Video tips and techniques

for the Web and Social Media

• 25+ years experience working in the fields of Technology, Digital Media, and Higher Education.

• I earned a M.P.S. in Interactive Telecommunications from the NYU Tisch School of the Arts.

– Concentrations in: • web design and development • video and audio production • project management • digital publishing • e-commerce strategies • gaming theory and design • online communities (social media)

• Managed the deployment of programs and

initiatives for companies such as MetLife, Century 21, ADP, Bankers Trust, Suze Orman Inc., and the City University of New York.

About Me

James Richardson Academic Director

Communication and Media Program

• Planning your video • Basic Interviewing Tips • Production Tips • Selecting your hardware

– PC, Mac, or Linux – Accessories

• Video cameras • Microphones • Lighting

• Selecting your software – Commercial or Open

Source?

• Hosting your content

Today’s Agenda

Planning your Video

• Identifying your strengths – How can you best communicate?

• Interviewing • Video Editing • Cinematography

• Defining your goals – What do you what to achieve? – Who is your target audience and

demographic? – Create the content your audience

wants! – Choose how to display your

content.

• Determining your budget – Take stock of available resources,

then purchase or acquire the rest!

Developing a Strategy

Key Considerations Before You Get Started

• Deadlines – Set a production schedule • Budget (equipment, software, hosting) • Ideas regarding the creative approach (brainstorm) • Content Plan - Scripted/storyboarded/spontaneous? • Talent – Feature yourself or get models/voice-

over/actors/professionals • Location for shoot? (consider lighting and noise) • What is the purpose of the content? – Key objectives you want to

achieve from the video • What key message do you want to convey? • Can you monetize your video content?

Why is it a Great Time to be a Video Creator?

• The tools have progressed to the point where you can create your own video production for very little money.

– Fewer barriers to entry (i.e., lower startup and equipment costs).

– More powerful software and hardware.

– Fewer hostile institutions to overcome as financial barriers drop (i.e., the elimination of the “middle man”).

– The Internet as an effective means of distribution.

– Numerous channels in which you can monetize your content (YouTube, AdSense, etc.).

Basic Interviewing Tips

1. The interviewer must be prepared.

What is the fundamental purpose behind your video? You should have a clear expectation of what each interviewee will contribute.

Interviews should NOT be scripted. This feels insincere. If you want spontaneity, try to be must be your natural self. Don't bury yourself in notes. Prepare a list of questions on an index card as a security blanket to leave you free to have a conversation.

Know enough about your subject to know what you should be able to get.

2. Maintain Eye Contact

Maintain eye contact with subject and give visual (not verbal) feedback as subject speaks: Nodding, smiling, looking puzzled, and signifying agreement or doubt are all vital forms of feedback.

3. Set People at Ease

Let the subject know why they are a subject and what topics you hope to cover--this will make them feel comfortable with their role as expert.

4. Prepare the interview subject for the occasional interruption or redirection.

i.e., “We always shoot more than we use, so don't worry if you say something wrong we can edit it out”.

i.e., “I may interrupt you if I feel we're getting off track, if that's alright”.

5 . Interviews can be shot in almost any surroundings, but you must consider the likely effect on the interviewee:

Subjects are more comfortable in their own space (home, workplace, or home of a friend) and you will often receive more intimate and individual responses.

Subjects are more likely to feel like one of many when interviewed in public places (streets, parks, etc).

Product ion Tips

Lighting is very important

• Adequate lighting will generally help poorly shot video. Basic lighting tips include: – Set White Balance

Adjustment of the color channels in the camera to allow the camera to produce accurate white picture in the available light at a location.

– Natural light can be a great alternative if you do not have standalone equipment.

– Use Three Point Lighting if you have equipment Using three points of light to create an illusion of three dimensions on the screen.

–

Lighting Equipment

• Soft box Lighting equipment. Entry level lighting kits can be purchased from Amazon or EBay from $50 - $250. Many use standard fluorescent bulbs and come with Chroma key Green screen backdrops for special effects/virtual sets.

• On-camera lights are great for filming outside of a studio.

• Tripods and mic stands are recommended for capturing quality audio and video.

Three Point Lighting: uses three points of light to create an illusion of three dimensions on the screen.

Three Point Lighting: uses three points of light to create an illusion of three dimensions on the screen.

Lighting is Subjective • Ultimately the final decision about whether or not

the lighting has been set correctly is a subjective one that should be made on the basis of how the scene looks on camera, not by whether or not the various lights correspond to the ideal formula of three-point lighting.

What is Sound? • Almost all sound

fits into one of three categories in production. – Music – Dialogue – Sound Effects

• Built-in Mics – Part of the camera or computer.

