"Game time!"
It's the day before my next shoot and it's time to get pumped!!
I've been at this now for about 5yrs and I still get nervous about shooting weddings. Weddings are so dynamic and a lot can go wrong (and have), so you really have to hope for the best and be prepared for the worst.
And that's the key for any wedding video shoot; being prepared.
There are few things I have to check and get ready before every shoot. Here are the main things I have prep'd and ready to go...
1) Tapes - And not just have available, but make sure they're rewound and ready to go. Also, good to have them prep'd with proper labeling (e.g., Smith Ceremony, Smith Reception)
2) Recharge batteries - Ok, ideally, you might not want to do this the night before, only cause you might not have the time to recharge them all. If your gig is on Saturday, recharging them Wed or Thurs should be good.
3) Camera check - Clean lens and make sure it works. I usually shoot a few minutes worth of video, just to see how the thing is working. You might find that you need to adjust a few things prior to your shoot. And sometimes shooting test video just gets me reaquainted with my camera and all the bells and whistles that it has.
4) Wireless mic - Test out to check audio levels and make sure you have fresh batteries.
5) Your outfit - Yes, I'm serious. You'd be surprise how much time and hassle this saves you. Imagine you have an idea of what you're going to wear, only to find out those clothes are in the hamper......and have ketchup stains (so going ghetto and pulling it out and ironing isn't an option).
It makes life easier knowing that you have your outfit ironed and ready to go the night before. There are waaaay too many things you have to think about the "morning of" as it is, so make life easier for yourself and get it ready the night or two nights before.
6) Projector, laptop, screen - I typically do a slideshow at my wedding shoots, so this stuff might not apply to you. But if it does, make sure you have all these things ready to go. Test the projector, laptop and slideshow before heading out. I tend to test and load all this stuff the night before. That way I can just get ready, grab my camera and head out.
7) Itinerary - Hopefully one was provided to you (you'd be surprised). Study it....visual the shoot....how you're going to navigate between multiple sites....where the optimal shooting spots are. If you have a partner, this is definitely something you want to go over and plan out together.
8) Petro - Most weddings take place someplace exotic and out in the boondocks. Be prepared to drive and have your car filled up the day before.
Like most things in life, being prepared is more than half the battle. Sorry I have to cut my parting shots, but I have to iron my shirt now : )
Wish me luck!
Friday, October 26, 2007
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
YouTube - Get Discovered!
Like most of you, I have my sites that I go to everyday; engadget, espn, craigslist, yahoo..just to name a few. But my fav of the bunch is YouTube. I can spend hours (and have) just watching random videos; everything from basic vlogs (video blogs), 'dancing with the stars' to home made variety shows.
Whatever your heart's content, you can find it on YouTube. I typically search for old standup comedy...UFC fights....how tos (great Photoshop tutorials)...and sports stuff. I also like to check the most viewed videos list, just to see what the latest and greatest is (lately it's been soccer highlights and foreign soap operas...haha).
The thing that blows my mind about YouTube and all the other video sites, is the ability for ANYONE to have their voice heard....literally around the world....in a matter of minutes.
Think about it.
If you have a camera, a video editing application (movie maker...incl. w/ XP), an idea and a little bit of time, you can blast your video to the world in a few minutes.
That's powerful.
It's so powerful, even the US presidential candidates are using YouTube to reach people. Although not all the viewers on YouTube are ideal (live out of the country, too young to vote), they're still able to blast their message across to anyone willing to listen that they would've never ever had a chance to reach otherwise.
Here's another thing YouTube has done away with:
EXCUSES.
Excuses for all the people who have dreams of being a singer (link is to one of the most inspiring stories on YouTube...posted a video of herself singing and a year later touring with Justin Timberlake), teacher, dancer, having their own cooking show...it's right there for the taking.
There are thousands (if not millions) of people watching YouTube videos everyday. Do you think that maybe, just maybe, a few of the people watching out there might have the right connection that could possibly lead to a big break? Ok, so maybe not so big in the beginning, but at least get you on the right track.
Of course there are! (please see singer)
If you have the talent, someone will take notice. And like anything that's hot the internet, the news spreads fast. It's the viral effect.
NO Auditions!
NO Traveling!
NO Agent (well, not right away)!
And that's powerful!
What are you waiting for? Who knows, in a year's time you too can be touring with your favorite artist or hosting your own show.
So go for it! Get discovered today!
*Wow, it's been a while eh. I'm still learning and understanding what it takes to keep up a blog, and let me tell you....it can be work. One of the keys to a successful blog is dedicating time everyday/week to write, so that's what I'm going to do...simple enought, right?*
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Hard drive space
Megabytes....gigabytes....terrabytes. If there's one thing you have to know about desktop video editing...VIDEOS TAKE UP A LOT OF HARD DRIVE SPACE.
I remember the days when 20GB hard drives were considered huuuuuuuge. Yes of course, there are a few of you I'm sure that can remember the megabyte hard drive days. If you haven't noticed at your local Best Buy or CompUSA, the norm these days are 200GB.....320GB.....500GB...and now 1TERRABYTE hard drives!!!
And it's not hard to figure out why we need such massive hard drives these days. In addition to videos, there are a few other things we hoard that require all this space.. music and pictures to name a few.
I remember the days when 20GB hard drives were considered huuuuuuuge. Yes of course, there are a few of you I'm sure that can remember the megabyte hard drive days. If you haven't noticed at your local Best Buy or CompUSA, the norm these days are 200GB.....320GB.....500GB...and now 1TERRABYTE hard drives!!!
And it's not hard to figure out why we need such massive hard drives these days. In addition to videos, there are a few other things we hoard that require all this space.. music and pictures to name a few.
Music file sizes have remained the same for the most part. But the space sucking issue is due to people having massive music collections. We've been enjoying the digital music revelation now for at least 10years now, so you can imagine the size of some of the collections out there (does anybody remember napster?).
Picture file sizes have seriously grown in the last 3-5yrs. I remember my first digital camera being 2mp, and the highest resolution picture would produce a 600kb file. Now I have a 10mp camera and the hi res photos (RAW) are somewhere in the neighborhood of 7MB.
Now videos on the other hand, can eat up hard drive space like there's no tomorrow. The breakdown for mini dv uploads is about 13 gigabytes for every hour of uncompressed video.
That's huge!!
Now if you're recording video from your webcam, chances are your videos are going to be a lot smaller. But for professionals like myself (did I mention I do wedding videography??), we eat hard drives for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Presently I have....give me a second.....80...80..200....250....250..250 500...500.....over 2 terrabytes of hard drive space. And I still don't think I have enough space.
Although most of it's archive wedding videos, I do have a bunch of crap that I know with a little bit of housecleaning, I could clean out a few gigabytes.
