http://videomaker.com/community/forums/ Videomaker Forums » Tag: beginner - Recent Posts en Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:23:08 +0000 http://videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/paris-france-video#post-52010 Sun, 08 Nov 2009 11:14:14 +0000 BZL Productions 52010@http://videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Here it is! Adding some new footage putting in some color correction and changing the song.I have the re-edited version.</p> <p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAFSXXB8f1U">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAFSXXB8f1U</a></p> http://videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/paris-france-video#post-51759 Thu, 29 Oct 2009 20:28:43 +0000 Skye 51759@http://videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p> First, let me say I'm not a pro like the rest of the people here. I liked the video very much, I'm sure there are thousands of Paris short videos out there but this one had a very cozy feel to it. You present much of it from a very personal perspective which gives the video a natural perspective. </p> <p>There are only two things I would have done different. Paris is the city of love, the music you chose is a little to dramatic, , I think a more mellow, romantic tune would blend nicer. The other thing is, not sure what you used (only says JVC on your info) I would warm and enhance the colors a bit. there are some beautiful scenes but the colors look washed out. since this is not a documentary or a news reel I would add a special effect while editing to give a warmer glow here. </p> <p>Great video, takes you inside the journey.</p> http://videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/paris-france-video#post-51714 Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:01:11 +0000 BZL Productions 51714@http://videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p> I'm getting alot of views on this. Thanks to eveyone who watched.</p> http://videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/paris-france-video#post-51491 Tue, 20 Oct 2009 22:29:13 +0000 BZL Productions 51491@http://videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>I just got back from Paris France and I made this short 3 minute video. Please critique!: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02b4EI95JvI">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02b4EI95JvI</a></p> http://videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/beginner-needs-advice-on-hardwaresoftware-for-documentary#post-50275 Fri, 21 Aug 2009 15:40:57 +0000 cfox 50275@http://videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>It seems I forgot to mention something huge in my original post that would have helped guide the suggestions thus far. My delivery method for my documentary project will be DVD and web video (smallest file size possible), so if I would have disclosed that in the beginning I'm sure I would have been guided to the point where my research led me today. The camera I was looking at was great, but there's no way for me to burn AVCHD to a regular DVD disc, and the majority of my target audience does not own a Blu-Ray player, nor do I own a BR burner. So, although that camcorder is very nice and I'd love to start with that one, if I can't burn my HD video then I can't justify purchasing an HD camera at the moment.</p> <p>Stepping down to an SD camera just made things much less complicated for me as far as hardware/software, so let me just run one other things past you guys. Instead of the Canon HF S10, would the Canon FS22 be sufficient? I'm having some difficulty finding answers to my questions about the speicific cameras in question, so I hope you guys aren't tired of helping this newb yet. I just need a camera that will be able to shoot some good footage for a documentary. It must have decent sound or ability to connect a mic, must have tripod connection, etc. Please give any advice on the camera side if you can, and I'll promise to stop posting for a while, lol. </p> http://videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/beginner-needs-advice-on-hardwaresoftware-for-documentary#post-50271 Fri, 21 Aug 2009 14:17:25 +0000 cfox 50271@http://videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Alright, so I'm in the process of purchasing a couple external hard drives to get a head start on this before I bite the larger bullet of ordering the sotware and camera. Here's where I'm at so far...</p> <p>LaCie 1TB external HD, very affordable at $165 each from Dell. Only problem is it doesn't appear my PC has FW 800 connectivity (heard Vista doesn't support that interface yet...?), so I won't be able to daisy chain two of these on the 800Mbps side. So here's the big question, do I get two drives and daisy on FW 400 or just get one drive and connect via eSATA?</p> <p>Thanks again for all the help! </p> http://videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/beginner-help-travel-documentary-equipment#post-50251 Thu, 20 Aug 2009 21:01:47 +0000 EarlC 50251@http://videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>I like the solid state memory, primarily. I'm not worried about editing work flow, particularly if I happen to go with the JVC instead, as I have the option to record in native QuickTime should I choose.