Need Help With Making Videos Please :)

Feb 18, 2014
146
0
Hi everyone! I just made a youtube channel today since I had bought a camera. I have a Nikon D3200m it shoots in 1080p HD up to 30fps. I also have a 6 foot tripod. I would love to make trailers and demos similar to those of shin lim. Could anyone tell me how I could go about doing so? I just got a camera and have only been using it for about a week. I want to make really cool card cinematics with awesome close ups etc. Im not that great of a video editor but I do have after effects and sony vegas as well as photoshop. Any help? I just made my first video, please help :) Thanks!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M55sgI6kolI
 
Aug 17, 2008
473
13
Ann Arbor, MI
Hey man!

You know what's funny, I just picked up D3200 last week. I do photography but I'm also starting to make videos and what not with it. I don't know how familiar you are with it dslr's but I would just take sometime to get to know that camera. There are a lot of features to it and a lot of things that could help you out when filming. Another thing, G.O.P! Go out and perform my man. I'm not saying that you don't or you won't, but I see waaay to many videos of kids with decent skill, just performing for a camera in their bedroom. I've been doing magic since I was ten. That is nine years and believe me, there is no better way to get better than getting out and performing for REAL people. Maybe you do this, I don't know. If so, awesome. Get a buddy to record you doing stuff for people. As for editing videos, if you really want to get into it, I would suggest looking into a photo/video editing software that you can get at Best Buy or basically any place alike. Too pricey? nah. You don't have to go all out and get a thousand dollar editing software. You can get decent programs for about 100-150 dollars. You do have to spend a little bit of money if you wanna get a good outcome on the videos.

You wanna make videos like Shin Lim? Sorry, but don't. Don't be somebody else. Do what you like and do what feels and looks right to you. Be yourself.

PM me if you need any help with anything. I'll help you with as much as I can.

Blake
 
Feb 18, 2014
146
0
Hey man!

You know what's funny, I just picked up D3200 last week. I do photography but I'm also starting to make videos and what not with it. I don't know how familiar you are with it dslr's but I would just take sometime to get to know that camera. There are a lot of features to it and a lot of things that could help you out when filming. Another thing, G.O.P! Go out and perform my man. I'm not saying that you don't or you won't, but I see waaay to many videos of kids with decent skill, just performing for a camera in their bedroom. I've been doing magic since I was ten. That is nine years and believe me, there is no better way to get better than getting out and performing for REAL people. Maybe you do this, I don't know. If so, awesome. Get a buddy to record you doing stuff for people. As for editing videos, if you really want to get into it, I would suggest looking into a photo/video editing software that you can get at Best Buy or basically any place alike. Too pricey? nah. You don't have to go all out and get a thousand dollar editing software. You can get decent programs for about 100-150 dollars. You do have to spend a little bit of money if you wanna get a good outcome on the videos.

You wanna make videos like Shin Lim? Sorry, but don't. Don't be somebody else. Do what you like and do what feels and looks right to you. Be yourself.

PM me if you need any help with anything. I'll help you with as much as I can.

Blake

Thanks! As for performing I hit the streets every friday or saturday I go out and perform. I am going to record it and thats what I originally planned on getting the camera for, but its just very hard for me to find a friend to go record with me. Also what I mean by saying making videos like shin lim, I mean his cinematography, like that. I want to be able to make epic trailers with the amazing cinematics. I am coming out with a product on the wire, BUT Im not too sure on how to film the explanation I want it to be crystal clear and easy to understand. Like good close-ups etc, I don't know where to start!
 

WitchDocIsIn

Elite Member
Sep 13, 2008
5,877
2,945
To learn, humans have to imitate someone else. That's the way we process information and skills. It's really important to develop your own style and image once you've got the skill set, though.

I don't know much about cinematography. I will say that having a camera man often makes things way better than always doing a static shot on a tripod. But you start with what you have and work from there.

So pick a shot you want to create - whether you're coming up with it yourself or copying someone doesn't matter. Just know what it is you're creating. Frame it, shoot it, then shoot it again like 5 more times. Then you'll have lots of footage to work with. Always give a lead in of a few seconds before you actually start doing anything so you have extra footage to cut off if necessary. You can't add it in later, but you can cut it out easily.

Remember that After Effects is for creating clips - not whole movies. Generally I only end up making 1-10 second clips with AE then using Windows Movie Maker for patching the rest of the video together.

