New to Video Editing...Need help with equipment

[DeliciousVinyl]

My work wants to start producing install video's of our product onto project vehicles. I have plenty of graphic desing experience but have no experience in dv editing. My question to you is:

Where do I start? Are there any "go to" forums that I can visit?
What sort of equipment should I get?

I know I will need Camcorder/Software/Computer/Lighting, etc. I don't need the best out there, just equipment that will deliver a quality instructional video to our customers.

Any help/opinion would be much obliged.

Thanks.

 

[Lebowski]

I have plenty of graphic desing experience

design, not desing

 

[Sdashiki]

design, not desing

Wow, thats helpful.

/sigh

onwards.....

google for some DV forums, there are plenty.

but youd need to figure out your budget first and foremost, then see what you can afford.

Dont skimp on the camcorder, go for a good quality one with some manual controls on it, especially frame rates, apertures and focusing.

as for the other stuff, Final Cut Studio is your software package.

Lighting, backdrops, mics, are all secondary, but of course necessary if YOU feel them to be. Only you, and/or your clients, know what youd need.

From what I can gather about you, it seems you arent THAT into digital video at all. If that is the case, and this is 100% alien to you, I wouldnt start off so ambitiously. You can expect to start from nothing and immediately produce commercially viable videos.

OF COURSE most clients know even less than their toddlers when it comes to how stuff is made digitally, so they would probably be impressed with even the most basic thing. So perhaps iLife (iMovie and iDvd) are best for your needs. In any case, research is your friend.

 

[Mydriasis]

If you want to make a video you need to start by planing: buget, storyboard, output medium, etc. etc. This is the most important part, get an idea of what your goal is so that you can find a way there.

Use some super cheap camera and tape some scenes from your video, edit them quickly in iMovie and see how it feels and if it's what you imagined. You'll soon find that there are lots of specific questions you want to ask, and they are a lot easier for us to answer.

As for camera and lighting gear, you can rent almost everything at a fairly good price. That way you get much better equipment than you can afford to keep. Try it and if you like it (and have the money) buy it.

As for a computer, faster and bigger is always better, but most likely you can do everything you need on the machine you already have.

There are lots of nle programs out there for all user levels. Apple has iMovie, Final Cut Express and Final Cut Pro. All are awesome!

 

[Mydriasis]

Lighting, backdrops, mics, are all secondary, but of course necessary if YOU feel them to be.

Not at all!

Different lighting conditions can complete change a film! Everything from you can't see whats going on to change the mood.

Trust me if you have a distracting background, people will hate you video (i.e. loud busy street when your doing an interview).

Mics: Unless your very good, sound is more important than picture! Your audience will forgive color casts, bad croping, camera jitter, hey they probably wont even notice. But if you have clicks, pops, wind, off beat music or any other sonud devil, I bet you every single person watching will have noticed it.

 

[Sdashiki]

Not at all!

Different lighting conditions can complete change a film! Everything from you can't see whats going on to change the mood.

Trust me if you have a distracting background, people will hate you video (i.e. loud busy street when your doing an interview).

Mics: Unless your very good, sound is more important than picture! Your audience will forgive color casts, bad croping, camera jitter, hey they probably wont even notice. But if you have clicks, pops, wind, off beat music or any other sonud devil, I bet you every single person watching will have noticed it.

but he obviously isnt in the BIG budget stage yet, if he is JUST starting out...lighting mics and all that ARE secondary.

if he spends all his money on the camcorder, computer and software, I wouldnt think he couldnt do ANYTHING without more stuff.

there is a BASIC need and a "PRO" need for things, I believe the OP falls under the former.

Everything you speak of is not so much owning the right equipment, but being a good "director of photography/cinematography"

backgrounds and lighting can be hell in some places, but if you do it correctly, anything can work, and on a budget, youd have no choice.

background noise, shaky video and any and all things "annoying" with amateur video can easily be rectified BEFORE they become problems by actually taking the time to direct and not just shoot.

 

[Mydriasis]

but he obviously isnt in the BIG budget stage yet, if he is JUST starting out...lighting mics and all that ARE secondary..

