On April 20, long-time Videomaker community member Grinner Hester was shooting the third qualifying session of Summit Racing Top Sportsman at the 2012 ADRL Spring Drags III at Bristol Dragway in Tennessee.  Things seemed pretty normal until 21-year-old Lizzy Musi lost control of her car. And, well, just see for yourself:

It’s almost impossible to believe that the footage of the crash was captured by a living, breathing videographer; Grinner’s dedication to capturing the shot is nothing short of astounding as he calmly keeps shooting even as the out-of-control race car is barreling down on him. Only at the last possible second does he leap out of harm’s way, jumping over the partition onto the racetrack as the wreck knocks his camera down.

Miraculously, both  Grinner and Lizzy emerged from the ordeal unscathed.

Even then, though, Grinner immediately gets back in the game. No sooner has the smoke cleared than he’s picked up his camera again to get back to the scene. And finding Lizzy Musi unhurt, he gets the first post-crash interview with her! Grinner’s remarkable dedication is a testament to the videographer’s craft — though, we’re just glad to see he made it out in one piece! Grinner’s video has since gone viral (and for good reason!), appearing on sites like Brosome and Jalopnik.

Grinner is a long-time and valuable participant on the Videomaker forums; some of you might know him for his work on the Streetfire Show.  As Videomaker Managing Editor Jennifer O’Rourke says: “Grinner is…. Grinner. He’s a nut, he’s radical, he’s Zen… he shoots wild video, races cars and sometimes… does them both at the same time. The other moderators admire and respect him… and are often in awe of him. He’s just… Grinner.”

Good job, Grinner!

Mobile Video Apps by Beata Dumaplin

Video making has never been more accessible than in today’s mobile world. Almost every digital device, from music players to smart phones, can shoot video. With the increase in video capture, we have also seen a growth in video editing software, especially for mobile devices. We took a walk around the Internet and found quite a few video editing apps.  Read the rest of this entry »

While live streaming from a mobile device might not necessarily be a new phenomenon, no one has implemented quite as simple a way of doing it as Color, a new mobile app developed by Lala co-founder Bill Nguyen and Verizon. The app makes streaming video footage from your mobile phone over an LTE connection extremely easy. From the demo we saw, once inside the application, starting a broadcast can be as simple as two taps. As soon as you hit start, your friends on Facebook will get a notification that you’re broadcasting live. You can select who can see the stream, and even send it out for the entire world to see. Broadcasts are currently limited to thirty second a piece, but we expect to see the limited duration to lengthen over time. Color is currently available to Verizon subscribers only, and can be downloaded from the App Store and Google Play.

UPDATE 12:54PM – We reported that Color is only available to Verizon subscribers. In reality, it’s available to everyone, but those not on Verizon will only be able to broadcast video (no audio).

This week, we have another exciting video tidbit from the Videomaker community. Videomaker’s Facebook friend Tim Heiderich is the brains behind the brand new Internet serial Assignment: Unexplained, an irreverent  satire of paranormal reality television series like Ghost Hunters or Paranormal Cops.

Goth/frat boy Chase Nightblood (Nate Scholz) has assembled a not-so-crack team of investigators to help him unravel the Fortean mysteries of aliens, chupacabras, and yetis. There’s a somewhat shady pet psychic (Helene Udy) who always seems to be working her own scam, a gadget freak who sees sinister government conspiracies in everything (Owen Reynolds), and a random girl  (Ashley Clements) that Chase is hoping to impress with his Bigfoot-finding prowess. In the first season, the team interviews experts, gets lost in the woods, and does whatever it takes to prove to the world the truth about the mythical sasquatch.

“The formula for ghost hunting shows was always the same,” says Tim. “A group of amateur sleuths scaring themselves in the woods, at abandoned hospitals and dilapidated homes, and never, ever finding a shred of the paranormal.   It’s in the style of the successful Reno 911 TV show, and features a core group of improv actors, with a format designed to feature new and upcoming comedic talent. ”

Tim’s been creating comedy videos for the web for a while, including hilarious horror spoof Normal Activity, but this is his first serial — and his most ambitious project to date. We like the show for a number of reasons.  With short episodes, sharp comedy, and easily accessible subject matter, Assignment: Unexplained is a great example of how to make videos for the web. Serious video creators will take note of the series’ use of night shooting as the team wanders through the forest in search of monsters.  It also shows how good a video can turn out with proper planning; the whole project hinged on extensive and meticulous pre-production planning, including seeking permission from the US Forest Service to shoot in state parks.

“Pre-production is the crucible that will determine whether you ever want to make another film,” says Tim. ” Until you finally begin filming, pre-production is a house of cards you’re waiting to see come tumbling down.  For example: To get insurance, you must first know what equipment you’re renting.  But before you rent your equipment, you’ll need to know which days you’re filming.  But you won’t know which days you’re filming until you secure a permit.  But you can’t get a permit if you don’t already have insurance… and around it goes.  During pre-production you have to juggle several things at once and work hard to make it all come together.”

Although Tim’s been working with video for years, he still learned a lot about how to successfully helm a big project while on set.  He advised other video directors to keep in mind the importance of delegating tasks. It not only makes for less work for any one person, but will help you build a network of professionals who all share the same passion for the project that you do. He also encouraged directors to give real thought to their distribution model before they take the plunge into creating a video series.

