Video making, where to begin?
Discussion
Afternoon all,
I've been a hobbyist photographer for ages and have had a video itch for a long portion of that. An upcoming road trip to Scotland makes me think that now is the time to scratch it.
I've got a Canon R5, with various lenses (mostly EF), and a couple of Insta360 One RSs as well as a Zoom H1n, a Rode external mic, and some suction cup type mounting brackets--I imagine I won't be using the R5 for sticking on the car or anything. So I think that the gear side is covered.
But. I have little to no idea on film making.
I understand that the premise is to tell a story, so I intend to start with a few short scenes on planning and packing, then a montage/time lapse of the trip up to our start point in Loch Lomond, and then a few scenes for each of the 4 or 5 days.
I figure I've got a couple of months to play with the gear and figure out the best positions for camera angles and sound recording, but it's the actual 'art' of the storytelling that I reckon will be the hardest to grasp.
Does anyone have any tips or advice on how I might approach this? I'm accepting it's going to be a learning experience, but hopefully it'll be fun!
I've been a hobbyist photographer for ages and have had a video itch for a long portion of that. An upcoming road trip to Scotland makes me think that now is the time to scratch it.
I've got a Canon R5, with various lenses (mostly EF), and a couple of Insta360 One RSs as well as a Zoom H1n, a Rode external mic, and some suction cup type mounting brackets--I imagine I won't be using the R5 for sticking on the car or anything. So I think that the gear side is covered.
But. I have little to no idea on film making.
I understand that the premise is to tell a story, so I intend to start with a few short scenes on planning and packing, then a montage/time lapse of the trip up to our start point in Loch Lomond, and then a few scenes for each of the 4 or 5 days.
I figure I've got a couple of months to play with the gear and figure out the best positions for camera angles and sound recording, but it's the actual 'art' of the storytelling that I reckon will be the hardest to grasp.
Does anyone have any tips or advice on how I might approach this? I'm accepting it's going to be a learning experience, but hopefully it'll be fun!
To start with, you need a story to tell. So think about a theme that runs through the film - A Quest to find the finest Single Malt, The Best Haggis in Scotland, Searching for the Best View. Doesn't have to be any of these but something singular that you can hang a creative hat on but remember that the purpose of your trip isn't to make a film so don't come up with something that's going to distract from the fact that it's a holiday.
Decide if you want to go funny, informative or serious.
Then start on the basis of a three section story:
Beginning: Setting the scene, what you're doing, why and what you hope to achieve.
Middle: The main bit
End: Conclusion
A simple and effective means of story telling is to create a list. People like lists because they know where they are in the story and tend to want to know what's number one. So if you do the single malt thing.... you could include something like "I'm stopping off for Malt number 1 at the Spayside Distillery here in Lock Sporranladdy (!)
Assuming you have a Number Two Driver and you wanted to go the funny route... you could always film yourself getting more and more pissed as you go
(Have a search for Hale and Pace Spanish Holiday Programme!)
Once you've determined the theme, you can plan what you film and work out the primary narrative (A-Roll) and the footage that will further support that narrative (B-Roll). From this, you can then determine a shoot list - a list of the clips you need to capture.
Write an outline script before you go. And I do mean write. No matter how clearly you know in your head what it is you will say, the minute you press record you'll go blank. Having a written script gives you the prompt you need (but don't read from the script when recording). And you can adjust the script as you go if needed.
Watch a few documentaries with a different eye to see how the pros do it.
Hope that helps.
Have fun and come back and share what you make.
Decide if you want to go funny, informative or serious.
Then start on the basis of a three section story:
Beginning: Setting the scene, what you're doing, why and what you hope to achieve.
Middle: The main bit
End: Conclusion
A simple and effective means of story telling is to create a list. People like lists because they know where they are in the story and tend to want to know what's number one. So if you do the single malt thing.... you could include something like "I'm stopping off for Malt number 1 at the Spayside Distillery here in Lock Sporranladdy (!)
Assuming you have a Number Two Driver and you wanted to go the funny route... you could always film yourself getting more and more pissed as you go
(Have a search for Hale and Pace Spanish Holiday Programme!)Once you've determined the theme, you can plan what you film and work out the primary narrative (A-Roll) and the footage that will further support that narrative (B-Roll). From this, you can then determine a shoot list - a list of the clips you need to capture.
Write an outline script before you go. And I do mean write. No matter how clearly you know in your head what it is you will say, the minute you press record you'll go blank. Having a written script gives you the prompt you need (but don't read from the script when recording). And you can adjust the script as you go if needed.
Watch a few documentaries with a different eye to see how the pros do it.
Hope that helps.
Have fun and come back and share what you make.
StevieBee has covered most of it, but think also of the soundtrack. Most amateur videomakers obsess about video but forget audio - not just content but quality. If you plan to narrate it, do you have the voice for narration? Where will you record it? Maybe captions instead? And will you use ambient sound or stick something on afterwards?
