STAR Watch Statewide Technology Assistance Resources Project A publication of the Western New York Law Center,Inc.

Volume 7 Issue 5 NovemberNovember---DecemberDecember DOUBLE ISSUE Make Your Own VideVideosos

AAnn Overview of the Process which to share the final product. You could choose to output the final product as a - Before we can discuss the creation of a tape, DVD, or streaming video from your web- video, we need to present a quick overview site. The choice of format will depend on the of the total process in order to understand audience that you are trying to reach and the how things relate to one another. hardware that you have to create that format.

What do you want to do: And finally: While it is What kind of will you be important to produce a product making? Are you creating a that is pleasurable to watch, the training video, interviewing a three most important criteria for person of interest, or making a judging its quality are content, permanent record of a speech content, and content. The by a public figure? Each has reason for the creation of the its own set of logistical issues video should be the information that will influence the decisions it conveys. People will ignore about what equipment is the minor technical problems in needed. your video if it has substantial informational value. Be sure Where will you be shooting the that you have something to say. videos? If the end-result is to be an interview or training Get the equipment: Once video, you have the ability to the decisions have been made regarding what choose the location where the “shoot” is to is to be done, it is time to decide on the take place and control the lighting, the equipment to be purchased. Make sure that background noise, and when people start/ everything is compatible. This is a big issue stop talking. Portability of equipment is not between cameras and editing software. Since a big issue. If something goes wrong, it can money does not grow on trees, stick to your be redone. On the other hand, taping a budget. speech in a public venue gives you almost no control over anything—and the only equipment available to you is the equipment that you were able lug in. If you need it, and you did not bring it, you have a big problem. In this issue… • Make Your Own Videos After you create the video, how will you • Who We Are distribute it? There are many formats with STAR Watch - 2 - NovemberNovember---DecemberDecember 2003

Keep the quality level of the video produce acceptable results with little training equipment consistent. It makes no sense to or experience. If you have no experience, buy a high-end professional grade video products in this price range will help you to camera and have no money left in the learn the basics of video editing. After budget to purchase an equally good tripod, working with them for a short time, their lights and microphone. You will have a limitations will become apparent but you will great camera that is recording jittery, poor understand the basics. Consider purchasing quality video that has poor sound. a video editor in this price range for “basic training”. Shoot the video: At a minimum, you must have a video camera. But depending A quality video editing package is going to on the quality of final product that you are cost at least $500, probably more like creating, there are a lot of decisions to be $1,000+. After you have mastered the basics, made regarding what kind of camera to these editors will allow you to put together a purchase, such as where you will be higher quality product. In this price range, shooting your video, lighting and sound there are two different types of editors. The issues. first type uses the computer’s CPU to do all of the processing work. Normally, this type of editor has the lowest incidence of compatibil- Capture the video: Most video editing ity problems with the computer hardware that packages have a built-in capture feature, it runs on. But in order to create the final but, for reasons that will be discussed later, edited product, it must plod through all of the you might choose to use a stand-alone raw video frame by frame, pixel by pixel. capture program. In order to turn the raw Depending on the speed of the processor and video footage into the final product that you the demands of the editing software, it can desire, you will need to capture it and store take up to five minutes to “render” one minute it on your computer’s hard drive in order to of the final video product. manipulate it. Depending on whether the video camera is analog or digital, you will Other video editing software packages are need to make choices about the video “hardware accelerated”. The editor uses the capture card that is used. Raw video CPU for some operations, but also tries to use footage takes up a lot of space— the display adapter (video card) or a special approximately 4 megabytes for every second adapter card that can be plugged into the of footage. You will need a lot of disk space computer to offload the work. Most hardware on your computer. accelerated video editing packages will render

