Here you will find a number of Tips and Tricks. We have made every attempt to give credit for items contributed by others. Please e-mail us if we have not given proper credit. Some tips (but not all) have been edited for spelling.
Note: Tips specific to certain applications have been moved to their individual pages.
 | General Tips (Updated 6/18/04) |
| Video Editing Toolkit (Updated 5/24/08) |
| Windows Performance Tips (Updated 8/15/06) |
| Wedding Tips (Updated 8/4/05) |
| Funerals (Seriously) (Added 10/23/04) |
| Sports Events (Added 8/31/03) |
| Preparing for a Video Shoot (Updated 2/7/04) |
| Video Editing as a Business (Updated 10/23/04) |
| It is very important to use a tripod for most footage. There may be some special situations where it would actually be more effective to not use a tripod. In our experience a tripod is a necessity. You will also want to invest in a fairly nice one with a fluid-filled head. This will give you some very smooth footage. |
| Don't forget about the rule of thirds that you learned about in your high school photography class. |
| When your subject is moving provide enough "lead" room so it doesn't look like they are crowding the edge of the screen. You want to keep a comfortable cushion on the opposite side of the screen. |
| Try not to shoot with light behind the subject unless you are going for a special effect. It is best if the light source is coming from behind the videographer and to one side. |
| Always shoot more footage than you think you'll need. |
| When shooting it is best to record only RAW footage. Forget about all those special effects and titles built into your camcorder. The problem with using these is they become permanent; you can't change your mind later. However, if you have RAW footage you can add in any effects you want during the editing process. If you don't like the way something turns out then you can always change it. I've found that Studio 8, in conjunction with Hollywood FX Pro, gives a tremendous amount of control. For even more control consider Liquid Edition. |
| IMPORTANT - No matter what anybody tells you - DO NOT pre-stripe (or
black) your tapes before using them. Why? Here are a couple reasons: 1) It is not necessary 2) It wears out the heads on your camcorder 3) Often times causes gaps and other problems 4) It is a waste of time because the negatives far outweigh any positives 5) Do a search on the Pinnacle webboard and you will find very few people who think it is a good idea 6) Because virtually all of the "experts" (people who actually use the software and know what's best) agree that this is a bad idea. I have included the best explanation from a veteran videographer named Maura: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The difference between pre-striped and non-pre-striped tapes is what happens when the user doesn't properly cue the tape after review or reloading. If the tape is a virgin, there may be a short segment of unrecorded tape between segments. This resets the LTC to 0:00:00 and you end up with duplicate LTCs (two 0:01:23's for example). With SDV this is an inconvenience but nothing insurmountable. When taping over, there may be a short segment of the original LTC showing through between newly recorded sections. The original timecode can easily be out of sync with the new, leaving a condition such as: Original New 0:12:00 0:11:10 0:12:01 0:11:11 0:12:02 0:12:03 0:12:04 0:12:04 0:12:05 0:12:05 The first new segment (ending at 0:11:11) overwrites the original LTC (the bold numbers indicate what is actually on the tape). The second new segment was not properly cued so it starts at a portion of tape with the LTC from the original recording, namely 0:12:04. The camera picks this up and continues from there. The problem is there is now a discontinuity in LTC, 0:11:12-0:12:01 don't exist. If the user trims a scene so the seek point for recapture is 0:12:00 (for example), the user will get a "Seek error". The situation gets worse if the discontinuity goes the other way so that a section of LTC's are duplicated. If Studio uses the old LTC's when seeking for recapture, the recapture will be out of register. Background: When Studio seeks for recapture, it doesn't seek the LTC of the first frame of the clip (which is an LTC which is known to exist) but rather to an LTC several seconds before the start of the clip. The seek LTC is computed by subtracting a few seconds from the trimmed start and the result is an LTC which may not exist if there are discontinuities on the tape. Example - Using our hypothetical tape, if the user trims the scene to start at 0:15:00, Studio will attempt to start the recapture at about 3 seconds early by subtracting 0:03:00 from the trimmed start point of 0:15:00, giving 0:12:00 which doesn't exist resulting in a "Seek error". Morals: DON'T prestripe - it wastes time and doesn't solve anything DO properly cue your tapes My camcorder lacks "End Search", so I record a short "leader" before removing the tape or rewinding it for review. This leader makes it much easier to properly recue the tape prior to further recording. Just my two cents. ------------------- Maura ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 7) In the situation where you have a tape that you've already used it is true that the best way to get it ready for the next time you want to use it is to blank it out. What I was referring to is people who say that you should do this BEFORE ever using it. Here's the best way I've found to do this: a) Leave the lens cap on b) Set the exposure to manual and turn it all the way until it is solid black c) Plug a cheap microphone in and turn it off |
| Before using a new tape fast forward it to the end and then rewind it. This helps to take up any extra slack in the tape. |
