First real estate video

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Well, here's my first stab at it...a relocation to another state for a new position for my wife provided me the opportunity to start anew in my own career. With my experience in the RC hobby industry and a coincidental interest in "drones" (sorry for the poor terminology), we have the time for me to start from the ground up. I want to get into aerial mapping eventually, but in the meantime imagery is something I can get into sooner. Working on a web site and stocking my portfolio with images/video, but here's my first stab at real estate. My own home using, I know, a phone for the still images and a pc too weak to run anything other than Moviemaker for the editing software. A better pc, better video editing software and a better still camera are to come, but this is the what I can do with what I have today.

Comments, suggestions welcome - thanks! ;)

EDIT #2: I apologize if this is getting ridiculous. Here's my completely re done video with what I've learned since posting my first video here a week or so ago. I've purchased a DSLR camera and wide-angle lens, but I may have gone too cheap and I'm not particularly thrilled with the combination. But I can certainly see the advantage of a wide-angle lens. At the risk of loosing continuity, I'll describe the changes in a reply post at the end of this thread, but post the new video here:

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EDIT: After thoughtful suggestions in following posts, I edited the video:
1) Replaced original garage image with new one taken from the outside-in to reveal the entire garage (this prompted me to erect the workbenches across the back of the garage and build and mount the dark cabinet to the right of the wood shelving - thanks for getting me motivated on this one!)
2) Removed transitions from between scenes.
3) While I was at it, I also slightly de cluttered the laundry room and took a new photo, removed the specs on the house that appeared in the title (as this would appear in the listing), cut a few seconds off the end of the Point-of-Interest clip circling around the house and shortened the duration of the still images from five seconds to four.

I'm proud of the still images - especially considering I used the camera in my phone and have little editing power with Moviemaker, but I can now see the need for a DSLR camera and probably won't proceed any farther until I have one.

Here's the revised video:

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Tim
 
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Personally i would put the text particulars at the end so the viewer has a chance to fall in love first. That said i don't know jack about real estate so don't listen to me
 
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Personally i would put the text particulars at the end so the viewer has a chance to fall in love first. That said i don't know jack about real estate so don't listen to me

Hmm, probably good advice and more, I like the way you posed the idea!

Thanks!

Tim
 
Well, here's my first stab at it...a relocation to another state for a new position for my wife provided me the opportunity to start anew in my own career. With my experience in the RC hobby industry and a coincidental interest in "drones" (sorry for the poor terminology), we have the time for me to start from the ground up. I want to get into aerial mapping eventually, but in the meantime imagery is something I can get into sooner. Working on a web site and stocking my portfolio with images/video, but here's my first stab at real estate. My own home using, I know, a phone for the still images and a pc too weak to run anything other than Moviemaker for the editing software. A better pc, better video editing software and a better still camera are to come, but this is the what I can do with what I have today.

Comments, suggestions welcome - thanks! ;)

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Tim
Excellent start.

I spent a year shooting photos for an appraiser. For the first month I was told almost daily about watching my reflection in things. Caught your reflection in one picture. I only noticed because I was looking for it due to my own problem with reflections. The only other not great shot was of the garage. Would have been better to shoot from outside in, but it's a garage. Unless it has special shelving everyone knows what they look like.

Again, great start. As your gear improves so will your skills. Keep at it.
 
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Excellent start.

I spent a year shooting photos for an appraiser. For the first month I was told almost daily about watching my reflection in things. Caught your reflection in one picture. I only noticed because I was looking for it due to my own problem with reflections. The only other not great shot was of the garage. Would have been better to shoot from outside in, but it's a garage. Unless it has special shelving everyone knows what they look like.

Again, great start. As your gear improves so will your skills. Keep at it.

Hey, thanks Mike and everybody! Much appreciated!

The only reflection I recall (and saw while I was taking the image) was of my phone that I couldn't sneak out of the mirror in the master bath. I'll take another look and see if there's another reflection you were talking about. About the garage, well, what happened there was I was partly eager to finish the video and see how it turned out (impatient) and I had looked at past listings of the house which had worse images than mine, so I lowered my standard - not a good idea. I still have the project saved in Moviemaker, and it's easy enough to do, but I'll have to clean up the garage a little (still moving in!) and re take at least that garage image which will be more complete. And I do have some nice shelving I put in there that would make it worth it - thanks for the suggestion!

