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?
- GHC09: Deirdré Talks Video on Ed & Ashley’s 5 Minute Show
- Why Film Engineers?
- What’s videoblogging?
- Using Video to Communicate Technology
Why should you be on video? It’s part of marketing your tech talent.
Pre-Production
Equipment: My Upgraded Videoblogging Rig
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.
- Capturing Good Sound for Video
- Videoblogging Tips: Getting Optimum Sound from a Consumer Camcorder (video)
- Getting Good Sound at a Conference (video)
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.
- Shooting Presentations
- Filming Engineers (video)
- Camera Motion (video)
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!