I'm what you call a digital pack rat.
All I'm going to say about hard drives is, if you need more space....think real hard about how much space you'll need.....then double that : )
Like the old saying goes..."its better to have more, than not enough".
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Wedding Video Business - How To Get Started.
From time to time I get people asking me "how'd you get started in the wedding video business?"
In the beginning, I wasn't sure how to answer that...
"Well, I saw an ad on a website one day that read.."make a $1000 over the weekend"...so I clicked"
It was basically a link to a blog, which in turn led me to Hal Linden's Video University (great site by the way).
But getting back to answering that question. It's not so much the question, but rather how it was asked and the expression on the people's faces when they're asking me.
It's almost as if they're saying "Really, how'd you get started....Why wedding videos? How did you learn the software? How'd you get your first customer(s)..And, how'd you get started?"
And all I could say to that is "I'm not quite sure".
All I know is that I did it. I was pretty oblivious to all the details and kind of went at with a gung ho attitude. I think with any business venture you have to have some "sack" and just go for it.
If you're thinking about getting into the biz, here's what I recommend...
1) Write a business plan - You need to know right out of the gate what you're going for. In a nutshell, have goals....and have a plan to achieve them. You don't need to draw up a 200 page plan, but you need to write something down.
As you grow, you'll need to really hammer the details down, but for now, writing something as simple as "Make extra $1000 a month in 3 months". Post this somewhere where you can see it, and you're good to go.
2) Buy/Rent equipment - This all depends on your funds, but I highly suggest owning your equipment outright. You don't have to buy new either. I picked up my VX2000 on Craigslist. A great resource for stuff, just be careful when dealing with people. CL is the home of the Nigerian scammers.
If you're that tight on cash, then renting will work for now. There are a few places where I live (SF) that rent out decent cameras for about $150/day.
You figure you charge someone even $1000, you could still profit...even with 2 cameras rented.
If you already have a computer, then you might be good there. It all depends on the processor and the amount of memory you have (cheapest way to up the power of your pc). I'd also suggest to have at least 2 hard drives in your machine; one for the system (Windows) and one for your video projects. And on the side, have an external hard drive to backup your video projects.
3) Pick your editing software - This is huge. Ask 10 videographers what they prefer to use to edit, and you're likely to receive 10 different answers. It's all preference. The great thing about most editing software is you can try before you buy.
I've tried a few out (Vegas, Pinnacle), but I settled with Adobe Premiere. It works well with the other Adobe apps I use (Photoshop, After Effects, Encore) and I find the interface pretty straightforward (after a while they all look the same).
Again, this is all about preference. So test'em all out and see which one you like. If budget is an issue -along with simplicity- then there are a ton of off the shelf applications to pick from - Pinnacle Studio Plus, Adobe Premiere Elements, Sony Vegas Studio. The all do a great job and do more than enough to put together a video.
4) Study and practice your craft - This is in the beginning...in the middle...and for always. To this day I'm still learning about camera angles.....audio editing....and even video editing in general.
But in the beginning you want to focus on the basics; camera shooting (i.e. camera angles, variety of shots), editing footage, authoring a DVD. Go to Barnes and Noble and pick your topic of the day and go at it. You can just surf the net for stuff, but I think it's more involved and fun actually going to a bookstore to read stuff.
A great way to get some inspiration is to hang out at forums and watch other people's videos. I highly recommend videouniversity.com for this. There are a ton of great contributors there that are always willing to give a helping hand.
5) Marketing - This in and of itself is an area you could spend a lifetime learning about. But to keep things simple for this blog, all I'm gonna say is "spread the word". Tell your friends and family what you do and to keep you mind anytime they hear the word "wedding". Call local vendors (photographers, florists, wedding planners) and have them put you on their short list of preferred vendors they refer.
It's not rocket science, but you have to get started (the hardest step). You can worry about refining your business once you get things moving. But the key is to get started!!
In the beginning, I wasn't sure how to answer that...
"Well, I saw an ad on a website one day that read.."make a $1000 over the weekend"...so I clicked"
It was basically a link to a blog, which in turn led me to Hal Linden's Video University (great site by the way).
But getting back to answering that question. It's not so much the question, but rather how it was asked and the expression on the people's faces when they're asking me.
It's almost as if they're saying "Really, how'd you get started....Why wedding videos? How did you learn the software? How'd you get your first customer(s)..And, how'd you get started?"
And all I could say to that is "I'm not quite sure".
All I know is that I did it. I was pretty oblivious to all the details and kind of went at with a gung ho attitude. I think with any business venture you have to have some "sack" and just go for it.
If you're thinking about getting into the biz, here's what I recommend...
1) Write a business plan - You need to know right out of the gate what you're going for. In a nutshell, have goals....and have a plan to achieve them. You don't need to draw up a 200 page plan, but you need to write something down.
As you grow, you'll need to really hammer the details down, but for now, writing something as simple as "Make extra $1000 a month in 3 months". Post this somewhere where you can see it, and you're good to go.
2) Buy/Rent equipment - This all depends on your funds, but I highly suggest owning your equipment outright. You don't have to buy new either. I picked up my VX2000 on Craigslist. A great resource for stuff, just be careful when dealing with people. CL is the home of the Nigerian scammers.
If you're that tight on cash, then renting will work for now. There are a few places where I live (SF) that rent out decent cameras for about $150/day.
You figure you charge someone even $1000, you could still profit...even with 2 cameras rented.
If you already have a computer, then you might be good there. It all depends on the processor and the amount of memory you have (cheapest way to up the power of your pc). I'd also suggest to have at least 2 hard drives in your machine; one for the system (Windows) and one for your video projects. And on the side, have an external hard drive to backup your video projects.
3) Pick your editing software - This is huge. Ask 10 videographers what they prefer to use to edit, and you're likely to receive 10 different answers. It's all preference. The great thing about most editing software is you can try before you buy.
I've tried a few out (Vegas, Pinnacle), but I settled with Adobe Premiere. It works well with the other Adobe apps I use (Photoshop, After Effects, Encore) and I find the interface pretty straightforward (after a while they all look the same).
Again, this is all about preference. So test'em all out and see which one you like. If budget is an issue -along with simplicity- then there are a ton of off the shelf applications to pick from - Pinnacle Studio Plus, Adobe Premiere Elements, Sony Vegas Studio. The all do a great job and do more than enough to put together a video.
4) Study and practice your craft - This is in the beginning...in the middle...and for always. To this day I'm still learning about camera angles.....audio editing....and even video editing in general.