| Don't forget to record ambient noise when on location. Ambient noise is the noise you almost never notice until you begin editing your footage. It's basically background noise such as traffic, wind, voices in a crowd, birds, etc. |
| If you own an external microphone be aware that it may show up in your video. We just recently purchased an Azden SGM-2X Double-Barrel Shotgun Microphone. Even with the short barrel it showed up in the video whenever we were using the standard wide angle setting. You can slide this particular one back, get an adapter to raise it up higher, or mount it on a microphone stand or tripod. The latter is likely the way we will do it in the future. |
Many people are curious about the type of tools that are used here at Visual Appeal. Our toolkit consists of:
| Video Equipment: Canon XL2 with Wide Angle and Telephoto lenses, 2 Sony DCR-TRV720 Digital Camcorders each w/8 hour battery, Bogen Manfrotto 351MVB2 Pro Video Aluminum Tripod w/503HDV Pro Video Head, 2 - Bogen Manfrotto 3011N Chrome Tripod and 3130 Micro Fluid QR Head, Zoom Commander II, Sony RM-VD1 Control L Wired remote control |
| Lighting Equipment: Smith Victor KT900 light kit (3-LIGHT, 1250 TOTAL WATT, MINI-BOOM KIT w/ Umbrellas), DP-5 Diffuser, BD-5 5" Barn Doors, 2 - Professional Britek 1200 watt lights with pro 4 leaf barndoors, 2 - professional softboxes 32" x 32", Pro heavy duty light stands, Assorted gels, 4 - Flood lights |
| Audio Equipment: Samson Micro 32 Series (UHF Combo Wireless System with lavalier and handheld), Azden SGM-2X Double-Barrel Shotgun Microphone, Professional External handheld microphone (TOA J1), 3 - Nady SP-5 Microphones, Yamaha MG10/2 10-Input Stereo Mixer, XLR-PRO |
| Primary System: Custom Designed by Allen: AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ Manchester 2000MHz HT Socket 939 Dual Core Processor Model ADA4200BVBOX, ABIT KN8 SLI Socket 939 NVIDIA nForce4 SLI ATX AMD Motherboard, CORSAIR XMS 4GB (4 x 1GB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200) Unbuffered Dual Channel Kit System Memory Model Twinx2048-3200c2pt, SAPPHIRE 100154 Radeon X1800XT 256MB 256-bit GDDR3 VIVO PCI Express x16 Video Card, Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD2500KS 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive (System drive), WD 300GB (Capture), 2 - WD 500GB (Render and DVD Images), Seagate 500GB, Seagate 200GB (Video), Western Digital (WD) 120GB (DVD Images), WD 120GB (DVD Images), WD 120GB (Video backups of projects done by others and presented for download), WD 100GB (Main Backup), WD 40GB (Install and other files) - (Note: All IDE hard drives are 7200RPM, UDMA 100.), Antec PERFORMANCE TX TX1050B Black Steel Server Computer Case 500W ATX12V v2.0 Power SupplyThermaltake, 2 - A2016 80mm 1 Ball, 1 Sleeve Blue LED Light Case Cooling Fan, 2 - 20.1" BenQ widescreen, flat panel monitors, Mitsumi floppy drive, Microsoft optical mouse, Logitech programmable keyboard, Memorex MRX-500N DVD recorder (+/- and dual layer), Netgear gigibit switch and other equipment to connect to computer I just replaced, Altec-Lansing speaker system with subwoofer, Windows XP Pro SP2, Epson Stylus Photo R320 printer (also prints directly to printable CDs and DVDs), Microtek ScanMaker 5900. I also use the Mobile Dock PMD-96i-IDE Ultra 100 Kit & Extra Tray for both my D: drive and my E: drive. That way I can easily remove drives and put other ones in their place. Since the system drive is now SATA I don't have a removable setup for it. |
| Secondary System: Custom Designed by Allen: Pentium 4 2.53Ghz, Gigabyte GA-SINXP1394 Motherboard, Crucial 1024MB DDR PC2700 memory and Kingston 512MB DDR 370Mhz memory, Western Digital (WD) 120GB (System), ATI Sapphire Radeon 9800 Pro video card (256MB DDR Memory, 256-bit memory), SoundBlaster Audigy Sound Card, , Enlight 72500AZ Case, Cooler Master 450W Power Supply (the best I've ever owned), Windows XP Pro SP2, ViewSonic VX910 19" LCD monitor, Epson Stylus Photo 900 printer (also prints directly to printable CDs and DVDs). I also use the Mobile Dock PMD-96i-IDE Ultra 100 Kit & Extra Tray for both my C: drive. |
| Video Software: Sony Vegas Pro 8.0 (Primary editing package), Avid Liquid 7.2, TitleDeko Pro 2.0, Hollywood FX Pro 6.0.5 (build 172), Serious Magic Ultra 2, Commotion Pro 4.1, Video Explosion Deluxe (a light Vegas NLE), Windows Movie Maker 2, MAGIX Video Deluxe 2.06 Plus (rarely used). |
| Music Creation Software: Cakewalk Music Creator 2003, Sonic Foundry's Acid Style, Microsoft Music Producer, SuperJAM! 2.0, Canon eJay Mix Station. |
| SmartSound CDs (22Khz): Best of Music Bakery, Best of Sound Ideas, Narration Backdrops #4, Good Times #6, Holiday Magic #8, Poetic Piano #34, Contemporary Insights #37, Thematic Essentials #39, Dramatic Undertones #41, (44Khz): Full Spectrum, Bright Horizons, Edge Series Vol 5: Rhythms/Pulse, Film Score Series Band 05: Comedy, Producer Series Vol 11: Mystical/Percussive, Producer Series Vol 22: Classical Favorites, Strata Series Vol 9: Edgy Drama TV. |
| Other Royalty Free Music: [note: DJ=Digital Juice] DJ BackTraxx1, DJ BackTraxx2, DJ StackTraxx 1: Extreme Stacks, DJ StackTraxx 4: Smooth Stacks, DJ StackTraxx 5: Holiday Stacks, DJ StackTraxx 6: Street Stacks, DJ StackTraxx 8: Fifties Stacks, DJ StackTraxx 11: Epic Stacks, DJ StackTraxx 21: Ambient Stacks, StackTraxx 33: Top Forty Stacks, StackTraxx 35: European Reflections, Travis Manney's Infusion I and II series, Video Explosion collection, DJ SoundFX II (over 15,700 sound effects), DJ SoundFX III. |
