Complete Newbee « Videomaker Community Forums

lee_b
Member

Hey guys, I'm a complete newbee to recording video and was wondering if anyone could offer some help. Basically, I'm trying to record a music videos to upload on to you tube. I have a Macbook Pro, a Cannon HF100, 2 x CS1000 mics, FCE and an Mbox audio card.

I want capture the video through my camera, and the stereo audio through my external microphones, and edit it all within FCE.

What would be the best way of doing this? At the moment, I'm comletely stuck.

Many thanks in advance.

Lee.

Posted 1 year ago #
lmvpvideo
Member

lee.

if some one told you 'how to do it', it would be their video not yours, and you might have well hired them to do it for you.. correct?

We all started off where you are now with a idea, a camera, some mics (if we where lucky) and the hard work bit to come. So as long as you can get the audio from the 2 mics to record into the camera them you can start to record.

You will need to 'get to know' all the equipment- final cut, lean the program. use the camera and see what you can do with it and what shots you can get from it. you will need to learn how to shoot from the palm and keep it steady, not shaking as if there is a earthquake happening! You will need get some one to be your mic operator, you are not going to be able to film with the camera and the point the mic in the right direction at the same time, unless it is fixed to the camera,i have no idea if you have got other video equipment but get to know all that as well understand what it is designed to do and how to use it.

In short start to practice, you will get better slowly.

Learn from your mistakes.

Try out new ideas.

See what people think of what you have produce. Don't get upset if it is not all positive.

See what others do but don't copy it, use it as a tool and adapt it and see if you can do that, if you can't work out why you can't. Then do you can do it.

Give yourself some time to get confident.

Then shoot your video, edit it and put it on the net, be proud of it.

above all have fun...

Posted 1 year ago #
EarlC
Moderator

No sermon, Lee, and with no real working knowledge of your components, though I am familiar with iMovie and Final Cut Pro but not Final Cut Express, I'd say what you want to do isn't at all impossible. The latest MacBook Pro systems have Intel Core i5 or i7 processors and NVIDIA graphics for games and video quality. They come with 2 USB 2.0 ports and one FireWire 800 port.

So, if you have something like that you should have the connectivity needed for inputing or digitizing video live. It will depend on your storage (don't use your system drive, especially if it's a 5400 rpm for recording video) and the speed of your external hard drive(s) and capacity of course. For what you want to do a MacBook Pro doesn't wind up being all THAT portable, what with external components and hardware and stuff like a large capacity external FireWire hard drive for recording video from your camera.

Your flash recording medium based camera is a good quality HD unit but reviews note that many models in this arena have "fairly useless" manual focus. It's a CMOS 1/3.2 size sensor recording to AVCHD. And it has USB 2.0 compatibility, but apparently not FireWire - 400 or 800. The lCD display may come in handy but keep in mind that you WILL be tethered to your MacBook so don't get carried away to the point you overlook that you're dragging your computer around at the end of those cables. I could not confirm or affirm if your unit has audio in/out, if not that is certainly going to be an "issue" with music video production.

Evidently there must be SOME kind of audio ability anyway because you have those two AKG CS1000 microphones. And I'm not at ALL familiar with Digidesign's Mbox 2 audio interface. Only to read that what you have is a $400 plus piece of hardware there. And USB-powered! That's another piece of equipment, however, that you'll be dragging around tethered to your camera and laptop.

So, Apple says FCE has "built-in AVCHD" so your camera and editing software seem to be a match as well as the Mbox and AKG mics - all presumably "happy" with your system.

Bottom line, seems you simply need to figure out how to be mobile enough to get the shots you want with your camera, without ripping loose your various connections. Oh, and you'll probably need SOME auxiliary lighting, though most MUSIC VIDEO venues aren't going to be pleased with that, what with all the dark and flashing light show they already want to put on.

Your equipment is relatively stellar, so rigging up some way to be "portable" with all your gadgetry, piping in the shots and audio you want, "fixing" everything in post with FCE, then you should be able to pump the end results to your YouTube account.

Of course this all assumes you DO know how to frame your shots, get cutaways and B-roll footage, handle various audio issues and have some concept of color control, white balancing, etc. Hope this helps.

Earl

Posted 1 year ago #