What do you look for in a Chase Highlight Video?

[nickgrillo]

What do you look for in a chase highlight video? I am talking as in musical montages, free-of musical montages, etc, lol. When you get a video, what do you want to see in it?

My biggest question is, what price is your limit to pay for a DVD? I am thinking of charging $25 shipped for my DVD, but I may go lower to $20...

 

[mikegeukes]

For a DVD Including Shipping and Handling, I would pay 19.95 at the most Paying 20 dollars and up, like 25 or 35 bucks, I would not buy a DVD, I rather spend the money toward a AMS Conference Preprint or some books on meteorology.

Mike

 

[Shaba117]

The most important things that I look for in a chase highlight video are:
-high quality video (doesn't have to be a 'naderfest'-good structure shots work fine!)
-timelapses are awesome!
-good, but not excessive, commentary
-soundtrack is a must ( I much rather have a rockin' soundtrack over whooping and hollering)
-the production (cost factor)
-'comic relief' (brief blooper reels are hilarious)

As for how much I would pay...it depends on the quality of the video. I don't think I've paid more than $25, though.

 

[Robert Dewey]

I contrast to some of the points above. The one thing I ALWAYS look for is whether or not the video has a soundtrack. If it does, then forget about it. I like the thunder, wind, tornado sirens, etc.. going off. I guess if the whooping and hollering is excessive, then a soundtrack would work fine for those scenes... But everything else should be left in tact.

 

[Derek Lee]

I contrast to some of the points above. The one thing I ALWAYS look for is whether or not the video has a soundtrack. If it does, then forget about it. I like the thunder, wind, tornado sirens, etc.. going off. I guess if the whooping and hollering is excessive, then a soundtrack would work fine for those scenes... But everything else should be left in tact.

I agree, I like to crank the tv so i get the full experience, so i can close everything out and day dream about what it would've been like to be there at that point in time. also handy during severe winter sds. :wink:

 

[Ben Leitschuh]

I'm somewhere in between. I like the natural audio that the storm provides, but a good sountrack can keep it from getting dull. Soundtracks are great during timelapse or clip segments of the less noteworthy storms. A mix of audio will keep the viewer interested in my opinion.

 

[Sheila_Ward]

I enjoy raw footage. I want to feel like I was there. A time lapse or two with a soundtrack is fine, I just don't like it when it takes up most of the DVD. I like the stuff most people would cut out :lol:

I like a highlight video that reflects the personality of the chaser. I want to see the blooper moments, plus the intense tornadoes.

 

[Andrew Pritchard]

I contrast to some of the points above. The one thing I ALWAYS look for is whether or not the video has a soundtrack. If it does, then forget about it. I like the thunder, wind, tornado sirens, etc.. going off. I guess if the whooping and hollering is excessive, then a soundtrack would work fine for those scenes... But everything else should be left in tact.

What I like...is showing the entire segment with live sound. And then maybe doing time lapse...or, still images set to music after the main video of the event.

 

[Rob_Davis]

Speaking of soundtracks, I am curious about something. We have seen that everybody here is obviously very sensitive about copyrights and other people stealing their images. What I am wondering is if those who put soundtracks on their highlight tape/dvd's are using copyrighted music, and if so, are you paying royalties?

Just something to think about.

 

[nickgrillo]

I am buying royalty-free audio from www.shockwave-sound.com ...

 

[Rob_Davis]

You're a good man, Nick Grillo. :wink:

 

[cedwards]

I have been collecting royalty free clips for years now. Most are the pay per track kind, but I do have a 5 disc set of some pretty good stuff.

 

[mikegeukes]

Using music /soundtrack in DVD's, is okay, if not use too much,
People have different muisc tastes, the person who is making
the DVD, wow, this is great music, may not appeal to others.
I rather hear, the storms and etc. Also. less talk from the people,
is a plus. Some people, to be honest are annoying to listen too.

Mike

 

[Dan Robinson]

There are three potential audiences for chase videos: 1.) the relatively small community of active or 'hardcore' chasers, 2.) non-chasers with a moderate interest in severe weather, and 3.) people with little or no interest in weather, but who think tornadoes and storms are kind of cool (the types that watch the National Geographic specials if they aren't busy that evening)

It seems that most chase videos are built for audience #1. Has anyone ever done videos for #2 or #3? #3 would encompass most of the population, I would guess.

My inclination is to design something for #2 and #3 that can still relate to #1. Easier said than done.

If you've ever done a video for these different audiences, in what ways did you do things differently for each one?

 

[Dave Kaplow]

Let’s see, what do I look for in a chase video?

Umm, Mike Hollingshead’s name on the label? :wink:
Seriously, the highlight tapes I have of Mike’s are among my favorites. I love the integration of music, and interesting music at that; plus I absolutely love storm structure, which he excels at. His still camera shots, set to music, are often as interesting as the video. Mike just has an artist’s eye for these things. He gets great storms, of course, but he also manages to go after storms that other chasers might ignore, and then he makes them look absolutely spectacular (the storms that is, not the other chasers).

Off Topic: Wow! As I write this we just had a surprise severe thunderstorm go through (it’s 5:30 am here) that hit my block with several CGs, one of which must have hit the building itself. My computer got knocked offline, and I lost the reply I was composing... No major damage, tho. Very close lightning, the initial snap from the leader was intense, and then the main bolt was DEAFENING! Several others hit almost as close... All this courtesy of a subtropical system that formed off the east coast and moved north. Looking at radar, it looks like what might have been a short-lived supercell just exploded over New Haven in a rainband just to the northeast of the circulation center. Cool! And completely unexpected.