How to Outsource Video Production By Lorraine Grula Platinum Quality Author

Internet business owners are bombarded with advice to use video to promote their websites. Great advice. Video works.

How well does video work? Some split-testing research from Russell Brunson's website, Dot Com Secrets, shows an incredible 98.9% chance that video will outperform any other method, text, images, or audio.

With statistics like that, it's impossible for a website owner to ignore video.

Problem is, adding videos of any sophistication beyond a head shot is often more than a small business can handle. Learning video production can take a while and with everything else you need to concentrate on, outsourcing video production might be a good idea.

So here is some outsourcing advice.

First, consider yourself the Executive Producer on the project as you will direct each of the other crew members, any where from one to ten people depending on your project.

Think about the overall style of the video you want and ask yourself these questions.

• Who is the audience for your video?
• What do you want them to learn?
• What do you want them to feel?
• What do they already know?

The more you can answer these questions upfront, the easier it will be to create a good video.

Next, determine your budget. Budget determines everything else.

Video production is one of those things that's probably best done locally. There are lots of video production services over the internet but you will have better control with local people. Certainly if you want to be in your video it's best to have a crew come to you.

For lower budget services, call local television stations in your area and ask to speak with both the manager of the production department and the news photography department. Lots of TV station employees freelance on the side using company equipment. This way, you can get reasonably competent people and professional equipment.

Even if there are no weekend freelancers, TV stations often have remarkably low rates. They will do stuff for free if you buy enough advertising time. If you're not buying advertising, the rates are still low, especially PBS stations.

While you're calling around, ask if there are any active local chapters of organized video professionals. These groups exist so people can network and are often the best source to find quality professionals.

Local high schools and universities often have students (or teachers) for hire who will work for less.

Small government TV channels are another great source to find competent people who won't charge too much.

Local wedding photography companies also charge fairly low rates. Production houses who specialize in commercial will charge the highest rates.

Once you hire someone, talk to them about the three phases of production:

• Pre-production: What video will you shoot? Where will you shoot it? Write a script but realize it is best at this point to be flexible with your script. Plan everything out as much as possible.
• Production: This is where the cameras roll. Production is the most expensive phase by far so you want good pre-production planning in order to keep things as efficient as possible. Keep locations to a minimum to save time and money.
• Post-production: Another word for editing. All the elements of the video are brought together and presented to the audience in a concise, entertaining way. Ideally, editing is planed out.

Quality video professionals will walk you through the entire process and make your life easier. Producing quality video is not as easy as it looks. It makes a lot of sense to outsource so you can get on with the business of running your business.

Lorraine Grula has been a well-respected award winning video professional for over twenty-five years. (Yeah, that makes her kind of old.) Lorraine has done virtually every kind of video production imaginable and now shares her expertise on the web. Her blog, http://www.VideoProductionTips.com is full of free information and video tutorials.

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How Long Should My Video Production Be

Now, having said that, I'll also tell you that shorter is almost always better.

Video time and "real time" are entirely two different things. Ten minutes on video is an eternity, no matter the subject. Ten minutes in real life usually flashes by like a nano-second.

A good video is CONCISE, no doubt about it. You might THINK you have thirty minutes worth of information but chances are you really only have five minutes worth. In my experience, virtually everyone assumes their information is so compelling that the audience wants to hear every little detail. Highly unlikely.

About 99% of all the clients I worked with as a freelance video producer started out requesting a thirty minute video. That time frame is common for TV shows so they assumed that was a good length. We would usually end up with something six or seven minutes long and that was plenty. Thirty minutes would have been a total snoozer.

Video viewers have incredibly short attention spans. That means you should only put TRULY COMPELLING information in your video. Stay laser focused. Do not wander off on tangents.

If anything, leave the audience wanting more.

Fancy video production techniques can help your video avoid being labeled as boring. Music, great videography, fast-paced editing, all of these things can help your video production be watchable.

If I had to give a STANDARD LENGTH for your AVERAGE VIDEO PRODUCTION, I would say two or three minutes. That's all. That might seem short, but go to You Tube and check out lengths. Do you enjoy watching a ten minute video about knitting? Probably not, unless you are an avid knitter. But I bet you would enjoy a one-minute video on knitting, especially if it had awesome music and interesting shots editing together in a whiz-bang fashion.

So keep it short, that's the best generalized advice.

