Page 122 - SKU-000506274_TEXT.indd
P. 122
Chapter 9 Shooting Semi-Pro Videos 101
Tip
When calculating the necessary hard disc space, factor in the amount of
“raw” video you have, not just the length of the final edited video. It’s easy
for your raw material to be ten times or more as long as your final product!
Finally, consider what type of monitor you’ll be using. Here again, bigger is better—
at least 20" diagonal. That’s because you’re displaying more than just your video
onscreen; you also have to find screen space for all the components of your video-
editing program. Go with the biggest widescreen monitor you can afford.
When a Semi-Pro Video Makes Sense
We’ve spent a lot of time discussing how to assemble the right equipment to shoot a
semi-pro YouTube video. But just when does this type of video make sense for your
business?
Video Blogs
In the previous chapter, we discussed using a webcam to create your video blog
(called a vlog). Even though webcam video has the immediacy that defines such a
vlog, the webcam’s lower-quality picture and sound might work against any profes-
sional image you’re trying to impart.
You can create much better looking, and better sounding, videos with a low-cost
consumer camcorder, and still maintain the immediacy necessary for a legitimate
vlog. The key here is to keep your “set”—what’s in front of and behind the subject
in the video—spare and functional. No elaborate decorations, no fancy lighting, just
the subject speaking into a camcorder. The result is a clearer, less jerky picture than
what you can accomplish with a webcam, but still with the personal one-to-one
effect.
To shoot a video blog, all you need is a camcorder and a tripod. If you don’t have a
separate camera operator, make sure your camcorder has a wireless remote control
so that you can turn it on and off from in front of the camera. You can shoot under
natural light or augment the room light with a camcorder-mounted external light. It
might be a good idea to use a lavalier microphone for better sound, if your cam-
corder has a mic input.
