OT: Creating Music Videos

[thesoundsmith]

Just ordered a miniDV camcorder, and I'm thinking of creating a music video demo of tour duo for two reasons - 1) more high paying private parties and 2) tax deductible purchase

Anybody here with experience that can point me to good generic (not Avid or uLead etc-corporate based) forums or websites?

Thanks

[JonFairhurst]

Check out TriggerStreet.com for examples of what people are doing with DV. They have forums, but I haven't been there in a while, so I don't know how active they are.

If you don't have any editing software yet, I strongly recommend Vegas 5.0.
http://mediasoftware.sonypictures.com/products/showproduct.asp?PID=914
It has excellent audio tools - you can automate your effects. It also has top-notch color correction, which allow you to make things natural - or wonderfully unnatural. Again, you can automate it.

I'd also recommend DV magazine. Great stuff.

Lighting makes a HUGE difference. There are various articles around for making cheap lighting kits - and also articles on how to use them.

We got my son a steadytracker. It's nothing more than a camera support on a two foot rod with a counterweight. It makes a huge difference on handheld shots. They really flow, compared to the typical jerky shots you get with small camcorders.

Best of luck with your project.

-Jon Fairhurst

[thesoundsmith]

Thanks, Jon. Right now a Steadycam mount might be a bit excessive (I'm not doing a rock video, most shots will be simple pans or zooms, with lots of yet-to-be-shot home-grown stock footage. It's mainly to sell the band (and make the camera deductible.)

I'll check that site out today. ;)

[JerryPettit]

I'd recommend VIDEOMAKER magazine. They have a website, too. I just got my PC MAGAZINE in the mail today, and there's a review or two of cheap (under $100) software apps to get you started.

Gotta be a bunch of newsgroups out there. Check GOOGLE for newsgroups.

Jerry

[JonFairhurst]

Thanks, Jon. Right now a Steadycam mount might be a bit excessive (I'm not doing a rock video, most shots will be simple pans or zooms, with lots of yet-to-be-shot home-grown stock footage. It's mainly to sell the band (and make the camera deductible.)

I'll check that site out today. ;)

Dasher,

Yeah, Steadycams are bucks-up, but the SteadyTracker is really simple.

Here's a site with one for $199 (http://www.bestpricedv.com/catalogs/catalog.asp?prodid=2524925&showprevnext=1), but I think we paid more like $150. Even at that it's overpriced for what it's made of: you could build one from a metal shop junk pile! But the difference for handheld shots is amazing. My son ran along while filming a friend on a scooter, and the shot looked like it was on rails. Anything that you can do to add distributed weight to your camera will help make handheld shots usable. It's also nice to just grab and shoot, rather than taking the time to get the tripod set up just right.

[Scott Cairns]

http://www.creativecow.net

[thesoundsmith]

Thanks, guys. This looks useful - and you're right, Jon, I think my son could whip up something lke that in a few hours or less.