http://progressivevideo.blogspot.com/How to Produce Videos for Public Access TV and the Internetennoreply@blogger.com (Essential Dissent)Sun, 27 Nov 2011 15:29:55 PSTBlogger http://www.blogger.com26125© Wilton Voughtpublic,access,TV,video,productionNews & Politicswvought@gmail.comWilton VoughtWilton Voughtnopublic,access,TV,video,productionHow to produce videos for public access TV and the internet.How to produce videos for public access TV and the internet.ProgressiveVideohttp://feedburner.google.comhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ProgressiveVideo/~3/kqt-SxvOxUI/pwering-external-microphone-with-zoom.htmlAudioMedia ActivismAccessoriesAudio RecordersProduct Recommendationswvought@gmail.com (Wilton Vought)Fri, 18 Jun 2010 19:33:05 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081351066030755654.post-1549368029459161166There seems to be a great deal of confusion out there regarding the ability of Samson's <a type="amzn" asin="B000VBH2IG">Zoom H2</a> audio recorder to provide <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phantom_power">phantom power</a> to an external microphone. Technically speaking, the <span style="font-weight:bold;">Zoom H2</span> does not have true <span style="font-weight:bold;">phantom power</span>. But it does have the ability to provide power to an external mic, and that's the functionality most people are looking for when they want to know if a device has phantom power. This function is required if your external mic does not use a battery to provide its own power.<br /> <br /> Much of this confusion no doubt stems from the fact that nowhere in the <a href="http://www.samsontech.com/products/relatedDocs/H2_user_manual.pdf">Zoom H2 manual</a> does the term "phantom power" actually appear. Instead, the manual uses the term "plug-in power", which, while appropriate, is a much less widely-known term. So without getting hung up on terminology, let's instead simply ask if the Zoom H2 can provide power to an external microphone. If we're talking about a lavaliere-type microphone, which has a lower voltage requirement than a condenser mic, the answer is yes. <br /> <br /> Here is a screen shot from the relevant page (page 80) of the Zoom H2 manual (Click to enlarge):<br /> <br /> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1hDEjVLxo04/SuHc941onBI/AAAAAAAAAFs/KQGIx7lsUdo/s1600-h/Plug-In+Power2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 185px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1hDEjVLxo04/SuHc941onBI/AAAAAAAAAFs/KQGIx7lsUdo/s400/Plug-In+Power2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5395836784354040850" /></a><br /> <br /> Pretty simple, huh? If your external microphone uses a battery, turn plug-in power off. If your external mic does not use a battery, turn plug-in power on. You may need to check your microphone specs to make sure 2.5 volts is sufficient power. Alternatively, just plug the mic in, turn on plug-in power, press the red button to go into record standby mode, and see if you are getting a signal. It should work with most lavaliere microphones. I've tried three different lavaliere mics which require external power, and they've all worked.<br /> <br /> <center><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=FFFFFF&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&asins=B000VBH2IG" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=FFFFFF&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&asins=B00006I51V" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe></center><br /> <br /> <p><a href="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ProgressiveVideo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="border: 0pt none ; vertical-align: middle;"></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ProgressiveVideo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe to Progressive Video</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2081351066030755654-1549368029459161166?l=progressivevideo.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/HeDqh3QFDFmd2qbeErcm9vz3Y8g/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/HeDqh3QFDFmd2qbeErcm9vz3Y8g/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/HeDqh3QFDFmd2qbeErcm9vz3Y8g/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/HeDqh3QFDFmd2qbeErcm9vz3Y8g/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ProgressiveVideo/~4/kqt-SxvOxUI" height="1" width="1"/>2010-06-18T22:33:05.194-04:000noThere seems to be a great deal of confusion out there regarding the ability of Samson's Zoom H2 audio recorder to provide phantom power to an external microphone. Technically speaking, the Zoom H2 does not have true phantom power. But it does have the abiWilton VoughtThere seems to be a great deal of confusion out there regarding the ability of Samson's Zoom H2 audio recorder to provide phantom power to an external microphone. Technically speaking, the Zoom H2 does not have true phantom power. But it does have the ability to provide power to an external mic, and that's the functionality most people are looking for when they want to know if a device has phantom power. This function is required if your external mic does not use a battery to provide its own power. Much of this confusion no doubt stems from the fact that nowhere in the Zoom H2 manual does the term "phantom power" actually appear. Instead, the manual uses the term "plug-in power", which, while appropriate, is a much less widely-known term. So without getting hung up on terminology, let's instead simply ask if the Zoom H2 can provide power to an external microphone. If we're talking about a lavaliere-type microphone, which has a lower voltage requirement than a condenser mic, the answer is yes. Here is a screen shot from the relevant page (page 80) of the Zoom H2 manual (Click to enlarge): Pretty simple, huh? If your external microphone uses a battery, turn plug-in power off. If your external mic does not use a battery, turn plug-in power on. You may need to check your microphone specs to make sure 2.5 volts is sufficient power. Alternatively, just plug the mic in, turn on plug-in power, press the red button to go into record standby mode, and see if you are getting a signal. It should work with most lavaliere microphones. I've tried three different lavaliere mics which require external power, and they've all worked. &nbsp;Subscribe to Progressive Videopublic,access,TV,video,productionhttp://progressivevideo.blogspot.com/2009/10/pwering-external-microphone-with-zoom.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ProgressiveVideo/~3/bEdXtcyTUpM/adapting-mono-audio-track-to-stereo.htmlAudioMedia ActivismAccessoriesAudio RecordersZoom H2Video Editingwvought@gmail.com (Wilton Vought)Fri, 18 Jun 2010 19:34:51 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081351066030755654.post-5786978946621296607If you're using an audio device such as the <a type="amzn" asin="B000VBH2IG">Zoom H2</a> to record audio captured by a mono <a type="amzn" asin="B00006I51V">lavaliere microphone</a>, you will at some point notice that you are recording into the left channel only. Because you want the finished audio to project from <span style="font-weight: bold;">both</span> speakers on the listener's computer (or TV, etc.), you will need to:<br /> <br /> 1. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Duplicate</span> this mono audio track, <br /> 2. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Swap channels</span> on the duplicate so that it sounds from the right (as opposed to the left) channel, and <br /> 3. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Include both tracks</span> in your completed edit. <br /> <br /> Here's a short video showing how I do this in Adobe Premier Pro CS4: <br /> (Click the Play button, and refer to the notes shown below.) <br /> <br /> <object width="480" height="360" class="BLOG_video_class" id="BLOG_video-7592993c6d1f115" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/get_player"> <param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="flashvars" value="flvurl=http://v20.nonxt5.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D07592993c6d1f115%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330959454%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D59FE827B10B9E7C71CABFD036E5C6A167D22AB74.25BBF803BD869C45D716846DCF58F520333DF619%26key%3Dck1&amp;iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D7592993c6d1f115%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DtZTz6wY8RXR8z1mWPRE8caXRr1w&amp;autoplay=0&amp;ps=blogger"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/get_player" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="360" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" flashvars="flvurl=http://v20.nonxt5.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D07592993c6d1f115%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330959454%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D59FE827B10B9E7C71CABFD036E5C6A167D22AB74.25BBF803BD869C45D716846DCF58F520333DF619%26key%3Dck1&iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D7592993c6d1f115%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DtZTz6wY8RXR8z1mWPRE8caXRr1w&autoplay=0&ps=blogger" allowFullScreen="true" /></object> <br /> <br /> Although you won't hear the audio in this example, you can see the meter on the right side showing a signal occurring in the <span style="font-weight:bold;">left channel only</span> when I started playing through the project. I did this purely to demonstrate to you that I started out with a mono audio track. It's not part of the procedure.<br /> <br /> 1. The green rectangular area represents the audio track. My immediate task was to create an exact copy of this track. I did this by right-clicking on the audio track and then selecting "Copy." (Alternatively, I could have copied the track by clicking on it and then pressing Control-c.) <br /> <br /> 2. Then, wanting to place the copy directly below the original, I unselected the original track (Audio 1) by clicking the track's header, and selected the track below it (Audio 2). I then pressed Control-v to paste the original audio to Audio 2. It helps to have the "now time" at the start of the original audio when you do this, because the start of the copied audio will be placed at the now time and your copied audio track will thus be in sync with the original. (It's no big deal if you forget to do this. You can simply drag the audio to the proper starting point <span style="font-weight:bold;">after</span> copying it to the timeline.)<br /> <br /> 3. Now I needed to swap channels on the Audio 2. Since it, like Audio 1, was currently in the left channel only, if I swapped channels it would be in the right channel only. So I clicked in my effects bin's search box and typed in "swap." This caused the "Swap Channels" effect icon to appear. I then clicked on this icon and dragged it onto Audio 2. Now when I start playing through the project I have identical audio in both channels, as evidenced by the level meters on the right.<br /> <br /> 4. I could have stopped at this point, but I prefer to first link the two audio tracks so that if I move, make a cut, or delete a portion of one track this will also be done to the other. This saves time in the editing process. To do this I clicked on Audio 1 to select it, then pressed and held the shift key, then clicked on Audio 2. Both tracks were now selected. (I then released the shift key.) I right clicked on either track and selected "Link" from the pop-up menu. As you can see, I can now drag one track in either direction and the other track moves in tandem. <br /> <br /> <center><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=FFFFFF&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&asins=B000VBH2IG" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=FFFFFF&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&asins=B000P1O73A" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=FFFFFF&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&asins=024080970X" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe></center><br /> <br /> <p><a href="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ProgressiveVideo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="border: 0pt none ; vertical-align: middle;"></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ProgressiveVideo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe to Progressive Video</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2081351066030755654-5786978946621296607?l=progressivevideo.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/afiM1YC9gxWhTGpDfVnt8K2zxyw/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/afiM1YC9gxWhTGpDfVnt8K2zxyw/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/afiM1YC9gxWhTGpDfVnt8K2zxyw/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/afiM1YC9gxWhTGpDfVnt8K2zxyw/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ProgressiveVideo/~4/bEdXtcyTUpM" height="1" width="1"/>2010-06-18T22:34:51.304-04:000noIf you're using an audio device such as the Zoom H2 to record audio captured by a mono lavaliere microphone, you will at some point notice that you are recording into the left channel only. Because you want the finished audio to project from both speakersWilton VoughtIf you're using an audio device such as the Zoom H2 to record audio captured by a mono lavaliere microphone, you will at some point notice that you are recording into the left channel only. Because you want the finished audio to project from both speakers on the listener's computer (or TV, etc.), you will need to: 1. Duplicate this mono audio track, 2. Swap channels on the duplicate so that it sounds from the right (as opposed to the left) channel, and 3. Include both tracks in your completed edit. Here's a short video showing how I do this in Adobe Premier Pro CS4: (Click the Play button, and refer to the notes shown below.) Although you won't hear the audio in this example, you can see the meter on the right side showing a signal occurring in the left channel only when I started playing through the project. I did this purely to demonstrate to you that I started out with a mono audio track. It's not part of the procedure. 1. The green rectangular area represents the audio track. My immediate task was to create an exact copy of this track. I did this by right-clicking on the audio track and then selecting "Copy." (Alternatively, I could have copied the track by clicking on it and then pressing Control-c.) 2. Then, wanting to place the copy directly below the original, I unselected the original track (Audio 1) by clicking the track's header, and selected the track below it (Audio 2). I then pressed Control-v to paste the original audio to Audio 2. It helps to have the "now time" at the start of the original audio when you do this, because the start of the copied audio will be placed at the now time and your copied audio track will thus be in sync with the original. (It's no big deal if you forget to do this. You can simply drag the audio to the proper starting point after copying it to the timeline.) 3. Now I needed to swap channels on the Audio 2. Since it, like Audio 1, was currently in the left channel only, if I swapped channels it would be in the right channel only. So I clicked in my effects bin's search box and typed in "swap." This caused the "Swap Channels" effect icon to appear. I then clicked on this icon and dragged it onto Audio 2. Now when I start playing through the project I have identical audio in both channels, as evidenced by the level meters on the right. 4. I could have stopped at this point, but I prefer to first link the two audio tracks so that if I move, make a cut, or delete a portion of one track this will also be done to the other. This saves time in the editing process. To do this I clicked on Audio 1 to select it, then pressed and held the shift key, then clicked on Audio 2. Both tracks were now selected. (I then released the shift key.) I right clicked on either track and selected "Link" from the pop-up menu. As you can see, I can now drag one track in either direction and the other track moves in tandem. &nbsp;Subscribe to Progressive Videopublic,access,TV,video,productionhttp://progressivevideo.blogspot.com/2009/10/adapting-mono-audio-track-to-stereo.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ProgressiveVideo/~3/k0XWEOnjMsE/abandon-corporate-news-become-media.htmlPublic Access TVMedia Activismwvought@gmail.com (Wilton Vought)Fri, 18 Jun 2010 19:37:33 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081351066030755654.post-8084874304650502406<embed src="http://blip.tv/play/gbs56vRVAg" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="360" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed><br /> <center><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=FFFFFF&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&asins=0816651515" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=FFFFFF&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&asins=0316346624" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=FFFFFF&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&asins=158322890X" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe></center><br /> <br /> <span style="font-style:italic;"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Local Success Stories of Independent Media</span><span style="font-weight:bold;"></span></span><br /> <br /> This workshop deals primarily with video and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public-access_television">public access TV</a>, with some additional discussion of print media and media activism in general.<br /> <br /> Videotaped at the SUNY Social Justice Conference<br /> Binghamton University; November 8, 2008<br /> <br /> See all available videos from this conference on <a href="http://essentialdissent.blogspot.com/search?q=2008+suny+social+justice+conference">Essential Dissent</a>.<br /> <br /> <p><a href="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ProgressiveVideo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ProgressiveVideo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe to Progressive Video</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2081351066030755654-8084874304650502406?l=progressivevideo.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/GJajX-qcGqRJCUZGg4w6tQo7LLk/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/GJajX-qcGqRJCUZGg4w6tQo7LLk/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/GJajX-qcGqRJCUZGg4w6tQo7LLk/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/GJajX-qcGqRJCUZGg4w6tQo7LLk/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ProgressiveVideo/~4/k0XWEOnjMsE" height="1" width="1"/>2010-06-18T22:37:33.728-04:000http://progressivevideo.blogspot.com/2009/10/abandon-corporate-news-become-media.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ProgressiveVideo/~3/LkL1ZolME5s/coping-with-activist-burnout.htmlMedia Activismwvought@gmail.com (Wilton Vought)Fri, 18 Jun 2010 18:52:47 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081351066030755654.post-8861830700303764099Recently I experienced a severe bout of that affliction so common to activists of all types...<span style="font-weight:bold;">burnout</span>. <br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;"><br /> Symptoms</span> of this in my case:<br /> <br /> I didn't produce a new peace and justice video for almost 4 months. (Part of this was due to the usual summertime slowdown. There are simply fewer events and speakers to videotape in the Summer.)<br /> <br /> I stopped producing both of my <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public-access_television">public access TV</a> shows. (I now plan to start again shortly, but one show only.)<br /> <br /> During that time I also stopped posting to this blog.<br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;"><br /> Causes:</span><br /> <br /> Taking on too much work. <br /> <br /> Anger and resentment at a perceived lack of awareness and support from others, especially from other activists.<br /> <br /> A feeling that the world situation is too far gone, and any activism is therefore futile and a waste of time.<br /> <br /> Losing sight of my core values. This can be very easy to fall prey to when so many other demands are constantly made on us.<br /> <br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;">Based on my recent experience, I offer the following tips on how to avoid burnout, or if it's too late for that, how to get motivated again:</span><br /> <br /> 1. Try to remain detached from the results of your work. This is probably the biggest factor. I suggest that you should never expect your efforts to bear visible fruit. This can be difficult in a world so full of injustice, but it's a necessity. Don't expect others to listen, to change, to act sanely or in their own best interest. Just do what you need to do, as effectively as you can, and gratefully accept whatever signs of positive change do come your way.<br /> <br /> 2. For all the frustrations and disappointments of being an activist, there is still an element of fun to it, and you need to stay connected (or reconnect) with this. Admit that you enjoy this work and will miss it if you stop. Make time for camaraderie with your fellow activists, and the simple joy of fellowship with conscious, caring people. <br /> <br /> 3. Contrary to capitalism's dogma that we are primarily motivated by greed, there is a deep-seated human need to engage in useful work. Remind yourself that this need in you will not be fulfilled if/when you stop being active. <br /> <br /> 4. Pace yourself. Don't take on more than you can realistically handle. Let others share in the workload.<br /> <br /> 5. Rest up. Take time to recharge your batteries. <br /> <br /> 6. Talk with other activists about your frustrations and concerns. A little bit of this can go a long way.<br /> <br /> 7. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Cultivate a conscious air of humility and gratitude.</span> Be thankful for the opportunity to work toward a world imbued with peace and justice.<br /> <br /> <p><a href="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ProgressiveVideo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ProgressiveVideo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe to Progressive Video</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2081351066030755654-8861830700303764099?l=progressivevideo.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/wYjidbrSS74vdcvFIef_mKTvgnM/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/wYjidbrSS74vdcvFIef_mKTvgnM/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/wYjidbrSS74vdcvFIef_mKTvgnM/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/wYjidbrSS74vdcvFIef_mKTvgnM/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ProgressiveVideo/~4/LkL1ZolME5s" height="1" width="1"/>2010-06-18T21:52:47.562-04:000http://progressivevideo.blogspot.com/2009/10/coping-with-activist-burnout.