You can find all the tutorials you can hope for on YouTube and VideoCopilot.com if you have at least some idea of what you're after. You'll pick up the lingo as you go.

So, for example, the first thing I created was an outtro with my logo. I animated it so my logo "twitched" in, then "twitched" back out, then my name "twitched" in. (Twitch is a plugin from VideoCopilot - you've seen it, I guarantee it). That's maybe 5 seconds of animation. Took me two days to figure out how to make it all work correctly.

Then I took a few seconds of footage of a hypnosis session and mashed the two together. Twitch intro, video clip, my outtro. Done.

I feel it's important to have some consistency in your videos so I tend to use a similar format for all my videos. Certain types of transitions, sounds, etc. Oh yeah, sounds - you can find tons of them for free online so don't forget that.

Once you've uploaded it to YouTube you can use their Analytics to see a TON of information. You can see where people are watching the video geographically, where they found the video, what part of the video they are clicking off on, etc. So using that information you can judge which parts of your video need to be more interesting.

Of course, don't forget Steerpike's thread here called "How to Improve Your Videos Overnight". Lots of valuable information there.
 
Feb 18, 2014
146
0
To learn, humans have to imitate someone else. That's the way we process information and skills. It's really important to develop your own style and image once you've got the skill set, though.

I don't know much about cinematography. I will say that having a camera man often makes things way better than always doing a static shot on a tripod. But you start with what you have and work from there.

So pick a shot you want to create - whether you're coming up with it yourself or copying someone doesn't matter. Just know what it is you're creating. Frame it, shoot it, then shoot it again like 5 more times. Then you'll have lots of footage to work with. Always give a lead in of a few seconds before you actually start doing anything so you have extra footage to cut off if necessary. You can't add it in later, but you can cut it out easily.

Remember that After Effects is for creating clips - not whole movies. Generally I only end up making 1-10 second clips with AE then using Windows Movie Maker for patching the rest of the video together.

You can find all the tutorials you can hope for on YouTube and VideoCopilot.com if you have at least some idea of what you're after. You'll pick up the lingo as you go.

So, for example, the first thing I created was an outtro with my logo. I animated it so my logo "twitched" in, then "twitched" back out, then my name "twitched" in. (Twitch is a plugin from VideoCopilot - you've seen it, I guarantee it). That's maybe 5 seconds of animation. Took me two days to figure out how to make it all work correctly.

Then I took a few seconds of footage of a hypnosis session and mashed the two together. Twitch intro, video clip, my outtro. Done.

I feel it's important to have some consistency in your videos so I tend to use a similar format for all my videos. Certain types of transitions, sounds, etc. Oh yeah, sounds - you can find tons of them for free online so don't forget that.

Once you've uploaded it to YouTube you can use their Analytics to see a TON of information. You can see where people are watching the video geographically, where they found the video, what part of the video they are clicking off on, etc. So using that information you can judge which parts of your video need to be more interesting.

Of course, don't forget Steerpike's thread here called "How to Improve Your Videos Overnight". Lots of valuable information there.

Thanks for the help! :) Im going for a very cool cinematic look. Although I am not quite sure how to approach that, should I film outside? Im not 100% sure of where to film. I want it to be good quality.
 

WitchDocIsIn

Elite Member
Sep 13, 2008
5,877
2,945
Thanks for the help! :) Im going for a very cool cinematic look. Although I am not quite sure how to approach that, should I film outside? Im not 100% sure of where to film. I want it to be good quality.

Define "very cool cinematic" look. That's a vague statement. That's why I'm saying figure it out little pieces at a time. Like, in the video for SSS there's a shot where he's coming down the stairs - instead of doing the entire video, just re-create that shot. Get it? Then, once you do this for a while, you'll have a stockpile of different shots you can create and you'll be able to string all of those together to create the whole video. Make sense?

Filming outside makes lighting easier (You'll usually only have to work on shadowing the light a bit, rather than trying to light up the scene) but indoors is fine, too. Lighting is really important, you're going to have to spend some time getting good at that. You can get cheap lights from Home Depot and such stores, generally $10-$20 for either the clamp lights or the short halogen work lights. These are really bright and somewhat focused, so you can do a lot with a few of them. Pointing them away from the subject can help you diffuse the light and make it look more natural. There's also things photographers use to diffuse light as well.

And remember, a 'green screen' is just a sheet or cloth of a solid color held so there's no wrinkles. You'll want to light that with 2 or 3 lights to eliminate shadows but then you've got a whole new realm of possibilities for backgrounds.

