How To Record Yourself: How You Project Yourself Is Key

How to record yourself: Putting your best foot forward

If you’re the face of your company, there is no better way to have your customers and clients get to know you than using the power of video. Video not only puts a face with your name, it also builds trust and credibility. It’s as if you’re personally greeting all visitors to your website. And of course, for first time visitors, you want to make the right first impression. Click here to continue reading

3 Audio Recording Tips From An Award-Winning Soundman

A few weeks ago, we spent two long days shooting demo videos for a client. We had an actor drive up from LA to do on-camera and voice-over narration. For jobs such as these where it’s a larger set up, we always like to work with our friend and associate, David Weisman. David is our “go to” guy for professional audio on a shoot. While on the set, I was able to ask him if he had any good advice to pass on to our readers when working with on-camera talent. Here are 3 audio recording tips he shared. Click here to continue reading

Shooting A New Promotional Video: Lessons Learned While Sitting On The Pot

This is a YouTube video we Click here to continue reading

Good Audio Is Key To Quality Video Production

It’s the little things that will get you–Part 3

Here’s my third post in a series of short video production tips about how to increase the quality of your production.

Be sure to add these 3 to your shooting checklist.

Use an external microphone

Audio is half the picture so getting good audio is just as important as good video and will instantly increase the production value of your video. If your camera accepts external mikes, great! If you haven’t invested in a camera yet, I highly recommend getting one with the ability to plug in an external microphone. The Kodak Z18 is a nice, very inexpensive camera for around $150 (I’ve seen them on Amazon refurbished for $130) and you can plug in a mic.

You can get a lavalier mic (wired or wireless) which you can clip on. They really give a sense of presence and will make a 200% improvement in the sound of the person speaking over a built-in mic. You can buy a simple lavalier mic at Radio Shack for $26.49 online. You can also find more professional mics in the $200-$500 range. B&H Photo Video sells our favorite mics from Sennheiser and Audio Technica for under $300.

Shotgun mics are another option to use and although you can spend thousands of dollars on a top end professional model, perfectly good quality mics can be found in the $255 – $500 range. Shotgun mics are good in situations where you don’t have the time or ability to clip a lavalier mic onto a person. You can use them on a boom or on-camera. Contrary to popular belief, they do not “suck in” the sound from a distant source; they reduce the sound coming from other directions. The closer you can get, the better the sound.

Another resource is AllProSound.com* where you can save up to 60% off on used and demo gear.

Use headphones

How do you know if you are getting good sound if you can’t hear it?

To make sure you are getting good audio, always use your headphones. Even though they may be uncomfortable and a bit of a pain and mess up your hair, they are essential to making sure that you are getting quality audio.  The only way to know your sound is distorted or if you are receiving interference is to listen through quality headphones. If digital audio levels peak, they “flat line” and the sound becomes distorted and there is no way you can fix that.

You can get headphones priced from $40 to $100. I love the Sony 7506 model, which sells for about $90. In a pinch, you can use earbuds but they do not work as well. Quality headphones are one of the best investments you can make.

Watch your audio levels

If your camera displays audio levels, it is important to pay attention to them…especially if you aren’t using headphones. I still recommend wearing headphones rather than just relying on the level meters because your ears can hear buzzing and other interference you may be getting while the levels would just be registering this as sound.

For more tips on producing videos for sale, order my DVD, My Secrets Of Producing Successful Special Interest Videos.

*We’re an affiliate of this company so if you go through this link and purchase, we will get a small commission. You can bypass the link and go to them directly if you prefer. Either way, we only recommend and are affiliates of companies we use, trust and believe in.

Video Production – 3 More Easy Tips For Better Video

It’s the little things that will get you – Part 2

This is the second in a series of short video production tips about how to increase the quality of your production.

Here are 3 more to add to your shooting checklist.

Always use a tripod or monopod

Yes, you see a lot of emulated hand held camera movement on television these days but you really can tell the difference between an experienced camera operator doing this for a specific effect and an amateur. Hand holding does get distracting and can easily be avoided with a tripod. Even if you have your camera set for image stabilization, you will have unsteady shots. These are not expensive at all.

