Software like the Shorts App for longer videos

[Albercook]

So I started making videos with the Shorts app. One thing that I really like about it is the workflow. I film a clip. Watch it. Keep it or discard it. Film another clip etc. I always know what I have covered and what I have not so I don't leave anything out and don't repeat myself. I can also record several takes until my delivery is smooth and there is a good starting point and ending point. By the time that I'm done, there is virtually no editing required to get a very presentable product. Certainly, there are many things that can be done in post-processing that will improve the video but everything that I wanted to say is included and it is smooth and in order.

The problem: When I want to record a longer video I find that I have lots of bad takes, missing parts and duplicates, the pacing varies from clip to clip and I often have to start all over because I don't have that instant feedback that I get with the Shorts app.

Am I doing something fundamentally wrong? Is there another video recording app that I can use? All of the ones that I have tried are very clunky with respect to quickly playing the last clip and not of them will concatenate automatically and finally, Even if I want to use another app to make a short they don't loop automatically so I can't see what the clip will look like.

What do people do to address these issues?

 

[Tito Tim]

For shorts or longer vids I just film on my phone, and edit on my computer. There are numerous editing programs for the phone/tablet as well. I have never seen the shorts app... so cannot comment on it.

I just went to look for the shorts app and it seems extremely limited and would not be of interest to me.

 

[Albercook]

Yeah, wrong section but no worries. I moved it over for you.

So this is a common issue. Personally I often do multiple takes, and at the end of each I will give myself a second or two input on that take so that I know what my opinion is when I go to edit. So for example if I have a really good take but I didn't like one part of it I will tell myself that at the end of the clip and then edit the best parts of each clip together.

There has to be a better way.

 

[Albercook]

There has to be a better way.

What is this problem called?
I don't even know how to search for answers.

 

[Albercook]

Sorry, Should this be in a different forum? Is it more of a strategy?

 

[Stanley | Team TB]

Sorry, Should this be in a different forum? Is it more of a strategy?

Yeah, wrong section but no worries. I moved it over for you.

So this is a common issue. Personally I often do multiple takes, and at the end of each I will give myself a second or two input on that take so that I know what my opinion is when I go to edit. So for example if I have a really good take but I didn't like one part of it I will tell myself that at the end of the clip and then edit the best parts of each clip together.

 

[Albercook]

https://youtube.com/channel/UCJCKEi5pNPdW_jvLpR4ZyJg

What? Why did you reply with this link?

 

[Stanley | Team TB]

There has to be a better way.

I'm sure there is... I'm not the most efficient. That having been said you aren't going to find some amazing trick that totally eliminates the need for multiple takes. Get really good and you'll still have to do them from time to time. If you do get really good though it will take far less takes.

I'm kinda picky about my style/editing so I want to make sure to cut out all the 'umms' and 'uuuhhs' and there is just no getting around that. I also want to change my camera angle every few seconds to keep things punchy/lively. So again, the editing and multiple takes are all a natural part of the process for me.

 

[Albercook]

There are numerous editing programs for the phone/tablet as well.

I just went to look for the shorts app and it seems extremely limited and would not be of interest to me.

I'm using OpenShot and editing, per se, is not a problem. The problem is that without the instant replay of the last clip it is almost impossible to get a second clip that matches pacing, tune, content etc. I agree the shorts app is very limited but the ability to instantly play a concatenated version is WONDERFUL!

Try it. Record a few second with the shorts app, view it, record some more, view the total thing, delete it if you don't like it etc. It would be better if you could go back and delete a clip that is in the middle and re-record any section but even the simple capabilities I mentioned are not available in any other recorder that I know of.

I was working with a friend who is an editor. We did it the standard way, script, production (multiple takes), post processing. It was impossible for him to get it under a minute. In less than 10 minutes I was able to do the entire thing with the Shorts app. When i did each scene separately there was no flow. He was trying to cut out little bits of dead air and speed up or slow down clips to get the pace to match. I was doing all this voiceover because things were missed or duplicated. We spent hours and I fixed it all in 10 minutes with the workflow of the shorts app. Is there no full featured version of it for production?

 

[Albercook]

If you do get really good though it will take far less takes.

I also want to change my camera angle every few seconds to keep things punchy/lively. So again, the editing and multiple takes are all a natural part of the process for me.

Thanks for the reply. I am getting better but it is such a horrible way to work. It depends on my short term memory of everything about the previous shot. Also I can and do change the angle between shots.

I found an app called InShot that lets me splice together the different shots so that I can review them before moving on. This has got to be the way the films are made. Why else would they have those monitors right next to the camera so the director can see how the shot looks. Simple things like a word that gets cut off can be fixed with a retake. By the time I go to post I have a really good first draft. I know that all the parts are there and in the right order. The changes in camera angle all work. My only problem at this point is my monitor is tiny because it is my phone screen.