“Before you shoot, have a distribution plan: where will your series air?” says Tim. ” How often will new episodes come out?  How will you spread the word and drive interest to your site?  Will you submit to festivals?  Who’s going to do that job?  Without a distribution plan, you’ll have just made a very expensive home movie.”

You can see more videos at Assignment: Unexplained. You can also find follow it on Twitter @AssUnexplained and Facebook at www.facebook.com/AssignmentUnexplained.

We always like to call attention to dedicated creative people who are making big things with video, who can do more with less.  That’s why we were so excited to see the video work of The Movie President.  The Movie President is the brainchild of Kevin A. Millward, a film student at Northern Kentucky University.  Kevin’s movies are a great example of what indie video creators can accomplish, making great entertainment on a shoestring budget.

Like a lot of video creators, Kevin fell in love with the movies at a young age and started making movies when he was in sixth grade.  His earlier films starred family members, friends and neighbors, though he sometimes had difficulty keeping his non-professional cast interested.  He founded The Movie President after becoming friends with Chris Hart, another NKU student with the same passion for movie making.  Together, they’ve created a string of short horror flicks, quirky comedies and Star Wars tributes.  He’s now pursuing a film school education with the intention of starting a career in movies.

“Over the last year, I have learned a lot of crucial lessons while producing short videos,” says Kevin. ” The most important lesson, however, is one that would seem obvious, but applies to every single shoot that I do: Anything that CAN go wrong, WILL go wrong.  I’ve experienced everything from actors bailing at the last minute and locations becoming suddenly unavailable to extreme weather changes and cameras breaking.  As cliche as this sounds, I’ve found the best mindset to have in this field is to hope for the best and plan for the worst.”

Among Kevin’s most interesting videos are the “Tales of Terror,” a series of short horror projects.  We don’t see many young video creators tackling creepy subjects, so these immediately grabbed our interest — from the story of a man trapped on a psychotic game show in  “Deathtrap” to the campy cannibal feast that is “Hungry for those Good Things.”

“The biggest challenge in making short horror films for YouTube is the issue of keeping the content appropriate for most ages,” says Kevin.  “When it comes to horror, it is sometimes difficult to avoid violence, blood/gore, and disturbing dialogue.  For the most part, the videos I have made are suitable for most audiences, but occasionally I will have some negative feedback and controversy attributed to the content.  The line between entertainment and offending someone is often blurred in this genre, but I am a strong believer in taking risks.  If you don’t put yourself out there and try new things, you won’t get very far.”

But we also wanted to call special attention to Kevin’s short action comedy, “Finger Wars.”  You remember when you were a kid and you would pretend your finger was a gun? What if it really was?  This goofy romp takes that idea to its (illogical) extreme. With quick, tight cuts to increase the tension and a frenetic action-flick soundtrack, we were really impressed at how well this video managed to straddle the line between gritty action and absurdist comedy. But what really makes it are the special effects.  We’ve demonstrated some easy techniques for adding gunshots to your videos and you can see the results of similar special effects in this movie.   The comedy wouldn’t work in this case without some top notch special effects (and accompanying gun shot sound effects) to heighten the realism.  Luckily, they’ve got plenty. Check out the sequel to see even more finger wars – with bigger explosions!

Kevin and Chris are currently in pre-production for a spoof exploitation trailer called “Priests with an Attitude”.  Written by Chris Hart, it’s the story of two priests who take the law into their own hands as the last line of defense against the villains of a crumbling town. The pair are also at work shooting more Tales of Terror videos, a series of parody consumer reports, and possibly a prequel to “Modern Jedi: Episode II – A Dark Force.”  Learn more and watch some of their videos at The Movie President on YouTube.

You can see more of Kevin’s short films at The Movie President on YouTube. You can also find The Movie President on Twitter @MoviePresident and Facebook at www.facebook.com/themoviepresident.

How do successful viral videos like the dramatic prairie dog, Nyan cat, and OK GO do it? Learn how to make a viral video with a free report from Videomaker Magazine, How to Make a Viral Video: 11 Tips to Create a YouTube Sensation.

Every videographer dreams that their work will go viral, that they will shoot something that so speaks to people that it spreads like wildfire over the Internet. It’s a great way to bring attention to your business or show off your video-creating talents. And while it’s impossible to predict what will go viral, there are certain things that you can include in your videos to increase the odds that you’ll have a smash Internet hit on your hands.

A viral video is any video that becomes popular by being passed from person to person via the web. Marketers, entertainers, and videographers spend a lot of time trying to create videos calculated to “go viral” sometimes with great success.  They can be anything from remixes of poorly translated video games like “All Your Base Are Belong to Us” to funny clips from the news like “Boom Goes the Dynamite,” but they can garner thousands (or even hundred of thousands) of views!

How to Make a Viral Video: 11 Tips to Create a YouTube Sensation is the free report from Videomaker that will show you how to do it. It includes 11 proven tips for increasing the likelihood that your video will go viral. Learn the reasons behind the popularity of some of today’s hottest videos and how you can use the same ideas to catapult your own way to video stardom. There’s no telling what videos will take the Internet like wildfire, but we’ll show you some easy ways to better your chances of success.

Download your free report, How to Make a Viral Video:11 Tips to Create a YouTube Sensation.