Tag: Video Production

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Letting Go of What We Know

There’s so much angst these days in the “photography” community and not just the photo community but everywhere.  People are almost paralyzed from fear – fear of the future.

I don’t think we ever get anywhere if we let “fear” take over our lives.  Certainly not if we live and work in a creative field.  The fear seems to creep up when what we are “used to” is no longer there.  Anyone who works for newspapers can relate to that statement.  But we can’t change “what is”. I don’t look “back” often but when I do – I do it to get perspective.  And when “fear” of the future manifests itself so strongly – to quote Jackson Browne “it seems it’s easier sometimes to change the past”.

We all know we can’t change the past – so why do we dwell on it?  Because it’s really scary to face a future where all the rules have changed.  Technology has forever changed the game.  We can moan that our clients don’t respect us and that they just want work that is “good enough” and worse yet – coming to terms with the fact that maybe, just maybe “good enough” is good enough for their needs. As we communicate visually over electronic platforms like the “web”, do we need an image file that is 8000 pixels in its longest dimension with 300 res – like we did for those glossy brochures?

On the other side of the table is that nagging notion that we all must learn to shoot “motion” and “video” and we’re intimidated by it because it’s not what we know.  I guess I’m an oddball because I’ve never really been too intimidated by what I don’t know – I’m actually drawn to it and excited by it.  Sometimes I rush to the unknown almost carelessly without even considering the consequences. And there’s always consequences – many times negative ones – or ones that may seem negative at the time.  But every now and then – if you just “let go” of holding on to what may not be working anymore in your life – you’ll find that you’ve opened yourself up to wonderful possibilities.  I keep my eye on those possibilities and it’s so much better than holding onto the past.

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Are You a DP or a Hybrid? – What’s the Difference?

I’m searching for “the word” the “title” of what I am these days.  I’m a photographer.  I also shoot video but I hate the word “videographer” because it sounds a bit cheap to me or at least dated. I generally think to myself that I’m a “visionographer” but I tend to “title” myself as a “media producer”. With all the talk recently about getting into video, I feel the need to make a distinction between being a shooter or a DP as opposed to a producer.

There is nothing new about still photographers moving forward in their careers and segwaying into commercial motion work.  Traditionally they take on the role of the DP (Director of Photography).  Many times they don’t man the camera but direct the shooter instead.  Generally speaking they work in large crews and with agencies.  The biggest distinction is that most times it’s a “work for hire” situation because the production company owns the finished product.

With the explosion of video and in particular web video, come new buyers for this medium.  Buyers from the corporate world as well as institutions and even ad agencies that may have been historically just “print”.  With the advancement of technology and being able to deliver a high end product because of it – leaner and meaner small production companies have come along.  When you have a shooter using the RED and able to deliver not only the motion part of the job but able to pull stills from the shoot, once again still photographers feel threatened.

When I got started in video, I made a conscious decision to take on the producer’s role.  I could choose to shoot or edit or I could delegate these roles to outside contractors.  I could also form partnerships that were fluid as the needs may be.  But more importantly, I maintained ownership of the final product – which was what I was used to coming from my still photographer background.

Still photographers are essentially producers anyway so it’s not such a mental leap.  So when your client comes to you and asks you if you shoot video (and you don’t) think before you answer that with a NO answer.  It may be better to form some partnerships with people who do and not only keep the money in house – but not send your client off to someone who does.

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Codecs and Confusion

It seems like every month manufacturers roll out new video cameras along with more new “proprietary” codecs.  With over 18 standard formats and hundreds of variations it has made “workflow” for digital video very complicated. We’ve got everything from DV, HDV, DVCPRO HD, XDCAM EX , Cinealta to The RED.  It makes multi camera shoots – a potential nightmare with different cameras shooting different codecs. And on top of that each camera offers a variety of frame sizes and rates to shoot in.  Ultimately, there are no guaranteed workflows anymore.

Here’s an interesting round table discussion of various experts in the field  – Ken Stone, Michael Horton, Philip Hodgetts and Andrew Balis – discussing codecs and standards.  http://tiny.cc/nRGOV

So how can we take some of the confusion out of all this and determine the proper camera and workflow for ourselves?  To answer this question it’s best to determine “where you want to go” and “then you’ll know where to start”.  What do you need to deliver?  Is it a video for the web,broadcast or the big screen?

