Music videos are one of the neatest ways to release a new song to the world. Not only does it highlight the artist, it can visually set the tone for what type of music is going to be played. The shadows, colors, tones, and angles all affect the direction in which the artist wants to take the viewer. We live in a day in which nearly anyone can shoot and produce a music video for a band, whether a small local garage band, or a Nashville platinum record artist.
When you think of motion backgrounds, or free video loops, you probably think of using them in projects such as webshows, live productions, commercials, school videos, worship backgrounds, and many other ways. Most likely a new album cover never crossed your mind.
Shooting video at night can be challenging, but if you follow a few basic principles, not only will your footage turn out better, you can have more confidence to use all hours of the day to your advantage, rather than just when the sun is up. The word photo, means “light”. When the sun goes down, the atmospheric light changes, and eventually draws to a close. So what are some options for counteracting that drastic light difference?
Power is an important aspect when shooting a scene away from standard outlets or civilization. What is important to realize is that while batteries the best source for being able to power equipment in remote places, batteries do have their own limitations. For one, they eventually wear down and need to be recharged. So, what do you do when your batteries are nearly spent and your hours away from a place where you can recharge?
The Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration announced major changes to drone regulation, including commercial use of aerial footage. This is been long forth coming as we have been waiting for permission to use this new technology for business purposes. The FAA originally required all drone operators to obtain a pilot’s license at it’s lowest, legal level. The new rules take effect in August following a lengthy battle between UAS operators and regulators.
In order to do video tutorials of any type, a screen capture program is necessary. Through the years I have used different ones ranging from CamStudio to Camtasia to the online Screen-O-Matic. While those programs all work great for Windows machines, one program that is unique the MAC world is Quick Time. Quick time has streamlined the process of screen capture by incorporating it into it’s basic functions.
Story Telling is what all film-makers and producers are using as the latest buzz-words. It varies from year to year, but lately, I’ve heard everyone saying, “It’s all about the story.” I sift through hundreds of hours of footage each week looking for the small details that will make a short film worth watching. From various events, to documentaries, to the occasional testimony, people are naturally built to tell stories of their life. Not all stories are worth rolling out the red carpet and producing, but there is the occasional story that makes your head spin with curiosity.
Many blogs and articles will make you hunt and peck for the answer to whatever question they are trying to answer in the title. Instead of enticing you to read all the way to the bottom, how about I tell you what the point is up front. The number 1 principle for good story telling, is to HAVE A STORY. It sounds overly simple, but far too often we try to shoot and produce a video before we know what the real story is.