Everything I said was aimed at a low budget! i.e. Rent stuff, use a cheap camera and try it out before.

Everything you speak of is not so much owning the right equipment, but being a good "director of photography/cinematography"

backgrounds and lighting can be hell in some places, but if you do it correctly, anything can work, and on a budget, youd have no choice.

background noise, shaky video and any and all things "annoying" with amateur video can easily be rectified BEFORE they become problems by actually taking the time to direct and not just shoot.

Exactly what I was trying to say! I may have interpreted your post wrong, and I appologize if I have, but I thought you wanted him to spend all his money on a camera, with funktion a beginner probably can't even use

Dont skimp on the camcorder, go for a good quality one with some manual controls on it, especially frame rates, apertures and focusing.

And forget about other things

Lighting, backdrops, mics, are all secondary

that are equally, if not more important than some super professional camera. Which is why I told him to consider them as well, as they can make his production far better any $30 000 camera will.

 

[hardhatmac]

let me put in my $0.02

you can get a cheap (but still very effective) 3 peice light kit for $250 (that would come with a key, fill and backlight, umbrellas, and different mounts, stands, etc.), a fairly nice lapel mic for $150 (or a cheap shotgun mic) and use a sheet ( or you can very cheaply sew fabric together to make a backdrop) strung over a PVC pipe wired to the wall or ceiling....

so what I'm saying is, depending on your budget, you can put your lighting and audio together for less then $500---which as you'll learn in digital video, $500 is next to nothing....

it doesn't matter how secondary, or how important it is...it's cheap so therefore can be purchased at almost any budget....

if you allready have a computer then a camera will be the biggest expense...although you can get a 3 CCD camera nowadays for <$1000

Renting is good to do some test...but you can kill yourself on rent....find the cam you want to buy, then buy it....


first of all we need to know your budget....

 

[LethalWolfe]

A Canon GL2 w/a mic from Radio Shack and some work lights and foam core from Home Depot are better than a DVX100 using the on board mic and whatever lights happen to be installed in the ceiling over head.

Especially if the OP is doing "how to" videos using only available light is going to be a PITA.

As far as sites to hit I'd go to dvinof.net and creativecow.net. Both have a wealth of general info as well as info on corporate/industrial work which is the category the OPs videos would fall under.


Lethal

 

[DeliciousVinyl]

Ok, let me start off by saying this: I am not shooting a feature length film. I am shooting installation videos of suspension/brake parts on automobiles.

Here is my budget:

Camera: < $1,000
Computer: $3,000-$4,000
Software $1,000
Other Equipment: < $1,000

Total Budget: $6,000-$7,000

What is a decent setup that will make an install video that clearly demonstrates the install process to my customers?

Sorry for not stating this from the start (and any typos that may have slipped in).

 

[PegasusMedia]

Equipment matters much less than skill. If you have zero experience and no skills, you'd be better off asking for a recommendation of a good pro in your area.

Sorry, don't mean to sound like an arrogant jerk or anything, but if what you want is a "quality instructional video", how do expect to do that with no skills and no experience?

Seriously, I'm not intending to sound like a jerk, but I have to bring it up, because it's important. You're about to drop some serious cash here.

In your situation, I would recommend rentals rather than purchases, and if not simply hiring a company to do it, then perhaps at least using freelancers to do the "heavy lifting" for you.

 

[DeliciousVinyl]

I am taking that into consideration. We will be shooting these instructional videos on a mass scale, each one being different. There are hundreds of videos to shoot, so outsourcing doesn't seem like the most cost-effective method.

 

[FF_productions]

Ok, let me start off by saying this: I am not shooting a feature length film. I am shooting installation videos of suspension/brake parts on automobiles.

Here is my budget:

Camera: < $1,000
Computer: $3,000-$4,000
Software $1,000
Other Equipment: < $1,000

Total Budget: $6,000-$7,000

What is a decent setup that will make an install video that clearly demonstrates the install process to my customers?

Sorry for not stating this from the start (and any typos that may have slipped in).

