October 30, 2021
When I purchased my new Apple Mac mini M1 computer, I thought that a great way to faster build up my editing skills was to re-face the same challenges that I had with earlier videos, and so using this computer along with DaVinci Resolve Studio (paid version) along with the DaVinci Resolve Speed Editor and LG 34″ monitor would be a great way to just sharpen up my skills a bit.
Well here are the results!
The first one that I did on October 30th 2021 was “Have you ever been Lonely?“. Here is how that one turned out:
Though I did manage to slightly improve the audio end of the music, the real improvements were in colour accuracy, sharpness and overall quality of the video. Now, I could have reshot the entire video using a higher quality camera than I had when I shot this original footage, but the goal was to see if I could make better results using the original unedited video that I first shot, and the results were satisfyingly improved, especially the results from the green screen.
The second video was “Guantanamera” released November 6th, 2021. The original footage did come out very well, and it turns out to be one of my better played pieces:
A way less intrusive background with tack sharp body and accordion and improved song… add in some better animations and what was a good video originally, turned in to a winner!
My third remaster was “Vecer Nad Vltavou“, a Czech tango, released November 28th, 2021. This original video gave me FITS with the green screen especially around my head. This time there were some serious improvements on not just the green screen, but the skin tones, lighting and sharpness!
With more animations, the story of this video seems to come out better, and the minor changes to the audio do make a nice upward swing. A beautiful song and I even used my own original pictures that I took what I was in the Czech Republic from back in 2013!
The fourth remaster is “Silent Night“. Released December 12th, 2021, I have to mention two big things. When I originally captured the original video footage, I was sitting WAY too close to the green screen and caused green fringing everyone on me. I must have spent 20 hours looking for the best way to reduce the green cast. Though I could have done a touch better, give another 20 hours, I was at the point where it was just good enough. The second thing was that in the original video, I actually blasted the volume a touch too high and clearly added distortion to the video due to simple lack of experience. Well, in this version, the sound is clear as a bell, sweet and ZERO distortion.
The 5th and final video in the ReMastered Series is “Besame Mucho“, released December 26th, 2021. This video was a bit hard for me to make… there is a LOT of emotional turmoil and memories in this song for me… you see, this was the first song that I recorded in 35 years and it was the last song that I played for my father a mere 2 months before he passed away:
In the original version, I really made it dark, to match my mood at the time. The loss of my father is something that I will NEVER forget, and NEVER stop hurting, but a little of that hurt was replaced with fond remembrance. Improved skin tones, colours, sharpness and contrast as well as a little bit of a less dark scene along with some minor audio improvements are what brings this video to life for me.
I have a friend that says that the accordion is special, that it brings our past back and that we can take that wonderful past that we sometimes forgot… and remember… and maybe even take it in to our future with us, and that is exactly what the accordion is for me.
I have NO idea at where this journey goes, but I know that it is a path that is both old and new to me and it is a path that I want to take.
Enjoy!