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Originally posted by LeBarryboat:
That is incredibly creative....WOW! Some of those video effects are like...professional.

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Originally posted by LeBarryboat:
Some of what they did I can reproduce, but I wouldn't be using some "easy" software that does it for you. I use Final Cut Express, and have been self-taught, and I can do some fun effects but it really takes a lot of work and time and creativity to do some of the things that were done in the Wolfs video.

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Well, Final Cut Express is indeed the simple program for editing videos. You might want to upgrade since you seem to spend so much time on your films. According to the comment at YouTube the above video has been edited with Final Cut Pro and Apple Motion - programs which are pretty much standard these days.

Of course, just because someone has a piano at home does not mean that this person is a concert pianist. My point is: It's not 'fancy technology' (which finally isn't fancy these days) but indeed creativity and hard work that makes this video stand out.

Beside that, let's not forget that usually 'less is more' - these effects are perfectly fine for the above 'fun' video but usually people make the mistake to use too much of that stuff - more effects available are not a guarantee for a more 'professional' or better video - more the contrary (I would still recommend you to upgrade to a slightly more professional editing software giving what you try to do).

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Originally posted by LeBarryboat:
[QB[....]
My editing skills and creativity are going to be pressed to the limit as I embark on a journalistic trip on the Hurtigruten ships in Norway this October. [....][/QB]

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I am looking forward to see what you bring back from your Hurtigruten trip. It will indeed be a challenge for many reasons, also because there is a lot of excellent material on Hurtigruten already 'out there' (Maybe more than on any other ships?).

[ 09-26-2010: Message edited by: Ernst ]

Actually there isn't much difference between Final Cut Express and Final Cut Pro....in fact there are a number of box office movies that were edited on Final Cut Pro, like Eat Pray Love with Julia Roberts for example. I noticed the Wolfs also used some features in iMovie which I have used too, but that is a very simple program in contrast to Final Cut Express which has a significant learning curve. I agree with you that "Less is more", particularly with the type of videos I am trying to produce. Another element to the Wolfs video is "Planning". To make a video like that where everyone in the family sings along to the song while being on the flow rider for example, takes some choreography and planning, so I applaud them for that....seems like he really took his video seriously while on the cruise and he got an excellent result.

I have searched Hurtigruten online and haven't found many videos or journalistic documentaries. And there isn't much out there, that's decent material, about one particular place we are going, which is Reine Lofoten. We will spend three nights in a little fishing cabin in Reine, and as a photographer I can't wait...the scenery there is breathtaking. I hope to feature Hurtigruten in a way it has not been done before, and really expose what the Hurtigruten experience is like.

Here's my launch page for the Hurtigruten trip

[ 09-26-2010: Message edited by: LeBarryboat ]

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Originally posted by LeBarryboat:
... And there isn't much out there, that's decent material, about one particular place we are going, which is Reine Lofoten...

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Have you seen these Reine Lofoten videos?

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Originally posted by LeBarryboat:
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Actually there isn't much difference between Final Cut Express and Final Cut Pro....

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I just had a brief look and it seems as if there indeed isn't that much of a difference for the amateur - of course, you can e.g. use Adobe After Effects plug-ins with the Pro version (if you don't have the effects used in the video above). Personally, I am mostly using Adobe products and there are no effects that could not be reproduced easily with Adobe Premiere in the concerned video clip from a technical point of view - as said, no excuse here.

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Originally posted by LeBarryboat:
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I agree with you that "Less is more", particularly with the type of videos I am trying to produce.

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Absolutely. You try to do something very different.

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Originally posted by LeBarryboat:
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Another element to the Wolfs video is "Planning".

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Exactly.

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Originally posted by LeBarryboat:
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I have searched Hurtigruten online and haven't found many videos or journalistic documentaries. And there isn't much out there, that's decent material, about one particular place we are going, which is Reine Lofoten. [...]

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Oh, there are MYRIADS of videos on Hurtigruten - and also a lot of really good one's. Joe posted already concerning the Lofoten - below the result of a quick (!) 'search' on Hurtigruten - look also at all the links to even more clips displayed on all these pages:

(one of the) Official Clips

German Documentary

...another German Documentary....

I don't know how many documentaries there are from German TV stations - there seem to be several new one's every year.

Hurtigruten Home Video

Series of French Home Videos

Series of German Home Videos

Nordsternjen

Ms Lofoten in stormy seas (not really good quality but still fascinating)

Abord MS Nordsternjen

As said, this is just a random selection and I hope you can use this as an inspiration for your upcoming trip. Visiting Norway is always a fantastic experience and I am looking forward to see your material.