the final video in real-time, but with the Edit the video: Once the raw video increase in promised performance comes footage has been captured to disk, you will some issues. The computer still must have a need video editing software to take the raw tremendous amount of processing power. Not chunks of sight and sound and form them all display adapters (video cards) can be used into a watchable, understandable final by the software. The hardware accelerator product. Your choice of video editing cards that plug in to the computer itself do not software must take into consideration necessarily work with every computer. Read whether your editing computer is Macintosh all that you can about the product on the or PC based, which operating system is vendor’s web site. Follow all of the vendor’s running on the computer, and most recommendations for computer hardware or importantly, the skill level/experience of the the video editor may be totally unusable. person doing the editing. While capturing video uses up a lot of disk There are video editing packages in every space, the edit process can chew up an price range. Starting in the $50-$100 range, equally large amount of space—and, it needs there are some easy to use products that will a lot of processing horsepower to create the STAR Watch - 3 - NovemberNovember---DecemberDecember 2003 final product. Consider purchasing a separate computer for video work. In general, you want lots of light directed on your subject, placing the light source Producing a quality video can be quite behind the camera and in front of the rewarding and it is not as scary as it might subject. seem. Like all new ventures, you need some • Be careful around windows. DO NOT information up front in order to understand photograph people or objects in front of what you will be getting into. You need to windows! During the day the exterior light look out for the pitfalls. Hopefully, this article coming through the window will make will help you to get started. your subject appear as a silhouette. During the evening, the window may Tips for Shooting your Video inadvertently reflect your camera operator's image. In either case, it is best • Practice Makes Perfect: Practice working to keep windows behind the camera! with the and rehearse all of the •In order to save time in post-production things you will need to do to make a great editing, try to edit your video "in- video. Do not try to learn how to use the camera." Believe it or not, it is possible equipment and making a to shoot a production so that video at the same time. Then what ends up on the original when editing your video you tape is close to your finished are stuck with lousy lighting, production. This is called "in- lousy sound, etc. and no time camera" editing. While this to do anything about it. sounds like a straightforward • Shoot a few hours of practice way to achieve quality results, video. Figure out what works in practice it is extremely and does not work. Practice difficult because you must using the microphone. shoot in the production order Practice with various lighting and each time something goes techniques. Practice holding wrong, you need to carefully the camera steady. In short-- position the tape at the end of practice! the previous scene. In-camera • editing sometimes interferes Use good sound sources. The with the spontaneity of the action you are VCR's built-in microphone is very conven- taping. However, if you do some in- ient but has many inherent liabilities. camera editing, you can eliminate some Because it is far from the subject, it post-production editing. records background noise and the • camcorder's motor, in addition to the The normal way to shoot a video involves sound you want. Whenever possible, use filming as events unfold. When you an extension microphone or a wireless "shoot to edit," you never back the tape mike, positioned near the subject. DO up--you simply re-shoot the scene until NOT rely solely on the microphone you are happy with it. You leave bad mounted on the top of the camcorder! scenes and mistakes on the tape, to be removed later in the editing room. • Pay attention to lighting. While today's

have excellent low-light When you shoot to edit, follow these hints to capabilities, the quality of the image make editing easier later: invariably goes down in lower light. Try to • shoot in strong light. Shoot near windows It is a good idea to take notes. When (although be careful about window you edit, your notes will tell you which placement--see below), turn on all the lights, scenes are good, who the players are, and consider setting up your own lights. etc.

STAR Watch - 4 - NovemberNovember---DecemberDecember 2003

Think of yourself as a story teller. The spectrum. It is not the equipment, it is what best videos have a beginning, middle, you do with the equipment. and end. Make sure you shoot the scenes you will need to tell the story. While everyone will agree that professional For instance, if you are traveling, shoot grade equipment will produce better results some road signs or wide shots to set the than consumer grade equipment, it is also stage, so viewers know where you are. true that professional grade equipment requires much more of the person operating Leave some room around each scene. it. Professional grade equipment has a lot Start recording before the action starts more settings to adjust, and in the hands of and continue recording for a few an untrained operator, will never live up to seconds after the scene is complete. its potential. If you are just starting out, stay When you edit, this extra room will make away from the very high-end professional it a lot easier to get just the good equipment. footage without accidentally picking up footage from neighboring scenes. First, decide what your budget level is. At an absolute bare minimum, you could get a Avoid the use of camera fades (fade to good quality consumer-grade white or fade to black). If camera for $750 - $1500, tripod you will be editing the ($50 - $100), a single wireless footage later, it is best to microphone ($100 - $150), and add fades as you edit an inexpensive video editing instead of using camera package ($50 – $100) to run on fades, which cannot be your current computer. The removed or changed later. total cost? $950 - $1850. For this amount of money, you Some camcorders permit could produce simple videos you to add titles as you without a tremendous amount shoot. While this is handy, of training or experience. it is often better to skip the titles when shooting and At a more realistic budget level, add them while editing instead. Titles you could purchase an entry-level recorded while you shoot are there professional video camera for $2,000 - forever and cannot be changed. $4,000, a sturdy tripod ($150 – $500), Separate titlers usually deliver more quality wireless microphones ($250 - $500 fonts and sizes and titles of much higher ea.), a lighting system ($1,000 - $2500), a quality than those built into camcorders. video editing package ($1,000 - $2,500) and a stand-alone computer for editing ($2,500 - It is also a good idea to turn off the $4,000). For $6,900 - $13,000 and a little bit automatic time and date feature since, of trial-and-error, you could produce good like camera titles, they are on the scene quality video products. forever. So, what equipment will you absolutely have Equipment to have, what things would be nice, and what things are not worth worrying about? Before we can get into any discussion of equipment, it is absolutely necessary that we Choosing the right camera discuss one topic first: What is your budget? Is it $2,000, $20,000 or somewhere Everyone agrees that in order to make a in between? Quality, watchable videos can video, you need a video camera. But if you be produced at both ends of the price are trying to create a quality product, you STAR Watch - 5 - NovemberNovember---DecemberDecember 2003

