The plot is simple: A man wakes up to find himself the subject of a mysterious experiment. How does it end? You decide! With just a few basic props and some imaginative camera work, you can create your own sense of dread and impending doom. And what could be more fun than that? But it’s not j

Most of the time when you think of video production, you think of shooting with one camera, film style, and taking your raw footage back to your editing suite for post-production editing. The very thought of trying to control multiple cameras can cause some people to break out in hives. However, i

The Plot A woman is carrying boxes out to her car. At the same time, a vehicle speeding into the parking lot, strikes her down. As paramedics try to revive the woman, the viewer wonders why such things must happen. Luckily, there is a solution to such problems: the Guardian 2000 Personal Protecti

Parnassus Software 1923 Lyans Dr. La Canada, CA 91011 (818) 952-5210 $129 www.scriptwerx.com One of the most commonly overlooked aspects of making video is pre-production (planning). Most videographers and hobbyists instead prefer to concentrate on production (shooting) and post-production (editing

Faced with creating a training video that explained the correct procedure of filling out a new business form, I decided to open the video with a voiceover by an actor playing John Huston playing God: In the beginning was Management and Management created the Organization and the Organization was v

Some informational programs use gimmicks like butter on popcorn, to hide the bland taste of the subject matter: "Hi! I’m Percy Peatmoss, and we’re gonna meet some exciting lichens!" (Suuure, we are!) Though spokes-mosses like Percy went out with 16mm projectors, promotional, t

One of the interesting traits of the human brain is its natural inclination to create an association between two images juxtaposed together. With video, we can use this tendency to our advantage. For example, a picture of a child crying followed by a picture of a dog licking up an ice cone from the

Video production is most exciting when you do it by the seat of your pants. You can capture some great video with just a camcorder, a tripod and some guts o’ steel. Today, we’re going to take that seat-of-your-pants approach to the next level. I’m talking about in-camera editing,

Imagine you’re one of the producers who decides what will appear on a show like Cops, Real TV, Storm Watch or the national news. Your job is to screen hundreds of tapes from home video shooters, fire truck chasers, security cameras–you name it–and buy the stuff that will knock you

You’re between major holidays, there are no birthdays or weddings happening, your video camera is resting in its case and you’re wondering, "What can I do with this thing?" Believe me, it happens to us all. You want to be out there taping, but you draw a blank as to what to ta

Approach With Caution Making an instructional video without some type of plan will likely lead you in a direction other than the one you intended. Think of the approach you use in making your video as a roadmap allowing you to reach your final destination: the finished videotape. Before you begin,

You might be inclined to reserve the term “talent” for someone who is a gifted actor, or at least someone who has some type of on-camera experience. But in the world of video “talent” refers to anyone who steps in front of the lens. In reality, you’ll need to use reg

Heres a simple story that you can shoot and edit in an hour or two. The purpose is to dramatize the enormous power of suggestion in movie making. The idea is that if something is not in the frame, you can make it be and do whatever you suggest.The storyboard is self-explanatory, but here are some

Television commercials make their way into our living rooms every day. In some ways, they represent the pinnacle of the craft of videography, because most must convey their message clearly and persuasively in thirty seconds or less. Beginning videographers can learn a great deal about the craft of

A chase sequence is a common element of both suspense and action adventure movies. It’s a very successful tool used by video and film directors world wide. The purpose is to grab the attention of the viewer, both emotionally and psychologically. We have designed a ready-made chase sequence th

A/B-roll editing is a term used in linear editing to describe the process of combining two or more sources of raw footage together with transition effects. In the realm of linear editing, it is scientifically impossible to add a true A/B-roll transition effect between two images on the same tape. W

It has been said that you can understand the quality of a person’s heart by looking at the things he treasures. This production will allow you to lead two characters to whatever treasure you please. 15 shots are already defined, but the ending is up to you. This treasure hunt sequence is made

A professional sports videographer may have better equipment and more experience than the casual home shooter, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to shoot good sports video with your consumer camcorder. In these next few pages, we’ll give you some tips on how to shoot the big fo

You don’t have to travel to Europe or the Amazon to enjoy the thrill of outdoor video producing. The USA is brim-packed with opportunities to hone and display your outdoor video skills. From a pee-wee league ball game in your neighborhood to a Buffalo herd in Yellowstone Park, from a backyard

Is it a dream or a nightmare? You finally have it made–full production facilities for your project. The crew is looking at you expectantly, the talent is standing around waiting for direction, and behind you is a producer looking at all these expensive people and demanding to know what you ar