But in the beginning you want to focus on the basics; camera shooting (i.e. camera angles, variety of shots), editing footage, authoring a DVD. Go to Barnes and Noble and pick your topic of the day and go at it. You can just surf the net for stuff, but I think it's more involved and fun actually going to a bookstore to read stuff.
A great way to get some inspiration is to hang out at forums and watch other people's videos. I highly recommend videouniversity.com for this. There are a ton of great contributors there that are always willing to give a helping hand.
5) Marketing - This in and of itself is an area you could spend a lifetime learning about. But to keep things simple for this blog, all I'm gonna say is "spread the word". Tell your friends and family what you do and to keep you mind anytime they hear the word "wedding". Call local vendors (photographers, florists, wedding planners) and have them put you on their short list of preferred vendors they refer.
It's not rocket science, but you have to get started (the hardest step). You can worry about refining your business once you get things moving. But the key is to get started!!
Monday, September 10, 2007
How to Start a Successful Home-Based Video Business
Here's a great article on how to get started in the video business...
by Hal Landen
My video work has taken me behind the scenes at places like Tiffany's, Panavision International, AT&T, the Federal Drug Enforcement Agency, and hundreds of local businesses and agencies. It would take several pages just to list them all. I've learned about things I never knew existed.
by Hal Landen
If you like producing videos as much as I do, I'm sure you'll agree that video is just too expensive as a hobby. No matter how much gear you have, there's always something else to buy. It's a never ending cycle.
That's why I decided long ago to let other people buy my equipment. For me this meant producing corporate videos which I've been doing for the last 12 years (I've been in the film and video business for over 20 years). Here are the FOUR THINGS I LOVE about this work:
1. Variety
Since I started producing corporate videos, I've been paid to learn about and produce videos on subjects ranging from dock building, lipstick manufacturing, electronic surveying, furniture sales training, computer programs, architecture, nursing, interstate highway building, waterfront reconstruction, book printing, food preparation and many more.
| | |
| "My work has taken me behind the scenes at places like Tiffany's Panavision, AT&T, and the DEA. " - Hal Landen | |
| |
While most of the videos I produce are within an hour's drive of my home in the country, I'm also asked to produce videos in other areas of the country. These invitations come from my clients and from their referrals. I've travelled in style across most of these United States (all expenses paid, naturally) thanks to my video business. If you like variety, you will like corporate video.
| | |
| "Hal, I just wanted to say that this amazing course is going to change the way we all look at video production here at Cas Videos " - Alex M United Kingdom | |
| |
2. The Pay
Many of my projects start at about $5000 and go up to $25,000 or more. Now, of course, that's not all profit, but even when I chose to hire outside freelancers and rent high-end equipment, the lion's share of the budget still goes to paying for MY services. And I'm usually producing several corporate videos at the same time.
3. Repeat and Referral Business
Producing a video for these clients is just beginning of a profitable business relationship. Most of my clients later hire me to update their videos when products, people or technologies change. Since my videos are successful at helping these companies, many of my clients order a hundred or so copies every few months. That's a great income in itself and you don't even have to own duplication gear to make a nice and easy profit on every order. Since a fair number of my clients do business overseas, they also need standards conversions and more dubs for use overseas. All of this extra business income comes from producing one good video.One of the nicest things about it is these happy clients refer me to others. It's a good feeling and just one more income stream.
| | |
| "I couldn't recommend Landen more highly " - Joe Illiagash CBS 60 Minutes | |
| |
4. Satisfaction and Respect
A lot of people see my videos. Even in my own small town, neighbors often ask in surprise, "YOU produced that video?" I am always pleased to say I did. For me it's a lot of fun helping small businesses, corporations, and non-profits use video in positive ways and I've built a good reputation by doing so. After all these years I still get a kick out of producing a video that helps other people.See what I like about the work? But I haven't even mentioned the creative side of the work. And if you don't think corporate videos are creative, think again. Many of these corporate productions rival network TV commercials. If you're creative, nothing beats the work of an independent corporate producer.
Video Can Be an Expensive Hobby...
Or a Lucrative, Satisfying Business
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
After Effects - Camera Layer Effect
Straight up.
After Effects used to scare me.
I was always intrigued by what this application could do, but after watching a few video tutorials online I was like "uhhh, that's hard".
It's one thing to look at Adobe Premiere and dive right in (still scares the pants off of most of friends.."movie maker works for me Al"), but After Effects is a different animal...we're talking serious 3D compositing, particle generating, motion tracking, and my favorite, text animation.
It wasn't until I saw a 3D montage created in After Effects that I decided to roll up my sleeves, dive in and learn it.
Here's a great example....
Within After Effects you can create your own 3D space and use a camera to navigate through this space and give a cool perspective on your composite - in my case, pictures.
For the record, pictures are 2d, but by using a camera layer in After Effects, it gives the illusion that the pics are indeed 3D.
After Effects used to scare me.
I was always intrigued by what this application could do, but after watching a few video tutorials online I was like "uhhh, that's hard".
It's one thing to look at Adobe Premiere and dive right in (still scares the pants off of most of friends.."movie maker works for me Al"), but After Effects is a different animal...we're talking serious 3D compositing, particle generating, motion tracking, and my favorite, text animation.
It wasn't until I saw a 3D montage created in After Effects that I decided to roll up my sleeves, dive in and learn it.
Here's a great example....
Within After Effects you can create your own 3D space and use a camera to navigate through this space and give a cool perspective on your composite - in my case, pictures.
For the record, pictures are 2d, but by using a camera layer in After Effects, it gives the illusion that the pics are indeed 3D.
Monday, September 3, 2007
HD DVD burning made easy!
Hey hey! It's been awhile eh! Ahh, this Labor Day weekend has got me doing a whole lot of....well, nothing...haha...
Ok, so recently I had a client ask me about shooting their wedding video in HD.
I thought for a second "YES!" (I charge a premium of about $1000), but then I realized "wait a minute, how am I going to deliver that?".
And the two options are Blue Ray and HD DVD (yes, those two formats again).
Simple, right?
NOT!
The breakdown:
Blue Ray - Blue Ray writers will set you back about $500 and the blank Blue Ray Disks run about $20. Although I did see a few for $15 (each) at Frys yesterday.
HD DVD - Presently there are no HD DVD writers out to be had. I've read about Toshiba coming out with one, but as of yet, they have yet to release it. So that's that.
So you can either go with Blue Ray or......well, just Blue Ray.
But there is a another option.
HD DVD on DVD!
What?
Yup, HD DVD on DVD.
The long and short of it is, HD DVDs use the same underlying technology as DVDs.
Pinnacle's lastest video editing suite (Media Studio Plus and Ultimate) allow you to edit and burn HD content onto DVDs. You can get about 23 minutes on a single layer (4.7gb) DVD and approx. 45 minutes on a dual layer DVD.
