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Showing posts with label video. Show all posts
Showing posts with label video. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Alfred Stieglitz
Alfred Stieglitz - there are a lot of books about him, but this one is one of the best. It's at the ACPL and Helmke.Also at the Helmke, a DVD about him (TR140.S7 A44 2001). I haven't seen it, so I don't know if it's any good. |
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Jump Cuts
There are two ways to end up with jump cuts in your edit.
1) Edit together two clips that are too similar.
2) Edit a portion out of a clip so that there is a jump.
Jump cuts are fine if you are making a video for Tool, but can be very distracting when you are trying to construct a smooth narrative.
So, one of the main reasons you need B-roll is to cover up your jump cuts. They also offer extra information and add dimension to your story. Not to mention earn you a better grade in this class.
In our example, we have cut at the beginning of the "um". We now cut at the end of the "um", too. If you hold down the shift key when you hit command-K, it will cut through the both the audio and the video clips, which is what you want.
If you hold down the control key and click on the little sliver of an edit we have made, you will see a menu.
Choose "Ripple Delete" and the program will take out the piece of your clip you have selected, and move the other pieces over to fill in the gap. Otherwise, you would have a moment of blackness and silence in that spot.
Now you have a jump cut. Let's grab some b-roll to cover it up.
Before we add anything, I like to use the page-up and page-down commands to line up where my b-roll should add. Otherwise, it's easy to accidentally have one or two frames in the wrong place.
1) Edit together two clips that are too similar.
2) Edit a portion out of a clip so that there is a jump.
Jump cuts are fine if you are making a video for Tool, but can be very distracting when you are trying to construct a smooth narrative.
So, one of the main reasons you need B-roll is to cover up your jump cuts. They also offer extra information and add dimension to your story. Not to mention earn you a better grade in this class.
In our example, we have cut at the beginning of the "um". We now cut at the end of the "um", too. If you hold down the shift key when you hit command-K, it will cut through the both the audio and the video clips, which is what you want.
If you hold down the control key and click on the little sliver of an edit we have made, you will see a menu.
Choose "Ripple Delete" and the program will take out the piece of your clip you have selected, and move the other pieces over to fill in the gap. Otherwise, you would have a moment of blackness and silence in that spot.
Now you have a jump cut. Let's grab some b-roll to cover it up.
Before we add anything, I like to use the page-up and page-down commands to line up where my b-roll should add. Otherwise, it's easy to accidentally have one or two frames in the wrong place.
I want to use my close-up of hands knitting as my b-roll, so I bring it up in my preview window.
We want the video, but not the audio, so we can grab just the video off of the preview window.
Drag it down to the timeline, and away we go.
Now I can add more b-roll, and photos, and I'm on the way to being practically finished with my project.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Step 2: Getting Started in Premiere, Importing Your Video Files
This is what you see when you bring up the software:
I know it looks pretty terrifying, but it's really not that bad.
This is a copy of what you're seeing above, with my notes about terms used for the different segments.
Now, I'm actually going to add some video files to my project. I've taken the card out of my camera and put it in a card reader attached to the computer. After a few seconds, I see this in the Media Browser:
Getting through the disk structure for your particular camera can be strange, but I know where my files are and I know they should end in .AVI. The .JPG are pictures, not video. If I had used VLC to convert my files to MP4, it would be even easier for me to find what I need.
Now that I've found them, all I need to do to import my files is drag and drop them into the Bin. After a few seconds (or minutes, depending) it will then look like this:
I know it looks pretty terrifying, but it's really not that bad.
This is a copy of what you're seeing above, with my notes about terms used for the different segments.
Now, I'm actually going to add some video files to my project. I've taken the card out of my camera and put it in a card reader attached to the computer. After a few seconds, I see this in the Media Browser:
Yes, my media disk has a fancy name: NO NAME.
I click on the arrow to the left of the NO NAME disk and I see what's inside.
Now that I've found them, all I need to do to import my files is drag and drop them into the Bin. After a few seconds (or minutes, depending) it will then look like this:
Next Up: Preview, Review, and the Timeline.
Starting Up Adobe Premiere Pro CS5
Opening Premiere isn't like opening other software. Some of the menus are strange and you have to have an open project for the software to even start up. I'm using Premiere Pro CS5 and a Mac using OS 10.6.4, but most of this is rather universal.
To start before the beginning, when working with video (and most other projects, in my opinion), organization is the key to managing your files and not wasting time searching around for things. In the case of video, it also keeps you from separating your source material from your Premiere files, a situation that nearly always leads to disaster, tears, and the rending of garments.
So, you have to begin by making a new folder. Click on the desktop and pull down the File menu on the upper-left-hand side of the screen to create a New Folder.
Usually, I save my project files somewhere around here:
Since I am in a computer lab and not at home, I don't have the option of renaming or saving or moving files in that location, so instead I made a folder on the desktop. I will take it all with me when I leave.
For various reasons, where you save a file can matter a great deal. It affects where your scratch disk information is saved, which can be very large. If you find that your system is crashing a lot, or even just Premiere is crashing a lot, you may need to manage your scratch disk situation.
But for here and now, I will just vow to save often, and since we won't be doing terribly long or difficult sequences of editing, we should be able to get away with not worrying about a scratch disk.
Here's my folder. I like to name it with the date my first footage was shot and some keyword.
In this case, you want to hit "New Project", which brings up this:
I like to leave the default settings alone unless I know why I would change them. In this case, I've pointed the Location to my Desktop folder by using the Browse button and named the project "Knitter". After I hit "OK", I get this:
I just leave everything in this window alone and hit "OK".
Next post: What you see after this.
