Getting Things in Order: Building a Sequence

Videos often call for "sequences" which basically means a series of events shot in order. I had two shoots that called for sequences last week: one was for narrative purposes (telling a story) and the other was for an instructional video where it was very important to show how to use a product step by step.  


If you're a newbie, shooting a sequence can be tricky.  You may think you're shooting everything correctly, but once you get to editing the mistakes reveal themselves.  Keep in mind:


Switch Up the Focal Lengths
The focal length is how wide or tight the shot is on the subject.  A wide shot may show an entire room, while a tight shot would show just a person's face.  Let's say you're shooting a person checking out at the supermarket.  You may want a wide shot of the of checkout lane that includes the belt, the cashier and the customer.  The natural sequence includes the items on the belt, the customer swiping their credit card etc.  Shoot the action several times, first staying wide, then zooming in closer to catch the smaller details.


Use Lots of Angles...
You can make any project look bigger budget by shooting sequences from different angles.  It makes it appear like you had two or three cameras on set even though you had just one.  Obviously, this takes more time and effort but it's well worth it in the end.  Also, the more angles, the more fast paced and visually interesting the sequence will feel when you cut it together.


...but Don't Break the Axis!
Breaking the axis is the easiest misstep to make when shooting and you likely don't realize you've done it until it's too late: in editing.  There's a mathematical calculation to it, but basically breaking the axis is shooting from a second angle that just feels wrong when the sequence is cut together. 


Let's say you're shooting two people talking, a man and a woman; they're facing each other and you're perpendicular to them so you're shooting each of them in profile.  The man is to your left and the woman is to your right.  Picture it? Ok. You need to stay on that side of the couple so you don't break the axis.  You can move left or right at different angles as long as the man is always on your left and the woman is always on your right.  If you cross the axis to the other side so she's on the left and he's on the right, it's disorienting to the viewer. 


Make a Match
A great sequence needs "matched actions".  That means that the action is performed  exactly the same way from every angle and focal length.  Think back to that supermarket scene.  Every time the customer swipes her credit card, she needs to do it with the same hand.  The food needs to be on the belt in the same order.  If you're shooting you've got your hands full, so it's best to enlist someone else to be in charge of double checking these details.  Personally, I like to ask the one of the clients to take on this responsibility if the crew has their hands full.  It's a genuinely important job that doesn't take technical skill and it makes them feel very involved.


Both of the sequences I shot last week will be up for you to view in the near future. I look forward to sharing them with you!


*** As a side note, you may notice my blog now has sponsors. These sponsors make it possible for me to deliver this free advice week after week.  Please click on their ads!

Pull it Together: Gathering the Elements You'll Need for Your Video

Whenever I begin a new project, invariably I'll need certain elements from my clients to get going: certainly their logo, perhaps a palette of their colors and any photos or existing video they want to incorporate.


Sometimes I run into a little resistance when it comes to the quality of these items. Clients often try to provide files pulled from their website, but what's acceptable on the web is not acceptable on television.  With video, everything needs to be bigger and higher resolution than what you're used to, otherwise it will look pixelated and grainy, especially compared to the high resolution video and graphics I'll provide.  Below, guidelines for providing the highest quality elements to get the highest quality finished product.


Logo
Your logo is the most important element I'll ask you for.  Do not just right click on it from your website, "Save As" and send it to me.  On your website, the logo has been shrunk down to fit on the page. Once it's been shrunk, I can't make it bigger without it looking pixelated.  If you don't have a high resolution file, whomever designed your logo should have it.  It needs to be at a minimum 550 pixels wide and 72dpi, but bigger is always better.


Photographs
As with graphic images, photos need to be provided in their original size, fresh out of the camera.  If you're sending a lot of them (too many to email), it's best to burn them to a cd or use a file sharing service like Dropbox or Yousendit to transfer them.  If you upload them to a site like Snapfish, they'll become compressed and will lose a lot of their original quality.  In order to check the file size on a PC, right click the file and select "Properties". The size needs to be a minimum of 640x480.  On a Mac, right click and select "Get Info" to see the size.


Speaking of quality, the camera used to capture the photographs makes a huge difference.  In the past three weeks, I've had two clients send me pictures taken from cell phones to use in a video.  We all use cell phones to take quick snapshots, but when you're promoting your business cell phones simply don't cut it.  You want the images to be clear, high resolution and have depth of field.  A cell phone camera will never, ever be up to the challenge.  And yes, that includes your iPhone!  Even a point-and-shoot is a far better option.


