For the longest time I’ve wondered how people put 3D models into 2D footage and make it look real. Well, I’ve finally unlocked the secret… It’s called match moving. Using special software, I’m able to 3D track 2D footage and re-create a 3D environment that moves seamlessly with the original 2D video footage — So cool.
If enough people are interested (maybe 20 people or so) I would love to share more in-depth how this is actually done. There are so many dumb little details that must be perfect in order for this to work properly and I had to learn them all from research, trial, and error. If you want to learn from me without the run-a-round, leave a comment below and let me know. I will share with you so many valuable little tricks that will make your life soooo much easier.
I thought I would share with you guys 3 awesome, extremely valuable video shooting tips and/or tricks.
#1 – Quality
I’m not going to bore you with the usual technical and mechanical advice you see all around the internet. The quality of your video should totally depend on what your goals are. If you’re promoting yourself as a professional and want people to take you seriously, high-quality video is a necessity. However, if you want people to see you as a more laid back and “real” type of person, I actually recommend purposefully shooting lower quality video. Perhaps only using a mobile phone to shoot your videos suits you? Don’t get stuck thinking High-Quality = Better and Low-Quality = Worse. They are just different and they produce different results.
#2 – Eye Contact
This tip is more geared for somebody shooting video and speaking to an audience. I see this all the time where people read their lines and try to fool the audience into believing that they are really speaking directly to them. When speaking to an audience, look directly into the camera lens as if it’s a human eye. You have to remember that actual people just like you and I are watching this. It get’s really easy to objectify what we see and read online. As if some robot is just spitting out all of this information for us to consume. Put some personality and emotion into your work. Let people connect and relate with what you have to say.
#3 – Lighting
This always seems to be one of those tasks that gets swept under the rug. Lighting your video can add so much life to whatever it is you’re shooting. If you’re shooting outdoors, a simple reflector will do miracles. If you’re not looking to spend loads of cash on video production gear, I recommend heading over to Home Depot and grabbing a large piece of insulation board with the reflective back. If you’re really in a pinch, grab some cardboard and wrap it up in aluminum foil. As for lighting your scene indoors, professional lighting of course is going to give you the best quality. Again, if you aren’t looking to spend mad bucks, just be conscious about lighting and try to shoot in an area with lots of natural light.
Maybe you already knew about these video shooting tips, maybe not. Hopefully I was able to at least provide a different perspective on the topic of shooting video. If you guys have any other useful tips for shooting video, be sure to write them in the comments section below. People are friendly here so don’t feel shy.
If you are someone like me who is constantly creating new video content, a professional, appealing video intro/outro is something that can easily add tremendous production value to your videos. I say “outro” as well because depending on the context of the video I am working on, sometimes placing my clip at the end feels like a better idea. There is no set rule here, just go with your heart.
Expose Yourself!
Another key purpose of creating a short video clip to add to the beginning (or end) of all your videos is brand exposure. You have the opportunity to show off your name, logo, or brand every single time someone watches your videos. This is a great way for giving your viewers something visual to associate you and/or your business with.
Take your time.
Take your time and create something that you can really be proud of. This video represents you and the caliber of value you are willing to bring to the table. Let your viewers know that you are here to create some killer, hi-quality content! Do it right one time, and it will continue working for you day-in and day-out.
A few video introductions that I’ve created that may give you some ideas:
This is the Walter Allred Productions video intro I use for all of my YouTube video productions.
Make sure you keep your introduction short, sweet, and to the point.
No one wants to wait for 30 seconds to see the feature presentation. I recommend keeping your video intro anywhere between 7 – 12 seconds. Anything longer than this will start working against you and turning people the other way.
This next video intro I created for my good friend Karson Voiles and his new Stock Wiz Kid product. I made sure to take into account his personality and the product he is representing while making this intro. For example, Karson has a quick-paced, energetic personality, so I made sure to capture that with his video introduction. Take a look…
Group Discussion.
If you have any feedback or questions about creating your own video introduction, be sure to leave a comment below. You can also contact me personally at walter@walterallred.com — Hope you enjoyed the post and can’t wait to hear what you guys have to say!
In this video tutorial I show you a few different methods for creating a custom vignette border effect inside Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.
The first method I cover was found online and is fast and simple, but doesn’t give much flexibility whatsoever. If you are simply looking for a feathered black circle around your video, the first method is for you.
If you’re like me and like to control the exact shape of your vignette border, skip ahead to 2:40. I spent a good amount of time playing around with premiere to come up with this method and I’m happy to say it works quite well for the desired custom vignette effect. Method 2 is a bit more advanced, but it gives you so much more control over the final look of the vignette.
I really hope this video tutorial I put together explaining how to make a custom vignette border inside of Adobe Premiere Pro really helps you out. I will be posting many new tutorials in the future, so be sure to let me know if you have any special requests. You can do so by simply leaving a comment down below.
For now just sit back, relax, and learn how to create unique custom vignettes inside adobe premier pro for use in your own video productions.
Let me get one thing straight before I show you this super gory special effects video. To actually commit suicide is not at all humorous or entertaining. However, creating suicide effects in after effects can be extremely entertaining!
Very recently, my dear cousin decided to take her own life and commit suicide. Because of this, I now know first-hand how real the issue is. The pain and suffering the entire family goes through is immense.
I am all about suicide prevention. If you ever have thoughts about taking your life, please talk to somebody! My door is wide open if you need someone to lend an ear.
There are so many more reasons to live it’s insane! The pure fact that we as human beings were given the ability to think dynamically and question life objectively is reason enough for me. We were given this remarkable power and ability to really create something special, let’s do something with it!
Enough insight and inspiration, let’s move onto the feature presentation — I created this teenage suicide video in After Effects by following the “Assisted Suicide” tutorial over at www.videocopilot.net – Very cool, but extremely graphic and disturbing. View at your own risk.