Bunny Laden
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February 2022 - The Ice Hotel
About the Image(s)
Jukkasjärvi, Sweden is the home of The Ice Hotel and the land of the Sami people. I visited for a week in 2013, staying on ice for a few nights and in a warm hotel for a few more.
I've done a few edits of this version since then. One was to color grade some of the outdoor scenes and to change the title style, logo, and ending credits (2019). For the most recent version (2022) I used Topaz AI Video Enhance tools to try to minimize the noise due to some of the low light scenes (not as successful as I hoped). Most of the stills and video were captured on consumer-grade equipment without a tripod, so there is noticeable movement. Nonetheless, I think you'll see how incredible this land is and so are the people. And, it will give you an idea of what I enjoy doing.
Software:
I created the first version using Final Cut Pro. The more recent edits were done in Adobe Premiere.
Equipment:
Canon Vixia HD video
GoPro video
Canon Powershot (stills)
Canon EOS 7D (stills)
This round’s discussion is now closed!
6 comments posted
Bunny,
1. Quality results with AI software for the better resolution (my first time heard of that, will try later)
2. Very nice personalized opening logo
3. Quick changing clips with music beats (0:51-0:52, 1:36-1:37, 2:23-2:24) (I really like that and will try in my future video)
4. Short clips used throughout to attract viewers' attention
Suggestion: If adding some transitions between clips Posted: 01/30/2022 16:40:59
1. Quality results with AI software for the better resolution (my first time heard of that, will try later)
2. Very nice personalized opening logo
3. Quick changing clips with music beats (0:51-0:52, 1:36-1:37, 2:23-2:24) (I really like that and will try in my future video)
4. Short clips used throughout to attract viewers' attention
Suggestion: If adding some transitions between clips Posted: 01/30/2022 16:40:59
(Group 62)
Thank you so much for your comments and suggestion Peter! Posted: 01/30/2022 19:29:40
Bunny,
I really enjoyed the subject of your video. The ice hotel was a very fun thing to capture. There were over 50 still images and over 50 video clips used.
As I watched I felt that you should have used more transitions between the images and between the video clips. Without transitions it just looked choppy. In some of the video it worked, where you quickly changed the images to match the music but, I felt, much of it needed more transitions.
I watched you video at least 6 times and at first I didn't like the music that you used. After seeing it a few times the music began to grow on me. By the 6th time I rather enjoyed it. For myself, in most cases, I prefer to use an instrumental rather than a vocal. I guess that is a personal preference and is dependent on the subject matter of the video.
Over all, I would say very well done. I am looking forward to seeing your next video.
Dick
Posted: 02/22/2022 15:46:44
I really enjoyed the subject of your video. The ice hotel was a very fun thing to capture. There were over 50 still images and over 50 video clips used.
As I watched I felt that you should have used more transitions between the images and between the video clips. Without transitions it just looked choppy. In some of the video it worked, where you quickly changed the images to match the music but, I felt, much of it needed more transitions.
I watched you video at least 6 times and at first I didn't like the music that you used. After seeing it a few times the music began to grow on me. By the 6th time I rather enjoyed it. For myself, in most cases, I prefer to use an instrumental rather than a vocal. I guess that is a personal preference and is dependent on the subject matter of the video.
Over all, I would say very well done. I am looking forward to seeing your next video.
Dick
Posted: 02/22/2022 15:46:44
(Group 62)
Dick,
I appreciate your detailed comments and also the amount of time you spent watching. Soundtracks and transitions are two interesting topics! When I can, for my travel videos I try to purchase music from the place in which I am staying. Most of that music ends up being instrumental. When I visited the Sami people who live near the Ice Hotel, I never heard any music. The Ice Bar played only pop!
I don't know what prompted me to choose the Hall of Fame piece, except that my niece was impressed that I went to the Ice Hotel. It is something she has always wanted to do. The lyrics of this song emphasize that one can do what one wants. I gave her a copy of my video and dedicated it to her as a way to encourage her to go after what she wants-whether the Ice Hotel or the Hall of Fame.