To start before the beginning, when working with video (and most other projects, in my opinion), organization is the key to managing your files and not wasting time searching around for things. In the case of video, it also keeps you from separating your source material from your Premiere files, a situation that nearly always leads to disaster, tears, and the rending of garments.
So, you have to begin by making a new folder. Click on the desktop and pull down the File menu on the upper-left-hand side of the screen to create a New Folder.
Since I am in a computer lab and not at home, I don't have the option of renaming or saving or moving files in that location, so instead I made a folder on the desktop. I will take it all with me when I leave.
For various reasons, where you save a file can matter a great deal. It affects where your scratch disk information is saved, which can be very large. If you find that your system is crashing a lot, or even just Premiere is crashing a lot, you may need to manage your scratch disk situation.
But for here and now, I will just vow to save often, and since we won't be doing terribly long or difficult sequences of editing, we should be able to get away with not worrying about a scratch disk.
Here's my folder. I like to name it with the date my first footage was shot and some keyword.
This is the screen that comes up when you first go to open Premiere.
Next post: What you see after this.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
5-Shot Rule
This is a quick explanation from the BBC of the 5-shot rule, which makes sequences easy to edit together.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Kodak Video Camera
It's available here and a bunch of other places. It's affordable, small, and flexible.
DSLR Cinematography Guide: FREE!
This is a great resource for anyone who is using, or thinking of using, a DSLR to shoot video.
Great Essay by David Leeson
"Ultimately, I discovered a constant truth in the standards of truth itself through the lessons taught me by history: the more things change, the more they stay the same."You should really read the whole thing.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Quick Video Shooting Tips
Ambient Sound
Your brain filters sound for you, but the microphone and camera operate differently. So, be sure to wear headphones when you are recording, if possible. That is the only way you can really know what is happening with your audio.
What if you can’t listen to your sound directly while recording? Some cameras don’t have this as an option. Consider adding that ability with a BeachTek box, if possible. As a last resort, record about a minute in the location where you will be recording, and play it back for yourself. Hopefully, you will be able to hear and identify problems.
Potential audio problem sources include, but aren’t limited to things like traffic, air traffic, air conditioners, fans, and freezers.
One audio problem source is easy to fix - you. If you’re used to talking a lot during an interview, train yourself out of it. After your first recording, you might be surprised to hear how often you interrupt people. Also, simply saying “yes” or “uh-huh” feels completely natural to most people, but can create real problems in the edit room. If you find that you are cutting people off a lot, practice mentally counting to five before you ask your next question. Smile a lot and nod so that the person knows you are listening. You may have to explain that you have to be quiet, because you will be edited out later.
Verticals and Tilted Frames
Video editing software can’t straighten or turn video the same way that photo editing software can for photos. So, please don’t turn a video camera to shoot a vertical in the same way you would for a still photo. The lack of ability to fix a tilt brings us to our next subject.
Tripod
They can be awkward, but they really do offer you a peace of mind you can’t get anywhere else. Make sure the tripod is not crooked and that the camera is firmly attached.
Never leave a camera attached to a tripod. The second you walk away, there’s a good chance the camera will be knocked over.
In some situations, you can’t avoid using your camera without a tripod. In those cases, shoot what you have to without a tripod and then use a tripod to take some stable shots of the situation. In the edit room, you can use the audio you shot with the shaky camera with some stable shots you took with the tripod. It just gives you a chance to improve the quality of shooting in those spot-news or fast-moving situations.
B-Roll
B-roll is used to add context and interest to a situation.
If you think you will need 5 shots, try for 10. That way you will have more options later.
Hold each shot for at least 10 seconds. There’s often a shakiness at the beginning and end of a clip, so you need to leave yourself room to edit around that.
Your brain filters sound for you, but the microphone and camera operate differently. So, be sure to wear headphones when you are recording, if possible. That is the only way you can really know what is happening with your audio.
What if you can’t listen to your sound directly while recording? Some cameras don’t have this as an option. Consider adding that ability with a BeachTek box, if possible. As a last resort, record about a minute in the location where you will be recording, and play it back for yourself. Hopefully, you will be able to hear and identify problems.
Potential audio problem sources include, but aren’t limited to things like traffic, air traffic, air conditioners, fans, and freezers.
One audio problem source is easy to fix - you. If you’re used to talking a lot during an interview, train yourself out of it. After your first recording, you might be surprised to hear how often you interrupt people. Also, simply saying “yes” or “uh-huh” feels completely natural to most people, but can create real problems in the edit room. If you find that you are cutting people off a lot, practice mentally counting to five before you ask your next question. Smile a lot and nod so that the person knows you are listening. You may have to explain that you have to be quiet, because you will be edited out later.
Verticals and Tilted Frames
Video editing software can’t straighten or turn video the same way that photo editing software can for photos. So, please don’t turn a video camera to shoot a vertical in the same way you would for a still photo. The lack of ability to fix a tilt brings us to our next subject.
Tripod
They can be awkward, but they really do offer you a peace of mind you can’t get anywhere else. Make sure the tripod is not crooked and that the camera is firmly attached.
Never leave a camera attached to a tripod. The second you walk away, there’s a good chance the camera will be knocked over.
In some situations, you can’t avoid using your camera without a tripod. In those cases, shoot what you have to without a tripod and then use a tripod to take some stable shots of the situation. In the edit room, you can use the audio you shot with the shaky camera with some stable shots you took with the tripod. It just gives you a chance to improve the quality of shooting in those spot-news or fast-moving situations.
B-Roll
B-roll is used to add context and interest to a situation.
If you think you will need 5 shots, try for 10. That way you will have more options later.
Hold each shot for at least 10 seconds. There’s often a shakiness at the beginning and end of a clip, so you need to leave yourself room to edit around that.
Friday, September 3, 2010
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