This isn't a million-dollar home, so I didn't want to overdo the production, but yea, why not make it a little better if easy enough.
I'd like to sneak in some peaks of the bathrooms, but they're kind of small and difficult to shoot with the camera in my phone, which brings me to my next point...

As of posting this video, my original plan was to send it to the real estate agent who worked with us on buying this house and ask her if, based on what I was able to produce with this video, if she had another listing or two I could practice on in exchange for allowing me to post the videos on my web site (for my portfolio) and she could use them in her listings if desired.

But now I'm wondering if I should get a DSLR before wasting any more time with the camera in my phone before posing this idea to our real estate agent or anybody else.

In other words, should I attempt to proceed with the equipment I have now (camera phone, Moviemaker video editor - and P4P+), or at least upgrade my still camera (and/or video editor) before attempting to solicit actual work?

Thanks again for taking the time.

Tim
 
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Hi

All in all a good first attempt, the only advice I would offer is this:- take care in post when you are adding stills, I feel you used the same fade for every shot, and sorry it was not a very pleasing effect on the eye, it may have been the limitation in the Moviemaker software, but hey just one opinion.....
Waylander
 
Hi

All in all a good first attempt, the only advice I would offer is this:- take care in post when you are adding stills, I feel you used the same fade for every shot, and sorry it was not a very pleasing effect on the eye, it may have been the limitation in the Moviemaker software, but hey just one opinion.....
Waylander

Thanks Waylander. So you think different fades are preferred? I didn't want to get too fancy with fades, but Moviemaker does offer several more. Maybe I'll hanger it up when I put in my new garage image.

Tim
 
Hi KRProton

Yes different fades or no fades at all, when you are watching a movie mostly the scenes just snap from one to the next with no apparent shift of any kind.
Also fades can be good where one scene fades out and the next scene fades in, or they cross fade, ie one scene blends into the other.
There are literally thousands of different scene changes available, look on Youtube for a few ideas.
Waylander
 
Hey, thanks Mike and everybody! Much appreciated!

The only reflection I recall (and saw while I was taking the image) was of my phone that I couldn't sneak out of the mirror in the master bath. I'll take another look and see if there's another reflection you were talking about. About the garage, well, what happened there was I was partly eager to finish the video and see how it turned out (impatient) and I had looked at past listings of the house which had worse images than mine, so I lowered my standard - not a good idea. I still have the project saved in Moviemaker, and it's easy enough to do, but I'll have to clean up the garage a little (still moving in!) and re take at least that garage image which will be more complete. And I do have some nice shelving I put in there that would make it worth it - thanks for the suggestion!

This isn't a million-dollar home, so I didn't want to overdo the production, but yea, why not make it a little better if easy enough.
I'd like to sneak in some peaks of the bathrooms, but they're kind of small and difficult to shoot with the camera in my phone, which brings me to my next point...

As of posting this video, my original plan was to send it to the real estate agent who worked with us on buying this house and ask her if, based on what I was able to produce with this video, if she had another listing or two I could practice on in exchange for allowing me to post the videos on my web site (for my portfolio) and she could use them in her listings if desired.

But now I'm wondering if I should get a DSLR before wasting any more time with the camera in my phone before posing this idea to our real estate agent or anybody else.

In other words, should I attempt to proceed with the equipment I have now (camera phone, Moviemaker video editor - and P4P+), or at least upgrade my still camera (and/or video editor) before attempting to solicit actual work?

Thanks again for taking the time.

Tim
A DSLR will go a long way when shooting interiors, especially when you factor in the ability to use different lenses and manual control over exposure, shutter speed, ISO.
 
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I took all your comments to heart and revised and posted the new video back up in the original post.

Thanks for taking the time and for your suggestions.

Tim
 
Yo KRP

Revised video looks much better, not as hard on the eye...;)

Waylander
 
The biggest challenge you will face are the people out there who buy a phantom and are now "in business" to do aerial photography. It's basicall why every thread is "How much do I charge?" "What format do I send pictures?" Should I charge a flat rate?" " Do you include video with the pcitures?" The sole reason for this is people are trying to get into an industry they no very little of or nothing about. I could run out today and buy an industrial baking oven and start making wedding cakes. My issue is, I know nothing about the baking industry or how much to charge for wedding and birthday cakes. I do a disservice to myself and the industry by making up prices and undercutting competitors for the sake of trying to establish myself as a wedding cake baker. This in a nutshell is what has happened to sUAS industry. The real estate market is completely saturated with "aerial photographers".