Now you still need an HD DVD player to play it. At this time, HD DVD players are the cheapest of the two formats (HD DVD and Blue Ray). HD DVD players range from the mid to high $200s. On the other hand, Blue Ray players will run you about $500.
Of course there's the option of picking up either the Playstation 3 or XBOX 360 (their HD DVD drive is sold separately..presently for about $179 and it comes with 5 FREE HD DVDs). In which case you play games in hi def as well. I'm a 360 owner, so I'm sort of biased when it comes to recommending a system.
But both systems are awesome in terms of hi def output. Gears of War (XBOX 360), IMO, best demonstrates what HD gaming is all about...over the top stunning visuals...great game play...and incredible audio effects.
Going the HD DVD route is a feasible route for those you considering burning HD content. It's definitely the cost effective route of going HD - Media Studio is about $100 and blank DVDs are dirt cheap nowadays.
Ok, so recently I had a client ask me about shooting their wedding video in HD.
I thought for a second "YES!" (I charge a premium of about $1000), but then I realized "wait a minute, how am I going to deliver that?".
And the two options are Blue Ray and HD DVD (yes, those two formats again).
Simple, right?
NOT!
The breakdown:
Blue Ray - Blue Ray writers will set you back about $500 and the blank Blue Ray Disks run about $20. Although I did see a few for $15 (each) at Frys yesterday.
HD DVD - Presently there are no HD DVD writers out to be had. I've read about Toshiba coming out with one, but as of yet, they have yet to release it. So that's that.
So you can either go with Blue Ray or......well, just Blue Ray.
But there is a another option.
HD DVD on DVD!
What?
Yup, HD DVD on DVD.
The long and short of it is, HD DVDs use the same underlying technology as DVDs.
Pinnacle's lastest video editing suite (Media Studio Plus and Ultimate) allow you to edit and burn HD content onto DVDs. You can get about 23 minutes on a single layer (4.7gb) DVD and approx. 45 minutes on a dual layer DVD.
Now you still need an HD DVD player to play it. At this time, HD DVD players are the cheapest of the two formats (HD DVD and Blue Ray). HD DVD players range from the mid to high $200s. On the other hand, Blue Ray players will run you about $500.
Of course there's the option of picking up either the Playstation 3 or XBOX 360 (their HD DVD drive is sold separately..presently for about $179 and it comes with 5 FREE HD DVDs). In which case you play games in hi def as well. I'm a 360 owner, so I'm sort of biased when it comes to recommending a system.
But both systems are awesome in terms of hi def output. Gears of War (XBOX 360), IMO, best demonstrates what HD gaming is all about...over the top stunning visuals...great game play...and incredible audio effects.
Going the HD DVD route is a feasible route for those you considering burning HD content. It's definitely the cost effective route of going HD - Media Studio is about $100 and blank DVDs are dirt cheap nowadays.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
HD Camcorder for under $1000!
Here we go!
If you're ready to get into hi def, here it is...
Hi Def camcorder
True 1080i or 720p resolution!
If you're ready to get into hi def, here it is...
Hi Def camcorder
True 1080i or 720p resolution!
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Video editing made easy
The one thing I can attest to about video editing is it takes time.
Lots of it.
People don't understand the process of making videos.
1) Upload footage
2) Cut footage up (take out all the shaky shots)
3) Arrange the footage
4) Pick the music
5) Add effects
5) Add the transitions
6) Review
7) REarrange the footage : )
8) Encode
It seems easy I know, but somewhere between arranging footage and REarranging footage is where a lot of time is spent.
The thing I'm seeing a lot of lately are applications that make the editing process easy and simple to do; select the footage, select your music and hit "go" and out comes out your video.
Yes, it's easy and simple, but the creative process and outcome can be a bit cookie cutter-ish.
If you're just looking to pop out a quick vid of last weekend's picnic or birthday bash, then it's perfect.
Of all the applications that I've checked out, this suite seems to give you all you need to be a video producer.
Check out their site and the demo reels some of their users have posted. Pretty cool stuff.
Photodex
Lots of it.
People don't understand the process of making videos.
1) Upload footage
2) Cut footage up (take out all the shaky shots)
3) Arrange the footage
4) Pick the music
5) Add effects
5) Add the transitions
6) Review
7) REarrange the footage : )
8) Encode
It seems easy I know, but somewhere between arranging footage and REarranging footage is where a lot of time is spent.
The thing I'm seeing a lot of lately are applications that make the editing process easy and simple to do; select the footage, select your music and hit "go" and out comes out your video.
Yes, it's easy and simple, but the creative process and outcome can be a bit cookie cutter-ish.
If you're just looking to pop out a quick vid of last weekend's picnic or birthday bash, then it's perfect.
Of all the applications that I've checked out, this suite seems to give you all you need to be a video producer.
Check out their site and the demo reels some of their users have posted. Pretty cool stuff.
Photodex
Monday, August 27, 2007
Video editing backlog
ARRGGGH!!
Need help!!
It's been a few days I know. I've got a shelf full of tapes that need to uploaded and worked on.
Most of them are from earlier in the year (wedding gigs), so I need to get cracking ASAP!!
I'm out for a few more days before I post anything of significance.
Off to the editing bay now!!
Ciao!
Need help!!
It's been a few days I know. I've got a shelf full of tapes that need to uploaded and worked on.
Most of them are from earlier in the year (wedding gigs), so I need to get cracking ASAP!!
I'm out for a few more days before I post anything of significance.
Off to the editing bay now!!
Ciao!
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Picture Day In San Francisco
I had a free day, so Haley (my daughter, 7) and I took a stroll into San Francisco. Both of us armed with digital cams (she has my old Canon G2).
So yes, any picture of just me was taken by her. And the pictures of both of us I took (Canon A640 - flip out LCD...tip: make sure to tell whomever is in the picture with you to look at the lens).
The wide angle of downtown SF was stitched in Photoshop CS3.
Click on pictures for hi res version (warning: closeups of me may cause an uncontrollable urge to see a dermatologist)
Enjoy!
So yes, any picture of just me was taken by her. And the pictures of both of us I took (Canon A640 - flip out LCD...tip: make sure to tell whomever is in the picture with you to look at the lens).
The wide angle of downtown SF was stitched in Photoshop CS3.
Click on pictures for hi res version (warning: closeups of me may cause an uncontrollable urge to see a dermatologist)
Enjoy!
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Wedding Videos - Keys to a successful video
For whatever reason, I got caught up in the tube today (youtube). Call it wasting time or being lazy, once you get going, you can't stop..haha...The difference today was unlike most days where I just randomly search for whatever, I stuck to one topic - wedding videos.
