• From: Durham, NC
  • Registered: 2009-05-10
  • Posts: 39

Topic: Video Set Up & Example (First Black Flag)

Hi,

I thought I would try to help the community (first time for everything) and post an explanation of how I shoot in-car video and what I use to edit it.  I'm not saying that I have the best solution but it works okay and I spent a lot of time trying various alternatives before settling on this.

First, an example... this brief 4 minute clip from Southern Discomfort (Feb 10) where I earn my first black flag:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwPUCsY4Uqg

Camera ($169): Aiptek HD Camera - I used the older A-HD but you should get the new version (GVS) which has some nice features (image stabilization, external mic):

http://www.amazon.com/Aiptek-Action-HD- … amp;sr=8-1

Since my camera didn't have an external mic I wired one up on an extension and placed the mike in the passenger side footwell. Mike placement is crucial, you need to avoid direct exposure to wind but still capture engine sound and preferably some of the noise from the driving environment.

Wide Angle Lens ($29): The Aiptek camera had a narrow field of view so I epoxied one of these on...
http://www.amazon.com/Sunpak-CAM-2110-M … amp;sr=1-1

Camera Mount ($109): I/O port camera mount.  I originally made one out of u-bolts, wood, rubber and eye of newt (j/k) but despite my best efforts it still transmitted a lot of vibration.  This time I went pro and there is a notable improvement (though not perfect).
http://www.ioportracing.com/Merchant2/m … ry_Code=CM

Video Editing ($60): iMovie on a MacBook Pro. I used to use Vegas on a pc but I finally threw in the towel on pcs this past year.  iMovie is a lot easier to work with.
http://www.amazon.com/Apple-MB966Z-A-iL … amp;sr=8-1

There are a few miscellaneous parts like memory cards and power cords (for the in-car camera).  But I won't go into details about that stuff.

Hope this helps!

Greg
Quattro Libre '84 Audi (Lemons South '08)
The Slammer '87 Milano (Lemons South '09)
The Slammer '87 Milano (Southern Discomfort '10)
  • From: SF Bay Area
  • Registered: 2009-05-01
  • Posts: 146

Re: Video Set Up & Example (First Black Flag)

Libre Driver wrote:

There are a few miscellaneous parts like memory cards and power cords (for the in-car camera).  But I won't go into details about that stuff.

Thanks for the tips!  We were testing this camera & WA lens this past weekend and were satisfied with the results.  However, the camera seemed to stop working when we plugged in the 12V power adapter.  Have you had any difficulty with this?  I'm assuming it's just our adapter and not a problem with the camera running while plugged in to external power.

http://TeamStimulusPackage.blogspot.com

OverStimulated's Website

  • From: Durham, NC
  • Registered: 2009-05-10
  • Posts: 39

Re: Video Set Up & Example (First Black Flag)

OverStimulated wrote:
Libre Driver wrote:

There are a few miscellaneous parts like memory cards and power cords (for the in-car camera).  But I won't go into details about that stuff.

Thanks for the tips!  We were testing this camera & WA lens this past weekend and were satisfied with the results.  However, the camera seemed to stop working when we plugged in the 12V power adapter.  Have you had any difficulty with this?  I'm assuming it's just our adapter and not a problem with the camera running while plugged in to external power.

Funny you should mention that!

Last race it worked fine... but this race I tried to use my BlackBerry power adapter and it didn't work!  So I was screwed.  I had to charge the camera between uses.

We need to figure out what power adapter works.  The problem is that some of the mini-usb plugs seem to switch the camera into webcam mode. 

If anybody knows how to distinguish between the adapters please post a response.

Greg
Quattro Libre '84 Audi (Lemons South '08)
The Slammer '87 Milano (Lemons South '09)
The Slammer '87 Milano (Southern Discomfort '10)
  • VKZ24
  • VKZ24
  • Lemons Staff Stalker
  • Offline
  • From: Wilson, NC
  • Registered: 2009-05-20
  • Posts: 1,840

Re: Video Set Up & Example (First Black Flag)

Our video loks and sounds great, but the editing after the fact...well that sucks the big one.  I've heard iMovie is the way to go, but I don't have access to it.  My camera records in digital MPEG-4 format and produces files that are quite large.  Any tips on editing (software) my stuff?

Captain
Team Super Westerfield Bros.
'93 Acura Integra - No VTEC Yo!

VKZ24's Website

  • From: Durham, NC
  • Registered: 2009-05-10
  • Posts: 39

Re: Video Set Up & Example (First Black Flag)

VKZ24 wrote:

Our video loks and sounds great, but the editing after the fact...well that sucks the big one.  I've heard iMovie is the way to go, but I don't have access to it.  My camera records in digital MPEG-4 format and produces files that are quite large.  Any tips on editing (software) my stuff?