Video
Like with still cameras, the quality of the video camera is paramount.  Just because a camera touts itself as "high def" (ahem, iPhone, FlipCam) doesn't make it high quality.  Sure it looks okay on your teeny little phone screen, but what would it look like on a 50" widescreen TV? Not good.  It's better to have a professional shoot (or reshoot) your product or service.  


And while we're on the topic, here's a bonus tip:  If you are shooting video with your iPhone, make sure you're holding your phone the right way.  Think of the shape of your TV screen-- it's wider than it is tall, isn't it?  Your computer screen is too, right?  So be sure to hold your iPhone sideways, so it matches the aspect ratio of TV and computer screens.  


Sometimes I'm asked to use parts of an existing video created years before.  Depending on circumstances this may work.  The best case scenario is that the client still has access to the original raw (unedited) video, which is most likely on tape like Beta SP or DV.   Sometimes people ask me to pull elements from a DVD. It can be done, but won't look great compared to the fresh video we'll be shooting together.   
  


When it doubt, remember this rule: it's easy to make big items smaller, but impossible to make small items bigger (and look good anyway).  Even if your end use for this video is on the web, you'll still want to create a broadcast quality (higher resolution) piece; it may come in handy later.

What Will Your Video Look Like? A Quick Quiz to Help You Get Started

Answer the questions below to get an idea of what type of video your business needs.  Descriptions of each type of video are below.

1.)    What is the nature of your business?

a.)    Product or Service, General Population (4 pts)

b.)    Unique Product or Service, B2B or General Population (3 pts)

c.)     B2B Product (1pts)

d.)    B2B Service (2 pt)

2.)    What do you feel is your strongest attribute for business success?

a.)    Unique Product or Service (3 pts)

b.)    Expertise (2 pts)

c.)     Effectiveness of Product or Service (1 pt)

d.)    Broadness of target market (4 pts)

3.)    Who are your target customers?

a.)    Larger Company (1 pt)

b.)    General population (4 pts)

c.)     Small Business (2 pts)

d.)    Early Adopters (3pts)

4.)    How do you acquire most of your new business?

a.)    Networking (2pts)

b.)    Print Advertising (4pts)

c.)     Sales Calls (1 pt)

d.)    Website (3pts)

5.)    Besides increasing sales, what is the main purpose of your video?

a.)    Inform customers about your unique product or service (3 pts)

b.)    Inform customers about your location and variety of products/services offered (4 pts)

c.)     Educate customers about how they can benefit from your product/service (1 pt)

d.)    Inform customers about your extensive expertise (2 pts)

Scores:

1-5- Sales Presentation Video

6-10 Team Profile

10-15 Demonstration Video

16-20 Broadcast Commercial

Sales Presentation Video

Think back to the last time you presented to a potential client. Did every word come out perfectly? Did you boast enough about your company’s accomplishments? Did you bring in your past clients to explain what a great job you did? Probably not. Even the smoothest salesperson doesn’t pitch perfectly every single time. Adding video to your sales presentation gives you an edge. With a pre-produced video, you can ensure your message gets across as flawlessly and succinctly as possible, time after time. With a pre-produced video, you can ensure your sales presentation as flawlessly and succinctly as possible, time after time. Incorporating a video into your existing presentation is effortless; videos are easily inserted into PowerPoint.

Team Profile

"People do business with people they know, like and trust."

Profiling yourself or your team with a video on your "About Us" website page enables potential clients get to know you in a personal way.  Even though the video should be focused on the business, just seeing the faces and hearing the voices of you and your employees instantly creates an emotional connection, and many business decisions are made emotionally, not logically.

Depending on your industry, the tone of the video can be lighthearted and humorous, somber but heartwarming, or it could be fast paced and edgy. Just as long as it's not dry, your video will immediately establish that emotional connection.

Demonstration Video

Demonstration Videos showcase in detail how your product or service works, and how customers can benefit from it.  Demonstration videos are great if what you’re selling is totally unique and needs explanation.   If it’s a product, you’ll want to show it in use.  If it’s a service, you may need drive home your point with illustrations and motion graphics.

