked to my YouTube Channel. After that, I had a vinyl sign made and attached it to my car. It works like a fine Swiss watch and gives anyone who scans it immediate access to my channel. Check out the video. Leave a comment.

QR CODE FOR YOUR VEHICLE

New Truck Lettering

I created an art file for some signage on the old Ford Escape.
Here's a video showing how to apply it and the look of the finished project.

VIDEO LINK

YouTube Channel Trailer for new visitors...

I created this trailer in Keynote and imported it into iMovie as a channel intro trailer for new visitors. I may replace it in a month or so with something new. But for now, this pretty much tells the story.

TRAILER

Brand New Blog!

This is the first post on my new Magnum Videos blog.

In addition to an archive for sharing my latest videos from the Magnum Videos YouTube channel, it will also contain gear reviews for photo and video, as well as shooting tips and tricks for creating better images.

I hope you will feel free to leave a comment on anything you see here, or anything you'd like to see here.