EventDV articles from March 2008

EventDV archives from March 2008

08 miles high.(the nonlinear editor)(Conference notes)
March 1, 2008... How thrillingly global has the event videography world become when the highlight of a videographers' conference in Orlando, Fla., is a dazzling presentation by a Filipino videographer that begins with the speaker debunking a half-dozen myths...

Talking trash.(letters to the editor)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2008... After reading Stephen Nathans-Kelly's January 2008 editorial, "Trash or Treasure," I felt compelled to respond. I have a hard time understanding why videographers would send trash-bashing missives to the editor because they think that a bride...

Toy story.(letters to the editor)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2008... Thanks to Steve Yankee for his January Strictly Business column, "Cool Toys Versus ROI." Man, you've said a mouthfull! As a part-time videographer for weddings and other special events, I've been trying to rationalize buying into this HD stuff...

Thoughts on Graphic Thoughts.(letters to the editor)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2008... To Lance Gray: I just wanted to let you how much I appreciated your December 2007 Graphic Thoughts tutorial on Color Isolation. I am a longtime videographer and Photoshop user, but I have struggled to use adjustment layers effectively. ...

(TriCaster) Studio time.(letters to the editor)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2008... I'm an avid reader of EventDV, and thought to provide some feedback on Todd Gillespie's review of TriCaster Studio (February, pp. 46-49). My only perplexity over Todd's analysis of the product is his impression that "The editor lets you edit in...

New portable video tools-promise or threat?(gear & now)
March 1, 2008... Portability is crucial to event videography. We shoot, edit, and deliver quality programming on-site almost as much or more than we do from a home or studio setup. In last month's column, I promised to revisit the portable production theme with...

Letus Extreme 35mm adapter.(in the field)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] If you are like me, you are always looking for ways to make your videos look more like film. In my opinion, there is something about the aesthetic of film that makes it preferable to the look of video. While there...

Preserving native HDV.(the amen corner)
March 1, 2008... Last month we talked about three high-definition acquisition formats: HDV, AVCHD, and H.264. This month we're going to talk about the quest for native HDV editing. This topic comes out of an experience I had at the end of 2007. I was writing a...

Cut lines: Color correcting weddings with Apple Color.(final cut pro tutorial)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I'm thrilled to be able to present our first tutorial on the new Color application included with Final Cut Studio 2. I decided to show you how it can greatly speed up and enhance your wedding video work. These...

Mastering the stage event market, Part 3.(stage to screen)
March 1, 2008... Successful companies are ones that have a consistent market position and image in the eyes of their customers. Brands live and die by their image, and the car industry is one that has examples of both strong and weak brand images. What is the...

Graphic thoughts: automating graphic edits with Photoshop actions.(tutorial)
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] August 2001, WEVA Expo (in the sky lobby of Bally's)--I still have people tell me they were there when I presented for the first time to a group of videographers. Oddly enough, the one thing that sticks out more than...

Vote for change.(the reel deal)
March 1, 2008... In 2008, I am celebrating my 20th anniversary in the wedding video business. As I was reflecting on this milestone, how far I've come, and how far the industry has come in this time frame, the one word that repeatedly came to mind is change....

Webcasting weddings: the videographer as hero.
March 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Every bride we've met has expressed disappointment that at least one close family member could not attend her wedding. Usually it's a beloved grandparent who is too weak or too sick to make the journey. On a very...

Bye bye buy.(cradle to grave)(Interview)
March 1, 2008... This year marks my 20th year as a professional videographer. One of the struggles I have had to deal with over the years was the temptation to buy the latest and greatest video gear. And today, with the many new cameras and editing systems...

Meet the new doc.
March 1, 2008... Around 1900, Scottish zoologist James Ewart created a "zorse" by crossbreeding a zebra stallion and a horse mare. The result was an animal more tractable than a zebra but more fractious than a horse. It inherited the zebra's panache and the...

The approval meeting.(the main event)
March 1, 2008... After I complete a wedding film, I ask the bride to come in for an approval viewing. I conduct these meetings for two reasons: First, they ensure a happy bride, and second, they have increased sales. I started scheduling these viewings to...

Will pro AVCHD come of age in 2008?(hd today)
March 1, 2008... As an emerging video acquisition format, AVCHD holds the promise of offering stunning full HD images at the same data rate as DV. But thus far, all manufacturers of AVCHD cameras are using reduced bitrate settings to offer more recording time...

Noise Industries FxFactory Pro 2.(in the studio)
March 1, 2008... Apple's Final Cut Studio package contains just about everything a wedding videographer needs to create amazing videos, but I've always felt that it just needed a little extra help in certain areas, which is where third-party effects packages...

Choker close-ups and other deadly shots.(vantage point)
March 1, 2008... I was recently chatting with the very talented LaDonna Moore-Aiken of LaDonna Visual Artistry (www.myladonna.com). She commented that the reason why so many brides don't want a wedding film is that they don't like the way they look on video....

Creating a production checklist.(the moving picture)
March 1, 2008... Before each shoot, I print a checklist of configuration items for each camcorder and each shot location. This forces me to consider how I want to set each option beforehand, and helps me verify that I've done so, especially when working with...