[videoblogging] new to the group - question about filming
Hello videobloggers, I've been reading your posts and I feel so far behind in my knowledge :). But I hope I will catch up. I just recently started to do small videoblogs for small business owners. I'm just stepping in to see if I really like doing it. I've been filming and editing my family videos for a number of years now, but I never did anything for other people up until a month ago. I thought to give it a try and see if this could be something I can do for a living. So..I have several questions, if you don't mind answering. 1. I was asked to film a short 1-2 min clip for one small company. The president does workshops for his clients and I'd like to get some shots of that. However, I checked out the room where he's doing the workshops and it's pretty dark, ceiling florescent lighting, dark sand color walls and kind or cramped. I figured out the angle from which I will film, but I'm afraid there won't be enough lighting. I do have lights that I use for studio type picture taking (2 of them) and I will bring those, but in order to get use of them, they'd have to be upclose to people I guess. However, then the lamps would be seen in the picture. How do you usually resolve the issue of lighting in small, having no windows rooms? I was thinking about increasing the exposure as well if I see that there's still not enough lighting with my both lamps that I have. But any other ideas would be helpful. 2. How do you film the details in such settings? Meaning, do you have to zoom into the leader of the workshop (in this case), to zoom into hands of people, their faces to capture their mood and experience at this workshop? I want to get as much footage as possible. I may not necessarily need to use it, I just want to be covered and not worry about it during the editing process. I have only one camera. 3. And lastly, is there any way to increase the light while editing? I'm using Sony Vegas Platinum 8 editing program. I haven't looked if it has this feature. I thought I'd ask here first to get some input and advice. I have one clip for another client that's a bit too dark, in my opinion, and it's too late to get it re-filmed, so I was wondering if there's any way that I can fix the light during editing. Thanks so much for reading this long email. I feel like an amateur among you all professionals :) I'm sure I'll learn a lot here. Thanks. Have a great weekend. Cheers! Loreta p.s. Steve, I'll look for your book on Amazon! How amazing to get published! Congrats!
Re: [videoblogging] new to the group - question about filming
The easiest way to make adjustments is with the 'levels' plugin - you would want to use it in any case, to change from video to rgb - which has a little more contrast as it it is. I assume the plugin'a available in Platinum - I use Pro. j On Fri, Jan 15, 2010 at 1:24 PM, loretabirkus wrote: > Hello videobloggers, > > 3. And lastly, is there any way to increase the light while editing? I'm > using Sony Vegas Platinum 8 editing program. I haven't looked if it has this > feature. I thought I'd ask here first to get some input and advice. I have > one clip for another client that's a bit too dark, in my opinion, and it's > too late to get it re-filmed, so I was wondering if there's any way that I > can fix the light during editing. > -- --- Joly MacFie 917 442 8665 Skype:punkcast WWWhatsup NYC - http://wwwhatsup.com http://pinstand.com - http://punkcast.com ---
Re: [videoblogging] new to the group - question about filming
I wouldn't try to avoid using the location if it's dark and ugly. The combo of fluorescent ceiling lights and your studio lights may not be very useful for a dark room full of people trying to do a workshop (where your lighting needs are secondary). Sounds quite stressful and ultimately probably quite unattractive and unusable. If it's a 1-2 minute film, you're probably not going to get a lot of meaningful content from the workshop anyway, and these kind of things always look a bit odd. So think around it: how can you explain the workshops without showing them? Can you get the guy to talk about what he does in little snippets, and ask him to get former participants to give testimonials to camera which you can intercut. If you really need to shoot him doing his thing, cheat and film just him speaking in a nicer brighter location. Get them outside where possible. Think about rigging up a white background (sheet or paper) to do his presentation against. As far as what to film, personally I would get fairly close up to faces - shooting zoomed in (on a long lens) can give a nice effect, but don't include the actual zooming process in your edit, as zooms make cheap videos look cheaper. Other details might be good for cutaways if you really need to show a long piece from start to finish - but you're probably much better just sticking to quick cuts. To many cutaways, filler shots and random details can be distracting and unhelpful. Simplicity is powerful! There are a lot of great examples of this kind of thing at http://turnhere.com - and if you sign up with Turn Here, you