Broadcast Commercial

While any business benefits from advertising, television commercials work best for businesses with a broad consumer range. That's why you see a lot of medical, restaurant and retail commercials-- everybody goes to the doctor, eats and shops. If a wide range of people can benefit from your product or service (as opposed to business to business) then yes, you should consider commercial advertising.

Reach a Bigger Audience: Videotaping Your Live Presentation Part II

Last week I offered tips on the technical aspects of taping a live presentation.  Today, I've got more advice for you on the conceptual side. 

In order to determine the concept for your presentation video, you need to establish what the purpose of it is.  Is the information you're delivering of utmost importance, or are you planning to use the video to present and promote yourself as an expert?   While you're likely interested in both, one is probably more important to you than the other.  Making this distinction is instrumental in deciding how you'll tape your presentation.

If it's Information
Perhaps the purpose of your presentation is to train a group about a new procedure or technolgoy.  In this case, then yes, the information is the most important.  This is how you should proceed:

• You'll need to use the entire presentation with minimal or no editing, so if you switch up the framing  at all, the motion should be slow and smooth.
• If you're using a PowerPresentation, the lights in the room should be off so the screen is bright and readable.  Unless...
• If you've got a budget for editing, you can leave the lights on, show yourself as the speaker in front of the screen, and then cut together the presentation video and elements of your PowerPoint in post production (the newest version of PowerPoint lets you turn your presentation into a video file).  This will give you the cleanest, most professional result and your audience won't miss the important details.

If it's Promotion
Showing yourself presenting to an audience is a powerful way to present yourself as an expert in your field.  In this case, the video should be all about you, you, you.  Here's how:

• You'll want to showcase the most dynamic parts of your presentation.  No one will sit through a 20 minute video on your website.  Locate the most robust points of your presentation, and cut it into a "highlights" reel.
• If you're speaking to a large group, be sure to get one good wide shot that includes the audience.  It makes you look impressive.
• Knowing you're going to need to splice and dice the presentation together, you'll need to shoot from different focal lengths to be able to edit properly.

A presentation video is one of the most versatile videos you can have.  Upload it to your website, YouTube account and Facebook page with captions that include where and when you spoke and where potential clients can see you present next.  They'll be lining up!

Reach a Bigger Audience: Videotaping Your Live Presentation Part I

Today I was editing a presentation I shot for someone last week.  Speaking to a live audience is an efficient way to market your business; you get to present yourself as an expert to a large group at once.  You're center stage!  Get even more mileage out of your presentation by videotaping it and posting it to your website and YouTube.   


Taping a live presentation is tough.  There's no do-overs and you're often at the mercy of the venue in terms of camera position and lighting.  However, with just a little planning you can make it run smoothly. Below, some technical advice from a pro-- me!


Scout it Out
Get there ahead of time and find out where you'll be able to set up the camera.  If it's a long presentation and you won't be able to work off of battery power the whole time, make sure you'll have access to an outlet.


Determine the Lighting Situation
Often during PowerPoint presentations, the lights are dimmed or shut off completely to better see the screen.  This can be very problematic if you're trying to shoot the speaker-- they'll appear in silhouette.  See if you can keep the lights on (if you're highlighting the actual speaker more than the presentation itself-- check back next week for more information about making this determination) or bring your own light and strategically place it to light the speaker without interfering with screen project.


Get the Audio Right
In a presentation, the audio is of utmost importance!  After all, people are watching to hear what you have to say.  You'll want to wear a microphone that's hooked up to the camera.  Even if the venue has it's own speaker system and you are talking into their microphone, you need a separate one connected to the camera.  Believe me.


Remind the Audience to Power Down Their Phones
There's two reasons for this.  One, it's disruptive to both the live presentation and the video.  Two, if you're using a wireless microphone, a room full of cell phones will cause interference resulting in static throughout the presentation.  They can't just be silent-- they truly need to be off.


Next week, advice for establishing a concept for your presentation video.  Yes, you need a concept! Stay tuned.

Setting the Stage: Choosing Backgrounds for Interview and Product Shots

Setting up a backdrop is *almost* as important as the subject itself.  The trick is to enhance the message of the video without being distracting.  The possibilities are literally endless, but getting it to look just right takes a little knowhow.  Below, secrets to making the background look professional.

