May 2009 Table of Contents

Did you ever wonder how editors create floating bubbles, flying birds, or illusional magic dust? The do it using particle editing software and it's not as hard as you might think. This month's issue shows you some step-by-step tricks to making particles float around in your video.

You'll also find tips to take that large lighting source on the sky, the sun, and making it work for you with our Outdoor Lighting story. We also reveal the latest winners of our annual short video contest along with our very popular Pro Cam Buyer's Guide. Plus, we review the Panasonic AG-HPX 170 pro HD camcorder and explain it's Ps card workflow.

Feature Stories

Adobe After Effects Tutorial: A Flock of Particles

Tutorial on how to use After Effects Particle Playground to create animations. Particles can do more than just add sparkle to an effect. You can use them...

Videomaker's Microphone Guide

Guide to finding the best microphones for video production. Learn about the many types of microphones. Includes list of manufacturer's websites.

Pro Camcorder Buyer's Guide

In a world of $100 FlipCams, why would you buy a video camera that costs thousands? Features, of course and your personal shooting situation often determines...

The Videomaker/Canon 2008 Best Short Video Contest Winners

Videomaker Video Contest Winners: Best Comedy, Best Animation, Best Music Video, Best Sports Video, Best Student Video, Best Educational Video, more...

Reviews

Video Light Kit Review: Videssence KSH2057P-SB Triple Fixture

The Videssence KSH2057P-SB video light kit comes equipped with 3 Matthews Reverse Stands that have a maximum height of 82.5 inches and a maximum load of 11 pounds.

Review: Polywell's Adobe Optimized Video Editing Computer

The Polywell x5800A-CXY is a top of the line video editing computer. No set up is required, and there are plenty of media devices for the video editor.

Removable Hard Drive Review: Maxell Professional iVDR-Xtreme 250GB

Maxell's iVDR-X field hard drive system emphasizes the physical protection of your digital assets. It fills a much-needed niche in today's digital...

Camcorder Review: Panasonic AG-HPX170 DVCPRO HD Camcorder

Panasonic AG-HPX170 DVCPRO HD Camcorder shows good color detail and has extensive picture customization options. The P2 based media, though, is still costly...

External Hard Drive Review: G-Technology G-RAID 3

G-RAID 3 is an external hard drive that directly attaches to a computer which performs all RAID operations in hardware transparent to the operating system.

Columns

Viewfinder: Making Video in an Economic Downturn

During the Great Depression a higher percentage of the population went to the movies on a weekly basis, compared to times of great prosperity.

Basic Training: The Low Down on Low Camera Angles

Getting the low-down (perspective, that is) on changing your camera angle changes the mood of the story. Here are some ways to alter the emotional impact of your videos.

Distribution: Preparing to Format Video for the Internet

With so many potential targets for delivering your video, it becomes rather exhausting to plan how many different types of video formats to export from your timeline.

Lighting: Outdoor Cinematography

There is nothing quite like lovely, outdoor cinematography. Bringing it to the screen requires that you to retool your perfect vision to serve the eye of the camera.

Producer PROFILE: behind the lens

How to use video to sell Real Estate Profitably. According to the National Association of Realtors, more than 82% of home buyers begin their search...

Editing: Multicam Video Editing Tips

To determine whether or not you need to use multicam video editing features, there are some considerations worth making.

Audio: Plosives and Sibilance

Using a combination of talent and recording techniques, along with some post-production tricks, you can create a clean, professional vocal recording.

Departments

In box: Getting Rid of Background Sound

A thread from Videomaker's Forum: I am an indie director/filmmaker... Is there an easy way to take the background sounds out in post editing?

Quick Focus

Greener Planet with ViewSonic... Read our Lips: No More Plastic, overkill plastic packaging... Green Batteries: No Guilt, disposable batteries...

Latest Videos

Best Practices for Using a Tripod to Stabilize your Shots.

How to set-up a tripod to capture professional level video. Learn the step-by-step process for setting up and stabilizing your tripod.

Lighting for Video
How to use indoor lights, natural light, and camera controls to create the best lighting for video production.
Audio for Video
How to capture Audio when shooting video. How to select the best microphone and location for the best audio and solve common problems videographers encounter wh …
Hand Held Video Camera Shooting Tips
This video shows you how to create better, more professional looking video by taking a closer look at hand held video camera shooting. Learn how to get effecti …

Video Forums

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