Another Holiday Video…

For years, we’ve been producing a short video clip in lieu of sending a traditional Christmas or holiday card. If you had asked me, I would have guessed we began this tradition about twelve years ago. 

But after checking my records, I discovered that we actually started in 2010—making this year’s edition our sixteenth Holiday video. In the early days, our messages—like so many others—were mostly a rundown of our accomplishments from the previous twelve months: sports activities, trips, and similar highlights. 

Fortunately, the format has evolved into something more reflective, offering a broader sense of how we felt about yet another year. It’s far more enjoyable to watch, sparing viewers the boasting about everything we achieved and conveniently skipping the less glamorous moments. 

These days, our clips run just a couple of minutes and are produced in two versions: English and French. Below is the 2025 edition. Regardless of its quality, each video represents a significant amount of work. In the beginning, it might have taken me more than 50 hours to write, produce, and send. 

With experience, I’ve managed to cut that down to about 25 hours—still no small investment of time. How long will this yearly effort continue? As the saying goes, and without any pun intended: We’ll see... 

An annual big production…

In late 2009, I produced my first Christmas-video instead of the typical holiday postcard I used to create and have printed, then mailed to family and friends. Before that, I had gradually transitioned from a physical card to an electronic version that I can send to 100 European friends without breaking the bank! 

I thought a short two-minute film would tell a better story than a piece of cardboard with a collage of shots related to the big events that had marked our year. At that time, it was purely experimental as I had no idea how long I would stick to that format instead of the traditional card. 

It’s true that these days people don’t write anything anymore on paper and all type communication is done via social and electronic media. Sending stuff electronically is much easier, cheaper, faster and a no-brainer. 

So, I’ve been bucking that trend for 16 consecutive years now by creating and producing our own family video that as years have past has become more about what we now think or believe than what we have done or accomplished during the course of the year. 

This said, this is a huge piece of work that entails long hours (I easily spend between 20 and 30 hours doing it, including sending it that isn’t always fast because I like to personalize my cover-message. 

How long can it last? It will depend on my physical ability to create, produce and deliver and I can only hope that it’s not the last holiday video I’ve sent out...

You Tube continuing education

Two days ago, as we were driving down to the airport to pick up our daughter, we bought a pair of replacement wipers at Costco, our favorite store, as the old ones could no longer wipe clean the road salt water.

When I got home I spent at least two hours figuring out how to replace them and soon was on the verge of giving up and returning these two beauties to the store.

I had gone through the ungodly confusing instructions and had looked through a couple of videos that didn't help me one bit, when I landed on this other video, was made for a Honda, but that worked just as fine for my car. In just two minuted the new wipers were snapped into place and I was proud of myself for not giving up.

Thanks one million to You Tube and George Fotinakes, the American author of that video!

The (evolving) art of ski video

Even though I began shooting ski videos in the late 80s. I started making ski clips in earnest since 2010, when I got my first helmet-mounted GoPro camera. Since that time, I have learned a lot and keep on learning each time I edit my work.

Because it's not so much when I shoot that I realize my mistakes, but when I try to piece together whatever good footage I have into a ski movie. I have mentioned before the shaking that comes with the helmet-mounted cam and a hard, bumpy ski terrain.

Now, when I look at my options, I will consider more angles, different perspectives, small details to insert at editing, and try to I realize that the best way to create a good film is to be extremely patient and super well equipped.

Patient, because it demands multiple takes and repetition, well equipped or organized because image stability becomes a priority, especially if zooming is needed.

This sounds complicated, but it's still fun. I'll begin working on it, tomorrow!

Beware of most movies...

I recently produced a couple of videos in which I made appear reality a tad better than it truly was. Folks noticed, believed what I was trying to portrait and told me.

I had then to let a few of them know (the ones I knew or cared for well enough for this) that what they were seeing and understanding wasn't necessary reflective of reality. It was just a... movie, after all!

When a film or video is produced, the soundtrack, the editing and the dialog or narration will influence it a great deal, far beyond reality if this is what the producer wants to achieve.

Few clips are just “cinéma réalité” and this is the real fact, so next time you watch a motion picture, always keep that “behind-the-scenes” reality in mind!

Deer Valley Resort ski opening day

I haven't shot and edited a great many videos lately and was a bit apprehensive yesterday when I went about to film the opening day at Deer Valley. My fears were unwarranted, I got the footage I wanted and ended up with a pretty good piece. By now, I should know that I don't need fear in my life.

The joy of editing left-over videos...

A few blogs ago, I was explaining my back-log of unedited videos sitting in my “raw footage” folder. Over the past days, I have been catching up a lot and discovering many scenes that normal folks would find “ordinary” but that I would unbiasedly qualify of “priceless!”

Editing ski video was particularly thrilling as I found a few good pieces dating back to 2011, a landmark winter both in snow quantity and fun factor. If anything, viewing all this material has exponentially whetted my ski appetite and now, I want to ski more than I've ever desired at the end of a month of August.

To top this, I've also heard that the Farmer's Almanach is predicting tons of snow this season, for whatever that's worth!
 

Video back-log

Yesterday, as I had not much going on, I've came to realize that a significant video footage was still lingering in my “raw footage folder.” That's when I begun to step in and did something about organizing these random shots into video form that made more sense.

I began with last Christmas and I'm still working on winter stuff. With some luck I should be through that project by next week. You see, building our new home not only had a disastrous effect on my skiing, but it also substantially slowed down my cinematic projects. Now, that I realize the hole I've fallen into, it's only right that I start some clean-up of my own.

