rockingthe2
Well-known member
I love the quad lock system, after losing a few phones off of ram mounts im not moving back lol.
Between 485 & 705 SQ/FT Mid-Century Moto Mecca Makeover
- Thread starter sakurama
- Start date
Workspaces between 485 and 705 squarefeet.
I've found the combo of Quad and Ram to be a pretty good solution. Although the one on the 500 right now is all Quad and it's been great so far.
Alright those of you local to Portland or those of you with cars and a desire to travel on Easter...
Tomorrow is the first PDX Moto Swap and I have had a large amount of stuff piling up that never seemed worth selling on ebay or CL or was too much trouble to deal with piecemeal and so when I heard about it I thought, "I'm sure I have a few things I could get rid of..."
Three days and one full van later I seem to have found more than enough stuff to make getting a space worth the trouble. I frankly surprised myself with how much gear I found. Probably 8-10 jackets, 20-30 gloves, half a dozen Ohlins shocks and forks. It's downright silly. Lara has spent three days cleaning, polishing and packing. I'm giving her 20% of the take so it's for a good cause.
So come by tomorrow at the address above (after, of course, you've found all the eggs) and say hi - there will be some nice stuff, some deals and some free stuff. And it should be a nice day.
Gregor
mittenjeeper
Member
Gregor,
I would love to see a current pic of the BMW, what's the status of that thing?
I would love to see a current pic of the BMW, what's the status of that thing?
I've had a bunch of electrical issues with it. The original builder did a great job on many aspects but then used a lot of parts that weren't up to the task. I've had a few switches go bad on me and the intermittent nature has been hard to track down.
I think I've gotten it sorted out so my goal over the next month is to start taking it out on longer trips to check reliability.
One thing that I added that has been a real disappointment was the TrailTech Voyager Pro GPS/computer/dash. It can't route which makes it a pretty useless GPS and despite being hardwired in it seems to constantly restart as if the power was interupted. I assumed it was maybe an issue on my wiring but I've heard the same thing from Ben and a few other people. It's supposed to have a battery that would mitigate that sort of behavior but there's no way to charge it outside of riding and riding never seems to charge it.
I have yet to find a GPS that is better than a phone and phones are better all the time. Gaia is a great program for off road so I'd rather have my phone on the bars and something more useful on the dash.
My next project for that bike is to pull and remake the dash and get rid of the Voyager and install an analog tach and/or speedo. Not sure what sort but I've always been curious about the Speedhut gauges.
Gregor
Quick side project - bringing shop and pizza together.
When you're baking a pizza in a pizza oven you will always have one super hot side where the flame originates and then you'll have the other side where the heat is exiting. That path is the cooking heat and you could (and I did at first) look at this as a design flaw or you can look at it as the natural state of things. Either way you need to deal with that by constantly turning the pizza so the heat is applied evenly.
You can buy what is called a "turning peel" which is a smaller peel designed to get under one side to facilitate the spinning of the pizza while in the oven. Otherwise you need to pull the pizza out and use your fingers to give it a quick turn. It's not the end of the world to do that but keeping it in the oven will reduce the cook time.
I could buy one for $20 or I could spend four hours in the shop and make one. No prizes for guessing what I did.
I wanted to make a bunch of holes to help with the grip, to let the semolina fall through and because I like the way it looks. It took me a very long time to calculate the sizes and spacing because I did on paper and with the hole saws that I had on hand. I had some .100" 6061 that seemed like it would be thick enough to not be affected by the heat of the oven but I had no idea if that was going to be "a thing".
Because the milling vise only opens to 5" and I wanted the peel to be around 7-8" or 200mm I just screwed it to some scrap plywood and then used the DRO to follow my hole pattern. I left one hole undrilled so I could attach the handle.
I was just using scrap so I found a round of 6061 aluminum that was about 16-18" and rounded the ends and then clamped it at a shallow angle in the vise using the stop as a support - not precise and not really trying to be precise. I then used a roughing end mill to put a shallow taper on both sides and a slotting saw to make an opening for the round part.
I cleaned them up, deburred the holes, sanded them with the orbital sander to just smooth the edges and ground down the leading edge to allow it to slide under the pizza and then wiped them down with alcohol to prep for welding. I'm always super nervous about welding after spending an hour or so making the parts knowing that in a few seconds I can ruin a good part with too much heat or a ****** weld.
Despite the mass differential of the two parts my feel for aluminum seems to be getting better and the welds looked pretty good despite myself. I decided to leave it in that unfinished state to see how it worked before I did any finishing. I don't want to polish it and passed on the idea of knurling the end of the handle as I like to flip and spin it. If anything I may bead blast it.
But it worked just fine. It took a few pizzas to get the hang of giving it a quick spin while cooking but it worked and it seems to have helped knock about 30-40 seconds off the cook time.
I used this as a small project to make a video so I don't have quite as many photos but now the task is to try to assemble that into a short video. It will probably take me a few days but I figured I'd post this up in the mean time.
I thought I might need to sand down the handle a bit but I seem to have gotten the angle right so that the flat connects the leading edge in a smooth way. Anyway there you go - a quick shop project.
Gregor
When you're baking a pizza in a pizza oven you will always have one super hot side where the flame originates and then you'll have the other side where the heat is exiting. That path is the cooking heat and you could (and I did at first) look at this as a design flaw or you can look at it as the natural state of things. Either way you need to deal with that by constantly turning the pizza so the heat is applied evenly.
