Video Challenge Toolbox

Hey, we’re glad that you’re thinking about taking the ymiLIVE 2010 Video Challenge!

Here in your Toolbox, you’ll find helpful tips and strategies, FAQ’s, and links to further resources and free downloads. If there’s anything you need or any question you’ve got that you can’t find an answer to here, contact us at support@ymilive.org.

Toolbox

Video "How To"
Video How To http://www.ymilive.org/ 2010-01-29T15:15:15Z Toolbox http://www.ymilive.org/site/toolbox/toolbox.html 2010-01-29T15:15:15Z
Hey! We’re glad that you’re thinking about taking the ymiLIVE 2010 Video Challenge! Here in your Toolbox, you’ll find helpful tips and strategies, FAQ’s, and links to further resources and free downloads. If there’s anything you need or any question you’ve got that you can’t find an answer to here, contact us at support@ymilive.org.  Getting started you probably have the tools to make a video already, even if you don't have a camcorder. Web cams, digital cameras, and even cell phones often have video recording features—many digital cameras even have a simple switch to choose between stills and video. If you have a computer that was made in the last few years, you’ve also got a basic editing system! Windows comes with Windows Movie Maker and mac comes with iMovie.. So put your team together, look at the gear you’ve got or what kind of collective resources you can tap and get going - but first, you should consider some key roles in bringing a video or movie to the screen – Producer, Director, Writer, Director of Photography, Lighting Director, Sound Recordist, Cast and Editor. This is all about fun though, so if you’ve got a camera and a great idea, go for it! When your video is complete, you’re ready to upload to ymiLIVE. You'll need to save the video in a format that YMILive can accept in order to upload. We recommend that you save your videos as either .MOV or .WMV, these are the most common formats and they work well within our system. We specifically recommend 640x480 resolution with MP3 audio Video Challenge Toolbox http://www.ymilive.org/site/toolbox/video-challenge-toolbox.html 2010-01-29T15:25:44Z
Hey, we’re glad that you’re thinking about taking the ymiLIVE 2010 Video Challenge! Here in your Toolbox, you’ll find helpful tips and strategies, FAQ’s, and links to further resources and free downloads. If there’s anything you need or any question you’ve got that you can’t find an answer to here, contact us at <a href="mailto:support@ymilive.org">support@ymilive.org</a>. Where to Begin http://www.ymilive.org/site/toolbox/where-to-begin.html 2010-01-29T15:26:22Z
You probably have the tools to make a video already, even if you don't have a camcorder. Web cams, digital cameras, and even cell phones often have video recording features—many digital cameras even have a simple switch to choose between stills and video. If you have a computer that was made in the last few years, you’ve also got a basic editing system! Windows comes with Windows Movie Maker and mac comes with iMovie.. So put your team together, look at the gear you’ve got or what kind of collective resources you can tap and get going - but first, you should consider some key roles in bringing a video or movie to the screen – Producer, Director, Writer, Director of Photography, Lighting Director, Sound Recordist, Cast and Editor. This is all about fun though, so if you’ve got a camera and a great idea, go for it! When your video is complete, you’re ready to upload to ymiLIVE. You'll need to save the video in a format that ymiLive can accept in order to upload. We recommend that you save your videos as either .MOV or .WMV, these are the most common formats and they work well within our system. We specifically recommend 640x480 resolution with MP3 audio. The Movie Making Process http://www.ymilive.org/site/toolbox/movie-making-process.html 2010-01-29T15:27:22Z
  <ul> <li><a href="#produce">Producing and Directing</a></li> <li><a href="#script">Scripting</a></li> <li><a href="#cast">Casting</a></li> <li><a href="#audio">Audio</a></li> <li><a href="#light">Lighting</a></li> <li><a href="#cinema">Cinematography</a></li> <li><a href="#post">Post-Production</a></li> <li><a href="#upload">Upload</a></li> </ul> Producing and Directing A producer’s job is to deliver a project on time and under budget. In a nutshell! To do that, a plan is essential. You must organize your information, your objectives, your team and your story before you can head into production. As Producer, you’re often tasked with keeping your eyes on the big picture and making sure you’ve got a talented – or at least highly enthusiastic – team to help bring the vision to the screen. That’s where the Director comes in! A Director works with the Producer and Writer to bring the vision from their minds to screen. The Director works directly with the crew on the set and is responsible for capturing the best performance from not only the crew, but the cast. The set keeps moving and the takes keep coming until the Director yells “Cut!” or “That’s a Wrap!” <a href="#top">back to top »</a> Scripting A Writer is the person who either generates the story from his or her own imagination or adapts the story from an existing property – book or play, for example. Creating a script is the best way to develop your story and refine the story. A script goes through many rewrites and sometimes, many writers. But for this video challenge, look at creating your script as an exercise in not only getting your ideas on paper, but also as creating a roadmap for your actors. It’s fun to improvise on set – in fact collaboration and spontaneity are elements that can create magic! If your script includes dialogue, take the time to rehearse with your cast! It will be well worth it in time and materials saved doing take after take because an actor doesn’t know his or her lines or doesn’t understand what the Director is looking for. This lets you save your production time for creativity – changing angles with the camera or getting interesting variations on line delivery. Just remember what “they” say – “if it ain’t on the page, it ain’t on the stage!” <a href="#top">back to top »</a> Casting The job of casting roles goes to the Casting Director. He or she looks for the look and ability to emote for each role in the project. Can you imagine anyone else playing Jack Dawson besides Leo DiCaprio? Or what about Edward Scissorhands? No one but the mighty Johnny Depp could have become that lonely character. The point is, a lot of magic happens in finding the right guy or gal to become each character. When you’re casting for your movie – don’t eliminate people because they’ve never done anything…if Hollywood did that we never would have met Brad Pitt, Drew Barrymore and any other actor that had to get their first job! So, go ahead, ask Mom, Grandma or the neighbor to audition for your video! <a href="#top">back to top</a> Audio You may have a great video with inspired dialogue, but if we can’t hear it, it’s all for nought. Make sure your camera has a good built-in mic and if you’re shooting dialogue, position the camera to a close up of the subject who’s speaking. Get a wide shot of the whole scene, too, but go in for close-ups of each actor, for sure! In a perfect world, you’d have access to a good external microphone that your Audio Guy or Gal can actually control outside the view of the camera. When you’re editing, make sure to mix your audio tracks so that the music isn’t overriding the spoken word. The music should support the narrative! <a href="#top">back to top »</a> Lighting Lighting is to a scene as paint is to the canvas. That’s the truth. Use light to your advantage. If you have windows, consider letting your subjects be silhouettes; if you have lights, use them to paint your shot. Everything isn’t illuminated in real life –there are dark areas and light. One thing to pay close attention to is the lighting on your Talent (actors). A basic lighting scheme is a three point scheme:   <ol> <li>a back light – that casts light onto the subject’s hair and shoulders – this separates them from the background.</li> <li>a key light – this is the primary light on the subject’s face, it comes from just off center to their face – from either side.</li> <li>a fill light – literally is a soft “fill” of the side of the face/subject that’s not getting hit by the key. It should not be as bright as the key, though, because some “modeling” is desirable. A flatly lit face or shot is uninteresting.</li> </ol> Pay attention to TV, great print adds, movies and even some commercials and look at how lighting is used to create mood, draw your eye through the frame and most importantly, paint a beautiful picture. <a href="#top">back to top »</a> Cinematography If you already have a digital camcorder (one that captures in Digital8, MiniDV, DV, HDV, or any of the DVD formats - there’s no reason you can’t use your computer camera, too), then you're ready to start shooting your masterpiece. Cinematography - or what your camera shoots – conveys your story. Don’t be afraid to use a tripod to stabilize your images…unless you want to create a feeling of frenzy or a stylized point of view. Do your shots have a point of view? -- a high-angle shot communicates superiority…consider WHERE you put your camera!! Is your composition telling us something about the character or story? A close up communicates emotion – a wide shot or master shot – sets the scene…if the camera is angled, or “dutched” on the tripod, it tells us something is out of sync in the scene – that you want your viewer to know something isn’t “right.” A camera PAN involves moving across the shot side to side – “Pan Left,” for example, means slowly (or quickly – depending on the shot!) turn the camera toward the left. A pan mimics the way your head would turn if you looked to your left or right. A tilt is another type of reveal – a TILT is a vertical move from top to bottom or vice versa – it’s literally your camera looking up or looking down. It’s a great way to go from looking at your actor who suddenly looks down, to the ground where the camera sees a shiny penny the actor just spotted. The next cut might be a close up, with the camera on the ground by the penny, as the actor’s hand comes into frame and grabs the penny. A DOLLY is an awesome camera move that is akin to your whole body moving forward, backward or left or right…when a camera dollies the whole camera is moving. It’s usually done on dolly tracks, but a skateboard and duck tape or a camera person in a wheelchair make great dollies on a budget! Last but not least is the mighty ZOOM. A slow zoom in or out either focuses our attention on a person, place or thing, or reveals a person place or thing. Use zooms judiciously! <a href="#top">back to top »</a> Post-Production Once your video is “in the can,” the next step is Editing your video. Take full advantage of the software that’s loaded in your computer – like <a target="_blank" href="http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/moviemaker/default.mspx">Windows MovieMaker</a> (included with every Windows installation), or <a target="_blank" href="http://www.apple.com/ilife/imovie/">Apple iMovie</a>. These are terrific consumer programs that let you edit, add music, transitions and output your master. Your camcorder will need some kind of direct connection to your computer; either to the USB or FireWire ports or by inserting the DVD you've recorded. Once you've loaded the video you’ve shot into your computer, you’re ready to upload to ymiLIVE or better yet, make a stop in your editing program. Consider tempo – it reveals the mood – a fast paced scene with lots of cuts creates a sense of urgency, while longer shots with long slow dissolves suggest the passage of time. Do you use effects judiciously? Resist the temptation to go effects crazy! If you’re using actors, remember that if someone has a long piece of dialogue, it’s interesting to “cut away” to see a “reaction shot” of the person or group to whom he or she is speaking. Ultimately, we want you to have FUN making your video – we know you’re not an expert – YET! Viewers will VOTE for the video that makes an impression!!! Use your best skills in story telling! <a href="#top">back to top »</a> Upload Uploading your video is easy! When you export your final movie, just make sure to export it from your edit program as a WMV, MOV or MPEG – and make sure the file size is less than 100 megs. Don’t make your size any smaller than 320x240. <a href="#top">back to top »</a> Making a Video FAQ’s http://www.ymilive.org/site/toolbox/video-challenge-faqs.html 2010-03-09T08:38:10Z
