keotsang

🎬 Editing Notes & Behind the Scenes

Just wanted to share some personal thoughts and general tips about how I’ve been editing my latest two videos. (GTR Roadtrip and this)

Lately I’ve been a lot more into filming cars. The kind of videos I’m going for now are a blend of cinematics, story, and a bit of commentary — sort of a balance between visuals and narration, with some of me sprinkled in. Not necessarily funny, but hopefully a little bit thoughtful or personal.

Ironically, these videos are easier to edit, ...

Big Life Update! (Part 2)

The day we both picked up the car, we both took our “new” cars out for a mini road trip.

He wanted to get a proper feel for his brand-new M3 Touring, and I just needed to figure out how my car felt — how it handled, what needed adjusting, what quirks it had. To be honest, I’d only ever driven it once before — literally from our shop to the airport, just a 5-minute drive to pick him up after one of his work trips. Not exactly a proper test drive.

Probably not the smartest...

PC + Phone Wallpaper

Please do not distribute Google Drive Link, for personal use only :)

Thank you all. I will update with new wallpapers every now and then, as many of you have been asking for wallpaper!

All pictures are labelled, 16:9 for PC, and 9:16 for phone, I know phones have different aspect ratio nowadays but I hope these will still work for any PC/phones you might have!

2025-07-06 05:05:40 +0000 UTC View Post

1500km Solo Roadtrip in a GTR

I just got back from my first-ever solo road trip — I yoinked my boss' GTR and drove over 1,500 km across Japan.

Didn’t plan to film at all. I just wanted a few quiet days to drive, clear my head, and enjoy some time off from everything. But somewhere along the way, I decided to bring the camera with me, not to vlog, but to capture.

No voiceovers, no talking clips (except the intro). Just a chill, cinematic video from a third-person perspective. It’s more like you’re comin...

New POV Camera Testing

Recently, I was lucky enough to borrow an Insta360 GO 3S from a friend. I used to have a chest mount for POV filming, but now I’m trying something new — mounting it on my hat for a true first-person view. What do you think? Should I start doing daily/weekly POV-style vlogs on my second channel?

I tend to talk a lot while filming lol, but this would be the kind of video you’d see

I took a Toyota Mark II back to the office from a special workshop that only works on 1JZ and 2J...

Finished a 6-Month Project: The New NRT Website

Finally posting this after six months of work, the full visual refresh for the NRT Rent-A-Car website is now officially live.

Pretty much everything you see on the site now—the photos, layout, homepage visuals, and how the cars are displayed—is completely refreshed. I took most of the shots at a nearby gas station (great lighting, super convenient, and most importantly no one there at midnight) and tried to make everything look clean, and car-nerd-approved.

If you’v...

Premiere Pro - Match Cut Tutorial/Breakdown (Latest Video Intro)

I’m breaking down the intro sequence from my latest video, where I used 3 match cuts to transition between scenes that matches the narration.

I’ll walk you through how I planned each shot, how I matched the movement in the edit, and how you can seamlessly use match cuts to elevate the flow of the video.

Hope you find it helpful! :)

Freelancing Video Projects

I recently worked on a super meaningful project—a short documentary about a friend of mine who lives in Yokohama. He’s opened a secondhand shop selling branded bags, and I captured his journey: how he started living in Japan, built his business, and found his passion.

This project fascinated me because I’ve always wanted to create documentaries like this. It’s the kind of storytelling I’ve dreamed of doing—showcasing real people, their struggles, and their growth. Plus, it�...

Recent Video Scripts

Having a script makes filming and editing so much easier for me. I know exactly what to say, what shots to get, and how to piece everything together. That said, I don’t stick to it word-for-word. Sometimes, things don’t feel as natural when I say them out loud compared to how they sounded in my head while writing. So, I use the script more as a rough guide. I’ll still go with the flow during filming, adding in things on the spot or leaving parts out if they don’t feel right in the mom...

