My (Ansley typing here) first job out of college was a video editing job at a production company. My boss taught me that if a video doesn’t turn out how a client expected, it’s because we didn’t ask enough questions beforehand. It’s our responsibility to make sure we’re doing our part in producing a video that the client is happy with.
One afternoon, at that same job, I got a call from a middle-aged gentleman. We’ll call him Joe. Below is the conversation I had with Joe:
-------- Joe: “Hi, is this a video store?”
Me: “Well, we’re not Blockbuster, but we do produce videos. What can I help you with?”
Joe: “See, I got this video shoot coming up tomorrow for my business, and the video people mentioned some fancy piece of equipment I never heard of. I’m calling around to different places tryin’ to figure out what it does so I don’t look like an idiot when they get here.”
Me: “OK, what piece of equipment did they say they’re bringing?”
Joe: “They said they’re showin' up with a videogeyser.”
Me: “I’m sorry, a what?”
Joe: “A videogeyser. I've been calling around and nobody can seem to tell me what it is.”
Me: “A videogeyser... Hmm, that doesn’t sound like any piece of video equipment I’ve heard of before…” (I think for a few seconds) ”Do you think they might have said, ‘The video guys are coming out tomorrow for your video shoot?’”
(There’s a long pause while I’m stifling laughter. Slowly it dawns on Joe what they had really said…)
Joe: “Ohhhhh… Yeah, that makes more sense!” Click.
---------- We can all learn a lesson from Old Joe: If you don’t know something, just ask! All that time calling around to different production companies could have been avoided by asking one simple question. Clarification is especially important in the video production business when communicating with clients.
• Feel free to call your merchant ahead of time- you can find their contact info on the project page.
• Google their business name, check out their website, do a little research on the business.
• Use the communication tool on the project page for messages to your merchant regarding directions to the location, or any questions about their particular business.
• Contact StudioNow for any questions regarding compensation, technical specs, etc.
• You should also proactively check the project page for messages sent to you.
If you end up having to edit video shot in XDCam and you are not using the latest version of Final Cut Studio, you may run into issues using/playing/editing these files.
Calibrated Software has released a product (Windows and Mac compatible) that may prove immensely helpful - Calibrated{Q} XD Decode. Calibrated{Q} XD Decode will allow you to view and convert these files to a usable format using Quicktime Pro. Unfortunately, it is not free, but $79.95 seems like a small price to pay to overcome such a major obstacle in your workflow.
Disclaimer: This product is not copyrighted by, authorized by, or otherwise affiliated with StudioNow.
StudioNow offices will be closed on Friday, July 3rd, but we'll all be back on Monday.
All of us here at StudioNow wish you a safe and happy 4th of July. To help celebrate, we give you an organization that truly represents the great melting pot that is America...
I wish I'd seen this earlier, but there is still plenty of time.
One of our Senior Developer's, Patrick Altman, forwarded the info on Amazon's 'Your Amazon Ad' Contest to me last night, and I wanted to make sure everyone was aware of it.
The basic idea is to create a short video advertising Amazon.com for a chance to win $20,000 in Amazon.com Gift Cards. We'd be proud to have the winner be a Member of our Network, and we know you have the talent to do it. Click here for the details. Good Luck!
It’s no secret that video production tools and equipment can get expensive. What you may not realize is that there’s a world of apps FREE for the taking if you know where to look. Below are some of our favorites we thought we’d share:
Acorn What it does: Say you need to edit an image, but don’t have the fancy-shmancy Photoshop suite to do it. Acorn is a great image editing program that has all the basics. Where to find it: http://flyingmeat.com/acorn/
Handbrake What it does: Need to “rip” a DVD? Use Handbrake to pull video straight from the disc. (We know you wouldn’t use this for copyrighted material ☺) Where to find it: http://handbrake.fr/
IShowU What it does: Allows you to screen capture in real time for those customers who want you to use animated portions of their website. Where to find it: http://store.shinywhitebox.com/home/home.html
Perian What it does: Adds native support for many popular video formats (i.e. allows you to play flash video in QuickTime). Where to find it: http://perian.org/
We hope that these programs are helpful to you as you continue to create top-notch StudioNow videos!
Disclaimer: These products are not copyrighted by, authorized by, or otherwise affiliated with StudioNow.
Today we look at another Citysearch business profile... this time for Jimmy's Burger Joint in Costa Mesa, CA.
Jimmy's is brought to you courtesy of StudioNow Network Member Roger Timm of Los Angeles, CA (and sometimes Austin, TX). Roger is a part of Ugly American Entertainment and has been a video and film creator for the better part of 10 years.
SN: What unique challenges and opportunities do you feel like restaurant shoots provide vs. other kinds of businesses? We'd love to know if and how you approach different categories of businesses. Salons, restaurants, clubs, plumbers, etc...
