Visit the Videomaker headquarters in Chico, Calif. for three days of hands-on training. In February 24-26, we’ll instruct you behind the camera or on the computer with the Basics of Video Production or Intensive Editing Workshop. Take the opportunity to get expert advice, techniques from our team, then, actually put it in practice.

The Basics of Video Production Workshop gives the beginning videographer a huge leap into the biggest areas of production – pre-planning, post production, shooting and lighting techniques. You’ll be using our equipment and teaming up with others that are learning just like you.

The Intensive Editing Workshop is just that, intensive. We’ll be teaching with Adobe Premiere Pro CS5 on HP EliteBook 8760w workstations. Three days of in-your-face editing… well, maybe side by side is more like it, but you’ll get details on one of the most widely used editing software programs and plenty of time to answer your questions.

We’ve hosted people from across the continent here at Videomaker, so we may be your connection to Chico too. Space is limited, so if it’s too late for this month or the subject matter doesn’t float your boat, consider our other workshops, we are planning many more this year so check our schedule.

“Today, everybody’s a filmmaker.”  That’s the message of director Wim Wenders (“Paris, Texas” and “Wings of Desire” among many other films, as well as music videos for U2 and The Talking Heads) as he introduces a new innovative video competition in partnership with the pen and watchmaker, MontBlanc. Launched in September, the competition, titled “The Beauty of a Second” is designed to celebrate the 190th anniversary of the invention of the Chronograph by Nicolas Rieussec, which was able to record time to an accuracy of one fifth of a second, quite a feat in 1821.

“One of the great things about cinema is how it makes us aware of time.  Each film consists of many brief moments of life that altogether create a unique and new space in time.”  If you’re familiar with the project, or if you’re paying close attention to the tile of the competition, you’ll realize that the emphasis here is definitely on “brief.”

The MontBlanc video competition is for films one second in length.  As Wenders eloquently points out, every video we shoot is a series of one-second moments.  But what if you as a videographer set out specifically to capture the perfect one-second on film?  Would it be a moment in nature?  The start of a smile on a child’s face?  A white shirt hanging to dry on a line?  How do you capture not only a beautiful moment, but perhaps even a compelling story in just one second?  Maybe it’s not possible, but that’s precisely the goal of this competition.  And from the entries so far, it looks like many videographers are capturing great moments in very small cuts (or, more precisely, in very precise edits).

Since the competition opened, the first three submission timeframes, or “rounds,” have been completed.  As of this writing, we’re mid way through round four.  The final round will finish on February 12th.  At the conclusion of the contest, Wim Wenders will select the winning one-second film.  Once you’ve viewed a few dozen of the one-second clips, you’ll likely agree that choosing a winner seems like an impossible task.  Just how good can one second of footage be?

But the hosts of the website, “The Beauty of a Second,” provide an additional incentive for film makers and film buffs alike to join the fun. Even if you haven’t submitted your one second entry, you can assemble your favorite one-second films into a “Playlist,” thus editing together a film of up to sixty seconds, comprising sixty segments.

In our Videomaker blogs and forums we’ve talked frequently about outlets for creative videography and film making.  We’ve even reviewed the history of continuous shot films that can last as long as  eight hours.  This film contest from MontBlanc is clearly at the other extreme.

But MontBlanc is not the only outfit with a focus on the one-second film.

“The 1 Second Film” is a non-profit organization that has already produced what they describe as “the world’s biggest shortest film.”  The concept here is to produce a one-second animated film where each two frames of animation is comprised of a single collaborative painting.  (Actually, the twelve paintings that compose the animated film were produced at a kick-off party years ago.)  The one-second film will then be followed by a one hour credit roll, during which a “making of” documentary will run while all the contributors (the “producers”) to the non-profit will be listed.  The project’s beneficiary is The Global Fund for Women.  Producers, who have contributed everything from a few dollars to tens of thousands, include everyone from celebrities (Kevin Bacon, Steven Colbert, Kiefer Sutherland, and many more) to corporations (Apple, FotoKem, and others).

These two projects have a couple of things in common.  First, participants share a love of visual arts and experimental video.  Second, both projects are profoundly rooted in a sense of collaboration.  Both are worth paying attention to in 2012.

I recently saw director Peter Jackson’s latest “Video Production Diary” of his newest movie, “The Hobbit“.  Based on the legendary stories of Middle Earth by J.R.R. Tolkien. Jackson’s success with his first major directing effort with The Lord of the Rings was nothing short of amazing, a story that was so well known to readers for generations that Jackson went out on a very precarious limb to make the beloved series. He bought the rights to the movie years before he ever set foot on a set, but had trouble shopping it around until  technology had finally caught up with the abilities to tell such a massive tale.