| Components: [note: DJ=Digital Juice, JB=Jump Backs, ETK=Editors Toolkit, MDE=Motion Design Elements] JB8: High Impact VI, JB13: All Church, JB15: Weather & the Elements, JB17: Extreme 1, JB18: Extreme 2, JB19: Extreme 3, JB22: Global Impact, JB24: Tunnel Vision, JB24: All Music, JB26: Future Tech, JB28: Subtle Impact II, JB34: All Hallows Eve, JB49: All Particles, JBHD15: Tunnel Vision II, JBHD26: Reflective Thoughts, JBHD28: High Impact X, ETK 2: Multipurpose Tools, ETK 3: Wedding Tools, ETK 5: Soft & Subtle Tools, ETK 8: Sports Tools, ETK 9: Christmas Tools, ETK 10: Multipurpose Tools III, DJ Animated Frames v1, DJ MDE Vol. 1: Revealers, DJ MDE v4: Future Tech, DJ MDE v5: Motion Grab Bag 1, DJ MDE v7: Line Items, MDE v10: Control Panels, MDE v14: Revealers V2, DJ Presenter's Toolkit, DJ VideoTraxx Film & Video Library Volumes 1-3, Swipes! v2: BroadcaseEDGE, MFX Kids Sports & Wedding Bundle, MediaMixers DVD Mixers Wedding, MediaMixers DVD Mixers Volume 1, DJ Juice Drops v10: ultra3D, Juice Drops v18: cleanCUTS II, Juice Drops v47: merryCHRISTMAS, DJ Juice Drops v49: signBOARDS, Ultra Master Sets Library 2 & 3, DJ ETK Pro Mega Library 4. |
| DVD Authoring: DVD-Lab Pro, Tsunami Video Encoder XPress |
| Audio Editing Software: Sonicfire Pro 4.5 (soon to be 5), Audacity, Sound Forge Pro |
| Graphics Software: Corel Ulead PhotoImpact X3 (absolutely my favorite graphic editing solution), Ulead PhotoImpact 10.0 (still installed but using the newer one), Adobe Photoshop, Adobe PhotoDeluxe 4.0, MGI PhotoSuite III, BluffTitler DX9 5.05 (if you don't have this - get it!), Ulead COOL 3D Production Studio (no longer use because it is way too slow), Serif ImpactPlus (very similar to Ulead's Cool3D but few templates), Caustics Generator |
| Animation Software: 3D Canvas, Blender, trueSpace3 |
| Publishing Software (brochures, business cards, labels, etc.): Microsoft Publisher (brochures), Serif PagePlus 11 (brochures and used to use for DVD covers), PrintMaster Platinum 15 (business cards), Epson Print CD (for printing directly to DVDs), Labels Unlimited (an old program but works great. Used for labeling VHS cases) |
| Tutorials: VASST Absolute Training for Vegas Pro (four volumes), Serious Magic Ultimate Ultra: Master Series Training DVD, ADITA VIDEO's "Mastering Liquid Edition," "Liquid Edition Multicamera Editing," "Liquid Edition Advanced Color Correction." I have found the ADITA tutorials to be superior. DJTV Production Notes: Season 1, DJTV Take 5: Season 1 & 2, DJTV Tech Know: Season 1 & 2, DJTV Audio Buzz: Season 1, DJTV Field of View: Season 1. |
| Other Software: Nero 6, dBpowerAMP Music Converter, Mike Shaw's Hollywood FX Tutorial, Ulead Photo Explorer Pro 8.5 (great for browsing for graphics to use in videos although not used as much since converting to WinXP, also has lots of tools for scanning and grabbing photos from digital cameras), Stoik Video Converter, Gordian Knot, GSpot Video Analyzer, DVD Shrink 3.1, VirtualDub 1.5.1, ZPacker, Video Toolbox 1.10 |
| Speed Up Windows XP by Keeping the Operating System in Memory One thing you can do to speed up Windows XP is to make sure that key operating system functions stay in memory. Memory (also called "RAM") is much faster than the hard disk. The following steps can be taken to speed up Windows XP. Run regedit and go to the following registry key: HKEY LOCAL MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management Right click the DisablePagingExecutive entry in the right pane of the Registry editor and click Modify. In the Edit DWORD Value dialog box, type the number "1" (without the quotes) in the Value data field. Click OK. Close the Registry Editor and reboot your computer. |
| What to do if your computer has slowed down after running Windows Update. You will need to uninstall patch #811493. |
| Which Operating System (OS) is the best? Well the answer is that it really depends and is a matter of personal preference. I personally like Windows XP (WinXP). It is by far much more stable than Win98. It is also a great deal more robust than WinME (which is probably the worst OS that Microsoft ever created). Windows 2000 (Win2k) is also quite stable and you should not have any problems using this OS for video editing. I did a lot of my projects using Studio 7 and 8 on Win2k. Now I use WinXP Pro exclusively. Don't even think about Windows NT which is a good OS but most video editing software will not work on it. For most users you will not need WinXP Pro; just get WinXP Home version unless you have some compelling reason to get the Pro version. |
| Run chkdsk |
| Defrag your hard drive |
| Turn off indexing on all drives |
| Turn off services that you don't use. Here are the ones I changed on my
system and there are others if you don't have a network: Disabled Application Layer Gateway Service Computer Browser Cryptographic Services Error Reporting Service Help and Support Indexing Service Net Logon NetMeeting Remote Desktop Sharing Remote Desktop Help Session Manager System Restore Service TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper Windows Time Wireless Zero Configuration Manual Automatic Updates Background Intelligent Transfer Service |
| Don't forget to take some footage of the food at the reception before it gets demolished by all the guests. Sometimes the Bride and Groom don't even get to see it. Take lots of slow pans and close-ups. You can then use them for cut-ins in post production. |
| Contributed by Allen Pilgrim – 4/30/01 at 21:15 via
Pinnacle 1. One thing I like to do is interview people after the wedding with this question: "Do you have any advice for John and Jane?" 2. Another piece of advice would be to always record much more than you think you need. That's the beauty of editing everything on the computer. You can always cut out what you don't need. Become good friends with right-clicking on the video and splitting the clip. Then delete the unwanted footage. 3. Use transitions sparingly. Although it's a matter of personal taste and depends on what kind of mood you're going for I recommend using the cross-fade or dissolve almost exclusively. Perhaps once in a video throw in something like a slow transition of the couple appearing in the heart shape. Have fun. |