RT: Restaurants are tricky, but can be the most rewarding. You get lots
of visually stimulating shots, but many times they are dark and must be
managed because most places WILL NOT let you bring in external
lighting. I approach each job individually. Clubs always need extra
lighting and usually need seperate areas for interview, so I always get
there early. Salons are usually the easiet to showcase because they are
concentrated, self contained. The key to a good restaurant shoot is to
get to know the owner, or manager on the phone before the shoot. Also
get to know the style of place and food involved. This will let you
create a video based around the person rather than just the place. This
is critical to a good documentary approach. SN: The lighting on this piece looks great and the production value is high. Please elaborate on any specific techniques (either on location or in post) that you used on this or other shoots to help achieve this kind of look?
RT: To get the best look, I attempt to set subjects in the best balanced
light for a sharp and complete exposure. Sometimes this takes a little
extra time finding the right spot, but it is always worth it. When that
is not available, I bring in my own lighting if the client allows.
SN: What do you have in your standard kit of gear that you take for a Citysearch or business profile video? RT: I use a Panasonic HVX-200 camera with a lens adapter kit and 2 16 gig
P2 cards (review). I use a Bogen tripod with a fluid head. I also use an
arriflex light kit for some shoots, but not the Jimmy's shoot that was all
ambient light, and I have a bescor and a lowell interview light, one of
each. I use an e series wireless lav kit by Shure, the beta, and I use Sony Pro headphones. Other miscellaneous items include multiple charged batteries and backup power supply, lens filters and
gels and paperwork with clipboard. Also, always remember a pen!
SN: If you could offer one piece of advice to a fellow
StudioNow filmmaker about creating a really awesome, compelling
business profile video, what would that be?
RT: The best way to make a great video is to remember that this is a video for a person/business and that this is that person's livelihood. If you take the time to showcase the personality and best traits of a particular place, the editing is easy. Also, patience is very important. These are not actors, but most times they know what they do far better than you do. So let them help you craft the video by bringing out the best in them.
This week we shine the spotlight on the Barre3 business profile video done for Citysearch.
StudioNow Network Member John Morgan of Portland, OR. shot and edited Barre3 along with a number of other great looking and compelling business profile videos. John has been in the tv/film industry for 15 years and just opened his own business, StereoEye Productions, a year ago.
John has provided some great information regarding his own technique and process along with a lot of advice and suggestions that are dead-on:
SN:We've noticed that in many of your videos you include several (more than the usual 1 or 2 that we see most of the time) customer testimonials. Having multiple testimonials, even if only brief, is extremely effective at enhancing the message of the featured speaker as well as providing added authenticity and improving the overall pace of the piece. How do you approach people about giving a brief testimonial so as to encourage their participation and also minimize the inconvenience to them? Also, what do you do to put your speakers at ease?
JM: The best way to acquire testimonials is to call ahead. Contact the client and suggest that they have some of their favorite customers drop by to appear on a "commercial". Sometimes clients will have scripts written out for their customers when you show up for the shoot. This is great for people who are experienced at working in front of a camera, but not so good for the average person. Have the customers deliver the lines given to them by your client, then have them answer questions you ask, or even better, have the customer say what ever they want. You will find out what method produces more natural testimonials as soon as you start logging. Stand next to your camera and have the customer look at you while they speak, make eye contact, and look relaxed. Of course, tell them they were great!
For Barre3, I have to confess, one of the speakers was a reporter for a local TV station, and another was a professional PR person. Sometimes you really hit the jackpot. For the other speakers, I asked them some standard questions like, "what do you think of the staff here?", and, "what is your favorite thing about Barre 3?" Then I asked them to tell me what they would tell one of their good friends about the business. I also edited the bites down to the word, eliminating quite a few repeated words, uhms, ahhs, and sentence fragments. I then used video to cover the jump cuts created by these edits. SN: In many of your business profile videos, including this one, you mix the music and the sound bytes, with the ambient/natural sound of what is going on in the room in a very effective way (ie. the portion of the video where you can hear her teaching her class). This provides added energy and atmosphere to the overall piece. Many pieces we see simply just use music and the soundbytes as the audio. Can you talk about what you feel the live sound can bring to the piece overall, and how you incorporate it into your pieces?
JM: For Barre3, I made sure the instructor/owner had a wireless mic
on as she taught the classes. This does not always result in any
useable audio, but it is always worth a try. She just happened to say
some things to her class that she had mentioned in her interview, so I
just spliced them together as tightly as I could. Sometimes, I will ask
the owner to wear a wireless mic as they meet and greet customers, you
can capture a lot of personality that way.
Keep an open mind as you log. Save sub clips of anything at all that could highlight any of the primary messages on your production checklist, as well as anything interesting. Be thorough. There might be 18 frames of gold in that 6 minute clip. If you log and label carefully, it will be easier to pair bites, video and nats. Nat pops, and music swells can also serve as an easy way to accomplish otherwise awkward transitions. SN: The lighting on this piece looks great and production value is high. Please elaborate on any specific techniques (either on location or in post) that you used on this or other shoots to help achieve this kind of look? Of particular interest are the camera moves and techniques that you used on the exteriors and signage.