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ProgressiveVideo/~3/mLZbxp1lgzU/how-to-convert-powerpoint-files-to.htmlPodcastingPublic Access TVMedia ActivismVideo ProductionProduct RecommendationsVideo Editingwvought@gmail.com (Wilton Vought)Fri, 08 Apr 2011 13:19:42 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081351066030755654.post-7218970966558765486When I first started videotaping community events I used to dread the inevitable <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powerpoint">PowerPoint</a> presentation. Although PowerPoint can be very effective from a presenter's viewpoint, videotaping such an event meant I had to keep one of my two cameras pointed at the projection screen, leaving me no room for error on the camera I had pointed at the presenter. Although there is no reason this can't work, I bought a second camera so I would have more choices in editing, and keeping that camera pointed at a screen the whole time seemed a waste. To make matters worse, the resulting video of the PowerPoint presentation always looked washed out and amateurish. I tried setting the second camera on a wide shot, videotaping both the presenter and the screen at the same time, but this never worked well. The lighting conditions of the two were just too disparate, and were constantly changing depending on the brightness and colors of the slide currently being shown. <br /> <br /> I finally found a solution to this problem in the form of an application called <a href="http://www.faststone.org/FSCaptureDetail.htm">Faststone Capture</a>. Besides capturing static screenshots, this software can convert PowerPoint files into video in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wmv">WMV</a> format. This handy little application is very reasonably priced at $19.95 for a lifetime license. And if you don't have <a type="amzn" asin="B0039L2XSO">Powerpoint</a>, you can <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=cb9bf144-1076-4615-9951-294eeb832823">download the free PowerPoint Viewer</a>.<br /> <br /> Before we get into the how-to, be aware that if the PowerPoint presentation is entirely made up of slides or pictures, and the presenter has these source files as jpegs (or any other common format), you can simply copy the files over to your flash drive, assuming the presenter brought them to the event or can send them to you. Copy them to the project file on your computer, import them into your project timeline, adjust the size and you're good to go. <br /> <br /> By the way, I wouldn't count on the presenter to send you the files <b>after</b> the event. People get too busy, contact info gets lost, etc. Make sure you have either the source files or the PowerPoint files by time you leave the event. Your video will be useless without them.<br /> <br /> <b>How to Convert a PowerPoint slide to a Picture:</b><br /> <br /> 1. Use PowerPoint or the free PowerPoint reader to view the slide in question. <br /> 2. Open FastStone Capture and click on the dotted rectangular icon. <br /> 3. Position your cursor at the upper left corner of the slide.<br /> 4. Click and drag to the lower right corner of the slide.<br /> 5. Release the mouse button.<br /> 6. Click "Save As" in the upper left of your screen.<br /> 7. Save to the desired format and location. I usually choose the TIFF format for highest quality.<br /> 8. Import the resulting file into your project.<br /> 9. You will most likely need to adjust the scale.<br /> <br /> If the presentation contains animations, you may be able to simulate these by taking a separate screenshot of the slide as each change occurs, then crossfading from one to the next in your project. <br /> <br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">How to Convert a PowerPoint File to Video:</span><br /> <br /> This is handy if the PowerPoint contains animations which you cannot simulate using the techniques described above.<br /> <br /> Here's a screenshot from a PowerPoint file I wanted to convert to video: (Click to enlarge.)<br /> <br /> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1hDEjVLxo04/Sj2j3Fj_WMI/AAAAAAAAAFM/an7Anpkrz9c/s1600-h/P105+1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 233px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1hDEjVLxo04/Sj2j3Fj_WMI/AAAAAAAAAFM/an7Anpkrz9c/s400/P105+1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349612099167279298" border="0" /></a> <br /> <br /> 1. Run a spell check on the PowerPoint file. (This paragraph probably does not apply if you are using the free PowerPoint viewer.) PowerPoint underlines each word it does not recognize, and if you don't run a spell check these underlinings will show in your video. Near the upper left of the screen is an icon with the letters A, B and C, and a check mark. Click on this (in your PowerPoint software) and the spell checker will stop at each word in the file which it does not recognize. At each such word, either click "ignore" to confirm that the word is acceptable as-is, or correct the misspelling. Now save the file. This way you won't have to re-run the spellchecker if you close and later re-open the file.<br /> <br /> 2. Open Faststone Capture.<br /> <br /> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1hDEjVLxo04/Sj2rJ6RVtoI/AAAAAAAAAFc/5wR77lJWSqQ/s1600-h/P105+3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 216px; height: 46px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1hDEjVLxo04/Sj2rJ6RVtoI/AAAAAAAAAFc/5wR77lJWSqQ/s400/P105+3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349620119135172226" border="0" /></a><br /> <br /> 3. In PowerPoint, click on "View" and then "Slide Show," or simply press F5, which has the same effect. The first slide will now appear alone on the screen, and much larger:<br /> <br /> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1hDEjVLxo04/Sj2pbi7-FuI/AAAAAAAAAFU/Ojvtfn1_0fk/s1600-h/P105+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 250px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1hDEjVLxo04/Sj2pbi7-FuI/AAAAAAAAAFU/Ojvtfn1_0fk/s400/P105+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349618223085917922" border="0" /></a><br /> <br /> 4. Click on Faststone Capture's "Screen Recorder," icon, then select "Rectangular Area."<br /> <br /> 5. Click the "Options" button, which will cause the Options window will pop up. Under the Video tab of the Options window, select a Frame Rate of 20 frames per second, and Best Quality. (This is what works with my editing software. You may need to choose some other combination.) Look through the other tabs to see if any of the choices are pertinent to your project, and choose accordingly. Click OK. The Options window will disappear.<br /> <br /> 6. Click the Record button.<br /> <br /> 7. Position your cursor at the top left corner of the PowerPoint slide and click once. Then move your cursor to the bottom right corner of the PowerPoint slide and click once. You have now defined the rectangular area to capture.<br /> <br /> 8. The Screen Recorder window will now appear in the middle of your screen. Click Start. A red outline will appear around the border of your slide to confirm that you are now recording the enclosed area.<br /> <br /> 9. Activate the PowerPoint file (press space bar or right arrow) to start the animated slide. Let it play through the animation, recording all the while.<br /> <br /> 10. Press the space bar as many times as necessary to advance to the next animated slide. Record each successive animated slide using this procedure.<br /> <br /> 11. Press F11 to stop recording. The Save As window will pop up. Choose an appropriate name and location for your WMV file.<br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;"><br /> Now you can import this file into your video project and edit it into your timeline.</span> You will probably have to adjust the scale of the WMV to somewhere around 65%. Do this once for the entire WMV, and then make minor adjustments to each slide's scale if necessary as you edit them in. (There will usually be no further scale adjustment necessary.) If you need a longer duration for any particular slide, just export a still from the appropriate part of the video, and import the still into the timeline.<br /> <br /> I find that my editing program gets a bit glitchy after I place one of these WMV files on the timeline. I think this has something to do with the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Codec">codec</a> used by Faststone Capture not being completely compatible with my editing software (<a type="amzn" asin="B001EUIXL8">Adobe Premiere Pro CS4</a>). Or maybe it's because the frame rate is not 29.97 frames per second, as is the video I import from MiniDV tapes. This sluggishness goes away after I render the file (which takes far longer than is normal for rendering a file of this size). Another possible solution might be to import the WMV to a separate project, render it, export it as an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audio_Video_Interleave">AVI</a>, and then import the AVI into the actual work project. Since this AVI was created by your editing software it should be fully compatible. Of course, this all takes time, and perhaps the cure is worse than the disease.<br /> <br /> In case you're wondering why you can't simply use stills exported directly from the PowerPoint file, my advice is to try this and you will find out. The quality is severely degraded, and of course if the presentation includes animations you are out of luck entirely. It's these problems which led me to Faststone Capture.<br /> <br /> If you haven't received the PowerPoint file prior to the event, copy it from the presenter's computer to your <a type="amzn" asin="B000M2GYF6">flash drive</a> at the event itself, with their permission of course. You might want to perform a virus scan on your flash drive afterward, just in case their computer was infected.<br /> <br /> I still sometimes take along a cheaper camera and videotape the screen. I use this as a guide in the editing process to make sure I'm showing the proper slide at any particular time...it does not become part of my finished video. But I've also found that it is almost always possible to infer this from what the presenter is saying, so if you don't have an extra camera or simply want to keep your costs down you can probably skip this step. It becomes a bit more necessary if the presentation includes animations, although even then you can usually tell what is supposed to be happening just by following the speaker's cues.<br /> <br /> Here's an excerpt from a PowerPoint video made by videotaping the screen (using one of my high quality cameras), prior to my use of Faststone Capture:<br /> <br /> <embed src="http://blip.tv/play/gbs5gYaAeon_dg" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="360"></embed><br /> <br /> And here's the finished video made from the PowerPoint file I used as an example in this post:<br /> <br /> <embed src="http://blip.tv/play/gbs5gYrtB4n_dg" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="360"></embed><br /> <br /> As you can see, the quality achieved via Faststone Capture is a vast improvement. I do wish the text had more definition, but in the grand scheme of things this is a minor point. And remember, the video you see here is compressed for web delivery, meaning the original quality was even better.<br /> <br /> Use of this software will free up your second camera, which now no longer needs to videotape the screen, while resulting in superior quality in the finished video. If you have only one camera, this software will allow you to point that camera at the presenter only rather than at both the presenter and the screen, again resulting in superior quality.<br /> <br /> My post entitled <a href="http://progressivevideo.blogspot.com/2009/05/videographers-notes.html">Videographer's Guidelines</a> details, among other things, some of the problems commonly encountered when dealing with PowerPoint presentations. If you send this to the organizers and presenters as a text file prior to the event, you may avoid some of these problems.<br /> <br /> <p><a href="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ProgressiveVideo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="border: 0pt none ; vertical-align: middle;" /></a> <a href="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ProgressiveVideo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe to Progressive Video</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2081351066030755654-7218970966558765486?l=progressivevideo.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/jbmcwkooHlJmBR30gHqMZYH_5DE/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/jbmcwkooHlJmBR30gHqMZYH_5DE/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/jbmcwkooHlJmBR30gHqMZYH_5DE/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/jbmcwkooHlJmBR30gHqMZYH_5DE/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ProgressiveVideo/~4/mLZbxp1lgzU" height="1" width="1"/>2011-04-08T16:19:42.428-04:000noWhen I first started videotaping community events I used to dread the inevitable PowerPoint presentation. Although PowerPoint can be very effective from a presenter's viewpoint, videotaping such an event meant I had to keep one of my two cameras pointed aWilton VoughtWhen I first started videotaping community events I used to dread the inevitable PowerPoint presentation. Although PowerPoint can be very effective from a presenter's viewpoint, videotaping such an event meant I had to keep one of my two cameras pointed at the projection screen, leaving me no room for error on the camera I had pointed at the presenter. Although there is no reason this can't work, I bought a second camera so I would have more choices in editing, and keeping that camera pointed at a screen the whole time seemed a waste. To make matters worse, the resulting video of the PowerPoint presentation always looked washed out and amateurish. I tried setting the second camera on a wide shot, videotaping both the presenter and the screen at the same time, but this never worked well. The lighting conditions of the two were just too disparate, and were constantly changing depending on the brightness and colors of the slide currently being shown. I finally found a solution to this problem in the form of an application called Faststone Capture. Besides capturing static screenshots, this software can convert PowerPoint files into video in the WMV format. This handy little application is very reasonably priced at $19.95 for a lifetime license. And if you don't have Powerpoint, you can download the free PowerPoint Viewer. Before we get into the how-to, be aware that if the PowerPoint presentation is entirely made up of slides or pictures, and the presenter has these source files as jpegs (or any other common format), you can simply copy the files over to your flash drive, assuming the presenter brought them to the event or can send them to you. Copy them to the project file on your computer, import them into your project timeline, adjust the size and you're good to go. By the way, I wouldn't count on the presenter to send you the files after the event. People get too busy, contact info gets lost, etc. Make sure you have either the source files or the PowerPoint files by time you leave the event. Your video will be useless without them. How to Convert a PowerPoint slide to a Picture: 1. Use PowerPoint or the free PowerPoint reader to view the slide in question. 2. Open FastStone Capture and click on the dotted rectangular icon. 3. Position your cursor at the upper left corner of the slide. 4. Click and drag to the lower right corner of the slide. 5. Release the mouse button. 6. Click "Save As" in the upper left of your screen. 7. Save to the desired format and location. I usually choose the TIFF format for highest quality. 8. Import the resulting file into your project. 9. You will most likely need to adjust the scale. If the presentation contains animations, you may be able to simulate these by taking a separate screenshot of the slide as each change occurs, then crossfading from one to the next in your project. How to Convert a PowerPoint File to Video: This is handy if the PowerPoint contains animations which you cannot simulate using the techniques described above. Here's a screenshot from a PowerPoint file I wanted to convert to video: (Click to enlarge.) 1. Run a spell check on the PowerPoint file. (This paragraph probably does not apply if you are using the free PowerPoint viewer.) PowerPoint underlines each word it does not recognize, and if you don't run a spell check these underlinings will show in your video. Near the upper left of the screen is an icon with the letters A, B and C, and a check mark. Click on this (in your PowerPoint software) and the spell checker will stop at each word in the file which it does not recognize. At each such word, either click "ignore" to confirm that the word is acceptable as-is, or correct the misspelling. Now save the file. This way you won't have to re-run the spellchecker if you close and later re-open the file. 2. Open Faststone Capture. 3. In PowerPoint, click on "View" and then "Slide Show," or simply press F5, which has the same effect. The first slide will now appear alone on thpublic,access,TV,video,productionhttp://progressivevideo.blogspot.com/2009/06/how-to-convert-powerpoint-files-to.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ProgressiveVideo/~3/Avsbq98POZM/video-model-release-form.htmlPodcastingPublic Access TVMedia ActivismVideo Productionwvought@gmail.com (Wilton Vought)Sat, 15 Oct 2011 19:52:38 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081351066030755654.post-7046282365166749191It's a good idea to have the main subjects of your videos sign a <span style="font-weight: bold;">release form</span>. <br /> <br /> I use the following form, which appears to cover the bases without being cumbersome:<br /> <br /> <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gNNk5-m8QeDcbKpW__4td2dW4CrE4n0RKs1nVOoT4s0/edit?authkey=CLzQyt8B&amp;hl=en_US">Release Form</a> <br /> <br /> Feel free to modify it for your own use. <br /> <br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">BIG FAT DISCLAIMER:</span> I am not a lawyer, and this article does not constitute legal advice. You assume any and all risk related to your decision to use this Model Release Form.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <center><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&amp;o=1&amp;p=8&amp;l=as1&amp;asins=1607431882&amp;md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&amp;fc1=000000&amp;IS2=1&amp;lt1=_blank&amp;m=amazon&amp;lc1=0000FF&amp;bc1=FFFFFF&amp;bg1=FFFFFF&amp;f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&amp;o=1&amp;p=8&amp;l=as1&amp;asins=0596801416&amp;md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&amp;fc1=000000&amp;IS2=1&amp;lt1=_blank&amp;m=amazon&amp;lc1=0000FF&amp;bc1=FFFFFF&amp;bg1=FFFFFF&amp;f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&amp;o=1&amp;p=8&amp;l=as1&amp;asins=0240810775&amp;md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&amp;fc1=000000&amp;IS2=1&amp;lt1=_blank&amp;m=amazon&amp;lc1=0000FF&amp;bc1=FFFFFF&amp;bg1=FFFFFF&amp;f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe></center><br /> <a href="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ProgressiveVideo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" style="border: 0pt none; vertical-align: middle;" /></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ProgressiveVideo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe to Progressive Video</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2081351066030755654-7046282365166749191?l=progressivevideo.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/VoxQ3QPJYZb5OEHbxDIYLO8qtWc/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/VoxQ3QPJYZb5OEHbxDIYLO8qtWc/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/VoxQ3QPJYZb5OEHbxDIYLO8qtWc/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/VoxQ3QPJYZb5OEHbxDIYLO8qtWc/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ProgressiveVideo/~4/Avsbq98POZM" height="1" width="1"/>2011-10-15T22:52:38.291-04:000http://progressivevideo.blogspot.com/2009/06/video-model-release-form.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ProgressiveVideo/~3/OMHwVO34PEM/how-to-add-music-soundtrack-to-your.htmlPodcastingAudioPublic Access TVMedia ActivismVideo ProductionProduct RecommendationsVideo Editingwvought@gmail.com (Wilton Vought)Fri, 18 Jun 2010 19:50:28 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081351066030755654.post-8455570235114699019Suppose you want a theme song for your video's introduction, some background music, or maybe a snippet of music to use between program segments. There are many ways to go about this, but I use a program called <span style="font-weight:bold;">Sonicfire Pro</span>, made by SmartSound. This program allows me to tailor a composition to the length I specify and then export it for use in my video editing software. I buy a license to use each composition and can then use that composition as many times as I wish. The compositions are available via disc or download. <br /> <br /> <center><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B001GKXEA6&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B001GKZPEO&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe></center><br /> <br /> The video shown in my post entitled <a href="http://progressivevideo.blogspot.com/2009/04/gear-recommendations-1.html">Product Recommendations: Camera and Accessories</a> features a soundtrack made using Sonicfire Pro. Starting at about 4:04 there is a march through town, and the underlying music works very effectively to convey a sense of the marchers' purpose. Setting this up was a simple matter of determining the length I needed, auditioning various compositions, inserting my choice into the Sonicfire Pro timeline, exporting it as a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WAV">WAV</a> file, and importing the WAV file into my video editing timeline. The entire process took less than 20 minutes.<br /> <br /> Visit the <a href="http://www.smartsound.com/">SmartSound website</a> to listen to samples of the available compositions. There is a wide variety of musical styles, and they are all very well done.<br /> <br /> Visit <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/SmartSoundMusic">SmartSound's YouTube channel</a> to see video tutorials which will give you a good idea of how the program is used and what it can do for you. Sonicfire Pro can be very simple for the casual user, yet has a depth of features which a professional can use to his or her advantage.<br /> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- amazon_ad_tag = "me03-20"; amazon_ad_width = "468"; amazon_ad_height = "60"; amazon_ad_link_target = "new"; amazon_ad_border = "hide";//--></script><br /> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/s/ads.js"></script><br /> <p><a href="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ProgressiveVideo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ProgressiveVideo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe to Progressive Video</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2081351066030755654-8455570235114699019?l=progressivevideo.