The Progression Of Quality

Instance Gratification is a project I’ve been working on for LoreHound.com for over a month now.  The idea is fairly simple, record players running through dungeons in an entertaining and informative way.   The idea spawned from an abandoned project for ProjectLore.com that would have focused on World of Warcraft instead of Dungeon & Dragons Online.  More on that later though.

I entered the market of video production with some trepidation.  I know the mechanics and technology used to create the pieces of digital art, but I’ve never rolled up my sleeves and dove into any production software.  Stupidly and without any research or thought, I grabbed a cheap copy of Creative Suite 3 to begin my adventure.  My inexperience led to a hellish experience with my Bad Company 2 Video Review together.  Tens of hours were wasted.  The first two installments of the high-definition Instance Gratification series – originally called DDO Dungeon-Along – exemplify my rookie status further.  The videos are lengthy, perhaps to a fault, and grainy, as evidenced by the unreadable text.  Interlacing and letter boxing were unexpected additions to the final cut, and voice-over timing is rough in spots.

To be frank, I hated the product I had put out.  The idea remained true to form, but the technology, and my beginner understanding of video editing, ruined the experience.

For Episode 3, I made a conscious effort to improve on all fronts.  My personal goal lead me down a perilous path.  Sunday night was spent analyzing and marking down everything I despised of in my previous creations.  On Monday I analyzed the captured data and came to the realization that the video FRAPS is pulling is the exact quality I am after.  My romp through dungeons are captured in vibrant color with readable text and a perfect high-definition resolution.  I managed to corner the culprit, CS3.  The editing software was ruining things.  Monday begot Tuesday, when I usually post the video.  I hadn’t even begun editing yet.  I made an executive decision on Wednesday to begin forgo perfection, settling on a product with washed-out colors.  Otherwise the episode may have never of made it to press.

With renewed anger, I immediately began working on Episode 4 after taping.  I changed setting after setting, created and abandoned projects, compressed the footage before editing it using a handful of products, attempted to export in every file format imaginable.  Nothing made a difference.  Creative Suite 3 was dooming DDO to appear bland, full of grays and browns with no pizzazz.  I called it, CS3 had failed me.  It was a poor purchase by an uninformed individual.  Thankfully, CS5 had just been released.  New tech in hand, the creation of Episode 4 went off without a hitch.

Now look how pretty “You Take No Candle!” is compared to that other dreck I produced.  I hope I can take my editing and direction to the next level with the technology front finally conquered.

View in high definition.