StudioNow Blog

1. Avoid showing jump cuts when trimming the interview into a succinct narration. Cover with relevant B-roll.
2. Audio should play in both channels (stereo) with levels between -12 and -6 DB.
3. Do not let the background music bed overpower the speaking audio. Err on the side of too quiet.
4. Pay attention that the video ends on a strong call to action and concise fade out.
5. Do a quick but essential white balance grade before export (see this 3 Way Color Corrector for help)

There are certain magic numbers and ratios in the film industry, and 4'x4' is one of them. The 4'x4' bounce or diffusion frame is very common in the industry because it does beautiful things in close quarters, particularly to faces. When I first tried this setup, placing a 4'x4' bounce card 2' to 3' from the subject and lighting it with a 650w fresnel, the results were exactly what I was looking for. The nose shadow was very, very soft and gentle, and it almost didn't matter where it fell because it's difficult to see. The source wraps beautifully around the average face and light reaches easily into both eyes. The reflection of the light source causes skin to appear to glow from within. This quality of light, from a large source at close distance, works well on almost everybody.

On setting your rates:

You have to look at yourself as providing a wholesale service. That means, if my studio charges a client $200/hour for shooting with a full set of gear, if I hire you to shoot it for me, I can NOT pay you $200/hour. Charge other studios a fair rate for your talent and time, but be mindful that they have to make a profit on your portion of their services, just like they need to make a profit on other expenses they incur. Now, the benefit to you for that lower fee (compared to what the production company is getting) is that 1) you didn't have to do in marketing to get that client and 2) you don't have to manage that client relationship. In most cases, if you're shooter, you just show up and shoot. If a corporation is hiring you directly, then by all means, charge more to account for the extra work involved with client management.

1. What
 makes your 
business 
special?

2. What 
is 
the 
history 
or 
background
 of
 this 
business?

3. Why 
did 
you 
start 
the 
business?

4. What 
are 
you 
best 
known 
for? 

Why?

5. What 
makes 
this 
business 
different 
from
 other 
businesses 
like 
it?

6. What 
about 
this 
business 
are 
you 
the 
most 
passionate?

7. What 
notable 
awards 
have 
you 
won?

8. If 
you 
were 
to 
tell 
a 
potential 
customer 
why 
they 
should
 come 
here, 
what would 
you 
say?

9. What 
is 
a 
little 
known 
secret 
about 
this 
business 
that 
customers 
wouldn't
 know?

10. Are 
there 
any
 tips 
that 
you 
could 
tell 
customers 
that 
would 
improve 
their
 experience 
when
 they 
visit?


Fan Page Generator's business changed dramatically in early 2010 when the company started working with AOL StudioNow, which helps companies produce and syndicate online videos.

"It really transformed my ability to do my business, let alone the product that we provide other businesses," said Jason Deitch, CEO of Fan Page Generator. "The platform behind it allows me to keep my eye on where the video is in the process. I can see any video at any point in time; I know if it's been delivered. I know if it's been approved and if there are any issues in the editing."

Video is really, really good at showing motion and emotion. It's not so good at displaying text.

One of the discouraging facts of life is that we create all these great graphics on our computers only to see them destroyed when they get transfered to video. (Well, OK, maybe not destroyed, but really, really different.)

Is there anything we can do to change this situation? Well, um, no. But, there are things you can do to improve the look of your graphics and text when they are displayed on video. And that's what this technique is about:

1. Avoid lines thinner than 4 pixels, they will flicker
2. Avoid lines that are almost horizontal or almost vertical, they will stair-step
3. Avoid fancy, curvy fonts like Harrington, Chancery, or Savoye
4. Avoid fonts with very thin bars or serifs, such as Engravers, Baskerville, or Modern
5. Avoid point sizes smaller than 24 points
6. Avoid saturated colors, use the Vectorscope if you are unsure
7. Avoid whites brighter than 92% (235 in PhotoShop)
8. Always use drop shadows on any text you want your viewers to read
9. Always keep any text you want viewers to read inside Title Safe
10. Keep text on screen long enough for you to read it three times.

The fourth installment in our How to Shoot A Business Profile video series offers some advanced camera techniques in improving handheld stability and a few tips to stylize your videos.



See Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Shooting handheld is inevitable on short shoots due to time constraints. While shooting the interview portion (video coming soon!), it is critical to shoot on a tripod but much of the live action footage will be shot while walking around the facility. The video points out the advantages of establishing leverage from the camera eyecup or holding the camera against your hip. If you are shooting with an HDSLR, some sort of stabilization is crucial. There are loads of DIY options out there, but mounts from Red Rock Micro seems to be the overall winner in terms of build and custom functionality (though it is not cheap).