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/P3SuAInjVDMUiEJ-txsm1kCHXjI/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/P3SuAInjVDMUiEJ-txsm1kCHXjI/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/P3SuAInjVDMUiEJ-txsm1kCHXjI/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/P3SuAInjVDMUiEJ-txsm1kCHXjI/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ProgressiveVideo/~4/OMHwVO34PEM" height="1" width="1"/>2010-06-18T22:50:28.468-04:000http://progressivevideo.blogspot.com/2009/06/how-to-add-music-soundtrack-to-your.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ProgressiveVideo/~3/HLD91YQHPng/free-video-editing-software.htmlwvought@gmail.com (Wilton Vought)Tue, 23 Jun 2009 14:24:21 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081351066030755654.post-1346257691115880495If you haven't yet purchased video editing software and want to get your feet wet without committing to a purchase, I suggest you check out these <span style="font-weight:bold;">free video editing software</span> applications:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">For PC: </span><a href="http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/updates/moviemaker2.mspx">Windows Movie Maker</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">For Mac: </span><a href="http://mac.softpedia.com/progDownload/Apple-iMovie-Download-4302.html">iMovie</a><br /><br />Of course, the reason they're free is that they lack many features available on the paid versions. The companies hope you'll like the freebies and be willing to pay for an upgrade. But as I understand it, it is possible to produce a video for public access TV or the internet using only free software. If you're like me you'll eventually want more bells and whistles, but <span style="font-weight:bold;">free</span> is a good no-risk way to see what basic editing entails. <br /><br />You might want to compare the free software to the more full-featured applications shown in the following graphic links. Although not free, some of them are still amazingly affordable.<br /><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B001DMBX2I&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B001EJTO8A&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B001CPHTAQ&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B000Z3DXT2&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B000PGVK5S&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B001EUIXL8&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /><a href="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ProgressiveVideo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ProgressiveVideo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe to Progressive Video</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2081351066030755654-1346257691115880495?l=progressivevideo.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/VEDjM6y_2sdEmHnglk8K1v6hQi4/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/VEDjM6y_2sdEmHnglk8K1v6hQi4/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/VEDjM6y_2sdEmHnglk8K1v6hQi4/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/VEDjM6y_2sdEmHnglk8K1v6hQi4/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ProgressiveVideo/~4/HLD91YQHPng" height="1" width="1"/>2009-06-23T17:24:21.442-04:000http://progressivevideo.blogspot.com/2009/06/free-video-editing-software.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ProgressiveVideo/~3/u_StDVZqhZs/handy-accessories-to-take-on-video.htmlPodcastingPublic Access TVMedia ActivismVideo ProductionAccessoriesProduct Recommendationswvought@gmail.com (Wilton Vought)Sun, 21 Jun 2009 08:06:26 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081351066030755654.post-956380817517185297<span style="font-style:italic;">Listed below in no particular order are things (Besides a camera and tripod!) I find helpful to bring along when shooting a video:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">1.</span> <a type="amzn" asin="B0009HGVZW">Extra Tapes:</a> Always bring more than you think you'll need.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">2.</span> <a type="amzn" asin="B001E0FS5M">Extra Camera Battery:</a> Video camera batteries can be tricky. They'll say you have hundreds of minutes left, and shortly thereafter they'll give a warning that they're almost dead. Bring at least one extra to be on the safe side. Make sure you get the right model for your video camera. (Check the owner's manual.)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">3.</span> <a type="amzn" asin="B000YTTFWQ">Extra Flash Card(s):</a> Handy if you're using a digital audio recorder such as the <a type="amzn" asin="B000VBH2IG">Zoom H2</a>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">4.</span> <a type="amzn" asin="B000W72NLA">Lens Cleaning Kit:</a> Especially when working outdoors your lens needs to be very clean. Otherwise the sun will catch and highlight every little hint of a dust speck.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">5.</span> <a type="amzn" asin="B000M2GYF6">Flash Drive:</a> Carry it on your key chain. You may need it in order to copy the presenter's <a href="http://progressivevideo.blogspot.com/2009/06/how-to-convert-powerpoint-files-to.html">PowerPoint files</a>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">6.</span> <a type="amzn" asin="B000JKYAWU">Pen Light:</a> If you ever want to reposition your tripod in a dark room, you'll need this in order to see the leveling bubble.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">7.</span> <a type="amzn" asin="B000167NYE">Extra AA Batteries:</a> You'll go through quite a few of these if you use wireless microphones or portable audio recorders. Always start with fresh batteries, otherwise you are taking a chance that they will go dead halfway through the event. I speak from experience.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">8.</span> <a type="amzn" asin="B000A2YA4U">Gaffer's Tape:</a> Good for taping down cords, taping a microphone to a lectern, etc. Don't use duct tape, which leaves behind a sticky residue and is a good way to lose friends. Gaffer's tape leaves little to no residue. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">9.</span><a type="amzn" asin="B000I96ASO">Extension Cord(s):</a> Good for when you don't want to rely on your camera's battery. (Of course, you'll also need your camera's power cord for this.) If you don't need it on a particular shoot, you will often find that someone else does, for example to plug in a projector.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">10.</span> <a type="amzn" asin="B00006B8JX">Power Strip:</a> Handy if you're running several electronic items at once.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">11.</span> <a type="amzn" asin="B000H5WGJ6">Grounding Plug Adapter:</a> Many older venues cannot accommodate modern 3-way electrical plugs.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">12.</span> A pen: Label your tapes as you use them and you will avoid a lot of confusion later. You might also want to jot down contact information or have someone sign a <a href="http://progressivevideo.blogspot.com/2009/06/video-model-release-form.html">release form</a>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">13.</span> <a type="amzn" asin="B000063Y73">Sony HVL-20DW2 Video Light:</a> I haven't had much call for this, just once in a great while when shooting outdoors at night.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">14.</span> <a type="amzn" asin="B0014C0HGK">Walkie-Talkies:</a> Handy if you are trying to communicate with a helper on the other side of the room. Get the <a type="amzn" asin="B00009M6TG">earpiece/mic</a> too, for ease of use and so you don't cause a disturbance.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">I'll be adding to this list from time to time, so you might want to check back occasionally. I also welcome reader input.<br /></span><p><a href="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ProgressiveVideo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ProgressiveVideo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe to Progressive Video</a></p><br /><script type="text/javascript"><!--<br />amazon_ad_tag = "me03-20"; amazon_ad_width = "468"; amazon_ad_height = "60"; amazon_ad_logo = "hide"; amazon_ad_link_target = "new"; amazon_ad_border = "hide";//--></script><br /><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/s/ads.js"></script><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2081351066030755654-956380817517185297?l=progressivevideo.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/fuhddoAscBvFE66uASgp5uCNDog/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/fuhddoAscBvFE66uASgp5uCNDog/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/fuhddoAscBvFE66uASgp5uCNDog/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/fuhddoAscBvFE66uASgp5uCNDog/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ProgressiveVideo/~4/u_StDVZqhZs" height="1" width="1"/>2009-06-21T11:06:26.133-04:000http://progressivevideo.blogspot.com/2009/06/handy-accessories-to-take-on-video.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ProgressiveVideo/~3/PfOha0vymDs/how-to-publicize-your-video.htmlPublic Access TVMedia ActivismPublicitywvought@gmail.com (Wilton Vought)Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:19:30 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081351066030755654.post-7403710648068715635<span style="font-style:italic;">The following is the text of a file I often email to presenters and event organizers at the completion of a project, with the idea of enlisting their aid in publicizing the video. Of course, many of these are steps that you yourself, as the video producer, can also take. <br /><br />Nonetheless, I am sometimes disappointed and perplexed to find that presenters and event organizers do not take even minimal steps to publicize their video. I generally decline to work with these people and groups again, the exception being if I think the next video will draw an audience anyway due to the nature of the event or the stature of the presenter(s). It is best to communicate with all involved prior to the event so they are aware of your expectations regarding publicity. <br /><br />Fill in the bracketed information, cut, change or add items as you see fit, and send to everyone involved with the event. I welcome suggestions as to additional publicity methods. </span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">How to Publicize Your Video</span><br />By [Your Name] [Your Phone Number]<br />[Your Email Address]<br />[Your Website]<br /><br /> OK, so your event is over and the video is complete. Now we need to find the largest possible audience for it by taking as many of the following steps as are feasible. Making an effort to follow these instructions can result in many views of your video: <br /><br />• <span style="font-weight:bold;">Notify Your Contacts re Air Dates:</span> If you are in the [Your City, State] area, notify all area residents on your organization’s email list (and all other area residents who may be interested) that the event will be televised on my show (“[Your Show Name]”), which appears on public access TV in the [Your City] area, [Cable Company] channel [Number], on [Day] nights from [Start Time - End Time] PM. I will email you a notice of the air dates as soon as I have finalized them. Be sure to also announce the dates at any group meetings, and you may want to include a notice in any printed materials you will be distributing prior to the air dates.<br /><br />• <span style="font-weight:bold;">Embed the Video:</span> This is one of the most effective ways to publicize your video. I can air your video on public access TV at least twice, but it will probably air only in the [Your City] area, and when it’s over… it’s over. However, the video can also be embedded into any website and thus be seen all over the planet and essentially live forever. To embed any of my videos to your website, go to my blog [(Your Blog's URL)] and follow the instructions at the bottom of each post. Feel free to contact me if you need help with any of this. <br /><br />• <span style="font-weight:bold;">Email the Video:</span> If you go to your video on my blog and click on the triangular wedge at the bottom of the video player, you will see a tab in the pop-up window which will enable you to email the video. It should be self-explanatory. If this does not work, you can just copy and paste the url (web address) from the address bar at the top of your browser into an email. Think for a few minutes about who else might have a website for which the video would be appropriate (related organizations, activists, friends, etc.), or who simply might be interested in watching the video, then email the video to them and ask that they watch it. Explain to them how to embed the video into their website and how to email the video to others. Ask them to make a similar request of their contacts. <br /><br />• <span style="font-weight:bold;">Use Social Media:</span> Send the link out to your Facebook, MySpace and Twitter networks. <br /><br />• <span style="font-weight:bold;">Use Printed Materials:</span> Include a notice about the video in your newsletter, flyer, etc. Be sure to include the video's url (web address).<br /><br />• <span style="font-weight:bold;">Create a Signature File:</span> Put the title of the video and a link to the video in your email signature file. This will automatically add the title and link to the bottom of every email you send out. Ask every member of your organization to do likewise. Contact me if you don’t know how to create a signature file.<br /><br />• <span style="font-weight:bold;">Talk It Up:</span> Mention the video in relevant listservs, discussion groups (both on and off line), blogs, etc. If it’s an on-line group, include a link to the video. Make sure the mention is on-topic and relevant to the subject matter. Please don’t spam.<br /><br />• <span style="font-weight:bold;">Get Public Access TV Producers Outside the [Your City] Area to Air It:</span> Do you know someone outside the [Your City] area who has a public access TV show? Ask them to air the video. This is a great way to multiply your efforts, and television can reach an audience which the internet might miss. <br /><br />• <span style="font-weight:bold;">Link Your Website to My Blog:</span> The more external links my blog has, the higher it will rank in the search engines. This will bring more visitors overall, some of whom will browse to your video.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Additional Publicity Methods for Video Producers: </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">1. Post All or a Portion of the Video to YouTube.</span> Make sure you tag it appropriately so it will show up in relevant search results. My videos tend to run at least 30 minutes, and I post less than 10 minutes to YouTube, with both an on-screen title and a side note alerting viewers that they can see the full version on my video blog, <a href="http://www.essentialdissent.blogspot.com/">Essential Dissent</a>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">2. Use Contextual Advertising:</span> The primary example of this is Google's AdWords. You generally pay per click for this service, and are gambling that the people who click through to your website will bring in more advertising and affiliate revenue than it cost for you to draw them in. Or maybe you're willing to take the loss in an effort to build traffic. Of course, there's no reason event organizers and presenters can't also promote the video by way of contextual advertising, but they tend to be on a low budget and far from tech-savvy, so I don't ask them to do so.<br /><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B00123WDO0&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B000063Y73&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B000MEANKQ&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /><p><a href="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ProgressiveVideo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ProgressiveVideo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe to Progressive Video</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2081351066030755654-7403710648068715635?l=progressivevideo.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/BY0aYBrJRaqWcOp6nNni8HB17ss/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/BY0aYBrJRaqWcOp6nNni8HB17ss/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/BY0aYBrJRaqWcOp6nNni8HB17ss/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/BY0aYBrJRaqWcOp6nNni8HB17ss/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ProgressiveVideo/~4/PfOha0vymDs" height="1" width="1"/>2009-10-14T14:19:30.344-04:000http://progressivevideo.blogspot.com/2009/05/how-to-publicize-your-video.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ProgressiveVideo/~3/ME3ligZtdzM/common-public-access-tv-show-formats.htmlPublic Access TVMedia ActivismVideo Productionwvought@gmail.com (Wilton Vought)Fri, 08 Apr 2011 12:48:05 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081351066030755654.post-8613274354232544083Have you given any thought as to the best format for your <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public-access_television">public access TV</a> show? Below are a few suggestions, along with their advantages and disadvantages. Of course, you needn't always use the same format. You can vary it from one episode to the next. The main categories are "In-Studio" and "Non-Studio" projects.<br /> <br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;">A. In-Studio Projects:</span> The "studio" can be any quiet, well-lit setting, for instance a portion of your livingroom. The two most common in-studio formats are:<br /> <br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;">1. Talking Head (Singular):</span> This is the simplest show format, and consists of you on-screen speaking your mind, or someone else on-screen speaking their mind. <br /> <br /> <span style="font-style:italic;"><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Good</span></span><br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;"><br /> Easy to do Right:</span> The controlled circumstances of this format make it easy to get both good video and good audio. Set your video camera on a tripod, hook up a microphone or <a href="http://progressivevideo.blogspot.com/2009/04/product-recommendations-2.html">field recorder</a> (or use the on-camera mic), and press the record button. Keep a clock in your line of sight so you'll know when to stop.<br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;"><br /> Little or No Editing:</span> Depending on your cable company's submission requirements, it may be possible to produce a talking head show without editing. If you are recording to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mini_dv">Mini DV</a> and this is the submission format, just speak for the allotted time, hit stop, rewind, lock the safety tab, label the tape, and deliver it. Easy, simple, and cheap, with no need for a computer or software and no need to learn how to edit. If you are using Mini DV and the cable company requires VHS (yes, some still do), you can easily dub from your video camera to a VCR.<br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;"><br /> Simplicty:</span> If working alone, you don't have to deal with issues relating to a lack of communication with others, and you don't have to deal with interpersonal squabbles over the best direction for your show. You'll never know the joys of late arrivals, no shows, and guest speakers who are unprepared.<br /> <br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;">Deja Vu is Good for You:</span> Assuming you have the capability to edit, you can do a re-take if something did not come out right the first time. <br /> <br /> <span style="font-style:italic;"><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Bad</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;">Lack of Viewer Interest:</span> Otherwise known as 'Where's the remote?" Unless you have something of interest to say, you may not retain an audience. I've always considered it presumptuous to think that others wanted to hear my personal opinions, so I have not produced this type of show. But maybe you have more to say than I do.<br /> <br /> <span style="font-style:italic;"><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Ugly</span></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;">The Nutcase Factor:</span> If you do retain an audience it may consist mostly of people who are laughing at you. Ask yourself if you can cope with this. But life is not a popularity contest, so stick to your guns if you feel passionately about an issue. <br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;"><br /> 2. Talking Heads (Plural)</span> <br /> <br /> This format has much in common with the singular version, except now two or more people appear on-screen. It retains most of the advantages and disadvantages, except that now you have interpersonal issues to deal with and it may be easier to retain viewer interest. After all, if you think your guest or co-host has something interesting to say then it's possible others will also.<br /> <br /> Oh, and there are now more people to laugh at. <br /> <br /> It helps to have two video cameras and a camera operator for this type of shoot, but it's perfectly acceptable to use one camera on a static shot if you want to keep it simple.<br /> <br /> An interview is a common and effective means of handling the talking heads format. Invite a knowledgeable person to speak on a timely topic. Prior to the shoot, have this person send you a list of questions they would like you to ask. Do a Google search on the topic if you need to increase your familiarity with it. <br /> <br /> Another advantage of involving others with your show is that these people now have a vested interest in publicizing your video. If you post it to your blog, be sure to send them the link and ask that they forward it to interested persons and/or organizations. Also request that they embed the video into their website. See <a href="http://progressivevideo.blogspot.com/2009/05/how-to-publicize-your-video.html">How to Publicize Your Video</a> for more ideas in this regard.<br /> <br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;">B. Non-Studio Projects, i.e. Community Events:</span> I shoot a lot of these, with typical community events being: <br /> <br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;">1. Speeches or Lectures:</span> This is still a "talking head," but because it is live and in public it bears little resemblance to our earlier example. This format is much more difficult to do right, but generally more interesting and more personally rewarding. It usually requires prior communication between the videographer, organizers and presenters, and is prone to miscues. See my post entitled <a href="http://progressivevideo.blogspot.com/2009/05/videographers-notes.html">Videographer's Guidelines</a> for an in-depth look at the planning and challenges involved in videotaping community events.