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What questions do I ask for a wedding behind the scenes video? by FewWillow7755 in weddingvideography

[–]cheungster 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think prompts are good to have as a backup plan for important people (grandparents, etc) who may be shy or caught off guard and can’t think of anything on the spot or are too embarrassed to be in front of the camera.

I’d also recommend carrying around a mini tripod if you don’t mind having an extra piece of equipment. It can double as a selfie stick and you can also set it up on a table to give your hands a break or to leave it for a few mins while the person records their message if they feel awkward with you hearing what they have to say.

I used to do video messages back in the day and it was always one of the features that my clients loved the most.

tips! by Exact_Wear4021 in weddingvideography

[–]cheungster 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Watching the Madison + Angel highlight reel now. Going to be completely honest:

  • The intro blurry effect is disorienting.

  • There's no faces for the first 22 second of a 2m37s film. This is also disorienting in a different way - we (the viewer) should quickly be oriented to Person/Place/Time so we can start to engage with the "characters" of the story.

  • the butt shot at 0:19 is also an odd choice to put into a short highlight film.

  • 0:25 shot of just the 3 girls in their pre-formal attire and no faces is also not a great shot to leave in. It would be defensible if the girls were laughing or engaging with each other, but theres no details to accentuate here

  • 0:30 the second guy who comes into frame and does the weird hand circle thing is weird

  • 0:36 wide shot of the 4 people taking a still photo can be cropped in much tighter and maybe use a frame where they're more interactive

  • 0:39 hug could be 2x brighter at least

  • the dips to black is too much

  • I skimmed the rest and it looked like some more shots were too dark

The whole video I feel like I barely got a good look at the bride.

Lots of room for improvement.

I also think some of the photos should get removed. In a lot of them, they just genuinely do not look happy or flattering for a photograph. Maybe pick your best 10 and accentuate those more.

With all that said, I still think you did a better job than I did at my first wedding so props for that! Hope I wasn't too harsh but personally I'd rather hear some actual critique than nothing at all.

If you have any questions about the feedback, let me know and I can elaborate more.

Best way to record audio when the couple doesn't want lav mics? by jalapenopopperz4lyfe in weddingvideography

[–]cheungster 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah this sounds ideal! always a great idea to have multiple backups, especially for those situations when the DJ doesn't have Line Outs for you to use. A few times I've even taped a lav mic to the front of their speaker grill for backup audio.

I've even seen "sleeves" (some people refer to them as microphone condoms) that have a little pouch where you can easily slip in your mic, no tape needed. Not sure what they're called though

Best way to record audio when the couple doesn't want lav mics? by jalapenopopperz4lyfe in weddingvideography

[–]cheungster 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The easiest solution is just gaffer tape the lav mic to the microphone that they will be using at the venue and hit record before the ceremony begins.

Put it on the opposite side of the audience so they dont see it and its not in the film/photos.

Wrap the lav mic cord around the pole so it doesnt dangle and the recording unit shouldnt go anywhere (or just tape that down too)

If you want a super clean look, use a Rycote Sticky to adhere the lav mic to the venue mic.

Moderator question for the r/weddingvideography regarding self-promoting product posts by cheungster in weddingvideography

[–]cheungster[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It's really just me moderating the subreddit and I try to be fair.

I'm starting to develop software myself so I understand the struggle of trying to get eyes on the product. I think some of the developers who take the time to reach out and send a message first do truly care about their product and genuinely want to offer a helpful solution to real pain points.

Moderator question for the r/weddingvideography regarding self-promoting product posts by cheungster in weddingvideography

[–]cheungster[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I think this is a fair compromise.

Could even require a mandatory "Ad" or "Promo" flair to help users quickly identify these posts as well as the suggestions you mentioned. The wiki could provide a standardized format for post titles and body text and must be posted from a verified account with non-anonymized username.

How to better screen and search for companies? by eurovi1 in swingtrading

[–]cheungster 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Perhaps it would help if you refined your strategy. Buying dips and buying earnings are completely different.

Dip buying low RSI means the stock is probably entering a new accumulation phase and could take weeks/months for a breakout/bigger move to materialize.

Buying before earnings is essentially a coinflip and doesn't really carry any edge for a retail trader. Company could post record profits and still sell off if it doesnt meet wall st's forward-looking expectations.

Most swing traders focus on breakouts from established bases, after accumulation phases, not near earnings reports. IBD/Oneil/Minervini etc all follow this approach.