will need more than a camera. Regardless stabilization can eliminate or of which make and model of camera you substantially reduce image jitter. choose, it should be digital, not analog. • Optical zoom vs. digital zoom. Most Beyond that, here is a list of features to quality cameras have an optical zoom of look for: at least 10x. The optical zoom is • Output video format. The three most accomplished by physically moving the common digital output formats are lenses to increase the size of the image. Digital8, MiniDV, and MicroMV tape. Digital zoom is done by the electronics in All formats hold the same amount of the camera. While it is okay to use a video (~one hour). While both small amount of digital zoom, going consumer and professional cameras beyond 20x can degrade the quality of use MiniDV, Digital8 and MicroMV are the video image. Many camera more commonly used in consumer manufacturers claim video zoom rates of grade cameras. In addition to these 150x and beyond. Do not be impressed formats, you can also purchase with the big numbers because you will cameras that output directly to a Mini probably never need to go that high. DVD. Unfortunately, MiniDVD format • Battery life. If you are shooting your disks can only hold a maximum of video at a remote location and your twenty-minutes of best quality video batteries run out of juice, it could be a and are only available on consumer disaster. If you cannot plug the camera grade cameras. into a 110 volt outlet, you are finished. • How many chips? Consumer-grade Be sure to find out if the battery life cameras have one chip to do all of the quoted is standby time or actual run work. Better cameras have two chips: time. You will probably need to buy one picks up colors and the other picks extra batteries. And a battery charger. up brightness. The best cameras use • Color viewfinder. Most cameras come three chips, one for each of the primary with color viewfinders. It really does not colors. You can expect to pay at least matter if the viewfinder is color or black $2,000 (MSRP) for a three-chip cam- & white. It has no affect on the quality of era. the captured video. • Actual video resolution. All things • Size and weight. Little tiny cameras are being equal, more pixels are better. easy to carry around, but have controls But a professional camera that creates that are difficult to use because they are one mega-pixel images might have so tiny. Additionally, the small mass of better quality images than a consumer the camera makes them susceptible to camera that creates two mega-pixel vibration and jitter. Consumer grade images. cameras normally weigh less than two • Light sensitivity. The lower the pounds. Professional grade cameras number, the better. It seems like a start at about 3.5 pounds. contradiction, but professional grade • IEEE 1394 (or DV) in/out. Every digital cameras do not function in low light as video camera can output digital video to well as consumer grade cameras. In an IEEE 1394 (also known as Firewire) fact, this spec is not even listed for port. After you have edited your video many professional cameras. A good masterpiece, you may decide to save a consumer-grade camera can capture an copy back to digital tape that can be image at as low as two lux. played in the camera. Most video editing • Image stabilization. Even if the camera software allows users to output the final is mounted on the sturdiest of tripods, it product through the Firewire port back to is not always possible to place the the camera. Almost all digital video tripod on a rock-solid surface. Image cameras sold in the U.S. have this feature. STAR Watch - 6 - NovemberNovember---DecemberDecember 2003