<br /> <br /> I almost always ask permission prior to videotaping such an event. Although public governmental meetings, for example, are generally fair game (Please note: This is not legal advice.), I find that I get more cooperation from a person who has agreed to be videotaped than from a person who merely submits to it. For example, I can't force anyone to wear a wireless mic, even if I do have the right to videotape unannounced.<br /> <br /> Unlike our previous formats, with a live event you have only one chance to get it right. Make sure you arrive early enough to deal with any unforeseen problems, and be ready to roll at the appointed hour. Get some B-roll (audience shots, signage, etc.) so you can edit this in at points where your camera work was less than the best. <br /> <br /> Having two cameras is a real advantage here. You can keep one camera on a static wide shot, freeing your other camera for closeups and B-roll. During Q&A you can keep one camera on the speaker and the other on the audience. You can continue to shoot with one camera while putting a new tape in the other. In editing, if one camera doesn't have a good shot you can try the other.<br /> <br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;">2. Demonstrations:</span> Overall a demonstration is easier to videotape than a speech or lecture. You don't have the task of maintaining strict continuity as you do with a long speech, and there are usually plenty of opportunities to splice in relevant B-roll. Position yourself near the front so you can videotape the speeches without others blocking your shot, and try to anticipate where the action will be next. Use a tripod for the speeches, and go handheld during a march.<br /> <br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;">Some of the reasons you will almost certainly need to edit the raw footage from a community event:</span> <br /> <br /> a. You can't control the duration of the event, thus you may need to delete a portion in order to fit within your allotted time slot. Or you may need to add footage from another shoot to fill your slot.<br /> b. You may want to delete less interesting portions. <br /> c. For more complete coverage and a more professional look you may have used two cameras. You then need to <a href="http://progressivevideo.blogspot.com/2009/05/video-editing-how-to-synchronize-tracks.html">synchronize the footage</a> on an editing timeline and choose which camera's shot to keep and which to discard at any one time.<br /> d. You may want to add on-screen titles showing names, places, dates, credits, and other pertinent information.<br /> e. You may need to make adjustments to the audio tracks, raising or lowering volume, removing noise, <a href="http://progressivevideo.blogspot.com/2009/06/how-to-add-music-soundtrack-to-your.html">adding a theme song</a>, etc.<br /> <br /> <iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0275964884&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0742539253&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0596102275&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /> <p><a href="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ProgressiveVideo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ProgressiveVideo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe to Progressive Video</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2081351066030755654-8613274354232544083?l=progressivevideo.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/LNX5cRMxoONEGSm-BN4VUYWKk5w/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/LNX5cRMxoONEGSm-BN4VUYWKk5w/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/LNX5cRMxoONEGSm-BN4VUYWKk5w/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/LNX5cRMxoONEGSm-BN4VUYWKk5w/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ProgressiveVideo/~4/ME3ligZtdzM" height="1" width="1"/>2011-04-08T15:48:05.251-04:000http://progressivevideo.blogspot.com/2009/05/common-public-access-tv-show-formats.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ProgressiveVideo/~3/2N_lxUldeIg/how-public-access-tv-came-to-norwich-ny.htmlPublic Access TVMedia Activismwvought@gmail.com (Wilton Vought)Wed, 05 Oct 2011 14:43:14 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081351066030755654.post-6779473963706231108<span style="font-style: italic;">Is your local cable company trying to avoid its responsibility to provide a public access channel? Read this inspiring account of how a small group in upstate NY forced their cable company to comply with the law. </span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-style: italic;">by Mary Jo Long<br /><a href="http://www.chenangogreens.org/home/">Chenango County Green Party</a></span><br /> <br /> New York State law requires that cable TV companies MUST provide PEG (Public, Education, and Government) channels to residents in their service area. But although we here in <a href="http://www.norwichnewyork.net/">Norwich, NY</a> had an educational channel and a government channel in 2004, we did not have a functioning public access channel. <br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.essentialdissent.blogspot.com/">Wilton Vought</a> had videotaped a presentation in Norwich by Ithaca software engineer <a href="http://essentialdissent.blogspot.com/2004/02/will-your-vote-count.html">Bo Lipari</a> on the topic of computerized voting machines and the concerns of computer scientists as to their accuracy in vote counting. Since this was a great topic for a public access show, we decided to try to get it played on TV. But we didn’t know how to go about this.<br /> <br /> One of our members called both Adelphia, our local cable TV provider, and the Mayor of Norwich to ask how to get a tape played on public access TV. Both claimed to be unable to do this. The Mayor and the spokesperson for Adelphia each maintained that the other was the “Administrator” of the public access channel, and neither could even say which channel this was. <br /> <br /> I then called the <a href="http://www.dps.state.ny.us/">New York State Public Service Commission</a> at 518-474-7080 and spoke with Patricia Johnson, who helps municipalities with such issues. Johnson was very interested to learn of our problem. She informed me that the franchise agreement between Norwich and Adelphia was expiring soon and a new contract was in the process of being negotiated, and she promised to find out who the Administrator was by calling Adelphia. Shortly after that, Adelphia told her (and me) that the City of Norwich was the Administrator. But when I called the Mayor, he once again insisted that Adelphia was the Administrator. <br /> <br /> I then explained to the Mayor that Adelphia had been evading its responsibility by not providing and administering a public access channel and playback facilities. I sent him copies of the regulations, highlighting the relevant sections. These clearly showed that Adelphia was required to provide the technical ability to play back and to transmit prerecorded programming provided by the public.<br /> <br /> I simultaneously filed a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_Information_Act_%28United_States%29">Freedom of Information Act</a> request for a copy of the franchise agreement with the City's Records Access Officer, who then asked whether I wanted to see the old, expiring agreement or the new one presently under negotiation. I ended up getting copies of both and was able to make informed comments regarding them at the required public hearing on the franchise renewal agreement. <br /> <br /> At the public hearing I spoke on behalf of the Chenango County Green Party. We made sure that several of our members showed up for moral support. The only other speaker was Adelphia’s general manager. The proposed new contract had been prepared by Adelphia’s lawyers in Adelphia's interest, and of course they did not want the expense of providing and administering a playback facility for a public access channel, law or no law. And the City of Norwich, which should have been looking out for the public's interest, had dropped the ball on this issue. I pointed out that the proposed contract did NOT specify who was responsible for administration of a public access channel, meaning the impasse would continue, with both Adelphia and the City claiming this was the other's responsibility. I encouraged the City to correct this oversight by adding a provision requiring Adelphia to administer the public access channel. The City could then rightly avoid this expense and the matter would be settled. <br /> <br /> Adelphia, embarrassed by public disclosure of its failure to fulfill its responsibility, nonetheless objected to this. But the City, to its credit, finally woke up and insisted that the new franchise agreement make Adelphia responsible for administering the public access channel. Although the general manager was hostile and wouldn’t give me the telephone number of the Adelphia employee responsible for coordinating the PEG channels, eventually that coordinator called and sent me information regarding the procedures for getting a show. <br /> <br /> Thus Norwich got a public access channel. The winning strategy was to remain steadfast in our insistence that Adelphia fulfill its obligations under the law. A bit of voter agitation, negative publicity for Adelphia, regulatory agency pressure, and the prospect that the City could avoid the expense of administering the channel by forcing Adelphia to do so, all helped seal the deal. The fact that the franchise agreement was up for renewal worked in our favor by putting pressure on Adelphia to respond more quickly than they otherwise might have. <br /> <br /> Adelphia’s strategy throughout was to resist, evade, obfuscate, and hope the issue would go away. It is said that a corporation is "institutionalized irresponsibility," and we certainly found that to be true in this case. But they were no match for a group of concerned citizens who were willing to fight for their rights.<br /> <br /> <center><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&amp;o=1&amp;p=8&amp;l=as1&amp;asins=0787965332&amp;md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&amp;fc1=000000&amp;IS2=1&amp;lt1=_blank&amp;m=amazon&amp;lc1=0000FF&amp;bc1=FFFFFF&amp;bg1=FFFFFF&amp;f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&amp;o=1&amp;p=8&amp;l=as1&amp;asins=0520229282&amp;md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&amp;fc1=000000&amp;IS2=1&amp;lt1=_blank&amp;m=amazon&amp;lc1=0000FF&amp;bc1=FFFFFF&amp;bg1=FFFFFF&amp;f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&amp;o=1&amp;p=8&amp;l=as1&amp;asins=0787979090&amp;md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&amp;fc1=000000&amp;IS2=1&amp;lt1=_blank&amp;m=amazon&amp;lc1=0000FF&amp;bc1=FFFFFF&amp;bg1=FFFFFF&amp;f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><br /> <a href="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ProgressiveVideo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" style="border: 0pt none; vertical-align: middle;" /></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ProgressiveVideo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe to Progressive Video</a></center><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2081351066030755654-6779473963706231108?l=progressivevideo.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/N5hKyVeBVKym_NOQuGjXYteBcuU/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/N5hKyVeBVKym_NOQuGjXYteBcuU/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/N5hKyVeBVKym_NOQuGjXYteBcuU/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/N5hKyVeBVKym_NOQuGjXYteBcuU/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ProgressiveVideo/~4/2N_lxUldeIg" height="1" width="1"/>2011-10-05T17:43:14.724-04:000http://progressivevideo.blogspot.com/2009/05/how-public-access-tv-came-to-norwich-ny.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ProgressiveVideo/~3/5dvxJF9CVDc/video-editing-how-to-synchronize-tracks.htmlPodcastingAudioPublic Access TVMedia ActivismVideo ProductionZoom H2Video Editingwvought@gmail.com (Wilton Vought)Wed, 26 Jan 2011 21:05:41 PSTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081351066030755654.post-3526874360733019031In a <a href="http://progressivevideo.blogspot.com/2009/05/using-zoom-h2-digital-audio-recorder.html">previous post</a> I talked about the need to synchronize audio tracks. A few graphics might clarify this procedure. (Click on the picture to see a larger view.)<br /> <br /> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1hDEjVLxo04/ShLLHntl88I/AAAAAAAAAD8/r5JSd6lsnNo/s1600-h/PV+Demo+2.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 159px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1hDEjVLxo04/ShLLHntl88I/AAAAAAAAAD8/r5JSd6lsnNo/s400/PV+Demo+2.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337551840167195586" border="0" /></a><br /> <br /> Shown above is a screen shot from a recent project. My editing software is <a href="http://www.adobe.com/products/premiere/">Adobe Premiere Pro</a> (CS4 at time of this writing), so if you use a different software your editing environment may look somewhat different, but the idea is the same. Notice the time ruler at the top, with the zero point at the left. Also, I am currently zoomed all the way out.<br /> <br /> The two tracks shown in blue are the audio and video tracks from one of my tapes, the data from which I previously loaded into the computer via <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FireWire">firewire</a>. The tape's audio track is the blue one with the visible waveforms. Below that in green is the audio track from a <a type="amzn" asin="B000VBH2IG">Zoom H2</a> digital audio recorder. The H2 was plugged into the PA system at the event. My immediate task is to synchronize the audio from these two tracks so that at any point I can use the one with the better audio. My first step is to bring the two tracks into approximate sync. I started recording on the H2 well before the event started, so that I could then tend to other matters and so I would not forget to put it into record mode. The result is that I have a long, mostly blank area on the left. I can see that if I cut this portion and move the remaining H2 audio to the left, the two tracks will be much closer to in sync. This procedure is depicted in the video shown below (See accompanying instructions):<br /> <br /> <object width="480" height="360" class="BLOG_video_class" id="BLOG_video-329f74f52828dbb8" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/get_player"> <param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="flashvars" value="flvurl=http://v6.nonxt1.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D329f74f52828dbb8%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330959454%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D2FFFC7A5CB5117D062356421893A5E650410FACF.3E6A944643565DDE3FD3FF753B27E706B6D8552C%26key%3Dck1&amp;iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D329f74f52828dbb8%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DPgA5MMG2VCfCO390ObPqHJH6ad4&amp;autoplay=0&amp;ps=blogger"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/get_player" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="360" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" flashvars="flvurl=http://v6.nonxt1.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D329f74f52828dbb8%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330959454%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D2FFFC7A5CB5117D062356421893A5E650410FACF.3E6A944643565DDE3FD3FF753B27E706B6D8552C%26key%3Dck1&iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3D329f74f52828dbb8%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DPgA5MMG2VCfCO390ObPqHJH6ad4&autoplay=0&ps=blogger" allowFullScreen="true" /></object> <br /> <br /> 1. Move the cursor to the razor tool, and click to select it.<br /> 2. Move the razor to the point at which you want to cut the track into two sections.<br /> 3. Click to make the cut.<br /> 4. Move the cursor to the selection tool and click to select it.<br /> 5. Click anywhere in the portion of the track that you want to delete, thus selecting this portion.<br /> 6. Press the delete key on your keyboard, thus deleting the portion you selected.<br /> 7. Click and hold on the remaining portion.<br /> 8. Drag the track all the way to the left.<br /> 9. At this point you should save your project.<br /> <br /> In the next picture I have zoomed in to get a closer view by repeatedly pressing the "+" key. (The zoom command may be different in your editing program.) I have added highlighting to show you two areas which appear to correspond. I positioned the current time indicator just to the left of these and pressed the play button to confirm that they do indeed correspond. In other words, they contain audio from the same portion of the event. Now my task is to line these up, thus synchronizing the two tracks.<br /> <br /> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1hDEjVLxo04/ShLboViW0jI/AAAAAAAAAEE/CkEqTd_zOaI/s1600-h/PV+Demo+3.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 159px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_1hDEjVLxo04/ShLboViW0jI/AAAAAAAAAEE/CkEqTd_zOaI/s320/PV+Demo+3.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337569994409955890" border="0" /></a><br /> <br /> I accomplished this by first positioning my cursor at the beginning of the H2 audio track, then moving the "in point" to the right. This shortens the track without changing the position of the remaining portion. I did this so I would then have room to move the H2 audio track to the left. I then selected the H2 audio track by clicking and holding, and dragged it so that it was approximately in line with the tape's audio track. I then zoomed in to make more precise adjustments. I used the current time indicator (the red line) as a ruler, lining the tracks up against it for reference. Rinse, lather, repeat.<br /> <br /> <object width="480" height="360" class="BLOG_video_class" id="BLOG_video-d6a47d0537f62c8f" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/get_player"> <param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="flashvars" value="flvurl=http://v21.nonxt1.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3Dd6a47d0537f62c8f%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330959454%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D27C60B05396309229EE5C5913112580343132350.261C60C8AC5A15E9964A2C8AB99C5E82E969FB5E%26key%3Dck1&amp;iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3Dd6a47d0537f62c8f%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DdIGKTmAtEJJHu1kd7JlkOiqwE2Q&amp;autoplay=0&amp;ps=blogger"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/get_player" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="360" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" flashvars="flvurl=http://v21.nonxt1.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3Dd6a47d0537f62c8f%26itag%3D5%26app%3Dblogger%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1330959454%26sparams%3Did,itag,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D27C60B05396309229EE5C5913112580343132350.261C60C8AC5A15E9964A2C8AB99C5E82E969FB5E%26key%3Dck1&iurl=http://video.google.com/ThumbnailServer2?app%3Dblogger%26contentid%3Dd6a47d0537f62c8f%26offsetms%3D5000%26itag%3Dw160%26sigh%3DdIGKTmAtEJJHu1kd7JlkOiqwE2Q&autoplay=0&ps=blogger" allowFullScreen="true" /></object> <br /> <br /> The tracks are now in sync, and I can select either at any point. But as I mentioned in my <a href="http://progressivevideo.blogspot.com/2009/05/using-zoom-h2-digital-audio-recorder.html">previous post</a>, the H2 audio may tend to drift out of sync at some point further along the timeline, so...<br /> <br /> There are two quick and effective ways to determine if the tracks are really in sync:<br /> <br /> 1. Mute the tape's audio and play through a bit of the project, listening to the H2 audio while watching the tape's video. Does the sound seem to be in sync with the video? If you are watching a person talk, any discrepancy will be readily apparent.<br /> 2. <b>Monitor both audio tracks at once as you edit.</b> If there is an echo, reverb, or phase shift type of effect which wasn't there before, the tracks are not sufficiently in sync.<br /> <br /> By the way, you will never get the tracks perfectly in sync. But the discrepancy, theoretically 1/60th of a second or less, is undetectable to viewers.<br /> <br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;">A Point To Consider:</span> The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_of_sound">speed of sound</a> is 1125 ft/second. The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_of_light">speed of light</a> is much faster...about 186,000 miles/second. If you are using an on-camera mic and standing some distance from your subject, the time lag between when the light hits the lens and the sound wave hits the mic may become noticeable. A frame is 1/30th of a second. In that time sound travels 37.5 feet. So for every 37.5 feet you are from your subject, the audio lag is one frame. (At these small distances we can safely ignore the infinitesimal time it takes for light to travel from the subject to the lens.) You may need to slide your on-camera audio track forward (to the left) to compensate. In the above example the camera audio is from a wireless mic clipped to the subject, so lag is not a factor.<br /> <br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;">Non-destructive Editing:</span> Computers use non-destructive editing, meaning that I can make changes on the editing timeline without affecting the source file. So deleting a portion of a track from the timeline, as I did in this example, does not change the source file in any way. By using the undo command I can undo any changes I don't like. A handy keyboard shortcut for this on a PC is Ctrl-z, meaning to press and hold the control key, then press the z key. This is equivalent to using the undo command. You will use this keyboard shortcut (or its Mac equivalent, Command-z) many, many times.<br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;"><br /> Editor's Motto:</span> Never do more in the morning than you can undo in the afternoon.<br /> <br /> <iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0471782785&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0071406352&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0321572629&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /> <p><a href="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ProgressiveVideo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ProgressiveVideo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe to Progressive Video</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2081351066030755654-3526874360733019031?l=progressivevideo.