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Whenever I get a chance to go trackside, I usually just OS the trains that I see (jot down times, locomotive #'s, car counts, etc.)  I would like to start making videos of the things I see.  I live in CSXland, a.k.a. Florida, so most of the things I'll record will be, of course, CSX.  Regardless of that fact, I'd like to make my videos as entertaining as possible.  I'm in no way a professional with a camera, but I still want to make a quality video.  With that said, what do you like to have in your ideal railfan video?  A couple of things I'm looking for:

1.  Narrating.  I don't claim to have "radio personality voice", but I do like some videos that gives vocal insight to the trains, locations, and thoughts of the cinematographer.  Of course this info can be typed in the video descriptions.  If I were to narrate, I would dub my voice on the video, as opposed to talking live while recording.

2.  Editing.  Do you like videos to fade in and out at the beginning and end?  Do you like to see the whole train? Just the locomotives, a few seconds of the train, and the end?  Do you like to see a description of the train during the video (examples: the train id, locomotive #'s, car counts, etc.)? 

3.  Camera angles.  Do you like to watch the train from a single angle, or do you like the camera to pan with the locomotives and/or one of the cars?

4.  Lighting.  Silly question, but sometimes weather conditions are not ideal.  Or sometimes a train doesn't come at the ideal time when the lighting is the greatest.  Or sometimes legal viewing/recording can only be made on the "wrong side of the tracks".  Can a good video still be made in those conditions? 

These are just some of the things I take in consideration when thinking of an ideal railfan video.  I'm sure there's more.  I would love to hear your comments, insights, and opinions.  Hopefully one of these days, I can contribute to the "Moving pictures with sound" forum here on jreb.

Check out my Rathole video from the first week of April.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KA9LquqemSI

This should give you a pretty good idea of what I do and what I like. Just some tips and tricks, though--I tend to zoom in for a train approaching, but I frame the shot to leave the opening image interesting but contained. With my guideframes on the camera's screen, I wait until the train reaches the left-center or right-center (depends on side of tracks) line on the guideframe, then I start to zoom out and pan as the train approaches, trying to zoom out a little ahead of the train and pan keeping the front of the locomotive within the center box of the guideframe.

With light, I always try to be on the side of the train tracks that will illuminate the side of the train. Sometimes, though, I will venture off to the wrong side when the sun is high just to get a different shot. If it's cloudy, I don't care which side of the tracks I'm on.

Again, the video posted above should answer questions 1-3, and the comprehensive wealth (or rambling) of information above should answer questions 3 and 4.

Good luck! Don't forget to share on Youtube!
-Chip 

Quote from: florida581 on April 21, 2012, 09:38:08 PM
Whenever I get a chance to go trackside, I usually just OS the trains that I see (jot down times, locomotive #'s, car counts, etc.)  I would like to start making videos of the things I see.  I live in CSXland, a.k.a. Florida, so most of the things I'll record will be, of course, CSX.  Regardless of that fact, I'd like to make my videos as entertaining as possible.  I'm in no way a professional with a camera, but I still want to make a quality video.  With that said, what do you like to have in your ideal railfan video?  A couple of things I'm looking for:

1.  Narrating. 
2.  Editing. 
3.  Camera angles. 
4.  Lighting. 

Being brought up behind a still camera I like to see good sound photography techniques in videos even though video is a bit more forgiving. Here is my take concerning the things you asked about...

1.If you are going to narrate your videos keep it short and simple. Make it read or sound like the basics of a news story (who, what, when, where).There is no need for a long text or narration about how the train makes you feel or anything else. If it gets too over the top you start to sound like the UP heritage kid.

2. A good video doesn't need fancy editing to make it a quality video. Those are just extras that are like shutters on a house.

3. Make the camera angle fit the train and spot. Sometimes a broadside makes sense while other times a wedge or a head on makes sense.  Don't get trapped in a box and shoot grade crossing video after grade crossing video.

4. Lighting is a key element. While lighting doesn't have to be perfect try to at least be on the light side of the train. The dark side just doesn't show as well to my eye. Don't worry about nose light as much as long as you have good side light.

