A few weeks back, I made a video of our hike up Mt. Takadate, but when I ‘finished’ it, it didn’t feel quite right. Since then, I didn’t have much time to look at the video, but I’ve gone back to it just now, and I’m really glad I had that gap as there were a lot of glaring issues with the editing. This gap has given me fresh eyes that mean I can now do a better job at trying to portray the story I wish to portray. It’s a beautiful mountain, but I feel the GoPro just doesn’t do it justice. Will need to bear this in mind for future videos.

There’s not much I can do about the bad footage. I just have to keep in mind that walking creates a jarring action that doesn’t portray very well in video, especially in a low-light environment like the forests of Mt. Takadate. The solution to that is the duck walk, as many people will be aware of. Likewise, I need to do a better job at panning a bit slower, as the footage does turn into a bit of a blur. Either that, or I need to use my other camera for panning, GoPros aren’t that good for cinematic stuff, I’ve found, more just general recording. I got the GoPro for general recording anyway, so maybe I need to look at my other options for getting more cinematic stuff. Like a drone.

This gap in the editing process also reminded me a lot of my essays during my Masters’ course, and also translation. Once you get your main ideas out onto the page, I would recommend taking some sort of time away from the screen before continuing. Not only will you be thinking about the project in the background, which I’ve found can lead to insights, these fresh eyes can then give you greater understanding into just how you wish to express what needs to be expressed. This is why, if you’re on a deadline, you have to get this idea process out as soon as possible. If you have no time, I guess you have to wing it, but getting your ideas out early, and then coming back I’ve found is a pretty good way to go about things.