Blog: Time for a new video! (08/27/21 - 08/31/21)

Friday, August 27th - Let me upgrade ya

Today, I started finalizing the U-Force video. For this, I rewatch the video in Premiere and make a note of any errors or changes I need to make. This includes color correction, audio issues, video issues, etc. For this video, the biggest problem I had was the quality of the interview footage.

I interviewed Dave Capper over Zoom, which isn't the best quality (720p is the highest it will record). Under normal circumstances, I would have traveled to California with my camera. But COVID forced me to change my plans.

So how do you fix this? In Premiere, you can do a few things. You can resize it to 1080 and add color correction. But even after that, I still wasn't loving it. But luckily, I have a secret weapon: Topaz Video Enhance AI. 

Using AI models, this program can upscale low-quality videos. So we were able to transform the video from what you see above to this: 

Looks cleaner, crisper, and pretty nice for a Zoom call! 

Saturday, August 28th - Off to the mixer

Today, I finalized the video and sent it off to get the audio mixed! I added the end credits, upscaled a few more videos, and gave it one last watch-through to look for errors. Everything looks good, and the video clocks in at 37 minutes, 26 seconds. A little under my 40-minute prediction, but close enough.

Tomorrow, I'll start brainstorming thumbnail ideas. It's more important than you think!

Sunday, August 29th - Thumbnails

Time to make some thumbnails. My #1 goal with thumbnails is to make sure they show the subject and are pleasing to the eye. I thought it might be fun to have a red background since it is a primary color of the U-Force. 

After messing with many angles, hand positions, and lighting, I think I came up with something I like. 

We have a red-tinted background to separate from the foreground and match the U-Force color. We also have the U-Force slightly angled so that viewers can see the logo more clearly. And finally, a hand hovering over the product. I wanted to make it sort of mysterious and forbidden, especially with the title "Don't Touch." My mind wandered to Indiana Jones taking the treasure in the temple, or E.T.

I took about 100 photos for this thumbnail. Yeah, I'm probably overthinking it. =)

August 30th, 2021 - New Commentary!

If you are a Grad Assistant or Professor, there is a new commentary available. This month, I went back and watched my 2nd video, The History of Donkey Kong. I found a lot of errors and some questionable decisions. It's always fun to roast myself. Enjoy it!

https://www.patreon.com/posts/commentary-of-ep-55542473 

I also did some business stuff today. Mailed out orders, taxes, organized, etc. Tomorrow I begin a new project!

August 30th, 2021 - Upcoming topics

In addition to the Super Mario World video, I'll be working on some smaller topics as well. So here is what is coming up next.

What Happened to Mega Man Universe?

Does anyone remember Mega Man Universe? It was going to be, essentially, Super Mario Maker but for Mega Man. It was supposed to come to Xbox Live and Playstation Network. But the game was soon canceled after Keiji Inafune left Capcom. This video will uncover everything we know about the game, why it was developed, and why it was canceled.

I was really looking forward to this game, so I wanted to investigate what happened. 

Microsoft's 3 Biggest Mistakes

We've done Nintendo, Sega, and Sony, so let's cover Microsoft. I'll highlight what I believe is Microsoft's 3 biggest blunders in the video game industry. If you have any suggestions, please leave me a comment!

A Guide to NES Light Guns

The Light Gun is probably the most iconic accessory for the Nintendo Entertainment System. This video will dive into the history of the technology, how it works, the games it worked with, and my favorite part: 3rd party light guns! I believe the best light gun for the NES was not made by Nintendo. I'll showcase them all and give my thoughts. 

Super Mario World

As these smaller projects are developed, I'll also be working on this bigger video. I'm hoping to have it out by the end of the year. 

The U-Force video goes live tomorrow. Our long journey has come to an end!

- Norm