Long Shots and Composition
In the Shooting Better Video section of this site on the page that covers the basics of the types of shots used most commonly, there is a brief rundown on the Long Shot.
The long shot or the establishment shot is most often used to set the scene so the audience knows where we are or, in the case of being used in the middle of a project, where we are now as opposed to where we were before.
It either introduces a location or setting or helps shift the audience to a new location or setting.
The article linked below gives some great tips and examples of famous long shots and how they are working to set a scene.
A very common way to present a long shot is by using a very slow pan across the scene to take the audience in however some of the best long shots are actually static yet still work.
The reason they work is that they are one of the types of video shots you can take best by following the rules of composition from photography.
New Features for Filmora 7.8 – YouTube
OK, so last week I updated my review of Filmora because they came out with a new version which is 7.8.
Of course they were bugging me to somehow “announce” the new version as a new version cos’ that’s what the marketers do!
As usual they didn’t really get too much co-operation from me other than giving the review a bit of a freshen up and here’s why. (Filmora Review Here)
Filmora occupies a spot on this site for a very specific reason.
That reason is that it is a very easy to learn and use video editor that has just about everything most people would need to create awesome videos.
It is not jam packed with a gazillion features, it is jam packed with just the features you need!
For that reason it remains as I said, very easy to learn and easy to use!
So the fact that they are touting a new version with “new features” does not really fill me with a sense of excitement.
It actually makes me worry that they are jumping on the “more and more and more features” bandwagon until it is as complicated as the rest.
Anyway, this week they came out with a video showing the new stuff and thankfully it is all stuff you can actually use and more importantly has not added any complication to the basic program or interface.
Stop Motion Animation Tutorial in Pinnacle Studio
This is another of the new features that have been included in version 20 of Pinnacle Studio. (Pinnacle Studio Review Here)
Whilst there have always been ways to create stop motion video or at least timelapse videos outside of the software this is the first time you can do it from within.
You can hook up your camera to your computer, open Pinnacle and operate the camera through the Pinnacle interface while watching the whole thing on your computer monitor.
Free Titles Course – Basic Filmmaker
One of my favorite people on the internet for providing awesome content in the filed of shooting and editing your videos has to be The Basic Filmmaker.
His YouTube channel is just jam packed full of video editing and video shooting goodness.
The video below is an outline of the new course he is providing on his website on the subject of Titles.
I would absolutely advise you to go over and check out both his YouTube Channel and his teaching website.
Yes he does offer paid courses if you want to take things higher but he also offer a ton of free stuff as well.
And by the way, full disclosure, no I am not an affiliate of his services, he just provides great content.
Pinnacle Studio Tutorial – Object Masking with Motion Tracking
As Corel continue the development of Pinnacle Studio we are beginning to see some of the features Pinnacle has been missing begin to appear.
One of the new ones this year is motion tracking especially in combination with the use of masks.
Why it Looks Spooky
So given that we are in the Halloween time of the year here are some tips on how to create spooky lighting effects a little beyond the usual up-lighting technique.
You know, that’s the one with the torch shining up on your face.
In addition to that maybe within the article you may also find out why your videos look kind of spooky when that wasn’t what you intended!
Best Settings for Fast Video Rendering – PowerDirector 15
One of the main reasons why I have kept CyberLink PowerDirector as my top choice for video editing software at the consumer level had been the issue of sheer speed.
The main areas where the speed of the program is going to come into play are when you are previewing, when you are rendering and when you are scrubbing through the timeline.
On all these fronts PowerDirector has a slight edge over the competition and they have held that edge for a number of years now. (PowerDirector Review Here)
The way they have achieved that is by developing a system that identifies the available resources it can use on the computer where it lives.
Once it identifies those resources it works out how best to use them when carrying out resource intensive tasks like rendering, previewing and scrubbing through the timeline.
When it comes to rendering it uses another technology they developed called SVRT which is a system that identifies what the software really needs to process and what it needs to just copy.
Some of these technologies will depend on what available resources you have especially when it comes to the video card but if you want to get the best out of your software check the video below.
Some Great Editing Tips
I was initially going to just distribute this article onto social media thinking it was just another throw away tips guide to editing… until I read it!
It’s really good!
There are many resources available for editing and lots of information about why you are supposed to do what you are supposed to do but some of it is a bit dry.
Check out this article below because it gives great insight into the act of cutting and just how the cuts and the length of your clips go together to create an effect.
Pinnacle Studio Tutorial – Picture in Picture
This is just a straight up video of the slightly new system Pinnacle have introduced to version 20 for resizing and adjusting images and videos for the Picture in Picture effect.
Not really a new feature because you could always do that but just a slightly more convenient way to get it done.
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