| Contributed by Panagiotis Govotsos – 10/26/04 via Pinnacle 1. Work WITH the photographer. A lot of families are more interested in the stills and the video is second (until they see your wonderful edited final). Try to talk with him/her before the event. See if you can do something for him - use your equipment or people for something special. When the photographer does the formal after ceremony, ask him if you can set your tripod beside his so you can get these once in a lifetime shots on tape. Be nice to the photographer. Give him some of your cards. He could be a good source of referrals if he sees how professional, and considerate of other professionals, you are. 2. Make sure you dress nice for these events. One of the quickest way to turn of the people paying your bill is to look less professional and less respectful than the event and location (usually a church of some sort) deserves. If you can afford it, buy a nice, tail-less tuxedo with 2 pairs of pants and get the crotch reinforced or double stitched. Your going to bend a lot and split pants is one thing you really don't want to deal with. The second pair of pants is in case your first pair gets dirty, torn, etc. 3. If you're going to do wedding videography outside your regular place of worship (wouldn't hurt there either), there are a few things you REALLY ought to think about doing. As far in advance of the event as you can, contact the pastor, priest, rabbi, or whatever officiant there is. This is his place. He controls it. If he doesn't like anything you're doing, regardless of what a family member says or is paying you, you're out on your ear. Introduce yourself. Tell him why you're there (Jon's wedding), what you'd like to do, what is permissible, and most important what he would rather you didn't do. Again, it shows that you respect him, the place, and beliefs even if you don't share them. This simple kindness can smooth the way to a succesful shoot. He might even let you take a feed off the facility audio (which might not be great but it might be all you have to fill a gap). Especially talk to him about lights. Lights don't look nice in a church. See if you can camouflage them behind something already there - plants, icons, etc. Talk to him about micing - is he willing to wear a wireless mic? 4. DO go to rehearsals. Plan your shots carefully there. Your previous visits show you what might be problems and now you can incorporate that knowledge into your plans. 5. Make sure you get a list of shots the family absolutely want. Designate someone who can point out Uncle Joe and others to you. Corner the best man. Make him find you before he does the toast. It can be REAL embarrasing if you're outside getting B-roll and miss this. Have someone get you before cake cutting and first dance. Maybe the DJ you got nice with earlier will help there. 6. If you're going to be filming in a dark or less than perfectly lit area, get an on camera light with extra batteries. Don't go too strong, just enough to light the immediate area in front of you. 7. For those guest interviews, what I like to do is go around with a wireless stick mic. Hand that to people and let them talk. A sneaky idea is to go around with the waiters and while he is distracting the guests you can get some more candid responses. 8. Oh, about music. Find out what "their song" will be and maybe what recording. Get a copy of that or at least get a feed from he DJ or the bands output. Get the whole, uninterrupted thing so you can't cut to it with "their" dance and others dancing. 9. Must capture: (make sure to get a variety of angles - not just shoulder height) a. Before the ceremony, both parties dressing and getting ready - look for emotion. For these tell them you're going to shoot then stand there for a couple minutes NOT shooting so they get used to your presence and relax to "normalcy". b. Setting up reception. c. Groom & groomsmen leaving dressing area and "marching" towards altar. Ditto for Bride & maids. d. Entrances of wedding party e. Seating of mothers f. Altar (or equivalent) before anybody and after all but bride there. g. Bride & father enter, aisle, alter, handoff. h. If you only have one camera and can't move much, get on the officiants left, shoot over his shoulder at the bride. Get closeups of her face and tears. As long as you have her you're fine - no one cares (much) about the groom of officiant. i. Vows, rings, kiss. Rings can be hard to get during the ceremony. If I can talk them into it, I shoot a fake before the service. Both arms in what they'll wear standing over the color ground/floor they'll be on and get them placing rings on each other with tight closeup of hands. j. Recessional - same as processional k. Shots of audience, building, choir before during and after. l. Get crying mothers if you can. m. Make sure you get some shots of all parents & step parents - find out the details of those relationships! n. Shots of interior & exterior of location. o. If special, vehicle arriving and leaving church in. p. Those formal shots if photographer will let you. 10. Reception: a. Entrance & introduction of couple. b. Best man's toast. c. First dance. d. "Special" dances - mothers, fathers etc with couple. e. Couple kissing - maybe with glass tapping. f. Cake cutting. g. Your interviews and other "atmospheric" shots. h. Get the reception are & food etc before the horde arrives (at the end of set-up is a good time) 11. Couple leaving. a. Look for cute, interesting, novel shots - the small child dancing with bride or alone - not just the stiff, expected shots. 12. About fee, I live in the Baltimore/Washington area so fees are pretty decent. For a 1 camera 4-5 hr shot generally $1200-1500. 