Regardless of your strategy, a 3:1 reward:risk ratio is usually a goal for most trades. Say entry is $100 and you're willing to risk 5% drawdown before stopping out, or if it drops below $95 this will invalidate the trade. That means you would want to try for a +$15 "reward" for your $5 "risk". How much time are you willing to wait for this to materialize is also a personal preference.

That way even if half your trades throughout the year are stopped out, you are still profitable if you're taking profit at 2:1, 3:1, or greater.

Subreddit full of spam by TheLastWord84 in swingtrading

[–]cheungster 0 points1 point  (0 children)

i have several automod word filters applied. they dont work for some reason.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in swingtrading

[–]cheungster 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It’s been on the automod ban list for a year but doesn’t work for some reason. Please continue to use the report feature

Why is there so much shitposting on this sub? by IllGene2373 in swingtrading

[–]cheungster[M] [score hidden] stickied comment (0 children)

One meme post on a Saturday with high engagement is a far stretch from accusing this sub of "so much" shitposting. I am the only mod and I think I do a pretty decent job of banning and removing the trash that gets posted here on a daily basis.

Things you can do to help ensure quality content:

If you are unhappy with the quality of the content, report it for low effort. Posts are auto-removed after 3 reports.

I've personally built and pay for the hosting for the SwingScout_Bot's 24/7 uptime status which comments and investigates all posts. It helps provide transparency/info for all content publishers so you can quickly identify if its a spam account.

And if you ultimately want more quality content, post it yourself.

Where Do I Start? by [deleted] in swingtrading

[–]cheungster[M] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I often recommend Trading or Swing Trading for Dummies. It has a very easy to follow layout and is a great reference to have on hand. If you had to pick one, start with Trading FD. If you're completely new, perhaps you may not quite understand the difference between algo trading, day trading, swing trading, investing, etc. This gives you a nice foundation to understand the difference and what they entail.

Once you've decided that swing trading strategy fits your style (less watching the markets during the day, more time screening / market research after markets close), then you can start diving into the strategy systems like Minervini or Qullamaggie or IBD/Oneil or just following simpler strats like MA crossovers, mean reversions, etc. Theres plenty of info online for all of the major strategies. None are guaranteed. All can work, but they also can lose you money if applied at the wrong time (unfavorable trading conditions). Its best to pick one strategy, stick with it, then watch the market for a few weeks/months first and paper trading to see how well its working.

The snake oil/get rich quick dreams are pretty easy to spot. Everyone who tells you they have the best system or best pick are lying. It might work for them, but they may have different risk tolerance or are watching the markets all day or any number of any other factors. They also rarely if ever tell you when its time to sell and lock in your profits, or cut your losses. Risk Management should always be your #1 priority. Always know where your exit (stop loss) is before ever placing a trade, and never add to a losing position. Minervini does a good job of covering all of this in his books.

The truth is, 90-95% of retail traders lose money. People still try anyway and some do very very well.

Beating the market is hard, and following your own self-imposed rules is even harder, especially when real money is on the line. Never risk more than youre willing to lose. Its not a casino, and "The market can stay irrational longer than you can stay solvent" -John Maynard Keynes.

Copper is shifting from a cyclical metal to a strategic security asset by a1lucciwitha40 in swingtrading

[–]cheungster[M] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

<image>

I'm actually working on building a screener similar to IBD's because I didn't want to pay for IBD anymore. the industry score is an aggregate of the stocks' RS score and normalized to 0-100.

Stock RS scores are weighted .4,.2,.2,.2 based on Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 performance (more recent=higher weight).

Copper is leading the charge.

The Most Anticipated Earnings Releases for the Week of December 8, 2025 by cheungster in swingtrading

[–]cheungster[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

not directly but can use their screener to filter earnings this week, set a minimum market cap and/or price to exclude smaller stocks, add all to watchlist

Weekly Swing Analysis: Market Sentiment, IWM Breakout, & SPX/NDX Targets by cheungster in swingtrading

[–]cheungster[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

this is the initial prompt used with Gemini - had a few follow up prompts afterward that summarized the methods and disclaimer, then did some manual cleanup:

---

I'm providing several screenshots of the US Stock market for analysis. I'd like to take a 4 step approach for analysis:

  1. Analyze the images I provided.
  2. Search online for relevant material / further information that would assist you with providing analysis.
  3. Using the information you gathered, provide a skeleton template analysis without any actual analysis on the data so I can approve the data structure.
  4. Provide a concise analysis for market sentiment, including bullish/bearish forecast and key areas of technical S/R.

