Blender VSE: Beginner’s Guide I & II (Video Editing)
Cerbyo writes:
Guides for users completely new to video editing (includes some blender specific advice/quirks if you are coming from a different video editing program).
I learned blender VSE through youtube videos. Unfortunately there are many things I had to learn the hard way that just weren’t mentioned in the videos I watched. So this is my iteration of a tutorial video explaining the basics with those little caveats, in the hopes that others don’t repeat my mistakes. Focus is on functional understanding rather than technical.
You can find timestamps and more info on the youtube page of the video.
Part I
Part II (masking +misc)
I tried watching this video but the was almost as if the mouse pointer was in some way linked to the makers vocal chords.
It was impossible to track when the pointer was highlighting something specific.
The jumping around all over the screen totally distracted from the content.
Yeah I agree that it’s very distracting. Still, if you manage to look away the content is good.
I wanted to get out my fly swat XD
Note this is FEEDBACK not a request for platitudes on along the lines of I thought it was “good” Distracting is not a good beginners guide. Having to “look away” is not a good beginners guide.
There is one point where the the audio actually says “Over Here” while jiggling over an area of the screen that encompasses more than one window.
Suggestion:
How about this video is taken into Blender and the techniques described are used to remove the visual noise.
Looking away as a suggestion is pure BS for a tutorial video.
Please Note this is a “beginners guide” I admit I actually learned something new early on about merging windows, but I had to give up the visual noise was so distracting not to mention any sort of incoherent information about codec choices which consisted of “there is this this and this I prefer this” on >1 occasion.
I must make the point that a Beginners guide is meant as a guide for beginners not an excuse to show off that the producer is familiar with certain details.
Make choices and demonstrate, maybe say there are other options but none of these are for a beginner or provide cases where those other choices could be valid.
When I am a Beginner (I am a life long learner new to this element of Blender) I do not want to be “looking away” if anything I want to repeat the experience to glean the exact details so I can go away understanding what it is exactly that I have seen.
Please stop making vague platitudes about the content, the video sucks at what it purports to provide (a Beginners guide) the content is useless if it is impossible to follow without significant prior knowledge.
The content may be good to you but I wish to point out that from a Beginners stand point it needs significant editing.
I hope this gets back to the producer as structural feedback. I suggest you get a beginner (Note someone who is Totally Blender Green) sit them in front of this video and ask them for an opinion. I do not want to be alone in my criticism.
I had this video pop onto my screen as a recommendation and I considered it could be useful, but as it is I have to consider further recommendations as a possible waste of time.
I appreciate the producer is trying to provide a beginner with useful information, I wish to provide the producer with the feedback that the video fell short of its target.
Due mainly to a lack of stability in delivery and clarity of detail.
I am sorry if you felt it necessary to support the content, but I would also provide you with some feedback, if the video has distracting elements, then the content no mater how relevant detailed or supportive cannot be said to be good.
Yep, all that crazy mouse movement and scrolling makes the video almost unwatchable. However, on the plus side, it is better than a large number of the Blender tutorials I have seen, because:
a) There are no trashy introductory graphics / banging music, like the presenter thinks they’re on a TV show.
b) The audio is recorded well.
c) I don’t see the presenter in a distracting overlay window, sitting at their desk, showing off their fancy office space and elaborate microphone setup. That is the most idiotic production method that infests so many other tutorials, crap gaming videos on YouTube (which my son watches), and even a recent CGCookie video mentioned here on BN.
If the producer wants to have option a) I can live with that.
I will concede b) the audio quality is excellent.
I will also concede c) makes a good quality presentation without a massive ME factor.
None of these factors detract from it being for me not almost unwatchable, but making it actually unwatchable.
The producer is obviously capable and did not fall into the traps you mentioned this video demonstrates that Blender is capable of providing tools that will allow for smooth video editing. The producer is obviously capable so why were the tools not used to produce a truly polished presentation?
What I am asking for is could we get a rework that is watchable?
Quick tip for using Blender’s VSE:
Don’t
Instead, go download the FREE version of Blackmagic’s DaVinci Resolve. It’s 100% professional-level software, and yes, you can use the free version in commercial work.
Use a REAL video editor rather than beat your head against Blender’s VSE. :D
One really good reason that I’ve used Blender instead of DaVinci Resolve is the DVR requires a lot more horsepower to work, whereas Blender will run on the smell of an oily rag.
Just my 2 farthings…