This is going to take time to get any good at. Don't expect to get it right, or even any good, the first time through. Just work in steps and build up your skill set.
 

Joey144

Elite Member
Oct 14, 2007
296
111
Bavaria, Germany
Im going for a very cool cinematic look. Although I am not quite sure how to approach that,...
Thats kind of the problem here. You want a "cool cinematic look" but you don't know what it is that makes a film look a certain way. Many people think that it's just one or two filters and tadaa you have a cinematic feeling. Sorry, it's not.

I'm afraid to tell you that this won't be something you learn over night. You should get yourself familiar with proper lighting techniques and color grading. If you never used a DSLR you should learn how this thing actually works first. Only if you understand the workings of your camera you can effectively use it. There is quite some theory behind it and I would encourage you to learn it. As I already said, this won't happen over night and it's ok. It's ok if your first videos look bad and not the way you want them to. Thats part of the learning process and nothing to worry about.

regards,
Joey
 
Feb 18, 2014
146
0
Define "very cool cinematic" look. That's a vague statement. That's why I'm saying figure it out little pieces at a time. Like, in the video for SSS there's a shot where he's coming down the stairs - instead of doing the entire video, just re-create that shot. Get it? Then, once you do this for a while, you'll have a stockpile of different shots you can create and you'll be able to string all of those together to create the whole video. Make sense?

Filming outside makes lighting easier (You'll usually only have to work on shadowing the light a bit, rather than trying to light up the scene) but indoors is fine, too. Lighting is really important, you're going to have to spend some time getting good at that. You can get cheap lights from Home Depot and such stores, generally $10-$20 for either the clamp lights or the short halogen work lights. These are really bright and somewhat focused, so you can do a lot with a few of them. Pointing them away from the subject can help you diffuse the light and make it look more natural. There's also things photographers use to diffuse light as well.

And remember, a 'green screen' is just a sheet or cloth of a solid color held so there's no wrinkles. You'll want to light that with 2 or 3 lights to eliminate shadows but then you've got a whole new realm of possibilities for backgrounds.

This is going to take time to get any good at. Don't expect to get it right, or even any good, the first time through. Just work in steps and build up your skill set.

Ok, thanks! So basically re-create clips in my own style? Oh and another problem is I don't really have alot of space to film in my house. How do I go about setting up a studio type look? All I have is a camera and a tripod.
 
Feb 18, 2014
146
0
Thats kind of the problem here. You want a "cool cinematic look" but you don't know what it is that makes a film look a certain way. Many people think that it's just one or two filters and tadaa you have a cinematic feeling. Sorry, it's not.

I'm afraid to tell you that this won't be something you learn over night. You should get yourself familiar with proper lighting techniques and color grading. If you never used a DSLR you should learn how this thing actually works first. Only if you understand the workings of your camera you can effectively use it. There is quite some theory behind it and I would encourage you to learn it. As I already said, this won't happen over night and it's ok. It's ok if your first videos look bad and not the way you want them to. Thats part of the learning process and nothing to worry about.

regards,
Joey

No, I don't your are right. But where do I start, how do I learn all of this?
 
Sep 2, 2007
1,186
16
42
London
No, I don't your are right. But where do I start, how do I learn all of this?

You learn in the same way you're learning magic. Books and videos. In the same way as magic, make sure you're learning from reputable sources as anyone can put a YouTube video online and pretend to be an expert. And, of course, practice. Shoot stuff, cut it together, see what it looks like. Work out what's bad about it, then correct that for the next thing you shoot. And so on.
 
Aug 17, 2008
473
13
Ann Arbor, MI
Thats kind of the problem here. You want a "cool cinematic look" but you don't know what it is that makes a film look a certain way. Many people think that it's just one or two filters and tadaa you have a cinematic feeling. Sorry, it's not.

I'm afraid to tell you that this won't be something you learn over night. You should get yourself familiar with proper lighting techniques and color grading. If you never used a DSLR you should learn how this thing actually works first. Only if you understand the workings of your camera you can effectively use it. There is quite some theory behind it and I would encourage you to learn it. As I already said, this won't happen over night and it's ok. It's ok if your first videos look bad and not the way you want them to. Thats part of the learning process and nothing to worry about.

regards,
Joey

I completely agree. Using a dslr can be complicated if you've never worked with one or let alone any camera at all. It's going to take some time to get use to the camera and as TeeDee has said, practice with it. The first video you make might not be as great as you want it to be. But how was the first time you tried to do a double lift? Probably not nearly as good as it is now. It all takes time and practice. Check out some Nikon forums, they have a lot of good help on them. Nikonites.com and Nikonforums.com are two pretty decent forums that I would check out. Use the people there as resources the same way you are using us. Just don't get discouraged and keep doing it!
 

