I had the pleasure of auditing a portion of the Videomaker “Basics of Video Production” workshop a couple weeks ago. There are many basic rules when it comes to video, and there is a wealth of basic knowledge that continues to be the foundation for great production. Though I had been exposed to all of this before, it had been years since I had seen the fundamentals of good video production laid out so methodically. It caused me to really think about the basics again.

As my experience has grown, I have developed a tendency to wing-it much more often than I would have when I was just starting out. The video portion of my scripts began to dwindle, and the fine details of the script were often left to be finalized on set. I was still proud of the final product, but as I sat in the workshop, I was reminded that proper planning, and a concise vision of what you want out of a given video project can really be the difference between good and great video production.

While there is no substitute for experience, remembering to follow those simple rules makes your chance of success so much higher, so write that script and edit it until it’s perfect. Make that storyboard a true reflection of what you want to see in your video. Keep shooting takes until the shot is right. White balance properly for every shot. If you think there might be some distracting backround noise, do your best to minimize it on the set. Move the lights that extra inch to get it just right, and help your talent give the performance you know they’re capable of, even if it feels exhausting at the time.

Take your time, because what only takes a few seconds in the field, can take hours to fix in post-production. Doing all these things will make the the video production experience much more enjoyable for you and your crew, and it will show in the results.

Greg has 15 years of experience working with video professionally, and has recently joined the Videomaker team.

What’s Your Video Style? Take this quiz for fun and see what style of video best suits your personality. Agree or disagree with your results? Tell us why below!

1) What’s your Favorite thing about putting together a video?

A) I like working in a nice quiet studio, where I can devote all my attention to my work.

B) I like working with video tools and equipment. I’m a real hardware fanatic!

C) I like working with people. They fascinate me!

D) I like creating an ambiance, something that will really draw the audience into the movie!

E) I like the action. I’m not happy unless I’m in the center of the storm!

F) I like the chance to be creative, to experiment with new ideas!

2) What’s the most important thing you look for when you watch a video?

A) I look to see how well it’s technically put together. I appreciate good craftsmanship.

B) It has to look good! People aren’t going to watch it if it looks like it was made by amateurs.

C) I like a good story, something to really make me care about the people on the screen.

D) A good soundtrack! A movie is boring if it doesn’t have a some tunes!

E) I want to see real people in real situations! I want to see how things really happened.

F) Did it teach me something new? I always want to add to my knowledge!

3) If you could pick anyplace in the world to shoot a video, would you choose to shoot:

A) The Great Barrier Reef in Australia?

B) The Roman Catacombs in Italy?

C) The Great Pyramids of Egypt?

D) The Oktoberfest Celebration in Germany?

E) The Running of the Bulls in Spain?
F) Bodie Ghost Town in California?

4) How would you describe yourself?

A) Meticulous and Logical!

B) Dark and Mysterious!

C) An Avid Story-teller!

D) Epic, Bigger than Life!

E) A Romantic at Heart!
F) Curious and Restless!

5) What’s your Biggest Reward in Making Video?

A) The Satisfaction of a Job Well Done.

B) The Appreciation of an Audience

C) Making a difference in the way people see the world.

D) The Chance to do Something Challenging and Creative

E) Seeing People’s Faces when they see themselves in your video

F) Seeing your Work on the Big Screen.

If you answered mostly A, you are an EDITOR. Shooting video is fun, but you have a real appreciation for the craft and artistry that comes afterward. You know that every snip and splice has the potential to make a story come to life, and there’s nothing you like better than turning that raw footage into something compelling.

If you answered mostly B, you are a LIGHTING FANATIC. You know that a video isn’t worth anything if you can’t tell what’s going on in it. Your standards for lighting are strict and your videos benefit from your attention to detail. Whether it’s creating a noir atmosphere with shadows or illuminating an interview subject, you know that lighting is key to interesting, engrossing videos. You’re always up to meet the challenges that other videographers forget to prepare for.

If you answered mostly C, you are a DOCUMENTARIAN. You love story telling and you can find the story in anything. Whether it’s something as small and silly as a nature film about salamanders or as heart-felt and personal as a family biography, you’re aces at finding those telling moments that illustrate the big picture. You love exploring human drama and you’re not shy about capturing the best – and worst– with your camera.

If you answered mostly D, you are a SOUND FANATIC. You’re the person people turn to when they need to capture the soft sounds of birdsong or muffle out the interrupting din from the nearby highway, because you understand how important sound is. When you do your job right, the results are practically invisible. Audiences may not realize why they like your videos, that your perfectly-synced sound effects and carefully selected music are what’s pulling them in, but you know the secret. You’re always up to meet the challenges that other videographers forget to prepare for.

If you answered mostly E, you are an EVENT VIDEOGRAPHER. You’re a daredevil; you like being right in the middle of the action. You don’t shirk from a challenge and you’re not afraid to take on assignments where you only have one shot to get it right – weddings, celebrations, speeches, anything where there’s a vortex of activity, you’ll be there with your camera in hand. Action is your watchword!

If you answered mostly F, you are a JACK OF ALL TRADES. You’re always exploring, always searching for something new. You never accept that you’ve learned enough, and you’re always striving to improve your video-making skills. Your creativity and inquisitiveness show through in your videos, which are continuously changing and maturing.

For tips and tricks with all sorts of video, join Videomaker‘s  eNews electronic newsletter, chock full of the info and advice you crave, it’s just what you need to satisfy that nagging curiosity.

