Videomaker Offers Workshops and Webinars for Videographers of All Skill Levels

VideomakerMagazineTo learn more about video production, check out the hands-on workshops and online webinars offered by the publishers of Videomaker magazine. In February, Videomaker is holding workshops catering to videographers of every skill level. The workshops will be conducted at the magazine’s headquarters in Chico, California.

Workshops

Videomaker’s Intensive Editing Class
February 8-10, 2013

This three-day, hands-on course is for experienced videographers who want to take their editing results from “good enough” to great. If you have read articles, watched instructional DVDs, and studied enough theory to understand the basics, this course can help you take your work to the next level and gain the confidence to make pro video productions. You will work on an HP mobile workstation and use Adobe professional editing software while learning advanced techniques such as time remapping, advanced trimming features, and multi-camera editing.  Space is limited to 30 students.

Videomaker’s Basics of Video Production Class
February 8-10, 2013

CAWVideoMakerBasicVidProductionIn this beginner-level course you will learn the entire video-production process from planning to shooting, lighting, editing and audio work.  You’ll get practical experience in planning, shooting, and editing a video project from start to finish. Learn the skills to start making professional video in a fun and friendly environment where you don’t have to be an expert to benefit. Space is limited to 28 students.

Webinars

If you can’t afford the time or travel to attend one of the hands-on workshops and simply want to sample the quality of the instruction, register for one of Videomaker’s upcoming webinars.

The Art of Titles and Graphics: January 23, 2013

Basic Editing Webinar: February 6, 2013

Intermediate Editing: February 20, 2013

Basic Video Production Webinar: March 6, 2013

See the “Events” page on the Videomaker website for the complete schedule of upcoming workshops and webinars.

LINKS

Events: Videomaker

About Videomaker

Conference Offers Course on Microbudget Filmmaking

If you want to learn how to get more from the video capabilities of your DSLR, check out the courses on Microbudget Filmmaking and The Art of Storytelling that will be presented Monday, January 7 at Bally’s Hotel in Las Vegas. The courses are part of the two-day DIMA and PSPA/SPAA Conference that will be held January 6-7, prior to the start of the 2013 PMA@CES Conference and Expo, January 8-10 in Las Vegas.

The video courses will be taught by Jeff Medford and Ross Hockrow founders of the filmmaking company CineStories.

Microbudget Filmmaking

Most photographers think that they need thousands of dollars of extra gear in order to get started with DSLR filmmaking. For under $750, you can acquire every tool you need for success. In this session, Jeff and Ross will teach you how to utilize four inexpensive tools to instantly upgrade your audio, make your shots stable, add compelling camera movements, and utilize focus in a way that makes your overall film professional.

The Art of Storytelling

You know how to record video on your DSLR camera – now it’s time to unlock the power of your footage by learning how to create and enhance a story through editing. Filmmaking is all about storytelling and the editing process is where your story comes to life. In this session, you will learn the theory of editing and the process of applying it, including L-Cutting, cutting on the action, and facing your film properly. You’ll learn settings for exporting for different devices and websites, and how to use the entire Production Premium Suite to enhance the editing experience.

The DIMA Conference is an educational event for digital imaging professionals interested in social media, retail strategy, photo publishing and imaging technology. The PSPA/SPAA Conference helps school and sports photographers find new ways to grow their businesses and remain profitable.

Other sessions scheduled at the DIMA and PSPA/SPAA conferences will discuss topics such as copyrights and intellectual property, strategic planning for photographers, and hybrid photography. Plus, you can attend sessions on:

  • 21st Century Lighting Techniques,
  • The Easy Way to Create a Powerful Marketing Video
  • New Developments in Photo Books
  • Consumer-Generated Augmented Reality
  • Advancing Hard-Copy Output as a Means of Photo Preservation

Registrants for the DIMA and PSPA/SPAA conferences receive a CES Exhibits Plus Pass, which gets you into the PMA@CES photography-related exhibits at the LVH and all other CES exhibits from January 8-11.

LINK

Schedule of Classes and Speakers at the DIMA and PSPA/SPAA Conferences

About PMA@CES Conference and Expo

Rate Calculator Helps Freelance Videographers Set Prices

Like other freelance pros, many freelance videographers often struggle with this question: “How much should I charge for my work?” In today’s competitive economy, it’s easy to find yourself wrestling with similar questions such as:

  • How can I make enough money to survive without scaring away potential clients with high prices?
  • How valuable is my time and work?
  • How much do I need to charge to keep my business afloat?
  • How can I keep my prices competitive without cheating myself?