• record general, not selective, sound

• Attachable Mics – Microphones that are clipped to a

surface or a person (lavaliere or lapel mics).

• External Mics – Microphones attached to the

camera or computer. They can be connected via a cable or wireless. They can be handheld or mounted shotgun style to a boom pole.

Microphones

Samson C01 U USB Studio Mic

Rode Video Mic

Audio-Technica AT2020 USB

Logitech USB Desktop Microphone

Examples of Microphones

Producers are generally concerned with sound in three different situations:

• Location Recording

– Recording sound in the field.

• Adding Sound to Pre-Recorded Material – Adding audio to field or studio

recorded sound (i.e., music, sfx, voice overs)

• Sound Manipulation During Post – Affecting sound by altering

equalization during the editing process.

Types of Camera Movements

• Zoom – in and out • Panning - side to side • Tilting - up and do

Keep camera movement to a minimum!

Tips for Moving the Camera 1. Use zoom to adjust the magnification BETWEEN shots.

Avoid zooming while taping. • For the camera operator, zooming imparts a sense of control,

power, and visual excitement. But for the viewer, zooming imparts a sense of nausea.

2. Pan and Tilt only when you have a good reason to do so • Most common reason is to track a moving object. Pans look

better if there is something moving to focus on (i.e., a person walking, a car moving, and so on).

• Make an effort to pan smoothly and slowly and avoid panning more than once in a shot.

• Practice the pan, tilt or zoom a couple of times before shooting.

Hardw are

Getting the Job Done without Breaking the Bank

Computers

• Laptop or Desktop? Apple or Windows PC? – Doesn’t matter as long as it

is reliable. – Invest in:

• A lot of RAM and a big hard drive.

• A fast multicore processor (Intel or AMD).

• A dedicated graphics card.

Digital Cameras

Canon Vixia Camcorders

Canon T2/3/4/5 DSLR Cameras

Canon T2/3/4/5 DSLR Cameras

Contour Roam 2 Camera

GoPro Hero 4 Action Camera

HTC RE Camera

Logitech HD Pro Webcam C910

Smartphones

Most modern smartphones and tablets can capture and manipulate photos, videos, and audio.

Accessories

On Camera LED Lights

Standard Tripod

Mini Tripod

Soft box Light Kits

Softw are

No Cost Software Option • Apple

– Free content creation software included with the system purchase.

– iMovie, Garageband, iPhoto, Pages

• PCs – Notably there are better options in

the Mac environment unless you combine Windows built-in software with open source and freeware options.

• Windows Movie Maker or Lightworks

• Photo Gallery or GIMP • Audacity or Sony Acid

Express

–

Medium Cost Commercial Option (PCs)

• Sony Movie Studio Suite Edition – Vegas Studio 13 Platinum, ACID

Music Studio 10, Sound Forge Audio Studio 10, Boris FX Continuum, FXHome Hit Film plug-ins, iZotope Vocal Eraser, NewBlueFX 3D Titling and Video Effects, 50 Sony Sound Series: Production Music Soundtracks

• Adobe Photoshop Elements – Scaled down version of

Photoshop for content creators that do not need to become professional graphic designers.

High-End Commercial Option

• Adobe Creative Cloud – Subscription-based software

service that bundles nearly all of Adobe’s major products together for $50 per month. Students and teachers can subscribe for $29 per year.

• The free video editing and effects software. Lightworks Free is a scaled down version of Lightworks Pro.

• Lightworks Free allows you to export only to MPEG-4 (Web, YouTube and Vimeo) at a maximum resolution of 720p

• Currently available for Windows, Mac and Linux.

http://www.lwks.com/

• Easy-to-use screen recorder that helps you create professional videos without having to be a video pro.

• Record your screen movements and actions, or import HD video from a camera or other source.

• Customize and edit content on both Mac and Windows platforms, and share your videos with viewers on nearly any device.

• Similar in functionality to Camtasia and ScreenFlow. Free ori $15/year for a Pro account. http://www.screencast-o-matic.com/

Where should you host your content?

Your own Website or a Social Media Site?

The Answer is Both!

You should leverage your content on your social media sites as well

as your own website.

Hosting video

There are a number of easy to update sites such as Tumbler and Blogger which can be created quickly. Or you can run your own Wordpress site for greater flexibility and control. • Blogs and websites can create more

visibility for your personal brand while building a trust relationship with your audience.

• They create a community and encourage the audience to connect with you. They are a great focal point for tying together all of your social media channels for increased SEO.

• Video

Exampled of How to Tie Together your Website and Social Media Sites

http://www.jamesrichardson.net http://newyorkcine.podbean.com

Thanks for Listening Feel free to contact me at:

james.richardson@cuny.edu

Visit my website: http://www.jamesrichardson.net