2+ camera - $2300 + 500 per additional camera or + 800 per additional camera & shooter. These are general and circumstances definitely vary them widely up and down - usually down. There are many extras to think about - montages, life stories etc. I try to encourage them to do some sort of "back story" - shots where they met, special things, bride in gown in scenic areas. That's another $500 - $1500. Location & your experience will determine your fee. Like someone else said, call other videographers in the area. DON'T pose as a client - be honest. Tell them who you are and why you're calling. See if they will give you their rate card as reference. As long as they know you're an inexperienced bottom-feeder (relative to him) he'll realize you're no economic threat yet. See if he'll give you work - build those contacts. He may get overbooked and might send the job to his friend. 13. Don't over advertize. You're new and need time to get up to speed. Don't quit your real job. Don't go to bridal shows - you're too new and raw. You'll just get lost among your betters (for now) and might get a reputation by jumping the gun. Take it slow and steady. Success can happen but it takes a lot of work to get there. 14. For the wireless mic, make sure you get a UHF TRUE diversity system. UHF has more frequency choices and less likely to get interence. Diversity adds multiple antennas so the signal has greater chance to be received. |
| Contributed by Daniel Alvers – 5/1/01 at 00:41 via
Pinnacle 1. My first editing adventure was to create a wedding video for a friend. I had my camera for a while but purchased my editing suite with the purpose of editing the video. (That’s how I justified it to my wife). 2. Some points that I found: a. Get to the location early and film lots of fill in shots of buildings, windows, sculptures, altars etc. You can then cut them into the video later as filler if required. You may not get another opportunity when things heat up. b. Before hand find a couple of locations at the ceremony location that give you a good view with blocking anyone else. Discuss the program with the couple so that you can change locations during slow parts of the ceremony and at the reception. This can give the impression of multiple camera angles. c. Check the audio volume. The video may be a complete write-off if you can't hear the vows being spoken. This is particularly the case if you are filming from the back of a church using the standard camera microphone. It may be worth hiring a radio mic. d. Most couples will have hired a professional photographer for the day. I found that following them around, with the couples and photographers permission, gives a great opportunity to catch both posed as well as candid 'between photo' footage. e. Before all the photos are taken high tail it back to the reception location so that you can get footage of the guests taking their seats. I found it helped to always introduce the next location as I filmed. This helped to prevent the video jumping from location to location without and reference. f. Write up a running sheet, with the couple if at all possible, of what you they want to see in the video. You can base it on the program for the day. It should basically be a series of really vague ideas of the sequence of the video. g. As already mentioned don't be afraid to capture lots of video. You can cut out extra stuff but you can't add it back. h. Get a mono or tripod. Standing with a camera at the back of a church for up to an hour can cause all sorts of shakes. At very least find something you can prop yourself against. 3. Post production: a. Use transitions very sparingly, unless you are chasing a particular look. Fades are best (IMHO). b. Check out Mike's site on how to do 'Cut Aways'. If you use some of the fill footage during the longer readings etc it can really help to break up the shot and make it more interesting. c. Pick a few songs or a single SmartSound and stick with it. The video may be over distracting with too much background music. d. If you do want to play with music then consider also doing a smaller 'Music Video' perhaps using one of the couples favorite songs. (Check copyright first) 4. General Tips a. Don't rush the filming or editing process. It took me about 60 hours to edit a 1 hour video. That works out at an hour per minute. But considering it was my first attempt I don't think that is too bad. (Also my camera broke halfway through the editing and do to go for repairs so I had extra time to edit.) b. Well I have babbled way too much... Since purchasing my video setup I have had many very happy hours working with different projects and most of the stuff above has come from reading these forums and surfing the web. I hope at least some of this is useful. Daniel |
| Contributed by Mike Shaw – 4/30/01 at 16:10 via
Pinnacle 1. For an intro before the 'church scenes, I usually take one of two approaches – after discussion with the couple. 2. First idea - use still photos of he and she, from birth through all ages up to say the late teens, dissolving in turn side by side with a suitable caption below. I work on the stills - vignette the pics etc - and have a simple but gradated background. Choice of background music - their favourite 'our song'. Time - no more than about two - three minutes. The music can be tailored/edited in something like CoolEdit (but don't forget the royalty fees as you will be selling this stuff!). 3. Alternative - video him + best man getting ready throughout the morning, and her + bridesmaids getting ready (requires two or more cams in use). At edit stage, intercut the two so you get the build up. 4. Set the church scene with people arriving: I use the same corny technique but it always works. Set the cam on a tripod and 'lock it off', aimed at a suitable entry point in the church. Start with an empty church, and shoot a few seconds every now and again as people arrive - don't move the cam. On edit, cut scenes and dissolve from one to the next. The effect is the church dissolving gradually into a more filled congregation, with lots of interesting movement. That's some ideas for a start. 