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/WGDDVAkLAesxV8Y2eckEe20UiyM/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/WGDDVAkLAesxV8Y2eckEe20UiyM/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/WGDDVAkLAesxV8Y2eckEe20UiyM/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/WGDDVAkLAesxV8Y2eckEe20UiyM/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ProgressiveVideo/~4/5dvxJF9CVDc" height="1" width="1"/>2011-01-27T00:05:41.339-05:000noIn a previous post I talked about the need to synchronize audio tracks. A few graphics might clarify this procedure. (Click on the picture to see a larger view.) Shown above is a screen shot from a recent project. My editing software is Adobe Premiere ProWilton VoughtIn a previous post I talked about the need to synchronize audio tracks. A few graphics might clarify this procedure. (Click on the picture to see a larger view.) Shown above is a screen shot from a recent project. My editing software is Adobe Premiere Pro (CS4 at time of this writing), so if you use a different software your editing environment may look somewhat different, but the idea is the same. Notice the time ruler at the top, with the zero point at the left. Also, I am currently zoomed all the way out. The two tracks shown in blue are the audio and video tracks from one of my tapes, the data from which I previously loaded into the computer via firewire. The tape's audio track is the blue one with the visible waveforms. Below that in green is the audio track from a Zoom H2 digital audio recorder. The H2 was plugged into the PA system at the event. My immediate task is to synchronize the audio from these two tracks so that at any point I can use the one with the better audio. My first step is to bring the two tracks into approximate sync. I started recording on the H2 well before the event started, so that I could then tend to other matters and so I would not forget to put it into record mode. The result is that I have a long, mostly blank area on the left. I can see that if I cut this portion and move the remaining H2 audio to the left, the two tracks will be much closer to in sync. This procedure is depicted in the video shown below (See accompanying instructions): 1. Move the cursor to the razor tool, and click to select it. 2. Move the razor to the point at which you want to cut the track into two sections. 3. Click to make the cut. 4. Move the cursor to the selection tool and click to select it. 5. Click anywhere in the portion of the track that you want to delete, thus selecting this portion. 6. Press the delete key on your keyboard, thus deleting the portion you selected. 7. Click and hold on the remaining portion. 8. Drag the track all the way to the left. 9. At this point you should save your project. In the next picture I have zoomed in to get a closer view by repeatedly pressing the "+" key. (The zoom command may be different in your editing program.) I have added highlighting to show you two areas which appear to correspond. I positioned the current time indicator just to the left of these and pressed the play button to confirm that they do indeed correspond. In other words, they contain audio from the same portion of the event. Now my task is to line these up, thus synchronizing the two tracks. I accomplished this by first positioning my cursor at the beginning of the H2 audio track, then moving the "in point" to the right. This shortens the track without changing the position of the remaining portion. I did this so I would then have room to move the H2 audio track to the left. I then selected the H2 audio track by clicking and holding, and dragged it so that it was approximately in line with the tape's audio track. I then zoomed in to make more precise adjustments. I used the current time indicator (the red line) as a ruler, lining the tracks up against it for reference. Rinse, lather, repeat. The tracks are now in sync, and I can select either at any point. But as I mentioned in my previous post, the H2 audio may tend to drift out of sync at some point further along the timeline, so... There are two quick and effective ways to determine if the tracks are really in sync: 1. Mute the tape's audio and play through a bit of the project, listening to the H2 audio while watching the tape's video. Does the sound seem to be in sync with the video? If you are watching a person talk, any discrepancy will be readily apparent. 2. Monitor both audio tracks at once as you edit. If there is an echo, reverb, or phase shift type of effect which wasn't there before, the tracks are not sufficiently in sync. By the way, you will never get the tracks perfectly in sync. But the discrepancy, theoretically 1/60th of a second or lespublic,access,TV,video,productionhttp://progressivevideo.blogspot.com/2009/05/video-editing-how-to-synchronize-tracks.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ProgressiveVideo/~3/SqfOi7qn5NQ/using-zoom-h2-digital-audio-recorder.htmlPodcastingAudioMedia ActivismVideo ProductionAccessoriesAudio RecordersProduct RecommendationsZoom H2wvought@gmail.com (Wilton Vought)Fri, 08 Apr 2011 12:39:46 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081351066030755654.post-4728224718112718019You can avoid the expense of a wireless microphone, get excellent audio, and have increased versatility by instead using a <a type="amzn" asin="B000VBH2IG">Zoom H2</a> digital audio recorder (or similar device) and a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lavalier_microphone">lavaliere microphone</a>.<br /> <br /> Suppose you are recording someone giving a speech at a lectern. Plug a lavaliere mic into a Zoom H2, then clip the mic onto the speaker's center shirt seam or lapel. Put the H2 in record mode, and have the speaker place the H2 in their pocket. This works much the same as if you were using a wireless mic feeding into your video camera, except that you can't monitor the recording level in real time. But if you use the Automatic Gain Control feature on the H2 (specifically: "AGC2 Speech"), this is not a problem. It will set the proper recording level automatically, avoiding distortion while giving you a strong signal level. In the editing process you will line up the H2 audio with the audio from your on-camera mic and use the better of the two, which will almost invariably be the H2 audio.<br /> <br /> <center><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=FFFFFF&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&asins=B003B328U8" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /> </center> <br /> <br /> As is the case with a wireless mic, with this setup it doesn't matter if the presenter roams about or knows nothing of proper mic technique. Assuming you positioned the mic properly, it will always stay within the proper range from the presenter's mouth. And now your choice of camera locations is no longer limited by the length of your mic cord, as it would be if you were running a lavaliere into an external mic jack on your camcorder. Also, because the H2's internal microphones are disabled when you plug in an external mic, you don't have to worry about stray noises creeping into your audio track via the internal mics.<br /> <br /> If your lavaliere mic doesn't supply its own power, the H2 can supply it (2.5 Volts DC) via a simple menu option. <a href="http://www.samsontech.com/products/relatedDocs/H2_user_manual.pdf">See the H2 Manual.</a> (By the way, if you already have an H2 and your external mic doesn't seem to work with it, you may simply need to tell the H2 to send power to the mic. See this related blog post: <a href="http://progressivevideo.blogspot.com/2009/10/pwering-external-microphone-with-zoom.html">Powering an External Microphone With the Zoom H2 Audio Recorder.</a>) One nice thing about recording the spoken word is that you don't need an expensive mic to get good results. The limited frequency range of speech (as compared to music) means that even an inexpensive mic will do.<br /> <br /> One thing to watch out for is that some people will not have pockets. You might want to get a <a type="amzn" asin="B001G756XM">jacket</a> for the H2. Then just buy a clip at a hardware store and clip the H2 onto the presenter's belt or waistline.<br /> <br /> Make sure you get a unidirectional mic rather than an omnidirectional mic. You don't want to be recording sounds from all directions, just the direction the mic is aimed at (the speaker's mouth).<br /> <br /> In editing, I find that the audio track from the H2 does not always stay in sync with the on-camera audio. Very small timing discrepancies accumulate over time until they become noticeable and an adjustment must be made. An easy way to become aware of the point at which the audio tracks go out of sync (assuming you synced them up in the first place) is to monitor <b>both</b> the H2 audio and the on-camera mic's audio simultaneously as you edit. When you start to hear an echo or phase shift type of effect, the tracks have lost sync and you need to make an adjustment. Look at the audio waveforms on the editing timeline. Make a cut in the H2's audio track track just prior to the point at which the tracks lost sync, and slide the H2 audio which comes immediately after that point forward or backward by a frame or two until it lines up with the audio from the on-camera mic (A frame is about 1/30th of a second). This is a minor inconvenience when compared to the many advantages of using the H2, and not nearly so complex as it may sound. See my post on this subject: <a href="http://progressivevideo.blogspot.com/2009/05/video-editing-how-to-synchronize-tracks.html">Video Editing: How to Synchronize Tracks.</a><br /> <br /> The Zoom H2 can record in a wide variety of audio formats, but after much experimentation I have settled on Mp3 320 as my preferred audio format. Although Mp3 files are compressed compared to .wav files, the sound quality of the Mp3 320 format is virtually indistinguishable from a .wav file. And because I can fit up to 17 hours on a 2 GB flash card, I can start the H2 recording well before the event starts, and then tend to more pressing matters. I never have to worry that the card will fill up before the end of the event.<br /> <br /> A good quality wireless mic runs about $500. You can buy less expensive wireless mics, but these can be prone to dropouts, meaning a momentary loss of signal. This H2/lavaliere combination is less than $200, yet the results can be top notch.<br /> <br /> The H2 is also more versatile. Let's say you are videotaping a panel discussion consisting of four speakers at a table, each with a mic which feeds into the house PA system. You can run a line from the PA system's tape out (or record out) jacks directly into the H2 and record all of them at once. A lone wireless mic would be totally inadequate for this task.<br /> <br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;">Related Posts:</span> <br /> <a href="http://progressivevideo.blogspot.com/2009/04/product-recommendations-2.html">Product Recommendations: Field recorders</a><br /> <a href="Adapting a Mono Audio Track to a Stereo Project">Adapting a Mono Audio Track to a Stereo Project<br /> </a><br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;">Beware of Used Wireless Mics:</span> There are new rules affecting allowable frequencies for wireless mics. Basically, some of the frequencies used by existing wireless mics are now assigned to other devices, rendering some but not all used wireless mics useless due to interference. An unscrupulous individual may try to unload such a mic on you. Here are links with more information:<br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.audiolinks.com/QA/WirelessUHFVHFMicrophonesTVInterference.shtml">Wireless UHF & VHF Microphones & TV interference </a><br /> <br /> <a href="http://mixonline.com/news/sony_wireless_rebate_1704/">Sony Offers Rebate On Wireless Microphones</a><br /> <br /> <center><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&amp;o=1&amp;p=8&amp;l=as1&amp;asins=B000VBH2IG&amp;md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&amp;fc1=000000&amp;IS2=1&amp;lt1=_blank&amp;m=amazon&amp;lc1=0000FF&amp;bc1=FFFFFF&amp;bg1=FFFFFF&amp;f=ifr" style="width: 120px; height: 240px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&amp;o=1&amp;p=8&amp;l=as1&amp;asins=B001G756XM&amp;md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&amp;fc1=000000&amp;IS2=1&amp;lt1=_blank&amp;m=amazon&amp;lc1=0000FF&amp;bc1=FFFFFF&amp;bg1=FFFFFF&amp;f=ifr" style="width: 120px; height: 240px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&amp;o=1&amp;p=8&amp;l=as1&amp;asins=B00006I51V&amp;md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&amp;fc1=000000&amp;IS2=1&amp;lt1=_blank&amp;m=amazon&amp;lc1=0000FF&amp;bc1=FFFFFF&amp;bg1=FFFFFF&amp;f=ifr" style="width: 120px; height: 240px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></center><br /> <br /> <center><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&amp;o=1&amp;p=8&amp;l=as1&amp;asins=B0002WTKMK&amp;md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&amp;fc1=000000&amp;IS2=1&amp;lt1=_blank&amp;m=amazon&amp;lc1=0000FF&amp;bc1=FFFFFF&amp;bg1=FFFFFF&amp;f=ifr" style="width: 120px; height: 240px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=1844920623&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=FFFFFF&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&asins=B003B32A1A" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe></center><br /> <p><a href="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ProgressiveVideo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ProgressiveVideo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe to Progressive Video</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2081351066030755654-4728224718112718019?l=progressivevideo.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/6PFu2AOMXpy_zQcR5BG1V_063xM/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/6PFu2AOMXpy_zQcR5BG1V_063xM/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/6PFu2AOMXpy_zQcR5BG1V_063xM/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/6PFu2AOMXpy_zQcR5BG1V_063xM/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ProgressiveVideo/~4/SqfOi7qn5NQ" height="1" width="1"/>2011-04-08T15:39:46.637-04:005noYou can avoid the expense of a wireless microphone, get excellent audio, and have increased versatility by instead using a Zoom H2 digital audio recorder (or similar device) and a lavaliere microphone. Suppose you are recording someone giving a speech at Wilton VoughtYou can avoid the expense of a wireless microphone, get excellent audio, and have increased versatility by instead using a Zoom H2 digital audio recorder (or similar device) and a lavaliere microphone. Suppose you are recording someone giving a speech at a lectern. Plug a lavaliere mic into a Zoom H2, then clip the mic onto the speaker's center shirt seam or lapel. Put the H2 in record mode, and have the speaker place the H2 in their pocket. This works much the same as if you were using a wireless mic feeding into your video camera, except that you can't monitor the recording level in real time. But if you use the Automatic Gain Control feature on the H2 (specifically: "AGC2 Speech"), this is not a problem. It will set the proper recording level automatically, avoiding distortion while giving you a strong signal level. In the editing process you will line up the H2 audio with the audio from your on-camera mic and use the better of the two, which will almost invariably be the H2 audio. As is the case with a wireless mic, with this setup it doesn't matter if the presenter roams about or knows nothing of proper mic technique. Assuming you positioned the mic properly, it will always stay within the proper range from the presenter's mouth. And now your choice of camera locations is no longer limited by the length of your mic cord, as it would be if you were running a lavaliere into an external mic jack on your camcorder. Also, because the H2's internal microphones are disabled when you plug in an external mic, you don't have to worry about stray noises creeping into your audio track via the internal mics. If your lavaliere mic doesn't supply its own power, the H2 can supply it (2.5 Volts DC) via a simple menu option. See the H2 Manual. (By the way, if you already have an H2 and your external mic doesn't seem to work with it, you may simply need to tell the H2 to send power to the mic. See this related blog post: Powering an External Microphone With the Zoom H2 Audio Recorder.) One nice thing about recording the spoken word is that you don't need an expensive mic to get good results. The limited frequency range of speech (as compared to music) means that even an inexpensive mic will do. One thing to watch out for is that some people will not have pockets. You might want to get a jacket for the H2. Then just buy a clip at a hardware store and clip the H2 onto the presenter's belt or waistline. Make sure you get a unidirectional mic rather than an omnidirectional mic. You don't want to be recording sounds from all directions, just the direction the mic is aimed at (the speaker's mouth). In editing, I find that the audio track from the H2 does not always stay in sync with the on-camera audio. Very small timing discrepancies accumulate over time until they become noticeable and an adjustment must be made. An easy way to become aware of the point at which the audio tracks go out of sync (assuming you synced them up in the first place) is to monitor both the H2 audio and the on-camera mic's audio simultaneously as you edit. When you start to hear an echo or phase shift type of effect, the tracks have lost sync and you need to make an adjustment. Look at the audio waveforms on the editing timeline. Make a cut in the H2's audio track track just prior to the point at which the tracks lost sync, and slide the H2 audio which comes immediately after that point forward or backward by a frame or two until it lines up with the audio from the on-camera mic (A frame is about 1/30th of a second). This is a minor inconvenience when compared to the many advantages of using the H2, and not nearly so complex as it may sound. See my post on this subject: Video Editing: How to Synchronize Tracks. The Zoom H2 can record in a wide variety of audio formats, but after much experimentation I have settled on Mp3 320 as my preferred audio format. Although Mp3 files are compressed compared to .wav files, the sound quality of the Mp3 320 format is virtually indistipublic,access,TV,video,productionhttp://progressivevideo.blogspot.com/2009/05/using-zoom-h2-digital-audio-recorder.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ProgressiveVideo/~3/bgWfMutwmp8/buying-video-production-computer.htmlComputersMedia ActivismVideo ProductionProduct RecommendationsVideo Editingwvought@gmail.com (Wilton Vought)Fri, 08 Apr 2011 13:33:20 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081351066030755654.post-2575196910500757857Maybe you already have a computer you can press into service for editing videos. If not, it will pay to think carefully before buying one. Because particulars are changing all the time I can't make specific recommendations, but here are some things to consider:<br /> <br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;">1. Get the best computer you can afford.</span> Video is a memory and processor hog, and you will need all the computer you can get.<br /> <br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;">2. Review the recommended minimum specifications</span> for the software you are using or intend to use. You will need to at least meet these requirements, but since the specs are only the <span style="font-weight:bold;">minimum</span> requirements, they generally mean that you can avoid a great deal of aggravation and wasted time if you exceed them by a healthy margin. And since there is always a possibility you may decide to upgrade to higher-end editing software in the future, it is again wise to exceed these requirements if your budget allows. <br /> <br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;">3. Video Card:</span> Your intended software may list compatible video cards (check their website), so make sure your card is on the list.<br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;"><br /> 4. Hard Drives:</span> For best performance you should have three hard drives: one for the operating system (Windows, Mac, etc.), one for applications (your editing software and other programs), and one for your video projects. If your existing computer has only two internal drives, you can use external <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB_2.0#USB_2.0">USB 2.0</a> drives (see graphic below) to hold your current projects. External USB drives are also great for storing your completed projects, thus freeing space on the internal drive. For safety you will want two USB drives, each with a copy of your completed projects.<br /> <br /> <center><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B001D7REJ4&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe></center><br /> <br /> Get the biggest internal and external hard drives you can afford. Memory is much less expensive than it was in even the recent past, so don't scrimp here. With a one hour video tape holding approximately 12 <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gigabyte">GB</a> of data, you will need the extra storage capacity. Even then you will find yourself buying more USB drives as you complete your video projects.<br /> <br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;">5. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAM">RAM</a>:</span> You need at least 2 GB of Random Access Memory (RAM), but 4 GB is better and does not cost that much more. Your computer will perform better for it. New 64 bit computers now often come standard with 6 GB of RAM, which in itself is a great reason to buy a 64 bit computer.<br /> <br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;">6. Processors:</span> Dual core is better than single core, and most modern computers are now dual core. Quad core is even better, but not a requirement. And because video involves a lot of number crunching, faster is better.<br /> <br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;">7. Miscellaneous:</span> The computer should have at least two USB 2.0 ports, a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firewire">firewire</a> port and one or more CD/DVD reader/writers.<br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;"><br /> 8. Expandability:</span> If buying a desktop computer, make sure you can add <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PCI_Local_Bus">PCI</a> expansion cards if the need arises. For example, you may decide you need more USB ports. Two or three extra slots should be sufficient.<br /> <br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;">9. Where to Buy:</span> You should avoid the off-the-shelf computers sold at electronics stores. These are invariably filled with software you will never use and which may slow down your system. If such a computer has editing software pre-installed it will probably be <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Original_equipment_manufacturer">OEM</a>, meaning that if you like the software and later want to buy the newest version, you will have to pay full price rather than an upgrade price. Go to a computer specialist store and have them put together a system based on your needs. Have them install the operating system, but buy your editing software separately and install it yourself. This way you will not be paying for features and software you don't want or need. <br /> <br /> You might also do a web search for video editing computers. There are several reputable online companies selling computers specifically designed for video editing. Even if you don't buy from one of these companies, a familiarity with the specs of their computers will give you some idea of current standards. But be forewarned that some of these companies cater to an affluent crowd, so their computers tend to be state-of-the-art and pricey. If you stick to the guidelines shown above you can buy locally and be quite satisfied with a reasonably priced system.