It usually takes me about two weeks to put a show together, but this one dragged on for three weeks. It came out so beautiful that I am totally convinced that spending time tweaking the "finished" product should become a regular part of my process. Many things intervened to extend the creation of this production.
First, of course, I had MOHs Surgery on a Squamous Cell Cancer on my ear causing my ears to swell up and prevent me from doing any videotaping as I looked quite strange on video. I worked around that, however, as best I could. There were many other aspects that I needed to do to create this project. I even tried several new concepts including creating the overlaying voice using our Canon Camera. I first tried to use the in-computer microphone but the sound's quality was a bit less sharp than the camera produced. Also using the computer microphone prevents me from then changing photos. This is what occurred. I recorded my voice above a series of photos. When Laura saw the photos, she made the suggestion to replace one of them, but when I tried to do that I lost all the voice overs I had just created. I realized that not only was the sound poor, but also I had a lot less flexibility in creating the IMovie project when I used the in-computer mic. The best way to create a video is to record my voice even if I do not show any of me. I literally sat on my couch (where I do most of my work), placed the camera on the table I use to rest my computer, and pressed start. It didn't matter what the camera was actually showed, because it was the voice that interested me. I then did the usual download of the file into my computer, and placed the photos in the correct position without actually showing anything the camera recorded. The bottom line is that when I wish to speak to my audience without showing many or no photos, I will shoot downstairs in my living room, but if I just want my voice, I will bring the camera upstairs as I indicated. Amazing revelation.
I also for the first time used several editing techniques I never went near. One of the things I hated were the transitions from clip to clip that I videotaped. However, IMovie provides several possible types of transitions that make for not only smoother movement from clip to clip, but also the added dimension of something very lovely. Laura also indicated that she was unhappy about my labeling texts. In this show I move from town to town. I usually create the text on Pages (the word processing app on my Mac) and exported a photo which I placed below the name of the town for example. Laura asked whether that could be accomplished within IMovie and indeed it did. I googled how to use the texting aspect of iMovie which I then realized not only provided the actual ability to write, but also provided different fonts, colors, and locations of the descriptions on the photo, some of which were very imaginative (to me anyway).
So what you will see for Alan's Italy Show # 128 - A Day Out in Tuscany with Luca and Greta - the Val d'Orcia - San Quirico will be, probably I hope, the best production yet using iMovie. I have the feeling that I have just discovered something I should known about, but that's what learning is all about. I learned the very basics of IMovie, and then over the past several weeks have expanded my knowledge to include some very wonderful features which enhance the finished product. I use that same technique, I then realized, when I teach mathematics. I start with the basic, and most of the time, easy examples and gradually raise the level of difficulty for students to better understand the whole topic, i.e. the key and probably most important aspect of teaching and learning.
This show reveals some absolutely stunning images of the south eastern edge of Tuscany known as the Val d'Orcia. I guess that every town is probably pretty gorgeous in that region, but we focused on the four we actually visited, Pienza, Montalcino, and Bagno Vignoni from the trips Laura and I took between 2008 and 2010 during which I drove, and then San Quirico from the drive in May, 2016 during which Luca drove. What always makes trips nowadays so very special was the fact that Luca, who knows Tuscany about as well as anyone, drove us around. He brought Greta, his lovely daughter, to enhance our experience. Unfortunately it rained, just not did back in 2013 when Luca drove us to Colle di val d'Elsa, also in Tuscany, but further north near Siena. Rain never dampens his spirit and enthusiasm which is very contagious, since the afternoon was beautiful. Also.....oddly, it always seems to clear up after lunch!!!!
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