Recent Inspirations

Lately, I’ve been deep down the rabbit hole of interior design videos, and honestly, it’s been such a fun and inspiring way to figure out how I should set up my own apartment. Since moving into my new apartment, furnishing it has been a creative outlet I never knew I needed. I’m experimenting with different styles, learning what works for me, and discovering how much a space can reflect my personality, or how much I spent lol.

I also wanted to share some links and ideas I’ve bee...

A Mini Compilation of Autumn

My favourite season in Japan, it's getting cooler, you finally get to layer some clothes, and you see red, orange and yellow everywhere.

I went on a 3-day road trip to Fukushima, low-key wanted to go longer but NRT called :)
100% will visit again next year. Might also need someone to help me take some photos lol.

5000KM, Two Seasons, and a Farewell to the GT-R

Next month, James (my boss) will be selling the R35 GT-R. Before it goes, I had the chance to take it on one last autumn road trip. Growing up, I never imagined I’d get to drive a supercar, let alone one in Japan. But thanks to this job, I’ve been able to live out a childhood dream.

Before I started working at NRT full-time, I helped James film his first ad for the rental shop. Afterwards, I asked if I could take the R35 out to see the Sakuras during April 2025. He handed me the key...

Unreleased (New) Video Snapshots

If you set the shot well, then every frame in the video should look just as nice :)

My Job in Japan

Ladies and gentlemen, this is my boss James.

Recent Project

Trying to help James with revamping his website, could do a bit of an aesthetic upgrade from his website now.

I know nothing about web design, or building a website, but I have been trying to learn everything on YouTube for the past few weeks.

Also more or less driving a different car every day and going to gas stations around midnight to snap a whole new series of photos for each car. It's an amazing feeling when work doesn't really feel like work and you kinda enjoy every sin...

The Room & Desk I Had for 16 Years

My parents, my brother and I moved into this exact apartment in the spring/summer of 2008.

It has been 16 years since then. I have graduated from primary school, high school, and university. Just like me, my desk has also changed a lot. My desk may be the reason my entire channel exists, and I have so many good memories in my room. During the pandemic on August 24, 2020, I posted my first desk setup video, which became my first viral video and kickstarted this whole YouTube journey fo...

Premiere Pro Timeline Breakdown

It may seem intimidating at first, but if you're starting out or want to try editing on your own, just remember that I also begin with a blank canvas. Then, gradually, you want to add more and more.

Video Layers usually consist of:
1. The Main Video
2. B Rolls/Extra Footage/Overlays
3. Color Grading Adjustment Layers
4. Motion Adjustment Layers (Zoom ins/Zoom Outs)
5. Transition Layers (Film Burn/Glitch Transitions)
6. Subtitles
7. Crop Bars

Audio Layers usu...

Dad Cam Footage, Full Upload Soon!

I guess everything old is new again :) Here is some footage from a 12-year-old Sony Handycam that a stranger sold me online.

Some specs, if you're a nerd like me:
Sony HDR-CX430
8.9 Megapixels Stills
1080p Recording at 25/50FPS
32GB Internal Memory Storage
55x Optical Zoom (had way too much fun zooming in and out)
5.1ch Microphone
Balanced Optical Steadyshot

Extremely Convenient
Crazy Long Battery Life
Perfect Memory Capturing Device

Overall Rev...

A Smol 1 Week Break

Well when I say "break" , I'm still carrying the camera everywhere I go, completely worth it though. These are all shot on my phone. More camera pictures to come, just got home and going straight back to editing again!

Love to hear that the prints arrived safe and sound too, I've been getting quite a few private messages for the past week about the prints and they really mean a lot to me. Y'all making this possible for me, so a big thanks to all of you too!

More adventures to c...

My New Camera! (Or Old Camera)

Next video will be filmed on this, my friend Mark gave me his handycam to try out, and after just 5 minutes I fell in love with it. 2 months later I couldn't resist to get one myself. I found this 11 year old handycam in pristine condition online, it was around 100 dollars, the seller was super nice and seems like he took good care of it, and I can't wait to edit all the footage I filmed for the past week!

