Making Stunt Videos Part 3: Computer Software

A lot of people prefer Macintosh for video editing, clearly you can see I am not one of them! That being said, your new system should be loaded with Windows XP Home SP/2, XP Pro SP/2, or Windows Media Center Edition. The 64-bit version of Windows may also be well suited for the task, in fact video and sound editing is where 64 bit processors really shine (when used with a 64-bit operating system.) However, due to driver support issues, and lack of software, for now I will only be referring to the 32-bit versions of Windows.

You will of course need some video editing software. There are a lot of different options out there, but this guide will be about the most common, Adobe Premier Pro, and Adobe After Effects. This are pretty pricy programs, and there really is no (legal) way around that. They are incredible programs though, and worth every last cent (and more!) Adobe Premier 2.0 sells for $849 US, and After Effects goes for $699 US, and you can purchase them both at http://www.adobe.com

Get those bad boys installed on your brand new video-editing machine, and we are almost ready for action!


by: Chris Miller of Almost Basic Productions & Custom Fighters

Making Stunt Videos Part 2: Computer Hardware- section 3: The Cheapest Possible Setup

Making Stunt Videos Part 2: Computer Hardware- section 3: The Cheapest Possible Setup

Processor:
AMD Athlon 64 3000+ ~ $109
Motherboard:
ASRock 939NF4G-SATA2 ~ $67
RAM:
Corsair ValueSelect (2 x 512MB) ~ $80
Video Card:
Asus GeForce 7600GT 256MB ~ $188
Storage:
For OS, Programs, AND Video Footage-
Western Digital Caviar 400GB SATA 150 ~ $178
For Backups-
Use DVD Burner + Blank DVD's
Optical Drives:
BenQ 16x DVD Burner ~ $37
Case & Power Supply:
Antec Performance TX1050B Steel Server Case w/ 500W PSU ~ $120
Sound Card: M-Audio Revolution 7.1 ~ $120
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Total ~ $899!!!! That's still without a monitor, operating system or software, but we'll get to all that in a later post... This is a VERY low price fora video-editing system, and it will have just barely enough power to make it all happen, but it will do it. Anything less than this, and you will really be waiting a lot.


. By: Chris Miller of CustomFighters.com

Making Stunt Videos Part 2: Computer Hardware- section 2: The Mid-Grade Setup:

Making Stunt Videos Part 2: Computer Hardware- section 2: The Mid-Grade Setup:



Processor:
AMD Athlon 64 X2 4400+ ~ $460
Motherboard:
Asus A8N SLI Deluxe ~ $135
RAM:
GSkill Value (2 x 1GB) ~ $149
Video Card:
ATI FireGL V5200 ~ $500
Storage:
For OS + Programs-
Western Digital Caviar 400GB SATA 150 ~ $178
For Video Footage-
Western Digital Caviar 400GB SATA 150 ~ $178
For Backups-
Western Digital My Book Essential 400GB External Drive ~ $200
Optical Drives:
Plextor 16x DVD Burner ~ $75
Plextor 52x CD Burner ~ $43
Case:
Thermaltake Soprano Mid Tower ~ $75
Power Supply:
Seasonic S12-500 500W ~ $132
Sound Card:
M-Audio Revolution 7.1 ~ $120
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Total ~ $2,245!!!!

And that's without a monitor, operating system or software! But we'll get to all that in a later post...

Yes, this is still pretty expensive, so in Making Stunt Videos Part 2: Computer Hardware- section 3, I will show you just the necessary components to make a video-editing work station, all for around $1,000, something much closer to most people's reach.


By: Chris Miller of CustomFighters.com

Making Stunt Videos Part 2: Computer Hardware- section 1

Making movies is one of the most resource-demanding tasks a computer can do. This means that you need some serious computer power to edit video, otherwise you'll spend hours waiting for your computer to skip through a few seconds of high-definition video. This guide will be in 3 parts, each giving you a different configuration. The first is the Ideal Setup (expensive, but incredible), the second: the Great Value Setup (powerful enough to do the job easily, but not overly expensive), and lastly, the Basic Setup (the cheapest setup you can get away with).

