October 2010
Table of Contents
From Lighting Film Noir Style for those dark and dramatic scenes, to Tips for Spooky Ghost Effects, the October issue is full of helpful tips and delightful tricks that will make your videos an exceptional treat! This month's issue includes Videomaker's Annual Video Horror Stories, The Hypnotic Effect of Depth of Field as well as tips for using lavalier microphones, setting shutter speed and tricks for editing quickly. If you've just started editing and want a program to cut your teeth on, or if you've been editing for ages and looking to upgrade your current system, this month's Editing Software Buyer's Guide will help point you in the right direction.
Also, be sure to check out our reviews of the Sony NX5U, Barber Tech's SteddiePod & Joby's Gorillapod, a KinoFlo Light Kit, Editor's Keys Vocal Booth, and QTV's Autocue Teleprompter.
Feature Stories
An Animation and Motion Graphics Buyer's Guide
Video production is mostly dealing with concepts. As a storyteller your job is to convey the concept in such a way that the viewer understands the topic. If your story is the extinction of the dinosaurs, you might need a good graphic of a comet or meteor. Some dinosaur graphics would be nice too.
The Best Editing Software for your Videos
The video editing software market has been remarkably stable over the past decade, with a clear divide between "consumer" in the $50 to $150 range, and "professional" from the likes of Adobe, Apple, Avid and Sony, starting at around $700 to $800.
The Hypnotic Effect of Depth of Field
So you have questions, problems. Do not fear. First, you must gaze...deep..., deeper into my lens. Things are getting blurry, you are having trouble focusing. Never fear you are safe. You have merely dove deeper into...the Depth of Field.
Real Video Horror Stories 2010
We asked videographers to submit their real horror stories. What we got in return was stories of terrifying mistakes, and the motivation to avoid them.
Reviews
QTV SSP07 & QStart Compact Teleprompter Reviewed
Highly portable and easy to use, while delivering professional results; this little teleprompter gets the job done. Whether in the studio or on location, if you're ready to chuck the cue cards the SSP07 by QTV is definitely worth a closer look.
Barber Tech SteddiePod and Joby Gorillapod Ballhead X Reviewed
The Barber Tech SteddiePod sports a simple setup and diverse functionality while the the Joby Gorillapod is a light-weight flexible and handy tool. Both will help video enthusiasts make affordable and professional steady shots a reality.
Editors Keys Pro Edition Portable Vocal Booth Reviewed
Easy to setup and use, effective and affordable, the Portable Vocal Booth Pro Edition by Editors Keys is a sensible solution to the acoustic anomalies plaguing today's video producers.
Kino Flo BarFly 400 & BarFly 200 Kits Reviewed
The Kino Flo BarFly fixtures are built strong, cleverly designed and easily controlled. This is a superb light for many shooting environments.
Sony HXR-NX5U HD Camcorder Reviewed
The Sony HXR-NX5U is a true workhorse and one of the best camcorders in the AVCHD format. Professional event videographers will love the long record times and well thought out controls.
Columns
Viewfinder: Near Camera Editing
New technology enables us to practice "near-camera editing", which is a techniques similar to in-camera shooting,but instead of editing in your camera you make short quick edits.
Adjust Shutter Speed for the Best Video Images
Your camcorder has many manual settings - focus, white balance, aperture - that can make better images, but why would you want to set your shutter speed?
Create Film Noir Videos with Effective Lighting
From the gritty Batman movies to the mysterious scenes of The Maltese Falcon, lighting Film Noir style isn't just about controlling the light, it's about using the dark. You can achieve film voir video with subtle lighting effects.
Ghostly Effect for your Halloween Videos
There are all sorts of ways to make ghosts appear and disappear in your video, the "Pepper's Ghost" is just one of them, but is quite interesting in its realistic look of what we imagine a ghost should look like.
Reader Profile - Anthony Gardner
Video creation is sometimes a singular business, but video producers are a social lot. Our curiosity about our readers has inspired us to create this new column to introduce you to your fellow video producers.
Easy Tricks to Edit Quickly
Editors working on tight deadline understand the need for proficiency and speed. If you're editing on a daily or weekly basis, you will benefit greatly from their tricks, so the fun doesn't become a chore.
Lavalier Lessons
A terrific little audio accessory every videographer should have is a lavalier mic. They're good for many setups. Here are some lessons on using this versatile little gadget.
Real Estate Videos are Hot
These current economic times have everyone on edge. A house for sale can sit for months in this tough real estate market, but one bright spot enlisting interest is real estate video.
Departments
Building A Community Dedicated to Better Video
Comments and links to recent Videomaker Magazine Articles written to help people create better video.
New Gear: Marshall Monitors, Hatcams, Samson, Apple and Digital Juice
The gear you gotta have - the craft of making video takes a lot of stuff. This page is set to bring you the newest latest pieces of video support tools we find.
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