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.
Apple has been known for being very ‘i’ centric with it’s devices – often only allowing Mac-able applications to run on many of the products Apple sells. So we were all taken aback with the big news coming from Avid’s corner that Avid Studio editing software will now run on Apple’s iPad.
Avid is known for Big Processing and Blockbuster Movie editing, but a few years ago they acquired Pinnacle Studio, which was an entry level editing software. Avid changed its name to Avid Studio and re-wrote its code to be more like mainstream entry level systems and more stable than it was in the past. Now Avid Studio is being released to edit on an iPad and we think the user abilities have many possibilities. Read the rest of this entry »
Videomaker’s Intermediate Editing Webinar will take you beyond simple cuts and transitions and teach you techniques that will allow you to advance your basic video editing skills. Our web presentation focuses on multi-camera editing, simple compositing, filters and effects and more; helping you in your quest to create polished and professional-looking video.
Following the session, all registrants will receive a copy of a special report. Additionally, we will be including live Q&A throughout the event; our team answering your questions. This event starts at 11:00 AM (PST) on Wednesday, Dec. 28, so be sure to sign up soon!
Check out Videomaker’s weekly Webinar Training Series for other sessions taught by our experts. Our webinar series features a wide variety of video production and post production topics including Advanced Shooting, Green Screen and Special Effects, Documentary Production, Lighting for Video, and much more.
Every so often, a project falls into your lap that is less than ideal. Perhaps you weren’t behind the camera, but a friend asks if you could edit a short video of their holiday party. You accepted, of course, but within moments of viewing the poorly-lit, grainy footage, you wish you hadn’t. As an editor, you’re not always in control of the video you work with. Fortunately, you and your computer can salvage footage that is seemingly beyond help.
One of the reasons dark and grainy video looks bad is because the colors lack saturation. This leaves the images looking muddy. By removing the color information from the video, you are removing part of the problem. You can do this by using a black-and-white filter, or by using the color correction tool to remove the color saturation. This will help in minimizing the grainy look, as well as give the video a old-movie feel. If you can’t afford to go black and white, reducing color saturation will still aid your visuals. You can build upon the old-movie theme by using a strobe effect, which will add a flicker to the video.
As for the sound of your given footage, this may be the most important part to fix. Clean audio can save the day, and that’s exactly what you’ll want to do, clean up the audio. Most editing programs have low-cut or high-pass filters, and these can be used to automatically adjust the tones in the video. To adjust specific sounds, look for digital noise reduction. The process here is honing in on a sample of sound that you do not want, then the feature will recognize that frequency within the clip and lower it. The difference in your waveforms should be like the ones in the image above.
Don’t give up hope on bad footage just yet. Bad footage doesn’t mean your project is doomed. With the proper editing techniques and some creativity, you can turn a hopeless project into a video that doesn’t disappoint.
For more tips on how to work with bad footage check out Fix It in Post.
Chalk this one up to the “we’ll believe it when we see it” category but according to IBM researchers, controlling computers with your mind is only 5 years away. To be fair, there are already many tests that have confirmed the ability to control simple computer functions with one’s mind but a fully functional mind-controlled operating system still seems a long way off – not to mention a bit scary. One of the most innovative companies in this field called emotiv, already has a non-invasive headset that can be worn over one’s head with several sensors. This headset allows users to control a computers, toys, and other electronics based off of the electrical thought patterns in their brain. The video below from TED.com shows how this amazing technology works. What’s interesting is that emotiv is able to achieve this without having to cut any hair, applying any gels, or more importantly, drilling into one’s skull. Given the advanced state of this technology already, it’s easy to see how it could become mainstream in gaming and to overcome disabilities.
What’s equally as exciting is what this technology could hold for video editors. If an editor were able to color correct, drop a track’s volume, select a clip, insert graphics, change editing tools, and organize files all with a simple thought, then the complexity barrier of editing software would be effectively gone. How great would it be to never have to remember pesky keyboard shortcuts or dig through countless folders to find an effect?
That being said, there are some obvious challenges for this technology. For starters, every editor would have to have full concentration when cutting a project together. One stray thought about what you’re having for lunch and your entire project could end up as a tribute to a bowl of soup and a fresh salad. This also brings up an interesting point…how would one multitask when using this technology? Would it be possible to listen to music while making a cut or to talk to a client while color correcting footage? No technology will ever be adopted in the video editing world unless it makes your project look better or get done faster. These are all questions that will need to be answered before this technology ever becomes useful to video editors. Even so, I’m sure my fingers will thank me some day when I no longer need to do mash the Control, Alt, Shift, and Y buttons in order to “quickly” insert a null object into an After Effects Composition.
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.
