2005-2006 Season Video

[riverc0il]

I woud like to present my 2005-2006 Season Video. This video details the highlights of my season from October 23rd through June 25th in both video and pictures. Special Thanks go out to those folks involved in making the videos, taking pictures, taking turns for the camera, and sharing these special days with me. Despite a broken elbow and loosing almost three months to rehab and despite an overall bad snow year for most mountains, this season was truly memorable and watching these moving pictures fly through the air (as the great Tom Snyder would say) stirs my passion, reverence, and drive for the adventure that is skiing. For me, it was a season to remember even though most people would much rather forget...

This video is more than twelve minutes long and the file is almost 30 Mb large. My only request is that you save the video to your computer and DO NOT attempt to stream. This may cause multiple downloads eatting up precious bandwidth. This file is in WMV format. If you can not play this format, please do not attempt the download. Also, please consider only downloading once either at work or home if you frequent this site from multiple locations.

Please respect the bandwidth being offered! I have enough to go around if everyone downloads once only. Multiple downloading, especially due to streaming multiple times, could cripple my monthly allocation preventing others from viewing the video. I much rather present the video in decent quality rather than upload to a free service that limits size and quality. Thank you for your attention on this issue.

Without further ado: 2005-2006 Season Video.

 

[awf170]

Nice video. One problem though, you were at saddleback on the 6th not the 4th.

 

[thetrailboss]

Awesome video. Great pics. I noticed that Burke was missing....

 

[Grassi21]

Your hard work showed. Thanks for sharing.

 

[riverc0il]

thanks!

doh, one date wrong. and i thought i checked everything. oh well, i'll fix it later.

i hit burke three times last year, two hiking and one lift serviced. the hiking days were fun but nothing stellar and the lift serviced day was kinda bland. i really only had space on the vid for pics from my best days out. as it was, i really pushed the amount of pics i had without video. i am hoping to get some good video of burke next season.

speaking of next season, i am seeking any one interested in being filmed for a video and helping shoot some film. the locations showed in the video are generally where i will be doing most of my skiing next season with an occasional day at burke as well with various BC in the northern greens and whites. keep in touch next season if you are interested. this is only my first season doing this, but it is quite addictive and can only get better with more shots, better setup, and a lil' more pow!

i maaaaaaaaay put together a bloppers video :lol:

 

[thetrailboss]

Yeah, I enjoyed the video and seeing places I had skied and had not. I figured that you did not hit Burke when it was prime...although this season it never really was quite "prime." :roll: But as you said, this coming season...you know how to get a hold of me.....

 

[awf170]

i hit burke three times last year, two hiking and one lift serviced. the hiking days were fun but nothing stellar and the lift serviced day was kinda bland. i really only had space on the vid for pics from my best days out. as it was, i really pushed the amount of pics i had without video. i am hoping to get some good video of burke next season.

Actually I don't think the amount of pictures was pushing it. There really wasn't that many compared to many movies where it seems like more than half of the video is still images.

speaking of next season, i am seeking any one interested in being filmed for a video and helping shoot some film. the locations showed in the video are generally where i will be doing most of my skiing next season with an occasional day at burke as well with various BC in the northern greens and whites. keep in touch next season if you are interested. this is only my first season doing this, but it is quite addictive and can only get better with more shots, better setup, and a lil' more pow!

Yep, I would be down for it as long as you head to Cannon a fair amount of times. Or even better Wildcat. Once you get used to stopping and taking pictures/shooting it isn't that bad.

i maaaaaaaaay put together a bloppers video :lol:

You should have put it at the end the season recap video. Please tell me you caught someone do a faceplant off the drop under the flyer.:lol:

Anyway, real good video. I was actually suprised by the amount of new footage in there. I was expecting nothing new. Time to get a helmet cam, it is the only way to have clips in the dense new england woods last longer than 15 secounds.

 

[riverc0il]

doubt i'll get to wildcat any time soon, not with a pass at jay, free midweek at burke, and cannon right down the road. the plan is to hit cannon when that part of the whites gets a big dump, especially if it misses jay or its a tues or thurs. i may have a pass at jay, but cannon is still home in my heart so i'll definitely head over a few times. can't guarantee i will be riding the lifts though, maybe for a twofer or a big dump

i got a few face plants on video, none under the flyer though, heh. i figured at 12 minutes, there was no need to tack on bloppers. quite frankly, five long nights of editing video has me quite spent, lol. i'll get a helmet cam if any one is buying, lol. i would rather upgrade my digi cam eventually than get a helmet cam, footage on helmet cams is often not that great. most clips don't even last 15 seconds in the woods or not. i actually prefer shotting in the woods when possible because it is more interesting and dynamic terrain compared to an open slope. trick is setting up the shot right. i already shot my gear budget for the summer on a gps any ways, lol, so no helmet cam this season, maybe next one!

 

[hiroto]

It is a beautiful video! I really enjoyed watching it. I envy you that you manage to hit that many pow day out of that season.

I much rather present the video in decent quality rather than upload to a free service that limits size and quality.

Give google video a shot. I usually encode to 640x480, about 10M/min. Largest I have uploaded is 133M for 12 minutes footage. Google will reencode it, and provide both streaming and downloading at higher quality. Reencoded one will come back at about 6M/min. YouTube is much lower quality and they provide no downloading option, but downloaded Google Video is pretty good. The Kinsman video I posted the other day will come out as 12.5M download for 1:18 footage.

 

[riverc0il]

thanks! there were a lot of great pow days last season, i missed just as many as i hit.

what does google recode at? do they reduce FPS? YouTube has terrible quality. 12.5 MB for 1:18 footage is crazy!!! i can usually get 4-5 minutes for that size video. i usually go 320x240 though. i wasn't impressed with the google FPS on that kinsman video, definite reduction in quality if you shot on a video camera. doesn't google make you swear off rights for posting content? google creeps me out, they used to be the good guys but i don't trust them any more. i refuse to use their upload service or gmail.