might get some work out of it! The single most important thing to remember is to get good sound - do not use your camera mic. Particularly if you have to film the workshop. Bad, wild camera mic sound makes all video - however well shot - look cheap and bad. Get him to wear a lapel mic with a long cable - or, if it's not possible in the venue to film him with a mic attached to your camera, use a separate digital recorder and then sync up sound and picture in the edit. Good luck! Rupert http://twittervlog.tv On 15 Jan 2010, at 18:24, loretabirkus wrote: > Hello videobloggers, > > I've been reading your posts and I feel so far behind in my > knowledge :). But I hope I will catch up. > > I just recently started to do small videoblogs for small business > owners. I'm just stepping in to see if I really like doing it. I've > been filming and editing my family videos for a number of years now, > but I never did anything for other people up until a month ago. I > thought to give it a try and see if this could be something I can do > for a living. > > So..I have several questions, if you don't mind answering. > > 1. I was asked to film a short 1-2 min clip for one small company. > The president does workshops for his clients and I'd like to get > some shots of that. However, I checked out the room where he's doing > the workshops and it's pretty dark, ceiling florescent lighting, > dark sand color walls and kind or cramped. I figured out the angle > from which I will film, but I'm afraid there won't be enough > lighting. I do have lights that I use for studio type picture taking > (2 of them) and I will bring those, but in order to get use of them, > they'd have to be upclose to people I guess. However, then the lamps > would be seen in the picture. > How do you usually resolve the issue of lighting in small, having no > windows rooms? I was thinking about increasing the exposure as well > if I see that there's still not enough lighting with my both lamps > that I have. But any other ideas would be helpful. > > 2. How do you film the details in such settings? Meaning, do you > have to zoom into the leader of the workshop (in this case), to zoom > into hands of people, their faces to capture their mood and > experience at this workshop? I want to get as much footage as > possible. I may not necessarily need to use it, I just want to be > covered and not worry about it during the editing process. I have > only one camera. > > 3. And lastly, is there any way to increase the light while editing? > I'm using Sony Vegas Platinum 8 editing program. I haven't looked if > it has this feature. I thought I'd ask here first to get some input > and advice. I have one clip for another client that's a bit too > dark, in my opinion, and it's too late to get it re-filmed, so I was > wondering if there's any way that I can fix the light during editing. > > Thanks so much for reading this long email. I feel like an amateur > among you all professionals :) > > I'm sure I'll learn a lot here. > > Thanks. > > Have a great weekend. > > Cheers! > Loreta > > p.s. Steve, I'll look for your book on Amazon! How amazing to get > published! Congrats! > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] --
Re: [videoblogging] new to the group - question about filming
sorry, i meant i *would* try to avoid using the location... On 15 Jan 2010, at 21:05, Rupert Howe wrote: > I wouldn't try to avoid using the location if it's dark and ugly. > The combo of fluorescent ceiling lights and your studio lights may > not be very useful for a dark room full of people trying to do a > workshop (where your lighting needs are secondary). Sounds quite > stressful and ultimately probably quite unattractive and unusable. > If it's a 1-2 minute film, you're probably not going to get a lot of > meaningful content from the workshop anyway, and these kind of > things always look a bit odd. > > So think around it: how can you explain the workshops without > showing them? Can you get the guy to talk about what he does in > little snippets, and ask him to get former participants to give > testimonials to camera which you can intercut. If you really need > to shoot him doing his thing, cheat and film just him speaking in a > nicer brighter location. Get them outside where possible. Think > about rigging up a white background (sheet or paper) to do his > presentation against. > > As far as what to film, personally I would get fairly close up to > faces - shooting zoomed in (on a long lens) can give a nice effect, > but don't include the actual zooming process in your edit, as zooms > make cheap videos look cheaper. > > Other details might be good for cutaways if you really need to show > a long piece from start to finish - but you're probably much better > just sticking to quick cuts. To many cutaways, filler shots and > random details can be distracting and unhelpful. Simplicity is > powerful! > > There are a lot of great examples of this kind of thing at > http://turnhere.com > - and if you sign up with Turn Here, you might get some work out of > it! > > The single most important thing to remember is