Media Monthly - 02 - Video Workshop

media monthly

Video Workshop Hands-On Video Production at ROW Summit 2013!

Also Inside:

Creating the Perfect Video Idea dSLR vs Dedicated Video Cameras Issue 002

to: you

from: us

In case you didn’t hear: the folks over at Results Oriented Web had Pelpina and me over to give a workshop all about Online Video Production! Shout out to Tonya for the invite!

We had a great time getting reacquainted with friends and meeting new people at this event. It was amazing how everyone was there to learn from and teach each other the ins & outs of new media. I highly recommend it if you have the opportunity to go next year!

If you missed our workshop, fear not - we’ve compiled this magazine with some of the tips and tricks we went over. It’s a lot of information to cover, so we’ll focus on the basics, but don’t be afraid to ask us any questions you have! You can find us on Twitter via @ManchuMedia, @Pelpina or @MrMarkZamora.

Cheers!

~Mark

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contents Content is KING

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You need a video but where do you start? An idea.

Camera BATTLE!

Digital SLR or Video Camera?

Which do you get?!

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07 Up, Upload, & Away!

After you’ve shot the video what are you supposed to do with it?

Lightning & Thunder

Cameras? CHECK! But what about light and sound?

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You can’t create a video until you have a solid plan!

Follow & Ask Us Your Questions @ManchuMedia

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Content is King

by Pelpina Trip

You can’t start creating a video without a good strategy/plan. As you come up with ideas - here are a few things to keep in mind:

• YouTube changed its algorithm.

It now looks at how long people are watching your video. The longer people watch your video, the higher it’ll appear in search results. As a result, you’ll need a video that is so intriguing/ funny/informative/entertaining that people will watch it until the end.

• Content marketing.

Find a topic that doesn’t talk about the company but solves a problem. People don’t go to YouTube to watch videos on brands or companies, they search for answers to their problems. They want to know how to cook a turkey, or how to repair a broken door lock.

• Research YouTube/Google to find good topics.

Make sure you understand what videos have already been made on your chosen topic. Which ones are watched a lot? And why? How could you create a video that’s just as engaging, spin the topic, or create a similar video with a different angle?

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Camera Battle! dSLR vs Video Camera

by Mark Zamora

Spoiler Alert! No one actually wins the battle of camera supremacy. The type of camera you get totally depends on the type of shooting or video you want to get.

dSLR - Pretty shots are pretty!

I’m a Canon guy - just putting that out there. Nikon makes some great cameras but I’ve used Canon dSLRs for the past few years.

Here are some of my favorites.

Canon 5D MK III Price: $3,299 + Lens ($100 - $2500 and more)

Canon Rebel Ti Series Price: $550 - $800 + Lens ($100 - $1500)

Quote for Thought

dSLR Pros

“Make it look great.

Light it beautifully.

Shoot it with a DSLR. Make it look sexy.”

-Philip Bloom 05

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• Shallow Depth of Field • Great Photo Camera • “Cinematic Look”

dSLR Cons • No “Auto-Focus” • Takes a LOT of Practice to Master • Audio Issues / No Monitoring (Only some cameras.

More on audio later!)

I LOVE dSLR Cameras. You can get some really amazing looking shots with very little effort! They can be a bit tricky and daunting but they are great for all kinds of videos.

Here’s a Video we shot with a dSLR for Mobile Hippo. Notice the shots with sharp objects in the foreground and blurry backgrounds. Cinematic!

See the video at YouTube.com/MobileHippo

Dedicated to Video!

dSLRs are great, but there are a lot of really good cameras that were built just for video - giving you a range of extra features!

Canon XF-105 Price: $2569

Canon Vixia Price: $300 - $1700

Vid Cam Pros

• Auto-Focus / Image Stabilizers • Mic Inputs / Audio Monitoring • Point and Shoot Video

Vid Cam Cons

• Harder to Get “Cinematic Look” • Bare-Bones Photo Camera • Can Be BIG and heavy!

Final Thoughts You really can’t go wrong either way. I love using regular video cameras just as much as I love using dSLRs - it just depends on the job or look you’re going for. If you want a bit of artistic flair - go dSLR. If you’re just looking to make simple videos, pick up a video camera.

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Lightning & Thunder!

Photo by Moyan Brenn - http://earthincolors.wordpress.com/

by Mark Zamora

Now that we’ve taken care of the cameras - let’s take a look at some lighting and audio equipment.

Lights! - Before Camera & Action

Lighting can take a shot from a cheap camera and make it look expensive but that doesn’t mean you have to pay a fortune for lights.