The Printing Process (The First Series)

The first batch of prints will be shipped out on or before July 17th. Thank you all for your orders so far! If you want to get a print for yourself, now's the best chance before they are gone! www.keotsang.com

Two years ago, I started printing my own photos for personal documentation. I love having physical copies of my photos because it allows me to appreciate the details that are often lost on a small s...

New Video 12/07 Early Access! My Official First Series of Prints

I have to thank my Patrons for the continuous love and support over the past few years, and for allowing me to send some of my prints to all of you, which in turn gave me a lot of opportunities to try different prints, inks, and paper. And finally, after 4 years of creating content on Instagram and YouTube, I am so excited to announce the launch of the official first series of my prints!

They will be on my website for a limited time, also limited to 25 prints each (I think some of you...

YouTube Built-in Thumbnail Tester

YouTube now allows you to upload three thumbnails at once and helps you test out which thumbnail gets the best result. I have been doing that manually for the past few years, changing out my thumbnail every now and then, and hoping that it drives new traffic to the video and I've seen videos suddenly doing well after playing around with the titles and thumbnails even after a few months to a year later.

I'm pleased that YouTube has this feature built-in now, which makes life a lot easi...

Hong Kong Video Script + Shot List

In making this video, I had to move around a lot in hot and humid conditions, so I kept things short and simple. I like to follow the 9-shot rule, which means I aim to capture 2 wide shots, 2 establishing shots, 2 mid shots, 2 close-up shots, and 1 creative shot for each location I visit. This gives me plenty of footage to work with during editing. Since I couldn't control the filming environment, especially in restaurants where I couldn't choose my seat or film without disturbing other custo...

The City Where I Grew Up, Hong Kong

Born and raised in Hong Kong, 23 years of living here, I still think it's a pretty unique and dynamic city. This is Hong Kong through my eyes, enjoy the video! Even if you'll never visit Hong Kong, I hope I can at least showcase some of this city to you via this video :)

Sorry for the late sneak peak of the video, but I keep finding smol mistakes that I have to export again and again and again (typical routine).

BIGGEST PRINT PROJECT 2024!

This is the biggest batch of prints I did by far, and I'm super happy that I got the chance to send some of you my personal prints on Patreon. So that I can try out different types of paper, and figure out how to ship them out.

I always think in this digital day and age, physical photos still has a quality that cannot be replaced with the photos on our phones. I really really have to thank you guys for wanting the prints in the first place, they gave me the opportunity to do something ...

Thailand Group Travel Plans!

My friend Luis and I have been planning a group travel together for January 2025, after a lot of consideration with the timing, budget and travel destination. We ended up picking Northern Thailand to go explore together! We'll be visiting Chiang Mai and Pai and wanted y'all to join us on our adventures together :3

We've planned a lot of crazy activities to do together, from cave exploring, to hot spring dipping, to river rafting, to visiting the elephant park in Chiang Mai! Loads of a...

Videos Make Good Memories :)

My friend was partaking in a drifting competition in Japan and I made a small compilation of his practice sessions with the videos I filmed, I was supposed to take a day off but it was just too fun not to film anything.

He crashed midway through his practice session and luckily nothing serious happened. It was just the back bumper that came off and we also decided to take a photo to remember the moment :)

Hong Kong video almost done, can't wait to show it to y'all!

New Video 14/06 Early Access!

We might have possibly found the cheapest Airbnb House in Japan, and tried to find something cheaper than $22 per night, but as of now, I think this is the cheapest Airbnb house that you can find in Japan.

The more I travel the Japan the more I wander into places which are literally in the middle of nowhere, and I like it. The peace and serenity is unmatched, maybe it's also because I've been a city boy all my life, and wanted to experience something completely different :)

When...

New Video Snapshots

My friend visited Hong Kong for the first time a while back and one of the most stupid question popped up in my head. I actually have no idea where I can bring him to.

Maybe it's because I am someone who lives here, everything feels so accessible to a local that there isn't really a sense of urgency to visit the tourist spots (not sure how to phrase this better) and honestly I haven't even visited all the tourist spots in Hong Kong myself lol.

It's crazy that it's a random...