WitchDocIsIn

Elite Member
Sep 13, 2008
5,877
2,945
You'd be surprised how much you can change perspective with angles. The right lens at the right angle with the right lighting and you can turn a broom closet into a ballroom.

For video effects I recommend Video Copilot as they are easy to understand. Also - don't be afraid to just try things, and if it doesn't work out, move on to the next thing. Even bad tutorials in this case aren't that big a deal - because if it doesn't work the first time you just try a new one. Not like magic where you may have the habit ingrained by the time you realize it's not good.
 
Nov 29, 2013
14
5
But where do I start, how do I learn all of this?

If you wanna learn how to use your camera, I highly recommend watching some tutorials, there are great ones on youtube... I am trying to learn the basics with my dslr too and I love this youtube channel called Fenchel & Janisch (link: https://m.youtube.com/user/FenchelJanisch2). They have very well-explained and useful tutorials, and I'm sure that you will find what you are looking for on this channel! :)
 
Feb 18, 2014
146
0
If you wanna learn how to use your camera, I highly recommend watching some tutorials, there are great ones on youtube... I am trying to learn the basics with my dslr too and I love this youtube channel called Fenchel & Janisch (link: https://m.youtube.com/user/FenchelJanisch2). They have very well-explained and useful tutorials, and I'm sure that you will find what you are looking for on this channel! :)

Thanks! I look into them :)
 
Dec 5, 2013
146
2
Boston
I do a lot of photography (mostly outdoors) but when I stated doing video indoors I found lighting to be an issue. I use these lights: http://www.amazon.com/Photography-Continuous-Lighting-Day-Light-Umbrellas/dp/B001HDEECO
They're cheep, bright, and pretty even. They also fold up quite easily so that solves your space problem. I don't have a studio but I just decide where I want to shoot and figure out if I should set up the lights or of natural lighting will be enough.
Good luck and have fun,
-Isaac
 
Feb 18, 2014
146
0
I do a lot of photography (mostly outdoors) but when I stated doing video indoors I found lighting to be an issue. I use these lights: http://www.amazon.com/Photography-Continuous-Lighting-Day-Light-Umbrellas/dp/B001HDEECO
They're cheep, bright, and pretty even. They also fold up quite easily so that solves your space problem. I don't have a studio but I just decide where I want to shoot and figure out if I should set up the lights or of natural lighting will be enough.
Good luck and have fun,
-Isaac

Thanks man! I might buy these :)
 

Jebzy

Elite Member
Jun 22, 2012
213
72
28
Latvia
I have a question about the same topic - What mics are you using when you are filming?

I have everything ready - I have camera, lights, good software, but the problem is microphone. What microphone are you using filming inside and what if you need to film outside?

Thanks!
-Jebzy
 

Jay Adra

Elite Member
Jul 11, 2011
332
3
Australia
www.jayadra.com
I've got two mics I'd recommend, depending on your budget.

The first and cheapest option is the Rode VideoMic (or VideoMic Pro). This will get you good quality sound for a decent price. This mic needs to plug into your camera (or other audio input) though, so depending on your camera, the quality might suffer. I use a Canon 60D and the inbuilt mic sucks, so when using the Rode, I boost the volume (db) on the mic itself as high as possible and then turn the camera sound recording volume down as much as possible. You may need to do the same to get the best sound quality.

The other mic (which is external to the camera and as such solves this problem) is the Zoom H4n. Bad website. Good product. It's more expensive, but produces great quality audio and has some useful settings once you learn how to use them. As this is an external mic though, you will be recording video and audio completely separately, so you will need to sync the two together when editing. There are programs to help you do this, but I find it's easy enough to clap in front of the camera at the start of the recording and then sync at the two matching audio spikes.
 

Jebzy

Elite Member
Jun 22, 2012
213
72
28
Latvia
Thanks! I know how to sync, I am using the clap too.

But the problem is that my camera don't have mic plug in. Can you plug this Rode mic in sellphone or I need special sound recorder?
 
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