Interestingly, my next video submission is also a song, but I'll explain why in the submission. I think the Death Valley video that I am working on now will use an instrumental soundtrack. I am in the process of narrowing down the music. Look for that in May!
About transitions. I used to be a big fan of using a lot of transitions. I particularly like the ripple transition and some of the other more snazzy effects. In my documentary film making courses over the past few years, I learned that the hard cut is the preferred practice today, with dissolves reserved for special effects only-to show the passage of time or big change in geographic location. So I sort of got trained out of using transitions in my short projects. That being said, I am a big fan of Hershey Felder, a musician storyteller who, during the pandemic, started making films. His style of videography is unconventional. He does elaborate transitions as well as very long overlays of one scene over another. It is an interesting effect that supports his story telling. If you enjoy classical music, you might check out his website.
My next video submission will use hard cuts, but I am considering transitions, dissolves, and overlays for Death Valley, as I think the valley will lend itself nicely to such an approach. I don't know yet, as I leave for Death Valley this weekend. I hope the weather is on my side for taking footage. We'll see.
Thanks again! Your comments got me thinking!! Posted: 02/22/2022 19:11:03
I appreciate your detailed comments and also the amount of time you spent watching. Soundtracks and transitions are two interesting topics! When I can, for my travel videos I try to purchase music from the place in which I am staying. Most of that music ends up being instrumental. When I visited the Sami people who live near the Ice Hotel, I never heard any music. The Ice Bar played only pop!
I don't know what prompted me to choose the Hall of Fame piece, except that my niece was impressed that I went to the Ice Hotel. It is something she has always wanted to do. The lyrics of this song emphasize that one can do what one wants. I gave her a copy of my video and dedicated it to her as a way to encourage her to go after what she wants-whether the Ice Hotel or the Hall of Fame.
Interestingly, my next video submission is also a song, but I'll explain why in the submission. I think the Death Valley video that I am working on now will use an instrumental soundtrack. I am in the process of narrowing down the music. Look for that in May!
About transitions. I used to be a big fan of using a lot of transitions. I particularly like the ripple transition and some of the other more snazzy effects. In my documentary film making courses over the past few years, I learned that the hard cut is the preferred practice today, with dissolves reserved for special effects only-to show the passage of time or big change in geographic location. So I sort of got trained out of using transitions in my short projects. That being said, I am a big fan of Hershey Felder, a musician storyteller who, during the pandemic, started making films. His style of videography is unconventional. He does elaborate transitions as well as very long overlays of one scene over another. It is an interesting effect that supports his story telling. If you enjoy classical music, you might check out his website.
My next video submission will use hard cuts, but I am considering transitions, dissolves, and overlays for Death Valley, as I think the valley will lend itself nicely to such an approach. I don't know yet, as I leave for Death Valley this weekend. I hope the weather is on my side for taking footage. We'll see.
Thanks again! Your comments got me thinking!! Posted: 02/22/2022 19:11:03
I both agree and disagree with what you were taught in your film making courses. I think it depends on the length and content of the video. If you are talking about a long full length documentary film then hard cuts would be be preferable. But, in a short video, like ours, I feel that a simple short fade to black is preferable to a hard cut. In a short video it just makes it to choppy if you don't use transitions. I'm not a big fan of all the fancy transitions. Just a simple fade in and fade out is the best.
Dick
Posted: 02/22/2022 19:34:14
Dick
Posted: 02/22/2022 19:34:14
(Group 62)
Even in short videos, the hard cut seems to rule in most film festivals even for short videos. But I do agree with you in that one should not be bound to rules or the convention of the day. Some of these choices are truly artistic. I do think different circumstances call for different approaches. When I cut the Ice Hotel video with the intention of moving from beat to beat, to my eye, the hard cut kept with the beat. Yes, it is choppy by design. However, I do intend on making videos that are more ethereal and what would be more conducive to dissolves, slower paced music, and instrumentals. There is a whole world out there to explore! I'm looking forward to my Death Valley project as a new exploration! Posted: 02/22/2022 20:54:23