Video Production: The Process

(Educational setting)

1. Brainstorm ideas and then discuss which ones have the most promise and are feasible (which ones are possible given deadlines and limitations).

2. Pre-production. Transfer your idea to a script, overhead diagram, storyboard, and examination of the elements of composition. Then, pitch your idea to your student- producer and executive producer (class instructor).

3. Production. You will most likely shoot out of sequence. Refer to your storyboard and diagrams and shot list. Timecode your footage. Use members of other groups to fill out your crew for lighting, sound, actors, props. Review your footage and re-shoot. Transfer your footage onto the computer.

4. Post Production. Edit footage. Add titles, special effects, sounds. Color correct and sweeten sound. Have student-producers evaluate. Have exec. producer evaluate.

5. Broadcast or distribute video.

Rule of Thirds Activity

Part 1. Tape string over your TV (do not tape directly on the screen)to create a rule of thirds grid. Watch your favorite show or movie and determine if the rules of thirds is followed.

Part 2. Overlay a piece of plastic with the gridline drawn out with marker onto a camcorder LCD screen.


Part 3. Use Rule of Thirds for setting up FG MG BG.

Evaluating Film and Video

When professionals evaluate a video piece they look at the following:

Pacing
Continuity
Lighting
Audio-miking
Audio-dialog
Audio-music and sound effects
Clarity (on a number of levels such as a clear voice, clear message, clear scene transitions)
Consistency
Story elements
Camera composition
Use of angles
Shot choice
Screen direction
Graphics
Special Effects

Create a shallow depth of focus with digital camera.

Try creating a shallow depth of field by doing the following:

Place your subject. Zoom all the way in. Then move your camera back until you get the desired result. Put the background far away from the subject so it will be out of focus.

Transitions

Best transition to use: dissolve

Before using transitions ask yourself what the reason for using it is. You really only need to use a dissolve or cut.

I've heard that the movie Citizen Kane is a good example in the creative but subtle use of transitions going from exterior to interior shots. Look at your favorite movies and concentrate on how one scene/shot moves into the next.

Sound Design

1. Look at the story and script and discuss with your group what kind of sounds are important to the story. What kind of mood, edge, ambient sounds will add to the story? Do you really want cheesy sound effects or more realistic ones?
2. Think of the many levels of sounds: music track, narration, voices, background sounds.
3. What about foley?
4. Create your Arc. This is basically a script for sound. It is a way for you to chart the sounds' progression. You graph where your loudest, quietest, simplest, busiest sounds will be. For example you might chart a soft intro for an opening scene and then build with the action.
5. Listening. Listen to your everyday environment. Hear the different sources and layers of sounds around you. Watch a movie for its sound elements. Notice progressions and interupptions.


Watch: Skywalker Sound Secrets

Some Fundamentals of Video Composition

Location: choose a location that will help not to distract from the video. Settling for the first or easiest available location often ends up hurting the production. Watch for sun direction and consider available lighting.

Shot Selection and Coverage: The type of shots determines how dynamic the scene will be. For example, think about the effect a close-up will have versus a wide shot. Think about how long each shot will be. Cool angles are good, but only when you have a purpose for using them in the story, not for just the sake of using a cool angle.

Know the Rules: The Rule of Thirds, 180 Degree Rule, 30 Degree Rule.

Resource: Videomaker Magazine.

Focus

Manual Focus: You want to use this when there are objects and subjects moving through the frame. Get to know your manual focus adjustment.

Look at: 5 Situations you should use manual focus.

Stay organized when editing

For FCP:

Create separate folders and bins:

New cuts
Old cuts
Source footage
Music
Narration
Titles and effects

Keep your timeline consistent: Ex. Keep narration on the same track, for example.

Duplicate your project (sequence) and drag to old cuts folder or bin.

Back-up your files to another drive.

J-Cuts L-Cuts

Online resource: Adobe Premier site on J cuts and L cuts (different application, same principle)

The L cut : The view cuts away to a new clip, but the audio continues from the first clip.

The J cut : The audience hears the audio from a clip before it appears.


These techniques smooth out edit points. This is a way that the editor hides or makes edits more invisible to the audience.

When else would an editor want to use these techniques?

Audio Tips

Voice audio isn't strong enough: double the audio track. Copy-paste the audio track on another layer.

Distortion with "s's" "p's" and "t's" : Turn your head slightly away from the microphone when you are saying words with these.

Audio sounds like it was recorded in a tin can: Use an external mic.

3-point lighting

Resource: http://www.diyphotography.net/3-point-lighting-technique

Key light: the most important light, provides the most light on subject, you place it at a 45 degree angle to the subject and aimed at the face.

Fill light: is a softer light than the key light, placed opposite side of the key light, same height as the camera, but at a 15 degree angle. This light make the other side of the face look different but not completely lost in the shadow.

Back light: lights the space behind and above the subject, sometimes called the hair light because it is aimed from behind the subject and illuminates the hair, it can also spill light onto the background.

-see the above website for how this is set-up-

You don't have to have a complete light kit to make this work. You can use natural light from a window, lamps, a white board.

(There are other lighting fundamentals such as a kicker light, but start with 3 point lighting first.)

Wiki key

Ask Mr. S for the Wiki Key.

Favorite Commercials

Video Creations students. What are some of your favorite commercials? Explain why they are your favorite.

Mine?

From a visual perspective, I liked the Apple computer commercials that showed dancing silhouettes with the iPod and cords standing out in white.

I also like the Superbowl commercial of the Toyota Sequoia where the driver and the rodent (was it a squirrel?) both are screaming.

Please add yours.