The video today is a vast improvement. It has yet to achieve critical acclaim but I have made it much longer. If I can’t make them better I’ll make them bigger. As I write this it is uploading to YouTube and only has six hours to go. Maybe a bit more; my internet is a bit slow here. It would probably be quicker to pop it on a memory stick and post it.
I don’t know how Keith talks over his videos. I have tried but then start focusing and panning and other complicated things as best I can and say something rude. This film job is a multiperson task. I have Alf as producer and Molly as director but I can’t be listening to them. I’m just the point the camera man and I failed, I failed to notice the fence post. I’ll have to get Moll one of those wee telescope things I’ve seen directors posing with. I also need a focus person….Pushers or Pullers I think they are called. Proper film people most likely have one of each.
Despite what you may think the focus ring is not held together with the cable tie. This is something I dreamt up to facilitate smoother focusing. I should stop dreaming; it’s a waste of time. The video still keeps dropping in and out of focus and judders when I touch the cable tie.
I also shot a few stills, these are to wet your appetite. If you don’t like steam locomotives then click out now.
I suspect a new bit of hose is required. Unfortunately he didn’t get wet but It was a close run thing for me. From now on in this post is for the furry hooded jacket brigade.
A few details of NG 143.
This one is just because I like the image. I noticed that all the engine drivers lean out of the cab and gaze in wonder as the loco negotiates a set of points. These new fangled things must be a real source of wonder.
It came as a bit of a shock to realize that these two locomotives were built twenty two years apart. Longevity of design is a forgotten concept today.
This is just because I like a good fire.
The Whistle…….my last and my favourite image of the day. I missed the first toot and had to ask the driver for another. He said he only does one toot before departure. I was a bit stressed and said just pull the bloody chain. This is a really long Toooot! I think he was worried he’d run out of coal sitting there tooting all day.
Here is the movie.
I wanted to add a bit of music….I fancied Smoke on the Water. It’s a bit expensive paying for copywrite so I’m afraid it’s musicless.
Have a great week.
Love the stills. Can't play the video on my iPad so will check it out a bit later. There is a setting to make your videos playable on mobile devices, but I had to Google it myself and have only done it the once. I will blog about it the next time I make a You Tube, so I remember.
ReplyDeleteCarol, any technical help is always welcome. I can't understand why it takes so long to upload stuff to YouTube or Vimeo. As I try and shoot and post the same day it is a pain.
DeleteI don't think I own a furry hooded jacket, but I definitely loved the entire post. Some excellent stills and the video really brings them to life.
ReplyDeleteThe photo of them negotiating the points as they head under the bridge cries out for being modelled as it would make a perfect scenic break. You were lucky you didn't get wet seeing how much water they were loosing. Mind you it would have been much cleaner than the water I got sprayed with at Barrow Hill yesterday which was very sooty -- I must have looked a right sight before I went and washed my face!
Mark, I don't think they make Parkas anymore.
DeleteVideo suits rail, and anything vintage. This is still jerky at 25 frames/second. I wonder if I set shutter speed to 1/50th" it would help. I'll give it a whirl.
I jumped back just in time. You were lucky....black is beautiful.
PS.The loop and bridge would make a great model, better still if you incorporated the spiral descent into Beddlegert.
DeleteThe spiral decent is already covered when it comes to modelling, but I might reuse the bridge on a model some time, even if it isn't used in it's real context.
DeleteMark, a slate quarry and 2' gauge would make a good model. The counter balanced roadways running into the quarry. You could have the docks at the other end. See you through to retirement that project would.
DeleteIt's funny you should mention a slate quarry and a 2' gauge railway....
DeleteGracias de nuevo ADRIAN!!!
ReplyDeleteViendo hoy tu video, me he vuelto a subir en ese tren.... Con 8 años viajando de Cáceres a Tarragona, tardamos casi dos días, en algunas paradas, veíamos como le echaban carbón a la caldera de la máquina.
