I really fucked things up!

I don't know how I did it, but I really fucked things up in my last recording in Psychonauts.  I've been trying to fix it for the last couple of days and it's just not gonna happen.  I was able to figure out a "work around" to the problem, but then I was fucking that up as well.  I think that's all straightened out now so hopefully I'll be able to get a video posted in the next day or so.

The first fuck up: audio

I don't know how I did it but I recorded the audio for one session in Psychonauts over the top of the previous session I had recorded.  It didn't replace the audio for that session but just added the additional dialogue to the existing track.  I didn't catch that my system did this when I synced because I never talked at the same time on both of these tracks.  I didn't realized my error until I went to edit the file and got about 17 minutes in when I noticed that I was double talking.  It took me a while to figure out what was happening, but when I did I didn't panic.  I thought I'll just go back to the original audio and resync with the game play.  That's when I realized that the original audio was fucked up because the raw footage was saved together.  I didn't have separate recordings for both videos.

I spent a bunch of time trying to find a way to split the tracks so I could delete one and keep the other.  Couldn't figure out how to do that.  I figured out how to separate from stereo to mono, but that didn't help me.  After messing with the file for 3 days I finally gave up and decided I would post the game play video without my lovely commentary.  I'm sure no one would mind.

The second fuck up: video

I remember when I was playing I accidentally triggered a cut scene before I was ready to record.  I hurriedly pressed the record button on the game play and just never activated the audio recording (which is probably why it took so long for my audio tracks to overlap).  When the cut scene was done I stopped the recording and took the time to get things set up properly before recording.  I figured when I edited the video I would just add this cut scene to the beginning of my recording and everything would be okay.

When I gave up on the audio I started working on putting the original game play clips together to make one cohesive video.  Except whenever I added the game play clip to the cut scene clip the game play clip would error out and become unwatchable.  WTF?  I tried cut scene + clip #1 = unviewable error after processing.  I tried cut scene + clip #2 = unviewable error after processing.  I even tried clip #1 + clip #2 = unviewable error.  So I gave up and close down my editing program.

Except I hate giving up.

I came back to it a little while later (I will not have a program defeat me!!!!).  I put clip #1 and clip #2 together and after they were done processing they were viewable.  Hallelujah!!!  I quickly saved that configuration and called it a night.  Now I've got to see if I can get the cut scene attached to the game play clips and still have everything viewable. 

The cut scene is kind of important so I can't leave it out.  If things don't work I guess I could post just the cut scene as one video and then the game play as another.  Seems like a lot of work for such a stupid problem.  I really fucked things up, but I'm not sure how.

I wish I was better at this editing thing.  I wish I had more time to work and figure things out than just a couple of hours after work each night.  I thought I was getting better, but then something like this happens and I'm reminded of how much I don't know how to do.  I am trying though . . . and hopefully learning too.  I guess we'll have to see how everything turns out in the end.

A new game (Rayman Origins) and the last of my audio problems (hopefully)

So I started a new game for my YouTube channel.  I was getting really frustrated with Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga that I needed to take a break.  Normally when that happens, I would play something new and not go back to a frustrating game for a very long time.  One of the reasons why I started the channel was to keep me honest and coming back to games I’m in the middle of to make myself finish them because now I have to post a video of game play . . . even if no one is watching.

I wasn’t sure what I wanted to play.  Hopefully something more fun and happy that what Lego SW was turning out to be for me.  I picked Rayman Origins.  It’s one of the poll votes and the poll wasn’t done yet, but I still picked it.  For some reason I really want to play Dark Souls which I hear is a really brutal game so I’m hoping that Rayman will lighten the mood when I play it.  I’m sure I’ll have lots of games on the go at any given time.  Rayman just happens to be the next game I picked.

 At hopefully it will be the last as well.  Not for playing games, but for audio problems.  I finally had the extra money to fix my audio issues.  I no longer need to use the built in mic on my lap top and have to sync up the audio and video when I’m editing.  I now have a set up that will record the audio IN the video capture so there’s only 1 file to render, process and edit.  Instead of have 2 separate files for each step.  Part 1 of Rayman Origins was the last capture done with separate audio and video files so I’m excited that I finally figured everything out.  Even if it did cost a lot of money to get it to work the way it should have the first time.

I haven’t really edited the next video yet.  Just listen to the first part of it.  I think it sounds AWESOME!  It’s like night and day.  I really love the sound and think I sound so much better.  I still sound stupid at times, but I don’t think a new audio set up will fix that.  One thing I did notice is that you can really hear my dog Zoe’s nails click on the wood floors as she walks across the room.  It picks up sound so much clearer.  I don’t know if there’s anything I can do about that now, other than to keep my dog off the floor, but I have plans to fix that in the future. 

