Discover Medellin, Colombia on YouTube

So the other day I decided I wanted to post a video on YouTube to share some of the 3,500 photos I took over my three trips to Medellin this year, 2007.

What a challenge!! Especially for someone who has no experience making a video by downloading photos and adding music tracks as well.

My Dell Latitude Laptop came with Windows MovieMaker, it seemed simple enough to me after browsing the editing window a few days prior.

I'm ready to convert my Medellin photos into a video for the world to see!!

I sat down, opened Windows MovieMaker and started downloading photos. After downloading about 5o phots from my flash drive I forgot to save my work before taking out the flash drive where most of the photos were stored.

SHOOT!! Everything, all my work was lost! I now had to start all over.

Oh well, I started over and downloaded about 1oo photos this time around, it's getting easier as I get more accustomed to the MovieMaker program.

SHOOT!! I can't believe it!! You will never guess what happened? My freakin' laptop froze up on me and I could not get it to function properly, I shut down my computer.

AGAIN, everything, all my work was lost!!!

My laptop almost flew out the window!!

Lucky for my Dell, I love my laptop! Otherwise, out the window it may have gone.

Okay, okay. I'm going to take my time, work slow, not to quick. I am going to save my work evey step of the way and will be more patient, knowing my laptop can't handle multiple tasks at once.

I took my time, downloaded photos, save, repeat. Okay, I now had a good selection of photos from my varies trips to Medellin. I wanted to be able to show as many areas as possible in order to give the viewer a better idea of the beauty of Medellin, the Medellin I LOVE!

Okay, next step is to drag the photos I want to use into a timeline. Easy enough. I choose a pic, drag it down, repeat. I have to keep checking the video time line underneath the preview window, since YouTube only allows 1o minute clips to be uploaded to their site.

After sometime had passed I check the video bar and see that it is at 1o:18". Good, I was getting tired of dragging the photos into the timeline, it's also getting late.

I hit play and watch the whole video. At this point, it has no music tracks lined up with the video. It seems dry and boring!!

It needs MUSIC!!

This creates more problems and questions. Where do I get music? How do I download the music? How do I sink up the music I want to the video time line?

I search the world wide web and come across a Medelin website, en Espanol, where Paisas have downloaded some of their favorite music. I listen to a few songs. There are a few songs I like. I download several of them to my computer.

Next, I click "download audio" in Windows Moviemaker and it allows me to "browse" my computer for audio source. I choose three songs that I liked and "wah-lah!" It is easier than I thought. What a great program for someone with no video editing experince who has a desire to make a home movie to share with friends and family and the world if he or she so chooses.

There is a audio option at the bottom, I click it and it tells me to click, drag, and drop the selected audio into the video time frame. I do this three times with the three songs I want to use. The music is now on the timeline, in sink with the images. How easy was that!!

Wait I am not done. I need to add opening titles and credits at the end of the video.

This is too easy. I click the "add titles" option and it's as easy as one, two, three. I'm feeling like Spielberg now.

I now have the photos, with the music tracks sinked up, and now the titles have been created.

I AM FINISHED!! Well not really...

It's time to upload the video to YouTube. This part is a bit easier for me since I have already uploaded a few videos in the past.

Next... I open my YouTube account, click upload, upload my video.... wait a few minutes and... finally Discover Medellin, Colombia is Live on YouTube!

I'm tired, but after thinking about quitting, finishing the video was very rewarding. I watch the video twice before going to bed.

The photos are a mix taken over my three trips to Medellin this year, 2007.

Hope y'all enjoy the video.