A new Video Rate Calculator can help you be more confident in quoting reasonable, but profitable rates for your video services. The calculator was developed by Videomaker, the popular website and magazine for all things video.

According to Videomaker, “Finding the right, fair price to charge for video work is a delicate balancing act. Unfortunately, for most videographers it’s little more than a guessing game. But the simple truth is that if you don’t know what your services are worth, there’s no way to run a successful video business.”

Many videographers try to guess the best rate, only to discover they’ve gone too low and their bill doesn’t even cover the equipment and transportation expenses of the shoot.

Videomaker’s Video Rate Calculator takes some of the guesswork out of your pricing process, by taking into account some of the expenses associated with pre-production, production, and post-production as well as your equipment costs, office costs, and desired profit level. The Video Rate Calculator will help you:

  • Track your business expenses
  • Achieve your profitability goals
  • Ensure that your business operates in the black
  • Keeps your prices competitive enough to keep your current clients and attract new ones

LINKS

Videomaker Video Rate Calculator

About Videomaker Magazine

Indie Filmmaking Community Seeks Founding Filmmakers

Why should big Hollywood studios be the only ones to decide which films get produced and viewed by the public? They won’t be for long. Whether you are a film lover who would like to see a greater variety of films or an independent filmmaker, alternatives are on the way.

For example, Seed&Spark is building an independent filmmaking community in which filmmakers and film-lovers come together to crowdfund interesting film projects, attract production resources such as cast and crew, and stream distribution.  The process is designed to help aspiring filmmakers build an audience every step of the way.

“Only 1% of the roughly 15,000 indie movies made every year receive distribution through traditional avenues. That means there are great indie films out there that no one has ever heard of!,” said Emily Best, founder and CEO of Seed&Spark. “We want to give filmmakers and independent film lovers an opportunity to connect and make it easier for more and different kinds of stories to find their audiences.”

In this new ecosystem for film production, people who support films will be able to watch more films. Every time you support the making of a moving-picture project (by funding, following, and sharing), you will earn “Sparks” that can be redeemed to watch movies on the streaming platform.

To be considered as a “Founding Filmmaker” submit your work to Seed&Spark by November 20. The selected group of Founding Filmmakers will be part of the official Seed&Spark site launch December 1, 2012.

As a Founding Filmmaker, you will benefit from fee-free movie distribution as well as publicity campaigns to worldwide audiences through the Seed&Spark platform.

Founding Filmmakers will be part of the vibrant Seed&Spark network that includes partners such as Atlantic Pictures that will be distributing films through the site. The trailers of the Founding Filmmakers will be screened at the Seed&Spark Early Adopters Holiday Party December 6 in New York City.

LINK

Seed&Spark

Filmmaking Guide Focuses on Funding and Promotion

If you have ever wanted to become a filmmaker, but didn’t have the money, know-how or freedom to pursue your dreams in Hollywood, you’re in luck. A new book called Filmmaking Stuff shows you how to use techniques such as crowdfunding, internet movie marketing, and video-on-demand distribution and get your movie made, seen, and sold.

“Filmmaking Stuff: How to Make, Market and Sell Your Movie without the Middleman” was written by Jason Brubaker, a Hollywood-based independent filmmaker who has become an expert in Video on Demand distribution. The book expands upon some of the advice has been providing on this popular filmmaking website for several years.

“Filmmaking Stuff does not offer information on 3-point lighting or how to set up dolly track,” said Brubaker. “While all that how-to technical stuff is essential, this book shows filmmakers how to actually get money, market and sell your movie.”

The book is divided into five chapters:

  • Chapter 1: Modern Movie Business
  • Chapter 2: Create Your Story
  • Chapter 3: Get Movie Money
  • Chapter 4: Manufacture Your Movie
  • Chapter 5: Marketing and Distribution

Brubaker believes the future of filmmaking is now in the hands of filmmakers empowered by the digital revolution. Even though you will be competing with filmmakers across the globe, keep in mind that many people are flooding the market with garbage.

If you start with a great, marketable screenplay that you can quickly pitch to prospective investors and collaborators, you can increase your odds of success.

