Tag Archives: editor

Behind The Scenes part one – WHAT IS POST PRODUCTION?

Behind The Scenes, , , , , , , , ,

Part of our core message is : “We write, shoot, edit, do post production, then deliver the files to you.” And while I try to keep that core message simple and as targeted as possible, I want to do some in depth blog posts to explain what makes Videos On Your Website a valuable resource.

Every video gets a little post-production. It may be as simple as adding a music track. Oh, wait – did I say simple?

Music should enhance without being obtrusive. All music tracks have to be edited themselves – so that they fit the same timing as the video. Sometimes, whole segments of a music track have to be moved to match scene changes.

Voiceover is part of post production. Being a voice artist for 20 years, I could go into fanatical detail about this. But I won’t. I have another blog for that at ronharper.com. Suffice to say the voice tells the story. Narration entails a lot more than reading.

Everyone likes nice graphics, whether it’s a logo, or a great still shot. But how about a little blip at the bottom of the screen that shows the speaker’s name? That is usually made up of two different video files: a background, called a “lower-third”, and the text file. How big should it be? Where do you want to place it on the screen? Want to match the color to the logo? Those are some of the decisions we make at that point. Still shots don’t always fill the screen, and they need a background. Or, maybe you’d like to start at the top of the still and pan down, or slowly zoom in.

Is the color right on all of the shots? If not, we can adjust it in post. Want a special filter, or other effect – it’s all done in post production.

Come back soon, and we’ll have another peak behind the scenes.

–That’s a wrap.

Are You A Videographer?

Who Uses Video, , , ,

I never know how to answer that question. I don’t really like the word. To describe what I do takes a little more. So I looked it up.

vid?e?og?ra?pher [vid-ee-og-ruh-fer]
–noun someone who makes films with a video camera.

Empty. So, what is the best way to describe what I do? I can’t think of a really good one, although, I like Content Producer. It really is all about content. That’s why it at the top of my web pages.

If you want to capture a wedding day, you can call a videographer. If a reporter needs someone to get pictures of the story he is telling, he’ll take a videographer. And let me say, that I’m not knocking those tasks at all. The term just does not describe my business.

My first role is as a consultant. In the preliminary stages, clients ask about the process, subject matter, and we brainstorm ideas. I’ll take that information, do some additional research, and come up with a script. That’s one of the things I love. I’ve been writing professionally since I was 16.

On the day of the shoot, I’m with my client for less than two hours. If we’ve done our planning, that’s all the time we need to get the images.

I transfer the files into my digital editor and start piecing together the message. Many times, scenes are shot out of sequence, or maybe a scene needs to be moved to give it more emphasis. I have to create the graphics, find the right music bed, and maybe do a couple of voiceover pieces.

I’m not through yet, I’ll watch it a couple of times to see how the shots match up and do some more tweaking. I’ll do a rendering to see how the video is going to look online. Does it have a great opening? Will the colors go well with the website it will be shown on? More tweaking. Finally, it’s ready.

After client approval, I make a number of renderings in different formats: Windows Media, MP4 Quicktime, MPG, Flash, and start uploading to the most effective video sharing sites. Yes, there are a couple of dozen others besides YouTube that show up in search engine optimizations. Many times I’m also working with my client’s web master or designer.

So there you have a condensed version of what goes into every project.

There has never been a better time to start using Videos On Your Website to promote your product or service than right now! And as you can see, you get more than just a video. You get my decades of experience in knowing how to reach your target audience.

Give it whatever name you want. But know that it neither starts nor stops at the camera.

–That’s a wrap