How To Use A GoPro For Spearfishing: Part 4 | Editing
How to edit spearfishing GoPro footage. The main factors to consider are; which editing software you are going to use, how you are going to store your footage, organising your files and more.
Read the blog below by Noob Spearo.
Spearfishing Video Editing Hacks, Tools and Tips
When I started to get serious about creating some spearfishing videos I quickly realized how far outside of my wheelhouse I was. Finding affordable software that could do the job was a huge part of the problem. Another issue was the quality of my PC. So I hit up Daniel Mann (possibly the best spearo YouTuber check his channel out here) and a few others to figure out my way to creating a bearable video to watch (grand aspirations). Read some of Dan’s advice and a few things I learned below.
Software. Daniel Mann “I use Adobe Premiere Pro as it is what we use at work and has the most tutorials for. It is also a cross platform for Windows and Mac which is great if you are collaborating with mates on an edit. I have in the past used Final Cut Pro X which is Mac only. Benefits to FCPX is that you can actually purchase it whereas PP you can only rent it and never just buy it outright. Gets punchy when the whole Adobe suite is circa $850 per annum.
Also check out Black Magic’s Da Vinci Resolve. It is free for footage up to 1080 resolution and an industry standard for colour grading but you can edit with it as well. Not nearly as many tutorials but it’s free and professional class. Avid media composer is what most Hollywood films would be edited on, never used it but similar to PP and any other NLE.
External hard drives like you have mentioned are great for storage. I use LaCie drives as they are a professional grade disk and are very reliable. I also keep mirrored backups of footage in two places.
You will struggle to edit through a USB 3.0 interface though as there isn’t enough bandwidth to process the information. Other better options are to have a big internal or use an external drive with a better interface. I edit through my thunderbolt 2 ports on my mac to a 1TB edit drive. I dump my project on there and then edit away. Once done backup to my two drives and that's it.
File organisation. I used to name clips like you mentioned in your video but then I found when searching for things I would have twenty clips named ‘mackerel’ shot after a year of diving.
Instead, I do it by dates and cameras.
For instance Root folder 2019.02.25. In that folder I have folders called, Rushes (footage), Project Files, Assets (music, photos for graphics), VO (voice overs), SFX (sound effects), After Effects and finally Output (exports of the finished video).
In the rushes folder I go by camera (generally for me, GH4, GH5, HERO7, HERO4, MAVICAIR) and inside that the card numbers if I have shot multiple cards in a day.
I don’t rename any of the rushes from what comes out of camera as it is easier to remember the chronology of the day rather than mix it all up giving things various names. Speeds up your workflow as you don’t spend an hour renaming every clip.
Hope this helps! Daniel
PS: 16x9 for sure! That is what HD, FHD and 4K are. 1280x720, 1920x1080 and 3840x2160. Well 3840x2160 is what the GoPro calls 4K but it’s really Ultra HD. Real cinema 4K isn’t 16x9 but rather 4096x2160.
Creating a Proxy
Basically you can create a duplicate version of all your video footage in a much lower resolution for ease of editing. This puts far less stress on your computer for the purposes of editing. When you export the finished version, you can change the output resolution to a higher grade.
For example;
You record GoPro footage in 2.7k. In your editing suite you create a proxy in 720p. Then you cut files, add music and make your film from 20 video files, several audio files and you're happy with the film. You then export/render the complete video in 2.7k.
This process means far less tax on your system. You won't have glitchy, laggy moments that cause delays and frustration. Many of the better video editing software suites will have this option.
Video Editing Software Options
- Adobe Premier Pro (Daniel Mann uses this one - it’s an expensive subscription but awesome)
- DaVinci Resolve (I am now using this one - and it’s free)
- Sony Vegas Pro (Spearheads Jose Debasa uses this one - one time payment)
- Final Cut Pro (Mac Only, one time payment)
- AVID (Really popular with professional film makers)
- MoVavi (low cost, easy to use, but not the greatest)
Edit Drive | File Organization
- Thunderbolt 2 or 3 connection as USB 3.0 is not fast enough to edit from.
- All video footage in
- Music, graphics, logos, after effects, sound effects.
- Project Files. Save active working files
To listen to more advice from Daniel Mann (arguably the best spearfishing YouTuber) listen in to this interview;
Or you can watch the interview here
71:10 Dan’s Editing Setup and System. Editing Drive aka Scratch Disc
92:00 Fast Tips for GoPro
By Shrek From Noob Spearo.
Be sure to check out the Noob Spearo Podcast!