 

[nelsapbm]

Great work! Who are your "co-stars"?
If you make it over my way this season...(MRG/'Bush) let me know!

 

[bvibert]

Steve, if you're worried about your bandwidth I'll be happy to host your vid on my site to take some of the load off of yours. And no I didn't reencode and you still have all the rights. Most of my allowed bandwidth goes unsed every month anyway. Please no streaming though.

http://skiing.bvibert.com/vids/thesnowway0506season.wmv

BTW, I haven't watched it yet since I'm at work, but I can't wait.

 

[Grassi21]

Go back and watch the credits. There are a few AZ members in there.

I'm glad the file is saved to my desktop. It will be a 15 minute vacation from the daily grind.

 

[JimG.]

Nice video. One problem though, you were at saddleback on the 6th not the 4th.

Yeah, and I thought we were at the Gulf of Slides on April 14th, not the 22nd.

No big deal and it is a great presentation. Nice job Steve!

 

[from_the_NEK]

Sweet movie Steve!! :smile:
That day at Jay was definitely memorable. A good amount of this... and then some of this...
Anyway we should really get together again this winter to film some more video. My new sony digital camera actually takes really good video (with sound). With my new big memory card I can take over a half hour of MPEG video. I may have to call in sick during a mid-week powder day and hit Burke (location of my pass again this year).

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

Really nice job Oil. If you find the time could you briefly list the steps you took from filming to getting it to AZ for our viewing pleasure?

 

[VB]

Excelent Job on the film, The pictures were great, and so was the action! I thought your choice of music wasn't too bad either.
vb

 

[riverc0il]

wow, brian, that is an amazing offer to help host. thank you! that ain't a small file either, i appreciate your help!

nelsapbm: for AZ forum users, awf170, salida, from_the_NEK, greg, jimg, and sledhaulingmedic. some other guys as well and a lot of random shots when ever i could find some action. i will be getting the mad card again next season, so i'll give you a heads up when i am heading down to MRG next season.

thanks jimg for catching yet another date issue. i cut and pasted the text fade overs and probably forgot to change the date those two times. i will fix it later, can't be bothered right now.

from_the_NEK: yea, that jay day was SiCK!!! glad we bumped into each other that day. definitely need to do some more turns together next season! i am going with the jay pass but plan on doing burke midweek on the recipricol deal. regarding the video, if your cam is not the same FPS and quality rate as my vid cam, we wouldn't be able to combine footage but we certainly can make multiple movies, lol! i can pretty much guarantee if it is a photo camera with a video option, the FPS rate will be much lower than my vid cam. let's do it up regardless of cams though!

HPD: the process is simple but time consuming. the video was shot on a panasonic GS15 which is the higher end of the entry market with 24x optical zoom (anything over 18x is almost always too shakey though). the idea when shooting isn't to get great long shots, but as you notice in the video, you take a really long shot and then cut it up where the action is based. for editing, i use pinnacle studio 9 which is decent mid-range editing software. you fill up 60 minute DV tapes and then only end up using 5-10 minutes of footage, lol. just keep cutting it down to size to pick the best moments. i try to line segments up to the music. heavy and fast music makes for short and quick cuts, slower stuff is better for longer drawn out scenes. the panning images are all pictures, you set a start and end zone and the software pans over them, documentary style. set transitions between each clip, etc. add some effects here and there. i am probably making it sound so simple, lol. a a video usually takes about one hour per minute for me to edit plus time on the ends for planning, adjusting, final edits, minor adjustments, and final formatting.

thanks again for all the feedback!

 

[Joshua B]

I've gushed over River's photos and writing too many times on too many different forums. Needless to say, I'm a fan of all that stuff, and of his skiing.

Here are some stream of consciousness comments as I was watching. I don't repost IM conversations so River's responses are omitted.

The1JoshuaB: I'm really looking forward to this. Thanks for putting it together!
The1JoshuaB: I know you'll present the mountains of New England tastefully.
The1JoshuaB: ok here we go!
The1JoshuaB: You have the blue jacket right?
The1JoshuaB: You look effortless in powder. And big up for that sentiment.
The1JoshuaB: You packing your car...
The1JoshuaB: nice editing.
The1JoshuaB: Graceful
The1JoshuaB: The music (first significant snowfall) makes the skiing so reverent.
The1JoshuaB: guitar, piano, strings, voice.
The1JoshuaB: cello
The1JoshuaB: Cannon summit on a tripod
The1JoshuaB: Wicked shot of you leaning into the turn at the end of song #2
The1JoshuaB: Can you tell me where you are at the 7:45 mark?
The1JoshuaB: You are tearing it up.
The1JoshuaB: Thanks for making this.
The1JoshuaB: I might put it on a DVD for a friend at work and for my folks.

So again, thanks to RC for being so passionate about New England skiing, and putting in extra time and effort to document his season and share it with us.

 

[bvibert]

First, I watched the movie and I thought it was GREAT! I'll be watching it again in a little bit after I put my daugter to bed. The sound track was pretty good. I actually listened to it, which is more than I can say for 99% of the ski moives I see where I end up turning the volume down/off after 3 seconds.

Second,

wow, brian, that is an amazing offer to help host. thank you! that ain't a small file either, i appreciate your help!

No problem man. Thanks for all the effort that went into putting that together and, of course, for all the contributions to the forum and skiing community over the years.

Feel free to put the link to my copy in your original post if you want. Of course if too much of my bandwidth starts to get used I'll have to pull it.