What topics would you like to see covered in future seminars?

I'm not getting a lot of feedback from the blog! If we offer future seminars, what topics would you like to have covered? Please use the comments to offer suggestions. We want our seminars to be meaningful for you.

Production Tips

When beginning to shoot your video, remember to use 3-point lighting as a minimum. Key light, fill light and back light. The camera can't see the subtle differences in light and shadow that the human eye can.
One thing that we didn't talk about in class is composition. If you can think of the video frame being superimposed with at tic-tac-toe grid, at each point where the lines cross are points where the center of interest should be placed. Always leave room for the actors to have a place to go in the frame. It's kind of like leading the actor. Don't let your subjects "push the edge of the frame."Avoid putting the center of interest of the image in the center of the frame. Watch good movies and television and see how the images are framed and use them as a guide for your own images.
The number one principle of film production is to use a good camera support such as a tripod. Avoid hand-held shots, they are annoying to your audience!
While we're not grading sound quality for this first attempt, do remember that sound is an important part of production. If you can, use a microphone that is closer to the talent so you pickup the dialog rather than all the room ambiance. As demonstrated in class, you can use a fishpole with a shotgun mic, a lapel mic that is hidden under the talent's clothing, or plant a microphone close to the talent and hidden in the set decoration.
I wish you success in your production efforts. Be sure to ask questions here if Brandon or I can help.

Noise Cancelling Headphones

Here is the link for the noise cancelling headphones I told you about.
Noise Cancelling Headphones
I bought a pair last week for $28.97 and they're amazing. They really work. They can be used for monitoring your sound while videotaping, or with your Ipod. I can't wait to try them on an airliner!

Film Budgeting

I promised at the second workshop, that I would post a sample budget template that I created. The file is in MS Excel format. If you download it, open in Excel. Each individual department is listed, so if you go through line by line, you can fill in each appropriate line. The front page summary will automatically fill in as you fill in each department. There are several sheets, so be careful and check out each sheet.
Budget Template

Session 3: Acting

Here's the next session, taught by TJ Johnson, on acting.  We seem to have lost just a bit of the presentation at the end, covering TJ's clip from Pirates of the Carribean -- our apologies for that.  Everything else is intact!

www.hall-e-woode.com/vinearts/acting.wmv

Model Releases

During the last session, a question was asked about getting model releases. I answered that you should always get model releases. There was discussion about us being a church. As I said then and will continue to say, for your principle actors and supporting actors, have them sign a model release. Brandon will post a link to two generic model releases, on for adults and one for minors. If you are going to use actors under the age of 18, Please, have the parents sign a model release!
The reason behind use of model releases. This is a legal question and the courts have held that a person has a right to privacy and that there is an expectation that one's image won't be used without permission. There is a fair body of case law supporting "unauthorized" use of someone's image. Don't put yourself in a position of liability by having one or more of your actors changing their mind and claiming that use of their image is unauthorized.
Minor Release:
Adult Release:

Pre-production Session Video

Here's the video to the last session.

www.hall-e-woode.com/vinearts/pre-production.wmv