Pre-Production Streaming Videos

• Equipment
• Location Scouting
• Logistics
• Production Planning
• Script/Outline

• Tutorials - How to Set Up Lights and Microphones for Documentary Interviews
  May, 2011
  To help you get started with your documentary interviews, we show you the equipment you'll need, give you some tips on making a room look good, tell you what…
• Tutorials - How to Manage and Direct your Video Crew for your Documentary
  April, 2011
  Keeping a crew happy results in a more efficient and stress-free production. In order to help you do just that, we'll go over some ways to hold useful…
• Tutorials - Tripods, Dollies, and Other Essential Accessories for Documentary Shoots
  April, 2011
  Though shooting, audio, and lighting gear are incredibly important, they're not the only items that make make your documentary look great. That's why we'll go…
• Tutorials - Choosing the Best Lighting Equipment for Your Documentary
  April, 2011
  Good lighting defines the difference between great looking footage and poorly made home movies. Knowing the lighting technology and gear, such as fixture…
• Tutorials - Finding the Best Microphones to Capture Audio for Documentaries
  March, 2011
  A good audio kit includes more than a microphone. The best kit will have a good field mixer, external capture device, headphones, and cables and adapters…
• Tutorials - Finding the Best Video Camera to Shoot a Documentary
  March, 2011
  With thousands of camcorders to choose from, finding the one most suitable for your project can be frustrating. To help you sift through the hype, we'll look…
• Tutorials - Using Storyboards, Shot Logs, & Slates to Keep your Video Business on Track
  November, 2010
  Few things in life work well without a plan. The same goes for video. Planning a shoot by completing shot sheets, storyboards, logs, and slates can help you to…
• Tutorials - How to Find the Story in Your Documentary
  November, 2010
  Finding the right angle on a story can be as hard as finding a needle in a haystack. However, knowing your limitations and some factors that affect their…
• Tutorials - How to Organize a Shoot
  February, 2012
  In this how-to training video we show you how and why to assemble a storyboard, organize your resources, and manage a production schedule. When film-making,…
• Tutorials - How to Break Down a Script
  January, 2012
  In this segment learn how to discover the story and the characters of your next production.
• Tutorials - Pre-production for Music Videos
  October, 2011
  Just having a great idea and a good storyboard doesn't mean you're ready to shoot just yet. Like any good cinematographer, you'll first need to consider how…
• Tutorials - Contracts for Music Videos
  October, 2011
  Contracts are important for any production. They help your talent and crew understand what's expected from them and they help you keep your business secure. To…
• Tutorials - Forming Ideas for Music Videos
  October, 2011
  Finding an idea for a music video can be one of the most rewarding parts of making a music video. To help you, we'll look at sources for ideas such as the…
• Tutorials - Choosing a Music Video Genre
  September, 2011
  Knowing the genre of a music video helps a director clearly define the style of a video. It's important to know their details so that you can make sure your…
• Tutorials - Finding the Best Crew and Equipment for your Documentary
  April, 2011
  Having a good crew behind you can help you to not only get the shots you need, but get them on time as well. To help you find good crews, we'll first go over…
• Tutorials - Dollies, Pans and Other Types of Camera Movement
  January, 2011
  There is all sorts of fun equipment that can help you move the camera. Tools like dollies, stabilizers, and boom arms have been giving us unique perspectives…
• Tutorials - What to Research In Order to Make a Great Documentary
  October, 2010
  Research is an integral part to making a story deep, credible, and accurate. As such, we will show you both how to form revealing questions and what sources…
• Tutorials - Best Practices for Using a Tripod to Stabilize your Shots.
  July, 2010
  How to set-up a tripod to capture professional level video. Learn the step-by-step process for setting up and stabilizing your tripod.
• Tutorials - How to Conduct an Interview for Documentaries
  July, 2009
  Tom Benford's jib is a quick and easy-to-build device that anyone who knows how to turn a wrench and place a drill can build. Tom's JVC DF550U camcorder is…
• Tutorials - How to Build a Do-It-Yourself Crane for Making Video
  July, 2009
  Cranes are usually bigger than jibs, and they can carry not just the camera, but often the crewmembers operating it. Brian Peterson's crane was designed to be…
• Tips and Techniques - Select Tripod, Microphone and Camera for Web Video Production.
  February, 2009
  Yes, you can use a web cam to produce a choppy online video with horrible sound, but you're likely to lose credibility in the first few seconds. You can get a…
• Tutorials - Liven Up Your Documentary by Capturing B-Roll
  May, 2011
  Good B-roll helps you keep a good pace, cover mistakes, and dive even deeper into your story. To make sure your story has all of that, we'll go over some tips…
• Tutorials - How to Get Access to Locations for your Documentary
  May, 2011
  Getting access to the right locations can lend your story credibility and interest. To make it a little easier for you get into the places you need to shoot,…
• Tutorials - Delivering a Great Pitch to Convince Investors to Fund your Documentary
  February, 2011
  Now that you've put together a great prospectus, it's time to pitch it. Effective pitching involves doing research on your subjects, knowing how to approach…
• Tutorials - Fundraising Secrets for Documentaries
  February, 2011
  When getting money from investors just isn't enough, fund-raising is the next best option. There are many people who can't fund an entire documentary but can…
• Tutorials - Showing How your Documentary Can Make Money By Making a Budget
  February, 2011
  The most important and time consuming part of any prospectus is the budget. Budgets help investors know why your documentary costs what it does. This is why we'…
• Tutorials - The Different Styles of Documentary Storytelling
  October, 2010
  There are many ways to tell a story. Whether you are planning to participate in your documentary, motivate people to act on a cause, or merely allow your…
• Tutorials - Structuring your Documentary Story into Shots, Scenes, & Acts
  October, 2010
  Structure is the spine that gives a documentary organization and meaning. We will help you start off on the right foot by showing you some common ways to make…
• Tutorials - Interesting Storytelling Techniques for Documentaries
  September, 2010
  No matter what part you have in a documentary, good storytelling is key as it connects everything together. We will show you how Story Basics work together in…