<br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;"><br /> Final Thoughts:</span> Computer specs are constantly improving. That cutting edge computer you buy today will be old hat in two or three years, and you will once again be longing for the latest model and/or kicking yourself for buying when you did. That's life. But so long as you can still edit efficiently on your current computer, you should resist the urge to upgrade.<br /> <br /> <center><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0979414245&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B001IDZKBC&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0816651515&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe></center><br /> <p><a href="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ProgressiveVideo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ProgressiveVideo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe to Progressive Video</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2081351066030755654-2575196910500757857?l=progressivevideo.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/q_lqzZAnfty8OPyxgmUqymJVRr0/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/q_lqzZAnfty8OPyxgmUqymJVRr0/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/q_lqzZAnfty8OPyxgmUqymJVRr0/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/q_lqzZAnfty8OPyxgmUqymJVRr0/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ProgressiveVideo/~4/bgWfMutwmp8" height="1" width="1"/>2011-04-08T16:33:20.985-04:000http://progressivevideo.blogspot.com/2009/05/buying-video-production-computer.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ProgressiveVideo/~3/mQnHynGEFJs/videographers-notes.htmlPodcastingPublic Access TVMedia ActivismVideo Productionwvought@gmail.com (Wilton Vought)Wed, 05 Oct 2011 14:37:53 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081351066030755654.post-838559266857595988Below is a link to a file I often send to event organizers. This file grew out of my recognition that the same mistakes were being made repeatedly by organizers and presenters. Fill in the bracketed information, cut, change or add items as you see fit, send to the proper people, and you stand a good chance of avoiding many of these problems. But please note that just because you send this file does not mean anyone will comply with it or even read it. I have found sending it to be generally helpful but not a panacea.<br /> <br /> <span style="font-style: italic;">https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dLslwkxOdFTZoAYEMC10hwdTwlfukKXgulVnbHcL8Rg/edit </span><br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&amp;o=1&amp;p=8&amp;l=as1&amp;asins=0813340950&amp;md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&amp;fc1=000000&amp;IS2=1&amp;lt1=_blank&amp;m=amazon&amp;lc1=0000FF&amp;bc1=FFFFFF&amp;bg1=FFFFFF&amp;f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&amp;o=1&amp;p=8&amp;l=as1&amp;asins=1595550542&amp;fc1=000000&amp;IS2=1&amp;lt1=_blank&amp;m=amazon&amp;lc1=0000FF&amp;bc1=FFFFFF&amp;bg1=FFFFFF&amp;f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&amp;o=1&amp;p=8&amp;l=as1&amp;asins=0313346607&amp;md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&amp;fc1=000000&amp;IS2=1&amp;lt1=_blank&amp;m=amazon&amp;lc1=0000FF&amp;bc1=FFFFFF&amp;bg1=FFFFFF&amp;f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><br /> <a href="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ProgressiveVideo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img alt="" src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" style="border: 0pt none; vertical-align: middle;" /></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ProgressiveVideo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe to Progressive Video</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2081351066030755654-838559266857595988?l=progressivevideo.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/d7UUE7ZEx_clp56EcZJiNOFmcBY/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/d7UUE7ZEx_clp56EcZJiNOFmcBY/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/d7UUE7ZEx_clp56EcZJiNOFmcBY/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/d7UUE7ZEx_clp56EcZJiNOFmcBY/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ProgressiveVideo/~4/mQnHynGEFJs" height="1" width="1"/>2011-10-05T17:37:53.074-04:000http://progressivevideo.blogspot.com/2009/05/videographers-notes.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ProgressiveVideo/~3/nbGdq1g-cF0/postmortem-ann-wright-on-gaza.htmlPodcastingPostmortemsPublic Access TVMedia ActivismVideo ProductionZoom H2wvought@gmail.com (Wilton Vought)Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:16:54 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081351066030755654.post-4612781363390320449This event was sponsored by <a href="http://bcpeaceaction.org/">Broome County Peace Action</a>, an organization for which I have produced several videos. I was first approached regarding the possibility of taping it while I was attending the weekly peace vigil in downtown Binghamton.<br /><br />This is just the kind of project I like to work on: A knowledgeable, respected and relatively well-known figure (in antiwar circles anyway) speaking from personal experience on a hard-hitting current topic. Additionally, the fact that she was an establishment figure who made a personal sacrifice to stand up for her beliefs gives her a great deal of stature. In terms of content, you can't do much better than that, and this video is a perfect candidate for my <span style="font-style:italic;">Essential Dissent</span> public access TV show. Also, the <a href="http://uubinghamton.org/">Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Binghamton</a> is a reasonably good setting for videotaping such an event: clean and uncluttered, decent lighting, and with a couple of good places to shoot from. They even have a good PA system, but we'll get to that.<br /><br />The video (in two parts):<br /><br /><embed src="http://blip.tv/play/gbs5_9M2if92" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="360" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed> <br /><br /><embed src="http://blip.tv/play/gbs5_+Agif92" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="360" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed> <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">What Went Wrong</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Backlighting</span><br /><br />Ann Wright had a slideshow looping on a screen to her left all through her talk. No problem there, but when she finished her main talk and was about to go into the Q&A, she moved from the lectern and stood directly in front of the screen. Because these events rarely afford me an opportunity to make precise camera settings, I tend to run the cameras on auto mode, meaning the white balance, iris, gain etc. are set automatically. When Ann stood in front of the screen, a light source, the iris closed to compensate. The result was that the screen was properly exposed, but she appeared in silhouette. Meanwhile Stephen (see below), who thought the Q&A was starting immediately, was getting a shot of the audience. Thus neither of us had an acceptable shot of Ann. This portion, in which Ann discussed her book for about about two minutes, did not make the cut.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Q&A Audio Curveball</span><br /><br />For Q&A audio, the organizers and I decided to set up a house microphone near the front and ask people to line up at it to ask questions. Accordingly, I attached a <a type="amzn" asin="B000VBH2IG">Zoom H2</a> digital audio recorder to a <a type="amzn" asin="B0018TAITA">mic stand</a> and placed it near the audience mic. My other option was to tap into the PA system's tape out jacks, but the cabinet was locked and the minister had several people vying for his attention, Thinking I had the situation well in hand, I did not pursue this option. Well, things didn't work out the way I had planned.<br /><br />Without notifying to me, the decision was made to instead pass the (wireless) audience mic from person to person as they asked questions. This left me with no nearby mic or audio recorder, and I was forced to use the audio coming into the mic on my front camera. Still usable, but far inferior. If I had tapped into the house PA, I would have had good Q&A audio whether the mic was stationary on a stand or passed around. Live and learn.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />What Went Right</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Otherwise Good Audio</span><br /><br />Ann wore my wireless mic, and the sound quality is excellent. People tell me that one of the things they really enjoy about my videos is that they can hear every word. <br /><br />Tarik, who introduced Ann, did not wear a wireless mic, but I got good audio anyway by placing an H2 (yes, I have more than one of these handy devices) on the lectern. You can see it in the above pictures. Because the H2 was not as close to Tarik's mouth as the wireless mic was to Ann's, his audio has more room reverb than does hers. But it's still crystal clear. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Many Hands Make Light Work</span><br /><br />Stephen, my sometimes assistant, was available and did a good job. While I set up for a straight-on shot from the back, he set up at the front and over to the right. He got well-composed alternate shots of Ann and Tarik, and during the Q&A he was able to swing the camera around to get audience shots. <br /><br />We communicated when necessary by using <a type="amzn" asin="B000789K6K">Motorola Talkabout T5920 walkie-talkies</a>, with headsets. (The headsets are sold separately. Here's a link to a <a type="amzn" asin="B0014C0HGK">current model of the walkie-talkies</a>.) For example, Stephen took some audience shots during Ann's talk, and before doing so asked me if I had a good stable shot, freeing him to swing his camera around. And as soon as Ann said she would be wrapping up and going into the Q&A I suggested that Stephen change tapes, since we were approaching the one hour limit. This way I could change tapes during the first question. (You don't want to both change tapes at the same time.) Since the wireless audio comes directly into my camera, I can't record it when I have to change tapes. If I can change tapes during an audience question, no harm done...that audio isn't coming into the speaker's wireless mic anyway. Also, one camera always has to have a good shot, and Stephen would have a good shot of the questioner at that point. <br /><br />Another good thing about having an H2 on the lectern or tapped into the PA system is that it keeps recording when I change tapes. But I prefer to stick with the wireless audio if possible. Otherwise if something has gone wrong with the H2 (for example, if I forgot to press the record button) then I would have no audio. This has never happened, but there's always a first time, and I can't monitor an H2 on the lectern in real time like I can the audio coming into my camera.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Slideshow</span><br /><br />Before the start, I copied the slideshow files (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JPEG">jpegs</a>) from Ann's laptop onto my <a type="amzn" asin="B000M2GYF6">flash drive</a>. During the portion of the shoot in which Ann referred to the slides, I used a third camera (SONY DCR-HC30) handheld to get video of the slideshow as it played. While editing, I lined this track up with the other tracks by synchronizing each track's audio, and using this as a guide was thus able to know which slide was showing on the screen as Ann was talking. I then imported the jpegs into my project, edited them into the video at the proper points, and deleted the handheld video I shot at the event. This was tedious (because there were a lot of slides) but not complex. I always avoid using video from a camera pointed at a screen. Such footage never works well, and looks amateurish. Editing in the jpegs is a far superior method.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />How I Would Have Shot This With One Camera</span><br /><br />To shoot this with only one camera I would have set up one of two ways, depending on whether or not I wanted to attempt to tape the Q&A. <br /><br />If I wanted the Q&A, I would set up where Stephen's camera was...up front and off to the right. Then I could pivot from the lectern to the questioner as needed. I would attempt to make my pans and zooms as slow and steady as possible.<br /><br />If I did not want the Q&A I would set up where I was for the two-camera shoot...at the back, straight on. I suppose one could set up at the back and go wide during the questions, showing the questioner from behind, but then you would have the screen to contend with, and the rest of your picture would be dark.<br /><br />Either way, I would (knowing what I know now) tap an H2 into the PA system's tape out jacks, thus getting excellent audio throughout. <br /><br />The slideshow would be problematic. I would still copy the jpegs onto a flash drive, but staying true to the program would be difficult. I would probably make quick notes describing the current pictures as Ann referred to them, then interpolate between those pictures. It might help to try to time the duration of a picture on the screen. A common duration is four seconds. Then you could have a ballpark estimate of where you should be in the slideshow, assuming you have a starting point and the pictures play in numerical order as they did in this case.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">A general note about these events:</span> You will almost never be notified that the program is about to start, even if you specifically request that you be notified, and even if the organizers promise to do so. Everyone has too many other things on their minds just prior to zero hour. As the scheduled start time approaches, be extra vigilant and ready to press the record button at the first hint that things are getting underway. Otherwise you will miss the beginning. But often times there will be an introductory speaker (about whom you will almost never be informed in advance), and if you have to cut this portion it's generally not a great loss. They might be talking about "housekeeping" issues such as shutting off cell phones (You did shut yours off, didn't you?), where the bathrooms are, their next event, etc. I always cut this if I can.<br /><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0143114948&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0896084019&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0748619585&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /><p><a href="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ProgressiveVideo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ProgressiveVideo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe to Progressive Video</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2081351066030755654-4612781363390320449?l=progressivevideo.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/u5ZkhKp9wjDTsmfieCNAv0fG9k8/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/u5ZkhKp9wjDTsmfieCNAv0fG9k8/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/u5ZkhKp9wjDTsmfieCNAv0fG9k8/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/u5ZkhKp9wjDTsmfieCNAv0fG9k8/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ProgressiveVideo/~4/nbGdq1g-cF0" height="1" width="1"/>2009-10-23T13:16:54.865-04:000http://progressivevideo.blogspot.com/2009/05/postmortem-ann-wright-on-gaza.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ProgressiveVideo/~3/9fZNhoak-Tc/blip-and-blogger.htmlPodcastingBloggerMedia ActivismVideo ProductionBlipwvought@gmail.com (Wilton Vought)Wed, 16 Feb 2011 07:56:54 PSTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081351066030755654.post-2660416739649683390No, these are not two of Santa's reindeer. They are the applications/services which enable me to make my videos available online at little or no cost.<br /> <br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://blip.tv/">Blip.tv</a></span><br /> <br /> Blip.tv is the service which hosts my videos. In other words, when I have a video ready for public viewing I upload it to Blip, which then stores it on their servers. They provide <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Html">HTML</a> code (a separate code for each video) which I then paste into the appropriate blog page, and this code causes a video player to appear when someone surfs to that page. If that person then presses the "play" button, a command is sent to Blip, telling their server to send the video data to the player.<br /> <br /> Blip offers two types of accounts, free or professional. A professional account costs the princely sum of $8.00 per month, and includes various perks which you may or may not find necessary. I highly recommend that you visit <a href="http://blip.tv/">Blip</a>, sign up for a free account, and get to know your way around. You can later decide whether or not you need a pro account.<br /> <br /> When you get to their website you will see a screen which looks something like this: (Click the screen to see a larger view.)<br /> <br /> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1hDEjVLxo04/Sf3GhgdVtjI/AAAAAAAAADs/DyukuHqOm7w/s1600-h/Blip+Entrance+Screen2.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 233px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_1hDEjVLxo04/Sf3GhgdVtjI/AAAAAAAAADs/DyukuHqOm7w/s320/Blip+Entrance+Screen2.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331635812827510322" /></a><br /> <br /> In the upper right corner you will see a link which says "Sign up!" After you complete this process, go to your Blip dashboard if you are not already there. (You can get there by clicking the "Dashboard" link at the top center of your screen.) From your dashboard you can access all of your account functions: upload videos, see your statistics, make changes, etc.<br /> <br /> One very valuable function of Blip is that they have taken it upon themselves to educate their members as to the basics of video production. They recognize that it is in their interest that videos shown via Blip be as professional as possible. My original intention when starting this blog was to focus on these fundamentals, and I still plan to mention them in passing when appropriate, but Blip does such a good job of it that I don't see a need to spend too much time on them. If you look on the lower left of your dashboard screen you will see a link which says "Get Help!" Click that link and then click on the "Learning Center" link shown in the left column of the resulting page. There you will find an excellent introduction to video production. <br /> <br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;">One Caveat:</span> Blip recommends <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-definition_video">High Definition</a> (HD) video cameras. Unless you are willing to shell out big bucks for a premium computer to accomodate that HD camera, stay away from HD for now. Keep your costs down by getting one or two entry level cameras (such as the <a href="http://progressivevideo.blogspot.com/2009/04/gear-recommendations-1.html">SONY DCR-HC52</a>), and concentrate on producing compelling content.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/start">Blogger</a><br /> <br /> Blogger is Google's free blogging service. Yes, there's that "free" word again. Go to <a href="https://www.blogger.com/start">Blogger</a> and click the orange "Create a Blog" button. You will then need to sign up for a Google account, or sign into your existing account if not already signed in. Follow the very simple and clear on-screen instructions, and you are now a blogger. (Suggestion: think for a few minutes about the name you want to give your blog.) Again, dive in and get to know your way around. <br /> <br /> I'll delve further into both of these services in future posts, but for now I just wanted to give you a peek at the behind the scenes mechanics of how I make my videos available online. I took a few wrongs turns, wasting time and money, before I stumbled onto this combination, and I hope I can spare you the same fate.<br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;"><br /> To summarize:</span> Blogger hosts my blog, and Blip hosts my videos. Blip provides the code which I paste into my blog, causing the videos to play. The combination of Blip and Blogger makes it easy and incredibly inexpensive, if not free, to post videos online.<br /> <br /> <center><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0470407425&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0807742880&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B0009HGVZW&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe></center><br /> <p><a href="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ProgressiveVideo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ProgressiveVideo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe to Progressive Video</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2081351066030755654-2660416739649683390?l=progressivevideo.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/pECdGeGi5biFQePnErud2UH6LY0/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/pECdGeGi5biFQePnErud2UH6LY0/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/pECdGeGi5biFQePnErud2UH6LY0/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/pECdGeGi5biFQePnErud2UH6LY0/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ProgressiveVideo/~4/9fZNhoak-Tc" height="1" width="1"/>2011-02-16T10:56:54.432-05:000http://progressivevideo.blogspot.com/2009/05/blip-and-blogger.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ProgressiveVideo/~3/nr8ASQfoims/postmortem-matilda-joslyn-gage-and.htmlPostmortemsPublic Access TVMedia ActivismVideo Productionwvought@gmail.com (Wilton Vought)Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:11:11 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081351066030755654.post-8751836875221812978I've decided to start doing postmortems of many of my video shoots. This will accomplish two things: (1) It will give you some insight into how I plan and execute these things, as well as what commonly goes wrong, and (2) By acknowledging my mistakes I hope to avoid them in the future.