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Video Production Equipment: The Director's Cut

The Video Craze – Affordable Video Production Equipment

New technologies in video production equipment combined with the emergence of video—particularly digital video—as an acceptable medium for film has made it possible for almost anyone to become a film director virtually overnight. While the cost of film and film equipment is financially prohibitive, video production equipment is relatively inexpensive and can be mastered quite quickly. While there is a great deal more to the art of film that just having the right equipment, the accessibility of video production equipment has encouraged many amateur filmmakers to give it their best shot. Understanding the basics of video production equipment is the first step to becoming the next Steven Spielberg.

Filming Video Production Equipment

As you prepare to make a video film, it’s a good idea to take stock of your video production equipment required for filming to make sure you have everything that you need. Some common video production equipment products needed for creating a professional looking film include:

* Professional video cameras – From ENG cameras that are slightly larger than your average camcorder to Studio cameras that are connected via cable to dock recorders that do that actual taping, there are many levels of professional grade digital video cameras.

* Stabilization Equipment – Including simple tripods, shoulder mounts, camera dollies and high tech camera cranes, stabilization equipment ensures that the video production is smooth and not shaky. Additionally, stabilization video production equipment can help determine the type of camera shot that is available for a production.

* Film Quality Lighting – Beyond just lights, film quality lighting banks include grip lighting, reflectors, crate grids for lighting effects and scrims to control different aspects of light diffusion.

* Microphone/Audio System – While many video cameras contain a microphone to capture sounds, creating a professional quality video requires separate audio equipment including shotgun mics, audio mixers and pole audio devices.

Editing Video Production Equipment

Once you have your film on video, additional video production equipment is required for editing and finalizing a video into a complete entity. Using professional quality editing equipment can give your video the polished quality that separates it from home video or amateur productions. Typical video editing tools include:

* Video Editing Software – Unlike film, which much be edited manually, video can be edited right on your computer. Using professional video editing software, you can add transitions, trim scenes and put the whole project together seamlessly. Selecting the right video production equipment for editing is critical to the final quality of your video.

* Sound Mixing Equipment – A professional video will use sound mixing equipment to balance volume levels, add ambient noise and include a soundtrack to the video. Additionally, sound mixing can transform the standard video mono-audio into a heightened stereo experience.

* Video Duplication Equipment – Once you film is complete, video duplication equipment will be required for copying and distributing your film. Professional video production equipment will enable copies that maintain the sound and video quality of your master video.

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Video Production Explained

Video is a powerful marketing medium with the ability to communicate concise, precise and controlled information with a positive effect. A well-constructed video fires the imagination, increases the energy level and ensure that all feel part of your event. It will engage the emotions, focus the attention and enable each individual to visualise his/her role as part of the team.

Videos strength lies in its simple ability to transport people to locations, illustrate concepts and convey far more than mere words, spoken or printed, ever can. Video is an effective and memorable way of communicating. Core messages and themes are reinforced using other forms of communication. Video footage has a long shelf life when used imaginatively in multimedia CD-ROMs, Websites, DVD and CD-Brochure formats.

Video has been revolutionised by the onset of digital shooting and editing. Shooting in broadcast quality used to involve cumbersome and expensive camera equipment, combined with analogue editing which required the copying of sections and consequent loss of quality with each successive generation. The process was time consuming, complicated and linear. Modern digital cameras are capable of shooting in broadcast quality. Editing is now carried out in a non-linear way on desktop computers; changes may be made at will, stored and reviewed at any time and in any order. The advantages are similar to those gained by using a computer word processor over that of a mechanical typewriter and carbon copy paper for duplicates. Not only is digital editing highly flexible, but the medium enables an ever-expanding range of graphical effects to be applied – without loss of quality or corruption of the original footage. In consequence, the costs associated with making and producing a video have dropped dramatically. What was once the preserve of the large, rich and expansive corporation is now available and affordable to a much wider market – with the consequent advantages that this provides to internal company communications and team building along with external advantages in the selling of products or services to your market place.

The stages required to produce a video vary depending on the style and content; generally:
PRE-PRODUCTION involves briefing, research, location finding, administration, booking of facilities and writing a treatment outline (video content, description and approach to be adopted). After approval a shooting script including both narration and camera shots will be written.

SHOOTING follows the approved script and involves a camera crew and a director going to location/s to interview participants and shoot footage to illustrate, illuminate and reinforce the script. If required studio shoots are undertaken where controlled lighting and effects are employed - a product demonstration, for example is typically shot in this way.

POST-PRODUCTION includes recording of guide narration (using an edited script, which may change from the shooting script because of interviewee’s comments etc.). Footage is edited to the guide narration, graphic and video effects generated and music and titles added. The resulting edit master is then client approved and amended as necessary. A final “voice over” is then effected incorporating final changes. The final master tape is complete and ready for duplication.