5. Oh, and always always, always make sure you have enough tape in the cam for the speeches. Change for each speech if necessary. You won't win prizes for running out of tape during a speech! 6. I always have an end credit sequence of about 3-4 minutes with another suitable song (Oh what a perfect day, e.g.), with out takes, stills and flashbacks of the day as the backgrounds. Here's where all the funny accidents can go. Even the preplanned ones.... Apart from all the necessary and serious credits, guest list, locations etc, add a few well placed humorous ones. e.g., at a recent wedding I did there was a power failure at the reception. The 'Credit' was white lettering on a stark black screen "Power failure by ***". Good luck |
| Contributed by Karl Miller – 5/1/01 at 02:29 via
Pinnacle 1. In addition to the excellent points above, here are some additional suggestions – a. Always confer in advance with the person officiating the ceremony to learn when and where it is acceptable to shoot from. This varies from unlimited access to total bans on movement or lights. b. Sort out all the shoot etiquette and logistics in advance, including co-operating with the stills photographer (nothing ruins a great shot like including the other video/photographer in it). The rehearsal is the ideal place to do this. c. It may sound basic or improbable, but pay attention to security. Don't leave your camcorder or tapes where they might become damaged or lost. d. If you keep in mind that the bride is the "star" of the finished movie, and shoot and edit accordingly, people will be very happy with it. Good luck. |
| Contributed by Graham Ellis – 5/1/01 at 06:50 via
Pinnacle 1. One 'special' that went down very well was a 'compilation' CD I produced on my burner, of all relevant music etc: taken from the ceremony and reception. (This could of course include the 'speeches'). 2. It of course helps to have a continuously running 2nd camera (or tape recorder), in addition to the main shooting one, to avoid breaks in the sound. 3. I rounded it off by 'grabbing' a particularly nice frame, (from my viewpoint 'above' in the gallery), of the register being signed. The shot included the bride's hand actually signing her signature in the book and the flower 'posy' with the date and venue at the bottom. This then formed the 'cover' of the CD. |
| Contributed by Chris – 5/1/01 at 07:05 via Pinnacle 1. Another little thing is to go around all the tables at the reception and ask the guests to send a little cherio to the Bride and Groom. This is great, especially if there are guests there from overseas etc. that don't get to see them that often. 2. Also, and I learnt the hard way, double check, triple check and then check again all the spelling of your titles. It was very embarrassing to find out from the newlyweds that I spelt Cathedral, Cathedral in the opening 20 secs. of the video. Not much, but it is annoying. Lucky I got their names right! 3. The other thing is, don't talk much!! Sometimes you get the best shots when people don't notice you are there. Do stand in corners and don't be afraid to zoom in on someone. People have the best smiles and expressions when they don't have a video camera shoved in their face. Good Luck!!! Regards, Chris. |
| Contributed by Frederick Moore – 1/12/05 at 10:27 via Pinnacle Just a couple of pointers on the equipment: - Don't forget tripods. These are essential, not optional. I don't know your experience level, but if you are not well versed with tripods, let me assure you that there is a huge difference between a tripod for a still camera and a fluid head tripod for video. I also bring a monopod which is much more portable when visiting tables for interviews, comments and such at the reception. - Rent chargers and extra batteries with the cams. Let one set of batteries float on charge and change them at a natural break--like at the end of the ceremony. - Talk to the DJ or audio person at the church about getting a feed from their system. It improves your recording of soloists, special music and etc. significantly. Make sure you know what cables you need. - Mics--avoid the on-camera mics for most of your recording. Wireless mics for the vows work well and you will probably only need one for the Groom. If you get a good one, it should pick up the Bride and officiant without problem. I always bring a shotgun mic and position it at the rear, near the fixed camera, however; I may not use it if I get a good feed from the house board. Finally, you will probably want a wireless hand-held for interviews at the reception. - At the reception, I use a 6 channel audio mixer to mix the feed from the DJ with ambient noise, especially important for toasts and etc. to have good clear speech and the room's reaction. - My preference is to bring a small folding table--like a TV tray ($10 at Walmart), cover it with a nice white cloth, and position it near the DJ. I place my chargers under it--hidden by the cloth, and the mixer on top. - Headphones to monitor the audio--another must! - A small photo flash to synchronize the 2 cameras. You may get away with relying on a photographer's flash, but some chuirches won't permit flash once the ceremony begins. I start rolling before too many are seated and have never had a problem with a single quick flash. You'll be thankful you used a flash when you begin editing. - Optional but useful: If you can handle it, my preference is to use a real monitor on the camera that is fixed--usually positioned at the rear. You can see problems with the image much, much better than with the little 2.5" to 3" LCD screen on the camera. |
