Building a Video Editing PC

David Salahi Premiere Pro, Video, Video Editing 2 Comments

I was editing two-camera footage of a two-hour play and the work was grinding slowly forward. The problem was not the editing itself but the wait for Premiere Pro to update the view as I scrubbed back and forth in the timeline. I had already abandoned any idea of just playing the footage and marking specific points to cut. That …

Pilotfly H1+ Gimbal Stabilizer Demo Footage

David Salahi Gear, Video Leave a Comment

Here’s some test footage I shot in Laguna Beach, CA with my Pilotfly H1+ stabilizer. The camera is a Panasonic Lumix GH4 with the Panasonic 12-35 mm lens at 12 mm. Optical stabilization in the lens was turned on. I shot in 4K and in a couple of clips I zoomed out to full HD in post (i.e., started at …

Participants in climate change rally

Orange County for Climate Action Video

David Salahi Video Leave a Comment

Here’s a video I shot and edited for Orange County for Climate Action this week. This is from a rally in Orange, CA which was one of dozens across the United States that were organized by People’s Climate Movement. This video consists mainly of excerpts from short, impromptu interviews I did with the rally participants.

Pilotfly H1+ Gimbal Stabilizer

Pilotfly H1+ Gimbal Stabilizer

David Salahi Gear, Video 8 Comments

The Pilotfly H1+ is a small, lightweight gimbal stabilizer which provides the ability to hold & move a small video camera with one hand while still getting smooth footage. The low cost of this and similar devices is bringing Steadicam-like footage to the low-budget filmmaker and the small size is providing opportunities for getting smooth footage in tight situations where …

choosing transitions while editing video

Style Serves Story

David Salahi Video Editing 2 Comments

A common bit of advice to new filmmakers is to eschew dissolves, wipes and other fancy transitions. Instead, experts recommend using the simple jump cut for most purposes. I don’t wish to dispute this advice. I think that, in general, it’s sound advice. Inappropriate or excessive use of elaborate transitions can distract and detract from the story. Still, I think …

audio tracks in Adobe Audition

SmartSound Sonicfire Pro Royalty-Free Music

David Salahi Audio, Resources, Video Leave a Comment

Any experienced filmmaker will tell you how important high quality audio is to a film or video. And an important part of the soundtrack is the feeling that music can add. Big budget movies can afford a composer to create a custom soundtrack but most indie filmmakers have to make do with off-the-shelf music. Fortunately, there are some excellent royalty-free …

Frame from the video: The Diary of Anne Frank

Videos from The Diary of Anne Frank

David Salahi Video Leave a Comment

This week I’ve been editing some footage I shot at the Camino Real Playhouse during the previous two weeks. The footage is from rehearsals of their upcoming production of The Diary of Anne Frank. I’ve started a YouTube playlist for the play; the playlist currently contains four short videos. Each of the videos features a theme such as “Irrepressible Anne,” …