Make Better Video for YouTube
Welcome to Videomaker! Below are our favorite tips and techniques selected from the past 20 years of the magazine. Use these articles and resources to help transform your creative idea into a professional looking, polished video that will get you noticed on YouTube.
Special Effects
Special effects including green screens, fake blood, fire and gun effects can look realistic with the proper tools and techniques.
Gun Muzzle Flashes & Blast Sounds
Adding gun muzzle flashes and blast sounds to your shootout scenes is easy to do in post production. Learn how to build intensity using post-production editing …
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February, 2010How to create stop motion animation, using stills with light painting. Learn the step by step process to mastering this special effect.
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February, 2010We show you how to pull off three simple special effects using just the camera and the subject's reaction to sell the illusion. Learn how to make realistic…
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January, 2010How to properly set up your green screen backdrop, lighting, and camera. We will go over some common errors and their solutions.
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December, 2009How to use a green screen outdoors for chromakey. Learn about the lighting, obstacles and proper usage of the elements outdoors to add to the effect.
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December, 2009In this DIY tutorial, we show you how to make your own green screen with frame. Learn how to build the frame, attach the cloth and prep the materials for your…
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December, 2009The steps that you need to follow to be able to create a website video spokesperson walk-on effect.
Video Production Techniques
Tricks of the trade-Lighting/Audio
Three Point Lighting Forms Basis of Good Lighting Fundamentals
Learn the foundation for all good video lighting techniques.
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July, 2011Studios can save a lot of time in a shooting schedule. In order to set up your own, we'll show you what to consider when choosing a studio space such as size,&h…
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May, 2011Though great lighting does require some artistic prowess, even the first-time video enthusiast can get great results. To help you make professional looking…
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August, 2011Wide shots establish the mood of a scene and are important to set correctly. This segment defines the goals of good lighting, gives you some tips on how to&hell…
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August, 2012Lighting people isn't a one-size-fits-all setup. From bald heads to people with glasses, each subject will have something to stump the production lighting…
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July, 2012For truly versatile lighting suitable for all users check out FloLight's MicroBeam 2500W Equivalent video lights.
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June, 2012When you think of assembling a portable lighting kit, you need to consider what you need to complete a job, and also how to get that kit to your location.
Camcorder Techniques
The Fundamentals of Cinematography
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May, 2011Good 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…
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November, 2010The lens is where the magic of cinematography begin. With it you can bend light into focus, achieve great depth of field, and zoom into your subjects. We will…
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June, 2010The ceremony is done, but the big day isn't over yet. The reception is an important part of the wedding day. We show you how to light the dance floor, use the…
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July, 2010Film and video festivals are great ways to meet other enthusiasts just like you, and nothing gets the blood pumping faster than joining a 48-hour film…
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September, 2009Thinking about getting a new camcorder? Here are 10 points to consider while searching for the best digital video camcorder to suit your needs and budget.
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July, 2012If you want to get serious about shooting, it's not enough to watch movies and emulate the masters, you need to know the terms of the shots and what they mean.
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July, 2012If you want to get serious about shooting, it's not enough to watch movies and emulate the masters, you need to know the terms of the shots and what they mean.
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December, 2011Whether you're out for a quick shoot, or are lugging your gear a long distance, you can't always take a tripod along. Here are some tips for hand-held shooting…
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September, 2011With its extreme versatility, carefully machined aluminum and sleek design, Cinevate's Atlas 10 FLT is an incredibly useful piece of gear.
Making Better Video for YouTube
Uploading, formats, compression and downloads
Shoot Online Video for a Small Sharing Screen
Learn how to shoot for a small video sharing screen, to create better online videos.
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June, 2010In the past three years, Youtube.com, Google's video website, has become the place for video sharing. Knowing the restrictions will help you upload your next…
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April, 2008From YouTube to those that pay, video-sharing sites have risen from the obscure to dominate internet users' online experience. Which one is best for your…
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August, 2007From YouTube on the Internet to iPods and cell phones, you can find video everywhere. But getting it TO these devices can be tricky.
Video Editing
Putting it all Together
How To Get The Perfect Greenscreen Key
Learn how to get the perfect greenscreen key in Adobe Premiere, Final Cut Pro and Sony Vegas.
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November, 2010Though a story may be fresh, driving, and compelling, if it is too linear or too long, you risk losing the interest of your audience, We will show you how to…
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January, 2012We're going to show you how to successfully convert from one frame rate to another using footage interpretation and pitch shifting.
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January, 2012We'll show you some handy tips for correcting hisses and hums using high and low pass filters, notch filters and automated tasks.
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June, 2012Editing wedding videos used to be about catching all the right elements of the event: ceremony, cake cutting, bouquet toss, etc., but now wedding video editors…
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May, 2012Packed with professional features Avid's Media Composer 6 may well be the ultimate editing system available.
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April, 2012Vegas Pro 11 is a welcome upgrade to this classic professional editing tool.
Pre-Production
Planning tools to save time, money and aggravation
Select Tripod, Microphone and Camera for Web Video Production.
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 b …
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July, 2010Film and video festivals are great ways to meet other enthusiasts just like you, and nothing gets the blood pumping faster than joining a 48-hour film…
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March, 2010You might know what you want to shoot, but how long will it take to do it? Here is how to create a simple shooting schedule so you'll have the answer.
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July, 2009An Audio monitor will help take you from amateur to professional videographer. Audio quality is often a difference between amateur and professional videos.
Latest Videos
Choosing a Camera
Achieving the film look is no easy task. And choosing the right camera is the first step to get you on the right track. In this segment, we'll discuss camera c …
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Defining the Film Look
All video professionals and indie filmmakers put a great deal of effort into their final product. Many of them wish to go a step beyond and achieve that pinnacl … -
How to Make Your Own DSLR Camera Rig
Ever since DSLR cameras started recording video, cinematographers everywhere have used them to give their videos a sleek and "professional" feel. However, quali … -
How to Make Your Own Car Mount
It's pretty commonplace for someone to ask how a special effect shot in a summer blockbuster was done, but you don't often hear someone asking how an exterior c …
Video Forums
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Looking for help on a music promo video - how to?
May 31
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How do you store and access home video?
May 31
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Video keepsakes
May 31
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Pinnacle or Sony Vegas which to use?
May 31
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Great deal from Adobe
May 31
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Episode 8 - What's The Best Hard Drive Configuration For Videographers?
May 31
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Studio DIY budget Ceiling Rail System
May 31
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Frame Rates & Editing- What should I do?
May 31
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Introduce Yourself
May 31
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Shooting in tight spots
May 31
Video News Blog
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The T-Slate Will Make Your Production Look Professional
May 31
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Help Get the ZipShooter Camera Dolly Project Off the Ground
May 30
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Gap Tooth Documentary Shows Even Small Stories Can Intrigue
May 25
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Car Mounts Photo Shoot, Behind the Scenes at Videomaker
May 24
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OmniVision Announces 4K Video Sensor for Phones
May 23
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PENTAX K-30 - Adventure With It
May 22
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CTIA 2012 Spotlight Award Winner: Western Digital Socrpio Blue 7mm Hard Drive
May 21
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CTIA 2012 Spotlight Award Winner: Kingston Wi-Drive 64GB
May 21
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Video Production Tip: Use Green Screen Wisely
May 21
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CTIA 2012 Spotlight Award Winner: Pop Video Projector
May 21
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