Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with homemovies

VOB>Google Video.... How?

Izzmeister — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 09:55:23 -0800

Easiest Way To Put DVD>Google Video ? This shouls be a pretty easy thing to do, but i am having trouble.

I have DVDs which I own the copyright to. (for example, old home movies converted to dvd.)

I want to upload to google video. (why there? because all the other places seem to have a 10 minute limit on uploads.)

is there a single piece of software that i can use to do the job for me? and if not, what is the best way to go?

rpping the dvd to my hard disk seems to take hours and hog my CPU... so to upload 50 DVDs like that is not practical...

(or is there a way to upload a .VOB to google video by chaning the extension to .mpg or something? :lightbulb:)

Any advice on continuous fluorescents for video?

MeetCleaverTheatre — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 18:07:22 -0800

Could anyone please help a fellow videographer out with advice on fluorescent lighting kits? Lengthy extended question is enclosed. Hi gang,

I am in the market to finally buy my own lighting kit (or cobble one together) after nearly a decade of being spoiled by working in a big name studio (with big name lighting and toys). I've gone the guerrilla route before using halogen work lights and after months of melting makeshift barn doors, gels and blowing a bazillion fuses, I'm finally ready to pony up some dough for some basic lighting.

I would really like to go the compact fluorescent route as they're cooler and the bulbs are readily available in my area. The question is how do they look with mini-dv or prosumer dv camcorders? I shoot mainly interviews, talking heads, small product/commercial shoots and educational videos for the medical/law enforcement world so a huge rig doesn't fit the bill. We do a lot of chroma key work as well.

I was looking at this set up first (really...the most I have available to spend at the moment)...but then noticed another online auction seller offering smaller lighting packages at even more desirable prices.

Has anyone out there used continuous fluorescent kits for shooting video? How many watts do you need to get a good looking SD image? Are the kits above worth the money? I would love to hear advice and recs from some of you video pros and guerrilla filmmakers out there.

Thanks a million for your advice and your time!

How do I turn a dozen DVD-Rs' worth of home movies into files I can edit on a Mac?

gompa — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 11:06:42 -0800

Help me make my daughter's grandparents' year. I've got a pile of home movies shot with an obscure Panasonic DVD video camera and no Mac-friendly software. Help! [more inside] The camera is a Panasonic VDR-M70, and it records onto 2.5" DVD-Rs that can't be read by (indeed don't fit into) a contemporary Mac's DVD drive.

If you connect the camera to the computer by USB, the discs contain a handful of files labelled "VIDEO_TS.BUP," "VIDEO_TS.IFO," VIDEO_TS.VOB," or else "VTS_01_0.BUP," "VTS_01_0.IFO," VTS_01_0.VOB," etc. Plus there's one file called "DVDCAM.IFO."

The camera came with a CD full of what appears to be PC-only software (drivers plus DVD-MovieAlbumSE 3 and MyDVD 4.0). I've got an iBook and my wife's got a more advanced MacBook.

The recorded discs contain lovely moments from the first two years of my daughter's life, and if I can turn them into a single DVD by Xmas, I'll be Son of the Year. I can figure out most end-user-friendly software apps, but my programming/professional-app-fu skills are nil.

What do I do?

Professional transfer of 16mm movies to digital?

Dave 9 — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 15:11:55 -0800

I inherited some 70-year-old, 16mm home movies (not 8 or Super 8) and am looking for a reliable expert to transfer them to digital video. Many vendors say that they can do this. Can you comment on any from personal experience? (I have seen this thread and the links therein.) Are there any issues I should particularly look out for? Thanks.

How do I take decent home video?

selfmedicating — Thu, 22 Dec 2005 07:58:57 -0800

How do I take decent home video? My still pictures have gone from amateurish to adequate with the help of a few basic tips - don't get the sun behind your subject; fill the frame with your subject; outdoor lighting is best; etc. But my home movies are godawful.

What tips do the pros know that could help me take decent video at weddings and family gatherings? Video taken with my Sony Handycam will ultimately be edited into a short DVD, using Roxio Easy Movie Creator, for distribution to family.

My question is part technical and part social. Things like lighting tips are most welcome, as well as tips on how to get people to relax and say or do things that are actually worth recording.

What's the best way to digitize and edit imported VHS video?

johndavi — Tue, 19 Apr 2005 10:46:56 -0800

We have a few stacks of 80s-era VHS and VHS-C tapes that I'd like to both digitize and edit as a gift. Goal 1: Digitize and burn all footage to DVD for archive purposes. Goal 2: Edit the worth-watching footage into a small DVD set (the gift). I'm looking to do this myself. First question: is this an OK plan for protecting our precious home movies of people standing around awkwardly and waving at the camera?

Secondly, can I use my current computer? It's a relatively new Windows box, but I tend to think of Macs as the video-editing superpowers. Can I get quality video import hardware and editing software for Windows? If so, do you recommend any specific hardware for importing VHS?

Thanks!

What do you do with old notebooks, letters, pictures, home movies?

airguitar — Sun, 06 Mar 2005 12:28:58 -0800

What do you do with old notebooks, letters, pictures, home movies?