Los asientos eran muy duros de madera, la carbonilla, que soltaba, nos ponía negros..... Son viajes que no se olvidan, muy distintos a los de hoy.
Te deseo un buen domingo:)))
Un abrazo
Thanks again ADRIAN!
Viewing your video today, I've gone up on that train .... With eight years traveling from Caceres to Tarragona, took nearly two days, at some stops, we watched as he threw coal into the boiler of the machine.
The seats were very hard wood, charcoal, to let go, we put black ..... Trips are not forgotten, very different from today.
I wish you a good Sunday :)))
A hug
Hola Laura, a pesar de que la mitad del mundo occidental de habla española hoy voy a responder en Inglés.
DeleteThis train is a tourist attraction run by both permanent staff and volunteers. It is 25 miles long. The seats are fine for an hour or so. If you organised a Vespa run from Spain we could all come and enjoy the spectacle.
Sería un día de fiesta mágico.
My internet is slow and the usage is capped so I only watch a few videos. The only way I can do it is start the video, pause it and let it load for awhile, then hit play. This was worth it! I couldn't see anything wrong, it looked totally professional to me. The trains are really something to see and you have a good voice. It was all just great!
ReplyDeleteThe pictures are good too. I guess I like the one where the train is about to go under the bridge best. The clearance there is kind of shocking, shockingly good. :)
David, it took me over twelve hours to upload the video to YouTube. It is never a fast job but at two hours a minute it's the longest I've known. If you look along the YouTube bit at the bottom of the video then you can speed things up by selecting a lower resolution download. I've never found it makes much difference though.
DeleteAlso my videos won't enlarge to full screen....I'm doing something wrong....I need a carer.
I shot about half an hour of video my voice was the downfall of twenty percent of it. The dogs bark at the train then I shout at the dogs. I don't know why but they only understand basic Anglo Saxon and a good kick. I am minded to attribute this to their Scottish forebears.
There isn't much clearance but the drivers never look up, only down at the points.
It would be exciting to spend a week filming with a group of enthusiasts. Some big lights for rainy days...most days that is. Then find an editor to annoy amongst the group. Nothing worse than dragging backwards and forwards through video. The first bit is easy. Locate the ones with bad language and delete the audio. Trim in from both ends usually. Then comes the really boring bit snipping out boring bits and remembering to delete the boring and not the good.
I like that still image of the train about to go under the bridge.
ReplyDeleteProbably said this before but I saw so many steam trains back in my youth (because of my dad being a steam train enthusiast) that I sometimes feel I must be a hundred years old.
Monica, I love them they have characters like humans. Many of my early work years were spent around fifty to a hundred year old machinery. They all had little foibles that had to be embraced. Much the same can be said about today's software.
ReplyDeleteI can understand your fathers enthusiasm and your frustration. They are dirty smelly things to some but I was in my element being near them.
Adrian wat is dit mooi je film mag er ook zijn prachtig doe oude locomotieven ,geweldig wat een kracht.
ReplyDeleteDank u, mijn Nederlandse taal is erg slecht, het spijt me.
ReplyDeleteZe zijn prachtige oude machines en levend door jonge en oude mensen gehouden.
Het is gewoon geweldig.
Not a massive train fan but the images of the day kept my looking, the 11th one with the engines fire is....cool, I can almost feel the heat from it.
ReplyDeleteDouglas. I love them. I could feel the the heat but the smell is the best bit.
DeleteThe colorful locomotives are of interest too me. In the steam age here there were all black. We never saw colored locomotives until the diesels came. It's surprising what a dilapitated condition the are in and still run. For example , the water hose.
ReplyDeleteRed, wash your mouth out with soap. The locomotives are in the first flush of youth. I'll give you that the hose needs a bit of tender loving care but that is a matter of little consequence.
DeleteSorry!
DeleteThat's okay.