Stay Soft

You won't want the background to be as sharp as the subject.  To keep it out of focus, the subject needs to be as far away as possible from the background.  This may mean setting up the camera outside the room and shooting through the doorway!


Add Props

Unless you're deliberately shooting on a simple, solid colored background, you'll want to add pieces to fill up the negative space.  Bright colored flowers are always a cheery yet professional option, but green leafy plants should be a last resort-- they can make it look as if your subject is emerging from the jungle.



A well placed flower arrangements adds a pop

of color and visual interest.



Match It

In product shots, you likely won’t see much of the background because the shot will be tight and so much of it will be cropped out.  Create and abstract background that matches the tones of the product or its packaging for a simple, neutral, but appealing look.



Here we used packages from the same product line

to create a soft, neutral background.



Make It Personal

Last week I had a shoot with a financial expert who clearly had an affinity for boating; his entire office had a nautical theme!  We used a model sailboat he had on hand to fill the negative space.  This gives viewers some insight into his personal life and the possibility of discovering some common ground.



Personal details can subtly add information without
making outright statements.



Lighten Up

Last but not least, the background should have its own designated light to highlight all of your hard work.  The light should be softer than the light on the subject but also beware of any harsh shadows this light can create on the back wall.  You’ll have to play around with the light placement to find the sweet spot.

Setting up a proper backdrop takes a little extra effort, but is well worth it in the end. With proper technique, your video will look polished and professional.

Learn the Lingo: Key Terms in Video Production

As someone who has worked as a producer for a long time, I often forget that common terms I use everyday are not part of most people's vernacular.    I have to remind myself of this when speaking with clients, but in case I forget myself here's a glossary of terms you'll probably hear me use often.


"VO"
VO stands for voiceover, which is what a narrator reads.  A VO is often recorded (or as we say "tracked") in a sound booth so there's no matching video to go along with it.


"SOT" 
SOT is either pronounced as an acronym (S-O-T) or as its own word (sot).  In any case, it means "Sound On Tape", commonly known as a soundbite.  Unlike with VOs, SOTs include matching video of the person speaking.


"B-Roll"
B-Roll is an old production term that has long outlasted its cousin "A-Roll."  A-Roll is actually the same thing as a SOT, which makes B-Roll pretty much everything else.  B-Roll is the "cover video" of any action that's happening, whether it's a busy intersection, a cook in a kitchen or a lion chasing an antelope.

"Raw Video"

This is an important one to know.  Raw video is totally unedited video, just as it was recorded, straight out of the camera.  Every mistake, every shake, every line flub, everything.  It's great to keep a copy of the raw video from any shoot. You never know when you'll need it.


"Nats"
Nats means "natural sound" (listen, don't blame me, I didn't come up with this stuff). Natural sound is ambient noise, like the sound of traffic or birds chirping.  A "nat pop" is a term we use in editing when the finished video intentionally breaks from VOs or SOTs to play some natural sound, like the crack of a baseball bat, and then return to VOs or SOTs.


"Sequence"
A sequence is a complete action shown in chronological order from different angles. An example of a sequence would be a wide shot of a person chopping onions in a kitchen, then a very close up shot of the blade cutting the onions, and then a medium shot of the cook dropping the onions into a frying pan.  Building a sequence makes a single camera shoot look bigger budget, as if you had three cameras rolling at once. First, you'd shoot the entire action from a wide point of view, then shoot the entire action again from a different angle or focal length (medium shot or close up) and then maybe even again from a different angle or focal length.  In editing, these shots are cut together to form-- voila!-- a sequence.


"Room Tone"
Sometimes after an interview, we need to get what's called room tone, by sitting quietly while the camera records for 30 seconds.  Every space has it's own ambient noise, often from ventilation systems.  In editing, it's good to have just the sound of the room on hand for reasons I won't bore you with.  Just sit back, relax and be a little patient when it's happening.


"Dub"
A dub is nothing more than a copy of a video (whether it be the raw video or an edited piece), and "dubbing" simply means the act of making a copy.  Why we say "dub" is beyond me, but it's what we do.


There are many more terms used in video production, but these are likely the most common you'll come across.  If I ever say a term you don't understand let me know; I'm always happy to explain myself.  And if you use these terms in front of me, I promise to be very impressed with your video prowess.