HOME FILM MAKING GUIDE (Updated
2009)
WORLD FUTURE FUND
GUIDE FOR ASPIRING FILMMAKERS
HOW TO BEGIN
MAKING FILMS AT HOME AT A REASONABLE COST
Technology today has enabled ordinary
people to have the power to do things that were previously only
possible with great financial resources. If you have a camcorder and an internet connection, you can shoot, edit, promote and show your movie to millions of people. Really amazing videos have been put on YouTube created in free
programs like Windows MovieMaker and Apple's IMovie.
EDITING SOFTWARE
The free programs, such as Windows Moviemaker and Apple's I Movie are certainly a great place to start. If you're looking for something for more advanced editing,
we suggest Pinnacle Studio or Adobe Premiere Pro. (Both Pinnacle and Premiere export to .flv)
FREE
LOW COST
EDITING SOFTWARE - PROFESSIONAL
IMPORT FOOTAGE
There are several ways of getting media into your computer
IMPORT WITH FIREWIRE OR USB 2.0 FROM A CAMERA
You can use USB 2.0 or Firewire (on
some cameras) to import your video from a camcorder to your computer
IMPORT FROM VHS OR TV
A DVD Recorder/VCR Will enable you to copy any part or all of a VHS
tape to DVD and will enable you to record from live TV or RCA jack video
inputs. Most computer video editing programs can read a DVD-R or a DVD-RW .
IMPORT FROM A DVD
- Free software like DVD
Decrypter, Handbrake and
DVD43
can copy an encrypted DVD onto your computer . (We do not endorse violating
any copyright laws.)
- Two paid programs that can copy encrypted DVD are AXARA Media
and Slysoft. Slysoft can copy
Blue Ray discs.
IMPORTING USING A VIDEO CARD
A Video/TV Capture Card allows you to send an analog Video or TV signal to
your computer vie RCA jacks.
PCI Cards (Including TV Tuners)
USB - - Transfer only (No Tuner)
CAPTURE STREAMING VIDEO
These programs enable you to download and
save flash files from places like You Tube and some other formats.
CAPTURE WITH WEBSITES
These are browser based, so you don't have to download any software. (You can do this in both FireFox and Internet Explorer)
CAPTURE WITH REAL (Internet Explorer or Firefox.)
RealPlayer is a FREE download that lets you record streaming video from the Web and save it for offline viewing.
CAPTURE WITH FIREFOX
Video Download Helper
Video Downloader
CONVERT DOWNLOADED FLASH FILES TO OTHER FORMATS
Few video editing programs will edit Flash files directly. However, the
following program will convert these files into formats that can be edited.
Mac users can use a program called iSquint.
PLAY DOWNLOADED FLASH FILES
Adobe Media
Player
FORMATS
With the popularity of video on the web and sites like YouTube, there is an increased need to understand the different types of video file formats and what they do.
Each format has its advantages and disadvantages, Here are a few of the major formats in more detail...
MPEG
MPEG stands for the Motion Pictures Expert Group.
- MPEG-4:
Widely used on the internet due to its smaller size.
ADOBE FLASH
Flash Video is a file format used to deliver video over the Internet using Adobe Flash Player (initially produced by Macromedia) This is the basis for many video sites like YouTube and Google video. The actual video file is either an FLV or H.264 file, both can easily be played by generic videoplayer software. Getting browsers to display video is still a platform specific issue due to lack of a common video format. Using Flash partly solves the problem because of the wide distribution of Flash Player, Flash movies can run in browsers with the proper Flash player installed.
WMV (Window Media)
WMV is a Windows-only format generally used for streaming video over the internet. Again, it is a compressed format. Microsoft claims that the bit-rate is twice that of MPEG-4, meaning that the overall quality is higher even though file sizes are larger. It is the default format for Windows Media Player but doesn't work on Apple's QuickTime Player, though the plug-in Flip4Mac WMV (www.flip4mac.com) will solve this problem.
QUICK TIME
QuickTime is integrated with Mac OSX, and it was an optional component at install for earlier versions of Mac OS. All Apple systems ship with QuickTime already installed. QuickTime is optional for Windows systems, although many software applications require it. Apple bundles it with iTunes for Windows download, but it is also available as a standalone installation. The QuickTime file format functions as a multimedia container file that contains one or more tracks, each of which stores a particular type of data: audio, video, effects, or text (e.g. for subtitles).
We recommend MPEG4 video with MP3 audio or FLASH. for best compatibility for uploading to YouTube. .
CAMCORDERS
WHAT FORMAT TO USE? TAPE, FLASH MEMORY, HARD DRIVE OR DVD?
We strongly
recommend flash memory or hard drive. These are the easiest to transfer to
your computer.
