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Breakout 3 was pretty good. Again, good to see how people who live this stuff every day and have been doing it forever do video so well. I learned a lot, so here are my notes.

Breakout 3 Video from Concept to Completion
by Bob Gustafson, Randy Warren

How many people does it take to make a video? It depends on the video, but you should NOT make videos alone!

The more pre-production work you do the more stable the video process. It’s like an iceberg - 90% you don’t see.

Your success in video will be directly proportional to the quality of your work in Pre-Production

The Process of Creating a Video

Pre-Production - All the planning, everything leading up to the actual shoot. Everything before you press “record”.

1. Initial Questions
   • Who’s the ___audience___? (Hit the target hard and if it bleeds over, all the better.
   • What’s the ___goal___? (the call to action or decision)
   • What’s the ___content___? (Not creative concept. What is the lesson - the meat - of the message?)
2. Brainstorming
   • Define the STYLE and STRUCTURE
   • Get around creative stuff!
   • Schedule “Think Time”
   • “A man is not idle because he is absorbed in thought. There is a visible labor and there is an invisible labor.” Victor Hugo
   • “A Perfect Brainstorm” Article - http://www.inc.com/magazine/20031001/strategies.html
   • Production Time = Prod Time + Post Prod (2x Prod) + Pre Prod (2x Post-Prod)
     Example: 2 days prod + 4 days post-prod + 12 days pre-prod = 20 days needed for creation
3. Develop a Treatment or Script
4. Plan for the Shoot
   • Creative Prep: Pre-visualize
     • Storyboards
     • Edit an “Animatic”
     • Shot List
     • TIP : In lieu of hand-drawing storyboards, compose and take reference pictures with a digital camera or get them from the internet to “pre-vis” the kinds of shots you want BEFORE the shoot.
   • Logistic Prep: Plan the details
     • Assign the roles
     • Location Scout
     • SCHEDULE - don’t run and gun
     • Your success in video will be directly proportional to the quality of your work in Pre-Production

Production - The video shoot – camera, audio and lighting disciplines

1. Lighting 101
   • Color Temp
   • Quality – hard/soft
   • Control: 3 point Lighting
     • Key light at 45 degree angle to camera on side they are facing
     • Fill light (or reflector) is not to fill the shadows, but control them
     • Back light directly across from key light
   • Study composition without audio so there are no distractions
2. Camera
   • Shooting Tips
     • Turn of Auto: Auto-Focus, Auto-Iris
     • Focus First: zoom in on the eyes
     • Compse Your Shots Using “The Rule of Thirds”
     • Record Extra Heads & Tails
       • Roll tape
       • Speed
       • Action
       • Cut
       • Stop tape
     • A Tripod is Your Friend
     • Interview Tips
       • Position interviewer at eye level, as close to the lens as possible
       • Dress mic cables
       • Vary composition between takes to avoid jumps in the position of the person.
       • Include a portion of the question in the answer, (forming a full sentence)
3. Audio
   • Use an External Mic: lav or boom, wireless vs. wired
   • Control levels: field mixer vs. cam controls (mixpre)
   • Use headphones!
   • Record ambient presence into same mics used on subjects with silence in the room. The ambient room noises will help to pad breaks and coverups.

Camera Buying Tips

• Obtain a camera with jacks. (Input for an external microphone and a headphone jack).
• Insist on manual controls, especially manual focus and manual iris.
• Don’t be lured by special effects. (Effects are best applied during post-production).
• When budgeting for video gear, plan for all THREE production components: Lights, Camera, and Audio!

Post-Production - The logging, editing, graphic creation, any animation, music scoring. Everything after the cameras are in the bags.

1. The Editing Process
   • Logging & Digitizing (Capturing)
   • Assemble Rough Cut
   • B-roll
   • Pacing & Flow
   • Trim, trim, trim
     • Use only Grade A material. Grade B should go.
   • Use music & effects tastefully
2. After the Edit
   1. DVD Authoring
   2. Mastering to tape
   3. Compressing for web
   4. Archiving

This entry is filed under Christian Life, Christianity, Church, Conferences, St. Simons Community Church, Stuff, Videos, Willow Creek Arts 2008.