With the decline of DVD sales and the rise of video-on-demand channels such as Amazon, iTunes, and Hulu, it’s no longer necessary to work with middlemen such as sales agents and distribution companies. And, with social media and internet marketing, you can find the audience and generate buzz about your film.

In addition to making his own movies, Brubaker is a contributing author to The Independent’s Guide to Film Distributors and founder of Filmmaking Stuff, a professional resource for independent filmmakers.

LINKS

Filmmaking Stuff: How to Make, Market and Sell Your Movie without the Middleman

Website: Filmmaking Stuff

 

New DVD Explains How to Plan and Direct Films and Videos

A new training DVD from Videomaker magazine can help aspiring movie directors make better films and videos. “How to: Directing and Pre-Production” is a complete resource for any director who wants to better understand the many decisions and actions that can affect the success of a movie.

Newcomers to video-production might not be aware of everything that goes into directing a film. Before shooting begins, you have to make all the decisions about every aspect of the movie—from scripting to lighting to sound. Then, you must coax stellar performances from an entire cast of actors, while keeping the behind-the-scenes crew under control and on the ball. And, you must do it all under budget.

This training DVD shows you some of the tricks experienced directors use to make sure the production never leaves their control. The DVD includes helpful advice on the six key areas listed below.

How to Break Down a Script. Learn how to “read between the lines” to turn scripted words on paper into compelling footage. Learn how to flesh out characters and discover the story of the next great production.

How to Cast a Production. To cast the best possible actors in your video, you’ll see tips for drawing out an actor’s potential during the audition process.

How to Organize a Shoot. This segment shows how to put together a storyboard so that actors know where to stand and the camera crew knows where to shoot. See how to manage a production schedule so the shoot doesn’t run wild!

How to Block Shots. This important step involves making sure that the actors are in the right position so they don’t appear to be talking to thin air instead of each other. Blocking determines the direction of the shoot.

How to Get Good Performances. Learn what direction you can provide to help your actors give you their best work.

How to Manage a Crew. See how to manage your crew to keep your production moving efficiently.

The DVD is available on the Videomaker website for $24.95.

Videomaker magazine was founded in 1986 and was the first magazine to introduce video to a mass, non-industry audience.  As the video field has exploded, Videomaker remains dedicated to its mission of encouraging aspiring directors and documentarians to use video technology to find their own voices and tell their own stories.

Today, Videomaker is more than just a magazine. It has grown into a robust online community. In addition to offering training DVDs, Videomaker offers videos-on-demand, webinars, and hands-on video training workshops.  For example, you can learn skills such as:

Every month, more than 50,000 professional videographers, independent filmmakers, and home video hobbyists turn to Videomaker to get the latest news and ideas on video production.

LINKS

Videomaker DVD: How to: Directing and Pre-Production

Videomaker Magazine

Learn DSLR Filmmaking at Four 2012 Photography Events

In a previous post on this blog, we explained some of the reasons the demand for professional video services is starting to explode. If you want to help meeting the burgeoning demand, make plans to attend one of the four major photography conferences planned this spring. All four conferences feature courses that can help you improve your ability to produce professional-quality videos with a DSLR camera.

DIMA CONFERENCE
January 8-9 at Bally’s
in Las Vegas, Nevada
(in conjunction with PMA@CES: January 10-13)

Jeff Medford and Ross Hockrow of Cinestories will present a two-part “Get In Motion” session on DSLR filmmaking. During “Part 1: The Art of Storytelling with Moving Images,” you’ll learn fundamental principles of filmmaking and see examples of films you can make with tools you already have. In “Part 2: Post-Production Magic,” you will learn how to edit video using Adobe Premiere CS 5.5. Learn the art of the cut, when to cross-fade, how to add movement to static clips, color correction, how to add text and assemble audio, and how to add a soundtrack. By the end of the session you will be able to turn your footage into compelling films.

After the DIMA Conference wraps up, see the latest digital-imaging technology and consumer electronics at the massive Consumer Electronics Show. After visiting the booths of camera, video, and imaging-product manufacturers at PMA@CES at the Venetian, take a shuttle to the Las Vegas Convention Center and explore thousands of exhibits showcasing innovations in 3D imaging, tablet computers, apps, connected TVs, audio equipment, and more.