"You don't say"
After watching a dozen or so videos, you see the whole spectrum as to what people's idea of a good video is. Honestly, most of the stuff I saw was pretty cheesy.
But hey, it's a wedding video, so it's expected.
Regardless of the cheeziness, there are certain key components that I believe every wedding (actually any event) video should try and include.
1) Steady footage - First and foremost, nothing screams amateur more than 'earthquake' footage. Viewers can only take so much before they have to look away to avoid nausea.
Yes, it's that serious.
There are 2 simple ways to remedy this issue....1) Use a tripod. Sometimes it's inappropriate, but when given the opportunity to use one (besides during the vows), then go for it.....2) Standing still. Yes folks, it's that simple. Along with standing still, practice holding the camera in a way that's going to be most comfortable to you. Hint: 2 hands.
And if you're going to pan or zoom...pan slowly and position your body (not your hands) where the end result of the pan will be. So in other words if you're going from right to left, angle your feet/body to the left FIRST, then start your pan from the right. Try it now and you'll see what I'm talking about.
If you must zoom (not a fan of it), then do it slowly. Again, this is something that requires practice and knowledge of your camera's functions.
2) Variety of perspective - In nutshell, never eye level. Ok, so you can't avoid it totally, but you should be trying to vary your shots.......down low....up high..through gates...from behind the groom/bride/parents/bridesmaids. A good piece of cheap and easy advice is just to watch TV and see the angles they use. Obviously some of their shots you won't be able to duplicate because they require a 50' rig or a helicopter, but there will be enough shots to emulate and add to your arsenal.
3) Music - To me, this is 50-70% of the video. It's what draws the emotion out (audio; music or otherwise). Try watching a scary movie or love story without the audio. You'll get nothing, but do the opposite and you'll at least feel the emotion, just as if you were watching the movie.
My dilemma with music has always been picking what I think works and picking something the client likes. Obviously, when it's all said and done, it's what they want that matters. But if you're spot on with your music selection and the emotional pull is there, more often than not they'll approve.
The key is to get the bride to cry and laugh : )
Another one of my "gots to have it" with music is music synchronization - high moments in a song require a "money shot", quick beats require quick scene changes. Now not all songs require total "synchronization", but every song has high and low moments.
I listen to my song selections in it's entirety and then memorize the high points. I then start the selection process as to what will match up before I even start cutting up footage.
4) Exposure/White Balance - This is something that is more on the technical side, but nonetheless very important. Yes, you can do this in post, but like anything else, if you can do it before post, then do it. Tip: Use your viewfinder instead of your LCD because it tends to be more accurate.
Along with exposure, watch your white balance. Be aware when you're going inside...outside..inside. And watch out for the type of lighting you're presented with.
Most cameras have presets for white balance, so it's just a matter of selecting the proper option.
5) Setup shots - With weddings, you're trying to tell a story. There will be sooo many details that the bride and groom will not see or remember. It's our job to make sure we capture all the details. And one of the ways to do this is by capturing "setup shots".
Examples:
Church - Stained glass, water fountain in the front, wide angle of the church, people arriving.
Reception - DJ setting up, flower arrangements, guest sign-in list, gifts.
6) Effects mgmt - This is the biggest thing I noticed on my "tube" outing today - effects, effects and more effects. In one video they used an explosion effect..not once, not twice or even three times, but about 5 times. It was actually pretty funny.
The long and short of it is, don't use too many, make sure it's appropriate (the explosion effect mentioned above was used to expose the ring...the church...the bride) and don't overdo it.
Kill the checkerboard transitions, the extreme page peels and most of the other 100 transitions that were included in your editing program. Tip: DO NOT use transitions as a means of flexing your "special effects" prowess. Personally, the cross dissolve is pretty much the only transition I use.
Along with camera unsteadiness, using effects inappropriately also screams amateur.
I'm sure I'm missing a few things, but I think if you stick to the above, the end result will be a video that you can be proud of and that your clients will enjoy watching...over and over again.
"You don't say"
After watching a dozen or so videos, you see the whole spectrum as to what people's idea of a good video is. Honestly, most of the stuff I saw was pretty cheesy.
But hey, it's a wedding video, so it's expected.
Regardless of the cheeziness, there are certain key components that I believe every wedding (actually any event) video should try and include.
1) Steady footage - First and foremost, nothing screams amateur more than 'earthquake' footage. Viewers can only take so much before they have to look away to avoid nausea.
Yes, it's that serious.
There are 2 simple ways to remedy this issue....1) Use a tripod. Sometimes it's inappropriate, but when given the opportunity to use one (besides during the vows), then go for it.....2) Standing still. Yes folks, it's that simple. Along with standing still, practice holding the camera in a way that's going to be most comfortable to you. Hint: 2 hands.
And if you're going to pan or zoom...pan slowly and position your body (not your hands) where the end result of the pan will be. So in other words if you're going from right to left, angle your feet/body to the left FIRST, then start your pan from the right. Try it now and you'll see what I'm talking about.
If you must zoom (not a fan of it), then do it slowly. Again, this is something that requires practice and knowledge of your camera's functions.
2) Variety of perspective - In nutshell, never eye level. Ok, so you can't avoid it totally, but you should be trying to vary your shots.......down low....up high..through gates...from behind the groom/bride/parents/bridesmaids. A good piece of cheap and easy advice is just to watch TV and see the angles they use. Obviously some of their shots you won't be able to duplicate because they require a 50' rig or a helicopter, but there will be enough shots to emulate and add to your arsenal.
3) Music - To me, this is 50-70% of the video. It's what draws the emotion out (audio; music or otherwise). Try watching a scary movie or love story without the audio. You'll get nothing, but do the opposite and you'll at least feel the emotion, just as if you were watching the movie.
My dilemma with music has always been picking what I think works and picking something the client likes. Obviously, when it's all said and done, it's what they want that matters. But if you're spot on with your music selection and the emotional pull is there, more often than not they'll approve.
The key is to get the bride to cry and laugh : )
Another one of my "gots to have it" with music is music synchronization - high moments in a song require a "money shot", quick beats require quick scene changes. Now not all songs require total "synchronization", but every song has high and low moments.
I listen to my song selections in it's entirety and then memorize the high points. I then start the selection process as to what will match up before I even start cutting up footage.
4) Exposure/White Balance - This is something that is more on the technical side, but nonetheless very important. Yes, you can do this in post, but like anything else, if you can do it before post, then do it. Tip: Use your viewfinder instead of your LCD because it tends to be more accurate.
Along with exposure, watch your white balance. Be aware when you're going inside...outside..inside. And watch out for the type of lighting you're presented with.
Most cameras have presets for white balance, so it's just a matter of selecting the proper option.