You can buy what is called a "turning peel" which is a smaller peel designed to get under one side to facilitate the spinning of the pizza while in the oven. Otherwise you need to pull the pizza out and use your fingers to give it a quick turn. It's not the end of the world to do that but keeping it in the oven will reduce the cook time.
I could buy one for $20 or I could spend four hours in the shop and make one. No prizes for guessing what I did.
I wanted to make a bunch of holes to help with the grip, to let the semolina fall through and because I like the way it looks. It took me a very long time to calculate the sizes and spacing because I did on paper and with the hole saws that I had on hand. I had some .100" 6061 that seemed like it would be thick enough to not be affected by the heat of the oven but I had no idea if that was going to be "a thing".
Because the milling vise only opens to 5" and I wanted the peel to be around 7-8" or 200mm I just screwed it to some scrap plywood and then used the DRO to follow my hole pattern. I left one hole undrilled so I could attach the handle.
I was just using scrap so I found a round of 6061 aluminum that was about 16-18" and rounded the ends and then clamped it at a shallow angle in the vise using the stop as a support - not precise and not really trying to be precise. I then used a roughing end mill to put a shallow taper on both sides and a slotting saw to make an opening for the round part.
I cleaned them up, deburred the holes, sanded them with the orbital sander to just smooth the edges and ground down the leading edge to allow it to slide under the pizza and then wiped them down with alcohol to prep for welding. I'm always super nervous about welding after spending an hour or so making the parts knowing that in a few seconds I can ruin a good part with too much heat or a ****** weld.
Despite the mass differential of the two parts my feel for aluminum seems to be getting better and the welds looked pretty good despite myself. I decided to leave it in that unfinished state to see how it worked before I did any finishing. I don't want to polish it and passed on the idea of knurling the end of the handle as I like to flip and spin it. If anything I may bead blast it.
But it worked just fine. It took a few pizzas to get the hang of giving it a quick spin while cooking but it worked and it seems to have helped knock about 30-40 seconds off the cook time.
I used this as a small project to make a video so I don't have quite as many photos but now the task is to try to assemble that into a short video. It will probably take me a few days but I figured I'd post this up in the mean time.
I thought I might need to sand down the handle a bit but I seem to have gotten the angle right so that the flat connects the leading edge in a smooth way. Anyway there you go - a quick shop project.
Gregor
quadrcr87
Well-known member
The more you post, the more I want a pizza oven!
Gregor, came across this a little bit ago. Guy goes into how he cut together a new intro video for his channel. He talks a bit about sound design and editing like nicholam mentioned, and goes through his process for the video including some of his reasoning for editing decisions:
hewey
Well-known member
Pizza peel looks great, as does that pizza!
wannabridin
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 17, 2011
- Messages
- 140
Gregor,
Since you're always looking for a new project, why don't you buy a 3D printer and have at some VERY nice organizers for small parts? Would supplement your current small parts organizers and give you a great way to take on another time sucking hobby!!
Check out all of this guys parts storage solutions. If you want some samples pieces to test out, just let me know, I'll print whatever files I can find for you and send some your way to test.
Since you're always looking for a new project, why don't you buy a 3D printer and have at some VERY nice organizers for small parts? Would supplement your current small parts organizers and give you a great way to take on another time sucking hobby!!
Check out all of this guys parts storage solutions. If you want some samples pieces to test out, just let me know, I'll print whatever files I can find for you and send some your way to test.
Zoinks! I'm not sure I get that. I get 3d printing but that seems like a solution to something that has been solved already. We used to have a rule building bikes that you don't build what is simpler to buy.
I will fully admit to the irony of me building an old motorcycle when there are plenty of amazing current ones that I could just buy but I think I'm going for something a bit different - something a bit more visceral.
Maybe I'm wrong but my experience with 3d printing is that it's slow and expensive. The hundreds and hundreds of boxes he printed must have taken thousands of hours. I'm sure he's sponsored so he's not paying for the materials and he's also probably running a few machines - I didn't do a deep dive into the channel. It could also just be a way to generate content.
I do love the idea of 3d printing but I need to learn to how to design in Cad software first. Is this a Yak shaving situation?
The past month I've been studying for my FAA Part 107 UAS (drone pilot) license so that I can legally fly and shoot for clients and projects. I've also been taking a course to teach myself more techniques related to flying and filming with the drone as well. I want to be better at using it as a tool.
I've never wanted to learn to fly (well, maybe a little) but the amount of knowledge that is required to pass this test is really incredible. I've had to learn how to read aeronautical charts, understand weather and it's relationship to flying, airport traffic patterns, flight restrictions and airspace classes. It's been exhausting but also illuminating.
As much as I love this country I feel we let people do a lot of **** that they have no business doing. When you compare driving a car to flying a plane it's a remarkable contrast and the self limiting nature of that sort of training is a pretty obvious benefit. I have always thought that motorcycles should be a strict tiered license structure as in Europe because it seems bonkers to give the keys of a 200hp motorcycle to a kid who's never ridden one.
Then again that would put a huge dent in the number of "hold my beer" videos we get to watch.
Anyway, my test is Thursday morning. Fingers crossed I get better than the 70% required to pass.
