Choosing Your Direction: Progressive or Interlaced

A great director once asked, "To Interlace or not to Interlace? That is the Question. Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to capture slings and arrows of sporting events clearly, or to make beautiful film-like pictures against a sea of blur..."

Well, maybe that wasn't exactly what he said, but it went something like that. In any case, the question is asked a lot: Should I shoot in interlaced or shoot progressive instead? Most people have learned that video shot progressively has a film-like look and that interlaced looks more like news. Well, it's not that simple. Both types of recording have a place and a time, and to use one over the other is asking for some real drama. But make a choice you must. So in order to understand which way to shoot, you must first understand the difference in the way the video is laid down on the tape... More

If you have questions, it helps to ask an expert in person. In addition to our published video educational resources, we offer video production Workshops, Summits and Conferences. By attending one of our Chico, CA video production workshops, you can learn video editing, lighting, and camcorder techniques while you network with your peers. During the East and West Coast Summit, you can learn digital video editing in a smaller hands-on class using a Sony Laptop with Adobe CS3 Editing Suite. Also available are our Videomaker Conferences which provide 1-2 full days of informative lectures on various video production topics. To find a Videomaker Conference coming to a city near you, see our schedule of upcoming video production events!

Register Now For Our 2008 Events

Videomaker Presents has been updated with a more intense Tips section. We're taking more time out in the field and in the studio to bring you the best in video production techniques.

Videomaker Presents is now available in a higher resolution, with download times remaining low. You asked for it, and you got it! See more detailed video by clicking on the Hi-Res button below.

High Resolution

You can connect with people who make video like you do. People that use the same editing software package, have the same camcorder, produce the same type of videos or you can find people that have all three things in common. You can engage in discussions about your favorite genre or about your most admired technique.

Visit the Videomaker Community!

Check out the community forums

• 2008-07-06
  Exporting as WMV or AVI in FCP
• 2008-07-06
  Mini HD tape blackening
• 2008-07-06
  Microphone Boom Complete!
• 2008-07-06
  Best true HD camera for my feature?
• 2008-07-06
  Ending Credits

• Primera Bravo SE Blu Duplicator
  When, exactly, does the time come for a duplicator? If you're making money with video, and you've got a lot of discs to ship out to a lot of places, and burning them individually would take too long or be too tedious, but you need too few discs to bother taking the job to a duplication house... a duplicator is your friend...more
  
• Pinnacle Video Transfer Device
  This little black box has a cable going in and a cable going out. Oh, and there are two buttons too. That's pretty much it. But what happens in the middle makes it a useful tool...more
  
• M-Audio Studiophile AV 40 Speakers
  Enjoying a good set of speakers on your desktop is a joy many have yearned for. I'm not talking about the "high quality" multimedia speakers that came bundled with your computer. I'm talking about real speakers. I'm talking about speakers that don't just let you hear the sound; they let you taste it..more
  
• Storyist v1.3.6 Novel and Screenwriting Software
  If you're a Mac user and you're seeking a cure for "writer's block" on your next production, Storyist Software may be the ticket. The application offers writers an easy-to-use tool for short scripts and even feature-length movies. The Storyist interface is both familiar and intuitive, all in the name of unleashing creativity. The Project Pane shows your entire project at a glance - Plot, Characters and all - while the Storyboard Layout allows drag-and-drop functionality for photos and text. The results of utilizing Storyist range from having a professionally formatted script ready for a Hollywood audition to gaining a new level of understanding in an independent production...more
  
• Photoflex Starlite Dual Spectrum Kit
  One of the most frequent requests for information we get is about lighting. It seems that a lot of people hold opinions about CCDs vs. CMOS, progressive vs. interlaced, and all kinds of formats. But when it comes to lighting equipment, those same people shrug their shoulders in confusion. They know they need it, but what do they buy? Incandescent or fluorescent? Daylight or indoor balanced?...more