I Want My WebTV
06/01/12 17:16 Filed in: WebTV | Video Production Quality
2012 will be a pivotal year for video on the web. But no worries, those funny baby, talking dog and spunky kitten videos will continue to entertain us. Why wouldn't they? There’s an endless supply, and supply has driven demand for internet video for years. However, changes are afoot, in a big way. Web video is going to spiff-up its image. It’s put-up or shut-up time.
Production quality will be a driving force in the biggest expansion of visual communication since the Nickelodeon. (The old film viewer not the TV network) With a 100 professionally produced channels coming from You Tube this year and every website wanting to get into the video game - it’s going to get interesting. It’s no longer cool just to have a video on your website. It is more like - does this video represent our vision? Scratchy audio and shaky camerawork might have been acceptable for the "bear on a trampoline" video but for your message...it probably isn't going to work anymore.
One of the golden rules of filmmaking is,“if you can show it, don’t say it.” Creating a strong visual message eliminates the need for an explanation - redundancy dumb-downs the meaning. The same holds true for your website, the videos should NOT repeat the same information that already exists on your site. Video can convey the intangible and generate a unique experience for the viewer - show them more.
But what about quality? Production quality is intricately linked to the message you want to communicate. Identifying the visual message will be the guiding force on booking the right talent and resources. Should it be slick, authentic or inspirational, it all depends. Or how about a colorful title sequence leading into grey, blurry video with bad sound; we see this plenty on the web and we kindly ask,“please stop.”
Strong visual communications are a balance of quality, tone and good old-fashion show and tell. No matter where you are going with your website, video can take you farther down the road.
Production quality will be a driving force in the biggest expansion of visual communication since the Nickelodeon. (The old film viewer not the TV network) With a 100 professionally produced channels coming from You Tube this year and every website wanting to get into the video game - it’s going to get interesting. It’s no longer cool just to have a video on your website. It is more like - does this video represent our vision? Scratchy audio and shaky camerawork might have been acceptable for the "bear on a trampoline" video but for your message...it probably isn't going to work anymore.
One of the golden rules of filmmaking is,“if you can show it, don’t say it.” Creating a strong visual message eliminates the need for an explanation - redundancy dumb-downs the meaning. The same holds true for your website, the videos should NOT repeat the same information that already exists on your site. Video can convey the intangible and generate a unique experience for the viewer - show them more.
But what about quality? Production quality is intricately linked to the message you want to communicate. Identifying the visual message will be the guiding force on booking the right talent and resources. Should it be slick, authentic or inspirational, it all depends. Or how about a colorful title sequence leading into grey, blurry video with bad sound; we see this plenty on the web and we kindly ask,“please stop.”
Strong visual communications are a balance of quality, tone and good old-fashion show and tell. No matter where you are going with your website, video can take you farther down the road.
Comments
Still Life with Video
20/12/11 14:41 Filed in: Video Gear | Video Technology
No one should be surprised by the popularity of the DSLR camera in video production. The development of the video camera has always been driven by engineers striving for electronic purity. In the video world, equipment is judged by waveforms and vectors, rarely by aesthetics.
Then along comes a photo camera that shoots video. DSLRs are built with creativity in mind. Photography is an art form, after-all. The long-established principles of photography enable the user to control the image and bend it towards their aesthetic tastes. As a shooter, director and editor, I’ve been frustrated with the inability to limit a video camera's point-of-view. All that time wasted on video shoots art directing an entire scene, when now you can let the background go soft.
Beside the depth of field, the other advantage of a DSLR over the new crop of large sensor video cameras is the ability to take a 5184 pixel still. If the video image isn’t moving - shoot a still. That enormous image can be manipulated in a variety of ways - crop, zoom, pan or animate part of the image. It is one more wrench in the creative toolkit.
One last thought; we know you have new creative powers - don’t over-indulge! The art of editing demands a variety of images, a bunch of blurry images doesn’t suddenly make your video cinematic, clear pictures are nice too. It’s best just to think...what would Ansel Adams, Richard Avedon or Henri Cartier-Bresson do with video. Then you will be well on your way.
Then along comes a photo camera that shoots video. DSLRs are built with creativity in mind. Photography is an art form, after-all. The long-established principles of photography enable the user to control the image and bend it towards their aesthetic tastes. As a shooter, director and editor, I’ve been frustrated with the inability to limit a video camera's point-of-view. All that time wasted on video shoots art directing an entire scene, when now you can let the background go soft.
Beside the depth of field, the other advantage of a DSLR over the new crop of large sensor video cameras is the ability to take a 5184 pixel still. If the video image isn’t moving - shoot a still. That enormous image can be manipulated in a variety of ways - crop, zoom, pan or animate part of the image. It is one more wrench in the creative toolkit.
One last thought; we know you have new creative powers - don’t over-indulge! The art of editing demands a variety of images, a bunch of blurry images doesn’t suddenly make your video cinematic, clear pictures are nice too. It’s best just to think...what would Ansel Adams, Richard Avedon or Henri Cartier-Bresson do with video. Then you will be well on your way.
Go Ask Alice
05/12/11 18:09 Filed in: Business
What if, like Alice in Wonderland, you looked at your organization through the other side of the looking glass? Essentially, that is what video can offer a company.
A number of years ago, Visual Storytellers created several short video profiles on successful employees of a Fortune 500 company. We examined the uniqueness of each employee by telling the story of their personal, social and professional lives. The videos were played at a live event while the recipients received awards honoring their service. After the event, one of the employees thanked us with tears in her eyes and said, “It was amazing to see the connection between what inspires me as a person and the benefit that provides my company.” That is visual storytelling at its best.