</p> <p>I am NOT a techno-geek, other than sharing info with a few who might possibly qualify as such, but AM an avid reader and believe in hands-on comparative analysis - something I will do either at the counter or via rental of the units in which I am interested.</p> <p>Also, I have at my disposal a 2008-9 model of Mac Pro 8-core with 3Ts of storage, plus firewire storage, plus 16 gigs RAM and the previous current FCP, upgrading to the just-released version in a couple of weeks. In addition, I have one of the most knowledgeable people of the MAC systems, os &#38; FCP at my disposal as well - two actually.</p> <p>Based on their input, and my future production focus, I believe I will do nicely with the power and storage I have utilizing AVCHD. IMHO, all forms have their warts and bumps. This approach, using AVCHD acquisition and its reduction of moving parts via the SDHC recording, potential for drag and drop eliminating digitizing (the single most time-consuming element of current editing facilitation), and the generally acceptable quality of resulting productions using AVCHD, I do not let the debates pro or con, this or that, HDV, HD, PC, Mac, etc. trouble me in the least.</p> <p>There will ALWAYS be something better, easier, more advanced, blah, blah...but we all have the advantage of research, available information, forum opinion-ation and hands-on reports as well as our own opportunities to test the waters to make decisions that best suit our specific and individual needs.</p> <p>I think a lot of people, new or experienced, get caught up in the debates and never really lock and load on something they can work with NOW. So many I know stumble along on truly outdated technology for two reasons - they're comfortable with what they've used and learned, reluctant to move ahead due to the very real (or not) learning difficulties; or, they use pretty much the same mind-set to hold off, always waiting for "the next best thing."</p> <p>Actually, there are three - many are comfortable, content, knowledgeable and productive using the systems for acquisition and editing they already have and see no realistic or economic need/justification to change formulas or formats. </p> http://videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/beginner-help-travel-documentary-equipment#post-50245 Thu, 20 Aug 2009 18:20:45 +0000 davidI 50245@http://videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p> Thanks EarlC - that was a great read. I'd actually looked at doing that same bike tour previously so I'm rather interest how his film turned out!<br /> Out of curiousity, why would you lean toward AVCHD? Just to have solid state memory or is there an advantage in workflow? Most of my research thus far has indicated that HVD is easier / faster for editing? </p> http://videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/beginner-help-travel-documentary-equipment#post-50244 Thu, 20 Aug 2009 18:00:57 +0000 EarlC 50244@http://videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Also, check out the advice given this thread with similar information but more based on approach rather than equipment.</p> <p><a href="http://videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/solo-euroasia-bicycle-tour-how-to-film-it" rel="nofollow">http://videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/solo-euroasia-bicycle-tour-how-to-film-it</a></p> <p>Although my target camera will be the AVCHD cameras by either JVC or Panasonic's HMC150 using SDHC card for content recording, I lean toward, and will likely acquire as a backup, the Canon HV 40, or even the HV 30 if any remain available. Although tape is going to eventually become more difficult to obtain, like VHS and S-VHS, you can still find it, buy it and use it. MiniDV will be available for some time to come IMHO. </p> http://videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/beginner-help-travel-documentary-equipment#post-50243 Thu, 20 Aug 2009 17:52:16 +0000 davidI 50243@http://videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p> ^ Thanks, I had read that thread previous to posting this. As that fellow is working with PC his requirements seem a little different than mine. Is the HF S10 a better camera than the HV40 for my needs? I've read so many recommendations to use tape that I'm not sure if SD is a good way to go? I've also read that HVD is easier to edit in FCP than AVCHD due to the compression issues? </p> http://videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/beginner-help-travel-documentary-equipment#post-50241 Thu, 20 Aug 2009 17:42:28 +0000 EarlC 50241@http://videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Check out this link, posted a week ago and virtually identical to your post.<br /> <a href="http://videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/beginner-needs-advice-on-hardwaresoftware-for-documentary" rel="nofollow">http://videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/beginner-needs-advice-on-hardwaresoftware-for-documentary</a> </p> http://videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/beginner-help-travel-documentary-equipment#post-50234 Thu, 20 Aug 2009 15:16:24 +0000 davidI 50234@http://videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>I spent 2.5 years traveling the world and am off on another 6 - 18 month adventure shortly. This round, I've considered filming a travel documentary based on my overseas experiences. I've been into photography for ~15 years and have spent plenty of time in the darkroom and more recently transitioned to digital. I'd like to try my hand at film now but am having a hard time figuring out what I'll need to film a decent documentary. I've spent countless hours researching already, but need to start buying equipment soon as I head out in less than a month. If possible I'd like to keep my spend &lt;$4k CDN, but do have some flexibility.