Izzy Video

[FS] Izzy Video 137 - How to Use Wild Sound to Create Continuity [Free Show]

izzy@izzyvideo.com (Israel Hyman) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 08:54:17 -0700

Sometimes when people shoot video, they forget about the audio. In this tutorial, my goal is to help you add a tool to your audio toolbox that can help ease the transition from one clip in your sequence to the next. It’s called wild sound.

Topics I cover in this tutorial:

* What is wild sound?
* What tools do you need to capture it?
* A couple tips for capturing it
* How you can use it in your sequence

The ‘before and after’ example in this video is pretty subtle. My recommendation is that you wear headphones and listen closely so you’ll be able to hear the difference.

Have more tips for the Izzy Video viewers? Please post them in the comments…
Become an Izzy Video Member

Want more? Izzy Video Members get access to the complete collection of Izzy Video Tutorials. Please follow this link for more details on becoming an Izzy Video Member.
Want to automatically receive all the free shows as they’re released?

Subscribe to the free version of Izzy Video in iTunes, and have this episode plus future free episodes delivered to your computer by clicking on the following link:

Free Izzy Video Tutorials in iTunes

You can download the Quicktime version of the episode here.

[FS] Izzy Video 135 - How to Energize Your Video [Free Show]

izzy@izzyvideo.com (Israel Hyman) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 15:09:49 -0500

If you want to pump your video full of energy, you have many obvious options. A couple that come to mind: Using high energy music in the background, and using several fast cuts. But in this installment of Izzy Video I review a few less-obvious tips that will help you get the energy you’re looking for.

Have more tips for the Izzy Video viewers? Please post them in the comments…
Become an Izzy Video Member

Subscribe to the free version of Izzy Video in iTunes, and have this episode plus future free episodes delivered to your computer by clicking on the following link:

Free Izzy Video Tutorials in iTunes

You can download the Quicktime version of the episode here.

[Tr] Izzy Video 134 - How to Use Contrast Ratios [Trailer]

izzy@izzyvideo.com (Israel Hyman) — Wed, 27 May 2009 13:50:48 -0500

Previously I showed you how to use a light meter to set a proper exposure for your subject. In this installment of Izzy Video, I demonstrate how to use a light meter to deliberately create contrast ratios on your lighting. This is one of the most fundamental ways of creating specific ‘looks’ in your video, and this episode will make it easy for you.

Also, I added a section that delves into F-Stops, how they work, what they do, and how one relates to another one. If F-Stops have ever been confusing to you, I believe you’ll find this section helpful.
Become an Izzy Video Member

Subscribe to the free version of Izzy Video in iTunes, and have this episode plus future free episodes delivered to your computer by clicking on the following link:

Free Izzy Video Tutorials in iTunes

You can download the Quicktime version of the episode here.

[FS] Izzy Video 133 - How to Use a Light Meter [Free Show]

izzy@izzyvideo.com (Israel Hyman) — Thu, 21 May 2009 10:06:15 -0700

Photography and videography have a lot in common. Many of the tools that photographers use can be useful for video shooters as well. In this installment of Izzy Video, I review the difference between reflected light meters and incident light meters, and I also demonstrate how to use them.
Become an Izzy Video Member

Do you like this tutorial and want more? Izzy Video Members get access to the complete collection of Izzy Video Tutorials. Please follow this link for more details on becoming an Izzy Video Member.
Want to automatically receive all the free shows as they’re released?

Subscribe to the free version of Izzy Video in iTunes, and have this episode plus future free episodes delivered to your computer by clicking on the following link:

Free Izzy Video Tutorials in iTunes

You can download the Quicktime version of the episode here.

[Tr] Izzy Video 132 - How to Embed High Quality Videos in Your Website [Trailer]

izzy@izzyvideo.com (Israel Hyman) — Thu, 14 May 2009 08:45:52 -0700

For many years, nearly all the videos you’ve seen embedded on my website have been Quicktime videos in file formats such as MP4, MOV, and M4V. I’ve used Quicktime embed code on occasion, but usually I simply link to the video files so you can click on them and watch them in your browser. I did this even when most other websites embedded Flash video files, and clearly Flash was becoming the new standard.

My reason for this has been that I’ve much preferred the quality of Quicktime files over the quality of Flash files. To my eyes, Flash videos were unbearably low quality and difficult to watch. And one of the biggest problems has been the video-sharing services like YouTube. When you upload a video to their service, they control the transcoding process, so you give up your control over quality.

Everything has recently changed. My concerns are gone because Flash now has the ability to play videos encoded with the H.264 codec. This is huge! H.264 gives you the ability to produce high quality videos with a relatively low file size. This codec is the one I use with all of the videos I distribute over the web.

In this week’s installment of Izzy Video, I demonstrate how to create a high quality FLV file (which is a Flash file format that’s excellent for playing on the web). I also demonstrate how to embed it into your website. If you’ve been wanting to embed high quality videos in your website, this episode is a must-see.