Now, with The Hobbit, he faces a challenge of a different sort: how to make likable characters. Read the rest of this entry »

If you’ve ever directed or set up a live event, you know how hard it can be to find reliable and affordable camera operators. Though there is nothing that can beat a knowledgeable camera operator, Panasonic has come close with it’s new AW-HE120 pan and tilt camcorder. Their camcorder can mount to any surface and give a video feed and remote control ability to a director making multi-cam events easier and cheaper than ever to pull off.

Panasonic made this camera 60% lighter than their previous offering, making the camera mountable on almost any surface.  In order to get a video feed, the camera can be connected through HDMI and a standard Ethernet cable. The HDMI gives a high quality 1080/59.94p video feed while the Ethernet cable allows a director to control every aspect about the camera from a distance. The camera also comes with a 20x zoom range so that you can mount it in the back of a room and still achieve excellent close up shots, has a 2.2 megapixel U.L.T. 3-MOS sensor (in true Panasonic style), and has three different ND filters – 1/4, 1/16, and 1/64. Though the ND filters seem like a bit of an overkill given that the camera will almost always be mounted indoors, it did include some excellent engineering with a pan range of -175 degrees to 175 degrees and a tilt range of -30 degrees to 210 degrees meaning that this little beauty has more flexibility than an owl.

For those needing to mount the camera to a white ceiling, the unit comes in pearl white though a black metallic model can be bought for theatrical occasions. Panasonic will be shipping this item in what they call “winter” so expect it to come out shortly before CES in January.  The suggested retail price is $8,900, making it clear that Panasonic is targeting the house of worship and theater markets with this product. However, if you’re finding it hard to get quality camera operators for a fair price, this could be the product you’ve been waiting for.

How have other videographers made use of green screens for special effects? 

What one “trick” in pre-production planning do others find most important? 

What’s the coolest music video ever made and what lighting techniques can be gleaned from it? 

You have questions and Videomaker.com has answers. Well, Videomaker.com and Videomaker readers. The editors and experts at Videomaker field questions every day on shooting, lighting, special effects, gear, editing, and every aspect of video production. And we always do our best to answer these questions either on-line or through high-value content in our magazine. And here at Videomaker we have the luxury of working day in and day out with our peers, fellow video enthusiasts just like our readers. But what if you’re working independently or are just starting out or otherwise need the help of your peers in the field in addition to your peers here at Videomaker? 

Sometimes direct, peer-to-peer interaction is the only way to go. That’s where Videomaker Forums come into play. Have a technical question and just haven’t found the answer yet? Think you have a question but aren’t even sure how to ask it? Join the Videomaker Forums. It’s a friendly, robust community of fellow videographers, from the beginners choosing their first cameras to the pros who discuss technical setup and who know the business side of video. 

Recent forum conversations have included a thread on the “Aesthetic side of video production” in which one of our moderators (the famous “birdcat”) suggested reading the excellent “In the Blink of an Eye” by Walter Murch. Another very recent thread centered on an extensive discussion of the best songs to use in wedding videos. And nearly every day a forum member offers their latest video project up for review by fellow members. And the replies are consistently professional, constructive, and encouraging. Clearly this is a community of video producers, from experts to hobbyists, who care equally about their craft and their fellow craftspeople. 

If you are a member of Videomaker forums but haven’t visited in a while, come on back, the water’s fine! And if you are not yet a forum participant, you NEED to become one. There’s nearly no better way to connect with other video enthusiasts.

What  if you could make professional grade video the first time you picked up a camera? Videomaker’s new free report “8 Tips for a Stellar First Video” will show you how to become a better videographer on your first shoot.

Maybe you’ve wanted to make video for a while; maybe you just caught the video bug recently. Either way, something’s holding you back – maybe you’re worried that any video you make will look amateurish next to those made by long-time video enthusiasts. We know that initial step can be daunting when you feel like you don’t know the first thing about making video. You feel the passion to create and share video stories but it seems like there’s so much to learn first.

No more excuses! Videomaker’s “8 Tips for a Stellar First Video” is exactly the resource created for you. It’s written with the eager young newbie in mind, so you don’t need to have any familiarity with video equipment to get the most out of these tips.

Learn:

• How to make sure that, before you even start, you have everything to finish
• The Two Easy Steps to Handling your Video Camera like a pro… and getting the same great footage.
• How to organize your thoughts into a video story
• The Secret to shooting footage that looks good on any screen.
• How video is different than real life… and how you can use that to your advantage.
• The single most important tip for keeping an audience interested. This remarkably simple tip will free you from the old style of thinking that holds you back and let you see the world the way the video pros do.
• The biggest mistake that can sink a first video and how you can avoid it.

“8 Tips for a Stellar First Video” is a quick and easy read for even the greenest video lover, but we didn’t want to leave you with obvious, philosophical tips that wouldn’t actually help you. That’s why we’ve picked the eight tips that you can start applying the moment you pick up a camera.

You can pick these tips out after hours of studying film theory or you figure them out after days of trial and error – or you can get them all here, collected in one place, in just minutes.

Download your FREE report 8 Tips for a Stellar First Video and start learning today!