What was great, though, was to discovered how memories are fleeting and how some seemingly memorable episodes - just a few months ago - appeared to have been long forgotten. Let me also add that preserving little, fun memories is just what creating family movies is all about!

The “closing day” video...

What makes a good “last day” or closing day video? I'll soon find out as I'm on my way to shoot one for Deer Valley Resort, as today is their last day of the season.

Some skiing following other people, some overhead views from the chairlifts and a few sound bites from folks who are either sorry to see the season come to a close or are still enjoying sliding down the hill. We'll see!

The formless video

Video assignments are tough, especially when the scope is general and wide open. That's when a mental script or some sort of plan comes in handy. Today, I have to shoot of video of the Freestyle World Cup in Deer Valley without having the right to film the actual competitions. This means that I must run around the bush and creatively communicate what went on during the events. Mostly soundbites, crowds reactions and vignettes. These projects that are created “as we go” are difficult to capture, but they are always so challenging!

Shooting (good) ski video

After trying the helmet mount for too long, I've finally come to the unmistakable conclusion that using a chest mount is by far the most stable way to shoot ski videos.

There's perhaps one caveat in the fact that the skier's arms get a little in the way, but there are obviously ways around that if the skier is skilled enough.

The helmet isn't secured enough around the head, plus this one bobs and turns just when you don't want it and the mere inertia of the camera weight makes it always worse. Case closed!

Before you shoot: Have a plan!

Before you shoot any video, think it through before starting to create your material. Just see the story, if not in your mind's eye, at least down on paper.

I should know better, but I always forget and spend too much time improvising, starting from scratch, scrambling, making up and patching up. A tiny bit of planning always goes a long way!

Perplexing GoPro

I love my helmet cam, mostly because I hardly ever tinker with it, especially with its settings. To be truthful, this little wonderful device is all but user-friendly. Today, as I was on my way out of the house to film a quick mountain-bike outing that was to be titled “Close bike encounters”, I stumbled upon the camera settings and couldn't get them going at all.

I tinkered and tinkered with them, screwed them up, and before long, I had to open up the God-awful instruction flier that I ignore like the plague to make sense out of the working principals of that tiny camcorder. I kind of got a refresher course, but before I had managed to make some sense of its settings it was too late for me to go, it was already lunch-time.

We'll do that video at some other time, I guess...

Entangled into a video project...

A complex video isn't necessary one that tells a long, winding story, but rather one that tries to convey a complicated one, or express a rather a ragged series of event with a limited amount of footage. Sometimes, when they're straight-forward, some video projects are quick to bring through editing.

Sometimes, they're a big struggle if the story is ragged, the available footage insufficient or there is a will of doing something out of not much, in terms of raw ingredients. In situations like these, the creative process takes time, inspiration, persistence and talent. This is what is called “learning the hard way...”

GoPro on mountain bikes?

Wearable video cameras are generally as steady as the user and depending on the sport or the activities, there can be a lot of shaking going on. Sure, video services like Youtube offer some post-editing image stabilization solutions, but then, any credits or graphics present get distorted by the correction. Mountain bike video shooting is among the worst situation one can experience.

Placing the video cam on the helmet isn't the ideal location as the device is fairly heavy, has quite bit of inertia and there's always too much play between the helmet and its attachment as well as between the helmet and the head, so any jolt gets amplified and the the on-going shaking makes the viewer seasick.

What are the solutions? Placing the camera on the bike offer an even more rigid coupling that transfers everything to the image. Perhaps the chest-mounted harness is a better way. We'll try it next time, so please, stay tuned!

Shooting videos with GoPro

For more than two years now, I've been experimenting with my GoPro video camera and figuring out the best way to get ski movies that are captivating and yet stable enough so those who watch them don't get sea-sick. It is not easy, so today, I'm going to explain what I've learned and what I'll try to do more of, in the near future.

To start, there a need to have a clear reference point, forward or back, that is followed or leads the action, to give the viewer a good perspective, a true sense of what's going on and where the action really is. Therein lies the difficulty: Following or preceding a “moving target.”

Next, one must ski as smoothly as possible, therefore avoiding big bumps and rough terrain; these ideal conditions quickly limit themselves to groomed runs and fresh, deep snow. There's also the camera location that always is a major consideration; I still feel the cam needs to be placed on the skier's head, not the thorax and that the angle needs to be carefully adjusted so we can see the sky, the landscape, with the skier dead center and, please, not the cameraman ski tips!

Finally, because of the “fish-eye lens” of the camera, it becomes imperative to stay as close as possible to the subject and, in so doing, match his or her speed. A lot easier said that done... Stay tuned for some future samples!

Video lessons...

As I have mentioned in that blog, I discovered a great book that has taught me a lot about video-making. In addition, I've also arrived at some conclusions on my own, aimed at creating better action videos, particularly while skiing.

First there should always be a subject, I mean another person, in the frame, to provide some depth or perspective and create a better sensation of what is really happening while skiing. Just showing two ski tips doesn't do justice to the experience.

Second, following that skier is always better than preceding him or her, as the camera lens “loses” people at almost each turn, especially when doing long radius turn and evolving in steep terrain.

Finally, attention should be placed on staying steady (very difficult) and on skiing at reasonable speeds (otherwise “sea-sickness” is guaranteed). This later condition is certainly where my focus will be placed next season. It's also the most difficult to master!