Gregor
wannabridin
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 17, 2011
- Messages
- 140
It all depends on what part you're making and how you're making it (FDM, SLA, SLS, DMLM, etc). Recently I made some rather handy 0.5 Nm torque drivers for some plastic screws at work. An equivalent off the shelf part was north of $100 and had a 10 day lead time. I printed fully usable tools in 3 hours. Had 4 of them overnight. Cost less than $5 in material.
Some things are ABSOLUTELY slower to 3d print than machine, but other things are infinitely faster because you simply can't machine the geometries.
And you hit the nail on the head in some aspects: he is sponsored (partially) and wants those views. But he also created a unique solution for makers that don't have access or skills for more traditional means. I use the harbor freight organizers (I believe you use the stanley ones?) And they're fine, but somewhat lacking. Using those 3d printed parts, one could have a modular system that fits their unique situation. Some folks can afford a $200-300 printer and some cheap filament when they start and as their hobbies and parts inventory grows, doing on-demand manufacturing in house allows for a continually evolving workshop.
I cut my additive teeth in metal (quite literally by making dental implants for some companies) and saw all the benefits (and drawbacks). Worked with HIGH end plastic machines as well to do fully functional, as built, defense products. Printing them was not only cheaper than machining, but offered much faster turnaround and throughout times, plus, around a 98% reduction in scrap.
One thing though, you love additive manufacturing, we see it in many many of your posts. I did work using the same method attached to a robot when hog outs and castings were FAR too much to justify, especially in exotic materials. I'm of course talking about welding, arguably one of the oldest "modern" additive manufacturing methods.
I attached some shots of things I've made. Topology optimized traxxas slash (because we could), p51 exhaust manifold, FEA optimized shifter knob which cooled down faster, titanium tap handle and others.
Some things are ABSOLUTELY slower to 3d print than machine, but other things are infinitely faster because you simply can't machine the geometries.
And you hit the nail on the head in some aspects: he is sponsored (partially) and wants those views. But he also created a unique solution for makers that don't have access or skills for more traditional means. I use the harbor freight organizers (I believe you use the stanley ones?) And they're fine, but somewhat lacking. Using those 3d printed parts, one could have a modular system that fits their unique situation. Some folks can afford a $200-300 printer and some cheap filament when they start and as their hobbies and parts inventory grows, doing on-demand manufacturing in house allows for a continually evolving workshop.
I cut my additive teeth in metal (quite literally by making dental implants for some companies) and saw all the benefits (and drawbacks). Worked with HIGH end plastic machines as well to do fully functional, as built, defense products. Printing them was not only cheaper than machining, but offered much faster turnaround and throughout times, plus, around a 98% reduction in scrap.
One thing though, you love additive manufacturing, we see it in many many of your posts. I did work using the same method attached to a robot when hog outs and castings were FAR too much to justify, especially in exotic materials. I'm of course talking about welding, arguably one of the oldest "modern" additive manufacturing methods.
I attached some shots of things I've made. Topology optimized traxxas slash (because we could), p51 exhaust manifold, FEA optimized shifter knob which cooled down faster, titanium tap handle and others.
Attachments
Those parts are cool as hell and really exemplify the amazing abilities of 3D printing. I hadn't thought of it but the reduction of waste is really appealing as well. The Tap handle just couldn't be done any other way - or at least it seems like a perfect solution.
I'm very interested in 3D printed metal. I could see that being the thing that tips me to wanting to get into that sort of thing.
Alright, back to the books.
G
I'm very interested in 3D printed metal. I could see that being the thing that tips me to wanting to get into that sort of thing.
Alright, back to the books.
G
wannabridin
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 17, 2011
- Messages
- 140
You want to get into metal AM, you better break out a big checkbook 
FYI, the 3rd to last picture is a heat exchanger. A VERY simple design, but effective. Another awesome benefit to AM is osteogenesis for implants.
Here's some more amazing examples of additive being used in ways you'd never dream of machinging or casting.
Oh, and one of a full color 3d print
P.s. one exciting thing I got to help a company startup was building country wide printing centers for doctors to make artificial organs from. Cadavers are not in high supply, but medical students are, leading to a shortage in "practice parts". Using different materials, one can print different densities of materials, meaning different organs/limbs/etc with full color cross sections and even realistic feeling arteries/veins/skin, etc.
This is FURTHER excited by the diagnostic potential. Let's say you have a blockage in your heart, but the only way to confrim the MRI scan is with exploratory surgery. Well by using high resolution MRI scans, a 3d model can be built and then printed to exacting detail, in multiple configurations, in days. The surgeons could then cut apart the printed organ to locate the blockage and then forego the exploratory surgery and potentially drastically reduce the impact of the main procedure. Just beyond exciting technology!!!!
FYI, the 3rd to last picture is a heat exchanger. A VERY simple design, but effective. Another awesome benefit to AM is osteogenesis for implants.
Here's some more amazing examples of additive being used in ways you'd never dream of machinging or casting.
Oh, and one of a full color 3d print
P.s. one exciting thing I got to help a company startup was building country wide printing centers for doctors to make artificial organs from. Cadavers are not in high supply, but medical students are, leading to a shortage in "practice parts". Using different materials, one can print different densities of materials, meaning different organs/limbs/etc with full color cross sections and even realistic feeling arteries/veins/skin, etc.