Many times choice of camera and workflow is driven by budget.  A lower end camera producing a codec with less resolution will be “good enough” for a web video. Will the “good enough” attitude being driven by budgets lower our expectations for quality?  Some feel that it’s changing our aesthetic judgment. I don’t think the high end will go away.  In fact advances in technology has enabled more people to make a living doing what they love because there are more choices within their budget.

One thing’s for sure – technology is a double-edged sword and it will continue to change our lives.  I just wish that soon there would be a coordinated effort amongst the camera manufacturers to standardize for the sake of workflow.

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Field of Dreams (and Video)

I love baseball – not sure why.  Maybe it’s just the idea of baseball that I love.  It’s traditional, American and a nostalgic reminder of summers past – at least for me.  I’m also a Cubs fan and I know what it’s like to be the eternal underdog, yet forever hopeful.  And that’s me – forever hopeful and optimistic. cubs_fans

I watched the movie “Field of Dreams” recently and I realized that it’s not really about baseball at all.  But about a belief in your dreams and following through with what you believe in.  And to do that you must be hopeful.

What does that have to do with video?  Nothing really, but it’s why I started exploring this medium 10 years ago, when technology was transforming video because it was going from an analog to a digital world.  And because of that, it was dramatically changing not only that “industry” but our culture as well.  It became “possible” to further your dreams – because of technology.  Whether that be shooting a full length “film” from a creator’s stand point or presenting and distributing your “brand” in a new way via a new platform (the web) and one where you can interact with your “target audience”.

Ten years have gone by since I started shooting digital video.  It’s been a challenging, yet rewarding time in my life and my career.  I have a tremendous sense of hope and see opportunities in this medium because I think it’s just the beginning of how we’ll see, hear and experience  video in our lives.

The video world is full of crazy formats and codecs as well as other unknowns and it can be scary for a photographer to jump into an entirely different mind set – let alone skill set. But taking risks can yield great rewards.  You just never know unless you take the chance.

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Tips for Shooting Better Videos

1.    Figure out your “story” before you get into the editing room.
2.    If interviews are needed – make a list of good questions that will lead to insightful answers and concise sound bites.
3.    Always think about your “audio” – listen to your room sounds.
4.    Capture your audio with external mics – not the mic in the camera.
5.    Wear headphones – camera meters only indicate that you’re getting sound – but it may not be good sound.
6.    Shoot and move – getting wide, medium, tight and close-ups from various angles.
7.    Anticipate what’s coming next and be in the right spot to get the shot.
8.    When shooting, think about how you will “get into” and “out of” a shot in the finished piece.  Play it out in your head.
9.    Shoot action and reaction – both points of view.  Example:  Teacher and student’s reaction
10.    Don’t talk over your video – even if you think you might not want to use the audio – because you never know.
11.    Use a tripod for long lens shots.
12.    Get lots of close-ups especially if the finished piece if for the web.  You’ll be happy you did when you get in the editing room.
13.    Have a plan but be prepared to be spontaneous and let serendipity happen.

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Mistakes Still Photographers Make When Shooting Video

Short but to the point – common mistakes still photographers make when starting to shoot video:

1.  They break timecode (only applies when shooting to tape)

2.  Bad audio – audio is everything in video.

3.  They don’t turn the camera on soon enough.

4.  They turn the camera off too soon (thinking in the “decisive moment)

5.  Use auto – focus.

6. They don’t shoot sequences – beginning, middle and end

7. They don’t shoot in “storyboard mode” – “How will I get into and out of a shot and what’s next?”

8. They pan and tilt and zoom in and out – too much – the motion should come from the subject matter – not necessarily the camera.

9.  They don’t shoot enough B-roll with variations.

10.  I’m open to suggestions as to what #10 should be – feel free to chime in.

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“Virtual” Companies

I recently got a phone call from a photographer friend complaining that he just lost out on a job.  One of his clients came to him asking if he shot video and he answered no.  He went into a long fear based monologue about how this is happening to him more and more and that he was afraid that he would lose his clients to video shooters and worse yet, video shooters who would also start providing “his” clients with still images pulled from frame grabs from high end video cameras like the RED.

After he calmed down, I asked him “Why did you answer no when your client asked if you shot video?”  He explained that he was an honest guy and that he would be doing a disservice to his client by pretending to be something that he wasn’t or that he couldn’t deliver.  I told him quite simply that perhaps he could have provided that service to his client but that by sending his client away, he was not only doing himself a disservice but his client as well because “he” couldn’t fill their need.  Then I explained the notion of forming partnerships.

