Performance Overlay in Premiere Pro

Posted by Fir Works on March 10, 2018
Posted in: How-To, Uncategorized. Leave a comment

Are you a huge nerd who wants to go through stats and numbers rather than being an artist putting your soul on display for the world? Then turn on this performance overlay so you can focus more on min-maxing performance and workflow and forget about “telling a story”.

Seriously though this is a pretty handy tool hidden in Premiere Pro to allow you to measure how your computer is performing with the footage and effects on your timeline.

Thanks go to Linus Tech Tips for showing this off and not explaining how to do it (!) sending me on a wild e-goose chase culminating in the creation of this video.

Gen 2 (2017+) Honda Ridgeline Hood Jiggle

Posted by Fir Works on January 29, 2018
Posted in: Ridgeline, Slice of Life. Leave a comment

I posted a video a week or two ago getting a car wash in my Gen 2 Honda Ridgeline trying to show how the hood wiggles like Jell-O in the air dryers. It wasn’t really clear, so I thought this time I should bring my real camera, and try to get a shot from outside. It turned into a little, getting a carwash vlog thing or something. I started editing to the music and then well you get this.

As you can see here, the hood does get to jumping and jiggling pretty bad. I don’t think it’s harmful at least for now and probably what you can expect having an aluminum hood. I do wonder though over the years if the aluminum will get brittle from the motion. Only time can tell though at this point.

Music: “Favela Beat” by Birocratic (http://birocratic.lnk.to/allYL)

SJCAM M10+ Carwash Slow-Mo Test (120FPS to 24FPS)

Posted by Fir Works on January 16, 2018
Posted in: Ridgeline, Slice of Life. Tagged: , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

I had my action cam with me with new upgraded lens (4.35mm) and decided to grab a car wash since the weather was above freezing. Figured it might be something interesting to shoot in slow motion to test the cam out.

It’s 720P footage and doesn’t look great but may be interesting to someone out there who finds an SJCAM M10+ for cheap. Also at the end as I drive through the dryers you can see the jello-like Honda Ridgeline aluminum hood going nuts.

Footage was filmed 720p120, slowed to 720p24. LUT applied in Premiere Pro.

Maybe this will inspire someone to get an action cam and go film something more interesting in slow motion…

Does a Queen Size Mattress Fit in a Gen 2 (2017+) Honda Ridgeline?

Posted by Fir Works on August 14, 2017
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Emboldened by a thread over on the Ridgeline Owners Club, I decided that we should finally replace our old mattress and go bigger to a queen size. It seemed like a good chance to document the journey and put together a video for other people wondering about the capabilities of the G2 Ridgeline.

On the expressway we were going a little over 70 and there was no risk of the mattress flying out or really anything bad happening. The ratchet straps were crossed from the front tiedown to the rear to get around the fact that the RL’s cab side tie downs are VERY far forward. I think if you tried to strap straight accross there’s a good chance the mattress would slip out from the front strap. With the mattress and box spring tucked into the bad behind the cab it is perfectly secure. This is only possible due to the fact that the Ridgeline’s bed is a full 60″ wide between the bedwalls. Let’s see you do that in any other midsize truck!

Red White & Boom 2017 4th of July Fireworks Show in Peoria, IL

Posted by Fir Works on July 19, 2017
Posted in: Slice of Life, Uncategorized. Leave a comment

Check out this extremely topical upload. It’s only… two weeks late! At least I might show up on search for once!
*Searches for ‘Firworks Fireworks’*
“Did you mean ‘fireworks fireworks’?”

This is a short clip I shot during the Unity Point Health Red White & Boom fireworks show in Peoria, IL. It’s the largest fireworks show in Illinois.

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Failure Vlog: Aurora Borealis at the Illinois-Wisconsin Border

Posted by Fir Works on July 17, 2017
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There’s really no reason to watch this.

Last night we were bamboozled by some incorrectly forecasted swirling plasma. The National Weather Service declared yesterday that due to a particularly strong solar flare, the Northern lights would be visible as far South as the Illinois/Wisconsin border. We took a chance and packed up the truck and headed as far North as we could get before dark.

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Playing with the Web Browser in my Honda Ridgeline

Posted by Fir Works on June 11, 2017
Posted in: Reviews, Slice of Life, Uncategorized. Leave a comment

I just bought a new 2017 Honda Ridgeline. I thought this web browser was a pretty cool little addition so I figured I’d make a video showing it off quick!

Expect more videos to come as I totally love this truck. Not only that, they’ll be real videos because I’m putting out my hard earned dinero towards car payments, rather than the million videos from people who got to borrow the truck for 3 days.

Attending YarnCon 2017

Posted by Fir Works on April 6, 2017
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This last weekend we attended YarnCon 2017 in Chicago. My girlfriend is really into crochet (pronounced: “croshette”) and so any time there is a yarn or knit/crochet show nearby we go. I brought my camera and while there decided to make a little travel vlog / super cut video of the show.

YarnCon Website:
https://www.yarncon.com/

List of Vendors:
https://www.yarncon.com/vendors-2/

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Playing with the Air Suspension on a RAM 1500 Rebel Edition

Posted by Fir Works on March 7, 2017
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I’m currently in the process of replacing my Jetta TDI that I just completed the buy back process on. I’ve been looking at a midsize pickup truck to replace it and while I wasn’t originally considering it, someone on GJ suggested I go check out the new air suspension on the RAM 1500. While out on the test drive I decided to pull over and get some footage of how it worked. It’s a pretty cool system and I’d say the truck seems to ride a bit better than the other half-ton trucks I’ve been in unloaded.

DAT PRNDL DOE

Having a dial based shifter like a mini-van in the REBEL edition feels impossibly tone deaf.

“I likes my transmissions shifted with a dial and I likes dubs over subs” – Grizzled Rebel Purchaser