This is FURTHER excited by the diagnostic potential. Let's say you have a blockage in your heart, but the only way to confrim the MRI scan is with exploratory surgery. Well by using high resolution MRI scans, a 3d model can be built and then printed to exacting detail, in multiple configurations, in days. The surgeons could then cut apart the printed organ to locate the blockage and then forego the exploratory surgery and potentially drastically reduce the impact of the main procedure. Just beyond exciting technology!!!!
Attachments
amkluttz
Well-known member
When I was searching for phone mounts I started looking for RAM but ended up with a Tackform mount. So far I love the thing. Full disclosure... I use them in my car and truck but haven't on my bike yet.
I like the single handed action of removing or inserting my phone, the mount is well made and it feels very solid. I also like that they will sell you individual parts like just the actual mount.
I put a review up and within a day or so had an email from the owner of the company simply telling me he liked how I modified the mount. When you call in to the company you're likely to get the owner on the phone. He's very involved and I've been impressed so far. Check them out.
Finallygotit
ALLIANCE MEMBER
You want to get into metal AM, you better break out a big checkbook
A very big checkbook.
fartymarty
Well-known member
Gregor
Well apparently nobody is going to mention it, so I will.
Beautiful, Gregor....and good luck on the test.
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mittenjeeper
Member
I've had a bunch of electrical issues with it. The original builder did a great job on many aspects but then used a lot of parts that weren't up to the task. I've had a few switches go bad on me and the intermittent nature has been hard to track down.
I think I've gotten it sorted out so my goal over the next month is to start taking it out on longer trips to check reliability.
One thing that I added that has been a real disappointment was the TrailTech Voyager Pro GPS/computer/dash. It can't route which makes it a pretty useless GPS and despite being hardwired in it seems to constantly restart as if the power was interupted. I assumed it was maybe an issue on my wiring but I've heard the same thing from Ben and a few other people. It's supposed to have a battery that would mitigate that sort of behavior but there's no way to charge it outside of riding and riding never seems to charge it.
I have yet to find a GPS that is better than a phone and phones are better all the time. Gaia is a great program for off road so I'd rather have my phone on the bars and something more useful on the dash.
My next project for that bike is to pull and remake the dash and get rid of the Voyager and install an analog tach and/or speedo. Not sure what sort but I've always been curious about the Speedhut gauges.
Gregor
Thank you sir! I have been in love with the airhead GS since the late 80’s.
Sent from my iPhone using The Garage Journal mobile app
Haven't heard Anderson Powerpole connectors mentioned since the days when we used to use them in RC cars back in the late 80s or early 90s. Back then, they were touted as having the lowest resistance. Personally, I used to use Dean's 4 pin connectors (soldered 2 pins per positive and negative lead), which were before they made their Dean's Ultra Plug connector. Dean's Ultra Plug has a smaller footprint than Powerpole, so something to consider if you have space constraints.
Just did a google and noticed people were still using the Powerpole connectors in RC as late as 2014. However, nowadays we usually use 4mm or 5mm bullet connectors for our LiPo battery applications, and sometimes people use ec3 or ec5 connectors.
Been keeping up with this thread for a while, but have yet to post in it. Just wanna let you know you do some great work and thanks for sharing all your projects. Cheers.
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E12-535iTurbo
Well-known member
Yes but I was kinda expecting to see you ride in the drone shots. They seemed a bit random to me now. I understand having the drone film you is again a step up but there are some drones that have tracking software. I don't know if you can apply it with these speeds but they are used a lot for climbing, running vids.
The cheaper version would be to just shoot the trail for a short length without the riders just to provide us with a point of focus in the drone shots.
They kinda feel too random to me now.
Man, you guys are a tough crowd!
But, you're totally right. Most of that B roll was shot not in that area except for the dolly shot of the trees going up. In fact that shot of trees from above was just in the forest below our house. I'm trying to work on my editing and my shooting but they're not always in sync. Right now it's more important that I learn the editing so I'm grabbing what I had. As I build up a better library of clips and such I'll be able to lie to you in a seamless and believable way!
But you'll be glad to know that I just picked up a new drone on Saturday - the Skydio 2 - and that it works unbelievable well. Like astonishingly well. Like Scott and I took off hard on our bikes in an attempt to lose it and it caught us and never lost us.
I took it, my Mavic 2 Pro, my Sony A7C and my GoPro on the ride I did yesterday with Ben and Scott. I will attempt to make all those cameras work together in a new video maybe this week after I recover.
Also, today I got my first vaccination and the person who stuck me with the needle was none other than a subscriber here - Brad, thanks for your service, for doing the work on the vaccination and following along here - it was great to meet you in person.
Alright, I'll get back to work bringing these videos up to snuff.
Gregor
E12-535iTurbo
Well-known member
Ha! I caught your lie that the trees were not filmed at the riding location. Anyway I only dared to post any critizism as I know you would appreciate it. And above all it's all in my own interest: makes me get to view even better footage in the near future.
Looking forward to the next episode.
smschriefer
Well-known member
Gregor, I can see you maturing with your videos and time and practice will pay off. Sadly, when you have videos with Tillamook in the name I am forced to eat ice cream, Malted Moo to be honest. I love that creamy good Tillamook ice cream.