JM: Use natural light when you can, and use a white card! If you don't have time to white balance, at least hold the card up for a second so you have a white reference to calibrate with in post. You might not have time to set a 3 or 4 point light scheme, so concentrate on the face. I use a 42" reflector disc for head shots. Bouncing a good tungsten Fresnel light off of that will give you a nice smooth light. If you are not good with scrims, use a dimmer. Sometimes the direct light from that fixture will sneak through the barn doors, there is your fill light!
When shooting exteriors, I use a tripod and get as many kinds of zooms, pans, and tilts in various speeds. Use a fast shutter speed if possible, this will improve the result if you use any slow motion, or motion smoothing effects. Once you have spent your precious 5 minutes shooting from the tri-pod, you can then go hand-held and try the fancy stuff. In this video I shot through the business front window, getting the city in the background and the logo (which was backwards to the camera). In post I flipped the image so the logo was readable, who was going to notice that the city was backwards?
SN: What do you have in your standard kit of gear that you take for a Citysearch or business profile video?
Clip board with tons of release forms, and pens. (you would be surprised)
SN: If you could offer one piece of advice to a fellow StudioNow filmmaker about creating a really awesome, compelling business profile video, what would that be?
JM: When you finish a project, you will likely have realized one or six things that you wish you had done during the shoot, or even in editing. Remember these things, write them down if you must. This might include things like how you relate to the client, including more close-ups for easier editing, asking more open ended questions, or using manual focus instead of auto. If you can make each video better than the one before it, you will be a pro before you know it.
Julep was shot and edited by StudioNow Network member Clyde Garrido. Clyde is from Seattle, WA. and operates
Nova Light Media. He has been shooting
film/video for ten years.
We recently spoke to Clyde about Julep and his film-making techniques:
SN:You were really able to bring out the personality of the owner and the business and to get clear differentiators for the business. How were you able to do that on this shoot and in general what is your approach to trying to get the most out of your interviews?
CG: The most important thing to do is to not put the interviewee "on the spot". I like to talk to them beforehand with the camera and gear up. It's important that they know they have all the time in the world (even though they don't) and are not self-conscious about what they are saying. Generally speaking, a business owner is passionate at what they are doing so if you make them comfortable, they should be able to express what is great about their business.
SN: This piece looks great and the production value is very high. Please elaborate on specific techniques that you used on this or other shoots to help achieve this look?
CG: I like to shoot with 35mm adapters to provide selective focus. The look was created in camera with no post color correcting or effects. We used only one light on the interviews, a Diva Kino Flo, but the same can be achieved with any cheap softbox. Julep also happens to be a great looking place, so we lucked out on that one.
SN:What do you have in your standard kit of gear that you take for a Citysearch or business profile video?
SN:If you could offer one piece of advice to a fellow StudioNow filmmaker about creating an awesome, compelling business profile video, what would that be?
CG: Work on your hand-held technique, don't use a tripod!** You can get four times as many shots without one. Keep up the latest technology trends and techniques. Watch lots of Apple videos, MTV and Discovery channel and emulate what they are doing. Don't be afraid to step out of what you learned in Video Production 101!
** Please Note: StudioNow recommends using a tripod for all interviews.
StudioNow bills its client partners (i.e. Citysearch, Ford Models, etc.) at the end of the month in which the customer approves your project. Your payment will be processed on the 15th (or the first business day following if the 15th falls on a weekend or holiday) of the following month. For example, if you submit a cut for a project on March 1st, and the client approves it on March 15th, we will bill our partner for that project on March 31st. Your payment would then be processed April 15th.
Currently, we can send your payment in one of two ways: a)physical check or b)direct deposit. If you would like to sign up for direct deposit, please let us know via email.
Please keep in mind that failure to send in raw assets and release forms on time could delay payment.
So you're preparing for your shoot, and you're wondering "how do I make sure that I get everything that the client partner (Citysearch, CBS Radio, Clear Channel, etc...) wants while at the same time making sure that I get what each individual customer wants and get in and out in no time flat."
The answer has always been found in the 5-10 minutes that you spend going over the On-Site Production Checklist with your customer immediately when you get on site. We call it the Pre-Shoot Consult. It is your opportunity to sit down with each customer and put them at ease with everything that is going to go on during the shoot and to get their direct input on what exactly they want the video to portray.
To help make the Pre-Shoot Consult more valuable and to help you elicit more information from your customer, we recently implemented a revised On-Site Production Checklist. In addition to the shot list, the speaker log, and the customer's primary messages, we have provided an area for the customer to outline key differentiators that set them apart from their competition as well as an area to note special requests that may fall outside the norm of a standard video shoot.
Again, we hope that this will help all of us in our quest to better serve the members of our network, our customers, and in the end, create the best possible videos.
Make sure that you are using the latest production pack for all of our clients including our revised On-Site Production Checklist. As always, we welcome your feedback. Please look it over, and let us know your thoughts.
