Jeff Murray
February 3rd, 2010, 09:01 AM
I was prompted to post this after introducing myself in the new to the neighbourhood forum. I read these types of forums regularly and would love to have some tips on what people find interesting or appealing in videos.
Some background: I make home movies and probably have some kind of infliction/ passion for recording what happens. I have my videos at jeffmurray on Vimeo (http://www.vimeo.com/jbm). I love recording the children growing up so they can look back on their lives and see where it all hopefully went right :-) [mind you since I started this, they complain more about the time I spend on the computer and the embarrassing times I get the camera out].
The problem I face, and judging by what I see on Vimeo something many of us face, is to make our films more universally appealing. Someone wise once said to me - you need to tell a story. It's easy to sit back and think well the story is in the footage, I'll piece it together and it will all be there - most often this is what my videos seems to turn out like.
So far on my short journey in this profession I have found out there elements involved in making things interesting. A short non-comprehensive list is:
1. A great location or event.
2. Camerawork and photography - exposure, composition, angles, time-lapse and time warp, etc [usually well covered on these forums].
3. Something I always miss [because the kids complain about the kinds of equipment needed to do this well, ie: zoom microphones and windsocks]- the audio is it clear and crisp?
4. Variation - don't just film the scenery, action or event- how did people react, what did they feel?
5. Editing - getting the image right - good clear video with great colour depth and definition. Less is more. Keep it short -as short as possible.
6. The storyboard - is there a beginning, middle and ending?
7. Does the sound fit the video - enhance or detract.
8. Graphics - are they attractive and readable - do they enhance the story.
9. The special something.
Not sure how to explain the last point. However I have seen many movies on Vimeo, some of them are breathtaking scenery and the location speaks for itself. Others capture me because of their simplicity - like the series ‘Fifty people, one question’ (Fifty People, One Question: Brooklyn on Vimeo) or another recent one in the 5D2 samples with a lass running around with a sign that says 'I love you' and the film maker catches peoples' reactions to a young lass showing them the sign - very clever. Is content king? Visual and emotional content?
I have Googled the question many times - the shortest answer came from WikiAnswers : good producer, good script, good actors, good director, good editor and good marketing. For those of us doing home movies maybe we’re doomed from the beginning – we have none of these other than an amateur editor.
Some useful links I have uncovered:
What makes a good movie? - Rusty Lime (http://www.rustylime.com/show_article.php?id=1447)
What Makes A Good Movie (http://www.articlesbase.com/movies-articles/what-makes-a-good-movie-302685.html)
Creative Commons licenses - Jamendo (http://www.jamendo.com/en/creativecommons)
Well maybe this has started some thought patterns, let's see what people think, comment and contribute - hopefully.
With regards
Jeff
Some background: I make home movies and probably have some kind of infliction/ passion for recording what happens. I have my videos at jeffmurray on Vimeo (http://www.vimeo.com/jbm). I love recording the children growing up so they can look back on their lives and see where it all hopefully went right :-) [mind you since I started this, they complain more about the time I spend on the computer and the embarrassing times I get the camera out].
The problem I face, and judging by what I see on Vimeo something many of us face, is to make our films more universally appealing. Someone wise once said to me - you need to tell a story. It's easy to sit back and think well the story is in the footage, I'll piece it together and it will all be there - most often this is what my videos seems to turn out like.
So far on my short journey in this profession I have found out there elements involved in making things interesting. A short non-comprehensive list is:
1. A great location or event.
2. Camerawork and photography - exposure, composition, angles, time-lapse and time warp, etc [usually well covered on these forums].
3. Something I always miss [because the kids complain about the kinds of equipment needed to do this well, ie: zoom microphones and windsocks]- the audio is it clear and crisp?
4. Variation - don't just film the scenery, action or event- how did people react, what did they feel?
5. Editing - getting the image right - good clear video with great colour depth and definition. Less is more. Keep it short -as short as possible.
6. The storyboard - is there a beginning, middle and ending?
7. Does the sound fit the video - enhance or detract.
8. Graphics - are they attractive and readable - do they enhance the story.
9. The special something.
Not sure how to explain the last point. However I have seen many movies on Vimeo, some of them are breathtaking scenery and the location speaks for itself. Others capture me because of their simplicity - like the series ‘Fifty people, one question’ (Fifty People, One Question: Brooklyn on Vimeo) or another recent one in the 5D2 samples with a lass running around with a sign that says 'I love you' and the film maker catches peoples' reactions to a young lass showing them the sign - very clever. Is content king? Visual and emotional content?
I have Googled the question many times - the shortest answer came from WikiAnswers : good producer, good script, good actors, good director, good editor and good marketing. For those of us doing home movies maybe we’re doomed from the beginning – we have none of these other than an amateur editor.
Some useful links I have uncovered:
What makes a good movie? - Rusty Lime (http://www.rustylime.com/show_article.php?id=1447)
What Makes A Good Movie (http://www.articlesbase.com/movies-articles/what-makes-a-good-movie-302685.html)
Creative Commons licenses - Jamendo (http://www.jamendo.com/en/creativecommons)
Well maybe this has started some thought patterns, let's see what people think, comment and contribute - hopefully.
With regards
Jeff