Oh and don't forget to have some holiday
Oh and don't forget to have some holiday
Thanks both
My plan at the moment isn’t to narrate, but I’ve got a few months of practice to see if that may change—I’ve been told that I have a voice for narration before but you never know if people are just being too kind…
I’m hoping that for ‘raw’ audio, the Rode mic and Zoom H1n will provide a decent rendition of the exhaust sound over and above what the camera audio would provide, but will definitely take on board the sound track comments.
Ultimately it’ll be the first go though, so it can only get better
My plan at the moment isn’t to narrate, but I’ve got a few months of practice to see if that may change—I’ve been told that I have a voice for narration before but you never know if people are just being too kind…
I’m hoping that for ‘raw’ audio, the Rode mic and Zoom H1n will provide a decent rendition of the exhaust sound over and above what the camera audio would provide, but will definitely take on board the sound track comments.
Ultimately it’ll be the first go though, so it can only get better
MikeGTi said:
Thanks both
I’m hoping that for ‘raw’ audio, the Rode mic and Zoom H1n will provide a decent rendition of the exhaust sound over and above what the camera audio would provide, but will definitely take on board the sound track comments.
You can do what any self respecting film editor does - cheat.I’m hoping that for ‘raw’ audio, the Rode mic and Zoom H1n will provide a decent rendition of the exhaust sound over and above what the camera audio would provide, but will definitely take on board the sound track comments.
There's no end of exhaust note sounds on any number of stock libraries. Grab a few of these and add to the time line. You can cut and fiddle with these to match downshifts and upshifts and acceleration. May not be exactly the sound of your car but this will not notice in the final film other than to the most anal of geeky car nerds.
Not sure you necessarily need a gimic... Single malt etc. The journey can often be the story.
Some of the most enjoyable travelogues I've seen on YouTube have simply documented the journey.
What has struck me in all of them though is the faff factor of stopping... Setting up your camera... Backing up and driving, cycling, walking past it into the distance. Then go back and collect the gear. At a sufficient frequency for the journey to make sense.
Some of the most enjoyable travelogues I've seen on YouTube have simply documented the journey.
What has struck me in all of them though is the faff factor of stopping... Setting up your camera... Backing up and driving, cycling, walking past it into the distance. Then go back and collect the gear. At a sufficient frequency for the journey to make sense.
There's a lot on YouTube, either instructional or examples. Vimeo has less dross than YouTube and I found it great for ideas.
There are a few video clubs around, some of which gain high praise at competitions.
My experience is that you don't need much in the way of equipment, and after you've had some experience, buy cheaply second hand. I've recently bought a cage, something I've wanted for a while, second hand for half the price, with more accessories (the most expensive of which I'll never used) and it was brand new - just removed from its box.
I spent 15 years videoing my lad's rugby, and bits of training to put on the clubs' websites to entice members. I used a cheap, under £200 for 'broadcast quality' Panasonic camcorder. It produced excellent video. I've now got a Panasonic G9; great, but hardly essential.
If you are just starting out, go cheap. Most of the stuff I bought at first is now in an old backpack on the top of a wardrobe.
Video editing software: I started, many years ago, opting for prosumer level. Not required. I spent most of my time trying to figure out the interface. Start off cheap - although avoid Resolve. It's free but you need a bit of grounding and experience with such software. You mentioned sound. Good quality can transform a video, and rubbish can kill it.
Post production is the big time-consumer.
There are a few video clubs around, some of which gain high praise at competitions.
My experience is that you don't need much in the way of equipment, and after you've had some experience, buy cheaply second hand. I've recently bought a cage, something I've wanted for a while, second hand for half the price, with more accessories (the most expensive of which I'll never used) and it was brand new - just removed from its box.
I spent 15 years videoing my lad's rugby, and bits of training to put on the clubs' websites to entice members. I used a cheap, under £200 for 'broadcast quality' Panasonic camcorder. It produced excellent video. I've now got a Panasonic G9; great, but hardly essential.
If you are just starting out, go cheap. Most of the stuff I bought at first is now in an old backpack on the top of a wardrobe.
Video editing software: I started, many years ago, opting for prosumer level. Not required. I spent most of my time trying to figure out the interface. Start off cheap - although avoid Resolve. It's free but you need a bit of grounding and experience with such software. You mentioned sound. Good quality can transform a video, and rubbish can kill it.
Post production is the big time-consumer.
StevieBee said:
You can do what any self respecting film editor does - cheat.
There's no end of exhaust note sounds on any number of stock libraries. Grab a few of these and add to the time line. You can cut and fiddle with these to match downshifts and upshifts and acceleration. May not be exactly the sound of your car but this will not notice in the final film other than to the most anal of geeky car nerds.