A monopod gives you more flexibility than a tripod and we love to use them for our “run and gun” shots. It isn’t as steady as a tripod it is much more steady than strictly hand held. You can also use it to do interesting angles, like boom shots.

Know when to turn image stabilization off

If you are using a tripod, make sure the camera’s image stabilization is turned off. It can cause jitteriness in your shot because it’s looking for shakiness that doesn’t exist, and it may try to compensate.

Invest in an external monitor

Think about investing in and using an external monitor that you can plug into your camera. For serious shooting, don’t just rely on the little flip out screen. It’s not always practical, but anywhere you have the luxury of setting up your shot, it’s great to have a reference monitor. Nothing is worse than finding out later that your image is out of focus or just soft focus. Such glaring mishaps will be really evident if your other footage is in focus.

Lightweight monitors cost anywhere from $150 to $3,000.

If you want a high definition (HD) monitor, make sure it has HD inputs. Those most likely will be HDMI or component inputs. This type of monitor will cost considerably more than an standard definition monitor, possibly even more than your camera, so it’s not for everyone.

For more tips on producing videos for sale, order my DVD, My Secrets Of Producing Successful Special Interest Videos.

Video Production – 3 Easy Tips For Better Videos

It’s the little things that will get you.

This will be the first in a series of short little video production tips on how to increase the quality of your production. I title it this way because there is nothing worse than shooting a video and then coming back to edit it only to find a glaring problem with your footage. I’ve had this happen to me on too many occasions and I’m sure it will happen again, but here are some tips to help avoid problems:

Keep Your Lens Clean

Always, always, ALWAYS, check to see if your lens is clean. Carry around several lens cleaning cloths or lens cleaning brushes (Don’t use anything else on your lens, such as paper towels or rough cloth that can scratch it.)

Don’t rely on looking through your viewfinder or screen to determine if your lens needs clean. It is almost impossible to see dirt specks this way. Look at the lens surface. A small speck to your eye will permanently be on the footage and will morph into big ugly and distracting blobs on your program. This problem is magnified when shooting HD. This doesn’t just happen to amateurs. I’ve seen major TV shows that had dirt on a lens.

Adjust White Balance

Most video cameras will adjust white balance automatically. White balance is calibrating your camera’s interpretation of color under varying types of light. Your eye and brain do this for you but a camera needs some help. Automatic white balance is often a compromise. If your camera will do a manual white balance adjustment, that is holding up either a white piece of paper or 18% grey card, fill the frame with it and push the correct button to “force” it to white balance to that, you will often get better colors and appropriate skin tones as a result.

Record The Shot

When you are ready to shoot, make sure you press the record button! I know this sounds silly but I have done this more times than I want to admit and it has happened to almost every videographer I know. You’re so focused on getting the shot just right that sometimes you get tripped up by the smallest of goofs. Some cameras have a very sensitive record button and you may be walking around with it recording and then when you think you’ve pressed record you’ve actually stopped it.

My old Canon GL1 showed a green light when it was recording and the GL2 showed a red light; it took some adjustment to know which was which, especially when I was shooting with both cameras. (Most cameras show a red record light).

Don’t experience the anguish of starting to edit and discovering the camera was never even turned on!

For more tips on producing videos for sale, order my DVD, My Secrets Of Producing Successful Special Interest Videos.

Lights, Camera, Action!

For those readers who aren’t video savvy, the following is a popular article on getting started with making your own videos we posted at one of our other sites, VideoMarketingResourceCenter.com.

BEGIN AT THE BEGINNING

So let’s say you want to tape someone or something to put on your website. Where to start? Oddly, even the word “tape” is becoming outdated, as many of the least expensive video cameras today don’t use tape anymore. They record to solid state chips or hard drives inside the camera body.

CHEAP, SIMPLE & GOOD

Flip Video produces the hottest items in the camcorder market, the Flip Ultra and Flip UltraHD. These sleek camcorders look no different than digital cameras and are small enough to easily fit in a pocket, purse or backpack. These nifty devices save the video to an internal chip so there are no moving parts, nothing to change, and unlike camcorders that use compact flash cards, nothing to lose. Both models offer a full two hours of recording capacity, a bright two-inch transflective screen for no-glare viewing even in direct sunlight, and an innovative AA rechargeable battery pack that can be conveniently recharged through the camera’s built-in USB arm. The Flip Ultra is priced at just $149.99, while the Flip UltraHD sells for $199.99.

