How to Build a Cinematic Look from Scratch
First up I have not suddenly become so delusional as to be thinking that I or anyone reading this post will be replicating this video exactly!
Having said that there is an important lighting point to learn in it that has served me very well in the past.
That key tip is for when it comes to using screens for lighting.
Very often you will see advice that you should have a key light set at 45 degrees to the camera, aimed at the subject.
This key light, usually a softbox, has to be very close to the subject in order to provide the soft light you need to give good skin color and texture.
This is actually true and the basis for many, many videos.
The problem with that setup is that the subject cannot move in any way that would bring them closer to or further away from that key light.
If the subject moves closer to the light your exposure goes off and the face starts to blow out.
If they move back, the exposure drops and the light becomes harsh resulting in poor skin tones.
If you think of a Hollywood production where people are moving around all over the place then obviously they can’t be using softboxes!
What they are using is giant screens covered in translucent materials with lights setup behind those screens.
The result of that setup is that the screen itself becomes the light and due to its size, the resulting light remains soft regardless of the subject’s position.
Bear in mind that the rule is that the larger (not just stronger) the light source is, the further away from the subject it can be while retaining soft light qualities.
You can see the process in action in the video below but understand that you don’t have to go as big as the one he uses!
Something like a plain, cheap cotton bedsheet hund over a clothes rack with a strong light behind can do something similar.
What Really Happens When You Mix Resolution & Frame Rates in One Timeline
If you have followed along with my Friday Roundups over the years then you will know that generally I try to add items covering latest news and developments.
The other subjects I try to cover could be put under the label of tips and tricks.
Occasionally I come across what I would describe as a “key reference.”
To me key references are bodies of information that are crucial to understanding of a subject and from that understanding comes a greater ability to deal with it.
The video below is a key reference.
Very often I will see people having all sorts of trouble as a result of mixing assets on the timeline.
That translates into adding footage where either the frame rate, the bitrate, the resolution or all of the above are different.
Dealing effectively with this absolutely requires that you understand what the problems are and how to deal with them.
Your Video Editor Can Create Drone Footage – PowerDirector
When it comes down to all the new A.I. tools you see these days in video editing software I am at the point where I don’t bother with the “Ooh that’s amazing” stage of the sequence!
Right now I just move to the “can I really use that for anything?” part of the equation!
So in light of that here’s a an A.I. feature that I would actually use.
The “sort of” latest thing in A.I. is to take a still image and have the A.I. model animate it, which is… OK?
However in the video below you can see an example of using this that would actually be useful.
It shows Maliek using the A.I. animation tool to create a fake drone shot and in all honesty, that’s something I would probably use.
7 Tips to Make an Engaging Vlog – Tips for Beginners
It’s easy to think that creating interest in your videos projects can be achieved through the use of a bunch of wizzbang effects and some A.I. magic.
The reality is that although some of those things can be useful along the way, they are not the “meat and potatoes” of video making!
At the end of the day it still all comes down to the same basic shooting and editing techniques that have always held true.
Here are some of the basic wrapped up in a neat package just for you.
How I Cranked Out 1000 Videos and Survived
It is easy to get into the mindset that because YouTube has been around so long and there are so many videos on there already, no-one can now compete effectively.
Well that’s not actually the case with new users finding success all the time.
Of course not all new users find success but the bottom line is that it is still possible.
The video below is not so much a video tutorial video but more a reflection by Jacky on his own particular journey as a YouTube Creator and worth watching.
Use This 1 Shot to Improve Your Videos
If you have made even the slightest attempt to delve into the various shots that make up a complete video and what each does then you will know what an establishment shot is.
The short of it that the establishment shot tells the audience where we are.
However it can be so much more than that but I really haven’t seen many tutorials that do a deep dive into this crucial shot.
In the video below Jeven Dovey does exactly that and goes into great detail as to exactly what and establishment shot is and how it can do so much more than “this where we are.”
How to Make an Animated YouTube Intro in DaVinci Resolve (2025)! – For Beginners
Casey has previously created a tutorial for creating a YouTube style intro in Resolve but we are now into the version 20 beta so it’s time for an update!
As usual it’s really easy to follow along with Casey and the beauty of creating an intro as a standalone piece of footage is that you can just slap it on to the front of any video and you are good to go!
Turn Any Moment Into A Dynamic Video
These are some really solid tips for really lifting your video projects up a level or two.
Very often when you are out shooting you may actually be out there without a plan.
In other words you didn’t go out to shoot a specific video you had envisioned.
You go out, you get some shots and that’s about it.
Footage like that really doesn’t lend itself to creating a project because it is lacking in cohesiveness as far as a predetermined story goes.
However all is not lost!
With a little creativity you can take that footage and craft it into something interesting and creative.
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