iMovie / publishing workflows - can you improve this?

[Akm3]

Can this workflow be improved? (iMovie iPad)
I make videos for my judo club. Maximum quality is not my major concern - decent quality and using very little of my time is my concern.
Record video on flip mino hd or iPhone 4
Camera connection kit to ipad
Import iMovie. Add preroll and post roll pre made clips from final cut
Add clip specific titles
Start rendering and drive home
Arrive home, hit upload to YouTube, go to bed

Benefit over current process with hv40 and final cut - no fussing with tapes. No editing or importing at home. No time wasted waiting for compressor to encode (taking 40ish minutes currently). - really I can have these videos published, on YouTube and linked to our dojo site using ZERO additional time over just going to the dojo which I would do anyway. It's like free value added time.

Downsides: significantly lower video quality (and impotently audio) quality over hv40.

Are there any other cameras that will support this workflow? Can you improve it? Cheap ways to increase the audio quality on the hv40, ip4 OR the flip hd mino?

Appreciate your time. Here is a sample video of what I'm doing. (edit : nevermind can't post links yet as a new, new member. I'll edit it in later once I have more posts.)

I'll be doing about 4-5 of these a week so low impact workflow is primary. All volunteer obviously not a paid gig . Im a rank amateur.

 

[GlenL]

Have you tried looking into adding an external mic to the iPhone? That should improve the audio quality dramatically. I found a couple things on google but don't have time to run through all the links right now.

 

[Johnmarshall4]

Yes there are several external Mics available for the iPhone. Brando makes one that is small and directional. Any of these should improve the sound over the built in mic. Also if you want to record with an iPad 2 and have the camera connection kit you can use an external usb mic such as the rockband mic, but that won't be very convenient.

As for using a flip - I don't think you will have any luck getting that video into iMovie on the iPad. iMovie pretty much only accepts video recorded on an iPhone, touch or iPad. For nearly all others you need to do some conversion on the computer before it will recognize it.

So my recommendation is external mic like the brando for the iphone. Then you should be set to go. Also if you don't want to use the camera connection kit and cable there are several apps you can buy to wirelessly transfer the video directly between the iPhone and iPad. I recommend "Photo transfer app". It is $3 and a univeral app so you only have to buy it once for both devices. It will transfer photos and video over wifi or bluetooth and put the video in the correct spot.

 

[Akm3]

Yes there are several external Mics available for the iPhone. Brando makes one that is small and directional. Any of these should improve the sound over the built in mic. Also if you want to record with an iPad 2 and have the camera connection kit you can use an external usb mic such as the rockband mic, but that won't be very convenient.

As for using a flip - I don't think you will have any luck getting that video into iMovie on the iPad. iMovie pretty much only accepts video recorded on an iPhone, touch or iPad. For nearly all others you need to do some conversion on the computer before it will recognize it.

So my recommendation is external mic like the brando for the iphone. Then you should be set to go. Also if you don't want to use the camera connection kit and cable there are several apps you can buy to wirelessly transfer the video directly between the iPhone and iPad. I recommend "Photo transfer app". It is $3 and a univeral app so you only have to buy it once for both devices. It will transfer photos and video over wifi or bluetooth and put the video in the correct spot.

Thanks for tips on external mic. I mentioned the flip mino hd specifically because it is apparently one of the only camcorders that WILL import properly into iMovie iOS. It'll even do it without needing a separate powered hub! As you mention almos t no other camcorders work. Plus to the mino would be slightly better image quality than the iPhone 4 but I dont know if it can take an external microphone.

Too bad apple made I so hard to get video in to iMovie!!!

 

[SammyH]

Have you tried looking into adding an external mic to the iPhone? That should improve the audio quality dramatically. I found a couple things on google but don't have time to run through all the links right now.

I have an iRig Mic (ikmultimedia.com/irigmic) which works really well and is a big improvement over the internal mic.

 

[Akm3]

Hey I've been a member long enough now to post links. Here's a YouTube showing the end result of what I'm proposing with this workflow. I want to produce and upload 4-5 of these a week while investing virtually zero time to do it.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5teZOsH7aQg]YouTube - Spokane Judo - Newaza Keylock Turnover #2[/ame]

SammyH: do you think the iRig would improve my sound in this circumstance or is it more for folks holding that mic to their mouths? (watching first 25 seconds shows pre roll and some talking). Use iMovie ipad to pop in the pre roll and boom right?