</p> <p>#1 Camcorder - I looked at prosumer cameras like the HVRA1U &#38; HD1000U but decided they're too big and bulky for travel. Plus, there is the potential for issues at immigration as I'd rather not be seen as a journalist. I've read that it may be best to stick to HDV / Mini-DV format - what's a good camera that will give me the manual flexibility to begin learning proper videographer skills? I read great things about the Canon HV20 when it came out as a camcorder that would fit my needs - is the HV40 the best current iteration for my needs or is there a comparable Sony / Panasonic worth looking at?</p> <p>#2 Laptop - Looks like Mac is the way to go with Final Cut Pro. I've read all sorts of conflicting information with respect to which model of Macbook Pro I should get though. I figure when it comes down to editing I can get an external monitor, so screen size isn't necessarily a deciding factor, and smaller is better when it comes to travel. The 17" is also plenty expensive. I've read that the 13" can't run all the features in FCP because it doesn't have a dedicated video card - which would guide me towards the 15". Will the 15" do for me? I've read some stuff about the firewire port being an issue - presumably because people want 2 FW ports so they can import video from their camera directly to an external HD?</p> <p>#3 External HD - I haven't played around with much video editing software in the past, but I know storage is always a big factor. What should I be looking at for an external HD to pair with the Macbook Pro.</p> <p>#4 Tripod, Lights, Mic (external sound necessary?) - Any budget / compact recommendations for these accessories? Any other must-haves for filming. Content is going to have to play a larger part than quality in my documentary but I'd still like to aim for a reasonable quality!</p> <p>#5 Workflow - Can anyone give me any hints / tips for how I should approach my filming, storage, import, editing and output. I know I have a ton to learn about FCP and I'll make tons of mistakes along the way, but any helpful newbie hints would be appreciated!!!</p> <p>Sorry for the long post - but I'd really appreciate any help you can offer as it's a rather complicated endeavour to jump into with such short lead-time!! </p> http://videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/beginner-needs-advice-on-hardwaresoftware-for-documentary#post-50193 Tue, 18 Aug 2009 21:45:47 +0000 cfox 50193@http://videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p> Thanks so much for the helpful advice!  I know I'm bound to hit some snags along the way, as you said, but I wanted to get as many suggestions as possible from people with much more experience.  So, thanks for that!</p> http://videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/beginner-needs-advice-on-hardwaresoftware-for-documentary#post-50161 Tue, 18 Aug 2009 01:04:10 +0000 NormanWillis 50161@http://videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>And it sounds like you are doing your research, which is good.  You will hit snags, but persevere.  Your basic plan seems sound.</p> http://videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/beginner-needs-advice-on-hardwaresoftware-for-documentary#post-50160 Tue, 18 Aug 2009 01:02:48 +0000 NormanWillis 50160@http://videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>You'll be fine.  You'll have some technical support issues, because that is the nature of the beast.  But your basic plan and strategy is sound.</p> <p>You definitely want a second hard drive for HD: and in fact a RAID 0 setup for the second drive is even better, although not entirely necessary.  </p> <p>AVCHD is a bear, because the files are compressed so much.  The processor has to uncompress them on the fly in order to edit them, which is a big job, so it taxes the processor heavily.  However, you can ease the load on your machine somewhat by transcoding the files with Cineform NeoScene, a $99.00 utility through Videoguys.  I use the Canon HF S10 (which I love) and the AVCHD .mts files make my CoreDuo Quad 3.0GHz run at 95% capacity on all four cores.  However, when I transcode the files first with NeoScene they run at about 57%, and the colorspace is much better.  NeoScene is the cheapest thing you can do to increase your relative processing power/speed.  It makes AVCHD editing so much easier.</p> <p>Internal drives are at least hypothetically better than external drives.  Some guys have problems with external drives, but it all depends on you and your machine.  Most guys use external drives with out problems, but if you have the option, bring the hard drives inside of the box to eliminate problems.  The same goes for DVD or BluRay burners.  Most times you are fine.  But.</p> <p><em>&gt;&gt;Second, am I starting too big?  