This week’s tutorial is available to Izzy Video Members only.
Become an Izzy Video Member

Izzy Video Members get access to full versions of the show in HD and iPod resolutions. Please follow this link for more details on becoming an Izzy Video Member.
Want to see the trailer and all the other free tutorials?

Subscribe to the free version of Izzy Video in iTunes, and have this trailer plus future free tutorials and trailers delivered to your computer by clicking on the following link:

Free Izzy Video Tutorials in iTunes

You can download the Quicktime version of the trailer here.
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[FS] Izzy Video 131 - Getting a Good Exposure with an 18% Gray Card [Free Show]

izzy@izzyvideo.com (Israel Hyman) — Sat, 09 May 2009 19:01:42 -0700

We’re returning to some video fundamentals with this episode. This tutorial is all about getting a good exposure. Also, I demonstrate how to to use an 18% gray card.

The specific gray card I’m using is from Lastolite. Here is an Amazon link (where I purchased mine): Lastolite 12-Inch Ezybalance Card Gray Card

You can watch the high quality version of the video here.

Want to see more videos like this one? Check out the membership information page to see how you can get access to all the other videos.

[FS] Izzy Video 129 - Make a Demon Child in Motion [Free Show]

izzy@izzyvideo.com (Israel Hyman) — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 19:00:07 -0700

Who says that video production can’t be a family activity? ;-)

I get requests for Motion tutorials all the time, and it’s been a while since I’ve released one, so I thought we’d have a little fun in this week’s episode. In this installment of Izzy Video, I demonstrate the steps you take in Motion to turn a face into a monster’s face. The technique uses motion tracking and keyframed filters. I hope you have as much fun with this technique as we did.

[FS] Izzy Video 123 - Output Video for the Web [Free Show]

izzy@izzyvideo.com (Israel Hyman) — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 18:56:28 -0700

This week’s video does a couple things. It promotes my new course, Learn Final Cut Pro 6: The Izzy Video Guide for Beginners. Also the video answers a question that viewers frequently ask me: “What is your process for exporting video for the web?”

I covered the subject a while back, but my process has changed a bit since then, so it’s a good time to update you.

As I mention in the video, this free version is much smaller than the ones available as part of my Final Cut Pro course. My course offers both HD videos at 1280×800 and Small videos at 960×600, so viewers can see everything that I’m doing on the screen.

I’m really excited about this new course. It took a long time, but I’m very happy with it. I believe it’s a great way for someone new to Final Cut Pro to learn the fundamentals of the app. I’ve already started receiving feedback from people who signed up for it yesterday right after I launched it. The feedback has been quite positive so far, and of course, I’m delighted about that!

By the way, if you’re an Izzy Video Member, then you get $20 off the price of the course. Simply login to the members area and you’ll find a coupon code. If you’re not a Member, and you’re interested in learning Final Cut Pro, this is a great time to become a Member.

You can download Izzy Video 123 here.

Finally, if you have additional recommendations regarding outputting video for the web after watching the video, please post any comments here. I’d love to read additional strategies.

Of course, you can leave any comment you want. It doesn’t have to be an exporting strategy. :-)

[FS] Izzy Video 121 - How to Shoot Video Outdoors, Part 1 [Free Show]

izzy@izzyvideo.com (Israel Hyman) — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 18:54:52 -0700

This is a popular request I get: Will you please show different ways of shooting video outdoors, when you don’t have all the comforts of a studio?

That’s a big request, and there’s a lot to cover, so this installment of Izzy Video will get the ball rolling. This one is all about diffusion. I’ve touched on the subject in the past, but this episode goes more in-depth and does a better job of covering gear.

UPDATE: Several people have asked me to post a link to the Scrim Jim Kit that I show in this video. Here it is: Scrim Jim Broadcast Location Kit - Large

You can watch Izzy Video episode 121 here.

As I mention in the video, this is the first part of a series of tutorials on the subject of shooting video outdoors. There’s plenty to talk about, so there’s no way to fit it into one episode. If you’re new to Izzy Video, I recommend you subscribe to the RSS feed in iTunes to ensure you get the future episodes.

If you want to see every episode in the series, you’ll need to be an Izzy Video Member. Members always get more. If you’re new, you might want to learn about an Izzy Video Membership.

[FS] Izzy Video 116 - 2.5 Dimensions [Free Show]

izzy@izzyvideo.com (Israel Hyman) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 18:53:24 -0700

Still photos can be powerful additions to your video, and adding movement to the photos can take them to the next level. Today’s episode shows you how to take the movement even further, by using an effect called 2.5D (two-and-a-half dimensions). In this tutorial, I demonstrate how to create the effect using a combination of Photoshop and Motion, but you could just as easily do it in Photoshop and After Effects, or even other software combinations.

The effect is difficult to describe. It’s subtle, and the best way to understand 2.5D is just to see it in action.

You can watch the free version of Izzy Video 116 here.

As always, the paid members can download an HD version of this video in the member’s area. To learn more about becoming an Izzy Video Member, please visit the membership information page.