5) Setup shots - With weddings, you're trying to tell a story. There will be sooo many details that the bride and groom will not see or remember. It's our job to make sure we capture all the details. And one of the ways to do this is by capturing "setup shots".
Examples:
Church - Stained glass, water fountain in the front, wide angle of the church, people arriving.
Reception - DJ setting up, flower arrangements, guest sign-in list, gifts.
6) Effects mgmt - This is the biggest thing I noticed on my "tube" outing today - effects, effects and more effects. In one video they used an explosion effect..not once, not twice or even three times, but about 5 times. It was actually pretty funny.
The long and short of it is, don't use too many, make sure it's appropriate (the explosion effect mentioned above was used to expose the ring...the church...the bride) and don't overdo it.
Kill the checkerboard transitions, the extreme page peels and most of the other 100 transitions that were included in your editing program. Tip: DO NOT use transitions as a means of flexing your "special effects" prowess. Personally, the cross dissolve is pretty much the only transition I use.
Along with camera unsteadiness, using effects inappropriately also screams amateur.
I'm sure I'm missing a few things, but I think if you stick to the above, the end result will be a video that you can be proud of and that your clients will enjoy watching...over and over again.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Photoshop tutorial - Resizing your photos
Ok, so it's been a few days. The weekend was pretty busy and I got kind of caught up.
Back to business.
I've been getting a lot of slack for not sharing photos with family and friends. I'm pretty lazy cuz the photos I take are always in hi res (6+ megapixels) and it's a hassle to resize.
Resizing and adjusting the settings on the camera is not the way I like to go. You never know if you're going to print out the picture (higher the res, the better the print), so it's best to take it hi res and adjust later.
If you're like me, you know what I'm talking about.
Ok, so onto the tutorial. It's a technique I've known for a while, but again I'm just a lazy mofo : )
Anyways, here you go..
I know I know, this is supposed to be a digital video type of blog. Those tutorials are next.
I promise.
Back to business.
I've been getting a lot of slack for not sharing photos with family and friends. I'm pretty lazy cuz the photos I take are always in hi res (6+ megapixels) and it's a hassle to resize.
Resizing and adjusting the settings on the camera is not the way I like to go. You never know if you're going to print out the picture (higher the res, the better the print), so it's best to take it hi res and adjust later.
If you're like me, you know what I'm talking about.
Ok, so onto the tutorial. It's a technique I've known for a while, but again I'm just a lazy mofo : )
Anyways, here you go..
I know I know, this is supposed to be a digital video type of blog. Those tutorials are next.
I promise.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Blue Ray and HD DVD - The War Continues!
August 15, 2007 (Reuters) -- Sales of movies on Blu-ray high-definition discs exceeded sales of films on the rival HD-DVD format by a 2-to-1 margin in the United States in the first half of 2007, Home Media Research said on Tuesday.
The division of Home Media Magazine said total sales of Blu-ray discs, which use a Sony Corp.-backed technology, totaled 1.6 million units from Jan. 1 through July 1 while 795,000 HD-DVD discs were sold in that period.
HD-DVD was developed by Toshiba Corp. and is backed by Microsoft Corp. and film studios such as Warner Bros.
Both high-definition formats were launched in spring of 2006. An estimated 3.7 million of both types of discs have been sold overall, including 2.2 million Blu-ray discs and 1.5 million HD-DVD discs, through the end of July, according to Home Media.
A Home Media spokeswoman said Blu-ray got a boost in August from strong sales of the movie 300. Stephen Nickerson, senior vice president, market management, at Warner Home Video, reported sales of about 190,000 Blu-ray units of the film, versus 97,000 in HD-DVD since July 31.
The industrywide standards war is reminiscent of the VHS vs. Betamax battle.
Blockbuster Inc., the largest U.S. retailer of home movie entertainment, in June set out plans to line its shelves with Blu-ray DVDs, saying Blu-ray rentals were "significantly outpacing" HD-DVD rentals.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Wedding Shoot (Solo)
Well, I did it. And I survived.
Often things sound worse then they really are (shooting a wedding solo...yikes!) and last Saturday was a perfect example.
This wedding celebration (2nd one in as many weeks) was just to appease the bride's side and their Thailand tradition.
Although the major traditional type things (i.e. bridal party, bouquet tossing) were omitted, there was just enough traditional type activities (i.e. cutting of the cake, the B/G greeting each and every table, speeches) to lead passer byers to believe a wedding was happening.
The Thailand wedding tradition involves the couple wearing traditional Thailand wedding attire and receiving blessings (and words of advice) from each and every guest.
The actual "blessings" process involves the couple kneeling on a Thailand type of alter and having guests line up and pour water through the couple's hands (into a flower pot type thing).
During the pouring of the water, the guests would then offer their advice for a successful and happy marriage. In watching this closely, often times it would appear as if the couple weren't quite comfortable with the whole experience and even slightly embarrassed. Picture kneeling in the middle of this huge ballroom type of venue and 80 people lining up to honor you.
Yeah, exactly!
One venue. No DJ or band. For music they setup a laptop with some pretty decent speakers and that was it. When it came time to play my montage, I just plugged everything directly into the speakers.
Overall, it was a pleasant night. And although it was the complete opposite of last week's "party" wedding (most of the dance footage would require an NC17 rating), it was still a celebration of love between two people amongst family and friends.
The event didn't require two shooters. It barely required one. I was confident in my ability to take on such a challenge (solo shoot), but the challenge never came. Regardless, it was a new experience for me -shooting and tradition (never done a Thailand wedding prior to last week)- and something that can I only grow from.
Often things sound worse then they really are (shooting a wedding solo...yikes!) and last Saturday was a perfect example.
This wedding celebration (2nd one in as many weeks) was just to appease the bride's side and their Thailand tradition.
Although the major traditional type things (i.e. bridal party, bouquet tossing) were omitted, there was just enough traditional type activities (i.e. cutting of the cake, the B/G greeting each and every table, speeches) to lead passer byers to believe a wedding was happening.
The Thailand wedding tradition involves the couple wearing traditional Thailand wedding attire and receiving blessings (and words of advice) from each and every guest.
The actual "blessings" process involves the couple kneeling on a Thailand type of alter and having guests line up and pour water through the couple's hands (into a flower pot type thing).
During the pouring of the water, the guests would then offer their advice for a successful and happy marriage. In watching this closely, often times it would appear as if the couple weren't quite comfortable with the whole experience and even slightly embarrassed. Picture kneeling in the middle of this huge ballroom type of venue and 80 people lining up to honor you.
Yeah, exactly!
One venue. No DJ or band. For music they setup a laptop with some pretty decent speakers and that was it. When it came time to play my montage, I just plugged everything directly into the speakers.