<br /><br />Let's dwell on that second point for a while. Always strive to improve, even if you are working pro bono. A prerequisite for this is that you be very honest with yourself and acknowledge your mistakes. Otherwise you will repeat them. <span style="font-weight:bold;">You need to be your own worst critic.</span> You also need to acknowledge things that negatively affected the video even if they were not due to your actions, in hopes of avoiding or mitigating them the next time. But along the way, remember to also stop and appreciate what went right. And keep a sense of humor about the disasters...video can be intense, but it should also be fun. <br /><br />The video:<br /><br /><embed src="http://blip.tv/play/gbs5_dZHif92" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="360" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed> <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">What Went Wrong</span><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Pilot Error</span> <br /><br />I did not have Dr. Wagner's <a type="amzn" asin="B001I1SZRK">wireless mic</a> receiver turned on for the first 38 seconds, thus I did not have quality audio at this point. Luckily this portion was not vital to the program, and I deleted it. I could have used the audio from Deborah Hughes' wireless mic, but Dr. Wagner's voice was very distant sounding this way, and the recording level was too low. My only (lame) excuse is that I had taped <a href="http://essentialdissent.blogspot.com/search?q=growing+sustainable+community+april+18+2009">four workshops</a> the day before and was dead tired. <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Poor Mic Placement</span> <br /><br />Dr. Wagner's mic should have been clipped to her right side rather than her left side, or better yet in the middle. Every time she turned toward Ms. Hughes while talking, the sound level going into her mic dropped precipitously. I was able to correct for this in editing to a large degree, but it involved probably two hours or so of microsurgery on the audio track. Note to self: Ask where the presenters will be standing in relation to each other. The mic also tended to rub against her sweater, causing clicking noises.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Recurring Demon From Hell</span> <br /><br />A totally clueless News 10 Now cameraman walked through my shot three times carrying his tripod. He also set up directly in front of me as the talk was underway, blocking the shot from one of my two cameras. I've done probably 100+ shoots at this point, but this was a first. I told him to move in no uncertain terms. Luckily my close-up camera still had a shot. Here's Satan himself:<br /><br /><embed src="http://blip.tv/play/gbs5_dkjif92" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="360" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed> <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Backlighting</span> <br /><br />This was undoubtedly the biggest problem of the day. I had to shoot into a light source, namely the windows, and cameras don't like this. The blinds were drawn but it was a sunny day, and it got brighter as the day progressed. Because of the backlighting, the speakers, especially Ms. Hughes (because more light was coming through her window), tended to be in partial silhouette on their closeups, so I used the wide shot more than I would have liked. This was my second shoot in this location, and I was hoping for a cloudy day. <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Poor Communication Prior to the Event</span> <br /><br />I was in communication with the organizers, who were in communciation with the presenters, but I was not in direct communication with the presenters. This is quite common, but it can lead to problems. In this case I didn't know there was going to be so much audience interaction. But actually I don't think I could have done the shoot better even if I had been aware of this. I was operating two cameras (SONY PD-170s) set up to tape the speakers, and had my hands full. I could not always turn a camera such that it pointed at the audience member who was speaking. To really do this right I would have needed a second camera operator working a third camera, up front and pointing back at the audience. Since I didn't have an assistant or a third high-quality camera, there was no remedy for this. <br /><br />Eventually I remembered that I had my <a type="amzn" asin="B0001BVXJK">SONY DCR-HC30</a> (a one-chip, consumer level camera) on hand, and when I couldn't get a shot with a PD-170 I did some handheld shots of the audience, which I thought might be better than nothing. This also helped me to get better audio, since this camera's mic was then my closest mic to the audience members who were talking. I was thus able to include almost all of the audience participation. But at one point (circa 12:30) my vain attempt to capture the audience participation left me out of position to get a good shot of the speakers. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">What Went Right</span><br /><br />Yes, some things actually went right.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Good Camera Technique</span> <br /><br />Other than not always being able to get the audience shots, my standard camera setup for this type of shoot worked effectively. I set one camera on a wide shot and the other on a closeup. I moved the closeup shot from one speaker to another, depending on who was talking. In editing, while I was moving the closeup shot from one speaker to the other I used to the wide shot until the new closeup was established. But like I said earlier, I didn't use those closeups so much because of the backlighting.<br /><br />The trick is to think of your cameras not as two individual cameras, but each as one half of a team, and always have one of them on an acceptable wide shot. This will free up the other camera to get close-ups, audience shots, and B-roll.<br /><br />If I were doing this shoot with a single camera such as the <a type="amzn" asin="B00123Q8VY">SONY DCR-HC52</a>, I would just get a static shot of both presenters from the same area I actually set up in (front & center). For audio I'd set a <a type="amzn" asin="B000VBH2IG">Zoom H2</a> on a mic stand in close proximity to the presenters, and in the editing process replace the audio from the on-camera mic with the audio from the H2. The audience participation would either get cut entirely (my probable choice), or I'd keep the parts that had usable audio. I'd have a choice of staying on a shot of the presenters while the audience member is talking, or trying to get a shot of the audience member and then smoothly recovering my shot of the presenters. This second option never seems to work well. It's better to understand and accept the limitations of a one-camera live event shoot, in which you have only one chance to get it right, than to try to do it all and look amateurish. You lose some content this way, but I find that audience comments and questions are often rambling and/or off topic anyway, although that was not the case this time. <br /><br />There are two other options for a Q&A: (1) Show only the responses to the questions. This can work surprisingly well. (2) Summarize the questions in a title board, record a voiceover of the summary, then show the response. You don't need broadcast quality audio in your source tapes for this; it just needs to be good enough for you to hear the question. Sometimes you don't even need that. You can infer the question from the answer.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">B-Roll</span> <br /><br />I remembered to get some close-ups of the posters the presenters were referring to. I made stills from these and edited them in at the appropriate points.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Good Content</span><br /><br />Despite these various issues this was still a reasonably good project, primarily because of the content. Among a select set of viewers this will be greeted as an important, educational, and entertaining video. One could do worse, and in the end this outweighs any technical flaws.<br /><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0071406352&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0240805666&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=1578202086&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /><p><a href="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ProgressiveVideo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ProgressiveVideo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe to Progressive Video</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2081351066030755654-8751836875221812978?l=progressivevideo.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/P3Ukm5ZxIZ4p41Red5VXHYdarDY/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/P3Ukm5ZxIZ4p41Red5VXHYdarDY/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/P3Ukm5ZxIZ4p41Red5VXHYdarDY/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/P3Ukm5ZxIZ4p41Red5VXHYdarDY/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ProgressiveVideo/~4/nr8ASQfoims" height="1" width="1"/>2009-10-14T15:11:11.696-04:000http://progressivevideo.blogspot.com/2009/04/postmortem-matilda-joslyn-gage-and.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ProgressiveVideo/~3/LKeRoOZ6vL8/product-recommendations-2.htmlAudioPublic Access TVMedia ActivismVideo ProductionAccessoriesAudio RecordersProduct RecommendationsZoom H2wvought@gmail.com (Wilton Vought)Tue, 05 Jul 2011 07:44:13 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081351066030755654.post-4964564774460495580One thing I will stress repeatedly is that you need to be a fanatic about getting good audio. <span style="font-weight:bold;">Poor quality audio will cost you your audience.</span> People just don't want to have to strain to hear what was said, and they will quickly change the channel or surf away from your video in this case. <br /> <br /> A camera gathers its information in the form of light rays, and I can stand anywhere in, say, an amphitheater-style room and get a decent shot of a speaker at the front just by pointing my camera in the proper direction. But an audio recorder gathers sound waves, and to do this effectively I need to have a mic in close proximity to the sound source, i.e. the speakers mouth. If I use an on-camera mic in this situation I will be recording not only the speaker's voice, but also any room noises, such as coughs, sneezes, crying babies, squeaking chairs, air conditioner noises, cell phones ringing, audience members talking and laughing...you get the idea. These noises may become so loud and distracting that they render your audio unusable. Also consider that unlike light, sound wave amplitude (volume) decreases with the square of the distance, so if Microphone B is twice as far away from the sound source as Microphone A, the sound waves hitting it will be 1/4 as strong, not 1/2 as strong. You need a mic close to the sound source to ensure that the desired audio is louder than the noise. This will also avoid adding room reverb to your audio track.<br /> <br /> I have wireless mics which can record directly to my SONY PD170 cameras, and whenever possible I either get the speaker(s) to wear a wireless mic or I clip or <a type="amzn" asin="B000QDRRIE">tape</a> a wireless mic onto the house mic at the lectern. This option is probably beyond the budgetary pain threshold of most of my readers, but luckily there are reasonably priced solutions to this problem.<br /> <br /> There are several options available here, but I'll cut to the chase and tell you what I use (as a backup or when I can't use my wireless mics), which is the <a type="amzn" asin="B000VBH2IG">Zoom H2</a>, shown below at left.<br /> <br /> <center><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B000VBH2IG&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B000YTTFWQ&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe></center><br /> <br /> For best audio, plug a <a type="amzn" asin="B00006I51V">lavaliere mic</a> into the H2, and clip the mic onto the speaker's lapel. The H2 would then go into the speaker's pocket. You can also tape the lavaliere to the house mic, but this can lead to problems if the presenter later tries to move the house mic. Or you can place an H2 on the lectern or on a <a type="amzn" asin="B0018TAITA">mic stand</a> as close to the speaker as is reasonable. The H2 can record in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WAV">wave format</a> (.wav) or in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mp3">MP3 format</a>, and I generally record in Mp3 320 format, which is virtually indistinguishable from wave format but, because it is compressed, allows a much longer record time. You select this mode via a simple menu option. When you get ready to edit your project you will connect the H2 to your computer via a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usb">USB </a>cable and then drag and drop the H2's audio file into your project folder. You can also get an inexpensive <a type="amzn" asin="B0019447JQ">USB card reader</a> if you want to speed up the transfer process. You will then replace (or sometimes augment) the audio recorded by your on-camera mic with the audio recorded by the H2. <br /> <br /> For instructions on how to synchronize the H2 audio with your on-camera audio, see <a href="http://progressivevideo.blogspot.com/2009/05/video-editing-how-to-synchronize-tracks.html">Video Editing: How to Synchronize Tracks</a>.<br /> <br /> If there is a house PA system which has "record out" or "tape out" jacks, you can connect the H2 directly to the house system using the supplied Y-cord. This can yield excellent results, but one of my pet peeves is that many PA systems do not have these jacks. Churches are notorious for this. If the venue has a sound technician, <span style="font-weight:bold;">ask first</span> before getting within ten feet of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mixing_board">mixing board</a>. Tell them immediately that you have no intention of even touching the board without their permission. These people tend to be quite territorial, but if you show due respect you can often enlist their aid in getting the proper mixing board settings which will result in a superior audio track. <br /> <br /> I put the H2 in record mode well before the scheduled start time and then forget about it until I'm tearing down.<br /> <br /> The H2 records to <a type="amzn" asin="B000YTTFWQ">SD memory cards</a> (maximum size 4 GB, shown above), which are ultra-reliable, low cost, and can be reused indefinitely.<br /> <br /> I'll write more on the subject of <a href="http://progressivevideo.blogspot.com/search/label/Audio">audio</a> in future posts (an understatement), but for now you might want to peruse the specs and customer reviews for this device on the Amazon website by clicking the Zoom H2 graphic shown above. You can also check out similar devices shown below, but in my opinion the Zoom H2 is a better buy.<br /> <br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;">Related Post:</span> <a href="http://progressivevideo.blogspot.com/2009/05/using-zoom-h2-digital-audio-recorder.html">How to Use a Zoom H2 Digital Audio Recorder Instead of a Wireless Microphone</a><br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.zoom.co.jp/english/products/h2/SDlist.html">H2 Operation Confirmed SD Cards</a><br /> <br /> <center><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B000NQBDB6&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B001D19KRE&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B0013K58DU&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe></center><br /> <p><a href="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ProgressiveVideo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ProgressiveVideo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe to Progressive Video</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2081351066030755654-4964564774460495580?l=progressivevideo.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/uoNPPJL1RIDofXJqdYl5KAI7ra0/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/uoNPPJL1RIDofXJqdYl5KAI7ra0/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/uoNPPJL1RIDofXJqdYl5KAI7ra0/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/uoNPPJL1RIDofXJqdYl5KAI7ra0/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ProgressiveVideo/~4/LKeRoOZ6vL8" height="1" width="1"/>2011-07-05T10:44:13.210-04:003http://progressivevideo.blogspot.com/2009/04/product-recommendations-2.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ProgressiveVideo/~3/yZC2_Q8C1jk/gear-recommendations-1.htmlAudioPublic Access TVMedia ActivismVideo ProductionAccessoriesCamerasProduct Recommendationswvought@gmail.com (Wilton Vought)Sat, 22 Jan 2011 12:04:04 PSTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081351066030755654.post-1386180074635411339After looking over various candidates, I believe a good low-cost camera which will perform quite well for aspiring public access TV producers and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podcast">podcasters</a> is the <a type="amzn" asin="B00123Q8VY">SONY DCR-HC52</a>, shown below along with a tripod and extra battery. <br /> <br /> <iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B00123Q8VY&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B0012GC44Q&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B000ME8R22&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /> <br /> <br /> <span style="font-weight:bold;">Please Note:</span> I am recommending the DCR-HC52 on the basis of low price and reasonably good quality for the entry level videographer who wants ease of use and who intends to focus on producing compelling content rather than the slickest in production values. There are many other good cameras out there, and if this camera doesn't appeal to you I suggest you do some research and find the one which fits your needs. <br /> <br /> Although I have much higher-end cameras (SONY DSR-PD170's) because I also do professional videography, for my peace & justice videos I sometimes use a less expensive camera. An example would be at antiwar demonstrations, where weight and portability are a concern (not to mention the safety of my expensive gear). In these situations I use my <a type="amzn" asin="B0001BVXJK">SONY DCR-HC30</a>, which is an earlier model of the camera I am recommending above. The picture quality is excellent, and the small size means I can fit it into my pocket or a <a type="amzn" asin="B0007OPIME">fanny pack</a>. (The fanny pack can also hold extra tapes and batteries.) And I trust the SONY brand, as I've owned several of their cameras with never a problem. But I don't want to give you the impression that this camera is limited to these situations. It's a good all-round camera suitable for indoor and outdoor use, for interviews, and for community events. Its point and shoot capabilities ("Easy Handycam" mode in SONY-speak) enable even a beginner to get excellent results.<br /> <br /> Here's a video shot in Easy Handycam mode with my DCR-HC30:<br /> <br /> <embed src="http://blip.tv/play/gbs5+IZtif92" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="360" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed> <br /> <br /> Before I upload a completed video to <a href="http://www.essentialdissent.blogspot.com/">my video blog</a>, I have to export it from my editing software (<a type="amzn" asin="B001EUIXL8">Adobe Premiere Pro CS4</a>) as a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wmv">Windows Media Video</a> file. (My internet host then changes it to "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_video">flash</a>," but I'm getting ahead of myself.) This "compresses" the data, which is a fancy way of saying that it tosses out most of the data while retaining as much of the quality as possible. I wish I could show you the original uncompressed footage, because it is truly high quality for an inexpensive camera. But even the compressed version you see here is much better than many internet videos, and good enough that it enables the viewer to concentrate on the video rather than any technical flaws.<br /> <br /> To remain mobile I started out hand held, switching to a tripod only after the march. The tripod of course allows for a much more stable picture, and a tripod suitable for this camera is shown above.<br /> <br /> For this video I used the on-camera microphone (mic), and if you watch the video you can hear that the sound quality is very good, except at the beginning when I was not quite in position to horn in on the reporter's interview. (The first time I hijacked an interview I thought maybe it was not quite kosher, but I've done it several times since and none of the reporters have ever complained. I've shot some excellent footage this way.) <br /> <br /> Although my DCR-HC30 also has a jack for an external mic, this jack is not present on the DCR-HC52. At one time I would have considered this a fatal flaw, but excellent quality audio gear is so inexpensive these days that you can work around this by getting a "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Field_recorder">field recorder</a>," which will be the subject of <a href="http://progressivevideo.blogspot.com/2009/04/product-recommendations-2.html">another post</a>. And truth be told, I never did much like the idea of running a wire from my camera to the subject. I can recall doing this maybe twice. For demonstrations or up-close interviews in reasonably quiet surroundings the on-camera mic will work just fine. If you are taping someone speaking at a lectern and addressing a large gathering, you will want the field recorder, but in this case you would still need a field recorder even if the DCR-HC52 had an external mic jack.<br /> <br /> If you absolutely need an external mic jack, I suggest the SONY DCR-HC38, shown below. But for a bit more you can buy two of the SONY DCR-HC52s, and having two cameras will benefit you much more than will having one camera with an external mic jack.<br /> <br /> <iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B000M3LUPO&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /> <br /> Always carry a spare battery. When they run down you can recharge them (between shoots) right on the camera using the supplied AC adapter. You can also buy a separate <a type="amzn" asin="B000U92DLA">battery charger</a>, and if you are traveling this will enable you to recharge batteries by plugging into your car's cigarette lighter.<br /> <br /> You'll also need these: <br /> <br /> <iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B0009HGVZW&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B000165AS0&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B0000632H7&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /> <br /> The Mini DV tapes on the left are what you will record to. The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firewire">firewire</a> (IEEE-1394) cable allows you to transfer data (your video...remember, it's a bunch of ones and zeros) from the camera to your editing computer, sort of like a USB cable. (Make sure your computer has a firewire port, or that you can add one.) You'll need to clean the camera's tape heads occasionally, hence the cleaning tape. If your picture quality starts to degrade, put the camera in "play/edit" mode and run the cleaning tape for 10 seconds. Better yet, refer to the camera's manual for the manufacturer's recommendation on how often to run the cleaning tape, so that you can preempt any problems.