[FS] Izzy Video 108 - The 300 Effect aka Variable Speed Changes [Free Show]

izzy@izzyvideo.com (Israel Hyman) — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 18:47:33 -0700

Thanks to Amber Heckler from Norfolk, VA for requesting this week’s topic. She wrote me at izzy (at) izzyvideo (dot) com and asked:

I was wondering if you could do a tutorial on how to achieve the “300 Effect” in post production. To me the “300 Effect” is when a piece of video seems to speed up, and then slow down; mainly seen in fight sequences.

Izzy Video 108 answers this question.

Some of the topics I cover in this episode are:

* What is a variable speed change
* Time-Remapping
* Video Frame Rates
* Smoothing Keyframes

This is one of those techniques that can be a lot of fun. My children certainly enjoyed making this video!

You can watch the free version of Izzy Video 108 here.

As always, the paid members can download an HD version of this video in the member’s area. To learn more about becoming an Izzy Video Member, please visit the membership information page.

[FS] Izzy Video 106 - The Most Requested Topic: Green Screen aka Chroma Key Part 1 [Free Show]

izzy@izzyvideo.com (Israel Hyman) — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 18:45:37 -0700

At long last, I have responded to the zillions of requests I have received from Paid Members and Free subscribers alike: “Izzy, will you please make an episode about shooting Green Screens?”

Not only am I answering this request, but I’m taking it a step further! I’m doing two episodes on Green Screens. Part one is all about shooting and lighting for green screens. Part two will come out in a couple days, and it will be about making the magic happen in post-production, keying out the green, and creating the final composite. Part one is free to everyone. Part two will be members-only. (It’s the last few days of the month, and I still need to release the second members-only episode for October.)

Some of the topics I cover in this episode are:

* Choosing a green screen
* The two highest priorities for chroma key work
* Reducing spill light
* Working in zones
* How different cameras impact the quality of the key
* Choosing colors

Between the two different episodes, I cover most of the mysteries regarding this difficult topic. I hope you find them useful.

You can watch the free version of the video here.

As always, the paid members can download an HD version of this video in the member’s area. To learn more about becoming an Izzy Video Member, please visit the membership information page.
Thank you, Izzy Video Members!

All of you who are paid members, I can’t thank you enough. Because of you, I have now been full time for three weeks, and it’s off to a great start. I have received many emails from members letting me know that they have noticed a difference in the production quality of the episodes I released. Thank you for noticing! I have certainly been devoting more time to the content.
Podcamp AZ is next weekend, Nov. 1-2

I’m doing two sessions at Podcamp AZ this year, one on Saturday and one on Sunday. I’m not sure how the sessions are scheduled yet, but I know one session will be a hands-on workshop on lighting for video, and the other session will be about how you can improve your online video. Both sessions will be one hour long, and the entire two day event is free (although donations are highly encouraged because the event is far from free to host). For more details on Podcamp AZ, check out the website.

A Quick Update: I added a promo to a separate page for anyone who might like to help us advertise Podcamp AZ. Check out the page at http://www.izzyvideo.com/podcamp.
Some Minor Changes to the Website

I read a book last week about optimizing websites for navigation among other things. Based on some of the ideas I picked up from the book, I made a few changes to the website. For example, there’s now a sitemap in the navigation menu that gives you one-click access to anywhere in the website. Another change is that every page has a “breadcrumb” at the top which tells you where you are in the overall website. Other changes include minor aesthetic changes for simplicity, testimonials, and some additional links to the membership information page.

Phew, that’s a lot of updating for one week! But I think I’m done. Thanks again for watching! And I’ll see you next time on… Izzy Video!

[FS] Izzy Video 105 - Color Grading Workflow In-Depth [Free Show]

izzy@izzyvideo.com (Israel Hyman) — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 18:42:48 -0700

This week’s video tutorial is on the subject of color grading. Specifically, you get to see my entire workflow as I grade a casual video clip in Apple’s Color. Don’t worry about the specific application, though. Many of the concepts in this video should be universal among most color grading tools.

Some of the topics I cover are:

* Principles of Cropping
* Waveform Monitors
* Vectorscopes
* Primary and Secondary Color Grades
* HSL Keys
* Vignettes

This might be one of the single most educational episodes I’ve made so far. It certainly strays from the short, focused structure I typically use — it’s more than 20 minutes long. But I still tried to make sure it was packed with good, useful information.

And to top it all off, I’m releasing it under a Creative Commons License, so you can pass it around and share it as much as you would like.

You can get Izzy Video 105 here.

Because it’s a screencast, it only seems appropriate that I should also release it in a higher resolution to make the screen easier to see.

By the way, both of these are huge downloads, but I didn’t want to compromise too much on the picture quality, so I settled for big file sizes.

[FS] Izzy Video 34 - Outdoor Interviews [Free Show]

izzy@izzyvideo.com (Israel Hyman) — Sun, 25 Jun 2006 12:39:04 -0700

This Izzy Video brings together some of the concepts I have previously discussed.

Many people like to do their interview outside because they enjoy the look of sunlight more than tungsten lights. I prefer sunlight as well, but it can be difficult to work with such an uncooperative key light. Inside this video podcast are some ideas which can help you improve your outdoor interview imagery.