These cameras could not be easier to use. Just point and shoot. Flip Video camcorders are the world’s first with on-board software to enable editing, organizing, and seamless video uploading to websites. Even the built in microphone does an impressive job for for what it is. When you’re ready to upload to your computer, simply flip (hence, the name) out the USB connector and using the provided software, transfer the video clips as simply as transferring a file. Then upload to a website or import into your favorite editing program and away you go. Folks, it just doesn’t get any easier than this.

MOVING ON UP

OK, the Flip Video cameras are not for everyone. For those wanting higher quality and more options, you will want to move up to either a consumer or prosumer camcorder. The camcorders today offer amazing value. For around $300 and up you can get a quality camera that will either record to DV tape, a memory chip or internal hard drive, will have options for adding a more professional microphone, and some even have a built-in light for working in dark spaces.

There are scores of cameras available in this range. If you stick to Sony, Canon, Panasonic, JVC, Sanyo and other well-known names, you can’t go wrong. B&H is one of our favorite sources for equipment. World renowned, B&H, is the place to be for all your video and pro audio needs. Their commitment to sales quality and customer satisfaction is second to none.

SOUND IS HALF THE PICTURE

You’ve probably noticed that “tinny” sound most home movies have, and the way the background sounds overwhelm the main subject. That happens when you rely solely on the built-in microphone. It isn’t picky about what it hears, and the louder the source, whatever that is, the more it will be the main thing you hear. Plus your hands handling the camera, or if you are outside, the wind can create a lot of noise.

For professional sound you will want to add external microphones. Lavalier mics (wired or wireless) are placed on the “talent” and give a sense of presence. They will make a 200% improvement in the sound of the person speaking over a built-in mic. You can buy a simple lavalier mic at Radio Shack for $26.49 online. I use a lot of $300 lavaliers and this mic isn’t bad at all compared to them. It isn’t as good, but at that price it is a great value. If you do want a more professional lavalier, the Sony ECM 44-B is an industry standard and can be had for $220 at B&H Photo Video and other places. These mics sound great and will last a lifetime if treated with respect.

Shotgun mics can be used on the camera, on a boom pole or a mic stand. Contrary to what many people think, a shotgun mic does not amplify or reach out to get the sound in front of it. It works by ignoring the sounds to the side and behind it, to varying degrees depending on the design. These work great when you need to isolate a speaker or actor but cannot practically use a lavalier mic. You can spend thousands of dollars on a top end pro model, but good quality can be had in the $200 – $500 range. B&H Photo Video sells our favorite shotgun mics from Sennheiser and Audio Technica for under $300.

LIGHT IT

All video cameras love light. Most cameras today will operate fine in darker situations, such as an indoor room without a lot of windows, but you will improve the shot immensely if you add light to fill in shadows, add a sparkle to a person’s eyes, and bring out the colors of a scene.

Like microphones, lights can be cheap or very expensive, and unless you plan to shoot professionally there is no reason to spend a lot on lights. Simple worklights from Home Depot will work in many situations. A person at a desk could be lit with a desk lamp pointed at them. You can get ornate with lighting diagrams (that’s the cool patterns the light throws on the wall behind the subject), but the point is to light the subject so as to fill in shadows (or create them, for mood effects) and to give the camera enough light that it doesn’t push the gain up and cause graininess in the image.

One of the challenges of lighting is that what your eye sees is not at all what the camera sees. Your brain evens the “color temperature” of light out, but the camera cannot do that. When you adjust it for tungsten light, the kind that you get from stage lights or a traditional light bulb, it will see daylight as blue. If adjusted for daylight, it would see tungsten as deep orange. So you may have to add colored gels to the lights to balance everything out.

To keep things simple, when shooting indoors with tungsten as the main light source, try to eliminate daylight unless you want the blue effect (this can be quite nice, when done artistically).

I have given a very quick overview of what you will want to consider at all levels of shooting. If all of this seems overwhelming and high production values are your goal, you may want to call a professional.