DUPLICATION is the transfer of masters onto the final format – which can be all or any of VHS, Betacam, Laserdisk, Digibeta, DVD, Mpeg, Avi and more. The final product is then packaged and presented in an appropriate way with print material for labels, inserts and sleeves.

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Music Video Production Companies

Music video production companies are production companies that produce music videos. A music video is a video clip or a short film that gives a visual presentation of a song. Though music videos made specifically for television first appeared in the 1950s, the strong association between music and the video presentation of it started in the 1980s, with the launch of cable channels like MTV.

Apart from producing the video for music, music video production companies specialize in the writing of treatments for music videos, coverage of live shows, video editing, and developing video for the Internet. Music video production is a labor-intensive industry. As for any project, production of music videos begins with proper planning and design. Since there are many types of music videos, a decision has to be made regarding the type that suits the particular project. Based on the type of music video being developed, music video production companies decide on the film and video equipment that are needed for shooting the video.

The music video production association (MVPA) is the umbrella organization that brings together companies that are in the business of music video production. Together with providing a platform to share ideas and to educate its members on the latest happenings in the music video industry, MVPA tries to ensure that the member companies adhere to the highest professional production standards. The MVPA also facilitates discussion of matters of mutual concern among production companies, crews, suppliers, record companies, and any other party related to the music video industry. The MVPA Annual Awards are presented as a form of recognition to the technical and creative artists in the music video production industry.

Since 2000, the music video industry has been experiencing sinking levels of activity. With record labels experiencing declining profits, their investments into making music videos have also taken a hit. While a $500,000 music video for a band of average recognition was the norm earlier, currently such videos are budgeted at $200,000. This has adversely affected the music video production industry and the companies operating in this industry. Free online swapping of music and lax enforcement of intellectual property rights in developing countries have lately dulled the revenues for this industry.

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Film and video production is the process of creating a motion picture film. This process consists of the activities from the initial development to the final distribution stage. While the process differs from one production company to another, there are certain stages through which film and video production goes.

Typically, there are the pre-production, production, and the post-production stages. Though the production stage is the occasion when the actual filming takes place, the other stages, particularly the pre-production stage, significantly influence the entire process of film and video production.

The pre-production stage is concerned with the development and revising of the script. Budgeting and financing decisions are made at this stage. More time spent on planning and designing the process helps with keeping costs low during the entire course of the process. Scheduling, casting, and set construction are completed during this stage.

The production stage is when the equipment needed for filming is set up and appropriate lighting and audio devices are put in place. This is the phase of principal photography, when the actual filming takes place with the director of the film overseeing the operations. This is arguably the most critical and expensive phase of the production stage. Generally, the start of the phase of principal photography signals that the production of the film would, in all probability, be completed.

During the post-production stage, those sequences or scenes that were missed during the phase of principal photography are shot. Film editing and the addition of visual effects are done during this stage. Also, sound editing, musical scoring, and enhancing with sound effects are completed during this stage. The culmination of the entire film and video production process is when the film is distributed for marketing.

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Video and Light

The biggest difference between amateur and professional video is often the lighting. Today's digital cameras do a great job in low light, and that gives you lots of room to play. But for truly professional results, you need to light your scene but it does not have to be hard.

Using natural light from incoming windows is a great strategy for home movies, quick-down-and-dirty shoots and large locations that are impossible to light without a crew of twelve. Using natural light can save you time, money, and hassle.
But often, your video will look best if you use supplemental lights.

Technically, a picture is nothing BUT light. This is true for video pictures too. The quality of light is the single biggest determinant of the quality of your video. Ideally, you should not only have adequate light, you should also have mood-appropriate lighting. Amazing affects can be achieved if you know how.

Light fixtures used for professional video production can either be portable or stationary. If you have a studio, you will probably have a grid on the ceiling to hang lights and would buy stationary light fixtures. Short of that, you can use portables on collapsible stands in a studio or out in the field.

An ideal portable light kit for a small professional video crew would contain at least four lights, each with its own stand and accessories. Out of the four lights, ideally you would have: One 1,000 watt with a soft box. One 750 with a soft box. One 500 watt with soft box One 250 watt with barn doors

Each light should also come with: A dimmer capable of handling that wattage A barn door Gel frames A full color spectrum pack of color gels Variety of diffusion gels and cloths Clips Sand bag weights to hold down your stands if out side Miles of tape

OK, now pack all that up in a metal case and lug it around.
Convincing beginners to use lights is not easy because it can be a lot of backbreaking manual labor. But please believe me, A FEW LIGHTS CAN MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD. If you don't have to march to Timbuktu dragging it all with you, it is definitely worth the effort to achieve professional results.

