
Filmmaking Beginners Guide – Learn Your Camera in 28 Minutes
One step that a lot of video content creators take at some point is moving from a smart phone for their footage, to a camera.
There is no doubt that you can get way better footage from a camera than a phone BUT!!!
There is a major difference between the two and unless you actually learn how to use that camera, your footage will most likely not actually end up looking better.
Probably the key to understanding this is the way these two types of devices record video and handle the data that is turned into your video files.
Regardless of brand all smartphones record video in a way that is designed to make that video look as good as it possibly can.
They have complex and highly developed algorithms that are designed to identify the elements of a scene and tweak the image to make it look good.
This is fine for creating videos that will only appear on a small screen but once you start to go to larger displays, the image begins to degrade.
Remember, those devices have limited space and computing power available to them for the capture and processing of your videos.
On the other hand cameras are designed to accurately capture what is being presented and that’s it!
It does care if your scene is beautifully lit or a disaster, it accurately records whatever you give it becuase the assumption is that to at least some degree, you know what you are doing.
The resulting files are way bigger and most importantly, carry way more information allowing for bigger displays, higher quality and greater tolerance for correction steps.
So the trick is to learn how to use the camera to get the best possible results.
In the video below Jeven covers the basics of what you need to understand about using your camera to get great footage.
Do Not use CapCut Again Until You Watch This
Ok as we travel further and further down this modern worlds penchant for litigation and lack of privacy, things are starting to take rather a dark turn.
This year CapCut, the editing software from Bytedance who also run TikTok, released updated Terms of Service and from the outside they look pretty dire.
Essentially they have asserted two things.
First, that they have the rights to use your content in an unlimited way without reference or payment to you.
Secondly, any liability incurred due to their use of your content falls directly onto you as the creator and renders you solely liable.
The concerning point in this is not just that CapCut have come out with these seriously problematic terms but that those terms are somewhat comparable to the terms of use already in place on other platforms.
This is not a simple situation so if you are using CapCut or are considering it, watch the entire video all the way through to get a good picture of what all this really means.
Hate Editing Videos? AI Auto Editing is Here – PowerDirector
Most of the major video editing software companies have been coming out with a range of A.I. driven tools and automated options.
Some are pretty useful, some are kinda lame and some are cool to watch but at the end of the day, useless.
PowerDirector has been well and truly on this bandwagon from the outset and recently introduced some A.I. modules that almost create videos for you on automatic.
I have tried a few of these and personally think they show promise but are not really something I would use… but that’s just me.
Here’s a video from Maleik at PowerDirector University taking one of those tools out for a spin.
Just One Action Will Unfreeze Your Views
OK, before I introduce this video below let me make one thing perfectly clear.
There is no “one action” action that is going to rocket you to YouTube success overnight!
I mean sure, it’s a nice clickbaity title but neitehr the world nor YouTube really works that way!
So now that we have set our expectations to a more realistic standard, this is some good advice for creating online content.
What’s New in Filmora 14.7? High-Res Audio, AI Video & Mocha Tracking
Well dang!
There still seems to be no let up in the constant development of Filmora and these days it really is getting to be a serious piece of kit.
We are already at Filmora 14.7 which is pretty impressive given how long ago we moved from 13 to the full 14 update.
Anyway in this video you can take a look at some of the new and improved features they have added.
Editing Films Audio First – The Radio Edit Technique
This is an introduction and walk-through of an editing technique called the “Radio Edit.”
There is nothing particularly groundbreaking about this as far as the individual editing actions go when working this way.
The technique is more of a process or order of operation that lends itself very well to a lot of YouTube or online style video projects.
You can check it out for yourself in the video but there is one thing I would also add before I even get to that stage.
When ever I start a new project I add everything in rough form and in order on to the timeline.
No trimming or cutting yet.
I then go through all the clips and do all of my color corrections or color matching first.
If you trim first then color correct you will end up correcting many, many little clips and sequences rather than the easier task of correcting the larger rough clips.
Your Lyin’ Eyes

I read the article linked below this week and it reminded me of a very important concept that we all need to keep in mind when working with color.
One thing that inevitably happens when you are color correcting or even color grading videos is that your eyes begin to become accustomed to what you are looking at.
In practice that means that as you are adjusting the colors, your eyes are also adjusting to make things look “right.”
That’s why sometimes you can spend an hour correcting a video and think you have it all looking pretty good only to come back to it later and discover it’s a hot mess!
My rule is to color correct then walk away for at least an hour then come back to it… just to be sure.
Why Your Keyframed Animations Look Amateur (And How to Fix Them in Resolve 20)
This is a great little tutorial from Daniel Batal for this week on the subject of keyframing.
I think that most people even after only a little experience editing find themselves learning about and using keyframes.
It is one of the key features of modern video editing software that allows for an enormous amount of control over elements in a project.
However what you may have noticed is that even though you have turned yourself into a keyframing ninja… there is still a bit of an amteur look to your moves!
One feature that allows for fine tuning of keyframes is easing in and easing out of what you have designed.
Most reasonably good editing software these days has the ability to ease in and out of keyframed settings but often the controls for them are hidden away.
In the video below Daniel goes over this in DaVinci Resolve and explains it very well.
Even if you are not using Resolve it is more than likely that you have access to this feature… you just need to find it!
Learning Resolve This Fast Should Be Illegal
There are a lot of YouTube channels at the moment that offer tutorials on how to work with DaVinci Resolve.
However, in my opinion the best on offer is the course by Casey Faris from Ground Control.
It is a totally free course that takes you entirely though the program’s interface explaining each section and the basic functions within them.
After that you can also download a bunch of assets and follow along inside the program executing various projects so that by the time you finish you will be well on your way.
After that you can follow the steps in the video below to really polish your skills and translate all of that into completed projects of your own.
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