Okay, my question was if you watch Paul Brodie on YouTube? I really enjoy his videos and how he teaches bike building and machining skills. I feel like you would enjoy the channel and would pick up some skills along the way. He has been working on an Aermacchi race bike and an electric bicycle that I've been enjoying. Good stuff on that channel and yours too.
That last video of you trail riding was very good. I would have liked a little narrative backstory, but that is me. Some people comment on Paul Brodie's site complaining that he talks too much. Point being - you can't please everyone.
Okay, my question was if you watch Paul Brodie on YouTube? I really enjoy his videos and how he teaches bike building and machining skills. I feel like you would enjoy the channel and would pick up some skills along the way. He has been working on an Aermacchi race bike and an electric bicycle that I've been enjoying. Good stuff on that channel and yours too.
That last video of you trail riding was very good. I would have liked a little narrative backstory, but that is me. Some people comment on Paul Brodie's site complaining that he talks too much. Point being - you can't please everyone.
rk_tek
Well-known member
I love seeing the new videos out on the trail, but remember, you're out there to have fun. Don't let capturing the video get in the way of your escape.
Other video topics we'll watch that you can do at home and practice story telling and editing:
Pizza making
Bread making- including time lapse of dough rising. yes i get that bored at work
Cat videos are a YouTube all time hit
Washing vehicles- the dirtier the better
Anything in the shop.
Other video topics we'll watch that you can do at home and practice story telling and editing:
Pizza making
Bread making- including time lapse of dough rising. yes i get that bored at work
Cat videos are a YouTube all time hit
Washing vehicles- the dirtier the better
Anything in the shop.
gearhead1960
ALLIANCE MEMBER
That is such a good flavor. I'm with you on that one.
I have watched Paul. It's a little slower paced than I care for - I sometimes want him to speed things up and to show instead of talk - but he's genuine and pleasant and has a ton of good information.
While I can write here I honestly am not all that comfortable in front of the camera but I am getting better. I was thinking about this last night and this morning on the walk with the dog. So much of social media now is just "look at me - look at how cool I am"
I loathe that stuff.
When I post here I always try to make sure there's something of value - either me actively showing something I learned or explaining a process. I also understand that sometimes something can just be nice to watch and it can do that without needing to teach.
My nature is to share and to teach. The riding stuff is gearing up to try to tell more of the story of the BMW which is a thing people generally want to know more about. I'm just testing the waters, getting my footing. I tried last year and I bit off too much and stalled so I'm making small videos and not trying to put a lot of meaning into them. If anything I want them to be motivational to get out and ride - maybe more for me than anyone.
So I'm not talking in the videos (yet) because I'm working on natural sound and story telling with just the footage I capture.
I've spent some time going back to Frank Howarth's channel and appreciating his video's for their creativity, pacing and instruction. He's not teaching you step by step but he does explain things. They are enjoyable and he's found a voice and style that is his. It's fun to actually go way back to his early videos and see how primitive they were.
He also seems like just a very nice guy and I can't help but wonder if we're neighbors.
I have the footage from making the pizza peel so I want to cut that into something. I also want to do another short video from the ride Sunday. I may try to make that have more of a narrative but then I didn't shoot it that way - I just tried to capture a good variety of footage. I think an actual narrative will require story boarding and I've tried that in a basic way but it feels like writing down directions to a place you don't know, "I guess I'll make a right turn and then maybe a couple of lefts..."
Still learning to write the words - not quite ready to write the story. Hell, I can't even spell yet.
That said I think a short video on pizza would be fun. For sure. Bread too.
I did a video about the power washer but shot it in vertical which I regret greatly. I haven't posted that but I could and probably should.
Little known fact - I was actually an early YouTube star with a cat video. Swear to god.
In 2006 I told one of my clients about how this new kitten I had loved the shower and would get in and play in the water. They didn't believe me so I shot a video where I picked up the cat and got in the shower holding the cat. Nothing graphic - just waist up. The cat was in my arms, playing in the water, perfectly happy, completely wet. I showed them that morning.
They thought it was hysterical and said I should put it up on this new thing called YouTube which I thought was a horrible idea. So I did it. Within a few months it had maybe 300k or half a million views. It was mostly viewed and commented on by cat ladies who thought it was sweet that I loved my cat and thought I was a cute "cat guy".
I got several marriage proposals and a LOT of comments that I ignored. I was called by Animal Planet, America's Funniest Home Videos and some others because they wanted to put it on TV and I said no to all of it because then people might actually see it. As it was it was on YouTube and no one looked at that. Aside from the cat ladies.
I never really made a connection between YouTube and the larger world until one day at the race track while going through tech inspection someone came up to me and said, "Hey, you're that guy from YouTube with your cat in the shower!"
That weekend the video went viral through the pits and everyone ended up seeing the video and I got a lot of comments about wet pussies in the shower. I took the video down as soon as I got home and never posted again until this year.
So. Probably not cat videos.
Gregor
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Hawk136439
Well-known member
Hey Gregor I'm sorry if you are over taking suggestions of helpful videos but I stumbled upon a stream recording from a channel I subscribe too that was showing how they actually edit one of their videos and thought it could maybe give you some ideas of how others deal with audio. Hope it helps, its really long but thought I'd share.