Here is what all those accessories listed above do:
Barn doors: Barn doors usually automatically come with a professional light fixture the same way a car comes with a steering wheel.

Barn doors are a metal accessory you attach to the front of your light. Each of the four black, adjustable doors can be folded over the light to block the light path. Barn doors are used to direct the light to where you want it to go. Barn doors are an essential tool.

Soft boxes: Soft boxes are the most glorious thing in the photographer's lighting kit if you are going to shoot lots of faces. A soft box gives you soft, diffused light directed right where you need it. A soft box is made of special cloth that both directs and diffuses the light. The sides of the box are heavy black cloth on the outside, and reflective white (or silver) on inside. This directs all the light to the front of the soft box where it passes through the thick white diffusion cloth. Soft boxes provide absolutely exquisite diffused light. However, you loose a lot of intensity in the diffusion process so a 1,000 watt lamp with a soft box is perfect for your key light.

Photographic umbrellas are another way to provide diffusion for your hot, tungsten light fixtures. Umbrellas are great if you need to provide overall, bright, diffused illumination. The hot, direct light is pointed back toward the reflective surface of the umbrella, not at the subject. The light bounces off the umbrella and gives a diffused bath of light.

The diffusion umbrellas provide is not as nice for faces as that of soft boxes. Also, soft boxes have the advantage of directing the light whereas umbrellas just bounce it everywhere. However, umbrellas can be just what you need.

Color gels: Color gels come in every hue imaginable and are a cheap, easy way for your video production lighting to take a giant leap into the professional. Color gels are flame retardant plastic sheets you place in front of your light. Lights will usually come with a collapsible metal gel holder. When lighting interviews, pale orange gels are often used on faces to give a "warm glow." Color gels are good for lighting the background and providing mood. The Halloween video is much scarier if you soak some of your lights in deep red color gels! The flowers look greener if you shine a strong, green, directional light on the leaves among all the diffused white light. Color gels are fun to play with.

Dimmers: A small dimmer capable of handling the high wattage of for each light can help you avoid hot spots in your shot. Really large crews carry an entire lighting board with multiple inputs to have individual dimming control over each light. But short of that, a few dimmers will serve you well.

Snoot: Great name for a great doo-dad. A snoot is a metal lighting accessory that directs the light to a pinprick. Snoots are PERFECT for halo backlighting. They keep the light on the hair with no unsightly spill onto the face.

Clips: Portable light kits are a wonderful exercise in setting things up and then tearing them down. To shoot a video, you often have to take over a location and pin things up here, there, and everywhere. I always found it handy to throw some cheapie wooden clothes pins in my light kit.
Adapters/Extension cords: The more portable you are, the more you have to think of all contingencies. Pack lots of doo-dads and gizmos. Two prong/three prong adapters. Miles of cables and cords. Tape. Retractable knife. Ties. Aspirin.

Natural and artificial light can be enhanced using reflectors. Anything that reflects light will work. A simple sheet of white poster board can be placed opposite of your light source to reflect back onto your subject's face and soften distracting shadows. In fact, often a fill light is nothing more than a reflector.

Even lights you buy at home improvement stores like Lowes and Home Depot can be used effectively. Point them toward the ceiling, this bounces the light, softening it, which produces a more flattering effect on the face. Plus it eliminates eye squints and grumpy on-camera people! Pointing your lights and bouncing them off the wall is the low budget method of achieving what umbrellas and soft boxes can do for you.

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Basic Video Production

Every time there is an occasion or party happening in our homes or offices, there will be that one person in charge of taking pictures and videos. This is because we enjoy looking back at the pictures and reliving those moments of joy that happened in our lives. Photography is the art of taking still pictures and freezing the moment whereas videography or video production is all about shooting a series of events as they happen, in continuum taking the help of a team of people. There are some who take up video production as a hobby and others who make a living of it. They basically cater to the needs of their customer and provide them with a final output that satisfies their needs.

The videos made could be of a family event or a corporate presentation. Sometimes it could be a sort of a documentary about safety precautions that can be shown to children on what to do in case of emergencies. Anything that will show the process or show in progress as it is is a video. Video Production Company is one who handles large scale video projects for various clients. They will have a discussion with their client to understand their requirement, then create a script, put together a production team and get the video rolled out. Each person in the team will have an assigned role and a part to play in making sure the output is perfect. Some of the other people who will be involved in this would be the cameraman, music composer or creator, and make up artists.

