Video Production and Short Films

The art of taking videos that do justice to the purpose is what gives a good reputation to the video production company. Videography as it is alternatively referred to is the industry where qualified film makers and advertisement related professionals produce videos for their clients. The main aim of videos is to give a real life feel to the occasion or business being carried out, so the viewers get involved in what they are seeing and take back a piece of the same with them.

These also come in handy when a company wants to make a pitch for a new project or as proof of activities being carried out in an organization. When we watch wedding videos or videos of award ceremonies, we get a sense of Deja vu, which transports us to the day when the event took place. This makes us relive the experience and this is a beautiful experience to go through.

Video production is carried out by media companies where the person working on the project is involved right from the inception stage to the releasing the output. He has a discussion with the company, or the corporate communications person about what is the purpose behind the video and the vision for the same. Based on this, and with other related data, he will then consult his team of creative people and videographer to come up with ideas and then go ahead in creating the final product.

The film is then shot, and it could either involve people working in the organization or have actors playing different roles depicting the message to be conveyed. There will be stages where he will have to make changes and fine tune the video to cater to the needs and preferences of the client before it gets released. Off late there has been a trend where videos are preferred over many pages of information because these are to the point, with audio visual inputs and have a better reach.

Corporate video production

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

Video Production Techniques

I think the best way to understand video production is to think of it as a PROCESS.

The process is always the same, whether you are producing a simple video or a complex one.

Here is a description of the process, step-by-step. It can be broken down into three phases.

• Pre-production
• Production
• Post-production

Pre-production is probably the most important and the easiest. Even if you want to outsource most of the work, you can (and should) do most of the pre-production yourself. Pre-production includes everything you do before you ever touch the camera. First, think about what you want your finished video to be. Ask yourself these questions.

1. Who is your audience?
2. What does your audience need or want to hear?
3. What does the audience already know?
4. What style of video would appeal to your target audience?
5. What is your budget?
6. What resources do you have readily available?

The answer to these questions will determine most everything else.

Next, think about what you should actually go and get on video tape. Do you need to interview experts? Do you need footage of specific things that represent your subject? Where and how will you video tape these things? Plan it all out. Make phones calls. Schedule crews, etc.

Write out a first draft of your script. Nothing needs to be carved in stone at this point, but a working script will help you collect all your thoughts.

A good script should be conversational. Pretend you are explaining the subject matter to a friend. What would you say to them? Write that down and then modify it by using more colorful words and better descriptions.

Video scripts are best if they use simple, short sentences. Avoid long, complex words that will be tongue twisters. Read it aloud to test it. Have someone else listen to you and get their reaction.

The production phase includes gathering all of your raw materials. All your raw video and audio. This phase probably takes the most work and know-how, especially if you are shooting everything from scratch.

Post-production is the phase where you take all your raw materials and assemble them into a finished video. Mostly, post-production means video editing. You add titles, music and other special effects during post-production.

There are many wonderful computer video editing programs that do a great job. Personally, I use Final Cut by Apple Computers. This is an advanced video editing program that allows you total control over every single aspect of your video. Most beginners would never want to fool with it. A beginner would be much better off with a simple program like Windows Movie maker or iMovie, which are both free. Those programs rely on pre-produced templates that make it much easier and less complex.

Sony Vegas Movie Studio is a popular program that is inexpensive and allows more control than the freebie programs but isn't nearly as complicated as Final Cut.

Video editing is also a step-by-step process and I have many free tutorials here on video production tips.com that will help you.

So there you have it, a brief description of the process of video production.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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