I don't really want to use Windows Media Player, and I know that Adobe Premeire is very high-end, so if there's something int he middle that will get the job done and make my project look just as nice, please let me know.</em></p> <p>If you want something 'in the middle' try Sony Vegas.  It is a comprehensive all-in-one suite that is very easy to use.  Most of the people on this forum (maybe 2/3rds) use it, because it is so easy to use, and because it delivers excellent bang for the buck.  It does not have the higher-end features of CS4, but lots of guys use Vegas for their primary (because it is so much easier) and then they export whatever needs 'finishing touches' to CS4 with a free utility called DebugMode Frameserver (which I have not used yet, but everyone loves).</p> <p>I hope that helps.</p> http://videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/beginner-needs-advice-on-hardwaresoftware-for-documentary#post-50159 Mon, 17 Aug 2009 23:51:05 +0000 cfox 50159@http://videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p> I've been trying to read around about the compatability with the Canon VIXIA HF S10 and Premeire Pro, but I need some confirmation.  I've read there may be difficulties with this model's encoding (AVCHD) and Premier...any idea if this camcorder will cause me any problems if using it with Premiere to edit?</p> http://videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/beginner-needs-advice-on-hardwaresoftware-for-documentary#post-50021 Wed, 12 Aug 2009 16:35:48 +0000 lmenningen 50021@http://videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>1. I use PremierePro CS4 and use multi-cameras and may have many more than three timelines/sequences, some nested, and all the other stuff you'd do when editing, and PremierePro handles them just fine. There doesn't seem to be a limit to the number of timelines.</p> <p>2. Your computer should be OK, but having three (3) internal or eSata hard drives can help. Premiere lets you allocate drives: say drive C for the system and project files, drive D for your source files and a third drive for the preview files. This allocation provides tremendous speed improvements. Buy tera-byte drives.</p> <p>3. Your processor should be fine - mine is the i7-940 which is only slightly faster than yours, but I do have 12GB memory. Before I went to Vista 64-bit I had a system with only 4GB of memory, and PremierePro CS4 constantly crashed on projects of very minimal size. It was very frustrating, and it crashed on over a dozen projects. The problem was that 4GB in a 32-bit OS is not enough. You have 6GB and a 64-bit OS which is much better, but be alert for crashes - that shouldn't happen unless you have a larger project; most projects should work just fine.</p> <p>4. Editing doesn't make much use of your kind of graphics power, but of course it won't interfere in any way either.</p> http://videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/beginner-needs-advice-on-hardwaresoftware-for-documentary#post-49969 Mon, 10 Aug 2009 19:11:34 +0000 BruceMol 49969@http://videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>I capture to an internal hard drive for editing, but I also eSATA drives for backups. My preference is to have 2 copies, one on the data drive of my computer and one on an eSATA drive which I regularly exchange for another drive in my safety deposit box at the bank. Read about the read/write speeds and I'm sure you'll go with eSATA. My new m/b (ASUS P6T) has an eSATA port and I was able to add an eSATA card to my other computer quite easily.</p> <p> </p> http://videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/beginner-needs-advice-on-hardwaresoftware-for-documentary#post-49961 Mon, 10 Aug 2009 16:11:17 +0000 TDedmonSBP 49961@http://videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>I do all of my editing from my external. I have a 72000RPM seagate connected with firewire 800 and it runs just fine with Adobe master CS4. If you can find an external with eSata then you will be even better off because of the speed.</p> http://videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/beginner-needs-advice-on-hardwaresoftware-for-documentary#post-49959 Mon, 10 Aug 2009 15:46:27 +0000 cfox 49959@http://videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p> Dang, just as I licked Post, one last question, lol....</p> <p>On my secondary hard drive, do I need it to be an internal drive or could I get by with an external?  I'm assuming I could just dump all my footage from the camera on an external and then transfer it over to my internal to edit on it, but Adobe's reccomendations leave my wondering if that will work smoothly.  Any advice?</p> http://videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/beginner-needs-advice-on-hardwaresoftware-for-documentary#post-49958 Mon, 10 Aug 2009 15:45:03 +0000 cfox 49958@http://videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p> Thank you so much for all the help!  Now I have a better idea of what the capabilities of my system are as far as editing, so now it just comes down to deciding on the camera model.  I'm looking forward to my first project, so thanks again for the help and suggestions!