The video production team will create the video which will then get edited, and music will be added to the same to give it a feel or add to the message being shown. Off late plenty of corporates have begun using video production companies to create motion pictures and videos for training and teaching purposes in their campus. And incase the client is not happy, and then the video company will rework on the pitch. If it is wedding videos, then the team will be present at the venue through the event shooting videos which will be compiled and handed over in a couple of days. Video production is fast catching up and pretty soon there will be internet streaming videos available for users across the world.

Guerrilla video production Download Information
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Video production is the process of producing a video that usually has both audio and visual representations. While some videos are home videos produced for fun, most are videos that are produced for commercial purposes, like movies, advertisement videos, and music videos. Video production is also done for corporate purposes.

There are many things to consider in the production of a video. During the pre-production stage, the budget for the production of the video has to be determined, since the time spent on production can prove costly. Greater time spent on planning and organizing the project would help in keeping the costs low in the long run. One estimate of average production costs put a range of $1,500 to $5,000 per finished minute. The production cost depends on the location, time taken for completion, the equipment used, and the involvement of the production team in the making of the video. Plus, there are always the unanticipated expenses.

The production process starts with setting up the equipment needed for the shoot. Some of the necessary equipment includes a camera, tripod, teleprompter, monitors, power supplies, jib, dolly, and other essential accessories. The next stage consists of setting up the lighting. This is an important stage since lighting should reflect the mood intended for the scene. At this stage, the director gets involved to ensure that everything is in place to conduct a smooth filming. The audio stage is when the various pieces of audio equipment needed to capture and record audio are put in place. The final stage is when the actual filming and taping of the video takes place. This is the stage when all the visual and audio components are put together.

Even though video production is the actual stage of producing a video, the two other stages of pre-production and post-production are equally important. The pre-production stage involves conceptualizing, scripting, and scheduling. The post-production stage involves the off-line activities of editing and duplication.

Video Production provides detailed information on Video Production, Music Video Production Companies, Video Production Companies, Film and Video Production and more. Video Production is affiliated with Funny Video Clips.
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It is always a good idea to make videos of special occasions as a way of watching them and reminiscing the good times. The videos also leave an impact and help us remember better than the photographs. The same rules apply when promoting a product or a service, or for that matter a company. The most effective way of promoting a company or a service is through the assistance of the media, and more than the audio the video format has more reach. This is probably why many corporations these days are creating videos with the help of media companies to promote their company. Videos are created keeping these things in mind, and the time frame matter a lot when trying to sell the company.

Corporate videos are all about giving the outside world a sneak peek into the company’s operations, what they believe in and what their specialty or focus. If they are able to convey this message to the viewers in an interesting way, they can be sure that new business will come from doing so. The aim of the video is to promote the positive points of the organization while trying to add a bit of life and excitement to the campaign. During the initial stages right after the company has been launched, they normally have a press release when they officially tell the world they have arrived. The videos can be used at this juncture or during meetings with prospective clients to show them what is in store for them if they sign a business deal with the company.

For a corporate video to be effective and have maximum reach, it is best to seek out a Public Relations Company or an Ad Agency. They will bring in their creative expertise, gather information from the company and create a video that will grab the attention of the viewer and help them take back a few words or images that caught their eye. This would be the first step to launching one's services and products. Video promotion is used largely by Non profit organizations to spread word about their organization and the purpose behind their existence to invite sponsors and others to support their services.
Video production in London

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Secrets to succesfull video

Corporate video is a collective term that comprises all the differing video productions utilized in most medium-size to large-size organizations and corporations. Video productions should share common goals: to effectively deliver information, influence decisions by individuals or groups, meet the production schedule and stay within the budget. Speaking of decisions, this process is decision intensive.

Before the secrets of success are revealed, a few basic premises. Identify and plan for multiple target audiences. When program elements are utilized in additional programs or applications, the production effort is far more valuable to the company. Even before the scripting process begins, you should consider how to generate the material to be used by others in the company for other purposes. For example, programs developed by the sales and training departments could very well work for human resources as well.

A video production can only communicate a few messages. It should not be intended to present a multitude of ideas and concepts. Focus on three key points. Develop a clear set of objectives and how the program will address and achieve those objectives. You may find that the program can only effectively deliver a single primary message. Keep the program succinct and only long enough to deliver the message. A shorter program will be more widely accepted and will surely cost less. There is an old adage that applies here which is to tell them what you are going to tell them, tell them and then tell them what you told them. The ability to measure the results of your efforts against the objectives is vital. Objectives should be realistic and achievable. An objective should not be stated as: to improve overall morale of hourly workers. But rather: increase attendance and voting in employee meetings by 10 per cent. Use benchmark surveys, evaluation forms, small group discussions, web site or email polling questions of usefulness, a game or quiz with reward on employee intranet, even a cell phone text message. In your survey ask about program length, relevance and worth.

