Earlier this week I sent out an email to everyone on my subscriber list (unusual I know!) alerting them to a couple of good deals going at the moment being offered by Magix.
So I thought I would kick off this week by repeating that information in case anyone wanted to take advantage of those deals.
So, Magix last week released the latest update of Vegas Movie Studio which takes it to version 15.
This is the second update they have overseen since they bought out the entire Sony Vegas range of products a few years back.
What they have mainly been doing with the software since then has been in the form of bringing it up to date as far as features, appearance and performance go.
You can read my updated review here: Vegas Movie Studio Review (https://diyvideoeditor.com/vegas-movie-studio-review/)
As part of their release marketing they are offering a $20 discount on any version of the software which means the Basic version will cost about $29, the Platinum version about $59 and the Suite version ar around $119 which is pretty good value.
On top of that they are running a concurrent deal on their professional software, Vegas Pro Edit paired with the full Boris Continuum 3D Objects Plugin.
Vegas Pro Edit usually comes in at around $600 and the Boris Plugin has a list price of about $300.
They are offering the package for $250 total so that a pretty hefty discount.
Anyhoo, if you are at all interested in any of these deals all the link info is below.
To get the Vegas Movie Edit Pro 15 discount use this link:
Vegas Movie Edit Pro 15 and apply this coupon code at the checkout: HelloVMS15
To take a look at the Vegas Pro Edit with the Boris plugin deal use this link: Vegas Pro Edit
These is no need for any coupon code on that one.
And now we return to our normal programming…
Composition – The Golden Spiral, Explained
To be perfectly honest I know I tend to get a tad geeky over some things and I understand it’s not to everyone’s taste, but!
The video below is a very cool explanation with regards to just how the rule of thirds came into being and why it works.
The Fibonacci curve is a fascinating subject in itself (well to me anyway) in that it appears in our universe in so many different ways ways.
And Fade to Black
This one is near to my heart!
Any time I can include an article that discusses at a professional level the way in which you can cut from one shot to another without using some pre-packaged cheesy transition that was included in your software, I’m all in!
Interestingly most cuts with or without transitions are successful if they follow two basic rules.
First that they do not interrupt the viewer or cause him to be less immersed in the video.
The second is that the transition in some way mimics human behavior.
J-cuts and L-cut work for that very same reason.
The one that works but breaks all the rules is the fade to black or the fade through black but nonetheless, they still work if used at the right points.
Check out what those points are in the article below.
How to Record Instagram-Worthy Cooking Videos
If you go over to YouTube and look around for some demonstration type videos you will begin to see there is a very sharp difference in quality.
There are generally the ones that look really good that allow you to see what is happening and there are all the others.
One of the keys to demo videos is figuring out camera angles that allow the viewer to become involved in the process and clearly see what is going on.
One of the best examples of this is the gazillion or so baking videos that offer to demonstrate beating eggs for a sponge until they reach “the ribbon” stage.
I know that may sound a bit strange but it really does illustrate the point.
Beating eggs to the ribbon stage is key to baking sponges.
If you stop before or go beyond that stage the cake will sink.
There are some very specific characteristics of the beaten eggs that clearly show the ribbon stage but!
I have never actually seen a video on YouTube the CLEARLY demonstrates those characteristics.
One of the main reasons for that is that the creators have nearly all opted for a front on shot with a fixed camera that just doesn’t allow you to see what they are talking about.
When you think about it, that’s kind of crazy because the whole point of doing a demo video is to SHOW the process.
One of the better camera angles for demonstration videos is the top down shot and although it takes a bit of setting up and a bit practice to get right results in very professional looking videos that show people what they were looking for in the first place.
The video below gives and overview of the setup but there are more complete instructions at THIS LINK
Polarizers and ND Filters for Beginners
I’ve actually been looking for a video like the one below for a while now. DSLR and MILC cameras for video are really beginning to drop into the amateur market as far as price point goes and the quality of some of them is quite excellent.
This introduces the world of lenses to the mix and in light of that I have included a number of articles on lens selection in these weekly roundups.
However there are two types of lens filters that have had little or no coverage recently that I have come across anyway.
They are polarizing filters and neutral density filters.
They really are tools that you can very easily use on your camera to improve the quality of your footage out of sight… as long as you know what you are doing!
CyberLink PowerDirector – Adjust Audio Auto Remix Tutorial
One of the advantages of having the PowerDirector Suite version is the added control you can have over audio and color.
Both ColorDirector and AudioDirector are CyberLink’s way of adding pro features to their software without bloating the core program for those who don’t necessarily need those advanced tools.
This is a good tutorial in AudioDirector showing how to extend the length of an audio track to match that of the video project or part of it.
It also provides a good example of the type of tools you can expect in those modules.
Smart Phone Tips
I wanted to include this article in the Friday Roundup because although it is aimed at taking still photos I noticed just about all of the tips also apply to taking videos.
Let’s face it, most of us are capturing at least some of our footage these days on a mobile phone.
Admittedly the tiny sensors and tiny lenses in these devices limit the quality you can get but the bottom line is that you can’t beat the convenience!!
Check out these tips to raise your smartphone video game.
Leave a Reply