Your Video Expert Blog

Dog's Perspective of a Visit to the Dog Park

The action video cameras from the Go Pro company have been responsible for many creative videos in recent months.  Here's one I saw just today and really liked the perspective/s.   The video was edited by Kelsey Wynns and shot by, well... by Bishop - his Great Dane.

Kelsey recently purchased a pair of GoPro cameras and had one mounted on a collar around Bishop. Resulted in some cool shots - even dog owners who spend a lot of time at the local dog park probably have not seen these views!  You can read more about the project on Kelsey's blog: http://kelseyw.com/

Kelsey confirms what I was thinking when I first saw the video - he used Twixtor for the motion manipulation effects, cool thing that Twixtor!

As I watched this, I was reminded of an assignment I used to give to my Video students some time ago, as we were learning about creative camera composition and POV shots. One of the examples I would give them is --- think of storyboarding part of the day from the point of view of your pet.  Really, I did!

The POD - cool camera suport accessory

The POD is a unique product that a friend recently turned me on to... it's essentially a bean bag with a camera mount. This allows you to set your camera, whether its a smaller video camcorder or a combo digital video/still camera.

I have used all kinds of things in the past that were at hand when I did not have the 'right' thing and this would come in very handy.  It's not something to replace your tripod, but can be very useful to kee p low angle shots, shots from table tops, etc. 

This can be an important accessory as tripods are not allowed into museums, and other public places.

The POD comes in one of several different models - with different sizes and placement of the mounting screw (for folks using a Digital SLR with long lenses, you would want the thread off-set).  The RED pod is their original model and sells for $20.99 plus shipping. 

The POD has it's own on-line store on the web which you'll find here:  www.thepod.ca

Beautiful Video Footage Inside Monster Waves - from a very expensive video camera

I love the ocean, and have shot a lot of video by the seaside, but I have never (yet) gotten this kind of quality. This short video of massive waves in Teahupoo, Tahiti taken last August (2011) show beautiful perspective inside these monsters.

I looked up the camera the shooter used and here's the info:
"The Phantom HD Gold is a high speed digital video camera that carries a hefty price tag of $118,000 putting it in to the professional end of the market. The camera has a resolution of 2,048 by 2,048 and at that high resolution it is capable of capturing video at 555 frames per second."

That's quality about twice what many of us are capturing on the current High Definition video cameras, and at a significantly higher frame rate then the standard 30 frames per second of 'regular' video.

That explains why his ocean footage looks a little better than mine :)

And for the record, I have tried surfing and I thought the waves I learned on (just under one meter) were big enough for me!

Storytelling, Documenting, and Snippets

Added a new article to my website today, with musings about what I think the three different types of videotaping/video projects folks are engaged in - Storytelling, Documenting, and Snippets.

This relates to the important question that you must decide answer before getting to your location: What are you going to do with the video footage once you're done videotaping?

For years we, as folks who shoot and edit video, have either documented video happenings with little or no editing or we've thoughtfully (usually) taken the video recordings and edited together what I call a digital story.  

Well, I contend with the increasing popularity of portable digital media devices, like iPhone and Android smart phones that shoot video; and the generation of what some are calling pocket video cameras (like the Flip, Bloggie and Play-full/Play-Smart) we're seeing and going to see an increase in the number of video snippets.

You can read more in my article here: Your Video Expert: Storytelling, Documenting, and Snippets

Take 15 Live Lesson: Depth of Field - up Monday at 9AM Pacific

The first 'Take 15' lesson will be presented live this coming Monday at 9:00AM Pacific Time - this is a 15-minute internet delivered lesson on a specific topic to help you improve your videos.

You Video Expert Chet Davis will present the topic in detail in the short 15-minute time slot. You'll also receive the link for a 1-page PDF document with the 'take-aways' for each session -- the important info or techniques covered in that session.

And if you can't join Chet in the live lesson, you can view each and every Take 15 episode in the Take 15 Archives!

This week our live lesson is Depth of Field.  You'll learn what Depth of Field is, the factors affecting Depth of Field and how to use the limitations of Depth of Field creatively in your videography. Shallow DOF (Depth of Field) is all the rage for some professional videographers - see some video samples in this Take 15 Live Lesson.

Website members (Silver or Gold Ticket Holders) click below to register for the Take 15 series - and you you can click on any of the scheduled topics below to see what's being taught in the next few weeks. Visit this page for the schedule of upcoming lessons in the "Take 15" Live Lesson series - and for Gold and Silver Ticket Holders to register for the sessions, then join Chet Davis each Monday at 9:00AM Pacific (click here for other time zones).

Video Expert Quick Tip: Framing your Shot

I was out yesterday shooting some videos and photos at the Northwest side of the Golden Gate Bridge (Marin County - California).  The fog was rolling dramatically over the hill sides and I set-up my tripod in the parking lot to capture some of this scenery.

The short video below demonstrates how a simply change in framing your video camera can have a dramatic impact on your video. As a videographer it's so important to realize we don't just take a video, we make a video! And it's in that creative decision as to what to show and what to leave out that we can share our world with our audience.

Check out the resources available for you now at YourVideoExpert.net