Not at all. One thing I don't have is anyone who I can just sit down with and watch them edit. It's something I find really important and that I try to do whenever I'm learning something new. It's why I put on a (welding) mask to study every movement of Heath when he was repairing my swingarm - that got me over the hump on aluminum welding.
I apologize if the video diversions are disrupting the flow here - I suspect that there's going to be a lot more disruptions in the future. I have two projects that I'm putting together right now for clients and the budgets are over 100k but the video and production components of both will take 90% of that budget. Leaving 90% on the table hurts...
So learning video is not just a thing I want to do for fun but I'm realizing that it's also my next career change. They say that you change careers about 5-6 times in your life and while I've been a photographer since I was 12 years old I've changed within that career many times.
I started as a photojournalist until I moved to NYC, I then assisted for three years learning commercial photography with Gregory Heisler. After that I stumbled into still life photography and did that successfully for 10 years until I was bored. I then started shooting motorcycles while also doing still life so it was a dual career change in a way. When I got to Oregon I started doing hotel work and travel. All along I've known video was something I should learn and do but the enormity of stymied me.
I have paired up with video shooters when I need that for a job but I've always hated the way that video takes over a shoot when the disciplines are combined. Now I recognize that I have to learn this to survive. Still photography budgets are always getting smaller and video always has more money. I'm typically the one who's creating the story or directing the arc or concept but not getting the money.
So again, sorry if this is messing with the threads feng shui. I'm coming to understand that I need to make big changes in my life and this is one of them. Most of my other career changes have not been as difficult or complex but this one is harder for me. Once I get my bearings it will be a net positive.
Gregor
PS the fact that you can't embed video in this forum is a real bummer as well...
fartymarty
Well-known member
I would love to hear more about this model and how you find it compares to your Mavic pro 2, either here or if you prefer on a new thread just about drones...or a link to somewhere else that you discuss drones online (Drone Forum?) Thanks Gregor.
nicholam77
Well-known member
If the forum switches to Xenforo soon as promised, we'll finally be able to embed video!
Video budgets might be a lot more than still photography budgets, but they've been trending smaller as well for years. The other piece of it is video production and post-production generally requires a LOT of people, who all need to get paid. Unless your a one-man-band or working on really high end stuff that has money, it's hard to get a big piece of the pie. I think you're right about brands really looking for video everywhere they can, though, and not just TV. High quality content for social, YouTube, websites, etc.
Regarding your Tillamook video I actually really enjoyed seeing you experiment with the nature cutaways. To me it's a step up from the jump cuts, and gives more texture to the location. It will get more seamless in time but it's super important to try stuff. It's really hard to teach editing because there are so many types of films and every project is unique. But the more you experiment, the more you figure out what does, and doesn't work. Just remember film is subject to interpretation, so not everyone will love the result every time. That's ok. If you incorporate the bike in some of the drone / close ups, and plan to film all from the same location, it will thread the action together a bit more. You're going to be churning out complex videos in no time. You got some awesome GoPro footage this round, I especially like the sun flickering through the trees in this zone:
I'm going to send you a PM with a little 30sec dirt bike film you might find an interesting reference.
Keep up the great work!
Video budgets might be a lot more than still photography budgets, but they've been trending smaller as well for years. The other piece of it is video production and post-production generally requires a LOT of people, who all need to get paid. Unless your a one-man-band or working on really high end stuff that has money, it's hard to get a big piece of the pie. I think you're right about brands really looking for video everywhere they can, though, and not just TV. High quality content for social, YouTube, websites, etc.
Regarding your Tillamook video I actually really enjoyed seeing you experiment with the nature cutaways. To me it's a step up from the jump cuts, and gives more texture to the location. It will get more seamless in time but it's super important to try stuff. It's really hard to teach editing because there are so many types of films and every project is unique. But the more you experiment, the more you figure out what does, and doesn't work. Just remember film is subject to interpretation, so not everyone will love the result every time. That's ok. If you incorporate the bike in some of the drone / close ups, and plan to film all from the same location, it will thread the action together a bit more. You're going to be churning out complex videos in no time. You got some awesome GoPro footage this round, I especially like the sun flickering through the trees in this zone:
I'm going to send you a PM with a little 30sec dirt bike film you might find an interesting reference.
Keep up the great work!
So the Mavic is a cinematic drone. It has a great camera and a few options that allow it to do things like circle a subject, time lapse, point to point and it theoretically has subject tracking. I say theoretically because outside of following a single person in an empty field as they walk - after that it's ability to track a moving subject is pretty weak.
The Skydio puts all it's energy into obstacle avoidance and then subject tracking. It has 360 cameras that create a 3D map and then it follows your subject through the landscape. I've only tried it a couple of times now but it tracks your subject about 100% better than a Mavic. It uses both visual cues and a GPS signal when you're using the beacon.
The downside is the camera is good but not as good as the Mavic. The chip is smaller, the color space not as big and it's controller and interface are all geared towards the idea of tracking. I think it has a lot more abilities than I've figured out yet but I look at the two drones as serving very different goals: one does the big grand and sweeping things and the other catches the action.
I'm working on the next video now so when that one is done you'll get to see both of the drones together in one video.
