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Introduction
Video is a very powerful
and effective way of getting a message across. At GBR we are
committed to helping you make the most of this medium. Developing
clear, effective video communication is not a skill that comes
naturally to most people. It is certainly not something that
can be ad-libbed once the camera is rolling. The most powerful
presentations will, more often than not, have been meticulously
planned beforehand. Hopefully this page will get your creative
juices flowing, so find a pen and paper to scribble notes as
you go along.
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Purpose
First off, consider why you want to produce a video, as opposed to
using any other form of communication. Here are some of the pros and
cons:
| Advantages |
Disadvantages |
| Equipment to replay videos is readily available |
Video takes a lot more planning and preparation than other forms
of communication, e.g. printing a newsletter or getting someone
to put a talk together |
| People are often less hostile to a video presentation than,
say, a presentation from a speaker |
Showing a video to a large group of people often requires the
hire of equipment, such as projectors or large monitors (although
we offer very reasonable rates!) |
| You can give your audience a far better impression of what your
subject is like |
Videos are comparatively expensive to produce, in terms of both
time and money |
| Easy incorporation of graphics, logos, photographs etc. |
Copyright issues can sometimes raise problems. |
| You can produce any number of copies of a video and distribute
it as widely as you see fit |
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| Footage can be gathered from a wide range of sources, people
can be sent out with cameras etc. |
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Planning your Purpose
What is your proposed video intended to do? Examples would include:
· Promoting an event
· Documenting a trip or a groups activities
· Raising awareness of an issue
· Use during worship
· Producing "vox pops" or short interviews for use
in an event
There are many others, but the main point here is to be sure of what
you are trying to do before you go out and do it. This saves you from
wasting a lot of time, effort, and money getting footage that you
do not really want.
Storyboard
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Once you are sure of the purpose of your video, it is wise
to give some thought to the basic outline of the film. The movie
term for this process is "storyboarding". It is often
helpful to sketch how you intend each scene to look, but if
your drawing skills are lacking, a written description will
usually suffice. On the right is a storyboard for the first
three scenes of a fairly simple video project:
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Video Title: Life at Anytown Parish Church
Scene 1:
Wide shot of church and surrounding area. Camera zooms in slowly
until church fills screen, then video title appears.
Scene 2:
Cut to interior shot. The Minister is sitting at the front of
the church. He gives an introduction to the video and explains
what it is about.
Scene 3:
Various shots of the church youth group on a recent trip, and
in their normal meetings, with a voice-over describing their
activities
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From this basic storyboard, we can tell that we require a number
of things:
· Setting up the opening shot of the church. This would require
a tripod, and reasonably nice weather.
· Finding a time when the minister and the camera person are
both free, and the church is not being used by anyone else.
· Possibly giving the youth group a camera away with them on
their trip, or arranging to film one of their meetings.
· Scripting the introduction by the minister.
· Scripting the voice-over, and arranging for someone to record
it.
Working through a storyboard and listing all the shots, people, and
other resources you require should give you a fair idea of the work
that will be needed to complete your project. A completed storyboard
is also a great help when the footage is sent to use for editing.
At this stage it worth considering how long you intend the completed
project to be.
Material for Inclusion
A wide range of material can be included in a video. For example:
Footage that you have shot yourself.
We can deal with almost any camcorder format. It is important to give
us the original tapes, rather than copying the footage down onto VHS.
Please ask for our tip sheet on camera work.
Other Footage
We can take footage from VHS tapes, DVDs etc. Virtually any pre-recorded
footage is subject to copyright, and there are legal restrictions
on what you can do with it. If you are producing a video that will
be distributed widely, or sold, you will need to get permission from
the copyright owners. Call us for advice.
Photographs and Graphics
We can scan photographs and slides and incorporate any graphics or
logos that your group may have. It is always best to give us the highest
quality of each image, and providing an original copy of a logo on
computer disk give far better quality than giving us a letterhead
to scan in.
Soundtracks
Music is subject to similar copyright restrictions as video material.
We have access to some royalty-free pieces.
Narration
Recording your own narration (or voice-overs) is best done using a
quality microphone in a quiet room. Ideally, use a minidisc or good
quality tape deck. We can provide recording equipment on request.
Titles
It is possible to produce all manner of titles, subtitles and other
graphics. They can appear over footage and still shots, or fill the
screen themselves.
The Editing Process
We use a professional computer based video editing suite, based around
a Power Macintosh G4. To produce a video, we begin by capturing all
the relevant sections of footage onto the computer. The footage is
then assembled using a range of software. We can add all manner of
transitions, effects, and filters to the footage. The finished project
is then output to videotape. Clips can also be provided in MPEG format
for incorporating into PowerPoint presentations or distribution via
the Internet.
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