I’ve been wanting to make a ‘real’ video for some time, but it wasn’t until Inkarnate and a brand new microphone came together that I finally gave it a go. This is a 5 minute youtube video I made. I tried hard not to sound like a chipmunk. 😉
To be honest, this first video is pretty awful, but I’m posting it to show what I did wrong. First up, I should have zoomed in right from the start and…I should have been ‘showing’ rather than telling right from the start too. Oh and one more thing, you need to have a very clear idea of what you want to say before you say it.
You can’t work the mouse and read from a script at the same time, but the script helps to focus the mind, especially when you’re nervous. I was nervous!
Cringes aside, I’m pleased with the quality of the microphone, and I’ll be honing my technique in the weeks to come. In time, I may even get to be good at this! lol
cheers
Meeks
Meeka's Mind 
November 10th, 2021 at 5:22 am
How wonderful to hear your voice! ❤
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November 10th, 2021 at 9:53 am
-grin- Your turn. 😀
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November 10th, 2021 at 11:26 pm
People laugh when they hear me read, ’cause I sound like a hick. ‘Cause I am. lol
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November 11th, 2021 at 9:32 am
Bah and humbug! Go on, I dare you. :d
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November 12th, 2021 at 3:02 am
I’ll have to get a good microphone. Any suggestions?
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November 12th, 2021 at 9:01 am
The gurus talk about getting a whiz bang microphone. I went cheap and bought one from Amazon. It’s a KLIM and it was on special. They also talk about sound proofing the area where you’re recording. My desktop is literally by my feet and the kitchen is on the other side of the wall. lol Just go for it. Time enough to get expensive stuff when you’re super good at it. 😀
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November 12th, 2021 at 11:51 pm
“Cheap” is a price point I like. 😀
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November 13th, 2021 at 11:07 am
lol High Five. 😀
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November 12th, 2021 at 11:58 pm
Does the KLIM Talk come with a microphone sweater? When I did Books On Tape, I had to use a microphone sweater, because the mic picked up a whistle.
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November 13th, 2021 at 11:07 am
Erm…what’s a microphone sweater? And no, it’s just a microphone on a swivel neck. Nothing fancy at all.
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November 14th, 2021 at 3:25 am
A microphone sweater is a porous, stretchy, sock-like thing that goes over a microphone and filters out the whistle I make when I say my “sses”.
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November 14th, 2021 at 10:31 am
Oh!!!! Yes, KLIM does have a spongy, egg-shaped thing on the end. If my ‘sses’ don’t come through with too much of a lisp I expect your’s won’t whistle. That said, I’m not spruiking the brand. Only the process. 😀
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November 15th, 2021 at 2:48 am
Okay, my turn: What is spruiking?
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November 15th, 2021 at 8:57 am
Oh? Just realised this is British English and Aussie slang! Like a showman at a carnival, or a sleazy used car salesman. Talking up something.
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November 16th, 2021 at 12:22 am
Ah! Thanks!
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November 16th, 2021 at 8:12 am
Welcome. I’m always amazed by the words we /don’t/ have in common!
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November 16th, 2021 at 11:57 pm
Wasn’t it Churchill who was supposed to have called England and America “two countries divided by a common language”?
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November 17th, 2021 at 10:47 am
Hah! I haven’t heard that one, but it describes things perfectly. Now add in Australia and South Africa, oh and Canada? and it’s amazing we can communicate at all. :d
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October 31st, 2021 at 2:17 am
Well done. You’re obviously dedicated.
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October 31st, 2021 at 10:55 am
-grin- Curious choice of words but thank you. 🙂
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October 30th, 2021 at 7:49 pm
How fun to hear your voice! You have a very poised yet relaxing way of reading, Meeks. I think with a bit more practice you will be a natural! (And I’ve done a bit of voicework in my day…) So many writers destroy their work when they narrate it but you are doing brilliantly.
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October 31st, 2021 at 10:58 am
Wow….thank you! Maybe my years of teaching are paying off in unexpected ways. lol I have been toying with the idea of trying to do my own Audible narration, but for now I’m just trying to learn the techniques. It’s hard! 😀 Any tips would be gratefully accepted.