Thanks. As a photographer I've done big shoots with quarter million dollar budgets and also smaller projects (10-15k) that are one man sort of things. I make about the same money for both jobs but one has a massive crew. I see the the big jobs slowly going away - the value of them gets less and less because the need of social media to generate a constant flow of content means that you're better off spending 100k on 20 small projects than you are on one big one.
I don't want the big ones - I want the small ones.
You're right and what's happening is that creatives are having to move up the food chain. I used to have tons of small projects that weren't very difficult but required a good eye and moderate skill. Those jobs have been hoovered up by the million monkeys with fantastic automatic cameras who can push a button and be happy to get paid $100 or a free hotel stay. My wife is a perfect example of someone who has sucked up a lot of the work I used to do. She is really excited to get a free weekend stay in a hotel in exchange for posting a bunch of iPhone photos on her IG. The hotel gets advertising and content and it's cost is zero. It's really hard to compete with that.
Anyway, thanks. It's hard to predict the space I'll end up occupying but I think the future is more about smaller content creators who have a good story to tell. I am not at a loss for stories - just the skill set to tell them well in the new media.
I took all the suggestions and tried a lot on the last ride so I'll see how that works when I put them together. But you're right - right now I'm just trying all sorts of things to see how it works. It's not about finding a voice but just seeing what I like and how the gear works.
Gregor
rk_tek
Well-known member
I have my popcorn in hand. Ready to watch this thread go down a rabbit hole of video editing. I’m learning that I too have to continue evolving with my work. My company is old school and resistant, but I have to learn how to push my modeling software to be more efficient and incorporate more complex geometries than your standard rectilinear buildings or yesterday.
I did plumb it but I never got around to plumbing the drain.
The drain is there, ready to go, but because I wanted to put in a pitcher washer/drain rack I held off putting the drain to the espresso machine.
I used these splitting adapters to run the cold water to the filter and then to the machine. I pretty much forgot about the filter until you've reminded me so now I should put changing that on my list... thanks.
I still have the drain tray/pitcher washer but the smallest that I could find was still too big so the project within the project within the project was to cut that apart, shorten it, then cut an opening for that in the counter and then tie the drains in together. I think the second splitter on the hot was intended for the pitcher rinser.
The problem is that once a project reaches the point of functionality it's very easy to stall. Even before that point it's very easy to stall but after the chances go up exponentially. My machine isn't set up to run from a tank so that was a non starter. It has a drain tray so having to empty that once a week has not been something too difficult to force my hand.
Gregor
Denwood
Well-known member
Gregor, I accidentally got sucked into the film/video industry and then spent 13 years running a business manufacturing DOF adapters, sliders, and jib and other gear for the aspiring film maker who wanted high production value on a budget. We filed something like 14 patents and did all of our CNC manufacturing domestically. I sold the business after seeing a trend, and the buyers are now bankrupt :-( The same goes for one of our major competitors who is on the verge of shutting his doors as well.
Video has become exactly what you described, with lower cost cameras, cheap gimbals and drones more or less becoming standards. It's all about quick and cheap for business where customer attention spans have dropped to 3 seconds.
I can see you're trying to expand your revenue stream to Youtube, and all I can say there is that story and authenticity is everything. I watched one of your earlier videos and have one piece of feedback. Just be yourself. We've never met, so me saying "be yourself" in itself is pretty weak. I'm just relaying an honest impression
You are a bit of a Renaissance man in that you have a unique mix of art and technical prowess that is very uncommon. There is an angle there, and I believe your channel may find some success in getting under the hood to show people how "Gregor's mind works". What is your creative process? What leads you to the final outcome. What drives your energy?
I did have occasion to work closely with, and support upstart studios, one of which has gone on to win 5 Emmys (https://www.stillmotion.ca/). All of the good ones were able to dig under the surface when doing a commercial job, and were able to pivot literally on set to capture the "true" essence of a company. They started as wedding film makers, and have never looked back. Stillmotion has built an added revenue stream teaching other filmmakers how to do the same thing. It was very inspiring to support these creatives, often manufacturing custom equipment that later turned out to have great commercial success.
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hewey
Well-known member
Gregor, just a comment from the sidelines that I really like all the diversions you take along the way. I'm finding the video stuff really interesting myself. And its interesting, I also generally dont like the 'look at me' social media stuff, but some of my favourite youtube channels are very much personality based with interesting individuals. And even if you dont think of yourself as interesting, the interest in things like your bike builds shows that people are interested in the way you do things.
VMX42
Well-known member
Hey Gregor,
As a fellow creative, one, who unlike you is nearing retirement, can I offer my 2c...?
If you are effectively the creative/art director on a project - as you said, creating the story or directing the arc - you should focus on this and not attempt to specialise in any particular form of capture.
Methods of capture - stills [film, digital], video, drones etc will always change and evolve. And there will always be somebody with the skills [often developed in another non-related area] that will make hay while the sun shines and while their 'skills' are in demand.
Like you [I am a graphic designer/art director] I have had to transition through many skill sets over the last 40 years. I have been fortunate that the new skills seem to have fitted my natural gifts. I have made money from each new period, but what has kept me in business was transitioning in the minds of my clients from simply being a designer to being an Art Director/Marketer. This transition allowed me to rise above all the technological changes as the core of any visual media is the IDEA, it is the IDEA that has the value. How it is rendered, or the medium it is rendered in is irrelevant in the long term - as those mediums will change and evolve.