Other nice features to have on the camera speech at a large gathering where you • Analog video in/out. Do you need to cannot get close to the podium. create a VHS tape (remember those?) or convert a VHS tape to digital format? All of these types of microphones can be Many cameras can convert analog video wired directly to the “audio in” port on the to digital and vice versa. Some cameras camera or connected to a wireless also have an S-video connection. transmitter. Both methods have their pros and cons. Wireless units allow the speaker • Headphone jack. You need to hear what to move around freely, but can be subject to is being recorded. If microphones are in radio interference. In situations where use, you need to hear what they are multiple wireless microphones are in use, picking up. each microphone/transmitter unit must operate on a separate frequency. Microphones Inexpensive wireless units have only a couple frequency choices. High-end units To get the best sound quality possible, the have a dozen or more frequency choices. microphone must be as close to the sound source as possible. Distance allows echoes Connecting the microphone to the camera by and background noise to mix in with the wire is not trouble-free either. First, there is desired sound. By definition, the built-in the obvious issue of cable length that limits microphone on the camera cannot do the job the distance between the camera and the very well. microphone. Attempting to solve this problem by purchasing longer microphone There are several types of microphones that cords can introduce another problem: As can be used depending on the specific need. cords get longer, they tend to pick up • Lavalier microphone. This is a small electrical interference. microphone that can be clipped onto a speaker’s clothing 4-6” from the And while we are on the topic of speaker’s mouth. A cord runs from the microphones, there is one additional issue to microphone to a battery pack/transmitter. be aware of. There is only one “audio in” It is the best type of microphone to use port on the camera. When using multiple when the speaker is moving around, microphones, a mixing board is a necessity. since the distance from the sound source The function of a mixing board is simple: It to the microphone remains constant. combines the audio from multiple sources • Handheld microphone. This type of (microphone cords or wireless receivers) into a single audio source. At a minimum, a microphone works well in situations such mixing board will allow the volume from as on-the-street interviews where it is each of the audio sources to be adjusted not practical to wire up the interviewees. individually. You can purchase a simple The interviewer controls the sound that four-channel (can handle up to four audio the microphone picks up by moving it inputs) mixing board for $50 –100. close to the person who is speaking, Depending on the number of channels and then moving it away when they are done. other options, the sky is the limit. Handheld microphones can also be placed in a table or floor stand for use when the person who is speaking will not Lights be moving around. • Shotgun microphone. This long, narrow, As we stated earlier, some video cameras extremely directional microphone is used can operate at two lux where there is almost to pick up sound that is far away. While no light. But do not expect the image to be it is not the weapon of first choice, it very good. It is generally agreed that 120 might be the only way to capture a lux is the minimum for a video image of STAR Watch - 7 - NovemberNovember---DecemberDecember 2003 reasonable quality. So how much light is placed above and behind the subject to needed to create the best video images? create a rim of light around the hair and The answer is 2000 lux. That is the shoulders. The result is an image that looks brightness of a commercial TV studio or more three-dimensional. outdoors on a lightly cloudy day. Choosing the type of lights to use for a job is But brightness is not the whole story. only the first hurdle. The next is deciding Depending on the type of light source and its which kit will meet the needs of the job and placement, the quality of the video image be manageable for the crew. The whole could be enhanced or seriously purpose behind today’s portable light kits is compromised. While our eyes automatically that they provide versatility. They must be compensate for differences in the color of flexible enough to allow you to use light in the light, video cameras can get very whatever creative ways you need to, and be confused. People’s faces can look easy to carry. downright creepy when illuminated by more than one type of light. Fluorescent lights are Because of the wide range of kits available, slightly greenish. Standard incandescent each containing a variety of different lights are more yellow-red. combinations, it is difficult Halogen lights are reddish. to identify a true standard. Sunlight is more bluish. However, most kits on the When taping a presentation, market today generally an inexperienced include a series of lights videographer might attempt and lamps in various to flood the room with wattages, stands, power sunlight (it is very cords, and an array of inexpensive) and fill in the accessories, from barn shadows with incandescent doors to color gels. No light. The resulting affect on matter the specific the appearance of the people contents, the most in the video will be eerie. important feature to look for in any light kit is The side of their faces illuminated by versatility. More often than not, you will not sunlight will look pallid and ghost-like, while know exactly what lighting equipment you the side illuminated by the incandescent will need until you have arrived on location light will appear sunburned. Unless you are and are able to assess the situation. It is an expert and have the necessary colored essential that a lighting kit offer versatility to filters (called gels) to correct the differences, accommodate the different situations that stick to a single type of light. may arise.