Making Stunt Videos Part 2: Computer Hardware- section 1: The Ideal Setup:

Processor:
AMD Athlon 64 FX60 ~ $1,011
Motherboard:
Asus A8N32 SLI Deluxe ~ $189
RAM:
Corsair XMS DDR433 (2,3,2,6) 4 x 1GB ~ $520
Video Card:
ATI FireGL V7200 ~ $860
Storage:
For OS + Programs-
Western Digital Raptor 150GB x 2 in RAID 0 ~ $550
For Video Footage-
Seagate 7200.10 750GB SATA cache x2 in RAID 0 ~$1,000
For Backups-
Maxtor One-Touch 1TB External Hard Drive ~ $700
Optical Drive:
Plextor 16x DVD Burner ~ $100
Plextor 52x CD Burner ~ $43
Case:
Thermaltake Armor VA8000SWA Full Tower ~ $180
Power Supply:
PC Power & Cooling Turbo-Cool 1KW ~ $450
Sound Card:
M-Audio Revolution 7.1 ~ $120
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Total ~ $5,723!!!!

And that's without a monitor, operating system or software! But we'll get to all that in a later post...

Obviously, this is insane, and very few people could even dream of buying a system like this. Don't worry! You don't have to! Yes, it would make things easier for you, but I will show you how to do it for much less money!!!

In the next section of Making Stunt Videos Part 2: Computer Hardware- section 2, I will show you how to build a really fast system for around $2,300. Yes, this is still pretty expensive, so in Making Stunt Videos Part 2: Computer Hardware- section 3, I will show you just the necessary components to make a video-editing work station, all for around $1,000, something much closer to most people's reach.

By: Chris Miller of CustomFighters.com

Making Stunt Videos Part 1: A Camera

In order to make a nice high-quality video, you need to have a nice video camera. I'm not saying you need a $10,000 movie studio quality one, but the $300 Beta cam you got lying around, just isn't gonna cut it! Now, you can even find High-Definition cameras for decent prices. For instance, JVC makes the GR-HD1, which sells for $1,699.95. I know it seems like a lot, but in the end, it will make a world of difference. You might be wondering, what is the REAL difference between hi-def and regular definition? Well, the answer is: resolution. A standard DV camcorder captures video in 720x480 pixels, which is what a television displays. The problem is, with stunt footage, often the footage is shaky, so when you run image stabilization software (we'll get into that MUCH later!), then the screen may need the edges cropped off, leaving only 75% of the video, so resolution will get as low as 540x360, which when converted back to 720x480 for DVD players, will look blocky and "digitized." With the JVC Hi-def cam I mentioned, you capture video at 1280x720 pixels, which leaves you a LOT more resolution to work with. Say we run that image stabilization software again, and have to crop off 25% the video, like in the previous example, well now the video is still at a resolution of 960x540, still well above that 720x480 that we need for DVD playback. This means, no upscaling: ( upscaling is resizing a video to be larger, which reduces quality, and leaves blockiness). So, if you want your video to come out with nice steady, high-quality video, you're gonna need to get a nice camera, and as this little example shows, the higher resolution you can get, the better. There are many other factors involved as well, so look up some reviews of cameras online before you make that purchase!

Stay Tuned for Making Stunt Videos Part 2: Computer Hardware Needed

By: Chris Miller of CustomFighters.com

Making Stunt Videos: The Beginning

aHello, my name is Chris and I own Almost Basic Productions. I have spent a lot of time learning the art of making movies, music, and websites. For some examples:
Music:
MP3's of my old band, Almost Basic.
Free Hip-Hop Beats I produced
Videos:
Riding Under Insanity Teaser (low-quality because it is online)
Websites:
Riding Under Insanity - A stunt crew from Massachusetts
CustomFighters.com - Everything About Sport Bikes
Webmaster Guides
Motorcycle News
Sportbike Link Directory

There are a ton of hard-working stunt riders out there, who just cannot afford to pay to have a movie produced for them. So, I have decided to share some of the things that helped me out when working on motorcycle stunt videos, in hopes that some stunt crews may be able to put out their own videos now.

By: Chris Miller of CustomFighters.com