Overall, it was a pleasant night. And although it was the complete opposite of last week's "party" wedding (most of the dance footage would require an NC17 rating), it was still a celebration of love between two people amongst family and friends.
The event didn't require two shooters. It barely required one. I was confident in my ability to take on such a challenge (solo shoot), but the challenge never came. Regardless, it was a new experience for me -shooting and tradition (never done a Thailand wedding prior to last week)- and something that can I only grow from.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Adobe Premiere CS3 - My favorite new tools.
I've been a Adobe Premiere user for about 5yrs now and every new version always has some new cool tools (i.e. 6.0 automate to timeline, 6.5 real time preview and title designer), but this time Adobe has really outdone themselves.
There are ton of new features in Adobe Premiere CS3, but I'm just going to cover my favorites:
1) Blue Ray and Flash export - Wow! All new export options in Premiere CS3. It's been a longtime coming (for Flash at least), but it only makes sense now that Adobe and Macromedia have joined forces. With the advent of video on the net and Flash the standard for internet video, this definitely solidifies Premiere's position as an all-in-on suite. All your projects -exporting to DVD or the Web- can now be created and exported in and from Adobe Premiere.
Blue Ray is hot! Depending on what side of the fence you sit, you might say Blue Ray is slowly winning the HD (yes, it's called HD) war. With HD starting to become mainstream, having the capability to provide HD formatted content is a must if you want to stay ahead of the pack (if not just keep up).
All you need now is an HD camera, a Blue Ray burner AND blank Blue Ray disks ($25 each..ouch!)
2) Adobe Encore - It's included now! Yessss! Now your projects can go from start to finish with one product - Premiere Pro CS3. Although going back and forth isn't much of big deal (usually once you've exported, you naturally just open up Encore and go). For me just knowing that if I have to work on either the DVD authoring or a re-edit, it's only one file and one application that I have to remember to open.
Face value it's not huuuge deal, but for the sake of work flow, this feature makes things more efficient.
3) Time Remapping - Finally, high-quality slow motion effects! Borrowed from it's older cousin/brother, After Effects, this new feature allows you to slow down, speed up and reverse footage with extreme precision and quality. With the abilitiy to keyframe and apply transitions, you have total control of the pace of your footage.
I'll be uploading some footage real soon to demonstrate how powerful this effect really is.
There are ton of new features in Adobe Premiere CS3, but I'm just going to cover my favorites:
1) Blue Ray and Flash export - Wow! All new export options in Premiere CS3. It's been a longtime coming (for Flash at least), but it only makes sense now that Adobe and Macromedia have joined forces. With the advent of video on the net and Flash the standard for internet video, this definitely solidifies Premiere's position as an all-in-on suite. All your projects -exporting to DVD or the Web- can now be created and exported in and from Adobe Premiere.
Blue Ray is hot! Depending on what side of the fence you sit, you might say Blue Ray is slowly winning the HD (yes, it's called HD) war. With HD starting to become mainstream, having the capability to provide HD formatted content is a must if you want to stay ahead of the pack (if not just keep up).
All you need now is an HD camera, a Blue Ray burner AND blank Blue Ray disks ($25 each..ouch!)
2) Adobe Encore - It's included now! Yessss! Now your projects can go from start to finish with one product - Premiere Pro CS3. Although going back and forth isn't much of big deal (usually once you've exported, you naturally just open up Encore and go). For me just knowing that if I have to work on either the DVD authoring or a re-edit, it's only one file and one application that I have to remember to open.
Face value it's not huuuge deal, but for the sake of work flow, this feature makes things more efficient.
3) Time Remapping - Finally, high-quality slow motion effects! Borrowed from it's older cousin/brother, After Effects, this new feature allows you to slow down, speed up and reverse footage with extreme precision and quality. With the abilitiy to keyframe and apply transitions, you have total control of the pace of your footage.
I'll be uploading some footage real soon to demonstrate how powerful this effect really is.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Wedding Shoot...SOLO!!
Yikes!
Today is the day! My partner is out and it's just me!
Again, same couple as last weekend (see previous blog), but this wedding is more for the old folks.
It should be laidback *crossing fingers*.
Let ya know how it goes!
Woo Hoo!
Al
Today is the day! My partner is out and it's just me!
Again, same couple as last weekend (see previous blog), but this wedding is more for the old folks.
It should be laidback *crossing fingers*.
Let ya know how it goes!
Woo Hoo!
Al
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Photoshop Tutorial - Black & White with color highlight.
Hey folks!
Here's a Photoshop tutorial I put together real quick. I dabble a little in Photoshop and thought it'd be fun to share my deep (hardly) knowledge of Photoshop.
Don't worry. My video tutorials are on their way : )
The steps to isolating an object in a BW photo in Photoshop:
1) Open file and make a duplicate layer.
2) Highlight top layer
3)Image>Adjustments>Black & White filter (hue and saturation and desaturate..older versions of Photoshop)
4) Select eraser tool (adjust size of brush if need be) and erase object you wish to highlight and make color.
You're basically erasing the top layer (BW) to expose the bottom layer (color).
Hope you find this useful!
Al
Subscribe to my blog already? No?! Then what are you waiting for?!!
Here's a Photoshop tutorial I put together real quick. I dabble a little in Photoshop and thought it'd be fun to share my deep (hardly) knowledge of Photoshop.
Don't worry. My video tutorials are on their way : )
The steps to isolating an object in a BW photo in Photoshop:
1) Open file and make a duplicate layer.
2) Highlight top layer
3)Image>Adjustments>Black & White filter (hue and saturation and desaturate..older versions of Photoshop)
4) Select eraser tool (adjust size of brush if need be) and erase object you wish to highlight and make color.
You're basically erasing the top layer (BW) to expose the bottom layer (color).
Hope you find this useful!
Al
Subscribe to my blog already? No?! Then what are you waiting for?!!
Another wedding, the same couple.
Yup, you read right.
My wedding shoot this weekend is with the same client as last weekend. Apparently, last weekend's gig was just for the young folks and this one (8/11) is for the old skool folks.
Another first for me, so we'll see how it goes.
Fun, fun, fun!!
Ciao!
Al
My wedding shoot this weekend is with the same client as last weekend. Apparently, last weekend's gig was just for the young folks and this one (8/11) is for the old skool folks.
Another first for me, so we'll see how it goes.
Fun, fun, fun!!
Ciao!
Al
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Same day edit from last weekend's wedding
Woo hoo!!
Last weekend marked a monumental day in TruVision Media; we did our first same day edit reception montage.
If you're not familiar with a same day edit (SDE), it's when a videographer (typically at a wedding) shows edited footage from earlier in the day at the reception (via a projector and big screen)
I know.