So what about that little light on the camera? Shooting the Video Good enough, right? While that low wattage light on the camera might be better than What is the plan? If the resulting product is nothing, that is about all that it is good for. to be a training video, did someone create the lesson plan? If it is an interview, is there The best way to light an individual is “3-point a list of questions to be asked? Where will lighting” method. Place the strongest light the video be shot? Does everyone involved slightly above and to the side of the subject. know where they should be—and when? This will provide most of the lighting and Planning is essential to a successful create some shadows. On the opposite side outcome. Depending on the complexity of and slightly above, place a soft diffused the project, a plan could be a single 3x5 light. This light will fill in and soften some of note card or a 100+ page document. The the shadows. The third light should be plan needs to answer the following questions: STAR Watch - 8 - NovemberNovember---DecemberDecember 2003

What is the purpose of this video project. If The taping begins and the sun promptly you are creating a training video, what are dives behind a cloud. Production ceases the goals of the training? If this is an while extra lighting is brought in and set up. interview, what are the topics to discuss with Production resumes, but the extra lighting is the interviewee? If you cannot clearly define heating up the room. Windows are opened a purpose, maybe the project should not be to cool the room, but along with the cooling done. air, comes the sound of every truck and bus within three blocks. And on it goes. Who will be involved in the project and what is his/her responsibility. There is an old When shooting a video, you need a location saying: Everybody’s responsibility is that is totally under your control—or as nobody’s responsibility. People need to controllable as you can get. Hopefully, it is know what is expected of them. When a place where light, sound and people issues arise, people need to know who to cannot enter or leave without your talk to. permission. You need a video production studio. But it is very doubtful that any legal Where will the video be shot. Is the area services program will be receiving sufficient large enough to contain all of the people funding to build a studio for video production involved? Is the location well-lit or will you any time soon. You will have to pick a need supplemental lighting? Is there a lot of location that comes the closest to meeting background noise to be dealt with? If at all the following criteria: possible, you need to scope out the location • Not on an outside wall. Outside walls before you decide to use it. have windows that let in uncontrollable light and noise. When will things happen. You cannot start • Away from hallways, lobbies and shooting a training video until you have a mechanical equipment. They have lesson plan. People involved in the people and/or noise. production will need to be available at the right time. • Plenty of electrical outlets.

Releases. It may be necessary to get a Preparing for the shoot signed release form from everyone who appears in your video. Without that release, Okay. You know what you want to do, with you might not be able to show your video to whom, where and when. It is time to get your intended audience if the individual in started. Unless you have a dedicated the video has not released the rights to their location for shooting your video, you will image, likeness and sound of his/her voice. probably have to prepare the location. It might be a good policy to routinely get When shooting starts, there might be a lot of releases from all persons in the video. The people and equipment in the area. Clear out legal issues regarding release forms are anything that does not need to be there. beyond the scope of this article. Then, set up the chairs tables, podiums, etc. that will be used. Next, set up the cameras, Location lights, microphones and shoot a couple minutes of test video with the people who Choosing a location for shooting a video is will be in the video or stand-ins. Play back one of the most troublesome issues that a the video and look for obvious problems: Is beginning videographer can face. Typically, it in focus? Are there shadows on some of the neophyte will choose someone’s office the people’s faces? Is the sound ok? Is because the view out the windows is there any background noise? What is in the pleasing and the sunlight streaming in background of the shot? Is everything ok? seems to sufficiently illuminate the room. STAR Watch - 9 - NovemberNovember---DecemberDecember 2003