to get good sound - > do not use your camera mic. Particularly if you have to film the > workshop. Bad, wild camera mic sound makes all video - however well > shot - look cheap and bad. Get him to wear a lapel mic with a long > cable - or, if it's not possible in the venue to film him with a mic > attached to your camera, use a separate digital recorder and then > sync up sound and picture in the edit. > > Good luck! > > Rupert > http://twittervlog.tv > > > On 15 Jan 2010, at 18:24, loretabirkus wrote: > >> Hello videobloggers, >> >> I've been reading your posts and I feel so far behind in my >> knowledge :). But I hope I will catch up. >> >> I just recently started to do small videoblogs for small business >> owners. I'm just stepping in to see if I really like doing it. I've >> been filming and editing my family videos for a number of years >> now, but I never did anything for other people up until a month >> ago. I thought to give it a try and see if this could be something >> I can do for a living. >> >> So..I have several questions, if you don't mind answering. >> >> 1. I was asked to film a short 1-2 min clip for one small company. >> The president does workshops for his clients and I'd like to get >> some shots of that. However, I checked out the room where he's >> doing the workshops and it's pretty dark, ceiling florescent >> lighting, dark sand color walls and kind or cramped. I figured out >> the angle from which I will film, but I'm afraid there won't be >> enough lighting. I do have lights that I use for studio type >> picture taking (2 of them) and I will bring those, but in order to >> get use of them, they'd have to be upclose to people I guess. >> However, then the lamps would be seen in the picture. >> How do you usually resolve the issue of lighting in small, having >> no windows rooms? I was thinking about increasing the exposure as >> well if I see that there's still not enough lighting with my both >> lamps that I have. But any other ideas would be helpful. >> >> 2. How do you film the details in such settings? Meaning, do you >> have to zoom into the leader of the workshop (in this case), to >> zoom into hands of people, their faces to capture their mood and >> experience at this workshop? I want to get as much footage as >> possible. I may not necessarily need to use it, I just want to be >> covered and not worry about it during the editing process. I have >> only one camera. >> >> 3. And lastly, is there any way to increase the light while >> editing? I'm using Sony Vegas Platinum 8 editing program. I haven't >> looked if it has this feature. I thought I'd ask here first to get >> some input and advice. I have one clip for another client that's a >> bit too dark, in my opinion, and it's too late to get it re-filmed, >> so I was wondering if there's any way that I can fix the light >> during editing. >> >> Thanks so much for reading this long email. I feel like an amateur >> among you all professionals :) >> >> I'm sure I'll learn a lot her
Re: [videoblogging] new to the group - question about filming
If there's florescent light that should be plenty enough.. >>> How do you usually resolve the issue of lighting in small, having >>> no windows rooms? What you have to do is 1) white balance 2) drop the shutter speed to 30 or even 15 3) open up exposure and then do some level fix in post. The other point I would makeis that you could shoot a few stills with flash and then drop them in, even use some pan and crop. j -- --- Joly MacFie 917 442 8665 Skype:punkcast WWWhatsup NYC - http://wwwhatsup.com http://pinstand.com - http://punkcast.com ---
Re: [videoblogging] new to the group - question about filming
- Original Message - From: "loretabirkus" > 1. I was asked to film a short 1-2 min clip for one small company. The > president does workshops for his clients and I'd like to get some shots of > that. However, I checked out the room where he's doing the workshops and > it's pretty dark, ceiling florescent lighting, dark sand color walls and > kind or cramped. I figured out the angle from which I will film, but I'm > afraid there won't be enough lighting. I do have lights that I use for > studio type picture taking (2 of them) and I will bring those, but in > order to get use of them, they'd have to be upclose to people I guess. > However, then the lamps would be seen in the picture. > How do you usually resolve the issue of lighting in small, having no > windows rooms? I was thinking about increasing the exposure as well if I > see that there's still not enough lighting with my both lamps that I have. > But any other ideas would be helpful. Assuming that the ceiling is some sort of white ... shut OFF the florescent lights and use your lights but aim them up at the ceiling. They can be off to the side, out of the camera shot. Hoping that your lights are reasonably powered. Try it and see. If your light are not powerful enough than you'll have to aim them directly at the subjects .. but in either case shut off the fluorescents as mixing different colored lights is not a good idea. Richard Amirault N1JDU http://bostonfandom.org