I'd invest more in the Camera than invest in the computer...You'd be spending 6000 on everything else, then when you get to post, you'll be so upset with the quality of the footage.

I'd pick up a Dual G5 for around 2000 or even less, that is just enough for editing, you don't need the latest and greatest. Your probably just editing DV as well.

 

[Keebler]

Hi DV,

Here's a question - can you elaborate on what you will be doing? what do you mean by a project vehicle? will your productions be often? do you have new products launching all the time?

I'm just thinking, depending on the situation, you may be better off hiring someone than buying a ton of equipment and training how to use it and then, producing quality work (not saying you can't or won't, but if you've never done it before, there is a small learning curve).

if your product launches are rare, then hiring someone may make more sense...

just a thought.
keebler

 

[killr_b]

DON'T GET A CANON DV CAMERA.

Sorry. But it's true. FCP + Canon = headache.

Get yourself the following and feel assured you are prepared:

1. An iMac.
Screen size up to you, you can add a second monitor with extended desktop now. You don't need a second monitor. Add. More. RAM. 1gig min.

2. A 3ccd Sony camera from a local electronics shop. Like the VX2100.

3. Final Cut Studio.

4. Dry lube DV tapes. Panasonic AY-DVM63MQ.
Trust me.

5. A 4 pin to 6 pin firewire cable.

6. According to your budget, the largest camcorder battery available.

7. A Shure wireless mic. (If required.)

8. Two days. One to read manuals and the second to test your set-up.

B

 

[DeliciousVinyl]

We have hundreds of kits for hundreds of vehicles. Eventually, the idea is to have an install video for each model type. This still equates to a few hundred videos when all said and done.

 

[Sdashiki]

buy a camcorder based off your budget and other reviews and recs you might have come across.

buy a computer the same way.

buy final cut pro studio.

buy a good mic to capture the voiceover or even the voice of the "installer" as he isntalls.

buy or rent, a set of lights and diffusers/reflectors. i can only assume your "studio" is a garage with flourescents. Not good in terms of color balance and in actually lighting what you need lit. The diffusers will put light into the tight and dark places, like under the car and hood. It will look alot better than say a clamp light shining onto an area.

if you are serious about all this, buy the major stuff (camcorder, computer, software) and play around. shoot some test stuff and see what you can come up with. then see if you need to supplement your stuff with more stuff.

 

[aloofman]

I am taking that into consideration. We will be shooting these instructional videos on a mass scale, each one being different. There are hundreds of videos to shoot, so outsourcing doesn't seem like the most cost-effective method.

Hundreds? I strongly suggest gaining some expertise before plunging into such a massive undertaking. Seriously, whose idea was it to do this in-house when no one there has experience?

This is not a jab at you, I just wonder if your company knows what it's getting into. If it really is hundreds, it will take years of work to accomplish. Whether that person is you or not, that's a big commitment. I suspect that the enormity of that will become clear over time and expectations will be lowered.

 

[THX1139]

Hundreds? I strongly suggest gaining some expertise before plunging into such a massive undertaking. Seriously, whose idea was it to do this in-house when no one there has experience?

This is not a jab at you, I just wonder if your company knows what it's getting into. If it really is hundreds, it will take years of work to accomplish. Whether that person is you or not, that's a big commitment. I suspect that the enormity of that will become clear over time and expectations will be lowered.

I stongly disagree. He's not making a hollywood blockbuster! If they are short "how to" videos with straight editing, little or no special effects and done on a decent system, the could shoot and cut several per day. Some people are fast learners and it will probably take a few days to get up to speed on the software for basic edits. Once that happens, I would think the process will be relatively simple. I mean how hard can it be if you are shooting in the same location doing practically the same thing on each video? It's when you change the location and subject matter that you start to add time and difficulty. If anything, the worse thing is that it's probably going to get real boring after the first dozen.

