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Category Archive for 'Videography Tips'

Videography Tips: PLANNING I

Posted in Videography Tips on Aug 17th, 2008

 

Introduction 

The capture of video during the production phase can be time consuming, so pre-production planning can help to insure you get the best quality content on the first try. Depending on the complexity of your project, your planning should include the following: 

  •  Defining the Project
  •  Video Style
  •  Production decisions
  •  Pre-production Scouting
  •  Planning Scenes and Shots

Defining the Project

Plan Before You Shoot << THIS IS IMPORTANT>>

The processes used for planning will vary based on the complexity of your project and the style of video you are producing. For short, instructional style video clips, a simple written description will suffice. For more complex projects such as a video drama, a pictorial storyboard may be more appropriate. Pre-production planning should include the logistics of the production as well as guidance to the camera crew. Even with a simple project, you will find a large number of variables that can positively or negatively impact the quality of your project. The combination of thorough planning and experience will help make the difference. It works. Oh, and when capturing longer segments with the subject facing the camera, you might want to consider prompting software. Run the software on a laptop sitting as close to the camera lens as possible.
Here is a link to an example plan
Oh, and of course, if a minor is included, always make sure the parents sign some kind of permission form. And on the subject of forms, adults (actors etc) should also provide written releases if the final project will be published on the web. The release should state the specific project for which the video will be used, explain how it will be distributed, and request a signature giving you permission to publish the products and likeness (images and video) of the participant. It may be useful to include how privacy and safety issues are being addressed.
One good practice in planning is called video treatment. It is a brief narrative description of what the viewer will see and hear in your video, something like this:

Introductory video 

The instructor (standing in front of the school) will face the camera directly and introduce himself, the name of the course, and school name and environment. As the instructor begins the school and environment description a cutaway to campus video will occur showing the building and students moving between classes. The video will then return to the instructor, now sitting at his classroom desk.  The instructor  will describe briefly the specific practice of giving students authentic tasks. During this narration, video clips of students at work in the lab will be presented. Finally the instructor (now standing in the lab) will describe what can be found in the online exhibit of practice and invite viewers to explore

This will help you think deliberately and creatively about what the finished video should look like to the viewer. Treatments are also useful in communicating with others your plans for specific video segments. Getting others to evaluate the treatment can result in valuable feedback that will help you improve your plans. If your project includes several video clips, a short treatment for each clip is useful.

END.

Coming up, Part II: Video Style

 

A Tip for Minimizing Audio Feedback

Posted in Videography Tips on Aug 7th, 2008

This article is regarding live audio systems. Some of you may wonder why is this in a SPVC blog. The reason is that audio plays a large part in any video production, and if any problem occurs in your live sound installation, it would most probably affect you especially if you are getting a direct audio feed from the sound board. So here goes.

Many times people ask me how can one minimise feedback in a live sound scenario. There is one thing which many people including me constantly overlook.

I was mixing at The A Cappella Festival organised by The A Cappella Society, and was wondering why was I getting so much feedback, and I finally found out what was causing the trouble.

See that red arrow in the picture? The monitor Speakers are pointing towards the partition, And the partition was reflecting the sounds from the monitors STRAIGHT into the performers mic, causing me significant loss of allowable gain/volume.

After moving away the partition, the system works far better.

So the tip is, speaker placement plays a large role in minimising feedback. Do not hesitate in taking remedial steps where possible.

Xiang Ju is a professional photographer and videographer, having more than 3 years of experience in the audio and visual fields. Recently, he came in 1st in the Singapore finals of a photography competition organised by Microsoft. He is the Inventory Manager of the SP Videography Club.

Stop-Motion Production

Posted in Discussion, Productions, Videography Tips on Apr 28th, 2008

Hey guys, this is the first time I’m blogging here. Hell, it’s the first time I’m blogging anywhere, so bear with my language.

Note: Only some of this information was taken from sources liek wikipeedia, so if you think I’m just bull-crapping at some points, I probably am.

Now, I’ll just skip on all the history crap, and get down to the one thing at hand:

What is “Stop-Motion”?

Well, to answer that question, let’s look at the definition of video in some random online dictionary:

• noun (pl. videos) 1 the system of recording, reproducing, or broadcasting moving visual images on or from magnetic tape. 2 a film or other recording on magnetic tape. 3 a video cassette. 4 Brit. a video recorder.

(Alright, it’s Oxford.)

Basically, a video is a series of still images put in order and played back at a rate fast enough for our brain to register as motion.
We call these still images in a video “frames”, but you probably know that already.

Now, say we actually take this a little more literally, the “still images” part to be exact. Yep, you got it, that’s where stop-motion began, especially when video was still “new” in the old, old days.

The following are classified in “real” stop-motion though(according to the weekee):

  1. Animation of non-animated objects.
  2. Animation of living things (using photos, duh)
  3. Pinscreen animation (round and round it goes)

And etc. Gawd, I am lazy.

King Kong (The 1933 one) was a stop-motion. Quite famous in its time.

Model animation falls into stop-motion too.

And “claymation” too. Woo.

So, at this point you pretty much get the idea what it’s all about.

Feel like making a stop-motion too? Don’t worry, it’s pretty simple to do. You just need:

  1. An actor/several actors (can be anything inanimate, even a 10-cents coin will suffice)
  2. A decent camera. (and a decent tripod/stand)
  3. A good sense of imagination.

I made a simple stop-motion video myself, using the very laptop I’m blogging on right now. Yes, I still believe it’s the epitome of (most) evil. Never trust it. >_>

Yes, it’s really basic, and the camera shots are a bit off (I used a point-and-shoot without a tripod, what’d you expect?!), but I was told it’s good. What has this world come to? :S

Of course, with a little bit more work, you’d prolly end up producing something like this:

That’s the advert for the new Nokia N-Gage application btw, whatever that is.

Yay, so that’s the end of my post. This is the Great Baka, signing off. :D

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