| The first time I was asked to do a funeral I was shocked. I said, "You want me to what???" I had never heard of such a thing. I have now done four. |
| Here's the main reason I did it: There are people who can't make it for various reasons and would like to see it. Family and friends take great comfort in hearing people talk about the deceased person. They get to hear about the funny things they did or some little quirk in their personality or some heroic action or act of compassion, etc. |
| I do not charge the same for funerals. Due to the nature it is much less than for a wedding. It is also a lot simpler to do. It's basically a straight edit with some cut-in shots of flowers, stained-glass windows, etc. and some basic titles. |
| I do feel awkward doing them and don't believe I will ever seek to do one. In all four cases they were for people I knew. |
| I wouldn't do a lot with music except for at the intro with the titles such as person's name date of birth, date of death, location. I also don't think it's necessary to go to the grave site. |
| You could offer a photo montage of the person's life for an additional fee. |
| The bottom line: don't do funerals for money (which doesn't mean don't get paid) just don't use that as your primary motivation. |
| This tip comes from Maura on the Pinnacle webboard (2/5/04). Maura is quite knowledgeable about the Pinnacle line of products and has been very helpful with video editing tips in general. This was in response to an inquiry about the best way to get professional results: |
All digital camcorders have the same resolution (720x480), any additional pixels are used for image stabilization and/or still shots and/or (mostly) advertising hype).
Sunlight is a very harsh environment, some form of supplemental lighting to "fill" the shadows would greatly improve most video shot out of doors. But the greatest improvement for most video is a good tripod with a video (fluid pan) head. If your subject will be speaking, singing, or otherwise making (non-)noise, getting a high-quality microphone as close as possible to the subject will greatly improve the quality of the audio.
Also, consider using two (or more) camcorders - one to record the overview shot and all the audio, the other(s) take close-ups, crowd shots, etc. I try to leave the camera taking the overview running continuously so the entire audio is available uninterrupted.
| This tip comes from Kirk (doughal) on the Pinnacle webboard (2/5/04). This was in response to the question: "What if I decide to shoot indoors, what type of supplemental lighting should I get?" |
It really depends on the circumstances, If there is no audience to worry about you will find things much easier.
A standard 3 point lighting setup works well in most situations.
The Key light, This is your main source of light,1000 watts is not excessive. Place this to the right of the camera, (around 15 degrees off centre) and up high enough that it's aiming down about 45 degree's when pointed at your talents face.
Fill light, This light softens the shadows made by the Key light, It should be around half the power of the Key, so about 500 watts. It should be about 30 deg off centre to the left and level with the camera/talent.
Back light, This light illuminates the talents hair and shoulders, making them stand out from the background. It should be just behind the talent and above them, Again shining down at 45 degrees. As this light is normally the closest to the talent you don't want it too strong, Start with 100 watts and work from there, For effect you can use a gel to change the color of this light, being careful not to give the talent bright blue hair.
Remember to check the lighting on a monitor, not your viewfinder or LCD. Also each light should be setup without the other lights on, This helps getting exactly the right look.
This should give you a place to start, as long as you remember the purpose of each light you can move them around to get the best effect.
If your background is a bit boring, Try shining a spotlight through an old set of mini-blinds and onto the back wall, (This is a good time to play with colored gels) to put some dramatic diagonals on the wall.
Take some face powder to the shoot incase you get shiny spots on the talents face, A problem with the follicularly challenged.
An on camera light can also be used to put a sparkle in your talents eyes.
Any hardware store will sell you halogen shop lights in a variety of wattages, remember to remove the safety bars from the front, unless you want it to look like it's filmed in San Quentin. These lights put out light at 32000k,which is what your camera expects for indoors, But manually white balance to be sure.
| Kirk (doughal) also posted this on the Pinnacle webboard (2/7/04). |
One drawback to using a three point lighting setup, is that if the talent has to move to a different part of the set, you have to move the lights as well. In this case the easiest way is to use what is sometimes called a "sitcom" lighting setup.
In this setup we use Diffusers and reflectors to give a soft even light over the entire set, that way no matter where the talent goes they are always lit correctly.Before I get into specifics a warning, LIGHTING INSTRUMENTS GET VERY HOT.
You can light a cigarette off them, so never put anything remotely flammable near them.A Diffuser is basically anything that is put in front of the lamp to diffuse the light.
In our "Hardware Special" lighting kit we have several options, The cheapest being an old cotton bedsheet, stretched over a frame made of PVC plumbing pipe.Another option diffuser material made for fluorescent light fixtures, most hardware [stores] carry a range of them, Remember fluorescent's don't get anywhere near as hot as our shop lights, so these need to be suspended a distance in front of the lamp.