One of the best decisions you should make is to carefully choose a turnkey video production company early in the process. A full service firm should be able to prove they can deliver top performance in all of the three phases of the production process: pre-production (scripting), production (shooting) and post-production (editing). Ask three firms for proposals and provide the same information to all three. Visit them. Watch their demos and listen to their explanations of how the productions were created. Good creative people are crucial. They should be happy and enthusiastic. Ask for case studies of successes, awards, and references. Make sure you understand the production process of each company, the approval points offered along with way and how their process will mesh with your requirements. Also ask where you can save money. Make your decision on all of these factors but not solely on price. Employing separate firms for the production phases requires a knowledgeable, experienced producer to maintain control and continuity.

Here are the six secrets:

1. Capture and maintain the attention of the audience. Audiences readily compare corporate video productions to network television. Grab their interest quickly and hold it in order to deliver your message. This is achieved through creative and entertaining scripting, high quality production techniques that compare to the professional look of broadcast television and the best voice or on-camera talent you can afford.

2. Use real people to tell the story. This is important because people like to see and hear real people, not actors.

3. Get an approved script before you shoot anything. You will save yourself time, money and hair.

4. Do the paper edit (offline edit) yourself. Ask for a time code window dub of the raw footage so you can pick the shots and the sound bites. A window dub provides a small window on the screen that displays a time code of each frame imbedded while recording. This provides precise edit points.

5. Plan for future revisions. Do not paint yourself in a corner. Plan so any element can be revised without having to recreate animations and re-edit difficult segments. Avoid information that may change after a year.

6. In order to get through the initial approval stage; edit only the first minute with all on-camera segments, special effects, music and voice tracks. Keep the approval team small and on schedule. Bonus secret: negotiate up front for a digital copy of the raw footage for your own library. If the raw footage is high definition, ask for a standard definition copy as well.

Ask your production company for an explanation of the various distribution channels available. Currently everything is headed for the web. Most offices and boardrooms have DVD players and certainly VHS players. Most computers are shipped with DVD players and CD-ROM. The company intranet can be your primary delivery system. Corporate television channels can be established and combined with digital signage in primary and remote locations. Mobile video, social networking platforms both internal and external, viral media, podcasts, the exploding blogosphere are all worth learning about and exploring.

Seemingly, video is everywhere: in stores, on gas pumps, on grocery carts, the backs of airplane seats, in the mini-van and even mounted on the fronts of Segways. Remember video never has a bad day. It is the same consistent message every time.

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Corperate video

When it comes to corporate video productions, getting the best is what makes the difference between mediocrity and excellence in the finished product delivery and reaching the right target audience in the right tone of messaging.

For your company’s corporate video productions need, choose an agency that promises and delivers what it claims to do and always double-check their reliability. For, a quality product delivered late is not beneficial to anyone and where corporate video productions are counted upon as reflecting the ethos and foundation of a company, any slackness will be equated with lack of professionalism. Thus, take an in-depth look at the entire set-up of the video production agency that offers to do your corporate video productions and check samples, customer feedback reports and any awards/accreditations that hold up the reputation it claims to have.

Corporate video productions are usually aimed at sending across company messages within the framework of its employees, but can be intended for purposes beyond simple information of policy matters and range from training videos to infomercials or motivational messages. Thus, getting the right agency for corporate video productions is a matter of not only getting an experienced hand at creative visual presentation accompanied by audio back-up and well-recognized, easy to relate to concepts. Corporate video productions and related services are specialized professional needs that need to be attended to with right research and marketability of the product/event/ message to have the right impact.

A company that can show you results and a proven track record of TV station-quality studio equipment and services to match the company message in the right tone and quality is the one to entrust your corporate video productions needs to as it can set a quality benchmark for the whole industry. Then be it high-profile clients or an entrepreneur seeking to increase industry presence, all clients should be given equal high and consistent level of services in this most powerful medium of video in today's world to inform, educate, train, persuade, entertain and captivate audiences effectively. Corporate video productions developed creatively and presented attractively are sure to appeal to a wide spectrum of companies young and old, big and small, traditional and entrepreneurial in a valuable and meaningful manner.