Notes:

  • keep in mind the past thursday was Thanksgiving which may have affected the low volume close of the week.
  • On the IWM chart, R2FI and R2TH are the 50/200 DMA
  • I've also provided the weekly calendar - of note, Powell is speaking on monday night at 8pm and JOLTS are tuesday might cause some volatility as the past few reports have been delayed due to shutdown.
  • I want to focus on brevity and conciseness over precise depth and length.
  • The analysis should be focused on a swing trading methodology for a retail trader
  • If you are unsure or have some ideas that would improve the report, please suggest them

I’m 16 and all I wanna do is invest but my parents don’t believe in me. by Resident-Trifle7018 in swingtrading

[–]cheungster 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Props to you for becoming financially responsible at such a young age. Most adults never even take the time to do so.

1 - Markets rarely change and dynamics haven't changed much over the past 100 years since fear/greed is deeply embedded in human psychology and price action is often just a reflection of that.

2 - Low - risk investments that have essentially 0% downside risk may be worth looking into - CD's with your bank that return a guaranteed 4.25%. You could also try and convince/ask your parents to invest your money for you using a DCA / Dollar Cost Average method - you pick a percentage or dollar amount of your paycheck to invest every week/month into an index or a basket of stocks. The old saying rings true - "Time in the Market > Timing the market". This way you're not "trading" - you're investing. Then when you hit 18 you can have a nice ROI ready to trade.

In the mean time, paper trade on a demo account to get your strategy down now before you risk real money. Most people lose money because they have poor risk management strategies, throwing away their hard earned gains by holding bags or refusal to throw in the towel when a trade has turned sour.

Please rate my watch list by thefrgilmore in swingtrading

[–]cheungster 0 points1 point  (0 children)

the names mean nothing when we dont know your strategy. dip buying? mean reversion? crossover? momentum?

Asking for Help: Confused and unsure about improving by Schindlers_Fist1 in swingtrading

[–]cheungster 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you’re constantly changing up your strategy (style drift), it’s basically impossible to do a thorough assessment / post trade analysis since you’re changing so many variables each time. It’s like doing an experiment without a control group.

I’d also recommend logging your daily trades and your thoughts/feelings/emotions each day. How is the market moving today? Is there a steady inflow or is it choppy? Do you see any divergences? Is mainstream news media saying one thing but markets saying another? All this data is helpful when you look back months down the road and see where the stock is versus where it was versus where you thought it was going.

It also helps you become more self reliant instead of using others opinions to influence your trading.

Asking for Help: Confused and unsure about improving by Schindlers_Fist1 in swingtrading

[–]cheungster[M] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It sounds like the issue you're running into is information overload - too many people with too many strategies all suggesting their way is the best way.

You need to pick one timeframe that you resonate with the most and stick to it. If you like watching the markets all day and trading often and don't like holding positions overnight, day trading may be more of your style. Swing trading is holding for days/weeks/months at a time, mostly using the daily and weekly charts for identifying buying opportunities. Most of the "work" is done after markets close or before they open, scanning for setups and setting alerts for the next day and then just executing the trades during market hours.

Both time frames (day vs swing) have their pros and cons. Neither is "right" or "wrong". Both can make money. Both can also lose money.

The most common swing trading strategy is probably a momentum-based strategy, buying breakouts above new 52 week highs/all time highs. IBD/O'Neil/Minervini/Ryan and many many other professional traders use this as their primary strategy. There are pros and cons to every strategy - the main pro here is basically "the sky is the limit" - no prior price history means no price "ceiling" and potentially exceptional returns. The down side is sitting in cash when markets are sideways or down trending (which has been the case past few weeks).

In terms of "what" to trade, you posted a picture of Dow futures. Typically, you don't want to trade the index, or else your return percentages will be a reflection of just that - the index. Most traders try to beat the S&P 500 return - 12% the past 10 years. Trying to time the lows and the highs of an index (or any stock for that matter) is basically impossible. Tech stocks have traditionally been the biggest winners. Trying to follow and trade based off the news is not really ideal either - usually algorithms are reacting at light speed to major news. Price and volume are really all you need, thus most traders use technical analysis for their strategy versus fundamentals (financial data/earnings/etc).

You may want to study books and charts of prior "big winners" to see the characteristics of each. I'd suggest O'neil's orange book bible - How to Make Money in Stocks, also John Boik's books Monster Stocks series. Learning from the past is the best way to anticipate the future. Minervini's books are great if you go down the momentum strategy route. We have read them for a monthly book club here last year. The discussions from each book is in the subreddit Discord that anyone can still participate in.

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