As we trek around the NAB show in Las Vegas, we have found that Autodesk, Inc. is now shipping two new products – Autodesk Smoke 2012 for Mac OS X software, an all-in-one editorial finishing tool with a robust, integrated 3D visual effects toolset. And the Autodesk Flame Premium 2012.
Smoke 2012 for Mac OS X
Smoke provides an all-in-one editorial workflow by combining powerful finishing tools with the familiar workflow of a nonlinear editor (NLE) to reduce complexity and streamline finishing of high-quality content.
“Smoke has Action [the 3D compositing environment of Smoke], and I use it for every project,” said Rob Lederman, senior compositor/editor at North Avenue Post in the United States “I get the majority of my keying, lighting and compositing done there, and the ability to control shadows, add light rays and lens flares, and all the Flame FX tools basically eliminate the need for third-party sparks/plug-ins.”
Key Features:
• Autodesk Smoke 2012 enhancements — a redesigned 3D lighting system in Action that produces cast shadows and realistic 3D lighting artifacts, support for geometry cache animation import from Autodesk animation software via Autodesk FBX software, and Flame FX creative and technical tools for common finishing tasks
• A comprehensive stereo 3D (S3D) toolset for editing, monitoring, compositing and delivering S3D projects
• Integrated tools for color correction, keying and advanced 3D compositing
• Conform and finishing workflow with Apple Final Cut Pro and Avid Media Composer via AAF and XML import
• Support for native media from H.264 from DSLRs to full-resolution R3D media For feature information and videos, visit the Autodesk Smoke for Mac site, and for video tutorials, visit AREA, the Autodesk digital entertainment and visualization community. Read the rest of this entry »
Watching media in 3D is coming to the latest laptop from popular manufacturers, Sony and Toshiba. Sony introduces 3D as a simple conversion by dedicating a button to view HD DVD or Blu-ray to 3D.
Whereas Toshiba is quickly working to get 3D available without the use of stylized glasses via the internal web cam. Viewing 3D content is certain to get tricky with multiple viewers, but likely, a single user will be gaming or editing, so glasses may be the most dependable method. The two-hue glasses are included and should be safely regarded as any other computer accessory as there is no guarantee that movie theater glasses will maintain functionality. Coupled with solid laptop design, both companies are putting this 3D in grabbing distance at $1,300 from Toshiba and from Sony, estimated around $1,700.
One of the worst feelings in the world is losing great edits because you didn’t save your work. You know that there’s no way you can replicate every edit. Even if there was some way you could, it’s still going to take hours to do so.
Our tip to you? Get in the habit of saving. Save, and save often. If you’ve just saved, save again. If you think it’s been awhile since you last saved, click save. If you forget to save, remember, and then save it. The point here is you can never save too much. The general rule is to save every five minutes and especially after completing time-consuming or difficult edits.
Saving different versions of your project every so often can help you as well. That way if you make several edits and realize you don’t like it, you can go back to an earlier version without having to start completely over. An easy way to do this is by adding a “v1” to the end of your project name (i.e., ProjectName_v1). Now, with just a glance, you know that the file is version one of that particular project. Continue to save as many versions as you like, being sure to change “v1” to “v2,” and so on. Try saving a new version when you reach editing milestones or when you start experimenting with what you already have.
Being diligent about saving your work is crucial to keeping your sanity as an editor. Don’t let your work be a victim of power outages and applications crashing. By developing good saving habits you’ll save yourself from the agony of unnecessary headaches and missed deadlines.
Interested in more tips on editing? Sign up for Videomaker’s free Video Editing Course. This free tip series is designed to help you improve your video production skills, fast. Learn More.
Everyone loves a good fight scene. Whether the fight takes place in a boxing ring, dark alley, or grocery store, the editing techniques for a fight scene remain the same. As an editor, the question you need to ask yourself is, “what kind of fight scene am I trying to portray?” Do you want to add drama to your scene or an element of chaos, or both?
Using multiple quick cuts within an action creates a fight scene that is fast-paced, while emphasizing the struggle between dueling parties. Cutting to the beat of a rowdy song will also add a chaotic element to any fight scene.
If it’s drama you want, try adding slow motion into the mix. Using slow motion allows the viewer to see elements of the fight that would otherwise go unnoticed. Reserve the use of slow motion for an action within the scene that you would like to add emphasis to, such as the dramatic impact of a punch or kick.
Action-enhancing editing will allow you to create a fight scene that is believable and packs a whole lot of punch. To find out more about the techniques you can use to add suspense to your video check out the Videomaker Action DVD.
Interested in more tips on editing? Sign up for Videomaker’s free Editing Course. This free tip series is designed to help you improve your video production skills, fast. Learn More.
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.
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