re: My new Mao montage

I haven't made a Mao montage since 'Don't Stop Me Now' in 2006 so it was about time.

Mao Asada - Supergirl!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mi2uXIIo3T8

Enjoy!!!

Great job! I loved the last part especially, with different step sequences melting into one, and Mao's funny surprised expressions. Nice to see a montage from you again!

I have a question (if you don't mind me asking ). The effect you used look a lot like those in Ulead VideoStudio. Do you use this software? If you do, which version it is and how powerful your PC is?

I grew tired of Windows Movie Maker (its stubborn refusal to accept both normal and widescreen videos is just too much for me ) and I don't want to switch to Premiere as a primary editing software because it does not cooperate with compressed videos. So I tried Ulead and I like the options it has - but it's sooo slow it's driving me nuts. So I wonder whether it might be good idea to either try a lower version, or buy more RAM for my laptop... (DualCore, 2GB RAM, GeForce 8600M GS). Or maybe I'm just doing something wrong, because I saw people at FSVids praise Ulead for its quickness...

I always have used moviemaker. I can't figure out ulead for the life of me. Of course this is WMM vista with a few addons from the WMM forum. My laptop is similar to yours in power, 2GB RAM, dualcore, etc. I have an nvidea video card, not sure if that makes a difference?

Anyway I've had no problem with widescreen vids either. Good luck with yours and thanks for your comments

floskate wrote:

I always have used moviemaker. I can't figure out ulead for the life of me.

I had exactly the same reaction at first... But then I figured it out. One thin that REALLY bothers me is the library and the inability to sort the clips into separate collections (like in WMM) or bins (like in Premiere). It's just one, big mess of tiny clip icons.

Quote :

Of course this is WMM vista with a few addons from the WMM forum.

Woah, a few effects are identical to those in Ulead. I had Vista installed for the trial period of 30 days... Unfortunately, while I loved it at first, it didn't cooperate very well with my laptop, so I switched back to XP.

Quote :

My laptop is similar to yours in power, 2GB RAM, dualcore, etc. I have an nvidea video card, not sure if that makes a difference?

Nvidia is the same thing as GeForce (it's its producent, actually). However, you might have a stronger model.
WMM works fine for me, though. The only thing that bothers me is the widescreen thing.

Quote :

Anyway I've had no problem with widescreen vids either.

IIRC the Vista version of movie maker doesn't have this problem - it just cuts the video instead of distorting it (which I would prefer by a mile). Sadly, I use the XP version now. Oh well, I can always convert the videos - I'm just too lazy sometimes!

Thanks for your reply!

Very good montage!!!!! Could you please upload me the first clip where Mao is crying?

z4mboni wrote:

Woah, a few effects are identical to those in Ulead. I had Vista installed for the trial period of 30 days... Unfortunately, while I loved it at first, it didn't cooperate very well with my laptop, so I switched back to XP.



Thanks for your reply!

If you let me know which ones I can tell you what they're called. There might be an XP version of them at the WMM website! I've heard that vista is great when it's pre-installed on a new lpatop or PC which mine was, but to install on an existing PC causes major problems

polosatik wrote:

Very good montage!!!!! Could you please upload me the first clip where Mao is crying?

The clip at the beginning? It's from the Legend of 17 documentary. I got it from fsvids in Mao's thread there. Unfortunately they aren't too keen on having vids from there posted anywhere else. Are you a member there?

floskate wrote:

polosatik wrote:

Very good montage!!!!! Could you please upload me the first clip where Mao is crying?

The clip at the beginning? It's from the Legend of 17 documentary. I got it from fsvids in Mao's thread there. Unfortunately they aren't too keen on having vids from there posted anywhere else. Are you a member there?

Yes, but it seems like link was expired or something,may be I just can't find it

floskate wrote:

If you let me know which ones I can tell you what they're called. There might be an XP version of them at the WMM website!

Sadly, I don't think they are available for XP. I think I have all the effects from the WMM site installed . There are two that I would love to be available for XP: the "motion blur" (00:49) and the flash transition (00:35). I actually had the flash transition installed when I used Vista, but I haven't seen the motion blur effect for WMM yet. That's why I thought it was Ulead, because it has exactly the same effect installed.

Quote :

I've heard that vista is great when it's pre-installed on a new lpatop or PC which mine was, but to install on an existing PC causes major problems

From my experience it's true. Thankfully, Vista is getting better with time. When I tried to use it about 2 years ago I ended up so frustrated that I was close to throwing out my laptop out of the window! This year I actually enjoyed working on Vista. If it wasn't for the fact that I couldn't get my printer to work and that the system was way too RAM hungry I would consider buying it. However, as my laptop is not all that super-powerful, I decided to wait. I'll probably change my laptop in about a year-two, with Vista (or the new Windows that is rumoured to be available in 2010) already installed.

Polosatik - I think I have the documentary on my HDD or one of the DVDs. I'll look for it once I'm back home. If I find it, I'll post it on FSVids. I need to finally upgrade my account!

The motion blur is called bloom out and the flash transition you mention is actually bloom in but done really quickly so it looks like a flash.

Hope that helps?

That's a cool montage!

[quote="z4mboni"]

floskate wrote:

Polosatik - I think I have the documentary on my HDD or one of the DVDs. I'll look for it once I'm back home. If I find it, I'll post it on FSVids. I need to finally upgrade my account!

It would be wonderful!!!!!!!!!!

floskate - your montage is AWESOME! I love it!!

I thought you picked a great song too. Did you know "Supergirl" is Nastia Liukin's theme song too? I thought that was very appropriate, since Nastia Liukin was among the world's best but too young to go to the Olympics in 2004, but it didn't matter because she won Olympic gold in 2008! I certainly hope Mao does the same!

Here is a cute blurb about the two of them from a 2005-12-24 article:

Winter sports version of Nastia Liukin

Maybe world champion Nastia Liukin of Parker, Texas, and Mao Asada should become pen pals. They certainly are kindred spirits. Liukin already was one of the top gymnasts in the U.S. in 2004 but was ineligible for the Athens Olympics because international federation rules call for a gymnast to turn at least 16 during the Olympic year. Figure skating has its Nastia equivalent in Asada, 15, of Japan. She is outskating everyone, with recent upsets over reigning world champion Irina Slutskaya of Russia and Sasha Cohen, the two-time world silver medalist and top Turin Games medal prospect among the U.S. women.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/columnists/charasta/stories/122505dnspoharasta.1a83040.html