I think I'd be the anal geeky car nerd that it would annoy the most There's no end of exhaust note sounds on any number of stock libraries. Grab a few of these and add to the time line. You can cut and fiddle with these to match downshifts and upshifts and acceleration. May not be exactly the sound of your car but this will not notice in the final film other than to the most anal of geeky car nerds.
TGCOTF-dewey said:
Not sure you necessarily need a gimic... Single malt etc. The journey can often be the story.
Some of the most enjoyable travelogues I've seen on YouTube have simply documented the journey.
What has struck me in all of them though is the faff factor of stopping... Setting up your camera... Backing up and driving, cycling, walking past it into the distance. Then go back and collect the gear. At a sufficient frequency for the journey to make sense.
I'm hoping the journey will form the story, but yes, the thought of getting fly-by shots etc does sound like it could be a faff--conversely it could turn out to actually be fun, who knows?Some of the most enjoyable travelogues I've seen on YouTube have simply documented the journey.
What has struck me in all of them though is the faff factor of stopping... Setting up your camera... Backing up and driving, cycling, walking past it into the distance. Then go back and collect the gear. At a sufficient frequency for the journey to make sense.
Derek Smith said:
There's a lot on YouTube, either instructional or examples. Vimeo has less dross than YouTube and I found it great for ideas.
My experience is that you don't need much in the way of equipment, and after you've had some experience, buy cheaply second hand. I've recently bought a cage, something I've wanted for a while, second hand for half the price, with more accessories (the most expensive of which I'll never used) and it was brand new - just removed from its box.
If you are just starting out, go cheap. Most of the stuff I bought at first is now in an old backpack on the top of a wardrobe.
Post production is the big time-consumer.
I have found Vimeo to have a better quality, although it seems to have been dropping in popularity quite a bit in the last 10 or so years. Fortunately I already have what should be very capable gear, and there's no way I'm succumbing to yet more GAS My experience is that you don't need much in the way of equipment, and after you've had some experience, buy cheaply second hand. I've recently bought a cage, something I've wanted for a while, second hand for half the price, with more accessories (the most expensive of which I'll never used) and it was brand new - just removed from its box.
If you are just starting out, go cheap. Most of the stuff I bought at first is now in an old backpack on the top of a wardrobe.
Post production is the big time-consumer.
singlecoil said:
The single most important aspect will be the narration and the talking to camera. Whatever story you are telling, viewers will want to know how you feel about it. Emotional content is hugely important.
I've started watching a lot of videos recently and trying to see which ones get more views/engagement, and it does certainly seem to be the ones with that emotional connection. I guess I should start working on my narration voice and BGT back story.Thanks for the tips all, genuinely helpful!
If you don't have a particular story to tell, you can still make a great video. Watch some of Andrew Camarata's videos on Youtube. He's just posted one about a snowmobiling trip to Montana. Also check out his jetski videos. Most of his vids are filmed around where he lives in Upstate NY. He uses a combination of very short pieces to camera, gopro footage and drone shots accompanied by various (mostly electronic) music and it can be pretty compelling viewing. I think the format would work well for a road trip too, especially if you're not a natural in front of the camera.
MikeGTi said:
Derek Smith said:
There's a lot on YouTube, either instructional or examples. Vimeo has less dross than YouTube and I found it great for ideas.
I have found Vimeo to have a better quality, although it seems to have been dropping in popularity quite a bit in the last 10 or so years. Fortunately I already have what should be very capable gear, and there's no way I'm succumbing to yet more GAS I'm tight. I have a 28-year-old tripod. I have a 14?-year-old monopod, both Manfroto. Much of my gear has the manufacturer's name worn off. Yet . . .
I was having a chat to one of the sales staff in Park Cameras. They do not indulge in pressure selling. I said that I found my Panasonic G7 superb, but a bit small as I have big, clumsy hands. I was forever pushing the focus lever inadvertently. "Have a go at the G9," the bloke said, then walked away. When he returned, I asked him how much they'd give me for my G7, and he gave a figure immediately. He'd obviously looked it up just then.
I told my wife I'd just bought a new camera, and she said, if 'that' tone, "Like I'm surprised."
Don't go into camera shops. Don't talk to staff. They know how to press your buttons.
singlecoil said:
The single most important aspect will be the narration and the talking to camera.
Talking to camera is entirely optional; unless the OP has presenting skills it's probably better missed.And this brings me on to target audience. Who is the video for? A video for home/family consumption could be very different from something aimed at YouTube.
And if you're indoors, or sometimes even if you're not, there's lighting to consider...
Thanks all, once again
I've not really thought about the audience--mainly for me and the other half to document our trip, but I guess secondary is throwing it onto YouTube to see how it fares.
We've got a few driving tours etc planned for this year and next, so possibly then move to documenting them for YouTube if I'm any good
I've not really thought about the audience--mainly for me and the other half to document our trip, but I guess secondary is throwing it onto YouTube to see how it fares.
We've got a few driving tours etc planned for this year and next, so possibly then move to documenting them for YouTube if I'm any good
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