Doing videos - how to approach it?

[Kolstad]

I've realized that there's no way around doing videos as part of the online prescence in this bizz, so I'm looking for solutions. Hey, could be fun too!

I'm not much of a captivating performer, but I'd like to be able to do simple production videos to add intrest, a la the ones Andrew Oye does (who'm I'm a big fan of). Here's an example http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RELXNQD ... ure=relmfu

I plan to use Windows Live Movie Maker for video editing/audio synchronization, which I already have.

Maybe some of you are already doing this, and maybe you would share some tips'n tricks on how you approach it?

[mojobone]

The easiest thing is to just post a static image (maybe your business logo) with titles. (maybe just the title/artist, plus a short promotional message and a copyright notice) Odds are, you have some free software that came with your operating system that'll do as much.

If you wanna make a full-on music video, you'll probably want to invest in a commercial video editing package, or collaborate with folks who already own and, more importantly, know how to use such. You can do a lot with an inexpensive USB webcam of the type typically used for Skype sessions, (particularly since you needn't rely on a sub-$50 device's onboard mic) but you'll have far more flexibility if you invest in a digital SLR or dedicated full-motion video camera and a quality tripod.

Look for a tripod with a very smooth panning motion and the ability to quickly adjust to less-than-level terrain, and for a camera with interchangeable lenses and smooth, user-controlled zoom speed, preferably optical zoom, which tends to feel more realistic, and has less effect on image quality.

A variety of image capture formats can be helpful for maintaining decent image quality over packet data transmission networks, but Youtube's default conversion process is good enough, for most purposes. I usually upload at my camera's highest quality setting, and use Youtube's built-in editing for trimming to length, as long as I don't need captions, titles or effects, though Youtube does have some built-in captioning. (though you don't get to choose the font)

If the image capture quality is too high, the end user may be subjected to jerky motion or pauses while the player's buffer refills; not a good thing, as your target audience likely came of age in a pushbutton, on-demand world, so balance your desire for hi-definition images and sound with the internet's ability to smoothly deliver them. Consult Youtube's help pages for further info on optimizing your files/formats.

[eeoo]

Hey Magne - My band needed to get something up on youtube other than the horrible phone video someone posted of us playing a party so i just made a slideshow of us making our record followed by some gig shots. It was really easy and fast.

eo

[monteverdejon]

i think the best way to approach these in-studio youtube videos is basically the same way you record yourself - capture video one track at a time, listen to them while you're recording yourself doing the next part, etc. etc.

Making sure you keep the same video format and settings throughout the project is crucial both for sync and to save rendering headaches.

(self-promotion warning) Last year I did a no-video-effects version of a live-take in-studio video performance just by recording the keyboard track and then playing it on a display in the background while I played guitar and sang. (The audio from the keyboard track that you hear is mostly the original video, with just a bit of bleed from playback through monitors during the second pass.) http://youtu.be/byqdHnIAOkw That required no heavy video editing or footage resizing.

[eeoo]

These guys have made a killing on Youtube with these vids, worth a look:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oJgqbgvInk

eo

[gtrmann]

Hello Magne,

I just started messing with video to audio tracks. I ended up getting this software when it was on sale for $49.00 USD

http://www.serif.com/movieplus/

And I also had purchased the older Zoom Q3 a few years back. This seems to make OK video, its not the HD model, but works OK for Youtube......

http://www.midi-store.com/Zoom-Q3-Video ... 20138.html

I had my daughter hold the Zoom on the dash of my truck while I drived and recorded about 15 minutes of video and compressed it into the 3 minutes, kinda jittery.....,...but you get the idea...

I cut the audio recorded by the Zoom and added my own audio.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ucVzwGNgYo

I think I should be able to make pretty entry level music videos with this ......

[jazzstan]

Magne,
I just finished my very first ( 1 minute) video last night - albeit an educational one. I did a screen capture of a whiz-bang Excel/VBS spreadsheet process I wrote that super-simplifies selecting terms (moods in my example) for music library keyword search fields. I used Windows Live Movie Maker, which after a few bumps in the learning curve, was pretty easy to use. Did the voice over and music in my DAW, Sonar, and then brought the audio back into Live Movie Maker. I set up a custom resolution to juggle the file size versus video resolution.

I probably present the information too fast, so I will redo it slower and I think I need to up the volume a bit.

UPDATED:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOkK9DcP ... e=youtu.be

I redid the video and added some VBS scripts and macros to take out the Excel gobbledygook, so it's easier and far more user friendly. I did the first pass video edits and timing by working from a rough script, then did the audio voice-over in Sonar. Once back in Movie Maker, I only had to adjust the ending to sync with music's fade.

[RHS]

I posted a video using my song "Allstate: Where Are Those Good Hands?" in May. My wife did the live videography (about 1/3 of the video) on a Zoom Q3 and I hired a phenomenal cartoonist named Brad Trofin who did the other 2/3. I'd sum up his work as "fast and funny". He delivers work with blazing speed, his comic timing is great, and his original character designs are always full of personality. So if you are interested in an animated video. Brad is your man! His website is http://www.bradleezcartoons.com His phone number is 403 714 4808 His email is bradleezcartoons@shaw.ca
Brad did multiple revisions without complaint, making me 100 percent happy. His price was great. I feel blessed to have found him to help me with the video.
The video is about how we were treated by Allstate after our house burned. We had just finished our mortgage 2 months before the fire. Because of the "good hands" of Allstate, we now have a new 30 year mortgage.
Being a musician, I believe Allstate needs a song about their methods. I hope to embarrass Allstate into becoming the company they pretend to be.
Enjoy the video and please share it so others will be aware. Here is the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwDj1O8N4PI

[mojobone]

Welcome to the forum, RHS! Awesome info, perhaps an introductory post is in order?

[cardell]

I posted a video using my song "Allstate: Where Are Those Good Hands?" in May. My wife did the live videography (about 1/3 of the video) on a Zoom Q3 and I hired a phenomenal cartoonist named Brad Trofin who did the other 2/3. I'd sum up his work as "fast and funny". He delivers work with blazing speed, his comic timing is great, and his original character designs are always full of personality. So if you are interested in an animated video. Brad is your man! His website is http://www.bradleezcartoons.com His phone number is 403 714 4808 His email is bradleezcartoons@shaw.ca
Brad did multiple revisions without complaint, making me 100 percent happy. His price was great. I feel blessed to have found him to help me with the video.
The video is about how we were treated by Allstate after our house burned. We had just finished our mortgage 2 months before the fire. Because of the "good hands" of Allstate, we now have a new 30 year mortgage.
Being a musician, I believe Allstate needs a song about their methods. I hope to embarrass Allstate into becoming the company they pretend to be.
Enjoy the video and please share it so others will be aware. Here is the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwDj1O8N4PI

That was awesome!!
It's an anti-advertisement.

...I do empathize with your plight.

Stuart