Category Archives: what I do

what I do

The Videoblogging Manual

1 Comment

Note: In most of these pieces I talk about filming “engineers.” because that’s mostly who I was filming when I wrote/recorded them. Nowadays I would probably just say “people” or “technical people” – because plenty of us have useful things to say, and many of us have the same difficulties filming or being filmed as engineers do.

Why Video?

Why should you be on video? It’s part of marketing your tech talent.

Pre-Production

Equipment: My Upgraded Videoblogging Rig

How I Shoot Video in 2015

Prepping the speaker(s)

Slides: should not be too dense with text (they’ll be hard to read in a video window, or from the back of a conference room), and please provide them to me in advance!

Sound

Sound is an extremely important element in online video. People will be turned off by bad sound more quickly than by a so-so picture.

Shooting

Framing:

  • Set up your shot beforehand and try NOT to use the zoom or move the camera after that.
  • You’ll usually want to frame your speaker(s) to get them from the waist up, leaving a little space in the frame above the tops of their heads. (This is known as a medium shot.)
  • Don’t lose hands/arms out the side or bottom of the frame, especially if the speaker gestures a lot.
  • Position the speaker NOT centered but to one side or the other of the frame, looking towards the center.

Post-Production

Download from tape to computer
Edit
Compress

Hosting

  • YouTube – now! 15 whole minutes!
  • blip.tv

Embed/Syndicate
Advertise
Measure

…yes, these topics need a lot more development!

You might also like:

Brendan Gregg at FROSUG, Oct 2009 Default ThumbnailThe Things I Do at Sun: Video Default ThumbnailSxSWi Report – Social Media: Connecting with Customers Default ThumbnailVideo: Shooting Presentations