The reality is that:
(a) All high quality video files will be huge.  Ours raw HD files are typically 1GB - 2GB per 45 minutes session.
(b) All file formats are difficult to work with.  That is you'll probably have to convert it to something that your software will accept.  (Okay, not all but most.)

iMovie seems to be very adept at converting raw files to an "intermediary" codec... which it can edit.  But that process is slow.  In contrast Vegas would simply refuse to work with certain codecs... or f*** it up by dropping the audio or something annoying.

For example: Importing 3 hours of footage to edit took about 2 hours.  Then you'll spend some time chopping up your clip and then you have to export it and upload it.  So for that 5 minute clip I linked to earlier here's the break down...

Import: 2 hours <-- you only need to do this once.
Editing: 30 minutes
Export: 1 hour
Upload: 1.5 - 2 hours

Total time: 5ish hours

I believe that the advantages of iMovie are:
+ easiest interface (still there's a learning curve)
+ works with a lot of formats
+ integration with youtube and iDVD (for making DVDs)
+ Cheapest!

Hope this helps!

Greg
Quattro Libre '84 Audi (Lemons South '08)
The Slammer '87 Milano (Lemons South '09)
The Slammer '87 Milano (Southern Discomfort '10)
  • zigm
  • zigm
  • Ripened Lemon
  • Offline
  • From: Simpsonville, SC
  • Registered: 2009-05-28
  • Posts: 129

Re: Video Set Up & Example (First Black Flag)

We also use a Aiptek HD & wide angle lens; with 16GB card in the camera.  It can record non-stop for 8 hours @ 720P/30fps with external power from the car.  This model does not have an external microphone connection, so I just put a couple of band-aids over the top mic. cover to cut down on wind noise. 

I made up an eye of newt mount using Home Depot metal, styrofoam and assorted ubolts & screws.


The external power for this camera is a bit tricky...  This works like a charm:
http://forums.rennlist.com/rennforums/5 … ost52.html

Here is some footage from last September's race:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xww9jCMAvRQ

I'm editing this weekend's footage with MS Live Movie Maker (free).  It get's the job done, and handles the Aiptek H.264 format just fine.

William
Team SOB

zigm's Website

  • From: Northern VA
  • Registered: 2010-02-03
  • Posts: 61

Re: Video Set Up & Example (First Black Flag)

Yea, to actually use the camera when you're plugged into power requires a non-standard pin configuration on the mini-USB plug. If you use a regular USB charger, as you've noticed, it won't work. More details and pinouts here:

http://forums.steves-digicams.com/911847-post14.html

8 Reply by m610 (edited by m610 2010-02-22 12:22 PM)

  • m610
  • m610
  • Lemons Staff Stalker
  • Offline
  • From: Esparto, CA
  • Registered: 2009-12-12
  • Posts: 2,666

Re: Video Set Up & Example (First Black Flag)

Great idea, inserting the video into a magazine cover.

Can't you wire the camera's power to the battery? I'll be doing that for the Pointless race. I also made myself a little UPS for the camera but shouldn't need it. If my camera is powered externally and power is turned off, the camera will turn off for a moment then will come back on, but it won't be recording.

I agree, audio is difficult to get, but it is as important as video.

I wire up external lapel mics to either the rear bumper or in the engine bay. Both work great. For the Arse Freeze Apollza we had them on the rear, near the tail lights, and the stereo effect would let you hear which side of the car the guy on your tail is on.

Be careful about mic placements on the firewall of in the engine bay. Heat could damage them. If you have one of those cars that will melt your sneakers, the firewall wouldn't be a great place for mics.

I'm using mini-DV camcorders and other than the 1-hour recording time issue they have worked great. Downloads are huge, but the quality is great. MPEG is a lossy compression standard and is not that great for action. It's also not edit-friendly, but with a little extra work many editing programs can deal with them. I have had a lot of trouble with MOV files people have given me. It took over 12 hours to encode (import and prepare for editing) about 15 minutes of MOV video.

My Arse Freeze-Apalooza vidoe project ended up being 150 GB!

I'll be using a fancy new 2-channel DVR for the next event, but I may still use the camcorders because the optics are so much better than bullet cams. The recording time is long enough to handle the whole day. Right now I'm working on a way to tap into the driver's radio.

Some examples from Thunderhill...

Start of race, combines SD an HD video, plus a track map for a lap: http://vimeo.com/7898906
Awards: event recap, in HD, included photos: http://vimeo.com/8093170

This was the first time I used HD and I think it worked out great. Brian loved the Bluray version. (I need to get a HD/Bluray TV so I can watch my own videos.)

Another suggestion, use a polarizer. There is a lot of glare on track and also off whatever is left of your dash. They can also help improve contrast on overcast days.

Momentum is a terrible thing to waste.
24 Hours of Lemons on Vimeo, Team Tinyvette on Facebook, Team Tinyvette

m610's Website