<a>What kind of video do viewers like?</a> We hope that people will look at the videos’ connection to the theme, but, ultimately, people like videos they feel a connection to – whether it’s in the music choice, the images they see, the authenticity of it. People respond emotionally to concepts, images and sounds, not to technical precision or perfection. So trust your creative instincts! Comedy is a huge draw in online videos, but you’ll need to make the call of how or where or if you integrate humor into your video. <a>What format should my video be for uploading?</a> Your video must be less than 100 megs and in QuickTime/MOV, WMV, MPEG. <a>What’s the length of the video?</a> The video length is recommended to be a minimum of 2 minutes, but no more than 4 minutes. It doesn’t take much time to be very creative with your message! <a>I've never produced a video and it sounds complicated. Any suggestions to help me get started?</a> Absolutely, you don't have to be a professional producer to create a great video. Check the website for the toolkit we have provided that will help you with your video - we have tips to make this fun and simple to create! <a>What’s the Submission Deadline? </a> Submissions are open from March 15 to June 1. <a>What kinds of programs are available for video editing?</a> Most Macs and PC’s come with built in movie programs – like iMovie and Windows Moviemaker, respectively. If you have access to a program like Final Cut - Go for it – but make sure YOU or someone on your team does the editing!! If you feel ambitious – consider “in camera” editing – this technique is a way of shooting your video every scene sequentially, just one take per shot, so that when you play back the tape – your piece is complete! This isn’t the easiest way to make a video, but it can yield a very creative piece! <a>Should I keep a “hard copy” of my video?</a> Absolutely! Be sure to Master your program to DVD!!! Winners may be contacted for a hardcopy of the program. As a rule, ALWAYS output a copy of any video you make – computers and hard drives are great – but if they crash, you may lose your hard work! <a>Can I use clips from movies?</a> No! We’re looking for your creativity in generating a fresh, original video! You can use still photography of your own, but no copyrighted film or video. <a>What kind of music can I use in my video?</a> Use music that you think really supports your message! You can create your own or you could obtain permission from local artists to use their music.  <a>What’s a Talent Release and do my actors need to sign one?</a> A release is a document that explains the purpose and future use of the video that actors sign to acknowledge their consensual participation in the program and to “release” you from any future claims for money or rights to the program. You can download a ymiLIVE approved <a href="/uploads/35/File/video release YMILive.doc">release here</a>. And, yes – they should sign one! "How To" Video Links http://www.ymilive.org/site/toolbox/how-to-video-links.html 2008-02-05T10:41:52Z
These are links to some short smart little videos to give you some tricks of the trade! The links listed below are located on another server.  When you click on these links, you will leave the ymiLIVE site and proceed to the selected site.  ymiLIVE does not endorse these websites, its sponsor, or any of the policies, activities, products, or services offered on these sites or by any advertiser on these sites. Videomaker’s Video Shot Types <a target="_blank" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuGvRu5N9v4">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuGvRu5N9v4</a> Videomaker’s Video Sound Tips <a target="_blank" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BprljLWl6MU">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BprljLWl6MU</a> Videomaker’s Lighting 101 <a target="_blank" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WD1W1buI7Hs">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WD1W1buI7Hs</a> Other Cool Links http://www.ymilive.org/site/toolbox/cool-links.html 2010-01-29T15:32:47Z
The links listed below are located on another server.  When you click on these links, you will leave the ymiLIVE site and proceed to the selected site.  ymiLIVE does not endorse these websites, its sponsor, or any of the policies, activities, products, or services offered on these sites or by any advertiser on these sites. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.mediacollege.com/video">www.mediacollege.com/video</a> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ojr.org/ojr/wiki/video/">http://www.ojr.org/ojr/wiki/video/</a> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.videomaker.com/video/">http://www.videomaker.com/video/</a> This website also has a downloads page loaded with great software that you can download and check out for free! <a target="_blank" href="http://www.virtualdub.org/features.html">http://www.virtualdub.org/features.html</a> This content can help you load your video into your computer - if you don’t have firewire-ready gear! <a target="_blank" href="http://www.muveemix.com/">http://www.muveemix.com/</a> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.download.com/Movie-Magic-Screenwriter/3000-2079_4-10753764.html">http://www.download.com/Movie-Magic-Screenwriter/3000-2079_4-10753764.html</a> This website will let you download a real movie script format to play with – you can use it for 48 hours or up to 50 launches. A great way to see how it's done in the "reel" world!
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