A Beginner’s Guide to ScreenFlow
Some of the more high-end, professional grade editing suites can do all this and more, but unless you’re a dedicated film school and you’ve got around $1000 to blow on a software license, chances are you’re looking for something which gets the job done well without maxing out your school’s budget. ScreenFlow 4 is, hands down, one of the most intuitive yet advanced video capture and production tools you can buy for under $100.
The Package: Creating the Perfect Newscast
The foundation of any TV newscast is its packages. That's because, if they are done well, packages have all the elements that bring a story alive: good pictures, interesting sound bytes, and a well-written script. If any of these elements is weak, the story may be downgraded (to a VOSOT or even a VO) or kept short. In other words, the quality of the video and the sound bytes often determines the length of a package.
Piracy Proofing Your School
In this article, we will look at ways to piracy proof your school or organization in order to reduce liability, and eliminate lawsuits and out-of-court settlements, while improving media literacy and digital citizenship. Piracy is the unauthorized use or reproduction of copyrighted, trademarked, or patented material. This includes copying, selling, or using media that has not been properly licensed or purchased.
Canon FS200 Review
I just purchased our first flash memory camcorder, the Canon FS200. I've briefly tried it out this weekend and here are some of my initial reactions. First let me tell you that we have been using Canon ZR series miniDV camcorders for many years. I usually try to keep about 10 of them operational and in stock for checkout and use daily. On average they've lasted only a couple years under pretty heavy use.
East Syracuse Minoa CHS Profile
East Syracuse Minoa Central High School has an excellent Video Production Program. “The fastest way to start is to partner with an area school that has an established program. Equipment-wise you can get plenty of used equipment. This should get you started. Then start a feeder program. We have been working on creating a studio in the elementary school.”
The Lighting Triangle
Now that you have your lights it's handy to know how to use them. Turning them on and pointing them at your subject is a good start, but if you really want to get the most out of them you can use what's known as "the lighting triangle." This helps your subject appear more detailed and shots more dynamic.
Selecting Boompoles and Shotgun Mics
Many articles have been written about the value of a boompole and good shotgun mic when it comes to achieving quality Production Sound. (Well, folks, here’s one more!) Why use a boom? Because of all of the techniques available to us, the simple boompole with shotgun mic allows us to get the most professional audio with the least amount of fuss.
Interview Camera Setups
You have many choices as to how to shoot an interview, determined in part by the story, the style of the movie, availability of equipment, size of the crew and the amount of physical space in which to shoot. Remember, the better the coverage, the more options you'll have in the editing room. Below are the most common ways of shooting sit-down interviews.
Can Our Play or Musical Be Recorded?
There are play and musical production licensing companies which amateurs (schools) must deal with to get performance rights for all material not in public domain. Shakespeare is definitely in public domain. Five of the largest of those licensing companies are listed below with a copy of the actual contract clause which applies to video recording. Nearly every major play and musical you’ve ever heard of is handled by one of these five companies.
9 Basic Camera Moves
Professional videographers usually follow this one rule of thumb: when it comes to camera movement, it must be motivated. Because it looks cool, is usually not a valid reason for using tricky camera moves. Instead, you can use camera moves to change the viewer's perspective making what you shoot look bigger, smaller, or even scarier. You should use camera movement to tell your story better and to enhance the viewer's experience.
Making Video History
“I left the United States on a ship as a teenage boy – drafted in World War II, we passed under the Golden Gate Bridge, and as far as that bridge knows, I never came back.” I had heard his stories many times, but this time as the words slowly rolled off his lips in his South Georgia drawl, I realized he was a story-teller and didn’t even know it. But better than fiction, he spoke of real-life incidents that were not only true but also shaped his future, which became my present – and yours as well.
Why We Need Sound Effects
The mistake many beginning filmmakers make is that they assume the microphone used on the set to record the dialog will automatically pick up the other sounds heard on set. It’s not until they get to the editing stage that they realize how wrong they were. The microphones used on sets are primarily focused on the mouth of the person speaking. This reduces the amount of natural sound that occurs around the actor during the shot, such as footsteps and other movements.
Remote Production
Remote productions, other than news, usually utilize multiple cameras. As mentioned in other articles, single-camera remote productions are generally referred to as ENG or EFP productions. In this article, we will use remote productions to refer to both multi camera and single-camera productions.
The Art of the Title Sequence
The first few minutes of a film will often either leave the audience full of excitement and eager to see how the story of the movie will play out, wondering what hints they were shown in the opening credits to what they're about to watch. Sometimes these opening moments are grander than the film that follows them.
Code of Best Practices for Copyright
Now that we live in a digital universe, we can no longer draw the line between copyright holders vs. educators, since we are ALL creators of digital content; therefore, we are copyright holders. This also means that now more than ever, a mutual respect for one another’s property and the proper use of it to teach, engage and enhance is of utmost importance.
East Middle School Profile
Traverse City East Middle School is located in Northern Michigan, near the beautiful Grand Traverse Bay. The school hosts 940 sixth through eighth grade students. East Middle School offers music, art, theater, journalism, foreign language, and technology education electives, in addition to high quality core instruction. East Middle School is a great place to learn!
How to Copyright Your Works
More than likely you or your students may create a project in the near future for which you would wish to receive rightful compensation and the ability to prevent someone else from capitalizing on your idea. Here’s how to copyright your works so nobody can take credit for them.
Cyber Bullying and School Video
There are some critical actions that students and teachers can take when screening, producing and editing their video projects. This will help to not only combat cyber bullying, but will also have a positive impact on promoting good ethics in media.
Multi-Cam Sports Production
Multi-cam broadcasting starts with two cameras and goes up from there. If the weather is bad, or you don’t have a full crew, you can produce a great broadcast with only two cameras. Our standard setup is three cameras, using a Tricaster Pro. This setup requires a crew of eight students: a director, audio person, three camera operators, two announcers and a grip/cable-puller for the field camera.
Live Video Web Streaming: What Are Your Options?
Finding an internet video streaming service can be a little daunting. There are a few questions you should ask yourself before you make your decision on which service to use.