An advertisement agency that develops corporate video productions across industry verticals and gives you a balanced and varied choice of different video and computer equipment sales and support along with web design and hosting, is one of the most important ingredients when selecting the corporate video productions company of your choice. This includes also checking for deliverability of the corporate video productions company deal for specialty services extendable to other sectors such as an effective and efficient sales, training and corporate DVD and Videos, TV commercials, DVD and Video duplication and film to DVD and Video conversion.

An established agency dealing with fine tuning and not simply developing and marketing the corporate video productions for you will give adequate leverage to the high standards permeation to its full range of services; therefore, choose one committed to excellence.

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How Best To Go About Choosing Your Digital Video Camera Zoom Lens

Okay, so you finally decided to get that digital video camera you’ve been saving for. You have enough money to buy a kick-butt video camera. But have you considered the most vital part for the camera? The part that comes into play with every video shot. The digital video camera zoom lens. Without a proper digital video camera zoom lens, your prized video camera isn’t all it could be. You would be much better off if you spent equal amounts on the camera and the digital video camera zoom lens. The lens is that important. Your choice of lenses can distinguish between a good camera and an outstanding camera.

Spend More On The Lens

The digital video camera zoom lens determines how well your videos turn out. It, more than anything else on or in the camera affects the end products. Think about it, every shot you take goes through that lens. Really the camera is just a case for the mechanisms inside. You could make a case for reversing the spending, more on the lens and less on the actual camera. Most digital video cameras don’t come with the ability to change lenses. This fact makes it more important to purchase the best digital video camera zoom lens possible. Another piece of advice regarding the lens is too not purchase the plastic lenses. The clarity is much better from glass digital video camera zoom lens.

If you do plan on purchasing a video camera where you can change the digital video camera zoom lens then compare the options of each lens to find the one that you want. Experts recommend that you purchase brand names such as Canon, Pentax or Nikon. Be sure to check if the lens will work for your camera. Digital video camera zoom lenses are not created equal and a lens from Nikon may or may not work with a digital video camera made by Canon.

If you are a professional photographer, then you should check out Leica, Carl Zeiss and Leupold. These are specialty lens manufacturers. The quality of the videos will show if you use one of their digital video camera zoom lens. If you are just a beginner then these lenses may not be the best place to start, because of the cost. But if you want extraordinary quality, these digital video camera zoom lenses are the way to go.

Options for digital video camera zoom lenses include normal, wide angle and telephoto. The focal length of the lens has a lot to do with the type of digital video camera zoom lens choice. The quality of the lens is also determined by lens speed, a significant factor in your shoot quality. You should think about focusing distance as well as advanced features such as vibration reduction, USM or ultrasonic motor and filter thread which should be present in any good digital video camera zoom lens.

Before you make that digital video camera zoom lens purchase you should research each feature that you want and choose the lens that fulfills those wishes the best. As a rule of thumb, the more expensive lenses are usually the better choice since more of the elements in the lens with be glass, although this does increase the camera weight. In the end if you do the research and take into consideration your shooting needs and budget, you will make the right choice

Ready, shoot, action Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ken_Glauser

Make Your Video Look Like Film

Everybody loves the look and aesthetics of film. Video is great for capturing the reality of the moment but what if we want to create a cinematic look. Over the years I explored different ways to make my videos look more like film - without a big budget. Alot of the wedding videographers in LA offer their clients the cinematic look. How do they do it? Here are some ideas to get your next project looking more like film.

THE CAMERA

Not all video camera are the same. HDV (High-Definition Video) is one of the best choices for creating video that looks like film on a budget. With a native 16×9 aspect ratio and 1920×1080P resolution, you will be able to frame your shots in a cinematic manner and with enchanced clarity. Not be to left out, it's very important that your camera shoots 24 progressive frames per second. Otherwise known as 14P. Why? Because motion picture records at 1/48 of a second, otherwise known as 24 frames per second. a 24P ready camera like the Sony Z1U will give your video the feel and motion of film. Perfect for shooting cinematic weddings or documentaries.

DEPTH OF FIELD

One issue that plagues video is the greater-depth-of-field that keeps the foreground and background in focus. Clearly, this creates a very flat looking image unlike the prime lenses used in motion picture. The advantage of a shallow depth-of-field is you can seperate the foreground from the background and divert attention to what is most important in your composition. You can change the depth-of-field by changing the F-stop. The wider the appature, the shallower the depth-of-field. To compensate for opening up the iris, you will have to use a neutral density filter (ND) to cut down the increased amount of light now entering the camera.