DeleteGreat set again Adrian, especially passing under the bridge.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed the video too. You're getting quite professional at this.
Keith, thanks. The video is still a bit jerky. I'll have a look at the camera instructions and then consult the dogs.
DeleteJerry, not great but okay. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteLovely clear video Adrian. Could almost smell and taste the smoke!
ReplyDeleteI have got my eye on a 70D body when they become easily available as it has just come on the market with some pretty good reviews.
re jerkiness - I get that with the little Nikon and think it's caused by having the picture stabilisation on. I assume that as things move across the scene the camera tries to keep them still by re-adjusting the position. Just a thought which I always forget to test!
Plenty of royalty free music around the net Adrian - worth a few searches and building a small library on the laptop.
John, I like using the DSLR for video. If I decided to do a lot of it I'd get the viewing thingy that fits over the LCD screen.
DeleteI have no I.S. on this set upso that isn't the problem.
I'll have to look into the music job. Thanks.
Might be worth coming down to 720p for a test to see whether things are smoother - to test whether the card can keep up with the vast amount of information for full HD.
DeleteI'll give it a try John. I suspect HD is overkill for a blog post. I'll look into the card write speed issue. I know a young lad who is making movies in Sheffield he now uses DSLRs exclusively.
DeleteUsually the cameras are clever enough to stop you using a video setting that is too fast for the card, but I agree it's worth a quick test to be certain.
DeleteMark, below is an e-mail I sent to John Charles. I suspect this is the solution. To be effective though it needs big lights so that one can overide natural light. I'll keep playing about.
DeleteGood morning John,
I've been having a good read and the juddering and distortion is possibly due to the vertical shutter in DSLRs.
Apparently if one puts the camera on full manual sets frame rate to 25 and shutter speed to twice that 1/50s then the problem is minimised.
I'll give it a go.
Evaluating sharp focus is also a pain on the LCD. I have to enlarge the view to focus but then can't see what is in frame.
I'll think of something to make life easier,
Good luck in finding a 70D....try asking your local camera store for an ex demo model.
All the best A.
Interesting and I can see how experimenting with the frame rate vs shutter speed might minimize things. Certainly worth a little experimenting.
DeleteMark, I've e-mailed Jon Nicholson at Sheffield Hallam University. He makes short films using Canons. No point in my reinventing the wheel when there are experts out there. I'll be doing something daft or not doing something I should be.
DeleteThat's is great, olde steam engine, from SA?????????? But, its lovely.
ReplyDeleteBob, it was from Saturday but publication was delayed till Sunday.
DeleteAdrian, I think he meant South Africa, rather than Saturday.
DeleteAnd yes Bob, they were built for South Africa but they were built in Manchester so they haven't ended up too far from their birth place.
Thanks for clarifying matters Mark.
Deleteyour a man of many talents, great film clip of the steam trains.
ReplyDeletepeter
Peter, Jack of all and master of none. I really enjoyed the steam.
DeleteWho did you hire as the video narrator? With his thick Derbyshire(?) accent I think that subtitles should have been considered!
ReplyDeleteSome lovely still shots that celebrate the engineering ingenuity of steam railways. Well spotted.
YP, I'll consider electrocution lessons.....It is a little embarrassing hearing my own voice. I now realise what everyone else has to put up with. Sub Titles could be added. I already have two video groups and audio to edit. I suspect I'd get even more confused.
DeleteI don't know why your comments come in quadruplet. I had the same problem a week or so ago. I suspect it's Blogger again.
All this machinery is so nostalgic and reminiscent of the past. So good that they keep them running an nicely kept.
ReplyDeleteMaria, I really enyoy taking photographs of vintage machinery.
DeleteThis looks like a good time. like your video here. A classic train in a beautiful area. Greeen and breezy. I could use more of that:)
ReplyDeleteChris, we have had a wonderful summer. We will pay for it. The locomotives are just brilliant.
ReplyDelete