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November 3rd, 2021 at 2:34 am
No tips come to mind so far. Let me know if you need a second pair of ears at any point. 🤗
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November 3rd, 2021 at 12:45 pm
Thank you. I will. 🙂
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October 29th, 2021 at 3:49 am
You didn’t seem nervous at all! That was great. A wonderful way to introduce the reader to the book as well as the program. And you have such a beautiful speaking voice, Andrea. I hope you do more of these. 🙂
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October 29th, 2021 at 11:37 am
-blush- Thanks, Diana. I’ve been like a kid with a new toy lately, and I’m just about to publish a new video which features one of the houses I created in Elder Scrolls Online. Loving this learning curve. 😀
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October 30th, 2021 at 1:40 am
Just don’t get too distracted! Lol. We’re waiting for your book! Honestly, I can totally relate how fun (and necessary) it is to be creative in a different way. Looking forward to your next video. 😀
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October 30th, 2021 at 7:59 am
I know, I know but…it’s so much fun. And I am learning like crazy. 😀 😀
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October 28th, 2021 at 1:02 pm
Bravo! 😀 … you don’t sound like a chipmunk at att … Mrs Widds says that after listening to the video though, my Aussie accent has returned full-blast! 😀 … I’m subscribed to your channel as The Wunder-Lusters.
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October 28th, 2021 at 8:03 pm
lmao! Thank you and yes! mwahahaha…my work is done. 😀 Oddly enough someone commented that my accent wasn’t very strong. I can’t hear it myself, one way or the other.
I am glad you got your Strine back. Hugs to you and Mrs Widds as well. 🙂
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October 27th, 2021 at 5:25 am
Wow! I’m impressed…I didn’t find this video “awful” at all. I need to watch it again, as I had to fiddle with the sound volume, and orient myself in position to follow along the trade routes. . You don’t sound at all like a chipmunk! 🙂 Now I know what your voice sounds like…delightful. It’s odd to hear ones own voice, isn’t it? I heard my voice on tape a lot when I was clerk of council, reading ordinances and calling rollcall. I discovered a lisp I never knew I had. 🙂
When I went to England to stay for a few weeks with my adopted family long ago, I overheard the youngest boy, about five at the time, say: “Nanny, why does Pat talk like that?” He pronounced it “Pot” and said it with his English cadence, of course…How darling he was!
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October 27th, 2021 at 9:39 am
hah! Yes. I’ve got a small lisp myself and I’m conscious of it when I do public speaking. I’ve held off doing anything on the audio front because, as with photos, I always feel very vulnerable when I’m seen or heard like that. Face to face? No problem at all. In fact, I’m not even all that shy. lol
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October 28th, 2021 at 4:02 am
Well you sound lovely on the video…I expected more of an Aussie accent, though. They say my Grandpa that ran away from Australia at 16 had a Aussie touch to his speech throughout his life.
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October 28th, 2021 at 8:06 am
I’ve been bilingual since I was four, so I never quite developed the full ‘Strine’ accent. 🙂
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October 28th, 2021 at 10:07 am
ah ha…I thought so. Hungarian? Scott used to work for a Hungarian restaurant, about 15 years, and he got so he could understand Hungarian. The parents and all five of their offspring were blingual. Mrs. Helen and her sister Mamush I think her real name is Elizabeth. The kids spoke Hungarian only among their family or each other. Nice people. Mamush used to wait tables, and she would say things like: “how arda you tonight? and cucumbaares, and others we used to tease her that she sounded like a vampire: “please dollink ve must go indorse…” tee hee
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October 28th, 2021 at 8:13 pm
lmao – yes, the Hungarian accent can be very heavy. My Dad was fluent in French and German before we ended up in Australia so he managed to teach himself ‘proper’ English – i.e. grammatical and without that accent – but Mum never lost the accent. 😀
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October 29th, 2021 at 9:20 am
my Spanish is not too bad, but when I did a second lang for my degree I chose French (reading proficiency.) Since I am a wordsmith of sorts, I like accuracy and variation in vocabulary. On the final I barely managed a C, but the instructor wrote: “your translations are beautiful, but too slow and specific.” We could use a dictionary. Now as for Spanish, I can read and write decently, but my spoken Spanish is not good. However, I was able to survive in Mexico for two weeks trying to use only Spanish. I tried to teach myself Russian, but I gave it up because there is no frame of reference between Russian and English (that I could see;) unlike Spanish and French which of course share a lot of cognates with English.
I recognize the Russian characters and some grammar, but other than that the words that I know seem to me to have nothing in common.
Also I did have a little bit of German, enough to buy things. Oh, and Latin…one of my favorite all-time studies, which help in translation.
My original goal as a university major was Linguistics, but I quick was seduced into Latin American Studies, and my degrees are in Latin American History.