[ 09-26-2010: Message edited by: Ernst ]

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Originally posted by LeBarryboat:
[...]I still have yet to see a real quality overview and video of Reine, Lofoten...[...]

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I seriously don't know what you mean since there is such a lot on the Lofoten islands that I have a hard time to pick something from a random search to post here!

Reine is indeed a very lovely village but it's also a very, very small village. You indeed won't find many videos exclusively on Reine but it's a prominent spot and certainly part of the 'standard repertoire' of most photographers who go to Norway - and a lot of photographers go there - for a reason .

Just for the fun another nice German TV documentary on Hurtigruten.

Film from a trip through Lofoten (Norwegian Tourism Agency)

another film on the Lofoten islands

video stock footage on Lofoten islands

I hope all that is up to your standards.

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Originally posted by Ernst:

I hope all that is up to your standards.

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Thanks for looking up these links Ernst! Don't get me wrong, I agree there are many videos out there, but most of them I saw were very poor quality. The documentaries in German were decent. Let me rephrase....there's not much in the USA market featuring Lofoten, or from an American perspective. That's why it will be fun to produce content from an American perspective on Hurtigruten and Lofoten. I'll probably interview the Captain, and visit the engine room. Talk to the people running the excursions. Offer commentary on the Norwegian food. Explore the quaint little towns. My objective is to produce content so my audience can live vicariously through me.

Hurtigruten is very different than a regular US market cruiseliner but nevertheless a great experience.

The entertainment is outside as you sail along the Norwegian Coast all the way. No bingo etc. On Trollfjord there was a bar musician playing in the evening that's all.

Last time I was with an American friend on Finnmarken who did have issues with the Norwegian food. Once again this is no average cruiseline, you just blend in and take it for what it is.

Which ship are you on and are you taking the full round trip? It can get a bit dark during that time, but if you are lucky you might get to see the Northern lights .-)

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Originally posted by LeBarryboat:
I'm doing the southbound from Kirkenes on the Nordlys, then we get off the ship in Stamsund and we will stay for three nights in Reine, Lofoten. We get back on the Trollfjord from Samsund to Bergen.

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Excellent. Visiting the bridge or the engine room should not be a problem - the crew is usually very nice and cooperative.

Now let's figure out some nerdy schedule details: You leave Kirkenes on the 2nd of October or the 13th of October and Stamsund on on the 7th or 18th of October? If I am not wrong, this means that the ship you will meet at Trondheim is Nordlys. That's a pity insofar as you won't have the opportunity to visit a ship you have not yet seen while at Trondheim (it finally does not matter since there are 'also' other things to do at Trondheim ). Of course, you will meet other Hurtigruten ships while at sea. You can figure out easily at which time of the day this is going to happen so that you are prepared to shoot even more 'Hurtigruten ship X meets Hurtigruten ship Y' videos . Don't forget, whatever you do, you will be watched.

I hope the weather will be on your side (fingers crossed). Personally, I do not have any preferences but it helps if it's you are not surrounded by dense fog all the time if you want to see (and take pictures) of the landscape. I am also very curious whether you will go to Trollfjord at this time of the year.

P.S.: I nearly forgot: Some information on Aurora Borealis - NOAA Space Weather.

[ 09-29-2010: Message edited by: Ernst ]

In Trondheim you will be able to hop over to the other ship just like you can do in Rørvik the evening before. At sea it will be announced every time when you meet another ship going north or southbound

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Originally posted by Frosty 4:
Back to the Wolf video. I think they were looking for RCL to buy it for a commercial. IMHO.
F4

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It is indeed good publicity for Royal Caribbean and it would be nice if they rewarded that somehow but I don't think that this was the intention of this video. I guess they simply did it 'for themselves' and to have some fun.

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Originally posted by LeBarryboat:
Yes back to the Wolf video...I think he used an SLR digital camera that also does video to film a lot of the video. I too have a Nikon D90 which I use for a lot of my HD videos.

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http://travel.usatoday.com/cruises/post/2010/11/allure-of-the-seas-royal-caribbean-cruise-contest-reporters-at-sea/131134/1

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Originally posted by LeBarryboat:
Maybe I should have the Wolfs on my show?

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Originally posted by Ernst:
My point is: It's not 'fancy technology' (which finally isn't fancy these days) but indeed creativity and hard work that makes this video stand out.

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