Video is made for collaboration and partnerships because there are so many facets to it – shooting – sound – post production etc.  So why can’t a still photographer create partnerships or virtual production companies and work with a team of colleagues to serve a client’s many needs?  It’s a win win – you keep your client in house and your client can work within a comfort zone that you’ve already established with them. You become the producer which for the most part, many still photographers are already.

Look around – virtual companies are being set up in all types of businesses – partnerships that are not confined to the traditional bricks and mortar setting – but rather created on a need basis.  I’ve recently worked with virtual PR firms and ad agencies where the art director may reside in Colorado, the client in NYC and the account exec in California.  Or they all might be in the same geographic location – but just not in the same confined “space”.

So before you say no – think about likely and unlikely partnerships you can form.  Anything is possible which in turn can become profitable.

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Pre-Production Blues

Pre-production on any video shoot is essential. That is if you want to save time and money, not to mention avoid having a major melt down in the editing room because you didn’t get the necessary goods.  Although I recognize the need for good solid pre-production and am usually more than “just” prepared for a video shoot – there’s a big part of me that despises this part of the process.

With tight budgets comes tight shoot schedules because time is money and you want to be sure that once you get to a location, everything is set to go.  People that need to be notified – have been notified.  Gear that needs to be rented has been and some kind of storyboard or shoot list has been signed off on.  Lots of details have to be taken care of and that’s what I’m good at – leaving no detail to chance.

But once I get to a shoot with the confidence that everything has been previously arranged – I like to allocate some time for serendipity to happen.  And that’s the part of the process I love – when little things happen that I didn’t expect.  But I need to go into a shoot allowing the time for this to happen – leaving  time for the unexpected as well as being mentally “open” to it.  In other words being prepared yet flexible at the same time.

I had a client once say to me “the more I see you worry about the details – the more I know that I don’t have to think about them”.  A compliment for sure but at the same time I realize that it’s all a balancing act.  Always a balancing act between being the prepared professional and the passionate storyteller who is willing to “depart” from the plan if necessary.  When I get that balance just right I feel it.  Words can’t describe it but I literally feel it.  And when a video really comes together in the end, that feeling resurfaces every time I view it.  And that’s the part I love the most.

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10 Great Links For Video Resources

If you’re like me, no matter how much you think you know – when it comes to video production and editing – there’s always something you don’t know.
I have been helped on numerous occasions with a little help from my friends and great resources.

Here’s my Top 10 List of Online Resources and Blogs for Video Info

http://forums.creativecow.net/ Info, forums and tutorials
http://www.dvinfo.net/ Tutorials and interactive forum.
http://www.2-popforums.com/forums/ Forums for video discussions.
http://discussions.apple.com/index.jspa Apple’s discussion forums
http://tiny.cc/BbKwL Ken Stone – Final Cut Pro guru
http://digitaljournalist.org/ Monthly online magazine
http://tiny.cc/qcrWh Digital Juice -Tutorials and forums.
http://tiny.cc/vfKr0 Chuck Fadely’s Blog – great info on video
http://www.photoshopforvideo.com/ Photoshop Tips
http://www.lynda.com Training for just about anything!

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Marketing Yourself with Video

Video can be a great way to market yourself and your business online. It has become easier and easier to upload or embed video to your website http://tiny.cc/Ymuj8 and your blog. In additon, video host sites like You Tube or Vimeo allow you to upload and share your videos and let you create your own TV channel. http://www.vimeo.com/kellymooney/videos You get the value of people sharing your video virally and referring others to it. You can also create a link back to your website or blog.

With that said, you want your video to call attention to your business and be consistent with your brand. It needs to be entertaining or informative and relevant to your target audience for it to be noticed and shared. The quality has to be decent enough to get your point across and if your business is a creative one like photography or video production, good quality is a must.

Your video can be about yourself, how you work and can show you in action. Photographer Chase Jarvis has a nice promotional video on his site. http://tiny.cc/NacGq And depending on your target audience – it can be instructional. The video should be short – less than 5 minutes and engaging. You want to make people remember you and come back to your website or blog.

With all the new tools like the latest iphone and the Flip, creating videos for blogs and emails has never been easier.