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October 29th, 2021 at 9:24 am
The Szarkas had a combination of Hungarian and German accents. Mr. S had a rather conspicuous lisp on top of his accent. Once at dinner in the restaurant Mrs. S. told me that she wanted to order a thousand cabbages for the next day…I absently said “a thousand?” She said no, “a dozen.” They bought cabbage and apples and other vegetables from us. Scott worked there as a kitchen hand.
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October 26th, 2021 at 6:11 pm
Lovely to put a voice to the face…Your graphics are awesome. Well Done!
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October 26th, 2021 at 10:44 pm
Thanks, Carol. 😀 😀
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October 26th, 2021 at 6:10 pm
Lovely to put a voice to the face..you sound good and your graphics are awesome..
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October 26th, 2021 at 3:58 pm
Well done, Meeka! I’m impressed. You sound good, and the map is wonderful.
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October 26th, 2021 at 10:46 pm
lol – thanks for the support, but I really do have along way to go. After I posted today I discovered that I can put in subtitles! Who’da thunk, right? : D: D
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October 27th, 2021 at 3:28 am
I made a video with Zoom of myself reading part of a story, as an experiment. I liked your video better because you had something interesting to look at. The idea of reading appeals to me, but let’s face it, watching someone read isn’t all that exciting. A nice image relating to the book would be better. And I’m sure having a decent microphone makes a big difference. I’ll watch for more of your vids!
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October 27th, 2021 at 9:41 am
Oh! You should have images of your books. Berthold does that when he reads his reviews.
I’ll be honest, I’ve resisted anything to do with audio for a long time, but the popularity of Audible makes me think there’s something in it. Plus, I do watch a LOT of youtube videos. 😀
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October 26th, 2021 at 10:48 am
Actually I thought you did quite well. Looking forward to learning more about your world.
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October 26th, 2021 at 10:47 pm
Thanks, Chuck. I discovered sub-titles today, so I hope the next one is better. 🙂
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October 26th, 2021 at 9:26 am
I am very impressed, Meeks, both with the map and your voice over. It was a delight to listen to your voice after all these years. 😘
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October 26th, 2021 at 10:03 am
-hugs- Thanks, Anne. Maybe one day we’ll have a chance to meet somewhere for a coffee and a face-to-face chat.
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October 27th, 2021 at 11:19 am
Wouldn’t that be nice?
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October 27th, 2021 at 8:20 pm
Fingers crossed. 🙂
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October 26th, 2021 at 8:48 am
Fabulous! Very interesting. Well done 🙂
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October 26th, 2021 at 10:08 am
Hi! And thank you. I have a long way to go but at least now I know what to work on. 😀 Btw I’m reading the latest Leine Basso and love it. Very topical and definitely thought provoking.
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October 26th, 2021 at 5:43 am
Well done, Meeks! Sharing…
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October 26th, 2021 at 8:21 am
-hugs- thanks, Bette!
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October 26th, 2021 at 4:52 am
You have a lovely voice!
And once again, I’m awed by the lengths that science fiction and fantasy writers go to create worlds. I much prefer checking a map or taking a walk while holding close to real places whenever possible in my fiction.
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October 26th, 2021 at 8:25 am
Aww…thank you. As for the world building…that’s part of the fun. I mean, you write mysteries amongst other things. Don’t you find working out the mysteries part of the reason why you enjoy the genre? Same for me/us.
Ultimately though, once we know what the setting is, we all face the same constraints. We all have to create believable places, people and events or the stories fall flat.
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October 26th, 2021 at 12:45 am
Great video! Nice to see a glimpse of Vokhtah.
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October 26th, 2021 at 8:33 am
Hi Berthold! You’re being kind, but I’ll accept with pleasure. Doing this kind of thing well is a lot harder than I thought it would be, but the potential is enormous.
I wonder if you could do videos of your reviews?
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October 26th, 2021 at 9:25 am
I’ve actually started doing videos of my reviews in the last couple months: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtGljWvR-UuuR90vdJxtq9A/videos
They’re nothing fancy at all; just audio of me reading what I’ve written, but I figure they might be useful for folks who are busy and want to listen rather than read.
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October 26th, 2021 at 10:04 am
That’s fabulous! I should have realised you’d be up with the newish tech. 😀
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October 26th, 2021 at 10:09 am
Thank you. Not that I’m on the cutting edge; my videos are pretty bare bones in terms of production values. 😀 But they are quick to make and people seem to like them.
