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Video Tools

by Taco Hornbaker 10 TIPS FOR BETTER CAMP

Video packs multisensory power. It moves emotions and captures

attention even in a media-saturated world. Video is the original viral,

and it continues to draw extremely high rates of digital engagement and

shareability. It’s one of the most effective ways to show and tell the stories

of camps and conference centers.

Smartphones have delivered video to our pockets and made it possible

for camp and conference constituents to carry, watch and share camp stories r e k a b n r o H from almost anywhere. What an amazing opportunity! But it’s good video o c a T

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that cuts through the digital clutter. These tips and tools can help improve n a R

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your videos and help you better engage broader audiences. Roll ’em. e

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® 22 www.ccca.org June/July 2016 PRACTICAL TIPS AND TOOLS TO HELP YOU VISUALLY TELL YOUR STORY

June/July 2016 www.ccca.org 23 ® 1. 2. Slow Motion Depth of field is the distance between Using slow motion effectively creates the nearest and farthest object in focus. beautiful cinematic that brings This is a major shooting style often out the emotions of the to the seen in but unnoticed when viewer. To accomplish that correctly, used correctly. try filming your video at 60 frames per Shallow: A shallow depth of field second (FPS) or higher. Then when means there is a small range of what’s creating in your editing platform, set in focus. An example is focusing on your project to 24 or 30 FPS. You can

BONUS TIP: DON’T BE AFRAID TO EDIT AND GET RID OF WHAT YOU DON’T NEED, AND DON’T TAKE SHORTCUTS TO GET DONE SOONER.

a person standing close to the then slow down your footage to 50 or with the background blurred out. A 60 percent while keeping the footage shallow depth of field on a person or smooth, without stutters. This works subject is a very effective tool when well with shots when the camera is you want the attention to gravitate moving, and it can help reduce the naturally toward them. appearance of your camera shaking. r e

Deep: A works better Expert Tip: An advanced technique k a b n r

for wide or landscape shots when you is to use speed ramping. Start a clip o H

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want to keep everything in focus. slowed down and gradually ramp to a T

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There is no single rule for using one normal speed or fast motion. Or , h c n a R

or the other technique, but depth of reverse the process from fast to slow. y e l l a

field can and will drastically change This will take some practice to do V

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the feel of your scene. Practice both correctly and probably some further R

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of these techniques, as they can be research. Easy places to start are s e t r u difficult to perfect. YouTube channels, such as Dave o C

® 24 www.ccca.org June/July 2016 Dugdale, DSLRguide and Indy Mogul, and websites, such as nofilm EXTRA INFO school.com and videocopilot.com. 5 FAVORITE FILMMAKING TOOLS 3. Get Feedback Here are a few tools of the trade that I go to again It can be frustrating to complete your and again. video, publish it, wait in eager antici - 1. Canon EOS Rebel Series: These DSLR are pation to show your co-workers or great cost-effective options that produce HD video. clients, then watch them stare unen - 2. Glidecam HD-2000: With practice, a handheld gaged as your eager anticipation turns stabilizer like this one eliminates camera shake and helps into cold sweats, just waiting for it to you produce smooth, cinematic footage (photo at right). be over. This usually happens because 3. DJI Osmo: The HD camera and a stabilizer in one pack - of tunnel vision. You can become so age is small but powerful and can be a great option if you don’t engaged in your work—watching it have the budget for both a camera and a glidecam. over and over, hearing the music over 4. Final Pro X: software comes down to prefer - and over—that you become numb to ence. I find this the quickest stand-alone platform. Others that will see what might need to be trimmed get the job done on smaller scales are AVID Media Composer, Sony down, taken out or added to , and Apple iMovie. Adobe’s strengthen the quality of your film. Premiere Pro appeals to many studios, videographers and editors Every video that I produce for River because of its compatability with other Adobe programs, which are Valley Ranch goes through a private far superior to their competition. viewing process before it is uploaded. 5. Adobe After Effects: This video composition software has every - I watch the video in full after it’s thing you need for digital effects, motion graphics and animation. completed. Then my supervisor Apple’s Motion works well with X but is more limited. watches, and finally a third party from —Taco Hornbaker another department gives a viewing. Gathering group feedback doesn’t mean that you will always make every weaknesses in filmmaking and sharpen on what looks best. Avoid placing the change that is suggested, but it will your skills. horizon directly in the middle. help keep you accountable to the high : Let’s say you’re filming quality of work you and your ministry 4. an interview. While its easy to stick the want to produce. The process will One of the most important parts of subject directly in the middle of frame, also help you find your strengths and filming is your framing. Two of the it is not always the most appealing. most noticeable factors are lead room It can be, but there are other options and the . if the symmetry on and around the Rule of Thirds: Most cameras have subject isn’t working. Try placing them a grid feature that will divide your on either the right or left third of frame into nine sections on your frame, and placing their face—the screen. If it does not, you can do a point of interest—where the crosshairs pretty good job of imagining it does. of the grid lines intersect. For example, Use the lines and put the most impor - if your subject is looking to the right, tant objects of your scene where the place them on the left third facing the lines intersect if possible. If you’re center of the frame. The result is lead filming a landscape, the horizon room. The same can be accomplished should lie on the top horizontal line or for a scene featuring someone walking the bottom horizontal line depending left or right. Give the subject lead ̈

June/July 2016 www.ccca.org 25 ® EXTRA INFO SUGGESTED CAMP AND CONFERENCE CENTER VIDEOS

Video can convey many powerful stories. Here are a few options to explore.

