Video Quick Tip

[by Gail Mooney]

Watch TV commercials with the sound off. You’ll quickly see how the footage was cut together in the editing room.

Defining Yourself By Your Vision – Not The Camera

[by Gail Mooney]

I’ve been giving quite a few presentations lately for ASMP – “Should I Be Thinking About Video”.  One thing I’m finding is that there are always a couple of people in the audience who think that buying a DSLR hybrid camera will get them in the business of video production.  Part of that perception comes from the way camera manufacturers are marketing these “HD” cameras and part of that comes from photographers wanting to believe that these hybrids will allow them to compete in the world of commercial video production.

The simple fact is – these DSLR’s have lowered the bar on the entry level into video production – and you may find yourself competing with every other still photographer (pro or amateur) that has $2800 to spend. People tend to lose sight of the fact that shooting video is not the same mind set as shooting still images.  I think differently when I shoot video.  I see differently and I communicate the message or story through this motion medium using the best tool toward that end. While I too love that shallow depth of field that you get when shooting with a DLSR, the image is just one part of the video production process.  You are also defining your vision through sound and the art of editing.

The problem is if we define ours by our tools – then we are diminishing the value of our creativity or our vision in the process.  We aren’t placing the value on what is unique in all of us – our vision. At the same time we’re placing too much value on the tool – in this case the camera.  As technology accelerates the production of more sophisticated cameras that are cheaper and easier to use – and we’ve placed our value on being the technician – we’re in big trouble.  Because ultimately anyone with a vision who has the “ability” to realize that vision, can put together a crew of technicians to facilitate their vision or idea – and do it cheaper these days because of technology.  And there’s nothing wrong with that.

Professional photographers get defensive when a potential client places no value on what is unique about them (their vision) and approaches them with the attitude that if you won’t work for the prices they dictate – they will just find another photographer.  But what they are really saying is that they feel that they can “just” find another camera operator. The problem is that these photographers haven’t presented their vision and because of that they are perceived as being interchangeable. That’s not a good place to be and never will be.  And for that reason when a professional still photographer comes to me and says that they are interested in getting into video and asks the question “What video camera should I buy?” I gently tell them – well sometimes not so gently tell them – it’s not about the camera.

How does one define what they are?  Great question that has a lot of answers, as it should.  Technology is amazing – but it’s the human part of the process that excites me because we’re all so different in how we see.

The Business of Video Production

[by Gail Mooney]

The “business” of video production encompasses a lot of things – one being good paperwork.  From the initial estimate on a job, through the final invoice along with obtaining the necessary releases – good paperwork is essential for a profitable business.

I keep a database of past SOWs (Statement of Work) to use as references. While every job is different, I use these archived SOWs as a starting point. Another great starting point when putting together an estimate is to use the estimating form online at the AICP (American Independent Commercial Producers) website.

In addition to estimating the costs of crew, equipment, location needs, pre-production and post-production, I include clearly payment and licensing terms as well as a schedule of workflow and completion dates.

Terms – Here is where I state rights and  “usage” of the finished product – where will it be used and for how long.  I also clearly spell out payment terms, cancellations and provide an accurate description of exactly what I’m going to deliver.

For Example:

• 5 minute web video.
• One day shoot on location at………….includes 2 interviews and b-roll.
• Post production – edit will include x amount of still images, voiceover narrative track and music. Logos and graphics to be provided by client.
• Payment – one third upon signed SOW (Statement of Work)  – one third after shoot –balance due upon delivery of final product.
• Cancellation terms and change fees.
• One rough cut and final cut included. Additional changes are billed hourly at $………
• Licensing and usage terms. Web usage for 2 years. No Broadcast rights.
• Schedule – This is extremely important in video production – a schedule where the client signs off on each phase of the project. This is critical so if the client delays things on their end – it’s clearly understood that the rest of the schedule gets extended in terms of deadline dates.  Otherwise if your client’s boss has an unexpected out of town trip come up and you need to wait for his/her approval – you won’t be left with half the time you need on your end to deliver the final product.

New ASMP Resource for Video

[by Susan Carr]

ASMP has a new online resource designed for the still photographer who is moving into motion.  Gail Mooney is chair of the newly formed Motion/Video Committee and she embraced this role with the same gusto she uses in her own work. Gail interviewed fourteen members who have successfully incorporated video into their businesses. The results of this work are now available as the first step of ASMP’s new tutorial on video.