</p> http://videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/beginner-needs-advice-on-hardwaresoftware-for-documentary#post-49957 Mon, 10 Aug 2009 15:22:41 +0000 BruceMol 49957@http://videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p> According to the HFS10 manual <a href="http://gdlp01.c-wss.com/gds/9/0300001969/02/hfs10-s100-nim01-en.pdf">http://gdlp01.c-wss.com/gds/9/0300001969/02/hfs10-s100-nim01-en.pdf</a> you are always recording in wide screen. There are 5 recording modes 2 of which are full HD abnd the others are less. So, for this camera, it appears that the 4:3 option doesn't really exist (see pages 46 &amp; 46) . Previous cameras (I use an HV20 and XHA1) do have that option. </p> <p>If you really need to produce in 4:3 aspect ratio you'll have to set up your Adobe Project settings to reflect that, capture your recording and if what you want is not in the field then nudge it over.</p> <p>Certainly HD is more demanding on the computer. With my i7 920 based computer I can have 3 HDV video timelines before I see a halt in processing. Sooner if I've color corrected an entire timeline. My previous computer could barely handle 1 line of HD though it had no problem with 3 timelines of SD. </p> http://videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/beginner-needs-advice-on-hardwaresoftware-for-documentary#post-49939 Sun, 09 Aug 2009 20:02:20 +0000 cfox 49939@http://videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p> Just to clarify, are you saying on an HD camera like the Canon I was looking at, I should be able to choose to shoot in 16:9 SD even though it's an HD camera...is that right?  One other clarification, I've heard that editing in HD is extremely demanding on the computer, can mine really handle that or should I shoot in SD if I can?</p> <p>Thanks for the advice on Adobe, I'm looking forward to getting it and diving in to get used to it!</p> <p>Please keep the suggestions coming, I really appreciate it!</p> http://videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/beginner-needs-advice-on-hardwaresoftware-for-documentary#post-49937 Sun, 09 Aug 2009 16:59:57 +0000 BruceMol 49937@http://videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p> I think you are starting off right. I just finished up a documentary using two Canon HD Cameras, an i7 920 PC, Adobe PPro CS3. I shot in HD though my project was always intended to be 16:9 SD. (you can select 4:3 or 16:9 SD in the menu options) Shooting in HD allows for some flebility in framing a shot, you can move around quite a bit in the frame. I highly highly highly recommend one more drive. Also note what others are currently writing in recent posts about professional products like Adobe - they hardly ever choke. I can't recall how many sequences I had but I had 25 x 63min DV tapes to edit and the only time I had trouble is when I inadvertently caused it! </p> http://videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/beginner-needs-advice-on-hardwaresoftware-for-documentary#post-49935 Sun, 09 Aug 2009 14:28:45 +0000 cfox 49935@http://videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p> Hello everyone.  As stated in the title, I am a complete beginner to all of this, so I would really appreciate any and all advice.  I'm planning a documentary-style production as part of a little project I'm working on, but I need some serious help deciding what exactly I need.  I've been looking at some camcorders and researching as best I possibly can, and I already have a decent PC that I hope will be able to handle the editing side, so let me run those by you first.</p> <p><strong>Camcorder<br /></strong>I'm looking at the Canon VIXIA HF S10.  It's a HD model and has internatl 32GB storage which I think would be handy considering I'll be shooting at multiple locations and might not want to transfer video to my PC in between (or have multiple cards).  However, I'm not sure if this is the model that I NEED...it's a great-looking camcorder and would handle my project nicely from what I can tell, but if I should start with something lower-end first I'd be open to hearing that.  The big question is...do I need HD?  If I shoot with an SD camera will it affect the picture when viewed on TV's (will it be 4:3 or can I still get a 16:9 with an SD camera)?</p> <p><strong>PC<br /></strong>I currently have a Dell XPS 730x as my gaming rig that I think I should be able to use for the editing side of this project.  It has an Intel i7-920 processor (8 core, probably 2.6GHz if I remember right).  It has 6GB of RAM, running Vista 64-bit, and I've got a dual ATI Radeon 4870HD for a total of 4GB video RAM.  I have one hard drive, and from what I've read on the Adobe website about the Production Premium suite, I don't know if I'll need a second hard drive (website says "dedicated hard drive for editing....").  Just not sure.  So do you think I will be fine with this computer?</p> <p><strong>Editing Software<br /></strong>I've been looking seriously at Adobe Premeire Pro (and the other titles included with that CS4 suite).  The biggest question I have on this is would I be able to run that software suite smoothly on my PC with the specs listed above?  Second, am I starting too big?  I don't really want to use Windows Media Player, and I know that Adobe Premeire is very high-end, so if there's something int he middle that will get the job done and make my project look just as nice, please let me know.</p> <p> </p> <p>Alright, that's all of my questions so far.  