If you’ve been shooting for any length of time, you’re already familiar with the basics of lighting. You’ve heard enough about the classic three-point lighting set-up to last a lifetime. But while good lighting is easy with a little bit of knowledge, GREAT lighting takes a lot more preparation. Videomaker has an essential video training toolto help you achieve the best lighting for your production – Advanced Lighting for Video will help you negotiate even the trickiest, most unusual lighting situations.

But there are some lighting situations that you probably thought you’d never encounter. That’s when you need Advanced Lighting for Video. How do you light a commercial product so that people want to buy it? How do you light the inside of a car so that your audience can see what’s happening? Advanced Lighting for Video is the consummate guide to navigating the toughest, weirdest lighting dilemmas.

Setting Up a Studio – What do you need when you’re setting up a studio? Learn what to look for in size, electricity, and sound.

Studio Lighting – Your studio lighting can look professional quality with the right lamps, fixture types and room dimensions. We’ll show you how!

Product Lighting – You want people to buy your product? A little lighting know-how can go a long way toward making anything from a basket of fruit to a used car look irresistible.

Lighting Car Interiors – Inside a car is one of the hardest spaces to light for video. Learn how to light it right inside a cramped space where big lamps won’t fit!

Lighting Night Scenes – Outdoor night scenes can be tricky because bright obvious lamps can easily ruin the illusion. We’ll show you how to use a light touch so your audience won’t wonder where the light is coming from.

Lighting Wide Shots – Lighting a wide shot is difficult if your lamps can’t reach the entire area. We’ll show you how to solve this problem, so that your widest angle shots still look uniformly good.

Professional-looking lighting is within your grasp when you absorb the knowledge on these DVDs. Learn how to conquer any mishap when you have Advanced Lighting for Video. It’s the essential lighting tool for every videographer who’s serious about taking pride in their craft.

To learn more, visit Advanced Lighting for Video!

Want to learn how to make a storyboard for video or film? Videomaker has asked a professional Hollywood storyboard artist to share the tips and techniques that an aspiring storyboard artist needs to understand in our latest free report How to make a Storyboard: Movie Storyboarding Examples.

In this special fully illustrated report, professional storyboard artist Jennifer Albright shares all the tips and techniques that an aspiring storyboard artist needs to succeed.

When you’re making a video, the more planning ahead you do, the better. Figuring out exactly what you’ll be doing during a shoot saves your crew time and labor, and saves you from cost overruns and production headaches. A good  sample will help you see how your shots fit together before you’ve shot a single foot of film or kilobit of video. This report explains how to make a storyboard that will show your crew what you have in mind, and save you from trying to convey what you want with wordy explanations and frustrated hand gestures.

Complete with illustrated examples, this 100% new report is a fast and simple way to learn how to use the storyboard format. This free report explains all the subtle tricks that communicate movement and action in a static medium. Learn how to show camera angles, lighting and camera motion in storyboard format with “How to Make a Storyboard: Movie Storyboarding Examples!”

We asked Jennifer Albright to compile this helpful guide to storyboard art, drawing on her own experiences as a freelance storyboard artist in the television and film industry. Jennifer is a UCLA film school alumnus and Los Angeles-based illustrator whose clients include Fox Sports Marketing.

Download your free report How to make a Storyboard: Movie Storyboarding Examples.

Take a look at what we found at NAB!

ARRI is introducing a new generation of LED-based Fresnel lights that was first presented in concept form at IBC last year. The ARRI L-Series represents a major step forward in the integration of LED technology into the film and broadcast industries.

The L7-D, L7-T and L7-C all share the same basic housing and the same 7″ Fresnel lens. They differ in terms of color temperature, with the D model outputting a daylight-equivalent 5600 K, the T model a tungsten-equivalent 3200 K, and the top-of-the-range C model offering total color control.

Customers purchasing any of the three initial units can decide between two different cooling assemblies and two different control options, so there are actually 12 distinct L-Series configurations available at launch, catering to a huge variety of studio and location lighting requirements.

Whereas other LED fixtures have taken forms that demand sacrifices in the quality of lighting designs, the L-Series is unique in that it fits perfectly into established working practices. This means that lighting designers will not have to adapt their creative techniques, nor will studios have to change their operating procedures; conventional Fresnels can be exchanged for L-Series Fresnels on a like-for-like basis, achieving substantial and immediate cost savings with minimal disruption.

The sun is a great light source to use when shooting outdoors. It’s inexpensive, doesn’t require electricity, and provides more than enough light for your entire set. However, one of the problems with the sun is its hard light qualities. The sun will tend to leave your subject’s faces shadowy and/or blown out. One way to counteract the overall power of the sun is by using a diffuser.

Cloud coverage works great as a diffuser for the sun, though it’s not very reliable. It shows up when it wants, and tends to leave when you need it most. Fortunately, there is an inexpensive way to create your own “cloudy” day. By using PVC pipes as a frame, and a lightweight white bedsheet as the diffusing material, you can create a large diffuser capable of intercepting the sunlight and turning it into a bright light, free of shadows.

Though diffusers work great for sunlight, because of their size, they’re not great for all shot types. Wide shots don’t always require diffusion. However, it is important to pay attention to the changes of light quality between your closeups, medium and wide shots in order to make sure they are all going to match.

Making your own sun diffuser can save you money, while providing you with beautifully diffused outdoor lighting. The sun is a powerful light source. With the right accessories and lighting knowledge you can create great lighting without ever having to plug into a wall.

For more tips and ideas for indoor light diffusion and outdoor diffusion solutions check out Light Source: Using Diffusion.

Interested in more tips on outdoor lighting? Sign up for Videomaker’s free Video Lighting Course. This free tip series is designed to help you improve your video production skills, fast. Learn More.