Quote from: JCagle on April 24, 2012, 09:45:39 PM
UP heritage kid.

3. Make the camera angle fit the train and spot. Sometimes a broadside makes sense while other times a wedge or a head on makes sense.  Don't get trapped in a box and shoot grade crossing video after grade crossing video.

1) Hahahaha
2) Thanks for confirmation that wedges are ok... I read Winston Link's thoughts for an ideal shot, and I have always tried to use them; however, some great things can be missed. I'm looking forward to getting the necessary wedges now.

-Chip 

The most important thing is do what you like and keep it fun too. What good does it do to feel like you have to shoot a certian way. We do give points for creativity.

Thanks for your thoughts so far.  I've yet to post a video either on this site or YouTube.  I want to be creative with my videos (while keeping it fun).  I just wanted a general consensus what others like to see.  I'll try different things and see what comes out the best.  Now to find some time to get some footage... ;D

I think all of the advice so far is solid. There are so many different ways you can go with video, I'm sure that you will find what you enjoy.

For your No. 1, I'd say give it a try and see how it goes. Ask for feedback. Some folks have a knack for narration, others not. Of course most everyone is familiar with Danny Harmon's wonderful work, but I've heard good narration from guys younger than I, so go for it. You are right in saying that you don't want to try and narrate as the train passes. I've seen this attempted, and its never been successful. The quality of the narration and the train decreases.

One thing Danny does a lot of that I really enjoy, is selectively bringing the scanner into the video. I've almost ruined videos with badly timed static and extraneous chatter, but I've nailed a few with a crew calling a signal, or a defect detector giving a train the all clear just after the last car passes me. I love to hear various crews call signals, as each conductor, or sometimes engineers, do it a little differently. Its also a good way to open a video while the train is still a good distance down the line, or end as a train goes away. Every now and then you catch a shout out from a crew member friend, or some interesting chatter.

2. I agree with Mr. Cagle that fancy editing isn't needed. I use nothing but the free YouTube editor to string clips together, cut them, and add transitions. Cutting clips in the camera can save memory and time later on.

One thing to consider is if you prefer to do compilation videos or single trains. I generally do single trains, but if you go on a day trip, or see a lot of action in a short period of time, compilations can also work. It goes back to personal preference.

Also, having too much dead space can be a let down on a otherwise great video.

3. My only rules for camera angles are:

1. try to(it is not always possible) be a good distance back from the train. Being too close increases shaking, and decreases the ability of the viewer to take in the scene. It can also decrease sound quality as the horn is really loud, sometimes too loud to enjoy the sound. Sometimes you gotta improvise, but in general more distance is better. The opening shot of Chip's video illustrates this. That bridge would be hard to enjoy if he was right at the abutment, an extreme example, as I doubt that the abutment area is accessible. Plus we all know it is dangerous to be within a certain distance of the rail, so I try to avoid it.

2. stability is key. I've got a few early hand shot videos, and they are hard to watch compared to what I shoot now. Even shaking from a passing train can bother me when I thought I had a good shot. A tripod is almost a most for many videos, but I've used a hastily-made small pile of ballast to set up a shot before.

One thing that I hope to do, maybe some day in the future, is buy a second camera and use both. I have a friend that shoots with two cameras, and his work is awesome. It allows you to really go outside of the box, as you can set one shot up for the simple wedge, and then do the long zoom shot, or spin around and catch those signals drop.  

To answer your question, panning can work if it is done right. Of course good equipment makes it easy, but it isn't necessary. Again, a little trial and error can tell you if you like it or not.

4. Lighting. The previous responses hit the nail on the head. But for low light situations, we are lucky, we can do with a video camera much more than the photo guys can with little to no light. The sound and motion element can sometimes account for the lack of detail, especially with an interesting subject like signals, for example, but pitch black videos of nothing but headlights aren't that great. But a well placed street light, yard light, etc, can do wonders for a video.

Good luck, and have fun with it. There are no screeners at YouTube, so you can shoot videos the way you like.