 

[aloofman]

I stongly disagree. He's not making a hollywood blockbuster! If they are short "how to" videos with straight editing, little or no special effects and done on a decent system, the could shoot and cut several per day. Some people are fast learners and it will probably take a few days to get up to speed on the software for basic edits. Once that happens, I would think the process will be relatively simple. I mean how hard can it be if you are shooting in the same location doing practically the same thing on each video? It's when you change the location and subject matter that you start to add time and difficulty. If anything, the worse thing is that it's probably going to get real boring after the first dozen.

If they were so simple that you could do several per day, then what could possibly be shown that would be that beneficial? If it really were that easy, why not just send a memo to everyone? Why make a video at all?

My experience is that "it will be a very simple video" are famous last words.

 

[hardhatmac]

let me put this in....

Last fall my crew and I did a "gauntlet" of 15 minute instructional DVD's....we shot 50 over a 6 day period....

it was a two camera shoot with 1 subject playing the guitar. At 8-10 hours a day for 6 six days...we were physically and emotionaly dead after the 5th day....if you compare the footage from the first day to the stuff we shot the 6th day...the guy playing the quitar goes from looking "fresh" to looking like he's stoned....

It was very very simple shooting, even simpler editing----- we're still churning through the editing...a year later. we shot around 20 hrs of raw footage (x2 cameras)

I agree that no matter how simple the shooting or editing, it has to be done in moderation and hundreds of video's will take quite some time (possibly years...) to finish...

 

[Sdashiki]

it was a two camera shoot with 1 subject playing the guitar. At 8-10 hours a day for 6 six days...we were physically and emotionaly dead after the 5th day....if you compare the footage from the first day to the stuff we shot the 6th day...the guy playing the quitar goes from looking "fresh" to looking like he's stoned....

and as a professional you went back and reshot the stuff that wouldnt lend itself to continuity?

/sarcasm

 

[hardhatmac]

and as a professional you went back and reshot the stuff that wouldnt lend itself to continuity?

/sarcasm

actually, I'm flying out there next month to reshoot it....a full year later...

they're all separate discs so they don't need to have great continuity...but there was a pretty big difference...

 

[LethalWolfe]

Ok, let me start off by saying this: I am not shooting a feature length film. I am shooting installation videos of suspension/brake parts on automobiles.

Here is my budget:

Camera: < $1,000
Computer: $3,000-$4,000
Software $1,000
Other Equipment: < $1,000

Total Budget: $6,000-$7,000

What is a decent setup that will make an install video that clearly demonstrates the install process to my customers?

Sorry for not stating this from the start (and any typos that may have slipped in).

Realistically you'd need to double your camera budget (unless you found a used camera in reliable working order). You can drop the computer budget by about grand, and software (Final Cut Studio) is gonna cost you $1200. You also need to factor in the cost of putting all these videos onto DVD (I assume DVD is going to be your distribution format).

hardhatmac's story brought up a good point. Having a 2nd camera might be a good idea because it will cut down on how many times your talent has to repeat each action. A 2nd camera (and possibly a 2nd camera operater) will obviously cost more than one camera, but it should make the shooting process go faster and can make editing quicker too so it is something to consider.

As other posters have said, contracting this out may make more sense. A pro may cost more up front, but they should be able to do it quicker and better than you could do it yourself (thus saving you money and giving you a higher quality product in the long run). If your boss is determined to do this in house I would at least hire a consultant to assess your needs and come up w/a workflow that'll fit inside your budget. Starting from square one and learning as you go can be very time consuming and expensive (not to mention stressful).


Lethal

 

[John Inman]

Ok, let me start off by saying this: I am not shooting a feature length film. I am shooting installation videos of suspension/brake parts on automobiles.

Here is my budget:

Camera: < $1,000
Computer: $3,000-$4,000
Software $1,000
Other Equipment: < $1,000

Total Budget: $6,000-$7,000

What is a decent setup that will make an install video that clearly demonstrates the install process to my customers?

Sorry for not stating this from the start (and any typos that may have slipped in).

With this budget you need to go with a PC and Premiere Pro or Sony Vegas software. If you spend 2 grand on the computer, and 3 grand on the camera you will still be within budget and be able to get quality results at much less cost than going with a Mac.