Actually shooting the video Camera angles. During the newscast, note how the camera angle changes. The So how does one actually shoot the video? anchorperson is usually shot at eye-level to If you want some good pointers on create an impression of neutrality or technique, watch your local news program or objectivity. Placing a camera below eye- one of the many Sunday morning interview level and shooting up at a subject creates an programs. Most programs are a textbook impression of importance and power for the case for how to shoot a video. Try to ignore subject in the shot. The opposite occurs the content of the news stories; concentrate when the camera is placed above the on the camera angles, shots, movements subject. In this high angle shot, the camera and composition: looks down on the subject and gives an impression of decreased power, authority or Camera shots. The opening image for the importance. It can also make the subject newscast is typically a wide shot. You see appear helpless. the whole scene including all of the on- camera people for the newscast. This sets Camera movements. Pan and tilt refer to the stage and gets the camera movements left/right and up/down. viewer oriented. For this Take note of how sparingly it shot, the camera is is used. At some point zoomed out as far as during the newscast, usually possible. during a longer duration shot, the camera will slowly, The next shot tends to almost imperceptively zoom focus on one person and in on the person speaking. shows a lot less of the This type of zoom is used to scene than the wide shot. maintain the visual interest In this medium shot, you of the shot. Sometimes, see the speaker from the zoom can be used as a waist up. transition between a wide angle shot and a close-up. The close up shot shows the subject from Use camera movements the shoulders up and is used to show detail, carefully and sparingly. Overuse of pans/ such as a person’s emotions or a piece of tilts/zooms can disorient the viewer and wreckage at the scene of an automobile induce motion sickness. accident. Composition and framing. Notice how the Cutaway shots (also called over the shoulder news program uses the available space in shots) are short duration shots that take the the shot. Divide the video image into three viewer away from the main action. equal parts both horizontally and vertically. Whenever a reporter interviews someone, a The rule of thirds suggests that the center of cutaway shot is inserted to show the reporter camera’s attention should be in the middle nodding understandingly as the interviewee third of the shot. The important action takes speaks. place within the middle third of the screen with the following exceptions: Length of shot. Note how long the camera • When someone is talking and he/she is stays fixed on a specific shot. To keep the not directly facing the camera, extra newscast visually interesting, the shot may space called talking room is left in front change every three seconds. If there is a lot of them as if space was being left to of action in the shot, it may last up to 30- insert a dialogue box. seconds. • If a person is in motion in the shot, extra space or walking room is left in front of them to provide space from them to walk into. STAR Watch - 10 - NovemberNovember---DecemberDecember 2003

Placing people in the shot. Pay special attention to products. Pinnacle Studio ($99 MSRP) will work the way people are arranged in a shot. Except for with the camera. Pinnacle Studio Deluxe ($799 close up shots, people do not face the camera MSRP) will not. Adobe Premiere ($699 MSRP) directly. Usually, the position their bodies is at a version 6 will not work with the camera, but version 30-45 degree angle to the camera. When 7 of Adobe Premiere will. Matrox RT.X100 Xtreme attempting to make two people appear adversarial, includes version 7 of Adobe Premiere, but is not they are seated so that they face each other compatible with this camera. The only way to find directly. If three or more people are in a shot, their out about camera compatibility is to research the heads are never at the same height. product on the vendor’s site.