1. Staff Introductions: Film your room—space in front of them—and get be almost impossible to achieve when staff completing funny tasks or rid of dead space behind them. filming in bright sunlight. Neutral stunts—silly jumps off a diving density (ND) filters work like board, cold water dumped on 5. Lighting sunglasses. When put on your lens, their head—in slow motion. Edit the Lighting is one of the most important they filter the sun, darkening the together, and add their names parts of filming. If you can invest in image and allowing you to lower your on screen as an introduction of good lighting, do so. Lighting for an speed if needed. summer staff to campers during indoor scene will look much more your first rally. professional and appealing done with 7. Crop Framing 2. Day in the Life: Attach a GoPro good three-point lighting gear. If it’s High definition video resolution is 1080 to a camper using a chest or not in your budget, there are several x 720, but most cameras can record in head harness. Then film what online resources for DIY lighting gear. 1920 x 1080 or even higher. Use the that camper sees all day long Also pay attention to the golden highest setting you can that’s right for for a first-person view video. hour, which is usually the first hour of your project; then create your project at the sun rising and the the lowest possible HD setting: 1080 x last hour of the sun 720. This provides you room to zoom, setting. It is also called shift and rotate your video in your the “magic hour” for video editor without losing resolution. a good reason. The Be aware though that if you are filming lighting is beautiful. It in high FPS for slow motion, check creates a more dynamic your camera settings for the highest range and is less harsh resolution available for that setting. than, say, midday. This doesn’t mean shooting 8. Figure Out at any other time of the day is wrong, 3. Donor Thank You: Film lots of but using clips from golden hour will Your Strengths campers throughout the summer saying “I love Camp _____” or add a warm, happy, cinematic feel to Figuring out the variety of available “Thanks for sending me to Camp your film. filmmaking techniques can be over - _____.” Then put them together whelming. Start testing and becoming in a video like this: www.youtube 6. ND Filters aware of what you are naturally skilled .com/watch?v=bzhk6iWkl-I . For best overall results, you want the in. I often hear clients request videos —Taco Hornbaker of your camera set at that are “your style.” Very early in my double the amount of the frames per filmmaking career, I was aware that second you are filming in. But this can my skill gravitated toward smooth,

® 26 www.ccca.org June/July 2016 r e k a b n r o H

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y s e t r u o C cinematic footage using glidecams that, like any other task, filmmaking and fluid, colorful editing to comple - requires knowledge, creativity, skill, ment. As I’ve continued to play to my passion, experience and, yes, time. strength and hone that style, I aim for Don’t let that hinder you from pressing my videos to reflect my personality, on; keep making videos.

BEGINNER TIP: AS A BEGINNER, I CHALLENGED MYSELF TO CREATE ONE VIDEO PER WEEK FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR! THE REPEATED FILMING AND EDITING HELPED ME QUICKLY GAIN INVALUABLE EXPERIENCE.

but not be forced. I have developed Beginner Tip: As a beginner, I “my style,” letting my viewers recog - challenged myself to create one video nize they are watching one of my per week for an entire year! These videos before it’s even over. videos were not all top quality, but the repeated filming and editing helped 9. Keep Making Videos me quickly gain invaluable experience. Don’t rush things. A common issue for beginning filmmakers is their 10. Create desire to produce the highest quality One of the best-known rules of Taco Hornbaker is the creative videos right off the bat. Unfortunately, filmmaking is: “There are no rules!” specialist at River Valley Ranch it can be discouraging when that desire While the practical tips listed here can (Manchester, Md.) When he’s not honing his video isn’t instantly realized. It’s normal to help improve your filmmaking quality, drone skills, editing an RVR video or traveling with have the first projects turn out not as don’t let yourself get trapped into the RVR recruiting team, he can be found playing grand as you’d originally hoped. That following every rule if you find Frisbee golf, leading worship at church or maintaining was definitely true for me. But your something that works for you. Keep his personal video business: Anthem Aerials. Email quality will drastically improve as you searching for creative ways to tell your him at [email protected]. continue making videos. The truth is story, and do it because you love it. l

June/July 2016 www.ccca.org 27 ®