More video fun...

[soo]

Yeah yeah what everyone else said. When I grow up I want to be like the modutrak guys!!!!

Fo shizzle homie, that sum fine shin zit.

Wyatt

[rogergperkins]

Very nice modeling and videography!!!
Static grass certainly helps make a scene!!!!

[lashedup]

Thanks guys...

This latest video was done with a Nikon D600, which is Nikon's new entry level full frame camera. So, much like doing model railroad photography where we need to use helicon focus to get good depth of field, we run into the same problem with video. Except that there isn't an equivalent Helicon Focus program for video. I can stop down the lens to a higher F-stop (like F16 or higher) but then the light falls off very quickly and the recorded scene is too dark. I can then adjust ISO, but going too high causes the footage to get very grainy. I can also use a wide angle lens, but the takes me out of close up scene and also means I have to deal with all sorts of outside stuff getting into the shot - ceiling, module edges, etc., etc. And this is all without getting into doing video with a DLSR where if I record at 30 fps my shutter has to stay at 1/60 and on and on.

So it is a compromise situation and I play around with different settings, lenses, ISO, amount of lighting and more. I need to do some depth of field tests with different lenses, settings, amount of lights and more to see what can be done to improve things. The full frame camera definitely helps over the cropped DX camera I used before. I'll post some test shots next week.

Thinking it might be fun to do an independent  film project about n scale  highlighting some of the best layouts out there. Maybe a Kick Starter project? Travel expenses and some equipment rental would be the main hurdle...

Anyway, it's fun stuff. Been so busy at work, there just hasn't been much time for modeling this year.

- Jamie

[Puddington]

Very, very well done ! The Zephyr shot was breathtaking....

[PAL_Houston]

Thanks for the video.  It was very well done and I enjoyed watching and listening to it.

It obviously wasn't a first attempt, and there are a number of other videos of yours out on that site.  (Pixar Studios' "cutting room" floor?  )

Would you care to share the story of your learning process?

Regards,
Paul

[chicken45]

You said this was just a teaser trailer? So there's more to come?

[unittrain]

This is another awesome video from you guys. I really enjoy realistic trackside videos of N scale viewing the trains as we do the prototype all to often video is shot from above the layout and often has the camera moving around so much as to make me sea sick . We need more good trackside video to bring our trains to life. Here is another good trackside video at the beginning of this one the train appears real like your standing by the tracks, I wonder how this one was filmed.

the train looks like it has alot of mass like the proto. Keep the great videos coming you guys have an awesome layout.

[rogergperkins]

Love these videos of n-scale.  Best luck so far in my own attempts is Nikon Coolpix S3300 mounted on a tripod at n-scale eye level.
I am working alone and thus running the DCC cab and the camera.
I am fascinated by the results from video cameras mounted on a car to show a tour a layout. 
 

[Dave V]

That was one of the best model railroad videos I've ever seen...  Perfect combination of top-notch proto modeling, video quality, and cinematography.  More please!!!

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Paint your legs, ya hacks.

[seusscaboose]

Paint your legs, ya hacks.

yeah ya buncha hacks...  throw up some power lines on those naked poles

there... that feels like the ol' TRW i remember 


seriously though...  more please.

[Ian MacMillan]

Very Hans Zimmer...

[lashedup]

Atta boy Ed and Ian, that's the RailWire hazing I come to expect and you guys deliver. 

The legs are actually made of Canadian hardwood maple and coated in seven layers of hand buffed varnish.

The poles have wires but they are koala thread stretched to scale and nearly invisible.

And Hans Zimmer was so busy he only had time the write 2 minutes of music for us. So we asked John Williams to help out next time. Yanni and Kenny G were busy.

Now where did I leave my beer...

[seusscaboose]

The poles have wires but they are koala thread stretched to scale and nearly invisible.

cool... I will keep an eye out for that thread next weekend in Springfield.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Atta boy Ed and Ian, that's the RailWire hazing I come to expect and you guys deliver. 

The legs are actually made of Canadian hardwood maple and coated in seven layers of hand buffed varnish.

Hand buffed wood poles? What type of shows do you do?