I too worked as a professional photographer for many years, but chose to move back into design in the late 80's to learn the computer. The logic being that I needed significantly more investment in space, equipment and staff to be self employed as a photographer than I did as a graphic designer. The other advantage was that I was one step further up the food chain as a designer when compared to working as a photographer.
I ended up with my own direct clients. No middle men, and definitely no ad agency between me and the clients. This seemed impossible difference a photographers we were always beholden whims of an agency.
I realised that I was being quite successful in my business, I certainly didn't dwell on it as there was always work to be done and projects to be completed. But that success has been brought in to focus as I near retirement as the suppliers I have worked with for decades are also seeing retirement looming over the horizon. I have worked alone [and mostly at home] for 30 of my 40 year career, my suppliers often have mostly had large premises and significant staff numbers - but when we compare the money we have made along the way it seems I have out performed them all.
I share this, not to blow my trumpet, but to highlight that having my own direct clients as well as being small, dedicated and with a very broad skillset has allowed me to hover above the constantly changing technologies in the visual sphere. Being the creator of the IDEAS and direct access to the clients has been the key differentiator. Yes, you need to stay up to date with technology and it's changes - but not as a specialist, but as a generalist.
I think you said it yourself, that you need to 'move up the food chain'. Yes, experience in video will be another string to your bow and will allow you to better 'create the story and direct the arc'. When the project allows, you can [like I have done] do the entire project yourself. Or when needs arise and the project is too large for one, you can Art Direct others and take a margin for yourself on each sub-contractors fee.
Being in control of the project is the key. It is obvious that you have the skills, the drive and the experience - you need to engineer a transition in the eyes of your clients from a supplier to that of a valued project partner.
Looking to compete with others who have decades of experience [in video for example] will always put you at a disadvantage. You have Art Director/Creative written all over you...
So much good stuff in there. Thanks.
I have had a few opportunities to move up and be a director or to even manage a studio and to those things were too disconnected from the craft. Clearly I enjoy the physical craft more than the result or I've have finished the house ages ago. I think what you've done is much more tricky than you give yourself credit for. Changing the way a client sees you is more tricky than it sounds.
I honestly don't want clients. Or rather the clients that I've been beholden to for the majority of my career. I am trying to figure out how to move away from the model of getting a lot of money from a small number of clients (who can vanish quickly) and to get a smaller amount from a larger number (which has the potential to be more stable) but truly the best solution would be a mix of both.
I don't know what that looks like right now but some things are starting to take shape and part of that is just the doing of things. I'm consistently plugging away on the video, making progress and learning.
I do think that there's a lot of wisdom in your post so i'm going to mull that around a bit and think about that with the rest of the things I have going on...
Gregor
VMX42
Well-known member
Hey Gregor,
It is clear to all who have followed you [what a crazy 21st century concept that is] that you are a talented problem solver with a passion to understand and embrace new skills...but how to turn that into a profitable business?
Like you, I enjoy my craft which is why I structured by business the way I did. As I said, I work alone the vast majority of the time and for the majority of my projects as I never wanted to be a manager, I wanted to do the job, hands on, not manage and be responsible for other people.
The strange thing is that my clients [mostly multi-national pharma companies] never treated me as an outsider. Interestingly, the relationship with the professional marketers was/is wonderfully inclusive. We understood that we had complimentary skills and that we needed each other to succeed. I have never felt 'beholden' only 'valued'.
This was a contrast to the smaller clients who were not really sure how to manage those relationships and/or what they needed to bring to them to ensure success. You would think that smaller clients would be easier to deal with but this was not the case. Often they thought they knew what they wanted, but they couldn't invest the time or energy into providing the resources that I would require to complete the project. So I would end up doing their part of the job as well... :-(
Then there was the issue of 'cost'. With smaller clients you actually spend a lot of time educating them on how to participate in the process - and almost without exception they didn't think that they should have to pay for that education. That might be fine if they turned out to be a 'regular' customer who only needed the be 'educated' once. But most often they would do one, or maybe two projects and then disappear.
You can't make money educating clients for free. This was never the case with the larger companies - their marketers were professional - they understood what they wanted, what I needed and that it came at a cost. It was much more of a collaborative, team effort when compared to the smaller companies.
It sounds counterintuitive, and I guess it is, I never wanted manage my own staff, but I definitely NEVER wanted to manage other peoples staff.
One other point - working alone I can only manage a relatively small number of clients 'professionally'. If I had to manage a large number there would be very little 'relationship' between us and I have found that the relationships is what I have enjoyed the most. It is a pleasure to use my skills to benefit people and businesses that I actually care about.
People like yourself who can actually 'DO' are becoming less common - but people who can actually 'DO' with passion, intelligence and commitment are super rare. It will be really interesting to see you progress from here and how you realise the thoughts that are swirling around in your head.
It looks like being quite a journey!!!
Wow, you're preaching to the choir. I would say that the bigger the budget and the client the more creative freedom I would get and the better the result. Small budget clients tend to focus on small details and generally choke the life out of a shoot. Not all but a lot. I'm dealing with one now.
I've had the sense of where I want to go for a long time but have been hampered by a steep learning curve. I'm tackling the first one now, the next one would be to learn to do CAD work. But for now I'm happy with the work of expanding the story telling.
Thanks much!
Gregor