<br /> <br /> By the way, always buy from trusted sources. The electronics industry seems to draw more than its share of rip-off artists. And if you buy from the "gray market," (products not intended for use in your country), you may find that you have no warranty or recourse in case of a problem. I've had good luck with Amazon, which has a feedback and guarantee system and seems to weed out the shysters. B&H Photo, whose ad can be found in the right-hand column of this blog, is undoubtedly the Big Kahuna of the video world. I've made several relatively big ticket purchases from them and have no complaints. <br /> <br /> In an <a href="http://progressivevideo.blogspot.com/2009/04/my-first-video-project-3.html">earlier post</a> I mentioned B-roll, and you will notice that I made use of B-roll in this video also. I shot some footage of people holding signs, made stills from the video footage, and edited the stills in at appropriate points.<br /> <br /> <center><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0240809351&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0321552962&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0071496432&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe></center><br /> <p><a href="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ProgressiveVideo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ProgressiveVideo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe to Progressive Video</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2081351066030755654-1386180074635411339?l=progressivevideo.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/tITzR6lJzVL6eSDpSJaYEWftuuQ/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/tITzR6lJzVL6eSDpSJaYEWftuuQ/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/tITzR6lJzVL6eSDpSJaYEWftuuQ/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/tITzR6lJzVL6eSDpSJaYEWftuuQ/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ProgressiveVideo/~4/yZC2_Q8C1jk" height="1" width="1"/>2011-01-22T15:04:04.983-05:003noAfter looking over various candidates, I believe a good low-cost camera which will perform quite well for aspiring public access TV producers and podcasters is the SONY DCR-HC52, shown below along with a tripod and extra battery. Please Note: I am recommeWilton VoughtAfter looking over various candidates, I believe a good low-cost camera which will perform quite well for aspiring public access TV producers and podcasters is the SONY DCR-HC52, shown below along with a tripod and extra battery. Please Note: I am recommending the DCR-HC52 on the basis of low price and reasonably good quality for the entry level videographer who wants ease of use and who intends to focus on producing compelling content rather than the slickest in production values. There are many other good cameras out there, and if this camera doesn't appeal to you I suggest you do some research and find the one which fits your needs. Although I have much higher-end cameras (SONY DSR-PD170's) because I also do professional videography, for my peace & justice videos I sometimes use a less expensive camera. An example would be at antiwar demonstrations, where weight and portability are a concern (not to mention the safety of my expensive gear). In these situations I use my SONY DCR-HC30, which is an earlier model of the camera I am recommending above. The picture quality is excellent, and the small size means I can fit it into my pocket or a fanny pack. (The fanny pack can also hold extra tapes and batteries.) And I trust the SONY brand, as I've owned several of their cameras with never a problem. But I don't want to give you the impression that this camera is limited to these situations. It's a good all-round camera suitable for indoor and outdoor use, for interviews, and for community events. Its point and shoot capabilities ("Easy Handycam" mode in SONY-speak) enable even a beginner to get excellent results. Here's a video shot in Easy Handycam mode with my DCR-HC30: Before I upload a completed video to my video blog, I have to export it from my editing software (Adobe Premiere Pro CS4) as a Windows Media Video file. (My internet host then changes it to "flash," but I'm getting ahead of myself.) This "compresses" the data, which is a fancy way of saying that it tosses out most of the data while retaining as much of the quality as possible. I wish I could show you the original uncompressed footage, because it is truly high quality for an inexpensive camera. But even the compressed version you see here is much better than many internet videos, and good enough that it enables the viewer to concentrate on the video rather than any technical flaws. To remain mobile I started out hand held, switching to a tripod only after the march. The tripod of course allows for a much more stable picture, and a tripod suitable for this camera is shown above. For this video I used the on-camera microphone (mic), and if you watch the video you can hear that the sound quality is very good, except at the beginning when I was not quite in position to horn in on the reporter's interview. (The first time I hijacked an interview I thought maybe it was not quite kosher, but I've done it several times since and none of the reporters have ever complained. I've shot some excellent footage this way.) Although my DCR-HC30 also has a jack for an external mic, this jack is not present on the DCR-HC52. At one time I would have considered this a fatal flaw, but excellent quality audio gear is so inexpensive these days that you can work around this by getting a "field recorder," which will be the subject of another post. And truth be told, I never did much like the idea of running a wire from my camera to the subject. I can recall doing this maybe twice. For demonstrations or up-close interviews in reasonably quiet surroundings the on-camera mic will work just fine. If you are taping someone speaking at a lectern and addressing a large gathering, you will want the field recorder, but in this case you would still need a field recorder even if the DCR-HC52 had an external mic jack. If you absolutely need an external mic jack, I suggest the SONY DCR-HC38, shown below. But for a bit more you can buy two of the SONY DCR-HC52s, and having two cameras will benefit you public,access,TV,video,productionhttp://progressivevideo.blogspot.com/2009/04/gear-recommendations-1.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ProgressiveVideo/~3/l8XsAh4cpKE/my-first-video-project-3.htmlPublic Access TVMedia ActivismVideo Productionwvought@gmail.com (Wilton Vought)Fri, 29 May 2009 10:27:00 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081351066030755654.post-3311041536776274857<span style="font-weight:bold;">A Simulated Two-Camera Shoot</span><br /><br />Still referring to <a href="http://progressivevideo.blogspot.com/2009/04/brief-personal-history.html">my first video</a>, you may be wondering where the different shots came from if, as I said, only one camera was used. What you are watching is a simulated two-camera shoot. We kept the camera on Mary Jo through most of the shoot, and had Mike ask Mary Jo most of the questions a second time with the camera on him only or on him and Mary Jo. Then we edited this in after the shoot. We also shot what is called "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B-roll">B-roll</a>," which is a term for any alternate shots which you then have the option of editing in later at an appropriate point. In this case the B-roll consisted of shots of Mike. We edited these in later in with the idea of varying the shot a bit instead of focusing just on Mary Jo all the time. Another technique was to stop and reposition the camera from time to time. We made these breaks flow smoothly in the final production by using transitions (in this case cross fades) or fading to black momentarily. The net effect of all this is a more interesting video than would have been possible if we had used a static shot of both Mike and Mary Jo throughout.<br /><br />Of course, it's possible to dispense with these techniques and just use the static shot. But you should at least be aware of them so that you have the option of using them when appropriate.<br /><br />One thing to bear in mind is that <span style="font-weight:bold;">video is a closeup medium.</span> We'll delve further into shot composition later on, but for now just remember to zoom right in on your subject(s). You want your viewers to have no doubt as to who or what they are supposed to be looking at. This is doubly important for online videos since they are mostly viewed using a small video player, and if you are zoomed out your subject will appear very tiny on the screen.<br /><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0805858482&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0240809688&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0240807790&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /><p><a href="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ProgressiveVideo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ProgressiveVideo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe to Progressive Video</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2081351066030755654-3311041536776274857?l=progressivevideo.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/iCMI7OfCXAVJNF0tFlB01spbCkY/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/iCMI7OfCXAVJNF0tFlB01spbCkY/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/iCMI7OfCXAVJNF0tFlB01spbCkY/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/iCMI7OfCXAVJNF0tFlB01spbCkY/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ProgressiveVideo/~4/l8XsAh4cpKE" height="1" width="1"/>2009-05-29T13:27:00.142-04:000http://progressivevideo.blogspot.com/2009/04/my-first-video-project-3.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ProgressiveVideo/~3/WX1CZd0qdow/my-first-video-project-2.htmlPublic Access TVMedia ActivismVideo Productionwvought@gmail.com (Wilton Vought)Wed, 16 Feb 2011 07:10:35 PSTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081351066030755654.post-5365356557348625645<span style="font-weight:bold;">Introductions</span><br /> <br /> If you've watched at least part of <a href="http://progressivevideo.blogspot.com/2009/04/brief-personal-history.html">my first video</a> then you've noticed the fancy introduction. You don't need to use an intro of this sort, and in fact that intro is something I added much more recently. I wouldn't have known how to construct it when I was first starting out. But I generally no longer use intros of any sort for internet videos. People are too busy, and there are too many other things vying for their attention online. You risk losing your audience if they have to sit through an intro, so just dive right in. <br /> <br /> I now use "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lower_third">lower third</a>" titles, so called because they appear on the lower third of the screen as the video is playing, to display any information I think needs to be shown. You will need editing software and a computer for this, and we will get to that in due time. You can also post relevant text to your blog or website, in the vicinity of the video player, instead of displaying it within the video. This can be a good option, but just be aware that if people can download the video, that online text will not go along for the ride. I always try (although I sometimes forget) to put the video title, names of speakers, and the <a href="http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080411075222AAx2AEa">url</a> of my blog in one or more lower thirds. This way people know who is speaking and on what subject, where the video came from, where to see more videos like it, and how to contact me (via my video blog). It's also a good idea to include the date, location, and event title if relevant.<br /> <br /> I do still use intros for public access TV, where I feel it's important to let viewers know the name of the program they are watching. This can help to build repeat viewership. I also use credits at the end, and there I list the people and organizations who played a role in the making of the video, either on or off screen. I also display my name and contact info, which is required by my public access provider. I used to display the url of my video blog in hopes of getting more traffic, but it has since come to my attention that some stations will not air tapes which contain a url, so to be on the safe side I have discontinued this practice.<br /> <br /> So how can you drive traffic to your blog without displaying a url on your TV show? I do this by using a watermark (aka a "bug") in the lower right corner of my videos. It says "Essential Dissent" (the name of my show) in small but legible print. Anyone who gets curious and types the show name into Google will find my blog. I also include this watermark in the on-line versions of my videos. For the internet version the watermark can be at the lower right corner of the video. For the TV version, it needs to be at the lower right corner of the inner safe margin, otherwise it may not appear on the TV screen.<br /> <br /> <center><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0896084019&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=1592576133&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0415297850&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe></center><br /> <p><a href="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ProgressiveVideo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ProgressiveVideo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe to Progressive Video</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2081351066030755654-5365356557348625645?l=progressivevideo.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/q71PqlaBZYHZ96eGc72RN3nfrp8/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/q71PqlaBZYHZ96eGc72RN3nfrp8/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/q71PqlaBZYHZ96eGc72RN3nfrp8/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/q71PqlaBZYHZ96eGc72RN3nfrp8/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ProgressiveVideo/~4/WX1CZd0qdow" height="1" width="1"/>2011-02-16T10:10:35.611-05:000http://progressivevideo.blogspot.com/2009/04/my-first-video-project-2.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ProgressiveVideo/~3/5fgKxcw99UM/my-first-video-project.htmlPublic Access TVMedia ActivismVideo Productionwvought@gmail.com (Wilton Vought)Sat, 20 Jun 2009 19:21:11 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081351066030755654.post-2232575450744633320<span style="font-weight:bold;">Camera Basics</span><br /><br />I guess a good place to start really getting into the nuts and bolts of video production is to talk further about my first video project, which I <a href="http://progressivevideo.blogspot.com/2009/04/brief-personal-history.html">previously mentioned</a>.<br /><br />This was shot using a <a type="amzn" asin="B000086G0F">SONY DCR-TRV350 camera</a>, which is a one-chip camera using the "Digital8" format. I think I paid about $450 for it. Do not even consider buying a camera which is not digital. The quality is so superior to analog cameras that there is really no comparison, and I doubt you can even find a new analog camera in the price range we will be looking at. <br /><br />However, as I later learned, the standard format among most video enthusiasts is <a href="http://www.techterms.com/definition/minidv">Mini DV</a>. Digital8 is SONY's proprietary format, and if they stop supporting it, you are stuck in a dead end. Also, if you want to trade tapes or collaborate with other public access TV producers, who primarily use Mini DV, well...you get the picture. So although Digital8 has the same quality specs as Mini DV, I recommend you choose Mini DV. I will make specific camera recommendations in a <a href="http://progressivevideo.blogspot.com/2009/04/gear-recommendations-1.html">later post</a>.<br /><br />There are newer formats coming out now, for example cameras which record directly to DVD or flash memory, but I am taking a wait and see attitude and I have to confess that I don't know enough about them to make a recommendation either way. An obvious advantage of such a camera is the cost savings derived from not having to buy tapes. Here's an example:<br /><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B001P3O3O0&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /><br />Some cable companies require public access TV shows to be submitted in Mini DV format. If you plan to have a TV show and are considering using a different format, you should look into this before buying a camera.<br /><br />A "chip," also known as a "charge coupled device," or CCD, is an electronic device which transforms light into digital information. This information (ones and zeros) then gets recorded to the tape or other recording medium. Cheaper "consumer" cameras use one chip, while professional or "prosumer" cameras generally use three chips. A <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three-CCD">three-chip</a> camera first passes the light through a prism which sends it to three separate chips, each of which is optimized for handling that specific color (red, green, or blue). The result is superior picture quality, but although I have since graduated to three-chip cameras, you really don't need to do so in order to produce acceptable quality videos for public access TV or the internet. Take a good look at that <a href="http://progressivevideo.blogspot.com/2009/04/brief-personal-history.html">first video</a> of mine and you will be convinced of this.<br /><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B000K18NLM&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B0012GC44Q&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B00123Q8VY&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /><p><a href="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ProgressiveVideo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ProgressiveVideo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe to Progressive Video</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2081351066030755654-2232575450744633320?l=progressivevideo.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/-GKLfsq7bC8kaRVQRPOIRdwWNgQ/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/-GKLfsq7bC8kaRVQRPOIRdwWNgQ/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/-GKLfsq7bC8kaRVQRPOIRdwWNgQ/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/-GKLfsq7bC8kaRVQRPOIRdwWNgQ/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ProgressiveVideo/~4/5fgKxcw99UM" height="1" width="1"/>2009-06-20T22:21:11.102-04:000http://progressivevideo.blogspot.com/2009/04/my-first-video-project.htmlhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ProgressiveVideo/~3/IOoLVRHY5Y8/overview.htmlPublic Access TVMedia ActivismVideo Productionwvought@gmail.com (Wilton Vought)Sun, 20 Jun 2010 07:55:52 PDTtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2081351066030755654.post-3773951549332575961The corporate media have a major problem. They have multi-million dollar production studios with the latest in high-tech cameras and editing software. They employ highly trained technicians who have decades of experience. <span style="font-weight:bold;">But much of the time they have nothing useful to say.</span> This is because they are locked into a corporate agenda and cannot go against the interests of their masters. They need to turn a profit, and must therefore ignore, obfuscate, deny, soft pedal, and lie lest they piss off the sponsors. And if they delved into substantive issues, the public might begin to understand how sick our society is, how criminal and corrupt. They might then further come to understand that the criminals are in fact the ones in control. Such projects also cost more than, for example, the "reality" (an Orwellian term) shows of which they are so fond. So instead they focus on sensationalism: the latest tawdry murder (best if it contains a sexual angle), pop stars, stupid games which teach that we all need to hate each other, and a myriad of disconnected events which are purposely designed to distract you and make you feel that you are an isolated, powerless nobody. <br /> <br /> By the way, notice that I refer to them as “corporate” media, not “mainstream” media. There is nothing mainstream about them. They do not address the real-life concerns of everyday people, who want secure, meaningful employment, a clean environment, affordable healthcare and housing, safe streets, and a peaceful world fit for their children to live in.<br /> <br /> But the corporate media's weakness is our strength. We are beholden to no one, have no need to turn a profit, and can focus on creating <span style="font-weight:bold;">compelling content</span>. This is the key concept to remember. People may or may not agree with your views, but if you can show them what is happening in your community, if you can present to them a speaker who has something interesting to say, if you can provide an alternative to the vacuous drivel infesting the commercial channels, then you will find an audience. And you will have done your part in the grand project of reclaiming public discourse from those who have, for their own base interests, purposely degraded it into the sorry mess we see today.<br /> <br /> <iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=1424333571&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0745324126&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=me03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0375714499&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe><br /> <p><a href="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ProgressiveVideo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml"><img src="http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/feed-icon16x16.png" alt="" style="vertical-align:middle;border:0"/></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://feeds2.feedburner.com/ProgressiveVideo" rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml">Subscribe to Progressive Video</a></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2081351066030755654-3773951549332575961?l=progressivevideo.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/KLWTMC5hcubvFiAbdL6kTLlDe0g/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/KLWTMC5hcubvFiAbdL6kTLlDe0g/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/KLWTMC5hcubvFiAbdL6kTLlDe0g/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/KLWTMC5hcubvFiAbdL6kTLlDe0g/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ProgressiveVideo/~4/IOoLVRHY5Y8" height="1" width="1"/>2010-06-20T10:55:52.506-04:000http://progressivevideo.blogspot.com/2009/04/overview.html© Wilton VoughtWilton Voughtnonadult