"And?!"
It's sound simple I know, but it can be (and was) quite stressful.
A couple of things to consider for Same Day Edits:
1) Time - Depending on how much coverage you're going to show, you're going to need the time to upload....edit...AND encode. Some SDEs I've seen show everything up until the vows. Pretty amazing considering receptions are typically an hour or so after the ceremony. And sometimes immediately after.
2) Coverage - Remember, the wedding is still going on and you still have to capture footage. If you don't have partners to back you up, then you could miss something. Although nothing major happens in between the ceremony and reception (typically just picture taking), some B/G want you at there side 24/7 regardless.
3) Place to work - Unfortunately we don't have a trailer to work out of, so the best you can hope for is a quiet coffee shop (which means no Starbucks..haha) with outlets.
4) Editing - Because of the time factor, you need to streamline this process. I suggest using a song that will pretty much go with any footage you have (enya anyone?) and using jump cuts (no cheesy transitions). And don't worry about the effects. The couple will be so impressed with the fact that the footage playing is from earlier in the day that they won't care if you didn't include a few checkerboard transitions : p
Well last weekend we had a 3hr break between the ceremony and reception. And we didn't need any coverage as the B/G went back to their hotel to chill until the reception.
My partner and I found a quiet cafe/lunch spot equipped with more than enough electrical outlets. We walked in, I told the person working there that we would be there for a few hours and we went to work. We had lunch and a few drinks, so they were cool with it. Funny how everyone that walked in was curious to see what we were doing (something about a 17" laptop gets people's attention).
It was my first time, so it definitely helped to have my partner there to collaborate with. Most editors go at it alone, while their partner(s) continue to shoot. I can tell you first hand, editing with a timeframe is very stressful. I can't imagine doing that alone.
The great thing about it was our client's ....a) didn't expect it....and...b) didn't pay for it. So it was all icing for them. For all they knew, all we had was a picture slideshow to present (not included with the SDE now...possibly upload it this week). So if things hadn't turned out well at the cafe, we would've abandoned ship and just showed the slideshow.
Well, it did work out and our clients were very impressed.
Whew!!
Enjoy!
Comments pleeeease!
Al
Last weekend marked a monumental day in TruVision Media; we did our first same day edit reception montage.
If you're not familiar with a same day edit (SDE), it's when a videographer (typically at a wedding) shows edited footage from earlier in the day at the reception (via a projector and big screen)
I know.
"And?!"
It's sound simple I know, but it can be (and was) quite stressful.
A couple of things to consider for Same Day Edits:
1) Time - Depending on how much coverage you're going to show, you're going to need the time to upload....edit...AND encode. Some SDEs I've seen show everything up until the vows. Pretty amazing considering receptions are typically an hour or so after the ceremony. And sometimes immediately after.
2) Coverage - Remember, the wedding is still going on and you still have to capture footage. If you don't have partners to back you up, then you could miss something. Although nothing major happens in between the ceremony and reception (typically just picture taking), some B/G want you at there side 24/7 regardless.
3) Place to work - Unfortunately we don't have a trailer to work out of, so the best you can hope for is a quiet coffee shop (which means no Starbucks..haha) with outlets.
4) Editing - Because of the time factor, you need to streamline this process. I suggest using a song that will pretty much go with any footage you have (enya anyone?) and using jump cuts (no cheesy transitions). And don't worry about the effects. The couple will be so impressed with the fact that the footage playing is from earlier in the day that they won't care if you didn't include a few checkerboard transitions : p
Well last weekend we had a 3hr break between the ceremony and reception. And we didn't need any coverage as the B/G went back to their hotel to chill until the reception.
My partner and I found a quiet cafe/lunch spot equipped with more than enough electrical outlets. We walked in, I told the person working there that we would be there for a few hours and we went to work. We had lunch and a few drinks, so they were cool with it. Funny how everyone that walked in was curious to see what we were doing (something about a 17" laptop gets people's attention).
It was my first time, so it definitely helped to have my partner there to collaborate with. Most editors go at it alone, while their partner(s) continue to shoot. I can tell you first hand, editing with a timeframe is very stressful. I can't imagine doing that alone.
The great thing about it was our client's ....a) didn't expect it....and...b) didn't pay for it. So it was all icing for them. For all they knew, all we had was a picture slideshow to present (not included with the SDE now...possibly upload it this week). So if things hadn't turned out well at the cafe, we would've abandoned ship and just showed the slideshow.
Well, it did work out and our clients were very impressed.
Whew!!
Enjoy!
Comments pleeeease!
Al
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Hello world
Howdy folks!
*crickets chirping*
Well, I figure it's time I put together a blog on what I do, videography and video editing, and everything related to it.
My vision for this blog is to meet like-minded people to share, learn and inspire.
And occasionally rant...haha
Specs on me:
Hardware: PC
Software: Adobe everything - Premiere 2.0, After Effects 7.0, Photoshop CS3, Encore.
Business: Wedding Videography (www.truvision-media.com) 5yrs
I'm no expert in video editing, but I do know a little sum sum about all the apps mentioned above. I'm actually really getting into After Effects and all that in can do in terms of video editing.
Along the lines of sharing, I was thinking of posting video tutorials on this blog, but I'm not sure about the space limitations.
For now I'll probably just post them on youtube and drop the link here. I just don't think the quality on youtube is the best for tutorials...application tutorials that is.
Ok, that's it for now.
If you somehow how stumbled across my blog..."hello".
Experienced, novice or just starting out, it doesn't matter.
LET'S LEARN AND CREATE TOGETHER!!
(ok, that was corny)
Goodnite!
Al
*crickets chirping*
Well, I figure it's time I put together a blog on what I do, videography and video editing, and everything related to it.
My vision for this blog is to meet like-minded people to share, learn and inspire.
And occasionally rant...haha
Specs on me:
Hardware: PC
Software: Adobe everything - Premiere 2.0, After Effects 7.0, Photoshop CS3, Encore.
Business: Wedding Videography (www.truvision-media.com) 5yrs
I'm no expert in video editing, but I do know a little sum sum about all the apps mentioned above. I'm actually really getting into After Effects and all that in can do in terms of video editing.
Along the lines of sharing, I was thinking of posting video tutorials on this blog, but I'm not sure about the space limitations.
For now I'll probably just post them on youtube and drop the link here. I just don't think the quality on youtube is the best for tutorials...application tutorials that is.
Ok, that's it for now.
If you somehow how stumbled across my blog..."hello".
Experienced, novice or just starting out, it doesn't matter.
LET'S LEARN AND CREATE TOGETHER!!
(ok, that was corny)
Goodnite!
Al
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