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October 26th, 2021 at 10:54 pm
I’d read that people were really getting into audio but didn’t really pay much attention. Maybe it’s because they can listen while driving etc.
You know what this means, don’t you? One day we’re going to have to get with Audible. 😉
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October 26th, 2021 at 10:07 am
p.s. Just had a quick listen of your review of Audrey’s short stories and it comes across really well. My only suggestion would be to wait until the intro music is over before starting. It was a little hard to make out. I’m truly impressed by how /many/ videos you’ve already made. Bravo!
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October 26th, 2021 at 10:13 am
Thanks. Yeah, timing the intro (and outro) music is always a challenge. What I’m going for is the effect of a radio show host who comes on to start the show as the intro music fades, or conversely, having the ending music gradually come in so the audience knows a break is coming up. I’m still getting the hang of it. Thanks for giving it a listen! 🙂
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October 26th, 2021 at 10:52 pm
What app are you using to create the podcast? Gah, so new to this I’m not even sure that podcast is the correct term. Anyway, getting the technical side just so is always harder that it looks. Was trying to edit the video today and it’s not easy.
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October 27th, 2021 at 9:32 am
First, I record the audio in a program called Audacity, which I also use to edit it.
Then, once it’s ready, I put it in iMovie, add the picture of the cover and the music, and then make a file to upload to YouTube. But I have it easy on the editing since I just have a still picture for the video.
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October 27th, 2021 at 8:24 pm
Thanks, Berthold. I’ll keep Audacity in mind for the future. I’m using a small app called RecMaster which can record audio on its own if need by but the editing functions are very simple. Exactly what I need right now, but I suspect I’ll want something with a bit more depth once I get the hang of this video stuff.
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October 25th, 2021 at 7:35 pm
I thought that was lovely. You have a very calming voice.
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October 26th, 2021 at 8:34 am
LMAO! Thanks, Dawn. I’ll keep the calm voice for teaching. Might up the excitement level for other things though. 😉
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October 25th, 2021 at 7:21 pm
That seems a good first try. Nothing chipmonky about it at all!
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October 26th, 2021 at 8:36 am
Hi Mick, and thanks. I was trying hard to. I suspect that once I get into the swing of this, my pitch will go up a bit. 😉
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October 26th, 2021 at 6:31 pm
So, chipmonk still to come, then…
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October 26th, 2021 at 10:44 pm
lol – yeah, I fear so. 😉
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October 25th, 2021 at 6:56 pm
Not bad for a first attempt… and your voice is lovely!
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October 26th, 2021 at 8:36 am
Aww…-blush- Thank you. 🙂
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October 25th, 2021 at 4:54 pm
Well done, I have not ventured into maps or videos. Your so speaking voice is good with no ums and ers.
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October 25th, 2021 at 6:31 pm
Oh! Thank you Tidal. It took a number of goes, and I normally speak a lot faster than that. Was sooo conscious of my diction. My elementary school teacher would probably be proud. 😀 😀
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October 25th, 2021 at 4:15 pm
Not bad at all! I might go a little bit faster – but not much.
Good to hear what you sound like. I intend to do my own ‘as read by author’ versions of my novels (assuming I can figure out a number of technical choices to my satisfaction), but I’m not ready by light years.
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October 25th, 2021 at 6:34 pm
Thanks, Alicia. I’m not sure which hat I thought I was wearing – story teller or teacher. Next time I’ll make sure I’m much more focused in the what.
May I suggest getting a dead simply little app called RecMaster and a cheapish microphone and just playing? Seriously. There are things you only think about once you’ve tried to do something and…-cough- failed. Practice is good. 🙂
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October 26th, 2021 at 3:15 am
Finishing NETHERWORLD is first. I joined a FB group for authors who narrate their own books, and follow a voice-over blog, but I’m not serious about audio yet – because I can’t be. Have fun! You were a lot better than you thought you were, voice-wise.
For the video part, 5 min. is very long unless it’s a lesson (your teacher part), and a script could keep the graphics part moving.
As you say, a LOT to learn. But orders of magnitude better than anything I could do now.
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October 26th, 2021 at 8:31 am
I think if I’d been able to find FB groups that spoke to my interests, I might have made more of an effort. You’re lucky you found that group.
And thank you. I was really worried I’d sound chipmunky as I have a fairly high pitched voice.
Definitely a lot to learn about producing something that people will actually want to watch. Key for me is going to be the purpose of each video. This first one was more experiment than anything else. Now I have to knuckle down and focus. 🙂
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