Corporate videos featuring small/medium sized businesses have a tendency to be boring. They don't have to be. Incorporating a few subtle moves into your camera work can prevent a less-than-compelling company into a dynamic and visually engaging commercial. The trick here is to strike a balance so that your stylized camera work does not overpower the subject. You want to accentuate while not overpowering the video.

Particularly when you first start trying out techniques such as whip pans, rack focus, drifts, or movement on a dolly, it is best to get multiple takes so you can choose the best one in post. The filmmakers who do these things the best, keep them to a minimum and do them in a nuanced way so as not to cause distraction from the content of the video.

BONUS (Not in Video)!
One last trick that you can do in post to keep an interview interesting: Shoot in 1080 but edit in 720. If your timeline sequence is in 720, your 1080 footage will be scaled to 67%. That gives you 33% of scale to work with so you can jumpcut/crop in during the interview. Editing this way can make your interviews look like they were shot with two cameras and keeps long monologues from growing stale visually. StudioNow projects are almost exclusively delivered in 720 so it makes sense to edit at that resolution. Particularly if it provides more latitude in your editing.

In case you have ever wondered about StudioNow being owned by AOL:

Wow, remember when AOL Video was just a tiny little project that had almost no content, no real driving force apparently and not all that many viewers? Well, maybe they had some viewers, but I wouldn't have considered them the place to go online to get new web series. In fact, I don't really ever go there at all. But now, with their newly announced set of new web series, that may all change.

-ReelSEO

1) Get there early to allow for navigation/parking and to unload your gear.

2) Find your contact and introduce yourself. If you cannot find the advertiser, please contact the StudioNow office immediately. Please stick around for up to 30 minutes before leaving in case that the advertiser is caught up with a customer, etc. Do not leave until you have spoken with someone at StudioNow.

3) The tone and success of most projects are determined within the 15 minutes of every shoot. In general, if they like you and you respect their opinions - things go much easier throughout the life of the project.

4) The pre-shoot consultation - it is critical that you sit down to review/walk through the on-site production checklist with the customer before rolling camera. This introduces the customer to process - it puts them at ease and helps organize their thoughts. Most importantly, it helps manage everyone's expectations. Post the Filming-in-progress sign and get all releases signed from anyone who is speaks on camera or is clearly recognizable. All children who appear on screen must have releases signed for all StudioNow shoots.

5) The interview - the advertiser has prepared their talking points ahead of time - it is your job to elicit those points out of them in the interview. Take notes to make sure you have a firm understanding of B-roll you will need to get. When choosing the location for the interview, consider the factors of lighting, audio and if it will provide an accurate portrayal of the company's facility. Avoid backlighting from windows when interviewing the advertiser. When filming the customer testimonials, vary up each framing when possible.

6) Filming B-roll - The key here is to OVERSHOOT. You want to make sure you capture a diverse range of shots including Wide and Close Ups, Pans, Zooms and Rack-focus shots to keep your visuals interesting. Anything shot that is not rock steady, reshoot. If an individual with an unsigned release steps into the frame, reshoot it. Shoot each room from a variety of angles. Your main goal is to capture enough coverage so you do not have to return to get a different shot.

7) Do not leave without signed releases! The signed Production Checklist ensures that you have final sign off from the customer and have fulfilled your obligations on set!

Now onto Post-production - stay tuned until next week. The final and most important to remember while in production on site: if anything changes or any requests emerge outside of the scope set out in the StudioNow guidelines, please call us prior to discussing further with the customer.

We have a new series of How To videos that are fun, short and informative for anyone new to the StudioNow network. A must see before shooting your first industrial video. The first episode is an overview of how to get ready and all the things that you want to be doing prior to the day of production. Check out Part 1 below and then some quick highlights provided after.

1. The project page is your one-stop-shop for everything you need prior to a shoot. Familiarize yourself with all the guidelines, tech specs and overall objective of the shoot. The earlier you can review all information on the project page, the sooner you can address any questions or concerns you have.

2. Probably one of the best things you can do in advance is making sure you are aware of the location that you will be shooting at. Print out the provided directions so you can plan for a 15 minute early arrival. On the day of, we generally recommend wearing black, being well groomed, and all that 'looking professional stuff.'

3. Brief research on the customer - see if you can get an idea of the nature/personality of this business or customer by glancing through their website. Place an quick introduction call to the customer 48-72 hours beforehand. This is an easy way to introduce yourself any last minute confirmation or questions before the shoot.

4. Prepping/troubleshooting gear - check your batteries! After you have all your gear packed and confirmed in working order, make sure you have the Preproduction Checklist and ample amount of Release Forms printed. These documents are absolutely critical to the successful completion of your project. Submitting a checklist signed by the customer ensures that you fulfilled your requirements on set and helps manage expectations for you and the customer.

Stay tuned for the next How To - In Production next week. Big shout out to Nova Light Media for the stellar production on this series!