Finding the Idea – Making Videos When Your Brain is Potatoes.
So right out of the gate here on this one let me set the scene.
This video tutorial is probably better aimed at more advanced video makers especially those that have content demands being put on them.
Coming up with subjects to create videos about can be a bit taxing at times and just like the title says, sometimes your brain is potatoes and you got nothin’.
The video covers the process quite well but I think it is well worth delving a little deeper into what is going on here.
People get the idea that film makers or script writers suddenly “get an idea” then develop a project based on that idea moving forward. That’s not strictly true.
It goes a little more like this.
The mind is usually engaged in a constant stream of thinking that we recognize as consciousness or a stream of consciousness.
If it is not engaged in the contemplation of a specific thing like a problem or a task at hand it tends to flap around all over the place as far as subject matter goes!
Thoughts lead to other thoughts which collide with more thoughts and on and on.
Interrupting all of this is external stimulation from things you see and hear etc.
So very often your mind is acting on the basis of triggers and you are probably having a gazillion ideas every day… which just pass by unnoticed and disappear to wherever it is unused ideas go!
By taking control of this process and by remaining aware of the thoughts you are having you can harness all of this and actually direct yourself towards having ideas.
One of the most famous people I know of that used this was David Bowie.
He would write down random words or phrases as they occurred to him, throw them into a hat then start looking at them.
People misunderstood him and thought he was just randomly putting these words and phrases together to write lyrics to songs.
But that was not what he was doing.
He was just using those words and snippets to trigger writing ideas and I think he did that rather well!
The Fundamentals of Tilt-Shift Lenses
This is just about everything you wanted to know about tilt shift lenses and what they do but were afraid to ask.
On the other hand you may never have asked or even heard of a tilt shift lens.
In that case check this video out so you can sound totally knowledgeable when the subject comes up at you next dinner party.
Insta360 One X2 Action Camera
As many of you probably know by now, I don’t do camera reviews.
I am not even going to pretend that I could possibly keep up with that market!
Recently there has been a lot of noise online about the release of the new Insta 360 X2 Action Cam.
If I were to combine all the reviews I have read so far into one then reduce that to a sentence it would be: “Holy moley how the hell does it do that!”
Now for many people the idea of getting a 360 cam may seem a little strange if you are not going to be producing 360 projects… not so fast there tiger!
Check out the video to get an idea of why this may be a good idea.
In Camera Ghost Effect
Ok I will freely admit that this one is kind of complicated both in the setup and the shooting but!
I always find it interesting to see practical effects like this broken down into their component parts and then executed for real.
How to Change YouTube Channel Names (Step-by-Step)
There may be a time when it comes to your YouTube Channel that you want to change the name of the channel.
Possibly back in the day when you first started it you may have come up with a brilliant idea as to how to name it and these days… well it may all seem a bit naff.
Alternatively over the years the original subjects you were addressing have fallen by the wayside and you are now creating totally different content.
In which case you may need to re-brand.
Either way there is a right way and a wrong way to go about it.
Don’t bother with the wrong way, just do it right to begin with.
PowerDirector -Tips on Using a Linear Mask
In PowerDirector 19 and 365 CyberLink introduced a new masking tool which allows you to select a mask by hand, adjust it then use it like any other.
However very often the preset masks that have already been created in the program are enough to get the job done and are easier to use.
The key to using them is understanding how to manipulate these masks to suit your project.
Below is a good example of taking a linear or preset masks and doing just that.
PowerDirector 365 Oct. 2020 Release: LUTs, Templates & More
This is just a promotional video that CyberLink posted to inform their user base of the recent additions to the PowerDirector 365 subscription model.
The reason I have added it is that is gives a good idea as to why perhaps someone would choose PowerDirector 365 or even Director Suite 365 over PowerDirector 19 as a perpetual licence purchase.
The real question as far as the perpetual licence over the annual or monthly subscription probably comes down to how heavily you are going to use the software.
If you are a light or occasional user then a perpetual licence is most likely best.
If you are a heavy user and more importantly, use a lot of assets other than your own footage in your projects then the subscription offers very good value.
How to Use Chroma Key and Mask Designer for Advanced Editing – PowerDirector
This is a simple walk through of what would probably be best described as a more advanced technique.
Having said that using either chroma key or masks alone could not meet that qualification.
I guess the reason for the “advanced” designation is that it utilizes these two features in concert to achieve the one overall effect.
Using Keyframe Anchor Points in CyberLink PowerDirector 19
One of the features introduced to the expanded keyframing functionality of PD 19 was a thing called anchor points.
This is one of those features that is really hard to explain and is better served by being demonstrated.
So rather than confuse you with one of my patented long winded explanations you are far better off watching the video!
One thing not mentioned in that video is that if you have 2k or 4k footage being used in a 1080p project this tool really comes to life as you can move around and zoom in to a far greater degree.
Whereas if you are using standard HD footage with a view to creating a standard HD project then you can’t do quite so much without having the video quality degrade to some degree.
Color Page In 5 Mins. – DaVinci Resolve Basics
This week I have included two videos from Casey Faris on the subject of dealing with color and color correction in DaVinci Resolve.
Given that Resolve started out life as predominantly a color correction and grading tool I thought this would be a good idea.
Of course since those early years DaVinci Resolve has been expanded into a fully loaded video editing and post production suite.
Anyway, the first video is one of Casey’s “Five Minute” tutorials that basically covers what is in the the Color Page, what you can do and how to access the features.
The second video below that is an “over the shoulder” tutorial where he demonstrates his color correction workflow on a real project.
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