For people with a bit more cash to spend, you can take your lamps to the local glass dealer and get them to cut you some frosted glass replacements for the standard glass in your light, This is probably the best option, as you can get different levels of frosting and swap them out depending on how soft you need the light to be. Soft light is much more flattering as it tends not to highlight wrinkles, and should always be used when shooting women. Hell hath no fury like a woman harshly lit.
Reflectors can be used to soften light, and can be made very cheaply. Most hardware [stores] sell Styrofoam boards for insulation, one side is aluminium foil, (Americans feel free to drop the second "I") the other is white foam. At 8'x4' you can make 2 good size reflectors out of one sheet, use paint thinner to remove the printing from the foil side and you have a silver reflector to throw light long distances, Great if your filming someone under a big shady tree. On a bright day these reflectors can throw 75' easily.
Inside you can use a white reflector and one lamp to do both your key and your fill light, its just a matter of playing with the 2 to get them positioned right.
If your camera doesn't have a manual White Balance, here's how you do it, After your lighting is setup, get someone to hold up a Spare white reflector where your talent will be standing. Zoom your camera in till the reflector fills the view finder, Turn the camera off, then turn it on again with the reflector still in place, after about 5 seconds you can remove the reflector and the camera will be balanced for your lighting until you next turn it off. Make sure you do this for every take so all your footage matches.
| 1) Use the best tripod you can afford. You'll want a sturdy one that will
remain steady. 2) Don't zoom in and out very often - smooth shots are often the best. Spend enough time focusing attention on the main action. 3) Record more footage than you can possibly ever use. I typically record about 4 1/2 hours for 10 minute promotional videos. 4) Look for interesting shots such as facial expressions. You not only want the fans cheering but also their looks of despair as their team drops the ball. 5) Don't show just the perfect plays. Mix it up a bit and add some variety. Showing a fumble or someone in an awkward position can be amusing. This will make it much more interesting for your viewers. 6) Make sure you have a good handheld mike (wireless is best) and interview people. Ask them what they like about the game, who their favorite player is and why, etc. 7) Try to capture the essence of the total experience. You want to make your viewer feel like they are actually at the game. To that end show the stadium/bleachers, the person selling popcorn, the announcers, marching band, cheerleaders. |
| The most important suggestion: Have fun!!! |
Many of you have asked about starting your own video editing business. Here are a couple pointers.
| How much do I charge? This is a tough one to answer. It really depends on
a number of factors: 1) The market in your area. What do other people charge for similar videos? 2) The amount of time spent filming. 3) The amount of time spent editing. 4) The complexity of the project. Is it just a straight video shoot with minimal editing? 5) The financial status of those who want the video made. I always consider this. There have been times I've done projects for causes I believe in for practically nothing. Be careful when doing this as it's easy to build a reputation that you come cheap. 6) The project should include 1 VHS copy and 1 DVD (if the clients have a DVD player). | ||||||||||||||||||
| What about media duplication fees? 1) You should also charge a separate fee for creating the DVDs or VHS tapes. This should be called a replication or duplication fee. 2) The price depends on the total copies made. a) DVDs - if you make just 1 extra it might cost $20. If you make 5 it might cost $12 each. If you make 20 it might cost $8 each. b) Here's what I charge for media of things like concerts (but not weddings those are more)
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| Other things to keep in mind: 1) In the past I have charged per hour for video taping. That can be anywhere from $45-$95 an hour. You can charge extra if you have a second camera. 2) An estimate for video editing would be about $45 an hour. 3) I would try to avoid hourly fees and instead come up with a package price. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Closing the deal (It is critical to handle the negotiation phase properly): 1) Meet with the people who are interested in having you do this. 2) Have a contract already made in case they're ready to sign that day (and pay the booking fee). Click Here for an updated sample contract based on an actual project. DISCLAIMER: Visual Appeal is not responsible for the legality of the content of this information. By downloading you are agreeing that this information is being provided as an example of the type of contract you may use. It may or may not be legally binding where you live. Please check with your attorney to be sure. Visual Appeal is not liable for any of the contents of this document. 3) When you meet with the people ask them what their vision is for the project. 4) Have a notepad handy and write down key items. This way they can clearly see that you are detail-oriented and really want to meet their needs. 5) Make sure you understand exactly what they expect. This also lets them know that you really care about their project and are not just out to make money. 6) Be careful when you begin the discussion of money. Do not hide anything but give them a chance to tell you how much they were looking at spending. Ask them if they have a projected budget for this project. If they are too low you at least have a starting point. Now you need to explain about the complexity of doing what they are asking. You may need to look at other options or simply do the project for less money. 7) Don't be greedy but at the same time be careful about going too low. Going too low actually diminishes your skills. I might still do a job for less money but it would have to be for an awfully good cause. Also you don't want to lose a job because you refuse to budge on the price. I think you'll be surprised at what people are willing to pay for good work. 8) I have found it works very well to invite potential clients to my house. I let them get comfortable on the couch, in the rocking chair, whatever. Then I show them samples of some of my work. This is a very effective technique. | ||||||||||||||||||
| What about earning potential? 1) As far as earning potential it will take some time to build up a client base. 2) Work with local photographers and wedding coordinators. They may be able to recommend you. Give them copies of your work. Also if you work with them on a wedding give them a copy of the wedding at no charge. 3) Keep in mind that this is hard work and you should only do it if you are willing to put in the extra effort. |
