A Lot of Work…

OK, my layout isn’t quite that bad. But there has been a lot to learn about making videos for YouTube, hiring someone to make the basic layout for my website, then adding pages and content. I use my SurfacePro to shoot the videos (nice camera), have five different lights on, and then upload the video to my main pc where I add the intro and ending and create the final mp4 file.

On the plus side, I’ve looked at many car pictures and car ads, reminisced about cars I’ve owned before, dug into converting 8mm and slides into digital, spent a lot of time planning out future content I want to post, and found some cool Facebook groups.

I’m happy to say there’s a lot of folks like me who appreciate Corvettes and Mustangs and Mopars and the car craze shows no signs of slowing down. Among my friends and associates I’m sort of the Lone Ranger, I don’t hang around too many car nuts. I have two sons, the oldest has zero interest in cars. The youngest might just be more bonkers about them than I am. He gives me a hard time about taking my M5 through the car wash.

A 5 minute video takes hours to create. The first one required trying different lighting, adjusting the background, tweaking the lighting, moving the laptop to just the right position, building a stand for the laptop to position the camera at just the right place. Then several takes to get it right, or at least decent. But that was just the beginning!

Learning how to use the editing software, problems uploading my mp4 videos to the first program I installed, then working fine in the second. Then figuring out what all the controls are in the new software, trial and error to add sound, inserting images, creating transitions, etc. I’m sure it will get faster as I go.

It would be easier to just buy a car and go. But for some reason I have this wild idea that sharing this with the world would be even more fun – doing things by yourself is cool, doing it with other like-minded folks makes it even more fun. Why go to car meets and car shows? Because there are other people demented enough to spend time and money on their car. Making it faster, making it look cooler, doing something rad just for the helluvit.

Then there’s track days and racing. Don’t get me started on that subject!

I’m glad to say that I’m over the hump on the website and creating videos. Sure, there’s much to learn, but I’ve got the basics down. I still have to learn about all the social media opportunities.

I can’t wait to get to the point where I’m buying the car and going through the car, updating as needed. That is when it will really get fun. And that’s a part that I’m looking forward to sharing with y’all, and getting your feedback of similar things you’ve done.

Until then, it’s on to the car search and finding a ’66 Mustang to drive cross-country. Just for the fun of it!