Topics covered include – definitions of the common roles involved in video production, technical concerns, insurance and business issues and how to get started. Here are some sample questions included in this resource:

• What are the differences, advantages, and disadvantages of positioning yourself as a shooter, a director or a producer?
• What markets do you work in when shooting video?
• Do you market yourself as one “production company” or separately as a still photographer and media producer/videographer?
• What are some standards in video? What is considered the pixel threshold for HD?
• Do you edit your own material? What platform and software do you use?
• How do you copyright a body of work that is comprised of video and stills and music?

ASMP is dedicated to making sure you have the tools you need to reach new markets with your work. So, check this out and give yourself a leg up before you move into motion!

Digital Video: Lessons Learned

[by Judy Herrmann]

A couple of weeks ago, my partner, Mike Starke, and I finished our very first digital video project.  We made our deadline with about 15 minutes to spare and only pulled one all-nighter; two facts I take inordinate pride in.  In the process we discovered a lot that we’ll do differently the next time.  Here’s what we learned:

1) Shooting – get tight, get loose, get high, get low, go wide, go long – just mix it up!  Once we were editing the footage, we noticed that even if each segment is showing different people or activities, too many shots from the same distance with the same lens or from the same camera height get boring fast.

2) Editing – I haven’t yet figured out the organizational system that we’ll use in the future but I know we need a better one!  I can’t tell you how much time we lost searching for a particular clip that we had tagged but couldn’t remember which bin it was in.  About halfway through the project, we wound up creating an Expressions Media catalog for our clips.  There’s probably a better way but this let us use a tool we already knew really well to visually scan key stills from each clip instead of trying to remember what we’d named it and where we’d stashed it.

3) Set up – Video editing applications are monitor hogs.  You don’t just need two monitors – you need two big monitors.  We got by with a 21″ and a 23″ display hooked to our tower but would have happily used more space.

4) Time away – After watching our footage over and over and over (and over) it got really hard to figure out how long someone who’d never seen the shots before would need to see a clip before moving onto the next thing.  Every few hours, we really needed to get away from the project for a few hours so we could refine our edits with fresh eyes.  As we work out the deadlines for future projects, we’ll take this into account.

5) Rejuvenation rocks!  One really great side effect of doing this project was experiencing the excitement (and fear) of doing something we’d never done before.  We’re not just learning new software, we’re learning a new way of seeing and a new way of thinking as visual communicators. I’m feeling more excited, more creative and well, frankly, more hopeful than I have for awhile.  It’s been a good reminder of how important it is to keep pushing myself creatively.  As Miles Davis once said “If anybody wants to keep creating, they have to be about change.”  After 21 years as a still photographer, I’m ready.

Are You Thinking About a Video Camera Purchase?

[by Gail Mooney]

Before you decide on which video camera to buy, work backwards and make sure your editing software and platform will be compatible.  Check out these compatibility charts from Adobe and Apple.

I want my ASMP Video….

For as long as I have been on the ASMP board, first as Education chair and now as President, I have heard from members and chapter presidents that we need to know more about video / motion, that we should use video for our education programming and that video should be utilized on our ASMP website.

During the SB2 seminars we utilized video both in the live seminars and later to capture some of the key presentations. They are available on our SB blog as well as a free download at iTunes Podcasts; see link to the right or search ASMP at the iTunes Store.

I have been researching possible solutions for both video podcast and live streaming meeting options. I discovered one possible solution literally below my studio, Vivolive, a local Pittsburgh startup, had just launched a consumer / soho live streaming service at the Consumer Electronic Show. I have been experimenting with the service for a few months now and ASMP will use the service to broadcast for the first time, our ASMP Annual Meeting to members, wherever they are. Members will receive an e-mail link to attend this meeting online.

The broadcast will include a segment featuring ASMP’s Executive Director, Eugene Mopsik, discussing our current education and advocacy efforts. I will speak about some ASMP policy initiatives moving to the future. We will then invite ASMP member Jack Hollingsworth for our Keynote presentation, “Leveraging Social Media for Your Business.”

This ASMP Member Meeting Live Stream is a good test for a very affordable and simple solution for ASMP and our chapters who desire to broadcast their meetings.

One of the initiatives that I will be discussing at the Annual Member Meeting is the creation of a “Motion Study Group” to look at the business practices that we may need to address regarding the business side of Motion Production, as well how ASMP can use video more effectively in our communications and education platforms.