CAMCORDERS UNDER $200
FLASH
SOME GOOD CAMCORDERS
FLASH MEMORY
Canon FS 100
Canon Vixia HF10
Panasonic HDC-SD9
HARD DRIVE
HIGH DEFINITION
SOME GOOD PRO/SEMI-PRO CAMCORDERS
AUDIO
Audio can be just as vital as the video. Using an external microphone instead of the one that is included is always an option, so you must look for a microphone-in jack. It is also good to have a headphone-out jack so you can monitor your audio and correct for any problems while recording. Some higher-end and middle-tier consumer camcorders include manual audio control, which allows the user to adjust the audio level of the microphone's channels; this is important when recording something like a concert, or anything very loud or soft. All consumer camcorders have built-in microphones, but tend to pick up unwanted noise. Front-mounted mikes generally do a better job of capturing sound from a source in front of the camera and of rejecting the sound of the camera operator muttering. If you'll be recording very quiet scenes, look for a camcorder that doesn't pick up too much motor hum through the built-in microphone.
If you are looking for quality sound for dialogue, you'll need to use a microphone that can be placed close to whomever is speaking. An external mic will be essential, you'll probably want to look for a more expensive camera that has optional mic jacks. This feature is definitely something to consider when purchasing a camcorder. A jack for an external microphone will allow you to plug in a second microphone and your on-board mic automatically shuts off.
The less expensive cameras will have a jack that is similar to a small stereo plug, .Low-end microphones are available for these kind of jacks. A Professional camera will have an XLR audio input and require professional XLR mic cables. If you’re going to go with a camera that accepts external mics, look for a camera that has the right kind of jack to match your microphone. If you really want to see if you're getting quality sound from your mic to your camcorder a headphone jack will be another important feature. Sometimes you’ll forget to do something easy…like turn the mic on and this is where the headphones will come in handy. Unfortunately a cheap camcorder won’t have a plug-in for them. Microphone and headphone jacks are a great feature if you’re concerned with high quality audio.
Different types of videographers need different sound-capture capabilities, so look for the features that match your needs.
WHERE TO PUBLISH YOUR VIDEO?
You've made your video and now you want to share it with the world. Millions of people everyday are uploading videos of themselves and friends to Youtube, and a number of other free hosting sites such as Vimeo and Google Video. YouTube is the preferred destination for uploading video on the Internet, as it offers the maximum number of viewers. Instructions for uploading a video are relatively easy. First you'll have to open an account, once this is done, it's generally a two or three step process that allows you to browse for your video file on your computer, add a little description and then click upload. Most of these sites will also give you options for adding a thumbnail, selecting your genre and in some cases revenue sharing. After you've uploaded your video, the hosting site provides the option of sharing your movie by giving you a link/URL that you can email, they also include a great feature that allows you to copy the HTML code and "embed" the video into your own website or blog.
YouTube's video playback technology for web users is based on Adobe Flash Player. This allows the site to display videos with quality comparable to more established video playback technologies (such as Windows Media Player, QuickTime, and RealPlayer) that generally require the user to download and install a web browser plug-in in order to view video. Viewing Flash video also requires a plug-in, but market research from Adobe Systems has found that its Flash plug-in is installed on over 95% of personal computers.
You can find instructions for uploading normal and high quality videos at the YouTube Help Center.
DVD RECORDING
There are several DVD authoring software that you can use to make professional quality DVD Movies.
DVD AUTHORING SOFTWARE
There are a few of the more expensive programs, such as Sonic Solutions DVDit! 6 , Corel VideoStudio Pro X2 , Vegas Pro 8 Professional Video Editing, Audio & DVD Creation.
PROMOTING YOUR VIDEO
Now you have your video on the web, but unfortunately so do several other million people. So how can you give yourself a better shot of making sure your video get seen?
- TAGGING - When you upload your video, make sure you don't ignore the tag section of the upload form. Tagging your video will help people running a search to find your content. So if your video is about how to write your first blog, you might add tags (separated by commas, usually) e.g. "wordpress", "wordpress blogging", "blogging", "blog", "first blog", "beginner's wordpress" and so on. The more descriptive tags you use, the better.
- KEYFRAME OR THUMBNAIL IMAGE- If your video has a great "thumbnail" image - the frame of the video that appears in search results before the video is played - you'll have a much greater chance of getting it watched.
Some sharing services will allow you to choose your own thumbnail from anywhere in the clip. Others, such as YouTube, use the clip right at the mid-point of your video as a Thumbnail.
- EFFECTIVE TITLING- Just as with blogging, your best shot at getting your video clicked on is to either tease your potential viewer or give them an accurate description of the contents of your video
- GET THE WORD OUT - Once you've optimized your video for discovery, the next thing you need to do is get the word out about it. If you have a blog, blog about it. If you use Twitter, Myspace, Facebook or other social media services , make sure you publish a link to your video.You could also consider writing a Squidoo or Hubpages entry related to your video, and cross promote it that way.
The key is to make sure your video is either linked to - or better yet, embedded - in as many places as possible.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Here are some good web resources for software reviews and recommendations:
WFF Links for Film Makers
Videomaker Magazine
PC Magazine
CNET
ZDNET
Digital Producer
DV Magazine
Desktop Video
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