I am very much a beginner, but I'll save the technique questions for a later time and try to figure most of them out myself while I'm experimenting with my gear once I get it.  For now, I need the most help with figuring out what the best gear would be for this project.  I know you pros must read many posts from beginners and get tired of answering all these simple questions, but I would really appreciate any help you can offer!  Thanks in advance!</p> http://videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/camera-choice-for-sports#post-46960 Mon, 18 May 2009 20:00:13 +0000 hmg_ekn 46960@http://videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>I'm new to camcorders as well and looking to begin filming motorsports. We are looking to do live broadcasts over the web and have started using miniDV cameras - Sony DCR-TRV33 and a Canon ZR960. We are looking at the Sony DCR-HC52 to add to our cameras but we would also like to look at the possibility of upgraging to HD cameras along with Flash Memory camera for taping interviews. What are your opinions on selection for upgrading our cameras?</p> http://videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/camera-choice-for-sports#post-46310 Wed, 29 Apr 2009 17:26:24 +0000 candjvideo 46310@http://videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p><strong>When you say "good video shots" would you mind being a little more specific?  Are you talking about close-ups, artistic-type shots, or something else?</strong></p> <p>Make sure that the camera is not zoomed in too much or out too far.  If you are doing an individual highlight video, the closer shots work well.  For a team video, a good combination of both works better.  Too much close up on team highlights detracts from the action sometimes because by the time you figure out what is going on, it is on to the next highlight.  I often just get the tapes that a team/coach/player provides me and have to work with that.  Some are good, some are average, and some are really bad.  Also on 'good shots' I mean no camera shaking, no fast zooms in and out unless it is intentional for effect, adjust for lighting and weather, etc.  Use a tripod if you can't keep the camera pretty much still.  Also a fluid head is MUCH better than the cheaper tripods as you won't hear the annoying grind of a pan or tilt. If you can keep the sounds of the action on the video do it.  I have gotten pretty good at being a 'human tripod' and for many sports, I am able to get by without one, especially baseball and softball where the ball can change direction so quickly.  Another tip is to keep ambient sound or crowd noise on a video if possible as it makes the video much more alivee.  Make sure you have a few seconds of 'handles' at the beginning and end of each play.  I like to add comments at the bottom of big plays, sometimes with the players names, and the kids love it.  I didn't do it one year, and when several parents commented that they liked it better with the comments, I haven't strayed from them sense (EG. "Smith with the monster home run", "Johnson from Treyville", "He could go all the way", etc.)  </p> <p>On team videos, I like to do a 'senior tribute' section after the highlights with pictures of each kid growing up, a quote from the coach about the kid and a few times, had a section when I videotaped those seniors answering questions (eg. What was your favorite memory, the funniest thing that happened, advice to the younger players, who would they like to thank, etc).  The kids always get a big kick out of this. </p> <p>If you have any funny moments that happen (ball hitting a coach in the head, etc), you can add sound effects and show it in slo mo replay.  Also acrobatic plays can be replayed in slo mo and the kids love it.  Sound effects also work well on big hits in football/baseball/softball, dunks, long baskets, etc.  I use a bomb drop and explosion for some 3 point baskets and that is a big hit. </p> <p>I even started taking a few of the freshman/jv videos and making a quick hitter 'coming attractions' type video which lasts about 5 minutes which plays before the main video, and my sales shot up drastically as more kids/families wanted to buy one. </p> <p><strong>That's a great idea for the individual highlight videos.  Are these for college recruiting or simply for great memories?</strong></p> <p>Both for college recruiting and great memories.  All the kids I have worked with, except 1 or 2, were for college recruiting.  The best compliment I ever received was probably from the head football coach at a D1 college who told the parents of the student athlete that the highlight video I did for their son was the best he had ever seen and was exactly what they were looking to see.  That coach actually gave my name to some other parents who contacted me with requests.  The individual videos are an entirely different animal. It is best to have a freeze frame shot with an arrow, pointing finger, spotlight, etc on the student athlete featured before each clip so the coach can see who he is looking for.  You can get away with not doing this if the kid is in basically in the same place/position every play (eg. QB in football), but for most positions, it is a nice point of reference. I like to list any awards, honors, statistics and information about the student athlete at the beginning as a rolling credit OR these can be placed at the end.  </p> <p><strong>Lastly, I'm in a major market in the midwest and would be very interested to know what the going rate is for these type of productions.</strong></p> <p>I am in Kentucky.  I contacted a company a few months ago who advertises doing team and individual videos.  For a team video, they charged $200 per game to edit for a video.  I was floored as that would be $2000 for 10 football games or $4000 for 20 basketball games.  I generally charge a flat rate based on how many videos will be purchased and sell the individual videos for $20 each.  A football team will always purchase more as there are more kids involved than the other sports and it is much easier to sell more.  I usually charge a football team $200 plus sales which often are at least 30 DVDs.  I will charge a basketball team around $400 as they have more games and have fewer players to buy videos, but sometimes limit them to 20 games (they can pay more if they want more).  You basically have to judge what is reasonable AND most inportantly, how much time it will take and make sure you are compensated appropriately for your time. These videos take a great deal of time, but you get much faster with time.  I can edit a football game in roughly 60-90 minutes so a typical 10 game season will take me 10-15 hours plus the other sections.  Normally, once the video is loaded on the computer, I can have a full football team video done in around 25 hours actual work time. So if I charge $200 up front and sell $600 in DVDs (at a material cost of around $30 for ), I can bring in $800 for a profit of $770 which is around $30 per hour. </p> <p>Hope this helps! </p> http://videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/camera-choice-for-sports#post-46124 Fri, 24 Apr 2009 14:29:25 +0000 MarkZ 46124@http://videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Thanks a bunch for the great info!</p> <p>When you say "good video shots" would you mind being a little more specific?  Are you talking about close-ups, artistic-type shots, or something else?</p> <p>And I do plan on making fun, exciting videos that are well edited and include some fun special effects so the kids will get a laugh.</p> <p>That's a great idea for the individual highlight videos.  Are these for college recruiting or simply for great memories?</p> <p>Lastly, I'm in a major market in the midwest and would be very interested to know what the going rate is for these type of productions.</p> <p> - Mark</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> http://videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/camera-choice-for-sports#post-46090 Thu, 23 Apr 2009 19:32:35 +0000 candjvideo 46090@http://videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>I have done sports highlight videos since 2002 and love it.  Football, basketball, soccer, baseball, softball, cheerleading, dance teams, etc.</p> <p>The key is in getting good video shots on the front end.  It makes a HUGE difference.  Also, make sure to give yourself some wiggle room before each play begins and after each play is over which will really help in the editing process.  If you can do multicamera, it is MUCH better by blending in field level closeups with higher level shots.</p> <p>Your choice of camera is only limited by your pocketbook.  I have used video from every format imaginable to put together highlight videos and digital SD is still a very good format.  It is so much cleaner than the analog videos from VHS, 8mm, etc.  The higher the optical zoom the better for good closeup shots.  Digital zoom, while better than in years past, blurs the image up and it just isn't as good.  Don't get too far away for the fuller shots.  You can't tell what is going on when you do that. </p> <p>Most of all, if you enjoy doing it, you can make it even more fun for the kids and their families.  Don't limit yourself to just teams, ... I have been doing individual highlight videos for high school student athletes as well and have never advertised.  I have more than enough business from student athletes all over the state I live in just by word of mouth.</p> <p>As far as the format, ... I really like the mini dv format, but the only downside is that if it is very hot and/or humid, sometimes you can get dew on tape heads and they have to dry out.  The key is to let the camera adjust to the temperature before getting started.   Any digital format (mini dv, hd, etc) will work.  </p> http://videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/camera-choice-for-sports#post-46081 Thu, 23 Apr 2009 17:07:47 +0000 MarkZ 46081@http://videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Thanks for your help!</p> <p>I like your suggestion for the post (pre) game interview.  Very clever.  </p> <p>I plan on doing highlight films to pre-sell to individual teams and so would have a routine theme for most every game.</p> <p>Do you include Slow Motion footage and if so do you simply do that in Post Production?</p> <p>Do you shoot with more than one camera?</p> <p>Do you use audio from the field or do you add a soundtrack or both?</p> <p>Is the MiniDV format okay to work with outdoors?  And is MiniDV easy to load on a PC or would it be better to use an SD Card, Hard Drive or Mini DVD?</p> <p>What kind of turnaround time do you offer your clients?</p> <p>Thanks so much!!</p> <p> - Mark</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p>