I’ve been filming for my Pocket Video Power Course which starts the week after next. I set up a temporary studio in my bedroom (nope nothing naughty!) and here’s a stilI I just exported from the video footage using Final Cut Express then Export > Quicktime Conversion > Still Image. I turned into B+W in my Image Editor.
Not bad eh? Looks like a GAP advert IMO.
Brendan Smith the Director, Editor and member of the Unwinding Hours talks about how he made a Music Video on the Flip Video Camera.
The song is called ’Peaceful Liquid Shell’ from the self-titled debut album out now on Chemikal Underground Records.
“I am the keyboard player in the band and I am also a Director with a video production company in Glasgow, Enterprise Screen Productions.
I am used to shooting on Sony Z1′s, Z7′s and Canon 5D’s but for this project, these were impractical and expensive to take on the tour. I borrowed a 1st generation Flip camera from a friend of mine because I had heard that they are small, shoot decent quality video and are extremely versatile. I was reasonably confident that I could make the footage work, provided we shot enough of it and I worked hard on the post-production process. Flip offered a nice, simple way to capture the images for me to work on with the skill-base I have.
The camera offered a ‘fun’ level of versatility – several of the shots were achieved by gaffa taping the camera to lighting rigs, amps, mic stands and monitors – this would not have been possible with another camera, without expensive rigging. The small size of the Flip was advantageous but it is also very easy to “point and shoot” and get excellent results with the auto functions of the camera: No white balance or iris adjustments etc are necessary and as I was concentrating on playing a gig each night, all I wanted to have to do was hit one button and record.
The idea behind the video was to film 11 different gigs from 11 different angles and then cut together a performance video along with additional footage from the tour. This allowed all members of the band to be involved to an extent and also gave me the opportunity to shoot a lot of footage.
As I was using a 1st generation flip cam and the footage was shot 4:3 640×480 I had to work a lot harder with the image than I would have liked to, had I used the newer range of high def Flips which shoot in 1280×720 16:9, I would not have had the same problem.
I edited the video in Final Cut Pro and because of the 4:3 aspect ratio I decided to use a number of different filters and effects to create an 8mm film look from the tour footage. I graded the live performance material by desaturating the image and boosting contrast levels to balance the different performances. (amongst a bunch of other things) I cropped footage that I shot of the road to make a 16:9 image and layered that throughout the video to give me a widescreen template to work with. I had a couple of tricks that I employed during the shooting of material, some of which I will keep to myself but they involved altering the image directly – a luxury affordable with the footage we could shoot.
The Unwinding Hours are about to embark on another European tour and I would like to shoot a tour diary. Unfortunately I don’t have access to the Flip cam this time, but I have an iphone 4 which shoots 720p. I am not overly impressed with the lens on the iphone and the audio recording isn’t great so I may need to come up with some other plans for post production. I want to keep things simple and the less gear I have the better – particularily as I have a lot of equipment to deal with on stage.”
I spotted this Video shot on a Flip Video (naturally!). Has this lady been reading my Flip Video tips ebook?
It’s not an exceptional Video but it’s a functional Video that captures a holiday scene really well. The clip is shot so it’s easy to watch and doesn’t need editing.
Want to buy a Flip for the holiday? Read my guide to the full range.
The Aposematics are an alternative/pop/rock acoustic trio based in Peoria, Illinois consisting of John Farmer, Dan Thies, and Lori Brooks. I was stunned by the quality of their latest video for the cover song ‘Stairwell’. The original was written by Julia Nunes.
I spoke to band member Lori to get some background info. Read the rest of this entry »
I love the different ways people are using the Flip Video to boost their business. Cue Storymix Media who offer a service for couples looking for a budget way to get a wedding video made. I contacted CEO Mike to get the lowdown.
Describe the shoot your own wedding service and what it entails?
We know that a lot of wedding couples are on a tight budget and a Videographer just doesn’t make the cut. Other couples are looking for intimate, personal ways of taking footage. Capturing your wedding day on video is one of those things that you might not think about now, but as the years pass you’ll wish you could enjoy those memories on your anniversary or show your children. From personal experience I know I wish I had footage from my wedding.
Our Flip Wedding product consists of a one week rental (extra week(s) available) of a Flip Ultra HD camera (great for everything from the rehearsal dinner to leaving for the honeymoon). We will take your footage and edit it into an enjoyable, short (10-20 minutes) movie with professional transitions, titles, and more. All you need to do is have guests shoot the footage and either upload or send in the files. Read the rest of this entry »
How do I change the date and time of my new Flip Video Camcorder?
This is a common question amongst Flip owners who discard the instruction leaflet in their rush to start shooting! Later they realise their Flip Video thinks it’s 1994! For the new HD cameras resetting the Flip is really easy:
1. Start with the Camcorder off.
2. Press the Power button to turn on.
3. When the Flip Logo appears hold the record button down until SET DATE appears.
That’s it!
For older versions of the Flip Camera please head over to this post.
If you use a tripod with a tilt and pan fluid head then this a great tip. A lot of the cheaper tripods which you might want to use with your Flip Camera don’t offer the smoothest of rides! So It’s really hard to get a nice gentle pan or tilt.
Watch the video to see how a rubber band can come to the rescue!
I know loads of you are gearing up for the Summer Vacation season, and kitting yourself out with a Flip camera and accessories. But do you ever get disappointed by the videos you shoot, do they lack direction?
Here are 10 tips how to make your videos rock this summer.
1. Be clear with your goal? Are you setting out to make a film of your entire holiday, starting with a shot of the airplane? If so, you will end up with a tonne of footage and a big edit job on your hands. That’s fine – but be clear how much time it will take. You might like to consider other approaches.
2. Go Niche. It is easier to breakdown what you want to shoot into manageable mini-films you can edit quickly or clips that are still watchable without any editing. For example a tour of the amazing food on offer at the buffet, a visual guide of the campervan (inside and out), a pan across the beachfront with you narrating the view. Read the rest of this entry »
I normally feature good videos on this blog, but for a change I thought I’d do the opposite! A little provocative I know, but I’m wondering if you can learn to make good videos from watching problem videos? What do you think?
There are a few issues here:
The sound is poor as the kitchen acoustics aren’t great and as the Son is quiet. I recommend investing in a seperate Audio recorder to capture the audio and buying a clip on Mic. One mic placed on the right hand lapel of Mum would also be close enough to the Kid to pick him up too. Getting the Mic in close will lose some of the thin sound quality that comes when you use an in-built Mic at distance.
I advise using a shaving/make-up mirror positioned behind the camera so you can see the composition and avoid edging out of frame.
My main issue about this video is a lack of cutaways. I really want to see the food close up, after all that’s the main subject. So after shooting the wide shot, get the camera in closer on a tripod and just shoot the food in hand shots again on a medium close up to edit in seemlessly later. (Always note which hand is used when you shoot the first take!) Read the rest of this entry »