Sort of Cheap

Allen, TX based company “Cowboy Studio” makes some great soft-boxes that will give you a soft look at a great price!

0 4 2 $ Way Cheap

Just for fun, I picked up a set of these cheap work-lamps from Wal Mart with a set of matching bulbs and managed to get a pretty decent shot out of them!

$26

(for th ree)

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I Can’t Hear You... Yet!

Most video cameras have audio jacks which let you record audio and video at the same time but if you’re shooting with certain DSLRs, you’ll need to invest in an audio recorder like the ZOOM H4n or Tascam DR-40

For microphones, you can get a lavalier mic for 20-40 dollars on Amazon like the Audio-Technica ATR-3350. For about $200 you can get the Audio-Technica 899c Lav Mic. Or you can get a Sennheiser G3 pack, which is a wireless set and more expensive at about $500

If you want a handheld mic for interviews, you can use the Ev (Electo-Voice RE50/b) - all you need is an audio recorder, a camera that accepts XLR, and a cable.

Put it all together and what do you get?

Phew! A LOT of equipment goes into making the best video you can - but trust us - it’s worth it! Lighting and audio can make or break your video but thankfully it’s easy to achieve good looks and good sounds for a cheap price!

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Up, Upload, and Away Editing + YouTube = DONE The Cutting Room Floor

by Pelpina Trip

Most editing software works the same: you create a project, drop your video and audio files in it, and cut/paste the files in the right order.

Popular editing software: • Final Cut Pro • Adobe Premiere Pro,

• Avid Media Composer, • Sony Vegas Pro

If you’re unfamiliar with video editing, it might be good to start off with Windows MovieMaker (Windows) or iMovie (Mac). These are very basic editing programs, which don’t allow for easy multiple track editing, but will allow you to learn the basics of editing.

Steps to create a basic video: • Start a project, import all your footage and audio • Sync up audio and video • Add music, transitions, effects, and graphics • Encode, render, export your video

Who, Me? No, YouTube!

Of course there are many different video platforms you can upload your video to but for now, let’s focus on the king of video content: YouTube. Before you upload - ask yourself: How will you attract the right people?

84% of Facebook

users who have liked • YouTube channel a brand are active on

This is your video home. Make sure it represents you well: have an appealing Facebook daily description, the right pictures/logos, links to your social media accounts, and playlists with good content.

• Title

Come up with a good title by researching hot keywords on Google/YouTube in your content area. Keep it short but appealing.

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• Description

The first few lines should tell the reader why he or she should watch the video. Within the first line, include your website with http:// (so it becomes click-able). After the short video description, put a standard description of your channel, in which you explain what kind of videos you make and how often people can expect videos. Also include links to your website, social media accounts, and a subscription link to your channel.

• Tags Put in at least 10 tags that will tell YouTube/Google what your video is about.

Put the most important tag first, and the ‘least’ important ones last.

• Annotations

Make smart use of video annotations. Before you make a video, think about how you’ll be using annotations. Mention a subscription link, or link to previous videos. This will keep viewers watching your videos instead of going to another YouTuber.

• Custom Thumbnail Create a custom thumbnail for every video you upload. Use close-up action shots, vibrant colors, and brand it with your logo.

• Playlists Create playlists of your own videos, but also of other YouTubers. This is a

way for people to keep watching videos within a certain genre. YouTube will link you to the other videos in your playlists, so it might even be a good idea to put videos of your competitors in a playlist with your videos.

Engage, Engage, Engage!

This is what YouTube is all about! Interacting with your viewers will do much more for you than the best SEO tricks. Make sure you respond to comments, like other videos, and create playlists. Be a part of the YouTube Community!

And one more tip: Have fun!

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Closing Time To those of you who made it out to the video workshop, it was fun. To those of you who couldn’t make it - we’ll see you next time! And to everyone - thanks for reading! We hope having these tips forever immortalized through Media Monthly comes in handy for you!

And now, without further ado - we present the video that the amazing attendees of the Results Oriented Web Summit shot! Click below and enjoy!

Unless of course you’re reading the non-interactive version - in which case, head on over to YouTube.com/MediaManchu to see the video!

84% of Facebook

users who have liked a brand are active on Facebook daily

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Mark talking about the differences between a dSLR and a Video Cam @ ROW Summit 2013

Manchu Media is a media production, design and consulting company, passionate about visual creativity and multi-media productions.

Contact us today to help you build your brand. info@manchu-media.com Manchu-Media.com (469) 759-9033

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