Being in business is offering a product or service that will satisfy the needs of the end user beyond their expectations not only as a return customer but to also recommend you to others to grow your business. A portfolio is nice if you are trying to land a job at a photo studio. I've hired contractors, electricians, HVAC technicians you name it. I've never asked to see their previous work or to see pictures of the cabinets they've built. They are hired by reputation and quality of the service they provide.

Having a profound business model and the tools to complete any size job is what is going to set you apart from the competition. It's a standard business model that applies to everything, if you want to succeed, you have to be better at it then the next guy.


I mean no disrespect and your video is good. But in order to become successful at any business you have to establish a business profile and system that will exceed the offering from you competitors.
 
Thank you for taking the time to comment. Your comments and others I've read and viewed elsewhere are sobering (and sometimes discouraging). I've already spent hours and hours trying to learn about my drone, photography, web sites, computers, etc. It's a whole new technology and overwhelming most of the time (though I do have years in the radio control hobby industry for whatever that's worth). And I do desire to do quality work and get the right equipment for the job (I've ordered a DSLR, wide-angle lens and tripod because I clearly understand that the camera phone isn't going to cut it), but I'm also attempting to proceed incrementally learning as I go without breaking the bank - you have to start somewhere, right? I don't know what else to say (not that anything has to be said) other than thanks for your advice and I'll keep trying to move forward.

Tim
 
Thank you for taking the time to comment. Your comments and others I've read and viewed elsewhere are sobering (and sometimes discouraging). I've already spent hours and hours trying to learn about my drone, photography, web sites, computers, etc. It's a whole new technology and overwhelming most of the time (though I do have years in the radio control hobby industry for whatever that's worth). And I do desire to do quality work and get the right equipment for the job (I've ordered a DSLR, wide-angle lens and tripod because I clearly understand that the camera phone isn't going to cut it), but I'm also attempting to proceed incrementally learning as I go without breaking the bank - you have to start somewhere, right? I don't know what else to say (not that anything has to be said) other than thanks for your advice and I'll keep trying to move forward.

Tim

Sorry if it read that way, I am by no means trying to discourage you. I think you have a solid plan on how you wish to make money and by the looks of it you take great pride in what you wan to do.
 
As a Real Estate agent and Real Estate Still (working on drone) shooter, I loved your video. The pull backs and fly-bys of the home, integrated with stills was big fun!
IMHO, your stills did not POP! These look like they were shot with a 35mm lens. I use a Nikon 14-24 and get 150 degree room photos with little parallax..
Suggest you shoot with a DSLR in HDR. You will be amazed and the emotion HDR imparts to the interior photos.
I shoot 250 images in HDR, process them, upload them to the local MLS, AND write captions for the 50 images....all for $200. REALTORS think I'm too high priced. REALTORS are incredibly....."frugal" and sadly look for the cheapest, seldom the BEST solution.
Keep up the good work!
 
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Sorry if it read that way, I am by no means trying to discourage you. I think you have a solid plan on how you wish to make money and by the looks of it you take great pride in what you wan to do.

No Sir. All okay here. I do thank you for taking the time to comment and provide constructive comments. Yes, I want to, hope to, set myself apart from many who, as you mentioned, have a drone and are now "in business." What I'm doing is testing the waters as I proceed slowly to see where it takes me (where the opportunities lie) and have no illusions of grandeur as they say. I hope to apply the same care and attention to detail that I always have with my past occupation and current hobbies. If it doesn't pan out, I'll move on. Well, now I'm rambling, but I do thank you for even taking the time to write.

Tim
 
As a Real Estate agent and Real Estate Still (working on drone) shooter, I loved your video. The pull backs and fly-bys of the home, integrated with stills was big fun!
IMHO, your stills did not POP! These look like they were shot with a 35mm lens. I use a Nikon 14-24 and get 150 degree room photos with little parallax..
Suggest you shoot with a DSLR in HDR. You will be amazed and the emotion HDR imparts to the interior photos.
I shoot 250 images in HDR, process them, upload them to the local MLS, AND write captions for the 50 images....all for $200. REALTORS think I'm too high priced. REALTORS are incredibly....."frugal" and sadly look for the cheapest, seldom the BEST solution.
Keep up the good work!

Thanks grtday.

Yes, the stills in my video were taken with my camera phone. I just wanted to put something together with what I have. But now I realize this is Mickey Mouse and have already ordered a starter DSLR (refurbished Sony A380) and 14mm wide-angle lens (also used) and will re do the interiors before proceeding.

Thanks for your other hints too.

Tim
 

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