Whew. That is a lot of do’s and don’ts. After you But there is another problem that affects many have studied the camera techniques of a couple products that is a lot more annoying: Frame programs to note how they were following the slippage during capture. You capture all of the principles of good camera technique, watch them video. The capture program does not complain again and note how many lapses in good technique about any problems during the capture process. these professionals have made. You are not a But when the captured video is played back, the professional and no one is going to hold you to the synchronization between the audio and video is standards of professional broadcasting. Good slightly off, and it gets worse as the clip plays on. technique is something to try for, but telling the Most vendors refuse to accept any responsibility for story is most important. this problem, blaming it on the camera, capture card, or computer running the capture program. Capturing the Video Fortunately, there is a solution to the compatibility After you have shot all of the raw video footage and the frame slippage problems. If the software needed for your project, you must get it into a that you paid good money for will not do the job, condition to be edited into the final product. The download something for free that will. You could actual video capture process is very straight also buy a dedicated capture program, but free is forward. To accomplish the process, you will need better—and it works. One of the free capture your video camera to play back the raw video programs that gives good results is an application footage, an IEEE 1394 (Firewire) card in your written by Petr Mourek of the Czech Republic. The computer, a cable to connect the video camera to program, WinDV, can be downloaded from his web the firewire card, a program to perform the actual site, http://windv.mourek.cz/. For those people who capture, and huge amounts of disk space. insist on paying for things that could be had for free, you can spend $39 for a product called As we said earlier, almost all video editing Scenalyzer. According to the commentaries on programs have a “capture” function integrated into various listserv’s, the batch capture function is them. When the camera is connected up to the compatible with all known cameras and has no computer, most of these programs will control the frame slippage problems. camera (play, rewind, fast forward, etc.) directly through the digital interface. Unfortunately, some of And finally, one last issue to be aware of: Captured these “full-featured” video editing packages suffer video takes up a lot of disk space on the computer from one or more of the following problems: hard drive. An hour of raw video on disk will require about fourteen gigabytes of space on the hard They are unable to directly control the camera. For drive. some reason known only to the creator of the program, specific cameras are not compatible with Editing the video into the final product specific video editing products. And do not try to use logic to reason your way through this issue. Editing is the stage in the process where you Here are a couple of examples for a single make assemble the pieces of your video project into a and model of camera—a CDR-TRV30: cohesive, understandable product. This is the Pinnacle Systems has several video editing place to trim away things that do not need to be STAR Watch - 11 - NovemberNovember---DecemberDecember 2003 there and add some things that would improve it. In DVD-R. This is an important consideration if you general, video editors give you the ability to do the plan on distributing your video on DVD to other following: organizations. • Assemble all the shots and scenes in the order they should appear in the final product. Streaming video. Why not use the Internet or Intranet for distribution? Most video editors can • Remove irrelevant action or dialogue. If it does output to one or more of the common streaming not need to be present, get rid of it. video formats (RealMedia, Windows Media, or • Trim long pauses in dialogue or action. Keep QuickTime). When creating streaming video, you the video moving. can create video streams that are optimized for a • Add titles, charts and/or graphs. Help the multitude of user connection speeds. While viewer to understand the video. individuals who dial up to the Internet are limited to a maximum bandwidth of 53,000 bps, some offices • Add transitions between shots/scenes to make have DSL connections that go up to 7,000,000 bps. a more watchable video. While quality of streaming video at 53kbps or • If needed, add voiceover narration, background slower would be degraded (small picture, low sounds/music. fidelity sound), the quality of the audio and video • For DVD creation, menus can be added to becomes quite good at connection speeds improve navigation through the video. between 256kbps and 384kbps.

Some video editors include an array of tools VCD. Video CDs could be thought of as to correct problems with the audio or video streaming video on a CD-ROM. The video in the raw footage. Experienced quality is less than DVD-- more like professionals will use these correction tools streaming video, but it fits on a CD. When very sparingly and only as a last resort. In you consider how many computers have the mind of the professional, every correction CD-ROM drives on them and how many DVD applied to the sound or video is an admission of players that are capable of handling VCDs, failure during the recording process. If you shoot it distributing your video in this format makes a lot of right, you will not have to fix it. sense. Most video editors that can create will create VCDs.

Sharing your video In conclusion…

Once you have edited your video, it is time to share it with others. You have several choices: We have taken you through the process, start to finish. We have tried to point out the important

issues along the way. Will the information in this . Almost every legal services office has article make you an expert? Not at all. But if you at least one VCR. You could output your video have an interest in video, there is enough production to a VHS tape. It is easy to do if your information here to get you started. video camera has an AV (Analog Video) Out port on it. The camera is connected to the computer via Many people get discouraged in their initial the firewire cable, and the VCR is connected to the attempts at video because they get their priorities camera via the AV Out port. The camera acts as a mixed up. Instead of prioritizing informational format converter. content, they get caught up in the technical areas of

production. The end-result is a technically perfect DVD. Now that the prices on DVD burners have video—that viewers will learn nothing from. Make come down substantially, it can be cost-effective to sure that there is a story to tell or information to burn your video onto a DVD. If you are creating impart. Do not feel discouraged that your initial DVDs to be used in a DVD player, burn your video efforts are not perfect. Your skills will improve as onto a DVD-R. While many of the newest DVD you gain experience. players can handle DVD+R, DVD+RW, and/or

DVD-RW, most older DVD players can only handle STAR Watch - 12 - NovemberNovember---DecemberDecember 2003

WHO WE ARE

Joe Kelemen - Attorney

s Kathleen Lynch - Attorney h i le atc sib r W os Linda Hassberg- Attorney Sta p de a ma gh e Tom Karkau - Programmer ou th thr by of nt nd gra Fu Brenda Pattison—Administrative Assistant A k IOL or w Y Ne [email protected]

716-855-0203

www.wnylc.net

Western New York Law Center, Inc. 295 Main Street, Suite 454 Buffalo, New York 14203