LINKS

DIMA Conference

PMA@CES

IMAGING USA
January 15-17 in the
Ermest N. Morial Convention Center
New Orleans, Louisiana

The world’s longest-running professional photography conference includes three full days of artistic and business education for wedding, portrait, and sports photographers. Organized by Professional Photographers of America (PPA), the conference includes three sessions on DSLR filmmaking:

Transitioning from Stills to Motion
Canon Explorer of Light Ken Sklute will guide you through everything you need to know in order to capture moving images and present them to clients. You will learn about shooting video clips and capturing audio and see how to create techniques in movement and produce time-lapse films. Sklute will also cover DSLR workflow, asset management, editing techniques, and the latest grip gear for shooting moving images.

HDSLR Cinema 101: Shooting Video Like a Pro
As a 10-year veteran of the Saturday Night Live Film Unit, Alex Buono must deliver high-end commercial parodies and short films in as little as 24 hours. In this session, he shares how shooting with the Canon 5DmII and 7D has revolutionized the way he works. He will demonstrate everything you need to know to shoot videos with your DSLR. You’ll get an extensive list of setup necessities, including shutter speeds, frame rates, aspect ratios, camera settings and vital production gear. Alex will also suggest on-set and post-production workflows and discuss the advantages of Canon DSLRs versus other formats. Plus, he will explain how to transcode files into edit-friendly codecs, and how to create time-lapse sequences.

From Still to Motion
Cinestories’ Jeff Medford and Ross Hockrow will show how to use your artistic talent, training, and equipment to expand your business possibilities with HDSLR filmmaking. You will see specific examples of the types of films you can create, including Web commercials, wedding films, birth announcements, family films, and films for events such as conventions.

LINKS

Imaging USA

WPPI 2012
Conference: February 16-23; Exhibits: February 20-22
MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada

Conducted by Wedding and Portrait Photographers International, this event offers a diverse mix of 90 platform classes, 50 master classes, 2-day PLUS classes, and a two-day WPPI U for emerging photographers. The filmmaking sessions include:

The Art and Business of DSLR Filmmaking
After describing top mistakes photographers make when adding DSLR filmmaking to their repertoire, inspirational filmmaker Ron Dawson will teach the basics of filmmaking, discuss audio and editing issues, and talk about what gear to use.

Storytelling with Video and Stills
Celebrity wedding photographers and digital-cinema leaders Charles Maring and Jennifer Maring will show why video is fast becoming a staple in studios around the world. Whether you want to use DLSR video for client projects or public relations, you will learn how to maximize the potential of your DSLR to increase profits, educate consumers, and tell visually captivating stories about your clients or your studio.

Photo Video Fusion
Wedding photographer Vanessa Joy and Rob Adams explain how to capture, edit, produce, and market films that still photographs with video footage.

Six Films to Make With Your HDSLR
Cinestores’ Jeff Medford explains how to add filmmaking products to your offerings. Topics include how to make Web commercials, wedding films, birth-announcement films, family music videos, senior music videos and films for events. He will discuss different camera movement techniques, what additional gear to acquire and how to edit it all in Adobe Premiere CS 5.5.

LINK

WPPI 2012

PHOTOSHOP WORLD
March 24-26 at the
Walter E. Washington Convention Center
Washington, DC

Whether you’re brand new to photography or a seasoned pro, sessions at NAPP’s Photoshop, Photography and Lighting Conference can help take your work to the next level. Four sessions explain how to use DSLR and Adobe software to produce great-looking “motion graphics.”

Pre-Conference Workshop: On Location DSLR Video Workshop
During this seven-hour workshop at the Rhed Pixel video production studio in nearby Falls Church, Virginia, Richard Harrington will show how a real-world project comes to life. You’ll also get a hands-on lesson on executing your own video projects from start to finish, from acquiring footage to the post production process.

Creating Time-Lapse Movies
Richard Harrington (author of Photoshop for Video and Motion Graphics Studies Techniques) shares power-user techniques for creating time-lapse movies. Learn how to prepare Photoshop files for import into After Effects or a video-editing tools. Learn to use advanced options such as video layers, smart objects, and 3D objects for special uses.

Photographers Video Tool Kit
Rod Harlan of the Digital Video Professional Association, shows how to take your DSLR footage further with techniques available in Photoshop. Learn secrets for creating time-lapse videos.

Getting Started with Premiere Pro
Richard Harrington explains the essentials of video editing and working with video and audio. You’ll also see how to publish your results to the web.

LINK

Photoshop World

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