LIGHTING

How you light your production and how you set your exposure is an important consideration. Its important to note that a video camera's CCD responds differently to light than film. The photochemistry of film has a higher dynamic range, typically about 12 to 14 f-stops compared to 6-8 stops for video. It's quite a difference. The limited dynamic range of video means you must be careful to not blow out your highlights otherwise you'll end up with a washed out images. As a rule of thumb, it is better to slightly underexpose your video than overexpose. The reason is that video is better able to preserve information in the blacks or dark areas as compared to the highlights. This is corrected in post by pushing the black levels up a stop or two.

So how do you go about seting the right exposure? Modern video cameras feature a zebra setting in the viewfinder at 70 - 100 IRE. What this means is you will see zebra lines over the part of the image that is either 70 or 100 % of the maximum brightness level allowed by video. In normal conditions you want skin tones to lay at about 70 IRE and your maximum white levels to peak at 100 IRE. If your shooting under bright conditions outdoors you wan always use a ND filter to bring it down a stop or two. This will let you preserve your F-stop and deth of field while trimming down the exposure. When assessing your image and exposure, you don't want large areas of pure black with no detail. Use fill light or a reflector to bring up some detail in the shadow areas. White poster board is often good enough if you can't afford a professional reflector. Things to consider are the intensity, direction, and hardness of the light. For interviews, I like to keep my lighting soft and diffused because it has a more soothing look on the skin and bring out detail and texture in the face.

Other Tips ...

Match Your Camera Settings -

Make sure your white balance settings are identical to prevent color mismatch. Keep your exposures manual for maximum control. Automatic exposure is not as accurate as you would think - often times the camera will overexpose the whites. A very ugly quality of video to avoid. I like to keep my focus manual too. If you have shallow depth of field you may find the cameras focus drifting if left automatic.

Shoot extra footage -

All too often videographers load their video project on to the computer only to find out that they don't have enough footage or they only took one take of what could be a great shot. I always shoot as much as possible, knowing that its much easier to cut out footage then it is to replace it.

Keep Your Movements Smooth -

Fast zooms and abrupt pans will give your audience motion sickness. Keep your movements deliberate and smooth

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_Pommett

5 Tips to Improve the Quality of Your Audio Products

It seems like every online marketer has suddenly recognized the power of audio. In fact marketer competition in audio product creation is really starting to heat up. If you are among those who are entering the arena, then you must do everything possible to create quality audio products that stand apart from the competition. The five tips that follow should really help move you forward in your audio product creation efforts.

Tip #1: Establish a recording studio. Your read it right; set up your own recording studio. It doesn't make sense for most online marketers to spend the money required to rent a professional studio. Likewise the professionalism of your product diminishes if there are all kinds of background noise when you record at home. That's where your own studio comes into play. You don't need to spend thousands of dollars developing a professional studio. Your home studio will be just fine if you simply soundproof a room in your house. Then add good-quality recording tools and equipment. Be sure your equipment includes a microphone, computer with sound card, a mixing board, and editing software to get started. As your product sales warrant, you can add more, but let sales pay for the additions.

Tip #2: Study and learn from the audio product creation experts. Learn who has already established themselves in this field. Listen to the products they have created. Learn from their tips and ideas. Use those tips and ideas to produce better, more appealing products for your customers. Remember that your goal isn't to become exactly like the experts you study. It is to learn that put your own spin on the ideas and tips they provide.

Tip #3: Work on your presentation skills. It is important that you practice. Become at ease with what you say and how you say it. You do not want recordings to sound scripted, and as if you are just reading it. That often makes them slow and boring to your listeners. One strategy is to use a script for the bulk of the recording, but to add appropriate adlibs as well. Don't talk in a mono-tone voice. Voice inflections can help to emphasize the key points, while your normal conversational tones and style will be best for the main points.

Tip #4: Slow as you go - Be sure to pace your presentation; not too fast and not too slow. Speaking too fast is often a problem. Yet the key messages are often lost to listeners who just can't keep up. Just as too fast of a pace will lose listeners, too slow of a pace becomes boring. The goal is to find a pace that is comfortable and that allows you to enunciate each word.

Tip #5: You must emit an air of confidence. Don't jeopardize listener trust and confidence by lacking confidence. You want your listeners to feel very confident about what you say. Don't allow your nerves to get the best of you. Don't sound nervous. Don't stutter. Don't leave big gaps that will create doubt in what you say. Leave every listener feeling you are confident, knowledgeable and intelligent.

Remember these tips to create quality audio products. They will impress your listeners. They will bring your listeners back to buy other products in future.

To your internet marketing success!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bob_B._Hamilton