I have an old desktop computer that I really can’t (actually don’t want to) use anymore.  I need to go through the files and save anything I want to keep and move that over to my lap top.  Then I can get rid of the big brown box and the SUPER BIG FAT monitor.  Those will go in the garage for storage and maybe a Craig’s list posting.  I can then turn that computer desk space over to my gaming and move my whole set up in to my office instead of sitting in the living room.  That way you won’t hear Zoe’s nails as she walks across the floor all the time.  I will need to get a small TV to set up in that room before I do, but hopefully I can take care of all of that soon.

The only downside to this plan is that I work from home at least 3 days a week and I’m not sure how I feel about having my gaming set up in the same room.  1) it will be too distracting when I’m trying to work and would rather do anything other than work (i.e. every single day), 2) when I’m done working I like to get out of the room for a nice break and not go back in to it again until the next time I work from home.  Sometimes, after a particularly rough week I won’t go in to my office at all on the weekends.  I feel like I’m trapped in a cage while I sit there and work and I don’t want to interfere with my gaming or desire to game.  I’ll have to figure something out.

The other option is to move my gaming set up in to what I was making my craft room.  It’s currently mostly storage right now.  I’ve been slowly going through the boxes there and cleaning things out or moving them to a more permanent storage location.  Most of the boxes being moved are Star Wars figures and toys.  I hate to admit this, but I’m starting to consider selling those on Craig’s list as well.  I could make thousands (although not as much as I spent on them). 

The downside to using that room is that I don’t have wired internet access in that room.  I would need to see how the wireless is working in that area because it seems to be hit or miss around my house.  The upside is that my gaming station wouldn’t be a temptation while I’m working and I wouldn’t feel like I’m trapped in a cage all day if I work and then game in the same room.  The upside is that my roommate could also use that room for their gaming, if they wanted to, and it wouldn’t matter if I was home working or not.  While it’s in my office, on the days I work from home it would be unusable.  Another downside is that I was hoping to create a calming, soothing retreat where I could go and work on crafts.  Having a bunch of gaming equipment and stuff in the room doesn’t really lend itself to a Zen-like environment.  I’ve got a couple weeks before I can afford to buy another TV and clean up the old computer space so I’ve got time to decide.

Once I do figure everything out and get a final setup of where/how I want to do things I might post a pic or blog about it.  If I can find a replacement battery for my digital camera I might even do a room tour.  But that’s more money to spend.  Isn’t getting/keeping electronics working properly wonderfully.

In the meantime, why not enjoy my last (hopefully) terrible audio video before the video with my new set up comes out.  And it’s a new game.  And I pick up a couple of achievements.  Yeah for me all around!

 

 

Lego Star Wars: Ruin of the Jedi (Ep. 3 Chap 5)

I still don't have an ideal audio set up but it's getting better.  So much so that I'm actually posting a video of me working towards the 2 missing achievements I need in Lego Star Wars The Complete Saga.

For this video I'm playing Episode 3 Chapter 5 Ruin of the Jedi.  It's going to be in more than one part but that will help to keep the video short.  Why not take a look at my YouTube channel and see how well I'm doing.  I know I need Minikits and the power brick but how will it take before I realize I also need to fill up my stud counter to True Jedi status?  Tune in and find out.

W.I.P. for April 19th - 25tth now up on YouTube

I'm still working through my audio issues but I was able to upload a video of short snippets of game play of what I've been playing this week.  These are games that don't warrant a whole video to themselves or games I was just messing around in.  Most of these are failed audio tests but I was able to save the video footage to compile a montage of sorts for you.  I'm hoping to have the audio problems fixed so the next video I post will have live commentary.  If I fail at that I don't know what I'll do with myself.

But on a positive note, I did learn a lot more on how to use my editing software.  It was difficult at first to mash up several different videos and find the good parts (or at least something usable).  I got a little better as I went along so much so that I think the next time will go much better.  That's something right?

This might sound crazy but one dream job I've always thought about is editing.  Editing commercials or movies.  I find it fascinating being able to manipulate people's emotions, whether to buy something or to get them to feel a particular emotion.  They say the best music in a motion picture is the ones that sway your emotions but you don't really hear it.  Meaning that the music plays in the movie and the audience gets carried away in an emotion but don't realize that the music is manipulating them.  Now that's power.  If I could ever figure out how to do that for a living I would.  But I think I'll just start with messing around on YouTube.